Visions of defeat assailed Tam as he cursed aloud, "Dark god of fate, I know I am a worthless, heartless son of a heckle's hide. But really? An old and a boy?"
He rose up and crossed the room more quickly than a man his size ought. He stood in front of the new comer. Glared at him, took his measure. The boy met his gaze full on, stared unblinking into his eyes. The little rat was full of courage, he had to give him that much. But courage alone had gotten many men killed.
Just as he was about to speak, he felt the steadying hand upon his shoulder. Turning he saw the older man, their Councilor.
Tam was not prepared for this, for any of this, either of these unlikely allies. He had not known exactly what he expected. The prophesy was so unclear, as prophesies often were. He supposed that just as he sensed her, knew that his destiny, his fate lay in this place, he just assumed that somewhere among his men, his followers, the hundreds of devoted resistance fighters lay others, others that were destined for this fate, blessed as they had no right to be.
But clearly he had been wrong. He had miscalculated, never thought that the other priestesses might have true mates already. This changed everything. Or did it? If he left them here with these men, could they protect them? Keep them safe from his brothers? For how long? Because he was certain that Mot would not rest until he had scoured every square meter of this small, inconsequential world for the treasure he sought. He never did and took no notice of what he destroyed in the process.
He shook his head, what choice did he have really?
As if sensing his indecision the older man spoke, "I am usually more of a diplomat but I do not think we have time for niceties. So let me make myself clear. You will not take Mya, the High Priestess of the air, anywhere without me."
The boy spoke up then too, "And if you think that you are just abandoning her like some piece of garbage, tossed aside after it is no longer useful, then frig you all. I'll do it alone."
He turned to go back down the hall, but Tam put out his arm, grabbed him about the shoulder. "If you want to save your mate. If you have any hope of it, then you will listen to me and do exactly as you are told. Do you understand me?" he gritted through his teeth.
The boy whirled on him then. His fist connecting solidly with his jaw. For someone his size, the kid could hit. He raised back his own fist, he would not use his full force, not if he had any hope of using the young man to serve his god's purposes, but he needed a lesson.
He felt the soft fingers wrap about his fist, he allowed her to draw it to his side as he would none other. But he stepped forward when she brushed past him, wrapped his arm about her shoulders protectively as she reached for the other man. He did not like the feel of her so close to another, familiar enough to touch him. And the fact she did not yet wear his collar only heightened his unease.
"Leamus, what are you doing here?" she asked softly.
The boy looked from her to him and back again. His rage was barely caged. "That worthless, cowardly piece of," his stopped and shook his dark blond head. "Tsu sought out Larca, took her with him, told me I should guard the High Priestess of the air. He would not tell me what happened to her so I thought I would see if either of you knew. I have been to her chambers, yours too." He shifted nervously from foot to foot.
His mate smiled at the other man, he growled a low warning, whether to the other man or her it did not matter. The boy, Leamus she had called him, looked at uneasy as he felt. There was no denying what his senses told him, what few others of his kind would know. The boy was her mate. At another time, he would have loved the chance to laugh at the nasty sense of humor that was his god, Fate. But that would have to wait another time. For now, he had an unlikely little party of High Priestesses, old men and boys to lead.
He wiped his hand across his face and sighed, "We need a plan. A real one now. Fuck!"
The older man stepped forward making certain that his young charge remained well behind his back. "Foul language will not help, son. I do not know what you are doing here. Why you would seek to help us. I am not sure that we should even trust you. But if you are who you say you are, then you should know all that."
Tam drew in a deep cleansing breath, ashamed that anyone would need to remind him of his true calling. But that was why he needed her so desperately; she brought the balance that he needed. He needed her, had to save her, save them. And that meant he needed to quickly formulate a plan that stood even a micro-chance of working.
"Thank you, Councilor. I should not have needed that reminder but appreciate your wisdom in offering it." Looking at the young man again, he extended his hand. "I am Tam, a Morian commander and leader of its resistance. If you have my mate's trust, then you have mine as well. We will do all we can to bring your mate back to you. Get all of the High Priestesses to the safe havens I have selected. But we all stand a far better chance of that if we work together. You will only get yourself and her killed if you rush off in anger, let us help you, help her."
The young man stared at his hand as if carefully considering it. Tam hoped he was. After a long moment he placed his hand in Tam's. Both were soon covered by another, its knuckles lined with the soft lines of age just as the man's face with lined with wisdom. Courage and wisdom they had, Tam hoped only that they had enough of both to see how truly special their destinies were, and to stand fully into them. To protect and cherish the most precious of all gifts...a true mate.
***
The rag tag group huddled in a doorway a short distance from the altar. Screams rent the cold night evening air. Soji kept her hand on Leamus's arm. Big baddie growled every couple of minutes, but that was too bad. She could feel his anger and panic. Or perhaps this time those emotions were her own. Whatever was happening to her sister in there was not good. The giant had his head bent with the Councilor; together they sought a plan that might free her sister. Soji just wished they would hurry, before it was too late. "Leamus could take Soji to them; perhaps they could distract them long enough. We could sneak around and free her," suggested Aved.
Another of those growls like an enraged boar erupted from her rescuer, "Soji goes nowhere near them. I do not see you volunteering your mate, old man."
"Hey, while the two of you are friggin' arguing here, they could be killing her," Leamus protested.
Soji shook her head and sought her sister's eyes, "We go together. All of us. It is the simplest solution and the one most likely to work." She saw each of the men open their mouths to protest, but Mya had moved next to her then.
"We do it our way or we will trade ourselves for our sister," added Mya.
Tam shook his dark head, "You do not understand my people do not trade, they take."
