Chapter 2
As soon as we entered the large room the voices stopped. Every single person in the room stopped to stare at me. I felt like some sort of circus freak. They had all been trying to get Gyyx to let me out of his cabin, but he refused. It was our “honeymoon” he had said. He wanted me to himself for at least a few days. Then there was an attack and now it was time to get back to the real world.
I didn’t know what that meant for me anymore. I hadn’t done anything artistic since before, and I was itching to draw something—anything. I didn’t have any materials or anything though. I hadn’t wanted to ask because I thoroughly loved getting to know him. He was an amazing man, and I was madly in love with him—not that I’d said it yet. It was too soon.
Gyyx squeezed my hand. “After we eat she’s ready to talk about her captivity. No fucking questions before she eats a decent meal.”
Everyone nodded and the insistent chatter picked up again. Some of the Denynso didn’t even realize I had been in the Klimnu hands for 57 long and horrible days. Even though the room felt like a college campus full of people chatting about inconsequential things, I still felt eyes on me.
Everyone wanted to know what I had been through and what I learned. I nodded at a few of the warriors who smiled and tilted their head in a nod, and then I felt arms around me, pulling me away from Gyyx.
“Oh my gosh, I thought you’d never wake up!”
When I gasped her arms didn’t loosen and I felt wet tears on my shoulder. It was Eliana. Instead of freaking out about having a woman hugging the life out of me I hugged her back and whispered, “Thank you.”
I felt her nod and then she pulled back. “I wasn’t just going to leave you there. Not after I knew you weren’t some trick of the mind.”
I nodded knowing exactly what she was talking about. The Klimnu were freaking good. They could manipulate their shape. If they could get in their victims head and steal their memories they were as good as done. They used the memories as a way to break their prey down.
“I’m so grateful for you. I would have died had you not taken me out of there.”
Gyyx growled, and I patted his arm reassuringly. Eliana nodded in understanding. She didn’t deny it. She was the only person who knew what I had gone through even if they only had her for a short time.
She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “We’ll talk more later, okay? You better eat before the fire in Gyyx’s eyes burns me.” She laughed but she glanced at my mate leery. He was glaring daggers at her as if her talking to me was an inconvenience.
“Stop,” I whispered.
“I’m starving woman, stop chitchatting.”
“Well then go eat you big baby.”
“Not without you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, lead the way.”
He led us to a table where his brother and another woman sat. I assumed that was Eden. Gyyx told me she had been a victim of the Klimnu too. Only she died and Ciyrs brought her back to life. On Eden’s other side another male sat. He tipped his head and smiled at me. His eyes shined. There was something different about him. It was Ciyrs. I knew he tried so hard to help me wake up. It was strange. I actually knew these Denynso. They didn’t seem to realize that I was aware when I was out. I was pretty sure Ciyrs was beating himself up over not being able to make me wake up sooner. He was mated to Eliana and she seemed to have this mothering thing towards me.
He sat across from Pyra and I sat next to him and blushed when they stared at me.
“It’s good to see you awake.” Pyra was a simple man. He went back to stuffing his face, and these men could eat. Their plates were loaded and they devoured food.
“Thank you,” I said in a hushed whisper.
Eden smiled and nodded. She rubbed her belly and sighed. She was a lot different than I expected.
I ate in silence lost in my own thoughts. Gyyx left me alone as if he knew I needed this time to deal. I was about to relive the last two months. The whole thing was it was more mental than physical. The Klimnu got more power by getting inside of my head than physically touching me. Humiliation was another way to feed their lust for power. Something about fear and disgrace fed them. I wasn’t sure how it worked. I only knew that I dealt with the same two, the whole time. The one Eliana somehow snuffed out. I still had yet to learn exactly what she did, and then the other one. The one who liked me, the one who used illusion to shake me to the core. Otherwise the other Klimnu pretty much stayed away from me.
“They are all so anxious, and I really don’t know how much help I’m going to be,” I whispered, but of course they all had good hearing and Pyra frowned.
Before Gyyx could respond Pyra said, “Anything you can tell us will be helpful. We need to stop them from getting onto the land, and we only had a week with no attacks. I fucking hate those nasty pricks. I want to know how they manage to get here. What is it they want?”
“The King.” I did know that.
Both Gyyx and Pyra growled. “They won’t get him. We’d die first.”
My heart dropped even though I knew that would be the answer. Gyyx would sacrifice his life for his father.
Eden smiled at me as if she was used to this, and she probably was. “We will all give our lives for Criea.”
I nodded. There was such a strong loyalty for their leader.
Finishing my food I sat back and sighed. It was now or never. “So when am I going to lead story time today?” I felt the sarcasm drip and shook my head. “Sorry being sarcastic helps when I’m nervous.”
“You don’t even have to talk. See the thing is dad is one powerful male. He only has to touch you and your memories become his. It will be like he is living it, and he can send it to us. It’s hard to explain. He is telepathic to all of those who share his blood, and every warrior does. It’s part of the ritual. Therefore he has a link with all the males. Each one of us will have your story fed into our heads from you to him, then to us. That way we all see it. Live it and understand it.”
“Whoa, so Eden and Elaina won’t?”
“Oh we will because of our mates and our connection to each other. So yeah we will.”
“That is so weird.”
“Yep,” Eden said with a smile. “It’s a lot to get used to being around people who are so gifted. It’s intimidating.”
I shrugged. “I don’t really mind. I’m just an artist.” Then I took a deep breath. “Well let’s get this over with.”
Gyyx nodded and then suddenly the king sat next to me.
“Are you sure you want to open your mind to me. I need your guards down fully.”
I hesitated. “Guards down?”
“Yes, everyone has guards. Since you suffered yours will be thicker and harder to break through, it will be painful. That’s why I need you to put them down yourself because I don’t want that. If you’re willing to open up to me it will be easier and less—invasive.”
I nodded still feeling nervous. “Uh—okay so how do I put my guards down?”
The kings took my hand and shut his eyes. At first I didn’t feel anything and then wham it was like the Klimnu only it didn’t feel evil. It was a gentle caress. Without opening his eyes he said, “Okay Leia, I need to you relax and take a deep breath.”
I closed my eyes and listened. Doing my best I shut everything out around me and let the king invade my most intimate thoughts and all of my memories. A part of me worried what he would think after he knew what I was like before, and I wondered if everyone would see that part of my past or if he could block some things out. I certainly hoped so.