The Sword and The Prophet (A Syren Novel) (15 page)

He left the serenity room and passed several stations and defense bays before making it to the main control deck. He saw the flurry of activity when he arrived and asked Lukas if anything was happening that he should be aware of.
“Nothing at the moment, Highness. We’re detecting something on our external radar that’s unusual, but it hasn’t come close enough for us to determine what it is yet. We aren’t taking any chances though, and I’ve instructed the crew to be in their secondary defense assignments until we reach Amatia. We should be arriving in about forty two hours.” Lukas did not take his eyes off of the controls while he gave his assessment to Jackson. He knew that it was top priority to make it back to Amatia as soon as possible.
“The children are going to be sleeping for a while. We have time to make preparations for our arrival on Amatia. Send word to the Defense Ministry to have an escort waiting for us at the nearest possible point in the stars. I want nothing to interfere with our arrival on Amatia.” The fear that something would go wrong was gnawing at him. He’d tried to ignore the feeling, but there were times when he knew it would be foolish to ignore his intuition. He’d been the King of the Sword since his twenty second cycle of life, when Alexia’s father had died, and he had assumed leadership of their hemisphere. He knew that it was unusual for a prince of one hemisphere to be the king of another, but he liked doing things backwards. He loved his people, whether they be Dreamers, Fire, Swords, or Peacemakers. They were all one to him, and that’s what made them special.
Jackson sat in his flight chair, and leaned his head back. He put his hand in the depression on the left arm of the seat, and it started to conform to the contours of his body, and send swift waves of heat up and down the length of him. He loved his flight chair almost as much as he loved his mate. Considering that the Defense Ministry heavily invested in the most
comfortable work spaces for the members of the planet’s defense systems, it really wasn’t that much of a stretch that they would come up with heated flight chairs. Heat always helped to relax and calm him.
He’d envisioned this day for so many cycles of life, and yet he found himself at a loss for words when it came to his children. How did one start a relationship with a child that was nearly full grown? He sat back and planned what he would do next.

ma’am.” Lily couldn’t stop herself from staring at her mother. She was truly beautiful. Probably the most beautiful alien person that Lily had ever seen. Not that she’d seen too many of those, but well, in the grand scheme of things she really thought her mother was beautiful.

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Alexia wanted to spend more time with her daughter, but she knew Lily was tired, and the sleeping draught that they’d given the twins was sure to take effect soon.

“Your room is just a little further. The ship isn’t overly large, but it has enough room for a twelve Syren crew as well as some room to take on passengers should the need arise. Your room is next to your father’s and mine on the left, and your brother’s room will be right next to yours.” Alexia walked quickly down the corridor with Lily, and when they reached Lily’s room she pressed her palm to the activation panel on the right side of the door.

“I know that the room is much different than what you’re used to on Earth, but you’ll get used to the way it interacts with you. The bed isn’t like what you’re used to. It’s a sleeping pod that contours to your body. When you shut the dome top it settles over you like a blanket. It may take time for you to get used to it, but it is much more comfortable than a hard rack to sleep in on the ship.” She stopped talking and watched as Lily explored the room.

“Is there a bathroom or a shower that I can use? I don’t have anything to wear either. Is there somethin’ that I can change into?” Lily looked at her mother and hoped she wouldn’t think badly of her for her accent. She’d tried to disguise it while they’d been eating, but every time she tried to pronounce something correctly Tyler’d nudged her hard until she’d stopped trying to and decided just to talk like herself.

“I’ve put some things in the drawer to the right of the pod that you can use. They’ll most likely fit you. I know it’s not going to be what you’re used to as far as clothing, but we don’t really carry Earth clothing on Amatia Prime. It’s going to be the same type of suit that I’m wearing. I know they’re extremely tight, but they’ll help regulate your body temperature better as we get closer to home. If you want to shower, here’s the pad you press to activate the sensor for the door to the bathroom. Everything you should need is in there.” Alexia felt like she was rambling, but she wanted to get Lily settled and let her sleep so they could really talk when she woke up.

“Thank you. I,” Lily swallowed, “ I really appreciate everythin’ y’all are doin’ for me and Tyler.” Lily stopped and looked at her mother, and took a step toward her. She wasn’t sure this is what she needed to do, but she just felt like she had to. Her hair strained towards her mother, and she leaned in as her mother came close to her and put her arms around her. Lily leaned in, and awkwardly put her arms around her, but the overwhelming feeling of her mother’s love invaded her, and she began to sob. Her hair twined around both of them, and Lily felt her tears fall from her eyes and wet her cheeks and the crook of her mother’s neck.

“Don’t cry my love. Everything is going to be just fine.” Alexia drifted to the floor with Lily in her arms, and cradled her daughter to her and let her cry. She’d longed to feel her child’s tears, smiles, love, happiness, and even anguish all these cycles of life, and she could not let go now. She held her as faint memories invaded her from Lily’s mind. Lily’s hope that this would last, and the question over and over of why it had to be her and Tyler who were taken and deprived this kind of love all their life. Her anguish broke Alexia’s heart, and hot tears fell unchecked down her smooth cheeks. She rested the top of her head on Lily’s, and felt her daughter clinging to her the way a small child would. She sighed and let her cry.

Lily didn’t know how long she laid wrapped in her mother’s arms, but by the time she was finished crying she felt exhausted. Too tired to even take a shower. She sat up and scrubbed her hand beneath her nose and looked at her mother.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to start crying like that.” Lily felt ashamed for clinging to her like that, and looked at the floor.

“Lily, you have nothing to be ashamed for. That’s what mother’s are for. I know this has been extremely difficult for you. I will be here for you, and so will your father. Neither of us is going to let anything happen to you.” Alexia hugged her one more time before starting for the door and closing it behind her. She knew that Lily needed some time to sort through her feelings, and the sleeping draught would put her out for some time to come.

She walked back down the corridor to the serenity room to find Kellen and his two boys gone, presumably to the main sleeping bay. Tyler was the only one left in the room and she took a tentative step towards him.

“Hello,” she started. She’d imagined him as a child, and as a baby so many times. Thought about what he’d look like when he was older, but the reality that she had a son that was almost to his full maturity really hit her. She’d lost so much time with them. She wasn’t going to let awkwardness stand in the way of getting to know her son.

“I have to say that I’m very happy that you’ve grown into a Son of the Sword like your father. He’s always imagined that you’d take after him in your coloring. I don’t want you to have to sit in here waiting for someone to come take you to your room. I know you’ve got to be pretty tired.” She told him.

“Is Lily okay? You were gone for a pretty long time.” He didn’t really know what to say to her, and that made him feel even weirder. He should be able to talk to his mother, but at that particular moment all he wanted to do was get some sleep.

“She’s okay. She was a little upset, I think, about everything that’s happened and she cried a bit, but she’s okay now. There’s nothing to really worry about.” She motioned him to follow her and went back the same way she’d come.

“Like I told Lily, her room is to the left of your father’s and mine, and yours is right next to hers. If you need anything, please just press the pad next to the door and the tele link will come on. There’s clothing similar to what your father and I are wearing in the room, and the bathroom has everything that you’ll need. We are lucky to have our own bathrooms, the rest of the crew and passengers have to share the ship’s main shower rooms. They’re designed this way to afford the royal families a modicum of privacy, and for that I’m very grateful.” She knew she was babbling, but what do you say to a nearly grown child?

“I appreciate you letting me know how things work. I don’t think I’ll need anything. All I really want to do is go to sleep for like a whole day.” Tyler stuck his hands in his pockets as he followed his mother. He wanted to reach out to her, but wasn’t sure what he should say to her.

“You’re welcome. We should be reaching Amatia Prime in the not too distant future. I love how fast the new crafts are. They’re traveling at light speed, and make star travel from one planet to another more pleasant for everyone.”

They reached the entrance to Tyler’s room, and Alexia opened it for him. She explained how the sleep pod’s worked, and watched as Tyler inspected his. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his arm before she left the room.

“I just want you to know how much I love you both. I know we haven’t had a chance to talk to one another yet, but after you wake up from your sleep we’ll sit with your sister and father and have time to talk about some things.” She leaned into him and gave him the briefest of hugs.

“I’ll see you when you wake.” She walked back towards the door and looked at him before she walked through. He looked tired, and ready for a long, long sleep.

Alexia walked through the corridor to the command deck, and walked to Jackson’s chair, and ran her fingers through his hair. She loved the way the black tresses slid through her fingertips like silk. She sat on his lap and laid her head on his chest.

“Are both of the children asleep?” Jackson asked her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to him as tightly as he could.

“Yes, they’re both in their rooms. Lily was very emotional, but I didn’t really know what to say to Tyler. He seems so sweet, but I find that I don’t know what to say to a son who is nearly of age.” She voiced her concerns to her mate.

“Time will allow us to become closer to them. It isn’t going to happen in one day, my love. We’ll show them all of our love, and give them our guidance, and Amatia will see that everything is all right. I know everything will be all right.” He knew deep in his heart that he would be able to reconnect with his son and daughter. He knew that they would become amazing Syren. The list of things that he wanted to do with them was legion. There were so many things that he couldn’t wait to show both of them. He knew that one thing that they needed to discuss was the children’s fut’uah
ceremonies. They were so much older now, but a Syren knew who their Heart was.

“The Defense Ministry has been made aware of our arrival time, and we’re going to have stringent security waiting for us when we reach the external barrier to Amatia. We’re also going to have an escort party waiting for us when we reach the nearest point to Amatia that the smaller Aero craft are unable to travel. The war ship I had prepared is on its way, and should meet us in another twenty four hours or so.”

“That sounds all well and good. I’m happy that you have everything in order. I’m going to our room. I want to rest while the children are resting.”

“I’ll be in to our room in just a little while, but there’s little chance of me sleeping until we’re safe back at the Kingdom of the Sword. Sleep well, my love.” He didn’t want to see his mate leave his side, but he knew that she needed rest, and he had other matters to attend to for their return trip to Amatia Prime. There were so many things that he needed to do, and he felt like every minute that brought him closer to his home world was another step further away from the Sa’Chaelle.

around her she could see the legion of men that were hers. Their armor glistened in the sun. She spread her hands out and raised them to the moon. She felt no fear, she knew no restraint. She felt their victory in her heart. She looked over at her twin brother, and she reached for his hand. Together they cried out to the warriors in front of them.

“Know no fear! Show them no
weakness! Give them no quarter! Take from them their lives as they seek to take yours! Do not let them steal from you your power, your life, your home!”

She knew that nothing would separate her from the love of her people again. She was theirs, and they were hers. She would defend them with the last breath left in her body. She could not be defeated. She would not falter. The moon made her feel invincible. She washed herself by its light. She soaked up its power and gloried as it sang through her veins. She was Syren.

It was the lurching of the ship that brought her out of her deep sleep. She was thrown nearly out of her sleeping pod onto the floor. Scrambling to right herself, Lily grabbed on to the edge of the pod with both arms, and cringed as a loud siren began whistling over the sound system.

“Imminent Danger! All Syren proceed to your flight chair! Imminent Danger!” The siren continued to blare in her ears. She stumbled to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were jet black, her incisors were elongated, and if she was seeing it correctly, her hair was even longer, and nearly iridescent. She reached the toilet, and vomited, hard, before resting her head on the edge. This wasn’t going to work. She had to be still.

Hearing her door slide open, Lily looked into the room and saw her mother rushing in.
“Lily! Come on we’ve got to go strap in right now. You’re sick again?” Alexia asked her. Lily’s face was deathly pale, but it was then that she noticed the darkness of her daughter’s eyes, and she slowed down, not knowing if she was in the midst of a prophecy or vision.
“I’m okay. Just woke up hard. Let’s go.” Lily got shakily to her feet and reached out for her mother as the ship tilted again to the side. Bracing herself in the doorway of the bathroom she didn’t slide or slip anywhere, but her stomach again revolted. She knew it was empty and nothing would come out.
Reaching for Lily, Alexia grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her after her as she headed for the door. She’d been awake for some time, meditating in her room, and then felt the ship violently tilt. She knew it was unusual and had acted immediately.
They walked out of the room, and Alexia stopped at Tyler’s door and opened it, expecting to see him standing in the room, but surprisingly it was empty. She walked to the bathroom, and it was empty too. She pressed the tele link on the side of the door and asked to be connected to the King of the Sword.
“Accepting your transmission,” she heard her mate’s clipped voice on the other end.
“Tyler’s not in his room. Lily and I are going to strap in on the main passenger deck. Please locate him.” She stopped talking and walked out of the room, knowing that her mate would locate Tyler at all costs.
Walking the corridor, several Syren pressed their hands to their hearts in a quick exchange of respect as she passed by, but she was too busy to return the greeting to them. Her main concern was getting her daughter strapped in and safe, and figure out what was going on.
“What’s going on? Why did the ship tilt so hard?” Lily was fast approaching the point where she knew she wouldn’t be able to handle anything else other than sitting in front of a toilet dry heaving her guts out. Merely walking while the ship was rocking back and forth while rocketing through outer space was making her violently ill.
“I haven’t been given that information yet, but I do know that an unidentified vessel was approaching us from behind. Whether or not that has anything to do with it, I don’t know.” Since she was holding on to Lily, there’s no way that she could even utter the barest of white lies, or her daughter would know it.
They walked into the main passenger deck, and Alexia was dismayed to see that Tyler wasn’t among the Syren who were strapped into flight chairs. She looked around and saw most of General Vallen’s soldiers as well as Kellen Tedor and his family.
“Kellen, have you seen Tyler?” Alexia doubted that he had, but since he knew with absolute certainty what her son looked like he was the logical one to ask.
“No, Highness, but I’ll go look for him immediately.” Kellen unstrapped from his seat and disregarded Alexia when she told him he didn’t have to. There was no way he would let anything happen to Tyler now that they were on their way to Amatia Prime. He had grown fond of the teenager in the few days that he’d been with him, and he knew without a shadow of doubt that Tyler would be one of the most powerful Syren that their species had ever seen.
He walked down the hallway towards Tyler’s room, but figured the one place a teenage boy was likely to be was the galley. If Tyler’s appetite at the hotel had been any indication, the youth was seriously
undernourished and needed large amounts of food to satisfy him.
Reaching the galley, Kellen braced himself on the entrance door as the ship took another violent lurch, nearly throwing him head first into the room. He saw Tyler lying against the wall with a gash in his head. He must have been walking when the ship tilted hard the first time, Kellen thought.
Reaching the young male’s side Kellen gently probed his arms and legs to check for injuries, and finding none looked around for some napkins or something to press against his head.
He saw some a few feet away, snatched them up, and pressed them to the cut on Tyler’s head. A small trickle of blood was slowly flowing from the cut, and it worried him greatly that Tyler might be severely injured.
Bracing himself with his feet spread apart wide Kellen grabbed the teen under his arm pits and dragged him backwards until he reached the entrance to the galley. He pressed his palm on the tele link and asked for the King of the Sword.
“Highness, this is Kellen Tedor, I’ve located Tyler in the galley, he has a head injury and I don’t know the extent of the injuries to his neck. Please send a back board to load him on and someone to help me carry him to the passenger deck.” Kellen wasn’t sure it was appropriate for him to speak to Tyler’s father in that manner, but he hoped any offense he gave would be off set by the fact that he was taking care of his son.
He waited there, pressing the napkins to Tyler’s head, for the backboard to arrive from the medical bay. The ship continued to sway back and forth, and he hoped with all of his might that they were dodging space debris, and not actively engaged in a fire fight with the Sa’Chaelle.
He had his back pressed to the wall, and his hand over Tyler’s head, when the ship did a double barrel roll, and he was thrown down the hallway. He watched helplessly as Tyler’s limp body was thrown through the air again and again, and then he saw nothing at all.