Determinant -Guardians of Vesturon [3] (31 page)

I took a seat across the table from him.

“So, what do we need to do before we contact Herdekian?”

“I fear his reaction when he discovers his father did not make it out alive and that we know not where his sister is.”

“As do I. Any news from Therron? If anyone can get her to safety, it is Therron. I only wish he would contact us.”

“The sooner we notify Jurek the better,” I mused.

“Thesta will be meeting us in the War Room in a few minutes. Since he was Team Commander, he will thoroughly brief us on all the details.”

I nodded then asked, “What about Saylan? Any news?”

Rayn shook his head, “Not a word. Maddie is contacting everyone Saylan may have been in touch with but so far there is nothing.”

“And Xarrid?”

“He is as you were when January was first taken.”

“Shall I speak to him?”

“You can try but I doubt he will answer at this point. He is tracking all of her last moves, hunting for some kind of clue. He is in deep water too for the Xanthians have closed ranks on us. If he does not leave soon, he may be trapped. Father is beyond upset over this whole debacle.”

“Nothing has gone as planned, and that it the truth!”

I absently rubbed the back of my neck, trying to ease the tension Rayn’s words brought. I hated that for Xarrid. I didn’t know at what state his relationship with Saylan was, but if he had any feelings for her he must surely be going mad right now.

“Agreed. We better head over to the War Room where Thesta will supply us with all the facts.”

Thesta was waiting on us as we arrived at the Command Center. We determined there was nothing the team could have done to prevent the turn of events. They were moving to leave the prison when two armed guards halted them. Boland Herdekian told the Guardians to get his daughter to safety while he intervened. It was just enough time for the last Guardian to get Zulietta to Therron, but Boland sacrificed his life in the process.

Rayn and I decided to call Jurek here to the Compound and relay the information as such.

*****

My heart thrummed in anticipation as we waited for their arrival. I stood stock still, my fists by my side, clenching and unclenching them. Even though Talasi assured me January had been well cared for, a million questions still zinged through my mind. Had he treated her kindly? Or had he been cruel to her? What would her mental state be? Or her physical state?

A few minutes passed when we heard a popping sound and they appeared across the terrace.

My expectations left me unprepared for what greeted me. January was...
glowing
! I had expected her to be distraught and haggard, but instead she was beaming.

My eyes quickly darted to
him
and I noticed a much more pleasant look on his face than the last time he was in my presence.

What is going on between them?

I tried to mind probe her but nearly staggered when I found she was totally blocking me! As I stared at her, her smile began to fade. She still clung to the Herdekian’s arm but what was nearly my undoing was when he patted her hand with his!
What the bloody hell was going on here?

Jurek Herdekian’s eyes drilled into mine as he said, “Calm down Guardian. Your female here is fine and you have nothing to worry about!”

My brows shot up so high it felt like they left my head altogether. I could not have been more shocked by the interaction between them. I shook my head and stalked over to January. I latched onto her free hand and began towing her inside the house when I heard, “If you harm even one hair upon her head, I will destroy you and your family!”

My body froze and without turning I released her hand and between clenched teeth I gritted out, “Go to him. If he is what you want... Go!” I burst into the house, and didn’t slow down until I reached the den.

“Rykerian, stop!” she called. “You are wrong about this. You are
so
wrong. It’s not what you think!”

I spun around and spat, “Then, by all means, why do you not enlighten me?”

“I... I...”

“Go on! I am waiting. I am waiting to hear an explanation from the female I have fallen apart at the seams over because I thought she was in danger. I am waiting to hear why, when she finally arrives here, she is
glowing
and behaving as if she were attending a bloody garden party. I am waiting because I want to hear from her lips how she can be having such a grand time when LIVES WERE LOST AT HER EXPENSE!” My voice had reached a thunderous level that I felt the floor vibrate. I was way past furious.

Her eyes had become saucers and her lower lip began trembling. The blood had drained from her face leaving behind the ghost girl I had fallen in love with. I was so angry I could not stop myself from going in for the kill...the kill with hateful words.

“Do you even realize what has taken place here? Do you know that Kennar, our most loyal Guardian whom I had trusted with my life many times, was killed? He was like my brother January! Do you know how my family contrived to retrieve you and that...that
creature’s
family? Do you know how much pain you’ve caused us?” I knew every word was a knife to her heart but I could not stop myself from inflicting more.

“I thought I knew you. I thought you were a
good, kindhearted and loving
female, but I must have been wrong about you.” I tore my hands though my hair as I screamed out my frustrations.

I heard her mumble in the smallest of voices, “I didn’t ask to be taken. I didn’t do anything wrong. I thought I was going to die and for the first time in my life I didn’t
want
to die anymore. Because of
you
.
You
made me love life and I had never loved it before. I thought about
you
every minute I was there. I didn’t know how much I...” I saw her throat working as she swallowed convulsively, unable to say another word. She looked down at the floor and in a rush she spoke again, her voice gaining strength and momentum. “I didn’t know how much I love
you
until
he,”
she jerked her head toward the outside, “made me look deep into my heart and admit the truth. I was afraid to admit it because I was,” she cleared her throat several times, “because I
am
so afraid of losing you when I just found you! I know it looks bad but I can explain if you’ll just give me a chance.”

Then she lifted her eyes to mine and I noticed her cheeks were streaked with tears.

“I am not falling for that ‘pity me’ attitude. You have no idea what my family has been through and the lengths they have gone for
you,”
I said in a scathing tone. “Do you even know how
sick and twisted
this all is? Ugh, I cannot bear to be in the same room with you!”

I turned to leave when she screamed hysterically, “You can’t just walk away and leave without giving me a chance to explain!”

“On the contrary. I can and I will.” I turned to leave.

“Stop Rykerian,” she called. I did not dare answer for I was still seething inside.

She called my name again and I continued to make my way to the front door.

Then I heard her voice change, grow deeper, more intense, and thundering as she said, “I said stop!”

Her Power of Command plowed into me, gripped me in its clutches and I turned into a heap of stone, unable to so much as twitch a muscle. I tried to breathe but it was impossible. My lungs were trapped in a vise. I was locked in Command’s grips...and then I became truly frightened. It was not fear of Command, but it was fear of her ability, or lack of it, to release me.

She screamed my name, “Rykerian! Oh my God, Rykerian!”

She was shouting at the top of her lungs, trying to release me, without success. I was no fool. I knew she didn’t know how and I knew this could spell disaster for me.

I heard Rayn and Jurek rush into the room, questioning January. Then I heard Jurek’s booming laughter.

“It serves him right, the pompous ass. January, shall I kill him for you?”

“Shut up Jurek! Just make it stop!”

“January, you are the only one that can do that,” Rayn explained.

Jurek was still laughing. I wanted to murder him...slowly and painfully.

“Herdekian, can you please be silent?” Rayn asked with annoyance.

Oh how I wanted to scream out to Rayn, “Kick his ass! Kill him!” but I could not breathe, much less speak.

“January, calm yourself. I cannot help you if you are wailing in hysterics!”

“What! Wailing in hysterics? Are you crazy? Look at him!”

“My vision is as clear as ever, so I know what he looks like. I am trying to guide you but you are in such a state, I cannot accomplish that.”

Now I wanted to punch Rayn for his ability to remain levelheaded. Did he not know I was in acute agony here?
What is wrong with you people? Help me!

“Oh for the love of God, just
DO SOMETHING!”

Since my back was facing them, I could only assume Rayn was using Tranquility on January for the room was suddenly silent.

“January, pull from within,” Jurek told her.

I wanted to jump in his face and break his nose! I wished he would just shut his mouth!

“Yes, January. Go to your place that you use for Telepathy,” Rayn instructed. “It is much the same with Command. You must access that part of your mind.”

“I’m trying,” she said, “but I can’t seem to make it do anything.”

“Extend your arm and perhaps it will flow from within.”

Nothing happened. Command’s clutches made me want to writhe in agony, but I was frozen in my own body.

“January, remember when you learned Telekinesis and you had to do the opposite of what you do for Telepathy? Maybe it is similar to Command,” Jurek suggested.

Okay, now my mind was over the top reeling.
January knows Telekinesis? How? When?

Rayn’s thoughts must have mimicked mine for I heard him exclaim, “She knows Telekinesis? How?”

“I taught her!” Jurek said with unabashed pride. No doubt his chest was now so bowed out it would be near to exploding.

I wanted to grind my teeth in frustration. It should have been
me
that taught her.

“You did not teach me. You tried but failed. It was Tak who taught me!” January stated.

Now I wanted to scream. Who the bloody hell was this Tak? Teaching
my mate
Telekinesis? UUGGHH!

“No, you learned it on your own when Tak attacked you! But it was all my idea so technically, I was the one who taught you,” Jurek said smugly.

No doubt about it. I was going to kill him. As soon as I was released from this, I was definitely going to kill him. I would find a way and I was going to make it a slow, tortuous, drawn out process. When I was finished, I would kill this Tak next, for attacking January. No...I would kill him just because he had looked at her!

Rayn finally piped in, sarcasm lacing his comment, “I find it very disconcerting that you allowed someone to
attack
her when she was supposed to have been under your protection!”

Thank you Rayn!

“Oh, it wasn’t like that Rayn. Jurek did it to get me to harness my powers.”

“Oh, I certainly am happy you cleared that up January, as that makes me feel so much better. It is comforting to know your species, Herdekian, treats their females so kindly,” he finished acidly.

“Could you please just shut up and get me out of this?” I longed to scream.

Jurek jumped in and said, “We need to get her angry. That’s what worked before. That’s why Tak did what he did. You know how hot tempered she is!”

No, I
didn’t
know how hot tempered she is...because she’s been spending all her time with
you, you bloody ass
! Sweet Deity, get me out of this and soon. I do not know how long I can retain my sanity!

The room became quiet again. Then I heard a crackling pop right before the booming laughter shook the walls.

Another creature, that looked similar to the Herdekian walked around me and got directly in my face, his guffaws, following him.

“I think we should just kill him Jurek, so ripe for the taking he is.” He had the nerve to poke his finger into my chest.

“I do not think January would be pleased with you Tak if you killed him. For some obscure reason, she is in love with this
Guardian!”
he spat.

“Jurek, you underestimate your manly charms. You could easily make her forget him.”

Okay, wasn’t this supposed to be making January mad, because right now I felt the greatest gust of anger roaring through my veins? I was sure they must have heard it too for it was booming in my brain, threatening to detonate at any moment. If I was not released from Command soon, I was positive I would explode.

“Or better yet Jurek, let me be the one to make her forget!”

Next I heard scuffling noises and then January screech, “Get away from me you
dog!
”

In my head, I heard the most glorious word,
“Release,”
and my body crumpled beneath me.

In the background I heard rumbles of laughter but I couldn’t focus on anything except the immense feeling of relief coursing through every fiber, every nerve ending, every cell in my body. I gulped gallons of air until my lungs were satisfied and I was unmindful of everything save the sensation of being agony-free. I lay on the floor, knees to my chest, until my senses returned.

That is when I noticed my cheeks were wet. Curious, I brushed my fingers across the damp areas, for I did not know where the moisture came from. I gradually opened my eyes and she came into focus. Her tears ran freely down her face and pooled onto mine. Her wrinkled brow formed a frown and her eyes were awash with sorrow.