Sacred Breath Series (Books 1-4)

by Nadia Scrieva

  “No, darling. I didn’t plan this at all. It just happened. Isn’t that ironic? I am the great planner of plans, and I have planned my way into decent morsels of world domination on several occasions. But when I finally relaxed and found a home that I loved, I ended up setting out to conquer the whole thing again accidentally.”

  “Mmm,” she murmured, but he could not really read her lips since she did not have to part them in order to make the sound. He could, however, understand the fond way that her fingers caressed the back of his neck.

  “I can’t even help being successful this time,” he told her. “Because I’m not doing it alone. I’m doing it with you, and with our friends and family. This time, we did it the right way.”

  “Vachlan, don’t say shit like that. I’m hormonal and I’m getting all emotional.”

  “Sorry,” he said, reaching down to feel her stomach beneath her layers of thick armor. “But what better reason to conquer the world than for these little niblets? They can grow up thinking that their daddy is a hero instead of a deadbeat, absentee jackass.”

  “Excuse me,” Visola said, sniffling. “I need to go find a private corner where I can bawl unattractively in happiness. Victory usually makes me want to consume special liquids, but since I can’t do that, I suppose I must expel some from my eyes.” She slipped out of his arms and grabbed her gun, rushing away down the corridor.

  The Sisters of Sedna burst into a room filled with women, who promptly began to scream and shrink backwards in fear. Trevain and Aazuria entered behind the seven disciples, scanning the room for important individuals.

  “Is Empress Zalcan among you?” Aazuria requested in the universal sign language, but she need not have asked. Hiding behind several of her handmaidens was a woman with slightly fairer skin than her servants, and whose garments were heavily encrusted with jewels. “I am Queen Aazuria Vellamo of Adlivun. If you step forward and cooperate with us, no harm will come to you.”

  The woman gripped the sides of her chair and rose regally to her feet. Her dark hair slowly tumbled down to her ankles, and her gown was so heavy that the fabric did not even lift in the water. “So you are the pretty little thing that my son kept as a pet,” the empress said condescendingly. “I can see why he was so proud of his little catch.”

  Aazuria inhaled sharply, but Trevain was already at her side and withdrawing his sword to lunge forward at the woman. She was too stricken to even tell him to stop, but she did not need to do this. Trevain pressed his sword against the woman’s neck, just under her ear. His sharp blade had pierced her skin, and the water around his sword point was beginning to grow dark and cloudy. The regal woman did not move, and continued to stare directly at Aazuria. Her onyx eyes were dark and betrayed no fear as she gazed defiantly into Aazuria’s blue ones.

  “Tell me where your husband is—or my husband will carve your head from your body,” Aazuria signed slowly. She was torn between wondering if she should respect this beautiful and stately lady, and remembering the horrid stories that Prince Zalcan Hamnil had told her about his parents.

  “I will tell you nothing,” the woman responded.

  Aazuria stepped forward angrily. “Did you know that I killed your son? Did you even wonder why he never came home?”

  “I figured as much,” the woman answered. “Congratulations. It does not matter much to me. Hamnil was the gay one anyway.”

  Aazuria’s eyebrows clenched and she saw red for a moment. She turned to Trevain and gave the slightest nod, and he immediately complied by slicing his blade across the woman’s neck. Aazuria turned and swam from the room, moving out into the corridor and standing very still. She stared forward blankly and uncomprehendingly. How could any mother be so cruel to her child?

  When she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her, she turned and buried her face into his chest for a moment. She was filled with the certainty that Trevain would always be loyal to her, and would always be a good father. He had left his peaceful existence in Alaska behind and followed her willingly into the fray of war, had he not? He had stayed by her side even when it had been unnecessary for him to do so, and he had given her sister love when she had been unable to do so. She pulled away, realizing that she did not have time to spare. She looked at him thankfully as she moved back toward the room.

  “His parents were so unkind to him,” she signed in explanation. “Maybe if they had been less cruel to him, he would have been less cruel to me.”

  “How can you make excuses for the man who took you away from me?” Trevain responded with a frown. “How can you pity that bastard?”

  Aazuria gave him a sad little smile. “Stockholm syndrome.” She moved past him and reentered the room with the handmaidens and women who were possibly daughters, sisters, or nieces of the empress.

  “Extract the Emperor’s location from them,” Aazuria ordered Mother Melusina and her disciples. She raised her chin, intent on watching for the first woman to break. After a few seconds, she grew bored and withdrew her own sword.

  Having navigated her way through the palace that was now heavily decorated with the bodies of dead soldiers, Visola had found a private location where she believed no one would look for her. She made her way into a dry room, even though she had cautioned the others not to travel into such areas.

  “Fucking hormones,” she muttered as she collapsed on the marble steps and began to sob into her hands. The tears were largely happy ones, for this victory felt truly final and complete. Trevain and Aazuria had reported success in the royal quarters along with some high-profile captures and kills. Callder and Naclana had reported the capture of impressive numbers of soldiers and civilians who had been trying to flee from the southern gates of the palace. Vachlan and his pirate buddy had not only successfully overcome the shark attack, but had massacred at least as many thousands as Visola and Queen Amabie’s armies had done. Perhaps more.

  Every aspect of the attack had gone smoothly. Losses had not yet been accurately calculated, but by her estimation, they were far below the expected numbers. So Visola was not sure why she felt so wretched. Slipping her arms around her armored stomach, she hugged her babies gently. Was this guilt of some sort?

  “Irrational female emotions,” she chided herself, but she could not seem to stop crying. She smiled a little bit, realizing that she felt secure, for possibly the first time ever, that things would be right with Vachlan. They had never achieved a victory of this magnitude together, and it was so heartwarming that it was heartbreaking to remember how far they had come from their lowest moments. Once, or twice, not too long ago, they had fought against each other. It was too much to bear.

  “I’m sorry, babies,” Visola said down to her swollen abdomen. “Maybe I shouldn’t have let you watch mommy kill so many people before you were even born. Neither of you probably like me very much right now, but I promise—I’ll make it up to you. We can do lots and lots of peaceful things that don’t involve killing people, if you’d like that. If you would like that, then I can show you how it’s done. Your big sister, Alcie, she wasn’t really the aggressive type. But sometimes it pays to be the aggressive type; when you hurt others first, it protects you from letting them trample you. You guys probably won’t have to worry about that—considering who your mom and dad are, anyone would have to be clinically insane to even consider poking either of you with a plastic fork.” Visola began crying softly again. “I swear that I’ll kill anyone who ever tries to poke either of you with a plastic fork. And if Kolora tells you stories that are too frightening, I’ll flip her over and spank her on the backside until she wails for her mother.”

  This little monologue did the trick in calming Visola, and she felt her heart stop racing. She wondered if it had been the eclampsia returning, but it did not matter. She had fought off the little panic attack, and she was feeling much better. “Perhaps waging a major war while pregnant is a bit of overkill,” she mused to herself.

  “I would say so,” said a deep voice behind her.<
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  She froze, looking down to her sonar map and wondering why it had not indicated that she was not alone. Because it’s a sonar map, you idiot! It only works in the water! Visola gulped as she turned around slowly. She realized that her pregnancy was a much bigger handicap on land than it was underwater without the buoyancy to support her movements. She could not even spring off the ground as easily as she could have a few months ago. She suddenly felt very conscious about the additional forty pounds of baby-related weight gain that she was carrying around. Nonetheless, she grabbed her sword and used it to push herself off the ground as she came face to face with Emperor Zalcan.

  As men from this part of the world usually were, he was several inches shorter than she was. She would have assessed him further, but she was distracted by a cold instrument being pressed against her neck.

  “I wouldn’t make any more sudden movements if I were you, General Ramaris,” the man said quietly. “I believe you are acquainted with the instrument in my hand? My son used this baton to paralyze and rape you.”

  Visola snorted. “He did not rape me. He tried, but he ended up getting his face smashed in. Where are you getting your stories from? I think it’s the wrong guy.”

  “Watch your mouth, insolent female. If I push this button it will deliver 500,000 volts of electricity into your body. That wouldn’t be good for your babies, now would it?”

  “Bollocks,” Visola whispered. She closed her eyes, realizing that it was the type of word that Vachlan would use when upset. “Can’t we just settle this like men instead of using women’s self-defense toys? You’re supposedly this big-shot emperor of most of the undersea world, so the least you could do is pull out a shiny, sharp piece of steel and—ow!”

  “Or, I could just push a button. Good heavens, girl, but you sure do talk a lot.”

  Visola gritted her teeth and fell to her knees, remembering the unpleasant sensation of being shocked with a taser. Her sword clattered from her hands, and her heart palpitated erratically. Her whole body broke out into a cold sweat of fear for the harm that the electricity would do to her babies.

  “What’s this?” Emperor Zalcan said with a chuckle. “The great red-haired warrior on her knees before me? This moment is worthy of a photograph. You may have sacked my city, General, but there is still fun to be had between us, don’t you think? Especially with you already comfortable in that position.”

  Visola began to keel forward, but the emperor pressed his stun-gun against her forehead to hold her upright. This feels about right, she thought to herself. It was definitely too easy. This was the missing element. How could I just have a clean victory and walk away from something like this unscathed? No. This is my life, and I know the way my life goes. Something good happens to me; the best thing that has ever happened, and then everything gets ripped away. The best is always immediately followed by the worst. And what would the worst be? Losing my babies. Losing my life just when I actually want to live.

  “I think you know what I want to hear,” the emperor said softly. “Beg.”

  Visola’s lips parted slightly, and she imagined the words she needed to speak. The pain had not yet stopped coursing through her body, but a smile found its way to her sardonic, rosy lips. Even if she told him what he wanted to hear, he would still kill her. She knew, because she would do the same. She knew the words she was required to say: Please. Please don’t hurt me. Please don’t kill me. Have mercy; I am with child. Please, your imperial majesty…

  But she was Visola. Her vocal chords simply did not work that way. So instead, she said:

  “Eat my pussy.”

  The emperor pressed the button on his taser again, releasing the electricity directly into her forehead. Visola fell to the ground, convulsing involuntarily. But between the spasms caused by the electricity, she released uncontrollable giggles. She laughed so hard that she could not breathe, and her amusement at the situation surely overpowered her pain and dread. Her own laughter was like a healing balm, a ticket to freedom for her soul. Even if she died while on her knees, it would be with defiant eyes and a defiant voice. She would never give anyone the satisfaction of breaking her. She would go to Sedna’s hell still laughing at her final words to the Emperor.

  She still felt victorious. When her convulsions stopped, she found that one of her hands was resting on her other wrist which had the sonar map strapped onto it. She knew there was a panic button somewhere on the machine which could send out an emergency signal. She managed to twitch her fingers enough to depress this button, before she remembered with despair that the signals would probably only transmit underwater. Well, that was dumb, Visola. You’re going to get offed because you were too manly to cry in front of your husband. Was it worth it? She thought about it as the emperor shoved his boot into her shoulder, shoving her onto her back. She could hardly move, but her arm had fallen to rest against her side, and she could just lift it a few inches to touch her belly. Yes, it was worth it. I would rather Vachlan see my dead body than see me alive and weak. At least if I’m dead, he can’t leave me again. Perhaps there are benefits to being forced to quit while I’m ahead. Everything was so good; too good! It was bound to come crashing down on me eventually in one way or another.

  “So you wanted to die by steel?” Emperor Zalcan asked, crouching over Visola’s body and grabbing her chin roughly.

  “Yes,” she answered, although the word was muffled by her uncooperative muscles and the way his fingers smashed her lips together as he squashed her face.

  “Hmph,” he said, releasing her jaw, and putting his hand on her neck. He slowly slid his hand down to her chest, groping her enlarged breasts before moving his hand over her swollen abdomen. “You will go down in history as the warrior who made my empire fall. So why would I give you an honorable death? You have humiliated my memory for eternity, and erased the legacy that I have spent my life building. No, Visola Ramaris. You will die sharing my degradation, and knowing that when your loved ones see your desecrated body, they will forever remember you lying with your brains spilled out on my marble floor, and your bloody fetuses ripped from your womb.”

  “Are you going to tell me his location?” Aazuria asked the frightened young girl who she believed was the emperor’s daughter. When she shook her head, Aazuria grasped a knife and brutally sliced off a few of her fingers. The girl screamed, causing her to feel a pang of remorse as she thought of Varia. But then she thought of Corallyn, and the remorse disappeared. “How about now?”

  “You do not have to be the one to do this,” Mother Melusina told her.

  “Step back, Zuri,” Trevain signed. “Just let me take it from here.”

  “No, this is my war. I need to be the one to—” Aazuria frowned when a blinking in her sonar map caught her eye. She stared at the map and thought she saw a green indicator for a second, but it disappeared. Nevertheless, there was an emergency signal that had been activated, and the monitor told her that Visola was in trouble. She sprung to her feet, turning to Trevain in a panic.

  “Spread out and find Viso,” she commanded him. He read her lips and nodded, barely able to acknowledge her command before she bolted out of the room. She had always moved so quickly in a crisis! Turning to ensure that the Sisters of Sedna would continue to drill the women for information, he was surprised to see that Mother Melusina had taken a seat abruptly.

  “Destiny is a powerful thing, my son,” the woman mouthed with closed eyes. She was somehow more attractive when she closed her eyes, covering her chillingly white irises. “I am not sure why it always turns out this way between the Sapphire and Onyx. Please know that if it was within my ability to change these events, I would.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, somehow knowing that she could understand his sign language even with her eyes closed.

  “I am just an old woman. The waves whisper their intentions to me, but they never listen to my wishes. If I could, I would save her. But who am I to presume to command the waves of destiny?”r />
  Trevain felt his dread instantly intensify, and he turned and swam after Aazuria. He looked down at his sonar map to try and determine the direction in which she had gone, but it was impossible. The blinking lights and text warnings kept telling him that Visola had activated her emergency signal, but he did not know how to find her. Trusting his intuition, he began to swim blindly in the direction he felt he should swim.

  Chapter 28: World Without Her

  “Visola!” Aazuria called out as she raced through the dry areas of Damahaar. If Visola had been in the water, she would have been able to find her by sonar. “Viso!” She panted as she turned a corner and raced up the marble stairs. She froze quite suddenly when she saw Visola lying on the ground, and a man crouching over her. Grabbing her rifle, she aimed it at the man’s head. “Move away from her!”

  “My, my, would you look at that?” the man mused to Visola as he pressed a knife into her skin. Her body was motionless, but she stared up at him with vicious green eyes. “It looks like you were bait, you little red-haired worm. I caught a bigger fish.”

  Aazuria was horrified when she saw that the emperor had removed some of Visola’s armor and had been cutting deep lesions into the skin of her friend’s breasts. “Get away from her!” she shouted again.

  “I wouldn’t shoot if I were you,” he said with a smile. He gestured down to his left hand, which was closed around a stun-gun. “If you kill me, I will fall onto this weapon, pressing the button and releasing even more electricity into your pregnant friend here. She’s already had a few doses and she’s not doing too well. Do you want to test what additional voltage will do to her?”

  Aazuria looked to Visola for confirmation and saw that her friend’s eyes were frightened. She nodded, lowering her rifle and letting it clatter to the ground. She lifted her hands in surrender. “What do you want from me, Emperor Zalcan?”