Page 9 of Risen
I tilted my head, following the faint sound of smooth scales sliding over polished stone.Like most others in this place, Dimitri must be in his natural naga form.His aura put out a sweet, alluring pull that was new to me, but that I instantly recognized from the descriptions others had given me.Descriptions of my own aura.I could sense the subtle power floating through the air around us like perfume, though it didn’t have the same effect on me as it did on the others around us.Betas and gammas would sit up and take notice.Any alphas in the area would be laser focused and primed to leap to his defense or see to his every need.Omega.
His words were laced with cold charm, a syrupy sort of fake happiness.“Sadavir,” he said lightly.“So good to see you returned to us.And looking sowell, even after your time with the parasites.I assumed you’d be nothing more than a shriveled-up husk.”A pause, as he no doubt studied me.I imagined I could feel his gaze sliding over me, assessing.“And you come back to us with an omega mate, after how you swore you’d never dally with a scary little omega ever again,” he said, voice like velvet laced with venom.“Nice to meet you… Roy, was it?What aquaintname for a female.”
The room was so silent you could have heard a pin drop.I could almost see it now, everyone who knew Sadavir and his history with this man silently leaning in, watching the drama unfold.Maybe waiting to see how I would react, how I would comport myself.Comparing me to this other omega.The one Sadavir had loved before me.
I kept my emotions and my aura to myself.“It’s Ruya, actually,” I said evenly.“I’m told the name has association with dreams and visions—with prophets and women of power.”I allowed myself the tiniest bit of a smug smile.
If this man was who I thought he was, he had used his omega nature to manipulate Sadavir and take advantage of their relationship in an attempt to make himself royalty—and broken Sadavir’s heart in the process.He had also wounded Josh, tried to get rid of him, and made him feel like he was less important because he was a lowly human.I let the meaning of my name sit there in the silence between us, like a warning, hinting that I myself might be one of those powerful women with the gift of prophecy.I wanted him to know I wasn’t some sweet little woman to sit by unaware of what a snake he was—literallyandfiguratively.
“Oh!”The other omega said with mock surprise, as he ignored my words.“And… are you… blind?I see now.Our Sadavir always did love caring for strays.”
Sadavir hissed.
Josh.Dimitri was talking about the human Sadavir had loved, the man he had ultimately chosen over Dimitri once he saw through the omega’s manipulations and schemes.
I carefully reached out and felt along the table, picked up my wine glass, and took a sip as if I was completely unconcerned about his childish ramblings.Which was true.I was trying really hard to ignore the jealous curiosity that wanted to take root in my gut.But this wasn’t the time or the place, and I wasn’t in the mood to bicker with jilted past lovers.We all had far more important things to worry about at the moment.
Sadavir hissed again, and created a rattling noise with his tail that I had never heard him make before.Without comment, conversations started back up around us.Everyone moved on to conclude the pouring ritual and start dishing out food.
One of the elders shifted closer to me and cleared his throat to draw my attention away from Sadavir’s softly whispered encouragement.
“Ruya, child, tell us about your family and where you come from,” the elder said in a voice that seemed to contain nothing more than casual curiosity.The naga people were clearly very focused on family, on heritage and clan.But the question caused my stomach to knot up with nerves.What could I say that wouldn’t make me sound like damaged goods?I was hardly a princess, worthy of their precious prince.
I did my best to project calm while I explained my mixed witch and banshee heritage.I skipped over the part where I was kidnapped, blinded, and kept prisoner in a pocket world for most my life.I kept my explanation brief, only saying that I was an orphan and still figuring out my heritage as I came into power.“It’s all been a strange, and at times unsettling, experience,” I said honestly.“But I’m happy to have the sort of magic that can help the others around me.”
My gut churned with anxiety, afraid I would be judged and found wanting among these proud people who seemed to give so much importance to family and their heritage.I wasn’t a naga, and I couldn’t say much about my parents—those details were best left for later, once I knew where I stood.I certainly didn’t come from royal blood.
“A gift indeed,” the elder said in response to my explanation.“It has been some time since anyone in this family mated someone who wasn’t a naga or, on occasion, another shifter.”I couldn’t tell if that was praise, or a veiled reprimand.But I chose to take the elder’s words at face value.Perhaps they really were just happy to welcome a healer to the family.
Sadavir spoke to his family and the elders with sign, which they all seemed comfortable and familiar with.It eased something inside me, to know that no one here seemed to see Sadavir’s deafness as a weakness or deformity.They clearly loved and respected him, and had taken the time to adapt so he could feel at ease.Cicely conveyed Sadavir’s reply to the elder next to me in mind speak, an undertone of pride in his mental voice as he shared Sadavir’s praise.
Ruya is too modest.She is a unique magic user with deep power.She has amazing gifts as a healer and seer, and she will only grow more powerful as she comes into her full magic abilities and learns more about her heritage.But more than that, she is a fierce and strong-hearted woman.My mate is stunning in all ways.She honors me.Sadavir lifted my hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back, making me blush as I felt all eyes in the room on us.
Dimitri wasn’t pleased.He tried again to knock me down a peg.“You’re rather plain for someone with so much… influence… aren’t you, Ruya, dear?But then, maybe that’s the way of banshees.I certainly haven’t spent time around a death-called magic user.”He made it sound like being a banshee was similar to cleaning toilets for a living.Then his voice dropped into a stage whisper.“Are the rumor’s true?That you hold an entire little court of outcasts in your palm?Are they afraid of your death magic?What an accomplishment that must be for someone like you.”His tone was demeaning, his “dear” meant to make me sound like a child.It was clear that he thought any court that was interested in me must be far beneath him and easily swayed by the merest hint of magic.
Did no one take issue with his rudeness?Even with other conversations going on around the huge table, surely others could hear him.He made sure of that with his volume and his dramatic little speech.Either they all agreed, or they were simply waiting to see how I reacted.
Anger simmered inside me.I had thought I was safe from this kind of petty nonsense, since we weren’t dining with one of the syndicate’s courts.
I laughed, as if Dimitri hadn’t just insulted me, giving him back some of the same fake niceness he had ladled onto me.“Who, me?What imaginative rumors those must be!The rebel court is hardly a group to be scoffed at.They are clever and extremely powerful people with an important mission—people like Sadavir, who are far too powerful to be controlled by the games of a simple, weak omega.”A nice little backhanded comment, if I did say so myself.He couldn’t accuse me of bewitching Robin’s court without admitting that I was either far stronger, far more attractive, or far cleverer than him, since his own attempts at manipulating Sadavir—a single naga prince—all those years ago hadn’t been successful.
I hated myself for it, but I somehow harnessed all the underhanded insincerity I’d witnessed as a priestess with the Order of the Triple Moon, and later, during my time in the syndicate’s fae and vampire courts.“Of course,” I said, putting a little pout into my voice, as if I was speaking to a whining child, “I wouldn’t expect adarlinglittle courtier such as yourself to know much aboutpurposeormeaningand all those boring sorts of things outside the lovely role you have here for yourself.But the true leader of the rebel courtlivesfor purpose and destiny.She is driven and focused.”I sighed, as if just imagining the greatness one would have to achieve to be so influential.“It would certainly take an exceptional person to catch the attention an alpha like her.”
Cicely made a choking sound that I suspected was strangled laughter.
Once again, no one commented on our little back and forth.But I knew they were listening.Forming opinions.Taking my measure.If Dimitri had endeared himself to the royal family—the way he must have if he had convinced Sadavir’s younger brother to marry him—then I had probably just made them all hate me.But then again, Sadavir’s mother hadn’t seemed to impressed when she spoke of him earlier.
Sadavir simply pressed a kiss to my temple and invited me to try one of his favorite tarts of the dessert tray.But I could feel the pride humming through our bond, and it reassured me that no matter what anyone else thought, my mate certainly approved of my little outburst.
Conversation turned, awkwardly at first, to other matters, and eventually some of the tension in the room eased.Sadavir’s parents caught him up on how they had orchestrated the move here to the island, taking over and revitalizing a much older community that had been fading until their arrival, and preserving the important ancient site.Sadavir regaled the court with edited versions of his harrowing adventures among the vampires, and his escape to the rebel court—giving me far too much credit for my part in his freedom.
Cicely charmed the naga court, since he was able to speak freely with them thanks to their fluent understanding of sign language.At one point, he mentioned his panpipes, and one of Sadavir’s young sisters, Divya, rushed off to bring him a borrowed flute, which he played for us all as we finished our desserts.A bit of his empathic powers flowed through the room, enchanting everyone, encouraging calm and relaxation.
Chavi, Divya’s twin sister, was so enamored of Cicely that she asked if Sadavir would make his faun show everyone his true form.A mild spat of bickering ensued as Sadavir explained he didn’townCicely, and their parents reprimanded the girl for her rudeness and making the naga sound like classist, speciest bigots.
“I promise you, we aren’t like that,” Aradhya said, hurrying to fix the awkwardness.“It’s just that we’ve been isolated here, with hardly anyone but other naga for company, since the girls were small.”
I didn’t think Chavi had meant to be insulting.She was simply overflowing with curiosity.But Cicely of course diffused the situation with calmness and understanding, by explaining that he wasn’t comfortable going unglamoured around strangers, but that he’d show her his horns if she behaved.
