Empress Hiding Read online

  And although physically and mentally different from each other – resulting in communication problems galore – and given that one was usually stronger than the other, both parts of the living being worked for the protection of the other. It seemed that only an Empress’ altare – the unique and powerful dragoness – was so much larger than her cognate form – all other alter-beings were somewhat comparable in mass to their joined cognates. And only the reigning Empress dragoness could see the all of the alter-beings on that ethereal plane – Blood-bornes could not see Crimsons and vice-versa. Not even in the rare cases of mixed-speciatic matings could the altares or beasts see each other unless the alter-beings were both present in the here and now – the veil that separated Blood-borne from Crimson on that unseen plane of absence could only be breached by an Empress. It was true, however, that a Blood-borne in a closely-bonded relationship with his/her altare could glimpse other Blood-borne altares through their own altare’s vision. In the same vein, because Crimsons mostly did not acknowledge their own alter-beings as intelligent or rational, it was nearly unheard of for a Crimson to ever have glimpsed the plane where their beasts existed when they were in their cognate form.

  Chiyoto even licked her lips before she spoke as she watched Rafal’s chest draw in a deep breath at her touch – his strong, handsome jaw line with that distinctive looking and comfortable feeling beard soothing to both she and an irritated Runa – irritated at having been labeled a beast. Chiyoto smiled as she watched Rafal’s eyes darken toward a more forest-shade of green as she began to speak.

  “Aye, Rafal,” Chiyoto enviously watched those same eyes halfway close as she spoke to him, “We certainly are,” she ran her delicate thumb soothingly along his beard line, “But mine is called an altare, and her na …”

  Before Chiyoto could say another word, a frown creased Rafal’s handsome brow, and his hand was pulled away from her neck. As he stood to his full height, Chiyoto’s entire being was assaulted with an emotion that she immediately interpreted as revulsion – and that emotion emanated from every part of his commanding presence as his facial expression turned from a frown to one of disbelief.

  Until one side of his top lip curled upward as his gaze continued to rake over her with what she felt to be a deep loathing.

  And Chiyoto’s untried heart completely broke in half – the pain that stabbed through her chest to pierce even Runa’s being was so heavy that she could barely find the strength to take a breath. How could his whole being have been so drawn to her one moment and now … this?

  “Your disgust, beyfendi, is palpable,” she said, falteringly, as she pulled her trembling hand to her chest and held it there with her other as she clutched her scarf between them, “I see that I have incorrectly assumed you knew that I …”

  Chiyoto’s words caught in her throat – never had she felt such emotional pain – it was borne in every blink of her eyes that now filled with tears, every twist of the scarf in her hands – even as Rafal continued to look at her in horror? Disbelief? She was not even sure – until she felt her legs try to give out under her.

  Oh, Makers! She disgusted him.

  Chiyoto reached out to the one being on whom she could always depend as she felt the unbidden tears well up in her eyes. She let her knees start to bend, and her body began to slide down the wall as her heart continued to break.

  “Oh, Runa!” It was more breathed than spoken – more whispered than enunciated – more of a cry for rescue than a cry to a friend.

  And Runa quickly lost her momentary fascination with the Crimson’s beast and focused all of her protective fury on the Crimson himself.

  And fury it was as Runa took control for her Chiyoto – the Keeper only kept her from appearing – she still lived vibrantly and powerfully inside.

  Sensing the Crimson take a step toward them, Runa immediately straightened their stance and turned their head violently toward the male – she could feel their eyes glow argentine but she did not care – she was trying with all of her might not to kill the pich where he stood.

  Instead, she pushed him back with a stiff yet unprotected wave of power as she spoke for them both.

  “Step away from us,” she growled threateningly through her Chiyoto’s tender vocal chords and reinforced her command, “Now!”

  Runa watched in their periphery as the male stumbled back from them and into the wall at his back, and she mentally and magically assisted Chiyoto in fitting her scarf neatly on her head.

  Chiyoto was still dying inside even as she begged Runa not to hurt him – not to hurt him for something that was not his fault – he was the product of his society.

  Runa got even more irate at her Chiyoto’s attitude – she wanted to slap her around, but that was the last thing her Chiyoto needed right now – her tender-hearted Chiyoto had been hammered enough by this Raksasa’s actions.

  Runa helped Chiyoto step toward him and yank her glasses from his grip as he reached out and tried to say something to them, but Runa was hearing nothing of what he wanted to say.

  And Chiyoto certainly did not need to hear it.

  “Away!” Runa’s rough voice sounded from Chiyoto’s mouth as the Crimson was flung against the wall again by another of Runa’s waves.

  But just before she placed the glasses on her face and turned to walk away, Chiyoto found a renewed strength in the comfort Runa’s protection had given her, and she once again took control. Her heart and chest still physically hurt, and it would probably take a very long time to get over this – to get over him – but she would not walk away from her first truly adult encounter like an infant in Runa’s arms.

  Runa reluctantly but understandingly backed away for her Chiyoto to have the last say.

  “Hide us, Runa,” Chiyoto coldly stated as she slowly turned to face Rafal, her features having completely returned to those of the proud heiress she was.

  No innocent female – no childish flirting.

  Oh, Makers! But Rafal was still so damned handsome – so over-whelming in his essence and his aura. And, seeing him now, did nothing but pierce her heart all over again – his freshwater and strength only a weapon to bruise her once more. Yet, stupid and naïve as she was, she could have sworn she saw his renewed desire for her in his eyes, but she knew nothing could change the color of the blood that ran through her veins.

  Nothing.

  And she could never forget the feeling of revulsion that initially rolled off of him at her revelation.

  Never.

  So, she sucked in the painful breath that stabbed her and courageously found her words.

  “I would suggest, beyfendi, that you dine at establishments with more of a Crimson-overtone,” she paused in an attempt to stop the tears and her trembling lower lip, “The females therein will most likely meet your obviously discriminating tastes.”

  Chiyoto could not stop the tear that rolled down her cheek as she replaced her glasses and turned away from a face she prayed to the Makers she would never have to see again.

  But even never would be too soon.

  And Runa mischievously threw an adherence spell on his feet so he could not follow even if he had wanted to … but Chiyoto sensed the magic leave them and made Runa remove it after they were what was most probably a safe distance given they were hidden again and the crowds were so thick this night.

  Not that a Crimson Royal had any reason whatsoever to pursue a Blood-borne female.

  Even if that female had just moments before been the most beautiful one he had ever scented or touched.

  Oh Makers!

  Chiyoto caught her breath in another gut-wrenching and fervent sob as she hurried toward their room.

  “Aye, Rafal,” Rafal simply stared, spellbound – when was the last time someone had even used the word ‘aye’ instead of ‘yes’ or another more familiar term? – still contemplating the feel of her next to him as
her hand met his lower jaw and she licked those succulent lips to continue.

  “We certainly are,” Rafal suddenly decided she was too precious to have out here – he would not risk another male ogling what was his and his alone. No, he would take her immediately back to his quarters and lay her down there – as gently as his beast would allow – until she would have no other. Only him.

  By the Gods! He grew harder simply with her thumbing of his beard!

  But then her words infiltrated his preoccupied thoughts and caught him completely by surprise.

  “But mine is called an altare, and her na …”

  He tried to find a foothold in the drifting sea into which his Chiyoto’s comments had tossed his reality.

  Did she say her altare? Could it be that both he and his beast were drawn to a Blood-borne? No …

  Rafal’s beast came to life once again with Rafal’s apparent backing off – it bucked at the reins for Rafal to reach out to the female – to hold her – to take her just as he had been contemplating. But Rafal had to replay her words in his mind – replay his own words leading up to this moment – so he pulled his hand back in thought. He could not have heard her correctly – she was all he had ever thought to find, but was told he never would …

  They said you would never have a Crimson mate, you esholeshek!

  Rafal stepped back to try to find himself as his beast jerked and roared – and was that his beast’s voice in his head? It was almost as if the beast needed to hold her … but how could that be if she truly were a Blood-borne?

  Would not his beast have known? Wait, was that why his beast had become so tame at his mocking of the prophecies? But why did he, Rafal, not know? Her scent was not even remotely recognizable as Blood-born – she was complete intoxication …

  So many questions … ., but her trembling voice brought him back to the here and now.

  “Your disgust, beyfendi, is palpable,” she said, falteringly, and Rafal could feel the pain in her voice, “I see that I have incorrectly assumed you knew that I …”

  Oh Gods! She was hurting … they never wanted her to hurt. His beast lunged so hard within him that Rafal momentarily found himself physically battling the beast again – more than he probably ever had – and he warred internally. It was then that his Chiyoto let out the most pained whisper for help his senses had ever heard.

  But it was not a cry to him, to Rafal.

  “Oh, Runa,” and it was certainly more breathed than spoken, but the pain was there.

  Her pain.

  But who was this Runa? Was it that black-haired male that had followed her out of the tavern?

  And just as the call left her beautiful lips, and she began to slide down the wall before him, Rafal finally followed his beast’s advice and stepped forward to embrace his gentle female – not just to touch her, but to embrace her. Perhaps they could discuss this – find some common ground – because he was not letting her go simply because she was not …

  His body was hit with a blow he had only felt when he and Hondo sparred without gear and his brother got a good chest blow in on him, and he was flung against the wall behind him.

  And his gentle Chiyoto glared at him with eyes of fiery pink, the likes of which he had never seen – they were angry and aggressive as was the voice that left her mouth, “Step away from us,” she growled threateningly, “Now!”

  It was a growled command that made his beast halt in mid-lunge and sit up at attention. And all Rafal could do was to stand in complete awe as the petit female – his Chiyoto – calmly yet with trembling hands quietly fitted her colorful scarf on her head as she quietly tried to contain her sobbing.

  He was practically dying inside as she readied to leave him – who was she?

  It does not matter, she is ours!

  How could she do that? The push without touching him?

  It does not matter, she belongs with us!

  She had to be a predator! As Prime Magistrate, he should have her sent safely …

  If you do, I will kill us both! Now, do not let her leave!

  Rafal caught his breath – what in the realm of godsfall … ? He would never kill himself . .

  Then you better stop her because I kahrolasi will!

  Rafal was too emotionally strung out to realize he was arguing with his beast for the first time in their long existence together – they finally had a common ground on which to stand and, therefore, a means and a conduit through which to communicate … if that is what this exchange could be called.

  Rafal struggled with this internal battle even as Chiyoto – her eyes focused on the ground, her heart so broken she could not face him – reached toward his hand for her glasses he had removed only moments before.

  Rafal took her actions as a second chance to reach out to her – to hold her, but his Chiyoto had other ideas.

  “Away!” That same angry voice sounded from his Chiyoto’s mouth as he impacted against the wall again – hit by some invisible force that truly hurt – and his obviously masochistic beast seemed to revel in it!

  And she turned and began to walk away from him.

  But, just before she stepped out into the passing crowds, his Chiyoto stopped and spoke low and practically without emotion to that same Runa.

  “Hide us, Runa.”

  So calm. So composed. So … regal?

  Runa must be her animal. Her beast …

  Altare!! His beast roared.

  Rafal felt the skin sensations leave him and her scent was abruptly taken from is olfactory even though she still stood in front of him.

  And his beast roared again, this time in extreme protest.

  Chiyoto or Runa or whomever had somehow cloaked any trace of her presence to them.

  On purpose.

  Then, his gentle Chiyoto turned her once again translucent pink eyes toward him – a profound sadness that could not be denied cried out from their beautiful depths – he had hurt her beyond words.

  And she was leaving him because of it.

  Up until this moment in his life, Rafal had ignored his own feelings – they had meant nothing in the big scheme of things. Why worry when he would never have a mate anyway? Any physical pleasure or desire he had could be fulfilled because he was the Prime Magistrate.

  He wanted for nothing.

  But now? Now he did.

  Now, he definitely wanted something.

  He wanted his Chiyoto.

  Wanted her with everything that he was.

  “I would suggest, beyfendi, that you dine at establishments with more of a Crimson-overtone,” she paused in an obvious attempt to speak through her pain, “The females therein will more likely meet your obviously discriminating tastes.”

  By the Gods, but she was beautiful even now!

  And her words not only cut right through Rafal’s heretofore dormant heart – although he welcomed the pain because the pain meant he could still feel deeply for another – but also those words were a dare.

  A challenge thrown down at him.

  A challenge he chose freely to accept because Rafal Sadid was the Prime Magistrate of the Bohrean Empire, and he would have what he and his beast desired.

  And they desired his Chiyoto.

  Even as she turned and disappeared into the crowds.

  Suddenly, his beast roared again in aggravation and frustration as they both realized the same enchantment powers that had flung them against the wall now held Rafal’s feet firmly to the ground.

  You let her go, esholeshek!

  Rafal only chuckled to himself as his beast continued to roar in frustration.

  He would never let her go, although the handwriting was on the wall that there was a huge chasm that the two of them would have to cross to reach one another. He tried to reassure his beast if such action were possible – he did not even know wh
ere to look for that communication line that seemed to elude him now.

  Rafal waited until the moment the enchantment faded and began to climb the side of the structure in the shadows – he knew her scarf would be like a beacon to their well-honed vision.

  If she had not thrown a challenge down before, she had certainly done so now, and his satisfied and smug grin once again crept across his face. He even found himself laughing out loud with true enjoyment for the first time in over a decade or more as he spied her making her way through and across the sea of citizens in the general direction of the Blood-born housing sector.

  “Okay, my Chiyoto, game on. We come for you and your Runa, magical enchantress that you are.”

  His beast growled and pushed him forward in full agreement.

  Chapter 6

  Chiyoto hurried toward their quarters – all the while Runa trying to talk her into taking off the Keeper so she could feast on the Crimson male who had so deeply hurt her Chiyoto. Runa was certainly right in her knowledge that the feelings inside of Chiyoto were more painful than any before and that her sadness ran deeper than any they had previously experienced; however, unlike Runa, Chiyoto still had some part of her that longed for the pich … yet another reason Runa should eliminate the male from existence – no target, no desire to see it.

  Very uncivilized.

  Yet very effective.

  So, Chiyoto tried repeatedly to convince her dangerous altare that things would be best left alone – this Rafal would not be able to find them with their essence hidden and with Runa having stayed his feet until long after they had departed. Still, in that part of her that continued to long for him, Chiyoto found herself wondering how Rafal had not known of her bloodline – surely, given his position and stature, he had to be able to sense the differences in them – or, at the very least, scent the ink and the ‘non-Crimsonness’ of such. The pain inside hit her sharply again as she remembered the way that gorgeous male had pulled back from her … when she had touched his face and spoken.