Chapter 47 Motive Matters
~ YILAN ~
Eventually, it became obvious that the Nephilim forces had been distracted by Gall’s call to hunt and their bloodthirst, so had arrived late to the fight against our allies. But, when they finally understood that their palace and king were under threat, they turned that bloodlust on us.
Thank God half of them were stumbling drunk.
I’d lost contact with Jann and Diadre. The palace was carnage. I’d taken more life in the past hour than I had in years before. The bloodbath tore me apart, even as it raised my hope.
Then, I reached for Melek as I drew closer to the banquet hall—assuming he’d be well gone, taking Gall out of the palace and away to safety. I’d hoped. Instead, my mate was in pain, and while he hadn’t been able to show me what was happening, I could sense an immense struggle.
Weary and afraid, I tried to fight my way to him—but frustratingly, my progress was slowed because I was once again losing power, only shrouding when absolutely necessary, because I was afraid it may fail me altogether—but something dire was occurring, and Melek was too consumed to show me.
I needed to get to him, but was turned back again and again.
I wanted to weep. I wanted to fall into bed and sleep for a week. I wanted to throw my crown aside, grab up my mate and fly out of here, and let them all—
“You can’t solve this for them. But you can help. Don’t you dare give up.”
I gasped and whirled, my skin crawling when I found Hever standing behind me—how had he approached without me hearing him? My jaw had dropped—but very quickly, my anger rose into my throat.
“Where the fuck do you get off trailing me and telling me—”
“Do you believe Istral’s power comes from Lucifer?”
I swallowed, taken off guard by the question. “I don’t want to believe that she’d… that he’s able to—”
“Of course it doesn’t,” he muttered gruffly.
“Lucifer is powerful, but his power is sickness and death. It’s yet one more piece of bullshit Lucifer is using to convince you all—including Istral.
He claims power he does not have. He is not the author of life—or even death.
He was created with gifts and powers that are staggering.
Yet, he defied the purpose to which he was called.
You see what comes of that kind of corruption.
Whatever God does, Lucifer emulates—and twists.
He cannot conceive of anything new. He cannot create.
He can only take what already exists, and pervert it.
Be it creatures… or souls. He claims Istral’s gift because he sensed it in her, and needed all of you to believe it came from him so she would not use it as she was intended. ”
Hope rose in my chest like a wellspring. It all sounded right. It sounded good. But Hever was… disturbing.
His eyes narrowed. “Do you truly balk simply because my looks make you uncomfortable? I brought Melek’s brother safely through the Shadows of Shade. Do you think that’s possible—with Nephilim no less—if my heart is dark?”
“How did you do it?” I breathed.
Hever’s eyes darted to the men behind me, then back to lock on mine. “Your vision for the future—your inspired plan—it has precedent. The union of Nephilim and the Shadekin is… proven.”
I frowned, and Hever rolled his eyes, then bowed sardonically. “My mother was Fetch—in exile. She hid her power until the day she died,” he muttered. “However she passed it on—and if you tell another fucking soul, I swear I will find endless and creative ways to irritate you.”
“Wait… a Shadekin? What? How?”
“That isn’t important. Just know that your union was heralded—and protected. Lucifer only learned the truth of the strength of these unions in recent months. Hence… everything.” He gestured impatiently towards the battle waging behind us.
I gaped. His eerie eyes slid back to mine.
“A joining of Nephilim and Shadekin, even in a matepair, is powerful, my Queen. But entire nations? Only God is stronger. Yet, those powers are not to be taken lightly. Make certain only the green-eyes breed.”
“I… how… what?” I spluttered.
“Lucifer’s power is theft, sickness, and death—not life.
When we live and love, we overwhelm it. You are right to resist. Melek is right to teach others to be fearless.
But love and courage will make a martyr of your mate if you do not move quickly.
You are needed. Go to him. And when your babe is born, for God’s sake—make certain his heart stays pure.
The power he will possess would be staggering in the hands of an enemy. ”
A rush of thrill at the thought of my child with Melek made my heart giddy. But then I blinked and remembered the source.
Hever stood in the dim alcove, hood up, only his eyes bright enough to show from underneath that thick darkness.
“I don’t know if I can trust you,” I admitted.
“You must, or your mate will die.”
“Your eyes… your eyes are yellow!”
Hever smirked. For a moment, my vision blurred. When it cleared, Hever stood before me—looking far younger than he had just moments before. His skin a warm brown, body lean and tall under the thick cloak, and his eyes now a shining, deep, forest green.
He hissed when I recoiled. “You of all people know that appearances are nothing by which to judge. Your talents would suggest to the outward observer that you have a love for the dark—but it’s the opposite of your true calling, yes?
Your heart, that’s what’s important. And yours is good, my Queen.
But your appearance is what’s needed—to raise the spirits of others, and to call those who waver to remain single-minded. ”
“Who?” I breathed.
“You were right to adopt the Nephilim. To see that Melek isn’t the only among them with a heart…
and a soul. But those same souls have been raised in a darkness you can only imagine.
Don’t give them reason to believe they should burrow back into it.
Keep spreading this truth—you can defeat the Fallen!
However, do so on your way to save your mate.
Melek will not kill Gall, but someone may have to.
His heart wavers on the cliff-edge of giving over completely.
Save your mate and your sister. Let Gall make his choice. ”
I was about to respond when a vision overwhelmed my mind’s eye.
Melek, standing in the vast banquet hall. Gall right in his face, breathing hard. The gleaming blade of an axe pressed against his throat.
I inhaled sharply and scrambled into the shadows. I was weakened by weariness, but I had to get to them! Had to help!
To my dismay, Lucifer’s men had reached the corridors first, and they’d heard what we were doing. The hallways blazed with light. Even the Shadekin were fighting hand-to-hand. It was a melee. Chaos.
I had to get to Melek, but if I was forced to circle the palace to reach him, it would be too late. This fighting would have reached them, and who knew what Gall might have done.
Standing around the corner from the main corridor where the fighting was most intense, I peered through, looking for a gap. I could walk a few steps in bright light. If I could find a dark corner, or a path of allies through the fighting that would let me slip by…
My vision blurred again and suddenly the old Hever was back, that crumbling voice of rot skittering up the back of my neck, as he turned me and shoved me forward.
Right into the light—and then I understood.
This wasn’t a moment for shadows and darkness. This was a moment to lead in the light.
Grasping what strength in power I had left, I reached for the minds of all my allies in this tumult of blood and death. ‘Melek is in danger. Your king needs us. I must reach him. Clear the path!’
It was humbling to watch as men of different nations—Neph with green eyes, Shadekin, Centaurs, humans… all of them roared in defense of their chosen king. As they fought and bled and rushed, pushing our enemies aside to part the sea of battle so I could dart through, I couldn’t help smiling.
‘We can do this. Together. Lucifer can’t win if we truly resist. He can’t take us—and even if our swords fall, we die free of his bullshit! Keep fighting brothers and sisters. Victory is in our grasp!’
There was a mighty roar that rippled through the hallway, and echoed away down the adjoining chambers. I danced through that line—taking my blade to the throat of one Neph who darted past my ally, and severing another's spine at the base of the neck when he wrestled a Shadekin to the floor.
Then I was through, and the shadows on the other side were dim enough to allow me passage through the locked doors and into the banquet hall, where my mate stood with his life in the hands of his son.