“Rayla,” said Heath, shifting beside me. “Zach’s right. You’re clearly exhausted. The human realm does not affect us anymore, but you are still sensitive to its pull.”
“I have no idea what you mean by that,” I said, staying put, making myself not look at him. My whole body buzzed with the desire to touch him. I cleared my throat then went on. “There’s no way I’m leaving so you guys can strategize without me. We’ve got decisions to make, and I’m going to be in the room when that happens!”
Zach sniffed, shaking his head at me. “Very well, love, but know that there is a perfectly good bed upstairs that is all yours.”
The minute Zach said bed I glanced at Heath, who seemed to have had the same idea until I caught him staring at me. Zach grunted when my mind took over.
I closed my eyes, wishing I still had a barrier to rely on when it came to my bondmate. I had no intentions of hurting him, but how could I deny my feelings? Feelings that continued to intensify the more I was around Heath.
“So what do we need to figure out first,” I asked, hoping to distract myself. It was actually better for me to sit next to Heath instead of across from him. This way I had to make a concerted effort to look at him.
“Luke?” asked Zach.
Great. We were leaving this up to him?
Zach glowered at me. I was tempted to stick out my tongue, but I decided to be an adult about it. Something definitely reminiscent of a cramp twinged in my abdomen. Of all the times to get my period this was not it. Could the curse Valen mentioned have meant I would return to my human status? For once in my life I hoped not. All I needed was to be worthless when the battle went down.
Luke pulled an ankle up to his knee then settled deeper into the cushions. “Preliminary data indicates a large land mass not accounted for by human maps rests just west of Galway. There is also an anomalous area north of the city limits.”
“Hy-Brasil?” asked Zach, breathless. He’d gone nearly pale.
I spoke up. “What’s Hi Brazil?
“Maybe,” said Luke, skeptical, ignoring my question. “Whatever this landmass is happens to be a third the size of Ireland.”
Taylor shook his head. “Hy-Brasil hasn’t been seen in millennia. It is merely a fable.”
Luke swished his hand sideways. “This might indeed be the lost isle. We cannot be sure it was destroyed—”
“It is but a fable,” said Taylor, this time more strongly.
Jett shifted in his seat, obviously more interested in the conversation than the planning. “Our existence is nothing more than a fable to humans, Taveon. What is to say the island did not survive our attack?”
I gritted my teeth. “Guys!” When they all turned their eyes to me, I said. “What is Hi Brazil?”
Jett laughed. “Not Brazil…Brasil.”
I gave him a look. “Not an answer.”
Jett was the first to speak up. “Braesal was a great fae leader in the old days…before we split the realms and still lived among humans. He was even known for a time as the king of the world.”
“Oh, here we go,” said Heath, exasperated. “You had to start him on one of his stories didn’t you?”
I shushed him. I loved Jett’s stories and I needed to know what the heck they were talking about.
Jett cleared his throat and cracked his knuckles then waggled his eyebrows at me. When I laughed, he smiled before he began his tale. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, Braesal was the greatest leader we have ever known.”
“It is not safe for you to say such things,” said Taylor.
Jett’s voice dipped to the lowest note I’d ever heard. “I have no problem telling the man himself how much of a coward I think he is. Let him listen in. Let him know the fate that awaits him.”
“Here, here,” said Heath, his arm brushing against mine for the tiniest of moments.
I closed my eyes, savoring the sensation of having him this close to me.
Zach spoke up. “It doesn’t matter much anymore. If Hy-Brasil is what our dear chairman is after he will have to come through us to get it.”
Every single person in the room gave a solemn nod of agreement, including me even though I still didn’t know what it was. Valen didn’t deserve anything that had belonged to the greatest fae leader that had ever lived. What he did have coming for him was a galactic comeuppance. I shot a pointed look at Jett. “Are you going to finish your story?”
“Love to,” he said. Heath groaned again, but I ignored him. I focused on the deep base of Jett’s voice. “Braesal was our one and only true high king, though some will tell his story differently. There are those that mark him as a traitor, but nothing could be farther from the truth. He was and is our noblest warrior. He lived for his people, for his kingdom and for the idea of freedom.
“He traveled the globe on Hy-Brasil, calling to all nations to join him in peace. He gave to all, asking nothing in return, though riches flowed to him like the Nile rushing out to sea. He amassed so much treasure and the tale of his kingdom was so great worldwide that the inhabitants of the world asked to unite with him.
“One by one nations called him king, until all bowed down to him. He traveled the globe, taking care of his people, only reaching his homeland every seven years. In celebration of his homecoming, he held a feast the likes the world had never seen.
“By chance during his travels, he happened upon Altasia. The Altasians have always been known for their culture and love of the arts, so Braesal was greeted with festivities of the likes he had never seen.
“The king and queen of Altasia so greatly desired to be united with Hy-Brasil that they sent their finest underlord to accompany the king. This underlord was cunning and found a way to infiltrate the famed island using glamour. He’d overtaken a farm boy, merging his form with the boy. He claimed to be an underlord to Eirie, and was allowed passage to Hy-Brasil when he had already been refused by the island spirits.”
I got a firm impression that Jett wasn’t telling the whole story, but I didn’t say anything, just yet. “The underlord united with the enemy of all living things, cursing the heavens and Braesal. His is a story of cold vengeance. He developed a friendship with Braesal, becoming his right hand man.
“The high king trusted the man so much he shared his growing feelings for a certain servant girl who danced for him. The first time Braesal saw the girl dance, he was bewitched. He made excuses to see her, even letting her stay for court sessions. She was too young for the king, but she would eventually come of age and so he set out to wait until he could claim the girl for his wife.
“So the underlord, thinking to take all from Braesal set about seducing the young girl. The king, unaware, thought the underlord had become the girl’s confidant. But when he saw her blush in the presence of the man he considered a friend, he realized she had developed feelings for the lad instead of him.
“Grieved, the king vowed to let the two live in peace. Although he had given up claim to the girl, he still wanted her near him. She brought light into his life. Determined not to interfere with her happiness, he watched her grow into an amazing beauty.”
Heath grunted. “No wonder humans are so fascinated with our myths. You’ve prettied this up until I think I’ll puke. Why don’t you tell Rayla the real story? Why don’t you tell her how our bravest, noblest warrior was seduced then betrayed by a woman he loved? Why don’t you tell her the truth?”
Jett narrowed his eyes at Heath. “It is becoming clearer to me why Rayla bonded more strongly with Ammon.”
Heath stood up, fists clenched at his sides. I grabbed his hand, but he pulled away from me. His tawny eyes glanced down at me, all steel. His voice came out gruff when he said, “If you want the real tale, I’ll share it with you later. I need some air.” With that, he bounded out of the room.
Everything inside me screamed to go after him, but I couldn’t, not until this whole mess was settled. I’d searched every memory I had for a reason I hadn’t bonded comp
letely with Heath, but I couldn’t find any. My body said I was bound to Zach, but my heart still belonged to my husband.
I closed my eyes, inhaling a deep breath. Once I had my feet propped up where Heath had been sitting, I asked Jett to continue.
“As I was saying,” said Jett. “The king ignored his feelings for the girl, hoping for her happiness. One day, after a particularly long session, he found his way back to his chambers. To his surprise he found the girl asleep in his bed.
“He walked to her side, studying her soft form the entire way. So beautiful was she that he could not hold his desire for her any longer. He lifted her into his arms, but instead of carrying her back to her room, he touched his lips to hers.
“She awoke and smiled at him. She’d not turned him away as he had expected so he loved her throughout the night, showing her how much he had longed for her over the years.
“Bomb blasts awoke the sleeping couple early the next morning. The king stumbled out of bed, intent on finding his generals to see who dared attack the high king of the world.”
Jett’s expression darkened. “The girl tried to tell him of the underlord’s treachery, but he could not believe what she said. He ordered her to dress and told her to stay put until he returned for her. As it is with most women, she did not listen and followed him, intent on telling him about the traitor he harbored in his kingdom.
“When he finally agreed to listen to her, the underlord showed up. The man took one look at the naked girl and rage overtook him. The underlord used his gifts with space and drifted the girl away from the king, insisting when he returned that she was responsible for the attack.
“The king put aside his grief and ordered the girl to be brought before him to be questioned. But the underlord did not retrieve the girl. Instead, he fashioned a curse for the king. He’d been waiting for the perfect opportunity to take the kingdom and his time had come.
“He offered the concoction to the king as a comfort. Braesal only took one sip, but that was enough. The underlord had given the king the curse of the undead.”
“You mean vampirism?” I asked, taken aback.
Jett shrugged. “In a way, I guess you could call him a vampire, but the transformed king did not consume blood, he absorbed souls.”
Something occurred to me. Wraith absorb souls. Could one of the wraith be this Braesal?
Zach stared at me from across the room. I gave him a tentative smile which he returned. His voice echoed in my mind. We have much to discuss, Rayla. Finish up here quickly and go to your room. I will be along shortly.
I frowned at him, trying to listen to Jett who had moved on. What had I missed?
“Having lost their king, the island spirits became enraged, but they could not exact a punishment on a man within a man, so they devised a plan to draw the underlord out of the farmer.”
“How,” I asked. I wanted to know more, but Zach seemed so insistent, I didn’t dare keep him waiting.
“Only the underlord could disentangle his cells from the farmer’s, but he needed a reason to do so. The island spirits sought out the girl who had unintentionally betrayed her king. She was grief stricken and had set about taking her own life.
“They found her on a cliff, ready to hurl her body to the jagged rocks below. The spirit of a powerful sorceress detached her form from the island and sailed into the girl just as she jumped. During the fall, a struggle of wills ensued until the sorceress won. She took control of the girl’s body and used the elements to save the girl’s life.”
“Like possession?” I asked.
Jett shrugged. “You could call it such, but the point is that the girl lived. The sorceress spoke to the girl’s mind, telling her she could exact revenge on the underlord. As you can imagine, the girl agreed to house the sorceress in her body to repair the damage she had done.
“Having the sorceress connected to her gave the girl power over the island, and the bond gave her access to all of the island spirits.”
“Bond?”
Jett chuckled. “Not so different than the one you share with Ammon.”
“Not you too,” said Zach. “Why won’t anyone use the name I have chosen?”
Jett gave Zach a solid stare. “You can change your name as many times as you like, but until you truly become a different person, I will call you Ammon.”
Zach grumbled curses under his breath and stood. He gave me a look that said I better not be long then left the room.
Taylor arched his brows, but didn’t comment while Luke merely chuckled. I had no idea what the whole scene was about, but it didn’t concern me. At least I hoped it didn’t.
With a swish of his braids, Jett continued. “Once the girl was safe, the sorceress communicated with the girl and an alliance was made. From that moment on, the sorceress and the girl became one being in purpose. The island spirits transformed the girl into a seer unlike any the world had ever known.
“With her newfound gifts she discovered the underlord’s plan. She witnessed the transformation of her beloved king, but was unable to reach him in time. By this time the underlord’s army had come to take possession of Hy-Brasil. They foolishly thought they could control the island and the spirit inhabitants, but the island rejected them, spewing out volcanic eruptions. The elements combined in a storm so violent one cannot describe the tumult. Many left of their own free will while others were consumed or ejected from the home they had come to covet. All who had darkened hearts were expunged, save one.
“The underlord witnessed the total destruction of his idealized dream, cursing the spirits that haunted him. Little did he know that the curse he wove of words transformed the island spirits into creatures of darkness.
“They fled their home, searching for their king. This whole time the girl watched, absorbing the information. She, too, became transformed with the underlord’s curse. No longer was she a beautiful youth. She became one with the land, air, sea, and space.
“Her visions told of a future so bleak the underlord cursed her again. Once more she was transformed. She lost her eyesight, but he could not take away her visions.
I grunted. “Are you talking about Tabitha?”
“This is a story,” said Taylor. “We would remember these things if it were fact.”
“Not if we were all cursed, too,” said Jett.
“I don’t think I get any of this,” I said. “Why would she stand there and let him curse her? Why didn’t she do anything?”
“Ah,” said Taylor. “But she did. Against the advice of the sorceress the girl gave her own curse. She cursed the underlord in her own way. She approached him and offered her services as seer to the rightful king of Hy-Brasil.”
Tabitha had become a mage to the fae. She had more official power than most courtesans. “Wow, so she was going to feed him garbage visions?”
Luke smiled. “I’ve never heard it put in such an eloquent manner. Keep listening. It gets better.”
I gave him a surly nod. “I’m all in for the underlord to get it in the end.”
Jett eyed me speculatively. “That’s just it. None of us knows what happened to him. Taylor is correct. We have no real recollection of the happenings. All we have is a tale that has been passed down through the centuries.”
“Huh?” I wasn’t expecting that one. He was supposed to tell me the underlord was Valen and they were all searching for the high king so they could kill him or something.
Just then Luke’s gadget bleeped a bunch of times. “What’s going on?” I asked.
His face had drawn into a frown as he studied the thing. “Sudden activity in the anomalous area north of us.”
I walked over to where he sat. “What kind of activity?”
“Fae signatures…everywhere.”
“It cannot be,” said Jett. “That thing has to be malfunctioning.”
Luke scowled. “My machines do not malfunction.”
Heath ran into the room. “Get up. All of you. We’ve got company.”
&nbs
p; I’d never seen people jump up so fast. My muscles coiled. So much for sleeping. So much for intel. So much for preparing.
“Rayla!” yelled Zach. “Get in here.”
I ran, following the sound of his voice. He continued to grumble as I rounded the corner. Alp-lauchra filled the foyer and beyond them swarmed twenty or more wraith.
Eyes wide, I pushed through the lords to the open doorway. The butler lay there, passed out or dead. I couldn’t quite be sure. My mouth fell open when I stuck my head out the door.
The entire estate held creatures from the dark realms. If they were here, it couldn’t be good.
The macabre crowd parted to allow a man through. His stance was that of royalty and his face was grave. “My lady,” he said. “I am terribly sorry.”
My heart plummeted to my tennis shoes. “What’s happening, Creed? Why are you here? Why aren’t you using glamour?”
“We cannot, Mistress. We have tried to be discreet, but I will not be held responsible for what happens from this moment forth. As we speak, a news crew is on the way.”
“Let them in,” I hissed at Zach.”
He clenched his teeth together. “I cannot.”
“Do it, or I’m leaving with them.”
“You wouldn’t,” he said.
I walked forward, beckoning Creed to follow me.
“Oh, lass, come back. We’ll find a place to put them.”
I whirled around. “I know how they look, Zach. I even get that some of them don’t exactly smell nice, but these are my friends.”
Zach gave a single nod. “Then they are my friends as well.” He stretched his arm out, motioning them forward. “Welcome to my home. I have several prize hounds throughout the estate that I consider my friends. Please do not devour my pets.”
Creed glared at Zach as he passed, but he didn’t say anything until all were inside then he spoke so fast I barely caught everything. “My lady, I have grave news. We followed your Natalie to a new Order establishment, just north of here. I took a few of my best men in with me. Twas to be a swift operation, but we were ambushed. The majority of my people came to help, yet our powers would not work there. We made for the border. I failed, Rayla. I couldn’t help them and—” His face paled and his voice became breathy. “There is no way for me to tell you this easily.” He placed his hand on my forearm. “The young man was killed in front of us before the Order army opened fire on us. We may be immortal, but we have wounded in the forest a few miles from here.”
Horizon Page 26
