Transformation, M J Marlow [thriller books to read .TXT] 📗

the same golden hue as this beings hair. “You are my cousin reborn.” “Your cousin was the progenitor of our kind, Princess,” the winged one told her. “It was his punishmentand our blessing. I am called Steyd.” He saw her confusion. “You do not know the pain that Prince Daren suffered because he meant to protect you. Come with us to the Aerieand we will share our history with you.” “You must not go with this creature, Princess,” the Elder cried in horror. “It will turn you into one of the walking dead. You will be its slave.” Zen saw the man’s fearand looked for the images that supported his claim. There were none. Whatever had fed this into this man’s mind; it was groundless. She looked into the mind of the winged manand saw no threat. But it was too soon for her to make such choices. She needed rest. She needed to be alone. She looked from one man to the other. “I will not decide this now,” she told them both. “I will go to my chamberand rest from my journey. Return, if you offer trust for trust, at this time tomorrow. No,” she snapped as the Elder stepped forward. He backed off, looking terrified. “I must have time to myself.” Zen moved off, leaving the two men watching her in disbelief. She would not let them order her. It was not their place to decide for her. It was no one’s place to decide for her. Only Marek had that right,and he was far from her. Zen felt her heartand mind begin to ache with longingand she struggled to control the tears. She arrived at the waterfalland parted the water to step into the chamber. It was as it had always been, a place of peace. She sank down on the thick cushions in the back chamberand allowed herself to sleep. She was secure here; no one could enter without her permission. She was looking around a cavern chamber in confusion. She had been asleep in the waterfall chamberand woken up to find herself in this strange place. She heard a fluttering soundand turned ot see Daren coming in from the opening, his wings flapping as he landed. His eyes were warm with regard for her, but not with familial thoughts. “No,” Zen protested as she saw what he planned. “I have a mate, Daren. I will not let you take that from me.” “You have no choice, Zen,” Daren told her harshly. “I have always wanted you.” He pulled her to him, his hands bruising her wrists as he held her close. “If I can not have you as a true mate; I will have you nonetheless.” He stiffened as her mind surged into hisand took control. In his eagerness to possess, he had forgotten that she was the one in control of him. He was on his knees, shaking in anger. “We need you, Zen,” he told her the truth about why he had brought her to the Aerie. “My children can not bear offspring.” “And you would force me to bear for you, cousin,” Zen hissed. She tried to get upand he held her down on the bed. “And if I refuse?” “There is no ‘refuse’, Zen,” Daren told her. “For the sake of my new race, little cousin, if not for the love you bore me once.” He saw her eyes soften at the memory. “I have always loved you, Zen. I became this,” he indicated his wings,and his fangs, “because of that love.” “If I give you a child, Daren,” Zen said softly, “I dishonor my bond with my mate.” She saw his anguish, could feel his pain. “How can you ask this of me?” “Your mate!” Daren spat. “Some weak mortal who was handy when you needed protection; nothing more.” He saw her angerand knew he was pushing, but he was desperate. “Forgive me, Zen. I will not believe you actually bonded with one of this age’s spawn. They are ignorant savages compared to what we were.” “And where is all of that now, Daren?” Zen asked him bluntly. She was angry. “It is always going to be what you want, Daren,” she cried. “I thought once you were a man above men. I was going to choose you.” She saw his smileand shook her head. “But you are no better than my father was!” “For that, pretty cousin,” Daren hissed, “there will be no freedom for you.” He clamped his hand on her throat. “I had meant to leave you as you are,” he continued as he flew her down to a laboratory level, “but you are now going to become one of us for real.” They entered a laboratoryand Thaya strapped Zen face down on a tableand administered a paralytic. She looked up to see Daren coming into the chamber. Daren stroked Zen’s backand smiled down at the fear in her eyes. He nodded towards Thayaand she brought over a machine Zen was very familiar with. Thaya took a sample of Zen’s bloodand put it into the machine. Her DNA sequence appeared on the first screenand Daren smiled. “With just a few tweaks hereand there, Zen, you will become Nydare.” He nodded to Thayaand she put some of her blood in the other receptacle. Her DNA sequence appeared on the second screen. “Bors,” Daren said to the verbal analyzer, “how do we alter DNA sequence one to match DNA sequence two in the matter of wings.” The sequences needing alteration glowed on Zen’s screenand Daren smiled. “Not so very different after all.” He pressed a controland a vial of the necessary drug shot out of the machine. “You are fortunate, Zen. My transformation was not nearly as gentle.” Zen closed her eyes as he injected the drug into her vein. A moment later pain ripped along her spineand she screamed in agony. Thaya brought over a leather tubeand put it in Zen’s mouth, strapping it in place. Zen still could not move, but the pain mountedand she nearly bit the tube in half to keep from screaming. She passed out finallyand did not see the wing buds springing out of her back. Over the next seventeen hours, during which time she received additional injections of the mutagen, Zen floated inand out of consciousness. Pain cameand went, leaving her body aching from muscle contractions. When it was over, a pair of golden wings tipped with copper rested on her back. Daren freed her from the strapsand flew her to his chamber. He spent the rest of the night stroking her wings, a pleased smile on his face. “Pretty bird,” Daren crooned. “I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake.” * Marek came awake as winged men threatened his mate. He got to his feetand began pacing in irritation, chafing at the chains she had placed on him. He had given her the right,and he understood why, but it made it no easier to accept. Only one thing made his enforced exile bearableand that was the Archives contained in the rooms along the massive tunnel complex beneath the main chamber. His father looked up as Marek entered the laboratory,and Marek shook his head. “I tried everything I could think of, Marek,” Bemin told his son bluntly. “Only Zen can remove whatever chains she placed on you.” He looked weary,and far older than his years. “I have wronged that child greatly. I should never have allowed Omri anywhere near her.” “He misled you, Father,” Marek told his sire. He had been told everything through his connection with Zen. “He offered you the finances you needed. He told you what he knew you wanted to hear in order to get close to her.” He laid his hand on Bemin’s shoulder. “You could not have known he would prove to be the same kind of man as her father.” “Omriand I together are worse than her father,” Bemin sighed. “I have been through the Archives again,and the thing Zoran did to his own nephew…” His face paled. “The man was a monster, Marek. He used his knowledge of genetic manipulation to turn his nephew into the sire of the Nydare. I’m afraid of what they might do to Zen if they find her.” “You think they might punish her,” Marek frowned, “for something her sire did?” He shook his head. “I have dealt with the Nydare, Father. They are an honorable people. They would not harm her for something she had no knowledge of. Especially if they knew she destroyed herself to allow others to destroy her sire.” He slammed his fist into the wall. “If only I could be with her. I don’t like that she’s out there on her own without protection.” “Why don’t you spend some time in the Archives, Marek?” Bemin suggested. “You might be able to find something I overlooked.” Marek noddedand left his father alone. He was glad of the time they had spent imprisoned in the Shrine; if only for the time heand his father now had to learn more of each other. Zen had seen to it that only the Chen could comeand go to bring in fresh supplies. He sank down at a tableand closed his eyes a moment. He wanted her so badly it hurt. “As I do you, my beloved.” “Zen?” Marek opened his eyesand she was standing in front of him. “How?” “We are bonded, my love,” Zen told himand looked around the Archives. “I felt your needand came through the mirrors.” Her mind was heavy with regret for what she had done to him. “I was wrong to chain you in this place, Marek, but it was the only way I could see to freeing you from our enemies.” She was pacing, her regret plain. “I did not know enough yet to make any other choice.” “You did what you felt was right, beloved,” Marek replied. “My fatherand I have been getting to know each other.” “Then I am content.” A sudden look of worry crossed her face as she saw what he wanted. “You will find what you seek when it is time for you to use it. For now,” she said as she held her arms out to him, “kiss me.” Marek did not need to be asked twice. He took her into his armsand kissed her, pouring out all his loveand longing into the kiss. She sighedand melted against himand he was lost to the pleasure they shared. Their longing for each other was evident as they touched mind-to-mind;and body-to-body. When it was over, she asked Bemin Tor to allow her to form the link to the greenstone mirror. He agreed, eager to see what this entailed. When it was over, heand Marek saw her adding the greenstone mark to the other two on her wrist. “I must go now,” Zen said sadly. She kissed her husband warmly,and kissed Bemin on the cheek. “Care for each other.” Marek felt her sadness at the parting as she stepped into the mirror. He cried outand reached for her, but she was gone. He remembered what she had told himand he returned to the texts, desperate now to find a way to be at her side once more. Zen left the goldstone mirror, ignoring Daren, who was glaring at her for using the mirror as she had. She was smiling as the joy of the joining washed through her a moment longer. She had wanted to be with himand she had gone. There was no need for true parting, if she could go to him at will. That knowledge lightened the pain of their separationand gave her strength. She got upand went to the water, catching some into her palmsand testing it. It was changed, but harmless. She drank deeplyand looked out over the valley, frowning as she felt the anger coming from the village. No, she shook her head, from the Seer. The woman’s mind was coldand