Chapter 33
Bressen
Praya shook her head again. “I’m sorry. I can’t. If Magdalene ever managed to get us together and draw the powers of the Creator and Nemesis out of us, it could be catastrophic. She could kill millions.”
“She already has the power to kill millions,” Cyra said, standing.
I sensed her frustration with Praya.
“She’s somehow created creatures, parasites, that bond with humans and take over their bodies,” Cyra said. “I’m not sure how many she has already, but I’ve seen a vision where she has thousands of them, enough for an entire army.”
“What?” It was Ariel who spoke this time as she pushed off the wall where she’d been leaning.
“That’s impossible,” Praya said. “Magdalene doesn’t have the power of the Creator. She couldn’t…”
“She can and has,” I said, rising as well. “Let me show you.”
Reluctance crossed Praya’s face.
“Please,” I said. “Let me show you what we’ve been dealing with.”
“Show me,” Ariel said, stepping forward. She sheathed her sword finally and set it aside.
“Ariel,” Praya warned.
“Let him show me,” she said to Praya, “and if it’s worth seeing, I’ll show you.”
It was a few seconds before Praya finally nodded.
I felt Ariel lower her mind shield, and I sent the images of the symbionts into her head.
I showed her the scene at the gambling den when we’d first fought the creatures, and I let her feel what I’d felt when I’d been wounded, and the thing had tried to crawl its way into me.
I showed her our confrontation with Magdalene and Sandrian at the temple and the vision Cyra had stolen from Magdalene of the army of symbionts stretched out across the land.
If possible, Ariel looked even paler than normal when I finished.
“That’s all true?” she asked. “Everything you showed me is real?”
“Yes,” I said. “Everything but the vision, which has yet to pass.”
Ariel turned to Praya. “You need to see this.”
There was a long pause as Praya presumably read her wife’s mind to see everything I’d just shown her.
Praya closed her eyes and shook her head. “That shouldn’t be possible. How could she have created those things?”
“Praya,” Ariel said seriously, “I think we should-”
Praya held up a hand, and Ariel immediately fell silent. Praya rose and went to stand in front of her wife. There was a long silence as the two presumably had a mental conversation about what to do.
I didn’t try to read their minds, but I could see clearly enough how the conversation was going in their faces.
Praya’s face showed signs of fear, and there was a look of pleading in her eyes.
Ariel’s face was resolute, only breaking now and then into a frown at something Praya must’ve said.
I saw the moment Ariel won their argument, because Praya’s lips pursed in resignation, and she gave a short, unhappy nod.
Praya turned back to us, and her attention jumped from me to Cyra before she heaved a deep sigh.
“Ariel and I will return to the continent with you. I’d hoped that putting myself out of Magdalene’s reach might dampen her ambition, but it seems she’s found a way around that, and we can no longer in good conscience remain in hiding. ”
The tension in my shoulders released. Even though I’d seen the outcome in their faces, I hadn’t let myself believe it until just now. I was surprised at how relieved I was they’d agreed to come back.
“Thank you,” I said. “We understand the sacrifice we’re asking you to make.
” I paused, not sure I should say the next part, but I decided to err on the side of honesty nevertheless.
“I should remind you that the three warriors you imprisoned are now free and looking for retribution, but we’ll do everything in our power to keep your return a secret from them and to protect you from any harm if they do learn you’ve returned. ”
Praya’s face faltered, and I guessed she’d forgotten about the warriors, but she nodded.
“We appreciate your forthrightness as well as your assurances of our safety,” she said. “With any luck, we can deal with Magdalene and return here before the warriors are any wiser. Just give us a few hours to pack some things and prepare the house to be vacant for a while.”
I nodded. “Let us know what we can do to help.”
“Can we portal back to the continent from here?” Cyra asked.
Praya shook her head. “It’s too far. We’ll have to get closer to land before we can portal anywhere.”
“There’s a stop we should make before we head back to Tide’s End,” I said. “We need to go to the battlefield on the border of Derridan and Rowe to see if anything of Morland’s body is still there.” I turned to Praya. “You’ll help us get Morland out of Aidan as well?”
She nodded. “Regardless of his crimes, the man should’ve died years ago. The Nemesis doesn’t take kindly to being denied the souls it’s due.”
Cyra and I exchanged a relieved look.
“I’ll start packing,” Ariel said as she turned toward where I assumed the bedroom was.
“I’ll help you,” Cyra said.
I started to offer my assistance as well, but I was cut short when Praya laid a hand on my arm.
“Lord Bressen, might I have a quick word with you alone?” she said as Cyra and the gargoyles followed Ariel into the back of the house to help pack. She cocked her head toward the front door, indicating I should follow her outside, so I did.
“What can I do for you?” I asked when we were alone.
“You can promise to be vigilant,” she said seriously.
I cocked a brow. “I’m always vigilant.”
“Not where Cyra is concerned. That’s how I was able to wipe your memory.
Given how powerful you are, I shouldn’t have been able to get into your mind, but Cyra’s mind magic is less powerful and less practiced than yours, so I slipped into her mind first. From there, I got into your mind through your connection with her because you were both too distracted by me kissing her. ”
My mouth slowly dropped open as she spoke. It hadn’t even occurred to me it was possible for someone to get into my mind through Cyra, but I supposed the situation with Morland had opened up a whole new realm of possibilities regarding mind magic that I’d never considered before.
“She’s your weak spot,” Praya went on, “but you can’t let her be.
I told you the mates of syphons are made to be their counterbalance, and that comes with responsibility.
Yours is heavier than most because the Hand of the Nemesis has always been the most dangerous of the three syphons.
There are ultimately consequences if any of us abuse our powers, but for Cyra, those consequences can be far more destructive and deadly. ”
I was careful to keep my face as neutral as possible.
One could argue Cyra had already abused her powers twice now, once with deadly consequences.
In truth, she didn’t do anything I myself hadn’t done in the past and much worse than her, but that only emphasized the truth of Praya’s words even more.
If it was my responsibility to keep Cyra in check, maybe it was her responsibility to do that for me now as well.
Praya angled her head to eye me. “Something you’d liked to share, Lord Bressen?”
Whether she’d read something in my face or in my mind, I wasn’t sure, but I gave her the barest hint of a smile.
“No,” I said. “Not at this time. Do you still have a channel into my mind?” Even as I asked, I let my powers search for possible incursions.
“No,” she said with an apologetic smile. “I was lucky to do it the first time. I wouldn’t dare try again.”
“While I have you,” I said, “maybe you can answer a couple more questions about syphons and their mates.”
“I will if I can,” Praya said.
Her eyes widened and she started to object as I pulled the front of my shirt out of my pants, but then she realized what I wanted to show her.
“Ah, the mark,” she said, looking at the crescent moon around my navel. “I suppose that showed up after you consummated your union?”
I smiled. “Sometime around then.”
Praya untucked her own shirt and showed me a ring of pale skin around her navel, not solid like the sphere Aidan had shown Cyra, but just the outline of a circle.
“You and Ariel have them as well,” I said, surprised.
“All syphons and their mates have them,” she said.
I frowned and shook my head. “That can’t be right. Lord Aidan and his husband have these marks as well, or similar ones in any case. Theirs are a solid circle.”
It was Praya’s turn to frown. “What? That’s not possible. I was told only syphons have these marks. Are you sure neither Lord Aidan nor his husband are syphons?”
“I’m fairly certain Aidan isn’t. His power is transfiguration. As for Aidan’s husband, Jasper is mortal.”
Praya’s brows shot up. “The Soul of the Sun mark appeared on a mortal? Are you sure?”
I paused. “Well, I haven’t seen Jasper’s mark myself, but Aidan says it’s there. I’ve only seen Aidan’s mark firsthand.”
Praya bit her lip as she considered this.
“You don’t know what it means?” I asked, and she shook her head.
“There’s something else I don’t understand about the marks,” I said.
“I’m almost a hundred and eighteen years old, and Cyra will only turn twenty-three soon, but according to the legend one of our priests told Cyra, the Souls of the Sun, Moon, and Earth were once singular beings that were split in two. How is that possible?”
Praya smiled. “Remember that myths and legends are really just fanciful ways to explain things we don’t understand,” she said. “They’re largely metaphorical and shouldn’t necessarily be taken at face value.”
I nodded. “Fair enough. But even so, is it normal for syphons and their mates to be born so far apart?”
Praya shrugged. “Ariel is nearly seventy years younger than me,” she said. “Mates are meant to find each other when they’re ready to be together. Can you honestly say you would’ve been the man Cyra needed you to be for her if you’d both met at twenty-two?”
I balked at the thought. Gods no. I’d been an arrogant idiot sowing his wild oats at that age. Chances are I would’ve fucked Cyra and moved on to my next conquest. Part of me hoped I would’ve known better, but I remembered all too well what I’d been like at that age.
“So if Cyra couldn’t become a syphon until Crissail died, and I was meant for Cyra, doesn’t that mean…” My mind reeled as I tried to wrap my head around the implications.
“That the gods always planned for things to work out just as they did?” Praya finished for me. “It seems that way.”
Then something else hit me.
“Does Magdalene have a mate?” I asked. “If she’s a syphon, wouldn’t she also be either a Soul of the Moon or Earth?”
Praya’s expression went grim.
“Magdalene had a mate, but she killed him,” she said. “He tried to check her power when she got ambitious and began to get out of hand, as was his responsibility, and she killed him for his efforts.”
“Gods above,” I said quietly.
“Remember what I said about your responsibility, Lord Bressen,” Praya said as she looked at me seriously.
“The other two syphons are also supposed to help check each other’s powers, but Magdalene has already gone rogue, and there’s not much I can do on my own against a Hand of the Nemesis.
You’re the only real protection the world has against Cyra if she… if things go wrong with her.”
I paused, choosing my words carefully. “Cyra has had a lot thrown at her in a very short time. I think she’ll be the first to admit she hasn’t always handled things well in some cases, but she isn’t an evil person. I trust her to make the right decisions when things are on the line.”
Praya gave me a small smile. “I’m sure you’re right and my concerns are unfounded,” she said.
She’s lying. Whatever Praya just said to you was a lie. Cyra’s voice sounded in my head suddenly, and I looked over Praya’s shoulder to see her standing in the doorway watching us.
What did she say? Cyra asked.
I’ll explain everything tonight when we’re alone, I replied into her mind. I’ve learned a number of other things you should know.
Praya caught where my attention had gone and looked behind her.
“Ah, come to reclaim your husband I see,” she said to Cyra with a smile. “I suppose I’ve monopolized him enough for now. I should go help Ariel pack anyway.”
Praya turned and went back into the house. Cyra moved out of the way to let her pass and came straight to me.
“What did she lie about?” she asked again, and I sighed. She wasn’t going to let it go until I told her.
“Praya has some concerns about you and your powers,” I said. “There’s a lot we need to discuss, though, and I don’t want to do it here. We’ll talk tonight.”
“Do you share her concerns?” she asked, and I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to answer that just yet, but I also couldn’t lie.
“I…have some concerns we can discuss tonight,” I said looking down at her again, “but mine aren’t the same as Praya’s.”
I felt her twinge of hurt.
“I told Praya that you’ve been going through a lot lately, but that I trust you to make good decisions,” I assured her, and her expression eased. “My concern is more for your well-being.” I paused. “There’s something you’re not telling me, and I need to know what it is.”
Cyra pursed her lips. “You’re right. We should talk tonight,” she said.
I wasn’t sure whether to be amused or concerned that she suddenly wasn’t quite so eager to speak now that I’d called out her own secret keeping. I lifted a hand to brush my thumb over her lips, and she kissed the pad of it. Before I knew it, my mouth was on hers, kissing her hungrily.
I pulled back before my cock hardened too much. This wasn’t exactly the time or place to fuck my wife, but apparently Cyra disagreed.
“Let’s go into the trees,” she said softly. “There must be some place we can go for a few minutes before we’re missed.”
That’s all it took to bring my cock the rest of the way, and I had to adjust my pants to ease the strain against my groin.
“Fuck,” I muttered. “You’re a gods damned temptress.”
“And you’re so easily led into temptation,” she countered, smiling.
I let my wings unfurl from my back as I grinned and pulled her against me. “Who needs to be led? I find it just fine on my own.”