Imperial ((Imperial) Web of Hearts and Souls) (12 page)

“I cannot leave them to face these kings alone.”

“They are not alone. Our Fated feel deeply.” He glanced away. “They are connected with lights—soul to soul.”

I gasped. “Explain.”

“We never claimed them. They fell for hearts that belong to pure lights. They speak the sacred word, for they feel it.”

His eyes poured into mine. I knew he was telling me that our fated could say that four letter word that began with an ‘L,’ and I could almost swear he envied them for that. But that was a foolish assumption. The King of Anger knew better than to even think of saying or feeling such a word.

“And because they speak it, I am more than sure that the kings are assuming them as weak—that the power we are will not rise within them. But they are fools. Our Fated are empowered by the emotion.”

My eyes were wide, full of shock. “Vade…are they metallic?”

He glanced away, shielding his eyes from me, hiding the answer I would see there, and his thoughts offered no answers either. “No...”

“They could create it, though. If they are truly adored by a light, then they could create what you have always dreamed of—couldn’t they?”

His jaw clenched and his body tensed. I didn’t understand—this is what he always wanted: souls perfectly balanced that could teach others to harbor pure emotions and rise above them. This desire of his was deep-seated and powerful, deep enough that I would do anything to give him this dream. It was the purest wish I’d ever heard, peace for souls that will never know that he even existed.

Our dark Fated Escorts coupled with pure lights could pull this off. I knew they could.

The rigged emotions Vade was at war with subsided and his body relaxed as his eyes returned to mine. “Souls that are connected on a divine level are capable of creating such a thing…a precious soul…a powerful soul that will symbolize everything we have ever dreamed of. With the symbol of that soul in place, our fellow kings would no longer be able to harvest the emotions they invoke, for those in our charge will have risen above them.”

We stared at each other for countless seconds. I had no idea what he was thinking, what he was hiding from me, but I could feel a mix of joy and apprehension in his essence.

Vade had always been a stoic being, but right now I was going to weather as much of this conflict as I could. I would go to my Fated and sway Silas to find peace. I would redeem the dead taken from the Reaper, and I would avenge my line. I was going to avenge the time that was stolen from me. And one way or another, I would find a way to give my rush his dream: Metallic Energy.

A moment later, Vade nodded gently in my direction. A warm rush surrounded me just as my warrior clothes vanished and the garments of a queen replaced them to adorn my ivory skin. A long satin dress with a wide skirt and lengthy train was now covering me. The deep crimson was the color my line represented. My long, deep red hair was pulled flawlessly back, revealing my bare shoulders.

Within Vade’s hand now was a precious jewel, the first material gift he had ever given me. It was a necklace made of diamonds, the large ones, outlining the constellation of Leo, the stars that were above me at my birth, death, and rebirth. It was the royal constellation, one that both Vade and I shared. The mark was clearly visible on both of our chests, above our hearts. He gave me this gift so that all could see it, for only his eyes had or ever would see the flesh where my natural mark rested.

Carefully, he stepped forward and clasped the precious necklace around my neck. “My Queen, your line awaits you.”

His hands slowly fell from my neck and slid down my arms. On my finger he placed another sacred gift from him, a ring made of rubies in the shape of a teardrop that failed to meet—that is, unless his hand, his ring, was next to mine; together, the rings displayed the symbol of eternity, the span of existence we had witnessed several times over together.

His royal attire manifested on his body in that instant, a pristine black suit marked with crimson and a white tie. He was breathtaking in any light, but when he prepared to stand before his line his image was so powerful that I often lost the will to breathe properly.

I didn’t know if I could do this, see them all. I knew if I did, I would see all that was at risk, which knowing my almighty rush…that was the point.

Chapter Nine

Assembling the lines in one location is rarely done. In my past reign, it was only done thrice. Once when I was said to be a sovereign, Vade’s line was the only one that assembled at that time. Obviously, the other kings had their reservations. At that assembly, Vade announced that I would rule wrath and rage and those under his reign would assist me in such a manner until my line was established. The second was when Mazing called out to me and was introduced to Vade’s kingdom as my First—that was a glorious night, one that the Creator Himself attended.

The third and final time was when I called my line forth and informed them that we would no longer embark on the journey that the other kings were charging. I told them that though their hunger was intensified, they would not invoke such emotions but find nourishment within natural sources of the universe. I urged them to reprieve the wrath of Mother Nature, to subdue the storms that would harm the souls under our watch. No one in any line would openly protest their sovereign, but we can sense their approval or the lack thereof. That day, not one of them opposed my declaration. They each knew how dangerous wrath was and that invoking emotion would destroy more than it would ever create. Even though we could very well be at risk of starvation, they openly welcomed the stance I had taken.

Vade had no need to ask his reign to do the same. Because the other kings were invoking fear, shock, grief, joy, and obsession, his emotion of anger lingered within each, meaning that nourishment for his line was in abundance in perpetuity.

The gathering of lines was not needed simply because each Escort could sense not only each other, but also their sovereign. We were one without assembly.

Each time an occasion like this would occur, anxiety that I should not have would claim me. I was not one to stand on a center stage or to hold a spotlight. I did not care to roam this priceless mansion while my line carried out our charge. I wanted to be next to them, and often I was, which is more than likely why Mazing was so lethal. She knew she was not only guarding the solitary queen, but that she was the only female that was a First. I was honored to have her at my side each time we followed the path our Creator had given us.

Vade held out his arm, urging me to claim it like the queen I was. Whatever emotions he was fighting had subsided, and right now I saw pride and relief in his eyes. “This time has been long awaited,” he said sweetly to me.

I breathed in deeply, feeling the diamonds of the Leo necklace gently clenching my chest.

Within that thought, Vade moved us. Now before us was a vast stairway. Each step was black, but there was a crimson path down the center, one that we would ascend side by side.

Silence was the only sound. Though I could sense his line, the priceless souls in mine—they were still. I clenched his arm, my soundless retreat. I couldn’t face them, not now. I had to make everything right, I had to bring them vindication and proof that my time away from them had been avenged before I faced each of them.

Vade gently leaned to his side. With one arm embracing my waist, his humming lips met my temple. A rushing calm absorbed my being. He had taken my anger, and in the absence of that emotion I found a calming bliss.

I nodded once nervously as his hand clenched my waist then slowly moved across my back before claiming my hand, connecting our rings, our symbol of eternity.

Gracefully, we began our descent. With each step, I could see their images in my mind. Rapidly, yet utterly slowly, I remembered each one, each call, each time I claimed them. Though I felt bliss with those memories, I also felt agony. They were not all here. I was missing exquisite souls; ones that have never known me, ones that I did not answer when they called. I swore to my soul that one day very soon they would all be here, and that day we would celebrate the fall of the kings that had wronged so many.

I had closed my eyes and was fully trusting Vade to guide me as I remembered each. When he stopped, when the silence reigned on, I carefully opened my eyes to a wonder that was nothing less than extraordinary.

Before us now were countless souls. One half of the room was adorned in the deep crimson that matched my dress, the other in black; only the hint of crimson and white was in their attire.

Mazing was to my right, and Rasp was to Vade’s left. The second my eyes opened, not only did my line silently bow to one knee, but so did every soul before me. In every direction, as far as I could see there were souls, my line, Vade’s, side by side; there had to be millions of them. I would dare say they were infinite, yet I knew their names. I knew each face, each past.

I could not comprehend how powerful my line looked. I had no doubt the nourishment that Vade had given me, that beautiful place where creative beings met and shared that gift, was afforded to them as well. The vitality and power lingering within their souls and vessels capitalized on the beauty that they were in my eyes.

I felt the power of them vibrate the room. I thought to myself that if one soul could create an everlasting change…this many souls working for one cause could not fail.

That was when I realized, like always, that Vade had more than one purpose in each action he took. He wanted me to see them, feel them. He wanted the same for them. He knew that the risk of loss would be clear to me, but also by the same measure I would feel the power of all of us. He knew if I witnessed this that no matter what course was before me, what horrid things that he along with the Reaper and the Creator were shielding me from, I would know that I could withstand them.

“Rise. Your queen has returned,” Vade stated boldly.

My line along with Mazing rose gracefully. His line remained bowed, waiting for his command.

“Rise. Your king has found his rush once more.”

Crimson was the color of my ivory skin at that moment. Openly calling me his rush was something Vade had never done. I can’t recall if there was ever an opportunity that he missed in the past. I just knew that when he called me such, we were always alone, embracing each other. I felt claimed, validated when his line not only rose, but roared with happiness.

I gave a simple nod to my line, and they joined in the celebration as Vade tenderly pulled me to him and let his lips sweetly frame mine. He pulled away slightly so his eyes could see mine. “I swear to you that in time, this room will celebrate the return of all that is ours.”

I could not hold the young girl deep inside at bay; she reached up for him and offered a deeper kiss that made both of our lines’ roars of happiness explode in the air. You could feel the energy dance across your skin, a warm, tingling sensation that made you feel as if we were all truly one.

When our kiss ended, Vade looked deeply into my eyes before he raised his hand and silence came.

He turned to face them and began his speech using his all-powerful, deep, velvet voice. “Each of us is aware that anger is a gift. That within that emotion great change can be accomplished…” His eyes seemed to meet each of theirs as he paused. “A great tragedy fell upon each of these lines, and in turn we endured the emotions that my fellow kings rule…I felt the pleas of each of your souls. I felt the bliss of each of you as Glory’s line was restored. As we became one once again. Today, we end one tragedy and embrace another.” Silence echoed through the air. “We are at war.”

The fierceness in each of their eyes sent powerful vibrations through my being.

“As sovereigns, we along with each of you were designed to be a cure. Several of my fellow kings have decided that it is best for us to be both a disease and a cure. They feel that in order for us to gain power that we must invoke emotions that were already at critical levels, and have been for some time. We are
meant
to be the cure—the cure that releases the souls under our watch and allows them to rise higher…that act
and that act alone
empowers us, not the former. We will be that cure and not embrace the savage ways other kings have chosen.” He paused, allowing his words to be absorbed by the masses. “At this moment, we only have one choice: to become an element of calm at the center of chaos. We will prevail in this war—a war that has angered us to our core and caused each of us not to embrace the past, or the present, but the future. A future that will be like no course that time has revealed. A future where our charge will not only be to take the emotions that create evil in souls, but also to help them rise, rise and embrace the royalty that is in each of our souls. We will reach this prized goal by measuring our every step, by evaluating every possible outcome. We will reach this goal by harming no one that has not thoroughly deserved such cause.”

Vade glanced across the masses, then to me. “We are not all here tonight.”

Unrest fell over the crowd before us. His returning stare settled them instantly. “Those that are missing will need our guiding hand and our protection; you will protect them by not hindering their anger…that is the emotion that they will use to defeat those that have imprisoned them. The emotion they will use to bring great change—the emotion that was meant to hinder them but will in turn be the weapon they use to render their enemies asunder. You will return to both the corporeal and non-corporeal realms of the universe; there, you will continue the charge that was given to each of you. You will prevent evil from manifesting within souls that cannot harness the emotions we rule. Every sense you have will be highly elevated. You will tell me of any revelations you find. You will not act until I charge you to do so.”