“We’ll take it from here, Your Majesty,” the priestess said. “If you’d please wait outside, we’ll let you know when you can see him.”
Hareem just stared at her. Yes, he was aware that men were forbidden in the Temple of Jenarra, but he had surmised that some sort of exception had been made. Apparently, he’d been mistaken.
“I will not leave him,” Hareem said between gritted teeth. “You cannot possibly ask me…”
“It’s okay, Your Majesty,” a voice said behind him. “We’ll be right outside.”
Hareem turned, only to see King Selbrian standing behind him. “We’ll just allow the priestesses to do their jobs,” Selbrian said. “This is a special area to treat the injured. It doesn’t have the restrictions you might have heard of.”
That relieved Hareem somewhat. He still didn’t want to abandon Taryn, but what else could he do? If he stayed there, he’d just be growling at the priestess and hindering the healing process.
Nodding, he stole another look at his mate. He wanted to approach and kiss him, but there was no time for that. Feeling like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, he followed the Ivenian king out of the room.
Selbrian slowly led him outside and into another chamber that seemed to be designed as a waiting area. Hareem found Sari and Karein already there.
“I heard what happened,” Sari said, hugging him tightly. “I assure you they’ll have the best of care.”
“Thank you,” Hareem replied, embracing Sari back. It should have been strange, but his brother-in-law’s familiar hold comforted him, and he didn’t want to doubt it. At the same time, though, he could still feel Sari’s swollen belly. It reminded him of the way Taryn had been the last time they’d seen each other. When he broke the embrace, he couldn’t keep his voice from shaking. “I just…I can’t imagine how such a thing would even happen.”
His men were still looking for Elina and her accomplices, but so far, they’d had no luck. In hindsight, Hareem realized that he could have contacted his forces stationed in the States before flying there like a crazed lunatic, but he had to admit he hadn’t been thinking clearly, and he didn’t even know how he could have conveyed Taryn’s location.
Selbrian released a heavy sigh. “Very few things make sense anymore.”
Hareem recalled Eanera had fallen into a coma. It occurred to him that the High Priestess often received visions with the location of people. She had even helped Hareem during his quest to find Sage and Camden when they had been kidnapped by the vampires. He also figured that her sickness had been awfully convenient, in that she hadn’t been able to provide assistance against the Ancient Horror.
He didn’t actually doubt Eanera. That would be stupid, since she had no real reason to go against Ornoz. However, that didn’t mean the Ancient Horror couldn’t have infiltrated Rose Noire and somehow managed to use her power.
Renewed terror coursed through Hareem. He had left his family all alone, in the company of strangers. The priestesses seemed well-intentioned, but what if the Ancient Horror had possessed one of them? They could hurt Taryn and the baby so easily.
“What is it?” Karein inquired, obviously realizing Hareem’s dismay.
“I just…I have to be with Taryn,” Hareem explained. “I understand that this isn’t regular procedure, but I can’t just wait here.”
Selbrian scanned his face for a few moments, then nodded. “Very well. I can understand your concern. I’ll speak with the priestesses.”
As they headed back the way they’d come, they surprisingly ran into a woman Hareem recognized as Sari’s stepmother, Onyerre. “Oh, Your Imperial Majesty,” she greeted him. “I just found out about your arrival. Is everything all right?”
There was something about Onyerre that Hareem had never liked, and that hadn’t changed. If anything, he disliked her even more. “I wish I could provide you with an affirmative answer,” he replied, “but unfortunately, I cannot.”
He said nothing else, since he was needed at Taryn’s side and he had no patience for polite platitudes. Selbrian guided him into Taryn’s room. Hareem half expected the priestesses to try to send him away again, but no one did. They were all already in deep concentration, healing light pouring from their hands into Taryn and the baby.
Hareem sat down on a nearby couch and prepared himself to wait for as long as it took. Selbrian said nothing. He just squeezed Hareem’s shoulder once, then took his leave. As the door closed behind the Ivenian king, Hareem wondered what exactly Selbrian knew that he hadn’t shared with everyone. He was certain of one thing. Like Draechenburg, Rose Noire had many secrets, and some of them could be really dangerous for Hareem’s family.
* * * *
Meanwhile, somewhere in Greece
“Are you absolutely sure about this?” Rachen whispered as he quietly slid through the dark crypt.
“Positive,” Alwyn answered. “I know it’s strange, but you have to believe me.”
Rachen didn’t point out that he already believed Alwyn. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have come here, in a naga graveyard out of all places. He still couldn’t imagine what business Alwyn had in this place, but Rachen would get the beautiful sprite in and out as quickly as he could.
The crypt was, naturally, guarded by a good number of naga. Thankfully, Rachen had completely recovered from his previous injuries, but he suspected that he still would have had some trouble getting past the group. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have defeated them, but the real difficulty of the operation lay in remaining stealthy. They couldn’t risk starting a conflict between Patala and Ornoz again. The situation in the paranormal world was already volatile enough without Rachen and Alwyn contributing to it.
However, Alwyn seemed to be convinced that there was something in this crypt that needed to be dealt with. He had promised to explain as soon as they solved this mysterious problem. Normally, Rachen wouldn’t have rushed forward just like that, without receiving any answers, but he trusted Alwyn more than he did himself. He might not think that he deserved a mate, but at the very least, he could offer his support to Alwyn, especially when the sprite had practically saved his life once.
As it turned out, Alwyn wasn’t exactly helpless. Rachen didn’t have to do anything at all, because he felt a veil of magic flow over him, cloaking his presence. They walked past the naga guards with the group none the wiser.
Still, Rachen held his breath until they entered another corridor, this time free of naga. He and Alwyn fell into complete silence, both of them more than aware that there were likely more chimeras guarding the crypt. The entire place was quite huge, larger than Rachen had expected, given that naga were, essentially, immortal.
They bypassed a few other groups with no incident. Finally, Alwyn stopped in front of a funerary chamber. It was, mercifully, empty. A large stone casket lay in the center of the room. Rachen hated the entire feel of it, but Alwyn didn’t seem distraught at all. If anything, he acted like he’d been here before.
The sprite headed straight for the casket, his gait oddly rigid. “Alwyn?” Rachen asked. “Are you all right?”
Alwyn didn’t answer, and that sent a shiver down Rachen’s spine. Just as Alwyn reached the casket, Rachen grabbed the sprite’s shoulder and forcibly turned him around.
When he met Alwyn’s eyes, though, there was no recognition in his gaze. In fact, Rachen was shocked to note that the dark orbs he’d grown to love so much had completely consumed Alwyn’s pupils.
Rachen had never actually seen how being possessed by the Ancient Horror manifested itself, but he’d read reports that it was pretty much like this. He didn’t want to believe it, but Alwyn had been acting very strangely. Rachen shook Alwyn, trying to snap the sprite out of his trance.
A spark of light flared in the darkness of Alwyn’s gaze, as if his eyes went ablaze. A strange force pushed Rachen back, but Rachen didn’t let it separate him from Alwyn. He withstood it, clutching Alwyn’s shoulders and whispered, “Come on, Alwyn. Don
’t let him get to you like this. You’re stronger than anything. We’re stronger.”
Alwyn stepped back, as if Rachen had physically struck him. He freed himself from Rachen’s grip with striking ease and leaned against the casket. The world seemed to tilt, Rachen’s vision blurring slightly. When he could see again, a figure appeared in front of him. Rachen blinked, trying to understand how in the world Alwyn had brought back Talbot Stervos.
It didn’t seem like he was about to get any answers now. Alwyn’s eyes rolled in his head, and he swooned. Rachen shot forward, and he caught the sprite before Alwyn could hit the floor.
“What the fuck just happened?” Rachen asked no one in particular.
“Your friend just did me a huge favor,” Talbot Stervos replied. “And now, I’ll do a favor for you. I’ll show you how to get rid of the Ancient Horror. But first…I have a few other requests.”
* * * *
“I don’t understand this.” Caroline Connors fumed as she paced through the lab. “How are we supposed to do anything to help when no one is cooperating with us?”
“What we should be doing is packing up and leaving,” her aunt, Elizabeth, answered. “We should have known better than to try to work with draechen. Why are we even staying?”
Camden watched the entire conversation in silence. He had been doing his best to provide assistance for the benandanti, but there was only so much he could help them with, beyond being a laboratory specimen, of course. He could, however, understand their frustration. His blood tests only happened very rarely. In fact, since his last ones, the benandanti hadn’t asked to repeat them at all. Meanwhile, Prince Rachen, who’d been the one to help them most, was now gone.
“You are here because you want to keep the situation from worsening as much as we do,” he pointed out gently. “It’s unfortunate, but no one here has made much progress. You have to understand Emperor Hareematek’s impatience.”
“Right,” James Connors drawled. “And what about that little fit of temper? What are we supposed to believe about that?”
Camden didn’t answer. He was actually quite troubled by the emperor’s departure. The benandanti weren’t aware of the exact extent of how much something like this could affect the entirety of Ornoz. Personally, Camden was more concerned because he had a pretty good clue regarding what had determined Hareematek to leave like that.
The benandanti caught onto his silence. Elizabeth arched a brow at him. “You know something, don’t you? What is it, Prince Camden? What are the draechen not telling us?”
Camden was saved from replying when his mate entered the lab. Sage wrapped an arm around Camden’s waist and kissed his temple. “It’s just as I thought,” he said. “It looks like the emperor mobilized more troops for the United States. We’ve received notice that Lady Elina Eretar has gone rogue and we’re to detain her on sight.”
“You think she did something to the emperor’s mate?” Camden inquired.
“It’s very possible.” Sage gave Camden a serious look. “I certainly hope not, and not only for His Imperial Majesty’s sake.”
Camden’s stomach roiled as Sage’s words summoned all sorts of scenarios of destruction in his mind. He leaned against Sage to hide his dismay. Lately, he was getting anxious even when he didn’t absolutely have to, so much so that, when he’d spoken to his parents last, they’d suggested his cold illness was back. Sage had been so distraught at the possibility that he’d actually considered leaving for Patala to find Camden a second mate—for the ten seconds it took for Camden to convince him that his emotions were perfectly fine. If anything, he was too sensitive.
“I know what you mean,” he sent to his mate. “Emperor Hareematek is a powerful man. If he loses it… I can’t even imagine what would happen.”
As Sage held him close and comforted him, James Connors frowned at them. “Well, I guess silence is an answer, too,” he said. “I suppose we can’t expect you to trust us with everything. It’s not like we haven’t given more than enough from our side.”
“Nice try, Mr. Connors,” Sage answered, “but there are some issues that I’m not at liberty to discuss. I’m sure that you’ll find out soon enough.”
The old benandanti snorted, and would have probably said something else. However, Raleigh chose this exact moment to enter the room. Another man was with him, one who looked a lot like James. Camden’s mind quickly worked around what he knew of the benandanti’s family, and he identified the new arrival as Mark Connors, James’s brother.
On cue, Raleigh asked, “Have you met my uncle?”
“Not officially, no,” Camden replied. There had been countless reports on the benandanti since their cooperation with Draechenburg had started.
“Well, let us fix that, shall we?” Raleigh smiled. “Prince Camden Isaiat, Lieutenant Sagenamadeen Zager, this is my uncle, Mark Connors. Uncle Mark, His Highness Prince Camden Isaiat and his mate, Lieutenant Sagenamadeen Zager of the Chrysalidian Wyverns.”
“It’s a pleasure and an honor,” Mark replied. “I’m so happy I got to meet you. I’m only here for a little visit.”
“Well, I hope you enjoy your stay in Draechenburg,” Sage answered politely. Camden realized his mate was a little taken aback, because he hadn’t been informed about Mark’s arrival.
However, they didn’t get to address that, because Mark grinned and clapped a hand on Sage’s shoulder. “I understand congratulations are in order.”
Camden blinked in surprise. “Congratulations? For what?”
Mark arched a brow at his brother. “You haven’t told them?”
“Tell us what?” Camden asked. His heart started to beat faster and his palms began to sweat.
“Recent blood tests show a modification of the hormones in your blood,” Raleigh answered, obviously a little put out by his uncle’s gaffe. “By all accounts, you’re pregnant.”
Camden just stared. He and Sage still hadn’t gone through with an official marriage ceremony by the rites of the dragons. With everything that had been going on, no one had simply found the time for something like that. And now, they were going to have a baby. His knees went weak and he’d have fallen if Sage hadn’t been holding him up. “Oh. Shit.”
Mark Connors’s face fell. “Sorry. I’ve upset you. I thought it was good news.”
“It is,” Sage replied, although he didn’t really seem to be speaking to the benandanti. “It’s excellent news. A family, beautiful, just like we’ve always wanted.”
Camden didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. He was so happy at the idea of being a father, of finally having hatchlings of his own. At the same time, though, any children he’d have with Sage would be half-breeds, and while Camden didn’t care about that, the Shifter Directive clearly forbade it.
“No one can know about this,” he told the benandanti. “You have to keep it a complete secret.”
“Of course,” Elizabeth Connors replied. “We realize it’s sensitive information. That’s actually why we didn’t tell you immediately. We wanted to be absolutely certain we had privacy when we notified you.”
“Thank you,” Camden answered. “That’s very thoughtful.”
If he wanted to be perfectly honest, Camden couldn’t say he was too surprised about it. He and Sage had ignored his parents’ warnings and had been having unprotected sex ever since they’d moved to Draechenburg. Likely, he’d been pregnant for quite a while, only the long gestation time for both draechen and naga making it hard for him to notice.
Camden took a deep breath and struggled to calm down. This was a good thing, a beautiful thing. He could imagine it now, holding a hatchling with Sage’s ice-blue eyes, watching him or her learn how to shift. Distantly, he wondered if his baby would be a chimera like Camden, or a full-shifter like Sage. It didn’t matter.
“Oh, there’s something else,” Raleigh added. “We can’t be sure about this, but there’s a good chance that this might be a multiple birth…well, pregnancy.”
More than one
hatchling, then. Wow. Camden felt a little breathless, and very much excited. He suspected he might have pounced on Sage right then and there and kissed him, but out of the blue, a knock sounded at the door.
“Yes?” Sage called out.
A panting soldier walked into the lab. “Lieutenant Zager, Prince Camden, Prince Rachen and Lord Cyraltin just arrived,” he announced. “They want to see you at once.”
Camden blinked. He hadn’t expected the couple to return quite so soon. In fact, he hadn’t really understood why they’d left in the first place. Either way, judging by the soldier’s expression, this certainly seemed urgent.
“Did they say what it was about?” Camden asked.
“No,” the soldier answered, “just that they wished to speak with the two of you in private.”
Sage just nodded wordlessly. Camden didn’t know why, but he got the feeling that this conversation would be very important. He hadn’t really given much thought as to why Rachen and Alwyn had left like that, but he felt now that they might hold the key to unraveling the mystery of the Ancient Horror.
Taking his mate’s hand, Camden left the lab. It was hard to focus on his duty when he’d become aware of the treasure he carried within him, but he had to do it, precisely because of his family.
He and Sage headed straight for the imperial wing. No one stopped them, although they shouldn’t have actually had unrestrained access to this area. This confirmed Camden’s guess that this had to be very important indeed.
Prince Rachen met them at the door of his quarters. He said nothing, instead just nodding at Sage and Camden and gesturing them inside. The expression on his face could have meant anything at all. Then again, Camden had never been able to read Prince Rachen. More often than not, the man was a complete enigma.
Emperor's Consort [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 5] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 21
