“Get out of here,” Kayla said in a deathly cold voice, “and take the necklace with you. Tell the Raven King I’m not interested.”
“Perhaps the lady is the Fool and the Fool is the King,” the Fool giggled. He bowed low and scampered out of the room with the necklace.
Kayla slammed the door shut after him and sank to her knees. Tears gathered at her eyes as the shock of what had just happened hit home. She’d hoped Geminus would have got the message last night and that would have been an end to it, but now he was sending her gifts, and how had he’d known what she and Leos had been doing in the meadow? Had his spies been following them?
The idea of being watched made her sick to the stomach, and she began sobbing as she curled up onto the floor.
* * *
“Bitch!” snarled Geminus. “Whore! How could she dare reject me?”
Consumed with rage, he threw the box containing the necklace across his private quarters. It hit the wall and broke, spilling the jewellery onto the floor where it glittered mockingly in the dim light.
“Calm yourself,” urged the Fool, taking his hand and pulling over to the nearby chaise lounge. “You make yourself angry for nothing.”
“She should be mine!” hissed Geminus letting the Fool guide him to the plush red couch. It was set out to face the centre of the sumptuous black and red chamber, where the two naked Zodian women were suspended from the ceiling by their wrists. The barbed wire wrapped around their milky white flesh had caused blood to trickle down their raised arms. Their faces were already reduced to masks of purple bruises.
The Raven King glowered at them with tired eyes and gestured to the huge masked man stood a few feet behind the prisoners. He brought up his whip and started to ruthlessly lash their exposed backs in turn.
Their screams cut the air, but here, in Geminus’ private aerie at the top of the palace nobody could hear the women suffer. The pain inflicted on them made him feel better.
“The female is besotted with the Raven Prince,” the Fool said taking a phial of blue dragon dust from his doublet. “Leos will grow bored of her simpering and throw her away. Then you can use her as you please. Open your mouth.”
Geminus obeyed and the Fool sprinkled some of the dust onto his tongue. When the Raven King ingested the powerful narcotic he felt immediately relaxed and euphoric. The Fool was right, of course, the Fool was always right. Once, the misshaped wretch had been his father’s closest advisor but a failed plot to overthrow the previous Raven King had resulted in his body being broken and warped by the Torturer Magicians, sending him mad in the process.
Afterwards, his father had kept the demented little man alive to serve as the court jester, a warning to others of what happened to traitors. Like everyone else, the old King thought the Fool was completely harmless now but Geminus had soon learned that was far from the case.
“I shouldn’t have to wait,” Geminus grumbled, nonetheless. “I am the Raven King, not him. I have always been overshadowed by that upstart!” He made his talon into a fist as the old rage resurfaced. “You should have let my guards kill him in the hospital after the ambush failed.”
“What? And make the other Kings suspicious?” scoffed the Fool. He scooted down to Geminus’ boots and started to remove them. “Already they suspect we are funding the Neo-Fascist resurgence. If it were found that we had tried to murder Leos as well, it would be all the excuse they need to move against us and they’d have the support of our own people into the bargain. After his exploits in the war, Leos is more popular than ever.”
“Leos,” Geminus spat out the name. “You should have heard him drone on and on about the woman. He’s utterly consumed by her. He even believes she is his fated destiny mate.”
“Infatuation,” the Fool said dismissively. “It will soon pass. You must be patient. I have a new plan to get rid of Leos, but we must wait until the Festival of Spirits. Then, my sweet boy you will have everything you desire.” He ran his hand along Geminus’ bare soles before easing his tongue between the toes.
Geminus closed his eyes, drifting away on the pleasant sensations of the Fool’s hot mouth and the screams of the women. Leos would learn that Geminus was the real power here. He would get rid of his little brother once and for all and Kayla would be his.
The Raven King smiled to himself as he fantasised about all the things he would do to the curvy Earth woman. That insolence and independent streak would have to be beaten out of her of course, and she would quiver with terror before he was finished breaking her in. The anticipation was almost too much to bear.
He would take the Fool’s advice, though, and bide his time, but he would not wait too long. He wanted Kayla more than anything else in the world and he would do whatever it took to possess her. No one, not even his little brother, was going to stand in his way.
Chapter 7: The Festival Of Spirits
THREE WEEKS LATER
From her vantage point aboard the sky platform, Kayla gazed down upon the whole valley. In the forest below, thousands of Zodians had poured out of the city to take part in the festival and in the deep night the blue glow that suffused their bodies created a vast field of spectral lights.
Leos had explained that the blue light was called the Spirit Source, and at a certain point in the year it grew incredibly bright and on one night only, the light would project upwards in a beam of energy going up into the Heavens.
It was believed that this was the Spirit Being that dwelt inside every Zodian, and on this night it would go up to commune with the great Astral Bird who created the Zodian race and lived in the sky. This wondrous occurrence was marked by the Festival of Spirits, and a Zodian would concentrate on all their wishes and hopes for the future and imprint them on their Spirit Being to take up to the Astral Bird.
The whole projection took only a few seconds and, according to Leos, it was one of the most breathtaking sights in the galaxy. Kayla took his word for it, and tingled with anticipation at getting to witness it for the first time.
“I thought I’d find you out here,” Leos said from behind her, coming to join her at the railing. His own inner glow was like an iridescent aura now, and it made him look like an angelic being.
“I’m looking forward to the big show,” she said, running a finger along his frilled shirt. “I’m expecting it to be everything you say it is.”
“You won’t be disappointed,” Leos said giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. His light touch sparked a wildfire inside her, and she wished they were in the privacy of their own chamber. Behind them came the sounds of celebration as the courtiers indulged in the pleasures of the sky platform Geminus had had especially constructed for the festival.
It was a sprawling conglomeration of transparent domes, platinum walkways, beautiful pagodas and ornate gardens. To coincide with the successful completion of the war with Earth, the platform would glide across the Raven Kingdom inspiring the people to take pride in their efforts and the glory of the Raven Dynasty.
Kayla had sincerely wished that she and Leos could have remained behind in the city, but the Raven Prince had to be attendance for appearances sake.
“It’s going to happen shortly,” Leos said. “I can feel my Spirit Being stirring.”
“I can feel something stirring inside me too,” Kayla said playfully. “I can’t wait until we can have some time alone together. I wish we didn’t have to attend the ball tonight.”
“By the Bird, you are insatiable woman,” chuckled Leos. “Ah, it’s almost due. Now you will see something.”
Leos went closer to the railing, and Kayla watched as his blue glow grew even brighter. All of a sudden, a beam of scintillating light shot out of his body upwards through the awning covering the railing. At the same time, beams of similar light shot up from the valley floor, surging upwards into the night sky. Kayla stared in silent wonder, unprepared at how intense she would react to the phenomenon.
Leos became an entity of pure energy for just a heartbeat and she was
in awe of him, feeling a yearning of love for the Zodian she had never experienced with any one else before. The projection was over all too soon, and Leos’ blue light went back to normal. He gazed at her strangely, an unreadable look in his eyes.
Kayla smiled shyly at him, sensing something had inexplicably changed, but not sure what it was. “You okay?” she asked, breaking the silence. “That was beyond words, by the way, more beautiful than you described.”
Leos nodded. “I knew you would be impressed.”
“I hope you get everything that you wished for,” Kayla said, gazing back down at the now darkened valley.
He stepped closer to her and took a small red box from one of the deep pockets of his gold embroidered frock coat. “I hope so as well,” he said quietly. “This is for you.”
Kayla looked at the box in wonder. She took it from his proffered hand and opened it, gasping as she looked at the slender platinum bracelet that nestled in the plush interior of the box. It was more understated that the Zodian jewellery she’d seen worn by the courtiers, but it was more beautiful because of its simplicity and it glowed with an inner fire.
“Oh, Leos, this is wonderful,” she said with feeling. “Is this really for me?”
“No, it’s for the cook,” Leos drawled. “You like it?”
“I love it!” Kayla said emphatically. “But what have I done to deserve it?”
“You’ve put up with me for three weeks,” replied Leos. “That, in my book, deserves a reward.”
“Being with you is not a chore, lover,” Kayla said, taking the bracelet carefully from the box. It pulsed with an energy that made her fingers tingle. “I’ve loved every minute I’ve spent with you.”
“I’ve loved spending time with you, Kayla. I want to be with you forever, that is why I offer you a Bracelet of Fating.”
Kayla stared at him and then down at the bracelet. “Bracelet of Fating?”
“It is what a Zodian offers to the one they believe is their Fated Mate,” Leos said, his voice tight with emotion. “It means I want to spend my life with you. You are my only true love. Stay with me on Zodia and be my bride.”
Kayla stared at him, at a loss to what to say. The look of hope in Leos’ face began to darken. “You don’t want to,” he said numbly. “I read the signals wrong. Forgive me.”
“No,” Kayla said hotly. “I do want to stay with you, but I, it’s so sudden, Leos,”
“Don’t you feel it?” Leos said, pressing close to her. “The deep passion within us? It is undeniable, we are fated to be together.”
Kayla swallowed. “I, I do feel it but I’m scared.”
He brought his hand up to cup her cheek. It felt warm and soft. “There is nothing to be afraid of. I am here for you.”
“But that is the point,” Kayla exclaimed, “what happens if you aren’t here for me, what if I lose you?”
“That will never happen,” Leos scoffed.
Kayla pulled away from him and clutching the bracelet and box looked out at the darkness. “I lost so many people in the war,” she said, after a while. “My father, mother, sister and grandmother. I lost my friends from the nursing academy. For a long time I was lost myself, and I lost my self-respect.”
Leos edged closer to her. “Your self-respect?”
Kayla turned to him, gazing at him with heavy eyes. “You are so beautiful, so perfect, I don’t deserve you.”
He frowned at her. “Don’t be ridiculous. If anything, I am the one who doesn’t deserve you. I am arrogant and pig-headed, while you are kind and gentle. You’re the most wonderful person I’ve ever met in my life.”
“It was a different story before the war,” Kayla said bitterly. “I believed all the lies the Neo-Fascist told our planet. I believed all aliens were evil and degenerate and had to be expelled from Earth so that we wouldn’t be contaminated by their polluting influence.
I threw rotten fruit at the non-humans and hurled insults at them as they were marched up into the deportation freighters and I cheered along with the crowds at the mass executions held in the public square of my hometown.
I thought I was being loyal to Earth by doing these things and I was so proud of myself. Then I learnt the truth of what the Neo-Fascists were like, in the most brutal way.”
“What happened?” asked Leos, his voice a ghost of a whisper.
“I was coming home from school one day,” Kayla said, her voice numb as she relived the memory, “I was just fourteen when I was approached by two officers in the Elite Guard. They were so handsome in their black uniforms and so very charming and funny. They asked if I was a good Neo-Fascist and I told them how much I hated non-humans and I praised them for making our world safe.
They said I was a good girl and they wanted to recruit me for a special unit for children who displayed great loyalty and dedication to the cause the way I did. They said it was a new initiative and I was going to be the first member.
I just had to go with them to the administration centre for enrolment. I was so excited I had tears of joy running down my face.” Kayla let out a bitter laugh. “I was such a dopey kid.”
Leos remained silent, watching her intently.
“Needless to say, they didn’t take me to the administration centre. They took me to an unused warehouse on the other side of town. They did . . . things to me, things I’ll never forget.
After they had finished they said if I told anyone my family would be sent to one of the slave camps. They told me I should feel honoured that I’ve been chosen by them. For a long time afterwards I did try to feel honoured, but I just couldn’t. I thought that must make me a traitor.”
She fell silent and kept her gaze on the night. She sensed Leos next to her. Very slowly he reached out and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. “I won’t ever leave you,” he said softly. “I’ll always be there to protect you. I can’t heal what was done in the past but I will try everything in my power to make your future the best it can possibly be. Please, just give me a chance.”
“I want to believe that, I really do,” Kayla said. “Please, I just need some time to think about things.”
From the ballroom connected to the open area they were standing on came loud applause and cheering. The gaiety broke in on the sombre mood. Kayla put the bracelet back in its box and held it tightly. “Look, why don’t you go back to the party. I’ll join you shortly.”
“Are you sure?” he asked anxiously. “I don’t want to leave you on your own, not after what you’ve told me.”
She smiled and kissed him again. “I’ll be okay. Just let me get my head straight. I promise I’ll give you an answer later tonight.”
Leos did not look happy, but he nodded. “Take your time. I will be waiting.” With that, he turned and walked away. Kayla’s heart ached as she watched him go, but she tried to use follow her head. She had lost everything in the war and before and she did not want to go through that again with Leos. She wanted him more than anything, but she was terrified of losing him as well.
Confused and miserable she decided to go for a walk. There was an observation orb at the far end of the section of the platform she was on, accessible from a silver spiral staircase. It reached out over the edge of the sky platform, and offered a fantastic view of the canopy of stars above.
Instinctively, she felt that was the right place to go to clear her mind and calm her emotions. Thankfully, it was empty when she reached it and as she entered the darkened circular chamber and looked up through the transparent dome that served as its ceiling, she felt much better. Here in the serene quiet and privacy, she thought she’d be able to come to the right decision.
As she settled down on one of the comfortable divans in the chamber, moonlight washed over her and she took a deep breath. She loved this world with all her heart, she realised, and being here with Leos had brought her a fulfilment she’d never experienced anywhere else. Perhaps it was worth the risk if she could get to feel like this all the time.
A
shadow moved at the corner of her eye and she turned round suddenly. The jingle of bells filled the silent chamber as the Fool scampered out of the gloom. Behind him came Geminus.
“Geminus!” she exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “What are you doing here?”
“I watch your every move, Kayla,” Geminus said, his bloodshot eyes raking over her body, ogling every inch of her in the revealing evening gown that she wore. “I can’t get you out of my head.”
Damn! Not this again! She thought angrily to herself. After the incident with the necklace he had kept his distance, and she’d hoped he’d finally got the message. If she did become Leos’ mate then this would have to be resolved once and for all. She took a deep breath and gave him a hard look. “Geminus, you have to stop this,” she said. “I’m not interested in you in that way. I love Leos.”
The admission shocked her but she knew in her heart it was true and she already knew at that moment that she had made her decision. “He offered me a Bracelet of Fating,” she said, showing him the box. “I am going to accept it. I want to be his mate and stay with him. You’re going to have to get used to that. Please, we can be friends can’t we? Even just for Leos’ sake. He doesn’t have to know about all this.”
“Leos,” Geminus hissed. “You really are a stupid girl. Right now, Leos is having a little accident. He will have drunk too much wine and slipped over a railing. It will be a terrible tragedy and I will call for a year of mourning across the Kingdom.”
Kayla’s eyes widened. “What are you saying? You would kill your own brother? How could you?”
“He has been a thorn in my side for too long!” Geminus thundered. “I will finally be rid of him and I will have you all to myself.”
Kayla backed away and glanced over at the door to the chamber. The Fool was standing in front of it, a lecherous expression on his twisted face. She made to run past him, but he pointed a laser pistol at her and giggled.
Royal Protector: Battle Of Love (Celestial Mates Book 8) Page 6
