by Rosalie Redd
The marking under his right eye pulsed. He touched the swirl, amazed. His marking for compassion hadn’t pulsed like this in decades. For the sworl to throb now made him nervous. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to put her in this room, the one next to his bedchamber. His inner beast stirred. He liked that idea, very much.
Noeh moved closer and sat on the ornate wooden chair next to the bed. “Is there anything you need?”
Melissa’s eyes were moist with unshed tears. Though her pain was obvious, she held her head high and squared her shoulders. “Thank you, I’ll be fine.”
He rose from the chair, his hands at his sides. Ok, then, tough little thing.
Her vibrant red hair hung in loose curls down to her waist. His heartbeat picked up. He ached to touch that long mane of silk, to wrap the fine strands in his fist. Her lips, so full and luscious, begged to be kissed. He wondered if they tasted as good as they looked.
Where did that come from? He shuffled back a step and dragged in a quick breath. His attraction to her was not something he could deal with. He needed to get out of there, fast.
“I have things to do. If you need anything, touch any of the sunstones lining the walls and think of Bet. She will attend to you.”
“You want me to stay here, in the room?” She stood, and her brows drew up to a point.
“Although I’ve warned the males not to bother you, I can’t guarantee they won’t. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a fertile female among our kind. It’s best if you don’t wander around on your own.”
Melissa placed her hands on her hips, her face turning red. “So, you are confining me to my quarters. Why don’t you just lock me up in a dungeon?”
What he wanted to do was pull her into his arms, kiss her, and ravage her mouth until she realized he was the most dangerous male here. Instead, he spoke through gritted teeth. “Stay put. It’s for your own good.”
He took one last look at the feisty little female and walked out of the room, slamming the door in his wake.
Chapter Eleven
Noeh paced the infirmary. He picked up a bottle of elixir and tossed the container from palm to palm. The pale green liquid sloshed over the lip, the cool solution coating the back of his hand. “Craya!”
A cloth hit him on the shoulder. The slick vial became a balancing act as he placed it back on the counter. Somehow, he managed not to spill anymore and wiped his hands on the soft cloth.
“I’ll have to remake that now, you know.” Gaetan’s pale blue eyes sparkled with mischief, defying his age of over nine hundred years. He wasn’t old, but he wasn’t young, either.
Noeh peered at him and raised an eyebrow. “Gee, glad I could give you something productive to do.” His head pounded, the pain ratcheting up to a new degree of misery. He closed his eyes, massaging his temple with his fingers.
Gaetan’s favorite stool groaned as he settled onto the worn wood. His hands rested on his cane. He seemed patient, his gaze tracing every move Noeh made.
Noeh blew out a heated breath.
“Craya! The Keep is turning into a shelter for refugees. I didn’t believe the old tales about other Lemurians and now—” He waved a hand in the air. “You should get someone to help you remake the elixir.”
“Why are you so angry? It’s not like we don’t have the room. We could use the help around here.” Gaetan shifted on the stool, favoring his disfigured leg, the one that was injured when he was a child and wouldn’t heal.
The twinge that crossed Gaetan’s face was like a splash of cold water on Noeh’s temper. He hated to see his mentor in pain and held his tongue until Gaetan once again settled. His friend wouldn’t appreciate any form of assistance.
“You really should get someone in here on a more permanent basis. You could use the help.” Noeh leaned against the medicine cabinet, the coolness from the stone seeping through his trousers.
“And you’re avoiding the topic.”
Noeh crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I thought we were discussing the elixir.”
“C’mon, Noeh, I’ve known you all your life. It’s not the other Lemurians coming here that concerns you, is it?” Gaetan’s tight mouth and penetrating stare told Noeh he didn’t believe a word of it. “It’s taking a queen.”
Gaetan placed his hand on his cane, leaning his weight into his staff as he stood.
Noeh’s stomach clenched as if Gaetan had punched him. He drew in a slow breath. “Ah, my old friend, sometimes I think you know me too well.” He twirled the ring on his finger, the familiar movement providing a modicum of peace. “I’d rather be tortured daily than saddled with a queen. Oh wait, having a queen will be daily torture.” He laughed, unable to contain his unease any longer. “And by the next new moon, really? Nothing like getting down to it, fast and furious.”
“You know the new moon is sacred.” Gaetan pursed his lips and shook his head. “After the darkness of a new moon, the first light of the young moon signifies a new beginning.”
“Yes, a beginning I wonder if I should have agreed to.” Noeh exhaled a soft breath. “You know, maybe becoming a warrior isn’t such a bad thing.”
“You wouldn’t.” Gaetan’s voice was low and airy.
“The idea crossed my mind.” Noeh gripped the edge of the cabinet and pushed off to a standing position.
Gaetan trembled, the shiver visible as it rolled over his shoulders. “You are the last of the royal blood. I hate to think what would happen if you weren’t king.”
“Don’t stress over it. I will follow the scriptures, much as I despise them.” Noeh lifted his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. “Given my limited options for a queen, I’m sure one bonding band around my neck will be my due. Hoping for the strength of two or three would be fruitless.”
“Are you considering Mauree for your queen?” Gaetan reached out and placed his hand on Noeh’s shoulder, concern etched in the lines around his eyes.
“I am, though the prospect makes my stomach turn.” Noeh tasted bile in his mouth.
Their on-again, off-again relationship had been mostly off, and she’d tried to get him to bond to her on several occasions. One time, she’d almost succeeded. She was confident, beautiful, and assertive. All great qualities for a queen, but he didn’t love her. She also had a mean streak, and that, he couldn’t tolerate.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have many other viable options. The scourge had devastated the female population, leaving few behind. None of the others had the mettle, the internal strength, to become queen. He needed someone by his side who could lead and make tough choices when necessary. Mauree was the only one who met the requirement. Love, that wasn’t a prerequisite. He’d do what was necessary to ensure his kind survived. Although he tried to focus on Mauree as his queen, his thoughts kept returning to a redheaded female with spirited green eyes.
*****
Rin sat at the ancient stone platform in the Portal Navigation Center. He scooted the chair up so he could reach his tools. He inhaled, feeling taller, stronger, and bigger than he actually was. As a Jixie, he was lucky to top out at just over three feet tall.
He loved his job. His father and his father’s father had sat in this very seat, polishing and cleaning the sunstones to ensure the gateway worked without a hitch. He glanced at his gnarled joints, crooked from years of arthritis. The weakness was one he’d inherited from his father. It was the one physical ailment that would never heal.
He brought a sunstone close to his eyepiece, examining the reddish-orange crystal for the slightest imperfection or sign of cracks. Any fracture would prevent the power from coalescing and would render the portal useless. Seeing none, he cleaned the stone in the water-soaked cloth and returned the crystal to its rightful place. Heat radiated through his chest. He wanted to share his joy, but he was alone.
He stood from his workbench and stretched. His back popped, and he rubbed the spot through his coarse shirt. A wave of heat rolled across his arms. He loosened the strings on his top, pul
ling the thick material away from his throat. Sighing, he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.
Rin sauntered over to the porte stanen that took up the center of the room. The round stone, almost six feet in diameter and three feet high, had a flat top, carved for use as the master portal.
Embedded in the porte stanen were numerous sunstones. Each crystal lay in the pattern of a large circle filled with water. Concentric rings led to the centerpiece, the keystone. He rubbed the central stone, its large red crystal the most important rock in the Keep. With moist eyes, he admired its smooth texture. The Keep’s water held magical properties that worked in tandem with the energy of the sunstones to ignite the gateway.
He picked up another sunstone, this one’s crack ran through its core. Not good. He placed the sunstone into a bag to be used for cooking in the central kitchen and replaced it with a fresh crystal.
His hands tingled, his body reacting to a call. Who requests entrance?
He touched the keystone and sent a response along the energy string. Who are you?
The same request came back, more intense, more urgent, but without confirmation. He could sense the requestor wasn’t a Gossum. The energy force was similar to a Stiyaha, but not quite the same.
Tell me who you are, for I won’t open a portal until you do.
I am Demir, leader of my Pride.
The loud response reverberated in Rin’s head. He winced from the pain and almost fell off his chair. Craya! Not so loud. I was told you were coming, but I had ‘ta be sure it was you.
Large bells rang in the corridor, announcing to the residents that a gateway was about to open. Rin drew his hands together and brought them to his lips. He blew through his fingers, warming them for the upcoming task. His fingers ached, but he paid that no mind and went straight to work. His life’s passion lay before him in those sunstones.
He calibrated the stones to Demir’s location, arranging each within the pattern of concentric circles. His hands moved over the crystals, faster and faster. The outermost circle emitted a soft glow. As each ring lit up, steam rose from the stones. The heat eased the ache in his arthritic hands, and his body became one with the movement.
A swirling ball of mist rose midway in the room. The orb grew in size as the light intensified. The keystone ignited, turning a fiery orange.
Rin raised his hands. “Portal open!”
The Keep shook with the force of the energy. Pebbles rained down on his head. She wasn’t happy, he could tell from her reaction. He glanced at the ceiling and shook his fist. “Curse you, Keep, for making my life difficult.”
A hole formed in the haze, the smell of pine trees and fresh rain permeating the air. The vapor thinned as the hole grew in size. Pine trees became visible through the opening, along with several unfamiliar faces.
“Come quickly!” Rin said.
First one, then another, and another came through the hole. The fog dampened their clothing and hair. By the time the last one entered the Keep, the group numbered thirty.
Rin moved his hands over the sunstones again, this time slowing down the energy within the rings. The steam dissipated, and with it, the portal closed. He wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his fist. With a nearby cloth, he dried his hands, being ever so careful with his inflamed knuckles.
He evaluated the group he’d just let through the portal. The males were about six feet tall and slim. Well-defined muscles flexed under dark shirts as they moved, fluid and sleek. They looked human except some had yellow eyes like a cat. Several of the males spread out, searching, sniffing, taking stock of their new surroundings. A female wrapped her arms around a male’s waist and nudged her nose underneath his chin, the movement sensuous and personal.
A handful stood apart from the others. This group’s clothing was tattered and worn, with rips and holes in the fabrics. Weighed down with bags, they appeared defeated, their eyes downcast.
A current of tension between the two groups filled the air. Rin ran his fingers over his thin mustache. His mouth went dry. Had he made a mistake letting them in?
Chapter Twelve
Noeh, having heard the bells, met Gaetan, Saar, and Jax at the Portal Navigation Center to greet the new arrivals. The last of the steam disappeared as the gateway closed.
Rin leaned against the porte stanen, wiping his hands on a cloth. Several newcomers stood in the room, all dressed in varying shades of black, brown, and gray. They were all shorter and thinner built than the Stiyaha. A male with a smug grin on his face placed his arm over the shoulder of another, crossed his feet at the ankles, and leaned on his comrade. A small blade glinted from his waistband. Another male had his arm wrapped around a female at his side. She nuzzled under his chin, glanced at Noeh, and giggled.
One male stood out. He wore black pants, a black T-shirt, and black military boots. Slender, with well-defined muscles, his commanding presence indicated he was their leader. Brown hair tied back in a long pony at the base of his neck captured most of his hair, but a few loose strands fell across his face. A diamond stud just above his upper lip glinted in the light. He assessed Noeh with an inquisitive stare.
Noeh approached the newcomer, maintaining eye contact. He stretched out his hands, palms up, in the traditional Stiyaha greeting. “I am King Noeh. The Keep and all its inhabitants welcome you and your kind.”
“I am Demir. This is my Pride. We are all that’s left of several Panthera Prides that lived in the Rocky Mountains.” His husky voice added a sensual lilt to the words, drawing out the R’s, lengthening them.
The group behind him was segregated by clothing style, as well as demeanor. Demir pointed to the group with ragged clothes who toted more than their share of bags. A nervous male, his back bowed with the weight from the pack he carried, flinched at Demir’s movement.
“These are our children, the Dren,” Demir said.
The behavior of the Dren didn’t sit well with Noeh, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. His inner beast stirred.
Demir touched the shoulder of a female warrior standing next to him. “This is Aramie. She and her sister are new to our Pride, but she’s earned her way to become my second in command.”
Aramie wore a dark cape that hid her clothing, except for her black, patent leather high-heeled shoes. She appeared thin and wiry, with short black hair, dark eyes, and a small nose. A tiny, red barrette held her bangs away from her eyes.
“Veromé told us Stiyaha are great warriors. I look forward to seeing it for myself,” she said.
“And you shall.” Noeh took an instant liking to Aramie and her outspoken nature.
Demir scanned the room, taking in every little detail of those around him. His purposeful glare cut from one Stiyaha to another, as if determining which ones were a threat and which ones weren’t. He returned his gaze to Noeh, a smirk crossing his face.
Noeh’s skin prickled. There was something about this male he didn’t trust. Forcing himself to relax, he introduced Demir to Saar, Gaetan, and Jax. “We readied a wing in the Keep to accommodate your kind. Jax will assist you into your new quarters.”
Jax squirmed at Noeh’s side. Unable to contain himself any longer, he jumped in front of Noeh. “I will take you to your quarters. If you need anything, anything at all, I will make sure to get it for you. Indeed, indeed, it would be my pleasure to serve you.”
“You are too kind.” Demir raised an eyebrow.
Waving a hand dismissively, Demir walked over to a group of Dren, his movements slow and predatory. The tallest one was a male with short black hair and a mustache. Long scars on his hands and arms marred his muscular body. He wore a pair of dirty jeans and a gray shirt with a hole in the sleeve. His biceps bulged from the heavy bags he carried.
Demir pushed the male toward Jax. “Slave, take my things to my chamber. Make sure everything is to my liking.”
Adrenaline rushed through Noeh’s body, and his inner beast screamed. “We don’t sanction slavery in the Keep.” His marking fo
r justice pulsed above his right eye.
Demir whipped his head around, narrowing his stare on Noeh. “How can you say that when your slave has offered to cater to our every need?”
Noeh gritted his teeth. “Jax is not a slave. He is my personal attendant, and my friend.”
“Slave, servant, attendant, take your pick.”
Noeh tasted bile. “We have a complex, symbiotic relationship with the Jixies. They provide for our needs. We provide safety and protection. We have lived this way for thousands of years.”
“We have slaves, and they do as they are told or suffer the consequences. From what Veromé said, we are free to live at the Keep as we choose.” Demir’s mouth curled into a half smile.
Noeh wanted to bash Demir’s head against the floor. He fisted his fingers, and his knuckles popped.
“Interesting use of the word ‘free’ don’t you think?” Saar interjected.
“This is not the time or the place to have a discussion on the societal implications of slavery. We should save that for another time, shall we?” Gaetan moved closer, his hand resting on Noeh’s shoulder.
Noeh took a large breath. His friend was right. This wasn’t the time or place to get into an argument. As much as his initial reaction to Demir wasn’t a good one, he needed to give the leader of this Pride the benefit of the doubt.
“Once you are settled, we will have a feast to celebrate your arrival.” Noeh stood tall, establishing his authority.
“As you wish.” Demir bent low in an exaggerated bow, his left arm sweeping out and across his body in tribute.
Although he faced the ground, Noeh noticed the smirk on Demir’s face. Trouble had just entered the Keep.
Chapter Thirteen
A cool breeze blew through the window, pushing the smell of mildew further into the old cabin. Ram cringed. That needed to be fixed. The broken glass, however, was last on the priority list. He tapped his finger on the side of his mouth, and evaluated the six new fledglings standing in the middle of the room. Different in size and shape, the all-male draftees had the same thing in common: a new life of servitude to their God, Zedron.
