(The Marriage Groups)Elian (19 page)

The ancient rituals of the Kardalusians are buried deep within their natures. At any time, any natural born Kardalusian will recall the words to any ritual and be able to perform it with perfection. It was as Andalusia decreed it to be so. There is but one ritual that requires study, preparation, and skill in order to be able to complete it. That is The Ritual of Vandoluz. Vandoluz is the human/Kardalusian half-breed who is rumored to have been a lover, the great love of Andalusia when our great God descended and lived among Kardalusians, Sapphros, and humans as one of us. History tells us that Vandoluz was brutally slaughtered around the same time as the Great Split and limited in his form, Andalusia was powerless to stop his lover’s death. The ritual of Vandoluz was created by Andalusia to cause a great fire to descend and to destroy an entire city or people. It can even destroy an entire planet if focused properly. Legend states that Andalusia used the ritual not to only split Kardalusia and Sapphro from Earth, but to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. In his grief he killed many, allowing few to survive.

The Ritual of Vandoluz was banned after that fateful day and Andalusia returned to Heaven where he awaited the soul of his love. It is there that both reside and rule.

Elian finished reading, taking note of the symbol used to perform the ritual from the book, and looked up into the faces that surrounded the table where he sat. All of them looked fearful after hearing his words, and Elian could share their trepidation. A piece of vellum, quill ink, and a quill pen were placed before him and Elian started off drawing the symbol he’d noticed from the map and flipped through the book to find the ritual that looked like the one he’d just started.

He gasped when he discovered what ritual was going to be attempted by these attackers.

“They’re going to try to complete the Ritual of Vandoluz,” he breathed out in fear and the sounds of dismay drowned out his thoughts as he realized they were facing something a lot bigger than someone trying to kill him.

Someone was trying to kill them all.

Chapter Twenty

Nevin

N
EVIN
stared at Elian in shock even as he felt ice course through his veins. Who in the hell would attempt to complete The Ritual of Vandoluz? He thought about all of the stories his parents had told him about that period of time, the Great Split and Sodom and Gomorrah, a horrific timeframe. And while he’d heard the humans’ version of the story, knowing the truth made it little better. The fact that someone would go to such extremes to try and complete a ritual that could and would wipe out an entire country or planet filled his veins with fear.

He ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath filled with frustration. What was he supposed to do? How could he protect his coração, his husbands, their unborn children, and the people of Kardalusia against something so powerful? No one had been able to stop the first ritual from taking place, though he was sure many had wanted to. The chances of being able to stop it this time around were just as slim. His mind raced with possibilities and different scenarios as he tried to imagine a way to stop whoever was attempting this. Coming up empty, he growled angrily and without a word, stomped out of the room. He didn’t stop until he found himself outside, at the back of the house, hands interlocked behind his head as he yelled up at the heavens.

His words weren’t clear and made absolutely no sense whatsoever, but it felt good to him just to be able to let loose his emotions and escape. After a long moment, Nevin dropped his hands to his hips and stared across the wide expanse of field behind the manor. His mind conjured images of his parents and he found himself desperately wishing they were still alive so that the decision would be up to them to make. He was afraid he would make the wrong choice, one that would cost him his husbands and his people.

Nevin, child, why do you doubt? A deeply powerful voice spoke to him from within the trees bordering the property. No, it came from the clouds or the earth or the water from the pond that had been created for their pleasure. Wait, the voice was coming from all over the place. He shivered as he realized Andalusia was speaking to him. He knelt in the grass and hung his head in reverence and submission.

“What would you have me do?” he asked.

You were chosen for such a time as this, my son. Your instincts are good; your decision will be strong and full of merit. It is also the right thing to do, for all involved. Your fathers were great kings, great men, and exceptional parents, but it is you who I have chosen for this moment. I have placed a deep wisdom deep within you and it is upon that wisdom you will draw when the time comes. Have faith, Nevin, I will not steer you wrong or let you fail. I have a plan and a purpose for your life, and it is one you have not yet fulfilled. Once you have, only then will death be approaching.

Before Nevin could draw another breath, he felt the brush of air caress his cheek and then it was as if nature, which had stilled in the presence of Andalusia, suddenly came back to life and sound returned to his ears. He raised a hand to his cheek and touched it tenderly, hissing at the healed scar that he felt there. Apparently he’d been marked by Andalusia. He couldn’t figure out if it was a good thing or a bad thing. People would definitely notice it, but did that mean he got to brag about meeting and speaking with Andalusia? He certainly hoped so.

“He’s pretty intimidating, huh?” Elian’s soft voice spoke from behind him. Nevin turned to look at his husband and saw that Elian standing behind him, rubbing the lump of his belly tenderly. Nevin felt his heart melt as he took in the image of Elian caring so sweetly for their children. He nodded and walked over to his coração, bending low to take Elian’s lips in a soft, gentle kiss. There was no tongue, no desperate clutching or moaning. This was a kiss of affection, of caring, of burgeoning love. Nevin slowly lifted his head and smiled at the dazed look in Elian’s eyes.

“He is at that, but then, so are you,” he pointed out and chuckled as Elian’s eyes widened.

“Me?” he squeaked. “Why am I intimidating?”

Nevin shook his head and turned to put his arm around Elian’s waist. The two of them looked out over their land as Nevin tried to process his words so that he’d say them correctly. He didn’t want to hurt Elian’s feelings, and he didn’t think he would, but he could remember being around some of his friends’ parents when their coração was pregnant. Even his own breeder father’s, whom he called Abda, pregnancy had been rough. Pregnant coraçãos were known for their violent and rapid mood swings. He knew Elian would have them; he just really didn’t want to be the cause of one with callous words.

“Well?” Elian asked, and Nevin cringed at the annoyance in his question.

“You’re intimidating because you’re beautiful and there is this talent and wisdom, this almost otherworldly insight, that you possess that intimidates those around you. I know you think you have no other purpose than to be a breeder because of your birthmark, but maybe it’s because you can do whatever you want. Your purpose is yours to choose. You can decide to be whatever you want. There is no door closed to you, no destiny that you cannot fulfill,” he sighed, not knowing if he was explaining things properly. Elian gave no indication that he was processing Nevin’s words, or even that he heard them, though his stiff posture let Nevin know that Elian did hear what he was saying. “The rest of us, our lives, our destinies, are mapped out for us because of the mark that we bear on our person, but you don’t have that limitation, that restriction. You can choose every single day, every hour, every second, to be something different and you can be that. The only thing you can’t run from is that you were born a coração, born to give birth at least once in your life. But the rest of it? The rest of it is your choice.”

He looked down at Elian and saw tears streaming down his face. “The world is yours, Elian. Yours to design the way you want to. That’s pretty intimidating to those of us who can do nothing but stand back and watch you change the world, paint it with your own brush.”

Elian’s eyes locked with Nevin’s and he felt his heart clench at the way Elian’s eyes had filled with tears. He looked as if someone had just told him that all of the horrible things he’d heard about himself were lies. Elian looked hopeful in that moment, and Nevin felt his heart swell with the knowledge that he’d put that look on his husbands face—he’d been the one to give Elian hope. It was a heady and very powerful feeling and it was one he could grow used to.

He wanted to make sure his husband kept that look on his face. He never wanted Elian to feel intimidated or fearful or inferior to anyone else. He was smart and resourceful and talented. He was a wonder and a gem, and Nevin knew that he would do whatever he had to, to keep Elian and their children safe.

“Well, then, let’s do this. We have a war to prepare for and babies to get freaked over,” he chuckled. Elian joined his laughter and the two of them turned and headed back inside. It was time to strategize and finalize their plans because until the triplets were born, they weren’t going to be leaving the manor. But as soon as they were there, it was going to be time for war.

Chapter Twenty-One

Elian

Five weeks later

“I
F
you don’t get the fuck away from me, Gaige, I’m going to draw on every ounce of power I have and I’m going to castrate you before I feed you your balls!” Elian growled. He was really getting sick of his husbands hovering over him. They had been informed that the palace guards had put a stop to a number of attacks in their absence and instead of that giving his husbands a measure of relief, it seemed to only put them more on edge. He blew out a frustrated breath as he shoved Gaige away from him and placed his hands on the cushions of the settee where he currently sat and stood to his feet. His overly large belly almost overturned him and he held out his arms to try and steady himself. He could feel the tension in the room ratchet up a fraction as Gaige, Corbin, Nevin, and Alain waited to see if he would need help. He was grateful that none of them ran over to immediately help him. He needed to feel independent, and they hadn’t been doing a good job of that in recent weeks.

He understood that everyone was nervous about the pregnancy, especially since he was apparently late, but he was pregnant, not an invalid. He ran a hand over his belly as one of the triplets kicked him. The girls were obviously anxious to be born if their constant moving and kicking was anything to go by, but they were waiting for some reason. Elian wished he knew what he could do to help them be born, because as much as he loved carrying his children, he felt heavy and uncomfortable and he wanted his body back.

“Come out, come out, come out,” he pleaded with the unborn girls, looking down at his stomach. When he only received an answering kick, he growled and turned to leave the sitting room where he and his husbands had been sitting having noon tea. He ignored the sounds of Nevin and Corbin calling out to him and walked out the front door.

His steps were angry at first as he marched across the yard towards the garden located at the side and the back of the manor. Before long, however, his steps slowed and he sighed in frustration. He couldn’t really blame the babies for not coming out. They were safe and secure in Elian’s belly. Safe from life’s dangers and disappointments. Hell, if he had a choice, he would probably choose to go back into his breeder father’s womb as well.

Maybe.

“Don’t you guys want to come and meet your fathers?” he asked softly as he ran a hand over his belly again. Feeling nothing in response to his question, Elian laughed. “Yeah, I can kind of understand that. They are very overprotective of me; I can only imagine what they’ll be like with you three.” He shook his head in fond exasperation. “I’m looking forward to you being here though. I want to know what you look like. I want to know what your personalities are, what you like, what you don’t like, what you’ll grow up to be.” He looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the bright sun. “Then there’s the whole me wanting my body back so that I can have sex with your fathers again. It’s been two weeks and none of them have even attempted to touch me unless they’re helping me up or helping me somewhere. It’s very upsetting. Though I probably shouldn’t be talking to you about my sex life with your fathers—that’s probably extremely inappropriate, huh?”

He sighed again and held out a hand to touch the petals of a bright blue tupdaisy. The soft, wide petals curled around his fingers as they were wont to do, and he smiled softly. He loved being out in the gardens. He usually came out with Gaige. The warrior had a secret side that he’d only shown to Elian, where he loved to slow dance and garden. Elian chuckled softly, each of his husbands had been slowly but surely showing secret sides of themselves to him, and he relished in the fact that his big, tough husbands were all marshmallow inside. He thought it boded well for their children that they could be both tough and compassionate at the same time.

A bright light shone from the middle of the garden and Elian headed straight for it. He stopped when he saw a book resting on a podium in the center of the garden. He looked around to see who had brought out both the podium and the book, since neither of those things had been there the day before. Seeing no one, he turned back to the book and stepped closer to the podium to check it out. His breath caught as he saw the title of the book, realizing that Andalusia had left the tome for him: Female Kardalusians: History and Raising them in a Male-Dominant Society.

He picked up the book and held it to his chest as he turned and made his way back to the manor. Taking only five steps, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his lower back and gasped as he dropped the book into the grass. Placing a hand to his lower back, Elian exhaled deeply as he attempted to ease the pain. It took a long time before it finally eased, and he swallowed deeply before squatting down to pick up the book once again. Taking a few more steps toward the entrance of the garden, he was wracked by another stab of pain, this one feeling like a tight band being wrapped around his middle.