Son of Ra Read online

  Also, the four factions were not altogether intact as I guessed before this all started. The Hunter faction was without a leader. I’d just spent four days with the Vampire leader. My father was the Val leader. And the Were leader was the only lose end in my head. I didn’t know him, any information, or what questions I would even ask to find out more. I did know that it was important somehow to gather information about all four of them or that I should find a link between them. And I was outnumbered by men overruling everything I did and two of them were about to throw me into screaming fits. And what about the ever present but hidden Elves? How are they connected if not by factions? Just because they remain hidden from the world…

  “Hi!”

  I jumped sky high.

  “You okay?” Calum asked.

  “You’re asking that a lot.” I sounded snippy. I needed to cool it.

  “Sorry.” His hands went into his pants pockets.

  “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be that way. I’m just still a little on edge from returning.”

  Calum took that wrong. He frowned. Defeated.

  “I mean, I just can’t help thinking I should be dead and I’m not. I want to know more about why they waited to kill me. That’s why I’m here.”

  “Oh! I can help,” his eyes brightened a little like he’d been given the gift of bliss.

  “Thank you,” I said aloofly. What else could I say?

  “What do you want to know?” He was eager to stir the air around crackling between us.

  I checked my watch. Fifteen minutes till breakfast. “Do you know why there isn’t a Hunter ruler?”

  “Of course.” Calum was proud to know the answers to what I wanted to know. I sat back down at the table we’d studied at for weeks. “The last leader was killed by the freaking Weres which is why many of them hate us. The leader is trying to change that, but it takes time. They are hoping you will help their situation. At least, the leader does. We haven’t had a leader for months in out court. They’ve tried to recruit my father, but he refuses to leave the school until I graduate.”

  “You’re father? You knew you might be next in line and didn’t tell me before?” That explains a lot of his ability to maneuver around in other factions. He is slated to be ruler. Which means…

  “He is a good father sometimes, despite what you may think.”

  “Oh, no. That’s not what I think at all. He has helped me. I believe he wants what’s best for me. I just…you will inherit the crown if you follow him.”

  “Yes. Call me Lord Green. It has a ring to it.”

  I shoved him back and laughed. “And you never thought to mention this?”

  He laughed all cocked brow. “You didn’t ask.” He liked the jovial attitude adjustment. I touched him. I realized it too late seeing he took it as something else. He pulled me too him.

  I backed up. “Calum, I need some time. I need to focus.”

  He frowned tersely with his brow drawing together. “Okay. I understand.”

  “Do you?” I should have shut up then. “I should be dead. They only wanted me. Otherwise, you’d be dead with me.”

  “I know. At least now. I did overhear while you were gone that the Weres and Elves don’t want you to survive because you would try to put them together. They are afraid that you will take over the Val court and make their factions join together.”

  “That’s all mixed up. My father is lord and my brother is there too. I don’t even know the Weres and Cas is his own lord. And what about the Hunters? I don’t understand why they would think any of that.”

  “Why do you call him that?”

  “Who? What?”

  “The Vampire lord. You call him by some first name.”

  “He asked me too. Why not?”

  His head went down quicker than a blink, “I don’t know. He’s a ruddy Vamp. I’ve never heard anyone else call him that. You don’t know what he’s capable of. Are you sure he didn’t hurt you?” His mood was lower than the dirt on the ground. I knew this since having my new found abilities to feel fear, anger, joy, happiness, desire, and as recent as today, sadness.

  “I’m so sure that I’m just fine and we need to get to class. Now!”

  "Oh, by the way." I flipped to find the dagger in his hand I'd asked to be made for his birthday. "Thank you." He replaced it in his boot where I didn't see it before but didn't wait for me to respond.

  Chapter Thirteen

  And thereby…

  Classes passed in a blur. Everyone was welcoming. The rumors flew that I was taken by another faction. My assurances that they were friendly and gracious hosts were not all too well believed, but after only four days, I showed no sign of injury. So, most believed it and went on with their day.

  Lunch was all about the quiz of what happened while I was there. Maze wouldn’t let it go.

  “I saw the way he looked at you. And you at him. He’s got more on his mind than safety.”

  I didn’t give anything away.

  “You’ve never looked at Calum that way. Calum, you lusted after. That boy, you had a different look about you. He’s bad news, Stace. He’s a Vamp. You need to reconsider.”

  “Maze, I can’t talk about this. And I need to talk with Calum. I have no choice, they made it known for me to stay near the both of him or it will get one of us, or all killed.”

  I stood, quipped that I was going to the library, and left. I’d given myself away, but I apparently already had to Maze. Against what I just said, I was alone.

  In the library, I found another link to myself. And Szar. We were twin rulers. At least in the Gods and Goddesses sense. How I’d never found this before scared me. The amount of information I found on the internet and among my fellow comrades of the male species was mind boggling and frustrating. How could I tell fact from fiction?

  In the folklore website I found, a legend said to come to pass included a Val king united with the enemy. Who can depend on googling anyway? This was all someone’s story, not necessarily the truth. And it’s not like it happened before and is re-happening. Is it? Did it mean I become a Vamp? It was confusing. It said something about “Ra” too. A god of the sun who evolved from the other gods to create a world that would bring them back together. That doesn’t fit with anything else I’d learned. I’ve heard god and goddess stories my whole life that sounded like fiction. Another said that the twins will ask the help of the Hunter in the sky and Sirius the dog. All this star talk was out of hand. What started out as star gazing was turning into more like premonitions of my life not chosen by my own course, but completely laid out. And I had the strangest inkling that my father knew all this and spent a lifetime hinting at it. And Dr. Green was in on it too. And no one was clarifying enough for me. Why are they leaving me guessing? Do they think I can’t handle it? Do they think I’m not mature enough?

  A thought hit me. Szar was in on the kidnapping thing. What did he know? I would find out.

  “Hello again.”

  I turned sharply, closing the site on the computer fast where my finger still laid on the mouse.

  “I wasn’t hungry.”

  “Did Maze upset you?” Calum saw the display on the screen before I could minimize it.

  “No. I just…”

  He looked at the computer. “Anything?”

  I could afford a little. “I don’t think my life is of my own choosing. I think I am just following a path but can’t help but wonder if I can change it. The gods...I think they might be real. And they have this all planned out.”

  “That makes no sense.” Calum was not totally in the dark so why was he denying it? I frowned at him. “To anyone but me most likely. Before the other night, we both felt that way. And yet, I thought I’d lost you. You seem different.”

  “I am.” I confessed some small truth.

  “And us?”

  “A hard thing to define. I think a lot of you Calum. I admire you in so many ways. Right now, I need your…attention. And that’s all. I need to not
feel alone.”

  “You’re not alone. I’m here.”

  I know. I just don’t know if I’m here with him. “Can you do something for me?” I asked. I shouldn’t give him hope. I already know now I need only his friendship.

  “Anything.” He stepped closer to me.

  “I need to see my brother. I found something,” I gestured to the computer, “and I want to ask him about it. It looks as if it pertains to the two of us as twins and some kind of legend. I want to know if he knows anything.”

  “Say the word. When?”

  “I don’t want to waste time. Tonight.”

  “Eleven o'clock. To be sure we’re safe.”

  I changed into my black as night, sword covered, move through the darkness unnoticed “cat suit” as my friends called it and snuck out at about nine o'clock wanting some time alone. I needed to be invisible to do that.

  Standing on the edge of the woods, no one would bother me. My stomach tied into soft knots and started fluttering about. I didn’t even know I’d moved my ruby and the ring was still hidden.

  Why are you out here alone?

  I jumped two feet in the air and landed, knife ready pointing it at my attacker who’d just spoken in the darkness. Except no one had spoken. The whites of his eyes blinked closed and open again staring.

  What are you doing here? I darted my eyes in every direction.

  I heard you call.

  “What call?” I whispered. I managed to squelch the excitement in my voice a little.

  He leaned in and I refused to retreat. His kiss was armed with more than warmth. It filled me. I felt whole. I was away from him all of a couple of days and could feel the emptiness that was replaced because it was full all the way up right now at this moment. He broke with a tender nibble on my lip and smiled into me. I smiled back. I wanted this.

  “That call.” My hand went to my neck. “I didn’t want it on, so I conveniently forgot about it.”

  I didn't.

  “Obviously!” I smiled warmly up at him, “You still didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”

  “I really was just answering the request.” He spoke aloud and held out his hand. My ring was attached to a small delicate gold chain that he'd just removed from my pocket. Thank goodness my ring was significantly smaller than his.

  “Oh!” He really was here, just for me. “Are you watching me?”

  “Sometimes. Most times. Well, all the time. I said I’d keep you safe.” He finished attaching the bracelet and kissed my hand.

  The watcher stalker effect didn’t alarm me as much as it should. On impulse, I did the unthinkable.

  “Would you take me somewhere?”

  “Anywhere.”

  I checked my watch. A little less than two hours. I put my hand in his and we lifted out and up. I didn’t tell Cas exactly what I wanted with my brother. And I had one other beef with him before we landed.

  At the garden of my court, I held on a second longer and he didn’t protest.

  “You neglected to mention one small detail about yourself earlier.”

  He frowned. I didn’t expect a frown.

  “Your last name.” I waited.

  “I didn’t think it was important.”

  “Not important? You’re my father’s enemy. Well, not really. I thought so all these years. Yet, you were working with my father. You said that, but you still left out the little detail that you are THE LORD CROSS. And sent to assassinate me. This all is a little much for loose end details.”

  “Yet you stand here.” The deepest part of his voice always affected me in ways it shouldn't. His chest was so close I could see the shadow of my own chest rising faster against him.

  “You do seem to know more about me than even I do.” The thoughts of him finding out at such a young age that I had the marks too and him pursuing me in a way that required finding out information about me was disturbing to remember. He was just a boy as was I was just a girl. He found out a secret about the three of us so young and never told me.

  “Perhaps. What do you want to know?” He smiled thinking perhaps I wasn't ready, but unwillingly to lose me. I could read that much.

  “Do you know that you said my name when you were born? On the first day? As our mothers lay dying.” I’d tell him something he might not know though he’d hinted at it.

  “Yes. I remember it.”

  I was wrong. “What? How?”

  Cas smiled. “It comes to me in my dreams. It has since I was little. I used to dream about you. It was a shock on the day I was sent by your father to watch you for the first time. I recognized you even with seeing you previously in person from afar. I couldn’t have ever fathomed loving anyone else.”

  “You were so young. You sound so certain.” And still keeping secrets. My rules are meaningless to me now. He rewrote them. I hated doubting anything he had to say, but he was just so dang perfect. I tucked my hair behind my ear. It fell back again.

  “You’ll see. I will prove it to you,” he paused as if deciding something then replaced the disobedient tuft of hair behind my ear, “You know you said my name.”

  I nodded ardently at him.

  He reached up to tuck the same hair behind my ear that fell out of place right after he’d just returned it. “You know, you pull that strand of your hair back when you’re nervous?”

  I do? And he noticed that. He sees all the little things about me in so short a time. The earth around could explode right in front of me and I’d still be wrapped in him. For the most part, he was still a stranger to me. Sadly, he didn’t leave me feeling the least bit detached. I was pathetic.

  “Come on, let’s find your brother.”

  “He knew too didn’t he?” I accused.

  Cas only nodded a yes. He didn’t tell me when or how my brother knew, just that he did. That was a huge secret to keep from me. Wow!

  We didn’t have to sneak. At least not with Cas. He was welcome into our home, and I was safe with him which felt really good. We walked into the main office where my father could usually be found at this time of night. My brother was there instead. This worked well since it was him I wanted to see anyway.

  “Brother.”

  “Sister.”

  We greeted each other as if we were expecting one another.

  “I’ll cut to the chase. Time is… I found a link to twin rulers. At least in the gods and goddesses sense. In the legend it said that it would come to pass a Val king unites with the enemy and life gets really busy for both of them.” I glanced back at Cas for his reaction and got angrier. “It said something about Ra. A god of the sun who evolved from the other gods to create a world that would bring them back together. It said that the legend states that the twins will ask the help of the Hunter in the sky and Sirius the dog. Does any of this mean anything to you or hullaballoo? I’m grasping for straws here and no one is handing me one. Tell me what you know, dang it.”

  “Epic!” my brother said in his usual too casual tone.

  Cas was silent. He knew something as it was obvious now he knew before he took me to his Vampire home.

  Szar looked at Cas almost as if he looked sympathetic.

  “You two know each other,” I accused. They both nodded in unison each folding their arms like stupid men language for “we are big, bad men”.

  “We’ve known each other since…Thorn and I played as children, before he was…turned completely. Who do you think got rid of that horrid middle name? No one names a child Rathorth.”

  I flipped around. “You were at our court hanging with my brother?”

  “I am Valkyrie first and yes we’ve known each other our entire lives.”

  Am? I closed my eyes trying to remember anything. Anything at all. Why can't I remember him? My brother is besties with a Vamp. The Vamp!

  “It is all true. We are descended from the goddesses who placed us here. We are the seed of our fathers, but more planted here to come about making a legend come true. I followed the direc
tions of our father, reluctantly I might add, knowing all of this would happen. We are made for greater things, Stace. You will be one kickass cat girl ruler of us all.” Szar and his mood swings. NOW he was on my side?

  Cas stepped up, “Enough. Slow down. Overwhelming her will send her into shock.”

  I 360ed around. “YOU KNEW?” I knew it. I regretting jerking backwards when he put his hand on my shoulder, but I was mad.

  I relaxed a little stepping closer to make sure my bracelet was far away from my skin. Why didn’t you tell me?

  I leaned in meaning to challenge him but ended up seeking comfort.

  You weren’t ready.

  I am stronger than everyone gives credit.

  He pulled his eyebrows up. I know.

  I put my head on his chest. You need to trust me.

  And you need to trust me, he told me.

  I do. I know that now.

  “What are you two doing?”

  It was like a solar wind shifted me back to standing. I’d forgotten we had an audience. It was just too hard to hide it.

  I stammered but was cut off by Szar, “I—

  “It is true. Epic thriller moment. I heard father talk about it once. That you were talking to him in your dreams. That’s why father made Thorn move to the other house, I knew it. Because you talked to her. Damn, that’s epic.”

  Cas threw him a look. “Watch the language.”

  Szar looked at him like he was nuts. So did I.

  What is he talking about? I looked at Cas.

  “Thorn! I’m right, aren’t I?” Szar would not give up.

  “Yes!” Cas looked at the floor.

  “Help here?” I begged trying to get him to look at me again. Calling him Thorn gave my stomach major flipflops. I once hated that name. Is that why he makes me call him Cas?

  “I couldn’t stop the dreams when I was still a Valkyrie. One night, I dreamed of us talking like I always did, on the day we were born. It was always such an odd dream, I didn’t think too much on it. Until, I woke one night and you were in my room. You were asleep, but you were talking to me.”