Balance Of The Worlds (15 page)

She didn’t like the idea of them going. Lothonos must have picked up on the fears running through her. He surprised her when he pulled her into the nursery the babes were sharing with Kennera’s.

“Protect yourself well. I…I…do not share my emotions well, but the thought of something happening to you or
them
it is more than I care to think about.” He stepped over and stared at their sleeping babes snuggled together in their bed.

Nelciana shocked both of them when she wrapped her arms around him. Clung. “I don’t know if
I
can do this. You,
him,
everything that is happening. It has been merely days since my sister was returned to me. Since you and I…since the threat became far realer. I don’t know what it is that I am to do.”

He just held her, and they watched their children together. For the first time, at that moment, they
felt
like a family to her.

Nelciana straightened, as resolve hit her.
They were a family.
Why hadn’t she seen that before? Her family, except for the babes, had been right there with her when they did something as remarkable as pull down the barriers between the worlds.

And she would fight and defend that family, no matter what that meant.

Whether Lothonos or Loren or Phaenna or anyone was at her side. If she had to do it alone, then that was what she was meant to do.

“Go. I have this. I have protected my people for five thousand years. I will not stop today because the threat is so great. I am not a coward, nor am I a fool. Go, do what must be done, and then return to me.”

He kissed her, before turning and walking away.

Why did she feel like something monumental was about to happen to them now?

Nelciana focused on the warriors who looked to her and Lothonos to lead them. Kennera had Dardaptoans ready to defend and fight for her, and the Lupoiux wolves from the Taniss pack were leading the wolves that were ready to defend Eiophon, Kennera, and their babes.

Nelciana’s people were more subtle than the brash and animalistic wolves. What power and strength they wielded could be condensed into two main categories—half her people were stronger in plant magic and half were stronger in elemental magic. And far more than she had ever realized had trained as warriors.

She owed that fact to the Nellana who had relocated to Gaia before the attacks five thousand years ago, and to the handful that had escaped with her and Kennera that fateful day.

Some had left her when she’d came to Levia to form their own families and bands. And they had trained those bands to be warriors.

Because
they
would not be victims again.

She was humbled by their service and dedication. And the fact that rather than resenting her all through the years they looked at her with reverence and respect.

Because to them
she
had become their queen that day. With her mother and father gone, as well as her older sisters—
she
became queen of Evalanedea.

Evalanedea had always been ruled by a member of the Nellana line and a member of the Dardaptos. Eaudne had married
in
to her position. With the death of her mate, the mantle of leadership would have passed to her children. To the eldest born, wouldn’t it?

The eldest surviving born.

That would be either Dekimos or Estacles then. If Estacles lived, that was. She did not remember which twin was the elder, but it would be one of them who ruled.

With her.

Because it was what she was meant to do.

And Nella after her.

But was there a kingdom left for them to rule? Had he destroyed everything that had been there?

Loren had said something was different about Evalanedea when she’d returned there a week ago. But they hadn’t known what it was.

So many questions.

Nelciana dressed early, just before the sun was rising in the east. She would speak with Jordan and the guards Lothonos had assigned to the nursery, and then she would rejoin the warriors who had trained deep into the night. They deserved the presence of their leaders just as much as those who trained in the day did. No matter how much her body and soul ached.

She started down the stairs to the yards. She hadn’t made it halfway down before screams from the north filled the air.

Nelciana ran. Not toward her children as she desired, but toward the screams. Toward the pain.

She had her mother’s sword, and whatever Nellana power she had been given at her mother’s death.

She just hoped it was enough.

They returned to a peaceful world now at war.

Lothonos’ biggest fear was realized the moment Loren opened the barrier between the demon world and Levia.

Had the dark bastard known that he and Eiophon and the others had left Levia two days ago? Was that why he’d chosen to strike now? Had someone told him?

It wreaked of betrayal, didn’t it?

Eiophon’s castle still stood, too far from the fighting to be an early target. His babes were still within the walls—he sensed their souls too damned close to the fighting for his comfort.

His mate was in the midst of it, and it was to her he headed. Eiophon would head toward the babes and Kennera. He would see them protected, even if he had to take them back into the Gaian world to do it.

It was one scenario he and Lothonos had worked out between them when they had been alone.

Demons of the Kinds he recognized were everywhere. Mercenaries of the evil kind. Raschas were the dominant but he saw several Midreno throughout. And Shojo.

Someone led them from somewhere.

These demons were just fodder for him, and Lothonos knew it. But did they? They were sent to die here, to test the strengths of Levia’s defenses. Reconnaissance. To see how many of the damned demons the gods of Levia could kill before they fell.

He understood it from a strategic standpoint.

It still pissed him off, though. Nelciana was out there in the thick of it.

Lothonos started taking out demons and working his way to her.

It wasn’t ego talking—none of these lesser demons were strong enough to take out a god such as him.

He wasn’t completely invincible—if one were to cut off his head and it wasn’t reattached before he bled out, then his death would be permanent. But if the head was reattached quickly enough and he could hold his soul in whatever world he had died in long enough, then he would be able to heal himself.

Many of the Gaian deities were that way.

But Relaklonos demons were different. There were many thousands of breeds of demons, many that were little more than powerless beasts hired out by more dominant breeds. Slavery did not truly exist in Relaklonos, except for political prisoners and those females captured temporarily during breeding rituals that Lothonos had never studied.

But even those of the most powerful kinds, such as the king and his brothers, were not stronger than Lothonos knew himself to be.

This was just a minor skirmish to show the demons what they faced in Levia.

The Laquazzeana Loren was plowing through the demons, her blade showing the destruction she wrought. A glow was about her, and her large male champion behind her. They were extremely deadly—and it was obvious the two enjoyed that fact.

A beansidhe floated above the demons, screeching. Her garment was long enough to trail over the heads of the Midreno demons. All she touched turned to dust.

But she could not go too far into the warriors, or she risked endangering the allied Kinds.

But her screeching hurt everyone’s ears.

Phaenna was a true force to be reckoned with, though the beansidhe looked nothing like the beautiful female Lothonos knew her to be.

He did not understand it.

Lothonos turned and searched for Nelciana. She was not where he had expected her. Where was she?

Lothonos sought her soul. She was near the castle; why? She was close to a high hill, making her way to her sister. Right in the midst. His focus immediately shifted as the battle had far graver consequences to him now.

He flashed to her.

She was running through a small group of the demons, swinging her mother’s sword with more skill than he’d realized she’d possessed. Flames surrounded the tip of the blade, burning through all the demons she touched.

Was she doing that? Or something else? He would be the first to admit he did not trust whatever power that sword contained—or the way Nelciana and her sister both stared at it with utter reverence whenever they mentioned their mother.

They were mesmerized by it at times. And that concerned him greatly.

A demon came to close to her; Lothonos flashed closer.

He grabbed the beast, a Rhacshas by the looks of it, and twisted its neck off its shoulders.

Nothing threatened her. Ever.

She kept going. Was she aware he was there?

Two more demons were at her back, three coming at her from the sides. Lothonos turned his back to hers.

“Lotho? What are you doing here? You should be with Eiophon, leading!”

“My place is protecting you!”

“They were told to get Nella! He’s put a price on the babes’ heads as my heirs. I heard a Midreno shouting to get to the babes!”

An even greater rage filled him at the thought of his vulnerable and tiny little daughter. No filthy Rhacshas or Midreno demon would ever harm her.

The first set of demons took one look at him and backed away.

Rhacshas were commonly thought to be unintelligent, but Lothonos suspected the species was evolving. Or the Dark Sorcerer was controlling the Rhacshas from afar. It would not surprise him in the least to find that the most accurate assessment.

They were right to fear him, but it was too late for the Rhacshas nearest him.

And her.

She flamed them with the sword; the scent of searing demon flesh burned Lothonos’ eyes and throat.

The others shrieked and ran. Lothonos grabbed one and stabbed it through the organ that functioned as its heart with the small blade he carried for ceremonial purposes. It didn’t die.

It should have. He ripped its head from his neck and Nelciana inflamed two more.

“We need to get inside. Jordan and Brynnja can only hold these monsters off for so long!”

“Hold tight to me!”

He didn’t wait for her answer. Lothonos turned his back to the attacking beasts and wrapped his arms around her. A Rhacshas jumped on his back, sharp claws and fangs ripping into Lothonos’ skin.

He flashed them away from the fight and to their babes’ sides.

The Rhacshas went with them.

As they reformed in the nursery, the Rhacshas gave a glass-shattering shriek.

Something knocked it from Lothonos’ back, and he tightened his hold around Nelciana.

Flashing always messed with his head; it took a moment for him to gather his wits and his bearings around himself.

It was a weakness he hated, and one he had yet to find a way to avoid.

Nelciana recovered much more quickly.

She shot the staff toward the Rhacshas grappling with the guard Lothonos had ordered at his children’s side.

The Rhacshas was left as nothing but a pile of ash on the nursery rug.

Lothonos looked for the babes.

The Lupoiux females that Nelciana trusted so much were along the far wall, each holding a babe tight against her chest.

Both had fur raised along their arms, and were issuing small growls.

Interesting.

Most Lupoiux females did not change to wolven form—apparently both of these young ones were exceptions. Alpha females.

Nelciana tucked the staff into the holster on her back. She ran to the babes, and took their daughter into her arms. Lothonos turned to the guard. He was injured but it was only slight. “Aner, thank you.”

“It was my honor, sir. To protect the heirs…there is nothing I would not do.”

“And that is why you are in my service. Go, see that that is tended well. I will guard my family now.” And Aner would always have a place of honor with Lothonos’ Kind for his actions this day.

“Yes, my lord.”

“The demons are getting closer,” one of the Lupoiux females said from the window. “So are the witches and I think those men over there are yours, my lord.”

Lothonos looked for himself.

A stream of thousands was marching in from the east.

His people, mostly male. Ready to defend him.

“Mine come from the south,” Nelciana said, with a touch of awe in her voice. Did she not think her people would respond to their duty? “More than what we thought were coming.”

She was a goddess, after all. Did she not realize what that meant?

“The Rhacshas—look!” the blonde female pointed. “They’re disappearing.”

“As fast as they arrived.”

“They are cowards, Rhacshas. But they work for a master, almost always. Mercenary little beasts.” Lothonos had studied them in great detail. “The Midreno, too, are easily bought.”

“Someone controls them. We all know who.”

Lothonos watched the lines of warriors again.

The Rhacshas did not stand a chance, and it took only a few moments for the creatures to be incinerated by more powerful Nellana and Lothon Druids. “But it will not always be this easy.”

Lothonos turned away; his family waited, and that demanded more of his attention than the battle that had already ended.