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/> “Why pledge to her? She has deceived us in the worst way. What if she turns on Ajali?” Xian snapped, smoke rising from her feet.
“She will not!” Acheron stated with such certainty that all beheld at him.
“How are you so certain?” Xian demanded.
“I can feel her spirit or essence. It is darkness in itself. Not a weak comparison to darkness, she exudes a pure darkness that the light cannot touch. Yet love for Ajali is streaming from it. Pain that he is hurt has her spirit warring, and the fury that is present before us now is for the thing in the coliseum, not for our king.”
Fifteen pair of eyes swung toward the battle arena, watching the tableau unfold, but waiting with battle readiness.
***
Tehdra’s darkness rolled inside her pushing away her humanity, her soul. She could not and would not lose him. A mate had the power to calm the demon inside of her and soothe its hunger. She craved him, his strength, his heat, his blood. Her beast lunged in rage cracking the psychic leash controlling it. They could not lose him.
Ours.
A malevolence she had never known permeated her being. Its evil was cold. Tehdra’s battle cry echoed around the coliseum as the icy coldness of her darkness encased her. Struggling with the rage that tried to suffocate her, Tehdra halted and knelt beside Ajali, checking his wounds. A strange lethargy filled her as she examined the extent of damage. Blood pooled on the ground, an inky blackness that seemed to soak the earth, leaving a stain that could never be removed.
Her beast lunged, trying to connect with her mate. She screamed inside as she reached out to Drac along their mental pathway. There was no connection. No soothing, no essence that she could affix with to find an anchor—any anchor against the abyss was better than none. With burgeoning madness distorting her thoughts, she tried to communicate with him.
With heightened senses, time seemed to slow for Tehdra as the wolyve attacked, driving straight past her to Ajali. She spun, meeting the Darkan’s blow with a savagery her beast relished. Tehdra struggled to separate her mind from its wash of evil. She could not. Its malignity held her mind, savoring the rage, feeding it, taking its joy in being freed to bloodlet.
“No!” The wail from the high balcony shook her, the agony in it feeding her darkness. She inhaled loving the pain, the rage, oh the agony. Sweet, delicious and the promise of more made her hum in beastly excitement.
Clawed hands ripped through the chest cavity of the Darkan, sliding inside as if it were not sinew muscles and bones she encountered. His flesh parted like the softest of silk. He drew the shadows to him trying to distort her senses. The laughter that emitted from Tehdra’s throat silenced the coliseum.
The evilness of it grated, she could feel shivers of horrors from those who heard.
Weak.
Yes, weak.
Lost in the haze of rage and madness, Tehdra agreed with her beast. The Darkan she held in her claws was weak. Without much ado she ripped him in two savoring the hot wash of blood that spewed on her.
Still struggling with the power that tried to dominate her mind, Tehdra turned to her mate and everything froze. Only a few seconds had passed since the combined attack from summoned beast and Darkan. Only a few seconds. She vaguely remembered the cry of agony that had pierced through her rage. It had been because the wolyves claws were buried into Ajali’s chest, ripping him open.
Tehdra stopped functioning—the psychic leash shattered. Her heart, her reason, her ability to focus, all connection to her soul closed down. Darkness simply took her mind under.
***
The Darkage—kingdom of darkness and shadows
Kerberos—Castle of the deep—main stronghold of the king
The roar that pelted from Drac stunned the small assembly into silence. He, Talon, and Gidon gathered to discuss strategy for bolstering the alliance with Boreas as well as the continued building of their nation. They stared at Drac in shock.
“My love, what is it?” Saieke cried and rushed to Drac as he held his head.
The king of the Darkage, his enforcers, and the high chancellor of the Northern Quadrant moved to stand before Drac.
“What is it?” Gidon asked.
“Tehdra…” Drac said, his voice distorted with malevolence. Even though Saieke knew him intimately, she flinched.
“What is wrong with Tehdra, Drac?” She asked as chakra pulsed black and menacing around Drac.
“She loses hold of her beast. The rage has consumed her.”
“We will not lose her! Where is she, Drac, and why is she in danger?” Gidon commanded.
