Transformation by M J Marlow (new reading TXT) 📖

she felt the pain easing. Her eyes openedand she looked up into Arienne’s smiling face. “There we are, Princess,” Arienne smiled gently. “You’ll be feeling better soon. No,” she said sternly, as Zen tried to sit up; “you are not quite ready to move yet.” She looked over her shoulder. “Your mate is awake now, Prince Bastian,” she said softly, “but try to keep her still. It’s going to be a while before the damage is completely undone.” “Beloved?” Bastian smiled as he took the seat Arienne vacated. He leaned down to kiss Zen on the forehead. He saw Zen smile weaklyand it was enough. “You had me worried, my lady.” “He wanted something he could no longer have,” Zen said softly, her voice a whisper. “What will happen to him now?” “He is with Leonin,” Bastian told her. “If your brother can not undo the damage your sire inflicted on your cousin, then the Governors will have him returned to stasis.” “The Nydare?” “They believed only what he told them,” Bastian told her, “and are not liable for his evil. Steydand Thaya have become Kingand Queen now. They have vowed to undo the damage that their sire inflicted during his illness.” “Is that what they call it?” Zen laughed,and then paled as pain hit. “Hurts.” “It will hurt for some time, beloved,” Bastian told her. “The roof fell in on you. It broke your legsand your back.And…’ “I lost a child,” Zen guessed what he did not wish to say. He noddedand she closed her eyes a moment. “It was an innocent. It should not have had to pay such a price.” Tears flowed down her cheeksand it was Bastian who wiped them away. “You did not give up on me, my love.” “You are my heart, my life,and my love,” Bastian told her, his hand resting against her cheek. “My life would end if you were not in it.” He saw the sadness in her eyesand knew she was thinking of her cousin. “Our children are doing well,” he changed the subject, giving her something else to think about. “They want their Mama.” “When can I see them?” Zen asked, a wave of weariness flowing over her. “Soon?” “If you allow yourself to rest, Princess,” Arienne said as she stepped forwardand gave Zen a sedative, “you should be able to see your babies tomorrow. Prince Bastian,” she said as Zen drifted off, ‘I wish to speak to you alone a moment.” They moved out into the corridor where Leonin was waiting with Marek, Chen’ya, the lord Tepitand his grandsons,and the lord Dregar. “The princess suffered a great deal more damage than we originally thought,” she told Bastianand the others. “We are doing what we can, but she is not growing any stronger. No,” she shook her head as she saw the shock on Bastian’s face, “she is not going to die, but her healing is going to be quite slow. We will have to keep her as immobile as possible until her bones have knitted.” She looked over at Leonin. “We don’t know how to undo the damage your cousin did to her mind, Prince Leonin,and I have a feeling this will distress her when she realizes she has lost that part of herself.” “I will come to her later,” Leonin nodded. He was on his feet. “I have someone I need to speak with.” “I want the children moved into the chamber with her,” Bastian told Arienne. “I realize this is your home, lady Tor, but…” “You are right,” Arienne nodded. “Your princess will rest easier if she knows your children are safeand well. I will see to it at once.” “Your lady is a dynamo, lord Tor,” Bastian said as he turned to Marek when Arienne strode away. “I understand that she refused to allow you to leave her behind when you made the strike on the fortress in Rizon’dur.” “She is like Zen in that way,” Marek nodded. “I had to practically restrain her when she found Zen. The roof was still threatening to come downand she was headed in without thought for herself.” “You have made an excellent choice in your mate, lord Tor,” Bastian smiled. “You would never be happy with the kind of woman who sits backand waits to be told what to do, or what to think.” * Leonin made his way to the prisonsand entered the cell where Daren was being kept in chains. Daren rose to his feet as he entered, his eyes coldand filled with rage. Leonin could feel the attack but he shrugged it off as if it meant nothing. Daren sat back, stunned. He realized that his cousin was not as helpless as he had believed. Leonin noddedand the thoughts he sent into Daren’s mind made the man shudder. “You were told to leave her alone, cousin,” Leonin said simply as he stood outside of the cell. “You disobeyed the direct order of the head of your house.” “I do not consider myself a member of the house of Deis, cousin,” Daren replied tightly. “When your sire did this to me, I became the head of my own house.” “You have lost that status now, Daren,” Leonin told him. “Steydand Thaya are the new rulers of the Nydare. You are outcast.” He saw his cousin frown. “You are still under my rule, cousin; no matter what you think. I could have you destroyed for what you did to my sister,” he continuedand saw Daren paying attention, “but that would be a waste of potential. So,” he stated coldly, “I am making arrangements to deliver you to the Temple. They plan on turning you into a tracker.” “They will chain my mind, Leonin!” “You cause too much damage when you are in control of it,” Leonin replied. “There is only one order I will burn into your mind. If they try to give you any order to come after those of your blood, the Chen, or the Nydare, you will relay a warning to them before you move.” He sent his mind flowing into Daren’s thenand permanently locked away any abilities that the Temple could use to cause true harm. “Enjoy your life as a Temple dog, cousin. You brought it on yourself.” “Leo!” Daren cried after him, pulling on his chains. “You can not do this to me! It is not your right!” Leonin made his way upstairsand nodded to Jenosand his team. They went down into the celland removed Daren. Leonin watched as they carried the unconscious man away, without even a moment’s remorse. His cousin had nearly killed Zen; the fact that he had been under a serious compulsion to do so meant nothing. Zoran had not had to push far to get Daren to believe he had such a right. Leonin waited until the Temple transport was goneand then he returned to the Tor household. “Sister,” he smiled as he sank down on the bed next to the sleeping Zen. “Let us see what we can do.” He went into her mindand saw the chains placed there. It was a crude chaining,and quite easy to reverse. Leonin was tempted to keep some of them in place, to make life easier for a brother-in-law he had true respect for. “You should never be chained so, little one,” he said as he continued his work, adding a new ability to her impressive repertoire. “That should help.” “Leo?” Zen’s eyes openedand she looked up at her brother. “Was it wise to give him to the enemy?” “He is now our stalking horse, sister,” Leo told her. “We will have advance warning if they mean to use him against us.” He stroked her cheek. “I understand that you grieve for the loss of the man he was, sister, but this is necessary.” “I don’t think Daren would agree with you,” Zen replied. She turned her head to look out the window, smiling as the sun came outand bathed her in its warmth. “I give you trust, brother. You apparently have more insight into how to fight the evil in this world than I do.” “I wish you to concentrate on raising your children now, little one,” Leonin said as he leaned downand kissed her forehead. “Steydand Thaya wish to raise your firstborn; keep him among the Nydare.” He saw her frown. “They will bring him to you for visits; they have no wish for him to lose both his parents.” “It might be kinder to have him believe that Steydand Thaya are his parents,” Zen said sadly. “I have never been part of his life.” She sent her mind through her bodyand saw the damage. “I am not going to be moving any time soon, am I?” “You are too weak to push the speed of healing right now,” Leonin told her as he stroked her hair. “I will not do it at this point,” he said as he saw her look. “You need time to regain your strength. Lord Torand his mate are taking very good care of youand your family while you mend.” * Daren woke up as Leonin was joining Zenand looked around the room he was in. He had been strapped down on webbingand any movement sent pain lancing through his body. A door openedand he glared at the Abbott Jenos as the man entered with technicians in tow. The techs moved to their machinesand checked the programsand connections to the wires placed at specific places on Daren’s body. “Your cousin has denied you your mate, prince Daren,” Jenos said as he looked into Daren’s eyes. “Your people have declared you outcast. The only place for you now is with us.” “I will not be your creature.” “Of course you will, prince,” Jenos smiled coldly, “if you want back what you have been denied.” He smiled as he saw he had Daren’s attention. “Prince Leonin has probably implanted commands for warning in your mind we can not undo. That is all right. We shall just have to make our plans with that in mind. What we will concentrate on,” he continued as he nodded to the technicians, “is the augmentation of the abilities he had left you,and the creation of others.” “You do not strip my will?” “Why should we do so, lord prince?” Jenos asked him. “We have the same goals, do we not?” Daren nodded as he saw the man’s mind. “We shall take out those who stand in the way of our rule,and you shall have the princess Zen back at your side. The only problem we might have,” he continued as the programs began, “is your wanting to move too fast on your final goal. If you promise me that you will follow the plan as it is laid out to you, I will leave your will your own.” “I do not trust your word, lord Jenos,” Daren hissed as he felt the first drug enter his system. “I am your prisoner now. You can tell me anything you wish to get me to lower my guards.” “I reserve the option of turning you into a brain-dead tool,” Jenos told him coldly, “for the first time you disobey your orders.” “You don’t mince words, do you?” “I find that things go far more smoothly,” Jenos smiled, “when everyone understands what is going on. While your mindand body are being altered, lord prince, to make you an optimum weapon,” he continued; “you will be questioned by our intelligence officers. Anything you can share with us to give us an advantage over our mutual enemies will be very greatly appreciated.” “How long?” Daren hissed as his body began to relax from the anesthetic. “Before you can be released on your first mission?” Jenos asked. Daren nodded. “The processingand programming will take a few days, maybe even weeks.” He saw the man beginning to relax. “It all depends on how quickly you heal.” Daren did not have time to ask what the