Blood Chained (Dark Siren Book 3) (6 page)

“Please.”

“Beings of legend, the master race who built all others, they are real. The siren was created for a greater cause. But when the treachery of our Primes threatened that cause, Builders took her and wiped all memory of the massacre from the children’s minds.”

With a vicious laugh, Coren clapped one…two…three times. “This is preposterous.”

In a calculated risk, Rhane lifted his head and directly beheld the Mothers for the first time in four centuries. Since ascending to her new position, Coren’s skin seemed to have paled almost enough to match the white hair curtained about her thin shoulders. Her eyes were icier—two glaciers in an alabaster sea. She laughed, while Seppina looked on with open disapproval. Jethra, wordless throughout the hearing, wore no expression.

One by one, they noticed Rhane’s eyes upon them. He knew that with the passing of time, many things had changed about him. He was older, stronger, and wiser. But his eyes—orbs cursed with the color of bane silver—had remained the same.

Evidently, the Mothers had forgotten them. Coren hissed as her entire body recoiled. Seppina emitted a startled gasp and drew herself upright. But for the ghost of a smile hinting at her lips, only Jethra remained unmoved.

Rhane met the Old Mother’s surprised look with an unblinking stare. Then he rose to his feet. After a moment, he heard the echo of Jehsi’s boots against marble as he also stood behind him. “I’ll tell you another truth. These words were already known to you.”

Seppina’s eyes narrowed in warning. “You traverse dangerous ground, Banewolf. Your father came to us, begging for mercy. Now you repay our goodwill with unfounded accusations.”

“But they are not unfounded. Are they?”

The Old Mother’s white skin darkened to a rather bright shade of pink. Coren looked particularly unstable, ready to explode. Jehsi waited serenely, hoping with all his heart that Rhane’s gamble would be successful. With good providence, Gareth had secured a place within Warren’s guard. So if a mandate was given to destroy the boy, the guide could intervene, lead him to a defensible position and hold off capture until Rhane and Jehsi could fight a way to them. But they were four to four hundred. Plan B would be a bloodbath, probably get them all killed, and was therefore a last resort.

Rhane continued in the Mothers’ silence. “I knew our Primes were corrupt. The evidence of their betrayal was unavoidable. But when my father confessed knowledge of the caverns within the Gobi outpost, all other pieces fell into place. If the Primes knew, the Mothers knew also. You know the secret of our origins and the reality of the Builder race. Your very nature brings your cause in union with that of our Primes. You all strive for purity, for control. You want what they want. And you’ll do anything to get it, including the genocide of your own people.”

“Enough!” Seppina roared. The air rippled with waves of power as she rose from the throne in a cloud of fury. “You do not know what you speak of!”

“Your son and grandson hold two of three positions within the ruling triumvirate. Coren, the wife of your son and mother of your grandson, sits alongside you as Mother. Only the line of Whytetree stands in your way. We always have. If only Ptolen and Silas had been successful in killing Jehsi, your bid for power would have already succeeded without resistance.”

“This is your final warning.” White sparks crackled like lightning at Seppina’s fingers. Between them charged a current strong enough to stop even a superhuman heart.

“Rhaven was just a boy. He played in your arms. He trusted you. How could you hurt him? Was his blood not pure enough to survive your madness?”

The Old Mother’s eyes went blood red with ruptured capillaries. Tears spurted as she gnashed her teeth in anguish. “I warned her!” she shouted, turning her fury on Jethra. “I warned her so she could save him.” The lightning in her hands intensified. “His death falls on your head. Damn you all, Whytetree.”

“Seppina, control yourself.” Jethra rose from her throne with a calmness that rivaled her sister’s fury. “This is not our way.”

Rhane and Jehsi looked back and forth between the two women. Neither was sure of what would come next. Coren’s involvement had been a certainty and Seppina’s almost without question. But Rhane nor Jehsi had imagined that Jethra could have betrayed her own son by plotting his murder. It was a huge miscalculation. If all three Mothers were against them, there was nothing left to stand on. Both men readied themselves. Plan B was about to detonate into action.

Seppina’s voice dropped to a bitter whisper. “We have lost our way.” In a blur of movement, her body whipped around and lightning blasted from her hands, spiraling toward Jehsi and Rhane in a funnel of death. Rhane hadn’t banked on immediate execution. But the bane wolf was always there, right at the surface and ready to take hold. Fur already covered his arms and face as he stepped in front of his father. Then he sensed the wind of another rush past him. There was an explosion of light—blinding, searing light. But Rhane felt nothing else. When the white-out cleared, Jethra’s form stood before him. For several seconds, her body was radiant as it absorbed damage from Seppina’s attack. When the glow was gone, Jethra opened her eyes and spoke. “I will not sacrifice my sons.”

Coren was not swayed. “They know the truth. They must die.”

“No. There is another way.”

The Old Mother shook her head. “If there is, sister, I do not see it.” The lightning was gone. It seemed that after the initial surge of anger, her appetite for homicide had dissipated. At least, Rhane hoped so.

Jethra turned to her sisters. Her voice was hard, her tone irrefutable. “Their knowledge of our plan changes nothing. We are no closer to our goal than when we started.” Looking back to Rhane, she eyed him strangely, with an expression he could not quite decipher. “We can use him.”

Chapter 9

“This was so not the deal, Kali.”

“Same deal, different time frame. We’re being adaptable.”

“Oh, that’s what we’re calling twisting my arm?”

She tried changing the subject. “I can’t believe Rhane owns a twenty million dollar jet.”

“Rhane doesn’t own it,” York snapped. “It’s a community jet. Community funded. We all own it.”

“Come on, York. This is more than a seven thousand mile road trip. Are you going to be cranky the entire way?”

“Probably.” York fumbled with the reclining mechanisms of the seat, struggling to settle in for the long haul. He spared a glance to the opposite side of the aisle where Kali sat. “I’m not crazy about flying.”

“You mean you’re afraid. Jeez. You Warekin and your phobias.”

“Hey, don’t lump me in the same dough with Rhane. I’m not going to come unhinged. No way.” He adjusted the seatbelt for the third time. “It’s a control thing. That’s all.”

“Right.” Kali looked around the ten passenger cabin. Rion and Bailen both seemed to be doing okay, sharing the couch but still undecided on who got dominant space. On the opposite side of a small table, Orrin occupied a seat facing her. But his eyes were on York, twinkling with amusement as they observed his struggle for composure. Dmiri and River were seated at the back of the cabin in a cozy lounge area. The way the two of them engaged in quiet conversation made Kali uneasy. She didn’t know why. It wasn’t like Dmiri couldn’t handle River. Maybe it was because the kindred soldier might handle him too well. His intuitive nature was almost uncanny.

Absent was Matthias. He’d chosen to sit this venture out. Really, his mission only involved guarding Kali at high school. And he seemed homesick at times. A few days with his pack was probably precisely what he needed.

“You keep watching them.”

The sound of Orrin’s soft voice jostled her attention. “W-what?”

“You keep watching them,” he repeated.

Kali fidgeted with her sleeve and then took an abrupt interest in her fingernails. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“He’s right,” York interjected. “And it’s been that way since Rhane left. Tension practically shreds the air whenever you and River are in the same room.”

Raising her eyes, Kali immediately found River staring right at her. Pain jolted through her chest, causing her to look away. “See,” York said. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. What happened between you two?”

“I can’t say,” Kali muttered miserably. “York, he can hear us, you know.”

“Of course.” York shrugged. “Everything should be out in the open anyway. We’re about to go behind enemy defenses and put our asses on the line, trusting one another to have each other’s back. That’s a hell of a lot easier to do if there are no secrets.”

Blowing impatiently, Kali shoved the hair out of her eyes. She’d cut it recently. Flat ironed stick straight, the extra-long bangs were a bad idea. She glanced at River. He still watched her. “It’s actually something between me, him, and Rhane. And until we get Rhane back, things are going to stay exactly the way they are.” At her words, River’s cheeks flushed and he turned away. The pain in her chest eased a little.

“Okay.” York fanned his hands. “I’m just saying. I’m not the guy’s biggest fan either. But I can see him really trying. He’s pulled his weight. Hell, we’ve allied ourselves with the kindred and trusted Gabriel five times too many. River is family. If you can’t tell me what went down with him, maybe you can put it behind you. Give him another chance.”

“You really think I should?” Her voice sank to a whisper with the hope of masking the quiver of emotion that threatened to break it. Hot tears sprung at the corners of her eyes. In time, maybe she could forgive him. But no matter how hard she tried, she could never forget.

York suddenly didn’t seem so certain. “Jesus, Kali, what the hell happened?”

She jumped to her feet, hurriedly wiping away the tears. York was right. They were about to go on a dangerous mission. There was no way she could tell him what was really wrong without eroding the crucial unity that had developed between the Warekin during the last winter. She’d missed her chance to tell Rhane the awful truth. Now she lived with that decision every day. She just had to stay clear of River, and hold on a little longer. Rhane would come back to her soon. “It’s nothing. You’re right. I need to give him another chance.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw River rise to his feet. Worry marred his usual placid features. Out of nowhere, yet from everywhere, the scent of his skin and hair and leathers surrounded Kali, filling her nose and mouth as she moved beneath him. Kali wheezed out a strangled gasp. “I need some air,” she managed to say, and walked away.

“Kali, wait.”

“No.” Orrin’s firm but soft voice stopped York from trying to follow. “I have her.”

“Be quick,” York replied curtly. “We need to take off soon.”

It should not have been possible, but Orrin had grown another inch in the last few months and nearly stood eye to eye with York these days. He’d also broken new ground in the area of conveying sarcasm. “Certainly, Mr. Sensitivity.”

Moving past York in an aisle almost too narrow to accommodate the both of them, he caught up to Kali at the rear exit. Unsure if she could meet his gaze without shattering, she averted her eyes to the floor. “Thank you,” she said quietly. Placing one hand at the small of her back, he hit the door release and guided her down the steps. Bailen followed closely and sat at her feet on the runway. Away from the others, she collapsed into Orrin. It had been too much to handle alone. She’d had to confide in someone. Maybe it was because in losing his twin brother, Orrin had suffered as great a loss as she. But she’d told him her secret. He knew the truth.

Orrin was a solid wall and supported her full weight with absolute ease. He held her exactly like she needed to be held, and without speaking. There were no words to fix what was broken, no words to ease the shame inside.

In a few breaths her tears were dry. But as she stepped away, Orrin inflicted the slightest touch of pressure at the base of her neck. A warning. Kali stiffened. “What is it?”

“On the tarmac,” he whispered.

Turning around, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Cal. He was less than a hundred feet away and quickly closing the distance. “Were you really about to leave without saying goodbye?”

Kali shook her head. “Cal, you can’t be serious.” Orrin pressed so close to her, their bodies were almost touching. Bailen had gotten to all fours.

“I am. Are you going to be okay without me?”

It was a good question. Her feedings had increased in both frequency and intensity. Taking from the kin was out of the question. Gabriel’s strength easily tripled theirs and he barely endured the reaping of energy needed to satisfy her.

“I’ll figure something out.”

“Okay.” Cal shoved his hands into his pockets. “I wish I could go with you. But I can’t. Gabriel’s preparing for something big here.” As concern bubbled to her face, Cal shook his head quickly. “Don’t worry. It doesn’t involve you.”

Kali narrowed her eyes. “You’ve been a good friend, Callan. And I’ve trusted you. Don’t do anything to change that.”

He nodded. “I won’t.” Smiling sadly, he reached for her but stopped when Bailen and Orrin each ripped out soft growls of warning.

“Take it easy, boys.” Cal’s gaze shifted to above her head and grew serious. “I do have a message to deliver. Gabriel thought it’d freak you out less if I approached the plane instead of him…since you can sense the difference between us now.”

Unexpectedly, York’s voice boomed from behind. “Time is short. Say what you came to say.”

“Don’t trust them.”

“What?”

“The Builders. Do not trust them.”

Kali frowned in confusion. She couldn’t believe he’d come so far to say that. “We know what we’re doing.”

“Yeah. You promised to retrieve The Siren’s Heart. In exchange, they’re going to help get your boyfriend back. But they’re not. They’ll only betray you.”

York scowled. “How do you know that?”

“A certain leggy intern at the office is one of Gabe’s minions, remember?”

Neither York or Orrin said anything in turn, so Kali spoke in their silence. “Callan…Gabriel, we know what they did to you. They took away your freedom, left you in that awful state for nearly a millennium. I know we can’t trust them. But we have to try.”

He knelt down. Face to face with Bailen, he took the canine’s great head into both hands. Bailen allowed it but whimpered softly. “They stole much more than my freedom.”

Just like that, Gabriel had taken dominance. Straightening, he leveled a gaze onto each of them and backed away. “Safe journey, Darkesong.”