Page 63 of Forbidden

Inside, a thin, aging priest dressed from head to toe in shimmering gold robes met them in front of an ornate silver door that should have been gaudy. Instead it was the most beautiful piece of craftsmanship Taber had ever seen. It opened to reveal an immense Chamber surrounded by windows and shrouded in mists.

Khan frowned. “The Chamber within has always been dark. Has something changed?”

“The souls are showing their disgust for the human bastard.” Davin’s voice dripped contempt as he turned to address Akahana. “Gamin had plans for you. As his mate, it is yourdutyto honor him in death as he wished.”

“Gamin was not my mate, Davin. I’m not sure how he managed to get inside my head, but having found my true soul’s mate, and feeling what a true mate’s link is like, it is simply not possible that the links could be that different.”

“Youlie!” Davin all but exploded, and Taber stepped between the warrior and Akahana. “Gamin cared for you, instructed you how the wife of a Gothe’maran warrior should be, and gave you a life of luxury, and you dare repay his kindness with lies against him?”

“I only tell you the truth as I perceive it. Taber is my mate. There is no question.”

“But there is.” Davin sneered. “I challenge your Claim of Mates, and further, I challenge your claim that Gamin was not your mate.” He turned to the priest. “Once she is proven to be dishonorable, I demand you turn her care over to me so that she can live as her mate intended and set forth in a private Document of Command.”

“Gamin put in hiswillhow he wanted Akahana cared for?” Taber was so shocked at Gamin’s attempt to control Akahana -- even from the grave -- that he spoke before he could stop himself.

The priest frowned at him before he turned to Khan, clearly not knowing what to do. When the other man didn’t offer any guidance, the priest faced Akahana.

“What is your wish, Ma’am?”

“Her wishes are not the issue!” Davin was clearly about to lose control of his anger. Taber wasn’t at all sure this was going to work without a fight. Looking at Khan, Mikkarn, and Kiril, he could tell they had drawn the same conclusion. “She is to return to her home, here on Gothe’mar. It was the wish of her mate!”

“She is a free person, my son,” the priest said reasonably. “She can make her life choices regardless of what her mate wants or wanted.”

“It’s okay.” Akahana’s softly spoken words cut through the tension easily. “If he’s right, and I’m lying about Taber or Gamin, then I’ll go wherever he wishes.” She looked at Davin, squarely in the eye, crossing her arms under her breasts. “But if I’m right, and he manages to leave the Chamber of Souls alive, he and the rest of Gamin’s men must leave me, Taber, and our children alone as long as our souls exist.”

Davin smiled viciously. “You will have no children.”

She uncrossed her arms and took a swift, sure step forward, her head held high, a look of determination on her face. “Then we have something in common.”

Taber felt a swelling of pride. When he’d found this woman, there was no way she would have stood her ground with Davin. The impression he’d gotten from her then had been that of a whipped dog. She had resigned herself to a life of no choices and constant pain.

Now she was taking back control of her life.

The priest stepped to Davin and readied a small device that would set the invisi-cell once he was inside the Chamber. Davin frowned at the priest. “I must protest again. This is an unnecessary waste of time and a slight to my honor.”

“Not from what I’ve seen. General Khan has insisted on this security measure and I agree with him. There will be no violence in this temple I can prevent.” Davin merely grunted and allowed the device to be set.

“The two of you should disrobe and enter the Chamber of Souls while I finish this. Once it is set, Davin will have thirty seconds before the timer activates, and he will not be able to move beyond a two-foot diameter until it’s powered down.”

Taber and Akahana did as requested and stepped to the Chamber entrance. Before they entered, Taber looked at Akahana. She was beautiful. Confident, just shy of stubborn in her stance. When she looked at him, his breath caught. He had been worried about being too keyed up to “perform,” but it didn’t look like that was going to be a problem, either. One glance from her, and he was randy as a goat.

Together, the couple stepped inside.

The mist was like a murky, amber fog. Taber could feel the mist clinging to his skin and the air was damp when he inhaled. After a second or two, his skin started to tingle, and he grasped Akahana’s hand more firmly.

“It’s starting,” she whispered.

They both turned toward the Chamber door. Davin made it four steps inside before the invisi-cell activated. The rolling autobot generating the cell shadowed Davin’s movements from a foot away. Once the cell was activated, his movement around the room was severely limited. With his presence inside the Chamber, the power struggle began.

The tingling on Taber’s skin soon became an itching-burning sensation, and he realized he’d better get to “joining” with Akahana as soon as possible. But Akahana had frozen where she was, listening to something only she could hear.

Then they were alone. The mists closed in on them, blocking out everything around them until all they could see was each other.

“What’s happening? What do you hear?” Taber’s battle senses were screaming at him.

“They’re trying to protect us.” Her whisper was a mere breath, as if any sudden noise might break whatever spell was being woven.

“Protect us from what?” Taber backed them across the room in what he thought was the direction of the entrance. When his back hit something solid, he used his hands to feel on either side of him until he found the cool silver of the door.

---