Page 62 of Tamed
“Do they know how many guards are on the floor? How many total in the palace?”
She shook her head. “Sorry. They aren’t allowed to leave their rooms and they were unconscious when they arrived. Jill said she has an overly friendly guard. She’s going to encourage him to talk, but his partner usually shuts him down anytime he starts to say something that will get them in trouble.”
“We have a better idea.” He motioned to the trainee. “This is Ekrith. His brother works at the palace but is loyal to the rebels. We’d like you to contact him.”
Kendra’s eyes widened and she glanced at Nadis. “I’ve only contacted people I know really well. I have no idea how to find a stranger.”
“That’s why Ekrith is here.” He motioned the trainee into the chair beside Kendra and then knelt in front of her. “We’re going to lightly scan his mind and imprint his energy pattern. This will give us a pattern to use while we search for his brother.”
“While we search? You’re going with me?” She sounded relieved by the possibility.
“This is a job for your triad. Arcon is on his way here.”
She nodded, her gaze warm and filled with affection.
Wanting her as calm and comfortable as possible, he pressed his hand against the side of her face and brushed her lips with his. “Close your eyes, love. I’ll guide you, but this is your gift.” Zevon looked at Ekrith and added, “Think of your brother. Picture his face, his mannerisms, anything that would separate him from the crowd.”
Arcon stepped into the room then moved to stand behind Kendra. “It’s me, red,” he said softly then buried his fingers in her hair.
Zevon took her hands between his and slipped into her mind. Uncertainty and determination made her energy turbulent so Zevon blanketed her with calm affection. We’ve got you, mate. We’ll do this together.
Arcon added his energy to the meld but let Zevon take control.
Gradually, her mind calmed and her energy stabilized.
Zevon led her into Ekrith’s mind. His heightened emotions made memories of his brother unusually vivid so a light scan was all they needed.
“Thank you,” Zevon said once the scan was finished. “You may return to your class.”
Ekrith stood up, then stopped. “Will you let me know if you find him and if he’s all right? He doesn’t usually shut me out like this.”
“Oh course, but try not to worry,” Zevon urged. “As I said, we have no reason to believe he has been harmed.”
Ekrith nodded and left the lounge.
“She does best with fewer distractions,” Nadis said as she too rose. “If you need me for anything, don’t hesitate to comm.”
Arcon activated the privacy panel before he joined Kendra on the sofa. Zevon moved from the floor to Kendra’s other side. “Do you have a clear image of Ciket in your mind?”
She nodded then closed her eyes again.
“His energy will feel similar to his brother’s, but not identical,” Zevon told her. “We believe that he is guarding Domar, so that gives us a place to start.”
Again she nodded without opening her eyes.
Her mind was calm, nearly trancelike, so Zevon lightly grasped her hand, entwining their fingers. As soon as Arcon grasped her other hand, Zevon sank deeper into the meld. The soul bond allowed everyone to achieve their full potential, but nothing matched the power of their combined energy.
He’d seen images of the royal apartments so he slowly pushed the scene into her mind. Gaudy and extravagant, like so much in Mercelon Palace, the rooms had been done up in cream and gold. “Think of yourself as a ghost. Float above the rooms until you locate this apartment.”
Beginning with the familiar, Kendra located Jill’s room then floated out into the corridor. She drew energy from the triad and grew bolder because of the presence of her mates in her mind. She drifted down toward the other end of the hallway. The royal apartments were down there somewhere, but none of the people she’d contacted so far had been inside the suite. She paused at each doorway and allowed her being to ‘travel’ inside. All the rooms were similar and she started to worry that she wouldn’t be able to identify the royal apartment.
“You’ll know it when you see it,” Zevon predicted. “The Torretian emperors have always set themselves apart from their subjects in very tangible ways.”
The first clue that they had arrived was the guards stationed outside the double doors. Neither of them was Ciket, so Kendra eased her being into the room.
A throaty groan drew her attention to the bed and a surge of distaste flowed into Zevon’s mind. Verbet sat there, pants around his ankles, as Domar sucked his cock.
“Deeper,” he ordered. “Take it all.”