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

each of the marks on her wrist. “What was yours to wield is now mine to guard,” he said as he ran his finger around her wrist. “What was yours to wield is now mine to hold.” He fell to his knees, shaking from the pain that struck him.And then he was screaming as his bones turned to flame. He held on, knowing that this was necessary. All that was Zen’s to wield flowed into himand he was astounded by it. Such power! No wonder his uncleand those other monsters had desired her. “What was yours to wield is now mine to wield.” Zen whimperedand struck out in her sleep, sensing the loss of something that was as much a part of her being as her hair, or her limbs. She opened her eyesand saw him leaning over her. Zen backed away, shaking her head. She looked around in confusion. This was not where she belonged. When Daren reached out to touch her, she ducked past his hand and ran blindly. She was falling through the airand she went over the ledge. Someone caught herand she looked up to see another winged man holding her by the wrists. Zen screamedand struggled, forcing the man to lower her to the ground. Zen backed away as the flock landed around her. “Calm, my Queen,” Daren said as he landedand they parted so he could go to her. “You are safe now! You are home.” “Home?” Zen shook her head. “I don’t know this place,” she protested as he continued to come towards her. “I don’t know you!” He caught her wrist as she tried to runand she slapped him. “You will not touch me!” “What have they done to our Queen?” Thaya cried in alarm. “Lady, you are a part of us. You belong to us.” Thaya frowned as she saw Zen’s confusion. “Why can you not remember?” “She will return to us,” Daren said as he pulled Zen into his arms. “She will remember us.” He looked at his flock. “Until that time, she is not allowed to roam without a guard. We have brought trouble down on the Aerie by freeing her so make certain that the shielding at the roof is set.” “We could not leave her in chains,” Steyd spoke up from where he was holding Thaya. “She is ours!” Daren nodded as he heard the others shouting agreement. He pulled Zen to his chestand rose up into the air. When they entered the chamber, he released her. Zen backed away from him, terrified,and he was angry. He went to the cabinetand poured out two goblets of wine. He handed one to herand she slapped it away. “I take nothing from you!” she criedand moved further away from him. “You will take me back where I belong.” “And where is that, my angel,” Daren asked bluntly, “if not among your own kind?” “I…” Zen had a brief flash of a memory but could not hold onto it. She sank down on the floor, sobbing. “I don’t know!” She looked up at him, tears flowing down her cheeks. “Why can’t I remember?” “Because those we rescued you from,” Daren told her candidly, “were destroying your mind in order to control you, my mate.” “Your mate?” Zen’s confusion mounted. “No,” she cried in alarm as Daren crouched down to help her up, “don’t touch me!” He grabbed her hand and showed her their bonding marksand her confusion mounted. “It’s a trick!” she snapped as she pulled her hand out of hisand backed off. “You tell me lies to keep me prisoner!” “Is this a lie?” Daren hissed as he dragged her over to the mirrorand showed her who she was. “Is this a trick?” He turned her around to face himand his lips claimed hers. He felt her terror remaining, her body stiffand unyielding. “You are Nydare. You are my Queen.And you are my beloved!” Zen slapped himand he grabbed her armand pinned it behind her back, forcing her up against his chest. He kissed her againand terror flooded through her. This creature was going to force her! As much as she struggled, however, it made no difference. Daren got her down on the bedand he pinned her beneath him. His eyes were filled with a myriad of emotions: pain, anguish, need,and anger. Zen struggled with even more violence as his head lowered towards hers,and then she screamed as his fangs punctured her neck. Pain was replaced by waves of pleasure that quickly had her moaning with need. He slid inside of herand she was lost as he took her with him to the heightsand joined her in the crash over the precipice. “You will remember us, my beloved,” Daren said as he looked down into her warm eyes. “Until you do,” he said as he pulled up a collar hanging from a chain fastened to the ring in the wall behind their bed, “I am afraid I must treat my Queen as my slave.” Zen turned her head away from him,and he was lost. He had hoped that a joining would free her, but it was too little. He went to the goldstone mirrorand laid his hand on the greenstone mirror symbol. Bemin Tor looked up, his face showing weariness. He had aged greatly since his son had been lost. “I have her back, Bemin Tor,” Daren said as he settled down in the chair before the mirror, “but her mind is locked away where I can not reach it.” He shook his head as he saw the man’s thoughts. “You can not allow guilt to cloud your mind, Bemin Tor,” Daren told him. “Zen needs your focus now, not your emotion.” He heard her sighand turned to see her eyes coming open. “I must return to her now. Keep searching for the means to free her, Bemin Tor. You may be our only hope.” He broke the linkand turned to find Zen sitting up, still looking confused. She felt the collarand was pulling on the chain holding her in place. “Are you remembering us any better now, beloved?” “Is this how the Nydare treat their mates?” Zen snapped at him as she raised the chain. “Chainsand force?” “I apologize that both are necessary,” Daren told her. “How can you have forgotten us so completely?” He had an idea. “Let me show you the results of the work you have done for our flock, beloved.” He removed her from the chainand she backed away from him. He found her gownand tossed it to her. “There are children here who would never have existed if you had not been one of us.” He held his hand out to her once she was dressed. “Come.” Zen did not take his hand but she followed him to the ledge. She looked out, confused. Was she supposed to fly? Daren shook his headand shoved her out. Zen started to falland then instinct took over. She haltedand hovered in the air shocked that this could be so. She really could fly. She saw the woman who had greeted her come towards her, smiling. “My lady!” Thaya cried in joy. “You are feeling better?” She saw Zen’s warinessand frowned. “Your mate,and our king, has asked me to show you to the nursery.” She indicated the direction. “If you would come, my lady.” Zen followed the other woman, marveling in the fact that she was flying. She set down inside the chamberand followed Thaya along the tunnels. They came into a large cavern filled with smaller chambers. She was stunned as she saw children playing inside. Some of the older ones already had their wingsand they were exercising them under the close eye of other females. The younger ones were learning how to walk, their wings only just forming. A golden haired boy with copper eyes turnedand saw her. He came running, his eyes dancing with delight. “Mama!” Zen thought he was going to Thaya, but he threw himself at herand she was stunned. How could this child be hers, Zen’s mind screamed? She had never had a child. The boy pulled away from her, frowning. He looked at her sadlyand stroked her cheek. Then he looked past herand joy returned to his eyes. “Papa!” “Hello, my little Leonin,” Daren laughed as he pulled his son into his arms. “How are you this fine day?” “Mama confused,” Leonin frowned as he looked over Daren’s shoulder at Zen. “She will get better,” Daren told him, following Leonin’s gaze towards Zen. “She has been illand we need to give her time to recover.” “Poor Mama,” Leonin frowned. He squirmed in Daren’s arms. “Down now, Papa.” Daren set him downand Leonin toddled off to rejoin his friends. Daren turned to see Zen eyeing him in terror. It was just not working, his mind told him. She was locked too deeply into the cage that Omri had fashioned. Daren stepped towards herand she ran from him. He followed, knowing she was going to do something stupid. That was Zen. He watched her launch off the ledgeand followed her with his eyes. She was heading straight for the shield, not realizing that it was a power grid. He flew after her, terrified that she would harm herself. He grabbed her by the ankle just shy of touching the gridand yanked her back. He pulled her into his arms as she struggled for release. He kissed herand she stiffened in shock. “I need you, beloved,” he groaned as he felt his patience unraveling. He drove his fangs into her neckand she moaned as the pleasure struck them both. He took her there, in mid-air, praying for some change in her mind. But when he looked into her eyes later, there was still confusion. “Oh my angel,” he sighed as he took her to their chamberand fastened the chain to her collar, “what am I going to do with you?” “Let me go,” Zen pleaded with him. “You’remistaking me for someone else,” she decided. “Someone who looks like me…” “You are unique, my angel,” Daren broke in, his hand moving to cup her cheek. He straddled her, needing to remain close to her. “There is no one else like you.” He pushed her down gently, pinning her arms up above her head. His fangs bit deepand she was whimpering with need in seconds of the toxin entering her bloodstream. “And you are mine.” He could not stop himself from what he did next. His mind slammed into hersand chained her to him. “Is that not true, my Queen?” “I am yours,” Zen nodded helplessly, wondering how she could ever have believed otherwise. She saw his sadnessand reached up to stroke his cheek. “Why so sad? Have I done something to displease you, my love?” “No, beloved,” Daren choked as he pulled her hands to his lips. “It was not anything you did.” * Zen was trapped inside of her body. Her mind was not hers to controland she was being forced to do things that she did not wish to do. She looked at the people kneeling before her with joy in their mindsand her mind slammed into theirs, her power twisted their DNAand altered them. She could feel their pain,and their terror, as they became other.And then he was leaning next to her, telling her that this was what he would make of her; a creature who had no feeling, who was only his tool. She had believed this man to be her friend, her mentor. But he had proven himself to be as false,and as greedy, as her father. “I trusted you, Omri Snow!” she screamed as he came towards her, his intent plain. “You have turned me into a monster!” “I have freed you to become the goddess you were meant to be,” the man replied. He held the headpiece in his hand. “Put this on, Princess. You will feel much better if you wear this.” Zen backed away, shaking