Several other games were piled in the corner, each contained within a whale bladder satchel with symbols marked on the front to identify it. I didn’t have any misconceptions that we’d been provided with an assortment of children’s games just to entertain us. They were obviously intended to teach us the building blocks of the Water Fae language. That didn’t make their innovative teaching methods any less effective. I was eager to learn.
When we finally emerged from our cell—my visit having been anything but quick—we were greeted by our Hive Queen with a tight hug and a brief but still enrapturing kiss. Your Hive awaits you, my precious hatchlings. It’s time you receive your Fae names so you can cast off the last remnants of your Syreni lives.
The multi-tiered, amphitheater-shaped cave Willoe led us to was larger than any football stadium I’d ever seen. Even with several thousand Water Fae packed into it—their glowing red eyes all locked on us—the enormous cavern wasn’t even a quarter full. We treaded water on stage in a straight line behind our queen as she riled up the Hive with a stirring speech that had them all singing out in victory. The harmonistic melody of their cheers echoing off the stone walls was so beautiful it was almost painful to listen to, the layered sound cutting straight through me as if it was the voice of a powerful goddess no mere mortal should hear. I couldn’t understand a word the Fae queen spoke until she said the name of our quadrant, our section, our floor and our row, all of which were met by rousing cheers from the corresponding Fae in the audience.
When Willoe finally got the crowd settled down she motioned Naome forward. As she introduced her to the hive in the Fae language she simultaneously translated for the three of us. My fellow Hive Mates, this beautiful young hatchling is already a gifted healer and will serve our Hive as a Hive Nurse. Like her sisters, she carries the first of many Fae children inside her womb, a daughter that will be born with soulcras. The boisterous crowd erupted again. In honor of my grandmother, who served this Hive as a healer for over four hundred years long before I was born, I shall pass on her name to our next Hive Nurse, Echna Ieruel!
Willoe raised Echna’s glistening black arm high above her head and held it there in triumph, letting her soak up the cries and cheers from her Hive Mates for several minutes before she motioned for Serienne to come forward. This sweet young hatchling is still but a child, and yet she already carries the strength of ten Fae within her corded arms! She squeezed Serienne’s biceps—which my sister was all too happy to flex—with one of her clawed hands to emphasize her point. In her role as a Hive Worker, her strength and youthful vigor will make her an invaluable member of our mining crew. Just like my father, who built the very hall we are welcoming her in along with our bath chamber and most of the section she now calls home. It is my great honor to pass along his name to one of the three saviors of our race. I give you, Ampach Caaterine!
As she’d done with Echna, Willoe raised my sister Ampach’s arm far above her head, holding it there while the Water Fae swarmed around the amphitheater in celebration both of the addition to our Hive and the touching tribute to her father. When she motioned for me to join her I quickly swam forward, eager to hear who from her family I’d be named after. The answering outburst of triumphant cries was deafening. I see this brave warrior hatchling needs no introduction. The former Syreni queen, this legendary female was transformed directly by the gods. Chosen to serve on Mt. Olympus as a Priestess and as Goddess Athena’s consort, she was also the first Syreni female to ever be trained in battle, a female who, while still human, managed to slay a griffin with only a small dagger.
She will serve as General of the Hive Guard, and will take over full responsibility for our defenses as well as training the Guards who serve under her. The last time we had a General of the Hive Guard was over eight hundred years ago. By all accounts, my great uncle was a fierce warrior and an even better General. His elite Guards laid waste to the Syreni who used to call our Hive their home and drove their forces all the way back to San Gria. Some may consider it sacrilege to pass on our Hive Founder’s name to another. To those amongst us who may feel that way, I’d argue that here before you is a warrior worthy of such an honor. A female who will use her soulcras to create the first generation Water Fae we need to make our Hive strong again. I give you our next General of the Hive Guard, Xander Tann!
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Traitor’s Bounty
* * *
My bare fist tightened around the hilt of my broadsword until my knuckles blanched white as I watched Bulrigaard shove another tiger fish roll into his mouth, tuck the empty whale bladder satchel beneath the black chest plate of his armor and wipe the crumbs from his unkempt tangerine colored beard. After three long days of covertly trailing behind the treasonous bastard who’d handed my compar and her sisters over to the Fae while he made half-assed attempts to abruptly change course every now and then to ensure he wasn’t being followed, I was itching to draw the long blade free from its scabbard and unleash my wrath. Since he enjoyed stuffing his fat-ass so much, perhaps I’d start by feeding him his balls as appetizers before forcing him to feast on the cock he’d planned to bury inside my mate.
We shouldn’t be this close, Taleoek warned, his hand taking hold of the layered golden armor covering my shoulder as his black tail kicked in front of me, providing the necessary thrust to move us both backward.
I’d been so lost in my torture fantasy the sudden contact startled me even though I’d heard him approaching. I let him draw me behind the crest of the underwater mountain ridge we’d been using as cover for the last six hours while I tried to get my head back in the game. Putting myself in a position where I could’ve been spotted was monumentally stupid. If Bulrigaard discovered he was being followed he’d never lead us to the Fae queen. Not even after being tortured.
When we’d discovered the makeshift tunnel they’d constructed and confronted Lanipas, he’d squealed like a gut-speared griffin—at least after he’d been castrated, had his tongue and eyes removed and been skinned alive—telling us every detail of the plot the two of them had cooked up together, but he’d been kept in the dark about the location of the secret meeting and knew nothing about the Hive they’d been taken to. If we didn’t find them now, Cami and her sisters would become Water Fae just as Bulrigaard had planned. Not that he’d be around long enough to inherit the Syreni throne or be mated to my daughter.
According to Lanipas we were already too late. The fact that they’d been led far away from Halon’s Gate—which an entire legion of our troops had confirmed through weeks of endless searching—meant the Fae queen had successfully bound them, making them loyal to her and her kind down to their very souls. They were Fae now and wouldn’t wish to be rescued even if I did manage to find them. I refused to believe my warrior mate—who was by far the bravest person I’d ever known and had never failed to rise to the occasion regardless of how terrible the odds were that she’d faced—would turn her back on the gods she served, abandon everything she’d fought so hard for and allow herself to become that bitch’s puppet regardless of how powerful the Fae queen’s magic might be.
If only I could still sense Cami’s emotions inside me, if I hadn’t witnessed firsthand her human soul being enchanted. Before the fallout from the ball none of us had known such a thing was possible. The stories of Syreni females luring human sailors to their demise out on the high seas dated back to a time long before the segregation—when the portals connecting our worlds were destroyed—and had become fables we passed on to our children centuries ago. Not that my ignorance was any excuse. I’d failed to protect Cami just like I’d failed Pulchra. If she really was permanently loyal to the Fae now as Lanipas claimed, I owed it to my compar and her sisters to free their spirits before they were converted into Water Fae so their souls could find peace in Caelum rather than being imprisoned for all eternity in the underworld. I prayed to all seven of the deities we worshipped that it wouldn’t come to that, and that if it did, knowing I’d immediately
follow them to our celestial resting place would give me the strength I’d need to cut down my soul mate.
Commander Sennika motioned that Bulrigaard was once again on the move. Cami’s Royal Guard made up a quarter of the elite squad I’d assembled for this mission. While they’d certainly proven themselves to be quite capable in battle—they wouldn’t have been offered positions in her Royal Guard if they hadn’t—they’d been selected more for their unwavering loyalty than their skill. If the need arose, I could count on any of them to sacrifice themselves for her without a moment’s hesitation. Taleoek had helped me select the remaining ten soldiers from our most experienced troops stationed all across Halon’s Gate. Sixteen soldiers wouldn’t be near enough to wage a full scale battle if the Water Fae queen brought along an entire army with her, but we’d have plenty of firepower to deal with Bulrigaard and a small to medium-sized Fae security contingent. Any larger of a force would present too great of a risk of being discovered.
Taleoek fell back to his position at the rear of our diamond formation as we advanced along the backside of the jagged stone ridge, the high peak marking one of the larger foothills of the Ceraspian mountain range, with me on point, Kilas in the center and Vanimure and Fryliwan guarding our right and left flanks. I set our pace, ensuring the group trailed well behind Sennika, who was acting as our scout, and far beneath the crest of the ridge to keep from startling schools of fish that could alert Bulrigaard to our presence. With as far south as we’d traveled since leaving San Gria three days ago, we had to have crossed over into the South Central Region by now even with the endless double backs and changes in direction. No wonder he hadn’t informed Lanipas of the location. He was setting him up to take the fall if things didn’t go as planned.
Either Bulrigaard finally concluded he wasn’t being followed or, more likely, he’d fallen behind schedule with his meandering path and frequent breaks to gorge on the stockpile of prepared food he’d brought with him. Gods know given how lazy he was, the fish swimming near him had nothing to fear, even if the bag he’d polished off earlier was the last of his supplies as it appeared. We swam in the same southwesterly direction for several miles at a pace I didn’t think the fat bastard could manage for more than a few feet before Sennika abruptly came to a halt and raised his fisted right arm in the air. After ordering the rest of the soldiers to hold their positions Taleoek and I edged forward, swimming up alongside Sennika on the crest of the ridge to have a look.
Bulrigaard was speaking to the Water Fae queen in a small sandy alcove nestled between a purple and blue coral reef and a sheer rock cliff face at least a hundred feet high. A blood red sleigh harnessed to several manatees sat next to them, the back loaded with three metal cages. Each locked cell contained a hooded female figure with shimmering black skin stretching from their necks to their tail flukes. One of them was wearing leather and plate mail armor the same shade as her skin. Crimson symbols I couldn’t decipher had been painted on her chest plate and gauntlets as well as the circular shield resting on top of her. A sword and two daggers were strapped to her waist. I’d never seen a creature look more lethal.
They can’t be Water Fae already, Sennika muttered in shock as we all tried to take in the unimaginable scene before us.
They clearly weren’t Water Fae, but if Cami was armed she hadn’t been brought here involuntarily even if she was in a cage with her head covered by a hood. Evidently the queen wanted to keep the location of the meeting hidden from them. You can see they don’t have wings. The queen must have dyed their skin black to make them feel more like they were Fae. What concerns me far more is that Camithia is armed to the teeth. We’ll have to assume she’s going to be hostile. You’ve both seen her train; I don’t have to tell you what kind of a danger she poses with a sword. We’re going to have to find a way to subdue her without causing her permanent injury or harming Vanessa. Hopefully Johnna and Damille will be able to figure out how to free her and her sisters from whatever compulsion they’re under.
Taleoek’s resigned frown conveyed what he was too honor-bound to express aloud. Sending my men into battle with such restrictions against a superior opponent would be selfish and irresponsible, a complete dereliction of duty that could lead our entire army to lose faith in my leadership. Inform the men of what we’re up against. Tell them that while our goal remains to rescue our queen and our princesses, they are authorized to use whatever force is necessary to defend themselves, even if it means killing my compar and our child.
After focusing for a moment to pass on the telepathic message to the remaining thirteen soldiers, Taleoek re-knotted his violet hair and secured it in place with a strip of canta vine. It won’t come to that, my brother. Once the three of us take down Bulrigaard and the Fae queen, if Camithia is hostile, she’ll see she has nowhere to go and is hopelessly outnumbered. She’s bound to surrender.
I wasn’t sure my feisty compar knew the meaning of the word but I hoped he was right. When we move in, use the reefs for cover. We should be able to get within a few yards before we’re spotted. Our first priority is to separate Bulrigaard and the Fae queen from Naome, Serienne and Cami. It’s tempting to move in while they’re still caged, hoping we could just leave them in there, but that would leave them defenseless if Bulrigaard or the Fae queen decided to kill them rather than risk losing them to us. She’s bound to let them out sooner or later or she wouldn’t have bothered to have Cami wear armor. Once she does, unless circumstances require us to step in sooner, we’ll bide our time until they separate far enough apart for us to get between them.
Bulrigaard and the Fae queen argued in private for another ten minutes at least before she stormed off to the back of her sleigh and unlocked the cages. Cami, Naome and Serienne swam out under their own power and were led, hand-in-hand, to where Bulrigaard waited. Once the Fae queen removed their hoods, revealing their iridescent black heads, they all curtsied before him.
As you can see, they’re clearly Fae, General. The queen trailed her clawed fingers possessively along Cami’s cheek, broadcasting her thoughts so they all could hear. Otherwise this fearsome creature would be strangling you with your own intestines by now.
Seeing my compar lean into her embrace had me lunging forward and grabbing the hilt of my sword. Taleoek and Sennika both had to restrain me.
They’re my bound servants and permanent members of the Hive. The female healer is named Echna Ieruel and is a Hive Nurse. The youngest of the women is called Ampach Caaterine. She works in our mines as a Hive Worker. And your former queen now goes by the name previously held by our Hive Founder, Xander Tann. Like her namesake, she is the General of the Hive Guard.
And they’re all still pregnant? Bulrigaard asked, his gaze sliding from one woman to the next as if they were cattle he was inspecting rather than Syreni royalty.
The Fae queen swept her broad scarlet wings through the sunlit, sea green water to keep pace as he made his way from Naome to Serienne, her glowing red eyes glaring at him the entire time. Their pregnancies weren’t harmed in any way by their transformations, just as I repeatedly assured you. In a few months you’ll have your future compar and two lovely daughters to take home with you. With the jewels I gave you earlier, that concludes our business here. Do not try to contact me again until I send word that their children have finished breastfeeding and are ready for you to take home.
Without waiting for a reply from Bulrigaard, she slid the black hoods she’d been carrying back over their heads and tied a simple bow knot beneath their chins to secure them in place.
She was preparing to load them back into their cages.
If we timed it right, we could kill Bulrigaard as soon as he left the sandy alcove and take out the queen while she was busy securing the locks. Assuming one of us was capable of commanding the manatees, we could even use the queen’s sleigh to transport them back to Halon’s Gate rather than battling with them the entire way. Commander Sennika, gather the Royal Guard and three of the others and circle to the nor
theast of Bulrigaard’s position. Intercept him as soon as he leaves the alcove. Commander Taleoek, take the rest of our troops and work your way behind that sleigh. Kill the Fae queen the moment Cami and our princesses are safely locked inside their cages. I’ll get as close as I can to the alcove so I can provide intel while both groups are maneuvering into position and intervene if anything goes wrong. Let’s move.
By the time they forwarded the commands to their teams I was already over the ridge and rocketing down toward the coral reef below, being careful to hug the algae-covered rocks as I descended the steep slope to break up my outline, the mix of green shades a perfect blend to camouflage my emerald tail.
What I’d seen had been beyond even my worst case scenario—they’d already fully assimilated into Fae lives with jobs and new names—but I kept telling myself it was all just an illusion. Nothing that had been done to them so far was irreversible. In spite of the assurances she’d provided Bulrigaard, they weren’t any more Fae than I was. Their babies had come through the ordeal unscathed, and the three of them were at least relatively healthy from what I could tell, albeit with shimmering black skin. Even if whatever dye concoction she’d used was permanent I could live with it. Hell, I’d turn my own skin sparkling black in a show of solidarity if it meant I could hold Cami in my arms again and hear her whisper my name as she kissed me.
Kerrigan's Race (The Syreni Book 1) Page 35
