Ties That Bind: The Bellum Sisters 3 (paranormal erotic romance) (20 page)

CHAPTER 26

The office door opened but Telal didn't bother turning to see who'd entered.

“Sir, Tyrian en Kulev has called. He wants to meet with you.”

Telal flicked a glance at Kearnyn and nodded. He’d been sitting down for most of the morning, just thinking. Thinking about the past, about his family, about what happened at the rift, and of course, what happened with Lily this morning.

Now that the original shock had faded from seeing what his brother had turned into, a new feeling came over him. One of deep, seething anger. The feeling surprised him. He'd loved his brother more than anything, more than anyone. Even his own parents, though that was hardly a comparison. They just bred him. They were not his parents in any sense of the word.

Telal rolled his brother's necklace between his fingers, feeling the metal warm up in his hand and slide silkily back and forth. The band was made from black jet and attached to it was a pendant with the royal crest on it. Alrik had given him his royal necklace on his twentieth birthday. He could still remember the exchange down to the finest detail.

The royals spun around in glamorous costumes on the dance floor in a swirl of bright red and blue colors—the royal colors. Today was his birthday and everyone had gathered to celebrate. He gulped down the drink in his hand. Yeah, anyone who mattered, he thought. The thousands of
prolitare
spent this night huddled in their small homes by the fire just to stay warm while here he wore a lavish costume that was so warm it was nearly suffocating. Telal's gaze swung to all the massive fireplaces in the grand hall and a sickening guilt overwhelmed him.

Suddenly, he felt stifled as if there wasn't enough air in the hall. He stood, making his way to the front door. He had to get some air. Sweat beaded his brow and slid down his temples, the tightness in his chest compressed harder.

A hand caught his shoulder and he swung around to excuse himself from whichever well-wisher it was. But Alrik's wide smile stopped him. He sighed and nodded toward the doors. At Alrik's nod, they both headed outside. The night was cooler than usual and the wind blew strongly, rustling the trees until they bowed under its great strength.

“Enjoying the party, Telali?” his brother asked.

Telal smiled at the cute little nicknamed Alrik had called him since they were children. The nickname was silly but it'd always stuck and it always managed to make him smile. His brother had a way of making him feel good in spite of the turmoil that sat in his guy.

“A bit,” he said. “I needed some air.”

Alrik clapped him on the back. “I understand. The overwhelming scent of perfume and alcohol in there alone made me want to retch.”

Telal laughed, the tension in his chest easing. “Did you see what mother’s wearing?” They both laughed at the image. His mother wore an incredibly gaudy gown tonight that clung so tightly she literally couldn't sit down lest the seams tear open. But that wasn't the worst of it. The worse was the headdress she'd had made just for his birthday. It towered over two-feet off her head in a white column made of gauzy silk. On top of the headdress came out a dozen frilly tendrils made up of swirling coils of gold thread. At the end of each tendril hung a teardrop diamond.

“Did you see the way it moves when she walks?” Alrik asked, laughing until a tear came out of his eye.

“She looked like she had a frilly octopus on her head,” Telal agreed.

Their laughter died and they shared the view of the kingdom together with its faint pinkish hue, rolling green hills, and flowering trees. At skin level, it looked gorgeous, almost breathtaking. But below that beauty rested evil, treachery, and manipulation—mostly by his mother and father.

“I have something for you,” Alrik said hesitantly.

Telal turned to him in time to see a faint blush creeping up on his golden skin. He laughed. “A kiss?”

His brother relaxed, laughing. “You wish, brother Telali.” He reached behind his neck and unclasped the royal necklace from around it.

Telal watched in stunned awe. He had to screw his eyes in a tight expression to keep his eyes from tearing up. That necklace meant so much to his brother...it meant everything.

He held the black jet necklace with the royal pendant out to him. “I want you to have it.”

Telal's hand went to his own necklace, made not out of jet but of gold with the same royal pendant. His meant nothing to him, which he'd voiced to his brother on numerous occasions. But for Alrik, who knew he'd one day inherit the kingdom, it was dear to him.

Telal's voice sounded thick with emotion he tried hard to keep in check. “You said it helped to remind you of the right ways.”

Alrik's smile looked almost sad. “I won't need it anymore, brother. All the right teachings are here.” He pressed a finger to his heart.

Telal looked away to gather his composure. “You're certain?”

He nodded and stepped forward, holding the necklace out by the ends. Telal bowed his head and let Alrik attached the ends behind his neck. When he lifted his head, the necklace fell on his chest, next to his own royal necklace. His face nearly crumbled. He jerked Alrik into a hard hug.

“Thank you, brother.”

“Sir? Are you ready to go?”

Kearnyn's voice jerked Telal out of his memory. Telal clenched the necklace in his fist. It was the first time he'd ever taken it off. His heart sank in his chest, but he opened his desk drawer and dropped it inside.

“Yes, let's go.”

He grabbed Kearnyn's shoulder and ported them into the conference room at Tyrian's study. Tyrian and his guardsman Rayn waited for them there.

“Have a seat and tell me how the weapon manufacturing's going.”

Telal took a seat but realized that he had no idea. Shit. So much had been going on lately he hadn't even bothered to keep on his business. He looked to Kearnyn and the guard stepped forward. He'd only made a thousand in his free time. But with his trip to the rift, the work had been pushed far from his mind.

“Rosa Delgado has been working hard on her share of the weapons. I do not know the exact number she has completed.”

Tyrian took a seat in a leather armchair. “I'd like to see one of the weapons. Rayn has volunteered to be a test subject to the electric power in them.”

After a moment, they agreed that Telal would go and fetch the witch. With a sigh, he ported to her shop.

Rosa lurched when she saw him and screamed in holy terror, the color draining from his face.

“Didn't mean to startle you,” he said easily. “You are required at a meeting with Tyrian en Kulev right now. Fetch one of the weapon's you've enchanted.”

She stood there staring at him for a long minute, her hands clutched to her heart. Then slowly, methodically she went and retrieved a dagger.

“Next time port outside and knock,” she said with a glare.

Telal shrugged. He didn't care. In fact, he didn't feel much of anything right now. A cold numbing feeling had settled over his body. Going to this meeting should be important and take planning. He knew he should have brought one of the weapons he'd enchanted himself and not be here wasting time, but he hadn't done any of those things. Everything seemed so unimportant now, different.

She held out her hand to him and he took it, porting them into Tyrian's study. She faltered as she spotted Kearnyn a blush covering her cheeks.

“Let me see it,” Tyrian said.

Rosa handed him the blade and he studied it, nodding, his brow pulled in concentration. Then he stood and Rayn groaned.

“Really?” asked Rayn.

“Really,” Tyrian said. Once he was about ten paces away from Rayn, he grabbed the dagger by the blade and sent it sailing through the air. The dagger landed above the knee in Rayn's leg.

“Ah, fuck.” Rayn cursed and his body started jerking as if he shocks of electrical bursts zapped through his body. He fought it and tried to stay standing, but the power of the electricity was too much for him and he fell to his knees, yanking the blade out of his leg viciously.

Tyrian nodded with approval. “Very good. If we get a similar reaction or worse from the
idummi
then this will prove to be an excellent new weapon.”

“Agreed,” Telal said.

“Good work,” Tyrian said to Rosa.

She smiled. “Of course.”

Tyrian ordered Rayn to the medical ward and after he limped out of the room grunting and cursing, Tyrian took a seat, his expression all business.

“What happened in the rift?”

“My father died during the Great War and my brother Alrik has been king ever since. My mother still reigns as queen.” That twisted bitch.

“Your brother? Hm... How did the kingdom look?”

Telal looked away. He wished he could say it had turned out to be everything he thought it'd be if Alrik became King, but that'd be a flat-out lie.

“Bad,” he answered honestly. “Alrik has become corrupted worse than anything I've ever seen him. It's actually affected him physically, discoloring his natural appearance.”

“I've never heard of such a thing.”

“I have but I thought it was a myth. He appears to be ruling with an iron hand. Even his eyes are black.” Telal's chest tightened; he curled his hand into a fist as some kind of outlet to the anger twisting inside him. How did everything turn out so wrong?

“Has someone helped to corrupt him?”

“I have no doubt my mother has. She's always been a twisted bitch.”

“He won't accept the proposal then,” Tyrian said. It wasn't a question. “What do you plan to do?”

“I don't know.” It almost hurt to say. No, wait, it
did
hurt to say.

“If you plan to take the throne back then I'll support you,” Tyrian said, his voice quiet.

Telal stood, nodding. “The weapons should be finished in...” Fuck he didn't even know. He looked to Kearnyn who spoke up.

“In the next two weeks, sir.”

“Good, I look forward to it.” Tyrian came forward and thrust out this hand. Telal shook it then touched Rosa and Kearnyn and got them the hell out of there.

He ported to Rosa's first then grabbed hold of Kearnyn.

“Wait,” Kearnyn said, stepping out of his hold. “I need to talk to Ms. Delgado.”

Telal arched a brow and looked at the both of them. Yup, if they weren't already sleeping together, they’d soon be hitting the sack.

Telal left them and reappeared in his office. Lily Bellum sat on his desk, a wicked smile on her face. Seeing her actually made him feel better.

“Get off my desk,” he said out of habit.

Surprisingly, she did. She hopped off but ran up to him and jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck. He was so stunned by the action his hands went around to hold her.

She pressed a kiss to his mouth and before he could kiss her back, which he realized he really
really
wanted to do—if only to lose himself for a while—she kissed along his jaw and to his ear.

“I have a surprise for you,” she whispered in his ear.

His hands tightened on her. Another one? He still hadn't gotten over the shock of the pen. “What is it?”

She laughed a low and provocative sound. His cock must like the sound because all the blood in his body pumped to there. He closed his eyes as she began nuzzling his neck with her soft lips. God, she'd felt amazing wrapped around him. She'd been so generous and soft in bed. He'd taken her where no other man has. A hot fiery surge of pride filled him. His hands reached to her ass and squeezed, bringing her against him so he could push his cock against her—to remind her of what he'd done. He felt more animal than man.

She moaned and licked up his neck. “Come on. I want you to see it.”

“See what?” he asked, his voice deep with arousal. She wore another dress, this one a light shade of pink. Just the thought of all the ways he could take her in that dress pulled his balls up tight.

She pulled back to look at him, her eyes shining with excitement and desire. “Your present!”

Cursing and mumbling, Telal let her lead him down stairs, out the main lobby, and outside. His guards sent him a varying degree of shocked expressions to which he glared at them—daring them to remark. Each time one of them glanced at Lily or the bare skin of her legs, a growl started from deep in his chest.

At the curb sat something with a black tarp over it. Judging by its shape, he had a feeling he knew what it was.

“What is it?” His lips curled with distaste.

She hopped to the curb and grabbed the black tarp pulling it a way with a great flick of her wrists like a magician. His jaw dropped at what he saw and he quickly shut it.

“You bought me a bike?”

Her eyebrow cocked. “Not just any bike. A Harley Davidson Iron 883. Just came out this year.”

Telal had to admit, the bike looked sharp and sleek in a badass kind of way. It had a black body with two chrome exhaust pipes coming off the side. Everything from the seat to the handles was black. It looked manly. A part of Telal actually flexed at the idea of riding with that between his legs.