Imperial ((Imperial) Web of Hearts and Souls) (11 page)

“My head is spinning. Our Fated Escorts have coupled with human lights? Is that what you are saying? How could they?” I knew how dangerous it was for an Escort to have a fever for anyone beyond our kind.

“Our mist was in the wind. Donalt was the first to pull one of yours into his grasp. He could not openly claim her because he was in human form. Instead, he plotted to destroy her in corporeal form. But in that lifetime she was adored, and has been for each lifetime since then.”

Fear. That was Donalt’s reign. I could only imagine what she would have endured. Flames from the candles exploded, reaching the endless ceiling, mocking my rage.

Within a pulse of my soul, Vade was lying on top of me, pinning my arms above my head. The hum of his body, along with the scent of roses, caused the raging flames to fall to their subtle light. “She is fiercely protected,” he swore.

His mind played out what he knew of this Fated of mine for me at a slow, calculated pace.

Chapter Eight

Vade wanted me to know the story of all the Fated that belonged to us, their journey so far, but he needed me to focus on the one that was causing so much trouble presently. He knew I would not do that without knowing the others were somewhat safe now.

Before, when I sensed my line in the entry hall, I’d sensed one of my Fated and had no idea that I had. Vade had spoken to her, came to her aid when her back was against the wall, when both Donalt and Xavier chose to charge her in unison. Vade helped her save one of his Fated, and so much more.

Vade took her thoughts of him away so that she would be protected, so the other kings would not know that Vade was now aware and preparing to wage war against them along with our Fated.

I witnessed an admirable fight in those that bore our essence. No doubt there. They had been twisted against each other in the cruelest ways, but somehow they found their way to overcome.

I kept staring at the image of those that belonged to us; because they were Fated Escorts, they did not carry the same outward appearance as the current lines. Nature planned it that way, a weapon you could not see coming, but once they were upon you no doubt you would sense their sovereign within.

The tension in my body eased, letting Vade know that I was ready to hear of the one that belonged to me that was causing complications. I was ready to focus on him now that I knew the others were somewhat out of harm’s way at the moment.

“Whom of mine is harming one of yours? Who is threatening us all? Show me the one that believes he is a Witness.”

His image came to Vade’s thoughts instantly. I saw a valiant warrior. Golden eyes and hair, there was not a flaw in his image. He looked like a fallen angel. Silas. His name was Silas.

Vade loosened his grip on my arms and let his hand slide down the length of them before moving to lie beside me.

“Your Silas is opposing my Draven. In the most lethal way. You know as I do if a Fated of yours strikes my Fated, it will bring havoc, weaken us to the point where the other kings could overtake us.”

I searched Vade’s mind, discovering the war of hearts my Silas was engaging in. Silas and Draven were in a sense at war over a girl. Silas assumed Draven would harm this girl, Charlie, pull light energy from her. I suppose that was a risk, but the risk was put there by unworthy kings. The risk was put there so Silas would strike, so my and Vade’s line would weaken and we could be overtaken. It was one of many ploys against us. The other kings were using our children to destroy us, and the only way we could stop it was by destroying our children.

I felt sick, so sick. Who could plot something so evil? Only for the hope of gaining power?

“You understand the risk?” Vade asked me.

I did. All too well. “To stop the threat, I have to destroy the one that is causing turmoil,” I said as I closed my eyes and wished this vile revelation away.

“I’m afraid it very well could come to that,” he said with a heavy grief in his tone. “I don’t want it to come to that. Silas...Silas is special for more than the reason that he belongs to you or was risen as a Witness.”

“He is only seeking to destroy Escorts because he thinks they are evil. I can show him otherwise.”

“I certainly hope so, but you should know that his rage for my line will not be diminished with enlightenment. He feels he is fighting over someone he has claimed, over someone that has claimed him.”

Escorts were a bit territorial, obviously, but when it came to adoreds we were ruthless. No reason or law could stop us from retaliating. So basically, I had a fated Escort—born in my line of wrath—that felt that a Fated Escort—born in Vade’s line of anger—had taken his adored. And if that weren’t enough, he thought he was a Witness, and that more than likely he had been destroying souls cut from the very same cloth as he.

I cringed when those thoughts came to mind. With little effort, Vade had reached into my mind and read those beliefs clearly.

“He has not destroyed anyone from either of our lines. He has no reason to…but let me ensure you understand me clearly—our energy is one at this point. If he strikes any Escort in our line, we will both feel that blow. If he strikes a Fated Escort…he very well could end both lines with that one blow. If not an end, at the very least we will lose masses. The kings will make their move to take us down.”

I understood. All too well.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. To any of the other sovereigns, this would be simple. Send out a thought to destroy said troublemaker and move on. But I was not any other sovereign…it was not his fault. He should be given the chance to see the course and consequences of his actions.

I rose from Vade’s arm and manifested the warrior clothes I had worn for eons. I was going to Silas’ side this instant. I could not let this risk dangle in the air any longer.

Vade was obviously not content to let me do just that. He pulled me back to his side once more. Gently, his hand caressed my long hair out of my eyes as he drank in every part of me.

“I feel your agony. I understand that the beautiful sovereign you are would leave your entire flock for one…that you have done so before. But you cannot do that now. You cannot risk the confrontation.”

“I’m not sending a deadly thought to him,” I bit out.

“And you will not roam this Realm alone,” he countered.

“Mazing will be at my side, as she has
always
been.”

That cold stubbornness came to his eyes. “I have held you for mere hours after our everlasting absence. I’m not letting you go, now or ever.”

Within an instant, I manifested beside the bed we were in and glared down at him. “I am
not
property. And if you feel that I am, then you are sorely mistaken.”

Matching my power, he manifested at my side, fully dressed. “And pray tell, why do you think I would consider you as such?” he asked sternly.

“Pray tell? You need me to do that? I have been imprisoned for lifetimes, and when I return I find that the line that I thought was forevermore gone, exists. Not only do they exist, but also I have Fated souls under my reign. The world I knew is gone. Our fellow kings ensured that. And now you are telling me that I can do nothing to avenge this—that there is some web of spells—that we must stand by and watch them blindly destroy themselves. Exactly why am I here now? Did you expect me to hear this and send a deadly thought to him, then bask in a rush with you like nothing happened? Like Silas doesn’t mean something to someone beyond me?”

“Glad to see that basking in an everlasting rush is not appealing to you.”

“Oh, stop it right now. Do not twist my words or even try to turn this into something that has to do with us.”

“This has
everything
to do with us!” He spoke his words so powerfully that I felt my being vibrate.

“You, my dear, sweet rush—you would not send one
damned
thought at your Fated Escorts—even if they destroyed the corporeal realm itself, you would let them be and smile with pride.”

“I would not!” he seethed  “Do you think that lowly of me? That I would knowingly let anyone in my line bring harm to you?”

“He has not brought harm to anyone. For all you know, they provoked him.”

“They did no such a thing. That was done by Xavier and Donalt, the pair of them.”

“Then you should be striking them, not demanding that I end one of my own!”

“Exactly when did I demand that you do such a thing!”

“How am I not seeing this clearly? You told me not to go him—not to leave my flock—not to roam this Realm now that you had me back. Why now, Vade? Go ahead and say it.”

He balled his fist and the room responded—the flames of the candles were well over my head at this point. “You must learn to listen.”

“How
dare
you!”

He raised his finger to stop my words. “I said listen—not listen to me. You are saturated with wrath right now, and you are choosing to hear what you want to, not what I said.”

Okay, so he had a point there. I offered a sharp nod to tell him to explain himself.

“I would never ask you to end any Escort of yours, especially a Fated one. Your Silas is guarding something
precious
to the pair of us. Something that I cannot speak of until our Creator deems fit. I know you will reach him, and I know if by some horrid circumstance you cannot, that our Creator will move what I deem precious out of harm’s way and together we will grieve for your loss—for the end you must bring to your Fated.”

I stepped forward, holding my glare firmly on him. “What is Silas guarding,
Vade
? What did the Creator show you the day I perished?”

He clenched his jaw.

“Why would He take your words? Why would He not allow you to speak of something that clearly involves me?”

“The both of us.”

“The
both
of us. Therefore, I should be well aware of what is, has, and will occur.”

“Then you need to take that up with the Creator,” he said as his eyes became hooded. Agony was exhausting him, an agony that I could not see.

I threw my hands in the air. “Do you think that I have not called out to Him daily—hourly? That I have not asked Him what I did to deserve such a hardship?”

“Are you telling me that you were hurt in the Veil? That the Reaper was cruel to you?” he bit out.

That was not a sarcastic comment. He was sincere. How could he not understand what I went through?

“I
was
hurt.
You
hurt me. I yearned for you. I yearned for the bliss of the life we had. For the kingdom we dreamed of. For the souls under my reign that I lost. The Reaper was gracious, as always, but my thoughts imprisoned me. I thought I was forgotten. And now I don’t know what to think.”

Misery filled his eyes. “We shared the same prison.”

“I didn’t see you there, and still do not understand why now. Why you waited.”

“I assure you, the reason is precious. That if you were aware of it, you would have not only endured the Veil with a smile on your face, but you would have gladly extended your stay…the kings had to think you were gone. We had to wait for corporeal time to move. We had to plot for this day, as they have plotted for theirs.”

“I should be aware of such plots. You and the Reaper have no words, and the Creator refuses to speak to me.”

“He is not refusing you. His silence teaches us just as much as His words. You know that.”

“Nothing could be worth this agony,” I said with utter disdain.

In that instant, I was in his arms. I didn’t fight to move away. One arm pulled me against him as his other hand gently held my face. The smell of roses filled the air. “Something is…I swear to you it is.”

I held in the tears I was too stubborn to let fall and nodded once before I reached for his face to pull him closer. “I trust you…but you have to trust me, too…Silas deserves a chance. They all do. If I have to drag them all here and draw them a map so they can see how they all connect, I will do so.”

“In time, they will know. I swear.”

“In this time,” I said as I looked away.

His hand urged my stare to return with a gentle turn of my chin. “In this time, yes. I only meant for you to see your line first. They have suffered with grief. Let them know you have returned, that you are there for them. They will help us with this feat.”

“I ache to see my line, and doing so before I reach out to Silas is a request I can honor, but I will not send them to tell this soul that he is mine.”

“I would never ask that.”

I was so confused. Did I imagine that argument we just had, or did I truly not hear him correctly?

“Rasp will be with you. I want to ensure Mazing is cloaked as well.”

“Why can you not tell me why my return must be masked?”

“I can tell you that.”

“You just said—”

He raised his brow, asking me to halt. “I told you that I could not tell you the purpose of our absence. As I said before, the other kings assume I know nothing of the mist they have taken. If you lash out now, we will fail. This is a massive web of souls that must be tenderly unwound.”