Rout of the Dem-Shyr (The Ascendant Series)

  ROUT OF THE DEM-SHYR

  by

  Raine Thomas

  Published by Iambe Books, LLC

  This book is an original publication of Iambe Books, LLC.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 Raine Thomas.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without the express written permission of the publisher. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials.

  Visit the author's website: http://www.RaineThomas.com

  Cover design by Regina Wamba of www.MaeIDesign.com

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Epilogue

  This book is dedicated to my fans. Thank you for your invaluable support. Y’all rock my world!

  Acknowledgements

  After three years of writing and publishing books, I’ve learned a lot about both processes. I decided to try a new approach when writing Rout of the Dem-Shyr, and recruited the services of an alpha reader who received a few chapters at a time to read and provide feedback. This process proved invaluable, allowing me to tighten up the story as I wrote it. So I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my “book pimp and addict,” Debbie Prins. Thank you for helping me through that first draft and then re-reading it one more time, my friend. Sorry for all of those used tissues I caused you!

  Thank you, as well, to my trusty beta readers: Bethany Lopez, Jessica Lind-Wentz, Marilyn Jeulin-Almodóvar, Roy Bronson, and Diane Kaye. You all helped make this book as good as it can be, and I’ll be forever grateful.

  Acknowledgements must go out to Janet Wallace and the team of UtopYACon for inspiring this series. Thanks to this year’s Take Me to Your Reader theme, the Alametrian world was born. May you all keep inspiring writers and readers as much as you have these past three years!

  Thank you to my husband, Kevin, and daughter, Faith, for your ongoing support. You both know I couldn’t do this without you. I love you both to pieces..

  And thank you to all of you wonderful readers out there. No author takes this journey alone. I’m so lucky to have you all along for the ride!

  Chapter 1

  When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but darkness. No sound reached her ears other than her own deep, even breathing. Her body felt weighted. Lifeless.

  At first, her mind was as dark as her vision. She gazed unseeingly into the unknown, no memory of who or where she was. Her world centered around the sound of the air as it entered and exited her lungs. But memories slowly resurfaced with each breath. It wasn’t long before the most important memory fired in her brain.

  She was Ma’jah KyrVawn, the Ascendant of Alametria.

  The rest resurfaced more quickly. Sensation returned as well, sending pulsing aches through her body. She was glad for that. It was so much better than the numbness.

  Her neck and throat hurt the worst. She felt as though she’d been in a car accident and suffered whiplash. That shouldn’t be, though. She was no longer on Earth, and Alametria didn’t have cars.

  Lifting a hand, she reached up to rub her neck. Her fingertips grazed something soft and unfamiliar at the base of her throat. After more exploration, she discovered that her face was covered in fine fabric. Was that why she couldn’t see? Was this what was dampening her ability to hear or sense anything around her?

  She tugged at the fabric, expecting it to easily give way. It didn’t. Her hand slipped, jerking upwards. A soft thud resulted as she encountered something solid only inches above her body.

  Panic hit her then. Bringing both hands up, she pushed against the hard, flat surface above her. Nothing happened. She couldn’t bend her elbows enough to get any momentum behind the push because the surface was too close. Attempting to move her arms sideways yielded no better results. She was surrounded. Lifting her knees, she discovered that the surface above her ran the entire length of her body. A terrified scream built in her throat.

  Calm yourself, Kyr.

  The quiet thought came to her in her own voice. It reminded her that she had resources outside of just the physical. She was the Ascendant, for the love of Yen-Ki. She wasn’t helpless.

  Taking in a deep breath, she thought, Ty.

  She knew immediately that the thought hadn’t reached him. Much like the sound of her breathing, Ty’s name was contained in a place reserved only for her.

  No!

  Fear and confusion once again overwhelmed her. Where was she? Why was she in a dark, contained space? Why couldn’t she mentally connect with the man she loved?

  As each question ran through her mind, her strength amplified. She shoved against the surface above her until her muscles protested. The sound of creaking prompted her to push even harder. It didn’t matter what awaited her outside of wherever she was. She’d greet it with open arms.

  It took several minutes of heaving with her enhanced strength, but eventually, the surface gave way. She tossed aside the entire length of whatever was containing her, giving her freedom to sit up. As she did, a wave of dizziness almost made her fall back down. Terror kept her upright, clinging to the sides of her rectangular prison for support.

  She looked around and saw she was in a dimly lit room. She also realized that she was sitting in a death box.

  Another scream built in her throat. In an instant, she was standing beside the death box rather than inside of it. She had no memory of climbing out, nor did she know how long she stood beside it, staring at it as though it could offer her answers to the long stream of questions running through her barely functioning mind.

  The sound of a door handle turning sent her skittering back into the shadows. She clung to a tall column in the middle of the room and tried not to make a sound. She wished she had thought to cover the death box, but knew there was nothing she could do about it now. Hushed whispers reached her ears as the door opened and closed. Unable to resist, she eased her head around the column to see who had entered the room.

  Zasha, the Wrym who had seen to Kyr’s comforts since her return to Alametria, stepped into the dim light of a
wall sconce. Her hair was covered by a red scarf. She wore a simple red dress, as well, reminding Kyr that the Alametrian color of mourning was red…the color of blood and pain. The flowers Zasha carried, however, were purple. Kyr’s favorite color.

  Behind Zasha walked a male that Kyr didn’t recognize until he stepped into the light: LeoVawn. The pair walked all the way into the center of the room, stopping short when their eyes adjusted enough for them to see that the death box was now open and unoccupied. The container of flowers dropped from Zasha’s hands with a jarring thud.

  Kyr couldn’t stop herself from stepping out of the shadows. She had to get some answers, and the only thoughts she received from the male and female in the room were shock and confusion. Those emotions heightened when Leo and Zasha saw her and recognized her. Their eyes went wide. Their complexions turned the color of wax.

  And one single thought got through: But she’s dead.

  Their reactions told Kyr why she had been in the death box. “Zasha,” she said, finding her voice at last. “Where’s Ty?”

  The Wrym female stood rooted in place as Kyr approached her and took her by the upper arms. Leo watched with a slack jaw, but made no move to intervene.

  Kyr tried again. “Please, Zasha. Please tell me where Ty is. Where is Dem-Shyr TaeDane?”

  “Ma’jah,” Leo said in a hoarse voice. “This cannot be.”

  Frustration made Kyr want to shout, but she knew anyone could be outside the doors and listening. Drawing on her growing abilities, she centered herself and sent calming thoughts to Zasha and Leo. She needed their help.

  “I’m fine, Leo. You can see that. Please tell me where I can find the Dem-Shyr.”

  Leo swallowed audibly before he replied, “I’m sorry to say that he’s been banished to the Dark Lands, Ma’jah.”

  Kyr sifted through her still-muddy memories of her home planet. “The Dark Lands?” she repeated. “But I thought only murderers are sent there. It’s the punishment of eternal exile.”

  “Yes, Ma’jah,” Leo whispered.

  Emotion rose within Kyr. Disbelief. Horror. Anguish. Her gaze moved between Leo and Zasha, reading only truth in their thoughts and expressions.

  “But…who did he kill?” she asked at last.

  “You, Ma’jah,” Zasha answered with tears in her eyes. “He killed you.”

  Chapter 2

  Two weeks earlier…

  Ty guided Kyr down the private hallway leading from the training room to her bedchamber. His senses were attuned to their surroundings in search of any danger, though the area wasn’t frequented by many. As he’d just found out the hard way, an encounter with even one person could have enormous repercussions.

  In this case, he didn’t even know who had been in the hallway. What he did know was that someone had accessed the locked training room and had witnessed him kissing Kyr…something that was expressly forbidden.

  I told you not to worry about it, Kyr thought. I’m going to have a conversation with the Guardians the next time I see them. I love you, Ty. They won’t be able to keep me from you.

  Since failing to catch and identify the spy, Ty had been trying to convince himself that Kyr’s will would be strong enough to overcome the rules. But after everything that had happened since her return to Alametria, he was far from optimistic. It had become clear that the political structure within the palace had changed during his and Kyr’s absence as she learned her life lessons. Kyr’s birth parents, the Guardians, were now the people that Alametrians looked to for leadership. The power-hungry Advisor, VycorDane, held the Guardians in the palm of his hand, easily swaying them to his thinking. Since Vycor hated Ty and resented Kyr’s position of power, the Advisor was attempting to undermine them at every turn.

  The Guardians felt that Ty couldn’t properly guard and protect Kyr in his role as the Dem-Shyr if he was distracted by feelings for her. Vycor had played upon that concern, announcing to the Guardians and a room full of Alametrians that Ty had developed feelings for Kyr. Although Ty had overcome Vycor’s poisonous words and actions, the seeds of doubt had been planted.

  Their rule against you being intimate with me is just ridiculous, Kyr argued as they neared her chambers. You’ll only be all the more dedicated to protecting the woman you love.

  When she said it like that, it seemed so straightforward. Yet Ty knew it would take much more than that to sway the Guardians. They didn’t want Kyr paired with a Dane. They wanted her paired with a Vawn.

  Kyr issued a huff. You’re the most powerful male on the planet. Who cares which megai you’re from?

  They do.

  Her lips pressed together. He knew that she wanted to argue the point, but there wasn’t anything she could say. Her parents were undeniably elitist and set in their ways. It was a tough obstacle to overcome.

  We need to find out who saw us kissing, Kyr thought.

  They reached the door leading into the secret room in her closet. The two patrolling Mynders who guarded the hallway passed by, but they barely spared her a glance. Ty waited until they were out of sight and then opened the door.

  It’ll be disastrous if that person goes to the Guardians and tells them before I have a chance to talk to them, she continued. Can’t you do some kind of mass brain scan or something?

  Ty shook his head as he moved inside her chambers to begin his standard security check. You’re not talking about a single mind scan, Kyr. There are thousands of people in the palace. I already attempted to read the thoughts of the person who saw us as soon as I became aware that we had been seen. I couldn’t.

  So why can’t you do some deeper scans?

  He couldn’t see her as he secured the bathing chamber, but he felt Kyr’s frustration through the thought. The deeper I go into someone’s mind, the greater the chance that I’ll be discovered, he explained. There are rules in place regarding how I use my abilities. It’s not like your life was in danger, which might justify an intensive scan. There’s always a chance that I could put an individual at risk if I delve too deeply, so I have to exercise caution.

  Her expression when he returned to the closet told him she wasn’t convinced that he’d given a persuasive argument. Although she didn’t expressly think it, he knew she was weighing whether it was worth him being discovered or possibly affecting the spy’s mental health so they could find out who had seen them. Taking her elbow, he led her out to the central receiving area where the Wrym awaited her.

  Going deeply into multiple minds puts me at risk, too, Kyr. Straining the mind in such a way is like overexerting yourself physically. If abused enough, it can lead to serious consequences.

  She sighed as the Wrym moved her into the bathing chamber and removed her armor. I didn’t think about that. You’re so powerful, I just figured…

  I know. I’m sorry it isn’t that easy. All power comes with some risk.

  Her gaze met his. I won’t risk you, no matter the cost.

  He watched as she was completely disrobed and led into the bathtub. The brief glimpse he got of her bare skin wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy him. They hadn’t been together in an intimate way in almost a week, and it seemed all he could think about. He couldn’t deny holding a grudge against whoever had interrupted them during their training session.

  Now we’ve got two people other than Vycor who know about us, Kyr thought as the Wrym bathed her.

  Her emotions were peaking now that her shock over being seen had worn off. She was panicking that Vycor or the mysterious person that Vycor had told about their relationship would go to the Guardians. Ty was glad that he could assuage her concerns on this, at least.

  I took care of Vycor, he confessed.

  She stiffened, making the Wrym give her puzzled looks. What?

  Rather than explain, Ty sent her images of the Advisor shackled to the sacrificial altar he’d used during Kyr’s Ruvex Rite. He shared the threats he’d issued to Vycor, letting her know that unless Vycor wanted every Mynder on Alametria seeing the shameful image
of him naked, weeping, and screaming like a little girl, he’d keep his knowledge to himself. If the Guardians found out about Ty and Kyr’s relationship from Vycor or Vycor’s supposed associate, Ty wouldn’t hesitate to follow through on those threats and more.

  Who is his associate? Kyr wondered. What is Vycor planning? I know he hasn’t gone through all of this trouble to put me in the spotlight for no reason.

  Although Ty hated to admit it, he responded, I don’t know. He has some kind of mental barrier that I can’t breach. I’ve never encountered anything like it. I knew if I attempted to get past it, I would either break his mind, or mine.

  How is that possible?

  I have no idea. I’ve been focused on you for the past few days, but I intend to see what more I can find out now that you’re back on your feet.

  Her worry continued to swirl through her thoughts as the Wrym completed her bath and got her out to dry her off. He allowed his darker thoughts to drift away as he watched them rub her soft skin with towels and then scented lotion. His hands clenched, longing to be the ones touching her. He moistened his lips as his mind wandered, crafting a fantasy where he kissed her skin before applying the lotion, trailing along her body—