The Legends of Regia Box Set: The Complete Series. Books 1-7

by Tenaya Jayne

  “I promise,” X said, placing his hands on the trunk. The force in his palms woke up and began pulling.

  Trapped in stasis, Leramiun awoke. Shi was asleep in his arms. Worry moved through him. Why was he awake? A pull began tugging on his back, instantly sending him into a panic. He wouldn’t leave her. He wouldn’t let go. The pull grew stronger.

  “Shi! Wake up.”

  She opened her eyes slowly. Tiredness hung heavy in her gaze as though she didn’t really see him.

  “Wake up!” he said more forcefully. “Something’s happening! There’s a force pulling me.”

  She blinked, her eyes clearing. Her arms clung tighter around him. “No, Ler! Fight it. Don’t leave me!”

  The next second the pull won, jerking him out of her arms and out of the tree. Ler’s ghost landed on his transparent feet on the ground, screaming in rage and sorrow. “Shi!”

  He pounded his fists against the tree. She was still inside. He could see her, her hands beating on the crystal separating them. “Shi!” he yelled trying to get back in.

  Hands touched his back, and a wave of calm and grounding went through him. He turned to see who touched him.

  “It’s all right,” the young man said. “You haven’t lost her. I’m going to bring her out now.”

  “No! You must put me back! Death will take me if you don’t.”

  He smiled. “No it won’t. Not if I say it won’t. You’re not going anywhere.”

  He placed his hands back on the tree and pulled Shi out next to Ler. Terrified sobs came from her as she landed on the ground next to Ler. Ler picked her up and clung to her, looking intently and suspiciously at the one who had drawn them out.

  “Who are you?” Ler demanded.

  “My name is X…There is a war coming to Regia. War that can only be won with the dead. I need your help.”

  Shi looked at him, temper in her eyes. “You scared me. Pulling us out like that…What are you?”

  “I’m a human, cursed by a witch. A necromancer and a truth-seeker.”

  Shi drifted toward him. X frowned at her, and then gasped as she passed right through him. She drifted back to Ler’s side, a contemplative expression on her face.

  “You speak the truth,” she said. “What do you want from us?”

  “Please tell me about yourselves. Why were you inside that tree? Why are you the only souls in this forest?”

  They talked for a long time. Shi and Ler took turns telling X about themselves. X told them what he knew about the wizards and the plan he was making to combat them.

  “You need the guardians,” Ler said. “Hybrid entities. Every forest in Regia has them, except this one, obviously. Control the guardians, and you’ll have your army.”

  “Thank you.”

  “What happens now?” Shi asked.

  X shrugged. “Nothing for the moment, I guess. I assume you two will remain here? With the Heart?”

  “Is it safe? What if death comes while you are away and takes Ler?”

  X shook his head. “I grounded him. There is no danger of that for now. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but I will be.”

  The air rippled next to X, and Tesla stepped out. Shi’s eyes widened, and she gasped as she looked at Tesla. Then she drifted to her and touched her hair.

  “You’re her! Forest’s daughter. Oh my goodness! I never thought I’d get to see you with my own eyes! Look, Ler. She’s ours.”

  Ler came closer to Tesla. “How is she ours, Shi?”

  “Forest is my adopted daughter, Syrus is your grandson. This is their child. It’s like she’s our granddaughter. Almost. What’s your name?”

  “Tesla.”

  Shi drifted in a circle around her. “Oh, just look at her. Isn’t she gorgeous? And so strong. Such magical abilities. You look like your mother…well, sort of. I see lots of Syrus in you, too.”

  “Who are you?” Tesla asked.

  “Shi…your mother never told you about me?”

  Tesla smiled and bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. “She did! She’s told me all about you, but she said I would never get to meet you, ’cause you were gone, or frozen.”

  Shi reached out again and combed her ghostly fingers through the ends of Tesla’s hair. “Will you bring your mother back to see me? I’ve missed her so.”

  “Of course. She was getting ready for bed when I left the house.”

  “It can wait. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I’ll come back tomorrow. I promise.” Tesla looked at X. “Are you ready to go back now? My parents are getting antsy. They want to know exactly where you are before they go to sleep.” She rolled her eyes. “They’re nervous about the sleeping arrangements. My dad wants a hundred foot wall between us.”

  “I’m ready when you are.”

  She looked at the ghosts again and smiled. “It was wonderful to meet you.”

  She opened a portal and pulled X through. They landed in the living room. Syrus sat reading in the corner, and Forest was putting a pillow and blanket on the couch. Both of them looked up as they came through the portal.

  “Oh, good,” Forest said on a yawn. “I’m exhausted. X, you’ll sleep here, okay?”

  “Okay,” he said easily. “Thank you again for your hospitality.”

  Syrus grunted from the corner, put his book down, and stood. He strode up to X and gave him a menacing glare. “You were brave today, taking that knife in the back. It showed character. I respect that…still doesn’t mean I like you.”

  X nodded. “Understood. And I understand why you’re uncomfortable sharing your roof with me. I give you my word, I’ll stay away from Tesla during the night.”

  Syrus narrowed his eyes at X. “Good,” he said shortly.

  His demeanor changed as he looked at Tesla. He caught her up in a hug and kissed the top of her head. “Did you have a good birthday?”

  “It was wonderful.”

  “I was thinking about going in late to work tomorrow and spending a little time training with you in the morning, if you want.”

  “Yes! Of course! Thank you, Dad.”

  “All right. It’s late. Go to bed.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said obediently.

  Forest shocked X by giving him a little hug. “Help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you’re hungry. Is there anything else you think you need?”

  “No. I’m good. Thank you.”

  Forest and Syrus went to their room and closed the door. Tesla gave X a sleepy smile.

  “Well, I guess this is good night.”

  “I guess so.”

  She placed her hand on his cheek and stretched up to kiss him lightly. He barely responded. When she moved back, a questioning look in her eyes, he smiled and took her hand. “You’re going to get me in trouble with your dad. I gave him my word.”

  She returned his smile with a look caught between amusement and annoyance. “All right. Good night then.”

  He watched her turn and retreat to her room, sighing in relief when the door clicked shut behind her. It was going to be hard enough to sleep so close to her anyway, he couldn’t let her make it worse for him. X took off his gloves, stones, and boots before stretching out on the couch. He closed his eyes, his mind turning over the events of the strangest, and in some ways the best, day of his life.

  Enforcer. That’s what the Heart called him. He’d named himself Executioner. Not even a real name, a thing, a dark profession. Enforcer, he liked that. In this warrior culture, perhaps being the enforcer might grant him a higher level of status.

  Forest chuckled lightly at Syrus, standing with his ear pressed against the door.

  “Just crack the door open and come to bed.”

  He opened the door two inches before crossing the room and climbing into bed next to Forest.

  She tried to snuggle with him, but he was stiff.

  “Relax,” she whispered. “It’s fine. They’re sleeping in different spaces.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s not the sle
eping it’s the creeping.”

  Forest snorted a laugh. “You’re so funny.”

  He gave her a scowl. “I’m serious. Would you have trusted us in this situation?”

  She pursed her lips then shook her head smiling. “No. Not for a second.”

  “See? This is a stupid arrangement. Why didn’t we think to send him to stay at the Onyx Castle?”

  “Let it go,” she said. “You have no control over their relationship.”

  “Is that right?” he said challengingly.

  “Yes, my love, that’s right. If they wanted to mess around, why would they do it here? Under our noses? She can take him anywhere she likes.”

  He let out a sigh that was half growl. “He promised me.”

  “He promised you he would leave her alone during the night, that’s all. What if she decides to seduce him? Would you expect him to say no, regardless of what he promised?”

  “Yes.”

  “If it were us in this situation, and I came on strong to you, would you shove me away?”

  His scowl vanished, and he snorted. “Hell no. As if.”

  He relaxed a bit then and gathered her against him. She fell asleep almost instantly. He lay awake for a long time listening to nothing at all.

  Chapter Twelve

  Shi pulled her lips away from Ler’s. He gave her a split second to breathe, not that she needed to breathe, before he captured her lips again. They were ghosts, but that didn’t mean anything to them. When he touched her, she felt him just as she had when they had been alive. Likewise, she felt like she was alive, solid, and tangible. The agony of their past faded from their minds. They were together. Forgiveness was complete, his and hers.

  Shi clung to him, luminescent tears streamed down her cheeks. She was happy. Happiness frightened her. Hope blossomed in her ghostly heart. Hope choked her with terror. They were together. But for how long? When the war was over, would death finally come back and claim him, leaving her alone for all eternity?

  Were they free, or only caught in a cruel repeat of their tragic romance? Just a few days to love each other, and then torn away?

  “I’m very happy to be awake.”

  “I know. You’ve told me that more than a few times, Ler.” She smiled. “I’m happy, too. It scares me.”

  “So, it’s not just me. I’m terrified. I hope this can be another chance for us. A new beginning.”

  Shi shivered in his arms. “Oh, Ler. Don’t say any more. I can’t stop thinking the same thing, but maybe we should just expect the worst.”

  “What would that be?”

  “A repeat. A few days of bliss followed by the annihilation of our world. It would be just like before, only with even more death this time.”

  He combed his fingers through her long hair and pulled her closer. “I wish I could promise you I won’t let that happen. But I’m too old to say such a thing. Unfortunately, I know better… But I can tell you I have loved you for thousands of years, and no matter what, I will continue to love you. I will love you forever, Shi. That’s the only real promise I can make you.”

  She smiled and buried her face in his neck. “I’ll take that.”

  “We’ll do everything we can to help X… What did you think of him?”

  “He’s different. I don’t think there’s ever been anyone like him in Regia. He has no idea how strong his power is. I hope he can handle it when he learns. The Heart tied him to Tesla. Did you get a sense of her?”

  “No. Not at all,” he admitted. “It was like I was looking at something I couldn’t quite comprehend.”

  Shi nodded. “She’s kind of scary. Sweet and beautiful, but the things she can do... I looked inside her. She’s a lot like her mother. But she has a stronger self-destructive nature than Forest ever had, and hers was bad enough.”

  “Hmm…If that’s the case, she needs to feel loved and secure. Perhaps X will give her that.”

  “Yes. I hope he will. He wants to, but he’s insecure, too,” Shi said.

  The flames of the Heart surged higher. Come to me, both of you. It said. Come inside.

  Shi and Ler obeyed, drifting into the flames.

  I love you…so much…my wayward children. You have paid enough for your crime against me. Now you must heal me. You must restore me.

  The flames around them burned a light grey with only slight tinges of purple and yellow, like a fading bruise. They felt the hope inside the Heart, but it was still tainted with grief. Like a broken heart ready to move on, not having taken the first step, but finally ready.

  Journey awoke in the quiet dark of the predawn. She sat up in bed, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Redge roused next to her and touched her arm.

  “What is it?” he asked sleepily.

  “I don’t know…I…I need to go.” She got out of bed and began to dress.

  “Go where?”

  “To the Heart. I think it needs me.”

  Redge groaned and pulled himself upright, rubbing his eyes. “All right. I’ll go with you.”

  Journey opened her mouth, about to argue, but decided not to. It wouldn’t do any good anyway. He’d come, no matter what she said.

  “Thank you.”

  He shrugged as he pulled his boots on. “You’re my woman,” he said, as though that simple statement was the answer to everything regarding him and her.

  She smiled. “Yes.”

  He grabbed an End of the Bridge and put it in his pocket before grabbing a second and smashing it between his palms.

  They landed close enough to the Heart Journey could see it in the distance. “Stay here,” she told him. “Don’t get any closer.”

  He nodded and yawned before kissing her lightly.

  Journey’s hair continued to stand on end as she approached the manifestation. Her eyes darted around. Something was happening. The crystal tree that was always cloudy was now clear like the others. The blood lock cube still hovered in the center of the flames, but that wasn’t the only thing in the flames. She squinted. Pale, translucent figures clung together in the grey flames.

  Her heart began heating fast. Journey sat down and placed her hands flat on the ground. Light streamed along the ground toward her. It reached up and wrapped around her hands.

  Hello, Alien. It’s been a while since you’ve come to see me.

  “I came because I felt you needed me. What has happened?”

  My children have been released to me.

  “Is there something I can do to help?” Journey asked.

  Sparks snapped around the top of the flames. Can you help me commune with them? Can you form a bridge between me and them so there is no more misunderstanding? We must come to the same place before I absorb them and move them to the next life.

  “I’ll try. I’ve never read the hearts of the dead before.” She closed her eyes and began to hum.

  Her power reached out to Shi and Ler. The rush of feeling that came back to her from them caused Journey’s breath to catch in her lungs. They were so old. The depth of emotion over that long of a period of time was unlike anything she’d ever encountered. She took a steadying breath and began to sing, weaving a story for the Heart and the ghosts.

  Redge stopped pacing as soon as he heard Journey begin to sing. Her voice could never be commonplace even though he could say he was used to it by now. But this song… He’d never heard anything like it from her. He didn’t move. He scarcely breathed, not wanting to miss a single note.

  It was a full bodied experience of loss and passion. Warm shivers rolled all down his spine. Her voice was seduction incarnate, but that was only the beginning. She turned darkness and pain into pure healing. The story wove for a long time, and finally…finally ended with a promise.

  He waited. Journey walked back to him very slowly. He ran to her and caught her just as she stumbled. She coughed once, and was like a dead weight in his arms.

  “What have you done?”

  “Look,” she said feebly, pointing back at the He
art. “So close. There’s still something holding it back.”

  He glanced at the Heart. The tops of the flames were a shimmery pearl white, only the base was grey and purple.

  “I’m exhausted, Redge. Take me home. This is going to take me a while to recover from.”

  “Will you be okay?”

  She gave him a weak smile. “I’ll be fine. I just need to rest.”

  After they left the wood, light streamed over the ground again from the Heart. It raced along the roots under the soil, all the way to the outer boundary. Burning heat flashed through the light, scorching the ground. The light retracted, leaving death behind. The ground dried up, turning brittle and cracked. The light of dawn caressed the tops of the trees of the Wolf’s Wood. What was vibrant and green the day before was now brown.

  “What’s happening?” Shi asked the Heart.

  The time for rebirth is coming. The two of you, as you are now, has to end.

  Before they could protest or question, the Heart pulled them down inside its depths underground where they were turned over, broken, and dissolved.

  Faint voices woke X. Morning light streamed through the windows. He sat up and stretched, looking around. Forest was clattering around the kitchen. He caught her eye, and she smiled.

  “Good morning,” she said brightly. “Would you like some coffee?”

  He stood up, running his hands through his hair, and stalked to the counter. “Thank you.”

  She set a steaming mug in front of him. “Did you sleep all right?”

  He blinked a few times, trying to force his eyes to hold themselves fully open. “Like the dead.”

  “Hungry?”

  “Always,” he chuckled.

  He watched the strange machines in the kitchen Tesla showed him yesterday. Warm bread jumped out of the shiny one on the counter. Forest smeared butter on the bread and set it in front of him. It didn’t matter how young she was, or how young she looked, or the sharp edge to her, Forest was warm and maternal. His heart ached at her kindness.

  “You make me miss my mother,” he admitted sadly.

  She stopped in her tracks and gave him her full attention. “Did you lose her?”