Mystic's Touch, page 21




Danet shivered at the images his words created in her mind.
Ceros circled around to face her. “If those men had done more than tie you up—and believe me, I would know, I can smell them on you—I would not be standing here. The beast wants blood and I’m barely in control right now. I need for you to tell me that you are all right.”
“Kiss me and let me prove to you how all right I am.”
Thankfully she didn’t have to ask twice.
He pulled her roughly against him and ravaged her lips. Danet sensed how much he struggled to keep the beast in check. Her knees threatened to buckle beneath the assault of intense emotions from him. Despite her instinct to respond in kind, she gentled her kiss and allowed her love for him to trickle through their connection. She hoped it would soothe both him and the beast.
Finally his grip eased and he returned her kisses in a gentler manner.
When he eased away from her lips, he dropped his forehead against hers and took a ragged breath.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“For what?”
“For understanding.”
She smiled tenderly. “Anytime.”
Somewhere in the haze his kisses created in her mind, it occurred to her that Ceros had just shifted from the beast into a man, and yet he wore a linen wrap. She didn’t remember the beast having anything wrapped about its belly. Before she could ask about it, there was a rustling of leaves.
“What a touching scene,” a familiar voice said from the nearby cluster of trees.
Ceros stiffened and pushed Danet behind him.
“Who is it?” Danet tried to look around Ceros.
“Aleric,” Ceros said flatly.
“You’re the one who has been trying to kill Ceros?” she asked incredulously as she peered around Ceros.
“Of course. The throne could have just as easily been my father’s and therefore, mine.”
Danet struggled to figure out what he was talking about.
Ceros kept himself between her and Aleric. “Our fathers were twins, but yours wasn’t the oldest, Aleric.”
“They were separated by mere minutes,” Aleric sneered.
“And according to the high council, that was all that was needed to determine who would rule after Grandfather.”
Aleric waved a hand as if to dismiss what Ceros had said. “The high council,” he practically spat the words. “A bigger bunch of ineffective old men I have yet to see.” He walked to a sandy patch where the desert bled into the greenery of the oasis.
Danet tensed when two large, well-armed men stepped from the shadows and spread out on either side of Aleric.
Ceros continued as if the men posed no threat. “While I won’t argue with your assessment, you realize you are considered a part of that group, don’t you?”
“What better way to know what was going on in Licosia and the palace?” Aleric asked.
“It’s important to stay informed.” Ceros seemed to agree, but his tone belied his words.
“Especially about who holds any kind of power,” Aleric pointed out.
Ceros shrugged. “The best way to know who to side with and who to eliminate if the tables are ever turned.”
Aleric bowed his head in acknowledgement.
“Like Father,” Ceros said quietly.
“His time was past. Licosia is ready for change.”
“And you know this how?” Ceros asked.
“I make myself available to the people. They come to me and I listen.”
With a lift of his chin, Ceros gestured to one of Aleric’s guards. “People like the ones who helped you take Danet?”
“Them too.”
“Were these the same people who helped you find an Aspenadder plant?”
Aleric put his hands behind his back. “Figured that out, did you?” He looked at Danet. “With a little help no doubt.” He shrugged. “I wondered how you recovered so fast. I guess if you know what toxin was used, an antidote is easy to find.”
“Easy, he says,” Danet scoffed.
“No matter,” Aleric sneered. “From what my friends have told me, even if you made it back to the palace, your lifesaver would soon be forced from the city.”
Danet’s eyes widened. Oh Gods, she hadn’t thought of the long-term consequences when she tried to escape. How many people saw her use her gifts?
“And why would she need to flee?” Ceros asked.
“Her kind are forbidden in Licosia,” Aleric said with contempt.
“What kind is that, exactly?” To most people, Ceros’ tone would have been enough warning. Aleric, however, did not heed it.
“Is it possible you don’t know?” The glee in Aleric’s voice set Danet’s teeth on edge.
“Do you mean her kind as in, she’s a woman? Or her kind as in, she’s an educated and intelligent woman?” Ceros stepped to the side and looked at her as if inspecting her for some flaw. “Perhaps you mean to classify her by her brown hair and laughing green eyes?”
“No, you fool, she is a mystic. How can you not see that?” Aleric demanded.
Ceros made a dismissive sound and shrugged one shoulder. “Oh, that.”
“So you did know!” Aleric stepped closer. “Yet you did nothing. What kind of leader would you be if you so easily dismiss a royal decree?”
Danet felt the blood drain from her face. This was what she dreaded. She knew eventually Ceros would be forced to act on his knowledge of her heritage. She had hoped it would be later rather than now.
“What kind of man would I be if I condemned someone for something beyond his or her control, like lineage, particularly after having done so much for the royal family and the people of Licosia? And more recently, for me, personally?”
Aleric lifted his chin. “It doesn’t matter. You have defied a decree. The high council will hear of this.”
“Will you be telling them of it before or after you have answer for the murder of their king? Or perhaps more recently, for the attempts on my life?” Ceros asked.
“You can’t prove anything.”
“You just confessed!” Danet blurted.
“To whom? To the two of you? Neither of you will make it back to the palace to tell anyone.”
“They heard you,” Danet nodded to one of Aleric’s men.
“They are loyal to whomever pays them. And since they only speak broken Liconian, it is unlikely they will report anything they might or might not have heard while here.”
Danet’s heart sank.
“Mercs,” Ceros said. “I thought they looked familiar.” He said something to the man closest to him in another language. The guard looked surprised Ceros was speaking to him.
“What are you saying to him?” Aleric sounded panicked.
As Ceros continued to speak to him the guard’s expression changed. A frown creased his brow and he exchanged glances with his counterpart. The guard responded then looked again to the other guard.
“Stop that. What do you think you’re doing?” Aleric said, putting himself between the guard and Ceros.
The second guard seemed to think about whatever Ceros had said then nodded.
Almost as one, the two guards sheathed their weapons and turned and walked into the dark.
“Wait a minute! Come back here!” Aleric shouted at the guards’ backs. “You’ll not be paid a single coin if you walk away from here!”
With a growl he turned to face Ceros and Danet again.
“I don’t know what you said to them, but it doesn’t matter. I have a handful of men waiting for my command.”
“Call them,” Ceros challenged as he stepped closer to Danet.
“Ahmose! Haji!” Aleric shouted, still as cocky as when he set foot on the oasis. “Bring your swords!”
Danet tensed and searched the dark for signs of movement.
Ceros remained relaxed by her side. However his hand slid down her back to where her hands were bound. As they waited, his fingers worked the knot loose until she felt more blood flow in her hands.
He stilled her movements with a touch of his hand. Don’t let him know your hands are free.
“Ahmose! Haji!” Aleric shouted again.
“I don’t think they can hear you,” Ceros pointed out. “Perhaps you’d like to go and look for them?”
“So you two can run away as soon as my back is turned?” Aleric sneered.
“No, no. We’ll stay right here,” Ceros assured him.
“Idogbe! Come here!” Aleric demanded.
Still no response.
Two shadows moved in the brush.
“Good thing you shouted,” a familiar voice said. “We might not have found Ceros if you hadn’t.” Mdjai and Runihura stepped into the moonlit circle.
Danet slumped in relief.
Aleric’s face fell.
“That’s a pretty good trick you have there,” Runihura said proudly. “Shifting forms over water makes it hard to follow. You’re keeping me on my toes.”
“I do what I can,” Ceros said with a grin.
“If you’re looking for your men, they’re tied up next to their mounts. Don’t expect them to come to your rescue,” Mdjai informed Aleric. “Including the two we found on the other side of the oasis.”
“And the one on the north side I took out when they first arrived,” Runihura said.
“Oh, and the dark-headed one with the tiny knife near the water,” Mdjai added.
Runihura shook his head sadly. “I wouldn’t count him if we were keeping score.”
“He really didn’t put up a fight, did he?” Mdjai agreed.
Ceros snickered.
Aleric looked as if he was getting angrier by the second.
“What do you want to do with this one?” Runihura indicated Aleric with a flick of his thumb.
“Tie him up and bring him with the others.” Ceros quickly added, “But take care. He has a history of poisoning people.”
Runihura scoffed then produced a length of rope and closed in on Aleric.
Ceros turned to Danet. “Are you all right?” He helped free her from the loosened bindings.
“Yes. I’m fine.” She smiled up at him as she rubbed her wrists and hands to help the circulation.
He took her hands in his and took over the rubbing.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about other people seeing me use my powers when I tried to escape,” Danet said. “I was just thinking of getting away so you wouldn’t have to come out here.”
A frown creased his brow.
“I know I’ve put you in a delicate position,” she continued.
“No, you haven’t.”
“We both know that is not true.” She indicated Aleric with a lift of her chin. “He won’t stay quiet about it.”
“He has bigger problems to worry about right now,” Ceros said.
“Maybe so but he clearly wants you off the throne and would probably do or say anything to make that happen.”
“We’ll see.” He put one finger over her lips to stop any further argument. “We will discuss this later. Right now I need to help Mdjai and Runihura gather up the prisoners so we can return to the palace.”
Danet nodded her agreement. “Very well.” She looked to where Runihura was standing next to Aleric. “What can I do to help?”
“If there are any injured men I’ll have you—”
“Why couldn’t you just die like your father?” Aleric yelled as he grabbed one of Runihura’s knives.
Before she could call out a warning, Aleric threw the blade at Ceros’ back.
Without thinking, she pushed Ceros aside then extended one hand and stopped the blade’s momentum. With the other, she let a fireball loose.
Aleric yelled in pain when the orange sphere hit him in the center of his chest. He flew backward and hit the ground.
When she realized the blade still hung suspended in midair, Danet flicked her wrist and let it drop onto the sand.
“What the hell,” Runihura exclaimed.
Ceros reached for Danet. “Why do I have to keep asking if you are okay?”
“I’m fine.” She looked down at her hands. Surprisingly they looked the same. And weren’t shaking. Yet. “I’m sorry for injuring your cousin.”
“I’m not,” Ceros mumbled.
“It seems I cannot control my abilities,” she pointed out.
He lifted her face by the chin until she was looking him in the eye. “Thank you for saving my life. Again.”
Suddenly her emotions felt quite fragile. “You’re welcome, my prince,” she murmured with a tear in her eye.
“That had better be a term of endearment,” he grumbled then grabbed her hand and tugged her behind him.
Mdjai picked up the knife Aleric had thrown. “That’s quite the party trick you have there, princess.”
“Yes, well, I didn’t know I had it in me,” she muttered as she stumbled along behind Ceros. At this point, she was too tired to even correct Mdjai on his improper use of a royal title.
Mdjai chuckled then went to help Runihura with Aleric.
Chapter Twenty-Four
It didn’t take long to return to the palace. Most of the men who had been captured went with them easily once they saw Aleric had been rendered unconscious then draped over a saddle.
Ceros escorted Danet to his rooms and left her in a servant’s care with orders to soak in the tub as long as she wished then have some dinner. As soon as she felt refreshed, she was to come to the king’s receiving room.
He sent word to her father that she was safe. The note also requested Sebak join him and Danet at the palace in the morning.
Meanwhile he had to deal with the primary issue of Aleric and his treason.
Ceros watched as the queen paced back and forth in front of the desk.
“I cannot believe Aleric was behind all of this,” she said for the fifth or sixth time.
“Believe it, Mother. He confessed to me and Danet. And I believe Mdjai and Runihura heard most of it as well.” He looked to the two of them for confirmation.
Both nodded as they continued to stuff themselves with food from the many trays that had been brought in.
“They certainly witnessed his last attempt at killing me.”
“Which you haven’t fully explained yet,” she reminded him.
“That’s Danet’s story to tell,” he said.
“What do you mean? Why can’t you simply tell me what happened?” she railed.
“Mother, can we please move on? I still need to decide what punishment Aleric should receive.”
She stopped pacing. “The punishment for treason is beheading. The law is clear.”
“I thought as much but I want to make sure that I won’t be creating a political firestorm when I issue the orders.”
“How so?” she asked.
Ceros began ticking reasons off on his fingers. “He is family. He is a high council member. He supposedly has been listening to what the people say and want. He seems to think he has a claim to the throne.”
“He tried to kill you! More than once!”
“He was behind Father’s death as well,” he said quietly.
The queen went pale. Ceros moved to assist her as she slumped into a nearby chair.
“I can’t prove anything, of course. But now that I know who was behind the attempts on my life, things add up based on the information we have gathered about Father’s death.”
“Oh Gods,” she whispered with her hand at her throat.
“I’m sorry, Mother.” He knelt beside her. “That is probably not what you wanted to hear.”
She patted his hand where it was resting on the arm of her chair. “No, it isn’t. But I would rather know than not.”
“I’m sorry I was not able to attend the lighting of Father’s funeral pyre.”
“I am too.” She touched his cheek. “You still need to say your own farewell.”
“I have.” He indicated Gehiji and the others with a lift of his chin. “We paid our respects last night.” His lips twitched. “As I stood there, I remembered what he used to say about city projects. That’s when the idea of building a grand monument in his honor came to me.”
A frown creased his mother’s brow. “Your father would hate that.”
Ceros smiled. “I know.”
She chuckled. “You just have to get the last word, don’t you?”
“Why break tradition now?”
The doors opened and Danet came in.
Ceros rose. Even Gehiji, Mdjai and Runihura came to their feet.
Danet slowed her advance and looked from one man to the next. Her brow was furrowed in confusion at their show of respect.
“I thought I left orders for you to rest,” Ceros said.
She moved past the table of food and made her curtsey to the queen. “I did.”
“Not very long,” he mumbled as he reached for her hand. “We were just filling Mother in on the details of what happened.”
“I understand I have you to thank once again for saving Ceros’ life,” the queen said to Danet.
Danet bowed her head. “I am just happy to have been able to help, my queen.”
Ceros watched in silence as his mother waved to the chair next to hers.
“Now you’ll have to tell me your version of events,” she said to Danet. “Men don’t always see things the same as us.”
Danet looked to Ceros, a question in her eyes.
With her hand still in his, he led Danet to the chair his mother indicated and encouraged her to sit. He winked then returned to the desk, leaving her to his mother’s mercies.
Throughout the question-and-answer session, Ceros kept one ear tuned in. He was surprised Danet answered without hesitation. Even when his mother got around to asking how Danet had managed to stop Aleric’s knife.
He glanced up from the document he was writing to see how the queen was handling the news that Danet was a mystic. When he realized she didn’t look the least bit surprised, he frowned.
“Mother, did you know about Danet’s, er, talents?” he asked.
“Not specifically, no. But I knew her mother. And her grandmother. Both of whom were skilled mystics. So I knew it was possible Danet could have inherited their gifts. I just hadn’t seen evidence of it yet.” She patted Danet’s leg and smiled. “Other than her uncanny ability to cure people even when they were beyond the capabilities of most healers.”