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

“She is mated to the king Nydare, brother,” Abbott Hyam reminded him. “That one will make trouble if we steal his Queen.” “Then that one will have to be led on false trails,” Jenos replied, “while his young mate finishes the task set for her by her sire.” “Your grandson, Aiden, is near there, Jenos,” Hyam answered the earlier question. He did not like the man, but he was not going to let that keep them from achieving their goals. “He can be in Norest’un in twelve hours.” “Send word,” Jenos nodded to one of the council guards. “Tell him he is to take the little Queen as quicklyand quietly as possible. He is to raise no alarms.” The word was sent quicklyand found Aiden Jenos a mere twenty minutes from Norest’un. He was a dark-haired version of Leonin Deis, though he was unaware of the fact. He walked into the villageand crept on, using his skills at night to approach the waterfall he had been told housed his prey. He found a surveillance placeand waited. His patience was rewarded the next morning when the king Nydare, Daren Deis, came out of the water that parted for him like a curtain. He turned, smiling,and Zen joined him, pulling his head down to hers so she could give him one last kiss. Aiden was enchanted. He had not been told the Princess was a beauty. It didn’t really matter; all that mattered was that the Temple wanted her. Gods, he thought as he watched them together, he wanted her. “I do not like leaving you alone, beloved,” Daren said as he finally released Zen. His hand moved up to cup her cheekand he smiled as she leaned into his touch. “I have only just found you again.” “Nothing parts us, my own,” Zen smiled up at him. “Not twenty five centuries of death-sleep, not the machinations of deranged menand women. Nothing!” She kissed him once more,and smiled as he released the final bonds on her mind to her. “Now we are whole!” she sighed. She shoved him away with a laugh. “Go now! Styedand Thaya are awaiting your blessing,and I have work to do.” Daren lifted up into the airand Zen watched him fly for a moment. She turnedand then froze as she heard something. She moved outand scanned the areaand Aiden was impressed. Very few people could hear him move. This girl was truly gifted. She turned to go back into her sanctuaryand fell as he sent the dart into her arm. He approached her cautiously, every sense alert for signs of attack, or trap. She lay there, bathed in the sunlight, glowing like the goddess she was. Aiden was almost afraid to touch her; the sudden thought that she would burn him entering his mind.And then he was burning. He looked at his flaming sleeve in disbeliefand looked at the girl. She was bathed in flame,and her eyes were opening. He hidand watched as she sat up, shaking in weakness. She rose to her feetand went back into her sanctuary. “So,” he said to himself as he crept away, “jevis is out of the question.” He had to take her now, Aiden knew; while she was weak. He approached the waterfalland found that he could not enter. As he wondered how he was going to get to her, the water partedand she was there. She had pulled on a simple grey wool gown,and her hair was loose around her. She saw the stranger standing thereand let out a cry of shock. Zen whirled backand he grabbed her, his hand over her noseand mouth. She collapsed as the air was not allowed to enter her lungsand he carried her off over his shoulder. He had her hoodedand boundand in his transport in under five minutes. “You certainly are a pretty creature,” he said as he ran his hand up her bare leg. “Pity I can’t enjoy you.” “Where?” Zen cried out as she came to. She knew she was not alone; the man’s alarm was plain as he backed away from her. “I am not letting you do this to me,” she said coldly. She shook her head, but the bag would not budge. At least this one was clear; she could see his face as he stepped closer,and she fell back in shock. It was her brother! “You’re dead,” she criedand backed away from Aiden. “You can’t be here.” “I’m sorry?” “You’re gone, Leo,” she cried softly. “You can’t be here. This is all a nightmare.” She closed her eyesand opened them again. “It’s not real!” “I can assure you, Princess,” Aiden said as he wondered if the girl was a lunatic, “that I am very real. My name is not Leo. It is Aiden Jenos.” He went to the controls. “I am taking you to the temple at Tavensur. A transport will be arriving there in a few days to take you to Celliera.” “I am not going,” Zen cried out softly. She tried once more to free herself from the hoodand the bonds, but she could not. “Please don’t do this to me,” she whimpered. “It’s too much!” Aiden heard her soft sighand turned to watch her collapse. He ran a quick analysis on herand knew she was fine. Simply overcome by the shock of her capture. He had seen it before; it was nothing new. What bothered him more was her insistence that he was this man, Leo. Who was this man?And how was he related to the pretty girl sleeping behind him? Aiden had never questioned what he was doing before. He had a very uncomfortable feeling that this girl could be the one prey that might just turn him from his course. He would have to limit his exposure to her, he decided. So when they arrived, he carried her to the priestesses’ quartersand turned her over to the women. He would stay in the guest roomsand leave the girls care to females. “We shall take excellent care of the princess, lord Aiden,” Liet bowed her head to him docilely. “She is a dear friend of ours.” “She has been here before?” Aiden asked. Another fact kept from him. He did not like it. “How is she known to you?” “The princess Zen is the lord Cardinal Omri’s consort,” Liet told him bluntly. She frowned as the man flinched. It was disturbing her what she was feeling at the sight of this perfect man standing in front of her. “He accepted her as such only three months ago, after her father died.” She bowed her head to hide her anger. “She was left aloneand needed a guardian.” “A consortand a guardian are two different things,” Aiden frowned. “I will make a report of this to the Council.” “Of course, lord Aiden,” Liet bowed her head. She watched him stride off, admiring his well-muscled form for a different angle. She closed the doorand turned towards Zen, who was still hoodedand bound. “Welcome back, Goddess,” Liet told her as she yanked Zen to her feet. “We have been eagerly awaiting your return.” Zen was dragged along the twistingand turning corridors in the priestesses’ quarters until she was quite lost. They went down a flight of stairsand down a long tunnel. It opened out into a large room. The priestesses were all waiting around an altar. Liet noddedand two priestesses stripped Zenand laid her down on the altar. They held her arms down as two others moved to hold her by the ankles. “If you were not here under the control of a Council hunter, Princess,” Liet hissed, “I would slit your throat nowand end you. But,” she smiled nastily as she pulled a vial out of her robe pocket, “I will do something far nastier.” She poured the contents into a syringe as she nodded to the women at her feetand they parted her legs. Zen shuddered as the syringe was slipped inside of her. “Your father’s seed, Princess. You are going to bear his child, as he intended.” She stroked Zen’s hair, smiling as Zen shook her head. “He was so excited about siring a child on you, Princess.And you had to destroy that dream. Youand your hateful mate.” “Liet, please…” “No protests, Princess,” Liet replied, her hand covering Zen’s mouth. “It is done.” Liet kissed Zenand the girl stiffened in shock. “You are such a pretty thing. I’m almost sorry to do this to you.” She went to the tunneland the other priestesses followed. Liet turned, her eyes coldand angry. “Almost.” Zen watched as a wall of rock shot down in the opening. She was trapped in this room, Zen realized. She got upand caught herself on the altar as the room spun around herand lowered her head waiting for the spell to pass. Once it did, she was on her feetand at the wall, looking for a way to make it open. She found nothingand fell to her knees, sobbing. This was not right, her mind screamed. Then she quietedand put her mind to a way out of her situation. She could feel the child anchored securely in her womband knew she could not destroy it. She pulled her gown back onand sank down into a corner to wait. They wanted this child, so she knew they were not going to let her starve. Once someone came through that wall, she would attack. She fell asleep making her plans for escape. * Aiden looked at Liet in disbelief. He had come to the priestesses’ quarters, seeking an audience with his charge. This woman had told him that the princess was not welland did not wish to speak to him. He had drawn on his title, his patronage, his standing, but it did not good. Liet stood firm. Aiden bowed his headand moved away, knowing the women were up to something. Was it at the princess’ instigation, he wondered; or was the child in danger. Omri had not worked alone when he had moved on her before. He found himself wandering into the Templeand he went to his kneesand prayed for guidance. That was when he felt the touch on his mind; familiar but strange. He turned his head to see the mirror on the wall,and he found himself moving towards it. “I trapped myself in here to save her, brother,” Leonin’s mind slammed into his the moment their eyes met. “Do not be an agent to harm her.” “Brother?” “Lord Aiden?” a priest asked as he wandered in. He saw where Aiden was lookingand looked ill at ease. “That is an evil thing. It should have been destroyed.” “It seem harmless enough,” Aiden said as he turned away from it. He hid the shudder that struck him as he saw the anguish in his twin’s eyes. “If it truly is an evil thing, then it should not be here. I will take it with meand turn it over to the Council.” The priest watched in shock as Aiden took the mirror off the walland carried it off. He remained frozen as his eyes followed the man to the guest rooms. Once Aiden had closed his door, the priest was running to Omri’s replacement. The man listenedand then shrugged. If the lord Aiden wanted the blasted thing, he told the priest; he was welcome to it. They had far more pressing matters than a mirror. Like how they were going to keep the young man from finding out what they had done to the princess. “Inspection?” the priest suggested. “Every council representative is taken on a tour of inspection, lord Cardinal. We just draw his out until we are ready to stage the phony escape.” “You shall be in charge of that,” the Cardinal nodded. He waved the sputtering priest out. “See to it.” While the priestsand priestesses plotted, Aiden leaned the mirror against a walland looked in at himself frozen inside. This was ridiculous, he told himself. It was a trick of the