Kennice stared out the window and sighed. It had been three months since she had seen Cyrus and she longed to steal away in the night to find him but she had been taught that duty came before her own desires. The teachings and the scars were too deeply ingrained for her to shed them off easily.
She felt the wind stir and she whirled around. High Priestess Erykia stood there, an irritated look on her face. "Still mooning over that boy? Remember what happened the last time your thoughts were impure."
Kennice tensed. "I have not forgotten, my lady," she murmured as she averted her eyes. The sight of the older high priestess sickened Kennice but if she allowed that revulsion to show she would be punished.
Erykia took four steps, grabbed Kennice's chin and forced her head up. She stared into Kennice's eyes for a long moment and then gave a pleasant smile that made Kennice shiver in fear.
"You will not be going to him. He was never meant for you. Rhys' seed is the one that will be spilled inside your sacred body and it is his children you shall bear."
Kennice shook her head no before she could stop herself and stumbled back when a vicious backhand from Erykia almost sent her crashing into the nearby table.
"You will submit or you will spend the rest of your life suffering punishment for your disobedience. The people's needs come before yours, ungrateful little chit!"
"I know that! Please, choose another for my husband!" Kennice begged.
Erykia smiled coldly. "My prophecies are never wrong. You will wed Rhys and your "Cyrus" will be a dragon rider separate and apart from you for the rest of your life! Now you shall stay in this room and meditate on your behavior. You shall have no dinner this night."
"Starving me will not make me see your way," Kennice muttered unable to stifle the surge of anger at being locked in her room, AGAIN, like some little child.
She let out a hoarse scream when Erykia held up her hand and sent a blast of blood red energy into Kennice's body that sent hot searing pricks of pain through her body. She fell to her knees breathing heavily as the pain receded.
Erykia said nothing, simply walked out the room and locked the door.
It took several minutes but Kennice finally managed to get to the bed where she passed out. Her last thought was of Cyrus and his kind smile...
***
Cyrus shifted in the deep slumber he had fallen into. His dreams twisting and changing form like a shapeshifting serpent. As his frown deepened, the darkness that lined his mind filled his view, he tensed in apprehension for a moment. Seconds later it struck him, the wave and rush of memories pouring into his mind like an uncontrolled torrent. He could see it all, everything Kennice had just gone through, yet he was powerless to stop it. He screamed in his mind and fell to his knees, trembling from the force of the emotions that wracked is body. He hurt as he watched the endless procession of tormenting memories and the guilt for not being able to stop this evil from hurting Kennice. Then the worst of all his emotions erupted forth, a combination of his emotions.
The rage inside him stirred, slowly opening deep, void like, red eyes...and took a deep breath. The subsequent explosion of voice from it shook the boundaries of his mind like a bomb detonating. It ripped through him like nothing else before, sending wave upon wave through his psychic connection, stealing any feeling he might have left to contain it within himself. His world then went dark around him. As it closed in, only one thing went through his mind. "I have to help her..."
***
Downstairs Henry felt the house shake and he sighed. He had hoped distance would cure the boy, but apparently not. The connection between Kennice and Cyrus was strong. Henry didn't want Cyrus to violate the draconic pact with the druids but if the young man didn't leave the future druidic high priestess alone, there would be trouble, trouble that neither side could afford.
"I'll have a chat with him in the morning," Henry muttered before seeking his own bed.
***
In the dark of his room, in the deep chill of the night, Cyrus awoke. The same phrase chanted through his mind over and over again as he rose from his bed and dawned his clothing. "I have to help her." Slowly he crept from his room and tiptoed down the main stairs, being sure to think absolutely nothing. If he had no choice but to use the skills he learned at the monastery, then he would use all of them. Including the ones concerning sneaking around undetected by telepaths. As he neared the door he paused a moment and eyed the hinges, estimating how much creak they would give. Surprisingly when he slowly swung the door open, it moved in silence. He nodded to himself and carefully made his way down the garden path, ignoring the feeling of unease the place emitted.
Brenna glided through the night sky and landed in front of him. She had felt Cyrus' sonic scream and had come the moment it rocked the cave. ~Where are you going?~ she demanded.
Cyrus paused in front of Brenna and resisted the urge to disappear into the night without an explanation. He owed her that much at least for being his friend in his time of need. "Just out for an evening stroll to clear my head of bad dreams..." He gave Brenna a suspicious look a father might give a teenage daughter. "What are YOU doing out at this time of night hmm? Sneaking out to meet a certain boy are we young lady?"
Brenna snorted. ~You forgot I can hear your thoughts and dreams. You are going to her again, aren't you?~ Brenna's tone was filled with resignation.
He stuck his tongue out at her. "What of it? You see what was done to her, besides it's not like I'm going after anyone is it? I'm just going to protect her is all. Keep her from harm kind of thing. That way they have to go through me first and I'm simply defending myself."
Brenna's sigh rumbled the ground. ~Be careful. I do not want to have to return to the dragon realms to tell everyone I got my rider killed.~
He snorted and couldn't help but chuckle. "Brenna, I have a strong feeling anything in this world, even a dragon, would have trouble TOUCHING me, never mind killing me." His tone took on a soft playful sound that hinted mischief. "Besides I still have to meet your boyfriend." He winked and chuckled before motioning Brenna down so he could hug her big snout.
Brenna accepted the hug but she still worried but she knew her rider was headstrong. She would keep in mental contact just to be safe. ~Hurry back~ she told him before launching herself into the air and heading back to the caves and Bogart.
Cyrus waved to her a moment before grinning and flashing off into the night at the speed of sound, snow and water flung out in every direction as he passed with a loud sonic boom. He followed the directions that were in his dreams and memories, seeking out the place where Kennice lay, injured and needing him.
*** As Cyrus neared the location he knew Kennice to be, he slowed down, letting his mind slip into the stealth tricks he knew. Quickly he moved past the guards and rapidly climbed the wall to Kennice's bedroom. Gently he rapped upon the windowsill, quiet enough to be mistaken for the wind to the untrained ear.
She wasn't aware of how much time passed only that the pain had become a dull throbbing in her mind. This was the second time she had been on the receiving end of Erykia's powers and it hurt like hell, just like the first time. She would've shed tears but they were long gone. She slowly opened her eyes that were red from crying. Her body ached but her mind urged her to her feet. She barely managed to get out of bed without collapsing on the floor and then staggering about as if drunk, she made it to the window and opened it. "Hello?"
Softly he whispered to her, "Can't leave you alone for five minutes without you getting hurt again can I?" He smiled a soft smile and hoisted himself up onto the window ledge before gently stroking her face.
She looked at him in disbelief and would have backed away but his caress froze her in her tracks. No one else touched her that way except for him. "Cyrus?" Her tone bordered on hysterical.
His smile stayed soft and he whispered while nodding. "Yes my love, it's me Cyrus, I've come to protect you. This time I won't let them take you, this time they'll have to go through me first to get to you Kennice."
Kennice flung herself into his arms and though she had no tears left to shed, her body shook with her silent sobs of relief.
Cyrus wrapped his arms around his love, holding her tight all through her sobs. Slowly a tear of his own slid down his cheek as he felt her sorrow. "Kennice, my love, please come with me, even if only for a while. You can still be high priestess if that is what you desire. I know of beings who are much more knowledgeable in her duties and secrets than the one who has done so much harm to you."
"Ok," she whispered against his chest. "Only for a few minutes. I can't breathe here."
Slowly he nodded and wrapped his arms tighter around Kennice before whispering. "Hold tight..." Suddenly the world whooshed around Kennice, air rushing past her as they traveled over one hundred miles in just a few seconds. Gently Cyrus set her down and looked deep into her eyes. "We're here."
Kennice looked around in amazement. "Cyrus, how did you know?" Her one true wish was to be on a beach with Cyrus, enjoying a romantic night like this. She looked at him. "Thank you."
He gently caressed her cheek once more before leaning in and gently kissing her with a long and loving kiss. "You are most welcome my love, tell me of your troubles?"
"I feel stifled. Everywhere I turn Erykia and Rhys are there. And he's pressuring me more and more to sleep with him. It would make our marriage official under druidic law."
Cyrus gently led her to a rise in the sand to sit upon and listened carefully. "You could always 'accidentally' wound his manhood beyond repair."
"Cyrus!" she gasped then started laughing.
He joined in with her laughter, the sound of her angelic voice soothing his aching soul. "Or you could come back with me and learn your duties from a dragon..."
"A dragon cannot teach me the spells I must learn to protect our homeland." Kennice wanted nothing more than to go away with him but she had a duty to fulfill.
"They are keepers of knowledge Kennice, and even if they don't know...I'd scour the whole planet to find what you needed."
"Oh Cyrus. You keep asking and I must keep refusing. I will not abandon this land's people to Rhys' heavy handed ruling." Kennice stroked his face.
"You won't though, once you have learned what is needed you can take control, give the people a real, kind ruler. Sometimes you must be cruel to be kind," he stated.
Kennice shuddered. Those were the same words Erykia used when she was about to make some unpleasant lesson sink home.
