Imperial (Insight #8)(26)
The tension in my body eased, letting Vade know that I was ready to hear of the one that belonged to me that was causing complications. I was ready to focus on him now that I knew the others were somewhat out of harm’s way at the moment.
“Whom of mine is harming one of yours? Who is threatening us all? Show me the one that believes he is a Witness.”
His image came to Vade’s thoughts instantly. I saw a valiant warrior. Golden eyes and hair, there was not a flaw in his image. He looked like a fallen angel. Silas. His name was Silas.
Vade loosened his grip on my arms and let his hand slide down the length of them before moving to lie beside me.
“Your Silas is opposing my Draven. In the most lethal way. You know as I do if a Fated of yours strikes my Fated, it will bring havoc, weaken us to the point where the other kings could overtake us.”
I searched Vade’s mind, discovering the war of hearts my Silas was engaging in. Silas and Draven were in a sense at war over a girl. Silas assumed Draven would harm this girl, Charlie, pull light energy from her. I suppose that was a risk, but the risk was put there by unworthy kings. The risk was put there so Silas would strike, so my and Vade’s line would weaken and we could be overtaken. It was one of many ploys against us. The other kings were using our children to destroy us, and the only way we could stop it was by destroying our children.
I felt sick, so sick. Who could plot something so evil? Only for the hope of gaining power?
“You understand the risk?” Vade asked me.
I did. All too well. “To stop the threat, I have to destroy the one that is causing turmoil,” I said as I closed my eyes and wished this vile revelation away.
“I’m afraid it very well could come to that,” he said with a heavy grief in his tone. “I don’t want it to come to that. Silas...Silas is special for more than the reason that he belongs to you or was risen as a Witness.”
“He is only seeking to destroy Escorts because he thinks they are evil. I can show him otherwise.”
“I certainly hope so, but you should know that his rage for my line will not be diminished with enlightenment. He feels he is fighting over someone he has claimed, over someone that has claimed him.”
Escorts were a bit territorial, obviously, but when it came to adoreds we were ruthless. No reason or law could stop us from retaliating. So basically, I had a fated Escort—born in my line of wrath—that felt that a Fated Escort—born in Vade’s line of anger—had taken his adored. And if that weren’t enough, he thought he was a Witness, and that more than likely he had been destroying souls cut from the very same cloth as he.
I cringed when those thoughts came to mind. With little effort, Vade had reached into my mind and read those beliefs clearly.
“He has not destroyed anyone from either of our lines. He has no reason to…but let me ensure you understand me clearly—our energy is one at this point. If he strikes any Escort in our line, we will both feel that blow. If he strikes a Fated Escort…he very well could end both lines with that one blow. If not an end, at the very least we will lose masses. The kings will make their move to take us down.”
I understood. All too well.
I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. To any of the other sovereigns, this would be simple. Send out a thought to destroy said troublemaker and move on. But I was not any other sovereign…it was not his fault. He should be given the chance to see the course and consequences of his actions.
I rose from Vade’s arm and manifested the warrior clothes I had worn for eons. I was going to Silas’ side this instant. I could not let this risk dangle in the air any longer.
Vade was obviously not content to let me do just that. He pulled me back to his side once more. Gently, his hand caressed my long hair out of my eyes as he drank in every part of me.
“I feel your agony. I understand that the beautiful sovereign you are would leave your entire flock for one…that you have done so before. But you cannot do that now. You cannot risk the confrontation.”
“I’m not sending a deadly thought to him,” I bit out.
“And you will not roam this Realm alone,” he countered.
“Mazing will be at my side, as she has always been.”
That cold stubbornness came to his eyes. “I have held you for mere hours after our everlasting absence. I’m not letting you go, now or ever.”
Within an instant, I manifested beside the bed we were in and glared down at him. “I am not property. And if you feel that I am, then you are sorely mistaken.”
Matching my power, he manifested at my side, fully dressed. “And pray tell, why do you think I would consider you as such?” he asked sternly.
“Pray tell? You need me to do that? I have been imprisoned for lifetimes, and when I return I find that the line that I thought was forevermore gone, exists. Not only do they exist, but also I have Fated souls under my reign. The world I knew is gone. Our fellow kings ensured that. And now you are telling me that I can do nothing to avenge this—that there is some web of spells—that we must stand by and watch them blindly destroy themselves. Exactly why am I here now? Did you expect me to hear this and send a deadly thought to him, then bask in a rush with you like nothing happened? Like Silas doesn’t mean something to someone beyond me?”
“Glad to see that basking in an everlasting rush is not appealing to you.”