by Jaime Marks
Byryn began changing his robes as he watched him go. Grifyn, his Dad, always had a way of showing him things from a perspective he hadn’t considered. He was generally right, too. Trevyn might have been a bastard but he and Crystal were his parents. They were as much a part of him as Grifyn. He would never deny his brothers or sisters. He couldn’t deny Cymeryn either. He didn’t know how to handle Kyle, but Cymeryn wouldn’t awaken him if he didn’t see something worthwhile in him. He still wouldn’t mentor the guy and he’d watch him like a hawk around Staryana, but after how he helped her through that ordeal today the guy probably deserved a chance.
Chapter 10
Steph stared at Cymeryn in disbelief. She wasn’t really even sure what to make of all this. Was he really awakening Kyle? He’d been part of her nightmare for so long and now he was going to be part of her family? Cymeryn had been her Father’s closest friend. He was the closest link she had to him. Couldn’t someone else awaken him?
“This is too soon, Cymeryn,” Mythos scowled at him. “You cannot possibly expect her to accept this.”
Cymeryn expelled a hard breath, “I am not expecting either of you to accept this, Mythos, and in truth I had anticipated having time to debate it. I will not deny that I had already been considering if I should awaken the boy, but I would have tasked somefae unrelated to do so with it being this soon if he had not been so gravely wounded.” He crossed his arms. “I do not need your permission to awaken him. I am already his Grandsire per my awakening of his Father and he is my bonded-daughter’s, your niece’s, brother. I am only informing you both out of respect and courtesy. I will keep them as separate as possible until Steph is able to better tolerate his presence, if and when that ever occurs, but there will be times that they cross paths as per formal custom.”
“I don’t understand, Cymeryn. Why do you need to awaken him?” Steph asked trying to reason it all out without feeling betrayed.
“His injuries are severe. The bullet collapsed his lung and nicked his heart. We were able to stabilize him and remove the bullet and fragments but his awakening has begun. His body will not continue to mend and he cannot survive the awakening as a result. We have placed his essence in a stasis of sort but it will only hold for a short while. The only option is for either myself or Marcus to heal him as the other holds him stable and awakens him. No other would be able to do so and I do not believe that any would be able to merge with either of our essence enough to manage it. Marcus will be assisting me while I awaken him, helping to regulate the flows of our essence and ensure that I have enough strength to see the endeavor through to the end. There is no other way. If another were to awaken him, he would die. The Healers have confirmed there is nothing else that can be done. Only the Sacred Borne could even attempt it.”
Kyle was Star’s brother. She didn’t even get a chance to know him, but he was also one of her rapists. How could she deal with having him around all the time? He’d helped Star out a lot today but she still wasn’t even sure if she believed that it wasn’t all an act.
“And what does Byryn say of this?” Mythos demanded.
“He is hesitant but agreed that it must be done. He will be witnessing the awakening as per tradition,” Cymeryn replied levelly.
Mythos shook his head. “I do not want to see him, Cymeryn. I am more than comfortable with allowing nature to intervene here. The things that boy has done…”
“Are the same as I have committed and the same that Byryn has partaken in,” Cymeryn snapped a moment before pausing to calm himself. “It is the life of the Shade and it was the only path he was offered just as it was with Byryn before Grifyn saw fit to give the boy a chance. I understand that his actions have taken a personal toll on the lady Steph,” he nodded to her in deference, “but that is the only difference and I will not deny him his life for surviving in the nightmare that he was born into. He is Staryana’s brother for Divine’s sake and was more than instrumental in helping her get through the entire ordeal today without shifting fully to Darkness.”
He paced a moment as if gathering his thoughts, “We suspect that bullet he took had been meant for her but he intervened. He was out of harm’s way. The only reasonable explanation is he placed himself in danger to protect her. I am not saying that he should be absolved of his sins any more than I or Byryn, but I will see him awakened and I will see he has the opportunity to atone for them.”
Steph tried to rein in her alarm. Had Star really almost been shot? Did he really save her life? She could feel Mythos trying to reconcile the same questions she was. If that was true could she really just allow him to die? No, she couldn’t and even more than that, Cymeryn wouldn’t. She knew him well enough to know this was happening whether they liked it or not. There was no way to reason with him and Byryn would feel the same. He wouldn’t let Kyle die after saving Star.
“It’s alright, Cymeryn,” Steph sighed quietly. “If it’s the only way to save him do what you have to do. I can’t promise I’ll forgive him, or even be able to handle being around him, but it is what it is.”
“Thank you, Steph.” Cymeryn bowed and misted from the room before anyone could say another word.
“You cannot really be alright with this,” Mythos scoffed studying her.
“Well, I’m not thrilled with it, but think of how difficult it would be on Star,” she shrugged trying to downplay how she was feeling. John and Kyle were too closely tied in her mind and it was difficult to trust that he wouldn’t still be doing John’s bidding. “Besides, I didn’t get the feeling we were gonna have much of a choice. Sometimes it’s better to just accept the things we can’t change and move forward from them. I won’t exactly be inviting the guy for lunch but I already expected Star to ask me if I could handle him being at the Bonding Rituals tomorrow.”
“Can you?” He questioned skeptically.
“Truthfully, provided he doesn’t touch me, probably,” she admitted. “I was able to keep myself in check with John and he really is the worse of the two for me.”
He nodded. “I just do not want you to have to live in fear or suffer, Stephynia. In truth, I would not care so much if you were able to return with me to the Realm of Light but that is not yet a possibility.”
“I know.” She stared out the window and laid back on her pillow again.
“Where is that beautiful mind of yours, caria?”
“We haven’t discussed what happened when I shared John’s essence yet,” she hesitated. She didn’t really want to. It felt like she’d betrayed him.
“Honestly, I do not feel the need to discuss it, but if you need to, you know that I am here. I do not wish for you to bear the burden of it alone any more than I want you to question my feeling on it.”
“Can I just share the memory with you and we can talk about it if need be?” She asked watching him.
He nodded. “If that is what you wish.”
He reached into her mind with his essence as she pictured the act of her betrayal. She didn’t really want to share it with him but the truth was she was scared that John would throw it in his face at some point and she couldn’t bear for him to hate her for it. She’d rather him know from her and deal with the backlash directly. This way if he couldn’t handle it they could go their separate ways before they crossed a line that they wouldn’t be able to come back from; even though she knew she already had. It would crush her to lose Mythos now.
She watched his expressions as he witnessed it. His anger, how he ground his teeth…the pain. She hated hurting him, but he had to know the truth, especially if John had any sort of control over her. When he was done he took a deep breath and met her eyes with restrained anger. She looked away reaching up to touch her necklace wondering if she should remove it or if he would.
“Stephynia, look at me,” he commanded.
She couldn’t face him. It hurt too much to see that look in his eyes.
After a few moments he gently took her chin in his hand and turned her to face him. He spoke softly b
ut through caged teeth, “I will not tell you that it does not anger me to see him touch you in such a way, but you did not ask him to, you did not give him permission to, and he would have done worse or hurt Staryana if you had fought him, caria.”
“But I…I enjoyed it, Mythos…How can you forgive me for that?” She was disgusted at herself just thinking about it.
He shook his head. “Not before he shared his essence with you. You were repulsed by his touch. You were fighting it. The essence influenced you and you cannot be held responsible for that.”
“I, I don’t know Mythos…I can’t…” She shuddered.
“Caria…” He sighed. “I could hear your thoughts, feel your emotions. You did not want his touch before the essence began to take hold of you. Please, my Queen, do not allow this to make you believe you are less than you are. I am your mate and I am telling you that I do not blame you for this. I may wish to kill him, but you are not at fault.”
She allowed him to pull her tight against him and melted into his protective embrace. “How can you love me so much that you just forgive me for everything? How can you not hold me accountable when I put myself in the position with him to allow it?”
“Because I would never fault you for acting in a way that would help to ensure your survival and I can tell from his words and actions that if you had not played along the damage could have been much worse. You did what you had to do, first so that Staryana could let us know that you were in trouble and then in order to save her and yourself something far more devastating.”
He gently stroked her hair and caressed her back as she contemplated his words. His love knew no bounds. Any other guy would’ve blamed her in an instant and she knew it. It wouldn’t matter that she didn’t want John to touch her. She allowed it and at one point gave in it completely.
“You’re an incredible man, Mythos,” she whispered not really sure that she deserved him.
He smiled warmly at her. “Perhaps, but only because I have an incredible mate.” She highly doubted that.
He gave her a shrewd look. “No more, caria.”
Before she knew what happened she was on her back with Mythos covering her body as he kissed her breath away. His tongue gently gliding along her lips seeking entry and she willingly opened for him, gasping as she felt him gently caress her breast through her gown.
“If you cannot bear this, Stephynia,” he murmured kissing down her neck, “I will just have to give you something else to think about.”
“Mmmm,” she moaned softly arching into him as he pressed his hard sex against her core through their clothes.
Mythos stopped as he reached down gliding his hands up her thighs hooking them under her skirting. Gliding them up over her slides he removed the gown gently draping it over the chair by the bed. He turned to admire her as he traced a finger over the brim of her corset bra.
“You are so beautiful, caria. I cannot wait until you are mine,” he whispered to her in reverence.
“I am yours, Mythos. Now and always.”
“Yes, but when I make you mine…” He grinned devilishly. “I will ensure that you never have a chance to doubt it.”
He leaned down kissing her softly then trailed down over her neck and collarbone. His tongue trailed over the top of her bra as his hand caressed her breast pinching her nipples through the fabric. He looked up at her through hooded eyes watching her with that mischievous glint in his eye and he lowered his mouth sucking her and nipping her through the thin material.
She groaned as he teased her. “This really isn’t fair you know.”
“Oh, it is more than fair, caria. If you only knew what you do to me without the slightest effort,” he chuckled against her as his hand slid down her body gently sliding off her panties. “I believe it is time I take some of the liberties our betrothal allows me.”
“What are you doing, Mythos?” She moaned.
He kissed along her body as he spread her legs, trailing his tongue and lips down her stomach. He watched her as his tongue slid down into the delicate folds of her sex. “Just tasting my mate,” he groaned into her as she arched off the bed.
She gasped and moaned as his tongue flicked her clit over and over, stopping only to nip or suck her into his mouth. She thought she might explode from the pressure he built in her. It was almost too much.
“God, Mythos, please,” she pleaded on a gasp as he teased her. When his tongue slipped into her core sliding in and out as his thumb caressed her sensitive nub over and over she came apart. Waves of pleasure crested over and over her so intensely that she screamed as he drew her out, drinking her in. It had never felt like this, never this intense this good.
When the waves ebbed he crawled up her body roughly taking her mouth in a possessive kiss. “Never doubt, Stephynia, where you belong, because I assure you, caria, it is here in my arms.”
As he rolled onto his back pulling her with so she was lying on top of him she ran her hand over his chest. If that was just a taste, damn, what the hell was their mating going to be like? It didn’t matter because she knew as long as it was Mythos, it would be magical. Everything with him was more than she could ever have hoped or wished for and she’d sacrifice almost anything to stay in his arms.
As her mind drifted thoughts of her Father filled her head and she knew she had to find him. Whatever he’d been through these last few years had kept him from her and she knew nothing short of torture could do that. Her mind was still confused. It was still difficult to reconcile her past but the one thing she was sure of was that her Father loved her and he would do anything to protect her. More and more she was starting to suspect that Ceryn, her Father, had sacrificed himself to save her.
She wasn’t a little girl anymore. Her Dad might have needed to protect her once but now she was a powerful warrior, just like he had trained her to be when she was young…unless those were just dreams. It was frustrating and painful to know that she’d lost so much of him. It left her with a deep seated need to get him back and she would. One way or another she’d find him and bring him back.
Chapter 11
Demytria stormed through the halls to the watchtower barracks hall where the Guardians generally spent their time. When she burst in her eyes narrowed as she focused in on Guardian Kevyrn. That male had crossed her for the last time and he should bless the day the Divines saw fit to Redeem her for if she were still Shade her blade would hold his blood.
“Lady Demytria,” the fool bowed formally, “why ever are you here in such a state? This is no place for a female of such regal blood.”
“Guardian Kevyrn, did I or did I not order the coverage in the Palace to be doubled for the remainder of the eve?” She demanded crossing her arms over her chest.
He smirked, “Of course my lady but I felt the coverage was better served at the wall and out on the plateau. It is a novice mistake and I only meant to correct the error before it caused issue.”
“It wasn’t a mistake you pompous fool and we have well discussed the reasoning of it. Every attack on this Palace has occurred from within its walls via the hidden entrances. That is where we need coverage. The Shade are not overt. They aren’t going to come pounding on the gates or walk in front of a patrol to alert you to their presence.”
His condescending smile turned into a scowl. “Lady Demytria you are new to your rank and one so delicate such as you does not belong making the decisions of war.”
“That’s funny, Kevyrn, considering as a member of the Lucerna lines the Lady out ranks you and if I had to guess could easily take you down in battle. You forget the station she’s held the past forty years,” Guardian Gavyn countered as he approached and bowed politely. “I apologize for my colleague’s behavior. You deserve our respect, not this foolishness. What is your order?” He had obviously followed her here not that it was surprising. He had served closely with both Kato and Grifyn since the fall of the Cerulyions. At least he didn’t appear to be here to stop her.
She breathed de
eply running through things in her mind. “There are to be double guards in the store rooms and dungeon as well as the halls of the Lucerna Lines and all visiting dignitaries. I had also scheduled Trycen and you on Guard detail so that the young could be properly monitored,” she added pointedly reminding him that he wasn’t at his post either.
“As you wish it, Lady Demytria.”
He bowed and turned to go as Kevyrn muttered, “What a waste of resources. You should be sure to assign a guard to the lady herself as well.”
Demytria lunged but a strong grip held her back. “I apologize, Demytria, but your brother will quite kick my ass if I allow this to happen this way,” Gavyn whispered close to her ear. “There are right and wrong ways to handle this.”
She relaxed and he released her. “Training ring, now Kevyrn.”
He laughed, “You cannot be serious.”
“I believe that Guardian Demytria a Grifyion of the Lucerna Lines is quite serious, Guardian Kevyrn a Kavyrion,” Grifyn’s voice rang out strongly through the room quieting the murmurs and she wanted to scream.
If her brother interfered with this she’d hand his ass to him as well. With a curt nod she decreed, “Guardian Kevyrn a Kavyrion, you will report to the training ring. You will face me in the Guardian’s Duel as per the Rites of Challenge and when I take you to the ground and you beg for mercy just as you did the day my mate saved you from my Shadow Blade, I will have your obedience and your respect or I will remove your rank.”
