by JF Jenkins
"Me too." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead.
She laughed. "It's okay. I'm not made of glass. You won't hurt me."
"This is the second time I've almost lost you. You do realize this, right?" He gave her such a sad smile. His eyes were soft and slightly downcast, and his lips barely moved upward.
"As you can see I'm tough to get rid of." She tilted her face towards him trying to entice him to really kiss her. When he didn't make the move, she wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled his lips to hers. And for the first time in a long while, she felt alive.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
The Inero
"It seems Josiah's new wife is proving to be of great use to us," Matt said as he lay out the blue prints of what was the Great Oceina Lord's home. "It will be easy to go in and take them by surprise. Not like they're expecting us to attack their home. I'm sure they're ready for an attack on the border. I've heard reports that more and more of their military units are stationing there. The Terran have agreed to give us two of their best warriors to fly us into the city. We will storm the building from both the roof, and the ground in a pincer sort of attack. The object isn't to kill however, but take as many hostages as we can. There will be a diversion of sorts inside to keep the Lord and his more immediate family in the building before they can escape. The first thing we're going to do is take out their telepathic communications and then—."
A member of the Royal Guard entered the room. Matt recognized him as one of the units deployed to bring his father's wife back. Sure enough, in his arms was a struggling Miss Navi. Lynx's eyes brightened at the sight of her and he rushed to her. Behind her was the bodyguard known as Chris, also in custody of two guards, though he did not so much as move a muscle.
"My darling, you're back." Lynx took her from the guard and pulling her close to his body. The look of joy he had was not one she shared. The twenty-something vixen glared up at him with nothing but disdain. Lynx frowned. "I know you're angry with me. I deserve to be punished for how I've hurt you. Tonight though, I shall explain everything. You will understand." He paused and sniffed her dark, curly hair, frowning. "You've been with another man."
Out of nowhere his father slapped Navi across the face, knocking her to the floor.
"Don't hit her," Chris yelled. To that the guards replied by hitting him hard in the stomach. It didn't take much for Matt to figure out whom she had bedded.
"You are my wife. I have taken you into my home and given you the world, and this is how you repay me? By mating with a human?" Lynx grabbed her from the floor. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
Navi glared at him still, and despite her small size she held a great deal of power in her stance as she leaned forward towards his father. "I stopped being your wife when you threw me away. Hasn't that always been your law? I found a new husband. I'm not yours anymore."
"You will always be mine," Lynx spat. He cupped her cheek and forced her to look into his eyes. His expression softened as he stroked her skin with two of his fingers. "I understand now. You're bitter and angry over what I had done. It's only fair you repay me through like action. This game is ending now. I love you, and I will not harm you again."
"You don't get to control me anymore."
"I'm afraid you don't understand, dear. I want you, so you are mine. If you wish to have your freedom, so be it, but then I will be forced to kill this other man you dare call husband."
Navi stiffened and tears filled her eyes. "Please don't."
"Then you know what must happen," Lynx said tersely. She nodded. He stroked her hair. "There's a good girl. I will let you say your farewells at least. I am not a completely heartless man."
He released her from his grasp and she went to Chris. Cupping his face, she stared into his blue eyes. Matt had forgotten the young man was one of the Oceina, a traitor. What an even worse way to make his father pay for his sin. After everything Lynx had done for the man. They were bound together even. The man deserved to die.
"Go and don't come back," she whispered. Chris's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. "You can let him go. He knows what he has to do."
Lynx nodded, and the Royal Guard who held Chris released him. He stared at Navi for one more minute and then left the room. Lynx went to her and put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her close to his body.
"Your return is a good omen, a sign of success in our operation. Take her to our room. We'll have much catching up to do tonight. I'm sure there will be those who will want to visit her as well. She may have a few, but do not let her leave. Understood?"
"Yes sir," a guard member said and took Navi from the room.
Lynx returned to his seat and crossed his legs, folding his hands over them. "Matthias, please continue explaining how we will be taking back our land."
Chapter Fifty-Eight
The Inero
"Is it true?" Gwen asked the minute Jason walked through the door to their suite. She'd heard the rumors of Navi's return circulating through the castle. Gwen had been on her way to the library at the time. Getting lost, she only did a lap around the building and retreated back to the room. Finding the library was the last thing on her mind now. Navi was back. Her best friend was home, and though it broke her heart Gwen was glad to be back too. She could help her friend.
Jason nodded and kept his eyes fixed on the floor. "Yes. I know you're going to want to see her, but you should wait a day or two. Father wasn't happy. He said she could have visitors, but...."
"He didn't mean it?"
"I'm not sure. Things are going to get complicated fast. Matt said they're getting ready to make their move. Navi has a lot of talking to do with my father."
"Among other things?"
"I don't know. Probably not, he's a lot of things, but he wouldn't necessarily... I don't know." Jason shook his head. "He'll find other ways to hurt her. I know that much. The last thing I want is for you to get caught in the middle."
She knew he was right even if it killed her inside. "Then in a day or so I will see her. And I won't wait any longer than that. She needs me, both of us. I can't let her suffer through this alone."
He gently kissed her cheek before going to sit down in a chair. "It's bad news, but we'll work it to our advantage. Maybe she'll have some ideas on everything. She's always been a good backboard for solving problems."
Everything could have meant a lot of things, which might have been why he chose the vague wording. Neither of them knew who was listening in, if at all, but Gwen was almost certain someone was. The room felt like it had eyes all over watching their every move.
"Yes, and I'm sure she can help me realize I have nothing to be so nervous over. I know it's silly." She let out a giggle when she noticed Jason frown and raise an eyebrow at the same time. A peculiar looking face, but it was adorable all the same.
"Yeah, I have a number of things to ask her. I think having a woman's perspective will be more beneficial for me. The soft spot of my heart I guess you could say. Though Matt has been a lifesaver too. I need to spend time with him and thank him for all of his input. I'm getting closer to the answer I'm looking for."
Their eyes met, and happy tears filled her eyes. After the demon had tried to attack her by using his body, she could no longer deny that there was in fact a demon living inside of him. Something that was hard for her to believe, but she'd witnessed the evidence first hand. She couldn't ignore it, and she didn't know how to help. That was the part that frustrated her the most. There was nothing she could do to help him. In fact, he barely went near her now out of fear something might happen again. A fear they both shared. She didn't like being afraid of him and for him at the same time.
"Good," she whispered after a minute of silence had passed. Hopefully he was close to all of the answers he needed. He seemed in lighter spirits since they came home. Gwen couldn't tell if it was because they were simply back in the city, a place he loved and was familiar with, or if he'd actually found something useful
in ending the war between the Inero and Oceina. If the Royal Guard was close to making a move against the water dragons, she didn't see how that could be possible.
This isn't just a battle between water and fire. It will be a war between good and evil.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
The Oceina
As much as Tai wanted to, she didn't go back to school the week after Ethan was delivered. She still felt tired, and more importantly, she still felt drawn to her son by some strange unseen force. Leaving him now would be difficult for her. A lot was still up in the air. The doctor came in several times a day to monitor his growth and health. Everything seemed to be in order, but that could change drastically overnight. She wouldn't feel secure until after he hatched. Even then, that was still questionable.
Maybe after the break she would feel differently, but for the time being she stayed home. Besides, it seemed silly for her to go back after missing a week of classes only to attend for three days to take tests she didn't get to study for. All for the sake of having some socialization. Tai needed the break from everything, even the other classmates. Darien still went to get out of the house. Whenever he was at home, he got too easily stressed out with work related things. Some of the work things he brought with him to school, but he couldn't get pulled aside by one of his brothers as easily. It was good for him to focus. And if he wasn't stressing out over work, he was stressing out over her and Ethan. It only made her worry grow.
Tai sat in her bedroom, Ethan's egg in her lap as she read a book and made an attempt at relaxing. She made sure to keep him cozy and warm in the covers. They wouldn't be allowed to snuggle for much longer. Soon her egg timer would be going off telling her it was time for him to go back into the incubator.
"And then the—." She read out loud, wanting to make sure Ethan still got to hear her voice even if they weren't mind linked anymore. It traumatized and scared her. She didn't want him to feel the same way she did, alone. The timer went off mid sentence and she shut the book, placing it on the nightstand for the time being.
Carefully gathering him into her arms, she stood from the bed to take him back to the nursery.
"I'll come back in an hour and I'll finish the story, okay?" she told him. "I'm going to find something to eat, so don't get scared." She wished he could communicate back to her so she knew he understood. With a heavy sigh, she entered the nursery and placed him in his incubator next to the egg of one of his cousins. Katelyn and Lance had one as well, though it was three times as large, and was close to hatching. It made her feel better to know he wasn't completely alone in there though. She gave the egg a small kiss before leaving for the kitchen.
So what am I in the mood for? Potatoes? Chocolate? Fruit? Probably fruit so I can work on losing all the weight I gained. She sighed, though the chocolate was calling to her loudly.
You don't need to lose any weight. You gained all of two pounds? Three? Relax, you're beautiful, Darien said.
She scowled. He didn't get it, but did men ever understand? Aren't you supposed to be taking a test?
I finished it. Super easy. How are you feeling today?
Lazy. I'm going to go back and read.
That's something I miss. Reading. I – His voice fritzed out of her mind and became like static as the fire sprinklers went off in the entire room. She looked around, frowning, wondering why that was happening in the first place. As far as she could tell, nothing was cooking. Then she noticed they were going off in the hallway and the other rooms of the house. The fire was elsewhere inside.
She ran to the nursery to collect Ethan so they could evacuate. Something is wrong. Come home. Once again, she tried to force the words to be heard by Darien despite the disruption in their connection. There was a scream from in the nursery, a thud, and what sounded like a clatter of metal on the ground. Her pace quickened and so did the rate of her heart. Tai burst through the doors to find Katelyn wrestling a woman with blonde curls.
"Ashley?" Tai gasped, frozen in place from shock. "What are you doing?"
Katelyn rolled on top of the other woman, pulling on her hair roughly and stopping her from reaching for a knife that lay only a few feet away from them. "She's trying to kill the children!"
Tai ran to the incubators, pulling out Ethan's egg and then Katelyn's son, holding them tight to her chest. She glanced down at her hand when she felt something hot and sticky on it. A thick purplish liquid drizzled between her fingers. Her stomach tightened into a knot as she checked to see what the source of it was. Ethan's egg was clean and unharmed. The other had a small crack in the surface.
A small growl escaped Tai's lips as rage began to boil over inside of her. She glared at Ashley, wanting nothing more than to join Katelyn in hurting – no killing her. Before she could do anything beyond glare, Lance pushed his way past her. He grabbed Ashley by the arms, pinning them behind her back, and forcing her off of the ground with ease. Katelyn's eyes narrowed and she backhanded Ashley.
Ashley's blonde curls fell in front of her face, and she laughed. "I knew I could keep you here if I threatened your young."
"What do you..." Lance trailed off and looked up when Tony rushed in.
"Inero, they're everywhere. I've got the boys in the exit for Sanctuary. We need to leave now." Tony caught sight of Ashley and stepped back, stunned. "What's going on? What are you doing here? I—"
"It has nothing to do with you," Ashley snapped.
"Move," Lance barked, nudging her in the back with an elbow. She fell forward slightly and started walking towards the door. Tony moved as far away from it as he could get, going into the hallway. His eyes darted back and forth, his entire body on edge. The doors from the stairwells burst open and six men came in through each. Tai clutched both of the eggs close to her. She didn't know what the purple liquid was, but it'd stopped leaking onto her hands and was coagulating over where the egg had been sliced. Hopefully that was a good thing.
Tony waved quickly for Tai to follow him. "This way." He kicked open a closet door where both of his sons, along with Katelyn and Lance's boys, stood with wide teary eyes.
"That one is the Great Lord's Wife," Ashley shouted, breaking an arm free from Lance's grasp to point at Tai.
Wasting no time, Tai ran towards the door, and Tony, as the Inero men closed in on them. More specifically on her. If they took her son, she'd never forgive herself. The Inero were so much faster than she anticipated. Wasn't the water supposed to make them weak? How could they continue to function as the water poured down on them from the sprinklers? A young man in particular who was quite possibly younger than her was hot on her trail. She didn't dare look back, but she noticed him out of the corner of her eye, and most especially noticed how there were olive-colored sparks shooting up around them both as he grew nearer.
One of the sparks landed on her skin and she shrieked as it burned her like nothing she'd ever experienced before. It didn't just burn her flesh, but it moved through her veins causing her entire body to tense up with pain. Tears filled her eyes, but she was determined to not make a big show of it in front of the enemy. The only thing that mattered to her was getting her son to safety.
Tony never strayed further than two feet from the door, ready to take the children and run at any moment. She reached the eggs out towards him, her eyes pleading for him to grab them from her and do just that—run. He took them both from her, pulling them in close to his chest just as a burst of the green/brown magic hit the back of her legs. The muscles spasmed and tightened, sending her to the floor. She had just enough time to shield her face from the fall with her arms. Soon those were pulled behind her back and she was forced to her feet even though she could barely stand. When she looked Tony's way, he was gone from sight, and so were the children on the other side of the door. All that was left to see was the small closet-like room where they had once been standing. She offered up a silent prayer of thanks to God that her family was further from harm's way.
"This is a lot more than I was expecti
ng to catch," the young man holding her said. He turned them both around and marched her back to the other Inero. Though it was more like he half dragged Tai as she tried to regain the feeling in her legs, his grip over her like iron. Struggling would be futile, especially if he had such powerful magic to use against her.
One Inero had captured Katelyn, two held Lance, and Ashley was busy squeezing the arm muscles of another flirtatiously.
Her captor stroked her cheek. "Darling husband not at home today?" Tai spat in his face. He laughed. "I guess it's true when they say Oceina women don't have any class. Perhaps you are worth nothing more than a tumble to him after all."
Tai didn't say anything and pulled her face away from his hands. She wasn't going to play any power games with him. For the time being, she'd let him think he'd won. Darien would come. He would save them.
"If the dragon tries anything to free the women, kill that one." The man pointed to Katelyn. He snickered when Lance's body went tense. "I thought so, that one is your wife, and I recognize you as First Council. Perhaps this won't be a complete waste of time. We were hoping your Lord would be here so we could take a royal hostage. This might prove to be better."
Or worse because now he's going to kill you, Tai thought, but held her tongue even if she wanted to taunt him. She remembered Darien mentioning once that the Inero did not think him to be very intelligent or strong. Keeping that image of him present might be an advantage.
An elbow went into her back and she started walking again. They were taken up the stairs. Several footsteps could be heard running up the stairs above them. Every so often a door would slam. Hopefully the others made it out safely as well.
"We can't find the children," one of the Inero further up said. "Everyone either escaped or was never here. We discovered some kind of magic portal, but even with the enhancements the water magic burns a lot."
