Grave Debt

by T. G. Ayer

  “It's in the blood, child.” The general smirked and led his niece to a chair at the head of the table. It appeared that even the old man was moving out of habit. But Lyra paused and patted the man's hand.

  “General Vyrian, you may seat Lyandr of the House of Yl, Ruler of the Armies of Drakys, to his rightful seat at the head of the War Table.”

  Woah, now that's a bit of formality right there, said Sienna. Lyra definitely has the art of regalspeak perfected.

  One would hope so considering she's had her butt on a throne for two decades, replied Logan.

  Good point, brother.

  Chapter 8

  I knocked lightly on the door—and having received no response—I opened it and slipped inside the shadowed room. Here too the drapes had been drawn, but not enough that I was unable to see the proof of what my mother had gone through at the lab.

  I stared at her naked back, her skin—of what little I was able to still see—was a soft cream, not too different from my own. I kept staring, unable to look away, breath caught in my throat like a living thing, slick-feathered, sharp-clawed and desperately struggling to escape.

  I forced my limbs to move, and still in a state of disbelief, as if I existed in an alternate reality, one in which every that had been turned into something horrible, something so macabre that the malevolent stench of evil hung thick in the air, either feeding the thing that was lodged within my throat, or perhaps even being it.

  Mom shifted as she positioned her arms beneath her head, her breathing though remained long and even. I stiffened, thinking it was best not to disturb her especially when she was actually sleeping—unlike me.

  But, just as I took a step away, Mom lifted her head and twisted her neck to look over her shoulder at me.

  Her smile was weak, and yet if was filled with a depth of strength that sent a bolt of relief straight to my core. She was hurt, damaged, physically battered and bruised, but whatever they'd done to Celest Odel, they were able to break her spirit.

  Now this was my mother The Hunter.

  I let out that trapped breath—the thing with its wings and claws and darkness evaporating into nothing more than a languid puff of warmth—and I walked over to the side of the bed, studying the destruction of her back with dead eyes.

  The sight of her wounds fueled a simmering heat in my veins as I blinked away the sting of grief and swallowed against that stubborn fluttering darkness which had returned so swiftly.

  Experiments.

  Research.

  In the name of their research, the scientists had used electric shocks as either a form of torture or as part of tolerance tests. I was merely guessing though, but the layering of bruises told a tale of almost daily torture, the older ones scarred over and wrinkled and shiny in patches, the energy having destroyed the cells of Mom's skin.

  Then there were the patches of missing skin, neat little quarter-sized circles where epidermis and a layer of flesh had been excised with precision from random areas of her back.

  The room was thick with silence, thicker still as seconds passed and shadows crept deeper, as dark anger and black grief seeped from our spirits to join with the shredded darkness, enveloping us.

  Suffocating us.

  I took a shuddering bread, lungs clenching in admonition for having forgotten to inhale.

  But what was breathing in the face of the agony Mom had endured.

  I shook my head and climbed up on the bed beside her, a careful balancing act as I snuck under the covers and slid down beside her. As I lowered my head I found it almost magically cushioned by the softness of a pillow.

  Mom shifted the down-filled pillow so it fit snug against my shoulder, just the way I liked it, and then smiled as I sank against it and relaxed.

  We lay there for a few moments, as the shadows crept further, as the darkness deepened around us, as the pain seemed to fade away, dark wings taking flight so gently that only the soft rush against your cheeks told you of it's surreptitious departure.

  Just being close to Mom brought a sense of peace to my soul and I took a slow breath—still careful to keep is slow and controlled. Green eyes stared into a mirror, dark curls obscured foreheads and cheeks, full lips thinned, bitten between teeth to halt...what? Pulses of pain? I'm sorrys?

  I blinked.

  Mom blinked.

  And then she said, "Thank you for saving me, honey." Her whispered words wafted over me but the warmth of them faded as they struck me.

  I shook my head and looked away. "We didn't come to save you, Mom. I got myself abducted remember?" I said, my tone sharp with guilt, hollow with the weight of failure.

  Mom smiled, sadness and pride shimmering in her green eyes, echoing in the gentle curve of her lips. "You still did everything you could to get me out, Kai. For that I am so thankful," she said, her words no more than a whisper as she reached out to tuck a lock of hair around my ear.

  I pursed my lips. "And for that you have to thank Mel. She's been through a fair bit in order to get you to safety."

  Mom nodded. "I'm glad I was there to see that. That girl is an amazing asset."

  "Spoken like a true agent of espionage."

  "I'm afraid my days of agenting and hunting are probably over."

  "Why? You're recovering. Dad said you just need time and you'll be physically healthy soon enough."

  Mom grinned. "Physically healthy? Now what is going on in that man's mind?"

  I forgot about the pain and rolled my eyes. "Mom! If anyone's got a dirty mind it's you. Poor man speaking from the position of your doctor and all you can think of is hanky panky." Then I gave an exaggerated shudder. "Ugh, got any ammonia around? I need to rinse my brain to get that thought out of my mind."

  Mom chuckled, the sound rumbling through the mattress and into my bones. I shifted and pulled the covers up over my shoulder, snuggling closer to Mom's shoulder.

  "Do you need to be exposed like this? Do the wounds hurt?" I asked, giving Mom's bare back a quick glance.

  Mom shook her head. "No. I had to wait ten minutes until the ointment dried. It's just gone twenty...think I fell asleep."

  "Okay if I pull the covers up over you?"

  Mom nodded and turned toward me as I pulled the covers over her. As she moved I caught a glimpse of more bare flesh and winced before tucking the covers tightly against her neck. "Geez, Mom. What's with the boob-show. No wonder the man is thinking about physical well-being. Your languishing around her all day with nothing but a sheet between the two of you."

  Mom laughed softly. "Yes, it's actually a wonder that he hasn't had his way with me already."

  "Mom?! Really?" I said, my voice cracking on an indignant shriek.

  Sometimes I had to wonder if my parents were so openly affectionate around me more because they knew they'd get a horrified reaction than because they believed in the benefit of PDAs for raising a well-rounded child.

  I snorted. "Why don't you try to get yourself healthy first, okay? Or do I have to go dig out my old chastity belt for you?"

  Mom's eyes widened. "Chastity belt?" she asked in a low, horrified, and somewhat affronted tone.

  I nodded soberly. "Yes. When I was fourteen Dad though it was well within his rights as a single father to broach the topic of a chastity belt."

  Mom's eyes were still wide. "I can't believe he'd even do such a thing? What was Ivy doing while this nonsense was going on?"

  "Oh, Ivy? Well, she- was helping with making it."

  "What?" Mom yelped, lifting herself up on her elbow.

  I choked, turned it into a cough then blocked my eyes with one hand. "Boobs," I said, waving my free hand at her bare torso where the covers and slipped from her body with her movements. "Ugh, seriously. Put those things away before you poke someone's eye out."

  Mom burst into laughter then let out a soft moan. "Oh, Kai. Trust you to say the strangest things."

  "Well...at least they're amusing, right?" Mom nodded and tried to dial down her grin. When she failed, I smirk
ed and said, "Okay, let's make a deal. You keep the girls under control and I'll tell you the rest of the chastity belt story."

  Mom lifted an eyebrow. "Deal. And once we're done, that man's going to get a piece of my mind."

  I hid a smile and said, "Well, Dad proposed the CB—as Greer and Iain began to call it—and I was all ‘Categorically no.’ I refused to discuss it even when he said I could go out as often as I wanted, go on as many dates as I wanted, just as long as I wore the thing."

  The memory of the incident returned full force and I had to admit that though I'd believed all my memories of being raised by my father had lacked his emotional contribution, I hadn't been entirely correct.

  I recalled the amusement and tender affection in his eyes as he'd teased me, the smile as he'd touched my shoulder when I'd simply stood there still as a statue, his hand-drawn plans for the chastity belt hanging loosely from my fingertips.

  I laughed. "So, Grams lent Dad a hand and they presented me with the finished product. They even used an old hatbox of Grams' to present the gift to me. When I took it out of the box I was more than horrified. It looked like it was made of gold." I wrinkled up my nose.

  Mom groaned. "Tell me you didn't complain about the color."

  I nodded. "My exact words were 'I suppose I have no choice but to wear this thing, but did you have to choose gold? It's so...trashy.'"

  Chapter 9

  Mom choked on her laughter, one hand over her mouth as her eyes glistened with tears of amusement.

  I shook my head, well aware that she'd predicted my reaction even when she hadn't even been there. I cleared my throat and sobered my expression. "I was standing there, beside the table, CB hanging from my hand, all gold and shiny. I was staring at Dad when I said that, and his reaction was just epic...he burst out laughing and had to sit back down or I swear he would have fallen.

  Maybe it was the way I said the word ‘Trashy’? I dunno. But he was shaking his head and laughing, Grams was laughing just as hard. I was only glad that Iain and Greer hadn't been present for the presentation. And then Dad straightened and eventually sobered. And he tilted his head and asked me if I was still going to wear it if it was gold or did he have to order in a different color. And I hesitated. But seriously, I couldn't see a way out of it. And Dad didn't really know that I had no reason to be afraid for my virtue. Few boys ever showed interest in me. The boys like their girls compliant and submissive. That wasn't me. And I was Alpha so there was that. I should have realised long before that Dad was playing a joke. But I fell for it. Why wouldn't I have?"

  "And your answer?"

  I shrugged. "I said the color really didn't matter because it wasn't as if any boy was going to look under my clothes."

  "And Dad?"

  "He asked why, and I said because if anyone tried I'd break their hands. But that nobody would because I was stronger than them and I was Alpha. And that nobody asked me out to parties or dates anyway because I don't get up to all the wrong stuff. And that being the Alpha's daughter meant that there was always the possibility that I'd tell on the kids if they did something wrong so they were just protecting their turf."

  "Bet you father was at a loss for words," said Mom as she positioned herself with her head under her own pillow.

  "Nope. In fact, he was very serious when he sat in the edge of the table so we could look at each other eye to eye. And he said 'I have never been prouder of you, Kailin. Always remember that strength of body is an asset but strength of mind is its own virtue. Never compromise on that. Age takes away strength of body, and loss and grief and failure can eat away at strength of spirit, but nothing can affect the strength of your mind. Not unless you allow it. You are your mother's daughter. Never forget it.’ And then he walked out and took the CB with him."

  Mom was silent then, clearly more at a loss for words than she'd predicted her husband to be. Then she let out a breath. "I'm impressed. I knew he had it in him though...I quite like being right."

  I made a face. "I never quite understood what he meant by me being your daughter. Not until now. All those years of being brittle, unbending stubborn Kai, and I never saw what he'd been hiding from me all that time."

  "And what was he hiding, honey?"

  "His love for me. He showed it, like in the CB disaster. But mostly he was aloof and stern. Grew worse the older I got."

  "And the more you acted up?"

  "No. The more I looked like you," I said with a wry apologetic smile. Mom's face lost the glow of pride for the rebel her daughter had been, and I felt the loss of that smile keenly. I shifted closer. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to hurt you by saying that. Maybe I shouldn't have."

  "No, honey," Mom whispered in the narrow space between our faces as we stared at each other. "It is the truth. You do not hide from the truth, nor should you hide the truth from those you love and who love you back."

  "Even when the truth hurts. When the truth can destroy?" I asked, tucking my hand beneath the pillow and scooching forward, dimly aware as Mom wrapped her arm around my shoulders.

  I'd meant to ask how she was feeling, if she was recovering. I'd meant to ask her what had happened on her trip to Galakris in search of the Krisl flower for Dad’s work on the drug for Lily. How she'd ended up caught by the researchers. But I didn't ask those questions for fear of spoiling the moment.

  How long had it been since we'd last cuddled, since my mother had last held me in her arms to give comfort, to envelop me within her care and her love? I couldn't recall.

  Not so long ago, a life lived walking the path of a steely cold indifference to this woman, had been all I'd known. I'd lived and breathed, and hated her, the mother who had left me all those years ago, the mother who'd abandoned me, left me to defend myself, my heart, and my mother herself from the taunts of those who would call themselves my friends. Children were cruel in their innocence, their unknowing use of the swords of words that cut you to the quick, that wound deep and leaving behind scars thick and wrinkled.

  And even in the well of her abandonment, I'd bloodied noses, and snapped a bone or two in defense of the woman who had left me alone, who when she'd left had taken with her the love of my father.

  But I'd learned mere months ago that nothing in my past was as it seemed. The panther walker mother who'd abandoned her children had turned out to be a human mage hunter, a panther alpha teen had turned out to be a half-breed, that abandonment had been revealed as an act of protection and deep sacrifice. And that father who hadn't shown the love I'd craved had in fact loved deeper than I'd even thought was possible.

  And the mother?

  She'd shown herself for who she truly was, a strong independent woman, a woman who would sacrifice anything, her life, even her marriage, in order to protect her family, a dangerous skilled demon hunter and supernatural operative.

  That was my mother.

  Chapter 10

  Vyrian raised a hand and waggled it toward Logan—who now had little choice but to meet the old man at the large chair that took pride of place at the far end of the dark wood table.

  Logan had paid little attention to the surface of the grandly named War Table until now, but as he stood in place—and before he moved to lower himself into the chair—he found himself transfixed, in awe as he studied the undulating curves of a landscape depicted in carved wood so well that harsh mountains and smooth planes and dangerous seas were all brought to life in the polished wood.

  “This is?” Logan pointed at the mountains, rivers, and settlements, all depicting an area which appeared more vast than all the continents of the EarthWorld, oceans included.

  Vyrian coughed, then cleared his throat as he waved a hand across the table. “This is the lands of Drakys. It's interpretive in some locations, where mortals have feared to explore, but ninety percent of the realm has been mapped. Which is what we see here.” Vyrian aimed a gnarled forefinger at a range of dangerously sharp-peaked mountains. “That's the Black Mountains, and this is the river bend where
the Black Lily flowers caused so much trouble. Within these mountains is the Stone Palace and the Hollow of the Life’s Blood temple where our twin rulers undergo the Rite of Ascension.”

  Logan nodded as he studied the lands, his mind already turning over defense strategies. “I'm very interested in what systems and infrastructure we have to ensure security. In terms of enemies...do we have many within the realm?” Logan asked, bringing the conversation around to the question he'd wanted to pose to Vyrian and Lyra.

  Sienna's almost imperceptible nod of approval eased Logan’s tensions somewhat.

  Then Lyra cleared her throat. “Currently two elements are of a concern, other than Andyr Dar-ys, who I don't for one second believe is done with us.” Lyra paused and took a seat beside Sienna who'd claimed the spot on the other end of the large table. “First point of concern is the Venerable Fathers of Truth.”

  Sienna snickered and Lyra nodded at the sound, though the regent’s face still retained the hard, angry expression. “Yes, they are a rather presumptuous lot. Headed by Powys, the Don of the House of Krt, they have slowly been gaining strength by garnering support from men who feel threatened by the matriarchal rule of our realm. There is a strong argument for toppling the old laws and replacing them with either a Kingship held by the General, or eliminating Royal rule altogether and replacing it with a formal council rule with Powys at its helm. The latter is in a similar vein as what is being argued by our second faction, that of the Society for the Equal Governance of All Drakys. Were I to be given a choice, I'd choose the Egads as the more palatable of our two oppositions.”

  Logan suppressed the temptation to grin at his aunt’s mocking title. He cleared his throat. “And the Fathers? What are they proposing that can be considered worse than equal government?” asked Logan. Having been raised in a realm which functioned mostly on a government rule, he could understand the attraction, but he was careful to ensure his thoughts remained unrevealed.