"He's going to torture you, Alana."
The princess's voice had lost its earlier strength. Now that the initial threat was gone, she worried the young woman would be overcome by her fears.
"You cannot give in to that Torpek, Princess," Alana ordered as she tried to pull her right foot out of her boot. She needed to free her leg from the shackle so she could swing her body in order to reach her other hand.
"I'm not going to let them . . . hurt you," said Valencia.
Alana could not see the princess, but the sound of her voice had a trace of hysteria. "He may rape me . . ." there was a pause in the princess's sentence that sounded like a soft sob, "but he can't bond with me."
"Once he finds that you are bonded to another, he will torture both of us to get you to tell him who he is." Her foot slid inside the boot, yet it did not escape from the bindings. With a low growl, she angrily wiggled her ankle. "Then he will hunt Thane down and kill him."
"I can't let him hurt you, Alana. Isn't there a way to fake the bonding?"
Alana smiled at the princess's innocence and ignorance.
"No, Matka-Zem, you can't fake that. You would have to share your Gift and you already did that with Thane."
They fell quiet as she struggled to squeeze out of the shackles. Alana heard the princess weeping softly and her heart ached for the young woman.
"I'm sorry I'm not much of a leader." Valencia quietly sniffed. "I'm so afraid, Alana."
"You were very brave, Princess. Thane and Naji would be proud of you." She did not know what to say to comfort the Matka-Zem. Their situation was dire and she knew the Torpek would finish what he started with the girl. With all her might, she kicked her foot and the boot fell to the floor.
"Try to stay calm, Valencia." She tried to ease the young woman's fear. "You will survive this, no matter what happens." She realized she'd finally found the courage to call the Matka-Zem by her given name. She regretted not offering her friendship to her on the first day they'd met but, in her defense, she had been too awestricken to be so informal with the Matka-Zem. She'd already made a fool of herself more than once in front of her deity, and she wanted the princess to be proud of her now. She had to find a way to save her. She vigorously struggled against her bonds. Silence fell between them as she diligently worked for freedom. It felt like hours before Alana was able to free her right foot. As she rejoiced at her accomplishment, she heard a strange clicking noise coming from the direction of the Matka-Zem, and realized it was the chattering of teeth from the cold. Valencia hung naked, and Alana feared she was developing hypothermia.
"Valencia?" The princess did not respond, and Alana feared the worst. "Valencia!"
"Huh? What?"
It was obvious the princess was not doing well. With the head wound and the bite on her breast, Alana wondered how much blood she had lost.
"Talk to me, Valencia." Now that her right foot was free, she swung toward her left hand, and was able to grasp the metal shackle. The blood-soaked ring was slippery and she lost her grip.
"I want to go home." The princess's quiet plea ripped her heart in two. 'At least she's talking,' Alana thought, as the princess added, "Will you come back to Earth with me, Alana?"
"No Valencia. Sora is your home, not Earth." This was not what she wanted to hear. The thought of the Matka-Zem permanently leaving Sora, frightened her more than the torture that was sure to come. "Promise me you will stay on Sora and make her thrive again!"
"I promise . . ."
The Matka-Zem's words were barely audible and she feared she was losing consciousness.
"Talk to me, Princess. Ask me anything you wish, just keep talking to me." There was a long silence and she was about to repeat herself when the princess finally spoke.
"You were Thane's lover, weren't you?"
Alana stopped struggling in surprise. "I have shared his bed on a few occasions." She smiled when she sensed the princess's jealousy. Anger would keep the Matka-Zem awake, so she taunted her just a little, but only with the truth. "Thane is very passionate and thorough. If he were willing, I would not hesitate to join with him again." Alana felt the princess's Gift spark into existence, "but no . . . I am not his lover. I only love him like a brother." She continued her struggle but slipped again when she grasped the left shackle.
"You don't have sex with your brother, Alana." Valencia's voice had a hard edge to it and Alana smiled again at the woman's jealousy.
"The Mlinzi life is not like the ways of others, Valencia. We rarely join as mates. We do share our bodies during the Rensing, a place and time where we cleanse ourselves. If tension is high before a campaign, we will relax through sex. I have shared my body with both men and women of the Mlinzi and Thane has done the same." She didn't confess that Thane was her first and she held a special place for him in her heart. "But his heart is with you now, Matka-Zem."
"Does he really love me, or is that just the Kleben between us?"
Alana heard the woman's anguish in her tone.
"Valencia, he must love you." Alana grunted as she tried again to reach her arm. "I have never seen Thane angry in my life, and he was furious with you. Only a Mlinzi in love can get that mad."
"Take heart, Valencia—" she began. She ceased talking when she saw the flicker of light in the darkness and heard the faint sounds of footsteps. "They're back," she whispered.
"No." Fear made the princess's voice quiver. "Alana, what am I to do?"
"Be brave, Valencia. You have nothing to fear." Alana tucked her free hand halfway into the shackle and hoped they would not notice her freed foot. To calm her nerves, she took a deep breath and waited for the door to open. "Remember this, Princess: He may take your body, but not your spirit or Gift."
As the light grew brighter, Alana saw that only four Torpek soldiers accompanied their lord. The rusty bars squeaked as they opened and three guards entered to light the sconces within the cave for the Torpek lord. The remaining guard stood watch with his back towards them.
"Did you miss me, Princess?" Liam strolled into the room as if walking into his own suites. With a wave of his hand, he ordered a soldier to lower the Matka-Zem to the ground. Alana noticed his lower lip was now deformed, marring his handsome features. The Torpek lord stood in front of the princess and leered at her naked body. Liam slowly walked over to the woman and caressed her cheek with the back of his finger. "Have you made your decision yet, my dear?"
"Don't touch me, you vile thing. You make my stomach turn."
Alana was proud of Valencia, with her hate-filled eyes, and clinched jaws.
Liam backhanded the Matka-Zem so hard it sent her spinning. A guard caught her by the waist and "accidentally" cupped her breast before he steadied the princess to face his lord.
"You will change your mind soon enough." Liam nodded his head and the guard at Alana's side grabbed her hair and drew his knife.
With speed so fast they barely had time to blink, she kicked the guard in the groin and stole his blade. Before the guard could regained his bearings, she sliced the knife across his throat. Blood spurted her in the face as he staggered back in shock. A sickening gurgle escaped his open mouth as he clenched his throat with both hands. The guard stared at her with frightened eyes as he dropped to his knees. With one last gurgle, he fell forward to lie motionless on the cold ground.
"For the Matka-Zem," Alana cried as she placed the tip of the blade to her left breast and looked into Valencia's big, green eyes. There was no escape. There was only one way to save the princess. She knew the moment she laid eyes on the princess her time was near. On the day of her trials, Alana had learned she would have to make a life or death choice to save the Matka-Zem. "For you, Valencia." As the other guards raced toward her, she plunged the blade into her heart.
"Nnnnoooooo!" Valencia's scream echoed in her ears as darkness closed around her.
Chapter 14
By the water's edge, Thane watched the Nereii swim toward them. The woman glided to the shoreline and g
racefully stepped onto the beach.
"Who is this?" Her whispery voice held a hint of surprise as she spied Donna standing beside him. "She is not of Sora."
"This is Donna, a human from Earth." Thane gave the Nereii a slight bow of his head. "We did not see her." As the Nereii continued to stare, Donna shifted her feet in discomfort, and was speechless for the first time sense he'd met the woman. As another Nereii swam toward them, he placed a hand on Donna's shoulder to draw her forward.
"Donna, this is a Nereii. I'm sorry. I didn't get your name." He'd heard the Nereii rarely gave their formal names, and true to form, the woman only smiled at the human.
"You are most welcome here, Donna of Earth." The woman glanced at her companion as more Nereii arrived by the banks. There were a total of eight, and all curiously stared at the human. The Nereii reached out her hand toward Donna.
Donna glanced at Thane and he saw both fear and excitement in her face. With a firm hand, he pushed her toward the Nereii. When Donna grasped the woman's hand, the red-haired Nereii gasped. Her eyes rolled back into her head, as her companions placed their fingers upon her shoulders. Thane had seen Vident-Ara read before, however he'd never seen anyone link as the Nereii did now. As each in turn inhaled sharply, they closed their eyes.
Frightened by their reactions, Donna tried to remove her hand, but he stopped her with a firm order. "No, don't move. They are just reading you, Donna. They mean you no harm." One by one, the Nereii opened their eyes and regained their focus, then smiled at the human. "What did you see?" Thane asked when she released the human's hand.
"The future is brighter with the Earthling by the Matka-Zem's side." She brushed a thin finger against Donna's cheek. "Along with Thane, you will be Sora's saving grace." She took Donna's hand again, and pulled her into the water. "I will take you to the other side." With a quick tug, she pulled the earthling underwater. The other Nereii each took a Mlinzi and submerged them in the lake. Thane relaxed as a male Nereii guided him through the water at an incredible rate toward the opposite shore. The Nereii did not bother to encase him with a bubble of air as they did the others, for he had been born with gills. Thane chastised himself for not using his underwater skills more often, for it took him a few painful breaths to become accustomed to breathing the liquid. He vowed when the turmoil was over and peace was on Sora, he would improve on his abilities. Thane peered around him, and saw in the dark depths of the lake, the shapes of buildings clustered in an octagon pattern. He wondered just how many Nereii lived in the fresh water lake.
It took less than ten minutes to cross the huge body of water. Once he stepped onto the shore, Donna hurried to his side.
"That was pretty cool, Thane! I'm not even wet." With a tilt of her head she peered at him, "How did you get all wet?" When he didn't respond she brightened, "Val would love this."
"Yes . . . she would." The large lump in his throat stopped his words from flowing. He turned to face the red-haired Nereii and gave her a short bow. "Thank you for your help."
"You must make haste, Mlinzi. The princess needs you." The Nereii raised her hand to the forest as eight horses trotted towards them. "Here is a Gift from Sora. You and the Earthling must soften the Matka-Zem's heart before it is too late."
"I'll do my best." Thane hopped onto a horse's back. He shook his head as he watched Parth unceremoniously plunk Donna onto the smallest steed's bare back.
"Remember, Thane of the Mlinzi," the woman placed a hand on the horse's neck and stared at him with a worried expression on her porcelain face, "do not let her kill. The Matka-Zem must be life, not death."
"I am Death, Nereii." With a nod of his head, he kicked his horse into a gallop. As he heard Donna's squeal as her horse bolted forward, pain raced through his heart at the memory of Valencia's first horse ride.
***
Before Liam could laugh at the Mlinzi's death, the Matka-Zem's Gift slammed him backward. If it had not been for the guard behind him, he would have broken his back when he hit the wall. To his good fortune, the guard cushioned the blow, at his own expense. The shockwave of her grief extinguished the torches, blinding the Torpek lord. Before he could gather his wits, an earthquake rocked the mountain, as he heard the Matka-Zem sob. Cries from the guards echoed around him as the cave shook like a tumbler. When the shaking stopped, he hurriedly retrieve a crystal shard from his robes to illuminate the cave. As he struggled to his feet, he saw the twitching leg of a guard who'd been buried under a pile of rock. He spied movement from the corner of his eyes and saw the lone guard who'd survived the Matka-Zem's destruction, rise to his feet. Liam ignored him, for none of them had done their job of protecting him. He peered at the princess, who was still hanging by her arms, and saw the smoldering hatred in her green eyes. Tears streamed down her face.
"You're going to die, Liam." Valencia's voice was barely a whisper, and Liam felt fear shiver down his spine. The princess raised her chin with conviction. "There will be no place to hide."
With a firm push on his guard's back, Liam rushed out of the cave. Rockslides partially blocked the tunnel and he ordered the guard to dig their way through the narrow holes. Cracks and uplifts caused crevasses barely narrow enough to jump. To his fortune, the soldier located a toppled guard shack and searched the rubble for planks sturdy enough to walk across. As they made their way to the surface, the guard stopped abruptly, causing Liam to plow into his back.
"Get out of my way," he spat as he stepped passed the guard. Within two steps, he too stopped in his tracks. Fear gripped his stomach at the sight before him. Hundreds of Krysa surrounded what remained of his forty soldiers. The creatures were still, as if waiting for orders. A chill of fear shivered down his back as he realized who was directing the tiny animals.
The cawing of birds, circling above, rung in his ears. The six Minore, who had brought the princess to the fortress, screeched at the steadily growing flock. As they landed by his side, he heard a quiet chirp, and glanced down at a tiny Krysa, just inches from his feet. With a vicious snarl, he kicked the small rodent as hard as he could. With great satisfaction, he heard the tiny bones break as the creature hit the wall.
His joy was short-lived. The Krysa chirped in unison, making the sound a deafening roar, as it echoed off the cliff. As if in a feeding frenzy, the creatures pounced on the soldiers. Their weapons useless against their tiny adversaries, the men ran for their lives.
"Take me away," Liam screamed as he scrambled onto the back of the largest Minore and ordered the beast to take flight. However, when the creatures rose into the air, the flock of birds attacked. The black-winged birds swarmed the first two Minore and they crashed to the ground. Before they could clear the walls, two more succumbed to the flock. Liam shuddered in terror as the birds raced toward him.
Spying a tiny clearing in the forest, he ordered the Minore to lower him to the ground. Yet his command was in vain. The flock covered the Minore and they dropped out of the sky like a rock.
***
By the power of Sora, the horses galloped toward the mountains without needing rest. The warning from the Nereii ran through Thane's mind. His heart pounded painfully in his chest at what horrors the princess was going through that could turn the caring, young woman into a vengeful deity. It was late in the day, with Beta beginning to set, when they finally reached the base of the cliffs. Thane watched Donna slide off the horse and crumple to the ground. He shook his head as Parth lifted the human from under her arms and sat her on a rock, out of their way. Although the large man had orders to take care of the earthling, Thane had the feeling there was more to Parth's attentiveness than merely his obedience.
"This way," said Chand urgently. Chand was already starting to scale the cliff when Thane approached Donna.
"This time, Donna, listen to me and stay here." He pointed a finger at her.
"Not that I can go far on these legs," Donna had a sour expression on her face. "Now get! Go save Val."
Thane stumbled back as a sharp pain stabbed
his heart. With a cry of despair, he dropped to his knees. In agony, he placed a hand over his chest and bowed his head with a sob.
"Thane, what's wrong?" Donna crouched beside him as he trembled in misery. "Are you okay?"
He raised his head to look at her and saw the other Mlinzi were watching, surprise and uncertainty in their eyes as they saw him weep.
"I feel Valencia's sorrow." He gasped for breath between sobs and shook his head to reassure the earthling he was all right. "Alana is dead."
"What? How do you know?" Donna questioned in shock.
"Valencia is close and I can feel her." He concentrated on the human, to regain control over the powerful emotions that were not his own. As he raised to his feet, a shockwave bellowed over the cliff, knocking him back to the ground. All heard the Matka-Zem's cry of despair, as the wave swept over them. The mountain trembled as an earthquake ripped through its core. They scurried to safety as rocks crashed to the ground. Chand jumped from a ledge where he was standing just as the outer layer of the cliff broke loose and slid toward them. Thane grabbed Donna and hauled her away from the avalanche of dirt. He covered her with his body as the horses fled in terror.
"Is everyone okay?" he yelled over the thundering noise that filled the valley. As the rocks settled at the base of the cliff, he rose to his feet and pulled the human to his side.
"What in the hell was that?" Donna's voice shook as he released her. "Was that Val I heard?"
Thane took three deep breaths before he could speak. "Yes." Valencia's pain filled his soul, and he fought the desire to cry. As he peered at each of the other Mlinzi, he saw they too showed signed of distress from the princess's powerful emotions. "Alana took her own life to prevent them from using her to coerce the princess."
"You have to get her out of that damn hell hole." In spite of her wobbly legs, Donna yanked on his arm and pulled him toward Chand. Reaching the other Mlinzi, she pulled him to his feet and then pushed them both toward the cliff. "Hurry up and get your asses moving. Get my girl out of there."
Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) Page 29
