I lifted my eyes and arms to the blessed moon and opened myself to the drawing power that filled the night, welcomed it, asked it to come down and fill us. And it did.
Soft, gentle rays of moonlight fell upon me from that smiling white lunar face, sprinkling down benevolent butterflies of light that caressed my being with whisper-light wings before vanishing within me like little darts of joy.
I saw the men's rapturous face as the shower of light began to spread to those closest to me, filling them with glowing renewal—Amber, Gryphon, Chami. I saw the shining wonder and awe in Thaddeus's enraptured eyes. Saw him lift his face and arms up to the sky. Felt that flare of energy like mine yet different. Male. Masculine. Powerful and throbbing. Wonderment and embracing love.
The moon recognized and answered him.
Another shaft of light fell upon Thaddeus, illuminating that ecstatic upturned face with an exultant glow of adoration. Fluttering light bathed him, entered him. And spread to Sandoor and his men, encompassing them all in the glorious celebration of renewing life.
A long time passed—six, maybe seven seconds, after that last flicker of light was absorbed into us.
"Sweet Night!" Sandoor exclaimed, gazing down at the boy he held in his hands with awe. And I knew then what was in his mind. He was going to take Thaddeus only. And I knew I would never let Sandoor have him.
I walked slowly toward him. "You came for me, Sandoor, did you not?"
"Stop right there!" Sandoor commanded.
I laughed and paid him no heed, swaying a few steps closer. "Or you'll what? Slit Thaddeus's throat? Your male miracle of light? I think not."
Sandoor smiled, his eyes so like Amber's. The difference between them lay within their heart, their souls. Sandoor lowered his sword so that it pressed against Thaddeus's shoulder and called my bluff. "Slit his throat, no. But I would not mind carving him up a little. Do you wish to hear your brother squeal like a pig, little girl?"
I halted.
Sandoor smiled. "That's more like it. Have your men put down their weapons."
I smiled back. "And leave them defenseless to your armed men? Even you should know better." I laughed unpleasantly. "Or perhaps you don't. Maybe you just don't have the ability to rise to the level your own son has risen to, no matter how many Queens you fuck or how many times you Bask."
I saw Sandoor's eyes fall on the medallion chain around Amber's neck and widen in surprise.
"And not just your son, but my other lover, Gryphon." I drew Sandoor's eyes back to me by stroking a finger from my lips down. Down to the shadowed valley between my breasts. I watched Sandoor's eyes follow the tantalizing trail. My head tilted thoughtfully. "Or maybe you've just been fucking the wrong Queens. Poor Sandoor. Bumbling around for over a decade, scraping by with a meager existence in the forest. Night after night of free access to a Queen and still nothing to show for all your thrusting efforts. How it must grate you to see your own son recognized and honored as a Lord by the Council, knowing that you will never be."
Sandoor shook with fury. "Cease your foul prattling, bitch!"
My lips curled coldly. "Now, is that any way to talk to someone you want to light up for you? Not good courtship technique, darling."
"Balzaar!" Sandoor snapped.
Solid, heavily built Balzaar stepped forward, chains held in his hands. Cold unease slid through me when I saw that they were not silver but the dark metal alloy of what had bound me down in Hell.
"Demon chains," Sandoor said with chilling satisfaction. "Not so much prattling now, eh? Turn around and put both arms behind you."
When I hesitated, Sandoor said slyly, "You do want to come with us, don't you? When I take your brother?"
Abruptly I turned around and surrendered my hands. The cold, harsh manacles clamped tightly around my wrists and about my ankles. Balzaar swung me around and stripped me of all my weapons.
I looked up into Balzaar's black beady eyes. "Don't worry," I whispered. "I'll get them back soon."
Balzaar yanked the chain. His face remained impassive as I fell to the ground. He tightened the chain, winding it between my wrist shackles, drawing my legs back, bent at the knees so that my toes almost touched my hands, immobilizing me completely.
Balzaar set his dagger to my throat.
"Throw down your weapons," Sandoor commanded.
"Do not!" I told my men, my voice ringing loudly.
For once they obeyed me.
"You will not kill her," Amber said.
Sandoor laughed with twisted pride at his opponent, his son. "You are correct. She may still be of some use to me in the future. But not now. Not when I hold our entire people's future in my hands. He is all that matters for the moment. A nice deep slice into the side, Balzaar."
I cried out as hot pain knifed through me as Balzaar sank his blade into my right flank. I heard a rustle of movement.
"Uh, uh, uh! One step more and we shall have to cut her again," Sandoor warned. "Very good, boys. I'll leave your injured Queen to your tender care while we depart. Do not try to follow us or we will slice the boy as we did his sister. A cut for each one who comes after us."
Sandoor began to back away, flanked by his men, pulling Thaddeus with him. My eyes locked on my brother's pale, frightened face. His eyes met mine and clung.
"No!" I cried, thrashing. But the demon chains held me as securely here, in the darkness above, as it had held me in the darkness below.
I stopped righting. Everything. Stopped fighting that dark power, my beast that prowled restlessly within me, that had waited so long to awaken, to be freed. I stopped righting it and embraced it, opening my body, my heart, my soul to that frightening, scary part of me, welcoming it, whispering for it to come out. Come out and play. Come out now, I need you.
My beast rippled out from within me with a shock or power that snapped the demon chains. It overwhelmed me with rippling sinews and roiling muscles, possessed me and covered me with a thick wash of protective fur, filled me with a roaring cry that pierced the night and struck terror into the hearts of all who heard it. I snarled with a sound that no human throat could ever make. A sound that quickly swelled into one long, loud, continuous angry scream utterly anomalous and inhuman. A wailing shriek such as might have arisen out of Hell.
I rolled upright on all fours. Muscles bunched and coiled, I sprang at my target—the man who held the littler one. I soared through the air, covered twenty-five feet with bounding ease and hit my prey and brought him to the ground.
Something sharp sliced into me and the pain enraged me. Snarling, I struck the cutting thing away, slicing open flesh with my long black claws. I smelled the hot sweet tang of blood and licked the limb I had torn open. Loud screams and the batting and flailing of another limb annoyed me. I snapped it with one easy bite of my jaw, felt my teeth sink with satisfying deepness into tender meat, felt the warm rush of blood fill my mouth and slide down my throat, and felt the hungering need to gulp down the hot flesh.
Others fought and battled around me but as long as they did not bother me or threaten to take away my prey, I was content to leave them alone to their fighting. The creature, my food, was still struggling to my annoyance, that thing that would soon fill my stomach, and the loud screeching noises it made hurt my sensitive ears. One tearing bite into the little bones of its neck and its throat was ripped away. The screeching stopped. It still lived, breathed, but barely struggled now. I settled down, my body pinning my helpless quarry, and prepared to feast.
But the other little one, the cub, stopped me, calling out to me. "Mona Lisa! Mona Lisa!"
The voice was familiar, was supposed to mean something to me, but I could not make the connection. I couldn't understand it. I snarled at the little animal, warning it to back away from my food.