The Sacrifice (44 page)

Moisture
pooled in Riana
’
s eyes. “I
’
m not sure I can
survive without Cy. But he
’
s our king. What if I can
’
t
give him an heir?”

“You
still have the ability to have children. Even if you couldn
’
t,
you could adopt. No one would ever have to know.”

“I
wish I could get my hands on Vind
’
s research. He said all he needed was my eggs to
have a child with me. And his scientist could harvest eggs and mature them. It
could be the answer to so many Sivadians’ fertility problems.”

 “Honey,
you still have an entire ovary full of mature eggs. You and I are doctors,
scientists. If Vind
’
s people figured it out, we damn sure can.”

Riana
smiled at her mother. “Thanks, Mom. I was hoping you
’
d help
me.
”

Riana
eased her legs off the bed. Other than soreness, her pain wasn
’
t bad
at all. The doorbell rang. Riana
’
s heart raced and she knew who was at the door.
“Mom, will you go down and tell Cy to come up here.”

Analae
smiled and patted her hand. “Don
’
t worry, honey. You and Cy will have so many
children you won
’
t know what to do.”

“
Thanks, Mom.
” Riana eased across the room and pulled a hairbrush from the
dresser drawer. She made a few quick stokes through her hair. She turned when
the door opened. Cy stood in the doorway looking uncertain if he should enter.
Riana smiled and watched relief flash across his handsome face. She eased back
toward the bed and sat down, then patted the mattress beside her for him to
sit. “I
’
m sorry I left without talking to you last night.”

Cy held her gaze, and for the first
time she detected fear in his eyes. She had reduced her vicious warrior to a
bundle of nerves.

“Before
you say anything,” he said, “I want you to know that I gave you my soul for
eternity. I won
’
t ask for it back because I have no need for it
without you. Whether you choose to keep it is up to you.” Tears filled his
eyes, making them shimmer like aquamarine in sunlight.

“I
would never ask for it back, Cy. My heart and my soul could never belong to
anyone but you. It
’s just
…I no longer feel worthy of your love…worthy to be
your life-mate and queen.”

Cy
framed her face in his hands. “I
’
m the one not worthy of you. I failed to protect
you and almost lost you forever. If you
’
ll give me the
chance, I promise, I will never fail you again.”

Riana
’
s
throat tightened. “What if I can
’
t give you an heir?”

Cy
pulled her close and kissed her lightly. “It doesn
’
t
matter. Nothing matters except sharing our lives together. Baby, I can
’
t
bear this life without you.”

“Nor I without you.”

He kissed her as if she were fragile
as porcelain. Then he stood and dug her ring from his jeans pocket. He got down
on his knee and looked up at her with nothing but love in his gorgeous eyes.
“Can we put this back where it belongs?”

“Yes,
and there
’
s no way it will ever come off again.”

Cy slid the ring back on her finger. The vise that had squeezed
Riana
’
s battered heart for over a
week, vanished, and the pain was replaced by the love of her life-mate.

One
week later.      

Riana and Cy finished dressing for his
coronation ceremony and headed into the living room of his apartment.

Iggy
sat on the couch tugging nervously at the tie around his neck. As he saw them,
he froze mid-tug and released a low whistle. “
Man, do y
’
all look fancy. You look beautiful, Riana.”

“Thanks Iggy, you look very handsome
yourself.”

Cy
wore a black tuxedo, and she had on a black A-line evening gown. The thin
straps and belt were covered with jade. Cy had picked it out, along with a
gorgeous pair of jade chandelier earrings. He said it brought out her eyes, but
she believed he
’
d decked her out in jade for its fertility and
gynecological healing properties.

“Iggy, can I straighten that bowtie
for you?” Cy asked.

“Are you sure I have to wear this
thing?”

“I
’
m
sorry, Iggy. I promise you can take it off as soon as the ceremony
’
s
over.
” Riana snickered. “I
guess we found something you hate worse than bathing.” Iggy had anxiously
waited for this day to arrive, and she
’
d taken his
excitement and replaced it with torment.

“It
’
s
okay, Riana. The tie
’
s a small price to pay for getting my bravery
medal and becoming an honorary Sivadian.”

Cy
smiled at her as he finished Iggy
’
s tie. Iggy just confirmed what she and Cy had
discussed earlier. The fact that he wasn
’
t
really
Sivadian didn
’
t matter to him. The difference between them and
his own people was everyone here loved and wanted him around. Not even his
parents had shown him love.

From
what Iggy told them, his father had been a hard, cruel being. And the person he
’
d
believed was his mother despised him. He
’
d never understood
why until the day his father died and she
’
d revealed he wasn
’
t
her son. That Iggy was just some bastard his father had brought home and forced
her to say was hers.

Iggy
’
s
step-mother had banished him, and warned that anyone who helped him would
receive the same. He had gone back to find his real mother and was thrown in
prison. Tears came into Iggy
’
s eyes as he told them his brother was the only
person who had come to his aid. After he broke Iggy out, they escaped to this
realm. It explained a lot about why Iggy felt he should have been the one to
kill Soren. The only thing Riana regretted about taking Soren
’
s
life was Iggy didn
’
t get the closure he
’
d
needed.

He
’
d
never discovered who his real mother was, or if she was even alive. He didn
’
t
know if she was a full god like his father, or a demi-god. Iggy said he
suspected his mother was a full god, since his powers had increased over the
last three years, and gods came into their full powers during their second century
of life. It didn
’
t matter to Riana and Cy what he was. She intended
to make sure Iggy knew he was loved and cherished by his new family.

“Are you guys ready to go? We have to
be there early, so the
king
here,” she said smiling at Cy, “can get ready for his coronation.”

“Am I supposed to call you your
Kingship, or my Lord, or something like that?” Iggy asked.

“You
can call me Cy. I
’
m still the same person, just one with more
responsibility.”

“Oh.”
Iggy
’
s head bobbed up and down causing his curls to bounce.

Cy moved to the door and held it open
for them. “Iggy, you do know we have to transport to the palace for the
ceremony. Are you okay with that?”

Iggy
released a heavy sigh. “Riana told me yesterday so I
’
d
have time to psych myself up for it. If I pass out, just drag me inside.” Iggy
looked at Riana. “But whatever happens, don
’
t put that sauce up
my nose.”

Riana burst into laughter. “I know,
Iggy. I believe everyone does.”

***

Riana,
Cy, and Iggy met Lily and Kyra in the courtyard of the compound. After ten
minutes of Iggy and Lily going on about how pretty each other looked, they
transported to the queen
’
s palace.

When they materialized, Riana and Cy
had Iggy by each arm, in order to keep him upright. Riana looked him in the
eyes, pleased to see they were still open. “Are you okay?”

Iggy
shook his mop of blond curls. “I think so. It feels like I
’
ve
been on a whirligig.”

“It
’
ll
pass in a minute,” Riana said. “See, I told you it would be easier this time.”

Iggy‘s
eyes appeared as if he were focusing on a moving target. “It was better, but I
wouldn
’
t call it easy.”

When they got inside the palace, the
grand ballroom was set up like a huge auditorium. A dais covered one end, with
two large golden thrones sitting in the center. Six chairs sat on each side of the
thrones for the twelve members of the Royal Council. Hundreds of chairs were
set up facing the stage for the audience.

Cy took them down front and seated
them on the first row. “I have to go get my garb on.”

“You
are going to look handsome in your, ‘garb,
’
as you call it.”

“Yeah, well, you may change your mind
when you see it. The cloak is about nine yards of crimson velvet with all kinds
of Sivadian symbols embroidered in gold and silver. If you count the Sivadian
crystals set throughout, it weighs around fifty pounds. Everything has meaning,
but handsome is
not
what
comes to mind when I think about wearing it.” Cy motioned to someone in the
back, gave her a quick kiss and left.

Iggy stared at the thrones on the
stage. “Are we going to live here after Cy becomes king?”

“
No, we
’
re going to remain at the compound until we build
a palace of our own. Right now, it
’
s the only place
large enough to house all of the extra guards required when someone becomes
king. Since there are three of us now, Cy plans to triple the number of guards
the queen has.” Riana shook her head and smiled as guards took seats on each
end of the row and directly behind them. “If he doesn
’
t
calm down, we
’
ll be stepping on guards every time we turn
around. I
’
m hoping after some time passes he
’
ll
quit obsessing about our protection.”

Iggy
shook his head. “
I don’
t think so. I
’
ve read his emotions,
and he
’
s pretty intense when it comes to your safety.”

“I
know, and I
’
m glad he loves us enough to want us safe. I wish
he wouldn
’
t worry and stress over it though. He
’
ll
probably make us live deep inside an isolated mountain.” Riana glanced around
and laughed. “Kind of like this one.”

“Oh, yeah, I can totally see that
happening,” Iggy agreed.

“Are you and Lily excited about our trip
to Disneyland tomorrow?”

“Lily is.” Iggy fidgeted with the
buttons on his jacket.

“What
’
s
wrong, you don
’
t want to go?”

Iggy
’
s
brows drew together. “It
’
s just that Lily keeps calling it, ‘The Magic
Kingdom.
’ I don’
t want to sound ungrateful, but where I come from
there was plenty of magic, and I never want to go back to a place like that.”

Riana
placed her hand on his. “Iggy, Disneyland is only make-believe magic. It
’
s
not real. They call it magic because it
’
s so much fun. Most
humans know nothing about real magic, and find it fascinating. But if you don
’
t
want to go, then we
’
ll go someplace else.”

“No,
Lily really wants to go there. And if you say it
’
s
not real magic, then I trust you.”

Oz, Analae, and Elle came in. Riana
stood, giving them each a hug.

“Darling, you look beautiful,” Analae
said.

“So do you, Mother.”

Oz
shook Iggy
’
s hand. “So, Iggy, are you ready to become a
Sivadian?”

“Yes
I am. I told Cy, as long as I don
’
t have to drink blood like you guys, I
’
m
good.
”

Riana
and Oz exchanged smiles. “No son, you don
’
t have to drink
anything or change a thing about yourself. Asking someone to become an honorary
member of our race means you are revered by the king and queen. Since we came
to Earth, we
’
ve only done this twice. It
’
s
something we don
’
t take lightly…the highest honor we bestow on a
non-Sivadian.”

“Riana
said it means you
’
re my family. That
’
s the part I like
most.”

Oz
placed his hand on Iggy
’
s shoulder. “Son, you
are
our family. For
as long as you
’
ll have us.”

Iggy
gave Oz a toothy smile, deepening the dimples in his cheeks. “Well, that
’
ll
be forever.”

The rest of the Protectors came in
right before the music started, indicating the coronation was about to begin. A
blend of violins played a hauntingly beautiful melody as the Royal Council,
dressed in long crimson robes, came in and took their seats.

Riana
’
s
eyes widened as the queen entered, taking her seat on one of the thrones. She
was beautiful and graceful. Royalty radiated from every pore. A sick feeling
twisted in Riana
’
s stomach.

How
could I ever be as regal as her? I hope there
’
s someone to teach you this stuff.

Since
Cy decided to accept his title as king, she
’
d began having
nightmares. Cy thought it was because of everything she
’
d
gone through with Vind. She had no intention of telling him about her
paralyzing fear of becoming a queen. If she did, he would refuse to accept what
he was destined to become. Above everything else, his sense of fairness and
protecting the innocent would make Cy one of the greatest kings their race had
ever known.