Blood Legacy: Heir to the Throne (37 page)

Ravlen laughed at the mental characterization. “I already told you, little one. I am not going to eat you. And tell me this, did you not attempt to kill your mate?”

Ryan thought of Aeron and blushed. Although he had certainly given her good reason, she had in fact attempted to kill him. Not to mention her father. In light of the predatory species that had spawned them, Ryan suddenly understood a great many of the impulses of their Kind. In the nature versus nurture debate, nature was winning hands down. Which was a little disturbing since the “nature” that had produced them consisted of an extraterrestrial killing machine.

Ryan sorted through Ravlen’s Memories. “But you did not kill my grandfather after you mated with him.”

“No, I left so I would not.” Ravlen’s gaze grew distant. “I did not at first realize the mating would produce an offspring. First attempts had been so catastrophic it never occurred to me ours would be successful. And my gestation period was so long that your grandfather was dead from natural causes by the time my son was born.”

“Victor,” Ryan said slowly, “my father.”

Ravlen smiled with pleasure. “Yes, my son. A perfect little creature, not quite human, but flawless. Weak and vulnerable, obviously, relative to my species, but still so compelling.”

“So why did you leave him on earth? Why didn’t you take him with you?”

Ravlen gazed at Ryan intently, and Ryan had a sudden vision of Ravlen’s lineage stretching back eons through time. Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of offspring, most pure within her own species, but with some hybrids scattered throughout worlds. Still, even in light of this, Ryan saw Ravlen’s love of Victor. Ravlen sighed, sensing the girl’s great perception.

“Victor would have been little more than a slave amongst my people. I did not take him for the same reason I did not take Ambrosius. On your world, they are Kings. Within mine, they would have been little more than chattel, their lowly stature exacerbated by the fact they were male. ”

Ryan gazed at her astutely, sensing her pride in Victor. “You don’t believe that anymore.”

Ravlen again smiled at the girl’s perception. “No. I think my son would have surprised many of my kind with his gifts, gifts that are rare even among my species. But I do not regret leaving him.”

Something occurred to Ryan. “If the Change was so unsuccessful, then how are there any Others?”

Ravlen’s gaze again grew distant. “When I contemplated Victor’s impending birth, I decided to return him to your world. But I could not bear to leave him alone. I was determined he would have companions similar to himself.”

Ryan did not understand. “But you said attempts at Change were unsuccessful, and breeding even less so. How did you achieve that?”

Ravlen smiled her predatory smile. “We destroyed nearly a hundred million humans to find the handful that would survive the mutation.”

Ryan was shocked at the number, and searched her memory of human history to find such an event. It could not have possibly gone unnoticed, although it more than likely would have been misinterpreted.

“The Justinian plague,” Ryan said slowly, “during the sixth century.”

“Hmm, yes. That sounds about right.” Ravlen said, unfazed by the horror she had unleashed. Ryan again had a terrible insight into her own Kind as Ravlen continued casually. “No additional attempts at breeding were successful, but several assimilations did take hold. Only two remain of that first generation.”

“Aeron,” Ryan said thoughtfully, “and Abigail.”

“Yes,” Ravlen said, her eyes gleaming, “one of my personal favorites. The others of that first generation were destroyed in internecine warfare, although many of their offspring live on.”

Ryan was still deep in thought. “Kusunoki, Ala, and Marilyn are all second generation, Changed by One from that original Change.”

Ravlen nodded. “Yes, all those you refer to as ‘Old Ones’ were within a few generations of that initial Change.”

Ryan had a stunning, sudden insight into the interaction of her Kind. She understood the complicated politics, the hierarchy, the convoluted relationships, the predatory nature inherent in all of them. She understood her weakness toward Abigail, knowing now that no matter how powerful she herself became, the matriarch would always have a hold on her. She understood the magnetism between her and Aeron, realizing that together or miles apart, he alone would be her mate. She understood why only she and Victor were capable of sexual reproduction, the only direct descendents of Ravlen’s species. And she at last understood why her power grew so exponentially relative to the Others.

Ravlen followed her thoughts, nodding. “Yes, Victor was first born. You are second born. And your son is third. But you are the only female in the direct line.”

Ryan fell into a deep, contemplative silence. Unconsciously, she curled closer to the creature that held her, resting her head against Ravlen. The innocent gesture greatly pleased the dark-haired woman, who wrapped her arms about the girl. And as Ryan settled into the warmth of the embrace, Ravlen opened her mind to Ryan, offering her a vision as stunning as it was impossible.

Ryan again saw Ravlen’s endless lineage, the hundreds of thousands of offspring spread across worlds and stretching backwards in time over eons. She saw their lives, deaths, failures, successes. She saw rulers, conquerors, the extraordinarily beautiful, the unbelievably cruel, the amazingly gifted. She saw an immense gathering of descendents, and in one, startling instant, saw the terrifying and unique place she occupied in that hierarchy, a position obtained only so recently in light of her youth and the encompassing span of time.

In case there was any misunderstanding on Ryan’s part, Ravlen spoke to her, but did so without speaking. The phrase came in a rasping, alien language that Ryan somehow not only understood, but fully comprehended meaning, context, and significance.

“You are my beloved,” Ravlen said simply, “the most precious of all my progeny.”

Ryan gazed up at her, having no idea why she, the most insignificant of creatures in such a great web would occupy any such position of honor. And yet, gazing up at her grandmother, knew the stunning declaration was true.

Ravlen stroked her hair, again sniffing her with animal-like mannerisms. When she spoke, there was the faintest hint of sibilance in the “s.”

“I wish you to stay with me.”

At that moment, Ryan desired nothing else. She could remain in this creature’s presence forever and she would be complete. But one thing held her, one thing she could not let go.

Ravlen assessed her thoughts. “You wish to return to your son.”

Ryan’s throat felt thick with emotion. “No,” she said honestly, “I want nothing more than to stay here with you for all eternity.”

This pleased Ravlen, but she knew better. “But…”

“But I cannot leave my son,” Ryan paused, swallowing hard, “and he deserves to be raised with his own Kind.”

Ravlen nodded. “I anticipated this.” She shifted Ryan slightly, still holding her tightly. “I will allow you to return to raise your son. But when he is grown and successfully Changed, you will return to me.”

Ryan gazed up at her grandmother. “I will. I promise.”

Ravlen sat back. “Excellent. I will return you to your son. But for now you will rest with me a little while longer.”

Ryan closed her eyes, feeling wonderfully drowsy. She wanted to memorize every aspect of the experience, wanted the moment to last forever, but she felt herself drifting off to sleep. She turned her head, opening her eyes as a though occurred to her.

“I’m not going to grow tentacles, am I?”

Ravlen quietly laughed. “I don’t think so, my dear. I can’t be certain, but it is unlikely.”

Ryan again settled down, feeling lassitude creep over her. She was drifting off to sleep when another thought roused her.

“Ambrosius Aurelianus?” Ryan said, finally placing the name and its significance.

Ravlen followed her train of thought. “Yes. Your grandfather was a great man and a great warrior. He inspired legends on your world that live on even in the present. And although history gave him a different name, he will never be forgotten.”

Ryan smiled to herself. She thought back to the very first book Victor had given her and wondered if he had any idea what a prescient gift that had been. And as she lay in the blood-red sanctuary in the arms of the alien creature who was her grandmother, this thought very pleasantly occupied her as she drifted off to sleep.

EPILOGUE I

VICTOR OPENED HIS EYES. Abigail, Kusunoki, as well as many others were leaning over him. The handsome Asian extended his hand, and Victor took it, pulling himself upright. He glanced about him in confusion.

“What has happened?”

It seemed everyone shared his confusion.

“We are not quite certain,” Abigail said. She, too, glanced around. “Ryan’s presence was fading.” She stopped, trying to put into words what had occurred. “Then there was another presence.” She stopped again. “An immense presence.”

Victor glanced at the beautiful matriarch, then at those around him. “Madelyn?”

Kusunoki shook his head. “No,” he, too, paused, at a loss. “This One dwarfed Madelyn.”

Victor felt a cold chill as Abigail continued. “The men all stopped fighting and fell to their knees. They were obviously terrified. Other men appeared, similar in appearance, but not quite the same.” Abigail contemplated the strange scene that had unfolded. “The new soldiers seemed to outrank the ones that were here, and for lack of a better description, they collected Madelyn’s men and took them away.”

“Took them away where?” Victor asked.

Abigail just shook her head. “I don’t know. But they are gone, and they have left no trace.”

Victor glanced around him. There were no fallen bodies, no weapons, no blood, not even a torn remnant of clothing that would indicate a scuffle had occurred, let alone the all-out battle that had taken place. He wondered how long he had been unconscious.

“How long did this take?”

Abigail looked to Kusunoki for confirmation, then to Aeron. Aeron nodded, and spoke for her.

“Minutes,” he said in disbelief, “a matter of minutes.”

Saladin and his chief Janissary also nodded. “They spoke not a word. I have never seen anything like it.”

Ala and Kokumuo stood to Victor’s right. “They collected all the weapons,” Kokumuo said, “and emptied the armory. They have left nothing behind.”

“But where did they go?” Victor asked in frustration, “and what happened to Ryan?”

Marilyn and Susan stood to his left. Marilyn glanced down at the child Susan held in her arms. The boy seemed remarkably unperturbed, his blue eyes calm as he solemnly sucked his thumb.

“At first, it felt as if Ryan were dying,” Marilyn began slowly. She turned to Abigail, then to Victor. “But it did not feel as if she passed.”

Abigail was also deeply thoughtful, agreeing. “It felt,” she paused, struggling for words, “it felt as if just she went away.”

Victor’s frustration was at a maximum. He glanced around at his companions, searching for answers they did not have.

“Drake!”

Victor turned to the only one who had not spoken. Susan was now running down the toddler who had taken it upon himself to struggle free. It was incongruent to watch the boy scamper across the courtyard in such a solemn moment, especially since he was laughing joyfully. Victor was perplexed by the boy’s unexpected behavior.

“Oh my god,” Abigail said, pressing her hand to her chest.

A figure stepped from the shadows of the citadel, one utterly familiar and yet now completely foreign to them. The sun glinted off hair that was pure white and put a gleam in eyes that were now deep violet. Ryan smiled, her thoughtful expression containing both wonder and delight, the look of a child who has just been told a most miraculous secret. She watched her son run toward her, and as he neared, she bent low to grab his tiny, hurtling form. She lifted him high, tossing him into the air, grabbing him tightly as he came back to earth. He embraced her, his small frame shaking with the intensity of his joy.

Ryan smiled at her son, then turned to the Others. She was not surprised so little time had passed, although she felt she had been gone for weeks. She sensed their astonishment as they one-by-one reached out to touch her. She approached her father, gazing at him with deep affection. It was the first time she had been in his presence, not under duress, since he had awakened.