This is it! The final chapter of the New Kingdom series. Many thanks to everyone who emailed, voted and left comments. Special thanks to Willie for sticking w/me til the end and proofreading this last chapter. Take Care!
Gabriel ran to the edge of the property watching helplessly as his mate was taken from him. Resisting the urge to panic, he surveyed the scene before him and digested the information. Two sets of creatures had flown through the air carrying passengers with them. One was his mate. The other he had once called friend. Answers to several questions now became clear.
"Gabriel?" Edward called racing behind him. "Oh god, they took Alena and Matthias?"
"They took Alena," he answered with a growl. "And Matthias helped. He is no friend and hasn't been for a long time."
"What? That can't be right. He's fought with us."
"For appearance sake," Gabriel answered turning to the house. "Bring your mate to me."
"Why?"
Gabriel turned to his brother pinning him with an angry glare, "I do not have time to answer your questions. Bring her to me."
Edward watched as Gabriel moved to the house. With a sigh, he quietly called to his mate telling her the news of her sister and relaying Gabriel's request. He could feel her fear as he moved closer to the house and realized that he echoed her sentiment. Killing Alena would be the quickest way to the destruction of the New Kingdom.
***
Gabriel stormed through the house mentally noting everyone that he would need. Finding his daughter at the door, he pulled her along silently ignoring her tearful questions. When Antony opened the door to his rooms, Gabriel pushed him aside and searched for Emma.
"Alena has been taken," he said while leaning close to Antony's newborn mate. "I need you to come with me."
"Wait just a damn minute ...." Antony started but quit when Gabriel was suddenly gone. "Emma, no. You are not ready to do this."
"Apparently he thinks I am," she said moving to the door. "And you know that I don't have a choice."
Antony hesitated for a moment before following his mate. As they proceeded through the house, Alex approached Gabriel and stared at the man. With a nod, Gabriel relinquished the hold on his daughter and offered her hand to Alex.
The group continued through the house until they met Iona standing in the foyer. She approached Gabriel and put her arms around his neck. Pulling his head close to her, she whispered, "She's safe. Alone in a room."
Leaning close to her ear, he sighed and ordered, "Break your connection to Edward."
"Gabriel, wait," his brother argued.
"Now!" Gabriel snapped.
"Why?" Edward asked quietly. "Because your mate is gone, you're taking ours away too?"
"No because the connection is not from a tryst with a woman. It's from your sires. All of you! You sired others and they betrayed you," Gabriel explained looking at his brothers. "Iona, can you still communicate with her?"
"Yes."
"I can feel her fear but it's safer for me to break our link. Talk to her. Tell her that I'm coming for her now."
"He's coming Alena. We're coming for you," she said out loud and then looked at Gabriel. "She hears voices coming near her. Two men arguing."
"Ask her to describe everything around her and anything she saw when she arrived."
"Tell me where you are," she asked her sister. "Describe it to me." After a few seconds, Iona relayed, "It's a large house. Dark with no exterior lighting. Windows are broken. Smells bad like death is surrounding her. She can smell blood and decaying flesh." Iona inhaled and said, "They're here."
"Where is she?" Gabriel demanded turning to Conlaoch. "Think about the place she described."
"I...I don't know," Conlaoch stammered. "Alex?"
"Ask her if she noticed any stables?"
"Alex wants to know if you noticed any stables," Iona repeated. "She's quiet. Someone is in the room with her. Oh, yes. She said yes."
"They're at the caretaker's place," Alex explained. "The stables were built next to Con's old house. My mother considered herself an equestrian champion until the horses arrived. So he had to abandon his former home and build this one away from the smell."
"Show me the way," Gabriel demanded. "Emma, I need you to stay close and separate your thoughts from Antony."
"Oh god, Gabriel, please don't do this," Antony begged. "I'll go with you and we'll bring her back."
"Wait," Conlaoch interrupted. "I can show you a better way. It's been sealed for years but shouldn't be difficult to access."
The group followed Conlaoch to his office and stopped at the large bookshelf. "Help me move this," he instructed. After removing the furniture and drywall, Gabriel stared into the darkness before him.
"Let's go," Edward said and then stopped when Gabriel's hand landed on his chest. "You can't. He reads you and you read the others. I can't take that risk. "
"Dad," Joshua said from the doorway. "I'll come too."
"It's not safe for you now. You'll be especially easy for the boy to read."
"Then why are you taking Abigail?"
Gabriel looked at his daughter and knew that she understood, "Bait," he answered. "Iona will communicate with her sister and Emma can move around them without being seen."
"And Alex?" Conlaoch asked quietly. "Damn it Gabe, he's my son."
Gabriel looked at the human man standing close to his group, "He'll fight."
"He's injured."
"He's standing right here," Alex added.
"Gabriel, a moment please," Conlaoch requested pulling his brother away from the group. "He cares for her and he will speak to you about his intentions."
"And you're telling me this because you think I'm leading your little lamb to the slaughter?"
"He's bought a home for her!"
"I hope it's big. They'll need the room."
Conlaoch's eyes widen as the meaning of Gabriel's words registered. "We must respect his choice to remain human."
"It's a good choice," Gabriel said turning away, "until it's taken away from him."
***
Alena remained quiet as the two men entered the room. One, whom she recognized as her abductor, was average build and appeared too dignified to be associated with these monsters. The other, whom she assumed was the boy created by the Panthralges, appeared to be less human than monster. Ignoring her sister's questions, she listened to the two men argue searching for some information that would help her escape.
"Alena!" the young man announced. "Welcome to my home. Oh, may I call you Alena?"
She quickly answered out loud hoping her sister would understand the answer, "Yes."
"If only you had found me, then I could call you Mother," he continued kneeling beside her chair. "Why didn't you look for me?"