The Sword and The Prophet (A Syren Novel) (17 page)

we’re being pursued by a heavily armed Sa’Chaelle ship.” Jackson sat in his flight chair, enraged at the Sa’Chaelle following them. They’d noticed the ship pursuing them hours before, and attempted to outrun them, but the ship was as fast as theirs. The problem was that the Sa’Chaelle vessel was a war ship, and theirs was not.

“Have the Helias meet us as soon as possible with weapons hot. We need their defense system to be able to make it to Amatia Prime.” They’d already been hit once on one of the outer parts of the ship. The damage wasn’t going to impair their ability to fly, but it was too close for Jackson to feel comfortable.

“Whatever we can dump right now needs to be dumped.” He knew he sounded panicked, and he was frustrated by it. The fact that his mate and children were on board was greatly increasing his anxiety.

Lukas looked back at Jackson. “We can dump the pods. There aren’t enough for everyone on board anyway. If we dump them they may think that we’ve ejected the royal family and might take the bait and follow them.” The ship was equipped with a dozen single escape pods that were coordinated to blast out of the ship to a predetermined spot on Amatia Prime. They were only used in a total failure of a ship’s system.

“If we do that we’ll have nothing to use to get off the ship if something does go wrong.” Lukas knew the king was debating it, but it was a tough decision, one he was glad he didn’t have to make.

“If we dump the pods we’ll have nothing to use, but if we keep them we’ll have to leave some Syren on board. I can’t in good conscience choose to willingly leave anyone on board. We’ve already lost Kellen Tedor when we did the barrel roll. I’m not losing any more.” Jackson knew that it was a huge risk to dump the pods, but they needed to increase their speed as much as possible.

“Keep six pods. If something happens and we have to abandon the ship we’ll have enough for the Queen, the four children, and your mate to leave. The rest of us will leave this world and travel to the heavens together.”

Lukas sagged in relief at his King’s decision. His mate was the only other female on board, and he felt relief in his heart that his king would spare her with the others. It was in their nature to spare all women if they were able.

“Yes, sir. Activating now.” Lukas activated the pods and watched as the blue light came on indicating that they were firing up, and ready to be launched. He took in a deep breath, and let sail half a dozen of them, praying that this tactic would distract the Sa’Chaelle and they’d be able to rendezvous with the Helias.

“Avedal One calling war ship Helias, please confirm this transmission.” Lukas spoke into his head piece, and waited for the Helias to respond.

“Acknowledging and confirming last transmission. This is the Helias. What is your location Avedal One.”

“Acknowledging and confirming last transmission. We are approximately twenty one star hours away from Amatia Prime. We are being pursued by a war ship from the
Sa’Chaelle. We have confirmed one fatality on board. Requesting immediate escort and defense.”

“Acknowledging and confirming last transmission. We are approaching star hour nineteen, rendezvous with Avedal one at star hour twenty. Please confirm.”

“Acknowledging and confirming last transmission. We will rendezvous with you there. The King of the Sword has requested that you approach with weapons on ready. I repeat, weapons on ready. The son and daughter of the King of the Sword have been located, and are on board. It is imperative that you rendezvous as soon as possible.” Lukas knew that alerting the crew that the King’s children had been located would make them push the war ship even harder.

“Acknowledging and confirming last transmission. Please give the King of the Sword our congratulations. We’ll push Helias as hard as we can. You’ll see us coming Avedal One.”

Lukas smiled. “Acknowledging and confirming last transmission.” He looked at his sensors and saw the six pods on his monitor, and saw that the Sa’Chaelle ship had slowed slightly. Knowing they were empty made Lukas’ stomach drop. They may have been able to save more Syren if something happened, but he bowed to his King’s decision in this as well as everything else.

sir?” The captain asked General Argen. “Negative. The King of the Sword isn’t
stupid. He’s trying to get us to chase the little
pods, and waste our time, when the prize is right
in front of us.”
“What should we do, sir? Let them go?”
The captain looked back at Mikel and wondered
at his reasoning.
Mikel sat in his flight chair and raged
inside. He knew his orders were to exterminate
the children if they escaped, but he’d devoted
the last fifteen cycles of his life to ensuring that
those children were brutalized, and he was
going to be the one to absorb their powers and
take their lives. He’d devised the plan to allow
Asrah to leave to lead the King and Queen of
the Kingdom of the Sword back to them. With
all four of their powers he’d be invincible. He
was the one who deserved to have them. He was the one who’d plotted and planned everything. He was the one who was going to be the most
powerful Sa’Chaelle in The Order. No one else. “Follow the pods. Shoot them down. We
need to ensure that if there’s anything in them
they don’t escape. For now let the ship go. We
aren’t giving up on taking the children just yet.
We still have three years until their mating
ceremonies. They’ll only get more powerful as
time passes.” Mikel sat back in his chair and
started thinking hard.
He watched as the Syren vessel became
even smaller in the distance, and he smiled. The
Syren thought their world was perfect, that no
one was dishonest, and that no one would sell
them out. They were wrong. He knew who
would sell them out, and he knew what the price
would be. His eyes fired as he thought about the
prisoner he held in his private dungeon on his
world. He knew the perfect way to use the piece
of Syren filth to his advantage. It was only a
matter of time before the twins were his. Their
lives, their power, and then their entire world. He planned as the captain chased down
the pods and destroyed all six of them one at a
time.
“Set a course for The Order. Let them
know we’re returning empty handed.” He knew his superiors were going to interrogate him fully about his supposed failure, but he had a plan, he just wasn’t going to share it with them.

Missy LaRae is a pseudenym used by (me) the author, and I live in Yulee, Florida with my two sons,boyfriend, and lovable 100 pound mutt Buddy. If you’d like to know what happens next to Lily & Tyler, stay tuned for the second book in The Sword & The Prophet trilogy, The Prophet of Dreams, and book number three Destiny of the Sword.

I would love to hear from you please leave feed back on my facebook page at:

stiffly next to his little brother, and watched as his father’s body was laid ceremoniously on the Altar of Life and the King of Fire prepared to make a speech. His throat hurt. He’d cried when they’d landed, and he’d seen the devastation on Timothy’s face. This wasn’t supposed to happen. His father wasn’t supposed to die when he was fifteen cycles of life.

He’d tried to talk to Lily, but they’d been taken away so fast he’d not been able to say any more to her other than a brief farewell. When they’d gotten to the main transport hub on Amatia, he’d been shocked to see an envoy from the Kingdom of Fire. He thought he’d be staying with Lily and Tyler, at least for a little while. He’d tried to see where they took Lily, but there were so many Syren there as security that he’d been quickly ushered into a separate holding area with Timothy. They’d sat there for at least an hour before they’d been taken to a separate ship and told to strap in. Everyone had been extremely polite to them, but he wasn’t given any information even though he’d asked for it.

He’d nodded off in the transport shuttle along with Timothy. He didn’t know how long it’d taken them to reach the Kingdom of Fire, but when they had he’d been happy to see his uncle Kale, and his cousin Stevan there to greet him.

The sky rained her stars down on him, and he took in a deep breath as the King began to speak about his father.

“Many cycles of life ago a warrior was born into the Kingdom of Fire who would help shape the destiny of Amatia Prime. Kellen Tedor was blessed with an amazing mate, Sariah, and they in turn were blessed with two sons of fire, Talon, and Timothy. The destiny that Amatia has written for them was not an easy one. Sariah left to join our mother in the heavens many cycles of life ago, and Kellen left to join her four cycles of the moon ago.

Before he departed this life into his next, he traveled to Earth to live, and there he found the missing Prince and Princess of the Kingdom of the Sword. He endeavored to keep them safe, and did so at the cost of his own life. Such devotion to us, such sacrifice to us, is a debt that we can never repay him, or his sons. His actions instill pride within us, and we honor him today as we send his body to meet his heavenly form in the stars and reunite with his beloved mate.”

His speech was met with weeping, and Talon stood as the King walked away from the platform. He’d watched as his father had sent his flames into his mother, and he knew that he could do no less to honor his father. He pulled Timothy out of his seat and together they approached the raised stone altar.

Set in a cleared field, the Altar of Life was surrounded by hundreds of chairs filled with Syren who had come to pay their respects to his father. It was a large white altar covered with trees, and many flowers. His father’s shroud wrapped form was laid peacefully on top.

Talon gripped the wood at the base of the altar, and instructed Timothy to do the same. His brother’s flame was weak, but it was showing more and more the older he became. He felt the heat seep into his arms, and course down into his fingertips, and finally he felt it flow from his hands in waves of molten pain.

He refused to cry in front of the assembled Syren. He was Talon Tedor, a son of the House of Fire of the Kingdom of Fire, and he would not show his weakness, he would show his strength. His hair waved in the breeze, and he could feel beads of sweat running down his cheek as he finally let go, and the flames began to lick at the Altar of Life. He held on while they traveled up the side of the altar, and he screamed as they finally found his father’s body.

In one twist he let go, and the grass beneath him singed and crackled as his hands met the ground. His brother stood watching as tears rolled down his face, and Talon felt ashamed of his display of anger. Standing, he walked behind Timothy as the sky filled with his father’s ashes, and the wind caught them and took them across the land. Syren formed a circle around the altar, their hands outstretched adding flame to the fire, their heat, their love, their pride in his father mixed within.

The circle would not be broken until his father’s body was nothing but ash scattered in the wind, falling like rain in the air. His Syren soul was no longer present.

The light of the moons was fading, and the suns were cresting over the sky as the last of the remnants on the altar dispersed. Talon had stood silently off to the side the entire moonrise, and waited until every last piece of his father was gone.

It was time for him to leave, time for him to rest his eyes. His bones were weary, and he felt so much older than he was. He’d aged in the few days since he’d boarded Avedal One full of hope and purpose. He didn’t know what to do now. He knew where he wanted to be, but the direction his life had taken was something he never imagined Amatia Prime had in store for him.

“Talon.” He turned at the sound of the voice behind him. Falling to one knee he put his right hand over his heart in a sign of honor and respect for his King.

Derrick A’fal looked at the youth kneeling before him, and his heart hurt for his pain.

“Please stand up. Walk with me for a moment please.” Derrick’s deep voice was a soothing baritone. He wore his ceremonial battle uniform, but had shed the outer tunic some time in the middle of moonrise. With the sleeves of his uniform shirt rolled to his elbows he set off, knowing that Talon would fall in to step beside him.

“I’ve spoken at length with the King of the Sword, and he’s asked me to take you and your brother into the Palace of Fire until you are of age, and are mated. I know you have family here in your village, but I did want to give you the opportunity to tell me yes or no either way. You would have every advantage we could offer you at the palace.” Derrick stopped and turned towards him.

Talon stood looking towards the edge of the clearing where the homes of his people were built into the trees. He’d only been to the Palace of Fire one time when he was much younger, but he knew that his answer would be yes.

“If I do this, if I live in the Palace of Fire, will I be able to be in contact with Lily, I mean, the Princess of the House of the Sword?” Talon held his breath as he regarded his King.

“Did you become friends with her? Is there a reason that you want to be in contact with her?” Derrick already had a sneaking suspicion what the answer would be, but he wanted to hear it from Talon.

“I don’t know for sure, because I don’t think she even understands it, but I really do think that she’s my mate. I think she’s my Heart. I feel her, even now, in my soul. Every part of me wants to be with her, and it’s starting to kill me inside.” He hated the feeling, and he loved it. He couldn’t get thoughts of Lily’s silver and blonde mane of hair out of his mind. He saw the curve of her lips, and the blush of her cheeks in his dreams.

Derrick looked over at Talon and saw the hope and pain written on his face.
“I can make your desire known to the King of the Sword, but until Lily is able to understand our customs, and makes you her choice as her mate, you will have little say in the matter. Do you understand?” His brown eyes looked into Talon’s.
Talon swallowed before he answered. “I understand, Highness.”
“Then it’s settled, you and your brother will live with me until you’re of age. You may or may not be able to see Lily, but chances are higher living at the palace than here with your uncle. I think you’re making a wise decision.”
They both turned back towards the altar where Talon’s uncle was waiting, Timothy having fallen asleep and been taken back to their house hours before. He knew what he wanted, he knew what he needed, but he also worried that his mate wouldn’t understand, and worse, wouldn’t want him back.