My Forever (22 page)

Cold fury deeper than the darkest pits of hell he’d been through in his life suffused his veins. “Then I’ll give her proof. Port me to the Queen.”

Bastian stepped forwards with a mixture of anger and confusion contorting his face. “That’s suicide. Most Tsielen aren’t huge fans of humans and while the Queen has decreed that no human be harmed or killed by our people, it would still be your word against the commander of the Mackaeo.”

“I’ll go with you.”

All three turned to the soft voice coming from the study door. Jules’ pallor had a sickly cast to it and his shoulders were hunched as if it were too painful to stand up straight, but his expression held all of the boldness of a man with nothing to lose.

“He speaks,” Todd said in amazement.

“Sweetheart, I can’t let you…”

“I’ll go too,” Amy chimed in.

“And me,” Todd added. “They killed my father and took me. If this is the only way to get revenge, then I’ll do it.”

Energised by the support of the others, Kyle quickly formulated a plan. “Tsielen may not like humans, but there’s no way the Queen can ignore four of us willing to risk our lives just to tell her about Connor. If we can just convince her to conduct an unofficial investigation, we might be able to take them by surprise.”

“Or she might just kill you all,” Bastian ground out.

“I was a slave once, before my Master rescued me. If it hadn’t been for you I would be again. I’d rather die than go through that again.”

“You could die doing this!”

Kyle opened his mouth to counter his objection but stopped at Jules’ cool touch on his arm. His friend limped over to Bastian and took one large hand in his.

“I know you’ll get us out in time. I trust you.”

Kyle knew how powerful those words were, having seen Lucas’ reaction when he’d said the same. It didn’t come as a shock when Bastian’s adamant refusal changed to reluctance under the force of Jules’ confidence.

“If we manage to get past the Queen’s personal guard and she declines your request, we’ll have to run from all of the Mackaeo, not just Connor and his group. Exposing yourselves will mean having to possibly spend the rest of your lives in hiding from my kind, being hunted like animals. If they find us, you could be forced to serve the Queen and her family.”

“We would become her slaves?” Todd asked.

“Not as Connor would have made you but yes, you would work for her, if only to ensure that none of you divulged the secret of our kind to other humans.”

“Sir, we’re already on the run,” Kyle pointed out. “Connor found us once before. He could do it again. I’d rather serve the Queen than become another man’s slave.”

Bastian let out a long, low breath, mumbling, “Deluc is going to kill me for sure this time. All right,” he raised his voice to address everyone, “we’ll have to go over the plan so there are no mistakes, and we’ll have to do this tonight. Deluc is supposed to go on a mission and if he involves himself in any way, he could be considered a co-conspirator.”

“Wait,” Amy interrupted. “I think we should ask the others if they want to join us. They may have their own reasons to want to go.”

Everyone nodded in solemn agreement. They filed into the living room while Amy left to retrieve the rest of the group. Though Jules wouldn’t let Bastian carry him, he did consent to the request that he lay on the couch with Bastian sitting at his head.

It was clear that the youth possessed an attractive quality that went far beyond his looks, and Bastian was falling hard. Kyle’s worry that Amy might feel left out dissolved when she led the others into the room and took a seat on the floor at Bastian’s feet. Their bond of trust might not run as deep as the bond he shared with Lucas, but it had potential.

After explaining the risks of the proposal, only two chose to go along, for reasons similar to Todd’s. The rest were homeless, just as Amy and Jules had been. Their unwillingness to become further involved was reasonable. Bastian made certain that they knew there was a choice, and he would support them no matter what their decision. The rules came next, of which there were only two—don’t address the Queen directly and stay as close to Bastian as possible.

The following hours were spent in preparation in case they had to leave the cabin if the Queen refused to listen. Bastian and Amy drove into town to buy clothes, food and supplies for everyone, leaving Jules in Kyle’s care. His friend had lapsed back into his silence, but there wasn’t much to say. The air was tension-filled with the dangers of the upcoming event. Time crawled by for Kyle. Each tick of the clock over the mantle was like an eternity until finally Bastian decreed that they were ready.

“I’ve only been inside the Queen’s palace twice, when I was younger, so I’m not too familiar with the layout. I do remember her throne room which is where she spends most of her time. Once I port us there, let me do the talking and try to keep in contact with me at all times.”

They formed a tight circle around him and closed their eyes. The displacement lasted only a few seconds, and when Kyle opened his eyes again he felt his mouth drop open as well. The room they were now in was more like a cavernous chamber. The roof was a good twenty feet above their heads and gold leafing covered the walls in intricate, alien designs. Plush, white carpeting covered the expansive floor with tall, elegantly crafted furniture and statues placed strategically throughout the room.

A single chair, obviously the throne, dominated the far side of the room. It stood ten feet tall and looked to be made entirely of gold. The other side was taken up by two large doors also crafted with odd depictions of what appeared to be animals and Tsielen warriors.

“Damn it, she’s not here,” Bastian hissed.

“What is this?”

The voice wasn’t particularly loud but it echoed in the vast reaches of the room. As one they turned to see two guards advancing on them from the sides of the platform the throne rested on. Each was dressed in a white and red uniform with a thick belt about the waist lined with multiple blades.

“We’re here to speak with the Queen.” Bastian’s voice rang with command but it had little effect on the men.

“No one sees the Queen without an appointment. Guards!” The man drew a short sword from his belt as the doors to the room opened to admit three more men armed with weapons just as deadly. One pulled a knife from a scabbard strapped to his back and flung it with alarming speed. Bastian spun Jules around to shield his body then kicked the sword from the first guard’s hand. It wasn’t until then that Kyle saw the blade buried hilt-deep in Bastian’s shoulder.

“Come to me!” Bastian shouted. Punching the second guard in the jaw, he spread his arms around as much as the group as he could and prepared to port.

“Stop!”

Everyone froze at the imperious voice that boomed throughout the chamber. Kyle couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. The only thing that held him steady was the solid strength of the man he knew would protect them at all costs. Only when Bastian turned to face the newcomer could he open his eyes to look as well.

A woman as tall as Lucas with a trim yet muscular physique stood on the steps of the dais. Long auburn hair created a wavy curtain around flowing white and gold robes, and shrewd grey eyes assessed the situation with cool sagacity. It was the aura of absolute authority, however, that was her most remarkable feature.

“What goes on here?”

Bastian reached back and pulled the knife from his shoulder with only a grunt to show for his pain. Kyle didn’t miss the fact that he tucked it into his belt. “We have an urgent matter to discuss with your Highness if you’ll permit us to speak.”

The Queen walked slowly to her throne and sat down, keeping her cutting gaze on them the whole time. At the slight dip of her head, the guards holstered their weapons and took several steps back. “You are Tsielen and therefore should know of our laws. Why did you violate them by bringing humans into my court?”

“They wanted to come as proof to the treachery of Connor, the commander of the Mackaeo, and a small group of his men. He’s been murdering humans for their lands and money for years and has recently begun kidnapping humans for slaves. These humans would have been sold by him had I not rescued them.”

The Queen tipped her head back and laughed. “You expect me to charge my commander with treason based on the word of humans? The Mackaeo are forbidden to have dealings with them in any form.”

Her complete disregard for them angered Kyle and he found his voice. “Your Majesty?” A collective hiss sounded from the guards and he found himself pinned by the Queen’s disdainful gaze.

“You had better have a good reason for speaking out of turn, little human.”

Kyle thought of Lucas, of spending the rest of his life without his Master, and knew that he had all the reason in the world. “Connor kidnapped me and my mate Lu…Deluc, and threatened to kill me if Deluc didn’t help him commit these crimes. My mate agreed—not because my death would mean his own, but because he would do anything to keep me safe.”

The Queen pondered his words for several seconds. “I recall this Deluc. He was one of my best warriors in the Mackaeo. I was told that he died some years ago by the hand of a rogue Tsielen.”

“No, Your Highness. He was given an ultimatum to either be killed or join Connor’s group. He chose to run. I met him ten years after that. I owe my life to him but I came here because I love him.”

“That’s a telling story, young man, but I still have no proof of your accusations.”

Jules stepped forward and placed a staying hand on Bastian’s arm when the larger man tried to stop him. In a quiet voice that carried through the still air, he said, “Connor is bald and stands a foot taller than me. He has a scar that runs from the left side of his ribs to his navel. He can increase the density of an object to make it unbreakable but only if the object is inanimate. There’s a tattoo on his back between his shoulder blades that looks like that.” He pointed to an insignia on the arch of the throne just above the Queen’s head.

“His second and third in command have the same tattoo in the same spot. The one that can control fire is missing part of his right ear and the other can cast illusions into unsuspecting minds.”

The Queen leant forwards, her expression somewhere between annoyance and alarm. “How do you know all of this?”

“Because they did this to me.” Jules took off his shirt and slowly turned in a full circle to display his front and back. The ugly bruises, welts and bite marks covering his skin stood out in stark relief against his pale complexion.

The Queen descended from her throne to take a closer look. The smaller man lowered his eyes, though whether it was in deference to the Queen or due to shame, Kyle couldn’t tell. Knowing how sacred Jules’ pride was to him and the humiliation he must be suffering in front of a crowd of people in order to substantiate the truth, he would guess it was the latter.

“Guards, I want a unit to take Connor into custody immediately. I want to question him myself.”

“Your Majesty,” Bastian interjected, “with all due respect, I would like to ask that you give me permission to apprehend Connor. It’s personal to me. Once I find him, I can teleport him directly here.”

Narrowing her eyes on Bastian, she nodded her head in assent. “You have twenty-four hours before I send in my guard. Mind, you must bring him in alive. Otherwise I’ll have reason to doubt your honesty and will charge you with his murder. I’ll call for a Mackaeo who has the ability to discern the truth before I interrogate him. These humans will be safe here until your return.”

Kyle felt the breath rush from his lungs with her last sentence. His body was thrumming with excitement at the possibility of freeing his mate from the rule of a madman. To come so close and be forced to await the outcome was more torture than he could bear. Clenching Bastian’s arm with both hands, he announced in the strongest voice he could muster, “I’m going with you.”

Bastian pulled his forehead into a frown. “How Deluc ever got you to submit is beyond me. You’re the most demanding little sub I’ve ever met.”

Kyle flashed him a brilliant smile and held on tighter. Taking the shirt from Jules’ hands, Bastian covered him again and knelt down, putting them nearly at eye level. “I’ll be back for you, I promise. The Queen will make sure you’re safe, okay?”

Jules studied his face for the longest time then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Looking more than a little satisfied, Bastian stood and cupped Amy’s cheek with a smile. In the next moment, they were gone. When Kyle lifted his lids again, he cast his gaze around what looked to be a small, empty cell with sparse furniture.

“Damn it, they must have already left.”

Alarm rose in his chest but he fought it down. “What do you mean they already left?”

“For the mission he was telling me about,” Bastian replied grimly.

“We have to find him before he goes through with it. We’ve got to…” Kyle sputtered to a stop when Bastian’s hand came down gently over his lips.

“What happened to the faith?” Reaching over to the desk, Bastian opened a file on top and skimmed over the details listed. “I know where this is. Let’s go find your mate.”

Chapter Thirteen

Connor came in with a scowl as black as a demon on its best day. He motioned for Lucas to precede him down the hall with a perfunctory jerk of his head. Knowing the reason for the expression made it hard to keep the smirk from his face.