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Ajali looked at his city as it slumbered, refusing to resume its normal activities after the atrocities that had visited them. Warriors manned the streets of Adara, and missives had been sent to all the other provinces, alerting the Dukedoms and elders.
You have my allegiance, my loyalty and heart.
Her words swept inside him, entertwining with his soul. He had not responded in kind, even though Ajali knew what he felt for her could only be love. He loved Tehdra. A Darkan. It was a fucking terrifying acknowledgement. He loved that she could be brutal yet blushed, and the passion between them was unquenchable. Her desire and need for him mirrored his for her. His kingdom would not be ready for a kala from the Darkage. Never had someone from his bloodline married another of inferior birth. His mouth twisted. Inferior. Tehdra would protect their offspring and Nuria in a manner that no other female of his kingdom was capable.
War was inevitable. He chuckled softly; he could easily see Tehdra at his side on the battlefield, a force to be reckoned with. Ajali believed kings should be on the frontline, fighting for their kingdom in a time of war, not sequestered behind castle walls. Nuria was his to protect and never would he remain on the sidelines while his people died for him. Tehdra would be such a queen, a warrior, not a pampered countess or duchess from the
noblest of families that must be protected at all times. Like his mother, Tehdra was a warrior of strength, grace and beauty.
Could his kingdom undergo such a revolution? They already knew she’d saved his life at the cost of her own. The news had travelled like lightning throughout the city and the provinces. Gifts had poured in from upper house and lower house families. Thousands saw her battled in the coliseum, protecting him, fighting for him. Yet the mercilessness they observed would entrench their revulsion deeper.
His people would never accept Tehdra. The Darkage and its citizens inspired terror in all of the kingdoms.
“I know that you love her,” Acheron said, drawing Ajali from his thoughts.
“I do.” No shrouding of the unvarnished truth.
Xian stiffened, her eyes darkening with apprehension, and Bastien looked ready to collapse.
“Why?” Acheron asked.
“I have no need to hide from her. Her innocence in the face of such brutality is stimulating. She challenges me, interests me. The desire and need I feel for her is unmatched. Have I ever loved before? No. Is this it? I do not know. If not, I don’t need love. This fire that burns inside of me for her is more powerful than duty.”
“What are you saying?” Acheron demanded, frowning.
Ajali whistled, summoning Kezriel. The cry of the wraith echoed from its cave as it responded to the call of its master.
“You go for her, Ajali? This is madness. You have always placed your kingdom’s needs above yours,” Bastian growled.
“And I will continue to do so, but do I place it above Tehdra’s life and safety?”
“You risk war!”
“To protect the life of my future queen is my right. Our kingdom’s right. Is Mevia ready for war with me? We shall see.” He leapt from the high turret, landing on Kezriel’s back in midair, and they whisked away from the kingdom towards the Taryllion.
Chapter Twenty Four
Within minutes Kezriel exited the city of Adara, and they soared over the mountains. Ajali sought Tehdra along their pathway. A slight stirring would caress his mind only to slowly drift away. The strength of each stirring reassured him. She grew stronger.
Kezriel shot through the sky appearing like a fine dot on the horizon. Ajali absorbed his Phoenyx chakra, building his power. The heat of its rage and flames awakened inside of him.
Ajali.
Where are you?
I am weakened. Poisoned…my limbs refuse to respond to my commands. I am in the shadows.
Leave your mind open to me.
Ajali snarled in frustration as the connection closed again. He flexed his thighs, and Kezriel soared away from Nuria towards the eastern borders. Ajali saw the cloud of dust their Kuns stirred as they raced towards Mevia. They parceled themselves into five contingencies, yet he could not see any conveyance that carried Tehdra.
I am in the shadows. She could be caught between any of them. Or did they travel ahead?
He sank into his power, chakra flaring bright, but not brutal enough to harm Kezriel. He directed his energy deep inside, stoking the rage, but tightly containing it so it did not spill. He flew over the retreating warriors, searching, trying to identify the unusual distortion in the shadows. He could feel none. He would need to be on the ground, using the power of his Phoenyx to sense any shift in the shadows, and she could still elude him. He sped thousands of miles above the Taryllion, cataloguing the force of the enemy.
General Shenzhen, the Mevian imperial emperor grand general, led the warriors. Ajali narrowed his eyes. Tehdra’s capture must be a great prize indeed if the grand general stood on the front line.
Ajali.
