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

Prince Bastian that he will find his mate in Geem, a guest of Governor Tepit Ven. Warn him that the king Nydare is still looseand may seek retribution in other ways.” “You think the creature will go after her children?” the pilot queried as he keyed the message into the droneand sent it out to its destination. “He is that insane?” “His mind has been seriously damaged by what his uncle did to us,” Marek nodded. “How I am not as insane as he is,” he continued as he thought of his Arienne, “I owe to my lady wife. Her gentle healing kept me from falling over the brink.” The transport suddenly buckedand he looked at the controls. “What is happening?” “It is not a fault in the transport, my lord,” the pilot frowned as he checked the controls. The transport bucked againand there was a screeching sound from the back. “Something is attacking us.” “Zen!” Marek criedand ran back towards the cabins. As he did, the sound of screeching intensified,and was quickly followed by screams. He opened the cabin doorand saw Daren pulling Zen out of the hole created by his attack. Arienne lay in a corner, crumpled in a heap. “Daren! You must stop this!” “She is mine, Marek Tor!” Daren snarledand held on to the struggling Zen. “I will not be denied!” He looked over at Arienne. “If you value her, my former brother, you will not come after us.” He slugged Zen across the jawand she collapsed into his arms. Then, with one last cold look at Marek, he flew off with his prisoner. Marek went to Arienneand was relieved to see that she was unharmed. He was stunned to see the anger in her eyes, so out of keeping with her sweet nature. He helped her to her feetand she pushed him asideand ran to the hole in the bulkhead. He had to pull her back as the transport buckedand she started to fall. “He can’t be allowed to keep her, Marek,” she told him fiercely. “We have to go after them.” She saw his concern. “I couldn’t protect her,” Arienne cried. “He just swatted me aside like I was an insectand grabbed the princess.” “You are not coming…” “She will need a healer,” Arienne broke in fiercely. “He is determined to do damage for her denying him.” She saw his frownand laid her hands on his arm. “Marek,” she pleaded with him, “she was your mate! You can’t abandon her now.And I will not let that bastard get away with what he intends.” “Your father is not going to like me taking you into the field, Ari,” Marek frowned. He knew he had lost the argument already, but he made one last plea. “If anything happened to you, he would skin me alive.” “My father has protected me enough for one lifetime,” Arienne replied. “You know I am right, beloved. The longer we wait, the further ahead he gets.” Marek gave inand she kissed him. “You won’t regret this, beloved.” While Marek went to make arrangements for a new transport, Daren carried Zen east into the jungles of Rizon’dur. His scouts had found a long abandoned city there on an island in the center of a vast lake. It was perfect for the flock he had seen when he had inspected it. There was no direction they could be approachedand not see. Prisoners could not swim off the island; the lake was too large. Only the winged Nydare could comeand go. He looked down into Zen’s faceand mourned the loss of her wings. He would have to keep her without them until she accepted the renewal of their bond. It was the only way he could keep her under control. He carried her to the chamber at the top of the central towerand laid her down on the bed. There was only one way out of the room,and that was the way he had come in. “Wake now, beloved,” Daren said as he stroked her cheek. “We are home.” “Bastian?” Zen’s eyes openedand she saw Daren. She backed away from him, shaking her head. “What have you done, Daren?” “Merely returned you to your people, my Queen,” Daren replied. He remained where he wasand watched as she got upand went to the balcony. A shield kept her from stepping out of the chamber. “The shield has been coded to keep you in here, beloved,” he told her as she turned to glare at him. “Only myselfand those I choose to serve you can comeand go.” “You have to let me go, Daren,” Zen cried in protest. “I don’t belong to you anymore.” She moved away from him as he got upand came towards her. “You can cage me here, Daren,” she said coldly, “but I will never be anything but a prisoner to you now.” “You were my mate once, Zen,” Daren said as he backed her into a corner. “You will be so again.” “Never!” Zen exclaimed. “You can not force a bond, cousin. You know that!” “Then I shall just have to keep you here as a pet,” Daren said as he pressed her back, his body pinning her there, “until you relent.” He kissed her roughlyand heard her whimper. “You will change your mind, little cousin,” he smiled coldly as he ran his fingers over her lips. “I will have you back.” He backed awayand looked at her angry eyes. “Until then,” he laughed as he backed away, “enjoy your cage.” He stepped out onto the balcony, bowed to her with a mocking smiled,and flew off. Zen tried to follow him, but the shield held. She was forced to remain in the room he had put her in. Zen looked aroundand realized that the balcony was the only way out. There were no doors. But there were several other windows around the circular chamber, giving her a view of the fortress. Zen opened the patterned glassand leaned out. The nearest roof was at least twenty feet below her. If she tried to climb down, she would fall;and the fall would probably kill her. But wouldn’t death be preferable to being kept as a pet? “We have received a message from the Governors, my king,” Steyd said as Daren strode into his throne roomand sank down on the throne with a frown. “They are demanding the release of the Princess Bastian…” “There is no Princess here,” Daren broke in, anger flowing through him. “You will inform them so.” He saw Steyd’s uneasiness. “It is no lie. We have brought our Queen home, she is not a princess here.” “They are threatening retaliation on behalf of the prince Bastian, my king,” Steyd told him. “Surely war is not what you wish…” “If they come here,” Daren broke in coldly, “seeking to remove our Queen from our flock; then war is what they will get.” He looked at the younger Nydare male sternly. “Do you want to turn her over to them again? Her mind is damaged because of those non-wings, Steyd!” “They did a thorough job of it, my king,” Steyd nodded. “It is evil the way her sire made her believe that she was truly bonded to the prince Bastian; that she should no longer be a part of our flock.” His eyes were cold. “What is worse is that she does not remember your bond. She looks at you so coldly…” “We shall do what we can to help her remember the truth, Steyd,” Daren told the young one sadly. “Go deliver our answer to the Governors.” Once Steyd was gone, all semblance of sadnessand grief was swept away. A cold smile lit Daren’s face, one filled with intense triumphand satisfaction. “I will destroy them before I allow them to take her away again.” * Zen could feel Bastian’s mindand Leonin’s mind reaching out to hers. She could not reply; however. Something had been added to her food that was keeping her mind dulledand making it impossible for her to use her abilities. She was rendered to much the same state as she had been in Norest’un. Daren had not come near her for three days now,and she was getting moreand more anxious. He was not going to leave her alone forever. Zen’s mind conjured up all sorts of unpleasant images as she was left to ponder what he would do to her. “I would never harm, my sweet,” Daren’s voice sounded from the balcony entrance. Zen turned from the window overlooking the courtyardand saw his cold eyes belying his words. “You are my…” “Prisoner,” Zen provided a wordand saw his anger grow. “I did not come here willingly, Daren,” she continued as he came towards her, his fists clenched. “And I will not remain here willingly.” “Your will is the problem, little cousin,” Daren hissed. He caught her arm as she tried to move past himand yanked her back. “It’s time I did something about it.” “Let go of me, Daren,” Zen snapped, her eyes blazing in anger. “I am not yours! You have no rights to me any longer.” “I do not agree, Zen,” Daren said as he dragged her towards the bed. “And soon,” he laughed as he shoved her downand held her, “you will not fight any longer.” He drove his fangs into her throatand felt her stiffen in shock. A moment later, her body melted in response to the toxin. He looked down to see the anger in her eyes weakening. “I will remind you of how it was between us, my pretty Queen,” he said as his hands moved over her body. “You will want me again, if only as a bed mate.” Zen whimpered in protest as her body deserted her will. He had chained her mind so she could not fight the toxin’s effects. She lay next to him later, tears flowing down her cheeks, his arm holding her down. Her body was singing from what he had done to her, but her mind was shaking in rage. He had not right! She did not belong to him any longer. He might be able to control her physically; but he could not touch the part of her that she had shared with him once. She would never let him share that part of her again. His hand moved to her breastand she shuddered at his touch. She looked over to see him smiling at her in triumph. “I really don’t need to share that part of you, my sweet pet,” Daren told her coldly. “You please me well enough by sharing your delicious little body with me.” He drove his fangs into her throat againand Zen’s protests were swept away on waves of pleasure. “My beautiful mate,” he crooned as he moved over her again. “My angel.” Zen woke up several hours laterand found that he had gone. A meal was waiting for her on the tableand she got upand moved over to the table. She heard the rattle of chainand looked down to see the shackle on her ankle. She had been bound to a ring in the floor under the bed, she noted. Daren was taking no chances with her. Zen sat down at the tableand ate what she had been given, knowing it was drugged. She heard weapons fireand went to the balcony to see transports moving in on the fortress. A blast hit the towerand Zen cried out as a section of the roof fell inand struck her, pinning her legs. She blacked out from the agony sweeping through herand did not see the lord Dregar landing on the balcony. He entered the chamberand freed her. Then he carried her out through the hole in the roofand flew off. “Goddess?” Zen came awakeand whimpered as pain coursed through her body as she tried to sit. Someone held her downand she struck out at them, screaming as the movement brought fresh waves of pain. Cool hands stroked her aching bodyand