Emerge: The Captive: (Book 3)(49)
"Alexander? The Scholar?" Livia gaped. "You expect me to find a man who refuses to be found? A man half our world is convinced is a myth and the other half believes is a joke?”
“The Scholar is a useless old loon with a flair for the dramatic. Find him. Find him before she does and he will lead you to her. They aren't smart enough to stay away from each other. Not after two thousand years apart. Their weakness is their bond."
"But isn't that the weakness of all Complements? In your estimation, at least?" Livia’s mocking tone could cut glass.
“The Complement bond is our greatest weakness, child. The need for that other person drives us to do stupid things. In Indriell we never recognized the bond. Not among the nobility. Until Alísun’s mother, Eiselynn, betrayed me and bonded with that commoner, Ian. That was the day our world began to fall apart. The royals messed with the natural order that day. It led to the Great War and sullied the power for us all, yielding the world to the mortal masses. I will see order restored. I will see the royal line extinguished. It is time.”
“As you have reminded me constantly for the last decade,” Livia muttered.
“My gift lives again, my child. I can feel it. The ancient royals have done everything in their power to shield their line from me, but I will find the boy from Alísun’s prophecy. I set the task to you more than a decade ago and you've failed time and again to bring him to me. He will be approaching his Awakening soon if he hasn't already. It is vital we find him before his gifts fully manifest. This setback with the queen must be resolved straightaway. I want you back in the field, tracking this royal offspring who had the audacity to be born with my gift."
"This boy you seek, Father … will you just take what belongs to you and leave him to rot?"
"I will drain him, and when given the chance, I will see him dead. The Indriell line will end with him and those bonded to him through birth or other means. A new order will arise from the ashes of their dead kingdom. It is long past time Immortals stopped hiding. Alísun gave our world away, but we will take it back before the mortals destroy it like the cockroaches they are."
"And Lord Teigan will rise again to take the throne for himself," Livia whispered.
"You mock me, but the world will know me as the Lord Teigan again when I shed the name Marcus Servius. And I will reward you for all your hard work, my daughter. See you don't betray me and you will rise with me."
"If things had gone the way they should have, you wouldn't have risen to power as Eiselynn's consort all those years ago. She was destined to be queen and ruler of Indriell and you were meant to be nothing more than powerful DNA to pass on to her daughter. Can't you let it go and … I don't know, live your life for once? Or let those around you live theirs?"
“Eiselynn was weak. I was chosen as her consort because I could rule in a way she couldn’t. The queen’s council was on my side and she swayed them back to hers. I will have what the Enlightened failed to give me. And this time I will win. You are part of my master plan, my darling girl. The world will be your oyster. I will lay it at your feet one day soon. See that you do your job. Find Alexander and you will find the queen. If you cannot deliver them both to me, collared and on their knees, bring me Alexander and I will use him to manipulate her.”
"Who is Alexander?" Livia asked, shaking her head in confusion.
"This will be impossible if you do not focus, Livia.” Marcus heaved a great sigh of impatience. “Alex is the Scholar. His gift will make you forget everything you know about him as quickly as you remember it. You have to resist his influence.”
"How do you expect me to find a man I keep forgetting exists?”
“He is a scholar. He is weak. You and your team can overpower him if you can get close enough. Get to him before the queen does. If she finds him first, I will be displeased. The queen is a prophet, a psychic and a warrior. You and your team have no chance against her. Get to the Scholar and she will show herself. She will sacrifice herself to save him the life she has known under my care.”
"And how do you propose I do that? Approach the Scholar when he can see me coming?”
"Jayesh will be arriving shortly to help. Let his gift do the work for you. But my sources tell me you have a talented young man with a gift for invisibility. I suspect you are shielding this boy from me even now. Your eyes give you away, my dear. I know how you keep your most difficult children close, yet the house is empty except for you and I––but you wield your power as if surrounded by enemies. Use Jayesh to stay a step ahead of Alex and then use the boy to trap him. She will show herself. Bring the queen to me. And then, for God's sake, finish breaking the boy. You're dragging your feet with this one and that girl you've insisted time and again is useful. Do with her what you will, but I'll expect you to either prepare the boy for market or train him to join my staff."
“I'll see him sold to the highest bidder before I'll ever hand him over to you."
"Still money in my pocket, my dear. Either way, it is your choice." He stood to leave.
"What of my mother?" Livia demanded.
"Porcia is at home where she belongs. Comfortable, surrounded with everything she could ever want."
"Except the freedom to come and go as she pleases?"