The door to Kiryn's cell burst open to show nothing in the light the door let in. Lucian felt his stomach sink to his feet as he grabbed a candle from the wall and swept it around the cell, almost missing the curled up body lying in the far corner. As soon as Syra saw Kiryn she rushed over to her, gently turning Kiryn over. Lucian felt bile rise in his throat as he finally got a good look at the woman he had sent here. Blood and dirt covered her entire body which was naked. Bruises, burns, bites and whip marked crossed over her skin as they had when he first had found her. Her black hair was short, barely touching her chin and looked as if it had been chopped off. What killed him more was the blood coating her thighs and the floor all around her. He wanted to die at that very moment, even more so when Syra turned to him, tears streaming down her face.
Malachi stopped behind Lucian and caught a glimpse of Kiryn on the floor. Shoving Lucian aside he rushed next to her, checking her pulse in her throat. He let a sigh of relief to find it there, despite how weak it was.
"Lucian give me your shirt, I will carry her up to my room. Dominic go find the healer, we will need her. Syra, go get some blood bags."
Everyone leapt to obey Malachi's orders, leaving Lucian and Malachi alone with Kiryn. Lucian looked down at the body of the woman that he had condemned to the worst of fates. He made a move to touch what was left of her hair but a snarl from Malachi had him jerking back. He had never seen Malachi show his feelings so opening before and he knew in that there would be hell to pay.
Malachi lifted Kiryn gently and left the hell hole she had been placed in, keeping her far from Lucian's touch. He had felt anger before but never in his long existence had he felt this all consuming rage that made his body shake, nor had he ever felt the pain that seemed to be boiling in his heart. He would never have thought that his own brother would allow something like this to be done to a woman no matter what she may or may not be. The fact that Lucian had allowed this to be done behind his back enraged him, but it was the fact that it was Kiryn that made it worse.
He continued to move quickly through the upper corridors, and took the stairs three at a time. He had just reached his door where Dominic and the healer were when he felt Kiryn stir in his arms.
Kiryn opened her eyes slowly, fatigue almost keeping her from accomplishing her goal. For a moment everything was blurry and finally Malachi's worried face swam into focus. It was then that she realized she was being held against his body, a male body and a small shiver of fear ran through her. She also saw Dominic standing not far away and terror ran through her. She immediately began to struggle against his hold certain that they had come to finish what had been started by the guards in the dungeon.
"Relax Kiryn please, or you will injure yourself further." Malachi said keeping his hold firm yet gentle
"I will not allow you to rape me. Please, just kill me and get it over with." Kiryn begged tears streaming down her face
Malachi felt his heart clench and agony almost made him cry as she said her broken plea. Moving swiftly through the door to his bedchamber he laid her on the bed gently stroking a hand over her butchered hair as Syra came into the room. Syra dropped the bags she was holding on the floor and rushed to Kiryn's said seating herself on the bed next to her.
"I am so sorry Kiryn. I did not know what was happening, nor did Dominic or Malachi. I know you are scared and hurt but please, let the healer work on you. I will ensure that nothing happens to you."
Kiryn watched the pink tinged tears that rolled from Syra face then looked to Dominic and Malachi. Both of the men looked angry, but when they set their eyes on her own their expressions softened and only sorrow showed through. She wasn't sure what to think and had just opened her mouth to speak when Lucian came into the door frame. What she had been ready to say died on her tongue and only a hiss came from her parted lips. Adrenaline suddenly poured through her body and her injuries were forgotten, the only though in her head was to make the one who had hurt her suffer.
Every head had turned in Lucian's direction when he had entered, and the malice in the eyes of his brothers only added to his pain. When Kiryn hissed at him his gaze met hers and he felt as if a hand had clenched around his throat, and it wasn't easing off. Despite her state, with her fangs bared and her eyes shooting sparks he found her desirable. Malachi felt the emotion that rolled of his brother and he bared his fangs at Lucian warning him off.
"Leave this room and wait for me in my study Lucian, Dominic, escort him them and round up the rest of the family immediately. Tell them it is an emergency, Syra I want you to stay here with Kiryn while the healer works on her." Malachi said his fury evident in his voice.
Dominic hurried to obey Malachi's command even though Lucian tried to withstand Dominic's pull. It took a moment but Dominic managed to drag Lucian from the room and Malachi turned his attention to Kiryn who still had her fangs bared. Slowly he laid a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes.
"Relax Kiryn. I will not allow him or anyone else to harm you again. Please lay back and let the healer help take away the pain you are feeling." Malachi said softly allowing a hint of compulsion to enter his voice
It took a moment but slowly the red faded from Kiryn's vision and she looked into Malachi's ice colored eyes. She could feel the swirling emotions in him, all the fury and anger, but she knew it wasn't for her. Slowly her muscles loosened until she slid back into a laying position her all of her energy seeming to drain away from the look in Malachi's eyes.
Malachi stood again and nodded to the healer and Syra before leaving the room and making his way to his study. By the time he reached the heavy mahogany colored door all appearances of him being civilized were gone. Instead of a diplomatic king or brother he appeared before his family as nothing more than a wild untamed male. His blue eyes were glowing, power vibrating along every inch of his body and his fangs bared, throbbing heavy in his gums. Never had he wanted to kill another person more than he did right now.
His brothers and sister were all there, all twenty-nine of them and it appeared that Dominic had already filled them in on what was going on. No one stood close to Lucian who was leaning against the wall looking unworried yet sad.
"I wish to know now why you allowed that type of thing to happen to Kiryn!"Malachi said his voice more of a growl
"I did not know that those things were being done to her." Lucian answered
"Did you not bother to check on her condition?" Dante questioned
"No I did not; I did not think there would be a need to."
Malachi growled again and went to lunge at Lucian, but was stopped short by Ashley and Lothayr holding him back. The oldest of the sisters Neka, stepped in front of him and placed her hand on his forehead drawing his flying emotions into herself. Finally when Malachi was no longer fighting against Ashley and Lothayr, Neka nodded her head for them to release him before she turned to face Lucian.
"Lucian, you say that you did not know what was happening to this woman but I can smell that is a lie. You wanted that to happen and we all know it, else you would not have disappeared for two weeks and made sure we had to wait for you. I wish to know why and if you will not us willingly you know very well that we will use force to find out." Neka said her anger plain to see yet her tone was cold
Lucian looked at his sister and finally decided to give upon the act he had been playing for more centuries then he cared to count. Standing straight from the wall he allowed the mask that he always wore to slip from his features. It was then that everyone could see the light of madness that gleamed in his eyes.
"Do none of you know how long it has been since I was myself? Have none of you seen me slipping over the edge?" Lucian growled his voice no longer his own
It was then that everyone realized that this Lucian was not their brother. The sick madness that was swimming in his eye and the almost tangible hostility rolling from him did not belong to their brother. They also all knew that Lucian would not have allowed himself to slip this far into evil to hurt a woman which meant only one thing. Someone for some reason had done something to Lucian.
"Lucian, we all know that this isn't you. Tell us what happened to cause this."Malachi said
"You are a fool King Malachi, to have lost your brother so easily. He was so easy to take once that woman entered your holding."
It was Lucian speaking but the voice and the words belonged to someone else, someone that had been a sworn enemy to everyone within the court for centuries.
"I see you have found a way to bring us down Darthax."Malachi said calmly
