Chapter
Three
Selyn stared at the blade shimmering softly against the bed coverings and fought back the sting of tears. She refused to cry, not when she felt such overwhelming joy. Slowly stroking the warm crystal, she whispered, “Mother? DemonSlayer? Are you . . . ?” The blade glowed and pulsed, and Selyn knew it lived.
Then she heard her mother’s familiar
voice.
“I am here, daughter. Yes, I am Elda,
her spirit and her heart, the one who carried you, who gave you
life. I fight now with a woman you shall call sister, for Eddy
Marks is a brave and powerful warrior. As are you, my
daughter.”
Wide-eyed, Selyn shot a glance at
Eddy, and then stared once again at the sword. She took a deep
breath. “I am ready to fight. We all are. The others didn’t want to
believe me, but when I told them there would be swords for each of
them, it gave them hope. These people—and this curly-haired
beast—have healed my injuries. I’m ready.”
“It is good. I was with you when you
fought the warden. I feared for you then, though I was sure you
would prevail. You are stronger than you realize, more powerful
than you know, and I celebrate your healing. A word of caution,
beloved daughter—those you count as your enemies may not be guilty
of their many sins. All is not always as it appears.” The sword
glowed once more and then faded.
Eddy waited for a moment while Selyn
rested her fingers against the blade. Then she quietly sheathed her
weapon and rested her fingers on Selyn’s wrist. “She does that a
lot, says things I don’t entirely understand. But DemonSlayer
always tells the truth. That ‘all is not always as it appears’ will
make sense eventually. And Selyn, anytime you feel you need to talk
to your mom, just let me know, okay?”
Selyn raised her head and smiled at
Eddy. “I dreamed she was the sentience of a crystal sword, but to
hear her voice . . .” She brushed a hand over her eyes. “It’s as if
she lives again.”
Eddy took Selyn’s hand and squeezed
her fingers. “She does. She is very much alive within my blade.
Your mother has become my friend as well as my companion in the
battle against demonkind. I don’t know how much you hear of the
world, working in the mines, but demonkind threatens all of us
again. DemonSlayer has already saved my life and the lives of my
friends on more than one occasion. Selyn, I’m so glad you’re all
right, and I’m really glad we found you, that you got to talk to
your mom. Anytime you feel the need, please . . .
anytime.”
Eddy sighed and sat on the edge of the
bed. “I would give anything to hear my mother’s voice. She died
when I was little.”
Selyn looked into Eddy’s dark brown
eyes, felt her sadness, saw the compassion in their chocolate
depths and, without further thought, wrapped her arms around her
new sister and hugged her close. “I’m sorry for your loss, but I am
so happy you carry the sword with my mother’s spirit.”
She leaned back far enough to see the
tears tracking down Eddy’s face and knew they probably matched her
own. Smiling now, she said, “This means I no longer have to worry
about her. Where she is, how she fares in the afterlife. Knowing
she is once again in the midst of battle . . .” Selyn sniffed and
then laughed. “It must make her very happy. She was a brave
warrior. A good and loving mother, but my mother was first a
warrior.”
“Thank you.” Eddy sniffed, and then
they both giggled. “I wonder who’ll be the sentience in your
sword?”
Selyn thought about that a moment.
Then she shook her head. “I have no idea. There were so many brave
women who fought in the DemonWars. All of them are gone
now.”
Dawson stepped closer. She’d been
almost preternaturally aware of his presence, as if she sensed him
on levels she didn’t truly comprehend. Even though she hadn’t seen
him, she’d felt him standing silently by, watching the interaction
between her and Eddy, so it was no surprise when he moved closer
and lightly touched her shoulder.
She was proud of herself for not
flinching this time, but she’d expected his soft touch even before
his fingers rested on her shoulder. Surprisingly, the gentle
connection steadied her.
“That’s something I don’t understand,”
he said. His soft voice rolled over her like a physical presence.
Soothing, comforting. “I thought Lemurians were immortal. What
happened to all the women warriors? Why did they die?”
Selyn shrugged. She’d often wondered
the same thing, though in her heart she knew the truth. For the
first time ever, she spoke her mother’s tragedy aloud.
“After they were exiled from Lemurian
society rather than treated as the heroes they were, when they
realized they couldn’t escape their jailers, they gave up hope.”
She tilted her head so that she could see Dawson, watch the
emotions that flickered so openly across his expressive face.
Already she’d learned to read him, in spite of the dark beard he
wore.
“After so many years toiling in the
mines—victimized by the cruelty of the guards, with no hope of
freedom for themselves or their daughters—they began to choose
death. Within a couple of years, all of the women warriors had
passed beyond the veil.”
“Were they pregnant when they were
sent into slavery?”
Eddy’s question hung there—a question
Selyn knew she must answer. She shook her head. “No. The guards
used rape as a form of intimidation, a way to control the women, to
subjugate them. They were warriors—women used to fighting
demonkind—and they fought the wardens with every bit as much
passion as they’d fought during the DemonWars, but they had no
weapons. Their swords had been taken away and destroyed. They were
physically smaller than the males guarding them, and, without
weapons, powerless against them. Sexual assault was demeaning and
terrifying, but they might have continued to fight, except almost
all of them became pregnant. That was unexpected, and it changed
the dynamic of their existence.”
She shivered, remembering the terrible
stories of the wardens’ cruelty. Remembering her mother’s mixed
emotions—the love she felt for her unexpected daughter; the
absolute hatred for the man who had forced the pregnancy on her
through a brutal act of rape.
Selyn swallowed past the bile that
rose in her throat at the telling. “The Lemurian fertility rate is
historically very low, and yet, one by one, most of the women
conceived, and most of the babies were daughters. The few boys who
were born were taken away by the guards, never to be seen again.
But pregnancy meant the women had new life to consider. The option
of fighting the guards no longer existed, because it meant putting
their unborn babies at risk. They gave up the fight and turned
their energies to raising daughters who would one day avenge
them.”
She raised her head and realized she
was telling her story to Dawson. The others listened just as
attentively, but her words were directed at him. “We are those
daughters,” she said. “We who call ourselves the Forgotten
Ones.”
Dawson nodded. “Forgotten no longer,
Selyn. All of Lemuria will soon know about you, about your mothers
and the role they played in your world’s history.”
“I hope so. That is my wish. My
prayer. My mother’s prayer as well.”
“They don’t still rape, do they? Not
their own daughters?” Eddy’s gaze flicked to Dawson, then back to
Selyn.
“No. The sexual abuse stopped as soon
as most of the women had conceived. They’d achieved their purpose
by changing the dynamic, by making it impossible for the women to
fight. At first it was to protect their unborn children, and then
it was to keep the children safe. In a way, it was as if the
pregnancies were part of the punishment, though our mothers loved
us and were always good to us. Pregnancy made it easier for the
guards to control the women warriors. The beatings, though . . .
the beatings continue, and there have been some deaths among us. We
number one hundred, now. There once were almost a dozen
more.”
Eddy glanced once again at Dawson.
Then she squeezed Selyn’s hand. “We’ll find answers, Selyn. And
we’ll get all of the Forgotten Ones out of the mines. I promise
you. Once the swords are ready and Alton has control of the
council, we’ll put an end to slavery and find the answers all of
you need.”
Selyn almost laughed. “It sounds
wonderful, but how do you plan to accomplish all these
things?”
A soft knock on the door interrupted
Eddy’s answer. Selyn glanced up as the door opened and a beautiful,
dark-skinned woman stepped into the room. She was followed by a
tall, strikingly handsome Lemurian with long, blond hair. He smiled
directly at Selyn, as if he knew her.
“Selyn,” he said. “It’s good to see
you looking so well this morning. I’m Alton, and this is Ginny. She
assisted Dr. Buck last night when you were brought in. Your
recovery is amazing.”
Ginny laughed. “No shit. I hate to say
it, but you were a mess when Roland showed up with you.” She slung
her arm over the healer’s shoulders and gave him a familiar hug and
a kiss on the cheek.
Selyn smiled, but she wasn’t sure how
she felt about another woman hugging and kissing the man who’d
healed her. Nor was she sure how she should feel about this
Lemurian. She knew his name, that he was son and heir to Chancellor
Artigos.
Until she knew more of what was
happening, she figured she’d keep her worries to herself. “Thank
you. I don’t remember much at all after Birk hit me.” She shook her
head, realized her hands were trembling, and clasped them together
in her lap. The curly dog leaned close against her side, as if
offering comfort.
For some reason, BumperWillow’s solid
presence really did seem to make things better. She glanced around
the room. “Is Roland still here? I need to thank him. I imagine I
would have died without his help.”
Alton shook his head. “No. He returned
almost immediately to Lemuria after bringing you here. He didn’t
want his absence noted, and he was worried about his wife and
child.”
“He’s a brave man,” Selyn said. “He
risks much.”
Another man stepped into the room,
which seemed to shrink with the presence of yet another large male,
but when Eddy smiled and reached for his hand, Selyn relaxed.
Obviously this one wasn’t a threat.
She realized she’d never been among so
many men before and not felt afraid. The lack of fear was almost as
unsettling as the familiar sense of anxiety she usually felt around
males.
“Selyn,” Eddy said. “I want you to
meet Dax.”
She nodded in greeting.
“It’s good to meet you, Selyn.” He
smiled at her, but he was obviously here for another reason
altogether. “Alton? Are we still on for tonight?”
Alton nodded. His expression was grim
when he turned to Selyn. “It begins tonight, Selyn. I know you have
no reason to trust any of us, but please believe me when I say we
had no idea slavery existed within our world. Roland is the one who
heard the rumors, who followed them to their source and discovered,
because you were brave enough to meet with him, that the stories
were true. Slavery is unacceptable. What happened to the warrior
women is unacceptable.”
He looped his arm around Ginny and
held her close. “We have plans to kidnap my father, the chancellor
who is also the ninth member of the Council of Nine. We have every
reason to believe he is possessed by a demon, one that has affected
his decisions now for thousands of years. Demon possession may have
bearing on the terrible purge of the warrior women carried out so
long ago, on your mother’s original enslavement.”
Demon
possession? She’d not heard of such a thing. There’d
been rumors of a new invasion, but actual possession? “And then
what?” she asked.
“Dax and Eddy will bring my father
here, to Dawson’s home. He’s got a reinforced room with barred
windows and a good lock on the door where we can hold Artigos, and
hopefully remove the demon from his soul. I plan to take over the
council as my father’s heir.” He shrugged and gave her a very
sheepish grin. “Of course, he’s publicly disowned me, but it’s what
I’ve been groomed for my whole life. I’m hoping we’ll be able to
convince the citizens and the other members of the council to put
that little issue aside.”
He chuckled when Ginny rolled her
eyes. “Trust me. We’ll make it work. Once I’m seated, Taron should
have the rest of the swords ready, and we’ll get them
distributed.”
“But what of the guards?” Selyn
glanced at Dawson for whatever reason, and then directed her
comments to Alton. “The wardens, those who watch the Forgotten
Ones, are not about to simply allow you to walk in and begin arming
the women!”
“I think we’ve got that covered.” He
glanced at the others in the room, as if looking for other input.
When no one spoke, Alton continued. “The plan is for Roland to
bring a few loyal members of the Lemurian Guard to the level where
the Forgotten Ones live and work. He’s got a couple who are armed
with crystal. With me there as chancellor, we’ll have the authority
to disarm the wardens and imprison them so we can safely get the
women to the main level. We’ll need to have the women on our side,
showing a unified front. That’s where you come in, Selyn. I know
they’re not very happy with any of the council at this point, but
if you’re able to convince the Forgotten Ones that our intentions
are honorable, it should work.”
It all sounded so perfectly simple.
Too simple. And yet, if they succeeded, a lifetime of unwarranted
servitude, of their hellish slavery in the mines, would come to an
end. Finally and forever, the Forgotten Ones would know
freedom.
She glanced again at Dawson Buck,
drawn to him for some reason she couldn’t explain. Was it gratitude
for his healing her, or was it something else?
He watched her with a most fascinating
intensity in his brilliant blue eyes. Why had he, a human, agreed
to take part in this dangerous exercise? What was he thinking right
now, as he watched her so carefully?
She realized the answer to that
question was the one she wanted to know the most. Because, more
than anything and for some strange and as yet unexplainable reason,
she wanted to know what he thought of her, not as a victim, but as
a woman.
Alton reached over his shoulder and
lightly touched the pommel on his sword.
I am here,
Alton. And I am ready.
Good.
HellFire, I wish I felt as confident as you
sound.
Alton heard soft laughter in his mind,
and then HellFire’s strong voice. We
will prevail. Do not doubt yourself, and do not doubt me. Your goal
is mine, and it is just.
Alton almost laughed. No snark from
his usually snarky sword? He hoped that was a good sign. Glancing
from Ginny to Eddy and Dax, he asked, “Are you ready?”
At their affirmative answers, he
turned to Dawson and Selyn. Selyn looked absolutely regal, even
though she wore nothing more than a faded bathrobe that must have
belonged to Dawson. She stood close beside the vet in the front
room, tall and proud and every bit his equal. The two of them
already looked like a team.
It was impossible to ignore Dawson’s
interest in his exotic patient, but Alton wondered what would
happen, once Dawson realized his mortality made anything permanent
between them impossible.
Well, it was their problem, not his,
though he knew how it could complicate things. Even so, Alton had
more than enough to worry about without adding another couple’s
hypothetical relationship to his list of problems. “You’ll have the
room ready for my father?”
“We will.” Dawson glanced at Selyn.
“If he tries to use compulsion, Selyn knows how to handle him. He
might be able to control me, but she should be immune to him,
right?”
Alton shrugged. “She should be.
Compulsion doesn’t work on other Lemurians. It’s something we
appear to have developed to use against humans.” He winked at
Ginny. “I should have known something was up when it wouldn’t work
on Ginny.”
Not that he hadn’t tried, because he
had, on more than one occasion. He should have guessed, but
discovering she was descended from Lemurian royalty had been a
shock. It still gave him chills. Knowing she’d been gifted with
immortality, that they would always be together, completed him.
He’d never imagined what it would be like to love a perfect woman,
and know she loved him in return.
“We’ll be ready for your father.”
Dawson glanced at Selyn and then gazed seriously at Alton. “Be
careful. All of you.”
Alton thought of Dawson’s words barely
an hour later as he and the others followed Roland through hidden
passageways used primarily by Lemurian guards to move about within
their world. The tunnels were narrow and dark, but there was little
chance of discovery as they quickly circumvented the great plaza
and made their way to the residential area.
Roland paused just beyond the rooms
where Artigos now resided. He touched Alton’s shoulder to get his
attention, and whispered, “Will your mother be a
problem?”
Alton shook his head and answered just
as quietly. “I recently learned she and my father no longer share
their living space. Her apartment is connected to his, yet they
live separately, each with their own portal to the main passages
for access. Because they’ve always been such private people, very
few citizens realize they’re no longer living as man and
wife.”
“That should make it easier for you.”
Roland paused. Then he frowned at something only he could hear, and
whispered, “Taron’s trying to contact me. He doesn’t say why, and
his voice isn’t very clear, but I’ve not heard from him for days.
Maybe he’s got the swords ready. I’d best head below and find out
what he needs. Good luck.”
Alton watched as the big sergeant
slipped quietly down yet another passage. Then he drew HellFire.
“Is the way clear?”
His sword pulsed with a blue glow.
“Your father is alone. The way is clear, and the time is right. We
must go now.”
Alton adjusted the pack strapped
tightly to his back beside his scabbard. He and Dax nodded to one
another, and then Dax and Eddy moved to either side of the glowing
portal that opened into his father’s rooms, taking the positions
they’d agreed upon.
Alton paused as Ginny unsheathed her
sword. Together, holding their glowing blades high, they stepped
through the portal. Alton’s father sat alone at a small table, but
the moment they entered, he leapt to his feet and glared at his
son.
“What right do you have, entering my
quarters unbidden?”
Before Artigos could mentally call on
anyone for help, Alton pointed HellFire at him. Ginny did the same
with DarkFire. Blue fire shot from the tip of Alton’s sword while
dark purple shimmered forth from Ginny’s amethyst
blade.
Trapped in the blended glow of light,
Artigos went rigid. Eyes wide, lips parted in mid-curse, he was
held immobile by the combined power of the two crystal
blades.
“What now, DarkFire?”
Ginny’s soft question startled Alton.
He’d focused so intently on his father’s angry face, he’d lost
track of time.
“He will know nothing for the next few
hours.” DarkFire’s glowing light shimmered, softened, and faded.
Artigos sat heavily in his chair and stared straight ahead,
entranced.
“Quickly,” Alton said. “Call Dax and
Eddy.” He couldn’t allow himself to think of what they had just set
in motion as he slipped his shoulder pack to the ground and pulled
out a tightly folded duffle. His hands shook so badly he could
barely hang on to the damned thing. He concentrated on unfolding
the bag, on getting the zipper open. He couldn’t look at his father
sitting there in the chair, staring into space like a plastic
mannequin, a parody of the vital, forceful man Alton had always
known—a man who had publicly disowned his only son.
By the time Dax and Eddy entered the
room, Alton had his emotions under control and the bag open, and he
was stretching it out on the floor. Even his voice sounded steady
as he sat back on his heels. “Help me get him inside.”
Dax nodded and carefully grabbed
Artigos beneath his shoulders while Alton turned around and lifted
his father’s legs. Artigos offered no resistance at all, though his
eyes were open. He appeared at least vaguely aware of something
going on.
Artigos closed his eyes, though, as
Dax and Alton stretched him out beside the duffle and, with Eddy
and Ginny’s help, got him tucked inside. At the last minute, Alton
grabbed his father’s crystal blade. He caught Ginny’s curious gaze.
“I can’t take everything away from him. Not this,
too.”
Ginny smiled softly as he slipped the
blade and scabbard into the bag beside Artigos, and closed the
zipper. “I won’t allow him near it when he’s conscious.” Alton ran
his fingers along the zipper and sighed. “We just need to keep it
close. Just in case . . .” The fabric was light enough to allow his
father to breathe, but strong enough to carry him using the sturdy
handles along the top.
Dax grabbed the handle above the
chancellor’s head and shoulders while Eddy lifted the one at his
feet. Alton glanced at Ginny. She should have grabbed part of the
weight, but instead she stood off to one side with her arms folded
over her chest.
“Ginny? Aren’t you going to help
Eddy?”
“No.” She stepped closer, wrapped her
fingers around his forearm and shook her head. “They can handle
him. My place is with you, Alton. I’m staying.” She glanced toward
Eddy. “You’re sure you don’t need my help? You’ll be able to carry
him as far as the portal?”
“No problem. Now, Alton I might have
trouble with, but his father’s not quite as big.” Eddy flashed a
quick grin. “Don’t worry—either of you. You deal with Alton’s mom,
and we’ll take care of dear old dad.”
“Thank you.” What else could he say?
Obviously Ginny and Eddy had worked this out ahead, but he turned
to her anyway, and grabbed both her hands in his. “Are you sure,
Ginny? It could get ugly. This is treason, no matter how you look
at it. It’s a capital offense in Lemuria. We could end up in jail
again. Or worse.”
She laughed. Only Ginny . .
.
“I’m sure. Now stop it. You’ve got
bigger things to worry about.” She stood on her toes and kissed
him. “Wherever you go, I’m there. Jail. Lemuria. Earth. You’re
stuck with me.”
“Good. I think.” Thank the gods! Relief didn’t come close to
describing how her words made him feel, but he held tightly to
Ginny’s hand and watched until the portal closed behind Eddy and
Dax. He wasn’t going to think of the risk they were taking. He
couldn’t. “I hope they’ll be okay.”
Ginny squeezed his hand. “I hope
you’ll be okay. I can feel your anxiety. It’s pouring off of you in
waves.” She kissed his cheek. “C’mon, big guy. We need to talk to
your mother.”
“I know.” He dragged his gaze away
from the empty portal. “First I want to give Dax and Eddy time to
get him through the gold veil and away from Lemuria. Dax will let
me know once they’re ready to leave this dimension.” He wrapped an
arm around Ginny’s waist and held her close. When she grinned at
him, he leaned over and kissed her perfect mouth, losing himself,
if only for a moment, in her heat and her taste, and her soft, full
lips.
Ginny’s love surrounded him. With
HellFire strapped to his back and Ginny beside him, Alton felt as
if he could accomplish anything. “How did I survive so many years
without you?”
She laughed and kissed him hard and
fast, then backed away and said, “You didn’t. Your life didn’t
begin until you met me.”
She had no idea how truthful her words
actually were. No idea at all.