Transformation by M J Marlow (new reading TXT) 📖

head, “but I know where his father is. I can have a strike team there in five hours.” His smile was dark. “We will probably have to destroy the Chen to get to him.” “We can always have Bemin Tor create more,” Zoran shrugged. “I want the boy here before the bonding ceremony. Zen is going to prove herself by ending him for me before we are joined.” He accepted a goblet of wine. “Our domination over this world will soon be reality, gentlemen,” he said as he raised it in toast. “Let us drink to the delightful creature who will make this happen. To the Goddess!” “To the Goddess!” * Daren could feel her rage at what she had allowed to be done. He was glad that it had not been death. What Zoran had done could be reversedand forgotten. He promised her that all would be in place when she required it. Then he turned from the mirror,and returned to the Aerie where he chose four of his best, leaving the others to look after the caged villagers. His only worry was that the lady Sarit had managed to escape them. He launched into the airand headed west towards the Scourge with his several of his men. They arrived just as the sun was settingand Daren was impressed by the way the Shrine blended into the landscape. Only his contact with Marek, formed forever through the mirror linkand the joint bonding, kept him on track. He landed at the top of the stairsand the Chen guards hissedand prepared to attack. “The princess Zen,” Daren said softly, his hands out, “our cousinand Queen, sends us to her first mate, Marek Tor.” “You will stand fast, Bird King,” Chen’ya said as she went inside to deliver the message. The doors opened several moments laterand she motioned to Daren. “You alone, Bird King. Your fledglings will wait here.” Daren noddedand followed the woman into the Shrine. He had heard about this place but had lost his freedom before he could go to see the inside of it. His scholar’s fingers itched to readand study; his scientist’s mind ached to learn. He forgot all as he saw Bemin Tor. The man had aged as a result of his griefand guilt. Daren was tempted to move inand ease his torment. “Father, I…” Marek froze as he saw Daren. He set the disk he’d been holding downand approached slowly. “Prince Daren! Something has happened to Zen.” “Her father has her,” Daren told Marek bluntly. He saw Bemin stiffenand Marek’s fists clench in anger. “She was stolen from our Aerie while we were at slumber by Zoran’s witch, Sarit,and her followers.” He could see the questions in Marek’s mind. “We have no time for questions, Marek Tor. The Directive member of my uncle’s Triad will be here to find youand your father shortly.” He turned to the Chen. “You must get your entire clan in here at once. It is the only defensible position.” Daren went to the mirrorand pressed the symbol for the Aerie as Chen sent her mates running. “Thaya,” he asked as he saw the woman he had assigned to stand watch. “Has there been any further word regarding our Queen?” “Our scouts have had no sighting of her, my King,” Thaya replied. “There have been no transports, in or out of the Temple since she was taken, except the one carrying lord Reo towards your location, so she is still there. They are keeping her well hidden.” “The Shrine entrances have all been rigged to blow if anyone who does not know the code tries to open them from without, Bird King,” Chen’ya told him. “Thank you, Chen’ya,” Daren nodded. He turned to Thaya. “How are we progressing with our fertility problem?” “I was the first to undergo the pairing, my lord.” She laid her hand on her abdomen. “I am happy to report that Steydand I are expecting. My nest is being prepared now.” “A good choice of a mate, Thaya,” Daren smiled. He could feel Marek’s impatience. “I must go now. You know how to activate the link, if further reports are necessary.” He turned to Steyd. “You want first watch on the mirror, I’m thinking, Steyd.” “Daren,” Marek fairly bristled with rage now. “We need to talk.” Marek was still enraged when Daren finally followed him down the corridor to talk to him in private. “Tell me you didn’t force yourself on my mate, Daren.” “Your mate helped us, Marek,” Daren replied. He held Marek back as the boy came at him. “I would not ask her to dishonor her bond to you, but,” he continued as he looked at Marek sadly, “Zen was the only one I had a chance with.” He held up his fingerand Marek saw the mark. “She mated with me of her own free will.” “That was always the way of things, wasn’t it?” Marek saw the truth of it, as he looked at his own fingerand realized for the first time that an additional color had been added to it. How had he not seen it earlier, he wondered? “Now what? Do we fight over her?” “Once we have defeated her father,” Daren told him bluntly, “Zen will choose for herself who she wishes to be with. Perhaps she will choose to share herself with both of us.” He shook his head at the boy’s rage. “I do not understand your anger, Marek Tor. It was not unknown in our time for a man or a woman to have more than one mate.And, as a Goddess, Zen is allowed as many as she wishes.” “I will fight you,” Marek told Daren coldly. “You are not worthy of her, Daren Deis,and you know that.” “We have other things to worry about, Marek Tor,” Daren reminded him. “The Chen kits must be taken where they can come to no harm should this Shrine come under attack. Zen asks that you continue your search for the information, while you take the kits in hand and keep them safe.” “No,” Marek shook his head. “If you are going after Zen, I am going with you.” “We can not both go, Marek,” Daren told him bluntly. “It will take you a week to get to her. My menand I will be there in two days.” “Then I will start now,” Marek said, as he tried to get past the man. He froze as Daren pressed on a certain spot. “One of the benefits of a triple bonding, boy,” Daren whispered into Marek’s ear, while the younger man was frozen in place, “is that we all have control over the other, but in differing degrees. As I am stronger than you, I can place you under compulsion.” He looked a bit regretful as he pulled backand saw Marek’s anger. “You will continue your search for the information Zen is counting on you retrieving, Marek. You will oversee the arrangements for the kits to go into hiding. You will NOT do anything else.” He nodded down the hall. “My lieutenant, Steyd, will remain here to see to it that you do as you are asked.” Daren went back to the laboratoryand repeated his orders to Steyd. He frownedand Daren knew he was worrying about his chicks. He knew how that felt but reminded Steyd that the future of the Aerie hinged on their all being able to focus on their tasks. Steyd noddedand turned his gaze down the hall, frowning darkly. He went to find Marek, muttering about stubborn boysand Daren couldn’t agree more. “You ask a lot of the boy, Bird King,” Chen’ya noted as she looked up from her maps. “He is not used to being ordered.” “If he wants our mate back,” Daren snapped, “he’d better get used to it. Zen is counting on him to find that file. If he comes to her without it, everything could be lost. Our mate, our family,and our world are in danger. It’s not just about himand his wants now.” “I shall assist your lieutenant in reminding young Marek where his duty lies,” Chen’ya nodded. “Fly safe, Bird King.” “Stay safe, Cat Lady,” Daren bowed his head. * Zen watched as her father returned to his bedchamber. He was angryand that could mean only one thing, He was finding the search for Marek harder than he had hoped. Zoran poured himself a goblet of wineand sat back to look at her with a meaningful leer. Zen was glad she could not move, she was trembling at the thoughts coursing through his mind. He finished his wineand got up to get themisting bottle. It was time to replenish the querin that was covering her bodyand keeping her frozen. Once this was done, he sat backand just smiled as he looked at her. “You will be happy to hear that your cousinand his offspring are doing well, daughter,” he finally said. The door openedand he looked overand his smile widened. “The lady Sarit barely escaped their punishment with her skin intact.” “They were quite insistent that I be tried for sending you to your father, Princess,” Sarit laughed. She went to pour two glasses of wine. “Imagine.” She handed one of the glasses to Zoranand walked up to Zen. “She is such an exquisite child,” Sarit sighed as she ran her hand along Zen’s frozen arm. “It is a pity she is not more malleable.” “She is my daughter, Sarit,” Zoran smiled. “It is obvious that she is as strong-willed as I am,and equally determined,” he shook his head. “Trying to force her would make her less than she is. I want her intact for our joining.” He ran the back of his hand along Sarit’s arm. “Did you bring the sampler?” “Of course, my lord,” Sarit bowed her head. She went to get itand set it up on the cabinet next to Zen. She applied an antidote to the querinand put the IV line in Zen’s hand. “Subject Zen, take blood sample.” She took a sample from Zoran. “Sample Zoran, take blood sample. Analyzeand project. Reproduction potentialand offspring mutation rate.” “Subject Zen. Subject Zoran.” The machine screen displayed. “Reproduction potential 100%. Optimal. Offspring .002% chance of unacceptable mutation.” “You have done your work well, Sarit,” Zoran smiled as she freed the IV linesand turned off the machine. Zoran looked at his daughter, who was in shock. “Did you hear that, daughter? Youand I can reproduce.” He got up as he saw her anger. He stroked her cheek. “Our children will be godsand goddesses on this world.” He turned to Sarit. “Prepare her for me, Sarit. I will take her now.” Sarit bowed her headand she turned to smile at Zen. She got out her box of drugsand chose the perfect ones. Then she injected them into Zen’s veinand applied the antidote to the querin. She helped Zen sit down as the girls knees buckled. She was shaking as her muscles began to move again. Sarit stroked Zen’s hairand the girl looked up at her in anguish. “It is not as bad as you believe, Princess,” Sarit said as she cupped Zen’s chin in her hand. “I have been in his bed. Your father is a very gifted lover.” Zen choked out a soband Sarit patted her hand. “He will make you forget any other man you have ever known. Now,” she continued as she helped Zen to her feet, “let’s get you ready.” “No!” Zen cried in protestand shoved the woman aside. “I will not be party to this! It is wrong!” She ran to the doorand yanked it open. Her father was just coming back. Sarit grabbed her armsand pinned them behind her back. “Let me go!” “Daughter,” Zoran frowned as he saw Zen struggling. “You will cease fighting now.” Zen’s body frozeand she stood there, shaking in anger. “Thank you, Sarit,” he said as he moved towards his daughter. “Close the door on your way out.” “Please don’t