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

– their son – to safety. He noddedand flew off with the boy, admiring his son’s calmness. When he arrived at the Aerie, he laid his son in Thaya’s arms. Then he turned to his men. They began to lay plans for rescuing their Queen from the hands of her captors. No one was going to keep her from them. * Zen woke up in the caveand shivered as she felt the collar around her throat. They had made a pet out of her! They would pay for such lack of respect. She sent her mind outand screamed as pain lanced through her brain in response. What had they done to her? She stumbled out of the caveand went to the pool. She was still winged, so they had not altered her form as she had feared they would. She was wearing a strange garment that tied at her neckand flowed down between her legs to cover her back to just below her wings. Ties from that wrapped around her bodyand knotted at her waist. Her legsand arms were completely bare, except for what she assumed were control shackles on her wrists. “Pretty bird,” Reo smiled as he came into the gardenand saw her kneeling by the pool to drink. She backed awayand found herself off her feet as her wings took over. “She flies! How glorious.” “What do you want?” Zen snapped as he unlocked the cage doorand came in with a box. “Sarit wanted a blood sample,” Reo told her. He opened the boxand showed her the instruments. “Will you cooperate?” “Have I a choice?” Zen asked, as she landed on her feet. She stood still as he came towards her to take his sample. Once he had it secured, she slapped him across the face. A moment later, her wrists snapped together with a ching of metal on metal. “You bastard!” “I’ll remember to do that first next time,” Reo smiled as he rubbed his cheek. “You have quite a blow for such a little thing, Princess.” He came towards herand she backed away as he reached out to touch her. He lowered his arm to his side, shrugging. “No matter. I’ll have you soon enough.” “Where is my son?” Zen demanded as he left the cage with his sample. He locked the door without answering. She rushed the barsand was screaming in pain as her hand connectedand she was punished. “What have you done to him?” Reo heard her screamsand laughed in delight. She was such a fierce creature. He was going to enjoy seeing if that translated into her bed play. He entered the laboratory where Saritand Omri were waiting,and turned over the sample. Sarit had it analyzedand smiled as she saw what she was looking for. She nodded to the guardsand they returned with a bruised Zen. Obviously she had not come quietly. As she was strapped into the surgical harness, explosions began to rock the complex. Reo got Zen out of the harnessand helped her out of the laboratory as more explosions went off. “You’re not taking her anywhere, lord Reo,” Sarit screamed. She drove her dagger into the man’s backand turned towards Zen. “You are mine, Princess!” She came at Zen as the ceiling began to crash down around them. Zen turned to runand Sarit grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her back. Zen felt the knife biting into her neck. “You are not going to leave here alive.” “You have no right to that decision, lady,” Omri said as he came up behind the womanand drove his dagger into Sarit’s back. He caught Zen as she fell with a cry of pain. “Poor angel,” he crooned as he picked Zen up in his armsand ran. “We’ll see to that cut in the transport.” “Where are you taking me?” “Back to the Temple, Princess,” Omri told her; “where you belong.” He got her out of the complexand into the transport. They watched as the complex folded in on itself. “That couldn’t have gone better.” “You did that?” Zen cried in shock as he led her to a cabinand shoved her inside. “Why?” “Because they were too small-minded,” Omri told her. “You are a Goddess, Princess Zen. You should be worshipped, not abused.” He nodded to the priestesses. “Tend to her needs now. See that the Goddess gets some rest.” Zen felt the injection stick strike herand she collapsed. Lietand the others got Zen up on her feet as Omri left. They tended the cut, stripped herand bathed her. Then they applied a perfumed salve to her bodyand dressed her in a golden gown cut to allow her wings freedom. They sat her downand combed out her hair, braiding the fronts with goldand silver cordand forming a coronet. The rest of her hair was left to flow loose down her back under a silverand gold netting set with diamondsand pearls. Then they helped her sit downand placed the sheer gold veil over her head, fastening it down with goldenand silver hair sticks set with diamonds, emeralds,and tiny goldenand silver bells. “Behold the Goddess!” Lietand Omri led Zen into the temple up the center aisle formed by the priestsand priestesses. Instead of an altar, a throne of crystaland gold sat on the dais. Zen’s mind quailed as she recognized it. Her father had been seated on such a throne the first time he had tried to chain her. They made her sit downand she tried to move. She was held fast. The doors openedand Zen’s mind screamed as she saw the lady Trel come down the aisle with a headpiece in her hands. It was a beautiful piece of work, but Zen knew it was not meant as mere decoration. As it was lowered onto her head, she could feel the chains descending on her mind. “Goddess!” Omri smiled, as he looked down at the frozen child, her expression now blank. “Your children kneel at your feetand pray our lives honor you.” He rose to his feetand turned to the assembly. “Behold our Goddess! Behold Zenyssa! She whose blood was shed to free our world from tyranny! Through Zen we know freedom,” he intoned as a cardinal struck a staff to the floor. “Through Zenyssa we know all!” “Through Zenyssa we know freedom,” the assembly repeated, their expressions rapt as they went on all foursand bowed their heads to the floor. “Through Zenyssa we know all!” “In the name of our Goddess,” Omri continued, his mind spinning out his plan, “we will return this world to true worship!” He nodded to the guards at the doors. “Bring forth the first supplicants.” Zen watched as a short round man dressed in drover outfit came down the aisle. Behind him, the villagers from Norest’un were herded in. They saw herand all of them fell to their knees in front of the throne, terrified. Her name sign had been burned on their foreheads. She could feel the power building in her as the symbol triggered the program that chained her to take action. She tried to fight what her own mind was doing, as it reached into their bodiesand altered their DNA, but it would not stop. The villagers began to writhe in pain as they were transformed into true beasts of burden. Where menand women had knelt, domesticated boret cried out softly. “Fortune to those who serve Her,” Omri intoned as the former villagers were herded away by a very ecstatic boret dealer. “Zenyssa!” As her name escalated through the Temple, Omri leaned close to Zen’s ear. “This is your life now, Princess; dispenser of punishment or blessing in accordance with my wishes. Each time you use your power, your mind is chained to mine further.” He laughed softly so only she could hear. “You will not need the headpiece on after this audience, for you will not remember that you had a life outside of our Temple.” He smiled so only she could see it. “You are the property of the temple of Tavensur now.” The torment continued as people were brought inand punished or blessed according to whatever Omri decided. She could feel his mind in hers forcing her to comply with him.And there was nothing she could do to stop him. She could not move a muscle as she sat in the chair. She could not cry for help. The audiences endedand her attendants led her out of the temple. The headpiece was removedand sent back to the temple for display. They helped her undressand bathed her as she stood in the center of a pool where flowers floated on the surface. Then they dressed her in a gown of sheerest goldand unbraided her hair, leaving it looseand flowing around her body. “You may leave us now,” Omri said as he came into the bedchamber they led her to. “The Goddess will not need your attendance until morning.” The priestesses bowedand left the chamber. Omri moved up to Zenand raised her eyes to his. “As your consort, it is my place alone to share your power.” “My consort?” Zen frowned. She had a brief flash of an image, of two images,and neither was this man. “Were you chosen by us?” “I was chosen, Goddess,” Omri bowed his head. “I would worship you as only a consort is allowed.” Zen inclined her headand he pushed her gown off of her shoulders, his eyes remaining on hers. As he began to kneel, his mind flowed into hers, telling her that this was what she wished. His hands caressed her body gently, expertly,and Zen melted. She fell to her kneesand he claimed her lips. Once they were through, he carried her to the bedand lowered her onto it. He laid next to her, smiling as she slept beside him. This was all he had known it would be, his mind sang as he stroked her breast idly. Her eyes openedand the warmth of pleasure dazzled him. He took her into his armsand what they shared blazed across his mind. She was his! He was hers! No one would ever part them! He looked down at his fingerand frowned. No bonding mark appeared. * Several weeks later, Zen was seated in the gardens with her attendants enjoying the warmth of a late Spring sun. Omri watched her from the shadows, his heart swelling with joy as he saw her loveliness enhanced by the light. She was truly the Goddess he had named her. He should have done this earlierand kept her inviolate for himself. Once he had taken out her other mate, she would be all his. Zen’s head came upand he wondered why she suddenly looked confused. He heard the sound of wingsand watched as a band of Nydare came towards her. Zen’s attendants screamedand called alarm as they ran for the guards. Zen rose to her feetand watched the Nydare land. Their king, Daren, stepped towards herand she cried out finally in confusionand pain. Then she collapsed. “You have done great harm, Omri Snow,” Daren said as he picked Zen up in his armsand turned to face the man. “She was never meant to be chained; she must remain free.” “Youand your people will suffer greatly for this act!” Omri cried as he ran forward to stop Daren. He was seconds too late. “You bring war on your flock, Daren Deis! I will not rest until every last one of your kind is punished!” Daren looked down into Zen’s pale face,and his only thought was for her. How dare Omri chain Zen as he had! Did he not realize the damage he was doing by forcing her to punish against her will? He arrived back at the Aerieand laid her down on their bed, frowning. He would have to chain her abilities until her mind returned to her. He could not have her harming herself or others in her confusion. He found a familiar knifeand pricked his finger. Then he pressed the blood over