She faltered for a few seconds, before resuming her walk. “Prince Quan, the man who assassinated my brother, has no right to the realm. The heirship of Dyxriah’s throne can only be inherited, or another house can challenge my rule and demand a trial by combat. Prince Quan has no Symonrah blood. The legal way for someone not of our bloodline to rule would be to petition the Senate for a trial by combat, and only after he proved to the Senate, I am unfit to be a ruler by our laws. Prince Quan ignored those laws, and he slaughtered most of my family and friends when he took my kingdom. My sister had seen a vision of this, but my brother did not take adequate precautions,” Shilah said, an aching regret heavy in her tone. “Kala could not predict the timeframe, and when he consulted with other foreseers, they did see such a future for him. Because she was just an Alpha, he doubted her ability, but I believed her.”
He sensed the agony burning like a fiery ball of pain that buried itself in her heart. If there had been hatred, it was now muted. Only a sense to seek justice was entrenched in her thoughts.
“After the attack, it took me five days of hiding from the prince in the network of crystal caves underneath our kingdom before we escaped through the portals. The prince’s powers lie in the telekinetic genesis, and he is an Imperial. Twice he almost killed me, even though I could read his thoughts and anticipate his attacks. Soldiers who should have been loyal to me worked with him, and I was so frightened I would lose Kala and my life I fled.”
Shame and regret were thick in her voice, and he felt the echoes of her tears in his mind. The memories of the prince wielding the power of his mind to use a sword to cut down dozens in her court rushed to him. The horror as he’d snapped her uncle’s neck with the force of his thoughts alone. Soldiers close to her had rushed into the temple to save her, but they hadn’t gotten a chance to pull the high beam weapons from their hips. Another prince whose powers lay in teleportation, moved through their ranks, cutting down her supporters with shocking ease.
He gathered her in his arm and flowed with her to the Moire—their largest jungle which connected the quadrants. There he took her upon a steeply sloped hill overlooking the capital city in the far distance. Using his shadows, he lay her down on the forest floor and lowered himself beside her. There they stared out into the great abyss, the jungle of his realm, and the obscured stars in the heavens. He’d already assured her vengeance, and he would lay her kingdom at her feet if she so desired.
“My Imperial powers awakened during the attack, and I did not understand how to use my full abilities. We have scholars who train and teach us how to hone our geneses, and though I could feel the well of energy at my center, I could not call it forth. I learned more about the level of my abilities while in Amagarie. I should have stayed, and fought,” she whispered. “Instead, I handed him the key to my kingdom by running.”
“Your instinct to survive roared to life. This is not something to be ashamed of. Retreat is a battle strategy. Amassing more power to return and defeat an enemy is a sound plan.”
“The army I wanted was to only be a show of might, to force the Senate to convene so I could challenge the acceptance of his atrocity. To force him to give up a rule he had no right to, and to demand a trial where he would stand judgment for his crimes.”
“Tell me of your realm and their powers,” he demanded, wanting to understand the force he had to decimate.
“Serange is quite small, even smaller than your eastern quadrant here. My kingdom, Dxyriah has a population of two million denizens, and the entire planet only holds seven million people.”
“And they all have mental prowess?”
“It is bred into our genetics. However, most of our wealth and power is concentrated in the aristocracy through a system of selective marriages. There is a strict division of class, so the most powerful of the geneses are clustered in the upper echelons of society. Almost all the Princes and Princesses of Serange have Omega level powers. There are only a few Imperials, and most are scholars at our temples. All other citizens are Alpha level. In Dxyriah every citizen is registered on a psychic network, where we can ask permission to speak with each other telepathically through that neural network.”
“Your people do not speak aloud?”
She laughed lightly. “Of course, we do. But the network is there, where anyone can reach out at any time. But there are protocols of communication, so privacy is not invaded, and rights trampled upon. Permission is asked and granted. Like all kingdoms, we have laws that govern our people. Laws that prevent us from ripping into each other’s minds, invading citizens’ privacy, or stealing information. Once you are a citizen of Dxyriah, you must register on the psychic network. That way, it is easier for the PPF—PsyNet Protectorate force, the law defenders of our kingdom, to detect when there is a breach in the network and know when a crime is being committed. We are a peaceful kingdom with little to no crime. This is the reason Prince Quan’s attack had such success. Our generation and several before us had no concept of war.”
“Your people knew you were attacked.”
Her breath hitched. “Yes. My cry spilled throughout the network, and my Barons responded. I could feel their worry and the multitude of knocks that wanted access to my neural net. I had to close myself off from the assault and concentrate on saving my sister’s life.”
“Is the Prince Quan a part of this network?”
“He is not of my kingdom.”
“What is he?”
“He is the crown prince of Arcadia. Their power lies in telekinesis.”
“What does he gain from the attack of your kingdom?”
“I fled,” she whispered closing her eyes. “I only know at that moment he desired the ending of my bloodline. And I fear he is seeking to end the segregation of the three kingdoms. He would have support for this, especially from those people who are Impures and those who crave more power.”
“Is he now the ruler of your kingdom?”
“It should not be possible, but he was crowned before I escaped. When the Senate called for me, I remained silent.”
The image of her crouched in a cave, bleeding from her mouth and nose rushed through his mind, as she worked frantically to save her dying sister. Shilah had screamed and pleaded with the gods to not take her sister, the last of her family. She had been impervious to the mental call of the Senate as they had blasted calls for her through the psychic network, and hover crafts had whizzed through the air searching
for her.
Her terror had been a living entity which had consumed her, and her entire heart and emotions had been concentrated into one relentless goal—to save her sister’s life. She had lifted Kala’s body, stumbling under the weight several times before dogged determination and sheer willpower had her carrying her sister for miles to the portal.
Lachlan turned over her predicament, dissecting it from all angles. Fleeing to save her sister had been the best move, as far as he assessed, or she would be dead now. He understood duty to her realm and people, and if he caged her and did not allow her to return, a man who apparently had goals of taking back her kingdom to the time of anarchy and tyranny would have free rein.
“I will send fifty Darkan warriors with you, and they will be under your sole command.”
“I am tempted, Lachlan Ravenswood, but I’ve seen that even with just a peek of a possible future, my sister’s visions cannot be ignored. It is not only you, but any Darkans must never enter my kingdom.”