Destiny Redeemed (28 page)

Silently,
Amon instructed Gethen to guard the door and shoot on sight anyone who tried to
get in. He and Markku approached the stage Thea sat on, and as he walked Amon
attempted to gently insert in her mind that everything would be okay. He only
hoped Markku’s magick had made it possible for his powers to work now.

“So
we meet once again, Mr. Kalins. I thought the last time we met would be the
last, but fate serves you well. Thankfully, very few of my prisoners can count
a Sidhe as a close associate willing to risk his life to free them from Nil.”

“Let
her go, Adams. I’m who you want.”

A
flash of surprise crossed the councilman’s face. “You remember my name? Then
have you yet figured out why I’ve hunted you for lifetimes, used your friends
against you, and even had my bounty hunter kidnap a woman to get you?”

Amon
studied the face of the man who could truthfully be called his enemy. Nothing
about him sparked even the slightest memory. Average height, average features
told him nothing. His attempt to read the man’s mind gave him nothing.

“Don’t
bother trying to find out. I’ll willingly tell you. I’ve hated you for so long,
it seems there has never been a time when I didn’t want to see you suffer. But
even when I sentenced you to spend the rest of your time on Earth in Nil, it
wasn’t enough. And it won’t be enough when I do it again, but no matter. It
will have to suffice.”

Amon
focused on Thea.
Angel, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I promise I’ll
get you out of here safely. I promise.

Thea
smiled and closed her eyes, but Adams tugged on her hair sharply. “No fair telling
her things without letting everyone else hear, Mr. Kalins. Thea, dear, tell
your beloved what we talked about just a short time ago.”

Amon
watched in horror as Thea tried but said nothing. The councilman tugged on her
hair again, this time even harder. “Come now, Thea. Do as you’re told.”

Amon
fought the urge to tear Adams in two as he feared he’d hurt Thea if he even
took a step. “Let her go,” he warned. “I’m sure it’s not your style to harm an
innocent woman.”

The
councilman barked out a sharp laugh. “No, I’d say that’s better suited to you.”

Amon
heard Gethen’s warning interrupting his thoughts to remind him that the odds
were in their favor as long as Kiril and his guards were out, but that would
change soon. But with Adams standing so close to Thea, Amon knew his options
were limited. Unfortunately, the councilman seemed in the mood to talk.

“Adams, you’ve gotten me confused with someone else. Let her go.”

“I
admit it took me a while to find you, and then when I did, you were involved
with Gault and his group and they protected you. Then that murderer in New Hope did me a huge favor. There was no way a prisoner with no powers could catch you,
but then fate smiled on me for once. His destined one was related to an ancient
one, and knowing you ancients, I could bet on her knowing you. But even better,
she’d been related to you at one time. It was perfect.”

Amon
took a step toward the stage and Adams yanked Thea out of the chair. “No
further, Kalins. One more step and I hurt her.”

“Amon,
please,” Thea pleaded. “Please do what he wants.”

It
broke his heart to hear the sadness in Thea’s voice. “Fine, Adams. I won’t move
from here.”

As
the councilman explained how his selfish desire for another man’s destined one
had almost ruined a young couple in love, Amon realized he wasn’t in pain
because of Thea’s emotions.

“You’re
wasting your time. Thea already knows what I did last year.”

“Ah,
the love of a destined one. Tell me, does she know about your other crimes?”

Bluffing
and hoping Thea would do the same and forgive him later, Amon smirked and
shrugged his shoulders. “We’re destined ones, Adams. She knows about my past.”

“Does
she? She didn’t seem to know earlier when I was explaining what you did to poor
Victoria.”

At
the sound of that one name, Amon felt like he’d been hit in the chest with a
sledgehammer. Of all the names he’d hoped Adams wouldn’t say, that was the one.
He knew by the look on Thea’s face that he’d told her the story and she
desperately wanted to believe he’d lied.

“Let’s
hear it. How you convinced her to leave her husband, the man she truly loved,
her destined one. Explain to your current destined one how you cheated on your
destined one then—Frederika, wasn’t it?—and took Victoria away from the man who
loved her and the life she had with him. Explain how you used her until she
didn’t interest you anymore and left her alone, so lost she took her own life.”

Dumbfounded,
Amon tried to remember how much he’d said about Victoria at his trial to
explain how the councilman knew so much. Sure he hadn’t said enough to allow
him to know such intimate details, he stood confused.

“Adams, you’ve made your point. I’m a fucker. You don’t have to say any more of what you’ve
read in my file.”

“What
did she look like when you told her you were done with her, those beautiful
green eyes full of sadness when she realized too late what you truly were?”

The
description of what Victoria had looked like when he’d last seen her that day in
the English countryside nearly knocked Amon off his feet. The councilman’s details
were too perfect to be from a Directorate file.

“How?”
he stammered.

“How
do you think? She was my wife! My destined one!” Adams roared.

Amon
stepped back, reeling from the knowledge that the husband of Victoria Adams
stood in front of him prepared to once again be judge and jury, but this time
punishing Thea also. Thea’s shocked look devastated Amon, and for a moment he
swore he felt her pain from finding out about this dark part of his past.

“And
now, I’ll let you watch as I make your lovely destined one pay for your crimes,”
Harold Adams said as he squeezed his hands around Thea’s neck and began to
tighten his hold.

Amon’s
rage took over, and he launched onto the stage and Harold Adams. He pulled his
hands from her neck, and as she crumpled to the ground gasping for air, Amon
began to pummel the man’s face repeatedly, the feel of breaking bones under his
hands as he beat him into unconsciousness.

From
behind him, he heard Thea scream and he turned to see Kiril, awake and on his
feet, taking her away through a side door.

“Markku,
watch him!” Amon boomed as he chased after Kiril.

Amon
followed the sound of Thea’s frightened screams to Kiril’s bedroom. He’d been
there before, so he knew of all the possible weapons his walls provided.
Adrenaline coursing through his body, he easily kicked the door in and found
Kiril standing next to his wall of weapons and shielding himself with Thea.

“Kiril,
you’re a fucking coward. Let her go. Either way, I’m sending you on to your
next life, right now, in this room.”

Reaching
up, Kiril grabbed a dagger from the wall and held it to Thea’s neck, making her
cry out in pain as the blade pressed against her skin.

“Not
unless you’re planning to send her on too,” he said as he pushed the blade into
her neck and blood began to trickle down her chest.

Thea,
trust me. I need you to scream, honey, when I tell you to. Loud. And then stomp
your foot. When he releases you, drop to the floor and get the hell out here.
Now, Thea!

Exactly
as he’d instructed, Thea screamed as loud as she could and stomped on Kiril’s
foot. As a stunned Kiril released his hold on her, Amon pushed her out of the
way and lunged at Kiril, taking him down onto the bed.   

*

Thea
watched in horror as Kiril jabbed the knife at Amon as the men rolled around on
the bed, cutting his neck and chest. Amon pinned his arms and forced the knife
out of his hand, causing it to drop to the bed.

For
a moment, Amon stopped fighting, but she knew only one of them would be able to
leave this place alive. Picking the dagger up, he drove it into Kiril’s chest.
Exhausted and losing blood from his wounds, Amon collapsed onto the bed.

“Amon!”
Thea screamed as she watched him fall.

As
she gently turned him over, she saw his wounds. Kiril had cut him with a gash
across the neck, but the deeper cut was on his chest. The red stain on his
shirt was spreading with each passing second. Carefully, she placed her hands
over his chest wound and prayed he wasn’t too far gone. If his injuries were
mortal, her ability to heal would mean nothing. If he was meant to die, she’d
lose him no matter how much she tried to save him.

She
pressed gently against his chest, but the blood continued to flow over her
hands. Pushing harder, she called out to him to open his eyes. She couldn’t lose
him!

“Amon,
please open your eyes. Don’t leave me! Please, God, don’t take him yet.
Please!”

Slowly,
he opened his eyes and focused on her face. “Thea, find Gethen. Everything I
have is yours,” he whispered.

“No!
I don’t want houses in dozens of places. I want you! Please don’t leave me.”

Amon
closed his eyes, and Thea focused her healing like she’d never done before. The
pain was excruciating and she slowly felt herself slipping away, unable to
fight it.

Please.
Don’t leave me.

*

Markku
remained standing over the head councilman, ready to continue the beating Amon
had begun. Each time he stirred, Markku prepared his foot to kick him back into
unconsciousness.

Gethen stood
guarding the door, but no one attempted to enter. As they waited for Amon and
Thea to return, he reached out with his mind to search for his former master’s
but felt nothing.

“Markku,
something’s wrong. Stay here. I need to find Amon.”

As
he made his way toward where Kiril and Amon had gone, he sensed Naomi Cooper
trying to contact him. Before he could answer, she was standing in front of him
over Harold Adams. Within seconds, she was joined by other members of the
council who stood near her examining the scene around them.

“Gethen,
I’m here to tell your friend his accusations were correct, that Mr. Adams’ presence
here is just the beginning of the proof against him.”

Shaking
his head, he quietly said, “I can’t sense Amon,” before he left to search for
Amon and Thea.

“I’m
sorry, friend,” she said sadly.

Turning
toward her fellow council members, she said, “Ladies and gentlemen, my
investigation has uncovered a close relationship between the head of our
council and the leader of the rebel group, the Soren, Kiril Gault. Mr. Adams’
presence here and the testimony I believe we’ll receive from not only the Sidhe
but this man will show the exact nature of that relationship to be against
Aeveren law and everything we hold ethical.”

Slowly,
Harold Adams began to regain consciousness and awoke to see his fellow council
members standing in judgment of him.

“Mr.
Adams, this council formally charges you with the illegal use of your position
to terrorize and incarcerate your fellow Aeveren. You will be tried in a
separate council but know that each of us here will be willing witnesses
against you. You’ve abused your power and even more than that, you’ve
cooperated with an organization that goes against every principle we council
members pledge to uphold.”

Naomi
Cooper motioned to Markku to lift Harold Adams from the floor.  He rose,
bloodied and bruised, to face his colleagues and immediately hung his head.

“What
is your name?” she asked Markku. When he remained silent, she continued. “Sir,
while I’m sure if I did some checking I’d find your past to be rather unsavory,
we have no wish to punish you. We’ve bigger fish to fry. So tell me your name.”

“Markku
Dunning, ma’am,” he said, his voice full of respect, and then added, “I’m here
with Gethen and Amon to rescue Thea.”

Naomi
Cooper smiled. “Something tells me you’re a very clever man to have around, Mr.
Dunning. Please tell your Sidhe friend I’m thankful for his help. And my
apologies for any loss you’ve suffered because of the actions of this council.”

Markku’s
smile at her compliment faded and he rushed to locate Gethen, finally finding
him standing in the doorway to a room halfway down the hall. He looked pale and
sad and held himself up against the doorframe.

“Gethen?”

Silently,
the Sidhe moved aside to allow Markku to enter the room. Two steps in he saw
what had turned Gethen pale. Kiril Gault lay dead in a pool of blood with a
dagger stuck in his chest. To his left, next to him on the bed lay Amon, his
shirt soaked in blood, and on top of him was Thea, covered in blood.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Slowly,
Amon became conscious, feeling Thea on his chest, and looked down to see her
covered in his blood, her long, blond hair sticky and pale red. On her face,
arms, and hands showed the effort she’d made to save him.

He
waited to feel her breathe, his heart in his throat at the idea that she’d
given her life for his and would be gone from this life at any moment.

“Thea?”
he asked, his voice almost pleading with her to still be alive.

Rubbing
her back, he repeated her name as fear gripped him. But almost imperceptibly,
her chest rose and fell against his, and he wrapped his arms around her as fear
was replaced with purer joy than he’d ever felt in all his lifetimes.

Beside
him, Kiril Gault began to fade from this lifetime, and Amon watched as the man
he’d killed went on to await his next lifetime, his violet eyes still wide with
terror from his last moments in this one.

“Amon?”

Turning
his head to face the door, he saw Gethen and Markku both with worried looks on
their faces. They looked at Thea, not knowing she’d survived and waiting for
the sad moment when she’d slowly begin to vanish just as Kiril just had, as all
Aeveren did after death.