Chapter Twenty-One

 

Declan waited several hours once they reached the Talunaha for Tristan, Tiernan, Asha, and Dizarion to return. When they didn’t, he gathered his brothers in the dining hall and requested Morgan, Isabel, and Nalini to join them.

He would have talked to everyone earlier if Morgan and Isabel hadn’t run off with Nalini to the pod where Amber was sleeping. Declan tried not to be irritated by it since he figured they probably wanted to spend some time together as a family and celebrate the removal of the curse. However, he was beginning to doubt that he’d ever be included in their family in any way that mattered.

Declan’s eyes lit on Nalini as she came through the door and the smile on her face was nearly his undoing. She radiated a joy and hope that he’d never felt in her energy until now and he was grateful to see her happy.

The smile on his face only dipped a little when he saw Isabel and Morgan come in behind Nalini. Declan ignored them as Nalini sat beside him and took his hand in her own. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head as Isabel and Morgan surprisingly sat on the other side of the room from them. Declan would have asked Nalini about it if Chris hadn’t stood and looked around the room at his brothers.

“I’m sure Isabel and Nalini told you what happened at the vortex?” Chris asked Morgan. When the guardian nodded, Chris continued. “What do you know about this daemon Balaneer from Fornaite One?”

Morgan shook his head. “As a guardian of Terra, I am unfamiliar with those of other worlds.”

The brothers were visibly disappointed in the answer. They’d hoped the guardian would know something about what they were up against and why it would bother their baby brother so much.

“But . . .” Morgan began, regaining their undivided attention. “Back in the days of the Terran War, when the Dranovians came from many worlds to help, I heard of a daemon named Balaneer. One more powerful than Taraka, the original Daemon Kyn King of Terra.”

Most of the Dranovians, including Declan, sat forward to hear what Morgan had to say.

“They spoke little of the battle or even the events surrounding it. The rare moments when it was mentioned, those who’d been a part of it were hesitant to speak of it,” Morgan said, his face reflecting his own concern.

“So you don’t know what happened? Or how powerful this thing is?” Declan asked, hoping Morgan was just taking too long to tell them what he knew.

Morgan shook his head. “The only thing I know is that whatever this thing was, it killed half the world guardians on Fornaite One and it took a lot of Dranovians, from many worlds to banish it.”

“Why the hell would they banish the thing and not kill it? All they did was make it our problem now.” Chris was pissed that his brethren had allowed that to happen.

“As far as I know, they couldn’t kill it. All the Dranovians and remaining guardians were able to do was force it to banish itself from the world. This is the first I’ve heard the name since the Terran War and must admit that I have my own questions for the Light and Dark Warrior regarding what we will face in this new enemy,” Morgan admitted as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair.

Several curses erupted from the brothers. They’d all hoped to find out what was going on from Morgan and it turned out he didn’t really know anything more than they’d already figured out.

“Is its power how it got through the rainbow bridge?” Declan asked Morgan before he turned to Chris. “Can you get Mikal to ask Alderic about Fornaite One and this daemon? Find out when they chased it off that planet?”

“Already talking to him,” Chris acknowledged.

“Where are the Light and Dark Warriors?” Nalini asked.

Reign snorted. “That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? That’s the part that tells me how serious this is. Tristan wouldn’t leave us twisting in the wind like this.”

All the brothers nodded in agreement. Each of them had tried to contact Tristan over the last few hours, but their brother hadn’t responded to any of them.

“They’ve not answered my calls either. It is highly unusual for the Warriors to not reply to a guardian.” Morgan was clearly irritated about it.

“Heads up,” Chris warned just before Mikal and Alderic, Sotier of the Tri-Worlds, came striding through the dining hall door.

Morgan stood immediately and turned to the door ready to defend his mate and daughter. When he saw who it was, he walked up to Alderic and held out his arm.

“Sotier, I fought with your grandfather in the Terran War. I am Kartikeya, Terran Guardian of War.” Morgan shook Alderic’s arm, then turned to Mikal and held it out again.

Mikal shook his arm as well. “I’m Mikal.”

“We’re glad you are here,” Shane called out. “You guys gonna buy us a clue on what we’re dealing with here?”

“Everyone sit down, and we’ll get the drinks going,” Reign suggested as he headed to where they kept the liquor.

Siggy jumped up with Dante to get a tray of glasses while Alderic and Mikal found a couple of chairs and sat down. Everyone was silent until the drinks were passed around.

“To winning,” Shane said as he held up his glass.

Everyone swallowed their drinks in one shot, and Alderic gasped for a moment before he looked more closely at the glass. Then held it out for a refill.

“What is that?” Alderic asked.

“It’s Irish Whiskey. Declan’s favorite,” Mikal replied.

“I must bring some of that back with me. And coffee. Don’t let me forget the coffee,” Alderic said to Mikal.

Mikal nodded that he’d remember and when everyone had another drink in their hands, Declan looked at the two Sotiers.

“I’m assuming you’re here about Balaneer. What can you tell us?” Declan asked.

Mikal looked at Alderic, and everyone waited while Alderic polished off another glass of whiskey.

“My father was Sotier, and I was a young boy at the time of the problems on Fornaite One,” Alderic began. “The battle took decades and even then it was more of a concession than a win because Balaneer and his court left the planet.”

“I want to kill this thing, not make it another planet’s problem,” Shane muttered, irritated they would have to handle this at all.

Alderic snorted and held his glass out for a refill. “If it could have been killed that easily, my father would have done it. Balaneer and his upper court killed more than half of the world guardians on Fornaite One and hundreds of Dranovians before he was wounded enough to fear for his life. That was when he left.”

The brothers had a lot of respect for Alderic and his power and couldn’t imagine what it would take to fight something that even the powerful Sotier’s father couldn’t kill. It didn’t bode well for them, and the brothers looked around at one another in concern.

“It couldn’t be expulsed?” Siggy’s first thought was to try the new ritual they’d learned.

Alderic shook his head as Declan refilled his glass. “What is the name of your Terran Daemon leader?”

“Mastema,” Morgan growled.

“She is at the same power level as any of you,” Alderic explained, surprising the brothers. “Balaneer’s power is comparable to Tristan and Tiernan. The rituals are like using a sword to attack a mothership.”

“What the fuck?” Shane whispered.

“So why do we have to try and kill it and not them?” Morgan asked.

“Hey! That’s our baby brother you’re trying to throw to the wolves, buddy,” Reign growled.

“It is a valid question,” Alderic interjected before Morgan and Reign could argue. “Ultimately, it was Tristan’s arrival on Fornaite One that led to Balaneer leaving.”

Declan’s brows furrowed as he thought about what Alderic had just said.

“That can’t be right. Mastema said Balaneer arrived in the 1950s. Tristan wasn’t born yet. How could he have intervened if he wasn’t alive yet?” Declan knew the numbers didn’t add up.

Alderic sighed heavily. “Because Tristan’s spirit and power are timeless. His physical birth or death doesn’t negate his soul or the power he wields. I was there at Fornaite One when he arrived, I saw him myself with many other young Dranovians sent to battle the beast.”

“Then why the hell wouldn’t Tristan and Tiernan fight this thing?” Isabel was shocked and concerned for Morgan and the Dranovians.

“I cannot speak for the Light and Dark Warrior,” Alderic stated. “I can tell you, don’t bother trying to expulse it. It’s a waste of time and energy you need to fight. The only thing that made a difference was the overwhelming army of Dranovians and what little world guardians remained. Until Tristan came.”

“If we can’t make a dent in it, why bother? Seriously, you’re telling us we’re going to die going up against this thing and gotta hope Tristan comes to save our collective asses. Why not just send Tristan and Tiernan after them?” Isabel asked.

She was still confused why it would be up to Morgan and the Dranovians if Tristan and Tiernan were the only ones capable of destroying the thing.

“How is it able to use its power here if it’s from another world?” Morgan asked as he shot a warning look at his mate.

“Like Tristan and Tiernan, the thing can travel worlds. The failure of your rainbow bridge and the energy fluctuations associated with the conversion have allowed it to easily come here,” Alderic explained.

“So it’s not channeling power from Fornaite One through the rainbow bridge?” Siggy asked. He was pretty sure that was what Mastema had said it was doing.

“It doesn’t need to. Like Tristan and Tiernan, the upper-level daemons have a lot more power. They aren’t relegated to one world.” Alderic wished he had better answers for them.

“So this thing is the evil version of Tristan?” Declan feared he already knew the answer.

Alderic nodded sadly. “Yes, that’s exactly what you’re dealing with. It explains why your world has deteriorated so rapidly. The more Terrans it affects, the stronger it becomes. The only thing that surprises me is that it took so long for Balaneer to take over Mastema’s court. It must have been desperately weak from the battle on Fornaite One and the travel here.”

“How does this thing compare with the Dark Prime?” Chris asked.

Alderic chuckled humorlessly for a moment. “They aren’t even in the same category. The Dark Prime is nothing more than a high-level minion worshipping the same evil as Balaneer. Satalis is the same power tier as Mastema. You are the counterbalance to them. Tristan and Tiernan are the balance to Balaneer.”

“Does this thing have any weaknesses?” Declan knew there had to be some kind of Achilles heel with this daemon.

“Nothing I’ve ever heard of but Tristan and Tiernan would know something,” Alderic replied. “I know I haven’t helped you much. I came to offer the assistance of the Sotiers. All of us have agreed to send 10 Dranovians from each world to work with you to kill Balaneer.”

“Whoa,” Siggy breathed out.

All of the brothers looked at one another in surprise for a moment, unsure what to say. It wasn’t that they didn’t appreciate the help, they just didn’t know what to do with nearly a hundred extra Dranovians when they hadn’t even tried to battle Balaneer yet.

“This isn’t a pissing contest guys,” Mikal finally said. “We have more than enough places to put them, and if this Balaneer is that damn bad, then we’re going to need the help. Fornaite One had all of their world guardians and Dranovians, and they were still almost destroyed by this thing. We have very few awakened guardians or Dranovians, and we’re ridiculously outnumbered.”

“We have Tristan and Tiernan,” Shane countered. “Fornaite One didn’t until it was almost too late.”

“Let us learn our enemy before we drag everyone else into it right now,” Declan growled.

“A hundred other Dranovians roaming our world will make it that much easier for Alderic to find out about Dad and the Triad,” Declan warned his brothers through the shengari’.

“Give us a few days to get some information out of Tristan and Tiernan before we uproot people we may need elsewhere. Tristan may already have a plan,” Mikal suggested.

He hoped it would satisfy Alderic because the last thing Mikal wanted was any other Dranovians there that could find the connection between Grai and the Triad.

Alderic shook his head for a moment then stood. “I’m leaving Dirk Su’ Laqadon with you. He is the sole surviving Dranovian who lasted the entire decades-long war against Balaneer on Fornaite One. I spoke to him when Mikal asked me about Balaneer, and he wishes to help guide you in your war with the ancient evil. I would suggest a tone of respect when dealing with him.”

“You’re leaving just like that?” Shane was incredulous he’d drop this on them and then go.

“When you are ready for our help, call, and we will be here. Until then, learn your enemy from those who’ve survived it and speak to your brother Tristan,” Alderic replied as he strode to the dining hall door and left.

“What the fuck is that?” Siggy gestured to the door.

Mikal shook his head in sympathy. “He’s frustrated as hell with the damn Triad there. It’s taking everything Alderic’s got to keep his own worlds safe right now. The Triad has grown into a fucking nightmare that even the Relians would be proud of.”

“Has he figured out that Dad’s involved yet?” Shane paled visibly as he asked through the shengari’.

“No,” Mikal replied on their private path before he stood and faced the room.

“I need to head back. We left Dirk in the Talunaha. He’s an older guy and can only give advice, but you should listen to what he has to say. It may save your lives. Call me immediately if you need us,” Mikal said aloud.

Chris and Declan were the first to hug Mikal, and it wasn’t long before all the brothers had embraced their brother before Mikal left to go back to the Tri-Worlds. Moments later, Morgan stood and held his hand out to Isabel who took it without hesitation.

“Since it doesn’t appear as if Tristan or Tiernan will be returning this night, we are going to retire. We’ll meet your new Dranovian in the morning and plan a strategy for Balaneer. Good evening,” Morgan said with a nod before he and Isabel left the dining hall.

Declan looked over at Nalini in shock that her parents had left her there and hadn’t dragged her off with them. Nalini only smiled brightly and shrugged.

“I’m not leaving that poor bastard in the Talunaha. I’ll be right back,” Chris stated as he left the dining hall.

Declan was going to take the opportunity to ask Nalini what was up with her parents when he was cornered by Reign and Shane.

“Fuck me!” Shane growled. “I’m starting to feel like Dad with all the shit going on around us! I’m surprised he didn’t fuck up more times than he did trying to keep everything straight in his head!”

“No shit,” Reign agreed with a shake of his head at the madness. “I don’t know who the fuck I can even talk to anymore with all the lies and hidden agendas we got going on!”

“Watch your damn mouths!” Declan growled low as he glanced over at Nalini. “It’s safe to say we should only discuss certain things privately. At all times.”

Shane closed his eyes for a moment as he mentally kicked himself for not realizing Nalini was still in the room. Reign cursed under his breath at his own stupidity. They were saved from further chastisement by Chris who was leading in a tall, older gentlemen into the dining hall.

“Dirk, that’s Declan, Reign, Shane,” Chris began to introduce everyone in the room to the older Dranovian.

All of the brothers walked over to the man and shook his arm in a warrior hold. Nalini curtsied gracefully in front of him.

“We heard you have a lot of advice for us. We’re damn grateful for every bit of knowledge you can spare us,” Declan said once all the introductions and pleasantries had been completed.

“Here, let’s get you a drink. Alderic seemed to like the whiskey,” Reign offered, looking to make up for his earlier blunder in front of Nalini.

It wasn’t until the old warrior was seated that Declan realized the Dranovian had lost the use of his left arm. He tried to look away before Dirk noticed but was caught.

“My arm was a gift from Balaneer,” Dirk said with a sneer and began to unbutton his shirt.

“Man, you don’t have to show us anything,” Shane rushed to say, not wanting to embarrass the old warrior.

Dirk ignored Shane and eventually pulled off his shirt. Nalini stifled a gasp, and the brothers looked horrified at the large, deep gashes that ran down the length of Dirk’s left arm from shoulder to wrist.

When everyone had seen it and looked away, Dirk put his shirt back on and buttoned it back up again. He grabbed the glass of whiskey Reign had set in front of him and downed it in one swallow.

“Alderic has good taste,” Dirk said with a nod at the glass.

He slid it back across the table to Reign who promptly refilled it and set it down in front of the old Dranovian.

“That bastard you’re going to fight is the worst thing I’ve ever battled in my lifetime. It’s smarter than all of you, stronger than your world guardians and embodies some of the most powerful evil in all of creation.” Dirk downed the glass of whiskey and pushed it back to Reign.

“Well fuck me if that wasn’t the best pep talk of all time!” Shane muttered sarcastically. “Sign me up for the losing team in the apocalypse.”

“Looks like you were already drafted.” Dirk grinned and raised his refilled glass to Shane then downed it.

Muttered curses erupted around the room as the brothers realized the enormity of the new enemy they were facing. The one Tristan had agreed they would kill for the Daemon queen.

“Please tell me that Alderic didn’t drag you all the way here so you could tell us that we’re going to lose,” Declan demanded.

He was more than a little pissed off that the warrior hadn’t offered any advice, only doom, and gloom. Dirk snorted, then chuckled as he drank his refilled glass of whiskey.

“I have books of advice on the bastard in my head, and with your guardian of war, we may be able to set a trap that might finally destroy Balaneer.” Dirk had such a malevolent grin on his face that it almost worried Declan. Almost.

Declan had seen the horrible bone-deep gashes on the warrior’s arm and could understand the anger that would go along with fighting an enemy that had taken too much from you, for too long.

“It’s not really noteworthy, but that speech is a hell of a lot better than the last one,” Shane said with a grin.

The other brothers chuckled and nodded their heads in agreement, each appreciating that they did stand a chance to actually win against the new enemy among them.

“Let’s start with the basic facts that you know.” Declan pulled out his comm and set it to record.