Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) (27 page)

"
Ah! That's the question, but let's get to that later." Donna pointed an index finger at her and gave her a lopsided grin. "Your grandmother lost her mind when she tried to perform this Batu with the planet. You mom was only twenty years old, your grandmother was thirty. However, the Matka-Zem before her lasted one-hundred-fifty years." Donna raised an eyebrow and smiled again. "And you are not going to believe this . . ." Donna looked around, seemingly enjoying her storytelling as much as her audience did. Her voice dropped.

Valencia could see her reflection in Donna
's brilliant, sapphire eyes.

"
The one before that was over five-hundred-years old!"

"
Five hundred? She lived that long?" Flabbergasted, her shocked expression reflected in everyone's faces. "How can that be?"

"
And there were hints that the other Matka-Zems lived just as long, if not longer. Now the question is what happened to your great-grandmother that she only lived to one-hundred-and-fifty instead of five-hundred?"

"
Donna, I hate riddles." Valencia said, anxiously awaiting the reason.

Both Mlinzi listened intently, while Gabby stood slightly apart, biting a fingernail.
"Speak plainly. Do you know why?"

"
Not a clue." Donna sat back and shrugged her shoulders. She shook her head in dejection. "I couldn't find a word as to why."

A collective disappointed sigh echoed around the room. Valencia glanced at the Mlinzi, but they only shook their heads.

"Don't you know?"

"
We are warriors, not historians," Parth replied with a shake of his head.

"
She died of a broken heart," a barely audible voice peeped from behind the Mlinzi. They all turned to see Gabby fidgeting under their gaze.

"
Come here, Gabby." Valencia held out her hand toward the girl. Gabby gasped when she firmly grasped her wrist and pulled her forward. A faint blush touched the girl's cheeks, and her eyes grew wide in wonder as Valencia sent a small stream of the energy into her to calm her. "Now, tell us why."

"
Because the Matka-Zem's mate died and she willed herself to join him," Gabby squeaked like a little mouse.

"
How do you know this?" Alana's hand brushed the hilt of her sword in a threatening manner, symbolizing the punishment for lying. "There is no record of this."

"
No one cares what I hear." Gabby looked at her feet, then lifted her chin and gave a soft smile. "I'll tell you what I know."

"
Go ahead, spill the beans," said Donna.

When the male Mlinzi gave Donna a sidelong look, the human glared at him.
"What? Don't you guys have idioms?"

"
I overheard a woman saying the Regent's death was made to look like an accident. The Matka-Zem lost her desire to live and willed herself to die."

"
You're not old enough to have heard rumors from that long ago, Gabby." Donna eyed the servant with disbelief.

Alana rubbed her chin in thought and said,
"The Torpek are long-lived, Donna. It's very possible some still live who have witnessed this. How did you come by this information, Gabby?"

"
It was a year ago when I was cleaning the rooms of the Torpek ambassador—" Gabby started, but Valencia interrupted.

"
Lady Uzuri Zupan?"

"
Yes," Gabby answered softly. "I've heard she is over one-hundred years old."

"
Go on, girl. Get on with your story," said Donna, urging the servant to finish.

"
She was talking to her son, Lord Liam Zupan, while I was cleaning." The young girl shyly looked at Valencia. "She was pleased how their family took control after the Matka-Zem lost the will to live when her mate died. Lady Zupan said she was angry that it took the Matka-Zem 50 years to succumb to depression. She laughed about how the other two Matka-Zem barely had enough power to make something grow, which allowed the Zupan family to remain in power. She was worried about you though." She gave Valencia a sorrowful glance. "I knocked something over and they made me leave, so I didn't hear the rest of their conversation."

"
With the regency's death the Torpek took control." Alana shook her head in anger as she began to understand. "So that is how they did it." Valencia must have looked puzzled, so she elaborated. "Without the Regent to raise his daughter, the new Matka-Zem, the Torpek spoiled the child, your grandmother, while they controlled her power throughout Sora."

Parth said,
"There are abandoned palaces throughout Sora. They must have traveled to the different realms, spending time in each, before the accident that killed the Regent." Parth shook his head and Valencia could see he was adding things up in his head. "But afterward that Regent died, the Matka-Zems never left this city."

Valencia listened closely, but one question kept bothering her.

"How come the Regents couldn't free the Matka-Zems?" she inquired, looking from one of them to another for an answer. "I'm also confused about how the Matka-Zem got pregnant when her mate was already dead."

"
During the Kleben, the next Matka-Zem is conceived and lays dormant until it is her time to be born," said Alana, educating her. "During the child's birth, the spirit of the Matka-Zem leaves the mother and enters the new baby."

"
Wait a minute! What is a Kleben? And do you mean to tell me I would carry a baby for as long as I live, then die giving birth to her?" She was dismayed at the thought. "I would never hold and raise my child?"

"
The Kleben is when the Matka-Zem and her chosen mate intertwine their souls. During their first coupling, she gives her mate a portion of her Gift as they conceive the next Matka-Zem. During this bonding, the Matka-Zem and her mate's metabolisms change, slowing down the aging process, allowing them to live longer than normal lifespans. When a princess's life is near its end, the dormant girl child will begin to grow and the new Matka-Zem will be born. The Regent then will raise the next Matka-Zem until it's time for her to choose her own mate." Valencia gave a strangling sound in her throat that caused Alana to laugh. "But don't worry. You will be able to have male children, like any other woman. But the girl is held in a special area within you, awaiting her turn to be Matka-Zem."

"
I don't like the idea of never raising my own daughter." Valencia grimaced at the thought of dying during childbirth.

"
There can only be one Matka-Zem." Parth shrugged his shoulders.

"
You sound just like Thane," Donna huffed, as she gave the Mlinzi a sour glance.

"
Now explain why the Regents didn't help the last two Matka-Zem's out of their trance?" Changing the subject, Valencia concentrated on the mystery. Although she hated puzzles, she'd rather spend time solving one than thinking of her death.

"
Their Kleben was weak." Gabby did not look up from her hands, but she continued to whisper. "They didn't connect during the Kleben and the Regents couldn't touch their minds to bring them home."

"
But that's not true, Gabby. Thane touched my mind three times and we did not do this Kleben."

Gabby blushed while the Mlinzi looked grim.

"They are bonded together," Alana spoke softly, almost to herself.

"
Impossible!" Parth grumbled to Alana. "Thane wouldn't allow that to happen."

"
I saw our brother assist the princess with my own eyes, Parth." Alana proudly raised her chin and looked at Valencia. "They are bound together."

"
But . . . we never . . . we didn't!" Valencia was dumbfounded. Her mind raced for an explanation and she remembered their kiss. "When I tried to heal his head wound, Thane kissed me, but that was all." She raised a hand to her mouth as she remembered how their lips fused together while their minds intertwined. Now she knew how the Mlinzi was able to get inside her mind. The full meaning of their kiss shocked her. "It was just a kiss."

"
Well actually, Thane told me he did bond with you." Donna gave her a sheepish grin, "At least partially. You two have to have sex to complete the bonding."

"
He told you? Why didn't you tell me?" She was not sure if she was more angry or disappointed in her friend.

"
I promised not to tell you, but only on the condition that he would come clean." Donna gave her another sheepish grin. "And I thought he did. You too were acting like a pair of lovebirds when we left the cabana."

"
Could he have stopped it?" She felt her innocence shatter at the news. Valencia felt violated. During the beginning of their journey, she had a suspicion Thane might have his own agenda for helping her, but she had grown to trust him. Now she realized her initial instincts were right. He purposely and permanently connected them without her knowledge or consent . . . and it broke her heart.

"
Yes, he could have rejected your Gift, but there must be a good reason why he didn't, Princess. Thane does not normally make mistakes," Parth replied, shaking his head. "It will be a sad day when our brother passes."

"
What do you mean?" Her heart thumped painfully in her breast. "Passes—like in dying?"

"
If you did not join together as one, then the Kleben wasn't completed and can be broken with his death," Alana whispered sadly.

"
You mean Thane left to go sacrifice himself?" She felt the urge to bolt out the door and race after the Mlinzi. "He can't die because of me."

"
If he doesn't, you can't choose your own mate." Parth peered at her through narrow eyes. "If you allow him to live, he will be your mate for life, Matka-Zem."

"
We need to stop him." Valencia did not hesitate before she spoke. She was angry with the Mlinzi for his deception, but not enough to want him dead. The idea of Thane as her lifelong mate made her weak in the knees, and she promptly pushed the image of their first embrace from her mind. "I will not have his blood on my hands. We need to catch him before he does something . . ." She was so angry with him she could not think of the right word.

"
Knightly . . . heroic . . . and incredibly romantic," Donna teased, with a huge smile on her pretty face.

"
How about asinine, acting like a martyr, and incredibly stupid?" Valencia fumed in outrage. She tried to calm her brewing anger to think logically. "We need to rescue him as soon as possible."

"
You can't leave, Princess, at least not tonight. There is a ball in your honor," Gabby spoke louder than ever before. "They will hunt for you when they discover you're gone. And if they catch you, you'll never leave this palace again."

"
Over my dead body," Valencia hissed with venom. The thought of the tower as a prison made her ill. Instead of the Keeper, she would have the Torpek demanding her favors. She clinched her fists in determination. "I'll be damned if I'm getting trapped in another cage."

"
The more time we have, the better our escape." Alana smiled at Parth. "Let us plan our departure while you enjoy the festivities."

Thane traveled throughout the night and all the next day, pushing himself to his limits in order to reach Kifo, the city of the Mlinzi. At a leisurely pace, it would have taken days to cross the distance between Kota Emas to Kifo but Thane traveled it in less than two. He borrowed a horse from a nearby farm and raced over the Gryell Plains until the animal could no longer carry him. The ferry across the Obodobo River only gave him a short reprieve before he rushed through the dense forest of the Bymers Wilds. He doubted the creatures that roamed the deadly woods even noticed his passing. When he finally reached Kifo, Thane was exhausted.

The Gate of Kifo was solid, black iron, eighty feet tall with three enormous spikes, locked into place by gigantic bolts deep into the earth. The design on the vertical gate was a simple spiral that could protrude and spin when under siege. The yearly maintenance on the gate was a daunting task as the Mlinzi released the spiral from its restraints to sharpen the edges and test the mechanics. During the scheduled maintenance, the Mlinzi sent their smallest members into the tunnel that ran inside the courtyard to oil the bolts to prevent the spikes from rusting into place. However, the Gate itself had not raised in over a millennium. There was only one way into Kifo and one way out. Tiny slits cut into the thick granite wall allowed the returning Mlinzi entrance into the city. There were ten in all, each allowing one person to enter at a time. There was no reason to how they opened. Some would open frequently while others were slow and finicky. The Gate Master assisted the incoming warriors into the slots and, once inside, there was no turning back, for the slots only allowed entrance into Kifo. The rear exit at the far left of the city was the only way out of Kifo. Merchants left their wares by the narrow gate, which was only wide enough to allow a single cart to enter, for everything was heavily guarded. Even leaving Kifo, once inside, was not an easy process. Anyone without a letter of consent from the Mlinzi Counsel was kept inside the walls by the rear Gate Master.

With no rest for the past two days, Thane was tired and irritable when he arrived at the main gate. He was desperate to see the council, but he had one problem. In order to enter Kifo, one had to participate in a cleansing of both body and spirit in a ceremony called a Rensing. Living inside the outer walls of Kifo, a mysterious race called the Metamorfo pampered the incoming Mlinzi and allowed them to express their restrained feelings, while the creatures fed on the strong emotions. This symbiotic relationship with the Metamorfo eliminated the stress of the Mlinzi's travels, and allowed them to express emotions not normally accepted in their society. By using the Rensing, the city's atmosphere was peaceful and relaxed, allowing the Mlinzi to focus on their training.

The Rensing started whenever someone entered a slot of the main gate. The tiny chamber would fill with a psychotropic gas to evoke a euphoric state in the Mlinzi to allow each to express him or herself freely. Depending on the state of mind of the guardian, it could take up to two days to pass through the Rensing and Thane had no time to waste.

"Thane, I haven't seen you in months." When the gatekeeper saw him, he lowered the intercom he was speaking into, smiled at him. As Thane drew near, the Gate Master clapped him on the back. The gate man had the build of a blacksmith and the strength to match. The slap on Thane's back almost sent him tumbling to the floor. As was customary, the huge man guided Thane to an available slot in the wall.

"
I need a favor, Druma." Thane pulled the man away from the slot.

"
What is it?" The gatekeeper eyed him with suspicion.

"
I have to see the council immediately and I need to bypass the Rensing." Thane glared into the man's face and saw a slow smile light his wrinkled features. No one knew how old the gatekeeper was but Thane had known him all his life and the man had never aged.

"
Just by asking that, Thane, means you need it more than ever." Druma laughed and pushed him toward the wall. "Why in such a rush? You've always looked forward to the Rensing."

"
I don't have time for it, Druma." Thane shook off the gatekeeper's enormous hand in irritation. "This is about the Matka-Zem."

"
So, this is about a woman?" Druma's laughter was deep as he firmly pushed him towards a slot. "I never thought to see you in a huff over a mere girl, Thane." He gave a slight shrug of his wide shoulders. "But there is always a first time."

"
Valencia is more than just a girl!" Frustration tightened his stomach and Thane automatically placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Druma, I have to see the council now."

"
Are you going to fight me, Mlinzi?" Druma lost his jolly smile and stared at Thane through narrowed eyes.

"
I'm sorry, Druma, I'm tired." Thane rubbed his hand over his face with a heavy sigh. Ever since he laid eyes on the confounded woman, he'd fought a losing battle to control his errant emotions. Disturbed by his lack of control, Thane gave up the fight to bypass the Rensing and allowed his shoulders to sag in defeat.

"
All the greater the need to have the Rensing, my friend." With a smile of understanding, Druma once again guided him toward an available slot. "Women can drive a man crazy, regardless of who they are, and you can't face the council in that state of mind."

Hoping a good cleansing would get the princess out of his head, at lease for a short time, Thane allowed the gatekeeper to lead him to the wall.

With a hearty laugh, Druma gently shoved him into a waiting slot. "In fact, I'll even send you to Dora. She will ease your desire for this woman . . . at least for a while."

As soon as the door closed behind him, the tiny chamber filled with a cooling mist. Instinctively, Thane deeply inhaled the lightly fragranced fog to allow the gas to penetrate quickly into his brain. Head spinning, he stumbled into the poorly lit room when the door opened. Flickering flames of candles illuminated a chamber, which held communal ponds. Steam rose from the swirling tide pools, increasing the humidity to stifling hot temperatures. Ghostly shapes removed his dirty clothing and unbraided his long hair. With his mind muddled to a state of barely comprehending his actions, he allowed a ghostly figure to guide him toward the back of the chamber where they kept the private rooms. He glanced around the darkened pools where other Mlinzi bathed, relaxed and released their stress through sexual acts. The drugged mist reduced their inhibitions, freeing them to unwind without thought or worry. The Mlinzi were free with their bodies while in the Rensing, often coupling with each other, regardless of gender, race, or rank.

Led to an onyx tub in a secluded room, Thane relaxed in the stinging hot water while disembodied hands washed his hair. He closed his eyes while the ghostly hands scrubbed and massaged his tired body. A feathery hand caressed his genitals, causing a groan of desire to escape his lips. As his arousal grew, he watched a shadowy figure slowly move towards him.

"
What do you desire, Thane?" Dora's sensuous voice echoed in his head. In his drug-hazed mind, Thane barely remembered that Dora had the ability to serve as a conduit between two minds. The ghostly figure shimmered before his eyes and took the shape of a naked woman. Thane extended his hand to an image of Valencia and helped her enter the water, enveloping her in his arms. The princess's soft voice whispered into his ear, "Let us into your heart."

***

Before the ball, Valencia's father escorted her to the throne and bade her to sit. At first, the yellow flowers turned towards them to protect the Throne, yet they quickly lowered as she drew near. As the partygoers filed in a single line to bow in front of her, the flowers leaned toward, like guard dogs on Earth might do, ready to strike at any form of violence toward her. The partygoers quietly took their places around the huge room, gawking at her from behind veiled faces.

Golden crystals lit the room, turning the already gold area into a jaundiced yellow. Unseen musicians played a gentle, smoothing tune while the Torpek people waited for the procession to end. Valencia saw no other races present at the ball and slightly shook her head at their exclusion.

"Raise your hand to commence the ball," said Aeson as he bent forward to whisper in her ear.

With a little chuckle at her ignorance, she raised her hand. Immediately the room erupted into a deafening roar as the Torpek began talking all at once. She watched the people swirl around the floor like flowing ribbons in a soft breeze. Glancing at her father, she saw a change in his demeanor. The Regent stood proudly at her side with renewed purpose. She reached for his hand and gently squeezed his fingers. Hearing him gasp, she allowed the energy to softly flow into his body before she released his fingers. The musicians quickened their tempo and Valencia found her foot tapping in time with the music. With another glance at her father, she saw his foot tapping, too. When she rose to her feet to ask her father to dance, everyone froze and stared at her. Quickly clearing her throat, she extended her hand to the Regent.

"Will you dance with me, Father?" Looking into his eyes, she saw a spark of life in their depths.

"
I would be honored." Aeson bowed low and placed her hand on his forearm. He guided her to the center of the room and positioned his hands on her waist. With a nod of his head, the musicians started the song again.

"
I've never danced before." With a hard swallow of uncertainty, she let her father pull her along. Her strapless blue-green chiffon dress swept the floor as her father effortlessly guided her across the room. Others joined them on the floor and soon they were just another couple enjoying the evening.

"
Yes you have, daughter." Aeson smiled and it was clear to her that he held fond memories. "But you were no taller than my knees at the time, and you stood on my feet."

The Regent
's words cause her brain to tingle.

"
I remember that." Valencia smiled softly at him. They swirled around the floor in silence for the rest of the song, as comfortable with each other as father and daughter might be in each other's presence. As the evening progressed, they danced together again. No other males dared approach her, save one. Liam asked for the honor of a dance, but Valencia politely refused. The yellow flowers raised in defense as the arrogant Torpekian pursed his lips at her refusal. With a sour look, Liam bowed his head and retreated to another area of the dance floor.

"
Be careful of that one," Aeson whispered as he handed her a drink.

When their eyes met, she saw his concern.

"I need some fresh air." Valencia rose when the music stopped between songs. "Will you walk with me, Father?"

Without a word, he offered his arm and led her out a secluded door behind the throne and she could see a small garden beyond the door.

"This area is for your own personal use. No one should enter here without your permission." As Aeson held the door for her, fresh air, mixed with the scent of flowers, filled her nostrils. Her father took her arm and as they strolled through the secluded garden, he led her to the railing that hung over the city, and then turned to face her. She felt closer to the Regent than ever before and she relished having a father again.

"
You must be careful of that one, Valencia," Aeson repeated his warning in a low tone. "He is ambitious. And Uzuri has convinced the council to choose him to be the next Regent."

"
Don't I have a say in this matter?" She frowned at her father's comment. Her heart squeezed in apprehension at the thought of bonding with the Torpek lord. "I wouldn't share a slice of pizza with Liam, much less my Gift." Seeing the sadness on the older man's face, she gave a quiet laugh to ease his sorrow, "But you would warn me against any man. Wouldn't you?"

"
It is a father's right to hate the young men who are after his daughter's hand." Aeson smiled broadly at her. "You're a beautiful woman, Valencia. Any man would be honored to stand by your side, even if you were not the Matka-Zem." The Regent gave a hard laugh, "And I will hate everyone!"

"
Isn't there anyone you would approve of?" She didn't really expect an answer. The protectiveness in his voice lifted the uneasiness in her stomach. With the Regent's acknowledgment of Liam's desire to rule, she was glad she was leaving the city. Yet she would miss this man, who was trying hard to be a good father.

"
Hmm . . . let me think." The Regent pondered her question while he rubbed his chin in thought. He gave her a sly sideways glance before nodding his head. "There was only one man who could handle you as a child. For that, I grew to admire him."

"
I couldn't have been that bad, Father." Valencia giggled uneasily. Had she been such a horrible person that even her own father thought ill of her?

"
Oh yes, you were. You were a spoiled child, my dear. It was my own fault for letting you have your way." The Regent lowered his head in shame and then lowered his voice. "That's why I had to send you away." When he heard her gasp of surprise, Aeson raised his head and Valencia saw the truth in his blue eyes. "It wasn't because of the rebels. They were manageable. Your selfishness made me fear for your own well-being. Naji showed me the errors of my ways and offered a plan to save you." Aeson looked away, ashamed of his deception. "I am sorry for being a poor father, but I didn't know what else to do. Will you ever forgive me, Valencia?"