The Unveiling (D'Shar Men 2)

“You’re welcome.” He took a seat beside her, and they devoured their food. The sound of chewing and swallowing filled the silent room. Full, she sipped on her water.

“That really hit the spot. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Riv.” The nickname sounded sinful on his lips. She opened her mouth to speak and swayed, clutching her chair. Large arms wrapped around her, keeping her upright.

“What’s wrong, Rivka?”

“The spirits are speaking to me…”

****

Bastien’s stomach dropped. Her hair had turned a deep blue, and heat poured off her body like a sauna. When she opened her eyes they were a familiar green.

“Rivka?”

“Not anymore.” The voice belonged to the woman from his dreams.

“What are you doing to her?”

“Using her as a means of communications, my time here is short. Kade must go on his mission soon, and Ivy Guerin must accompany. The knowledge they’ll gain will be needed to defeat Tavel. His greed has blinded him, overruled his logic. He wishes to enslave the humans on this planet.”

“What!”

“The sanity he held on to by a string has been lost.”

“What can I do?”

“Strengthen your bond with Rivka, train her. She is destined to stand beside you in the final showdown.”

“No.”

“It’s not your choice to make. Her fate was written down long before now. You were brought together for a reason. You’ve much to compensate for. Blood covers your hands. This will make things right, end your cycle of pain and tragedy. For far too long the two of you have waited for an opportunity like this to be redeemed.”

“I-I don’t understand. What cycle?”

“I will touch you, and the truth will be unlocked.” She touched the tip if her index finger to his forehead. “See.”

His vision tunneled, and the present melted away to reveal the past. Suddenly he was surrounded by a large, brown tent full of warm equipment. He sat in a chair, in front of a table with a giant map. He was watching what happened as the man he inhabited, experiencing his emotions as his own.

He cleaned his sword meticulously with a cloth as he waited for his men to finish gathering their gear so they could march on to Vernsta and launch the first attack of what he knew would be many. He’d never imagined once her sister died, people would look to Selia. Not after she’d been disowned. Then she’d be taken. His stomach lurched. The first time Selia was forced to control the weather the new life growing in her womb had been extinguished. The thought had once brought him to tears. Now it fueled his rage.

He would have his revenge on everyone who helped Ekend. The malicious mad man controlled their people through his wife. Her ability to control the weather and predict the future was never meant to be wielded as a weapon. He could feel her soul crying out for the injustices done and the pain she’d caused. A symbol of hope and love had been twisted into an ugly black shadow that caused fear, pain, and devastation. When it snowed in Riksha, a land which never saw more than a sprinkling of rain, its people had been brought to their knees, forcing the King’s hand. His pride wasn’t worth more than his people’s life, nor his throne. He yielded to Ekend, became the ultimate example of what happened to those who did not bow to his will. People had fallen over themselves getting into line after that. Cowards. His lips curled upward, and he spat onto the ground of the tent.

The flap lifted, and his right-hand man, Jeven, entered.

“You can’t really mean to do this, Ralston. Millions of innocent people will be killed.” Ralston!

“I can, and I will.”

“You’ve spent your whole life helping people! I’ve seen you turn down lucrative jobs time and time again because what they wanted to do was wrong.”

“That was before they put their filthy hands on her.”

“Yes, Ekend’s people, not the villagers. They’re simple folk, scared to death of a mad man’s reign.”

“They helped. When a good man does nothing, it’s just as bad! Had they stood up to the man and overrun him before he had Selia under his control none of this would have happened. Look at how fast things have spiraled down. People are starving, mothers fear for the lives of their children. There’s pillaging, raping, and chaos in almost all quadrants of our lands, and it’s spilling over, spreading faster than it can be contained. If they chose to oppose me they will taste the end of my sword and the sting of my power. I stopped caring when I lost Selia. The sooner you realize that, the easier this campaign will be. Are the men ready?”

Jeven lowered his head. “Yes.”