"Greetings, my brothers. What fares you?" Thane asked in a casual tone.
"We have orders to escort you to the Matka-Zem, Thane." Viktor was the commander of the battalion in which Thane had served after the princess's exile. The Mlinzi was a man in his early forties, as fit and strong as his younger companions, yet deep lines of age around his eyes and mouth marked his face.
"I don't need an escort, Viktor." Thane scowled at the man. "You'll just slow me down."
"That's what I said too, but I have my orders directly from the council." Viktor cocked his head to the side and studied him with narrowed eyes, "What have you gotten yourself into, Thane?"
"It's a long story." Thane shook his head and gave his brethren half-smile. With a shrug of his shoulders, he proceeded down the road. "Well, if you insist on joining me, let's get going."
"Seems we have plenty of time to hear this story, brother." Viktor fell into step with him while the others filed in behind. The commander glanced at him questioningly. "The council also ordered a battalion of five-hundred Mlinzi to be assembled and they should catch us in a days' time."
"The council ordered a battalion?" Thane groaned at the thought. All he wanted was to be with the princess, but now it had gotten out of control. He wanted privacy to explain what happened between them and then declare his feelings to Valencia. He was not sure how to explain the arrival of five-hundred warriors without appearing to desire her power instead of her love.
"They think there may be trouble when you try to enter Kota Emas. It's like we are going to put the city under siege or something." Viktor chuckled at his own comment. However, when Thane did not laugh with him, he narrowed his eyes again and asked with more authority. "What is going on, Thane?"
"I am partially Klebened to the Matka-Zem," he answered softly, for Viktor's ears only.
"What?" In shock, Viktor stopped in his tracks, causing the others to swerve out of the way to keep from plowing into his back. After a second, he shook his head and quickened his step to catch up to Thane. "What do you mean by partially? You haven't slept with her yet?"
"No, I haven't." Thane did not look at his brother Mlinzi, not wanting to see the questions in his face.
"And you're going there now to complete the bonding?" Viktor already knew the answer. "By Sora, Thane! Have you gone mad or just a glutton for torture?"
"Both." To his own ears, his laughter held a hint of hysteria to its pitch.
"Do you want me to put you out of your misery before it's too late?" Although Viktor chuckled, Thane knew he was serious. "You of all people know what she is like."
"She's not like that anymore, Viktor. She's kind, caring, and considerate." He gave his companion a helpless smile. "And I love her."
"Well, maybe Naji beat some sense into the girl after all," the commander replied, with a sympathetic smile.
"Like she did with all of us." Thane smiled back, remembering the sting of the old Mlinzi's belt.
"Looks like I will be calling you Regent soon." Viktor slapped him on the back. "Pity. You made a great Mlinzi."
***
During the long trip to the city of the Mlinzi, Valencia had plenty of time to think of her predicament with Thane. With a heavy heart, she realized the electrical shocks she felt each time their skin touched was only the Kleben. She now understood why the Mlinzi flinched at the slightest brush of her fingers. However, she did not understand why he had changed on their last day together. She found it hard to believe that the closeness they shared that last night was nothing more than the Kleben between them. She thought they had something special, but it could have been only the pull of their bond. Valencia wondered if her growing feelings for the Mlinzi were really her own or if they were because of the Kleben. She reluctantly admitted the blame was hers for starting the bond when she tried to heal Thane. However, the Mlinzi should have stopped it by rejecting her Gift. At least, he should have told her what had occurred between them—yet he had remained mute. Valencia was not sure how she would react when she saw Thane again, but she planned to give the man a piece of her mind. She was not going to fall into his arms like a lovesick girl. Moreover, he had a lot of explaining to do as to why he had been so deceptive.
When they finally stopped for the evening on the second day of their journey, she groaned in discomfort as she slid off the horse as gracefully as she could. She didn't want to look like a fool in front of the Mlinzi. She suppressed the giggles that rose in her throat as Donna practically fell to the ground in a heap.
"I can't feel my legs," Donna cried in despair as she failed in an attempt to stand. Parth grumbled under his breath and assisted Donna to her feet. When she was able to take a step, Donna peered at the huge Mlinzi in wonder. "Do all you Mlinzi mumble under your breath? Thane and Alana do that too."
Parth only grunted in response.
By the time the two women were able to walk without too much discomfort, the Mlinzi already had a fire blazing and a cooking pot simmering with the evening meal.
"Do you think we will make it to Kifo in time?" Valencia sat on a flat stone close to the fire, while Alana sat cross-legged on the ground. She watched the Mlinzi sharpen her sword with loving care and thought of Thane's lectures on the importance of caring for your weapons.
"We will be there by tomorrow evening, but they will not let you in," said Alana, not looking up from her task.
"Why not"? Donna interrupted.
"No one enters except Mlinzi. " Alana shrugged her shoulders.
"They will have to let me in," said Valencia. SHE would not take no for an answer and would pull the gates down with her Gift if she had too.
"No Matka-Zem has visited Kifo for a thousand years." Alana lifted her head from her task to peer at her. "They may just let you in." A soft hum vibrated around the campsite, disappearing as fast as it came.
"What was that?" both Valencia and Donna said at the same time. Valencia chuckled at how they had the ability to think and act the same.
"Have no fear, Princess. It was only a signal that more of our brethren are arriving." As a group entered the clearing, Alana glanced at the newcomers and gave a soft chuckle. "Looks like we didn't have to rescue Thane after all."
When Valencia spied Thane enter the clearing, her heart skipped a beat. He stopped at the edge of their campsite and quickly scanned the area. When their eyes met from across the fire pit, he quickly headed towards her. She rose to her feet on trembling legs, which had nothing to do with the long ride. As she stared at the approaching man, her stomach twisted in a knot and her palms grew damp.
"Don't be too hard on him, Val," Donna whispered before Valencia took a step away from her friend. As they met halfway, the entire company fell quiet, all eager to hear their exchange.
"What are you doing here?" Valencia found her voice first as they peered into each other's eyes.
"Why aren't you in the city?" Thane was a split second behind her. "Did something happen?"
"We came to rescue you," she huffed, as her nerves began to calm. She did not want to tell him of Liam's assault and wondered if the Mlinzi would fly into a rage if he knew.
"Rescue me?" As soon as he spoke the words, realization dawned on his face. His eyes narrowed into slits and he firmly grasped her arm. "You know."
"Yes, I know about the Kleben." She took a step back to break his hold, yet he followed and tightened his grip. She watched Thane scan the campsite and realize his brethren were watching them with amused expressions on their faces. When his eyes fell onto Donna's broad smile, he groaned.
"Let's talk about this in private," Thane whispered in her ear as he propelled her into the forest. She went willingly, not wanting an audience to their argument. Thane did not release her until they were out of earshot. By that time, she already formed her retort and rounded on her guardian the moment he let go of her arm.
"Why didn't you stop it?" She took a few steps away from him to put some distance between them. Valencia expected him to be humble before her.
However, he remained silent as she ranted. "You didn't even bother to tell me!"
"Yes, I did take advantage of the situation," Thane calmly admitted, but she could tell by his frown that he was far from complacent. "In your ignorance you started the Kleben, and I accepted it."
"I trusted you! But you're just using me, like everyone else wants to do on this damn planet." She felt ill at his declaration and her stomach turned in revulsion.
"I do not regret my actions, Valencia." Thane closed the distance between them and tried to take her into his arms, but she savagely pushed him away.
"You took my choice away," she cried in fury as she stalked further away from him. She could not think clearly, when he was near her. "You selfishly took my free will away from me."
"You want to choose?" Once again, Thane closed the distance between them. He withdrew a jade-handled knife from his cloak and shoved the hilt in her palm. With his hand over hers, he brought the blade to his left breast. "You want a choice? Choose now," he hissed. Thane stepped closer. Valencia watched blood soak through his tunic as the tip disappeared into his flesh. Releasing her hand, he spoke his words softly, but his rage was undeniable. "Push hard, Princess. Take my life and be free."
"I'm not going to kill you, Thane." Valencia threw the blade away and the Mlinzi watched it disappear into a thicket. "I'm not going to have your blood on my hands." She turned her back to Thane, unable to look him in the eyes any longer, and whispered, "Why didn't you stop it?"
"Because, I wanted you for myself." He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to face him.
"What about what I want?" She tried to yank her arm away, but his grasp was like steel. "What if I want someone else?"
"You want someone else . . . ?" The shock on Thane's face lasted only a second before his cheeks grew crimson with jealousy, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and his fingers bit into her arm. "Who is he? A Torpek? Is he one of those arrogant, pampered asses? I'll kill him before he touches you."
"No one . . . I . . . didn't say . . . I . . . did." The Mlinzi's fury was petrifying and Valencia stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
"I'll be damned if I am going to forfeit my life so you can lay with another man." Thane hauled her close to him and hissed, "You belong to me!"
"No, I don't. I don't belong to you or anyone else," she screamed back at the Mlinzi, finally finding her courage. She steadily met his gaze. "I am a free person and I don't belong to anyone!"
With a low growl, Thane released her arm and turned to leave the tiny clearing. Valencia let out a deep breath of relief as he stomped away. However, her reprieve lasted only seconds. When he spun around to face her, she quickly inhaled in fright. Thane was livid! His lips curled into a savage sneer and his yellow eyes blazed with rage. Thane bolted towards her like a charging bear. She quickly stepped back, afraid of the man before her. Before she could escape, he was upon her. Thane roughly pinned her arms to her sides as he forcefully pulled her close. A soft whimper escaped from her throat.
"I love you!" Thane spat the words as if they were poison in his mouth. He gave her one firm shake. "And you love me. But if you want to play this childish game, then so be it." He pushed her away as if the very touch of her revolted him.
She stumbled backwards, tripped over a branch and fell hard on her buttocks. Pain jarred her spine and her eye filled with tears at his revulsion.
"Get this through your thick skull, Princess," Thane said her title like an insult, "you are my woman and I will never let you go." Thane ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, untangling part of his long braid. His next words came out a little softer, although they still held a hard edge. "Come to me when you're ready to grow up, Valencia."
In shock, she stared after him as Thane stormed out of the clearing without a backwards glance.
Chapter 13
No one tried to stop Thane as he stormed away from the encampment. In his fury, he blindly scaled the nearby hillside. It had never occurred to him that the princess might meet someone else in his absence. She was a beautiful woman, and any man would want to have her as his mate, regardless of who she was. Although she was young and naïve, he had been confident she loved him. Now that confidence was cracked.
With a lunge toward an overhang that was almost out of his reach, he began to scale a cliff that would allow him to peer down on the campsite. As he tried to control his anger, he hauled his long body over the ledge and rolled onto his back. The thought of another man making love to Valencia ate at his soul. Regardless of the circumstances, she was his woman and he would not hesitate to kill any man who attempted to take her from him.
"She loves me," he spoke with uncertainty to the twinkling stars above him. "She has too."
Thane rose to his feet and peered down at the camp. Like a bird of prey spying its next victim, he watched the princess refuse the evening meal and curl into a ball to sleep. Tossing on the hard ground, she finally gave up the fruitless attempt, and returned to the fire. As he watched the Matka-Zem play with the hot coals with a stick, he went over their conversation in his mind.
"Ch'iidii, woman." Thane shook his head when he realized the princess had said, "what if I want," not "I want." On the battlefield, he prided himself on his calm, calculating mind. Nothing could rattle him there. Yet the confounded girl had thrown him into a frenzy on more than one occasion. Even as a child, she had possessed the ability to make him lose control of his emotions. "What have you done to me, Valencia?" He snorted in disgust at himself. "Only you can make me go crazy." Thane wanted to go to her, plead his case, and beg forgiveness, but the next move was hers to make.
"You're out there somewhere, but where?" Thane heard her faint question in his mind as he saw her raise her head to peer into the dark. At first, he refused to answer. He was sure the princess did not fully comprehend their link, and doubted she really called to him. He concluded that she was just thinking, and he'd simply felt her mind touch his. Yet he felt her turmoil and his heart softened. With a sigh, Thane decided to show the princess just how linked they were.
"Where I always am, Princess. I'm keeping a watchful eye on you." Thane smiled at her surprise.
"I really do hear you." The princess turned her head in his direction and he felt her spirits lift. "I'm sorry, Thane."
"I am too, Valencia." A long pause grew between them as he waited for her to speak.
"Come back, Thane," Valencia softly ordered. "We need to talk."
"Yes, we do." This was not their first argument and he supposed it certainly would not be their last. He felt her fatigue and wanted her full attention when they faced each other again. "But go get some sleep. We'll talk in the morning." Thane smiled at how she obediently rose to return to her bedroll and curled under the thin blanket.
Tomorrow would be their joining day—he was sure of it. Normally there was a celebration for such an occasion, but they would have none. As he watched the Matka-Zem asleep on the ground, he made a sour face. He did not want to take her in the woods like an animal. He ached to hold her in his arms longer than to merely conceive the next Matka-Zem, and lying on dirt was not what he had in mind. He scanned the night, as he tried to remember where the closest cabana lay hidden, and recalled one was no more than three miles away. With another glance at the sleeping princess, he left to make the cabana ready for their joining.
***
Jolted awake by a cry of warning and a scurrying of running feet, Valencia instantly became aware of the sounds of fighting. She rose from her bedroll with a weapon in hand.
"Get down."
Before she had time to survey the scene, an older Mlinzi pushed her into a squat and five Mlinzi formed a tight ring around her, blocking her view.
"Where's Donna?" She could not see a thing except the backs of the Mlinzi. As the warriors fought the unseen foe, she heard the beating of wings. A cry of pain echoed around her, and something warm splashed onto her cheek. She brushed the spot with her fingers and saw that it w
as blood. She felt like a coward, hiding behind the Mlinzi. She wanted to fight by their side. Another cry of pain broke into her thoughts and a hole opened in the Mlinzi shield. Not afraid to face the intruder, she rose to her feet.
Her first sight was one of chaos. Gigantic birds swooped from the sky, attacking their party with talons and dropping rocks upon the warriors' heads. A huge, winged creature flew at her and she raised her curved knife and struck. The beast shrieked in pain as its left wing fell from its body. Stabbing the downed creature in the throat, she frantically searched for her friend.
"Donna!" Valencia screamed in terror as she saw one of the birds grab the human by the shoulders and lift her into the air. As she raced to her friend's aid, Parth grabbed Donna's ankle and yanked her to the ground. The bird clawed him across the cheek as the large Mlinzi thrust his blade deep into its chest. As she ran towards her friend, Valencia remembered Thane's lecture on the yacht and realized the creatures were Minore. But why they were attacking? She had no clue. There were so many of the winged creatures they blotted out the suns.
"Get her to the forest!" screamed a Mlinzi.
Valencia felt a Mlinzi grab her arm and haul her toward the trees. With a sickening thump, a huge rock crushed his skull and he fell to the ground. His blood splattered her in the face, half blinding her. As she rubbed her vision clear of the sticky goo, Alana pushed her aside as she held off the beast. Back-to-back, Valencia fought alongside the female Mlinzi as they slowly made their way into the forest. As a Minore dived towards her, she sliced open the creature's belly, and it collapsed at her feet.
"Valencia!" She heard her name and saw Thane running towards her. Relief filled her soul at the site of the man she loved. Suddenly, sheering pain shot through her head, as something hard struck her skull. Thane disappeared into a swirling black hole.
Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) Page 26
