Chapter 18
“Varyk!”
He heard Inez call his name. Varyk forcibly pushed back Larz’s presence and rolled out of the bed to his feet. He wobbled before gaining his footing. “Quickly, Inez! We must get to Larz.”
He didn’t wait for her compliance and raced to his door, ripping it open to yell, “Send me Milana.”
“Varyk, what’s happening? Is Finley alright?” Inez asked questions as she swiped her pants and shirt from the floor, dressing with a speed Varyk admired.
“Yes, I think. Fuck I can’t be sure, but this time I’m going for extreme measures. No more letting Larz lead me through this dance.” Varyk grabbed his own clothing and dressed.
The door opened and his sister came in, face flushed but determined. “What is going on, Varyk? I sensed your distress before several people urged me to see you.”
Fully clothed, he said, “It ends today.”
Without blinking, Milana gave an abrupt nod. “You want Marwolaeth?”
Thank the goddess of fate they were of like minds. “Yes. The mantle allowed me to reach Larz for a brief moment. The loss of Mina is tearing into him. I felt his pain to the depths of my soul. His thoughts are erratic and border on murderous intent. He’s threatening to destroy the shell if I don’t meet him to pay for Mina’s death.”
Which was crazed since Larz had killed his lira by his own hand.
“The Black will call for war if he destroys that shell.” Milana appeared stricken by the thought.
Varyk’s lips firmed. “Yes. It’s why I need to end this.”
“Of course, Varyk.”
***
Inez’s heart still pounded in terror from the abrupt way Varyk had seized in the bed. Nothing in her life prepared her to watch the face of the man she loved locked in a grimace of agony. Inez embraced the growing tide of feelings surrounding the Green King. She loved him, arrogant ass and all.
She stood immobile as he and his sister went to the opposite side of the room and a smaller set of doors. Neither seemed at all bothered by Inez’s presence. “Varyk, what’s going on?”
He opened what looked to be a closet and hefted a long brown case and dropped it by Milana’s feet. Tossing a glance over his shoulder to Inez, he explained. “I’ll need this for when we go after Larz today.”
Milana and Varyk knelt next to one another and placed their palms atop a glittering green stone at the center of the case. Milana had her hand directly on top and Varyk had his over hers. Their heads touched as they leaned forward. The gem beneath their hands began to glow then there was a distinct click.
Both sat back on their haunches, out of breath. Inez frowned and inched closer to better see. Milana paled and swayed, but Varyk caught her by the elbow. “Milana?”
His voice came out rough and raspy, sending tingles up Inez’s spine. She crushed the small spurt of envy. Being territorial with a male was something she’d have to adjust to.
“I’m fine, brother.”
He waited a beat before releasing her arm to flick the latches up on the sides of the case. The green stone continued to shine on top of the lid but Varyk ignored it and took a deep breath. When he let it out, he opened the long case with reverence. Inez gaped at the contents.
“Marwolaeth,” Milana whispered the word again and Inez mentally translated.
Death.
The gleaming sword had to be well over twelve feet in length. The hilt alone was as long as her arm. A weapon for a Dracol in shifted form. Varyk lifted the sword out and rich green cloth slid away. “This belonged to our grandfather some generations back. Our mother’s line passed it down to the first born. Always.”
“The jeweled lock is sealed with blood taken from the shell at birth,” Milana added, sharing a private grin with Varyk. “They did not expect a time would come when it required two to open the case.”
Varyk snorted and rolled to his feet, the long blade in hand but pointed out for room. “I will use it in our hunt for Larz.”
Milana got to her feet more slowly. She rubbed her hands up her arms and exchanged a look with her brother. “It’s wrong what he did. I didn’t realize he was this distraught. They’d only been mated a short time.”
“And lost three unborn when the shells filled with their essence failed each time,” Varyk reminded.
A sigh broke free. “You’re right. Is Inez staying here?”
This wasn’t said with dislike and Inez wondered if Varyk’s sister had a different view from his on those of the Black. In the past, their paths didn’t have cause to cross and this was the first time she’d faced the female since their initial introduction the first night she’d met Varyk.
A flick of Varyk’s wrist and the length of the blade retracted into the hilt leaving it a more manageable size. He slid the ancient weapon into a scabbard at his back. “No. Inez hunts with me.”
Milana gaped, then muffled the sound and shot a worried look toward Inez. “Is that wise, Varyk?”
Some hidden message passed between them. His smile was laced with familial affection Inez couldn’t miss. “You once pointed out that worrying over the past shouldn’t interfere with my future.”
Varyk faced Inez. “Let’s go.”
She followed him to the balcony trying to figure out the meaning of their odd exchange. When Varyk shifted, he didn’t try to pick Inez up, lowering his right foreleg instead and boosting her up to ride on the back of his neck. Her smile threatened to split her face at his thoughtful action and another sign he felt a fraction of what she felt toward him.
They didn’t fly to Larz. The moment Varyk had them in air, Inez’s skin pebbled in the way it did when he teleported. They landed in a familiar clearing. One she recognized from the last time they’d been in this alcove.
Varyk caught Inez and placed her on her feet beside him before shifting. He held his hand up and the long hilt of the weapon she’d forgotten about appeared in his grasp. “Larz is definitely here.”
Larz’s next shout confirmed this. “I know you’re here, Varyk! I feel you.”
Throat gone dry, Inez waited for Varyk’s response. He kept his eyes on her, but didn’t respond to Larz. “The mantle recognizes its own. Now that he’s not blocking his side, I can only tamp it down so much. The goddess knows when something’s wrong and my essence is urging me to end him.”
It was all the explanation she’d get as Varyk took off running barefoot up the steep hill ahead. Inez raced to follow. She was in excellent condition, but the smooth strides of the King soon outdistanced her. Cursing under her breath, she pressed harder for the speed needed to catch up. If the situation wasn’t so precarious she would have demanded he slow down.
But they didn’t have time. Senses alert, Inez knew this was the moment of reckoning. The outcome would determine if she went home with Finley or suffered the shockwave of pain when Rylin sensed the life essence fade from the shell.
The latter would not be good for anyone. Inez reached the crest of a hill and came to a standstill. Varyk faced off against Larz—both in Dracol form, the shell nowhere in sight. Unable to control her fear, Inez searched frantically, seeing nothing, but a continuous expanse of trees. Sunlight glinted in the morning sky and creatures fled the area toward the surrounding jungle due to the fierce fight taking place.
The unborn child could be anywhere. Only Rylin had the ability to sense his own. Depending on the time it might take for him to reach here, Finley might not survive. Inez had to do something. She couldn’t wait around for Varyk.
Heart thudding, Inez hoped the male who’d proven he held no love lost for the Black could keep Larz distracted. The two leaped for one another, their loud screeches and thunderous roars shaking the tree tops. Varyk held Marwolaeth in one hand and sliced across Larz’ scaled hide.
His pained screech had Inez wincing. She pressed her hands to her head wanting to storm down and join the fight but knowing she was in no way equipped to handle an enraged Dracol with protective scales and deadly claws.
The crack of a tree splintering mixed with roars. Inez firmed her hold on her knives and began to make her way down the hill, keeping out of the direct line of sight. While Varyk fought, she planned to search for the missing shell.
Nothing else mattered if the child didn’t survive.