Page 64 of Stone Heart
Chapter 21
“Any word from your men?” a voice asked through the communicator.
Vikuth spoke to the leaders of the other gargoyle clans. On the large screen, six faces stared back at them, some in their gargoyle form, some in human.
“Not yet.”
“Who is the elf beside you?”
Rina stiffened—the shift of the eyes on the screen had landed on her. Since he’d begun the conference call, she’d remained quiet, letting Vikuth speak to the other leaders.
The room they were meeting in was more secure than any military secret operations hub. It was filled with high-tech computer equipment she was sure would make the human government green with envy.
When entering the room, Vikuth had cleared it, leaving only them and the remaining guard. The information that would be shared in this room was sensitive, and he’d said he didn’t want to risk anyone leaking information.
“I am Larina Omaris, daughter of Khantar and Roshi Omaris, the king and queen of Faery.” She lifted her chin.
Shock registered on their faces. Extreme pride filled her while she stood before them, finally revealing who she was. It may not have been that long ago she’d thought of herself as a human, but now she knew the truth of who she was, she wouldn’t hold back. “And the mate to Rhodack Gahnoth, leader of Clan Gahnoth.”
Gasps filled the air. The men looked at her. Her chest filled with happiness to be able to claim Rhodack. She was his, as he was hers.
“I thought their child perished in the war?” a voice said.
More questions exploded.
Vikuth turned to her to allow her to step forward. She quickly brought the clan leaders up to date on the recent events and the history of how she came to be on Earth.
“The king and queen are here in the Terra realm?” a voice asked. “Well, that explains why the necromancers are trying to make their way here. They want you, princess.”
“Well, as the mate to Rhodack, you have our sworn loyalty. We will do what we can to find him,” Namoth, the clan leader of the Las Vegas clan, promised.
“Thank you—” Her words were cut off by an extreme pain that hit her in her abdomen. She cried out and bent over, grasping her stomach.
“Princess, what is it?” Vikuth shouted, grabbing her by her shoulders.
She squeezed her eyes shut and gasped for breath.
“Pain,” she cried out. It gripped her, almost bringing her to her knees. “Like something hit me.”
He held her to him, and she tried to breathe through the pain.
“The mating bond,” a voice on the screen announced. “Princess, with your powers, even though you and Rhodack have not completed the mating bond, you’re connected. You must be experiencing what he’s feeling.”
Vikuth growled beside her, and he held on to her. She lifted her head and cried out again. She knew what they spoke was the truth.
The link snapped into place between her and Rhodack. The connection strengthened, and she concentrated on the one thing that tied her to her mate. Experiencing his pain let her know that the bond had begun. This was what she’d need to be able to locate him.
She straightened to her full height, pushing Vikuth’s hands away so she could try. She’d fight through the pain if only to be able to connect to him. The sounds of the room disappeared, and she focused on reaching Rhodack.
“Rhodack,” she whispered, keeping her eyes closed so she could concentrate. She accepted the pain, knowing it was her one link to him. Her heart rate increased with the knowledge that they were connected. “Rhodack.”
She called his name again, her voice growing strong, and she envisioned the link between them. Electricity pulsed through the bond and slammed into her, a sight unseen.
“Rina?”His voice rang in her head just as clear as if he were standing in front of her.
“I hear you,” she cried out, excited she’d reached him on her first attempt.
Low murmurs filled the room around her. She stood still and pushed the sounds away so she could hear Rhodack. “Are you okay?”
