Blood Chained (Dark Siren Book 3) Read online

  Seppina’s voice dropped to a bitter whisper. “We have lost our way.” In a blur of movement, her body whipped around and lightning blasted from her hands, spiraling toward Jehsi and Rhane in a funnel of death. Rhane hadn’t banked on immediate execution. But the bane wolf was always there, right at the surface and ready to take hold. Fur already covered his arms and face as he stepped in front of his father. Then he sensed the wind of another rush past him. There was an explosion of light—blinding, searing light. But Rhane felt nothing else. When the white-out cleared, Jethra’s form stood before him. For several seconds, her body was radiant as it absorbed damage from Seppina’s attack. When the glow was gone, Jethra opened her eyes and spoke. “I will not sacrifice my sons.”

  Coren was not swayed. “They know the truth. They must die.”

  “No. There is another way.”

  The Old Mother shook her head. “If there is, sister, I do not see it.” The lightning was gone. It seemed that after the initial surge of anger, her appetite for homicide had dissipated. At least, Rhane hoped so.

  Jethra turned to her sisters. Her voice was hard, her tone irrefutable. “Their knowledge of our plan changes nothing. We are no closer to our goal than when we started.” Looking back to Rhane, she eyed him strangely, with an expression he could not quite decipher. “We can use him.”

  Chapter 9

  “This was so not the deal, Kali.”

  “Same deal, different time frame. We’re being adaptable.”

  “Oh, that’s what we’re calling twisting my arm?”

  She tried changing the subject. “I can’t believe Rhane owns a twenty million dollar jet.”

  “Rhane doesn’t own it,” York snapped. “It’s a community jet. Community funded. We all own it.”

  “Come on, York. This is more than a seven thousand mile road trip. Are you going to be cranky the entire way?”

  “Probably.” York fumbled with the reclining mechanisms of the seat, struggling to settle in for the long haul. He spared a glance to the opposite side of the aisle where Kali sat. “I’m not crazy about flying.”

  “You mean you’re afraid. Jeez. You Warekin and your phobias.”

  “Hey, don’t lump me in the same dough with Rhane. I’m not going to come unhinged. No way.” He adjusted the seatbelt for the third time. “It’s a control thing. That’s all.”

  “Right.” Kali looked around the ten passenger cabin. Rion and Bailen both seemed to be doing okay, sharing the couch but still undecided on who got dominant space. On the opposite side of a small table, Orrin occupied a seat facing her. But his eyes were on York, twinkling with amusement as they observed his struggle for composure. Dmiri and River were seated at the back of the cabin in a cozy lounge area. The way the two of them engaged in quiet conversation made Kali uneasy. She didn’t know why. It wasn’t like Dmiri couldn’t handle River. Maybe it was because the kindred soldier might handle him too well. His intuitive nature was almost uncanny.

  Absent was Matthias. He’d chosen to sit this venture out. Really, his mission only involved guarding Kali at high school. And he seemed homesick at times. A few days with his pack was probably precisely what he needed.

  “You keep watching them.”

  The sound of Orrin’s soft voice jostled her attention. “W-what?”

  “You keep watching them,” he repeated.

  Kali fidgeted with her sleeve and then took an abrupt interest in her fingernails. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “He’s right,” York interjected. “And it’s been that way since Rhane left. Tension practically shreds the air whenever you and River are in the same room.”

  Raising her eyes, Kali immediately found River staring right at her. Pain jolted through her chest, causing her to look away. “See,” York said. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. What happened between you two?”

  “I can’t say,” Kali muttered miserably. “York, he can hear us, you know.”

  “Of course.” York shrugged. “Everything should be out in the open anyway. We’re about to go behind enemy defenses and put our asses on the line, trusting one another to have each other’s back. That’s a hell of a lot easier to do if there are no secrets.”

  Blowing impatiently, Kali shoved the hair out of her eyes. She’d cut it recently. Flat ironed stick straight, the extra-long bangs were a bad idea. She glanced at River. He still watched her. “It’s actually something between me, him, and Rhane. And until we get Rhane back, things are going to stay exactly the way they are.” At her words, River’s cheeks flushed and he turned away. The pain in her chest eased a little.

  “Okay.” York fanned his hands. “I’m just saying. I’m not the guy’s biggest fan either. But I can see him really trying. He’s pulled his weight. Hell, we’ve allied ourselves with the kindred and trusted Gabriel five times too many. River is family. If you can’t tell me what went down with him, maybe you can put it behind you. Give him another chance.”

  “You really think I should?” Her voice sank to a whisper with the hope of masking the quiver of emotion that threatened to break it. Hot tears sprung at the corners of her eyes. In time, maybe she could forgive him. But no matter how hard she tried, she could never forget.

  York suddenly didn’t seem so certain. “Jesus, Kali, what the hell happened?”

  She jumped to her feet, hurriedly wiping away the tears. York was right. They were about to go on a dangerous mission. There was no way she could tell him what was really wrong without eroding the crucial unity that had developed between the Warekin during the last winter. She’d missed her chance to tell Rhane the awful truth. Now she lived with that decision every day. She just had to stay clear of River, and hold on a little longer. Rhane would come back to her soon. “It’s nothing. You’re right. I need to give him another chance.”

  From the corner of her eye, she saw River rise to his feet. Worry marred his usual placid features. Out of nowhere, yet from everywhere, the scent of his skin and hair and leathers surrounded Kali, filling her nose and mouth as she moved beneath him. Kali wheezed out a strangled gasp. “I need some air,” she managed to say, and walked away.

  “Kali, wait.”

  “No.” Orrin’s firm but soft voice stopped York from trying to follow. “I have her.”

  “Be quick,” York replied curtly. “We need to take off soon.”

  It should not have been possible, but Orrin had grown another inch in the last few months and nearly stood eye to eye with York these days. He’d also broken new ground in the area of conveying sarcasm. “Certainly, Mr. Sensitivity.”

  Moving past York in an aisle almost too narrow to accommodate the both of them, he caught up to Kali at the rear exit. Unsure if she could meet his gaze without shattering, she averted her eyes to the floor. “Thank you,” she said quietly. Placing one hand at the small of her back, he hit the door release and guided her down the steps. Bailen followed closely and sat at her feet on the runway. Away from the others, she collapsed into Orrin. It had been too much to handle alone. She’d had to confide in someone. Maybe it was because in losing his twin brother, Orrin had suffered as great a loss as she. But she’d told him her secret. He knew the truth.

  Orrin was a solid wall and supported her full weight with absolute ease. He held her exactly like she needed to be held, and without speaking. There were no words to fix what was broken, no words to ease the shame inside.

  In a few breaths her tears were dry. But as she stepped away, Orrin inflicted the slightest touch of pressure at the base of her neck. A warning. Kali stiffened. “What is it?”

  “On the tarmac,” he whispered.

  Turning around, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Cal. He was less than a hundred feet away and quickly closing the distance. “Were you really about to leave without saying goodbye?”

  Kali shook her head. “Cal, you can’t be serious.” Orrin pressed so close to her, their bodies were almost touching. Bailen had gotten to all fours.

  �
��I am. Are you going to be okay without me?”

  It was a good question. Her feedings had increased in both frequency and intensity. Taking from the kin was out of the question. Gabriel’s strength easily tripled theirs and he barely endured the reaping of energy needed to satisfy her.

  “I’ll figure something out.”

  “Okay.” Cal shoved his hands into his pockets. “I wish I could go with you. But I can’t. Gabriel’s preparing for something big here.” As concern bubbled to her face, Cal shook his head quickly. “Don’t worry. It doesn’t involve you.”

  Kali narrowed her eyes. “You’ve been a good friend, Callan. And I’ve trusted you. Don’t do anything to change that.”

  He nodded. “I won’t.” Smiling sadly, he reached for her but stopped when Bailen and Orrin each ripped out soft growls of warning.

  “Take it easy, boys.” Cal’s gaze shifted to above her head and grew serious. “I do have a message to deliver. Gabriel thought it’d freak you out less if I approached the plane instead of him…since you can sense the difference between us now.”

  Unexpectedly, York’s voice boomed from behind. “Time is short. Say what you came to say.”

  “Don’t trust them.”

  “What?”

  “The Builders. Do not trust them.”

  Kali frowned in confusion. She couldn’t believe he’d come so far to say that. “We know what we’re doing.”

  “Yeah. You promised to retrieve The Siren’s Heart. In exchange, they’re going to help get your boyfriend back. But they’re not. They’ll only betray you.”

  York scowled. “How do you know that?”

  “A certain leggy intern at the office is one of Gabe’s minions, remember?”

  Neither York or Orrin said anything in turn, so Kali spoke in their silence. “Callan…Gabriel, we know what they did to you. They took away your freedom, left you in that awful state for nearly a millennium. I know we can’t trust them. But we have to try.”

  He knelt down. Face to face with Bailen, he took the canine’s great head into both hands. Bailen allowed it but whimpered softly. “They stole much more than my freedom.”

  Just like that, Gabriel had taken dominance. Straightening, he leveled a gaze onto each of them and backed away. “Safe journey, Darkesong.”

  Chapter 10

  Whereas the Mothers’ thrones were composed of precious metals, the Primes ruled from noble chairs of stone and iron. Jehsi rested an elbow upon his, nervously watching the scene unfold. No one could fully know the resilience of Banewolf. The creature’s biology was as mysterious as its origins. But he hoped the Mothers had severely underestimated its power. Did Jethra suspect what the wolf was capable of? Was she truly on their side? This judgment was Rhane’s only way out of Golden Mountain. His blood would be the only shed. Jehsi couldn’t know his mother’s thoughts. But he was out of options. He now sat where he belonged, feigning the same glare of condemnation worn by his brothers, Silas and Cale.

  Edgy and feeling exposed, Rhane kneeled before them. His sentence was sealed. There was nothing to do but wait and steady himself for what would happen next.

  The cavern court had filled with every inhabitant of Golden Mountain, thirsting to see Rhane’s blood. Justice would finally be ministered for their fallen Prime.

  Rhane knew Warren watched from somewhere in the crowd. Traces of his modern scent stood out from the rest. When the accused was found guilty of war crimes and/or treason, it was customary to make any conspiring soldiers witness the execution of the warlord they served. Warren was less a conspiring soldier and more a victim. That didn’t stop the kin from forcing the boy to witness the brutality soon to transpire. Earlier, Rhane had tried to find Warren with his eyes, hoping somehow to reassure the boy. But he had failed.

  Dressed in black leathers and a cape, a dealer loomed above him. He wore no mask. Execution was a service of pride, an honorable duty. Currently, all Rhane could see was the dealer’s thick boots. He suspected them to be the same pair that cracked his jaw in the Halls of Old Mother. Waiting until after Rhane’s hands had been bound, the dealer landed an all-star kick to the left side of his face. Rhane squinted. He couldn’t be sure they were the same. He’d have to see the soles again.

  Next to the dealer’s boots rested the tip of Rhane’s very own sword, Bellefuron. Eyeing the bane silver blade, Rhane licked his lips. This was going to hurt like hell.

  Silas stood up. “Rhane of Whytetree, Warlord of the Warekin, Vessel of Banewolf, First Son of Jehsi, former Pinnacle of this triumvirate—you have been found guilty for the death of Ptolen, Prime of Redstarr, beloved son of Pilar. Before your Primes and before a counsel of peers, you will be sentenced to the only death we can give you. We will take away all you fought for and all that you live for. Do you accept this judgment?”

  Rhane gritted his teeth. Like I have a choice. Dragging his gaze away from the weapon, he directed his full attention to the speaking Prime. “I do.”

  “So may it be.” Silas inclined his head.

  “So may it be,” the other Primes echoed and mirrored his gesture.

  The dealer lifted Bellefuron overhead. Rhane reminded himself to breathe until he realized it didn’t matter. He closed his eyes, wondering how much and how long he would feel the pain. The metal whispered as it cut through the air.

  Then a voice he recognized all too well carried above everything else.

  “Wait.”

  Shit.

  He had hoped to get through this moment without having to see, hear, or speak to this woman. She certainly wasn’t there to provide comfort. She would only make things worse, finding some means to hurt him more than any blade could.

  Jehsi watched his mate approach their son with a growing sense of dread. He could remember when Roma was a lovely bride, full of smiles and love. She was once the perfect complement, someone who supported his ambitions and repaired his failings. But Roma had changed. Her ambition to attain a status as Mother had become an obsession by the time the birth of their first son shattered that dream. Bitterness took over, eventually transforming Roma into a creature Jehsi barely recognized. She remained remarkably beautiful. But where love once thrived was only selfishness. Darkness had replaced her light. Roma had become a twisted reflection of her former self. But Warekin mated for life. Though Jehsi’s love for Roma had faded through the centuries, a spark of it stubbornly lingered, still burning within his jaded heart.

  “I would like a final word with my son,” Roma proclaimed, sashaying toward Rhane with an expression of triumph. After years of waiting, she would finally get what she’d wanted since the day this abomination was born. But before the dealer brought an end to that long journey, Roma wanted her chance to crush him. She circled like a starving predator, barely able to restrain the lunge for his jugular. Jehsi wanted to call out, beg her to stop. But she was the prisoner’s mother. It was her right to speak.

  Rhane lifted his head, defiance written plainly on his face. As a child, he’d cowered beneath her authority and humiliations. But then Jehsi showed Rhane strength, nurturing him to his full potential. And Rhane never looked back.

  Baring her teeth in a wicked smile, Roma leaned over and whispered into his ear. Jehsi watched Rhane’s gaze fly upward, saw the shock and desperation in his eyes. Unable to face him, he turned away. Too late, he found the courage to look back and give his son what he needed.

  Roma had moved away.

  The executioner’s blade had already fallen.

  And life bled from Rhane’s severed head.

  Closing his eyes, Jehsi prayed to the ancestors that somehow his son would find a way back to him. If he didn’t, the world was certainly lost.

  #

  After landing twice to refuel, the jet reached its final destination. Beijing. Less than a year ago, Kali had started a different journey in the very same city. That trip had ended in disaster. This time would be better. She was older, smarter, and stronger. Rhane wasn’t around to come to her rescue, bu
t she wouldn’t need him to. Kali was there to rescue him.

  According to Wesley, The Siren’s Heart had never left the continent. The one formerly in Mack’s possession was a fake, used to lure Kali to the desert. If they could locate the real statue and claim it, Wes promised it could be used as a powerful bargaining chip to grant Rhane his freedom. Trusting the Builders was a huge risk. But it was a gamble they were all willing to take.

  Rock, mountain, tree, water, and spirit—locations of five objects unlocked by the decryption program Rion had written. It was also the same program rogues had stolen when they attacked the manor, nearly killing York and Rion in the process. Good thing he had been careful enough to make a backup of his work.