Transformation by M J Marlow (new reading TXT) 📖

out of hiding. He looked at the hunterand saw the anger there. “You hunt a goddess?” Heand his staff were on their knees, bowing low before Zen. She ignored them as she had a woman bring her something to wear. She was used to silly people doing such silly things. If it made them happy, she thought as she dressed herself quickly, then let it be. She had to be on her way,and they were not stopping her. She had no reason to move against them. “Just cut us down, you oaf!” the first man cursed as he tried to struggle free. He watched the girl, who was ignoring them now that they were pinned. “Stay there, girl! You are going with us!” “I must answer the summons,” Zen repeated. “I would leave you something for the damage, sir,” she said as she bowed her headand left, “but these men robbed me of all.” She sent him an answer to a question she saw in his mindand saw the astonishment on his beefy face. “I pray that suffices.” Zen left the tavernand turned back the way they had brought her. She kept up a steady run,and did not pause her journey for three days, avoiding all the villagesand towns in her mounting desire to be where she was being drawn. She stopped inside the shadows of the trees along the stream where she had nearly fallen to the hunters on the fourth nightand slept, missing her little friendsand, truth be told, missing Marek Tor. Zen was dropped off the mount into the arms of a waiting guardand carried into the palace. He took her to a suite of roomsand turned her over to the women. They bathed her as she remained paralyzed by the drugand dressed her. They were just finishing combing out her hair when the doors openedand her father entered. The women went to their knees, bowing their heads, as Zoran approached his daughter. He cupped her chin in his hand and raised her eyes to his. Gold fire met gold iceand he smiled. She was as he had hoped she would be, strongand beautiful, a force of nature. “The paralysis should be easing now, Your Majesty,” a tall, long-limbed woman with her white hair braided with deep blue cord said as she came to his side. Zen knew this woman; she was her father’s torturer. “She will be ready to begin preparations for the bonding in a few hours.” “Then return to oversee them, lady Sarit,” Zoran nodded. He looked at the women. “Leave us!” Once the chambers were cleared he turned to Zen. “You have grown quite beautiful in the ten years we have been parted, daughter.” “And you, Father,” Zen forced out slowly, her voice returning to her, “have become depraved.” She tried to get upand her limbs were still too weak. She sank back down into the seatand saw his delight at her helplessness. “What you are planning is wrong! Can’t you see that?” “What I see,” Zoran replied as he ran him thumb along her lips, “is the means to my becoming a true power on this world.” “I am your daughter!” Zen protestedand tried to pull away from him. “Please stop this before it is too late!” “It is too late, child,” Zoran laughed as he leaned over her. “You are mine, Zen! No other man shall know you!” She struggled to wakefulness, her mindand body heavy with the remembered painand helplessnessand Marek was waiting for her. He had traveled hard that day, Zen noted; the dust of his run still clung to the leathers molded to his well-muscled frame. The lethargy vanished from her as she saw how he had come after her; he had known she was in trouble,and he had come to help her. Her mind was filled with a strange joy, a longing. Zen wondered at such thoughts in regards to this virtual stranger, even as she clamped down on them. She gave him acceptanceand he settled down near her, nodding to her as he dropped her belongings next to the fire. Zen did not know why their trails continued to cross but she did not care. He was tied to her through his father, whether either of them wished it. Their continued meetings were showing her that he was meant to be more than a travel companion to her. In him she found concernand companionship. With him she was not alone. “They will not stop, child,” Marek told her as they paused at the entrance to the western reaches two days laterand saw the scorched lands. “I must protect myself,” Zen replied with no trace of fear, only sadness at the inevitability of this action, “and only you can help me with that, Marek Tor.” “And how do I do that, child?” “I can only protect myself if I am joined to another, mindand body,” Zen told him bluntly. “You must be that one, Marek Tor,and then tell me my mindand body are still my own.” She frowned as she saw him shake his head, felt his concern,and a strange feeling entered her heartand mind. Belonging. “It is much I ask of you, but it is the only way.” “I would not,” Marek shook his head, wondering why he was refusing. “That joy is meant for another.” “Was,” Zen said softly. She remembered Daren nowand her heart nearly broke as she saw his horrified expression as his body… She shook her head to clear it of the image. “The one I had chosen to become my mate died trying to protect me.” She saw Marek’s mind,and knew he was adamant. “You are correct. We are unknown to each other.” She smiled at him. “Is the offer to join me as a travel companion still open?” “I would be honored to travel with you,” Marek nodded. He had seen the grief on her faceand knew that her chosen had not died easily. They continued on their trail for the next five daysand she spent most of each day on their travels roaming free from him, her childlike eagerness at discovering the a new plant or animal, bringing smiles to his face. He was finding it harderand harder to keep his resolve not to involve himself in her troubles. She would look up at him with those glorious golden eyesand his heart would ache. He wanted to hold her in his arms,and in his heart. But she was still grieving over the loss of the one who should have been at her side. He would catch it in her eyes as she turned to gaze into the fire at night. She shared her former life with himand he was horrified at what she had been forced to do because of her father’s choice. It was a wonder to him that she was still such an innocent after all of that. “I can’t remain chained to the past,” Zen said late on the fifth night of their travels together, “if this world is to have a future.” She looked at him,and he could see how serious she was. “We must join, Marek Tor.” “If I do thisand I do not tell you your mindand body are still your own,” Marek replied, his uneasiness plain as he realized what she meant, “you will belong to me. I could make you a slave.” “I offer you all that I am with my trust, Marek Tor,” Zen said to him, looking up into his world-weary eyes. “Would you return betrayal?” She saw his mindand shook her head. “No, you would not.” She quieted a momentand then nodded. “Knowing this, I offer you knowledge.” She freed her hair,and it hung around her slim form like a silken cloak. The spell of her under the moonlight, waiting for his touch with a certainty of the rightness of this choice, made him feel uncertain. Then she held her hand out to him,and he knew this was meant to be. He removed his clothingand then hers. They became joined in mindand body as the light of the two moons bathed them in its light. The beac flies swarmed around them, fashioning a curtain that protected them from the sight of others. “I am Zen,” her voice sounded out of the midst of the light. “And we are one. No other can control me now.” Marek had never felt anything more wondrous. He also felt completely unworthy of the gift she had given him. He looked down into her warm golden eyesand reached out to stroke her silken skin. She was his now, his mind sang. He could hold her by this bondand she would be forever his to controland command. This was what she feared, he saw the truth of it. Some men would take advantage of her giftand chain her, but Marek could not. Marek raised his left hand with hersand watched in wonder as light began to spin around his ring finger. He felt such joyand such belonging as a design began to form there out of the very light itself. The mark of bonding, her mind told him; proof that she had been right in her choice,and he in his acceptance, of this act. She stepped away a momentand he saw a cord of light between her fingerand his. The look of joy on her face made his heart ache. “One,” Marek nodded, “but separate.” This had to be so, he told himself. He could not enslave her. She needed freedom. “Your mindand your body are yours, Zen. I would be your partner, not your master.” He looked down into her sweet faceand wondered at her tears. “What we have shared is a joyous event, little one. Do not cry.” “You have given me all you are,” Zen smiled as she stroked his cheek. “You are a part of me, nowand forever.” She clasped his hand as the tattoos of bonding on their fingers, lost some of the intensity of the lightand appeared etched in blackand golden against their skins. “If I did the same at this moment, Marek Tor,” she said with some regret, “it would destroy you.” She sighed with pleasure as he ran his hand along her arm,and felt joy surging through her mind. “The knowledge is in your mind, Marek Tor,” she told him as she stroked his cheek, her eyes shining in wonder, “and it shall be released to you as time passes until you know me as I now know you.” “You have given me back my heart, Zen,” Marek told her honestly. “That is enough.” He kissed her on the forehead as he settled her down against him. “Sleep now, my angel.” She closed her eyesand they fell asleep, the beac swarm settling over themand forming protection against the nightand the cold. When she had the memories cloaked as dreams, he was with her. He saw what she had been taken captive to face. He felt her painand her anger,and he shared her joy as she took her life to stop her father from enslaving their world. His eyes shot openand she looked down at the beauty in his arms, his mind filled with wonder. “You believe me worthy of a gift such as yourself,” Marek said softly as he laid his cheek next to hers. “May I prove myself to be the man you judge me.” When the sun was just beginning to rise, Zen dressedand left him. She needed to roam ahead, to seek out the one who had brought her to life. Marek rose to find her goneand he smiled as her mind came into his, warmand loving, filled with joyand gratitude. What they had shared in the night was something he had never experienced in his life. The depth of the bonding was more than he had expected,and it was increasing with every moment that passed. He found her trail easily; their bonding had given him the ability to sense her,and he headed