Soul Awakened (34 page)

Bakari was right about one thing. Bomani hated him with all the acid that boiled in his veins. Memories of seeing Kendra’s neck and the puncture marks fed it to a new level.

His brother remained quiet. Eyes to the ground.

“Do you think I cannot see what you are trying to do? Turn my own legion against me.”

“What?”

Bomani stopped, registering Bakari’s sincere surprise. Toben shook his head in disapproval. Disapproval for who he wondered suddenly. Him or Bakari?

Bomani looked around at all the hard faces who turned to stare at him. He tried to blink away the rage that colored his vision red, hoping he had misinterpreted the crowd’s hostility directed toward
him
. Did they not see his reasoning? His brother was a traitor and they would dare accept Bakari’s word over his, their Commander’s?

He had been confident that Bakari would have challenged him. His brother’s unexpected acceptance of his authority, stoked the already burning fury that consumed his chest. Bakari had robbed Bomani of his moment to expose him for whom and what he really was. The enemy to be hated by all. 

Toben stepped forward. “I think this has gone far enough. He has submitted to you, there is nothing left to be done.”

Bomani squared off to face one of his most senior officers. He felt the hole he had dug himself get bigger, but he could not let it go. “Nothing left? He needs to pay for his sins.”

“He has and will. As we all do.”

“Not I,” Bomani growled.

“Then you are the only one here that is beyond reproach.”

Silence fell among the crowd. Bomani stood stunned at the realization the warriors on some level identified with Bakari. Fools, all of them to think Bakari could redeem himself. Conversely, Bomani had lived an honorable life from the start. Living by a code that infused every aspect of his being, and now the other son, the sinner, was being elevated above him gaining respect of the warriors. And worse, winning the woman he loved. Was there no fairness in the world?

Bomani spat on the ground next to Bakari. “Then you can have him. Do not come complaining to me when he stabs his daggers into your back. The wolf always shows his colors eventually. Then you will see.”

Kendra fidgeted with her gold belt waiting to hear Asar’s answer to her request. Kit sat on the chaise flipping one of her blades in her hand. It landed perfectly square in her palm every time.

“Can I ask you something?” Kendra asked.

“Sure.” Kit sat up and tucked the blade into her weapons belt.

Kendra scratched at the small scab on her neck. “I’m a little out of my element. You know with Bakari and Bomani.”

“You like both of them.”

“I’ve never been in a situation where two males were interested in me. Heck, one male for that matter. My brain is all scrambled. Worse, I think they are going to kill each other.”

“You should be flattered.”

“Flattered? How come I feel sick to my stomach?”

Kit slumped. “You are probably asking the wrong sister. I’d sleep with both of them, if I was you, but you’re not which is probably a good thing.” A frown distorted Kit’s beautiful face but then she masked it.

“I need to choose, don’t I?”

Kit looked at her with all seriousness. “Males like that do not share. You need to make a choice and quickly before things get too far with one or the other. But, I suspect based on the mark on your neck and the blush to your cheeks things have moved forward already.”

Kendra couldn’t suppress her smile or the flush that came with it. She looked away when the blush burned her cheeks. “Is it that obvious?”

Kit rolled her eyes. “It would explain Bomani’s reaction.”

Kendra groaned and her smile flattened. “What am I going to do?  I don’t want to hurt anyone. I love them both.” Kendra inhaled sharply and covered her mouth with her hand. She never actually voiced her emotion for the two men until now.

Kit leaned forward and rested her elbows are her knees. “The question is not who you love, but more importantly who you are
in love
with.”

Kendra already knew the answer, as did Kit. She didn’t want to hurt the warrior who had always been there for her. He had done nothing wrong. Her heart and soul was just bound to another.

Kendra’s guardian transported her and Kit outside Bomani’s quarters. She squeezed Kit’s hand to gather strength from their connection.

“You can do this. Bomani deserves to know how you feel.”

Kendra nodded and swallowed the nausea. Her fist trembled as she raised it to knock on the door. She rapped lightly on the thick wood and waited. It seemed like forever until Bomani answered.

Black eyes bore into her from the crack of the open door. Cold air skimmed her face. “May I come in?”

He shoved the door open and turned his back. She left her priestess robe in her room. She almost wished she had it considering the cold reception. She glanced over her shoulder at Kit. Her sister nodded.

Kendra stepped over the threshold into a refrigerator of a room, a strong indicator he was mad as hell already. Blowing out a breath, she rubbed at the goose bumps that rose on her arms. She closed the door behind her.

“I didn’t like how we left things,” she said, hoping to break his icy exterior. When his back remained turned to her, she rubbed her forehead. “I don’t like how this has gotten in the way of our friendship.”

He threw his head back and slammed his fist into the desk. He turned, his face distorted by the shadows. “Friendship,” he snarled. “I do not want your friendship, Kendra.” He stepped forward and her breath caught in her chest. His face contorted with rage. “I have all the friends I need.” Two more strides and he loomed over her.

His aggressiveness made her retreat into the door. His golden eyes were obliterated with blackness. For the first time in his presence, fear crawled up her spine. He had never once been mean or said an ill word to her, but tonight he was different. Very different.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, barely able to breath.

“I should have taken you that night,” he hissed. “Then you would be mine, not his.” He slammed his fist in the door above her head. 

She cringed and tears welled in the corner of her eyes. Had she driven him to be so cruel? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I should thank you for showing me that honor and virtue means nothing. Maybe if I roughed you up a little and threatened your life, you would like
me
a little better.”

The insult came as a punch to her gut. Is that how he saw her connection with Bakari? Is that how he saw
her
?

Bomani clamped his hand on her shoulder. Her fear spiked, as pain radiated under his grip. “You’re hurting me.”

A dark energy surrounded her and struck Bomani in the chest. The blow hurled him across the room. In a black mist Bakari materialized between her and Bomani.

“What in duat are you doing?”

Bakari turned to look at her, concern penetrated his silver gaze. His eyes fixated on her shoulder. She followed his line of sight and discovered red and purple marks spreading across her skin. A glint of fire ignited in Bakari’s eyes right before he launched himself at Bomani. Bakari grabbed Bomani by the shirt, lifted him up, and slammed him on the desk.

Bomani knocked Bakari’s hold loose, but Bakari slammed his other forearm across Bomani’s neck. “Gods damn you. It is one thing to hate me, brother, but not her. Not her.”

Bomani’s black gaze flickered over to meet hers. She didn’t know the warrior who stared at her. Sorrow and guilt flooded her heart. She loved him, she truly did, but she could only offer what her soul could give—a friendship he would never accept. She turned, yanked open the door and ran out.

The bellow of her name chased her onto the main street of the warrior village. Kit ran over to her, along with another warrior. She recognized him right away. Sin.

“What the hell happened?” Kit grabbed Kendra’s arm and pulled back her collar. Kendra pulled out of her sister’s grasp and dashed down the street. She didn’t stop until she had reached the beach.

Bakari materialized a short distance from her. She dove into his arms. It was less for comfort, but the knowledge that’s where she belonged.

“I’m so sorry, Kendra.” He pulled her in tighter. “For all of this.”

“Is there some place we can go? Away from here?”

Bakari brushed the tears from her cheek. “Yes.”

***

Bakari transported her to the temple on the far side of the island. It was the only place he could take her without breaking his father’s orders to stay in Aaru. The guests’ temple had the full furnishings as the palace.

He guided Kendra to the chaise off the bedroom. “I will be right back.” He flashed out of the room and into the servant’s kitchen. He wrapped ice in a towel and returned to her. She sat with her hands on her lap. Her tears had stopped at least. He stooped next to her and gently pressed the towel to her shoulder.

“How did you know?”

He pressed her palm over his heart. The prickle of energy ignited again now that they were close. He had never in all his days as a god felt something so powerful. It alerted him to her presence in the warrior village, her fear, and all the jumble of emotions that fluctuated in those wide brown eyes.

He lifted the towel and assessed the damage his brother had inflicted, acutely aware she had not removed her hand, but traced the scars on his chest. Curse his brother for taking his anger out on Kendra. The fault rested on him alone.

He resisted the urge to ask what she had been doing there. Her timing could not have been more ill, considering what had happened between him and Bomani moments prior. Regardless, his brother should not have reacted the way he did. Bakari was glad he had interceded before any more harm came to her, but not soon enough.

To distract himself he asked her the first thing that came to his mind. “Do you like flowers?”

“Flowers?”

He did not look at her but replaced the icepack on her skin. “Flowers.”

“Daisies.”

“Your favorite colour?” When she did not answer he shifted his gaze to her beautiful face. Although small, she smiled. “Silver.”

His chest lightened in that instant. He smiled. “I was afraid you might say red.”

“I hate red.”

“Me too, except yours.” He twisted one of her long auburn curls around his finger and then let it spring into place.

Things grew quiet between them. He wanted to stay here and never return. She leaned into him and laid her head on his shoulder. “Say the word and I will take us away from all of this,” he said wishfully.

“It would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes.” He knew neither of them would actually do it, but it was nice to think she wanted to run away with him. Holding her tight to his chest, he whispered, “I love you with all my soul, Parvana.”

She crawled onto his bent knee and wrapped her arms around his neck. The rapid beat of her heart pounded against his chest. The soft caress of her warm breath tickled his neck. “I love you too.”

Her words hit him deep into his heart and filled that long dark place. The final strangle hold Kepi had on his soul shattered into a million pieces and was replaced by Kendra’s loving embrace. His Parvana had saved him. Tears of relief streaked over his cheeks and into her hair. No one could take this moment away from him.