Shadow Revealed (The Enlightened Species Book Two) (3 page)

It had been a long while since Umbrae had last heard from Etana or any of the spirit energies that had been consumed. The horrific emotions of Master Zakel’s victim were hard to stomach for any empath, and she had long ago learned to block them out, the same way she’d learned to block nearly everything out. Unfortunately, it also made her block out Etana.

Most spirit energies Master Zakel consumed were short-lived within him, remaining a matter of months; occasionally hearty ones had survived decades. They were generally the hardest for Umbrae to shield against. It rarely failed that eventually they would find the killer’s established bond to her, then attempt to beg and plead with her to release them from his madness. When that failed, they would curse her as useless, cruel, and spineless, inevitably morphing into resentful anger as Zakel’s evil corrupted their very souls. Tirades would come from them railing at her, and the spirits would concur with Master Zakel calling her “blood bag whore.”

If she could free them from Master Zakel, she would have. It was not as if she wouldn’t kill the Morsdente if she had the chance. Zakel had always kept her weak, chained, and always contained her psychically with a hood. No matter how long it took him to find a victim, no matter how insane and deranged he got, he had never dropped his guard enough for her to feel she had a chance of gaining the upper hand, nor had he ever left a weapon lying around. His weapons were in his mouth. He kept a few utility type knives in his travel bag. None of them were capable of cutting his head off. She dreamed of stumbling across a sword, or an ax, even a field scythe. To date the Fates had yet to put anything of that nature in her path.

Etana had always been kind and understanding. Perhaps it was because Etana had been with Master Zakel long enough to have witnessed everything. Etana had started calling her Umbrae (Shadow) nearly from the first time she made contact. It was the closest thing to a given name she had, even if it was given to her by the disembodied energy of one of the killer’s victims. At least it wasn’t demoralizing.

This was the longest Master Zakel had gone without a victim in the last few years since Master Zakel had taken to living on the outskirts of humanity in the United States. A group of humans had discovered the existence of the other species. They had also figured out different ways to bait and trap them. The Tellus species had shown to be the most vulnerable. As a species, they had long avoided the surface, but with the formation of the SOSC, they were coming out more and more. They were committed to helping the other species; the problem was they weren’t familiar with the barbaric evil some of them encountered. The humans would catch them, and if they were lucky they were sold to underground study facilities run by other humans. Then they’d at least have a chance of being found and rescued, she hoped.

The unlucky ones were marketed to the Morsdentes that now hovered around waiting to snatch up what they consider an easy fix. In addition to the Tellus, humans would capture and market an occasional Aquatie, usually some sorry youth who happened to be out of water to help a Tellus or a Volaticus in need. The new push was for iron-rich Hulvens like her; it seemed Master Zakel had started a fashion trend. Morsdente from around the globe were just chomping on the bit to have their own portable blood bag. It also seemed that most of the Morsdente weren’t as good at not killing their Hulven blood bags for the psychic high, once they finally got one. Who knew addicts lacked restraint.

Many Morsdente would buy a human from the smugglers, pack it around for feedings until it was drained, give the corpse to the human smugglers for disposal, and get another one. The smugglers were the buffer between the Volaticus warriors who have always followed the human dead body trail in the hunt for Morsdentes—a job made more difficult by the current slave market. Humans have proved to be more adept at victim selection and body disposal than the Morsdente.

How the smuggler trade had advanced. When she had been taken, they had been bumbling fools, selling her for pennies on the dollar, not realizing she was the prize. If they had put her in a basement and handed her down through generations they would have been wealthy men. The rare Hulven she had seen on the auction were young males; rumor was some other faction bought female Hulven before they ever reached an auction block.

Umbrae often wondered if part of the reason Master Zakel had not been caught by the Volaticus or SOSC warriors thus far was due, in part, to his ownership and care of her, albeit care was a loose term. He had not needed humans to feed from since the day he had stumbled upon her on that wharf. He was also smart and cautious enough to cover his trail far more diligently than most were prone to do, especially in the throes of withdrawal.

“It is not my time to go yet, but I feel it will not be much longer now.”
Etana seemed almost sad at the thought, at odds with most of the spirits.
“I have a memory that I would like to share with you.”

Etana had always assured Umbrae that one-day she would be saved. She had shown her memories and regaled her with stories. Sometimes those vicarious memories were the only thing that kept Umbrae hanging on. Etana was so sure that someday Umbrae would meet her bloodmate, Enlil, that she had buried compulsions within Umbrae’s subconscious mind to be triggered by him. A compulsion that would allow Etana to say goodbye to her beloved, should she ever have the chance. That was doubtful. If Etana’s memories of the male were accurate, Enlil wasn’t known for his restraint when it came to handing out justice. He would kill Master Zakel on sight.

It had taken some time for Etana to earn Umbrae’s trust enough to allow her the kind of access required to instill a mental compulsion. According to Etana, Umbrae’s shields were more highly developed than any she had ever encountered. More formidable than even the High Ones Etana had known when alive. Etana told Umbrae it was a survival mechanism that she had developed. Etana could communicate with her through the bond, even that blood bond could’t fully break through the shields she had erected. Unless Umbrae released some of the shield, there was no way for Etana to implant a memory. Etana assured her that when the day came and she was finally released from the lead and platinum restraints that she had constantly been subjected to, her shields would be strong enough to protect her from being found by anyone, even Master Zakel.

Umbrae struggled against her shields; she wanted to receive the new memory Etana offered with a yearning that had her nearly drooling. It took her mind a moment to comprehend releasing the shields that had become as natural as breathing, as necessary as a heartbeat.
“I would like that very much, Etana. I’m trying.”

Beads of sweat dotted her forehead as she fought her self-protection instinct, trying to allow the vulnerability required for Etana to implant the memory. Umbrae was finally able to create a small fracture, a chip in the armor big enough for Etana to flood her mind with another vision from her wonderful life taken to soon.

****

“Etana, my love, I know it hurts, but that is the way of things. I would never wish to continue were you no longer in the world. You can hardly blame Girsu for releasing her soul to join Nippur’s. They were bloodmated. It is as it should be.” Etana’s bloodedmate, Enlil, sat in a study displaying his endless patience with Etana, who paced before him. The sight of the amazing male filled Umbrae with deep yearning. Etana knew Enlil’s history as a warrior gave him far more experience with death than she had. He’d had many a friend and their bloodmates leave the world to journey in the next together.

Like Enlil and Etana, Nippur and Girsu Einar’s children were raised. Their youngest was Shanley, who at sixty was considered an adult and was preparing to go off to advanced warrior training.

Although a terrific fighter, Ediku, Etana’s and Enlil’s son, had talents that leaned more toward Etana’s family’s farming bloodlines. She was sure Enlil was aware that secretly she was grateful her son hadn’t inclined to be a full warrior, as grateful as she was that Enlil had laid down his sword when they mated. Too many warriors died taking their mates with them, and there were fewer and fewer bloodmatings happening. She couldn’t remember the last true one she had heard of.

“But what if there were another bloodmate out there for Girsu?” Etana tried again. “Maybe there is more than one mate for some. What if in releasing her soul, she is denying a future male his bloodmate. Would you want me to die, if you did?”

They’d had this discussion before. Many times. The concept of death was just too alien and horrific for Etana’s gentle nature to grasp, though she tried to. There had historically been a few who had tried to survive beyond the death of their bloodmates, usually females with young who had yet to reach adulthood. None had ever found another bloodmate. They had just bided time until they too could release their souls.

“Of course I wouldn’t want you to die. Not for any reason. Even contemplating it makes me ill.” Enlil leaned forward on his chair, expressing with his eyes and through their bond the pain that idea brought him. “Should I die, then the question would no longer be what I would want. It would be what you want. Would you want to continue on without me?”

If possible, Enlil was even more patient with her than usual. This last bloodmated death had struck her particularly hard. She barely knew the Einars, having only run into them a handful of times over her lifespan. But she and Enlil had been discussing having another child. A child that might be more likely to carry on the Lil bloodline since it seemed unlikey that Ediku would do so. Etana felt resistant to the idea, not because she didn’t desire a child. It was the decline of bloodmating that gave her pause. What if there were no bloodmates for her children?

Etana paced for several minutes, biting her bottom lip and rubbing her hands together, yet Enlil never rushed her. He just waited for her to come to her conclusion. “I don’t know if I could,” Etana finally admitted. “I would be so incomplete without you.” Her shoulders slumped. “But what if I did? What if I later found another bloodmate? Would you want me to mate anew?”

Within the memory, Umbrae watched spellbound as she picked up a stream of Enlil’s internal struggle through his and Etana’s bloodmate bond. Etana didn’t interrupt the contemplation, allowing Enlil to work through the hard idea the same considerate way he had always allowed her to. Enlil had a possessive streak that Umbrae knew he’d worked hard to overcome with Etana.

Enlil’s green eyes glowed from within when he finally answered Etana. “I believe I would. I would want you to find happiness if it were possible. Bloodmating is a gift. If someone were fated to receive that gift for a second time, I do not believe it would invalidate or minimize the first gift.”

Etana had let out a relieved breath, climbing into the lap of her amazing male, safe and accepted in his arms. She whispered, “I would hope you would live on without me.” She gazed into Enlil’s eyes. “You couldn’t release your soul. What would happen to your twin sister? Your bond with Ninlil is quite possibly more powerful than ours. I would hope that you would find another.”

“Nothing is going to happen to either you or Ninlil. I couldn’t bear it.” Enlil had pulled Etana tighter against his chest, his lips coming toward hers when the vision ended.

****

Reaching up Umbrae wiped the unfamiliar wetness of her tears from her cheek, replaying, as she often did, the memory as if it were her own. She loved Etana too much to ever be jealous. She did, however, envy Etana the precious and wonderful memories. Etana had shared many of her memories of her life with Umbrae over the years. Umbrae’s favorites included Enlil; he and Etana flying together in the moonlight, chasing through the fields, arguing over some of their harder decisions, and laughing at their son when he was a toddler. Thankfully and cursedly, Etana had never shared a single private, intimate moment. Not even a kiss.

“Why do you cry?”
Etana asked her.

Umbrae gave her head a clearing little shake.
“I don’t know how to thank you for everything you have done for me.”

Etana fell silent for so long that Umbrae wasn’t sure of the connection anymore. Then she felt Etana draw on the bond so tightly it felt like a physical hug, and she whispered,
“When you are free, Umbrae, find what makes you come alive inside and never let it go. Not for anything or anyone, hold on to it with everything you are. Know that no matter what you face in the future, I love you and I am proud of you.”
Then the connection was gone.

Rolling to face away from the still resting Master Zakel, Umbrae let the tears flow freely for the first time in ages, using dirt to sop up the moisture.

Chapter Three

Irsu and her team spoke with the school of Aquatie. Unfortunately, the father and daughter who had seen the killer had already fled to the ocean. The others repeated the account for Irsu, including any details they knew about the slave. Again, all that was conveyed was that the slave was a dirty, chained female, same as the report given to them by the SOSC. No one could even verify the slave’s species as human or Volaticus for sure.

The Morsdente tracks were difficult to detect; no doubt the beast had become adept at hiding over the centuries. Her unit tracker, Gord, had been able to pick up the slaves tracks at the lakeside, mostly due to the stumbling and tripping. They were able to unerringly follow it over the last three days, zigzagging towards New Orleans. They’d made visual contact yesterday and were now keeping pace.

Irsu had spent the past days replaying the orders for this mission, She was missing something; she knew it. There was something familiar about the Morsdente. From her position overlooking the Morsdente camp, she could fully see the killer’s features. She knew she had never seen the beast personally before, but for some reason, she felt like she should know the identity of the killer. The more she tried to make sense of it, the more confusing it all became.