Transformation by M J Marlow (new reading TXT) 📖

her head. She was grabbed by guardsand held in place. Omri approached her, the hated device in his hands. She could not let him chain her again! She could not let him destroy her mind! She attackedand he fell back, stunned. Then he was screaming as she turned him into a being of orangestone, the circlet frozen in the hands of the statue he had become. Zen screamedand sat up, looking around the bedchamber in confusion. She was in his armsand her terror easedand became something warmer. She looked up into Daren’s eyesand heard the chain falling away. Something cold was taken off of her throatand she saw the collar. She stroked his cheek, craving his forgiveness for making him go to such lengths to protect her. Then she felt the pains,and her mind returned to her. She was whole again, if not in control of her abilities. “Daren,” Zen sighed as she woke up hours laterand reached out for her husband. He was not there. She looked down for her child,and he was not there. She got upand wished she had her abilities. She was blind without them. “Daren?” She heard screamingand ran to the ledge to look out. Members of the flock were hanging in nets from an immense metal grid over the Aerie. The children! Zen hurried through the tunnels, knowing flight would make her known to their attackers. She arrived at the nursery to find it sealed away. Zen turned in relief; the children were safe. She thought of Daren, praying that he was still free. Then she made her way to the kitchens, found a knifeand went on the attack. She had freed five of the males before she felt something strike her in the back. Her back arched in reactionand her wings froze. She was falling with a cry of anger on her lips. Someone caught herand she was shoved inside of a cage with several other females. “The children are safe, my lady,” Enji, Thaya’s sister, whispered into Zen’s ear. “Thayaand Zibi got them into sanctuary before the attackers could find them.” “Who are these people?” Zen asked as she saw the men moving through the cavern, taking prisoners. “What do they want with us?” She did not like the looks of these menand a memory stirred. “They are slavers!” She looked at the other females. “Whatever they do, you must not show fear,” she told them. “These creatures thrive on the fearand helplessness of their victims.” The other females nodded, their pride of self quite strong. They were Nydare; they would not let these lesser beings break them. Zen was proud of them. She settled down on the floor of the cageand closed her eyes. She was brought back to alertness when she was jostled. The cages had been placed on cartsand were being pulled out of the Aerie by yoked boret. Zen bit her lip to keep from crying. They were taken down to the village where they waited for the netted males to join them. The captain of the slaver band sat down on a chair that his slave brought out to himand smiled. He was quite pleased with his haul, Zen saw. They would be the first Nydare ever seen in the reaches he sold in. Several of his men brought in a long wide cart on which an immense metal bar had been fastened. Zen saw the leg shackles built into the bar along either sideand knew what was about to happen. They would be put on that cart, shackled by the ankles,and then rolled onto a transport. “Bring their lord here,” the slaver Orto boomed. Everything was loud about the man, Zen noted, including his clothes. Daren was dragged across the yard, still netted,and dumped at the man’s feet. “Proud bird! Youand your flock are to be sold in the markets at Geem for your acts against the Celestial Temple. You have one chance for reprieve,” he said as he kicked Daren in the face. “Tell us which of the females is the Goddess you stole from them,and only you will be enslaved.” Daren glared back at himand he laughed. “I would have been disappointed if you had broken so easily.” He nodded to his men. “Make the creatures ready for transport.” Zenand the others rose to the feet as the slaver men came to their cages. They had clamps on long poles ready. Two of them stood on either side of the men with the catch poles to prevent escape. The doors were unlockedand Zen was pulled out, the clamp around her throat. She launched into the air, seeking freedomand power shot through her, punishing herand weakening her. By the time she recovered, she was in the first position on the right side of the bar, the shackle around her left ankle. The chain attached to it was too short for her to take wing. Even if she had, she knew that the bar was set with punishers for anyone who pulled on the chains too roughly. Daren was forced into the corresponding position on the other side of the bar. The transport landed in Geemand Zen found herself thinking of her first meeting with Marek. It had been a pleasant day, much like this one. She had been looking for a new knifeand had seen the one she wanted. When her hand touched it, his had been right on top of hers. He had not been happy to see he had competition. She had not been happy to see he thought she was a push-over simply because she was a child. They had haggled over who should purchase that silly little knife for almost an fifteen minutes before he had finally relented. Thus had begun their friendship. She choked as she saw that same merchant, that same stall, as they passed by. The merchantand all the others were on their knees as their party passed. “Lord Cardinal!” the slaver enthused as he went to kowtow. “You honor us with your presence.” He clapped his handsand a throne was brought outand put to the right of the stage under a shade. “For the lord Cardinal!” Omri sat downand nodded. The gong was struckand the slaveholders rose to their feet. The slaver smiledand began his spiel as a cage was rolled onto the stage. Zen saw Enji inside, her ankle shackledand chained to the floor of the cage on delicate golden chain. The cage openedand she was prodded out. “Is she not glorious, gentlemen?” the slaver smiled as he raised Enji’s head with the butt of his whip. “One of the Nydare,” he said, “a race created by the Goddess’ sire to delight her eye,and provide her with playmates.” The slaver ran the whip along Enji’s body, making her pose. “An angel to the eye,and a demoness in the bed. The opening asking bid is 500 cridats.” Zen wanted to scream as Enji was auctioned off like a piece of meat. When it was over, the Temple had purchased all of the females. Daren, where are you? Zen’s mind was screaming to him now, as she was led onto the auction block. She tired to keep her head down, but she could tell when Omri was aware of her. His mind blazed to alertnessand he was on his feet. He slapped the slaveholder across the faceand took off his own cloak to put around her body. She was led away by Lietand other priestesses as the auctions continued until the Temple purchased every male as well. Only Daren remained. He was brought in bound hand and foot to a thick metal frame. The slaver raised his headand the slaveholders backed up. His eyes were blazing with angerand he was straining the bonds. The slaver offered Daren as a beast of burden, but no one would purchase him. Even the Temple refused to touch him. “He will be sold to the Chen in the Scourge,” Omri told Zen with great delight as she lay in his arms in their guest rooms in the Geem temple an hour later. “They will break him, or they will eat him.” “Please, Omri,” Zen cried. “Don’t do that to him. All he ever wanted to do was keep me safe.” “He had you, Zen,” Omri snapped; his hand moving down to clamp her throat. He tightened his hold. “That creature had his hands on you! He is not fit to live!” He looked down into her defiant eyes. “If you can prove to me that you will not fight me, I may see fit to having him sold to the contests.” He ran his hand along her breast. “At least there, he will have a chance of life.” “He would not thank me for it,” Zen replied coldly, “if he knew the price I paid to give him that chance.” She met Omri’s eyes with anger. “No, Omri. The only way you get me willing is if you beat me.” “Very well, Goddess,” Omri shrugged. He pressed the manacles togetherand tied her wrists to the ring in the wall behind them. “I will content myself with my ability to make you scream.” * Daren knew her despairand her pain,and he bit his lip to keep from crying out in rage. He had wanted to give her the ability to fight, but he had seen the outcome. It was not yet time. They needed allies,and there was only one place he could find those; among the Chen in the Scourge. So he allowed himself to be boundand beaten as the slavers who thought they owned him took him to his destination. He had to content himself with the knowledge that his people were with Zen. If things got too hard for his mate, they had been told to take her with them when they escapedand head for the Shrine. They would make a stand at the Shrine. Days passed as the slow moving transport carried them deeperand deeper into the Scourge. His head was spinning from the latest series of blows to his head. He had been tripped as he carried a large box on his backand it had fallen. They had staked him downand taken turns kicking him, laughing at how powerful they were. Daren controlled his tongueand his temper. His shackle chain was shortened even further nowand he was shuffling as he was pulled along. The collar around his throat had rubbed his neck raw, but he did not complain. He would make them pay. They finally arrived at the Chen villageand he was shoved to his knees at Chen’ya’s feet. “This is what you offer us?” Chen’ya hissed as she pulled Daren’s head back by a grip on his hair. “There is hardly enough meat on this bird to keep us fed for an hour.” “He’s strongand docile,” the slaver told her, wanting to be rid of the beast. “He will make you a good beast for burden.” “He is not good to us in this condition,” Chen’ya hissed as she let goand kicked Daren over. “We’ll have to put more cridat into him to get him healthy than he is worth.” She saw the slaver’s eyesand knew she could not push further. “Very well,” she sighed dramatically. “We will take it.” She nodded to one of her mates. “Next time, bring us something worth having.” The slaver put the chain to Daren’s collar in her hand and she yanked on it. “Come along, beast. Let us decide whether to beat you or eat you.” Daren followed behind her, happy to be free of the slavers. His wings had been bound with lucen since he had been captured. He wanted to be free to soar the thermals, to feel the wind whistling in his ears. Right now, however, he would be just as happy to have a true bed to collapse upon. Chen’ya led him to her hutand put him inside a cage outside of it. She fastened the end