Rise of the Faire-Amanti (The Ascendant Series Book 3) (40 page)

What’s the status on MalakDane and his Marauders?
Kyr asked.

Unknown.

Ty exchanged a look with Kyr. She nodded. They would use their abilities to hunt down the Marauders. Their people had suffered enough without the threat of rogue murderers hovering over them.

They were successful in their efforts, but returning the Marauders to the Dark Lands proved one of their least challenging tasks over the following weeks. They had their hands full with helping to clear the planet of V’larians and Shelvaks, seeing to the injured and the dead, and otherwise providing aid to their people.

Since they were in the Dane megai, Kyr and Ty made their way with Sem, Owyn, and J’ael back to Ty’s parents’ house, helping people as they went. Elly, Tia, Faria, and a number of Ty’s other family members joined them there, helping them establish an impromptu base.

A number of Alametrians made their way to the base as word spread. Kyr shared tear-filled reunions with Wyk and Ullah, as well as with Avana and her Luja family. Having those they loved by their sides helped to ease some of the heartache caused by the devastation wrought by the battle.

Rew volunteered to transport Kyr and Ty to each megai to assess the damage. Fortunately, the Rowe, Borll, and Luja megais bore no visual impact from the invasion. The Wrym, Owar, and Herte megais suffered some destruction and loss, being the closest to the Dark Lands. Since the V’larians and Outcasts had been moving swiftly to get to the Dane megai, however, things weren’t as bad as Kyr feared. She and Ty were able to help the megai councils establish order and support for their people within a matter of days.

Without question, the worst of the damage had occurred in the Dane megai. Not only had the Danes suffered extensive damage to their land and mental trauma from Vycor’s influencing, they had suffered the most casualties. Kyr and Ty had to dampen their connection to their people to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the outpouring of shock and grief. All they could do was offer their heartfelt condolences and work alongside the Danes to restore order to their homeland.

When it was determined that all of their injured had been treated and their dead properly put to rest, they all returned to the palace for a mass memorial. Kyr and Ty presided over the event. All Alametrians were invited, and with the palace full to bursting, it seemed nearly all of them attended.

During the ceremony, Kyr thanked everyone who fought to save their world. She paid tribute to those who had lost their lives, and vowed that they would build a monument in their honor so their sacrifice would never be forgotten.

She awarded special medals of valor to Eyra and PerylRowe for their bravery and stellar piloting abilities. She bestowed rare and priceless illuvite pins on ZashaWrym and LeoVawn, thanking them for their selfless acts of courage. She issued formal thanks and jars of tajeria to each person who had helped her and Ty cross the megais: Lore and XanderWrym, HaldaWrym, Wyk and UllahOwar, Avana, Sill, Deny, and BanaLuja, RewDane, Kineus, Isa, and YoriDane.

And she bestowed formal commendations on Sem, Gren, and Scarlyt for putting themselves in the path of danger time and again in the quest to save Alametria. Kyr declared that from that moment on, each of them were to be referred to as
Il-Shyr
, an illustrious title that would only be bestowed upon the most courageous Alametrians who upheld the morals and principles of Alametria, putting the welfare of the planet before their own.

When the ceremony concluded, it dissolved into a celebration…a celebration of victory, accomplishment, and life. Kyr and Ty spent hours among their people, doing their best to thank them all individually for any contribution they had made.

The festivities lasted for several days. Eventually, though, life had to go on. The palace once again emptied, and before either of them was really ready, Ty stood with Kyr to tell their family and friends goodbye.

“We appreciate you taking charge of getting the Dane megai back in order and ensuring the protections are holding,” Ty told his father as they embraced.

“You know we’re happy to help, son,” J’ael said. “Besides, I’ve got to do something to earn that fancy title that
Il-Shyr
SemDane got. There will be no living with him otherwise.”

Sem grinned. “There will be no living with me even if you do get it.”

“Are you sure you want to leave?” Kyr asked him. “You know there’s plenty here for you to do with Gren and Scarlyt out securing the Dark Lands.”

“Going to miss me, Ma’jah?” Sem joked. Then his expression sobered. “I’m going with Dad to look for Troi. Once we find him, I’ll be back. Besides, you know how to reach me.” He tapped the side of his head with a wink.

Kyr nodded, but Ty felt her sadness. She was having a hard time reining in her emotions.

“Thank you for seeing that we received such pampering while we were here,” Elly said as she stepped forward and hugged Kyr. “It was lovely not to have to think about cooking or cleaning for a while.”

“Of course, Elly,” Kyr replied. “Your chambers will be ready for you any time you want to visit.”

“Oh, Kyr, please don’t call me Elly. Call me Mom.”

Feeling the love flowing between them struck Ty with a powerful sense of fate. He thought of how things cycled…how Kyr had lost one mother and gained another. How he and Kyr had started out as two very different people, but now couldn’t survive without each other.

And he thought about how they had encountered so much hardship and loss in their time together, but now they had finally found their place among their people.

Chapter 51

Three months later…

“I regret that our meeting has been so delayed,” Caelys said as she lifted her cup of tea. “It pleases me to see you both looking happy and well, however.”

Kyr smiled. She and Ty were meeting with the Great Divyner in the chambers she had once used in the palace, back when Kyr first returned to Alametria. Once again, a green chemical fire burned in the fireplace and an assortment of tea and cakes awaited them. This time, however, Ty wasn’t standing behind Kyr as her protector. He was sitting beside her as her amanti.

“I’m just glad you’ve made a full recovery,” Kyr said. “We were worried there for a while.”

Caelys nodded as she swallowed her sip of tea. Her recovery had taken much longer than anyone expected. No one knew exactly why, but it was presumed it was due to her advanced age and the nature of her abilities. Fortunately, she seemed none the worse for her ordeal under the V’larian drug. The fingers curling around her cup were wrinkled with age, but her hands were rock steady.

“Indeed. Thank you for sending young Sem to rescue me before the battle.” She reached for one of the petite sandwiches on the tray. “He’s a very interesting young man. Quite the future in store for him.”

Kyr didn’t doubt that in the least. Sem wouldn’t settle for anything less. Still, she was burning with curiosity to know more about what Caelys had foreseen for their cousin. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for her to know.

“I’ve been monitoring your progress while I recovered,” Caelys continued. “You’ve done well in helping your people feel secure after everything they endured under Vycor and Shaya.”

“We’ve done our best,” Kyr demurred.

Along with their most trusted Mynders, they had been focused on restoring peace to a planet without any repressions. Kyr and Ty felt that everyone should be free to experience normal emotions, and the megai councils had supported them in that decision. This had led to some tension as Outcasts who had been influenced or wrongfully accused were reintroduced to the rest of Alametrian society, but they were making strides towards helping everyone understand what had happened. Kyr knew Ty had given a little extra attention to the Harvesters and Tinkers who had helped him in the Dark Lands, but they had helped several hundred others, as well.

“We still have a ways to go,” Ty said, offering Kyr a cake from the plate he had piled up with food. “But we’re pleased with our progress.”

Caelys set her cup aside. “You have reason to be. I understand you’ve also engaged in negotiations with V’laria and Shelvak.”

“Yes,” Kyr confirmed. “We’ve made great headway there.”

They’d only just returned from delivering Telad and Ravina to V’laria and undertaking several intense days of negotiations with the planet’s ruler, a male named Gunnal who had been ignorant of the actions of his ambassadors. As part of the new treaty between V’laria and Alametria, Telad and Ravina would be tried and sentenced on their home planet. Although Kyr wasn’t sure what their punishment would be, she knew she’d never see either of them again.

“I’d say we’ve hit upon ample reasons for why we were unable to meet sooner, Ma’jah, though I’d like to think that we were destined to meet now.”

“I appreciate your graciousness,” Kyr told her. “Considering your pain and suffering…”

Waving aside Kyr’s concern, Caelys said, “You don’t need to answer for the crimes of another, Ma’jah. Vycor and Shaya have met their just ends.”

Kyr nodded. Although they hadn’t seen Vycor when they visited Shelvak the month before, the La’run had assured them he was being
well tended
. She and Ty had both known that meant Vycor was living every day in tortured misery.

Shaya, on the other hand, spent every day in a small palace prison cell dressed in a simple, unadorned shift. She was offered only the most basic food and water to sustain her. No one spoke to her or addressed her by name. The complete loss of status and all of the luxuries she had come to expect was Shaya’s own private hell, but the Vawn council had spoken. They had issued the judgment due to Kyr’s relation to her. Kyr felt they had done a reasonable job.

Certainly more humane than what she had chosen for Vycor.

“You made choices you will wrestle with for the rest of your life,” Caelys said, intuiting where Kyr’s thoughts had gone. “You faced a true challenge of the soul when you held Vycor’s fate in your hands. Whether or not you made the ‘right’ choice, it reflects positively on your abilities as a leader that you didn’t make it lightly.”

Kyr met the Great Divyner’s gaze. “Did you foresee Vycor’s fate?”

Caelys eased back in her chair before answering. “You know that not everything is cut and dried when it comes to Divyning. But once upon a time, I told Vycor that he would be responsible for the rise of the Faire-Amanti.”

Ty’s posture stiffened beside her, so Kyr instinctively reached out to take his hand. They both understood that Caelys’ prediction had come true, but likely not in the way Vycor had thought. He had sought to become the Faire-Amanti, and through his actions to make that happen, he brought about Ty’s rise instead.

“People take from my predictions whatever they wish,” Caelys explained. “In Vycor’s case, he turned down a path of darkness. He killed the former Advisor, SteffenDane, and manipulated his way into that role to get closer to the Guardians and you, Ma’jah.”

Kyr exchanged a look with Ty. Neither of them had known about Advisor Steffen, though they had come to suspect as much in the months since the battle.

“Vycor fell short of GrenDane in earning the role of Kyr’s second protector,” Caelys continued, “so this was his backup plan. Every choice each of us has made led us to this moment and this reality.”

Kyr rubbed the growing swell of her belly as she processed the Great Divyner’s words. What she took away from them was that they would carve their own future. Nothing was set in stone. They just had to make decisions that were true to themselves and their hearts.

“But enough talk about dark subjects,” Caelys said, bringing her hands together. “Are you ready to hear about the futures of your coming daughters?”

Ty met Kyr’s gaze and smiled. They nodded together, knowing that whatever fate had in store, they would face it together.

* * *

Afterwards, Ty led a quiet Kyr back to their chambers. They had completely redone her old suite of rooms after the battle. The décor now reflected both of their tastes, blending touches of masculine and feminine influences. It was Ty’s favorite space in the palace, a true haven for both of them. They frequently entertained their closest friends and family in their lounging area, which now contained more seating than it once had.

But the biggest change was in the closet and dressing area. The size of it had been halved to accommodate the new nursery. They had also sealed off the rear access point to make the room more secure.

Ty wasn’t surprised when Kyr entered their chambers and headed straight for the babies’ room. He sent a quick thought to the Mynders outside their chamber doors to give them privacy, then strode across the thick carpet to join her.

Two double doors etched with the same delicate carving as on the bathing chamber doors led into the nursery. The doors were left open while Ty and Kyr worked on the decorating. Kyr had insisted that she wanted to design their daughters’ room on their own, and Ty had supported the idea wholeheartedly. So far, they had a cream-colored crib for the twins to share, a dresser and armoire to hold all of the garments already being sewn by the Wrym, a changing table, and a loveseat that rocked. Ty looked forward to the times when he and Kyr would sit in it and lull their little girls to sleep.

Kyr paused beside the loveseat, running her hand over the soft purple, pink, and green blanket that Elly had brought them the day before. Soft light fell across her dark hair and shoulders, giving her an ethereal quality. Ty’s breath caught when her eyes lifted to his. He didn’t think he’d ever stop being amazed by her beauty.

Her lips turned up in a smile. “You know what it does to me when you have such thoughts.”

“I do.” He approached her and pulled her against him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. “You know what I’m thinking. There’s no need to discuss it.”

There was, he knew. Learning the Great Divyner’s predictions was always an experience that weighed heavily on the mind and soul. But there would be time for them to process what they’d been told. All that mattered was that their children would lead happy lives.