ReEmergent -Guardians of Vesturon [4] (14 page)

“
You got it. When do we start?”

“
As soon as we can.”

“
Question,” Marik posed.

“
Speak,” Jurek commanded.

“
How long will this go on?”

Jurek looked at Xarrid, waiting for him to answer.

“
Until every last one of those bastards is dead or until I say we’re finished. Anything else?”

“
Yeah. What do we tell The Guardians?”

All eyes turned to Xarrid. “Nothing,” he responded. “This is not their freakin’ business. It’s all mine,” he said through clenched teeth. “Don’t forget, I’m currently not one of them.”

Jurek looked at Xarrid and asked, “Is this permanent?”

“
I don’t know. That depends on how they react to this.”

“
And what about you and Saylan?”

“
What about us?” Xarrid wanted to know.

“
Are you going to marry her?”

“
Abso-freakin-lutely. I’ve already spoken with her parents. We’re telling my parents tonight. I’d like a word in private with you on that if I may.”

With a flick of his head, all of Jurek’s men left the room, leaving only him and Xarrid behind.

“
What’s on your mind?”

“
We’ve decided on a private ceremony. We thought it would be best under the circumstances. I was wondering if I could bring her to your sanctuary for a few days for our honeymoon.”

Jurek’s lavender eyes turned black, but then quickly turned back to lavender.

Xarrid recognizing the flash of emotion immediately said, “Hey, I didn’t mean to impose. I know it’s your private place. I was just thinking that maybe it would help her heal a bit and that...”

“
Yes. You can stay for as long as you like.” Jurek clasped Xarrid’s shoulder. “I think Saylan would love the sanctuary.”

“
You don’t mind?”

“
No. Like I said, it’s yours for as long as you like.”

“
Thanks Jurek. Have I told you lately how much I love you?” he asked with a smirk.

Jurek slapped him on the butt and laughed.

“
Xarrid, I don’t have to tell you what kind of reaction your brothers are going to have over all of this.”

“
You mean the wedding?”

“
What, are you a comedian now?”

Xarrid shrugged. Then his eyes grew dark. “No, and Jurek, you above all know this is no laughing matter. I don’t really give a rip about what my brothers think concerning my plans for the Xanthians. The only one I care about is Saylan.”

“
Xarrid, I want you to think long and hard before you answer this question. Is it Saylan you’re thinking about or is it yourself?”

Xarrid felt his whole body tighten with anger at Jurek’s suggestion. “What are you implying Jurek? Just throw it out here and don’t pussyfoot around. We know each other well enough not to do that.”

“
Okay. You’re right. I’m worried and I’ll tell you why. I’m worried you’re in this for the wrong reasons. You can kill every Xanthian that laid his bloody hands on her, but it won’t take away the pain. Only you and time will be able to do that. I’m afraid this hunt of yours will only prolong her pain.”

Anger infused Xarrid’s veins as he lost control. He picked up the first thing he could lay his hands on and that was a chair. He tossed it across the room and watched it break apart as it crashed into the wall. Turning around, he slammed his fist into the wall and he let out a pained scream. He fisted his hands in his long hair and continued to roar.
When every last bit of oxygen had left his lungs, he slid down the wall and sat on the floor, feeling his anger punch him in the gut like a fighter in the tenth round.

Jurek crouched in front of him and quietly said, “Look my friend, I just want to point this out to you before you go off on this killing rampage. Once it’s done it’s done. I don’t want you waking up one day thinking that it only made it worse. You Vesturions are genetically coded differently than most. Revenge isn’t part of your nature. Protection is but not revenge. Can you live with what you’re about to do? If you can’t Xarrid, I can. I’m not nearly as moralistic as you are. So if you want me to do the dirty work, just say the word.”

Xarrid was taken aback by what Jurek was offering him. He was telling him he would take out the bastards for him. Christ, it just never ended with what he offered to do for him.

“
Jurek, I can’t...”

“
Just think about it Xarrid. Don’t let your conscience mess up your life. This won’t mess up my life. Mine’s already a wreck, you know.”

Xarrid looked closely at his friend. He saw pain behind that mask he always wore. It was securely hidden, but Xarrid recognized it. Of course he would, because he, too, lived it every day.

“
You’ve already done enough for me as it is. I want to be the one who asks the questions and uncovers who it was that gave the initial order. I also want to see the bastard’s eyes to know how he feels right before he dies. I’ll burn in hell for it I’m sure, but Saylan lived it for too long. And to answer your question, I do it for us both. Yes, partly for me, not because of what you’re thinking. I don’t care how many of them had her. Well, that’s not really true because I do care about that. And I freakin hate it. But what I care about the most is that they hurt her...terribly...and made her pretend she liked it. That’s why I’ll do it.”

Their gazes locked and froze interminably. Xarrid knew Jurek was trancing him. He wanted him to. He wanted his friend to understand what he was doing and why. Eventually Jurek released him, nodded and then rose to his feet.

For the first time in many many years, Jurek’s heart felt burdened with weight of someone else’s pain. He gave his head a vicious shake. In recent years, Jurek had opened his heart to only one person and that was January, but now it seemed that Xarrid had wormed his way in there too. Xarrid was a whole different issue. With January, Jurek felt in inexplicable bond. Xarrid, on the other hand, was like the brother he never had. During his trance, Jurek had felt such an intense, soul splitting pain that he understood why Xarrid had to do what he must. Jurek would back and support him throughout it and heal him afterwards if necessary.

“
I had to know. I hope you understand.”

“
I
wanted
you to know. Jurek, I could live with many things. I could live with the fact that they did those horrific things to her. Because I knew I could rebuild us...our life together. Because I believe in our love and in our connection. It’s that strong. But I can’t live with the fact that they made her pretend to enjoy it.
That
is what they will die for.”

Xarrid recognized Jurek’s anger pouring from his eyes. “Save it Jurek. Save your anger and use it against them to make them pay for hurting her.”

“
No worries there, my friend. What are you going to tell your family?”

“
Tonight I’ll tell them that Saylan and I will be married. I’ll tell them about what happened to her.”

Jurek looked at Xarrid closely for a moment. Then he surprised Xarrid by saying, “Let me tell them.”

Xarrid cocked his head and looked at his friend. “Why you?”

“
Let me tell them without Saylan there. I can tell them things that I learned when I tranced her. Things I haven’t shared with you yet.”

“
No!”

Jurek saw the wall coming up.

“
Let me explain. If I do it, they’ll be more likely to understand because I can tell them without emotion. You, on the other hand, would be unable to do that.”

“
But...”

Jurek knew the Yarristers...all of Xarrid’s family. He knew there would be resistance to Xarrid wanting to have a private wedding ceremony. Jurek also understood how the son of the Great Leader of Vesturon would be expected to adhere to all the pomp and celebration that was usually done for a wedding. Rykerian and January had gotten away with not doing it but it was because of the war with the Xanthians. The Yarristers would put up a fight with Xarrid if he tried to do the same. Jurek knew if he explained the true circumstances, he had a better chance of persuading them to Xarrid’s side.

“
You know I have a valid point and that I can sway them. If you want to marry Saylan quickly and without objection from your family, let me do this.”

Xarrid thought it through for a few minutes and realized that Jurek was right.

“
Okay, we go tonight. We’ll leave Saylan out of it.”

********

Xarrid and Jurek were at the palace waiting for the Yarristers to join them. Annalise, Xarrid’s mother was the first to get there. After doing her usual admonishing of Xarrid for his rough and lean appearance she hugged Jurek and welcomed him into her home. A few minutes later, Rowan, Rayn, Rykerian and January joined them. Everyone had to give Jurek and January their customary fifteen minutes together, while Rykerian gnashed his teeth.

Xarrid, laughing, walked up to his brother and asked, “Rykerian, are you ever gonna give this up?”

“
What do you mean?” Rykerian and Jurek had never quite gotten along. It was more on Rykerian’s side than Jurek’s. Jurek looked at Rykerian as more of a pain in the butt than anything else, and most times everyone could understand why. To everyone around, it was obvious that Jurek looked at January as a little sister, but for whatever reason, Rykerian saw him as a rival. It was quite comical to everyone but Rykerian.

Xarrid shrugged and said, “You are barking up the wrong tree man.”

Rayn piped in and agreed. “Yeah, I think you’d be a lot happier if you’d just move on already.”

“
I don’t know what you two are babbling about.”

Xarrid and Rayn shared a look and shrugged. “Yeah, okay,” Xarrid said.

“
So, any clues as to what the two of you are here for?” Rayn asked.

Before Xarrid could respond, Jurek and January rejoined the group. Since everyone was curious, Xarrid decided not to delay in his explanation.

“
Saylan and I are going to be united.”

He waited for all the “Ooohs” and “Ahhhs” to die down before he continued.

“
We are also going to have a private ceremony.”

And, just as he’d expected, it did not go over well. That’s where Jurek stepped in. Xarrid only stayed for the first ten minutes, because that was all he could listen to. He stormed from the room and when he did, Annalise started to follow him.

“
Don’t Annalise,” Jurek’s voice stopped her.

“
I must. That’s my son and he’s hurting.”

“
Yes, he is. But he’s been through this before and he is dealing with it in his own way. Please trust me in this.” They shared a long look and she nodded and went back to Rowan.

Jurek continued telling them of what knew, what had happened to Saylan. When he was finished, Annalise and January were crying and the men were stone faced. Jurek could sense the emotional upheaval in the room.

“
There are a few more things you need to know. Saylan’s parents are aware of what happened to her, but not to this extent. I thought it best to spare them the intricate details. It was Xarrid’s decision to tell you this. Saylan doesn’t know of this. I will leave it up to him to tell her. Now you can understand why both of them don’t want anything other than a private ceremony.”

Jurek knew they had doubts about their relationship. He could hear them swirling throughout the room.

“
I would keep those thoughts to yourself if I were you. Shield them. Xarrid loves her with everything he has and she feels the same about him. They may have taken her virginity and they may have used her, but they couldn’t touch her heart and soul. Only he holds the key to those. Don’t ever forget that, no matter how much you doubt their relationship.”

Jurek left the room to seek out Xarrid. He found him out on the terrace in the back, overlooking the mountains in the distance.

“
Well, that went well, didn’t it?” he asked as he heard Jurek’s approach.

Jurek rolled his eyes.

“
Not you too, with the eye roll.”

“
You should’ve seen them when I left. I think you should bring them into the wings and they’d help with hunting the bastards down Xarrid.”

“
No! I won’t put that on them.”

“
Understood. What are your plans?”

“
Well, there’s this girl...”

Jurek cuffed him on the shoulder.

“
Seriously. I need a time frame from you. If you want this hunt to begin, and you want to be the one to take them down, I need to know when you’ll be available. You do want to spend some time with your bride don’t you?”

Xarrid felt his belly tighten as he thought of his time with Saylan and his upcoming honeymoon. What if he couldn’t make her happy? What if she fell out of love with him when she regained all of her memory?

“
Why are you thinking those ridiculous thoughts?” Jurek asked him.

Xarrid was suddenly bereft of all of his confidence, feeling like a lost soul.

“
Jurek, what if I can’t please her?” he asked in a quiet voice. “You know, what if the trauma was so great, she is unable to...”

“
Xarrid, I think you’re jumping the gun a bit here. If I were you, I’d cross that bridge, if and when I came to it, but not before. Go to her now so your mind will be eased.”

The two men left together, Xarrid headed for Saylan’s, and Jurek off to Lare-Stell.

Sharra and her team were hanging out in their headquarters when Jurek popped in. Maddie was napping, for she was still feeling a bit off. Sharra was contemplating on sending her home when Jurek’s visit interrupted her thoughts on this.