Breeds: Stygian's Honour Part 55

Sparks flew up, showering the air with pinpoints of red as the acrid then sweet smell that suddenly filled the air swept through her senses.

"Do you know, young children, the de- cision you have made this night?"

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It was a scene from the oldest western movie they had ever watched. Not that they had ever been allowed to watch much television where they had spent most of their lives.

But she knew, as her eyes met Fawn's, that this was the only decision they could make.

The steam that rose from the center pit, the hiss of water trickling upon the red-hot stones and the acrid scent of the pungent dried herbs that wafted thick and heavy in the air, all added to the sense of disbelief that swirled through her head.

"I know the decision I've made," she answered, though her voice cracked with fear, and with tears.

Wizened, his lined face and deep, dark gaze reflecting his sympathy, the chief of the Six Tribes nodded slowly.

She turned her head to watch her friend.

As always, stoicism defined her. Staring at 793/862 the ceiling above, her gaze resigned, her expression still. It was more than courage that filled her. There was no fear, no panic-nothing but that resignation that tore at her heart.

Fawn had known no peace, no lack of pain, both physical or emotional, for nearly the whole of her life.

Even here, amidst these whose only con- cern was that of her safety and her comfort, she knew no peace.

But then, neither of them ever had, not really. The reasons for it had merely been different, the years of being so ill, of knowing such pain, were now too much a part of them.

"Know you, that when it is over, strength will be yours. There will be no fears, no nightmares to combat. You will be the child you have whispered to the Almighty that you wish to be," he whispered to Fawn, his expression so gentle, so filled with 794/862.

tenderness that even she felt a part of her calm at the sound of it.

Watching Fawn, she saw the shame that filled her friend. The fear she always felt shamed her, made her feel weak. She wouldn't listen when they tried to tell her it only made her stronger.

"Ah child, such heart and compa.s.sion you hold within your small body," the chief seemed to understand each of those fears, to the point that as Fawn finally turned her head and stared into his dark gaze, her lips had trembled and Honor had watched her eyes fill with such hope.

The sense of pure peace and certainty that filled her expression left Honor suddenly thankful that Judd had convinced them to take this only path they could find to safety.

"Child." He turned to her then, holding out his other hand to her.

She wasn't afraid.

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She had faced her fears and knew the monsters that lurked in the dark. The un- known wasn't nearly as terrifying as all the terrors her past held.

"See you these four?" She followed as Or- rin reached out a hand and gestured to the warriors, their faces streaked with war paint, their dark eyes flinty in the light of the burning embers of the fire. "They will guide you on your journey. You know not their faces, but their strength will ease your way and help you keep the secrets you have hidden for so very long."

She nodded. It wasn't the pain she would ever fear. She had known pain. Pain that seared her insides and wrapped around her mind until she prayed to G.o.d to die.

No, pain was the least of her fears, be- cause she had learned how to conquer it.

"There will be no fear, there will be no pain," he promised Fawn then, grief tearing at his voice. Fawn was trembling and a 796/862.

single tear slid from the corner of her eyes.

"It will be just peace."

A trembling smile, one of hope, quivered about her lips.

"It is time then." Orrin sat back, his head lifting, his palms turned up as a low chant began to fill the lodge.

Honor eased her hand to Fawn's and gripped it, knowing how alone her friend often felt since they had lost Gideon. How frightened she felt now, knowing that even though they wouldn't remember him, they were also losing Judd as well.

"I won't see him again," Fawn whispered.

"I won't know him."

She knew who Fawn spoke of and breathed out softly.

From what Judd had said, Gideon would kill them all now if he could.

"It's for the best. It will keep you safe.

He'll kill you if he can."

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The younger girl's breathing hitched as she fought to hold back a sob. "He wouldn't kill me, Honor. I know he wouldn't."

"Child." Orrin Martinez gripped her hand, drawing her from Fawn's tear-filled gaze.

"Neither destiny, fate, nor the battle you are to fight on this earth can be avoided. It can only be delayed. To each of you-" He drew back as the chanting began once again. "To each of you, a protector will be sent. When it is time, when the memories must surface to guide the battle you must fight, your protector shall appear. One in the form of chaos, and one-" He looked to Fawn with gentle eyes. "One, my dear, in the form of death."

A brilliant arc of light filled the room at Fawn's throttled cry of fear, and another herb was tossed on the burning fire, the wicked red stones that the water hissed upon sending a rush of steam to fill the sweat lodge as the chanting increased.

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Light flared. The winds roared outside.

There were cries, both startled and filled with anger, from outside the lodge. She swore she heard gunfire- Honor turned her gaze from Fawn's and stared up at the crisscross of wood that made up the low ceiling and watched as the droplets of steam seemed to come to the point of the ceiling before feathering down, landing on her face, her arms, her legs.

Whatever upheaval gathered outside, in- side she was safe.

She would have thought it would be hot in the lodge, but it was cool. Moisture washed over her overheated flesh and soothed it, then seemed to fill her lungs with a slightly sweet, slightly bitter taste.

With each swallow, the taste of the mois- ture comforted her, sent lethargy stealing through her and for the first time in as long as she could remember, she didn't wonder what tomorrow would bring.

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She knew what it would bring.

They had explained it to her.

They had told her how the nothingness would be a comfort. How the years of pain and sorrow would slowly ease and who and what she had been would be but memories for others.

Who and what she had been would be no more until chaos filled the night.

Tonight, Honor Roberts and Fawn Cor- rigan would die.

The six chiefs of the People, the old men who came together from more than one tribe of Native Americans, to help them, to save them, filled Fawn with awe.

It wasn't awe Honor felt, though. It was grat.i.tude.

Finally, the fight to live, to survive, was a fight others could struggle through. Perhaps now, she and Fawn would have the chance to just live.

At least, for a little while.

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What had taken hours to actually happen flashed through her senses in a matter of minutes. It was there, like a cascade of frightening images clicking into place, pulling in those odd, half-formed memories that had tormented her over the years and rebuilding her from the soul out.

But as it did, a sense of overwhelming pain shuddered through her.

She was Honor Roberts-without family, without a past, a heritage or a true place in the world.

"Chaos," she whispered as she stared back at Stygian where he crouched in front of her.

"A night of chaos, Stygian."

Concern and a hint of gathering strength flashed in his eyes.

She knew what he was doing-he knew what had happened in those few flas.h.i.+ng moments that she had only stared up at 801/862.

them, neither hearing nor seeing whatever was happening around her.

"Stygian-"

His fingers pressed against her lips to shush her. "Let's get you out of here, get those cuts bandaged." Lifting her into his arms, Stygian had every intention of getting her the h.e.l.l out of there before Jonas arrived and caught the scent Stygian had the moment he approached Liza.

The scent of knowledge.

It was the scent of resignation, truth and the awareness that Liza's scent had drastic- ally changed. Changed more than mating heat could ever be responsible for.

As though a stopper had been pulled free, allowing some physical part of her loose, as well as the subconscious, her entire scent had suddenly changed, and Stygian knew why.

She wasn't hiding any longer.

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Whatever had happened, however she had managed to avoid the three forms that had been seen flying into the room, it had done more than cause a few scratches on her knees, palms and cheek.

It had done far more.

"Stygian," Jonas was moving into the room, his tone dark and demanding Too f.u.c.king late.

Staring down at his mate, he saw the knowledge in her gaze that the reckoning was here.

"Later, Jonas!" Striding into their bed- room, he placed her on their bed, turning and meeting Jonas before he could push his way into the room.

"Later," he repeated, stepping past the threshold and holding the door open only inches to ensure he heard if Liza were in danger again.

G.o.d, he wouldn't be able to leave her alone for a second for years-for a lifetime.

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Terror was still tearing through him, cramping his guts and burning through his mind.

The knowledge that the attack on the hotel was designed to take his mate had come the moment the signal to his security had vi- brated in the watch he wore.

The explosion of the windows had set off the alarm and given him the precious seconds he needed to turn from the elevator and race back to her.

If he had actually been faster and caught the doors before they closed on the cubicle, then he would have been too far away from her.

If the Breeds heading down to the bar had been seconds slower and hadn't been in such a hurry, then it would have been all over and his mate would have been gone.

"I need to know what happened, Stygian,"

Jonas growled, his gaze narrowed, his 804/862.

nostrils flaring as though to pick up her scent. "And she'll need to be debriefed."

"I f.u.c.king said later." The animal snarl slurred his words, the primal, predatory sound jerking the attention of every Breed that had converged in the room to them.

Stygian could feel their eyes on him, their hackles raising and their animals preparing for battle.

Eerie silver eyes flashed in a suddenly stony face.

"You take me for a fool," Jonas growled, though his tone was pitched so low Stygian had to strain to hear him.

"I take you for a Breed that has no idea when to step back and keep your machina- tions to yourself," Stygian snapped back.

"You will back off. This is my mate they nearly disappeared with, and I'll be d.a.m.ned if you'll take her from me before I know she's unharmed."

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Stepping back, Stygian didn't give the oth- er man a chance to comment or to argue be- fore closing the heavily reinforced door in his face and locking it.

The sound of the metal bars inside the steel door snapping into place could be heard even in the other room. The implications of what he had done weren't lost on him.

He could have made Jonas an enemy for life.