The Lost Relics Box Set

by LJ Andrews

  “How do you propose we do that?” Dalia asked. “We can’t simply run to Maurelle and expect her to be intimidated enough to give us Marie without a fight.”

  “I realize that,” Owen said with a slight edge in his tone. “But I’m not going to simply abandon my wife to that maniac. I think we need to rally the Deshuits to help us.”

  Rhetta nodded, but Miller cleared his throat loudly, silencing anyone from speaking. “Owen, you honestly believe they will help us?”

  “We have to try!” Killian surprised himself when he shouted at the room. Everyone’s heads whipped in his direction. He gulped nervously, wishing he’d kept his mouth shut, but it was too late. “Look, we have several things in our favor. Owen was a member of the Deshuits for eighteen years. I saw him interact with them; he wasn’t just a member he was one of the leaders. If he can vouch for us and if he explains the situation, then it’s worth a shot. We have all four relics and two guardians. And even if I’m not as powerful as I’d like to be, we have two Infinium.”

  “Killian, you have to understand there is a lot of bad blood between the Deshuits and the Ponderi,” Dalia said quietly.

  “No offense to any of you, but I think I am probably the one most qualified to speak for the Deshuits. As Killian said, I’ve been with them for eighteen years,” Owen said.

  “Yes, but I am the one who understands Maurelle the best,” Dalia argued. “And it would be suicide to think she is not going to anticipate a rescue mission.”

  “I fully believe she will anticipate us coming, which is why we need to have as much support as possible.”

  “Dalia, we can’t just leave her there…she’s my mom,” Killian said.

  Dalia’s silver eyes softened. “Killian, I want to help Marie, but I want to do it as wisely as possible. Maurelle is out for all our heads. We cannot just attack without a plan.”

  “You are all right.” Miller stood with a new sense of strength. “We cannot just attack the Trinity. We will all be killed and Marie as well, but we cannot sit back and abandon Marie. Our first step in knowing how we can proceed is to find out if the Deshuits will help us. Owen, can you reach out to some of your contacts?”

  Owen nodded. “I’m going to have to speak to Eldora.”

  Killian watched Rhetta fidget nervously with her gold necklace and Miller took a deep breath. He didn’t know who this Eldora was, but he could sense a great anxiety fill the room.

  “Do what you think is best. I will inform Egan and Gwyniera,” Miller finally said. “Please, keep me informed. I know it isn’t easy to adjust, Owen, but you have to trust us to be included in this. We are all fighting the same enemy.”

  Owen said nothing, but quickly turned toward the door, giving Killian a final glance and quick smile before disappearing into the hallway.

  “Killian,” Rhetta said softly. Her cinnamon hair was piled up high in a tight bun on her head and her face was painted with a kind smile as she walked toward him.

  Months earlier, Killian would have done anything to be here with her. She had been his only living family member as far as he’d known, and the Ponderi had become his home with the intent on finding her. Now she was here, but they’d hardly spoken. She seemed afraid to get close to him. He gauged her feelings as she continued toward him. Relaxing his shoulders, he could sense her love and concern, but a wave of hesitation swept through him.

  Pursing his lips, he waited for her to continue, but his disappointment in her continual hesitation to be around him sent up a wall of defense against her. She’d warned him of traitors in the Praetorium before the former director, Nathaniel, attempted to murder him, and yet she couldn’t look at him like a grandmother should with her grandson.

  “How are you handling everything?” she asked and patted his hand robotically.

  His forehead rumpled toward the center as his scrutinizing gaze caused Rhetta to release his hand. “I’m fine. I’m ready to end this.” His tone was flippant and he saw the pain flash across her face. “I’m going to go train now.”

  Everyone watched him leave. Their feelings of concern washed over him like a powerful heat wave. Instead of lightening his heart that people cared for him, his blood boiled in frustration.

  As he stepped out into the long hallway, he closed the enormous wooden door harder than he’d meant to and the slam echoed through the steel building. Leaning against the door, Killian closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to calm his burning emotions on the verge of heightening out of control with Infinium billowing through his system. Running a hand through his thick hair now hitting his lower neck, he signaled the rapid elevator car and rushed away from the discomfort of the emotions spilling over him from the closed room.

  “Hey, I was looking for you. Where’d you go?” Mercedes stood in her open bedroom door brushing out her wet hair.

  She moved aside and let him into her room. It was similar to his with an exquisite canopied king bed, though hers had a white down comforter unlike his thick burgundy one, and dozens of white feathered pillows of every shape and size dotting the headboard. Her bathroom was slightly larger because of a beautiful gold vanity built into the tiled wall.

  “Miller called me up to his office to…talk about things, I guess.”

  “You guess? Just you and Miller?” She pulled her wet hair up into a naturally curly ponytail and sat cross-legged on her massive bed, sinking into the soft comforter.

  Killian rolled his eyes thinking of the awkward conversation. “No, everyone seemed to be there. Rhetta, Dalia, Axel, and my…Owen was there too. Nothing happened for the longest time; it was pretty pointless.” He flopped next to her on his back staring at her glittering canopy. The silver and gold thread sewn throughout the material created a magical feel to the room that calmed him.

  “I’m sure it wasn’t pointless,” she laughed while running her fingers through his hair.

  “I just get the feeling, and I’m pretty good at gauging feelings,” he added with a chuckle, “that everyone seems to be leery of me since the attack. Dalia is the only one who still trains with me as if I’m capable of controlling this curse.”

  Instinctively, his hand went to the back of his neck and traced the raised red marks.

  “Come on, Killian, most of those people are your family. They aren’t leery. I’m sure they’re just worried about you.”

  Killian flipped over and placed his forehead against hers. “You know I love that you always try to find the positives, but I felt it. Rhetta came close to me and I could feel her hesitation toward me, almost like she was afraid of what I was going to do.”

  Mercedes ran a hand gently across his face and kissed him quickly before pulling back. “So what did you end up talking about?”

  “It’s what I wanted to tell you earlier.” Killian slowly began explaining what had happened with Owen earlier that morning and what had been said in the office with the others.

  “Killian, how…how do you think Maurelle found your mother?” She asked in surprise once he’d finished.

  “Maurelle is more powerful than we think. I truly believe no one can hide from her if she wants to find them.”

  “So what’s the plan?”

  “I told you, Owen is going to the Deshuits.”

  “No, what is our plan?” she said with emphasis. “You said yourself half of them don’t believe the Deshuits will help us and that it was tense. It seems like people are divided on the best course of action on how to handle the Trinity. We aren’t children that need to wait around for the grown-ups to make up their minds. Killian, you are an Infinium, the only power in the Hemisphere that scares Maurelle. I have influence in two realms and we’re both relic guardians. I’d say we’re qualified to fight the Trinity.”

  Killian smiled and pulled her face toward his. “You have this…amazing ability of making me feel like I can do anything.”

  “It’s not ability. It’s what I believe. I’ve always believed you are stronger than you think. Now come on, let�
��s find the others and tell them what’s happened. I should probably tell my dad and Gwyniera.”

  “Miller said he would talk with them.”

  “This is the difference between us.” She smiled mischievously. “I push myself into these conversations instead of waiting for an invitation. I plan to talk with Egan and Gwyniera myself. If Miller wants to join, too, I’m all for it, but I will be there and you should be, too.”

  Mercedes jumped off the bed, wrapped a white sweater over her black tank top, and stepped out into the hallway.

  “You coming?” she called back.

  “Whatever you say, Princess,” Killian mocked, granting him a hard punch on his shoulder before they stepped into an empty elevator car.

  Dax had seemed to disappear. They checked his room and the training center but he was nowhere to be found. They both stepped off the elevator car at the dining hall after Killian realized he hadn’t eaten in hours.

  “I’m worried about him,” Mercedes admitted as they walked toward the enormous dining hall filled with amazing, unique smells of every realm.

  “He’s just grieving. We need to let him be angry right now. It fuels him to keep going.”

  Mercedes nodded. “I know. I miss Sophia every minute of the day. I just don’t want to lose Dax too.”

  Killian wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “We won’t. He’ll make it through.”

  “Please let me pass,” a small voice came from around the corner.

  “You don’t belong here with your filthy magic. Why don’t you leave and go join your monster of a queen.”

  Killian and Mercedes stepped around the corner and saw a young Cimmerian girl trying to step into the dining hall, but two Beastians blocked her. One was from Ignisia and the other a Terrenian. They stopped, surprised by the strange confrontation. Mercedes tensed next to him and an uncomfortable rush of anger and hatred spewing from the two beasties filled his chest, causing him to cough as the burning rushed through him.

  “Please let me pass,” the girl squeaked again. She tried to duck her head and walk around the two boys. The Terrenian grabbed her arm and the Ignisian quickly yanked the protective glasses covering her silver, light-sensitive eyes from her face and smashed them under his foot.

  Without thinking, Killian moved in, followed closely by Mercedes.

  “Enough!” he shouted, catching the attention of the two beasties. The Ignisian shrunk against the wall when he met Mercedes’ furious gaze.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” she shrieked at her fellow beastians.

  The Terrenian glared at them, but the Ignisian bowed his head in her presence.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” the Terrenian spat. “She shouldn’t be here. They’re all dangerous. I thought you two were first hand witnesses to what they’re capable of.”

  “They?” Killian bellowed. “Or the Trinity? Cimmerian didn’t attack us and you would do well to get out of here now.”

  “It would seem, unlike you, I want to protect Ponderi members. They all should be sent back to their dark realm. It’s like Hell—no light, no goodness.” The Terrenian glared at the crying Cimmerian girl who sat against the wall, covering her eyes.

  “What is your name?” Mercedes had turned on the Ignisian. “Answer me!”

  “Titus,” he gulped.

  “Titus, you believe this, hurting an innocent person, is what Ignisian honor means?”

  “They killed so many of us, Your Highness,” he said weakly.

  Fire burned through Killian’s veins and he watched as Titus and his Terrenian companion fell to the floor screaming in pain as they held their heads. Something had overtaken them, something fierce and painful. His veins filled with power and the uncomfortable burn grew hotter with each passing moment.

  “Killian, what’s going on?” Lucan asked, jogging toward them with Speron trailing behind him. His voice snapped Killian out of the powerful surge of anger he had allowed himself to succumb to. Titus gasped on the floor, glancing at Killian with fear. Mercedes pursed her lips and placed a reassuring hand on Killian’s shoulder, silently reminding him to stay calm.

  Killian took a deep breath and moved back to speak with Lucan. Speron stepped next to Mercedes. “Titus, Brandon, what’s going on?” he asked them.

  “Just keeping filth out of the dining hall,” Brandon said nodding toward the girl, who allowed a fresh wave of tears to spill out at the insult.

  Speron glared at the girl, too, and nodded. “Mercedes, they are just feeling defensive.” Mercedes gaped at Speron, but he ignored her expression. “Killian, I thought you learned your lesson in Glaciem on controlling your curse. You don’t need to interfere with everything.”

  Killian fumed, but Lucan grabbed his elbow.

  “I can’t believe you’re defending them,” Mercedes cried angrily at Speron. “Look at her. She did nothing and they attacked a fellow Ponderi member.”

  “As I said, Highness...I mean, Mercedes, it isn’t unusual for people to feel defensive after what Maurelle did here. We can’t be too careful when it comes to their magic now that we’ve seen what it can do,” he said softly near her ear.

  “I can’t do magic!” the girl cried out through her sobs. “I was born here, and my parents haven’t taught me how to summon my power!”

  “Yeah, and that’s what your queen used to say, that Cimmerians never used their magic without permission from the Ponderi, and look what happened,” Brandon shouted with disdain.

  Mercedes shoved passed Speron and tried to reach the distraught girl, but someone else had already helped her off the ground.

  Dax knelt next to her and picked up a book she’d dropped when she’d sat on the floor. Slowly, he returned it to her and pulled out a new pair of protective glasses, gently placing them over the girl’s eyes. She wiped the stray tears off her cheeks and smiled at him before running away into the dining hall without a glance at her assailants.

  Dax turned and glared furiously at the group, the flames billowing behind his eyes. “Cimmerians are not responsible for the Trinity’s actions. I believe the leaders have made that quite clear. We should not place any blame on the realm of Cimmerian. The Trinity members come from every realm.”

  “Yeah, yeah, you probably want to be one of them. I mean, your girlfriend was one of the filthy ones right?” Brandon said.

  Killian’s heart sunk at the words, unsure how Dax would react. Before he could wonder long, Dax rushed at Brandon and wrapped one thick palm around his neck. Slowly, Dax forced Brandon to the ground and held a small dagger in the space between Brandon’s shoulder and head.

  Killian had never seen the expression on Dax’s face before. It was dark…dangerous.

  “Dax, stop,” Mercedes cried.

  Lucan rushed toward Dax and tried to pry his arm off Brandon, whose face was reddening under the force of his grip. Dax flung his dagger arm and pushed Lucan to the ground.

  “Let him go, Dax!” Titus yelled. “Stop! This isn’t the Ignisian way.”

  “And torturing an innocent girl is?” Dax seethed at Titus.

  Lucan and Mercedes both moved in again trying to pry Dax’s muscular form off Brandon. But nothing could tear him away.

  “Killian, you can stop this,” Speron said, briskly glaring at him.

  “I can’t force him off.”

  “Yes, you can, Killian, and you know it. You must not let your own feelings interfere with what is right, or you will never win this fight.”

  Killian whipped around at Dalia’s voice. Her expression was serious and he sensed a wave of disappointment spew across the floor toward him at his lack of action. He knew she was intentionally causing him to feel the discomfort of her emotions. Axel stood behind her, watching Dax hit Brandon across his pallid face with the hilt of the dagger.

  “You don’t speak about Sophia,” he spat through clenched teeth. Killian watched his grip tighten around Brandon’s neck.

  I can help end it. Unless you wa
nt him to die? Axel’s voice filled his head and Killian met his curious gaze.

  Slowly, he shook his head. “I’ll do it.”

  “Dax, stop! Dax…” Mercedes’ cries as she pulled his shoulders disappeared. Killian stepped out into the middle of the growing crowd. Closing his eyes, he tried to push the venom he felt toward Brandon down and focused on saving his life. The warmth filled the soles of his feet and inched upward toward his chest. He was using the power for a purpose he knew was right, but didn’t want to. The difference in the sensation of the power was astonishing. Anger seared his blood, burning every inch of him. This was different; the warmth felt calm, even pleasant.

  He knew he could stop Dax, but he wanted to give him one last chance to choose for himself. “Dax, leave him. You’ll kill him. That’s not what Soph would want.”

  Dax released a sob and tightened his grip. “I can’t Kill, I can’t let go. You’ll have to stop me.”

  Killian saw Mercedes wipe away fresh tears. His heart broke for Dax. Ignoring the curious ogling from the crowd, he raised both hands out to his sides and urged the power to protect Brandon from Dax. Almost instantly, a loud crack filled the hall and Dax slid off Brandon. Killian watched him crumple to the floor, covering his face with one hand.

  Brandon gasped and, rolling onto his side, he clasped his neck, taking in deep breaths.

  “Took you long enough,” Speron said as he passed.

  Killian met Dalia’s eye. She nodded briskly. Ignoring everyone else he rushed over to Dax.

  “Dax−ˮ

  “I wanted to kill him. I couldn’t let him go…how could he say…how could he mention her?” Dax’s face was red and the flames in his steaming eyes billowed furiously. “Thank you for stopping me. I…knew I couldn’t…let go alone.”

  Killian sat on the floor next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Anytime, buddy. I admit I almost didn’t stop you, either. He shouldn’t have said what he said.”

  The elevator doors dinged and Killian saw Shannon rush toward Brandon, who was still coughing on the floor, surrounded by sympathetic onlookers. Shannon and two medical assistants helped him into a wheelchair and rushed him to the elevator again to take him down to the clinic.