Deciding Skies (Fate's Intent Book 2) (26 page)

He plunged his hips intensely into mine, making my cries close together without much time to breathe in between. I was becoming exhausted quickly and ready to stop but he didn’t seem to be. It was odd. He usually was when I was but not this time. He just kept going and going and all the good feelings soon vanished faster than they came.

I tried stopping it. I tried crawling up onto the bed so he would know I’ve had enough but he grabbed me and pulled me back forcefully, flipping me to my back. “Not yet, you little bitch. It’s time for you to learn.”

He wouldn’t let me get away and my cries to stop were bringing tears when I opened my eyes to the horror in front of me. This wasn’t Zayden! He would never have treated me this way. It was his father!

How could I had allowed it? I thought he was really him? Am I that crazy? Did I miss him that much? Everything was uncertain and I knew that I could stop it but the consequences for assaulting the Senian King would have been worse than death. There was nothing I could to but let this continue and put up with the pain of him infecting my mind and body to the ultimate torment of my betrayal to Zayden.

I laid still, trying to keep my pain at bay as I continued to be ravished to what seemed like no end. The darkness that formed outside fueled my loneliness and I didn’t seem to notice when Izin was finished with me until he moved away.

“You’re just like all his other dirty whores.” He leaned over me and touched my lips with his fingertips and ran them down my body. He leaned in to kiss me and I tried turning my head from side to side to stop it. “I hope you remember this night and what you’ve done because that was the last Senian you’ll ever get.”

He held my chin still and kissed me again. I quivered from it but never said anything. I turned my head away when he got up and tears escaped my eyes.

“Now, cover up.” He threw a blanket at me. “Your filth is burning my eyes.”

I remained quiet as I started to sit myself up and wrap myself in the blanket while moving to the head of the bed. I was terrified and I kept a sharp eye on Izin’s every move. I brought my knees close to my chest and I never blinked while looking at him. I couldn’t, afraid of what he would do if I looked away.

He sat himself in a chair feet from the bed and stared over at me as well. “Try to get some sleep. You’re going to need it for when you leave.”

I still didn’t move. I kept my eyes right on him.

“Sleep!” His voice was loud and demanding with his eyes growing black. “Or do you want me to come over there and show you what a real man is capable of?”

The threat only made me freeze longer, hanging on around my knees a little tighter. Izin’s eyes were hateful even after he allowed them to change back and he rose to his feet with steps straight to me while rolling up his sleeves to intensify the warning.

“No! Please!” I panicked and tried to back away but I was already as far as I could go. “Don’t!”

Izin stopped just before touching the bed. “Then sleep!”

I slowly unfolded myself and tried laying down just as slow with my eyes still on him. It was a fear I felt and it was something I’ve truly experienced for the first time. That moment in the kitchen didn’t compare to this. This was much worse. I knew the best thing to do was to do as he says but his eyes just kept watching me and I didn’t know if I could find sleep.

“Everything will be better by morning. Close your eyes. Dream of freedom.”

He sat down and I tried to. I closed my eyes but freedom wasn’t what was on my mind. Zayden was instantly there and I cried for him, trying not to let the sounds carry to Izin’s attention. I missed him but had no hopes in seeing him again after this. What would he think of me?

Chapter 35

Zayden

The night sky was dark, stars shining. The moon glowed brightly behind the coming clouds. I stared up at it from my balcony, hating the silence of being alone. It hasn’t been that long since Adele walked away from me in tears but I still missed her. Waiting for my father to leave so I could do something about it seemed like an eternity.

Sleep for me wasn’t an option tonight, not without Adele. I couldn’t even think to rest without her safely next to me. All the while I wondered what she was doing, how she was feeling or if she could even sleep at all without me there. Maybe she didn’t need me there. Maybe she just needed a warm body.

I turned away in disgust to my own thoughts and started to pace. She was being kept with my father and I knew who that other body would be but I didn’t want to think of it. To me, Adele was mine and should be with me. My father’s attempts to separate us wasn’t going to work. I wouldn’t let it. I was determined to see through my plan. I would escort Adele and the others safely back across the border where they would be free but I would go with them.

Everything seemed clear now. I knew what I wanted. It was her. This distance from her only made that thought for me stronger. I never wanted the life I was born into and this now gave me a solid reason to leave.

Lamar’s image came to me after I made up my mind and things started to blur again. Could I really do it? Could I really go and leave the throne of Seni to lesser men? I didn’t want that to happen but I did want Adele. The choice was mine but I could only choose one. I couldn't have her and the throne knowing where my father stood on the matter. I had to give up one future for the other.

I turned my eyes back up to the sky and traced the stars. I needed some guidance. “Mother. I wish I could have known you. I wish I could have seen what a difference you had on father. He’s heartless now. Why won’t he just accept change? He used to once, I hear but now he only forces tradition. How can I stay here? Would you think badly of me if I were to leave this place? Do you think that would make me an even worse son than I already am?”

The stars were silent. I was getting nothing answered and turned away with a sigh, leaning myself back on the stone railing.

“You’re not a bad son, Zayden.”

I quickly looked to my left from another voice and saw Darius standing out on his balcony with a cigar in hand. I almost hated how he could be so relaxed. “Thanks for saying so but it’s not your opinion to make.”

He laughed. “Well, I think I know you well enough. Just because you leave for her, doesn’t mean you’re going to give it all up.”

“You may recall what I said. If we go back with them we can never come back here.”

“At least not right away but we still may.” I was a little intrigued to hear more and let him continue. “Think about it. Yes, it’s going to be hard at first. Who the fuck knows what the General will think of it but the girls won’t let us be killed just as much as we’re saving them from it.”

“What’s your point?”

“Well, let’s skip all of the hard stuff and say he allows us to stay and accepts us to be with them.”

I laughed. “Yeah. Okay.”

“Stay with me. Say that happens. You’ve heard them talk about her, their Queen. What if something happened to her and the General then became King?”

“You planning on us killing her?”

“If the General miraculously accepted us then she would be the only thing standing in the way of us being with them for good. They would want to get rid of her, not just for us but apparently for the entire country by the way she’s described.”

“And that’s your plan? They kill her, the General becomes King and he decides to make peace with father after a twenty-plus-year feud just so we can come back here?”

He nodded. “More or less. I’m sure Adele would have her hand in his decision as she will when it comes to us. We’ve heard that he’s tried it once. I bet she could get him to try again.”

“How long have you been thinking about this?”

“It just came to me.”

“Really? Just like that?”

“Sounds pretty good, right?”

He took another hit off the cigar with a wide smirk and I nodded. He was right. It sounded like it could actually work after skipping over all of the hard stuff.

“You wouldn’t have to give up anything. At least if it worked out that way.”

“Where is Ruby?”

Darius laughed. “Don’t worry. She’s not hearing any of this. She’s sound asleep. You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ll get her back just as soon as father leaves. You know that.”

“I guess so but then I think we should.”

“Leave? That soon?”

“We’ll wait till nightfall at least and well into it. Tomorrow night. We leave when the city sleeps.”

“We’ll be ready.”

“Don’t tell her just yet. We’ll talk about it together more securely tomorrow.”

Darius nodded. “Try to get some sleep, will you? You’re going to need it.”

“I don’t know how well that will work out knowing where Adele is but I’ll try that. Goodnight.”

Darius turned away inside his room and I did the same. I didn’t change. I got right into bed the way I was and stared up at the ceiling. Darius’s plan would have made everything perfect but I knew that it wasn’t certain either. The paths ahead were deceiving. It wasn’t the path one had to look at but the skies above it. Deciding skies that were either clouded or sunny. Clouds had the potential to clear out whereas the sunny skies had the potential to become clouded. It was all very frustrating. Things could still go wrong no matter which one I chose and I just tried to look passed all that to something better.

Seth. I wish that I could see him as clearly as Adele had. He was described so perfect. I wanted to see everything she saw come true and realized for certain that I would relinquish the throne to get it. It would seem it was the clouded skies I would choose because I knew it would be sunny towards the end and Seth would be there. For now, we still had a fight coming in order to break through those clouds but we would do it because the rewards would be worth it.

Chapter 36

Kathryn

“Your majesty. Your majesty, wake up.”

Zayden opened his eyes. “Yes?”

“Your father is about to leave. He wishes you to see him off.”

He tried blinking several times and rubbed his eyes. “Oh, yes. Of course.” He got right out of bed without changing his clothes and he walked with me all the way outside to the stables.

Izin’s horse was being packed for him and he was standing beside Lamar, waiting for me to bring Zayden. “There you are.”

I walked passed them invisible and put a couple of things I was carrying in the saddle bag of his horse.

“Have a safe journey, father.”

“Yes. I plan to. Now, just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean that work stops. Lamar, I would like you to stand in my stead.”

“What?!” Zayden was instantly angry.

“Of course, your majesty.”

“See to it that everything gets done as it should smoothly. That is all.”

Lamar bowed his head and turned out of the stables.

“Father—”

“No, Zayden. You are not fit to do this right now. I sense there is too much on your mind. You will be distracted and nothing will get done.”

“But father—”

“No. That’s my final word on the matter. All you have to do is make sure the others remember the deadline for them to leave.”

“And Adele? Will I get to see her?”

“Do not mention her name so freely and no. You will not.” Zayden sighed. “Understand why, my son. It will make her leaving just that much easier.”

“But how is she going to know?”

“She’ll be informed. Kathryn will be staying behind to keep her sustained and you away from her.”

Zayden sighed again and glanced behind his father right at me. “I don’t believe this. Keeping us apart only makes us want to be together more.”

“And so is plain being together. This is for your own good, son. You know very well why.” Izin got up on his horse. “I return in four days. I trust that everything will be normal again when I do.”

“Whatever you wish, father.” Zayden bowed his head and Izin rode out of the stables. He kept his head down until his father was out of sight then looked up at me. “Where is she?”

I remained still. My expression wasn’t threatened but calm with a gentle smile starting to appear on my face.

“You can’t keep me from her.”

Still, I said nothing. My eyes were still on Zayden and I loved his determination for someone he loves. I knew what I had to do. Izin would forgive me eventually for this but I just knew I had to help.

The sound of the palace gates closing broke my stare. I glanced to the exit for a moment then right back to Zayden. “Follow me.”

I turned and Zayden followed to the door of his father’s quarters. “Is she in there?”

Zayden reached for the door knob but I stuck my arm across the door. “I need to warn you, Zayden.”