Wray (35 page)

No! He refused to let himself think that. The
Goddess couldn’t be so cruel… not when he had just found her.
Instead, he let his rage fill him, let it strengthen his arm and
heighten his senses.

Today he was not the Emperor.

Today he was a Tornian Warrior, protecting
his female and nothing would stand between him destroying whoever
was trying to harm her.

Coming up on the guards he had sent to
protect Kim he paused only long enough to retrieve one of their
swords then followed the trail left by those who had taken his Kim.
At the edge of the wooded area, he lifted his sword, hearing
someone running towards him. When Caitir suddenly stumbled out he
lowered his sword, barely catching her as she fell to the ground.
Her gown was tattered and torn, her breathing erratic. Scratches
marred her dark skin and her eyes were wide with fear.

“Emperor!” Caitir gasped.

“Where is the Empress!” Wray demanded, barely
remembering to keep his grip gentle.

“We separated so they couldn’t catch both of
us.” Caitir told him. “She ran towards the river.”

“Who are
they
?” Wray demanded.

“Fala and Gyula.” She told him. “They drugged
us and were planning on taking us to a ship on the other side of
the river. Another warrior…” Caitir had to pause to catch her
breath.

“What! Another warrior what!” Wray gave her a
small shake.

“Another warrior came. He… he sent me to find
you… to tell you what happened while he went after the
Empress.”

“Tora…”

“Yes, majesty.”

"Take her to my chambers. Protect her as if
she were your own." Wray's eyes were hard as he stared at the
Warrior dressed in Reeve's colors. "If any harm comes to this
female it will be your life and the life of all you know. Do you
understand me?!!"

"Yes, majesty!" The male immediately said,
his eyes going to Caitir.

"Come," the male held out his hand to help
her up. "My vow, no harm will come to you."

A faint scream had every male tensing, trying
to locate where it had come from. Wray had no such problem, he let
his instincts guide him, knowing they would never fail him, not
when it came to Kim. Ducking into the woods, he went to find his
Empress.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Kim ducked under yet another low branch,
hoping it would slow Gyula down, instead she heard him crash
through it just as he had every other one she’d put in his way. He
was gaining on her and all too quickly, she was running out of time
and space. When the trees suddenly gave way to the banks of the
river, she knew it was over.

Spinning to confront Gyula, she held up the
knife General Rayner had given her on Pontus and pointed it at
Gyula.

"Do you really think that little thing will
stop me?" Gyula demanded, pulling out his much larger, longer
sword.

"I stopped you before," she gestured to his
still bleeding nose. "I'll stop you again." She said with as much
bravado as she could muster.

"You were lucky!" Gyula denied angrily.

"Right. Lucky like Tora?" Kim goaded him,
hoping to buy herself enough time for someone to help her. “Maybe
I’m just better than you Gyula. More skilled.”

The river would be her last resort. Quickly
she glanced at it over her shoulder. She hadn't lied to Wray. She
was an excellent swimmer, but this river's current looked swift and
she has never swam in a long gown before... or with her hands
tied... she wasn’t looking forward to it, but she refused to let
Gyula abuse her. This time she knew she had no chance of
surviving.

"We shall see who the lucky one is now won't
we." Gyula sneered as he raised his sword, taking a step towards
her.

Kim knew she didn’t have the strength to
block Gyula's blow. She knew there was only one place left for her
to go, but as she prepared to jump into the river, she caught the
flash of movement in the trees.

Suddenly Wray was there. Blocking Gyula’s
sword.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Gyula's eyes widened in shock when his blade
was deflected. Spinning around, he found himself confronting…. The
Emperor!

Stumbling back Gyula quickly reassessed his
position. The hard, cold inferno that raged in the Emperor’s eyes
told him he would receive no mercy from him. Looking behind him,
Gyula saw more of the Emperor’s warriors filling the area and knew
he would find no help there. Deciding that if today was the day he
was to meet the Goddess he would be taking the Emperor with
him.

Setting his shoulders, Gyula attacked.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Wray watched as first surprise, then
acceptance, then finally deadly resolve settled over Gyula's face
and welcomed it. He wanted this battle. He wanted to inflict as
much pain as possible on the male that dared to harm his Kim. He'd
only allowed himself the smallest of glances in her direction
before focusing his full attention on Gyula, but he'd had enough
for him to see her scratches, her bruises and her fear. Gyula would
suffer for each and every one.

“Protect the Empress!” He ordered and
stepping in front of Kim, attacked.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Every warrior entering the area obeyed the
Emperor’s order and stepped in front of the Empress, putting
themselves between her and the battle about to rage. None had ever
seen their Emperor like this before and they couldn’t take their
eyes off him.

Yes, they had known the Emperor was a fierce
warrior. You couldn't be from House Vasteri and not be. It was
ingrained in them.

Yes, they knew he trained every day to
maintain his skills, but it had been decades since he'd actually
seen battle and that had made some think his skills would be
lacking in a ‘real’ battle.

They were wrong.

Gyula while one of the Empire’s strongest
warriors, lacked the sharp mind necessary to become a great
warrior. Fala had that. It was why they made such a dangerous pair.
What one did not have the other did.

The Emperor had the strength and the
intelligence in combination with his skill and rage and there would
never be a more lethal weapon than Wray Vasteri.

All too soon Gyula was tumbling under the
Emperor’s onslaught and suddenly realized he would be meeting the
Goddess alone.

"The Goddess will never accept you Gyula!”
Wray bit out coldly, "She only honors those that are worthy and you
are not! No, today you will be meeting Daco, for like him, you have
a black soul and no concept of honor." Wray's blade cut deep,
moving across Gyula's lower abs, spilling his internal organs.

With a cry Gyula fell to his knees, writhing
in pain. "Mercy!" He pleaded with the Emperor he’d wanted to kill.
"End me."

"Suffer Gyula!" Wray replied as he put a foot
on Gyula’s shoulder, shoving so he fell to the ground. "It will
give you something to talk about when you met Emperor Lucan!"
Turning his back on Gyula, Wray's eyes searched for Kim and found
her... gone.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"This can't be!" Fala cried out, as yet
another of Tora's blows landed, severing his sword arm.

"It can be." Tora responded striking again.
"Today you go to Daco, the only God, depraved enough to accept
you."

"No!" Fala denied. "I go to the Goddess."

"Never!" Tora promised. "You will rot with
Lucan and all the other males that have brought this plague upon
us!" With that final statement, Tora severed Fala's head and
watched as it bounced across the ground, seeming to want to get as
far away from Fala as Tora did.

The sound of footsteps coming up behind him
had Tora lifting his dripping sword, prepared to defend himself
again. He expected to find Gyula, instead he found Veron and
several other warriors entering the area.

"Why are you here?" he demanded. “You should
be searching for the Empress.”

"We were following the Emperor. Did he not
pass here?"

"No." The sound of swords clashing had them
all sprinting towards the river.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Kim watched in horror as Wray fought with
Gyula. This was what she had wanted in the cave, but now… seeing
the brutal way Wray attacked Gyula, she wished it wasn’t happening.
Not when it puts Wray at risk. The very thought of him being harmed
terrified her.

Warriors stepped in front of her blocking her
view of the carnage taking place in front of her. Kim wasn't sure
if she was grateful or not. She could hear the swords clashing,
hear the grunts and growls coming from Wray and Gyula and her
imagination was filling in the blanks. The sound of footsteps
rushing up from behind had Kim turning, ready to defend Wray's
back, if necessary.

Finding Tora and Veron rushing towards her,
she relaxed and taking a deep breath took a step back. Suddenly the
ground gave way and before she could even scream, she was
underwater.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tora rushed into the area, not knowing what
he would find. Seeing Kim was unharmed, the worry that he would be
too late disappeared, but just as it did, so did Kim.

"No!" he bellowed as she fell into the
swiftly moving water. Dropping his sword, Tora immediately dived in
after her.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Kim frantically kicked towards the surface,
wanting out of the inky darkness that was surrounding her. Breaking
the surface, she tried to fling her hair out of her face. Kicking
so she twirled around in the water, she tried not to panic when she
realized how far from the bank she was.

The current was stronger and faster than
she’d thought. She knew if she struggled against it, she would
never survive. Instead, she needed to work with it, letting it take
her downstream as she worked her way to the bank.

Rolling onto her side, Kim kicked with the
current, angling towards the riverbank. She extended her still
bound hands out in front of her and pulled, trying to do a one
handed sidestroke, while keeping her head above water. It wasn’t
how she’d be taught, but it would have to do.

It was also harder than she expected. Her
waterlogged gown kept wrapping around her legs, trying to pull her
under. All too soon, her body started to chill and tire. The
effects of the drug she’d been given, her desperate run through the
woods, not to mention her fear that Wray might be injured had taken
its toll on her strength. A strength she had only just begun to
regain since the Ganglian attack.

Suddenly it felt as if someone or something
struck her from behind. It latched onto her gown and pulled her
under.

Spinning and twirling underwater Kim tried to
get her bearings, tried to figure out what was happening and tried
not to panic. But it was so dark… So cold... She could feel herself
being pulled deeper and deeper into the river’s murky depths. Her
hands were suddenly free and her numb fingers desperately clawed
for the surface, but to no avail, then as suddenly as she had been
snagged, she was free, but what good did that do her? She didn’t
know which way was up.

She couldn’t see. Her lungs were burning. She
was colder than she’d even been, even on that damn Ganglian ship.
She could feel her life slipping away and there was nothing she
could do about it.

‘Wray!’ she silently screamed.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Wray shoved aside warriors his eyes searching
for Kim. Where could she have gone! Why couldn't he find her?

"Majesty!" Veron’s call had Wray spinning to
find his Captain running along the riverbank. "She fell!"

Wray's heart stopped at Veron's words.

No!

Not the river! He couldn't lose anyone else
to its deadly grip.

Rushing to the edge his eyes frantically
scanned the surface, searching for his love. Finally, a flash of
red glinting in the muddy water caught his eye and he saw her,
struggling to keep her head above water.

Not far behind it, he saw another head, this
one as dark as his own skin.

Tora!

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tora’s eyes never left Kim as he swam towards
her with strong powerful strokes. He let the force of the current
aid him. He was nearly to her when she suddenly disappeared beneath
the dark water as if something had tugged her down. Refusing to
lose her Tora dove after her.

He went deeper and deeper into the river’s
murky depths frantically searching for her. He wouldn’t fail again.
Wouldn’t let another member of his family perish in a river. His
lungs began to burn, but he refused to abandon his search, finally,
when he thought he had failed, he felt the brush of hair against
his hand and he desperately fisted it. Following it down, he found
part of Kim's covering. Grabbing it, he kicked for the surface just
as his vision began to dim.

Breaking the surface, Tora’s lungs sucked in
the life giving air before turning the unresponsive Kim onto her
back. Wrapping an arm securely around her, he kicked towards the
bank.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Wray could do nothing but watch in horror as
both Kim and Tora disappeared under the river’s surface. The pain
that filled him nearly drove him to his knees.

Tora! His first male!

Kim!!! His love!!!

He felt his heart stutter and knew it was
about to stop because he couldn’t survive without her now.

When they broke the surface, his relief knew
no bounds, but it was short lived when he realized Kim wasn’t
moving.

Jumping over the edge Wray slid down the
bank, ignoring the startled cries of his warriors and waded out
into the river. He reached them just as Tora began to falter and
took Kim from him. Veron was instantly there supporting Tora,
making sure that he too reached the bank.

Wray carefully laid Kim down and while he’d
accepted his warriors’ assistance in climbing up the bank, he’d
refused to let anyone take her from him. She was his!