“Sorry to say, my dear, but you will never sit on the throne or wear the crown. I do ask that you join me in the palace, though. I have friends of yours who are eager to see you.”
My spine stiffened. I thought we had gotten everyone out, but Synlair’s smug tone told me he had someone I cared for. I thought of my sister. She didn’t deserve my help, not really, but I couldn’t let her die at this monster’s hands; if that was who he referred to. It was worse not knowing. I tried to force my face into stoicism, but I had never been good at hiding my emotions.
“Perhaps you’d like to know who is so eager to see you?” the Sorcerer asked when I didn’t rise to his bait.
“You have no one of consequence.” I didn’t raise my voice. If I could hear him so clearly, he could hear me.
“Oh really?” The sharp edges of his thin lips turned up in the parody of a smile. His eyes reddened, resembling burning coals. “You might be interested to know that I recently made a trip to Bleshing.”
My spine stiffened, and only the men around me kept me from running to the yard. My mother and my brother…my heart beat more rapidly within my chest.
The Sorcerer glanced at the pile that was the Accleshian soldier. “Pity that was one of the savages and not one of your bondmates.” I felt his gaze settle on each of the men around me. “The Fates may believe you make a useful tool, but you are weak. Love makes you so. I will win in the end. Now that you have fully bonded with your men, I no longer want to wait. I have things to do and countries to conquer, and I can’t be bothered with a little girl. The longer it takes for you to return to the capital the more people I will kill. I’ll start with the women who have disobeyed my decrees, move to the Commoners and the Performers, and then your family.”
He paused for dramatic effect, and I felt fury seep through my bones. I hated him, and I hated that he could goad me so easily. He shrugged, waved good-bye, and his form flickered before it solidified again. “Oh, almost forgot!” he squealed gleefully, and flicked a skeletal hand toward the barn. The wide, heavy doors closed with a resounding bang. Fire immediately licked up the wood, spreading quickly. When I looked back at him, he was gone.
I could already hear the shouts of the many men in the barn and the screaming cries of the horses. I stared in shocked despair as Lyra and Drummond ran toward the barn. When Ian left me to race towards the barn, I finally roused. My eyes met Ahnika’s across the kitchen. She pressed a shaking hand to her chest.
“What can I do against fire?” I screamed the words at her, helplessness coursing through me.
“Magic is energy infused with intention, Cousin,” she said, her voice steady and firm.
I slipped away from my men, pulling on my connection at the same time. Mason reached for me, but I evaded him with Ian’s speed, and he settled for following me into the yard. Lyra and Drummond were attempting to open the doors, but they couldn’t get close enough. A wave of heat poured from the structure, a wall of impassable fire.
I considered Ahnika’s words and settled the intention within me. Pulling energy from my men, I imagined the doors opening. Several seconds, which seemed like hours, passed before they finally slammed open. Men poured out, coughing and hacking, black smoke pouring from their lungs. Some of them had been burnt. Drummond’s mate, a woman I hadn’t formally met, directed them to a portion of the yard where she began dressing wounds. I barely noticed.
There were still animals in the barn, and Alyson and her mates didn’t need their farm destroyed. I squinted at the flames and saw the magic with my eyes open for the first time. They weren’t ordinary flames because the fire had been started by sorcery. I pulled on the connection with my men again, careful not to take too much from any of them. Directing my golden light towards the black miasma roiling off the unnatural flames, I used my magic as a dampener. The golden shimmer sprinkled upon the inky darkness like sand. Where the glow met the dark-tinged flames, they fizzled and died.
Without a constant source, the dark magic was quickly overcome. I watched as the last flames sputtered and the smoke eased enough that the horses could be released. Their eyes were wild, their hooves stamping against the hard-packed earth. I sent calming energy towards them, and they settled, allowing themselves to be led to the north paddock. A stench rose from the direction of the south paddock where the sheep had been without shelter during the rain. I didn’t want to look that way.
The Sorcerer hadn’t used his flames to kill; he had performed a show of power. It was a message. He had no care for anyone in Treleaven. He could set the city on fire with a flick of his hands, and no one would be able to stop him, no one but me.
I sank to my knees in the yard, tears sliding down my cheeks as the adrenaline left me shaking and sobbing. Mason knelt next to me and folded me into his arms. My other matches joined us as well, Clay sinking to his knees even though I tried to stop him. They touched my legs and my arms or laid their heads upon my shoulders while I cried. What could I do against this power? It was just a fraction of what the Sorcerer was capable of. He would stop at nothing until Megreria kneeled before him and the power of every woman was his to harvest; afterward, he would move on to new feeding ground.
Hiccupping, I lifted my head. Reed tenderly swept the tears from my cheeks. I looked at my men, not really noticing what else happened around us. No one bothered us, though I felt Ahnika’s eyes watching me from the porch. I fascinated her. She watched me like a strange animal, which surprised me because women have held power in her country for generations. I ignored her curiosity, putting it aside for the moment.
“That beast might have my family,” I growled. “He will destroy Treleaven and Megreria if we do not return.” I wouldn’t call him a man. He was not a man in my opinion.
Mason’s pale blue eyes met mine. “We are with you, Kiarra.” My eyes scanned the men around me. Each face held resolve; each jaw was strengthened with determination.
“It won’t be safe,” I said needlessly.
“It doesn’t matter, Lass. Your family is our family now, and that city is our home. This Kingdom is ours to protect and fight for. We are with you, every step of the way. I choose to fight with you.” Ian’s chocolate eyes held mine. His words closely resembled those I had given my cousin.
“As do I,” Clay echoed. He didn’t look scared. His emerald eyes glittered with conviction.
“I will fight with you, for you, because of you,” Seb said carefully. He wasn’t laughing now. The fierce aspect of him that appeared when he made love to me blazed in his tawny eyes.
“I choose you, Kiarra,” Reed added solemnly, and I met his bright blue gaze last. “We go where you lead, we lend our energy to your magic, and we grant our love to your cause. The Sorcerer was wrong. Love doesn’t make us weak, it makes us stronger.”
I nodded slowly, and they helped me stand because my feet seemed unsteady. Reed helped Clay. As one, we turned towards the south. We couldn’t see the capital over the hills, but I could feel the Sorcerer’s influence spreading. It hadn’t been him in the yard because my soul hadn’t rebelled at his proximity, but the darkness slowly crept across the hills and along the roads. It wouldn’t be long before the country suffocated under his presence. I nodded again.
“We leave tomorrow,” I squared my shoulders. “Reed, see if Drummond’s mate needs help with the injuries. Seb, map the route for our journey. Clay, speak to Alyson or her mates and try to extract a monetary number for compensation. Ian, speak to Drummond. See if he’s heard anything from the other Soldiers who were sent after the enchanted kidnappers. Mason, come with me. We’re going to speak with Ahnika and Lyra.”
The men immediately followed my orders, and I felt uncomfortable bossing them around. The longer we waited, though, the more powerful the Sorcerer could become. I had my cry and my moment of pity. Now, it was time to fight.
Chapter 19
Seb
Seb acted tough, but he still shook from the image of that man melting to death. They had all been st
anding outside the house. If it hadn’t been for Clay’s, Mason’s, and Kiarra’s warnings, they might have melted with him. He didn’t know how they possessed the foresight, but he would forever be grateful. That was not the way he wanted to die. He couldn’t stop staring at the pile of armor lying on the ground. A soldier attempted to clean it up, but the metal of the weapons was still so hot it burnt the man’s hands. The frightening female commander told him to leave it, her eyes gleaming dangerously. She muttered about a dishonorable death and Seb couldn’t agree more. It had been horrible, honor aside.
Seb didn’t know exactly what he was supposed to be doing. Kiarra had asked him to map a path, but they could return the way they had come. They didn’t need him for that. He had been standing in the middle of the yard for several minutes before Drummond and Ian approached him. Drummond’s face was weary and lined. Whatever happiness he had gained upon his mate’s arrival had disappeared as swiftly as it had come.
Ian clapped him on the shoulder. “Come, Planner, we have maps over here.”
Seb allowed himself to be led into the kitchen. Clay spoke with Alyson and her mates in the other room. Alyson and the two men had been fretting over Anders all morning. They couldn’t connect with him, although the mind-speak worked except in cases of death or unconsciousness. Seb wished he could offer some reassurance to Alyson and her mates. Their family had been so accommodating and had suffered losses since their arrival.
A tug within him pulled him to the map when he thought about Alyson’s missing mate and saw the little blonde haired boy snuffling in her skirts. A detailed map of Megreria rested upon the table, but Seb barely noticed its beauty. His mind immediately focused on a hilly portion of land just south of the Midwood. It wasn’t farmed because the earth was too rocky, but it made excellent pasture land. The beef the citizens of Treleaven ate was produced in that area.
“Here,” Seb said decidedly, placing a finger on the map. His fingers tingled when they touched the parchment.
“There?” Ian eyed Seb like he was crazy. “That’s nowhere near where we need to go.”
“No.” Seb shook his head and took a deep breath. He couldn’t explain how he knew. He was tempted to question his certainty, but he refused to let doubt sway him. “Anders is here. He’s still alive. A group of Soldiers is holding him and several women. They’re covered by a spell which is why Alyson can’t connect to him.”
He hadn’t spoken loudly, but there was a gasp and a rustle of fabric as Alyson rushed into the kitchen. The hope in her eyes almost provoked tears from Seb. He knew what it was like to lose someone he loved. He never wanted anyone to experience what he had. He didn’t want the boys to lose their father. Alyson stared at the location of his finger.
“That’s the Hammond’s homestead. Are you sure? My mate is there?”
Seb nodded. Clay joined them, and he peered over the map as well. “That’s sixty miles away. It would take fourteen hours if someone rode a horse hard to get there.” The Merchant did the computations quickly in his head, and Seb checked it against the terrain he knew existed between here and there. He nodded in agreement.
The kitchen quickly became crowded as Lyra and Ahnika entered with Mason and Kiarra. Drummond told Lyra of Seb’s findings. The warrior woman narrowed her eyes at him. They were an icy blue, much colder and clearer than Mason’s. Seb gulped. He didn’t like dominant women, and the warrior scared and unsettled him. Ahnika was similar. She might look angelic, but Seb wagered she had edges sharper than a pitchfork.
Kiarra bumped up against him, and Seb leaned into her warmth. He could sense her weariness from using her energy to stop the fire and sent her a trickle of his strength. It was as natural as breathing. Her eyes lost the dullness they had acquired. She smiled gratefully, and he put his arm around her waist. Holding her made him even more confident about the man’s whereabouts.
“Do you know how many are at the homestead? How many friendlies and how many enemies?” Lyra asked.
Seb shook his head. “I can locate someone and I have a vague sense of their situation, but I cannot gauge the numbers of those I don’t know.”
Kiarra clutched his arm, and he met her frightened green eyes. “Rowan? Mother?”
Seb refocused on the map. Pain and disappointment speared his soul when he located them. He swallowed hard. “They’re in Treleaven.”
“Fuck,” Kiarra swore, and everyone stared at her, Seb included. She didn’t swear often, and usually not in mixed company. She didn’t even note their surprise. “We have to go.”
“We are already going, Kee,” Seb reminded her softly. “We won’t get to them any faster just because we know they’re there. He won’t hurt them because he needs them.”
As bait. The words hung between them. Kiarra nodded, her teeth clenching. Lyra turned to Ahnika. “We’ll take a party of men to this homestead and free the prisoners.” She looked at Kiarra. “You don’t need to waste time freeing them.”
“But if they are protected by magic, how will you get to them?”
“Men still die, magic or not,” Lyra replied with a feral grin. Seb shuddered. “If the Sorcerer is not in attendance, he’ll have a spell in place. We’ll counter the spell or incapacitate the ones who hold your people captive.”
Alyson’s hand covered her mouth, and her eyes shone brightly with tears. Her bondmates bracketed her on either side. Lyra looked at her, and her face softened momentarily. “We’ll get your man back.” Alyson nodded, too choked with emotion to speak.
“I’ll go with you,” Ahnika stated.
“No, you won’t,” Lyra replied with equal calm. Seb looked back and forth between them. He would wager this was a common argument. “If we fail, they will capture you and take you back to the capital. Thus far, you have escaped the Sorcerer’s notice because of the spell performed on you before you left Acclesh. If you travel farther into Megreria, the spell will not hold. You need to head back to the border, and we will join you after we have freed the prisoners.”
Ahnika’s jaw tightened. “The Sorcerer can do nothing to me,” she began, but Lyra shook her head. Her braids writhed on her shoulders, and the thin chain stretching across the side of her face glinted in the low light.
“The Sorcerer would love to have both future queens, both the heirs of Mellisande. You will do as I say. You will either wait here or return to Acclesh with Drummond.”
Seb thought Ahnika would continue to argue, but she didn’t. Her eyes did spit fire, though. It was eerie how much they resembled Kiarra’s. Unlike Kiarra’s though, Seb didn’t see a specific color when he looked at her cousin’s eyes. He saw shifting colors surrounded by a dark ring of cobalt. He wondered what others saw when they looked into Kiarra’s eyes.
The two Accleshian women stared at each other, the warrior taller by almost two heads. Seb thought he glimpsed a thin golden cloud sparkling between them. It wasn’t connected to either of them, but it reminded him of the cords that formed the bonds between Kiarra and her other mates. His brows rose. Were the women Soul Matches? That would be…interesting.
Kiarra distracted him from the power struggle happening across the table. “What path should we take to get back to the city?”
Seb redirected his attention to the map. “Rowan and your mother are being kept in the palace. I don’t think we should go the way we came. I believe there might be traps set up along the road.” He didn’t know where the guess came from, but it made sense.
“Aye. The Sorcerer’s best bet is to separate you. He’ll try to capture one or more of you to pull you apart,” Drummond said quietly, his deep voice rumbling through the room. Kiarra met Ahnika’s eyes, and something passed between them. Seb wondered what the two women had discussed. He doubted it had been dresses and hairstyles.
Seb placed his finger on the map again, starting at the house where they currently stayed. It wasn’t marked on the map, but he could pinpoint their exact location. His skin tingled as he concentrated on the safest way to the city. His fin
ger traced a path a short distance west of where they had traveled from the capital. There were no roads marked on the map, but Alyson nodded. “There is a secondary path along there that’s not on this map. It’s only used to trade between houses, but it will be safe. Nearly everyone that lives in that area follows the Old Ways.”
“Do you think that area has already been raided by the Sorcerer’s Soldiers?” Clay asked.
Mason answered. “No. I sent the guards that Kiarra disenchanted there first because Anders traveled north. I think they were able to warn everyone before the Soldiers arrived.”
Seb shrugged. “It feels like the safest, fastest route. I can’t offer anymore.”
Ian clapped him on the back. “Good job, Planner.”
Kiarra rose on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “Thanks, Seb. We’ll start preparing.”
Seb nodded, but his eyes remained on the map. He really hoped he was right.
Chapter 20
Kiarra
My entire being was tied up in knots. How would we accomplish everything? My brother, my sister, and my mother required saving, as did the people of Treleaven. We also couldn't leave Anders and the other women behind. Lyra’s offer to aid them meant much to me. I turned to her and Ahnika after Seb had plotted our course.
"Thank you for helping us with Anders and the others," I said as I pulled them away from the rest of the group. Ahnika huffed, but Lyra merely glanced at her before nodding. I saw things I hadn’t before. The two women had known each other for a very long time, and Lyra had feelings for Ahnika that the Princess was utterly oblivious to. These two were Soul Matches; I could see the golden dust between them as effortlessly as I could see the web connecting me to my men. But the bonding process wouldn’t start unless Ahnika admitted an attraction to the beautiful warrior. I had never considered a Soul Match could be ignored. How Ahnika remained oblivious was unbelievable to me. She must only feel friendship for her commander, but bonds were built on attraction. They wouldn’t be matched unless there was the possibility of attraction.
Harmony of Their Souls - A Reverse Harem Fantasy: Soul Tenders Book 3 Page 13
