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Esmerelda stood just behind me, and she translated for all of the newlings who had never heard the old tongue.
“Welcome Andres of the Rumanus and greetings to all of your people,” he continued. We turned in the center of the circle to face the next group. “Welcome Feng of Ruskaya Zemlya and greetings to the people of Milos. And welcome, clan of my lifemate and the followers of Alasdair.”
The tension in the room skyrocketed. Though Julian had greeted Feng, he had acknowledged him as a member of Milos’ clan instead of acting leader of the Chinese and temporary leader of the Russians. But Feng did not attempt to release his magic again. He’d learned his lesson for now.
“Our people are in a great time of need,” Julian said. “It is with hope and courage that you have all gathered together this day, for there is evil among us. The Destroyer must be stopped. Our people who still live must be returned, and those who are dead must be avenged. I have asked the impossible of you and here you are, standing before me. Now I ask another impossible task.”
He turned slowly and made eye contact around the circle. The room swelled with anticipation. But underneath it were the dregs of resentment and fear. Julian stood strong and straight. My chest surged with pride that my lifemate was a true warrior—as fierce as the Drakán warriors who had breathed life into all of our clans—a leader to so many people.
My dragon whispered inside my head seductively, saying how wonderful it would be if he were our true king. I fought the urge to agree with her. The Promised Child would be our true king, and I needed to remember it, no matter how good the greed of power felt.
“I ask that we combine forces and hunt for our lost people. That we combine magic and seduce The Destroyer with its power, because the magnitude of such power will be irresistible to him. You will all follow me into battle when The Destroyer is found,” he said with conviction. “You will follow me as one clan united, just as it was in the days of old—the days of the Realm of the Drakán.”
“And then what?” someone yelled from the crowd.
I gasped in surprise, because I knew that voice. Erik came forward until he stood facing Julian like a gunslinger at dusk. His skin was pale, and dark circles rested beneath his eyes. He seemed thinner than when I’d left home, his face more gaunt. His pain was obvious, and the impotence of his power seemed pitiful in a room full of those who judged a person’s worth by how much power they wielded.
“Erik. Don’t do this,” I said.
He’d been Alasdair’s only son for two thousand years before I’d been born. Alasdair had never been a loving parent to either of his children, but he hadn’t hated Erik. There’d been a bond between them that I’d never had. He was grieving for my father in his own way. But it was the wrong way.
My compassion for his situation was followed by frustration and anger. He shouldn’t have questioned Julian’s authority, especially since I’d already pledged our clan to join his. And he sure as hell shouldn’t have been contradicting my orders to the rest of the clan.
“Stand back, Rena,” he spat, not bothering to take his eyes from Julian. “I don’t answer to you. You’ve made your choice. I want our self-appointed leader to answer my question.”
The crowd grew restless, and I could feel the stirrings of inner dragons throughout the room begin to waken and become interested in the violence that lay heavy across the room. Tension and anger poured from Erik. He stood before Julian powerless, his grief-stricken face desperate for his cause.
I cast my power out around him to soothe. And to search. Erik was close to losing his battle with being powerless. He’d been one of the greatest generals to ever fight for the Romans, but he’d been nothing as a Drakán. And he was tired of being nothing. He wanted to die.
“Well, my lord?” he said. “I asked you a question. What happens when we follow you into battle? Do you have grand plans for uniting us permanently? Of forcing us to bend to your will and controlling our minds as you did my sister’s? Your powers of persuasion must be great for her to turn traitor to us all.”
“Have a care,castro,” Julian said. “You are speaking of my lifemate. And brother or no, I will not stand for it.”
There were several gasps from the crowd, my own included. To be namedcastrowas a terrible fate. To be named acastromeant that a Drakán had been castrated of his powers for displeasing the gods in some way.
“Call me what you will,” he said. “I speak the truth. She betrayed us all for greed. To increase her own power.”
“Would you not have done the same?” Julian asked. “It is our way. We are not a passive society. You have all forgotten what we used to be. Your human blood and human heart weakens you. I am strong, and the gods chose a mate for me who matched my strength.”
There were several thoughtful nods from some of the Ancients in the crowd. I stepped forward to deny the accusation. To assure my people that I hadn’t betrayed them because of power lust. Only because the gods had forced me to. But I stopped. I’d made a promise. I wouldn’t interfere or undermine Julian’s power in front of his people ever again. He wanted blind trust. And by gods he’d get it. We were in the middle of a volatile situation that could go from bad to worse if I chose now to open my mouth. Our immediate goal was to stay alive. I had the rest of eternity to hate Julian once that was accomplished.
Besides, Julian and I had already had this argument, and he knew exactly how I felt about having my choices taken away from me. I didn’t know why or how we’d ended up as lifemates, but he’d had to have been behind it somehow, knowing this moment when he could declare himself would come.
I stepped back and felt Julian mentally sigh with relief. I took my place back beside him, but I couldn’t bear to touch him just then. It wasn’t his family he was destroying with words and magic. It was mine.
“Has it not occurred to you all that we cripple our entire race by continuing our feuds?” Julian asked the room at large. “Instead of mating with each other we are forced to mate with pure humans who dilute our blood even more. How will The Promised Child ever come to pass if we continue on this way?”
“You cloud the issues with your talk of The Promised Child,” Erik shouted, turning the attention back on himself. “But I see through to what you really are. I have made peace that you and your lifemate would cause my death, but I will not cower and stand by while you destroy us all. You say that The Destroyeris among us, a creature more powerful than we can imagine. But I say that it is you, Julian of the Belgae, who has already destroyed us all. I name you The Destroyer.”
The accusation lay like lead across the room, and then the room swelled with a whoosh of voices and frantic conversation. I felt the heat of fire as it burned angrily inside them and waited to break free. I glanced at Feng and saw he was smiling. We were making things very easy for him to step in and take over.
“Enough,” Julian called out. The whip of power crashed across my body without warning. Julian had been shielding against me, keeping his emotions and thoughts from me, and I hadn’t even realized it.
Erik went flying over the crowd and hit hard against the floor. The wood planks buckled under the force of his weight and the ground trembled as he hit, throwing everyone in the room off balance. I winced as I noticed one of the planks of wood had splintered and pierced through his chest.
“I will not be questioned by the likes of you,castro, unless you wish to challenge me. I have called everyone together because I have the power to do so, and your clan has been promised to me through your sister. You dishonor her with your disobedience. The Destroyer is clever at disguising himself. You were a champion fighting for the humans. But you are useless to us here. Go home and leave this battle for those who can win.”
I was still tied to Erik, and I felt his flinch as Julian’s words hit home.
