by Jaime Marks
Cymeryn smirked, “He cannot be nominated for Commander of the Fronts.”
“Oh?” Kato requested in confusion. “You find fault in him?”
“Not at all. The boy about kicked both Trevyn and Crytos’ asses and held his own against me as an unawakened. I find him quite impressive,” Cymeryn chuckled at Kato’s shocked look. It amused him that they really thought him so arrogant that he was incapable of granting praise where it was due. He merely found few so deserving. “Which is why I have already recruited him. He will complete a short stint in the Securine Academy. If he continues to surpass all expectations will assume the role of Head of the Light Branch of the Securine.”
Kato nodded in approval. “I think that he is a wise choice.”
“Yes, Marcus and I debated it at length, but we agree he would be well suited and we needed somefae who could serve predominantly in the Realm of Light.”
“Can we assume you have decided on the appointment for the Night Branch as well?” Mythos prompted tensely.
Cymeryn knew he already knew where this was heading. Mythos was more annoyed that he had not first discussed it with him, but this decision had been nonnegotiable unless Demytria or Kato had issue. It righted too many wrongs, set well needed precedents, and no other was as well suited.
Cymeryn measured the King as he spoke. “Indeed. Demytria a Grifyion, will you come forth.” He noticed Grifyn and Mythos tense slightly but they remained silent.
Demytria curtsied and waited.
“Rise, Demytria. I, Cymeryn a Cymarcion, King of the Night Throne of Balance and Praefect of the Securine, present the appointment of the Lady Demytria a Grifyion, daughter of Lucerna, as Head of the Night Branch of the Securine for consideration.” Grifyn drew a ragged breath but was shocked silent. Mythos rose a brow obviously annoyed but remained quiet for the moment. Devyn merely nodded seemingly in approval.
Kato rose. “I, Kato a Kacyion, Fae of the Forest, High Councilman and the bonded mate of the Lady Demytria a Grifyion, second this appointment.”
Grifyn spun around in shock but still remained silent.
Marcus rose. “I, Marcus a Cymarcion, King of the Light Throne of Balance and Praetor to the Guardians of Light, also support this appointment.”
Devyn nodded and rose. “I, Devyn a Devyion, newly appointed Head of the Securine Academy, also support this appointment. There has never been a finer female to wield a blade, nor a more cunning adversary. I far more prefer her as mine ally.”
Demytria bit back a smirk but Cymeryn could tell Devyn’s words meant much to her, not just as a female but as a member of this family. Cymeryn watched as Reyana, Staryana, Byryn, Felycia, and Trina rose.
Kyle seemed to consider it and met Demytria in the eyes with a nod of nothing short of respect before rising to his feet. “Demytria’s prowess in battle is legendary. I doubt anyone aside from you, yourself, is better suited for the appointment, Dad.”
Astryn shrugged as she stood. “It’s about time.”
“Behave mea,” Kyle cautioned pulling her close.
Cymeryn almost laughed at the term of endearment and ownership, wondering if the girl understood its meaning. He certainly was not going to enlighten her.
Steph measured her mate and then stood. “I see no reason why Demytria wouldn’t be suited for this appointment. My Grandfather already argued years ago that being a female didn’t limit a warrior’s prowess or ability and shouldn’t prohibit them from holding rank. I also approve the appointment.”
Mythos sat stock still as he considered it before he rose. “I am sorry, Grifyn. I know you have reservations about this, but Demytria is every bit as formidable an opponent in battle as you are. She is more than adept at predicting and anticipating the actions of the Shade; more than any Fae aside from Cymeryn himself. It would be remiss of me to dismiss her potential merely because she is female.” He ran a hand roughly through his hair. “We train our females to fight; allow them to serve as Guardians. As our mates they must be prepared to protect themselves as our own appointments put them in direct danger. Denying them high ranking positions in hopes that it will provide them with an additional layer of protection is not only ignorant, it is naive. There are many things we need to address in coming weeks. This is one we may address now.”
Grifyn sighed. “Are you certain, Demytria?”
“Absolutely. I can handle this, Grifyn,” Demytria replied confidently.
He nodded and rose reluctantly. “I will go on record to say I do not like that you are placing yourself in direct danger, but if your mate approves this and it’s what you want I have no real grounds to stand in your way. I have fought you myself, I know your strength. It’s not if you can handle this that bothers me, I already know you’re more than able. I just hate the idea of anything happening to you, but Mythos is right. So, I, Grifyn a Grifyion, son of Lucerna, Second in Line to the Praetor of the Guardians and Head of the Grifyion Line reluctantly approve this appointment.”
Cymeryn turned with a smile. “Kneel, Demytria.” He drew his sword resting the flat of his blade on her head letting his essence flow through her. It merged easily with her own. She was Redeemed but she was still his. “Arise, Demytria a Grifyion, daughter of Lucerna, bonded mate of High Councilman Kato a Kacyion, Fae of the Forest; now Head of the Night Branch of the Securine.”
He sheathed his sword stepping behind the podium to grab a case. He studied it a moment before presenting it to her. “The Securine must embody stealth, cunning, intelligence, and bravery. I present you with the Dagger of the Securine as a symbol of all we stand for. May the stealth and shroud of Night and the honor and glory of Light guard you in your duty to protect the Fae.”
She took the case and rested in on the table behind her popping it open. She drew a long curved dagger checking the balance and weight.
“You forged this yourself,” she smirked knowingly. It was something he only did for his own. If they were to fight he had always wanted to ensure their weaponry and skills were unsurpassed. “It’s perfect.” She bowed. “Thank you, my lord. I shall endeavor to always exceed your expectations and bring honor to my post.”
“Of that I have no doubt.” Cymeryn nodded trying to curb the pride he felt for her.
She had been his favored for forty years and he still held a measure of attachment to her. He may have released her from any obligation to him but he admired every achievement she reached and the strength she possessed as if she were still his. He was not concerned over what Reyana would think, she knew where his heart lay. He just knew it made Kato uncomfortable and chose to keep things on a more professional level.
He returned his attention to business “When will you have the report on the recruits I requested?”
“By this eve. Would you like to review it, or should I send it directly to Devyn?”
He shrugged. “Forward me a copy. I trust your judgment but need to be kept appraised of who has accepted so I am not needlessly wasting my time when I speak to potentials.”
Mythos crossed his arms. “Presumptuous as always I see, Cymeryn.”
He shrugged. “She has been acting Head since the last raid, though she did not know it herself right away. I needed you and Grifyn to see she could indeed handle the position.”
“Forever the clever strategist,” Grifyn smirked. “I knew you were up to something.”
Cymeryn cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I believe I have monopolized this meeting enough. Marcus, mine twin, you had other matters to add?”
He took Marcus’ seat aside of Reyana as his brother went to stand at the podium. Reyana leaned against him and he lifted her into his lap wrapping his arms around her. He desperately needed time with her. If he did not know Marcus would kill him for it he would mist her to the grove directly and get lost in her until the morn.
“You’re right, I would kill you but only because then I would be stuck here instead of enjoying her with you,” Marcus’ voice drifted through his mind with a chuckle. “Soon b
rother. I need her every bit as much as you, but we need to be here now to ensure everything goes smoothly. Besides, don’t you have to meet with Alyric shortly after this?”
Cymeryn shot him an irritated look. He was really not looking forward to dealing with Astryn’s pretentious Father. “At least I will have Kato and Mythos with me this time. I am telling you, that Fae tries my patience.”
Marcus smirked and nodded before addressing the room. “The Colony of the Tainted has been completed and the Securine Academy is nearly finished. Construction on the Hall of Scholars will begin this week. The Healers have a petition to open an Academy in the realm as well. Steph, are you and Byryn still testing those contraptions you created later?”
She giggled. “Yeah, it will be after the meeting of the Council Elect at some point.”
“Good, I would like to be present so I can attempt to at least understand what it is you are talking about. It is my understanding that you suggested a new academy?”
Cymeryn turned in curiosity. He had not heard this yet. How had he missed it if Marcus knew?
“Because I was only told just prior to this meeting and you had your mind elsewhere.” His twin justified but there was something hidden in his words. Something for Cymeryn to pay closer attention to.
“Right.” Steph nodded. “I thought it might be important to create an Earth Sciences and Technologies Academy. Inter-realm communications are important, but so is having the means of researching what is occurring on Earth. The Scholars generally handle the overall histories and current events of the Earth, but they can’t really manage the technologies. Everything is hand written or done on a print press that hasn’t been used on Earth since just about the 1800s. A computer network would not only improve efficiency, but communication and research when necessary. If we had Fae who specialized in this then they could continue to develop the technology and teach others to use it.”
“It’s a sound idea,” Byryn offered. Cymeryn studied him and Staryana a moment. Something was off with them as well but he could not pin point it. Their essence was balanced Night, Light, and Gray. They had no trace of Darkness. It was something about their personal interactions, but then they were both still healing.
Kyle glanced nervously around the room before speaking almost reluctantly and he noticed Byryn’s smirk. He was forcing the boy to address something. Good, he needed to better acclimate to his position and he would not do so if Byryn and the others consistently handled matters for him.
“It would also give you a means to track prisoners since you’ve begun to hold them. Redemptions and attempted Redemptions, Unawakened lines should all be tracked, too. Many of the Lines of the Shade are scattered. Some of them need each other but don’t even know they exist. I saw Freya a Darvyion and Darvyn a Darvyion are both here but when I asked them about each other they had no idea what had happened to the other.”
Cymeryn studied him. “Do they know now?”
He nodded. “I reunited them with Byryn’s approval.”
Byryn sighed. “Freya came in from the last raid but I haven’t really had time to manage everything thoroughly. Having a database would’ve rectified the problem because we can set it up to notify us when Fae with the same lines are entered. With there being so many, if Kyle hadn’t noticed them I might not have realized it for a couple weeks when I got around to interviewing Freya. I don’t have time to personally meet with every awakened that comes in immediately anymore. There are just too many of them. Generally I scan the lists I’m given for problems but things get missed. We’re going to go through this week and see if there are any other siblings we need to reunite.”
Cymeryn nodded. “Good. It will help them to better acclimate in most cases.”
“If…” Felycia spoke but hesitated. “If you need help with the females, I’d like to help.”
Byryn’s brow rose. “Of course. It would actually be a big help with Demytria taking the Head Securine position.”
Cymeryn considered the unawakened. “Also enlist Wycelion and Trycen. We need to provide those kids support and opportunity so we do not lose more to the Darkness that plagues them. Do we know how old Perylia is?”
Byryn ran a hand through his hair. “Umm, I think she’s eighteen. I’m not sure. I’ll have to check.”
Cymeryn nodded and sat back listening to the discussions around him. Things were still tense but they were calmer than they had been recently. There had been a lot of close calls and near misses lately. They needed some peace in order to heal and regroup.
Soon it would be time to address Lazurys’ request to meet. Before that happened Cymeryn needed time to consider all that had occurred. There was something he was missing. Something nagging the back of his mind that should be obvious but for whatever reason he could not see it. He needed time to reason it out.
Chapter 19
Kyle took Astryn by the hand and headed for the door. He was hoping to get her back to his room before they ran into her Father or Talerys. Neither interaction would go well. He didn’t want to put Astryn through it if it wasn’t necessary.
“Hold you two,” Kato’s voice stopped them. “A word please.”
He turned to find Kato, Mythos, and Cymeryn standing together regarding them.
“Kyle, as much as I would like for you to avoid this, as Astryn’s mate you should be present at this meeting. Your presence allows you to invoke First Rights and proves our claims that you have indeed returned. Otherwise they can attempt to argue that you are still imprisoned. Also Astryn must be present if she wishes to deny their claims and requests,” Cymeryn explained. “It is clear Alyric will petition for her return and Talerys’ presence in the realm can only mean they wish to attempt to formalize a decree.”
She tensed beside him. He nodded in resignation and turned her gently to him but she didn’t look at him. He knew what she was afraid of and he needed to find a way to convince her.
“Hey, mea, look at me,” he gently hooked her chin and guided her face up. “I’m not sure what has you so scared, but it doesn’t matter what they do or say. I’m not gonna abandon you. I don’t care what they accuse you of, or what about your past you think they can hold over you, but I’m the last person to judge. I swear you’re not going anywhere. Whatever you say goes, ok? But if you want the right to decide we have to be there. I’ll be right there with you and we’ll deal with this together, but you’ve gotta trust me to take care of it.”
The hesitation and nervousness in her made him wonder what the hell Talerys had done to her. If he found out that Fae had done anything more than threaten her he’d kill him. Astryn was too sweet and innocent and he wasn’t gonna stand back and let anyone get away with hurting her.
As he let his essence flow through her he kissed her head. “I’ve got you, mea.”
“Fine,” she finally sighed in resignation but that attitude of hers popped up suddenly. “If either of them start with their threats I’m leaving.”
Kyle smirked in amusement despite the questions that again ran through his mind. Instead of pushing her he turned to his Dad and the others. “Does that work?”
Mythos shifted uncomfortably. “I do not believe your Father will step that far out of line with us there, but if he does we will end the meeting,” he conceded.
He held her tightly as they followed the others to Cymeryn’s study. Cymeryn and Kato moved the small sofa behind the large desk and motioned for them to sit.
“This will give you both a buffer. I assume that I do not need to tell you, Kyle, it is imperative for you to exhibit the qualities of your status. If you come across as an idiotic brute you will give them a means to contest your courting,” Cymeryn cautioned him.
“Thanks Dad, but I’m aware of how important this is. I’ll bite my tongue and do what I need to do to protect her.” He knew how to play specific roles when they were expected. It was part of what had kept him alive all these years.
Cymeryn nodded in understanding and sat behind his desk. Kato b
rought in two chairs setting one in front of the desk and the other aside of Cymeryn. Mythos took that seat and Kato stood in front of him and Astryn as they waited. It was almost like they were preparing for a trial. Just how bad had things gotten while he was gone?
A few moments later the tall slender Fae with white and gold hair that announced them at the banquet entered and bowed. “Rise, Gastrion,” Cymeryn motioned.
“My lords, may I present Alyric a Alyrion, Head of the Hall of Scholars and Scholar Talerys a Taleryn, suitor of the Lady Astryn a Alyric,” Gastrion stated formally.
Kyle cringed as Astryn tensed but Cymeryn motioned them to ignore Talerys’ presumption.
They watched as her Father and the Fae that had been harassing her at the ball entered. They bowed but not before Talerys stared him down and Alyric visibly tensed at his presence. It was clear they hadn’t expected him to be here.
“Rise Alyric a Alyrion, Head of Scholars; Scholar Talerys a Taleryn, but note that your status as suitor of the Lady Astryn has not been recognized,” Cymeryn stated plainly.
Alyric bristled slightly but Talerys stepped forward. “My lords, it has only just come to my attention that the Lady Astryn had been made ward of the Lucerna Lines. I have come to reestablish my rights to court the Lady Astryn and to request the formal rights to the Lady’s awakening. I had attempted to request her Bonded Rights last eve but was only then notified of her status.”
Astryn jumped up. “What gives you the right to…”
“Mea,” Kyle warned sternly, intentionally cutting her off as he locked eyes with her. “You need to remain calm, my lady. Please, sit. Let’s settle this properly.”
He allowed his essence to soothe her and saw her visibly ease. If she flew off the handle it would give her Father more leeway. He wouldn’t allow that to happen.
She turned to him and curtsied. “I apologize, my Prince.”
