Margaret Bonham - Lachlei

Lochvaur struggled against the fetters on his wrists, ankles, and neck. Stripped and bloody, he met Areyn’s gaze with a feral look that spoke of hatred.

Areyn laughed. “So, you will destroy me, Lochvaur? Where is your power now that your sire is destroyed? Where is the great Rhyn’athel now?”

Lochvaur was facing Areyn, but he held Lachlei’s gaze. “He isn’t destroyed. You of all should know this.”

Ni’yah glanced meaningfully at Lachlei. If what he says is true, he knows more than I do but, it could be the ramblings of a madman .

“Rhyn’athel is gone,” Areyn replied with such finality that Lachlei closed her eyes. “Nothing survives the Fyr save that which belongs in it.” He turned and slammed his mace into Lochvaur. The Chi’lan warrior went limp in the chains. “I’ll deal with you later,” he growled.

Ni’yah had already transmuted into his wolf form and leapt at Areyn. The wolf ’s massive jaws closed around the death god’s gorget, but Areyn threw him off with ease. Suddenly, Ni’yah stood chained beside Lochvaur’s limp form, unable to move as the fetters wound around his body.

“Leave him alone,” Lachlei growled, raising her sword. It was a bold, defiant gesture, but one she knew was hopeless.

Areyn turned to Lachlei, his dark eyes considered the Chi’lan woman thoughtfully. “I think not,” he said with a sneer. “I think they’ll make fine pets. Don’t you think?”

“I think if you were as powerful as you say, you’d free them,” Lachlei said.

“They can’t hurt you.”

Areyn laughed. “A brave goad, Lachlei, but I think not. Even I know my own limitations when handling fellow Athel’cen and their spawn. Ni’yah, for all his meddling can indeed be dangerous. And Lochvaur…” He paused and his countenance darkened. “Lochvaur is dangerous indeed.”

“Why are you toying with me—certainly not to taunt me,” Lachlei said.

“Rhyn’athel is gone, Lachlei—the Fyr consumed him as it will consume all. You’re alone now, and you alone must make a choice.”

“Choice?” Lachlei snarled. “What choice could you offer me?”

“Lachlei, don’t listen!” Ni’yah said.

“Silence, cur!” Areyn snapped, and a muzzle twisted around the wolf-god’s jaws. “Your brother is gone, and as usual, you haven’t the power to deal with me.” He turned back to Lachlei. “He meddles in the affairs of mortals without understanding what damage he causes. Lachlei…” His tone was almost a throaty purr. “Lachlei, they’ve kept so much from you.”

Lachlei took a slow breath. “What have they kept from me?”

Delight flickered in Areyn’s dark eyes. “You don’t know, do you?” Areyn said. “Neither Ni’yah or Rhyn’athel bothered to tell you your destiny? Funny how that slipped their minds.”

“What destiny?”

“Lachlei, Rhyn’athel was never in love with you. Gods such as the Athel’cen are incapable of love. Oh, we have needs and desires, but they are much different than anything a mortal experiences….”

“That’s not true,” Lachlei said.

“Really? Did Rhyn’athel mind-link with you?” Areyn smiled as he saw the doubt form in her eyes. “Gods can’t mind-link with mortals, Lachlei, because we are very different from you. While you may satisfy us for a short time, there is no love, not as you know of it.”

Lachlei forced herself to stare ahead at the demon god, but her mind was reeling with his words. Could Areyn be telling the truth? Rhyn’athel had not offered to mind-link with her as first-bloods did. Perhaps Rhyn’athel did not because he was a god—in that case, Areyn was right, Rhyn’athel could not mind-link with her. She forced herself to recall Rhyn’athel’s last words. “Rhyn loves me.”

“Rhyn is it?” Areyn chuckled. “My, my, how he duped you! Poor girl!”

“Silence!” Lachlei snapped. She raised her sword defensively. “Would you like to feel Fyren ’s bite again?”

Areyn smiled, but his smile was patronizing. “Lachlei, don’t you think as a god, I could have anything I desire? Even you? Your pathetic attempts at defending yourself are hardly worth noticing. Still…” He grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know why ‘Rhyn’ was so eager to bed you?”

Lachlei’s face flushed slightly, but she kept her gaze steady and her guard up.

“The sons you’ll bear will change the balance of power,” Areyn remarked. “The Wyrd has shown us all this. Rhyn’athel naturally decided to seduce you to be certain it was his offspring, not mine.”

“That can’t be true…”

“Can’t it?” Areyn asked. He glanced at Ni’yah. “Why don’t you ask the meddler? He’ll tell you the truth.” With that, the muzzle slipped from the wolf ’s jaws.

Ni’yah moved his jaw back and forth in an effort to restore feeling to it. “Don’t believe him, Lachlei. Rhyn’athel loves you…”

“Is it true about my sons?” Lachlei asked. “Is that why Rhyn…”

“Lachlei, he’s twisting the truth around,” Ni’yah said. “That was a consequence of Rhyn’athel’s appearance in this world on the Wyrd…”

The muzzle snapped around his jaws once more, and the wolf-god tried fervently to paw it off. Areyn laughed. “You see, Lachlei? Ni’yah can’t deny that Rhyn’athel used you. I would’ve done the same, except Rhyn’athel kept such close guard over you; I couldn’t get my demons through.”

“The demons you sent after me…”

“Were to capture, not kill you,” Areyn Sehduk remarked. “I’m more honest about my intentions, even if they aren’t particularly honorable.”

“Why do you tell me this?” she said. “Why now—now that Rhyn’athel is…” She couldn’t finish her statement. The thought of Rhyn being gone for good was unbearable. Still, if the warrior god had tricked her as Areyn had said…

“Because there is a slight problem,” Areyn said. “Even though I have won, I don’t have full victory yet, Lachlei. Only you can give that to me.”

“How?” Lachlei asked.

“You carry Rhyn’athel’s sons already,” Areyn said darkly. “They should be my sons, not his.”

“I see,” Lachlei said, frowning. “If you’re so powerful, why don’t you simply change it?”

“It’s not that easy,” Areyn Sehduk admitted. “You’re a twice first-blood with blood from both that cur and from Rhyn’athel. I can kill you or even take you by force, but I can’t control you fully. Your power blocks my abilities.”

“My power?” Lachlei mused. What power? she wondered. As far as she knew, she had no great power—certainly none that she could use against Areyn. Unless …

Unless Rhyn’athel had left her some type of protection .

Her gaze strayed to Lochvaur, and saw he was conscious once more. His face was bloody and swollen, but Lochvaur held her with his own steady gaze, so reminiscent of Rhyn’athel. She glanced away, hoping that Areyn did not notice.

“Your power,” Areyn continued. “Lachlei, Rhyn’athel is gone now. I can restore this world to what it was and return the Lochvaur to you, if you wish. You can be the greatest Eleion queen in history.”

“Really?” she asked.

“I could bring back Fialan,” Areyn said slyly. “You know I could do it. Rhyn’athel granted me the souls of the dead when we first divided the Nine Worlds. I could return your beloved husband to you. And all I ask in return is for you to be my consort. To let me destroy Rhyn’athel’s sons and make you my queen.”

Lachlei’s gaze had shifted to the wolf-god’s steady gaze. He could not speak or even communicate to her in mindspeak, but his brass eyes spoke plainly. We are all lost if you give in to him .