Tagan's Child

by ammyford1

  *****

  I came to with a jolt. One minute I had been fast asleep on the floor wrapped in Ahran’s warm arms and the next minute I was lying there cold and alone, squinting in the darkened room wondering where he had gone.

  “Ahran?” I sat up my eyes searching for him.

  I struggled to make sense of the situation. At what point had I got into bed with him? And why was he aiming a gun at the door? He turned towards me and put a forefinger to his lips, silently warning me to keep quiet.

  A tap came from the other side. In the blink of an eye he pulled the door open and pointed the gun at the head of the person standing in the doorway. I squeezed my eyes tight shut expecting to hear the dull thud of the stun gun.

  “Elaya!” he exclaimed.

  My eyes sprang open.

  “Hello brother, do you always greet your guests looking like that?” Elaya’s husky voice drifted through the open door. All I could see was Ahran’s semi-naked body silhouetted by the light coming from the hall.

  “I, er…come in,” he said grabbing his jeans. Elaya came into the room and shut the door behind her. Once he was more decent he hugged his sister.

  My relief at seeing Elaya and not one of Bazeera’s trained killers turned to acute embarrassment when I realized what it must have looked like to her. I was also scantily dressed, sitting on the floor in a makeshift bed. I pulled the blanket up to my chin self-consciously. “It’s not what it looks like,” I blurted out in my embarrassment.

  Elaya arched an eyebrow and looked at her brother. Why did I have to go and say something like that? I not only looked guilty, I sounded guilty. If I had kept my mouth shut we could have got away with it looking like I had slept on the floor and Ahran had slept in the bed. “Excuse me a minute,” I said, fumbling for my clothes before dashing into the bathroom.

  I couldn’t remember getting into bed with Ahran. I had obviously gone to him in my sleep when my conscience couldn’t argue. And now Elaya had all but walked in on us. It was just too embarrassing for words. I quickly got dressed and wondered how she had found us. I hesitated before re-joining them, it was no good hiding out in the bathroom. I took a deep breath and went back into the bedroom.

  Ahran had opened the curtains and was sat on the bed with his long legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He was fully dressed now in jeans and a t-shirt. Elaya looked incredible even after her ordeal at Toby’s school. She wore a skin tight black roll neck sweater and a pair of tight fitting black jeans that clung to her angular yet womanly figure, she reminded me of a spiky haired Catwoman. Ahran and his family really were spectacular looking.

  She came towards me and gave me a brief hug. “Ahran tells me you’ve had a difficult time.”

  “Yes, it’s not been easy,” I replied.

  “I’m just pleased you are both okay.” She turned back to Ahran. “I knew you were still on the move because of the tracking device in your phone but for some reason I couldn’t get through to you.” She seemed to be ignoring the fact that she had just found me and her brother in bed together. I silently thanked her for not saying anything.

  “Shouldn’t you still be at home recovering?” I asked.

  “What and miss all the fun?”

  Now that I was over my initial awkwardness I was pleased to see her, it was good to see a friendly face. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about what happened to you.” I felt the need to apologise, she had already suffered enough for me and Toby.

  “I’ve faced worse.”

  She emanated a vitality that didn’t make me doubt her resilience.

  “Has there been any further intelligence on the kidnapper’s movements?” she asked, directing her question to Ahran. She had switched from caring sister to professional agent in the blink of an eye.

  “We found out last night that Bazeera’s men may have taken Toby to some island.”

  Elaya nodded absorbing this information. “Do you know where that might be?” she asked.

  Ahran shook his head. “No but I think Galius Vanhallen might?”

  Elaya sat down on the chair in the corner of the room and I sat on the bed a few feet away from Ahran.

  “Have you spoken to him?” she asked.

  “I’ve left a message, but he doesn’t live far from here,” Ahran replied.

  “Galius lives in Morana?” she asked, her voice full of surprise.

  “Yes, he married a Moranian girl.”

  Elaya’s eyebrows shot up. “Galius is married!”

  Ahran smiled. “Married, has a child, runs his own horse stud.”

  Elaya laughed. “The mighty Galius tamed by a woman, I never thought I’d see the day,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

  It was a breath of normalcy to watch the easy exchange between Ahran and his sister.

  “How did you get here so quickly?” I asked. “It has taken us forever to get to this place.”

  “I flew and then got the train,” she replied.

  “You weren’t followed?” I asked thinking back to our scrapes with Bazeera’s men and woman on our way here.

  “No, it’s easier to blend in on your own.” I struggled to believe that Elaya blended in anywhere but at the same time she had confirmed my fears that Ahran would have been much better off without me.

  “Is there any chance of getting some breakfast? I am starving,” Elaya said, looking at her watch. “I’ve been travelling all night.”

  “Yes, let’s get some breakfast here before we set off, they start serving at six thirty, it must be nearly that now,” Ahran said.

  “Its six forty and breakfast is served,” Elaya said, standing up.

  Ahran put his boots on and I stole a look at him as I bent down to put mine on. He caught my eye and winked. It was an insanely intimate gesture and my heart lurched hopefully.

  We walked along the corridor and down into the reception area. Ahran slipped his arm around me possessively which didn’t go unnoticed by Elaya. My self-preservation button had failed and it was all I could do to stop myself from melting into him. I hadn’t a clue where we stood but I was relieved to feel the warmth of his arm against my back. I was done fighting my feelings for him, even if they were about to lead me into a lifetime of misery. All I could do now was take what I could get and deal with the fallout when this was all over.

  We entered the restaurant and were ushered to our table by a young girl who bore a striking resemblance to the boy on reception last night. A couple of the other tables were occupied and there were hushed conversations as people ate their breakfast.

  We sat down and the girl brought us some coffee before taking our breakfast order. I was desperate for a proper cup of tea but settled for the coffee, I didn’t fancy the spicy, sickly offering I’d had at the palace. Ahran’s phone rang and he looked at the caller display.

  “I am just going to take this outside,” he said, answering the call.

  He spoke in Ramian as he walked away from us. I wondered why he felt the need to take it outside and then felt a stab of jealousy at the prospect of it being Talina. I watched him leave the restaurant.

  “I see that you and my brother have become …close,” Elaya said, not wasting any time.

  I knew I wasn’t going to be able to avoid this conversation for much longer and it was pointless lying to her.

  “Um, sort of.” I found it difficult to meet her eyes. I wasn’t sure how to answer her because I wasn’t sure of the answer myself.

  “I can see that he cares for you by the way he looks at you.”

  Her words were dangerously reassuring.

  “I care about him too,” I admitted.

  She looked at me suspiciously, the way a protective sister would. She hesitated before she said what she was about to say. “I’ve never thought Talina was a good match.”

  This was music to my ears.

  “But I’m going to warn you for my brother’s sake,” she said, all signs of female solidarity vanishing.

 
Chapter 19

  “As much as I believe Talina and my brother are wrong for one another it would bring great dishonour to our family if Ahran was to break his engagement,” Elaya warned. “He is a first born male with great status in our society and my parents would have thought long and hard about making the right match for him.”

  “But he doesn’t love her,” I said, sounding like a sulky child.

  Elaya gave a humourless laugh. “Unfortunately for him, due to his sex and birth order, marriage for love doesn’t come into it.”

  I could feel tears beginning to sting my eyes. Elaya had confirmed what I already feared, Ahran and I were so doomed.

  “It is firmly believed in our culture that once the right match has been made, a strong, loving relationship will develop in time. It could happen between Talina and Ahran,” Elaya said.

  I baulked at the thought of Ahran and Talina being in love.

  “What would happen if Ahran broke his engagement?” I didn’t let on that he had already pretty much done this.

  “He would lose his inheritance, his title and bring shame on our family.”

  Ahran had been economical with the truth. If he chose to be with me he would lose everything.

  Elaya put her hand over mine and gave it a squeeze. “I am sorry to upset you. I like you Sophie, and I wish that our society worked differently, but I love my brother and I want you to understand that the cost to him would be great if he chose to have a future with you.”

  I didn’t blame Elaya for telling me this. I understood what it was like to feel fiercely protective of your sibling. I would have done the same for my sister. Suddenly, something occurred to me. “Surely Tagan was betrothed to a woman, has he not brought shame on his family for having an illegitimate child?”

  Elaya slowly shook her head. “It’s amazing what is forgiven when your beloved son and heir dies,” she said with a wry smile. “I’m afraid that if Toby had been a girl there would be little interest in the child and Halsan’s throne would pass to Ahran.”

  Jeez, if it wasn’t for Toby, Ahran would become king one day. Ahran had never shown any bitterness towards Toby, in fact quite the opposite, he was putting his life on the line to find him.

  “But Toby is not a full-blooded Ramian so can’t the throne be passed to Ahran anyway?” I was clutching at straws. I thought I had found a flaw in Halsan’s plan that would provide me with the loophole I needed to get Toby and me out of this muddle and allow us to get on with our normal, earthly lives no matter what the collateral damage to my own heart was.

  “Toby is still Tagan’s son and a male heir to continue the Halsan bloodline,” Elaya explained.

  “I thought your people were so advanced but the more I find out about your society the more archaic it sounds,” I said angrily. “I wish I’d never heard of Ramia.”

  “I understand your anger,” Elaya said sympathetically. “Your world has been turned upside down, but Halsan is a powerful and determined man and now that he has a direct heir, he won’t give up.”

  I looked across at her, my tears spilling onto my cheeks at the hopelessness of it all.

  “My advice to you is to accept the situation with your nephew and walk away from Ahran.” Her words made my chest feel tight. “If it is any consolation I understand what it’s like to love a man I shouldn’t love,” she divulged.

  I hadn’t said I was in love with Ahran. Was it that obvious? “What am I going to do?” I said, feeling a renewed sense of desolation.

  “I’m sorry. I just want you to know what is at stake.”

  “Would Ahran lose his farm if he chose to be with me?” Maybe if he was able to keep his farm I might still have a chance.

  “If my father has helped him financially, then yes.”

  Ahran was making his way back to our table and Elaya and I brought our conversation to a halt.

  “I am sorry to have taken so long. I’ve spoken to the King and given him an update.” His voice trailed off.

  “What’s wrong?” Ahran looked from me to Elaya.

  “Nothing, we were just talking girl talk,” I said, quickly rearranging my expression. As if I didn’t already know that Ahran and I were doomed, Elaya’s bombshell had thrown cold water over any burning embers of hope. It hadn’t even occurred to me that Ahran’s father might have a stake in his farm. After everything I had heard about him I was beginning to detest the man. I also felt angry at Ahran for not being totally honest with me. I couldn’t stand by and allow him to make the sacrifices he would have to make if he wanted to be with me. I should have stuck to my original plan to bury my feelings, find Toby, and get the hell out of here.

  Ahran sat down. “Is there any news?” I asked, changing the subject and quietly congratulating myself for walling up my feelings so quickly.

  “No, nothing about Toby but I’ve spoken to Galius and he’s happy for us to visit.”

  I smiled the most genuine smile I could muster. At least we were a step closer to finding Toby.

  Ahran took hold of my hand. Little did I know that whilst I had been sitting there I had gathered a handful of the tablecloth in my fist.

  “Are you sure you are okay?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.

  “I’m fine, just feeling a bit anxious.” I wasn’t going to tell him about the conversation with Elaya. It was better that I made a clean break.

  Our breakfasts arrived and both Elaya and Ahran devoured theirs. I struggled to eat mine. It was as much as I could do to swallow a couple of mouthfuls. I sipped the strong coffee which just made me feel sicker than I already felt. I barely heard the conversation Ahran and Elaya had.

  When we finished Ahran paid the bill.

  “You’ve hardly eaten anything Sophie.” Ahran pointed to the breakfast I had barely touched.

  “I’m not hungry,” I said, brushing it off.

  He failed to look convinced and pulled me close to him as we left the restaurant.

  Ahran and Elaya took it in turns to drive. They conversed in Ramian and English but I wasn’t really listening. From time to time, I rubbed my temples in an attempt to soothe my pounding headache. Where was this island? When I tried to imagine where they might be holding Toby all I could come up with was an Indiana Jones-style fortress surrounded by a crocodile infested swamp. I closed my eyes hoping that the journey might pass more quickly if I was asleep. But as soon as I closed my eyes my mind flooded with images of Ahran and Toby being shot at. Getting onto the island was one thing, but getting out alive was another. Waves of nausea started to wash over me. I tried to take some deep breaths in the hope that it would subside but the waves were getting stronger and I was struggling to breathe.

  “Elaya could you please pull over?” I asked shakily.

  Ahran turned around. “Sophie, are you alright?

  “Can you please just stop the car?”

  As soon as the car came to a halt, I scrambled out and brought up my coffee and what I had eaten of my breakfast onto the side of the road.

  Ahran stood by my side and stroked my hair.

  I wretched and coughed until my stomach was empty. Finally, I was able to take a couple of steadying breaths.

  “I’m sorry, I think I’m just a bit car sick,” I croaked.

  Elaya handed me a bottle of water and I took a few sips. Ahran stooped down to pick me up, worry etched into his face, but I put my hand on his chest to stop him.

  “No, it’s fine. I’m okay, really.”

  I no longer felt sick but my head was throbbing.

  “You hardly ate anything at breakfast, you need some food inside you,” Ahran said disapprovingly. “We’ll stop somewhere and get you something to eat.”

  The thought of food made my stomach churn but I had to pull myself together, Ahran would know something was wrong and I had to make him believe that I was okay. I didn’t want him to worry about me as well as finding Toby.

  We drove for another twenty minutes before we came across a village. Ahran went into one of the shop
s and came out with some warm pastries. I managed to force half of one down under his watchful eye. He drove the remaining leg and I eventually got some sleep. We arrived at Galius’s by early evening.

  The approach to the house was down a long gravel drive flanked by white fenced paddocks. We pulled up outside an impressive farmhouse with shutters at the windows. I assumed it was Galius waiting at the front door for us and he took the wide front steps, two at a time. The man was huge. Not only was he tall but he was broad and muscular. His black hair was shoulder length and wavy. His forehead, cheeks and chin were well-defined, and he had a long noble nose. He reminded me of a Roman gladiator but instead of leather combat gear, he wore a faded pair of jeans, a wide leather belt and a blue checked shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows showing forearms that would have made a champion body builder weep.

  Ahran got out of the car and he and Galius embraced, giving each other a firm clap on the back. Elaya and I joined the two men on the drive. Ahran was almost as tall as Galius but he wasn’t quite the man mountain that Galius was; Ahran was much more athletic in comparison.

  “You know my sister of course,” Ahran said, switching to English as he introduced Elaya.

  “As beautiful as ever, Elaya,” Galius said, complimenting her and kissing her hand with an exaggerated flourish just like an other world d’Artagnan.

  “Galius, good to see you,” she replied, batting his compliment to the side. Her face had lit up. She was obviously pleased to see him.

  “Not got a ring on that finger I see, what’s wrong with the men in Dinara? I’d marry you tomorrow if Salara hadn’t already made an honest man out of me.”

  “That’s the problem, I’ve not met anyone that measures up to you yet Galius,” Elaya said playfully.

  Galius threw his head back and laughed loudly. “When you’ve met the best, forget the rest,” he said with an arrogant arch of his eyebrow, the humour evident on his face.