Consort (Beyond Ontariese 6) (28 page)

He couldn’t stop smiling. Of course he
wasn’t trying very hard to stop. “I would like to name him Laif. It
was my father after all who first encouraged me to give in to my
love for you.”

“
Really? You never told me
that. Laif is an old and honored Bilarrian name. I like it very
much.”

Indric leaned down and
kissed his son, happy tears trailing down his cheeks, “Prince Laif
of San Adrin, welcome to the universe
.”

Read on for a preview of

Cyndi Friberg’s brand-new
series

set in the
Beyond Ontariese
universe:

Shadow Assassins

Book One

ROYAL OBSESSION

“
Only you can stop this
madness. You must speak with the elders.”

Varrik closed his eyes as the
plaintive words echoed through his mind. Ripples of discontent had
been disrupting the Shadow Maze longer than he could remember.
After developing useless feelings for his female, Varrik’s brother,
Sekall, had planted seeds of doubt and whispered clever lies.
Sekall’s treachery still germinated a decade after his
execution.

“
I am not my brother.”
Varrik opened his eyes and glared at his misguided friend. “Unlike
Sekall, I hold true to the ancient customs.”

“
Customs that were obsolete
before we were born.” Bemzire wrapped his arm around a woman’s
shoulders and drew her close against his side. Varrik didn’t know
her name, didn’t allow himself to wonder. Females had only one
purpose in the life of a Shadow Assassin and this woman had
fulfilled hers. He glanced at the baby sleeping in her arms,
ignoring the tightening in his chest. Soon it would be his turn to
breed.

“
You have a strong, healthy
son.” Varrik dragged his gaze away from the infant and focused on
Bemzire. “Let that be enough.”

“
Enough for what? We are
expected to remain in this prison, allowing others to dictate what
gives meaning to our lives.” Bemzire stroked his son’s tiny face.
Tension hardened his tone, yet his gaze remained tender. “With or
without the elders’ consent, we’re leaving the Shadow Maze
tonight.”

“
They will find you and
kill you. You know the law.”

Bemzire stepped closer, challenge
flashing in his eyes. “I know it’s forbidden, but can you tell me
why?”

“
You know why.”

“
I know the lies the elders
use to control us. I want nothing more to do with the world
below.”

“
There have always been
lulls, shifts in power, and periods of waiting. We are above these
things. We answer to a higher calling.” Varrik glanced at the
woman. She remained silent and watchful as Bemzire argued their
case. “Even if the elders allowed you to leave, how would you
survive? You’re a criminal according to the world above. As soon as
they realized where you came from, they would take you to the City
of Tears.”

“
Then sweep my mind. The
elders might not realize you have the gift, but I know you do. Use
your ability on me, so I have nothing to reveal.”

Varrik shook his head, his heart
pounding in his chest. If one of the elders sensed the emotions
raging in this room, they might join and penetrate his mental
shields. He wasn’t ready to be a sweeper, was still too conflicted
to embrace his destiny.

“
Sweeping your mind won’t
keep the overlord from torturing you. If you think you’re a
prisoner now, wait until you’ve spent some time in the City of
Tears.”

“
Bemzire might have been
trained as an assassin, but he has never taken a life.” The woman
finally spoke. Her tone was calm, her expression
resolute.

“
He’s a hunter, one of the
leaders, a direct descendent from the south.” Varrik stared into
her eyes, waiting for her to argue. She said nothing, so he drove
the point home. “You were not the only woman taken during the hunt.
Are all the females willing to forgive?”

“
It has to start
somewhere,” Bemzire said firmly.

Varrik turned back to his friend. “You
didn’t answer my question.” He crossed his arms over his chest,
gathering anger about him to drive back the pain. They were only
repeating Sekall’s heresy, but the topic dredged up unwanted
memories. Charismatic and shrewd, Sekall had been the biggest
threat the elders had ever faced. So dangerous, in fact, he’d been
silenced—while Varrik was forced to watch.

“
We will live a quiet life
in some secluded settlement,” Bemzire told him.

Varrik snorted. “Does she know how to
plant and harvest? You’re certainly no farmer.” Bemzire raised his
chin and reached for his sidearm. “You see. Lethal instincts and
instantaneous reactions, cunning perception and faultless aim. The
only vocation you’re qualified for is military, and the warlords
won’t have you.”

“
I have other
abilities.”

“
Ah, yes. You can create
the illusion of invisibility and move small objects with your mind.
What value does that have in the world above?” His crestfallen
expression was answer enough. “You’re a hunter, Bemzire, a trained
assassin. Don’t attempt to leave. They will kill you. One cycle
with this female does not need to end your life.”

“
This is no life.” She
sneered. “You accomplish nothing. You don’t even destroy. You’ve
become ghosts with no purpose, obediently going through the motions
of a meaningless existence.”

He shot her so scathing a glare she
took an automatic step backward. “You won’t remember his face come
morning. You won’t remember anything at all. Now get out of my
sight!”

Varrik waited until they left to vent
his aggravation. He kicked over a chair and released a string of
curses that echoed off the cold stone walls. Through sheer force of
will, he kept memories of his brother buried deep in his mind. He
had idolized Sekall, absorbed every word he spoke like a sponge. It
took many cycles for Varrik to realize the true danger of his
brother’s radical thinking. Hope could cut more deeply than any
blade.

Their world might be bleak and lonely,
but there was no place for them in the world above.

With an infuriated hiss, he stormed
from his chamber and hurried toward the Council of Elders’ meeting
room. He had to protect Bemzire from his own foolishness. A guard
announced him then motioned him inside. The table, like the room
itself, was perfectly square. Each elder represented a geographical
region, north, south, east, and west. They sat facing each other,
their regions at their back.

“
What can we do for you,
Varrik?” Elder North asked.

Varrik waited for the guard to shut
the door before he spoke. “Bemzire’s female is scheduled for
release tomorrow. He is planning to escape with her
tonight.”

The elders exchanged pleased glances,
then Elder North stood. “Why have you chosen to warn
us?”

“
I honor the ancient
customs. The laws are designed to protect us all.” He squared his
shoulders and added, “Despite his misguided notions, Bemzire is my
friend. I would rather not see him sacrificed because of this
woman.”

Elder North rounded the table and
clasped Varrik’s shoulder. “We have waited many cycles for Vade’s
strength to be revealed. We feared your brother’s influence had
poisoned your mind. This is encouraging, very encouraging
indeed.”

Echo dar Aune stood in the shadow of a
massive storax tree. Long, slender branches draped the ground and
trailed in the water of Mystic Brook. Twilight had deepened the
lavender-tinted sky, turning it a shade between purple and gray.
Fluffy pink clouds floated toward the horizon as intar larks sang
out in the peaceful haze.

Drawing in a deep breath of cool,
clear air, Echo savored the solitude. This had been the longest
week of her life. It wasn’t every day a member of the Royal House
of Aune got married, and to add mayhem to complication, Crystal had
joined with a Bilarrian prince.

Relatives and dignitaries from all
over the star system had descended on Mystic Valley. Uncle Trey had
insisted they combine the firepower of his special forces with the
protection of the Mystic shields. Knowing he would demand nothing
less if one of his daughters were getting married, her father, Head
Master Tal, agreed to host the festivities. Only those with Mystic
abilities were allowed inside the Conservatory, but the elegant
visitors’ center was large enough for the event.

“
Is he here
yet?”

Echo smiled at the anticipation in her
sister’s tone. “Soon,” she whispered, not bothering to turn around.
She could picture E’Lanna’s flushed cheeks and luminous gaze. The
dreamy expression had seldom left her face since Zane cet Malaque
rotated onto their security contingent. “Do you think they do it
intentionally?”

“
Does who do what
intentionally?”

“
Do young, physically
attractive men apply to be our bodyguards?”

“
They haven’t all been
gorgeous like Zane. Think about Leor. He was older than Father, and
no one would mistake him for handsome.”

“
True, but his partner was
Taminish.”

“
It doesn’t matter what
they look like. They’re sworn to protect, not satisfy, us.” E’Lanna
glanced into the distance and clasped her hands in front of her,
the epitome of propriety and decorum. Echo wasn’t fooled by the
pose. E’Lanna’s nature was every bit as passionate as her
own.

“
The things I learned from
Taminish had nothing to do with safety.” Wistfulness took over her
voice as her mind filled with memories. Sensual exploration and
youthful exuberance had driven each encounter. What he’d lacked in
finesse, he’d made up for with enthusiasm. She would always think
of Taminish with a smile.

She turned toward E’Lanna and found
her twin staring back at her. The identical purple gowns they’d
worn for their cousin’s wedding accented the similarity of their
features. On any other day, Echo would have chosen clothing vastly
different from E’Lanna’s. Their golden-brown hair and smoky-violet
eyes made them hard to tell apart. Still, the novelty of being
mistaken for one another had worn off cycles ago.

“
What about Kiel?”
E’Lanna’s brow arched in challenge. “He was reassigned two cycles
ago. Surely you can tell me now. How far did you allow things to
go? I know you didn’t let Taminish do more than play, but what
about Kiel?”

“
A lady never tells.” Echo
hid her guilty smile by motioning over E’Lanna’s shoulder. “Our
newest bodyguard approaches.”

They’d planned their escape all
evening. Echo waited until the party was in full swing, then
sneaked away into the verdant meadow, still within the Mystic
shields. Using Echo’s disappearance as an excuse, E’Lanna went to
search for her sister. Last, Zane abandoned the festivities to
investigate the location of the twins. The ruse wouldn’t keep the
other guards away for long. Echo intended to distract them while
E’Lanna and Zane enjoyed the romantic setting.

A flicker of light drew her attention
across the brook. Her heart lurched then resumed its steady rhythm.
She squinted into the setting sun and scanned with her mind as well
as her eyes. Had someone else decided to escape the ruckus hall? A
line of lush trees marched toward the meditation gardens, which
butted up against the practice yard. She saw nothing out of place
and sensed no danger. So what had caught her eye?

“
Thanks for this.” E’Lanna
kissed her cheek then wrapped her arm around Zane’s lean waist. “We
only have a few more weeks before Zane is scheduled for
reassignment.”

Uncle Trey claimed the rotation kept a
balance of experience and fresh perspective on the security team.
Echo suspected the practice was also meant to keep the men from
developing personal feelings for the women in their charge. As
their reminiscence proved, the strategy wasn’t entirely
successful.

“
Don’t be too long,” she
cautioned. “Even I can’t confuse them forever.”

Smoldering heat and sensual hunger
flowed through Echo’s mind as Zane swept E’Lanna into his arms.
Echo hurried along the grassy riverbank, leaving the lovers alone
in the dark. The intensity of her sister’s emotions drew Echo
deeper into the meld. She saw Zane’s handsome face and his
blacker-than-night eyes. Saw the tenderness and desire alight in
his smoldering gaze. Felt his hand glide across E’Lanna’s shoulder
and dip inside her gown to cup her breast. E’Lanna sighed, pressing
into his touch, wanting more than a few stolen kisses.

With concentrated effort, Echo eased
out of her sister’s mind and shielded her end of the link. She
collided with Lor dar Joon and gasped. His large hands clasped her
upper arms, steadying her until she regained her
footing.

“
Your face is flushed and
your expression is dreamy.” A knowing smile parted his lips.
“Either you were having very naughty thoughts, or E’Lanna is with
Zane—again.”

Lor had been her father’s apprentice
until he completed his training four cycles ago. Echo had spent
half her childhood enamored with him, yet she had come to think of
him as a close friend by the time she saw male appreciation in his
eyes. Her mother, High Queen Charlotte, would doubtlessly welcome a
match between them. The House of Joon had resented the House of
Aune for centuries. The hostilities escalated with frustrating
regularity, despite Charlotte’s best efforts to establish lasting
peace.