Black Orchid (18 page)

Selene
stood in front of what had become her throne on a dais in the main hall. She
could feel the weight of exhaustion and responsibility and impossible choices
weighing her down until she thought she might buckle from the pressure.

She’d
spent the last three days going nonstop.  She still couldn’t believe that her
parents were awake and well. And, now, word of their recovery had spread
through her people. She waited, patiently… always patiently… for the angry
voices around her to quiet down.

Finally,
finally
, silence descended on the room, and Selene rose gracefully. She
had no idea how the next moments would go. And she couldn’t even say with
certainty that she knew how she wanted this to turn out.

She
glanced at the Jenners and Pierces lined up off to the side. Griffin wasn’t
there, still hiding his inability to morph back to human from all but her
Council. She felt his absence like an added stone in her already heavy burden.

“The
rumors you have heard are true,” she started. “My parents have woken from their
stasis. They have no memory of the last century or so. We don’t know why they
suddenly woke up now, although Dexter Pierce’s mother’s memory has also been
restored. We do believe those two facts are linked.”

“Where
are they? Why can’t we see them?” a voice from the crowd called out.

“They
asked that I make the announcement before they appeared before you.” She nodded
to Angelica, who opened a door leading to a small chamber. Her parents moved
into the room to stand beside her. Their dear faces made her heart swell with
love and gratitude that they were alive. Her father was still a mountain of a
man, although his dark hair had some grey at the temples now. Her mother was a
lovely, older version of Selene.

Her
father gave her an encouraging smile, his eyes twinkling just as they used to,
despite the seriousness of the situation. The room hushed. And then, slowly,
everyone who could morphed to their wolf forms and bowed low before the old
King and Queen of the Vyusher. Sadness flitted across her parents’ faces. They
might be awake and alive, but they still had no powers. Gideon had forced
Selene to remove their supernatural abilities long ago.

Her
father held up his hand.

“We
cannot morph any longer. That has not changed. But we thank you for your warm
welcome home.”

“Who
will rule?” a voice from the crowd called out.

“We
cannot rule,” Selene’s mother answered in her sweet, soft voice. “Not when we
can’t be part of the pack.”

“You
can!” someone shouted. Selene kept her bland expression with difficulty as she
recognized Xavier’s voice. Her High Council had been in deliberation about who
would rule these last days, still with no solution. Selene had decided to let
the people determine their own course.

Xavier
stepped forward. “We have a Svatura here now who can make people into wolf
metamorphs. It’s her special power. So you do have the option.”

“No,”
Selene snapped. She was sick of having this argument with him. Without Desmond
there to temper his father, Xavier was back to being a royal pain.

She
turned to face the people staring at her. Selene never snapped. “There’s a
fifty-percent chance that they would die. And even if they survived, it’s not
guaranteed that it would work quite right.”

She
thought of Griffin, trapped in his animal form, hiding from life. For her.

“Just
because it didn’t work for your
te’sorthene
doesn’t mean it wouldn’t
work for Harold and Marguerite.”

An
excited murmur, tinged with anger, moved through the room, followed by shouts
of “What does he mean?” and “What have you done?”

“Griffin?”
Selene called
mentally as she waited for the outcry to die down.

“Just
outside the door. Have Angelica let me in.”

Selene
nodded, and Angelica opened the door. A moment later Griffin padded in on all
fours to stand beside her. Total silence followed in his wake.

“It
did work for my
te’sorthene
,” Selene said.

“Why
can’t we hear him then?” Xavier asked.

“We
don’t know. He hasn’t bonded to the pack yet, we think.”

“And
he can’t get out of the morph,” Xavier added.

This
time, the furor that arose threatened to escalate into all-out violence.

*****

Adelaide
watched in horror as the Vyusher seemed to turn against Selene and Griffin.
More and more people shifted into their wolf forms. They bared their teeth,
snarling and snapping. The angered barks and growls filled the room with a
deafening welling of sound. A few wolves even lunged at Selene, only to slam
into Griffin’s shield.

She
knew the time had come to do something. If anyone could help them right now, it
was she. Granted, she didn’t have Nate here to help her stop the shaking and to
prevent the transformation that she feared, but Adelaide had to take that
chance.

Accessing
her power to see relationships, Adelaide focused in on the white strands of
glittering light that she could see connecting every wolf in the room. Every
single one except Griffin. But now that they knew of his existence, maybe she
could do what she’d been unable to before.

Reaching
out, she laid a single finger gently on one of the relationships crossing
directly in front of her. Voices, sharp and scared, filled her head. The wolf
pack’s thoughts splintered around her, through her, in her. But her practice
with telepathy paid off, and she was able to quiet the voices. She couldn’t
silence them completely, but she could concentrate at least.

Before,
when she’d tried to change a relationship, she’d physically wrestled with it. It’d
worked with Ariel, but not with her and Nate or with Griffin. Now, instead of
trying to force the connection with Griffin, she closed her eyes and
concentrated on the gossamer-fine thread itself. Through only a gentle touch,
she tried to do what she’d seen her father do countless times when he healed
someone’s body.

She
imagined how she felt with her own family. She thought of the love and
understanding and acceptance she received through that relationship. She grew
that feeling inside her own heart first, and a warmth started to spread through
her, the tendrils starting deep inside and then unfurling slowly throughout her
being.

Then,
holding on to a picture of the devotion she’d seen between Griffin and Selene,
she imagined feeding the warmth through her fingers and into the relationship
she touched. She pictured a glow deep within her spreading from her fingertips
and into the line, lighting it up from within and making it glisten with a
light that hadn’t been there before.

Opening
her eyes, Adelaide gasped. Exactly what she’d seen in her mind’s eye was
happening. And the glow was spreading from thread to thread, like dew on a
spider web. In wonder, she watched as it began to stretch from Selene to where
Griffin stood beside her. And then another thread formed, stretching to another
wolf and then to another and another.

“Griffin,”
she thought to
him, not wanting him to be shocked when he suddenly felt the pack mind.
“You
need to see this.”

She
left her thoughts open to him so he could see exactly what she was doing. And
it couldn’t have come too soon. The crowd’s anxiety was starting to build into
a frenzy. Griffin said nothing, but she felt him watching with her as the lines
connected. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash, although only Adelaide could
see it.

Immediately,
Griffin’s body shimmered with the mirage-like wavering that heralded a morph.
And then, where there’d been a massive golden wolf, a man now stood. He had
short dark blond hair, and even from her vantage point several feet away,
Adelaide could see his unusually colored amber eyes.

There
was a gasp throughout the room as they felt his mind connect with theirs at the
same time as he shifted. Selene’s hands flew to cover her gasp. Then, with a
cry, she threw herself into his arms, tears pouring down her face as she sobbed
her relief and happiness. Selene and Griffin stole a brief, private moment to
look deep into each other’s eyes, and then they turned back to face the
Vyusher.

“Harold
and Marguerite will decide for themselves if they want to risk being turned
back into wolf metamorphs. But they will not be your rulers either way,” Selene
announced. “I am your Queen, and you are looking at your future King.”

Harold
nodded and clapped a hand on Griffin’s shoulder while grasping Selene’s hand in
his other. “That is our decision as well,” he announced.

Griffin
stepped forward, focusing a hard glare on the assembly. “Selene is your Queen
and has led you with only the best interests of the Vyusher in her heart every
step of the way. You
owe
her your allegiance for what she’s done over
the
centuries to
protect you. And now, as her
te’sorthene
and future King, and as one of
you, I will demand your allegiance as well.”

Adelaide
wasn’t sure what he did next, but Griffin seemed to grow in stature, or maybe
everyone else in the room shrunk. One by one, they all shifted and then bowed
low, as they had just done for their former rulers.

Adelaide
was thrilled, despite the constant worry in her mind for Nate. Selene and
Griffin were whole again, and they were accepted. They could now move on with
their lives as fated lovers.

Finally.

The
joyous moment didn’t last long. Griffin suddenly jerked upright, and Selene
gasped. “What is it?”

First
he turned to Charlotte, sending her some kind of silent message. With a nod she
vanished.

“There’s
been a development,” Griffin announced. “Desmond’s back.”

“Does
he have Maggie?” Selene asked.

“Yes.
He has a few people.”

Adelaide’s
heart stuttered. “Nate?”

Griffin
grimaced. “We don’t know for sure. Doesn’t sound like it, though. Charlotte’s
getting them now.”

Struggling
with the high and then low she’d just hit, Adelaide gave a jerky nod. Suddenly,
Charlotte appeared with four people in tow. Adelaide felt her last shred of
hope disappear as she saw Desmond with three women she didn’t recognize. And no
one else. Her dream filled Adelaide’s mind. There was no way that had just been
a dream.

Desmond
immediately moved to stand before Selene and Griffin. “Gather the troops now.
There was an uprising going on, which allowed us to escape. Nate killed some
woman named Melanie, and I think that triggered it.”

Lila
gasped. “She’s the one who tried to put me in that stasis fog.”

Desmond
nodded at her. “Well, when Nate took her out, I think anyone in stasis or
anyone under her brainwashing was released, because Maggie woke up, and
everything turned to chaos. The confusion allowed us to get out. I know where
the base is. We need to move fast and hit hard while they’re disorganized.”

Selene
clenched her hands. “Griffin, summon every Vyusher and Svatura ally to us. I’m
bringing the castle down on top of that bastard’s head. We end this today.”

Everyone
in the room shifted, but no one protested. This is what they’d been preparing
for, fighting for. The time had come.

For
such a large mobilization, the Vyusher accomplished everything quickly. Within
hours they were ready to go. As things were coming together, Adelaide grabbed
Selene’s arm and pulled her off to the side. “I have an idea,” she said.

Selene
raised her eyebrows. “I’m all ears.”

“I
think I can break Maddox’s pack relationship.”

Selene
frowned. “What about your dragon? Won’t that put too much stress on you?”

Adelaide
grimaced. “I don’t think so. I’ve had a lot more control lately. Although I’d
feel a little more confident if I knew we’d find Nate. He helps me sometimes.
But I think I’ve got it without him.”

Selene
gave Adelaide’s arm a squeeze. “If your dream is right, he might be under
again… with them.”

Adelaide
swallowed, but nodded. “We’ll have to take that risk. Breaking that hive mind
could be key. At the very least, it’ll force them into confusion when they can
no longer hear each other.”

Selene
nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll send Sheila and Griffin with you. Between her
tracking and his shield and telepathy, hopefully they can get you to him while
the fighting keeps Maddox’s attention diverted.”

But
Adelaide shook her head. “No. Get me in ahead of the attack.”

Selene
held up both hands. “No way. I can’t risk you and anyone else we’d have to
send. We need everyone to go up against Maddox if he goes dragon. Especially
with Ellie’s powers so off. Besides, I don’t want to jeopardize the advantage
surprise will give us.”

“But
if I can neutralize most of his fighters, then it allows all of us to
concentrate on only a few or possibly just on Maddox. Part of his power is in
his numbers. And most of those numbers were forced. If I can get to Nate fast,
I could even conceivably cut those relationships before you arrive.”

Selene’s
lips compressed and her jaw clenched. “Okay. Who do you need?”

“I
need Charlotte, but just to get us down there. I need Desmond – he’s good for
cover.”

Selene
shook her head. “We need him to get us to the right place and to keep the
castle invisible until we’re in position. But Sheila,” she pointed at the
shifter who’d just returned to them, “she’s intimately familiar with the base
and can possibly locate Nate once you’re in there.”

“I’ll
go,” a gruff voice sounded from behind them, and they turned to see Griffin.

Selene
frowned. “No!”

Behind
him was the whole family. Hugh and Lucy. Charlotte and Dexter. Ellie and Alex.
Lila and Ramsey. Only Nate was missing.

Griffin
moved to Selene’s side and took her face between his hands. “I can hide us and
protect us with my shield. I can hear the thoughts of those around us once
we’re in, possibly even Nate. If he’s under, I might be able to help bring him
back. And as your future King, it makes sense to have one of us watching over
each major element of this plan. And this,” he nodded at Adelaide, “is key.
Agreed?”

Selene’s
eyes welled with tears that Adelaide could understand. Griffin had only just
come out of being permanently wolf… had only just been accepted by the Vyusher.
For the first time, the lovers could be together openly and completely. Only to
possibly lose each other in the midst of the battle. To enter that situation
separated was nothing short of heart-wrenching.

“Agreed,”
Selene whispered through trembling lips. Griffin pressed his mouth to hers
softly.

“I’ll
come back to you,” he promised, pulling her into his arms.

Adelaide
gave them their moment but then cleared her throat. “I… um… have one more thing
I need before we go.”

All
eyes turned on her.

“I
need my memories. If I’m going in there, I need to be able to recognize friends
and enemies. And I need full access to my powers.”

“But
the pain could kill you,” Lila gasped.

Adelaide
gave Lila a soft, sad smile. “Saving my family and my
te’sorthene
is
worth the pain, don’t you think?” she whispered.

“I
do,” Ramsey said. He came up and wrapped his arms around Lila.

“We
all do,” Ellie said. Alex nodded at her side.

Adelaide
took a deep breath. “Griffin?”

She
made sure all of her mental defenses were down, and then she waited. Suddenly,
a picture of a younger, smirking Nate flashed in her mind. The first time she’d
met him. Then another one of Nate laughing as he took off into woods with Lila
on his back. Then more images coming faster and faster… Nate laughing, Nate kissing
her, Nate holding her, Nate tickling her feet, Nate never far from her side.

Other
memories were there too. Time spent with her family. The introduction of each
new member. All the schools she’d attended. Meeting Ellie and Griffin. The
places they’d lived. The battles they’d fought.

Tears
trailed down her cheeks as pain tempered by love flowed through her. She waited
for more… for debilitating agony to rip though her. But it never came.

“That’s
it,” Griffin murmured.

Adelaide’s
looked from face to face. “What did you do?”

The
other three girls glanced at each other, mouths ajar. “Nothing,” Ellie said.

Adelaide’s
brow puckered. “Shouldn’t I be screaming in agony right now? Or something?”

They
looked at each other again and all shrugged.

“Well,
let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth,” Lucy said. “Thank heaven you’re
okay. But it’s time for you to go.”

They
all froze at her words. Adelaide knew that her plan was the right thing to do,
but now that the time had come to leave the family she’d only just truly
remembered, she didn’t want to go. Only the thought of Nate, trapped and under
Talia’s spell yet again, kept her determination intact.

Adelaide
nodded. Suddenly they were all hugging and crying and saying goodbyes that they
hoped weren’t the last. It reminded her so much of a memory only just returned
to her of when they’d fought Gideon and the Vyusher. Only things were so much
different this time around.

Adelaide
moved to her parents to be enfolded in their arms. “I know I’ve been… absent…
lately,” she choked out.

Lucy
held her tighter. “Don’t. We understood. You go save Nate. Save your
te’sorthene
.”

Adelaide’s
heart silently shredded into tiny pieces. While she remembered him now, they’d
tried to fix their relationship, and it hadn’t worked. So she wasn’t saving
Nate for herself. He wasn’t hers anymore. But this compulsion she felt to find
him and to make sure he was safe was for him. She’d risk her life for Nate.

“Then
he is your te’sorthene,”
Lila’s voice sounded in her mind.

Adelaide
turned from her parents’ arms to see Lila standing behind her. “The bond might
not be fixed, but the feelings are true. Don’t ignore that, and don’t think it
isn’t real.”

After
hugging Lila, Ramsey, Alex, and Ellie, Adelaide moved to stand in front of
Charlotte and Dexter. She took a deep breath. “I didn’t remember you—”

“Oh
honey, that’s not your fault. And we will always love you,” Charlotte said.

Adelaide
gave her a sweet smile. “But while my memory was gone, Nate talked about you.”

Charlotte
grasped Dexter’s hand tightly.

Adelaide
continued. “I think you should know that he loved you both very much. The guilt
he felt over what he considered to be his weakness in betraying us, a lot of
that was about me, but a lot was about you too. And you should know that all
the memories he shared with me – about both of you – were filled with love and
happiness.”

Adelaide
almost lost it as Dexter’s face crumpled. “Thank you,” he choked. He pulled her
in so that both of them could give her a hug.

Adelaide
stepped back and looked around at her family. They were being divided today.
Please
God, just let us be reunited when all of this is over.