Title: Dark Moments
Author: Ageless Light
Beta-ed by: Nobody right now! But I'd like one!
Characters/Pairing: Zacarias De La Cruz and OC
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Summary: Zacarias De La Cruz meets his lifemate a most inopportune time. When he re-awakens he discovers she is gone, and vows to find and claim her at all costs. Their possible union gains the attention of a powerful race but are they friends or foes to the Carpathians?
Rating: T (Contains content suitable for teens and older)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Dark Series Universe or any of Christine Feehan's characters. I do own the OC's though. I went to babynames . com for my character names though. A nice reviewer PMed me and told me that the book the original concept of the Ways came from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series. I however, have altered their purpose, make-up, and description to fit my fic. They are very different since I haven't even read the story, but if you like epic fantasy books, I encourage you to check them out.
Status: Continuous (Incomplete)
Created on: January 16, 2010
Word Count: 8,795 (Total 68,470)
Spoilers: Up to and Including Dark Slayer (The most recent novel in Feehan's Dark Series)
"Talk" – regular talking
Talk- Inner thoughts
"Talk"- Spoken telepathically
AN: This chapter is dedicated to TwilightVicki for her kind reviews and comments and SevenScars for his drawing of Ashelia! Enjoy guys :)
Chapter 20
Secrets Revealed: Part Two
The delegation was close enough now that all members of the small welcoming group could hear the powerful engines of the approaching vehicles. Within moments Dominic's form coalesced out of the sky and he dropped down next to Gregori. All eyes were focused on the road and watched as a few large SUV's pulled in.
Everyone recognized the Cadillac symbol on the four exact replicas in front of them and watched as the brand new Escalades slowed down to a stop. The luxury vehicles could fit eight people comfortably, and had a powerful engine for other purposes. Each SUV cost easily $60,000 but since power and prestige were important to the Empire and the Carpathians were all wealthy no one was really moved by the display of wealth. Now that the vehicles stopped, other Carpathians dropped down from the sky. Out of the Kylierions, Ashe was the only one who could recognize any of the hunters and even then she only knew Nicholas De La Cruz.
As one the Kylierions pushed out their minds to greet those in the vehicles, but were immediately repelled by a barrier. It was safe to assume that the barrier was made by Kenneth Airan, Iris' father and that nothing was getting through. So they were forced to wait.
A door opened from the first car and out stepped Caleb in his human form followed by another being. The first thing they all noticed was the short golden locks adorning the head of a man that towered over Caleb. As one all Kylierions adjusted their stance so they could greet their commanding officer properly. Caleb stood covering the open door as their general stepped forward towards Gregori.
"Good evening. Thank for allowing us into your lands. Allow me to introduce myself. I am General Daemon of the House of Sunstrider. On behalf of my House and my people I offer kind greetings from the Kylierion Empire." The slight southern drawl could be heard from the elemental as he spoke formally and he extended his hand.
"Good evening to you as well. Thank you for coming. I am Gregori Daratrazanoff second in command to our Prince."
"Wonderful! I hope you are not offended in anyway but before we begin I would like to check on the status of my soldiers. There are Kylierion's in the cars that are anxious to know of their well being." Without waiting for a response he proceeded to walk past the Carpathians to the KATT squad. Being in the presence of the general raised Tia's status since she was his protégé and she became the leader of their squad.
"What is the status of your squad?"
"We are all in fighting condition, Sir."
"How were you treated?"
"Once negotiations closed we were put under house arrest. We were left alone as long as we didn't cause any trouble."
"Did you?"
"No, Sir."
"Excellent." Waving his hand he motioned for the others to exit the car. The air became heavy with power and then a gust of wind encompassed the beings that were outside, signaling that the barrier was released. Caleb moved aside for the occupants to be let out.
"Daddy!" The being was barely out of the vehicle before Iris raced by. Their reunion was loud and against protocols, but most of all it was filled with joy. Kenneth Airan had given his daughter what could only be described as bear hug and held on to her tightly for a few extra moments. Their greeting was more emotional even compared to their standards since Iris' brother had disappeared recently and Ashe could only imagine how on edge the Airan's had been with the loss of both their children.
A pang of jealousy filled Ashe, because she could never greet her aunt like that no matter how much she wanted to. Now was one of those times that Ashe desperately wanted to hug the woman who had become like a second mother to her. Needing a good cry and sound advice, she wished for the others to leave so she could greet her aunt in peace without judging eyes. But it was not meant to be she thought with a sigh. Kenneth had sauntered over to his daughter's team to greet them all joyously. Plastering a smile on her face she greeted her uncle by heart, not by blood.
Since they were on foreign soil she was greeted only as a solider since the Kylierion's did not want the Carpathians' to suspect anything. Trying to shield Zacarias was difficult, especially since she knew he would have no qualms about ruining everything and coming to her side. Instead she merely blocked her thoughts, but her emotions could still be felt through their private link.
Several Kylierions exited from the SUV's but many figures still remained in the vehicles. Stefan Stormcloud, Niah's husband and a brother figure to Amelyn, was walking casually from around the other side of one of the SUV's. Ashe was surprised that Stefan was present and not Niah, and made a note to ask why later. Like all Stormcloud's Stefan was tall, blonde, and reserved in how he greeted the squad. The famous earth wielder looked like he was an in shape adult looking like he was in his young thirties, but no one on the squad knew his real age. All they knew was that Stefan was a young teenager when Ameyln was adopted, making both of them around 600 years old.
The ancient hunters had no idea what to think of the beings exiting the vehicles. Just like Zacarias' lifemate and her friends, they were all barefoot. Tattoos of all kinds encircled wrists and ankles and the images depicted on their skin blurred together as the beings walked. There were no weapons on any of them, but there wasn't a need to, because it was easy to pick up the power that was within each of them. The end of winter was there and the air was still cool at night, but for some reason the air had grown heavy and warm around the group of newcomers. It was if they had brought the heat of the sun with them.
Always amassing data and analyzing it, Tia was the one who noticed that the group was composed of Kylierion's with expertise in several areas, all of them used to heavy combat, and passed the message along to her friends. Before they could respond to her though, their attention was drawn to the last figure emerging from the SUV.
As was proper of her rank, the Empress was the last to exit. As soon as her bare feet touched the ground, the Kylierion's had arranged themselves protectively around her. Figures blurred with a speed that could only be granted with aid of the elements. The ancient hunters noticed that some figures were as fast as they were and filed that information away for later use. Ashe immediately used everything in her power to eject Zacarias from her mind before the brief conversation with her aunt that she knew would be coming. The only reason it seemed to work she mused was because it was a surprise move against him and in his shock he didn't respond quickly enough.
Knowing that the couple had their own private mental link, Ashe started to systematically isolate their psychic bond from the rest of her telepathic channels and threw up barriers around her thoughts. The procedure was horribly complex, but having been raised by the best teachers in their land, she was able to accomplish the task in under just a dozen seconds. Which if she had to be honest, was still too long. The combat medic did her best to not think of Zacarias' reactions and focused on her aunt.
Dressed in a dark violet tailored suit the Empress had a cold expression on her face. Eyes of a similar color to Ashe's were hidden behind dark sunglasses and the team noticed that she wasn't wearing her crown. Without offering a word to anyone, not even to their hosts she turned and looked at the KATT members.
Don't give anything away, do not give yourself away. The princess chanted in her mind as she felt her aunt's gaze on her for only a moment longer than appropriate before her ruler's eyes swept over the remaining team members.
"Is there anything that I should know before I go in there?" Her aunt's voice filled her mind and warmth and love flooded her. Concern for her well being was at the forefront of her aunt's mind and even seeing the princess standing and conscious did little to alleviate the panic the ruler had felt for the past few days.
It was in that moment that Ashe realized her aunt had more concern for her safety and protection than she did about diplomatic relations. Echo's of Ashe's almost death weeks earlier on a mission and her injuries of when her father was killed seemed to surge from the dark suppressed memories in her aunt's mind. All of them latching onto her current rollercoaster of emotions regarding Ashe's situation.
A large part of her wanted to break down and cry, because this was the moment to speak. Ashe may have duties as an Imperial Princess but her people were as modern as could be. If she spoke up about her growing feelings for Zacarias her aunt would move mountains, literally, if she could help her niece be happy. Not that it was possible. Their duties would keep them apart no matter what they wanted or did. Auntie Lu would be more open to this if I was honest with her. But how can I? My honor and all those that depend on me would be in jeopardy. How can what's between us feel so right if it creates chaos around us and causes everyone else so much pain? Instead of coming clean and telling her aunt of her growing feelings she merely responded with a cowardly no. Giving a sharp nod the Empress seemed satisfied with her response and the team's condition and finally turned to Gregori.
Feeling as if she had set her fate in stone and would forever look back upon this moment with regret she lost all control and her mental barriers crash down. A force so powerful flooded in her mind nearly knocking her over. Almost instantly he was rifling through her mind, making sure she was okay. Once her safety was assured she heard a snarl in her mind and knew he was upset especially since he was unable to figure out why she had cast him out.
"We will discuss this in detail, later, csitri." His deep voice seemed to reverberate through their link. Upset at having to keep so many secrets she responded without first thinking.
"Can't wait!" she spoke to him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. For her impertinent response she felt him give her a reprimanding nip on the muscle between her neck and shoulder. The action was supposed to be a small punishment, like when one would lightly slap a child on the wrist as they were caught stealing cookies. Instead she felt warmth spread through her system and heat pooled low in her belly.
She tried to stop her body's reaction or at the very least hide it from him, but it was too late. A low purr was heard from his end as he became aware of her body's actions and thoughts. Waves of male satisfaction flooded their bond for a moment. Teasingly he nipped her again, and she felt her face flood in an embarrassment as she felt herself growing aroused. Ashe was jerked out of the little moment between them, as she heard her general speak and almost cursed out loud at how she distracted she got. The chuckle she heard from Zacarias didn't help much either.
"Many of our people will remain here unless their presence is required." Sunstrider spoke to Gregori who didn't comment on what exactly he meant by his last words.
Realizing that they were ready to meet the Prince he invited the elementals to follow him. Sunstrider walked directly behind the Dark One while both Stefan and Kenneth flanked the Empress. Trailing behind their council members the KATT squad and the assistant followed after them. Carpathian hunters brought up the rear to their group and Ashe could feel Manolito and Nicholas close to her.
While covering the short distance to the house Ashe quickly shut down the parts of her brain that was not needed. Imagining a blank paper she quickly let it cover all of her random thoughts, leaving her mind quiet and focused. Just like when she was on a mission. Having the feeling of control back boosted her self-confidence and she continued walking with sure steady steps.
With little ceremony the group was ushered inside. Once inside the elementals were brought to a spacious room that was arranged for the occasion. Two high back leather chairs were in the middle of the room. Each chair had a small table in front of it. Placed sporadically around the room was more chairs, but all of them were empty.
It was easy to spot who the Prince of the Carpathians was because all of the occupants of the room seemed focused on him. Ashe thought he looked a lot like Jacques, but then again they were brothers after all. Glancing around the room Ashe noticed that Jacques was absent, for which she was thankful. Ashe didn't really have an opinion on the Prince's brother, but she did not like his lifemate and her dissecting eyes in which she looked at her. Ever since Shea had come to offer her help when Ashe reacted to Carpathian blood and kept a sample of her blood, the Princess couldn't stand the woman.
Zacarias was in the room but she avoided meeting his eyes and tried to continue acting professionally. The key word was tried, because her body had become hypersensitive. Adrenaline flooded her system as if she was about to engage in combat. As they stepped more into the room, the Kylierion's were all hit with the scent of pine and earth. Recognizing Zacarias scent her body relaxed a bit unconsciously. There were small creatures throughout the room, and Ashe noticed them when they first entered the house. It seemed that there were more Carpathians in the house than those standing in front of them.
"Welcome to my lands. I am Mikhail Dubrinsky, leader of the Carpathians. You have met my second in command, Gregori. The others are Virknoff and Nicolae Von Shrieder and Dominic Dragonseeker. Zacarias, Manolito, and Nicholas are of the De La Cruz family." Mikhail had stepped forward during his greeting and Gregori hovered directly behind his left shoulder as if ready to defend his prince.
The move was mirrored when the Empress stepped forward with Sunstrider at her shoulder. Inclining her regally she greeted the males.
"You speak for all Carpathians?" When she received his nod she continued smoothly. "Thank you for allowing our presence here in your lands. Allow me to introduce myself. I am her Imperial Majesty Empress Luluani Morningstar the fourteenth ruler of the Kylierion Empire. It is an honor to meet with one of your race."
Using her arm she pointed to her companions and the scent of warm summer air wafted around the room, mixing with the Carpathian's earthy scent.
"General Sunstrider is to my left. Kenneth Airan and Stefan Stormcloud hold seats on our council. Deinara Garnet is my assistant, and you already know of the members in my advanced tactical team who have been in your lands. For these negotiations you may address me as Luluani." Ashe's aunt spoke with a calm even tone that gave nothing of her feelings away.
Mikhail invited her to sit and once she had arranged herself comfortably with her companions around her offered them refreshments. She declined politely and the Kylierion's were shocked at her refusal for taking the beverages. The declining of refreshments may not have seemed like a big deal to the Carpathians, but it was to the Kylierion's. Refreshments were something you had as you got to know one another and it was clear that the Empress had no urge to know this mysterious race.
"As you may have guessed I have been traveling here from the States, and I have been out of touch for a few days." Which was a partial total lie, as it only took a few hours to cross the path that she took in the Ways and then they traveled by plane and car once in Europe. "Before we begin I was hoping to hear the squad's updated report, so that we all may be on the front page. I would have asked right after my arrival but I did not want to offend anyone."
"Please proceed." Mikhail answered calmly. Curiosity filled him and he was unsure how to handle this new race. By letting his guests speak he could observe more about them and figure out how to proceed. With a nod from Luluani, it was Tia who gave the oral report.
"After receiving the completed vision KATT squad 15 journeyed to Romania to confront the vampire in the dream. Upon further inspection we realized that the vampire had no distinguishable features, nor familiar energy signature. The vampires that we killed while here may or may not have been related to the vampire in question." The report was short and succinct, especially since Luluani was already aware of the details of their mission.
"Medic, I would like your report as well. Anything that I should know about?" The way her words echoed what she said earlier made Ashe believe that maybe her aunt knew more than she let on.
"The victim, Zacarias De La Cruz was found in critical condition. Due to the nature of his injuries which included parasites and vampiric blood in his system he was fatally wounded."
Betraying herself she looked at him from across the room before returning her gaze to her ruler and continued her report. "While healing him I discovered a compound that the Morrison Center is fond of using on their victims in his bloodstream. It seemed to affect his ability to communicate psychically. I thoroughly analyzed the compound and realized we have encountered the substance previously. Months ago I submitted a report that expressed concerns about how our people were not affected by the compound but I feared that the substance would mutate and we would need to alter treatments. So far that does not seem to be the case, the substance found in the bloodstream of the victim was easily rendered ineffective, broken down and then removed. In my professional opinion it seemed that with the way the compound was traveling in his system, he was injected within a half an hour of our arrival. Which lead me to guess that the vampire had somehow injected him with the chemicals."
"Our KATT's have encountered this situation before." Luluani pursed her lips as she spoke her thoughts out loud. Ashe did not respond because her aunt wasn't looking for confirmation and so she stood there waiting for her aunt to let her continue.
"If we add piece of information, this would have made over two dozen cases where a vampire had access to such a substance." Turning her head she faced Zacarias and addressed him coolly. "It seems you have fully recovered. I am pleased." Her statement was polite but held no warmth and without waiting for him to respond she turned back to the squad.
"What injuries has your team received?"
"Nothing other than a few BEN's." Ashe responded succinctly telling her that they had only received bruises and scrapes.
"Really? That must have been a nice change for your team. Maybe your luck is changing? Does that mean I can release your reserved rooms in the intensive care hospital and allow others to have your rooms?" Unsure if her aunt was being serious or not she answered her truthfully.
"Sir, I feel this mission was an anomaly and humbly request that you keep our rooms on reserve."
"Does that mean you all have recovered from the mission against the Malinov?" The Carpathians shifted during this remark and Ashe could feel the intense gaze of Zacarias on her but none of the Kylierions reacted. Not daring to look at him she answered the question as honest as she could without giving away the severity of her injury.
"All of our wounds have healed. While completing our missions before arriving in Romania we were able retrain our bodies and have been operating within acceptable parameters for completing missions of this level. However, I feel that I will need further training to return to my previous level of stamina. At my current level I wound be unable to handle field triage during war time for more than ten hours. Jaeden has regained his full range of motion and no longer has pain while phasing in between forms."
"I am pleased to hear that Jaeden is fully functioning again and I am pleased to know you are no longer having trouble with your organs. We will address further rehabilitation later. "
"Yes sir."
"How was the fight with the vampires while here in Romania?"
"The first vampire managed to get injure Tia's shoulder but I was able to heal her immediately and she resumed her position on the team the following morning. Jaeden pulled a few tendons but his body healed of its own accord within the hour. It was Tia who destroyed the creature. As for our recent fight there were no injuries other than BEN's."
"Amelyn was not there for the entire battle so I have information missing. Please give me an overview of the fight."
"There was one master vampire and two lesser ones under its control. Iris and the medic were assigned to take on the master vampire. One of the lesser creatures was able to get around Jaeden and Amelyn pursued it. The other vampire followed but was detained by Jaeden and myself. Now that the situation changed it was decided that Brooklynne would be better to take on the lone vampire." Zacarias startled at this information and leaned forward intent on hearing why such a choice was made. Tia ignored him and continued. "With her connection to air she would be able to easily keep speed with the creature and with her unique fighting abilities she is better suited to solo combat. Amelyn then joined Iris against the master vampire." Tia reported as ordered.
"An interesting strategy, I would have assumed you would have had Brooklynne stay against the master vampire and distribute two members against the regular creatures." Before Tia could explain her decision Ashe jumped in to save her friend and explain why she and Amelyn really made their decision.
"I have the answer for that sir. The master vampire was located in a…sensitive area."
"Ah. So that would mean you were the one that destroyed a part of the mountain and created a landslide. "
"Yes, I was. It was dangerous to remain in the terrain with another member of the team nearby, as I could have hurt her as well. Another reason for the switch was because I wanted to test each vampire."
"What for?" Curiosity leaked into her voice as the Empress drummed her hands upon the table while thinking.
'To see if they had any of the chemical in or on their person like the one found in my first patient here." It was partially a lie but mostly truth and she hoped her aunt didn't catch on that Amelyn had been the one to request the switch.
"The results?"
"Both vampires were clean."
"You were sure? How did you decide this?"
"While fighting the master vampire I had shattered one of his hands during one of his attempts to grab me. There was nothing in his blood stream or on his claws. Iris and Amelyn made the kill and disposed of the body and they thoroughly check through all of its belongings. As for the second vampire on one of my first attacks I drove a strength enhanced punch through his chest cavity shattering his ribs and lung instantly. I then proceeded to rip both of his arms off, before I removed the heart and burned the body. There was no evidence in his system as well. Since we encountered this problem before I have educated my team on how to look for the substance properly and we were thorough in our search for the substance."
"Good. I expect you to put the landscape back properly. Travis reported there were craters of approximately 15 feet in diameter scattered around the clearing you made during the fight with the vampire." The tone was covered in displeasure but Ashe knew that was only because she hadn't been able to fix the havoc she left yet. Which wasn't really my fault. I would have fixed it if they hadn't dragged us off to be arrested.
In actuality her aunt, like all of the Sole family were immensely proud of their physical strength and used it as an intimidating factor every chance they got. As did most of the Empire. The damage that Ashe created during that specific fight was merely child's play should she choose to unleash her full strength. It was unfortunate that Zacarias was in the room and was able to hear more about her fighting skills but there was nothing she could do. Already she felt he knew too much, but was thankful he didn't know the full extent of her abilities.
"Tia, is there anything else?"
"Yes sir. The vampires were almost on top of one of our Way entrances and with their movements it was as if they were searching for something. All members reported that Xavier left no devices within range, and if the vampires had gather any information regarding our defense systems, their thoughts were contained within barriers created by Iris. There was no evidence left behind. During our stay we noticed the presence of several of Xavier's extremophiles. Those that we encountered or were aware of our presence were destroyed."
"Iris have you discovered any reason for receiving this vision?" Iris stepped forward slightly and exchanged looks with Ashe. It was completely silent for a moment until Luluani's started tapping her nails on the table rhythmically in impatience.
"There has been no concrete reason for receiving the visions, but we have a few theories regarding them, but nothing substantial at this time." The tapping stilled momentarily before the drumming of fingers continued.
"You said visions? Does that mean you had more than one vision regarding the victim or your team's combat medic?"
"I have received another vision but it did not involve either of the parties from the first."
"Were you able to discover who the second vision involved?"
"Yes sir. The second vision was regarding Amelyn." In typical Stormcloud fashion, Stefan did not show any response of having heard her but everyone knew he was paying close attention to Iris' words.
"Since I was not aware of this, I assume that this happened during your incarceration." When she received confirmation of her guess, she continued. "Is Amelyn aware of your vision?"
"No. Amelyn was on the mission to retrieve my brother and his students from the Morrison Center in Italy. We have not been able to contact her or know of the mission results since her return."
"Prince Dubrinsky, since this involves the Guardian of an Imperial family member, may I bring the young Carpathian here for this meeting. Maybe we will be able to figure out why one of my precog's is having visions of your people and vampires in your territory." Mikhail's told her to call him by his name and gave his agreement with a smile; one that Ashe knew was for different reasons than what her aunt thought. It was obvious to the young elemental that he hoped she would be someone's lifemate. Had Zacarias passed the information along to the Prince or just to Dominic? Right now there was several unmated Carpathian hunters around the house and would be exposed to her if she came to the room they were now in.
"Deinara be a dear and fetch young Amelyn Stormcloud."
"Sir, since that facility is part of my patrol may I inquire as to what happened and how it will affect future missions." Jaeden asked politely when in reality he wanted to know the fate of the humans that dared cross their people. Being a bodyguard for Iris, Jaeden was considered a part of the Airan family and was especially close to Sebastian the eldest son of the Airan family. Having found out that he was abducted while they were under house arrest was difficult for him to maintain calm.
"There was a gas leak, the building and all occupants were destroyed." Luluani stated simply her voice not giving away any of her emotions on how dangerous the mission was or how close they came to losing some of their own people. But her sentanced gave them the information they wanted to hear. Those specific humans were no longer a threat.
"An unfortunate accident to be sure." Iris muttered darkly for everyone in the room to hear. Her fake sympathy surprised some of the Carpathians, but they did not respond nor did they understand how close Iris came to losing her older brother. Luluani turned and faced Mikhail. She inclined her head and addressed him.
"That concludes the end of our updates. One of the topics I had wished to discuss with you was that of Iris's visions, so it is a nice segue into our talks. Thank for allowing us to exchange information. I am sorry to have made you wait."
"Not at all," he waved an arm towards the squad and continued speaking. "You seem to be very close to them." Was his simple comment, but the Empress assumed he was probing for information.
"I often deal with our special forces. All of the Kylierion Advanced Tactical Teams hold a special place in my heart, but I must admit that I favor squad 15. Being parted from them was most…upsetting." She finished her sentenced with slow smile drawn across her face as she looked at him.
Quietly Ashe prayed for Amelyn to materialize right then and there and stop the conversation that was about to take place. Mikhail frowned and went to speak but she continued.
"In fact I think of them almost as if they were my own children. Do you have children Mikhail?" Her tone was even and everyone was glad that their Empress was wearing sunglasses because it obscured the triumphant and slightly predatory gleam she was sure to have in her eye.
"I do." He simply said.
Ashe wanted to hide her face in her hands once she recognized her aunt's plan. Thankfully Deinara steps were heard and the conversation abruptly ended. Collectively the squad held their breath waiting to see how Amelyn would react to being around her own kind again. Everyone had focused their attention on the doorway except for Ashe and Zacarias. Instead their attention was focused solely on the ancient hunter that was in Iris' vision.
The cold hunter was next to Zacarias and had remained immobile since he had stood behind his prince. Even though Ashe could sense Amelyn almost anywhere and heard her guardian speak with Deinara, she could tell the moment she had stepped into the room speaking to her aunt. Because it had all shown on Dominic's face.
At first he completely stilled which Ashe didn't think was possible more than he already had, before a look of what could only be described as mind-numbing shock grew on his face. Confusion filled her because she wasn't sure what that meant. A second passed and his chest heaved, and belatedly Ashe realized that he had forgotten to breathe. Shifting his stance it seemed as if he was suppressing the urge to move. The question was where did he want to move? To her or away from her? It didn't matter because Amelyn had begun walking towards her ruler's chair. Ashe watched as Dominic shifted as well angling himself to face her, his eyes trained on her guardian.
To Ashe the ancient hunter seemed like a dangerous predator, and she watched possessiveness and desire fill his black iced gaze while he drank in her guardian. When she looked towards Zacarias she noticed he was still staring at Dominic, but the corner of his lip turned up in a small smirk. When he reached over and clasped his friend on the shoulder it was then she noticed that all of the Carpathians were looking at Dominic with a mixture of shock and awe. As one the males all turned back to look at Amelyn and Ashe followed suit.
It seemed her friend was in a stupor as well. The look of disdain that Ashe expected to be on her face was gone and she was openly staring at Dominic. Who was still staring at her, with unblinking eyes. All of a sudden Ashe felt like she was intruding on a private moment, their private moment, and she realized that maybe Iris' vision of them was possible. They must be lifemates if their reactions are anything to go on. It then made her think of her and Zacarias. Was that how he looked when he first saw her? The Empress' voice brought everyone back to the matter at hand.
As if sensing his adopted sister's discomfort Stefan traded places with Kenneth and moved closer towards her. A snarl leapt from Dominic's throat when Stefan touched Amelyn on the shoulder. Surprisingly it was Amelyn who spoke and her voice seemed to calm the Dragonseeker.
"I am fine dear brother. Do not be concerned." Stefan merely nodded and removed his hand, but remained close to her. "Your Majesty, you summoned me?"
"Yes, my dear. It would seem that while you were out on a mission Iris had another vision. This one was about you. Iris please describe the vision you had of Amelyn."
"It was really very short, and I only had the vision a few times before the viewing was completed. Amelyn and Dominic Dragonseeker were on a hill." Iris stopped her re-telling to point to Dominic and then continued. "Suddenly Amelyn was killed by a vampire." The squad heard commotion from behind the prince's chair as the hunters reacted to the news but were too busy watching Amelyn for a reaction.
"What happened to the Carpathian male?"
"The vampire…devoured Dominic Dragonseeker." It was at that point that Ashe broke protocol and gave Zacarias the full truth so Dominic could be calmed. Quickly she threw up barriers around her, hoping that her people couldn't hear her or worse feel that she was communicating psychically to others. It would raise their suspicions. Reaching out on the private link they shared she explained it all.
Iris had the vision a few times but the original scene was the one at the end and it took a few views before it all made sense. In Iris' vision Dominic had already turned into a vampire, and sometime in the future after his turning he encountered Amelyn. The vision of the couple happy on the hill was what could have been. The vampire Dominic knew on some level that she had been his lifemate, a right he had forfeited. It was the realization of what Dominic had given up when he lost his soul and succumbed to darkness that caused him to act. The pain of seeing her, of knowing what could have been sent him into a rage that killed her.
Due to the vision, it was probable that the events weren't going to come true now. Iris believed that she had received her vision so they could change the future and save Dominic. Dominic had suddenly calmed and glanced at her, and Ashe knew that Zacarias had passed along her explanation.
Everyone else in the room was still unaware of the truth, for the moment. The secret had to be kept otherwise Amelyn and Ashe would be taken from the Carpathians at all costs without even waiting for an explanation. Many hunters would die and so would their lifemates. The Empire would deliver a blow to the ancient race in which they would never recover from.
"Well, know that we are aware of it we will take proper precautions. Please continue with your thoughts."
"As I stated our thoughts are quite outlandish, they can't even really be called theories. However I believe that that their psychic abilities are somehow involved." The drumming of her nails on the small table stilled, as the Empress digested the information and thought deeply on what was said. A moment or so passed before she reached some conclusion.
"Kenneth, I want your whole family to be addressing this concern. Please try to figure out who the vampires are in the visions, maybe there is connection between them. I except Mikhail and me to receive regular updates so that we can ensure the safety of our people, is that clear? " When she received affirmations to her orders she moved on, and Ashe and Iris silently praised the stars above them for their good luck.
"With the whole Airan family addressing this issue, we should have our answers soon. We will just have to be patient." Luluani spoke to the Prince while inclining her head. In response Mikhail nodded his agreement.
"I am interested in the history of the young Carpathian and how she came to be a part of your family." Mikhail's voice was calm and even Tia was probably envious of his detached tone. Luluani merely waved her hand at Stefan allowing him to answer the question seeing no harm in it.
"As part of our training, some of our relief squads were sent to Thrace right after Mehmed Celebi squashed the rebellion in 1416. The devastation was immense. Our squads were searching the area for survivors when we were all hit by a psychic blast. The call of pain was being broadcasted and with the state of her mind it was difficult to pinpoint the location.
Eventually the Imperial family was able to locate and calm the person who displayed psychic abilities. We were surprised when we had found out it was a young child. Amelyn was sick, injured, and wandering around alone. We took her with us, and even though the Imperial family wanted to adopt her, they could not show favoritism among the refugees. Through a series of trial and error we discovered a few things. We had first thought she had a unique blood disorder and had trouble being in the sun but learned that was not the case Amelyn appeared to be only a year and a few months but we were not sure of her actual age. She had no memories of her past, which we believed was caused by her injuries.
My family's connection with the earth seemed to draw Amelyn to us. We named her Amelyn in honor of the Imperial family, since it was because of them we were allowed to have an addition to our family. She has been with us ever since. " Stefan stated how Amelyn came to be with them. None of the Kylierions commented on how much he had actually left out. "Now she is a member of our council, an ambassador, a private tutor to any that show significant promise psychically, and around 15 years ago she took up the position of guardian for a member of our Imperial family."
Though there was no evidence in his tone or his stance Ashe felt that he was praising his adoptive sister. Vibrant viridian eyes showed no emotion at his words and the princess wished she knew what her guardian was thinking at the moment but if she reached out to her then the others would know. Too many questions could be raised.
"It seems that we are all lucky she was found." Stefan's eyes seemed to narrow, but Ashe couldn't be sure.
"Yes, we are. Our squads remained in the area and we tried to find friends or family that knew her, but no one came forth. After six months we stopped looking and she became our responsibility. I hope that answered any questions you may have had."
"Has she regained her memories? We would like to know what family she was from, maybe she has relative alive." When Stefan and Amelyn both shook their head negatively and Mikhail let the subject go.
"Excellent. Moving on, I would like to negotiate the return of my soldier's to me." Now that the housekeeping details were done, they were moving on to more sensitive topics. Everyone seemed to adjust themselves slightly as they settled in. Waiting a few breaths, Luluani eventually continued. "Now I know they broke one of the terms in the initial diplomatic meetings, so I would like to know what it will take until you are paid for their breach in contract. Normally money, land, and companies would be exchanged but I have a feeling that you are not in need or want of any of those."
"Correct. My people have more than enough to support themselves."
"I do not have any of our people in my possession, so we cannot do an even exchange. The squad has been under house arrest for a number of days, surely they have paid for breaking protocol, especially since you have discovered that they had no ill intentions to you?
"I will admit that they have been well behaved and have not caused grievous harm to my people but some of the squad's members have not paid for their actions." His response finally got a reaction from the Kylierions. The adults looked towards the team with a critical eye as if trying to deduce who the Prince was referring to and why.
"It was my understanding that the injuries your hunters acquired from my soldiers were done merely in self-defense?" Looking over her shoulder, the Empress looked for confirmation of her thoughts from Sunstrider. When he gave a curt nod, she returned her attention to Mikhail and spoke again. "Was I wrong?"
"It was a misunderstanding."
"I'm sure it was a misunderstanding. Just as I am sure that their breach in protocol which was done to ensure the safety of many, including innocents and your own people, through the destruction of the vampires was also a misunderstanding." It was silent for a long moment and Mikhail folded is hands on the table before leaning forward. Mikhail's dark eyes, which was a common trait in all Carpathians blazed for a moment and he seemed to gather his thoughts and communicate with the others behind him.
"The female known as Tia is returned freely into your care, for she caused no harm to the Carpathian people. You may also have the wolf even though he caused physical injury upon a hunter of mine, the fact that you healer saved his life pays for his debt." The Kylierions took action immediately. They had every intention of getting all their people back, but they wanted it done safely. So if they had to do it in stages then that was acceptable to them.
"Larkspur since you were detained on this mission you missed your meeting with the ambassador of one of our allies. If you are well enough please head to the Ways immediately and answer their summons." Sunstrider ordered as soon as Mikhail released his protégé.
"May the elements guide you." Tia stated in the formal parting of their people. Every Kylierion uttered the same parting words as she started heading for the door. Tourmaline colored eyes sought the gaze of her friends and teammates for a brief moment, giving a silent and private goodbye before she exited the room.
"Thank you for releasing Jaeden Stone to us as well. However he will stay with Iris since he is her bodyguard. As for Iris it was because of her visions that not only saved Mr. De La Cruz, but also allowed the swift destruction of the vampires and for our knowledge of Mr. Dragonseeker. I would hope that would mean she has given your people far more than she has taken."
"I understand you logic but you are forgetting that she threatened to not only injure my warriors but to expose my people. That is inexcusable."
"You would keep my daughter from her family? After all that she has given you? Even after knowing that her family had lost both of their children and only wish to have their family whole and together." Before Kenneth could continue Luluani raised her arm and cut off the elemental who was becoming visibly upset.
"Mikhail my soldiers were here in Romania on a mission and they behaved appropriately for their mission. The mission came first. Your own representative accepted the terms of the initial negotiations which included breaking the agreements if there was extenuating circumstances, which was clearly the case.
Their actions could very well have saved the lives of numerous humans and Carpathians. Xavier is a power hungry monster and if he gained access to our travel system then all preternatural races would be at risk. Her visions will come to her regardless of time or place. Which begs the question why you would not release her to my care? You have no use for her. The same applies to the medic. You already have a healer.
Earlier this night you told me that you had children. Being a parent is such a blessing, but it is filled with a lot of responsibility don't you think? In this day in age I am sure you spend a lot of energy trying to keep your children safe. It seems we have something in common. I'm sure that if your children all of a sudden vanished off the face of the earth you would worry as any good parent would. And I am sure that your worry would have turned to panic if you discovered that your missing children were all of a sudden in the company of beings of…shall I say… questionable character." The hard clipping of nails on the table started up again as Luluani spoke, this time her voice had a clipped tone to it as she addressed the Prince. The wood beneath her fingers creaked at the pressure she was exerting but she didn't seem to notice.
"Questionable character? You are here at our invitation and you will give my Prince the respect he is due." Gregori spoke in an eerily quiet tone, but they could all feel the wrath beneath the surface. The Empress seemed unruffled at his outburst. Mikhail threw a glare at his son-in-law before returning his gaze back towards the small blonde woman sitting across from him. Before he could respond she continued.
"You could have very well sent the squad to the Ways and forbid them entry into your lands, but you didn't. I will take my people and you can file any grievances against the Empire in general and I would be happy to meet your demands, but as of this moment they are not being held accountable for their actions, since they behaved under orders. Earlier you said you speak for all the Carpathians, and I now hold you to that."
Perfectly manicured nails curled into a fist before the Empress slammed her hand down on the table in anger. With her inhuman strength the table shattered instantly. "I do not think you realize the seriousness of the situation you are in. Your people initiated the first attack, and then abducted my soldiers. All of your prisoners hold important positions in our society and have made significant alliances with other preternatural races. Their detainment has anger many." Abruptly she stood up and waved her hands at the remaining squad members.
"Would you like to know the real identity's of those you put in jeopardy? The first, the precog that you seem to want to hold on to reason is Iris Elodia the 25th and heiress to the house of Airan. However, that is not the worst of your actions. One of your hunter's," with this she pointed at Zacarias, "assaulted my niece." With her right hand the Empress ripped off her sunglass, and met the Carpathian Prince's gaze. Violet colored eyes, so similar to Ashe's one were filled with righteous anger but a wicked smile worked its way onto her face as she continued her introduction. "Prince, may I present to you her Imperial Highness Ashelia Brooklynne Sole and the heir apparent of the Kylierion Empire."
Every eye in the room was focused on her, even her own people looked at her. The princess was only looking at the Carpathians and she didn't care about the mixture of looks she was being given by the hunters. This was the moment that ended whatever beautiful thing she and Zacarias had and she couldn't help but look at him. Oddly enough his face was carefully blank, and the eyes that seemed cold to everyone else but never to her before were now emotionless pools of black ice. Jaw and fists were tightly clenched as he stared at her with unblinking eyes. The lack of emotion and response from him scared her and she felt her inner strength crumble. She suspected that this was how her secrets would come out, but she had hoped for a better situation.
Filled with anguish she reached out to him on their private psychic link but it was there she met resistance. A part of her was still linked to him, because they could never be truly separated something she learned no matter how many times she tried to shut him out, but he had shut his mind off around her presence. For the first time. She couldn't hear or even feel his thoughts at this moment. Panicked she tried again and again to reach him, but he remained out of reach. Is this what he felt every time I ejected him from my mind and tried to keep my secrets from him. Grief and sorrow filled her and against all control she felt her eyes well up with unshed tears.
A moment or two passed and Ashe realized that the not knowing had been easier to what he was doing know. Watching his face transform she saw dark emotions overwhelm him. Since the time she had met him, he possessed an inner strength that she never had, and seemed unmoved by everything in the world. To see him so negatively affected by this revealing moment weighed on her soul.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, the part that was still functioning could hear Mikhail speaking and she realized he was explaining. Her aunt's outraged voice also slithered into her brain and dealt even more damage to the situation. She couldn't block it out as much as she tried, because she was too focused on him. Chilling words entered her mind and she was shocked to hear her aunt Empress calling for Zacarias' death or imprisonment and was threatening to remove her niece by force from the Carpathians.
Words strung together and the scene before her eyes blurred. A part of her couldn't handle it all and she felt herself detach from everything. Now everyone knew almost everything, but most importantly they knew that Ashe of the ruling family was lifemate to Zacarias De La Cruz. There were no more secrets on her end and all was laid bare for everyone to see.
But all Ashe cared about was that she had deceived the one person she truly cared about and couldn't seem to live without. He now knew the extent of the distance between them and that they were indeed on opposite sides. It was ironic because she had been planning to leave him all along knowing they could never be together, but now that this moment finally came it was so much harder than she imagined. I don't have the strength for this.
Horrible scenes flashed across her mind and her thoughts turned dark. She imagined him just walking out of that room and out of her life right then and there. She imagined him finding someone else, and the pain made her heart clench and her vision swam. Sick and twisted visions of having to fight him on some desolate landscape with embers and ash swirling around them came next. Unable to decide which scenario was worse her mind played tricks on her and kept replaying the cruel flashes in front of her eyes. It was at this point she was having problems breathing. They seemed so real that she could hear the laughter of the unnamed women he found, mixed with the smell of smoke of their forced battle.
One of her hands moved from her side and rose slightly of its own accord as if reaching for him or maybe for her throat, she wasn't sure. Needing him at that moment, more than she had ever needed him or anyone before, she reached out to him. Afraid of rejection, she traveled along their psychic path slowly not knowing what she would find if he let her in. He must have needed her just as much, she decided, because they both had suddenly reached out to each other simultaneously.
This is the end of Chapter 20!!! For some reason I kept adding in more than I kept taking out, so that's why it is a day or so late. Like I said earlier, I broke this whole scene up in three chapters because I felt it was too long, and I'm glad I did. Because at the end of it was over 13,500 words. Anyway a special thanks to all my readers and reviewers! Now that the fic is coming to a close I am slwoly starting to answer all the questions!
Please tell me your thoughts! It was especially hard to write Mikhail. I found myself going back and using Dark Desire as a reference, because he seems more of the cold prince in that book than in his own book. So in order to not mess him up teribbly, I just kept him silent most of the time. Teee Hee Hee. Don't you just hate Ashe right now? She is so mean to poor Zac. Then again she was raised in the military so she understands her duty and knows that her relationship would interfere with that and is therefore trying to save herself some pain by trying to remain distance, but she can't cuz they are fated to be together, and just causes them both more pain.
Thoughts/Comments/Questions? Then Please take the time and review! Your thoughts fuel my passion for writting!
Til next time,
Ageless Light
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Notes-
So a lot of secrets and well I wouldn't say lies, but lots of omissions of the truth. Everyone seems to have their own agenda and there is a lot going on. I hope I didn't confuse anyway, but if I did here are some clarifiers.
1-Zacarias did say the ritual words, but Ashe doesn't know he did…yet. We also find out that his thoughts in the progloue were true and he was injected.
2-Amelyn & Dominic are lifemates!
3-Mikhail has a bunch of psychic females in his presence (and since he is desperate he wants to keep them in his lands as long as possible in the hopes of finding them lifemates). Right now he doesn't want to release Iris because of her visions, and the fact that she brought two couples together.
4- Luluani has yet to speak about the Alliance's displeasure with the Carpathians. Yes the squad did wrong, but in the larger scheme of things it's more important for them to be with their own people (so they say) and therefore they Empire will pay anything, and if they can't get their people released they will take them by force.
5. Sevenscars decided to draw our leading lady! So here is the pic, it is posted at deviant art. Make sure you check it out and leave love. So go to- http:// sevenknights DOT deviantart DOTcom/gallery/#FanFiction-Characters (without all the spaces and where it says DOT put a . ) and that his fanfiction characters section, and it's under the title Ash 2. I'm also going to see if I can post it on my profile (if i get permission :) and learn how to actually do that.)
6. Mehmed I- crowned himself King/Sultan in 1413 and ruled until 1421. He was more peaceful and diplomatic than other's and spent his time as ruler trying to fix all the problems within the state and the Mongols. He actually only entered 1 war during his rule and it was more of a squabble with Venice. (Atleast that's what I remember from my history classes) I timed Amelyn's rescue right after he squashed the rebellion lead by most of his vassals in 1416. I bet Wikipedia or other good historical website would be of more help if you were interested in.