by Rosalie Redd
“How did you know—”
“Alora!” Radnor’s voice silenced her. “Someone created that small opening. Was it you or Veromé?”
Alora’s pulse pounded loud in her ears. She couldn’t speak. To do so would admit her guilt. Silence hung thick in the room.
Radnor’s pinched features softened. “Alora, you know I love you like a daughter, but I must enforce the rules. No one else would have cause to do this except you or Veromé. Was it you?”
She dropped her gaze. What do I do?
“Tell me, Alora, or I will assume Veromé did this and punish him accordingly.”
No! Adrenaline coursed through her veins. She couldn’t let that happen. “I…I opened the hole. I had to. Dem—”
Radnor held up his hand. “So, your meddling saved—what are their names?” He narrowed his eyes. “Ah, yes, Demir and Aramie. You saved your characters and altered the course of the game.”
He rubbed his brow then peered at Zedron. “Please, I forget the details.”
Zedron bowed low. “My pleasure, Councilor.”
Alora tensed, fear slithered into her stomach, squeezing her insides.
Zedron’s lip curled into a grin, and her skin crawled. She’d once found that smile so attractive.
“Your knights killed my best player—Ram. If you hadn’t cheated, your characters would be dead, and I’d still have my kingpin.”
“That is grounds for serious punishment.” Radnor turned in his chair. “Alora, this is your second offense. A third time will result in forfeiture of the game. Do you understand?”
She met Radnor’s stare. Heat flushed over her skin. I won’t lose to my rival. I can’t. With all her senses screaming inside not to, she gave a slight nod.
“Pick one of your character species to allot to Zedron.” Radnor’s voice boomed across the room.
She shook her head. “Wh…what?” When Zedron had challenged her for access to Earth’s water, she’d selected six character species to battle in this war. Since they were scattered across the globe she’d recently met with each group, encouraging them to join forces at the Keep. Some were still on their way to the underground caves in the Pacific Northwest.
He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his desk. “Give one of your species to Zedron. I can’t be any clearer.”
“Radnor, please. I know Zedron has cheated, I just don’t have any proof—”
The councilor’s face reddened, and he glanced at Zedron. “Who would you like to have?”
“Stiyaha.”
“No!” Spittle flew from Alora’s lips.
Zedron laughed. “As an alternative, I would take Ursus.”
“The Ursus were almost to the Keep.” Tears threatened and she blinked them away.
“Decide, Alora. Ursus or Stiyaha.” Radnor’s mouth turned down at the corner. He was done playing games.
A heavy weight settled onto her chest. To hand over one of her character species would give her rival an advantage. Her hand curled into a fist. She hated Zedron all the more. “Fine…Ursus.”
“Ursus are not my first choice, but I will take them, if you also give me Mauree.”
She flinched. “You want that traitor?”
He nodded, a wicked smile plastered on his face.
“Fine, take her. May she betray you as well.” Alora took one last look at her father-in-law, lifted her chin, and headed out the door. Once on the other side, the tears flowed.
CHAPTER 9
Tanen was hot, burning, his fevered skin making him shiver. A slow breath escaped his lips, but as much as he tried, he couldn’t wake up. He lay on a bed, a soft pillow cushioning his head. The scent of linen and lime buried into his senses, stroking him, settling into his pores.
His beast growled, sensing this female, her nearness so close, yet so far. He wanted to grab her, pull her tight, show her how she tempted him. A strangled cry emerged from his throat.
His mind wandered, drifting on a sea of disconnected thoughts and images until one came into focus. He didn’t want to remember, to experience the rejection yet again, but he couldn’t fight the tide.
* * *
Tanen stacked the remaining books onto the table. He peered around the room and shook his head. In a fit of anger toward the gods, young King Noeh had decommissioned the Hall of Scriptures. Tanen’s chest ached. He understood Noeh’s pain, having lost his own parents and his older brother, Remi, during the great scourge. He ran his finger over an ancient text’s gilded spine. To close the library seemed harsh, but Noeh’s decree was firm. Tanen had no choice but to comply.
A shadow passed over the book’s cover. He glanced up. His shoulders relaxed at the sight of Tamara—his love. Her golden hair lay in ringlets over her shoulders, and her plump ruby lips formed into a perfect bow.
“Tamara.” He’d always enjoyed how her name rolled off his tongue.
Her brow furrowed, tension lines forming around her eyes. “Good, we’re alone. We need to talk.”
His breath caught in his throat. “What about?”
She crossed her arms. His qithan bracelet was markedly absent. That wasn’t a good sign. “I… Craya, this is harder to do than I thought.”
“What’s going on?” Even as he asked, he already knew the answer. That she didn’t wear his proffered gift, the promise to bond, was evidence enough. When he’d given her the bracelet, he’d expected her to accept, but she’d delayed, saying she needed time to think. He cracked his knuckles, the sound loud in the room.
She dug into the pocket of her dress and pulled out the silver chain. A knot formed in his gut.
“Here…I can’t do this. I…I can’t bond to you.” She placed the bracelet in his palm and met his gaze.
The room suddenly seemed warm, and he loosened his collar. “Why? I thought—”
“There’s someone else.”
Her words were a dagger in his chest, ripping into his heart. He wanted to scream, fight this male for the right to claim her. Instead, he ground his teeth. “Who?”
“Quoron. He’s a warrior…” She shrugged.
He cracked his knuckles again. Ever since the scourge devastated the population, wiping out more females than males, Tamara’s selection of possible mates had increased dramatically. Warriors were the elite, most respected class in their society. She’d selected a warrior over him. It burned inside, flaring his heartburn. His status as a council member couldn’t compare.
He curled his fist around the bracelet. “Of course.”
“I’m…sorry.” She shook her head, then turned around and walked away.
Females were cold and harsh, of that, he had no doubt. He threw the bracelet onto the table where it skittered and landed against a pile of books. An ache built in his chest, leaving him empty and alone.
* * *
Sweat beaded on Tanen’s brow and a drop trickled along his hairline, pooling at the base of his ear. His breathing increased as the fever burned. Pinpricks of pain pounded in his head, beating a steady rhythm to match his thumping heart.
A soft female voice teased the edge of his consciousness. “…warm…fever…”
Her words were a rope just out of reach, and he couldn’t wake, couldn’t escape the delirium that raged, burning him on the inside.
“Need to…help…”
A small thread of lucidity floated by and he grabbed on for dear life.
So gentle and sweet, the female’s soft voice faded and with it his tether to reality. His beast screamed inside fighting to break free. He wouldn’t, no couldn’t lose himself to the fever.
“Wake up!”
She shook him, and the headboard rattled against the wall.
Her touch reignited the fire between them, and his beast woke.
Tanen opened his eyes.
As his vision focused, soft strands of gold framed the beautiful female’s features. Concern radiated from her hazel eyes. He raised himself to a sitting position, and the skin on his back screamed in protest.
> “Oh, thank goodness, you’re awake. You have a terrible fever. I can take you to—”
“No infirm—”
“Yes, I know. You don’t want to go to the hospital. I could take you to a clinic, get you some medication to help fight this infection.”
He’d forgotten about Gaetan’s medication, the pills the old healer took to relieve his pain. Better yet, though, Tanen had the blue sunstone. The crystal had healed the Panthera leader, Demir. Maybe it would heal him as well. Even as the fever raged, a jolt of hope flitted along his nerves. “My coat…medication.”
Her brow furrowed. “You have medication?”
“Yes, in my coat.” He glanced around the room. Not seeing his jacket, he moved toward the edge of the bed. A wave of nausea hit him and a chill ran over his arms, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
She placed her cool hands on his shoulder, pinning him in place. “I’ll get it for you.”
He tried to focus on his surroundings, but his vision blurred. Along with the scratches on his back, the Gossum’s venom had done a number on his nervous system. The fever—that was an added bonus. Fevers were a rare occurrence for any Stiyaha. Why was he unlucky enough to have one?
Soft footsteps approached and the attentive female returned. She held up his battered coat. “Is it in one of the pockets?”
The shredded remains of his sleeves bore the evidence of his brutal attack. How had he survived?
“Yes…” He reached for the jacket, but before he could grab it from her, she shoved her hand into one of the pockets.
Her eyes widened. She pulled out his weapon.
“What is this? A…a dagger?” Her mouth drew into a thin line.
Before he could respond, blood pounded at his temple, and the dagger blurred, morphing into two.
“Oh, damn. Stay with me.” Her fingers trailed over his forehead. “All right, let’s see what else you have here.”
She returned the dagger and pulled the sunstone from his pocket. Even in the dim light, the gem resonated with an unseen energy, but its usual glow was gone.
In the back of his mind, a niggle of worry formed, perhaps over her discovery of the precious crystal, but he couldn’t focus on the thought. He held out his hand. “Please…”
“This can’t possibly help, but you can hold it while I continue searching.” She handed him the sacred sunstone. He gripped the stone to his chest, but the crystal remained dark. Chills sent a shiver up his spine, and tiny dots of light filtered into his vision. The gem slipped through his fingers and disappeared over the edge of the bed.
“What about this?”
Concentrating on her voice, he focused on the object in her hand. Gaetan’s old medicine bag. “Yes…three please.”
She handed him three small white pills. He popped them into his mouth and swallowed.
“Let me get you some water.” She took the satchel from him, put it in his pocket, and tossed his coat across the back of a nearby chair.
He ran his hand over his face. Blood pounded loud in his ears. Fortunately, the medication wouldn’t take long to work.
“Here. Drink this.” She handed him a glass of water.
As he took the proffered glass, their fingers touched. A small shock tingled his skin.
“Static electricity, sorry.” A chagrined smile broke across her face.
As he swallowed the water, the pin on his lapel glinted in the light, stabbing like a knife into his brain. He raised his free hand to block the glare.
“Oh, wow, your pin. It’s really bright. Here, let’s move that for you.” She reached for his most treasured possession.
“No!” He lurched, catching her wrist in his palm. Water dribbled over the glass’s lip and down his arm.
She inhaled. Her eyes widened.
“I’m…sorry. Can’t lose…my pin.” He released her grip.
With a focused concentration, he aimed the glass toward the end table. The surface blurred, and he almost missed. Water spilled over the edge of the glass, pooling along the cracks of the wood grain. His brain fogged as the medication worked into his system. He leaned forward, easing his leg over the edge of the bed. The urge to leave, to get on with his mission, burned inside. “I…need to go now.”
“You’re in no condition to…” She pressed against his shoulders, pushing him back, and his head landed on the soft pillow.
Even as he fought to stay awake, his heavy eyelids drooped. Before he could protest, sleep dragged him under.
CHAPTER 10
M auree picked up an old, half-rotten magazine and used the crusted paper to fan the heat away from her face. The decrepit cabin, the one the Gossum used as a safe house, was much warmer than the underground Keep. Even within the confines of the old building, the heat from the warm late-winter day made her skin clammy. She shivered. I could use a bath.
The door handle squeaked. She stood from the sole rickety chair and grasped the wooden back so tight her knuckles turned white.
The door swung open. A stream of sunlight grew across the floor, coming dangerously close to Mauree’s leg. She jumped out of the way. “Would you watch it?”
Jakar turned to face her, one hairless eyebrow raised above the edge of his dark glasses. “What?”
“The sunlight!” She slapped her forehead. As one of Alora’s characters, sunlight would kill her in seconds. The Gossum had no such restriction.
Jakar shrugged and shut the door. “Seems to me that’s your problem, not mine.”
She exhaled and tried not to let his irritating comment get under her skin. “Did you find it?”
“The stone? I searched the area. Nothing. Tanen must have it.” He removed his cap and sunglasses and tossed them onto the counter. The dark glasses bounced against the Formica and rested on the edge of the sink.
Mauree huffed. “I’d like to know how Tanen ended up with the sacred blue sunstone, but that’s beside the point. I wish you would’ve finished him when you had the chance.”
He sauntered over to the table where the insides of an old mantle clock lay sprawled out like the remnants of a class dissection project. After pulling out the chair, he had a seat and started tinkering with the parts. “As I recall, humans arrived. Not up for getting in trouble with the boss.”
She flinched. “Why? Are you afraid of him?”
His dark orbs focused on her and an uncanny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Oh, I forget, you haven’t met Zedron, lucky you.”
Despite they were cohorts of a sort, she couldn’t stop her lip from curling. “No I haven’t and I don’t want to, but I still don’t understand. You turn humans all the time. Why were they any different?”
“Because there could’ve been more, and I couldn’t take the chance they’d be missed. That’s why we get our new members from Portland…in the seedy part of town.”
Mauree placed her hands on her hips. “Speaking of seedy, I won’t stay here another day.”
The male turned his attention back to the clock on the table. Tiny bits of metal, nuts, bolts, and assorted other mechanical paraphernalia littered the worn wood. He picked up a screwdriver and focused on his work.
Mauree’s face heated. She clenched her fists. “How dare you ignore me.”
With determined strides, she crossed the small room and swiped her arm across the table’s surface. The old clock crashed to the floor, the wooden case splintering into several pieces. The pendulum, a sprocket, various gears, and wheels scattered across the room. A small nail embedded itself in the wall with a quiet thud.
Jakar pushed his chair back, and the feet scraped against the cracked linoleum floor. He stood, his black eyes burning into her.
“I need new clothes, a decent shower, and a place with heat.” She spit the words at him.
Jakar’s tongue snaked out from his mouth, nearly hitting her on the arm. “Testy, aren’t we?”
“You have no idea.” She sneered and pointed at the wall. “Do you see that? Do you know what it is?”
> Jakar’s gaze followed her line of sight. He shook his head. “I fail to see anything significant.”
Mauree gritted her teeth. “Those dark spots on the wall. That’s mold. Do you know how disgusting that is? Not to mention bad for your health.”
“You’re worried about your health, out here?” He chortled. “Seems to me we’re one step away from annihilation.”
“…and you’re fixing a stupid clock. What’s wrong with you?”
“I need a distraction. Your incessant wailing is giving me a headache.”
She gripped his chin in her palm, then quickly released him. A bitter tang filled her mouth. “Not only are you bald and ugly, but your skin is cold and clammy.”
“Have you looked in a mirror lately?” His low words skated across her nerves, stoking her fury.
“Look. This isn’t an easy alliance for either one of us, but we’re all we—” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Exiled from the Keep and everyone she’d ever known, a great loneliness settled over her shoulders. She bit her lip, holding back her tears. Anger was her best friend now, and she let her hatred for Noeh build inside her once again.
She narrowed her focus. “I’m not giving up. I want revenge against Noeh. Are you going to help me or what?”
He nodded. “We have the same goal, just different reasons.”
She unclenched her fist and ran her hand over what remained of her grimy skirt and top.
“Maybe you should go into Portland and round up some new Gossum. We could use the extra backup around here.”
“At this point, princess, that sounds like a great idea. Anything to get away from your bad mood. What else can I get for you while I’m out?” He gave an exaggerated half bow, but his gaze never left hers.
She evaluated him. Did he play games with her or did he truly bow down to her command? Interesting…
She glanced at the Smirnoff boxes stacked in the corner—alcohol, the Gossum’s only source of energy. “How about some new clothes and some food. I still have to eat even if you don’t, and if you really want to please me, find us a new place, one with a shower.”
