RW1 Ravyn's blood (3 page)

Kal was chilled at the notion of being lost in a dark cave forever. He was glad he didn’t possess a curious spirit.

Suddenly they stepped into a large open room that was well lit, more so than any part of the cave he’d seen previously. Gems glittered in the wall and on the floors. Priceless gems were thrown about like they meant nothing, scattered and forgotten in the mountain of wealth.

“Well, what do we have here?” a voice called from above him. “Can it be our Dageus come home at last?” Kal raised his eyes and met those of a man that could’ve been his own age.

“Who are you?” he blurted out before he could talk himself out of it.

The man laughed. “Well, he certainly gets to the point like Dageus, doesn’t he?”

The brothers nodded their heads in agreement and didn’t seem overly displeased at Kal’s outburst.

“I am the Dragon Prince Salvatore Demante, heir to the dragon thrown.”

Kal bowed without thinking, one hand tucked over his heart and the hand that hung at his side twisted with his middle and ring finger crossed. Startled, he straightened, only to see the other brothers coming out of the same pose. They all looked at him, pleased.

“It is Dageus,” Germany said, grinning. Kal went to open his mouth to tell them no and give him his true name, but Salvatore held up a hand, and it silenced him instantly. What was going on? he wondered.

“We’ll explain the rest after initiation,” Druas assured him as the silence stretched endlessly.

“When is that?” he wondered aloud. Anthony smiled and tossed off his jerkin, belt, and various weapons before tackling the ties on his pants.

“Now,” he said. “Strip.”

Without a word, Kal did as he bid and prayed to God he wasn’t going to get gang raped.

Kal watched the others strip off their clothes with embarrassed fascination. The Shifters that had been co-occupants with the vampires of Haven had been very casual about their nudity, but he never expected these stern warriors to be. The Jaguar Shifters had a very natural nudity. They had a peculiar way of looking completely clothed even though they were buck naked. The Ravyns looked naked, not like the animals had, as if the clothing they wore were the equivalence of putting a sweater on a dog, but like warriors who had spent the afternoon chiseling their bodies to perfection before stripping to shower off the grime.

Kal starred down at his thin, dirty body in disgust. Next to them, he was just a boy. All of them had sculpted bodies that any man would envy, and they managed to carry it in a lean, natural fashion that spoke of physical fitness. Not an ounce of extra fat marred their torsos, and each possessed the wicked good looks of male courtesans. The thin scars that appeared randomly across their skin from previous battles were the only imperfections that he could see.

“Um, I know this sounds bad, but can you all give me your names again?” Kal asked, struggling to remember all their addresses.

“Of course,” Allasandro said with a big grin. “I’m Allasandro. That’s Druas, Anthony, and Germany.” He pointed to each brother in turn.

Druas was the tallest, standing a good head above the rest. His hair was the palest gold Kal had ever seen, and he possessed the most sympathetic eyes of anyone he’d ever met. He moved with a singular grace that reminded Kal of Damian’s huge form as he danced.

Anthony, the second tallest, was every inch the Italian aristocrat he had to have been in his other life. His hair was coal black and his skin a smooth expanse of lightly tanned flesh. He was broad chested and tended to swagger whenever he walked.

Allasandro was a shorter, thicker version of the other two, standing only an inch or so taller than Kal but twice as wide in the shoulders. He also had blond hair, but his was more suited for the beach than the icy tone that Druas’s had. He seemed to be stomping wherever he went, and his total lack of grace caused Kal to smile.

The final member of the fraternity was Germany, who wasn’t particularly tall or short and was thin like Kal but moved with a deadly motion that made the fine hairs on Kal’s arms stand up. His hair was pitch black and hung about his shoulders. It made him look like a brooding poet on the cover of a romance novel. Strangely, they all shared twin pairs of metallic golden eyes that were rimmed in red. Kal shivered. God, these were beautiful and deadly men.

Anthony watched as Kal glanced down on his pale thin body in dismay. “You’re thin, but it won’t be hard to pack on some muscle once you get used to a regular diet. Demontia is not forgiving in either her climate or her people.” The warrior soothed. He looked up and down Kal’s body and gave a nod of approval. “Even with the struggle you seem to have managed well. You’ve got good definition to your muscles, and your thighs are firm and thick. It won’t be a struggle to get you into the shape you need to be. Try not to worry over it.” He didn’t wait for Kal’s acknowledgement of his complimentary comments. He just turned and starting chatting with the other Ravyns as they all readied themselves for whatever they were doing next.

Kal continued to stare down at his own body, trying to figure out what Anthony was talking about, only to come to the startling realization that they were getting ready to leave.

“Where are we going?” he asked Salvatore, jogging to catch up to the group.

The demon Prince smiled, his eyes shining. He looked the least human out of the bunch. He was tall with cream-colored skin that was so pale the blue veins were faintly visible beneath the flesh, his eyes were red, not deep auburn but true red, and his hair was the color of rubies. He looked ethereal.

“We’re going to the ritual baths. They lie in the center of the cavern and are used to cleanse us for the ceremony,” Salvatore offered.

Kal narrowed his eyes suspiciously but held his tongue. This was indeed his last chance to get home. He couldn’t risk being hesitant.

“Come on, little brother! God’s blood, you’re slow!” Germany crowed, giving a whoop of laughter as Anthony gripped his waist and tried to muscle his way toward an apology. They roughhoused for a few minutes, and the other Ravyns laughed at their display. The easy affection between them warmed Kal’s heart. He felt like a weary traveler finally arriving at home. He was Odysseus, and this was his odyssey.

Kal walked in silence beside Salvatore, who offered him a little history on the founding of the brotherhood. He was fascinated by the unique trials and tribulations of the sect of men who’d become personal bodyguards and companions for generations of demons. Demons lived a
long
time, so it was even more impressive. Kal cringed as he felt a pang of guilt at the thought of using the nicest people he’d met since arriving in Demontia for his own ends. He banished his guilt. He had to go home.

“Look,” Salvatore commanded, pulling Kal from his bleak thoughts. At last they’d arrived at the pools. The sight was one of the most beautiful he had ever encountered. Water splashed down smooth gray rocks from impossible heights above their heads to the indented pool below. Showers of clean water continuously filled it from the dozen or so miniwaterfalls, which created an enchanting sight. The center “fountain” was more like a wall of water that was big enough to encompass all five of the brothers as well as Salvatore. Kal took a hesitant step into the pool at their urgings and found the water pleasantly warm.

Gently, they pushed him beneath the spray of the water wall. The warm water instantly relaxed his aching muscles. He tried to glance up and found himself almost face-to-face with a carved-out black raven with rubies for eyes, acting as a sort of hidden guardian from behind the waterfall. An instant bolt of energy singed Kal’s mind and slithered up his spine. Similar to the energy spike of the vampires, Kal clenched his teeth against the onslaught. Whatever was happening, Kal would not show weakness.

* * * *

The brothers instructed Kal to stare into the eyes of Judgment. They’d divulged that it was an enchanted statue, and the spirit who possessed it was a discerning soul that aided the Ravyns by judging the worth of men’s hearts. His body and soul had to be a worthy vessel for the loyalty they offered. They must’ve seen the slight tremor take Kal’s body because they each provided an arm for him to grab hold of through the spray. “Easy, little brother,” Anthony murmured soothingly, his voice quiet yet understandable under the noise of running water. “We don’t want you to accidently hurt yourself.” Kal trembled with latent power, and the brothers exchanged a look of pride. In unison they turned their gazes toward the now-naked Prince. Salvatore nodded.

“It is time.”

“Time for what?” Kal demanded.

Identical sets of golden eyes lowered in submissiveness to the Prince.

“Hope this is over quickly.” Allasandro muttered under his breath.

“Me too.” Druas agreed with a shudder that said that he knew what Kal was fixing to go through and thought the whole thing unpleasant. Salvatore was the first through the water to stand in front of Kal. Kal looked away from him, trying to distance himself from the strange things that were happening inside him. In the reflection of the pool he caught a glance of his own reflection and gasped. The bright emerald of his irises fought with the force of gold that was attempting to rise within his gaze.

“Relax, my Ravyn,” Salvatore commanded.

“What’s happening?” Kal demanded, trying to shake off Salvatore’s hand from his shoulder. He couldn’t think with the demon Prince touching him. He had to make whatever they were doing to him stop. He realized miserably what a mistake this had been.

He felt his memories slipping away like the sand against the ocean’s waves, and he began to forget things. Important things. Like his name. What was his name?

“No!” he barked, more to himself than the others. He was terrified as the shifting memories started to fade faster. He clutched to the memories tightly.

Flash.
Maddeline in her favorite purple tube top taking him to his first dance class the midnight of his eighth birthday
.

Flash.
Damian holding him, soothing away his sick hiccups from a nightmare about the fire that had killed his parents.

Flash.
Santiago’s guitar playing late into the night while Kal danced and sang to the music. The intensity of Alex’s gaze on his back as he swayed to the music.

Flash.
The play Alex had written, The Embrace, it was called. Their own passionate embrace on the stage the night he’d lost his virginity.
Flash.

All of them slipped away from him before he could remind himself to remember them. He started to scream. He wouldn’t forget! he commanded himself. Couldn’t. He was desperately trying to back away from the spray of water and the statute’s ruby eyes. Other hands clutched his limbs, and in his confusion he didn’t know why. They whispered to him, trying to soothe him with sweet words about the transition. He screamed again. Nothing remained of his memories except for the ice blue of Alex’s beautiful eyes. The name faded. Whose eyes? he thought in a panic, knowing he was losing something but unable to recall what it was. Whose eyes? he cried in his mind, unaware that he’d spoken them aloud.

The hands stroked him now with more urgency, trying to make him calm. He bellowed like a bull. “Whose eyes? God damn it! Whose eyes?”

At last he felt those too fade, and the last memory Kal possessed was an impression of a sweet kiss and the whispered words of, “I will love you for all eternity.”

Chapter Three

Salvatore sighed. The boy was obviously taking the transition harder than most initiates. Even when the last speck of green vanished from his eyes, they remained a dull shade of old gold instead of the almost metallic flare of his brothers.

“It is done, my lord Prince,” a disembodied voice whispered from the statue. “He is free of the memories that would distract him from duty.”

Kal relaxed into the embrace of the Ravyns. He was too exhausted to do anything else but rely on them to carry his weight. He leaned his head against Anthony’s much-larger chest, and the brothers continued to wash and rub his aching form. They sang to him in the demons’ tongue, a soothing melody comparable to a lullaby. They were especially tender with this newly born Ravyn who had fought so hard with Judgment. What past did he possess to make him want to hold on to it so tightly? If he hadn’t already been physically exhausted from the tournament, Salvatore had little doubt that Kal could’ve bested Judgment. Now that was a frightening thought.