Rise of the Faire-Amanti (The Ascendant Series Book 3)

  Then he cut the engine and passed out.

  Chapter 6

  Sunlight woke Kyr the next day. She slowly blinked awake, completely blanking on where she was. Why was the air so fresh-smelling? Was that a breeze she felt on her bare skin?

  Ty’s fingers were rhythmically stroking her hair, easing her confusion and alarm. She lay against his chest and over most of his body. Raising her head, she glanced around and realized they were on the floor of the land skimmer. Ty had pulled out some padded bedding and a thin blanket, which covered most of her back.

  We did it? she thought.

  One corner of his mouth lifted. Yep.

  Memories swiftly returned, as did a remembered sensual heat that made her bite her bottom lip and shift in an attempt to alleviate it. Ty’s hold tightened around her, probably trying to still her movements. Then she felt a hardness against her thigh that told her he was remembering, too.

  Their mouths met without a thought. This time, they made love slowly and leisurely, solely for their own pleasure. While it wasn’t as intense as what they had done the night before, it left Kyr more sated and content.

  I love you, Kyr, Ty thought as he filled her.

  Her heart squeezed and brightened, as it always did with him. I love you, Ty.

  Afterwards, they did what they could to get themselves in some semblance of order, using cleansing cloths and tooth cleaning supplies they had brought along. They got back into their flight gear and ate a quick meal of dried fruit and a flat, bread-like food that the Peace Keepers called patyna. Then they opened their minds to Sem and Gren, both of whom connected with them.

  We made it, Ty told them.

  I should hope so after all that, Sem returned.

  Kyr blinked as she picked up on thoughts from Gren and Sem that they had experienced at least part of what she and Ty had done the night before. Her mouth opened and closed, even though they weren’t conversing. Heat tickled her skin.

  Ty, on the other hand, shrugged it off philosophically. It’s done. Now we have to figure out where the hell we are so we can get to the palace.

  It’s a forested area, Kyr told them, sending through the view she had. There doesn’t seem to be anyone near here.

  There won’t be, Gren thought. No one resides near the protections.

  That’s what Kyr and Ty had already deduced, so they just sent through mental agreement. We’re going to have to do some more exploration to figure out where we are, Ty conveyed. The cover of the trees should work in our favor.

  Proceed with caution, Gren warned. We don’t know what tricks Vycor’s got up his sleeve.

  He knows the protections were breeched, Sem added. The Mynders who were generating the field last night contacted him shortly after it happened. I was there at the time. Vycor told me to send a crew after you. I had to do it to maintain my cover, but I waited until a few minutes ago.

  Kyr and Ty both picked up on the thoughts Sem tried to keep from them. Vycor had been asking him to do more and more questionable things, testing him. He wasn’t sure how much more he could handle without breaking. The thought had Kyr squeezing Ty’s hand and battling emotion. She knew Sem didn’t want them to know, so she did her best to push it from her thoughts. Her heart, however, continued to hurt for him.

  Scarlyt and I intend to head to the mine now that we know you’re through, Gren informed them. We want to extract Jenna and D’arl and see if we can start emptying the mine. It’s only a matter of time before Vycor turns his attention to the people there. The last thing we need is him somehow influencing the prisoners or harming them to make a point.

  All right, Ty thought. We’ll keep in touch and monitor your progress.

  Tell Scarlyt we said hi and good luck, Kyr added.

  Will do.

  When Gren closed off the connection, Kyr exchanged a look with Ty. He frowned as he perceived her thoughts. She knew he was reluctant to lose their mole within the palace, but he also agreed with her. She suspected there was even more to his thoughts about his cousin’s safety than she perceived, but she couldn’t pick up what it was. After a moment, he nodded.

  Sem, we want you to leave the palace, he thought.

  What? Why?

  The heat is going to be turned up now that Vycor suspects we’ve gotten through the protections. I don’t want him focusing on you.

  Don’t be ridiculous, Sem countered. Vycor’s been worried since you left that you might come back. This doesn’t change anything.

  Sem, Kyr argued, Vycor vowed to take revenge against Ty through his family. He won’t remain content to merely have you under his control. I don’t want you to suffer at his hand.

  Another subdued thought from Ty touched on her senses, but she couldn’t make it out. Sem distracted her from pursuing it.

  You need me here, he said, but the words lacked his usual arrogance and stubbornness.

  Head to the Dane megai, Ty told him. Meet up with the family and let them know we’re coming. We’ll meet you there.

  Look— Sem began.

  Please, Sem, Kyr pressed. I won’t be able to focus on what we need to do if I’m worried about you the entire time.

  There was a pause as he processed this. She could all but see his flirtatious grin fall into place.

  Worried about ol’ SemDane, are you Ma’jah?

  She barely refrained from rolling her eyes. Her lips twitched despite herself. She was so relieved to sense his usual personality coming through that she almost laughed.

  You’re always cause for worry, SemDane, she returned dryly. Now do as you’ve been ordered.

  I love it when you get all dominant with me. All right. I’m out. Now get the hell out of there.

  The connection closed. Kyr released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and once again met Ty’s gaze.

  “Thank you,” she murmured.

  He responded by kissing her. When he pulled away, he said, “Sem’s right. We’ve got to get moving. And since Vycor’s Mynders are on their way here, we’re going to have to ditch this skimmer.”

  Her eyebrows rose in question, but his explanation came through clear enough. He had explored a little further into the forest before they connected with Gren and Sem, and he knew the trees were too compact for them to maneuver the land vehicle. While they could try skirting the outside of the expansive forest, he had no way of knowing how far it stretched in either direction. They were too visible outside of the cover of the trees. Aside from that, the search party would probably be using one of the few remaining Alametrian vessels with radar. They would find them without much effort.

  So we have to hike? she asked, though she already knew the answer.

  Yes. This way, they’ll have to hunt us on foot. I’m sorry.

  She smiled as she checked the contents of one of the two packs Ty had packed for them. You don’t have to apologize. We’ll figure this out.

  I know you’re tired.

  Her smile didn’t falter. He was right. She was still feeling the effects of the power they had dispensed the night before. Exhaustion taunted her, but it didn’t diminish her resolve.

  You are, too, she thought. But we can rest when Vycor’s gone and all of this is over. Until then, we’ll do what we have to do.

  He hefted both packs over his shoulders with the canister of the Gift of the Yen-Ki before he pulled her close for another quick kiss. Is it any wonder that I love you so much?

  Nope. Now let’s go find out where in the world we are so we can kick Vycor’s ass.

  * * *

  Part of Ty’s training as the Dem-Shyr was learning how to track. He was especially skilled in tracking on his home planet. The benefit to that training now was that he knew well how to cover all signs of their passing. As they made their way deeper into the forest, he grew confident that they would evade their pursuers.

  Unfortunately, that didn’t help him figure out exactly where they were. Through the power of deduction, he had ruled out the Rowe and Borll megais. The
Rowe lived in a sterile, pod-like environment conducive to experimentation and innovation. The only forest in their homeland bordered the southwest corner of the Dane megai where both homelands touched the Vawn megai. Similarly, the Borll megai had few forested areas. Most of their homeland was flat and used for farming.

  In either case, a forest in one of those megais would be such a small stretch of trees that he and Kyr should have been able to cross it by mid-day. So as their hike stretched into the cool hours of the evening, he determined that they were either in the Wrym or Owar megai. That deduction allowed him to plot their course south using the sun and signs within the forest to guide him. Both the Wrym and the Owar megais were nearly due north of the palace.

  He would have continued on even after nightfall, but he knew Kyr needed to rest. Her thoughts had numbed with fatigue. She continued to push herself, but he saw no reason for them to overdo it. Instead, he found a clear stream within a quiet clearing and set the satchels on the thick carpet of green grass along the tree line.

  I can keep going, Kyr argued.

  Lifting an eyebrow, he used his fingertip to push at her shoulder. She nearly lost her balance and glowered at him as he caught her.

  He grinned. Sure you can. In the morning.

  Sighing, she sank against him rather than argue. He lifted her up and walked over to sit on the grass, propping his back against a wide tree and settling her on his lap. Her head fit neatly under his chin as her arms wove around him.

  They sat in comfortable silence for a while. The evening breeze caressed them, rustling the leaves and making the trees sway in an ancient dance of nature. It felt like a miracle to be outdoors and breathing without air canisters to aid them. He didn’t think he’d ever take such a thing for granted again.

  After a while, Kyr thought, Do you hear that?

  He listened carefully. Hear what?

  Exactly. It’s so quiet here. No thoughts but ours.

  She was right. Usually, there was a perpetual hum of thought running through their minds. Since they weren’t near anyone at the moment, it was blessedly quiet. Sem and Gren had also fully closed their connection with them, giving them some privacy.

  An unexpected sense of relief overtook him. For as long as he could remember, the thoughts of others had been a constant companion. Kyr had inherited that ability after they paired, as well. They hadn’t ever had a single moment together where there wasn’t some stress or pressure on them, or the fear of being caught together. Now, they had this one evening alone with no other thoughts weighing on their minds. It was another sort of miracle.

  He sensed that Kyr wanted a bath, so eventually he rose and placed her back on her own two feet so they could get undressed. Without having to speak or even think about it, they helped each other disrobe. Their hands and lips made frequent contact, showing love and tenderness without words.

  They used a small cake of soap and the cleansing cloth from their supplies and took turns washing each other in the refreshing stream water. Despite the cool temperature, they soon brought each other to a fevered state. He abandoned the cloth, using his hands on her supple skin. With the knowledge he held of her body, he coaxed her toward release again and again until she trembled against him, tugging insistently on the hair at the base of his neck until he sent her over.

  He took her as her muscles went limp in his arms, going slowly so he could savor the feeling of fully joining with her. Without conscious thought, power flowed between them, fueled by love and the inherent connection they shared.

  For the first time, he understood that their power was truly shared. He wasn’t just the Faire-Amanti because Kyr had declared it and he had accepted it. He was the Faire-Amanti because it was fated, because he could harness and wield the power they shared. The exchange of power that had occurred between them was equal, and not just the Ascendant gifting her abilities to him.

  You’re my equal in every way, TaeDane, she assured him.

  It was a perfect moment…one that he vowed to cling to throughout the inevitable hardships to come.

  Chapter 7

  Although Kyr wished that she and Ty could hide in this mysterious forest forever, she knew they had to keep moving and remain focused on their goal. It wasn’t the time for selfishness.

  Her eyes felt grainy as the faint light of dawn dappled the clearing around them. She struggled to keep her weariness from Ty, who watched her as she stretched and tried to rid herself of the soreness in her muscles caused by their several romantic encounters throughout the night. The grass was soft, but it wasn’t the most comfortable bed she’d ever slept in.

  Still, she thought a little resentfully, it wasn’t like Ty was bothered by it.

  Come and eat some breakfast before we get going, he urged, rising from where he had been squatting beside their satchels and helping her to her feet. The thought of the bland food they were carrying didn’t appeal to her in the least, but she nodded and took some of the dried fruit he handed her.

  I’ll look for some edible stuff as we hike today, he added, studying her face in a way that made her think he was evaluating her. I was focused on covering our tracks yesterday, but I’m sure we’ll find something.

  Hopefully civilization, she mused grumpily as she munched on the rubbery fruit.

  He smiled and brushed his fingers over her cheek, but she felt the concern he couldn’t hide from her. She guessed she looked wrecked, if his reaction was any gauge. It really wasn’t fair, considering she now shared his healing abilities. She should be just as invigorated and ready to go as he was. Was she really that out of shape compared to him?

  She supposed so. He’d been training all of his life, so this was nothing to him. There wasn’t much she could do about it. After eating as much of the food as she could stomach, she excused herself to see to her personal needs. She pinched her cheeks to try and give them some color when Ty wasn’t in direct sight of her, hoping they’d look flushed with healthy color instead of bruised. She took the time to scrub her face with the stream water, too, and by the time she was done, she felt more human.

  Keep your thoughts open, Ty told her as he lifted their satchels and the canister of the Gift and tossed everything over his shoulder with careless ease. That’ll be our first sign that we’re nearing civilization.

  She nodded, accepting his kiss before they started out. From that point, she knew he would be focused on their surroundings and keeping her safe.

  The first thoughts began trickling through around the time the sun was highest in the sky. Kyr waffled between disappointment that she was no longer alone in her thoughts with Ty and elation that they were nearing some form of civilization. The possibility of a hot meal, running water, and a serviceable bed helped pick up her pace.

  It didn’t take them long to hear enough thoughts to piece together that they were in the Wrym megai. Kyr knew this wasn’t the best news. Ty had hoped to be closer to the palace, but they were about as far as one could get outside of the Dark Lands. It was going to take some luck and planning to get from their location to the palace, and the longer it took, the more time they gave Vycor to enact whatever he had planned.

  Ty found some edible cones harvested from a meffal bush, so they stopped long enough to eat them for lunch and wash them down with water. Kyr found them marginally better than the dried fruit. At least they didn’t stick to her teeth.

  They took the time to change from their flight gear to the simple clothes they had packed in the satchels. Gren had helped them create plausible backgrounds and cover stories for each of the megais so that they could travel under disguise without raising any alarms. The fact that they could read thoughts would be helpful, too, and hopefully keep them from saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. They had no idea who within the megais might be under Vycor’s influence. One wrong move and the news of their plans would spread to the palace in the span of a single thought.

  If they were smart and careful though, they hoped to recruit some Alametrians to th
eir cause. Kyr also wanted to warn as many people as they could about what was happening at the palace. How else could people protect themselves?

  It was a very fine line to walk, trying to reason out who they could trust and who might turn them over to the closest Mynder guards. They would have to rely on their instincts and abilities to get them through.

  Kyr had thought to pack a head cloth among her things, knowing many Wrym females chose to cover their hair, so she pulled it out and tied it around her head. The only thing she didn’t have were shoes that would blend in. All of the Outcasts wore boots to protect their skin and pant legs from the harsh elements. Shoes were impractical. She’d have to wear her knee-high combat boots under the plain, ankle-length blue dress she wore and hope no one cared about her footwear.

  Ty wore a loose white shirt with long sleeves tucked into unadorned black pants, and black boots that looked like larger versions of hers. Despite the unassuming clothes, he looked every bit the forbidding protector of the Ascendant of Alametria.

  And you look like the Ascendant of Alametria, he thought with a wry smile. There are some things that a person can’t disguise.

  She sure hoped they were more successful at fooling others.

  They continued on after lunch, following the thoughts filtering through their minds. The closer they got to other people, the stronger the thoughts became. Kyr was encouraged when she picked up the thoughts of children as the forest thinned. It seemed highly unlikely that Vycor would have influenced a family with young children living on the outskirts of the Wrym megai. She also heard the thoughts of two parents, ranging from delight to worry to exasperation to humor.

  She was so absorbed in listening to their thoughts that she didn’t register when the thoughts became actual voices. The sounds of loud thrashing through the bushes to her right caught her attention, though.