Rout of the Dem-Shyr (The Ascendant Series)

  She was a feast for the eyes.

  No, I didn’t pick this ridiculous dress, she thought. Apparently, Shaya did. I couldn’t get out of it without possibly getting the Wrym in trouble.

  Forcing himself to focus, he said, “Your guests have started to arrive.”

  “All right. Let me finish this cup of tea, then we can go.” Gren tasted it, she silently added.

  He nodded, not moving as she returned to the chaise and lifted the cup to her lips. His gaze remained on her deep rose-colored mouth as she swallowed the sip. Her makeup had been done in sultry tones more suited to an evening event than an afternoon one, he noted. Her eyes were lined with dark colors that made the unique blue irises even more vivid. Pink color swept along her cheekbones, giving them more definition. Combined with the sexy gown and the sophisticated upswept hairdo the Wrym had given her, Ty found himself wanting to lock her in her room for the rest of the night.

  Instead, a few minutes later, he took her arm as Gren and Luex led the way to the ballroom. The Two Mynders who had been manning the chamber doors fell into step behind them. He opened his senses, prepared to be on high alert for the next few hours.

  Kyr was formally announced when they reached the ballroom. Ty felt her nerves jangle as the doors opened for her entrance. He squeezed her arm and sent her reassuring thoughts that had her squaring her shoulders as they walked in.

  Unlike at the previous formal gatherings, there was no table set aside for Kyr. Trays of finger foods were being circulated by approved Wrym. Several long tables had been set with additional food offerings and beverages. Smaller tables throughout the room served as places where people could stop to eat or rest as the event wore on.

  Where would you like to begin? he asked as all eyes turned to them.

  Do you see Avana or my Kyndred?

  His gaze swept the room. Frowning, he realized Kyr’s friends weren’t there. Nor were the Guardians. In fact, all he saw as he looked around the room were males.

  Single Vawn males.

  He amended that thought as JuwalDane separated herself from a group and made her way over to them. There was obviously at least one other female in the room. But he suspected that she wasn’t there to celebrate Kyr’s Day of Life.

  She was there to pair Kyr with the Faire-Amanti.

  Chapter 11

  Kyr picked up Ty’s thought as Juwal approached. She wanted him to be wrong, but she knew in her heart that he wasn’t.

  “Hello, Ma’jah Kyr,” Juwal said when she reached them. “It’s a pleasure to see you, as always. A happy Day of Life to you.”

  “Thank you.”

  A moment of awkward silence followed. Kyr couldn’t help but notice Juwal’s captivating blue-green eyes brushing over Ty, who looked sexy as hell in his formal black and silver tunic. Whereas before Kyr had only suspected that Juwal was interested in Ty in more than a friendly way, now her growing abilities allowed her to interpret the female Mynder’s feelings.

  There was no doubt about it. Juwal wanted Ty. Unless Kyr staked her claim soon, things wouldn’t be pretty.

  “Have the Guardians arrived yet?” Kyr asked.

  The words came out more abruptly than she’d intended, causing several curious stares. She didn’t care. There was no more time to put things off. She had to speak with her parents now.

  Juwal’s brows drew together. “The Guardians? They won’t be here, Ma’jah.”

  Kyr’s heart dropped. “What?”

  “Guardian Shaya is still not up to such a public affair, I’m afraid. Her amanti wished to remain by her side.”

  Kyr took a moment to process the fact that her parents weren’t going to be attending her own Day of Life celebration and hadn’t bothered to mention it to her. Not only that, but they had turned it into a spectacle for her to be ogled by every available Vawn male in the area.

  Pain slashed at her. Ty gave her another reassuring squeeze, which helped her collect herself.

  “I see,” she finally said. “It won’t be the same without them.”

  Juwal smiled. “Well, at least it won’t be a total loss. Guardian Shaya had the wonderful idea of using this as an opportunity for me to find your match.”

  Kyr knew the pain she felt this time wasn’t only her own. She couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for Ty to see her dressed like this and paraded in front of all of these males. Surely he felt the undercurrent of longing rolling through the room, too. Even though every unmatched male was supposed to be under a state of repression, Kyr knew that lust didn’t always have to do with sex. Sometimes, power and the thirst for it was enough to drive men to dark emotions. Besides, even the state of sexual repression was questionable these days.

  “I’d rather not turn my Day of Life celebration into a matchmaking session,” Kyr said, forcing herself not to start wringing her hands. “I had hoped to spend time with those closest to me. I hardly recognize anyone in this room.”

  “Fear not, Ma’jah,” Juwal said with a wave of her hand. “This is the perfect opportunity for you to meet some of the males the Guardians have approved. I doubt it will take me much time at all to use my abilities to find your match.”

  Kyr’s stomach pitched. The scent of flowers and food suddenly nauseated her. There was no way she could do this.

  “It’s really a very simple matter,” Juwal continued. “I’ll use my abilities while you’re interacting with everyone. I can sense the power of a connection between two people. The more I open my abilities, the easier it is for me to see the compatibility. I’ll know when you’re interacting with the right match. Trust me.”

  That was more troubling than reassuring. What if Juwal saw the connection she had with Ty and mentioned it to the Guardians?

  You can control what she sees, Kyr. You’re more powerful than she is.

  Ty’s thoughts helped calm her. He was right. In fact, while she was at it, she would block all of the other stray thoughts from the room that were plaguing her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she drew forth her abilities and set the mental shields in place. When she opened her eyes, she was more focused and less panicked.

  “Is everything all right, Ma’jah?” Juwal asked.

  Kyr’s chin lifted. “Yes, thank you. I suppose if I’m supposed to find my match, I had best mingle. Are you going to be by my side the entire time?”

  “No, Ma’jah,” Juwal replied, sounding humored. “I can use my abilities from anywhere in the room. It actually helps me get a more accurate read if you and your potential match are both unaccompanied.”

  The female Mynder’s gaze moved to Ty, who didn’t even blink. “I go wherever the Ascendant goes,” he said in a cool voice.

  “Of course, Dem-Shyr,” Juwal said with a bow of her head. “Enjoy the festivities.”

  For some reason, the expression on Juwal’s face made Kyr’s lip want to curl. Turning from her, Kyr started randomly to the left side of the room with Ty at her side. She approached the first male who wasn’t in a group. His gaze didn’t lift from her breasts until she stood right in front of him, which annoyed her even more than it did Ty. She tapped into the crass male’s thoughts for a moment before replacing the shields.

  “Hello, Ma’jah,” he began. “I’m—”

  “ChevyrVawn,” she finished for him. “And you’re not my match. Enjoy the celebration.”

  Without another word, she moved onto the next male. His name was QuynVawn, or so she read from his thoughts. He hadn’t heard what she said to Chevyr because she had kept her voice low and the music was loud enough to cover most speech. He had, however, seen Chevyr’s befuddled reaction to what she’d said to him. She read Quyn’s curiosity in his thoughts as she approached.

  “Hello, Ma’jah,” he greeted her. “I’m—”

  “QuynVawn. And you’re not my match. Enjoy the celebration.”

  She felt Ty’s surprise and amusement over her behavior. Although she wasn’t doing this to entertain him, she was glad to feel some of his tension easing. If the
Guardians wanted to play games with her future, she’d step up to the plate. The time for respecting their role in her life had officially come to an end.

  Not long later, the crowd had thinned considerably. She saw Juwal talking to the last male she had denied and figured there wasn’t much time before the female Mynder did something to intervene. Kyr supposed she’d have to hurry up the pace.

  As she opened her mind and walked up to a male whose back was to her, she determined that he was someone she had met before. A couple of the other candidates had read similarly to this one. But there was an undercurrent of uncertainty in this male’s thoughts. He didn’t think he should be there, but he was afraid his absence would be questioned. Intrigued, Kyr stopped beside him and cleared her throat.

  He jumped and turned with a cup in his hand. The beverage sloshed out and dribbled onto his wrist and sleeve.

  “My apologies,” Kyr said.

  She reached for a napkin on a nearby table. Before she could hand it to him, Ty took it from her and did so. He conveyed suspicion of the other male.

  “LeoVawn, right?” she asked. “We met at the welcoming ceremony.”

  “Y-yes, Ma’jah,” he stammered.

  He dabbed at the spill, but his gaze moved from Kyr to Ty and then the floor, so he didn’t sop up much. She knew something was wrong. Opening her mind, she did a deeper scan of his thoughts.

  An image entered her head: her and Ty in the training room. Ty was kissing her, his hands moving along her body in a way Leo knew was forbidden.

  Gasping, Kyr replaced her mental shields. “It was you,” she whispered.

  “I-I don’t know what—”

  “No way,” Kyr interrupted, grasping Leo’s arm. “We need to talk.”

  Although he was larger than her, he followed her without resistance. Heads turned as she led him to a quiet corner. Surprisingly, Ty’s reaction to what she had discovered didn’t reach her. She guessed his own shields were firmly in place now, too. She knew he would keep anyone from approaching while she questioned Leo, which was all that mattered at the moment. As soon as they stopped, she made Leo look her in the eye. He looked miserable.

  “Start talking,” she said in a low voice.

  “I’m so sorry, Ma’jah,” he said equally as quietly. His face flooded with color. “This is dreadfully embarrassing.”

  “What is?” she pressed, wanting him to admit the truth.

  “I…I saw you and Dem-Shyr TaeDane being, um, intimate.”

  Even though she knew it, she sucked in a sharp breath over his confession. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought the spy would turn out to be this unassuming Vawn that she barely knew.

  “Please, Ma’jah,” Leo said, his brown eyes plaintive. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell a soul what I saw. I haven’t said anything to anyone, and I don’t intend to.”

  She read his sincerity, but had trouble believing it. “Why?”

  “Because…”

  He trailed off. His gaze drifted over her shoulder into the ballroom. Kyr followed it. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was looking at Zasha. The young Wrym was clearing a tray. She glanced in their direction before heading back to the kitchen.

  “I believe that Alametrians should have the right to choose with whom they pair,” Leo finished, his voice barely audible.

  His admission stunned Kyr. One thing she hadn’t considered about the fact that the repressions had been lifted from a number of people was this possible side effect. How many others felt this way? Could it end up being easier than she thought to convince everyone that her pairing with Ty was an acceptable thing?

  Shaking her head at herself, she returned her attention to the issue at hand. “Leo, what were you doing there that day? The training room is restricted. How did you even gain access to it?”

  His confusion was evident in his expression as well as his thoughts. “I’m not sure, Ma’jah. I’ve never been to that part of the palace before. I just had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to go there and open that door.”

  “But the door was locked. How did you get a key?”

  Leo shook his head. “The door wasn’t locked, Ma’jah.”

  Kyr considered this in silence. Unless her abilities were failing her, Leo was telling the truth. That meant that he had been influenced to go to the training room that day. Someone wanted him to see her and Ty.

  The question was who… and just as importantly, why?

  Chapter 12

  “Leo, I’m so sorry you’ve been put in such an awkward position,” Kyr said.

  She wanted to reach for the poor guy’s hand to comfort him. He looked so despondent. But she knew there were many gazes on them, not to mention a powerful female Mynder nearby. They had already drawn enough attention to themselves.

  “I believe you when you say that you won’t tell anyone what you saw,” she assured him. “I’m in your debt. We are in your debt.”

  Leo shook his head. “There is no need to thank me, Ma’jah.”

  “We both know that’s not true,” she said softly. “And as one way to thank you, I would like to put a protective block in your mind. I believe someone influenced you.”

  His lower jaw dropped. “What? But who…why?”

  Although she was pretty confident she knew the answer to both questions, she decided to keep that to herself. “I can only guess. But I know I can stop them from doing it again.”

  After a moment, his head bobbed in agreement. She stepped closer to him and took his hand, hiding the gesture behind Ty’s broad back. Her eyes stared into Leo’s as she delved into his mind. She found the traces of what she believed was Vycor’s influence and erected barriers around them. It was different from anything she’d done before, but she felt as though she had done enough to protect Leo from a similar intrusion.

  “That should do it,” she said, dropping his hand and stepping back.

  He blinked to clear his thoughts. “Thank you, Ma’jah. I’m not sure what to say.”

  “There isn’t anything you need to say. As I said, I’m in your debt. And I promise that as soon as I can, I’ll change things around here. I agree that Alametrians should be allowed to pick their own amanti.”

  His emotion touched her, reminding her that she hadn’t fully replaced her mental shields. In a way, she was glad. The brief flash of hope he felt made her feel better about everything.

  “Again, thank you,” he said roughly.

  She gave him a smile. “Don’t worry about it. Why don’t we part with the words I’ve been giving everyone else so you can move on with your evening?”

  “Sure.”

  “LeoVawn, you’re not my match. Enjoy the celebration.”

  Now, he returned her smile. “Of course, Ma’jah. I hope you enjoy it, too. Good luck.”

  Turning, she watched him go. All eyes were on him. More than a few people looked surprised when he didn’t stop and talk to anyone or have anything else to eat, but left the ballroom entirely. Kyr didn’t much care what everyone thought, however.

  “It seems he took your rejection well.”

  Kyr’s gaze shifted to her right at the sound of Vycor’s voice. He stood only a couple of feet away. Ty moved to stand between them, leaving just enough room for her to see around his arm.

  When had Vycor gotten there? Had he been able to glean anything from her conversation with Leo? His mental powers were considerable, and Leo was a Vawn without any mental abilities to speak of. Had she protected Leo’s mind before anything important escaped?

  Then again, she reminded herself, Vycor already knew about her love for Ty. The Advisor had overheard her telling Ty before the Ruvex Rite and used it as a threat against them, which had ultimately led Ty to threaten him in return. Was it really such a leap for Vycor to learn they were romantically involved? All Leo had seen was a kiss, for the love of Yen-Ki.

  “He took it better than some of the others have,” she replied, doing her best to sound bored.

  “I have a feelin
g all of the males here will soon face the same fate,” Vycor said, moving a step closer.

  She felt Ty’s body tense against her arm and wondered if she’d soon have a scene on her hands. “I’m surprised to see you here, Advisor. I thought only those unmatched males approved by the Guardians had been invited. I think we all know their thoughts on the matter. You’re no Vawn.”

  Vycor smiled. The look reminded her that she had once thought him handsome. It also reminded her that looks could be deceiving.

  “Indeed, Ma’jah. We both know that only a match with a Vawn will garner the Guardians’ approval. Fear not. I’m merely here to extend good wishes to you on behalf of the Guardians. I don’t intend to keep you from the search for your match.”

  Her temper flared. She knew he was pointing out that the Guardians wouldn’t approve Ty any likelier than him. She was also hurt and peeved that her parents had sent him rather than wishing her well themselves. Using her anger to fuel her, she gathered the courage she needed to speak her next words.

  “Since we’re here, Advisor, I’ve been meaning to request an audience with you. I believe it’s time I spoke with you alone.”

  There was no denying the shock from both Ty and Vycor over her statement. They glanced at each other for the first time since their last confrontation, then back at her. She did her best to maintain her calm, collected façade.

  “As the Advisor,” she continued, “you can bring me up-to-date on everything that has changed since I left Alametria for my life lessons. It’s obvious that things are different than they used to be. These changes are becoming more apparent as my powers grow. I think it only wise to consult with you so that I can better understand the structure implemented by you and the Guardians in my absence.”