Eternal Darkness (A Novel of the Amagarians Book 1) (19 page)

The elder snarled and tried to loosen the hold Drac’s claws had on his neck. His beast roared and leapt off the ground to meet him in the air. Drac twisted his claws together at the same time his beast opened massive jaws and rent the elder’s body
in two.

Dark, vicious satisfaction bled into both their minds at their kill. In a pulse of dark swirling
chakra,
the dracan disappeared and the tattoo reformed on Drac’s back as he swiftly rebuilt the psychic barrier. He landed as his king arrived with Lachlan
and Talon.

Wailing that signaled sorrow and devastation echoed through Saieke’s body and made her tremble. Her mind struggled to understand the sound she was hearing and what it could
possibly mean.

She floated in a state of semi consciousness, unable to grasp any sense of time in the overwhelming darkness that was strangely comforting.
Drac
, she delved into the abyss and sought comfort along the path he had ripped through earlier. She whispered his name and warmth like a gentle breeze filtered back
to her.

Drac?
She questioned confused. The pure warmth and tenderness she sensed felt alien coming
from him.

Rest
was
a dark caress that soothed her like nothing
else could.

The voice was his alone, and the emotions that rushed from him made her smile inside and relax. The pain filled keening was a distant sound that hovered at her consciousness. She strained to understand where it was coming from and fought the darkness that held her captive. There was a pain deep in her stomach. She held herself still as she remembered all that had happened. The discomfort was deep, but it was not severe, it lessened with each passing moment. She searched along her energy path to assess her injuries and paused. They were not as severe as they were when the darkan had ripped through her with
his claws.

Am I dead?
Her lips curled as amusement slid across her mind.
I am definitely not with the living world. Instead of rage and snarls I am getting amusement
, she thought affectionately
to him.

The impression of laughter flitted across
her mind.

This is really unfair, Drac
, she said
. It is not right that only when I am dead is when I can make
you laugh.

You are not dead and I am not laughing
, he returned with
no inflection.

I felt it. And if I am not dead,
then what?

You are recovering from your attack. I failed you my leika and it will not happen again. Never when you need me, will I not
be there.

Saieke let his words sink in. Pleasure rushed through her.
You did not fail me, she whispered. You came. And what does
leika mean?

He did not contradict her. Yet she felt a deadly and implacable resolve inside of him when he
had spoken.

My mate.

She smiled inside. A part of her was really beginning to like the phrase.
Are you
claiming me?

Cold silence.

I was so very afraid
, she said.
Cullen
and Chedra…

They are safe and you are all
being guarded.

My pain lessens with every passing moment. How is this possible without
the elixir?

There was a long pause before he slid against
her mind.

Not only has your hearing and vision changed, so has your physiology. You now heal at the same rate that
I do.

So I am becoming
a Darkan
.

She felt that deep amusement again.
No. From what I could glean from our tomes and scrolls, you should only adapt some characteristics. It is impossible for you to become a Darkan as you have no beast. It may take us a while to figure out what is happening, and until we do it must be a well-
guarded secret.

She contemplated that for a few moments.
Cullen and Chedra
are recovered?

Yes, because of you. Cullen would have died without the aid you rendered him. Chedra would have slowly healed, but the severity of Cullen’s wounds would have been too much for him to recover from. Our kingdom is in
your debt.

No debt
, she whispered back.
It is a kindness I would do for anyone, and I hope to call Chedra
my friend.

Unrelenting keening that bespoke unimaginable suffering slid across her consciousness
once more.

Someone suffers
. She felt his pause and then the recoil of his mind
from hers.

Sleep
. He commanded and then removed his mind from
hers fully.

Saieke reached out and felt her mind slide against his to be met with a barrier. She struggled to breach it, and tiring from her effort, fell into a deep sleep with the lingering thought that she really needed to address his constant need to give
her orders.

***

Gidon raised his brow at the small smile that curved the princess’s lips in sleep. She lay on a massive bed in Drac’s private rooms. Chedra and Cullen now recovered were being held tightly in Tzar’s arms. Every few minutes or so, Cullen would rush over and brush his lips against the princess’s cheek and then return to
his parents.

Gidon had received a report from Tehdra on what had transpired. A coldness born of rage had unfurled inside of him and had yet to subside. War could have been brought to their nation and everything he had worked ruthlessly for would have been jeopardized. The Mevians were working with Darkans. Mevia was a nation of immense size and strength. They had wealth and power and wielded them like weapons. He had read reports over the years on the beauty and destruction the Mevians controlled by
manipulating sounds.

They did not want the union of the Princess of the Wind to the Nurian king.
Why?
Her death on Darkan lands would have
brought war.

The Nurian king would have declared war as she was still his oath-bound queen. Gidon refused to think on what Drac’s reaction would have been. He did not think the princess had thought of that at all, when she opted to save the two Darkans she had only met today, instead of giving herself the elixir. Her compassion had stunned them all, and it had left many swearing repayment to her. Tzar and Chedra would do anything for her, for saving the life of their son. Even the high chancellor, Drac’s father, had been stunned speechless when Tehdra reported on what
took place.

No one had ever valued a Darkan life more than their
own before.

The healers had bathed her wounds and dressed them with infinite care. She lay beneath covers, clothed in the softest white caftan that flowed loosely around her. They had washed the debris and blood splatters from her hair and brushed it until it shone. They had all been amazed when the small scratches on her skin and face had healed
before them.

Even though Amagarians healed fast in general, it should have taken her a couple of days before they disappeared. She would be fully healed in a few hours at the rate that she was mending. Chedra also told him she was sure the princess could see perfectly in the dark. All who gathered in the room looked at her with
deep speculation.

Another eerie wail that bespoke horror rent through the air. It brought Gidon sharply out of his musing. He glided to the window and overlooked the dark. Lachlan and Talon came up beside him, and all in the room lifted their heads, inhaled deep and fed their beasts. The sounds that emitted from the Mevian under Drac’s claws as he tortured him for information were as sweet as nectar to them. The windows rattled and vibrated as the purity of his screams echoed over hills and settled over their lands. The dark became quiet as the Mevian screamed
no more.

“Let’s go” he commanded and he
shiktred
away with Lachlan and Talon
flanking him.

***

Drac perched on the turret high and looked out into the dark and wildness of his kingdom. They were threatened, and war hovered with intensity. He slowly rose when his king arrived with Lachlan
and Talon.

Tehdra and Tzar arrived behind them with his father on their heels. After disposing of the Mevians and the elder, he had moved directly to the turret and pondered deeply on how to move forward. It seemed as if war gathered despite Gidon’s attempt to start his reign
without one.

“The Mevian was a high chancellor on business for his emperor,” Drac said. “They have an agreement with certain Darkans in our land. When your reign is no more, Gidon, they will have an alliance
with us.”

“The Mevian nation desires an alliance with us?” Raki demanded. “Why not approach us so we
can negotiate?”

“What I have been able to glean is that Mevia’s emperor has a plan that can only be brought to fruition with Darkans by his side.” Drac
replied softly.

They all
considered that.

“What are they thinking?” Tehdra asked. “They could have approached our liege to discuss
an alliance.”

“It’s the kind of alliance they want, Tehdra. They want our skills in
delivering death.”

Coldness swept through all
of them.

“I have been approached by Mevia and Avindar for our services as killers. I turned them away. Those are not the grounds that we seek to negotiate on anymore. We are not only war and blood-letters. Many on the council disagreed,” Gidon
confirmed flatly.

“It has been years since we sold our might,”
Talon said.

Tzar spoke through gritted teeth. “The Mevians intend to
declare war?”

“To what end?” Lachlan snapped as he prowled, the only one in motion. “There is no conflict. Peace has reigned and the kingdoms are prosperous since the second
Great War.”

“Under what circumstances would they want our skills and might, if not for war?”
Tehdra asked.

“Gidon,” Drac said, “your ideals are anathema to what they desire. Many of our elders believe that the vision we are trying to fulfill is the wrong path. They desire the fear and cruelty that we resided under. The Mevians are confident that there will be a new ruler soon who will not oppose to
their vision.”

“The Kingmaker,”
Raki said.

Yes

“And what is their vision?” Gidon asked flatly, reining his darkness with
ruthless intensity.

“The High chancellor did not seem privy to
that information.”

Gidon’s body uncoiled into motion and glided around the turret thinking deeply. They stood motionless as they watched
their king.

“They assassinated my father because of our vision to rise out of the dark ashes of death. They believed I would have been more malleable?” He cocked his head thoughtfully. “No, they intend to try and remove me as well and claim my throne. The attack will come, and it has not been executed yet, because they need to succeed at the first wave. Whatever Mevia’s plan is, they cannot achieve it unless we are
with them.”

“Possibly,” Lachlan mused, “it could also be that with your reign, you would oppose their move when they
make it.”

“Would we?” Tehdra said. “Would we interfere where we have no alliance
or allegiance?”

“If our kingdom were consumed in flames of war, we would move against them. Thus the peace Gidon advocates contravenes their plan,”
Drac said.

“Why did they try to prevent the princess from fulfilling her kingdom’s promise to the Nurian king?”
Gidon asked.

Drac analyzed all her had learned before he spoke, “The emperor did not want the Nurian king to form any other alliance or allegiance. Whatever their plan is, it relies on that as well, and it is critical he forms no attachment. What I gleaned from the Mevian is that Darkans, Mevians and Nurians are working together to ensure your death Gidon, and the death of the
King Ajali.”

“There are Darkans in the kingdom of eternal fire?” Talon
queried sharply.

“Yes, working with traitors of that kingdom,”
Drac growled.

“If they are there to kill the Nurian king and they succeed and it is traced to the Darkage…” Lachlan closed his eyes and flowed away to overlook
their kingdom.

Drac understood.
War

“We need information,” Gidon said. “We must learn more before we act. We need spies within Nuria
and Mevia.”

“Tehdra,” Drac ordered, “infiltrate Nuria. Remove the presence of any Darkans found. Uncover as much as you can as to why Mevians and Darkans work to remove the King Ajali. If you discover anything that threatens our nation, eliminate it without it being traced back to
the Darkage.”

She inclined her head
and disappeared.

“I will send my lieutenant to Mevia,” Talon snapped and stepped into
the shadows.

“Lachlan, prepare yourself for departure as the princess rises. Her life hangs too much in the balance in the Darkage. The Mevians’ orders were to take her to their emperor, and if they could not take her, to kill her,”
Drac said.

“Why?” the high
chancellor demanded.

“The emperor would have forced her to marry him and stolen the allegiance for himself. He would then have heir-ship over her throne and control of their mountains and healing elixir. He thought if he could not have that, no-one else should, especially the
Nurian king.”

“He would murder the royalty of another nation?” the High chancellor demanded
genuinely shocked.

Drac frowned. “They have no alliance or allegiance. How would Boreas march on the Emperor? If they tried, he would have chewed them up and spat
them out.”

“Then he will not abandon his plans,” his
father said.

“Ah…but she is ours now,” Drac
said flatly.