Chapter 189

A bloodcurdling cry of sheer terror erupted from the Ordum, drawing everyone"s immediate attention. All eyes fell to the pit as worry splashed across the faces of Casina and many of Menakam"s men. But then...then there was silence for the space of half an oron.

Meanwhile, as more of Menakam"s men silently filtered into the ballroom from various entrances, Casina couldn"t help but notice when the r"kem arrived to peer expectantly down into the pit. His expression was one of intense pleasure as he listened to the goings-on below. A chill went down her spine as she watched the traitor and was only able to pull her eyes away from him when she saw the Tompkinses creeping into the room to watch the goings-on, taking refuge behind a large column. At least her friends were safe, thanks to Dammen"s unexpected return. Men"s men obviously thought them no threat since they ignored their presence, instead keeping their focus on the fighting below.

But what shocked her was when she spied Ganymede Remera sneaking in behind the Tompkinses, although she saw they were unaware of his presence. Everyone had thought him safely away on Le"pra Zh"r. She jerked around as her mouth dropped in surprise.

But Jeiel had already gone.

As she quietly pondered the happenings below, she soon found herself rising from her seat to lay aside her husband"s treasured crown before slowly moving down the staircase, as though in a trance-like state. Since all attention was focused on the sounds of the battle in the pit, no one tried to prevent her movements as she tread carefully down the long, wide staircase.

"Where do you think you"re going, Highness?"

Casina froze halfway down the steps, then slowly turned to see Nova Karina stepping from behind one of the large pillars bordering the steps. Her evil smirk caused Casina"s eyes to widen with dismay. Blinking, she took another step down, nearly stumbling as she stared at the Vaalstran. The woman was holding a pointed spear she must have taken from the wall. And here she was, with no weapon of any kind, in a very precarious situation.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Nova snorted and moved toward her. "What do you think?" As she drew closer, Casina stepped back, trying to keep her long dress from catching on her heel, as it had earlier.

Then, before she could react, Nova backhanded her with the spear, knocking her from the step. Laughing, she watched as Casina tumbled sideways down the few remaining stairs. Since everyone else was some distance away and had their backs to them, intent on watching the battle between

Menakam and the Altair, no one even observed Casina"s plight or heard her gasp of pain when she fell.

Landing at the bottom of the steps, she lay there a second, her cheek to the floor runner, before pushing herself upright, then to her feet. She was sore, but no bones were broken. Brushing off her gown, she glared up at Nova, still standing on the steps. The woman seemed disappointed she hadn"t incapacitated her. Instead, she grimaced, then descended the stairs, tightening her hold on the spear.

Casina panicked as her gaze shot about the room. With nothing to fight with and hindered by her gown, she did the only thing she could do. With a quick movement, she snatched up the bottom of her gown and hurriedly tucked it into her belt so her legs were free. Then she kicked off the stupid heels and yanked off her stockings so she was barefoot. The closer Nova came, the more she distanced herself.

"Give it up, Highness," came Nova"s snarl of victory. "You"ve already lost this battle. As will your precious mate."

"Over my dead body," Casina snarled back, feeling her old attitude rising. Clenching her fists, she moved back as Nova, who stood more than a good head taller than her, stepped onto the floor and came toward her with malicious intent.

"That"s the idea, Highness," she said. Then, lifting her weapon, she took aim and threw it at Casina with one powerful thrust. But Casina quickly dodged it. Just barely. It twanged deeply into the wall behind her, where its end visibly protruded from the streaked, white, Degman stone.

"Thanks for evening the odds," she said, secretly furious that Nova had taken that moment to make her move. With Dammen"s life at stake behind her, she wanted to be there for him, not way over here fighting a jealous lover.

Then, before Nova could react, Casina made a running start, leaping and plowing her shoulder sharply into her chest. Knocking her off balance, she barely waited for her to hit the floor before she got atop her and started pummeling her face with her fists. With a knee to her chest, she weighed her down on the steps. Until Nova was able to snatch at her fist and force her away. With a twist, she quickly had Casina down beside her.

But Casina was quick, thanks to Jeiel"s superior training. She rolled away before Nova, her face bruised, her lip bloodied, could get atop her. Jumping to her feet, Casina moved away to raise her fists.

"So," Nova began, rising and spitting the blood from her mouth, "you"ve learned a thing or two, haven"t you? Well, don"t think it"s going to save you, Highness."

With that, Nova lunged at her, aiming to punch Casina in the mouth. But Casina easily sidestepped her and retaliated with a blinding blow to the back of Nova"s head. With a yelp of pain, she buckled, cradling her head in her hands. She fell to her knees as Casina rounded her, with fists still at the ready.

"Zarconian ta"qu!" she heard Nova say. Then, there was a flash of steel as Nova yanked a dagger from her boot and turned on her. Casina quickly knocked the weapon away as it was shoved at her. It had nicked her arm, but there was no time to cry about it. Nova sprang at her, and they both dove toward the dagger, now lying on the ballroom floor.

But Casina reached it first, snatching it from under Nova"s hand. An enraged growl erupted from the Vaalstran as she wrapped her hand in Casina"s hair and yanked her head back. But Casina refused to release the weapon, despite her shrieking hair roots. They struggled for several sclair. Then, digging her nails into Nova"s hand that lay atop hers, the one holding the dagger, Nova was forced to ease back. As she did so, Casina took the opening presented her and plunged the dagger deep into Nova"s unprotected chest. Wide-eyed with shock, the woman released Casina"s hair, gasping in pain. Gaping at Casina in disbelief, Nova put a hand to her heart. Drawing it away, she stared in stupefaction at the blood covering her hand. She fell back onto the floor, the deep red of her life"s blood staining the immaculate white floor.

A strangled, choking sound was the last Casina heard from her.

A grunt of intense pain echoed throughout the ballroom as Menakam M"yata"s battered form was forcefully ejected from the pit, startling everyone when he landed with a painfully loud clump, face-down, on the shining white floor of the ballroom. Dammen immediately followed, ejecting himself from the pit and landing next to Menakam"s crumpled form with the orum blade still in his hand. Leaning over, he picked his half-brother up by the scruff of his neck and dragged him back onto his feet. Menakam made a choking noise as blood leaked from his bruised mouth. Struggling to maintain his footing, Menakam bent over slightly, an arm about his middle to ease the pain he was feeling.

Dammen glared at the crowd surrounding them.

"Do we need an audience, Men? Or do you need odds to best me?"

"Why?" Men managed hoarsely. "Having second thoughts?" Then he growled and pulled away. "Blast you!" he roared, then lunged at Dammen with a dirk he had yanked from his belt. He had lost his own orum blade somewhere in the wretched swamp below them.

Then the unthinkable happened.

Suddenly the room was swarming with a thick, flying cloud of demons, so black and emitting a coldness unlike anything ever felt before. Darting in and out among the crowd of witnesses, they took the focus off the scene before them, which was their intention, in order to afford Menakam the upper hand.

Caught off guard but a second, Dammen managed to dodge Men"s next attack and strike back with a thrust of his own. Menakam parried the blow then repeated his previous attack as the crowd backed away to afford them more room. Dammen easily sidestepped him again, but managed to slice his enemy with a quick wrist movement. Menakam groaned in pain but persisted his onslaught without faltering.

"You, brother, shall die a noble death!" Menakam promised, his breathing growing labored with exertion. "But that is all I will allow you—" But almost before the words were out, the Kaanig"s blade again hit its mark. Menakam grunted in fury and clutched at his side, ignoring the blood splattering his bared torso. He glanced over at those watching and grew more furious at his embarrassing position. He now observed many of his own men watching them, along with outworlders. Following

Menakam"s gaze, Dammen also noted them, but his attention quickly reverted back to Menakam who glared sCasinagely at him. Menakam soon fell to one knee, then stumbled as he attempted to rise, taking note of the head demon, Kalum, as he made toward them.

"Surrender now, Menakam, and I"ll merely banish you from Valtor!"

"Not on your life! You know that only one of us will survive this."

As Menakam again lunged at his half-brother, cursing every time he missed, it was then Kalum enveloped Dammen with his dark presence, clamping his talons about his throat, strangling him. As Dammen growled in fury, trying to breathe as the demon suffocated him, he reached for the gold medallion he wore and took hold of it. As he fell to one knee, with Kalum still choking him, Menakam took a moment to rest, gloating at the scene as he recovered some strength and energy. As he watched Kalum at work, he slowly opened his pouch, pulling forth the stone he carried. Then, not one to miss an opportunity when he realized he had Dammen right where he wanted him, he lunged at him again, making to stab him in the heart.

Again, as if forewarned of his intentions, Dammen easily escaped the blow. And as he did, the medallion suddenly came alive in his hand, brightening powerfully, just as the Stone of Reinvention slipped from Menakam"s fingers and flew across the room. It bounced unevenly across the floor, to land only inches from the pit. The demon, Kalum, instantly disintegrated under the medallion"s magically divine influence, like a puff of smoke amid a loud shriek of disbelief. At the same time, the other demons automatically vanished as well.

Rubbing his throat and gasping for breath, Dammen glared at Menakam as if wondering what other tricks he had up his sleeve. Now free of the demonic stranglehold, he slowly straightened, almost fully recovered, and circled his foe.

Soon the duo was again thrusting blades and parrying blows for what seemed an eternity, until a noise distracted them. Before anyone could react, Ganymede Remera had stepped forward and grabbed Jenny Tompkins from behind, putting a cold, sharp blade to her throat. He dragged her out so everyone could see her. Startled, Jenny gave a strangled laugh, confused by what was happening.

"Ganymede, what are you doing?"

"Shut up, ta"qu!"

"Wha…?"

"I said shut up!" To emphasize his words, Ganymede increased the pressure of his blade against her throat, drawing a gasp of pain from her and a trickle of blood. "Finish him, Men!" Cold eyes watched the two men centered in the room.

Casina, now paused beside Nova"s lifeless form, lifted her head to gape at the scene before her, unable to believe what was happening. She panicked at the danger her friend and life mate were in. Then, without thinking, she tore across the room in a mad dash, nearly falling in the process as her legs tangled in her garment, which had come loose from her belt. Apparently nobody considered her a threat for not even the demons had bothered her.

No one made any attempt to stop her as she raced toward the crowd, holding her dress up and shoving her way past and between the men standing in her way.

Seconds later, before Casina could shout out a warning, the r"kem snatched a long metal rod from one of Menakam"s men and forcefully threw it at Dammen"s legs, hitting him from behind. Dammen was knocked to his knees as chuckles of amusement escaped the lips of Menakam"s men. A smug expression at Dammen"s inability to know that the club was coming crossed Menakam"s hard features as he moved toward him. Then suddenly Dammen was completely down, stunned by one of his paralyzing blows.

In that instant, Casina wasted no time in weighing alternatives. As Menakam raised his dagger to plunge it into Dammen"s unprotected back, Casina leaped onto Menakam"s back and snatched the weapon away before his own men could react. Taken by surprise, Menakam lost his grip on the blade as Casina grabbed it.

Clinging to his back with all the strength she could muster with one arm, Casina drew her free hand back and plunged the dagger into Menakam"s back, like a madwoman, heedless of the blood spattering her own garments. Jeiel Vernier swiftly and unexpectedly appeared at the same time, stepping forward to painfully yank Ganymede"s head back, his powerful hand entangling itself in the younger man"s long, wavy locks. He easily twisted the knife from Ganymede"s grasp as his own army of men quickly appeared and efficiently overpowered Menakam"s henchmen, to secure the room completely. Jenny, clutching her throat with undisguised relief, stumbled into the safety of her father"s arms as he pulled her back behind the column.

Clinging to Menakam"s neck, her knees gripping his hips, Casina continually twisted the knife until Menakam cried out. Already in a great deal of pain, he was unable to shake her off and collapsed. In the end, it was Dammen who pulled her from Menakam"s crumpled form and disengaged the knife.

Collapsing weakly against her husband, realizing what she had had to do to save him, Casina broke into tears. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from her. In trying to kill her tormentor, it was as though the demons plaguing her since her own family"s death had been destroyed.

"Oh, Uri," she moaned, unable to believe she had stabbed both Nova and Menakam. "What have I done?"

"What any normal person might have done to save the life of someone she loved."

"He is dead then?" Jeiel said from behind them, still holding a struggling Ganymede Remera in a vise-like grip. His own men were maintaining their hold on the other conscious enemies in similar iron-held positions.

Before Dammen could answer, a clamoring voice rang out with extreme rage.

"As should you be, Altair! Your black soul is long overdue in fi"ara!"

Dammen and Casina whirled at the familiar voice, its low pitch drawing everyone"s attention. Apparently the r"kem and some of Menakam"s men had managed to sneak from the ballroom unobserved, just for this moment, before Menakam"s fall.

"So you dare show your ugly face again, eh, Marius," Dammen said with unconcern. "I had expected you sooner."

R"kem Marius Kappa, Chancellor of the Valtorian High Command, smirked and nodded at his words. "How long have you known, Highness?"

Dammen glared at him, with imperious mien.

"Long enough."

The r"kem gave a lopsided grin and raised the Stone of Reinvention for all to see, having retrieved it during all the mayhem.

"I had no wish to spoil the fun, Majesty. I knew it would only be a matter of time before Men would fall, although I had no idea the fair Casina would be the one to defeat him. You have to admit though," he crooned like a cCasinalier, crossing over to examine Menakam"s motionless form with queer curiosity, "he almost had you."

"That would have pleased you?"

"On the contrary," Marius said. "I had no desire to serve under that selfish lout. Things are just as I would have them be."

Dammen nodded his understanding, having thought as much.

"You want to be the one to kill me, is that it, Marius? So you can be Kaanig? And change Valtor to suit your own needs?" At this, Marius smiled, giving a whistling snort through his long, hairy nose. He tossed the Shir-Kala up into the air, gloating when he caught it, as if harboring some secret.

"You know, Majesty. I once told Tarina I would be Kaanig in any way possible," Marius sneered in mockery. "Just before I stabbed...and raped her."

Shocked gasps erupted about the room as Dammen fell silent, scowling at his words. All could see the tightening of his lips, the ticking of a muscle in his cheek as he fought to contain his rage at this admission. Everyone in Valtor knew how Tarina"s horrible death had affected him, and those present who knew of the tragedy waited to see how he would respond. They held their breath as they waited.

"I had no wish to fight Menakam but by his own terms," Dammen told him at length, taking Casina"s hand and leading her over to stand beside Jim Tompkins. He casually placed her hand safely in the crook of Jim"s arm before turning with an arrogant toss of his head. He gave his adversary a cold smile. "But in your case, Marius, I, uh, have no such qualms. And clearly, you have forgotten with whom you are dealing."

The cocky grin fell from the r"kem"s face.

"What do you mean?" he asked with suspicion, lowering his arm.

"What do you think?"

A second passed before comprehension lit Marius" face. The Kaanig so seldom lost control that many often forgot of what he was capable. Panic soon replaced that as he frantically turned and began rushing towards the entryway. Unfortunately, to his dismay, his foot caught in the lengths of rustling material he always wore, and he tripped. Before Marius could prevent himself from falling to the floor, the Altair extended his arms, raising his palms at him. A burst of electrical energy flamed from his hands. Then, prolonging the inevitable, he purposely held him in mid-air for several sclair before quickly, painfully, and decisively dismembering and disintegrating the flabbergasted, screaming r"kem before he even hit the floor. At this display of power, even Menakam"s men refrained from struggling against their captors, their looks of outrage at this barbarous act plainly written on their faces. All watched as the sparkling stone Marius had been holding flew into the air, then dropped to the floor with a crystalline thud, before bouncing jaggedly toward Dammen, who bent to retrieve it.

"Three down, one to go," he said then, glancing over at Nova"s body lying at the foot of the stairs, before turning his black gaze to rest thoughtfully on Ganymede Remera, who was scowling back at him with intense hatred. "Ganymede," he sighed with regret, "whatever am I to do with you?"

"Go ahead!" the younger man spat. "Kill me this time, or banish me! It makes no difference.

All that I strived for has been taken from me, so it matters not what happens to me now."

As he spoke, Dammen watched Jenny Tompkins" reaction to his angry words. The lovely brunette was looking sadly at Ganymede, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as she listened.

"And what of Jenny?" Dammen asked with concern.

"No!" Jenny interjected before Ganymede could respond. "Don"t answer that. I don"t want to know. It"s clear you"ve only been using me, Ganymede, for your own evil purposes. I…It"s over between us."

Grinning triumphantly from her to Dammen, Ganymede said nothing more, knowing he had gotten even with the mighty Altair by having deliberately hurt someone he cared about.

"It"s a shame you managed to recover from that laser wound, Majesty," he said mildly. "I could have sworn I killed you with that one blast."

Several more shocked gasps erupted around him as he uttered the cruel words, but Dammen appeared unaffected by the admission.

"Take this scum away, Jeiel," he ordered. "I never want to see his face again."

"By your command, Ziros." Jeiel proceeded to drag Ganymede away, not caring how banged up the prisoner got by the time they reached the holding area. He chanced a glance at Jenny before departing, his own concern for her evident. But as usual, her attention was elsewhere.

"You are a brave woman, Jenny," the Altair said.

"Not really. If anything, I feel foolish at not having guessed Ganymede"s true intentions from the beginning. I think that, as I look back, I was merely infatuated with him, his good looks and all, as would any girl be when faced with an Adonis from another world. I have to admit, the alien aspect was very exciting for me." She gave a nervous giggle. "I guess I read too many romance novels."

"Courage makes you say these things," Dammen persisted, remembering how brightly her eyes shone every time he had caught her looking at Ganymede.

Jenny shook her head again. "Your wife is the brave one, Your Highness. No woman can possibly be as courageous as she is."

As she spoke, Casina blushed warmly at her best friend"s compliment and ducked her head. Dammen nodded, studying her. "I have to agree with you, Jenny," he remarked, keeping his attention focused on the woman at his side. "Clearly, I chose no weakling to wife."

At this, Casina"s head shot up, and her jaw dropped. She met her husband"s adoring gaze with tears of joy speckling her eyelids at this high level of praise from him. How long she had waited to

hear him say such words to her! Flinging her arms about him, she clutched him tightly. But only they were aware of what had just occurred between them. Then, before everyone, the mighty Altair swept his happy bride into his possessive, powerful embrace, at last reclaiming his prize, his empire, and…his dearest treasure.