Broken (34 page)

Cade turned away, clearly disgusted with her question.

“We have all taken turns hunting throughout the night,” Octavion said. “It may be risky for her, but the Royals in this room are all seasoned. Not one is young or has a wild heart. We wouldn’t allow it. The only exception is my cousin here.” He patted Cade on the shoulder. “But even he knows his limits.”

“So if any of their senses are stirred in any way, they will leave the room?” Kira asked.

“Yes,” Octavion said.

With her curiosity satisfied, Kira turned her attention to the others in the room. It was all so formal and grand, it made her nervous. She watched as a few late guests arrived and took a seat with the others. Her heart raced with anticipation. Mara sat in the front row holding the baby, with Luka on one side and Arela on the other. Nestor stood at the head of the room near the king’s empty throne, his broad shoulders square and his head held high—the perfect stance of a proud father.

Flanking the empty throne stood two men, both dressed in white robes, their faces stern and ridged as if they were statues.

“Who are they?” Kira asked.

“The Elders of Lor,” Octavion said. “They oversee all religious ceremonies to make sure they are performed properly.”

Religious?
She had no idea they even had a religion. She made a mental note to ask him more about that later.

Octavion leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. “I have princely duties. I will be right back.” Then he stood and walked to the front of the room to take his place to the right of the throne. All eyes were on him as the room fell silent. Octavion nodded his head and they all stood in unison. Kira had secretly slipped off her shoes, so she clumsily fumbled to put them back on so she could stand as well. As soon as she did, she felt the majestic spirit of the king enter the room. Before anyone else knew he was coming, she bowed her head and lowered herself toward the floor. When King Belesgar appeared an instant later the entire room followed suit.

The king appeared as she’d never seen him before. His pants, vest and jacket were all white with gold trim and buttons. He had a dark blue robe around his shoulders that met at the base of his neck, held there by an ornate piece of silver embedded with a ruby. His simple crown, a thin ring of gold and silver twisted together with one clear gem in the front, suited him perfectly, though not what Kira had expected.

He stayed standing long enough to make an impression, then gracefully took his throne. Kira hadn’t noticed until the king sat that Octavion had made an addition to his attire. He also wore a crown, but his was a single strand of silver and held no gem. She was suddenly overcome with the magnitude of his calling—a
prince
. It made the already nervous butterflies in her stomach flap their little wings against her rib cage.

As soon as the king had settled, Octavion motioned for everyone to take their seats. He welcomed everyone, turned the ceremony over to Nestor then made his way back to stand next to Kira.

“Nice crown,” Kira teased.

“Yours will be even more wonderful when you are my queen,” he teased back.

Kira looked up to find his eyes sparkling at her, his dimples deeper than she’d ever seen. Then he put his serious face on and instructed her to pay attention to Nestor. It was, after all, rude to chat while the father of the honored child made his presentation.

The first part of the ceremony included stories of their history and family lineage. Kira learned more about their people in those few minutes than the entire time she’d spent in Xantara. Nestor spoke of their forefathers and the sacrifices they’d made to keep their people safe, the ancient curse that plagued them all and the blessings they’d received by being loyal and obedient to it.

He told the story of a hybrid whose unusual cravings from birth caused a nursemaid to be bitten, but her blood had tamed his wild heart. It began a tradition that spanned over centuries and was now a necessary part of their lives—the Khapri. Taming the young ones had brought peace to what had once been a dangerous way of life for anyone tending the Royal children.

Nestor went to Ussay and offered his hand. She graciously took it as he pulled her to her feet and led her to a small round pedestal placed in front of the king. Luka stood and circled around behind her, holding what appeared to be a small piece of white fabric.

Kira sat far enough away she couldn’t quite make out what was going on. She pulled on Octavion’s hand to get his attention. “What are they doing?” she whispered.

Octavion lowered himself to one knee. “It is the cleansing part of the ceremony. They will wash her hand of all impurities with a special liquid blessed by the Elders.”

Luka produced a vile and poured a small amount of the clear liquid in the palm of Ussay’s hand. He took the fabric and spread it from her wrist to her fingertips. Arela stood and went to his side. She took the vile and cloth and put it in a small tapestry bag and returned to her seat.

Luka then went before the king, bowed at his feet and was given a small metal tube that was open at one end and solid at the other. The solid end was rounded and embedded with small jewels. Kira could barely make out some kind of ornate craftsmanship on the sides. Luka returned to the pedesetal and stood quietly while Nestor went to Mara and retrieved his child.

Cade straightened. His breathing had deepened and he seemed to be having trouble sitting still.

Kira leaned over to Octavion and whispered in his ear. “Did Cade hunt last night?” She’d learned to recognize the signs of transformation and Cade clearly struggled with it.

Octavion shook his head slightly. “He refused. He had been two nights before and said he would be fine.”

Kira shot him a look of disbelief.

Octavion shrugged and continued with his lesson on the Khapri.

The last part of the ceremony would be the toughest, he said. It was time for Ussay to give her sacrifice and everyone literally moved to the edge of their seats. Nestor held his son in full view of those watching. Luka gently took Ussay’s hand in his, instructed her to fold all but her middle finger into her palm, then slid the metal tube over the end of it, pausing before the tiny blade inside pierced her flesh.

Ussay took in a deep breath. Octavion and Cade both did the same, their entire bodies tensing in anticipation. Luka nodded then shoved the end of the tube onto her finger with enough force to penetrate the skin. Ussay let out a squeal, but the real action took place among the Royals. Three men stood and went to the back of the room while two others disappeared completely. When Luka pulled the tube off Ussay’s finger, three more disappeared, including one of those who’d gone to the back of the room.

Ussay quickly slipped her finger into the baby’s mouth, while Luka threw the tube into a basin of water waiting under the pedestal.

Octavion had been gently holding Kira’s hand, but now he squeezed so tight, her fingers went numb. Cade had almost completely transformed, digging his claws deep into the arm of the bench. When he snapped a chunk of it off in his hand, he turned to look at Kira with fire in his yes.

Kira looked over to find Octavion in a similar condition. She suddenly realized she sat in the middle of two Royals who were completely out of control.

“Octavion, get Cade out of here—now.”

He jerked his head toward Cade, dropped her hand and in an instant, left Kira in their wake.

A few seconds passed and another Royal disappeared. Luka pulled Ussay’s finger out of the baby’s mouth and wrapped it tightly with a cloth. She quickly exited the room and went out into the garden. Kira could see her near the small fountain where she took off the bandage and put her entire hand into the water.

Nestor took his son and raised his little body into the air. His deep voice rang out with pride. “Ethan, son of Nestor, I bless you with the strength of the mountains and the heart of the leopard.”

The room exploded with the mighty roars of those Royals strong enough to endure the spilling of Ussay’s blood. After they stood to congratulate the new parents, Kira made her way around the back of the room and slipped out the glass doors to join her friend. Her finger still bled profusely. There was much more blood than Kira would have thought from a prick.

“Is it supposed to bleed this much?” Kira asked.

“No. I think he twisted the blade when he pushed it onto my finger. It cut deep.” Ussay brought it out of the water long enough for Kira to see it, but it bled so fast she didn’t get a good look at the cut.

Kira pushed it back into the water. “We need to stop the bleeding and get it bandaged.”

Ussay turned and looked toward the room filled with Royals. “We cannot go through there.”

“Wait here.” Kira slipped back into the castle and made her way up to her room. She grabbed a candle and a small knife still on the dressing table from her morning meal and a piece of clean linen. Then she went to the fireplace and took the flint from the mantle before going back downstairs.

Kira and Ussay circled around to the back of the fountain where they would be out of view, lit the candle and waited for the blade of the knife to heat. Ussay wasn’t happy with Kira’s decision to cauterize the wound, but Kira felt it was the only way. Unfortunately, it took three times to get the bleeding to fully stop and even then it didn’t seem completely sealed. Kira wrapped a strip of fabric around Ussay’s finger and blew out the candle.

The guests eventually filed into the dining hall where the kitchen staff had prepared a celebration feast. Neither Kira nor Ussay wanted to call attention to themselves, so they stayed in the garden chatting. It wasn’t long before Octavion returned from hunting with Cade and found the girls sitting under a shade tree. He’d changed into something more casual and had a large tan knapsack thrown over his shoulder.

“How would you ladies like to accompany the prince to the meadow for a fine afternoon meal? I have had the staff gather some of the finest cuisine prepared in this castle in years.”

At first, Ussay seemed excited about the invitation, but then declined. “Perhaps another day,” she said.

“If you insist,” Octavion teased. “I guess it will just be the three of us then, my love.”

Kira looked at him curiously. “Three?”

Octavion smiled. “It was actually Cade’s idea. He thought you ladies could use some time away from the festivities.”

“Cade?” Ussay perked up.

Octavion offered his hand to help her stand and then motioned in the direction of the fountain. “I believe he has reconsidered his feelings. He would like to have a word with you, my lady.”

Ussay blushed. She looked at Kira with hope in her eyes, then flitted off to the fountain with her feet barely touching the ground. She looked like a little fairy in her white ball gown.

Octavion was clearly pleased with himself. His smile was wide and his dimples deep. He caught the questioning look in Kira’s eyes. “What? You are not the only one who knows how to play match maker.”

“He told you?”

“I have never seen a man more confused in my life. I told him it was time he followed his heart and not his legs.” He offered his hand to Kira, much like he had for Ussay, but after helping her up, he pulled her into his arms.

“She’s crying,” he said.

Kira pushed away from him. “What?”

He smiled. “All is well, Kira. He is letting me watch.”

“Well, that’s not fair. I wanna see.”

He shook his head. “No. He only showed me a glimpse. She was smiling through her tears. I take that as a good sign.”

“A very good sign.”

He adjusted the pack on his back and took her hand. “Shall we go? The stable boy prepared you a mount.”

“A
mount?
” They’d only been riding together once before, but it ended in a disaster. Her horse had bucked her off and she’d broken her arm. Even after healing it, she’d still managed to take a dip in a pond filled with leaches. Not an experience she wanted to repeat. “I thought we’d take the carriage or better yet a leap in your arms. I am
not
riding a horse. You know how I . . .”

He put a finger to her lips to stop her protesting. “Luna is Mara’s horse. She is very gentle and I have instructed them to put one of my smaller saddles on her. I assume you will not be swimming so you will be fine.”

Kira brushed his hand away from her face. “May I speak now?”

He grinned. “You may.”

“I would love to ride with you.”

The foursome spent the better part of the day taking advantage of each other’s company. The food was, to say the least, unbelievably delicious. Ussay kept trying to be the servant—picking up after them and offering to fetch water from the nearby stream. That is until Octavion scolded her for it.

Cade, on the other hand, appeared to totally enjoy himself. Several times Kira tried to get his attention to apologize for her rash behavior, but he only had eyes for Ussay. It didn’t take long for Octavion and Kira to get the hint and excuse themselves to take a long walk. Cade and Ussay were more than happy to be left alone under the seclusion of a large pine tree.

Pride Meadow reminded Kira of the box canyon in her world—a narrow strip of land divided by a meandering stream of crystal clear water. Lush green grass and wildflowers spread out across the entire meadow. Instead of jagged cliffs, a tall mountain rose up on one side and on the other a dense stand of pine trees seemed to go on forever.