Out Of The Darkness (31 page)

He closed his eyes at the depth of what he felt in that moment. Her, a babe,
it was more than he had ever thought he deserved. “What if he decides to plant carrots in his pillow? That’s just as strong a possibility.”

“I guess it is.” Her fingers curled in his hair. “I
’m afraid. Of everything.”

“I know.” And he did. And his biggest fear was losing this woman in his arms. “So am I.”

“I don’t know what to do. What to think.”

“No. I don
’t think either one of us do. We shall have to find our own path.”

“I won
’t do it alone. This
whatever
it is.”

“I don
’t expect you to.” He pulled back, stood her on her feet. “In fact, I think that’s part of our path. You and me, together. Always. Think you can handle it?”

“Think
you
can?” She smiled at him. “I’ve made my decision. I just need to know yours.”

He laughed. “Mine was made by a damned goldfish pond a year ago. Your humming tempted me to gobble you up where you stood.”

“Too bad you took your sweet time about things. We’ve lost a whole year we could have been together.” She wrapped her arms back around his neck and kissed him. Of course he kissed her back.

She pulled away a few minutes later. “We should go back. People are waiting.”

Chapter 55

When next Nalik opened his eyes he was back in the center of the demon’s hall. But the paralysis was mostly gone. Mostly. He stood.

Why hadn
’t those two idiots Rydere and Aodhan at least have propped him up on a couch or something?

It took him a moment to realize know time had passed since he had been pulled through the portkey.

Someone was still screaming and it took him a half-second to realize it was Cassandra’s sister.

Where was Cassandra?

Nalik rose, feeling a sense of rightness unlike any he’d ever felt.

Cassandra was there, held in Eaudne
’s arms. Nalik understood what the woman was, now.

Laquazzeana, those elusive creatures who favored isolation over everything, were suddenly everywhere he turned.

Because of the coming wars? It made sense that these more powerful-than-the gods beings would make themselves known in a war of realms unlike any other.

It would take him a while to accept the idea that
he
was one of those creatures.

The purple demon lowered Aureliana to her feet, and helped her stand. She was weakened, most likely by her travels. Even the Laquazzeana had weaknesses and had cost of what they could do.

He understood—checks and balances. There must always be checks and balances.

The
dahn
was still gasping her sister’s name.

Nalik strolled through the people surrounding them.

Eaudne was glowing, her body surrounded by a yellow light. He’d seen it before, hadn’t he?

Thirty years earlier, just when he
’d thought he would finally die under Taniss’s knife, a light that color had come to him.

Out of that light had stepped Theo and Cormac. He
’d convinced himself that light had been the two of them opening the door to his dark cell to free him.

Now he knew differently.

Aureliana also emanated a glow—this one of the purest indigo. She stepped away from her male and toward Eaudne.

Where her light touched Eaudne
’s green light covered everything. Covered Cassandra.

The
woman he loved was opening her eyes. Eaudne and Aureliana supported her while she tried to regain her balance. Her equilibrium.

Finally Cassandra straightened and looked at him. White suited his female, though her
vestis
and
pardus
were torn and dirty.

Aureliana and Eaudne each touched one of her shoulders, uniting the three of them for a moment. The glow was almost enough to hurt the eyes of those that watched.

He could feel their thoughts and their awe around him. All of them. A new gift of his, perhaps? One that would take some getting used to, and some definite filtering.

The crowd hushed as he walked toward her.

Aureliana and Eaudne stepped back, their lights dimming.

Cassandra was surrounded by a green radiance the color of her eyes. Her precious plants.

She looked far more beautiful than he had ever seen her. And far more confident, though the sweetness of her soul was clear for everyone to see. She was
good,
so good that it probably hurt many of them to look directly at her. But they still did.

How could they ever turn away from her?

She stepped toward him. Held out her hands. He took them and the air around them warmed. “Cassandra, my love.”

“Nalik.” She smiled, then almost jumped into his arms. He held her against him and closed his eyes. He dragged the scent of his mate into his lungs.

So there was no need for him to thank the goddess for this woman in his arms. They were not
Rajnis.
Had never been. They were so much
more
than that, then and now. “I love you.”

“I know you do. And I love you, too.
She laughed. “We are home now. Aren’t we? Together.”

He couldn
’t have stated it any better himself. “We are home.”

Epilogue

Cassandra dug her fingers into the soil next to the grotto she
’d found her third day in Thrun. It was beautiful and vastly different from the one she’d left behind in Colorado.

This one was hers. And everyone knew it. She drew her strength from it, and spent several hours there each day creating a haven just for her and her mate. And for the baby who was just now the size of her thumbnail, according to Josey.

Nalik spent much of
his
time with Aodhan and Theo, working to build this new city to be something remarkable. It now housed close to forty thousand people, and Nalik was ultimately responsible for all of them.

He
’d become a
dhar,
though she knew that was one of the last things he’d ever wanted.

He handled the responsibility very well.

Jushua’s people had chosen to build their own city nearby, on the ruins of another demon city. It was far larger than the Thrun, and consisted mostly of Evelanedean Dardaptoans, but Cass felt certain that as time went on the Evelanedeans and Gaian Dardaptoans would intermingle to form a newer, stronger Kind.

It provided them all hope that the plight of the Gaian Dardaptoans would one day be eliminated.

While he was in political talks and meetings, Cass spent her time at the castle or at the Thrun palace with Aureliana and Eaudne, learning of the differing realms and the vegetation found in each.

Her Druid gifts translated well into Laquazzeana. She was finally starting to understand herself.

Nalik was finally starting to forgive himself.

He
’d returned to Gaia three times over the last two months to search out more victims of her grandfather.

He
’d found ten. Those ten were with the Relaklonos healers now. Nalik had assumed responsibility for them and she knew he meant to ensure they recovered completely.

Even with the tasks they had they made a point of being with each other as much as possible. They could not be together all the time, but they were rarely separated for more than a few hours at a time.

Cass meant to keep it that way.

They
’d been chosen to balance each other, after all. And to her that meant they needed to be with each other.

They were both happy with that idea.

Warm hands landed on her shoulders and she smiled. But she did not turn around. “I felt him move today.”

“And what did it feel like?” His hand covered her abdomen.

“Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.”

He leaned in and kissed her. “That gives me hope.”

She frowned up at him. “What has happened?”

“The wars are coming. And soon. Tomorrow, we start preparing Thrun
’s warriors to defend the city.”

And she knew he would be at the front of any fighting. It was his path, and one he
’d follow gladly. With Aodhan at his side. “How soon?”

“Probably within a few months. Rathan prepares his own forces. And Kindara hers.”

“And I should do the same.” She and Eaudne had been carefully cataloging all of the Relaklonos plants, making note of their uses. For both battles and healing.

“You should do the same. War comes. And it comes far too soon.”

Cass was quiet for a moment. “We will be ready. I know we will.”

Watch for more Dardanos, Co. novels and stories coming in 2014 and 2015 from Calle J. Brookes and Lost River Lit.

Coming 2014

The Warrior Blind

She tripped over him, landing hard against the cement floor. Bronwen knew the water she
’d carried spilled everywhere and knew she would have bruises.

“Watch it, female. I may be just a warrior, but even I deserve not to be tread upon.” His voice was harsh, deep. Terrifying.

She wished she could see him, see if he was as terrifying as he sounded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to--”

“Are you blind, then, girl? Did you really not see me?”

“Almost. I can see some, but it is so dark in here, and I...I really am sorry.” Bron held her hands out in front of herself and tried to stand back up.

Hands on her shoulders prevented it. “Don
’t move, or you’ll hurt yourself more.”

He was huge; nearly as big as the prince Ren. His shadow was harsh, dark, against that of the white cement walls. She wished there was more light. If she could just see his face, then she would know what to say. “I
’m sorry.”

“You
’ve said that before.” His fingers spread over her shoulders and he turned her.

Effortlessly. “You
’re too small to be demon. What are you? Not human.”

“No. Dardaptoan. From Colorado…Gaia. You
’d call it Gaia.” What was he? And why was he down here? She’d thought this path would be the one with the fewest people. “I’m sorry…I am Bronwen Sebastos. I’m a healer. I-I-I came with Kindara and Rathan. To find medicines for our Kind.”

“So the wayward King has returned. Interesting. Tell me, Bronwen Sebastos, is someone looking for you?”

“No…”

“A pity. For you…”

Balance of
the Worlds

Nelci stared at the god before her.
He was serious.
“You are insane!”

“No, that is the one thing I am not.” He answered with his customary seriousness. “Because Eiophon fathered twins, we need to offset the shift in power with another set of twins.”

“And you think I should be the mother.”

“You
’re the only one who can be.” Lothonos continued in the same infuriatingly logical tone. “You and Kennera were the only ones with the necessary qualifications to be the carriers at this time.”

“And Eiophon ruined that, didn
’t he?” Nelciana rubbed her arms to ward off the sudden chill. “Bet your first choice was Nera, wasn’t it? But now you’re stuck with your second choice. Too bad for you.”

“None of this is my choice, but it has to be done. We cannot have only two Kinds rebirthed, it must be four. And the babes must be from mothers with the right qualifications.”

Nelci snorted. “You mean virginity. Let’s be honest here, the reason you haven’t approached Iastucia or one of the other goddesses is because their knees are like freaking revolving doors. Open for any male who go near them. Nera and I were the only ones who had a few morals. And since the Lupoiux mated Nera, you get me. Lucky me.”

“Be that as it may…it has to be done. And soon, if the babes are to be born this cycle.”

“And if they’re not? What happens then?”

“The four corners of Gaia will refracture and the landmasses we now have will be irrevocably damaged. I do not know what will happen to the various Kinds, or the humans. My powers cannot predict that kind of chaos.”

She stared at him a moment. She had known he was serious--the god of Logic and Reason always was--but he was predicting what amounted to the end of the world. “You’re kidding!”

“No. I would not joke about something of this magnitude. So you see, whether we are happy with the situation or not, we must heed the warning signs.”

“This is not what I want. I suggest you find another solution.” Nelci paced around the chamber where she spent most of her time watching her people or studying her art as a Witch. As the goddess of her Kind, she was responsible for the knowledge and magic her peoples possessed. “What of the babes? What would become of them?”

“I do not understand what you are asking.” He stepped to the left, blocking her pass. “The babes will be born, they will live. They will be deity, as we are. As will Kennera and Eiophon’s twins. They will live and play together.”

“With? You? Me? What are your plans for
them
? Or did you think that far ahead? They will be living creatures, too. Not just a means to an end. Or were you planning to father them and leave them completely to me?” She felt a twinge in her heart at the images flooding her mind. Two babes. Her babes.

“I certainly do not intend to abandon my offspring. They will want for nothing and when the time comes, I will instruct my sons in the Druidic arts.”

“Your sons? Have you precognition, then? It is entirely possible that the babes be female.” Nelci pushed the wistfulness aside. While the thought of babes of her own tempted her, this was not what she wanted. Not like this.

Was it wrong to want someone to want
her
for herself? To not be second to Kennera? To the other goddesses?

“True. In that case, you would have the primary raising of them, as you would be the logical choice.”
             

The logical choice. Not the first choice, not the best choice. Just the most viable alternative. “I see.”

“So when do you want to commence?”

“I don
’t. I won’t. We both know that any of the other goddesses--regardless of some sort of purity requirement--can do what you need. I suggest you ask them.”

***