Blood Chained (Dark Siren Book 3) (18 page)

Chapter 25

The return swim was a lot easier. That was only because Rhane knew exactly where they were going and how long he would be in the water. Surfacing from the lake, he was barely out of breath. The walls and ceiling lurched a bit but mostly remained in place. Rhane was in perfect control. Still, he was very glad that part of their journey was over.

He trudged ashore just behind Kalista, eyeing her right hand warily. It held The Siren’s Heart, the prized relic sought by the entire supernatural world. He tried very hard to shake the feeling that bringing the statue from the depths of its tomb was a mistake. But what other choice did they have? If he and Kalista didn’t take the Heart, rogues might eventually find it. And those creatures definitely wouldn’t hesitate in using the relic to attain their ultimate endgame—whatever that was. Information coerced from a captured rogue claimed the hives sought to raise their gods. Rhane couldn’t wrap his head around that notion. Unfortunately, Kalista and the others had been short on time to get the creature to elaborate.

So here he was, barely holding it together underground in an elaborate labyrinth, manipulated into helping his sworn enemies, and making decisions that could affect the entire world with only a fraction of his mind available to formulate those judgment calls. No one could draw a better road map to failure.

The sigh escaped before he realized it. Feeling Kalista’s eyes on him, Rhane looked up. Her face was set with determination. “Trust me. Our plan will work. Everything will be fine.”

“I do trust you.”

“Then we’re okay?” She seemed uncertain. Despite her words, Rhane could sense fear at the fringes of her scent. He drew her close and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “We’re okay.”

The reassurance was enough to satisfy her, and they slowly made their way back to the secret entrance. Ascending the vertical shaft proved to be more of a challenge for Kalista. Rhane took the statue in order to free her hands for the task, and she conquered the climb after losing her footing only twice. Carefully remaining anchored to the rock wall every step of the way, Rhane positioned himself directly beneath Kalista and within arm’s reach at all times.  Slamming into him had halted the fall that followed each slip. As they neared the main tunnel’s entrance, he prepared to shift for the climb down. Like it or not, Kalista would have to ride piggy back to survive the tremendous descent.

Fifty feet from the mouth of that tunnel, things went horribly wrong.

High frequency radio waves emitted a burst of static the instant the signal was activated. Rhane heard the burst and three consecutive beeps, less than a second apart. By the time the second beep sounded, he had launched himself across the distance separating him from Kalista. As their bodies collided, an explosion ripped through the tunnel, splitting rock and igniting flames. The entire atmosphere was engulfed. Rhane shielded Kalista as best he could as the force threw them forward and they fell through a hailstorm of debris and cave rock. At the last possible moment, he rotated, putting himself between her and the ground. The landing was brutal, ostensibly rearranging several vertebrae upon impact. Gritting his teeth, Rhane refused to pass out. Losing consciousness was not an option. Whoever had set that charge had to be close by, using what he suspected was a limited range transmitter.

He took a second to make sure Kalista was still breathing. She was pretty banged up, but the damage was mostly bruises, a few scrapes. Getting to his feet was pure hell, but he did. His brain registered several burns across various regions of his body. Rhane took it as a good sign that he could even feel them. Second degree at worst, his injuries would heal in a few hours. His head was an entirely different matter. Double vision and nonstop ringing shouted above every other sound, rocking his balance. Every step threatened to drag him to his knees.

But when the white-hot pain sliced through his chest and into his heart, Rhane did fall. As his mind finally surrendered, Rhane lost consciousness realizing he had no idea from where the attack had come.

#

Rhane started awake, and his first thought was Kalista. He struggled to sit up, but every muscle in his chest screamed against it. Both his hands were held down by thick metal bands, cold against his skin. He was bound to a hard and flat surface, its chill seeping through his clothes to stick to his skin. Rhane wrenched at the stubborn bindings, cursing when they wouldn’t yield to his fading strength. He swore again.
Why am I not healing? How long was I out?

“Relax, brother. You only make it worse.”

The surge of anger left Rhane momentarily frozen. “River, you son of a bitch, where is she? Where is Kalista?”

“I assure you, she is safe.” Rhane heard a grunt and then soft footsteps as River limped into view. “Calm down. Then notice for yourself.”

After letting loose a roar that touched every surface in what was apparently a very large room, Rhane stilled himself enough to note the sound of Kalista’s faint breathing and a strong heartbeat. But on top of that was the smell of her blood. Rhane growled. “Let me go,” he said. Murder coated every syllable.

“She’s only sedated. Her injuries are superficial and will heal easily without your intervention. You did a good job protecting her.” River roamed closer, but not too close. Even so effectively restrained, his brother might find a way to cause him bodily harm. River felt terrible about what he had done. But circumstances had forced his hand by leaving no other options. “My goal was to detonate the charges at a distance that would hurt but not kill, leaving you with only enough time to shield Kalista.” He winced. “I miscalculated. The blast did not incapacitate you as I’d hoped. Further action was necessary.”

At the mention of that “further action” Rhane lifted his head. His blood soaked shirt clung to his skin. Seepage still pooled in the fabric, intensifying with every movement.  His head dropped to the table with a thump. “You stabbed me.”

“I had to. I’m sorry.”

“Blood silver?”

“Yes.”

“Where did you get the explosives?”

“I took it from one of your rogue friends. He was not eager to part with the C-4, so I killed him.”

“Right,” Rhane said, testing the metal ties again. The left arm wouldn’t be getting free on its own any time soon. Maybe with a partial transformation he could free his right.

River’s soft voice rebuked that notion. “It’s no use. Don’t you see, brother? This place was not only a laboratory. It was built as a prison for those like us. You will need the full might of Banewolf to break those restraints. And I don’t believe you have that right now.”

“I’m not really working for them, you know.”

“I had my suspicions. What
are
you doing? Tell me.”

“You first.”

River laughed quietly. “This is so like you. Tied up and tied down, I have your mate, the Heart, and the only means to free you. Yet you still possess the fortitude to command your captor.”

Craning his neck to the point of pain, Rhane leveled a dark gaze into River’s icy stare. “Test that order and you will see how much fortitude I possess.”

River’s lips pressed into a thin line as he relented. “There are things I must tell you, and I need you to hear them while not trying to kill me.”

“I’m listening.”

“What I did to Kalista was wrong. I never wanted to hurt her. And I didn’t want to hurt you. Understand me, brother. I cared for her then, even as I care for her now.” River’s voice took on a strange sort of despondency, and Rhane gritted his teeth, wishing he could heal his body by sheer will.

“Kalista was not a part of the original plan contrived by our Primes. Her abilities as a siren were considered too much of a threat. Four centuries ago, she was to be killed and Rhaven taken hostage. Our Primes needed and still need Banewolf to achieve their aim. At the very least, they had to make sure you would not act against them. It was decided that controlling your child’s fate was sufficient to accomplish this.”

“You knew this and didn’t come to me?”

“By the time I found out, it was already too late. The plot was fully in motion. You were away—as you often were—leading the Warekin army in war. I proposed to our mother a way to make Kalista useful, hoping Roma could sway the conspirators to a different course that would spare Kalista’s life. I asked Roma to consider an heir. A firstborn from my loins, if born of white hair and fair eyes, would have established me as Jehsi’s rightful successor in the line of Primes. Roma’s status would have been significantly elevated, and one day she could have ruled as a Mother. She could have everything she wanted, everything your birth took from her. All she had to do was spare Kalista’s life.” Looking away, River’s voice fell to a hoarse whisper. “I took something that was not mine. I violated the bond between you and your mate. But I cannot say I regret it…because it saved her.”

Rhane could remember in vivid detail every moment spent, every battle fought, and every drop of blood spilled as Banewolf. Violence and rage dominated the creature’s persona to the point where it seemed solely designed for vengeance and destruction. Each time Rhane accessed the wolf’s mind in a human state, he was met with floods of caustic emotion turned back by only the flashes of memories used to bridle the creature’s rage. Those flashes were all that remained of his life as a father, as a mate, as a son…and as a brother.

“Carrying my child rescued Kalista from the clutches of an evil plot. She was pregnant when she fled our homeland. I realize after all that has transpired I have no right to it as a father. I have no right to ask you this. But I need to know if the child survived. If you know him, tell me where he is.”

Rhane saw in his mind’s eye images of he and River as children. River was younger and the favored one, but he had shielded Rhane from their mother’s wrath. And when River couldn’t protect Rhane, his love was a salve for the wounds. For many years, he was Rhane’s constant and only friend even after an entire village had rejected him. Those memories were branded into his brain by iron, rising above the furious roar and blinding rage as he shredded the manacles apart and split the table beneath him. Grabbing River by the neck, Rhane threw his brother across the room, toppling equipment and shattering glass. Rhane roared again, closing one hand around River’s throat to slam him backward into the nearest wall. A sharp crack punctuated the blow, but was muffled by the growl rumbling deep in Rhane’s chest. River’s fair skin brightened to red and darkened to purple. Still, Rhane’s grip did not loosen. He wanted to squeeze until the light died in River’s clear blue eyes. But the love between them stayed his hand, reining back his need for vengeance.

Tear were hot in his eyes as Rhane brought his forehead against River’s in the gentle embrace shared only by those of close bloodlines. At some point he found his voice, nearly choking on the words. “For my sake…Kalista would forgive you. But for her sake, I cannot. You are banished from her sight. I release you from your oath, but give you one final order. Do not. Do not come near Kalista again. Your life hangs on this directive. Disobey it…and our love aside, I will kill you.” Mounting one last shred of control, Rhane let go, and River crumpled to the floor, gasping for air.

River mustered the strength to rise to his feet as quickly as possible. Rhane’s eyes were black with more hatred in them than River had ever witnessed. And the tears—he had never seen his brother cry. Both were because of things he’d done. That knowledge hurt more profoundly than River could have imagined. Deep down River knew he had expected no other outcome…except for maybe his death. In order to save what was most precious to his brother, River had sacrificed all that was precious to himself.

Before leaving the chamber, he set the Heart near a rectangular panel mutely lit with an array of blinking lights. It was the one final parting gift he could give his warlord. Then River turned away, hoping one day the rift between them could once more be healed.