Shaking her head rapidly, she took a quick step back while keeping them within her sights. She didn’t like how these two where smiling at her. “I’m not going anywhere but home.”
“Take my hand,” he repeated his voice more stern at her refusal. “My king desires to speak to you, nothing more. Perhaps we can even help you find your way home,” his voice softened. For a moment, she paused at his softly spoken words. A king? Could this king help her to get back to her home and back to her life? She couldn’t deny that she was tempted to find out.
“Elena! Don’t! They’re not what you think!” Kieran yelled, drawing her attention. Glancing over her shoulder at Kieran, she turned back to glare at the grinning duo.
“Release him,” she ordered, pointing a single finger at the ground to emphasize her point. The leader dropped his hand, narrowing his eyes at Kieran, he shook his head.
“It’s for our protection. His kind cannot be trusted.”
“I don’t care. Release him. Now,” she bit out. Her mistrust in these two was growing by the second. “If you want me to do anything you ask, you will do it,” she stated with a firm tilt of her chin.
Chuckling, the leader slowly shook his head at her. “I wanted to do this the quiet way, but I guess it will have to be the easy way.” Shrugging his shoulders, he turned nodding to the other with a secret meaning.
She gasped in fear as the first one rushed at her in a blur of motion, moving so fast that if she’d blinked she would have missed it. Suddenly both of her arms were twisted behind her back within the painful grip of the first man. She fought to free herself but there was nothing she could do to shake off his hold. Glaring at the other man before her, she met his hard gaze without flinching. She didn’t care what strange place she was in, she would not show fear to this bully.
“You will come with us and meet with King Zyaid as per his decree,” he said with a prideful smirk.
“Go to hell,” she whispered, redoubling her efforts to free herself. She fought against the intense hopelessness that weighed on her. Behind her she could hear Kieran struggling to break free. Unless Kieran was able to free himself from his unnatural bonds, she didn’t see a way out for herself. These two would take her to where ever they wanted and no one could stop them.
* ~ * ~ *
Snarling, Kieran ignored the choking hold of his restraints as he fought harder for freedom. He couldn’t let them take her. If Zyaid got his hands on her… No, he wouldn’t let that happen. He had to get free of their dark magic and save his mate. Nothing else mattered. His eyes jerked above at the sound of beating wings echoed above him just before someone dropped down beside him.
Instantly, he recognized the dark figure of his friend, Dajran. Brandishing his sword, Dajran slashed across the thick roots that encircled his wrists. Breaking free, Kieran slashed at the vine around his neck.
“Trying to have fun without me?” Dajran asked with a dark chuckle. “Here.”
Leaping to his feet he caught a second blade that Dajran tossed him to him. For the moment the attention of the two Kelithians was on Elena, leaving them unaware that he was free of his bonds. He wouldn’t give them the chance to use their dark magic again on him.
“Others are on the way. Li’r wants us to try and keep them alive for questioning,” Dajran whispered as they moved into the shadows and out of sight, slowly drawing closer to their enemy.
“They threatened my sou’tali,” Kieran hissed back with rage.
“Well, I did say try.”
With a hard thrust of his wings, Kieran shot himself through the air and across the distance to his mate. Landing on his feet, he held up his blade toward the taller one that held his mate captive. The two Kelithians turned to face him, one still held Elena with her arms pinned behind her, using her as a shield. Elena wasn’t making it easy on them either. She fought against her captor like a snarling beast, cursing and demanding that he release her.
“Release my mate or die,” he hissed out, his eyes glowed with fury that would only be quelled by the blood of his enemy.
“Amazing that you were able to free yourself, Garmorian,” the leader sneered. “Sadly we can’t stay long. King Zyaid requests the human’s company.”
Taking a threatening step forward, Kieran snarled, “I will see you dead before I let you take my mate.”
Rolling his eyes, the leader withdrew a golden dagger from his hip. The moonlight glittered against the polished metal with the tilt of the blade. “She comes with us or she stops breathing. Your choice.”
As he moved to lift the blade to Elena’s throat, she cried out in surprise as a rush of air flowed against her skin. Crying out in pain, the blade tumbled from the leader’s grasp as he clutched his bleeding hand to his chest. Her eyes widened as she saw a black arrow pierced through his hand. Another rush of air hit the back of her head before her hands were suddenly freed. Spinning around, her eyes watched as her captor slumped to the ground, a black arrow buried deep in his skull.
Eyes blazing red, the remaining Kelithian moved to pick up his fallen blade. If he couldn’t deliver the human as his master ordered, then he would make sure that the Garmorians couldn’t use her either. As his fingers gripped the blade, his actions were immediately brought to a standstill as the sharp edge of a sword was slid against his exposed throat. Flicking his eyes over his shoulder, he met the eyes of another Garmorian warrior.
“Drop it or I will cut it off, then we will see how you can call upon your magic then,” the warrior threatened. Smirking, he did what he was ordered. His vengeful gaze fell on the human’s startled one as her mate drew closer to her. “My king will come for you.”
This wasn’t over.
* ~ * ~ *
Rushing forward, Kieran came up behind his mate. Wrapping his arm around her waist he jerked up against his front. Quickly taking two steps back, he moved her shaking body away from the dead Kelithian as two more of his comrades dropped down from the sky above.
He nodded at both warriors as they stepped into the light. One of the warriors he recognized as Lowen wielded a large black bow, making it known that it was he that shot the Kelithian and protected Elena. Ushering his mate a safe distance away, Kieran braced her against a strong tree as he assessed her pale skin for wounds. His sharp teeth gritted together at the sight of dark bruises that had begun to circle her forearms. Her green eyes, still glazed with shock, watched every move of his hands. Cupping both of his hands over the bruises on her arms, he focused his healing energy on her.
The warm tingling against her skin was just enough to shake off the remaining shock that obscured her mind. Elena’s unfocused eyes jerked to his warm hands that lay against the tender skin of her arms. Her breath caught in her throat briefly at the sight of his hands glowing against her skin.
“How are you doing that?”
His eyes snapped up to her face at her softly spoken words. “All Garmorian’s have the gift of healing energy through their bond with their mates. See?” Lifting his hands from her forearms, Elena could see nothing now but smooth pale skin.
Not knowing what to make of his strange ability, she nodded, “Thank you.” Though it was a strange and slightly unnerving thing to see, it was becoming the least of her worries.
Looking off to her right, she watched as their three rescuers quickly went about their business. Grabbing her wounded attacker, two of them roughly bound his hands behind his back while the other dragged the body of the fallen one into the shadows. As they forced their bound captive to his knees, Elena flinched as he turned to glare at her. Darkness lurked in his red eyes that made her wary. Who was this king that he had spoken of and what had he wanted with her?
Another dark figure suddenly landed abruptly beside Kieran and her, causing her to flinch in surprise. Couldn’t these guys just walk like normal people? Raising her gaze to look upon the man in front of her, she instantly regretted it. Unlike Kieran and the others, this man actually terrified her.
He wore the same
dark leather trousers as the rest of them with his chest bared, but unlike the others he wore strange metal plates over the tops of his hands with thick spikes protruding along the knuckles. His scalp was shaved except for the upper left side that had two inch wide strips of short dark hair, curling around the side of his skull. However the one thing that held her attention was his wings. They were the same as Kieran’s in size and appearance except for one thing — they were solid black, bearing dark scars crisscrossed across the leathery skin.
His wide lips parted in a snarl as he looked down at her. “Who is this?” His voice was like a low, rumbling thunder in the distance, promising approaching disaster to all that got in his way.
Instinctively, she edged away from the towering brute. Relief flooded her chest when Kieran placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and took a half step in front of her.
“This is my sou’tali — Elena.” Though a flash of intrigue colored his dark eyes, his snarling lips didn’t change.
“So the whispers of the warriors were true. You are able to dream seek?” he asked with a skeptical tone.
“I have.”
Nodding, his commander flashed a grim look over at the group of warriors. “Rumors say that others have as well. This is not the best time for the Goddess to bless us with mates. This will only make the Kelithians bolder and more deadly.”
Ignoring his leader’s veiled warning, Kieran asked, “How did you know where we were?”
“The boarder sentries reported that two Kelithians were seen crossing the greenwood and onto our land. We followed them from a distance. It appears they were after something…” The brute turned his gaze back on her with meaning. Glancing over his shoulder at the other warriors, his deep voice ordered, “Get the prisoner back to the stronghold and keep him bound.” Turning back to Kieran before his eyes slid briefly to her, his whispered, “Get your mate back to the stronghold as well. The Gu’an will want to discover why the Kelithians sought her out. And I confess that I would like to discover it as well.”
Chapter Five
Walking down the dark corridor, Kieran held a flaming torch above his shoulder, lighting the way. To his left, Elena walked silently beside him, her face averted from him. He didn’t fight the disappointment that settled over him at how aloof his mate was acting.
Last night after his brothers in arms and commander found them in the glen, he’d flown them back to the safety of the stronghold. Since returning, he couldn’t deny that his mate seemed withdrawn. Not that she had been so welcoming before, but she seemed to retreat deep within herself. Fearing that everything she’d seen had been too much of a shock to her delicate female mind and no knowledge of how to help her, he’d summoned Sera for her help. Upon arriving at his door Sera simply scoffed at his assumption that he’d harmed her in some way. Shaking her head she’d handed him a sleep tonic to give to Elena for the remainder of the night, insisting that after some sleep his mate would be back to her normal disagreeable self.
She was wrong. His mate was worse.
Since the moment she awoke, he’d expected her to demand and plead with him to let her return to her home. Instead she’d decided to ignore his existence completely. Any effort on his part was as meaningless as his words according to her. Feeling his feral nature rising out of frustration he’d been about to lash out at her stubbornness when a sharp knock echoed against the door of his chamber. One of his brother’s in arms had been dispatched to take Elena to the Gu’an. Not willing to let her out of his sight for a moment he offered to escort her personally.
Part of him worried what fruit her audience with the Gu’an would yield. Would she demand to be sent back and would the Gu’an grant her request? His clawed fingers clenched tightly at the mere thought. He refused to allow anyone to take her from him. As soon as Elena granted him the right to begin the Malrai Hin, she would be his and none would seek to take her from him.
Approaching the entrance of the great hall, he slowed his steps. He couldn’t enter with her; it was the law. Only those that the Gu’an had summoned could enter. No one ever entered without invitation unless they wished to invoke the wrath of their leader. Turning toward Elena, he saw that she was taking in her surroundings with curious eyes while casting a guarded glance at the guards in front of them.
“Elena,” he whispered softly from beside her. His heart jumped in his chest as her eyes instantly locked on his. He could drown in the liquid green depths of her eyes and never wish for another thing. Glancing away from her, he motioned ahead of them. “You must go the rest of the way on your own.”
Jerking her gaze forward, she surveyed the dark archway as the two that stood guard were watching her like hawks with stern expressions. The icy hands of fear and uncertainty curled in her stomach.
“Why?” she asked, turning back to Kieran. It had been her intention to give him a cold shoulder and ignore him completely in hopes that he’d send her home, but she was willing to listen to him in this moment.
The torch he held swished with movement of his hand. “I am not permitted to enter; only you were summoned.”
Glancing straight ahead once more, she scowled, “Who is this Glue-man, anyway?”
Chuckling low in his throat, he flashed an amused grin. “It is Gu’an. It’s our term for our leader and rank of the highest honor.”
“So he’s your king,” she stated with understanding.
Tilting his head to the side, he nodded, “Go. It is best not to keep him waiting.” Slowly he took a step behind her. His hopes lifted as she turned to look over her shoulder at him. Maybe she wasn’t as unaffected by him as she claimed. He flashed a reassuring grin. “The warriors have been summoned to a meeting with the Li’r. I will return for you afterwards.” Without another word he turned away.
Watching as he disappeared down the dark corridor behind her, Elena turned back around. The two guards by the doorway stood with their arms crossed over their bare chests as they regarded her with stern expressions. Pushing her shoulders back, she took a calming breath before she began putting one foot in front of the other. Passing under the stone carved archway she fought against the impulse to rush pass the watchful guards.
The room she entered was wide open with a high cathedral ceiling, void of anything other than a simple stone throne that sat upon a raised platform. Above her the moonlight spilled through the high arched windows around the room. Where was this Gu’an? Spinning in a circle she searched for where this all important person was. Seeing no one, she took a step up the raided platform to inspect the thrown seat. Along the arm of the stone seat were deep groves, more than likely from claws bearing down repeatedly. Slowly, her fingers trailed over the sharp grooves in the smooth, cold stone.
“It’s forbidden for anyone but the Gu’an to touch that throne,” a dark voice echoed around the dark room. Jerking her hand away, her head jerked around, seeking for the source of the voice, but she could see nothing.
“Did you ask me here to play hide and seek?” she asked stepping down from the platform with another slow sweep of her eyes. The sound of rustling movement above had her head jerking up to a wide window near the ceiling. Lounging within the windowsill was the dark silhouette of a man that stared down at her, unmoving.
“I see the priestess was correct about your character. You are very disrespectful.”
Shrugging her shoulders, she looked away from the dark figure above her. “Respect is earned. Why should I respect people that kidnapped me from my home?”
Looking back up, she watched as the form above her shifted with slow movements as he rose to his feet. With a quick flash of light a pair of wings spread out behind him before he stepped off the edge of the windowsill without a second thought. His wings slowed his descent until he settled on the floor a short distance from her.
“Point taken.”
Closing the distance that separated them the dark figure stepped into the moonlight. Like the others she’d met, his skin was gray with jet black hair, but u
nlike the others that wore their hair long, this man bore short hair. His square jaw was dusted with dark stubble that led up around his wide lips that pressed into a tight line as he regarded her. If this was the king she’d been warned about offending, he didn’t look like one. She had envisioned someone dressed in silk and fur robes with a glimmering crown. The man before her was dressed like all the others in simple dark trousers while his feet and chest were bare with a strange curved blade strapped at his right hip.
Dream of Me Page 8
