The True Ruler, page 6
part #5 of Worlds Apart Series
The planet’s axis had righted itself. She was back in Darden’s arms. He had not dressed for the occasion, but he outshined every man in the ballroom.
“How?” Cassie asked in wonderment.
“Shirl,” Darden simply replied. “She has since returned to the Childers’s household to protect Alex and the baby in case things go badly here with my unexpected appearance.”
The female crystal telepath took it upon herself to bring Darden back from the Troyk penal world without consulting her. Darden was in danger in this dimension and had followed Cassie without considering the consequences. No wonder Candy was antsy.
“Oh, I know the consequences, my love,” Darden replied to thoughts she did not intentionally share with him. They were linked, emotions permeated their connection.
“Darden Lours, you are to come with us,” a member of The Palace Guard demanded.
It did not take long for his presence to be noted and her grandfather or other official took notice. Her lean, tall soul mate’s bleached long blond hair made him stand out. The communal pathways became overloaded with chatter about what was occurring.
Cassie followed the two men who came to arrest Darden, walking beside him. Orders were changed to escort the couple to the fourth floor once it was clear Cassie would accompany Darden. No one bothered to try and stop her. She slipped her shoes off and ascended the four flights of stairs.
They entered her grandfather’s greeting room to find him already present. Cassie had not noticed that Candy and JoAnna had followed them until the door was closed. Cassie finally looked directly at Jeryl Jarlyn and saw his face mottled in fury. She was about to experience her grandfather’s wrath.
Darden knew the risk when he entered the portal with Shirl. He saw danger reflected in Jeryl Jarlyn’s eyes. He was surprised he had not been immediately thrown in the cells located in the basement of The Palace.
He brought Cassie into his embrace. They would face the Prime Ruler and his anger together. The warrior link was active with communication about what could be done to rescue them once sentences were handed down.
“What happened when the two of you touched for the first time?” Jeryl asked.
He was surprised by Jarlyn’s insight. The Prime Ruler obviously knew what they were to each other. There was no reason to continue the pretense of what he and Cassie were.
“An electric current ran through me when the soul mate channel opened,” Darden replied.
The Prime Ruler understood the significance of the exchange. “When did this occur?”
“When I was ten years old,” Cassie responded.
That answer startled her grandfather. For eight years, Darden had lied to everyone. Until recently, that charade included his friends as well.
“Benko and Cassandra had the capability to return home for the last eight years,” Jeryl Jarlyn muttered. Darden imagined he spoke the thought aloud, rather than purposely addressing the crowd populating the room.
“We planned to return the girls home when their headaches became an issue,” Darden admitted. “Shirl was to be the first since her migraines were becoming problematic.”
The Prime Ruler surprised everyone by ordering the presence of Tarsea Childers through the communal pathway. It appeared their secrets were slowly unraveling.
“Have you had sex?” Cassie’s grandfather demanded.
His soul mate tightened her grip on his hand, reacting to her grandfather’s query. He could feel her discomfort through their link.
“We have not,” Darden quickly answered. He did not want Cassie responding to that particular question. The poor thing must be mortified, if not already scared to death about what might happen when the conversation was over.
Jarlyn nodded at Darden’s reply. “You fear what you will unleash.”
JoAnna stepped forward. “You cannot force them to be together as you did with me and Koel,” JoAnna declared. “I used my powers most of my life where Cassie has not. She is not physically ready to absorb additional abilities.”
The Prime Ruler’s face reddened with anger. “We are talking about my granddaughter, young woman. I am the victim here. For eight years, I have been lied to. Denied the ability to see my granddaughter, let alone know of her existence. Cassandra is my legacy. What kind of monster do you take me for?”
No one bothered to respond to that particular question. They knew exactly what they were dealing with. An outsider would feel pity for the man before them, but this group knew what Jeryl Jarlyn was capable of.
“Where is my son?” Jeryl demanded.
“My father is safe,“ Cassie responded. “All he wants is to be left alone to live his life in peace. Because you hounded him, I grew up learning how to protect myself against your Gatherers.”
“All I wanted was my son back,” Jarlyn said driving a fist into the crystal stand next to where he stood. The geode fell and pieces of the crystal broke off.
No one knelt to clean up the mess. Darden believed the outburst was out of frustration, not anger. Regardless, he gently moved Cassie to stand behind him.
As the drama played out in the room, Darden warned Tarsea of what he would be walking into through the warrior channel. Koel was on his way to be beside JoAnna, while Shirl was prepared to evacuate Alex to the Nightshade universe. No one would consider looking for her in the parallel dimension populated by vampires. The most powerful vampire among them would protect Alex since she carried his soul mate in her womb.
Everyone’s focus changed when Tarsea Childers entered the room. He was Darden’s best friend from the moment they met. Darden had spent so much time at the Childers’s home when they were growing up, Tarsea’s parents considered him a third son. He was closer to this man than he was to his twin brother.
“Who is your girlfriend?” Jeryl Jarlyn asked.
“Tell the truth as we discussed,” Darden instructed his friend. It was clear the Prime Ruler knew exactly who Alex was.
“She is the daughter of Troyk dissidents, born in the Gingko Terra dimension,” Tarsea admitted. “Alex was hiking in Sedona and was accidentally pulled through the inter-dimensional portal Darden opened before it closed. As soon as I saw her, I knew she was my soul mate. She was hurt and all I could think to do was protect her. We brought in her bereaved aunt to lie for us. Solfa and her mother bought the lie, happy a part of their family was returned to them.”
“How did you pass our interrogation?” Jeryl asked.
“When we made love for the first time, we gained additional powers,” Tarsea admitted. “Mind control telepaths cannot detect when I tell a half-truth. If Alex concentrates, she can read the mind of others. That was how we discovered Chartail was guilty of the attempt on your life.”
“That little girl was responsible for Chartail’s capture?” the Prime Ruler asked in astonishment.
“Despite our lies, we are loyal to you,” Tarsea claimed. “Alex believed Chartail needed to be brought to justice before she hatched another plot.”
Tarsea was masterfully weaving a tale of mostly truths. The Prime Ruler appeared entranced with what was being presented to him. It had been a wise decision to turn Chartail in for her crimes. Everything seemed to fall in place with that one act.
“Does Alexia still have that capability?” Jeryl Jarlyn asked. Darden could almost hear the Prime Ruler’s mind calculating how he could use such a gift.
“Her pregnancy has temporarily interfered with her ability,” Tarsea said. “Her telepathic powers are limited to the connection she shares with our unborn daughter. Alex, however, has been able to link into our familial channel months before she ordinarily would have. Her access to communal channels has also been cut off.”
“Fascinating,” Jeryl responded. “All we know of soul mates is what we have observed with JoAnna and Koel, as well as Shirl and Starc. Now we have a pregnant soul mate. It is interesting how all the Gingko Terra women found their soul mates in a close set of friends and family.”
Candy shuffled in place under Jeryl Jarlyn’s scrutiny. Before she sought advice in the warrior channel, Candy also started her own confession.
“Tolfer Childers is my soul mate,” Candy admitted. “My telepathic enhancement is the gift of foresight. That is why I need to be assigned to your granddaughter for her protection.”
The Prime Ruler’s eyes opened wide in alarm. “Is she in danger?”
“Being your granddaughter and heir apparent puts her in danger,” Candy said. “I have not picked up anything more specific.”
“Then you are so assigned,” Jeryl said. “Are there other secrets you are keeping from me?”
“There are only the five of us,” Cassie spoke up. “Leave my father alone and I will learn all you have to teach me. Benko’s presence will only rile up a history best kept in the past.”
They shared all they planned to reveal. The warrior link was still a channel of legend. Zane and Leenea’s status as soul mates was still protected. Their dissident network was safe, as well as Solfa’s involvement. There were still many secrets to be kept and they would be under more scrutiny than before.
“Cassandra will continue to stay in the Childers’s household, sharing a room with Darden.” The Prime Ruler held up his hand before JoAnna could protest. “I am not forcing the two of you together, merely letting nature run its course. Darden will turn over his crystals. A C.T. Guard will be assigned to retrieve Shirl’s crystals. Both will stay in this dimension until I say otherwise.”
Darden could not have asked for a better interim outcome. He did not fool himself for a moment that Jeryl Jarlyn could pull the rug out from under them without a moment’s notice and without hesitation. None of them would be truly safe until Benko took his father’s place, and Jeryl Jarlyn had just cut them off from his son.
Chapter 7
Cassie did not utter a word on the way back to the Childers’s residence. She had closed herself to him as well. Never in their relationship had Darden not known how Cassie was feeling. He was unaware she had developed the ability to block him from her mind. Because he could not feel her emotions, Darden did not know if she felt angry, afraid, or a plethora of other feelings.
As soon as they reached the house, Cassie went directly to her room. Darden headed for the makeshift bar. If he was going to share a bed with her, he needed several drinks to calm his nerves. He stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he entered the common room.
Drake, the powerful vampire from the Nightshade universe, was sitting next to Alex. They were carrying on a conversation as close friends were wont to do. Shirl sat nearby, throwing daggers at Drake with her looks.
Darden had never felt comfortable in the company of this lethal creature. They had an uneasy alliance with Drake and his blood brothers, particularly because Drake believed Alex’s child was his soul mate. All visitations would end if Alex said the word. For some incomprehensible reason, she enjoyed the monster’s company.
“What is he doing here?” Tarsea growled. His best friend could barely tolerate Drake’s presence.
“The Nightshade universe is going through power struggles to fill the void left when Yorik was killed,” Starc advised. Yorik was the master vampire who victimized Chartail. Had Drake not claimed Shirl, the female crystal telepath would have met the same fate. “Drake thought it wise we returned to the Troyk universe and he would protect Alex and his soul mate in this dimension.”
“Good Lord,” JoAnna said in response to seeing the vampire for the second time. JoAnna had only been in the Nightshade universe a short period of time and had just nearly killed her stalker. She never gave herself time to truly come to grips with the terror and lust incited by this frightening creature.
Drake appeared human, although he was a monster. His jet black hair and eyes seemed to mesmerize any female he came in contact with. Once the vampire used his powers, women fell at his feet. Darden was relieved Cassie was in her bedroom.
“Nice to see you gentlemen, again,” Drake said. He purposely took Alex’s hand and raised it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on it. “If you cannot deal properly with your Prime Ruler, I will be happy to take care of the problem.”
He heard JoAnna catch her breath. Drake did not recognize the other women in the room, but was aware of the impact he had on them. The whole thing sickened Darden.
Tarsea stepped forward to separate his soul mate from the amorous vampire. Darden placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder to stop him. There was no sense in enraging Drake. The creature and his friends were their allies for now. He never considered setting the vampires free in the Troyk universe to assist with their political revolution. However, Darden was not prepared to totally rule out the possibility by alienating the being before him. His immediate concern was how dangerous Drake was to the others in the room.
“I presume you fed before arriving in our dimension,” Darden said.
“Yes,” Drake responded. “I feasted on a beautiful blonde, not unlike our stunning Shirl here.”
Starc uttered some words under his breath. His twin brother showed remarkable constraint. Drake had glamoured Shirl when he held her captive. Shirl barely tolerated his presence while Drake did everything he could to aggravate her. It was a game the two played. However, they never crossed a line that would enrage Alex.
“My mate is no longer in danger,” Tarsea stated. “The truth about who she is has been revealed. Jeryl Jarlyn is more fascinated by what Alex can do than the lies we told. You can return to the Nightshade universe. I am sure your friends in that dimension are more in need of your assistance with the mayhem occurring there.”
“Alas, I was just getting comfortable,” Drake responded. “Your daughter is soothed by my presence. The turmoil and lies present in this realm make her uneasy.”
Drake leaned back, stretched his long legs, and placed his feet on the table in front of him. His movement brought Alex into his body. The vampire’s hand rested upon Alex’s womb where his soul mate grew.
“Better here than in your world,” Tarsea countered. “My daughter is human and you are not. Humans are sustenance in your world. She will never join you in the horror you call home. Benko has only offered you the opportunity to see Alex and my daughter, not to take either away from this world.”
“One day your daughter will be grown and able to make her own decisions,” Drake asserted. “Just as the wondrous Alexandra has been able to do. She chose to stay in this dimension with you, rather than return to the world of her birth. One day, Star will be free to make that same decision.”
“Over my dead body,” Tarsea communicated in the warrior channel. Drake and Alex did not hear his comment. Alex’s access to the link was temporarily shut-off because of her pregnancy. Darden was not sure what telepathic capabilities Drake had, but he did not react to Tarsea’s statement.
Alex must have sensed Tarsea was about to erupt. She rose from the sofa and went into her soul mate’s arms. “Let’s not get all bent out of shape over something that will not occur for years. Now that the danger has passed, Drake should return to the Nightshade universe.”
“You and Star can return with me,” Drake said. “I will ensure your safety. My blood brothers’ soul mates have become powerful elementals and will help to protect you.”
Before Tarsea could explode, Alex quickly responded to Drake’s invitation. “My place is here, Drake. I can finally be who I am and not pretend to be a distant cousin. Shirl knows how to find you if the situation worsens.”
Before she could be asked, Shirl was on her feet and opened a portal. “Go,” she commanded.
“If you believe I am walking blindly into a portal you opened, you are delusional, my dear,” Drake addressed Shirl. “You first and I will follow.”
“Crap,” Shirl said to herself. The crystal telepath closed the gateway and opened another.
Drake rose and headed toward Koel, JoAnna, and Candy who stood in the rear of the room. None of the three had interacted with Drake. It was clear Candy did not see him as a threat and Drake appreciated Koel’s tactical talents.
“We are prepared to aid you in relieving this world of the negative aspects of the mind control government,” Drake advised his cousin. “Under your leadership, we made short work of the Portal Guardians in the penal world and rescued Candy. It will be a pleasure to fight with you again.”
“I will take that under advisement,” Koel said. “A prudent man would leave now and make his case under better circumstances. The child is not born as of yet, there is time.”
“So there is,” Drake responded.
He walked next to Shirl and entered the portal after her, with Starc following. Darden felt the tension in the room ease immediately with the vampire’s exit. Shirl and Starc would return to his apartment, rather than the common room. He imagined they would be greeted by the C.T. Guard Jeryl Jarlyn had sent to collect Shirl’s crystals.
With the drama for the evening over, Tarsea headed for the bar and poured a number of drinks for the people in the room. He prepared a glass of water for his pregnant mate. Darden gladly accepted the shot of stoak. The liquor made from the Troyk grain keen burned on the way down his throat.
It was time he headed for the room he would share with Cassie. His mind and body were fatigued by the eventful evening, so Darden was not concerned about the temptation Cassie presented. He was dead tired.
He walked down the hall, knocked on the door, and entered. Cassie wore a long T-shirt and nothing else. The shirt was short and Cassie’s legs were long. Darden did not think he had ever seen anything sexier. So much for not being tempted by her tonight. Once he got over the initial shock of how she looked, Darden noticed she was placing pillows on the floor next to a blanket.
