Demon Retribution (Shadow Quest Book 3) (41 page)

Unconsciously, they all looked at Ethan.

“Are you a healer then?” Azule asked. Then
with the tilt of his head, said, “You look familiar. Should I know
you?”

“I am Ethanule of the old guard.”

“Ah, yes. There are not many of the old
guard left. Most of them fought to the death long ago. I was but a
fledgling at the time.”

“I recall. You assisted in smuggling many of
our people away from the palace. Although I remember there being
more in your care.”

Azule’s lips thinned slightly. “Some were
captured. Others went back for loved ones and never returned.”

Sonya’s tail flicked, drawing attention.
“What do they do with the healers?” she asked.

“According to Ina and Ru, once a healer was
taken, they would never be heard from again.”

“Are Ina and Ru the ones who escaped?” Kyra
asked. Azule nodded, and she added, “I’d like to speak with
them.”

“They’re out on a hunt. They will return by
nightfall.”

“Perhaps tomorrow then,” Sebastian urged.
“We should return to our ship.”

“You are welcome to stay,” Azule offered.
“We have room for you all.”

Sebastian shook his head. “Thank you, but
our crew would worry if we didn’t return.”

Both Azule and Luric nodded, understanding.
“I will be sure Ru and Ina are here in the morning, if you plan to
return.”

“That would be great. Thank you, Azule.”
Kyra smiled at him.

As they left, she had one final question.
“By the way, who was it that foretold the prophecy of doom?”

Azule stilled. “The
question, Majesty, is of all the soothsayers, seers, and oracles,
who has the prophecy
not
been foretold by?”

Kyra’s response was neither eloquent nor was
it understood by anyone beside herself. “Bummer.”

Just as the second sun set, they reached the
ship. Kyra had already run the prophecy through her mind a thousand
times. It wasn’t difficult to decipher the meaning. By simply
returning, her home world was in danger. Or worse, she might, by
way of her uncontrollable power, become responsible for shattering
the planet. It was a hard pill to swallow. Whatever her sisters
thought of the prophecy, she couldn’t say. None of them wanted to
speak of it tonight.

Cale read her perfectly, however. When no
one else could hear, he spoke to her in an earnest tone she’d never
heard him use. “Don’t you dare believe it. You are not going to
destroy your planet. That prophecy is bollocks.” She wasn’t so
sure, but Cale’s confidence never wavered.

The next day, Kyra returned to the guild
with Ethan and Cale to gather information from Azule while the
others set out in search of more guilds. There was so much land to
cover, Kyra knew finding another one would be a long shot. The only
reason they’d found the Alliance of the Blood was because her
father had noted their location in the book.

She wondered why he had chosen that
particular guild above all others. Perhaps they were the easiest to
find, or the most trustworthy. Or was there more to it? The
Alliance of the Blood was hospitable enough and offered a variety
of magical abilities, but nothing that might turn the tide if they
went to war. At least none that she could perceive.

Shortly after arriving, Azule led them to
the same common area as before. A spread of meats and refreshments
had been set out for them, and a fresh pile of fire crystals gave
them warmth and light. It was all very sophisticated, for hiding in
a bunker miles under the surface, debating a rebellion.

Azule, she could tell, had the absolute
loyalty of his clan. They looked to him for leadership and
protection. And though some of the others showed an interest in
joining the cause, they were reluctant to do so without him.

Kyra could understand their fear. Aside from
the discouraging prophecy, it seemed like it would be nearly
impossible to unite her people in a timely manner. If at all.

Azule was unable to provide inside
information about the cities, but soon enough, Siella entered the
room, bringing with her another male and female. They all greeted
Kyra with a respectful bow.

“This is Ina and Ru,” Siella offered with a
smile.

“I’m glad to meet you both,” Kyra replied,
and Azule invited them to be seated.

Before meeting Ru and Ina, Azule had
informed her of their gifts. Ru could sense changes in the weather
and Ina read auras. Aside from Siella, they were the only other two
in the guild that did not require blood magic to utilize their
gifts.

“Your Majesty,” Ru started. “I was
completely beside myself at the news of your return. We could
hardly believe it to be true.”

“I can hardly believe it myself,” Kyra
replied. “I only wish we’d been able to arrive sooner. I hate to
imagine how my people might have suffered in my absence.”

“Yes, it has been…difficult.”

“Can you tell me about your experience in
the city? Azule tells me you were near the palace before you
escaped.”

Ru lowered his gaze. “Both Ina and I,
yes.”

Ru did most of the speaking. Ina seemed
sullen, as though she were still mourning the death of a loved one.
And perhaps she was, but if that were the case, they didn’t bring
it up. Ru revealed that some of the places she’d visited as a child
were now being run like a prison.

“The city is divided into sections and under
constant guard. The Kayadon watched us always. They are interested
in our magic. Make us demonstrate it constantly.” He paused. “They
watch the children closely. As I’m sure you know, when a child’s
magic begins to develop, it is often difficult to conceal from
prying eyes.”

Kyra was surprised to learn, for the most
part, her people were allowed to live a semblance of normal lives,
and at times were able to find a modicum of happiness. But they
lived in constant fear of drawing the interest of their keepers. If
anyone displayed a strong or particularly interesting gift, the
Kayadon would claim them.

“I’m sorry I cannot give you more.
Unfortunately, the Kayadon continued to exist under a cloak of
mystery, only interacting with the people to instill fear or
punishment. We have no idea of their motives. I believe their base
is within the castle.”

Kyra listened, horror-stricken, as she was
told that every few years, a handful of Faieara would be picked out
of a crowd and brought into the castle, never to emerge again. The
reason remained unknown.

“We all mourn those taken as though they’d
passed to the Fields.”

The Fields, ruled by the Porthina, goddess
of transition, where spirits dwelled, waiting to pass to the next
life.

“What of my father?” she asked.

“The king resides in the palace. We are
allowed to see him once in a while, from a high balcony, though
many begin to question if it is truly him, or an illusion.” Ru
became uncomfortable. “He does not look well, Majesty.”

She took a moment to school her expression.
What were they doing to her father? So many awful images came to
mind that she closed her eyes to block them out, but that did
nothing to help. Cale placed a hand on her shoulder, which gave her
a measure of strength. Plenty of time to break down later. In
private. With her father out of commission, she was now the highest
authority of her people. And more than anything else, the image of
a strong, courageous leader was what led nations to victory.

She straightened her posture. “Azule,
prophecy or no, a fight is eminent. As your queen, I expect you to
join us. My father would expect it. He led me to you for a reason.
Your involvement could mean the difference between failure and
success.”

Azule remained silent for a moment. “I must
consult with my guild.”

She stood. “Do that. I’ll return tomorrow
for your answer.”

Kyra relaxed in a meadow not too far from
the ship as Anya attempted to “connect” with the planet—whatever
that meant. A light breeze played in her hair, bringing with it
sweet smells of the forest.

She hadn’t even heard Cale approach, till he
was already sitting next to her. Something in him seemed changed,
though she couldn’t imagine what. They hadn’t kissed again, but
she’d be lying if she said they didn’t flirt constantly. The
bastard knew exactly how to drive her wild…with a simple brush of
his hand along her shoulder, a look. And he always kept a watchful
eye. Wherever she was, he was sure to be somewhere close by,
especially if she ventured away from the ship, like now.

“Ru showed me a good location for you to
practice,” he whispered, so not to interrupt Anya. “It’s a few
miles from here.”

Kyra was reluctant to delve back into her
gift after hearing the prophecy, but Cale persisted in pushing her.
The phrase “what could it hurt?” held a whole new meaning when the
consequence meant potentially shattering the planet.

Just like her sister, she
too could
feel
Evlon. Probably not in the way Anya could, but its power
energized her, made her feel stronger. That suggested that if her
gift overcame her, as it had before, it might be infused by the
planet’s energy. She could literally be an atomic bomb waiting to
go off.

Anya approached with a bright smile,
breaking Kyra of her thoughts. “Kyra, look,” she said, tempered
excitement in her voice. With her hands cupped together, Anya held
them out and then spread them open to show what she’d found. In her
palm perched a little knoth, its tiny black eyes blinking
rapidly.

Kyra’s throat tightened and her eyes blurred
with sudden tears. Clearly Anya didn’t understand her sudden shift
in mood, having retained very few memories of her own
childhood.

“Is it a male or a female?” Kyra asked.

Anya’s brows knit together, as if recalling
something from the past. Then she focused on the little creature.
“Female. And she’s not afraid of me in the slightest.”

“That’s nice,” Kyra forced herself to say,
but her heart broke for the life that had been stolen from her
little sister. From her people. She glanced over at Cale who was
watching the scene with confused interest. “I think I’m ready to
practice.”

Cale waited patiently as Kyra tried to call
her gift. They’d been sitting in the secluded area for hours with
no sign of improvement. He knew she was holding back, fearing she
would lose control. “Be as you were on Earth,” he encouraged.

She growled. “I can’t stop picturing my
planet exploding into a million shards. That tends to stifle the
process.”

Cale scoffed, his irritation with Azule
renewed. The moment he’d heard that ridiculous prophecy he’d known
she would apply it to herself. He didn’t know what to think of it,
but he found it hard to believe her father would have brought them
all together if Evlon’s destiny was equal to that of his own
planet. No. He’d brought them all here based on his prediction of
their triumph.

“You remember when I told you it felt evil?”
Kyra blurted, pulling him from his musings. She was staring
aimlessly into the forest. “That’s because it is, isn’t it? …I
am.”

“Don’t be absurd. Evil people don’t have
such nice asses.”

She turned her head to hide her wayward
smile. “I’m trying to be serious.”

“As am I. It is a seriously nice ass.”

“Cale!” she half scolded, half laughed. At
least he’d succeeded in lightening her mood a touch.

“Now stop being such a defeatist and keep
trying,” he admonished.

With the tiniest of nods, she focused once
more. Her target was a large fallen branch. As he waited for her to
tap her gift, he shamelessly took in her every feature.

As if the world around them was truly
steeped in magic, she seemed to grow more beautiful by the day. Her
hair was shinier and glimmered even in the shade. Her eyes were
brighter, their color even more indescribable. Her smile was more
radiant. That is, when he could coax it from her.

In the back of his mind, he was still riled
by the hallucination, brought forth by that green haired chit. In
it, Kyra had railed at him. Screamed her hatred of him. Spat her
disgust, saying she would rather die than become his mate.
Then…then she had died. An invisible foe had struck her down in
front of him. He’d held her tight, watching her blood flow and her
eyes dim, helpless, begging her not to leave him. He realized now
that it had merely been a nightmare, but at the time it had felt
real, and it had nearly broken him. The only thing that saved him
was when Kyra had uttered that she needed him.

When reality had come back, he was changed.
Any desire for revenge was replaced with a single goal. Keep Kyra
alive, even at the cost of his own life.

He sensed she enjoyed being
around him again, and he took advantage, being careful to stay away
from topics like irritating dragons, or beguiling magic designed to
entrance demons. He no longer believed it anyway. Yet he
was
entranced. With every
aspect of her. She was funny, smart, adventurous, and quirky. The
sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on. She kept him in a constant
state of arousal, though he did hold himself back, afraid he would
push her away again.