unwanted

chapter twentynine

unthink

"Dezrick, do you acknowledge that I am mated and king?"

"There is a ninety-one percent odds that is true. The only way for it to be proven is for her mark to be witnessed and put into the data base."

"And my claim that the advisors have committed treason?"

"Treason cannot be claimed until you are king."

"You have seen Jetidi's mark and have heard his claims. Do you stand by his claims?"

"His mark is on record and he does not lie. I do believe a new race of rulers are being sent forward. We have established that Jetidi and the human Hayden both wear these marks."

"Then inform me who is governing at this moment."

This is the first time Kellum had ever heard such a long pause from the computer before.

"You are the future king, and you have four advisors. You still need one to stand with you to override them. Jetidi and the human Hayden will have to be sworn in and given a ceremony before they can take their places at your side."

Kellum held back his groan of despair. "How long do I have left before I am released from my hour to make my claim against the advisors?"

"Twenty-four minutes and fifty-four seconds."

"Do you condone what they have done."

"They have taken many liberties upon themselves and they will have to answer for them."

Kellum looked at Jetidi and Hayden. He had twenty-four minutes to find a way to settle this or he would end up right where he had been. How long have they been playing with his memories? His mind?

Where was his mate? He could feel her. Feel her pain and yet he stood here worried about politics.

"Go back over the data, Dezrick. There must have been an instant in the weeks before she left or the weeks she has been gone, that prove her to be my mate. Even now my mark burns. I feel her pain."

"Proof is needed."

"Go back over the files. There has to be something."

"Yes, future king."

"If you try to go to her then you lose your amity, and they regain control again."

"I know that, Jetidi. That is the only reason I am still standing here."

Kellum paced the throne room. The only reason the advisors where not already here and sealing his fate is because he had asked for sanctuary. That meant he felt he was in danger and he would be given one hour to prove his case against his advisers before his hands were tied behind his back again.

"My mate and I are in danger from them, there must be a law that protects us. One that protects Fray and Pensley."

There was no answer.

"What am I overlooking? Dezrick, replay the last meeting they had with the human Jessalynn."

He had listened to it four times, but he knew there had to be something there that would help him. The problem is that he could not get beyond how lost the girl looked.

His Jessalynn. How had he forgotten her? Even now he could not completely recall certain facts about her. Her hair was brown but what color were her eyes? He could not tell over the screen unless he asked for it to be zoomed in.

"They broke their promise." Hayden pointed out softly.

Kellum stilled. "What do you mean?"

Dezrick sent several images around the room, of the advisors wearing their court robes.

She had beautiful eyes.

"The human Hayden is correct. They promised that if any of you were ever in danger then you would be free to go to her, just as Savion would be free to go to the human Macie. When Savion got so sick that he was barely alive and could barely function, they let him go forth to find his mate and bring her home. When you almost drowned, yet you were on dry land, by rights they should have let you go to her, but they did not."

He fisted his hands because he could not recall any of this. "How can I use this, Dezrick?"

"In keeping you from her they broke their promise which also means they broke the spoken contract they had with the human Jessalynn. You cannot go to her, but she can come to you."

"I can call her to me." His hands relaxed at the answer he had been searching for.

"Yes, I believe you will be able to once the barrier is let down, and since they broke their promise, I have no restrictions on me to keep the barrier up. I will remind you that if she does not bare your mark then all of this is a moot point."

"She does." Everything inside of him told him that she did, even if he could not exactly remember how he knew it. "Bring down the barrier."

"If it pleases you."