Dark Possession - Aja James Page 0,75

a quirk of his lips.

“You should have told me she’s your female, King,” Rhys quipped. “I would have known to prepare myself for your wrath upon losing her.”

“She is not my female,” Ramses grunted. “Merely a Blood Contract.”

A pronouncement to which no one around him chose to respond.

“At the rate he’s flying, and with the Keeper being a lighter load, if we leave now, we’ll be a half hour to an hour behind them,” Rhys said, before transforming into the giant Golden Eagle with a flap of his great wings.

“You’re not fit to battle him again,” Maximus cautioned as Ramses braced himself for the eagle’s talons.

“Protect the Cove and keep the Nobles in line,” Ramses ordered. “I will endeavor to keep this excursion brief and communicate when I can.”

And then, he was flying.

Or rather, Rhys had a hold of him in his eagle claws and they were off in the direction where the Challenger had taken Eveline.

Faintly, Ramses heard Maximus mutter from the ground below—

“Not his female, my ass.”

*** *** *** ***

Is your name really Alend Ramses?

“The fuck.”

Ramses’ muffled explicative was all but lost in the wind. He immediately regretted the lungful of icy air when he opened his mouth to speak.

The eagle chuckled with amusement in his mind.

All Beasts and Lesser Beasts can communicate telepathically with each other. But it just so happens that I can communicate mentally with all Kinds. Call it part of my Gift. I’m an interpreter of sorts. I think I inherited the skill from…a friend of mine.

Ramses craned his neck to look up at the eagle’s feathered underbelly. Though he knew that Rhys’ wings were soft and smooth to the touch, they could stiffen into a casing as impenetrable as a steel-reinforced leather armor.

I thought your animal spirit is your Gift, he pushed the thought to his carrier.

It is, and it isn’t. It is simply who I am. Rather akin to the fact that you are who you are, Dark King.

And who am I? Ramses asked almost rhetorically.

An Earth Elemental, correct? I’ve never witnessed a telekinetic with powers like yours. You commanded the rocks in the falls as if they were extensions of your own body. The boulder hail flattened many of Queen Anya’s soldiers right on target, but left our side relatively unscathed. Or at least, with enough time to dodge them.

Luck.

I highly doubt that, my chosen king, Rhys rebutted instantly. You also shifted that jutting boulder in the middle of the rapids, directly in the path of my fall, out of the way. Even the water couldn’t have prevented me from smashing my skull in had I hit that thing straight on. I owe you for that.

Ramses ignored the Chosen’s gratitude. He considered them even for his unjust blame of the other male before.

After a while of silent flight, Ramses couldn’t prevent the question from escaping his thoughts.

Why did you bring her? She should have remained safe and sound at the Cove.

She was very convincing about the grave danger you were in, Rhys answered. And she was determined to save you.

A strange noise rumbled from Ramses’ chest. It didn’t sound happy.

She was all aflutter running down the corridors after whoever she could find to help her, Rhys continued.

Ana and I had just arrived back at the Cove per Maximus’ call. I don’t know what it was about her. Those eyes of hers…they are irresistible.

The rumble deepened into a threatening growl.

Calm, Dark King, the eagle practically snickered. I mean that your female’s eyes—

Ramses cleared his throat loud enough to be heard over the brisk wind.

—Your Blood Contract’s eyes, Rhys amended with a roll of his own eyes, though his king could not see, held a certain knowledge. It was hard to deny. It was as if I was gazing into the pools of Destiny itself. I felt like she would curse me if I didn’t do her bidding.

That, Ramses could well believe.

What did she think she could achieve by coming? Ramses asked, truly baffled, even though Eveline had, for all intents and purposes, saved his life.

He would like to think he could have escaped the choke hold in time, but he’d be lying to himself. His straits had been dire indeed. Locked in the Challenger’s unforgiving grip as he had been, Ramses hadn’t really fought back. His spirit hadn’t wanted to. There was so much shame and regret.

If the Challenger was indeed the Eagle King, then Ramses had done him a great, egregious wrong. He’d regretted it for many millennia—turning his back on