Soren's Bondmate (12 page)

Soren moved up beside her and Skye sent him an image of the shelter. He let her know he'd located it then scooted back, grabbed her boot and pulled her back with him until they reached the others. Soren drew a diagram in the dirt showing the three brothers where the shelter was located. "Here's the plan. We act like we're just passing through. The leader will do one of two things. He'll have the walls dropped and ambush us or he'll let us pass and come after us."

"Yes," Skye said. "Either way we're prepared. Kelyn and Delyn you go first, I'll be behind you with Soren and Pelyn behind me. If he drops the walls I'll encase the females to protect them and you take out the warriors.

"No, you are not going to be out in the open," Soren said.

"It's the only way this will work," Skye said. "Besides we've done this in the past and succeeded."

"No," Soren pointed to Kelyn and Delyn. "Conceal yourselves on top of the boulders. Be prepared to throw krystal when I give the signal. I'll go out first with Skye behind me and to my right. Pelyn you follow us." He looked at Skye. "If they drop the walls encase the conjurers then stay behind me. If they choose to follow us then Kelyn and Delyn will follow them and attack as soon as they begin to ambush us."

The three brothers grinned and nodded. Skye refused to accept the plan.

Soren frowned. "This is the only compromise I'm willing to offer. Take it or leave it."

She thought for a moment. "Very well. I accept." She indicated for them to hold out their hands. When they did she filled them with white krystal, including Soren's. "When the battle begins I'll change yours to dark krystal."

They waited until the two brothers were in place then Soren put Skye behind him and crept out to the edge of the opening, looked out, making sure the enemy had time to spot him and crept out into the open. Skye followed him with Pelyn close behind her.

They'd made it halfway across when the walls of the shelter disappeared and the first shard of white krystal was thrown at them. It hit Soren and he grabbed his side and bent over, acting as if he was injured to give Skye time to protect the conjurers.

Skye acted quickly and managed to build a dark krystal wall around one of the conjurers. Before she could protect the second female one of the enemy warriors grabbed her and used her as a shield.

Soren and the three brothers fought the other warriors and one by one the enemy was taken out until only the warrior and the conjurer were left.

The warrior held a shard of krystal against the females neck. "Stay back or I'll kill her," he said.

Soren moved a step closer. "Release her and I'll let you live."

The warrior tightened his hold on the female. "Move aside or she dies." He shoved the krystal closer to her neck, drawing a drop of blood. She cried out and tried to lift her hand to cover the wound but he stopped her.

"If you kill her I'll kill you," Soren said.

"You're going to kill me anyway," the warrior said.

Soren took a step closer and Skye shadowed him. "I swear on my warrior's honor that I will not kill you."

The enemy snorted. "Honor does not exist on Krystali." He pressed the krystal in deeper, cutting the female's skin and bringing forth a trickle of blood.

Skye moved to Soren's side even though he tried to hold her back. As soon as the enemy saw her, he released the conjurer and threw the krystal shard at her. The conjurer dropped to the ground and Skye encased her in dark krystal.

"Skye!" Soren yelled and raced toward her, hoping he'd be in time to save her. He launched his body at her, knocking her aside just in time to protect her. She fell to the ground but the shard hit his unprotected hand, slicing a deep cut across the back of his fingers.

Cursing he turned back to the warrior and threw his last shard of dark kyrstal. It hit the warrior on the side of the neck and he fell. Before he hit the ground Skye released the two conjurers and the three brothers hurried to them.

Soren turned to Skye with blood dripping from his hand and forming a small pool on the ground by his boot. She jumped to her feet, hurried to him and grabbed his hand.

He jerked it away, wrapped his other hand around her nape and lifted her until she was on her tiptoes and they were nose to nose. "Don't ever put yourself in danger like that again. Ever!"

He told himself to stop shouting but couldn't make himself do it. Seeing her standing so calmly, and knowing he might not reach her in time, had sent a wave of gut-wrenching terror through him for the first time in his life. He dropped his forehead to hers and squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to block out the image.

She patted his chest. "It's okay. I knew he'd throw the krystal at me and I'd have time to protect myself. You didn’t need to shove me out of the way."

Her words, meant to comfort, instead sent him over the edge. He grabbed her, twisted her to his side, braced her over his hip and got one swat in before she jerked herself out of his arms.

She backed away from him. "You don't get to punish me for doing my job."

You didn't have to move into the clear to save her. You should have stayed behind me and let me handle it."

"Your way would have taken longer. My way was faster."

"I am in charge of your safety. I told you the punishment for doing this and you agreed to it." Soren walked toward her and ran into a krystal wall. "You put a wall between us?" He ran his hand over it, leaving behind a bloody smear. "Take it down. Now."

"Only when you calm down," Skye said.

"I am calm."

"Then why do you want to hurt me?"

"I don’t want to hurt you. I want to discipline you. There's a difference. A warrior disciplines the female he loves when she endangers herself."

"You love me?"

He stared at her for a moment longer and accepted it was too late to stop himself from loving her. "Yes. I love you."

A nano-unit later she was in his arms. "Oh, Soren." She planted kisses over his face and neck. "I love you so much." She hugged him and laughed until she saw his frown.

He lowered her to her feet. "You will be punished for breaking two rules."

"I want to renegotiate the punishment," Skye said then hurriedly added, "And remember we're partners and we're supposed to compromise."

"Your ways are strange to me. I'll accept them only until my memory returns and then we'll renegotiate every decision. Do you understand and agree?"

"Yes."

"Then you may think of another method."

"Okay, and while I'm at it I'll decide on a punishment for when you risk your life."

"What?" Soren asked, astonished. "Warriors fight and risk their lives. We are not punished for it."

"My point exactly but you refuse to accept that I am a warrior as well. So, if I'm going to be punished then so are you."

Soren pulled her close to him. "You are not being punished for being a warrior, little heart. You are being punished for taking an unnecessary risk."

"You take risks all the time," she said.

"Necessary risks." He forced her to look at him. "I throw the kyrstal. You provide it. You have to trust me to lead you just as I have to trust you to protect me."

"When you put it that way it sounds like we're equal but we just have different duties."

Soren nodded. "Important duties if we are to survive." He hugged her then released her. "Now we will check on the females then begin the journey back to the ship."

"Let me heal you first." Skye took his wounded hand and held it between hers. A moment later she released him. "Better?"

He kissed her then patted her bottom. "Go." He watched her walk away then followed her.

Skye knelt down next to the two females and began checking them.

Soren watched her until Pelyn moved to stand next to him.

"I sent my brothers to guard us."

Soren settled into a warrior's stance, feet apart, arms crossed over his chest. He nodded toward the females. "What do we know about them?"

"They're sisters. They were abducted from their village and mated against their will."

"Were these males their abductors?" Soren asked.

"Yes. Now that they're dead the females are free but they're weak. We'll have to carry them to the ship."

"No. Skye will build a protective shelter and your brothers will stay with her and the females while you and I go get the ship and bring it here."

"No," Skye said as she stood. "I go with you. Always."

"You need to rest," Soren said. "Pelyn and I can make the journey and be back in less than thirty micro-units."

"What happens if you run into an enemy?" she asked. "How will you defend yourself without me to provide krystal for you?"

Pelyn joined the conversation. "The two scouts we let go by us are still out there. If they're close enough they'll still have kyrstal to throw."

"What do you mean if they're close enough?" Soren asked.

"Krystal disintegrates if a warrior moves more than ten kilometers away from the conjurer or enchantress," Skye said. "But, the scouts aren't the only enemies we need to worry about."

"You sense that there are others nearby?" Soren asked.

"Yes, all around us but no enchantresses," she said.

"Anyone who saw us land the ship will be searching for it now and lying in wait to ambush us when we return for it," Pelyn said.

One of the rescued females drew their attention when she tried to stand. Skye hurried to her and steadied her. "Don't try to move yet." Soren joined her and helped ease the female back to the mat she'd been sitting on. Once she was comfortable Skye placed her hand on the dark-haired female's shoulder. "Soren, this is Elyna and this," she indicated the female with long red hair, "is her younger sister, Talya. They're from Kryscent. It's a small village near my home."

Soren crouched down so the females wouldn't strain their necks looking up at him. He pulled Skye down next to him then examined the females. They were pale with dark circles beneath their eyes and so thin their clothes hung on them. They had obviously been neglect but what angered him the most were the bruises he saw on their faces and arms. He reached out and touched one of the bruises on Elyna's face. "They did this to you?"

"Yes." Elyna took her sister's hand. "They raided our village a moon phase ago. They took us and a healer. She was killed when she tried to escape."

"Were you unprotected when the attack took place?" Soren asked.

"We were at home when they invaded. They killed our parents and took us."

"Our brother, Davyn, was with his friends in the village. We don't know if he's still alive or not," Talya said before she began to cry.

Soren watched them grow weaker with every moment that passed. The ship could wait. They could not. He activated his communication devise. "Return to the clearing."

Kelyn and Delyn acknowledged his command as he beckoned to Pelyn. "We're staying here for a while. Once your brothers return Skye will make a shelter for us and we'll rest while we form a plan."

Skye smiled and leaned against him. "Good idea. We need to eat as well."

Several moments later Kelyn entered the clearing from one side and Delyn appeared from the opposite direction. Once they were together Skye called on the elements and a large krystal shelter formed around them. She made mats for each of them then conjured food and beverages.

Once they were seated Soren asked the sisters, "What can we do to strengthen you?"

"There's nothing to be done," Talya said. "We've managed to take care of each other but now we're both so weak." She glanced at her sister and took her hand. "We've accepted that it's too late."

"I don't accept that and I won't allow you to accept it either." Soren looked at Skye. "To survive you need to be sustained by a mate or a family member. We don't have a family member but we have worthy warriors." He indicated the three brothers then realized that the sisters had been through a terrible experience and added, "But, perhaps you aren't able to accept a new mate at this time."

Skye looked at the sisters. "Is that an option for either of you?"

The sisters looked down and shook their heads.

"It's okay. We understand." Skye reached out and covered their clasped hands with hers. "We could try a gathering."

Elyna and Talya looked up, their eyes wide with apprehension. "No," Talya said. "That would be too dangerous for you."

"What is a gathering?" Soren asked.

"It's when a mated enchantress gathers her energy and transfers it to another female in need," Skye said. "I could help Elyna and then she could sustain Talya."

"No. Talya is right," Elyna said. "It's too risky and besides you need at least two enchantresses present to control the transfer and even then it's dangerous." She leaned toward Soren. "I heard your plan to bring your ship here. You must not go without your mate to protect you. Talya and I don't want any of you to risk your lives for us."

"Because you believe you are dying," Soren said.

"Yes," Elyna said.

"I have another idea," Skye said. "I could protect you with encasing krystal again. That would put you in stasis and give us time to find your brother and return you to him."

"How long can they remain encased?" Soren asked.

"Indefinitely," Skye said. "Encasing krystal is different from the dark krystal I make for you to use as a weapon. It will exist until I remove it."

"Are you the only one who can remove it?" Soren asked then added, "And, why haven't you told me about this before?"

"Yes, only I can remove it and I didn't tell you because I didn’t think of it until now."

"Okay." Soren turned to the sisters. "Do you have other relatives?" Soren asked.

"No, just Davyn," Elyna said.

"What happens if we can't find him?" Soren asked.

"When I release them from the krystal they'll begin to grow weak again and die." Skye turned to the sisters. "Was there anyone in your village you were attracted to?"

Elyna blushed and nodded. "Teryq. We'd begun to court and my parents approved of him."

Skye smiled. "Then, we'll look for him as well."