Transformation by M J Marlow (new reading TXT) 📖

companions. They were doing as they had been told, looking as worried as she was. “He is destroying this child.” “Then we removed her from him just in time,” Hyram Ven said softly. “Grandfather was right to ask us to keep watch on her.” “But what did she mean she had ‘nothing left to fight with’?” his brother, Hyrod, asked. “She is our only hope of stopping the bastard.” “You are going to have to find other weapons,” the Healer told them. “The princess may never recover all she was.” she suddenly looked up. “What is that?” Hyramand his brother rose to their feetand watched as a cloud came their way. Then it became a band of winged beings with gray bodiesand black leathery wings. The Healer threw her body over Zen’s as the men headed for their weapons. The band was on them before they could get to them. They were bound to the treesand left hanging as one of the bat-like men, a Dregar, landed on the cart. It tossed the healer asideand picked Zen up in its arms. “The lord Bastian is anxious to have you back, Princess,” the creature said as it looked down into Zen’s fear-filled eyes. “We take you to him now.” “Bastian,” Zen sighedand collapsed. The Dregar picked her up in his arms as she remained in a trance-like state. Hyram managed to get freeand fired; making the creature let her go. Hyram ran to her sideand saw that she was out cold. He covered herand fired as the flock came at him. His brother joined him,and they drove off the creaturesand got Zen back to the cart. The healer checked Zen overand frowned as Zen grabbed her arm, her eyes pleading. “You have to let me go,” she said softly. “Please; I must go to him…” “Hush, child,” the Healer replied as she gave Zen a sedative. “You are confused.” Zen whimpered in protestand slipped down into what the Healer hoped was a restfuland peaceful sleep. “Her father has planted this compulsion in her mind,” she told the brothers. “The further we take her from his side, the more she will insist that she must return to the lord Bastian.” “I know lord Bastian,” Hyrod frowned. “He would not be a party to such a thing.” He thought it overand a plan began to form. “And so we have a way in.” He saw his brother’s question. “We will approach the lord Bastian along means heand I used during our days as Governors trackers. If he is honest in his desire to keep his princess safe, he will come.” “He will tell the Emperor…” “One of the conditions of his being given the rendezvous point,” Hyrod broke in, his mind filled with his plan, “will be that he tells no one of the meeting.” He sat backand his mind turned to memory. “Bastian is a good man. It is strange that the Emperor would choose him for his daughter.” “The bastard tried to bond with that daughter of his,” Hyram reminded him. “Why would he suddenly want to give her to a man who would treat her kindly?” He shook his head. “There is more going on here than we realize.” He looked over at Zen, who was still sleeping. “She has exhibited none of the power we were told she possessed. Since we took her, she has been just like any normal child faced with a situation that frightens her.” He slapped his forehead. “Her father has stolen that part of her; locked it away under his control.” “We have to find a way to free her from those chains,” his brother nodded, “before he activates his controls.” “And if he does?” Hyram asked, his eyes remaining on the sleeping girl. “What then?” “We shall have to do as she asked us, brother,” Hyrod told him bluntly, “and kill her.” * Zen could not understand what had happened to make her so emotional. She had never felt such a pull on her mind with her other mates. But she wanted Bastian; she needed Bastian,and these people were taking her away from him. They had not listened to her pleas. Instead, they had sedated herand traveled further. She felt like such a helpless child as nothing she tried could make them listen. They drove into a villageand she was taken into the Elder’s hutand shackled to the central post by her wrist. She tried to pull free of itand she was punished as power coursed through the metal into her body. “Why are you doing this to me?” she asked the man who was standing the doorway, watching her. “I have never done anything to hurt you. Why would you take me away from my lord Bastian?” “You’ll understand soon enough, Princess,” Hyrod replied, bowing his head to her. “Until then, make yourself comfortable.” He saw her looking at the shackleand felt guilty. “I apologize for the shackle, Princess, but we can take no chances with your safety.” “This is to keep me safe?” Zen choked. She sank down on the chair that her attendants brought over to her. “You must have a different definition for the word than I do.” She looked at him closely. “May I at least know who you are?” “In time,” Hyrod told her. “A meal will be brought in for youand your women shortly,” he continued. “If you require anything else to make your visit with us more enjoyable, please let the woman know.” He left the hutand found himself heading out of the village. It had been two days since he had sent the message to Bastian. He should arrive any moment now. Hyrod’s people had been running security sweeps of the valleyand there had been no sign of troops or transports moving in. So when he felt the muzzle of a weapon pressed against the back of his neck, he put his hands outand smiled. “You haven’t lost your touch, old friend,” he said simply as he turned. “You can still move as silent as a whisper.” “I did not come to relive old times, ‘Rod,” Bastian said coldly, even as he put the weapon back in its holster. “How is my princess?” “You actually have feelings for her?” Hyrod didn’t know why he was surprised. She was a very lovely child. “Given whose child she is,” he continued, “I would have thought…” “You would have been right,” Bastian broke in, “only a week ago.” He remembered the pain his people had suffered because of the bastard Emperor; pain he could do nothing to prevent if he were to keep his vantage point as a Governors Agent at the man’s side. “She is not the enemy, ‘Rod; her father is.” “He put a compulsion in her mind, Bast,” Hyrod informed him as they walked into the village. “She is unable to keep from wanting you.” “I did not want her that way,” Bastian frowned. “I thought I made myself clear to him.” He shook his head. “Why would I have thought he would listen?” He looked at Hyrod. “I wanted to love her honestly, ‘Rod, as she deserved.” He began to plan. “I am going to ask you to play along with my lead here, my friend.” “I give you trust,” Hyrod bowed his head. Bastian explained his plan as they went to the village. He waved his men downand they went to the hut where Zen was a prisoner. “Princess,” he called out as they entered, “I have a visitor for you.” Zen rose to her feetand looked past him to see Bastian coming through the door. His wrists were bound behind his backand his face was bruised from beating. Two men shoved him forwardand his wrists were freed; only long enough for his left wrist to be placed in a second shackle. Hyrod laughed at the anger in Bastian’s eyes. “Did you really think you could just walk in here, lord Bastian,” Hyrod laughed as he locked eyes with the man, “and we would hand the princess over to you?” “She is an innocent!” Bastian cried out in protest as he pulled Zen into his arms. “Your argument is with her sire. Let her go.” “Are you kidding?” Hyrod laughed. “The princess is our guarantee that her father will not do anything to harm us.” “Then you are a fool,” Bastian replied tightly. “If you do anything to harm his child, he will destroy your entire village.” “We’ll see,” Hyrod shrugged. “We now have two hostages to hold against his behavior.” He nodded to a slaveand she brought him a goblet of wine. “If he does anything to harm the emissaries we send him, you will be returned to him in pieces. His child,” he looked at Zenand his eyes ran up her body in a way she understood, “will disappear into the slave pens. He will never see her again.” “You bastard!” Bastian hissedand he pulled Zen closer. “You could have prevented this, lord Bastian,” Hyrod told him coldly. “We expected you to protect us from the Emperor. But you stood by while he took our lands, abused our children,and created monsters from those he held in chains. You,” he repeated as he finished his wineand met Bastian’s eyes, “did this to her; not us.” He rose to his feet, his eyes cold. “Enjoy what time you have together.” Heand his men left the hutand Bastian raised Zen’s eyes to his, hating the fear he saw there. She was so helpless without her powers. He had not realized how greatly having them locked away from her control would affect her. How could he have been so stupid? She was like a child who had suddenly lost their sight; the world was no longer one they understood. He kissed her on the foreheadand she moved into him, whimpering. “Don’t let them see that you’re afraid, my princess,” he said to her as he rested his chin on top of her headand cursed himself for a fool. “You must not give them such power.” “He means it, Bastian,” Zen sniffed. “He is going to murder you! I can’t let him hurt you,” she cried as she pulled away. “I can’t let anyone else be hurt.” She looked aroundand saw a jevis root on the table near him. “Hand me the jevis root, Bastian.” He did soand she began to chew on it. “You must pull as far away from me as you can get,” she told himand his doing so yanked her wristand arm up painfully. She ignored itand concentrated on what was happening. “Further, Bastian. I do not want you hurt.” Bastian did not understand what she was talking about. His answer came as he felt the heat mounting inside of her, cascading from her in sheets that made his skin cry out in pain. Flames began to course along her limbsand the metal shackle melted off of her. She pulled away from him as fabrics burst into flames around her. When it was over, she was on her knees, shaking in weakness. He pulled a cover off the bed near himand wrapped her in it, frowning as she pushed him away. “You must go, Bastian,” she said to him, her eyes showing her fear. “Now!” Her head snappedand she looked towards the door. “They are coming.” She looked at Bastianand her worry at his being hurt undid the chains on her mind. “Go!” Bastian cried out in pain as he felt the power striking him. He was thrust into lightand his body felt as if it were being contorted in every direction. When he recovered, he was standing in his throne room. Zoran was smiling, as if something he had planned had come to pass. Then Bastian knew the truth; he had planned this to happen. Zoran made a signand Bastian was put in shackles. “I knew if I put youand my daughter together, lord Bastian,” Zoran said as the man