The Sword and The Prophet (A Syren Novel) (16 page)

Her heart was hammering in her chest. She could barely breathe. She’d been relaxing in the garden at the palace, and wondering again for the hundredth time if she’d made the right decision coming to the Kingdom of the Sword. She’d been inspecting every single unmated male that she came in contact with, but none of them interested her in the slightest.

“Princess? What’s wrong?” Alix watched as Rory dropped to her knees beside the bench she’d been sitting on. The moon was bright, and brought everything into crystal clear focus for him. He watched as she struggled to breathe, and walked over and knelt beside her.

“Is everything okay?” He wasn’t equipped to deal with the outpouring of emotions that Rory was experiencing, and looked to the edge of the room where a servant was standing with a gilded tray of drinks.

“Attend me here, please,” he requested. Running over, the female dropped to her knees and looked at him.

“What may I assist you with, sir?” Her voice was soft as silk, and her large blue eyes peered at Rory with compassion.

“Is there a female attendant to the Queen that you can summon to speak to the Princess? We have no female’s present with us.” He knew that Rory would speak with a female if she was part of the household of the Queen, he didn’t know how comfortable she would be speaking to him.

“Yes, sir, I’ll be back straight away.” She got to her feet and ran to the door and out of his sight.

“He’s hurt. He’s bleeding, and he’s in so much pain. He can’t open his eyes!” Rory cried as she felt her Heart hurting. She saw him in her mind’s eye. His long form was pushed against a wall, and he was bleeding from his head. She couldn’t tell where he was at, but she could feel every bruise and bump that he was receiving. She felt like her head was going to explode and knew that this was what her Heart was feeling. She rushed to him in her astral form and knelt by his limp body. Running her hands down his chest she tried to soothe him, but knew that he didn’t feel anything. Her touch, her very presence, would not be felt by him in this form.

“He’s laying against some sort of wall, and there’s a siren going off. I can’t stay with him, Alix! My head hurts so much!” Rory reached up and touched her nose, and was shocked to see blood on her fingers. She didn’t want to leave her Heart again, but felt like she had no choice. His physical pain was
manifesting in her, and she couldn’t hold on to consciousness any longer if she stayed attached to him.

“Let him go, now, Princess! He’s in pain, he doesn’t know that he’s hurting you! As your future Mate he wouldn’t want to ever hurt you! Let him go, disengage yourself from him!” He’d seen instances where Syren who were not yet mated had a physical connection that brought them together. He didn’t know who Rory’s mate was yet, but it sounded like the young male was in serious danger at the moment.

Alix’s side and peered at Rory.
“She’s mentally attached to her Heart,
and he’s had some sort of injury to his head. It’s
making her nose bleed.” Alix was grateful to see
the Queen’s youngest sister at their side. There was no one more appropriate than she to speak
to Rory.
“Come, Rory. You need to stop thinking
about him. Lay here on your back with me,”
Ashalee instructed the younger girl.
“That’s it, lay back and let your gaze
linger on the moon. Just look up at the beauty of
our sky and our moon. Let the power of Amatia
inside of you. Think about the peaceful waves
of the Northern Hemisphere right now. Imagine
yourself in your mother’s room with the
swaying of the chapel. Let him go. He doesn’t
want to hurt you. Let him go.” She kept
repeating those words to Rory, and let out a
deep breath as she felt the girls hands relax, and
heard her breath even out.
They stayed like that for what seemed
like hours, but it was probably much less. They
were gazing at the moon, and breathing deeply,
letting the power of their mother Amatia inside
of them.
“Thank you for helping me. I’ve never
experienced that kind of pain before.” Rory’s
voice was steady, and her breathing even as she
spoke. The pain in her head was gone, and she’d
wiped away the blood that had trickled from her
nose. Feeling the iridescent rays of the moon
invade her was soothing and calmed her in a way that little else, with the exception of her
mother, could.
“Who is this mate of yours?” Ashalee
asked.
“I don’t know who he is. I’ve had
visions of him, and I know that he is a Son of
the Sword. That’s why I came here, but I’m
confused by what’s going on. I don’t know
what’s happening to him. It’s very scary to me
to think that he is in danger and know that there
is little to nothing that I can do to help him or
protect him.” Rory’s voice broke, and she turned
her head away from Ashalee. She didn’t want to
cry in front of the older woman, but knew that
she was on the verge of bursting into tears. “Well, all I can tell you is that we’ll do
everything we can to make sure you meet your
Heart. If he’s here in the Kingdom of the Sword,
Alexia and Jackson will help you as much as
they can when they return.” She reached out to
Rory and touched her arm.
“He will be okay. Amatia would not be
so cruel as to give you your Heart and then take
him away before you were even able to meet
him. You have three years until your mating
ceremony is supposed to take place, so you have
plenty of time to find him.”
“I know you’re right, but this is the
second vision I’ve had of him where he’s been
distressed. I know he can’t be here on Amatia,
because we’ve nothing like that happening right
now.” Rory hated the note of desperation in her
voice.
“It’ll work out all right, Princess. Have
faith. Trust in what your Mother has told you,
and trust in what Amatia Prime has shown you.
Don’t lose heart just yet. You’ll find your
everlasting mate, eventually.” Ashalee had no
other words that she could think to say that
would comfort Rory. She sat with her on the
hard bench, staring into the moon lit sky until
the dual suns made their crest over the top of the
horizon, and the moon kissed the sun in a sweet
farewell.

Lily screamed as she saw her brother being carted into the passenger deck by a group of Syren males on a back board. His arms hung limply at his sides, and she could see bruises on his face, and a large gash on his head. She unstrapped from her flight chair, unconcerned with her mother’s warning to stay in her seat.

“No! He’s my brother!” Lily’s voice broke as she neared his limp body. The males placed the back board on a table and secured it with latches so it wouldn’t go anywhere. Not knowing if his spine was affected, no one wanted to sit him up straight and risk having him become paralyzed.

Lily practically threw herself on top of Tyler, and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the faint pulse pounding out a slow cadence in his neck. Forgetting for a moment her irritable stomach, she laid her head on her brother’s chest, and poured her love into him. With every fiber of her soul she crammed as much love and well being into him as she could. She didn’t know if it would work, but she knew that her life as she knew it would be over if her brother didn’t wake up.

Alexia watched, stunned, as Lily started to glow. Her skin gave off a beautiful white-gold hue, and her hair wrapped itself around Tyler to the point that there was no way that Lily could pull herself off of him without hurting herself.

The magnitude of Lily’s love for Tyler could be felt by every single Syren in the room. Alexia walked closer, needing to be near her children. She felt her daughter’s love as if it were a living, breathing entity within the room. The shallow breathing of her son began to even out, and Alexia dropped to her knees in disbelief as his head wound began to close. Before their stunned eyes Tyler’s bruises began to fade, his wound closed entirely, and he began to stir on the backboard. The lights dimmed, and it was as though the two of them were the only ones in the room, connected, whole, one single unit. Lily continued to hold on to him. Her very essence was radiating outward, filling up the space with a magnificent love that brought tears to nearly every Syren’s eyes there to witness it. It was devastating to Alexia’s heart, in a beautiful and wonderful way. She had worried since Asrah came home that her twins would be stunted, unable to show their emotions. She knew she had nothing to worry about.

“What? Lily?” Tyler choked out the few words, and felt his sister’s arms wrap around him even tighter. He felt like his head was about to blow apart, and his chest hurt from the weight of his sister on top of him.

“Lilybelle. I’m okay, you can get up,” he mumbled. He laid strapped to the table as his sister finally began to loosen her cement grip on him. He felt her hair disentangling itself from around him, and he tried to pull his arms up, but they were strapped to some kind of board.

“Let him up,” the Queen commanded. She rose to her feet as the males unstrapped Tyler from the backboard, many of them wiping their eyes while they did so. Their unabashed curiosity for her son and daughter was evident in the way they looked at them. The queen looked over to see General Vallen in the entry way and saw him motion her over.

Vallen looked at his Queen, and at the two children in the passenger deck whose life he was about to change forever.

“It’s Kellen. He went to look for Tyler and found him. When the ship did the barrel roll, he was thrown down the hallway. There’s no bringing him back, Highness. His neck was broken.” He watched as her face crumpled, and he grabbed her to steady her.

“You’re certain?” Alexia asked. Her pale eyes searched Vallen’s and swelled with tears as he nodded.

“He saved Tyler’s life, there’s no doubt in my mind. If he’d been left in the galley he most certainly would have been killed striking something as he was thrown about. As it was, he was only thrown onto the ceiling. Do you want me to talk to his sons, or would you prefer to do it?” Vallen knew that this was not something that the Queen desired to do, but knew that she would immediately deny his offer, which she did.

Alexia turned towards Talon and Timothy and walked to them with dread in her heart. She’d liked Kellen immensely, and more so because he was the one who had brought her children back to her. She watched as Timothy leaned towards his brother to ask him
something, his red hair swaying as he moved. His cherubic face was scared, and uncertain, but not devastated yet.

“What, Mother, what’s happenin’?” Lily could tell that there was something wrong, and saw her mother walking over to Talon and Timothy. She realized then that Kellen hadn’t come back. Her heart filled with dread as her mother crouched in front of Talon, and she began to speak. She couldn’t listen. She’d saved Tyler. She could save Kellen too.

Lily broke into a run and passed General Vallen’s outstretched arm by mere inches. She had a vague idea of where the galley was, but no real sense of where she was headed.

“Lily! Stop!” She heard General Vallen running behind her and knew he would catch her. There was no way she could outrun him.

It’s not safe yet!”
“No! Let me see him! I can save him,”
Lily fractured inside. She turned to the older
man and pushed at him.
“Where is he? Tell me where he is now!”
She was enraged. How dare he even attempt to
stop her!
Vallen knew there’d be no reasoning
with her, and took her by the hand and led her to the medical bay. There, strapped to a table, was Kellen’s body. His hands limp at his sides, his eyes closed in his final sleep. The brightness of his life extinguished. The muting of his soul was evident by the fiery hair which laid still, and soft
on his head.
“Why? Nooo! Let me touch him!” Lily
was incensed. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Not to someone that loved her. Not to someone
that she’d hugged a day before and felt so close
to. She reached him. The devastation in her
heart poured out of her, and she tried to wrap
him in her love. She wanted to fix every broken
part of his body. She fell on his lifeless body as
hands attempted to pull her away. Her anger
grew, her incisors lengthened, and her eyes grew
black as she turned around in full Syren rage. “Do. Not. Touch. Meeeeeee!” She
whispered.
Vallen stepped back, shocked to his core
at the dramatic change in Lily as her rage
ignited. Most Syren could not change at will,
but Lily seemed able to summon her rage with
ease.
Lily turned around and touched Kellen’s
cheek with her fingers, turning his face towards
her. She knew that life had left him, but wanted
to restore it. She laid over the top of him, and poured her heart into him. She poured her love, her thanks, her absolute certainty that he’d be all right into him. She waited for his chest to rise, waited for that imperceptible beat of his sweet heart. She wrapped him in her hair and stayed pinned to him as the lights dimmed and she began to glow. A scream rose in her throat, and she let it loose with a violent shake of her head. Something more for her to lose, and she thought of Talon, and screamed again. This was their fault his father was dead. If they’d never met him, never asked for his help, never come into his life then Kellen would be alive, and Timothy and Talon would still have a father. A wonderful
father.
Talon watched from the doorway, his
body sagging against the steel as tears rolled
down his face in salty waves. He brushed his
hands through his hair, and gripped it in his
fists. His anger consumed him. He wanted to go
to his father, touch him, hold him, tell his heart
to beat, but he did not want to disturb Lily. He’d
watched as she’d rounded on General Vallen in
her rage. He knew she was out of her mind. He
could feel her heart breaking for him. He
wanted to tell her that it wasn’t her fault, but he
didn’t have the words. They were lodged in his
throat, stuck, unable to move, unable to voice themselves to the beautiful girl huddled over the form of his lifeless father. He couldn’t yet feel his father’s absence, but knew that soon he’d be
aching from it.
“Go to her. Make her come away from
him. We’re still in danger and we need to be
belted into our flight chairs.” Alexia hated to tell
Talon to leave his father’s side, but she knew
that it was extremely dangerous for them to be
walking around when the ship was still in
danger.
Talon nodded to the Queen, and walked
hesitantly over to Lily. Touching her softly on
her hair, he pulled back as her face turned
towards him. He hoped she saw him with her
black eyes. They closed, and she buried her
head in his father’s chest. He touched her arm,
slid his fingers down to her hand, and slowly
pulled her away from his father.
“It’s not your fault Lily.” The soft words
slid out of Talon’s mouth and he knew they were
true. His father had pledged himself to Tyler and
Lily and had given his life in such an
unnecessary and accidental way, but given it
nonetheless, in the service of his people. He
gave it in the unwavering belief that their future
rested in the hands of the young prince and
princess.
“I’m so sorry.” The words left Lily’s
mouth and she pulled away from Kellen and
wrapped her arms around his son. Her hair slid
itself into place around him, and she pressed
herself to him as close as she was able. She
poured her sorrow into him and breathed in the
scent that was just Talon. She pressed her face
to his neck and drank him in with every breath
that she took into her body. She poured her
regret into him, and laid bare for him her heart.
She felt his arms tighten around her, and felt
him kiss the top of her head, and nod. She knew
that any words he wanted to say to her would be
lodged in his throat, unable to break past the
lump of grief and rage she knew was there. Talon pulled Lily to the door, and pulled
slightly away from her as he walked quickly
past the soldiers and her mother. He didn’t look
at any of them as he walked her back to the
passenger deck. Entering the room he saw Tyler
crouched in front of his brother, and turned his
face away from the image of his brother’s tear
stained face.
He pushed her gently into her flight
chair, and buckled her harness himself. He
looked into her eyes as he held her face gently
in his hands. Leaning down he brushed a soft
kiss on her lips and pulled back.
“It’s not your fault, Princess. Don’t
blame yourself.” He scrubbed his hand across
his nose as Lily nodded, and he went to sit next
to his brother. Tyler climbed to his feet and
looked at Talon.
“I’m sorry,” Tyler began.
Talon looked at him as he sat next to his
brother.
“You don’t have anything to be sorry
for,” his voice trembled as he said it. He
grabbed his brother’s hand, content for the
moment to just close his eyes and cry.
“Yes I do. If it wasn’t for me your dad
would still be alive.” The regret in Tyler’s voice
was palpable.
“I know you feel responsible your
Highness, but you aren’t to blame for my
father’s death. It was an accident. Whoever or
whatever is making the ship dive and roll is
responsible. My bet is on the Sa’Chaelle. Let’s
reserve the blame for those who’re guilty.”
Talon looked at Tyler with hard eyes.
“Whoever is chasing us is responsible
for my father’s death. Not you. Not the captain.
Not your sister. They are. Promise me now that
when the time comes to destroy them you’ll
stand with me.” Talon knew the fury in his voice
was evident in his body language. He could feel himself getting hotter and willed the fire in his
hands to stay contained.
“You have my promise. I’ll stand with
you and fight them.” Tyler was humbled by his
request, and knew that if it was the last thing he
ever did, he would help him destroy the people
chasing them.
Talon closed his eyes, and Tyler
retreated to his seat next to his sister. Taking her
hand in his own he closed his eyes, determined
to keep her safe no matter the cost.