The Syphon King (Bayou Bishops #16)

Chapter ONE

With every slow blink of Zodak’s eyes, the tall figures before him changed colors and textures. Random sparks shot across his vision, similar to the beginning of a storm in his Voltorium or the end of one.

He encountered a cold bite of metal on his left wrist. A rush of panic came with a memory. The woman. The malevolence he’d sucked from her.

Sounds now moved in and out of his head, bouncing off and bending around the waves of chaotic energy inside him. With each breath and second, his auditory nerves connected with meaning. These were the voices of his Brothers. And they came from the body statues before him.

Where was he? What place was he in?

Another spark meandered across his vision as he realized exactly where he was. The Voltorium. Chained to the wall of repentance. Not just one chain but all of them, indicating the level of danger he’d become.

He turned his sight inward to assess his condition. The relief at what he found was greater than his shock. That he’d sucked such wickedness from a single human was unfathomable. But had he gotten it all? He needed to see the girl to know. Blood pooled on the floor in the containment room filled his mind. Her blood. More panic. Where was she? The thought of her brought a wicked response in his body that made him grateful for the chains. He was far from safe which meant nobody was. “I need...to see her.”

“He’s awake,” one of them said as he got full control of his ocular gates back.

“No closer!” he warned, his breaths already growling with dark hunger. “I must see the woman. I have to look.”

“She’s still resting, Brother,” Nidev said.

“She’s secure in the infirmary, we’re running tests,” Vex said.

“Do not...let her free until I see her,” he breathed, pulling on his chains to test their strength. At discovering their power, he released a sigh. All were safe as long as he was there.

“What is your condition,” Thakx asked.

Zodak closed his eyes. “Saturated. Beyond capacity. Where...is the Seer?”

“He was informed and is coming,” Rukem said.

“I need his help. To...cleanse. Something stronger than the...Voltorium,” he growled.

“Where would he find such power?” Nidev wondered.

Zodak’s lips slowly rose over his teeth in a hungry snarl. “He’s possessed with it. We cannot let him near us.” He gasped, fighting to regain control of his mouth. “She was...a reliquary, Brothers,” he forced out. “Made...to carry much evil. She was ours!” he bellowed, clamping his jaw shut till every muscle shook from the effort.

“Don’t try to talk. Seer will be here soon.”

“They...raped...her soul,” he ground out, needing them to know what she’d endured. “I need...to protect her.”

A scream split the air and Zodak jerked his head, only managing half an inch in the bonds.

“She’s awake again,” Rukem said, hurrying out.

Zodak fought his restraints. “Why is she screaming!”

“She’s in no pain,” Nidev assured, as if reading his mind.

“She didn’t want to leave you,” Vex said. “She fears for your soul and life.”

His words brought a hunger into his circuits till they sizzled. “I must see if she’s fully clean.”

“Seer is here,” Feral announced.

Zodak waited, heaving through a sudden onslaught of wicked bile. “Brother,” he shot out when his blue eyes appeared before him.

“I came the moment you called me,” he said, lowering his gaze over his chained body then meeting his stare. “It was a smart move.”

“I needed more light,” he strained. “It was too much...for the Voltorium.” Zodak’s face twisted, and he fought to hold his jaw shut as the evil attempted to use his mouth.

“Be still, demons,” Seer muttered, bringing a gasp from Zodak at the sudden release of pressure in his neck and chest.

“They fear you,” Zodak hurried. “What will you do?”

“I’m gonna cast them out,” he said. “But... it might hurt like a sonofabitch.”

“Do it, Seer,” he begged.

Seer looked over his shoulder. “Mind if I have a moment of privacy with him?”

Zodak watched the remaining Kings turn to leave. “Thank you, brothers,” he whispered as the evil in him burned and writhed within the pores of his bio-ink. “It’s trying...to escape.”

“TAKE ME TO HIM!” ZEN screamed.

“Stop fighting,” the man with the blue eyes ordered as he came next to her. “I’ll take you to him, but you must calm down.”

She nodded many times, her heart racing. “I’ll calm down, I promise.”

“Let’s see if you can walk.”

“I can, I can be quiet,” she rasped, her words shaking along with the rest of her body as she fought to hold the memory of him. She mustn’t forget.

“I’ll need to keep your arms restrained until he can look at you.”

“But I have to see him,” she gasped. “The one who saved me!”

“The Syphon King saved you. And now he’s chained to a wall so the evil he took doesn’t kill everybody here.”

The Syphon King. Tears burned her eyes and doubled her vision. “He’s...a King?” she whispered, wiping her tears.

“Seer is helping him with all that he siphoned,” another giant man said.

“Seer,” she said, blinking away her tears, the vague memory of blue eyes flashing in her mind. “The man he was with?”

“They found you,” the same man said. “Zodak and Seer. And brought you here. Vex, help me with her feet.”

She watched as one with only a beard and a bald tanned head full of tattoos released her ankle restraints. “Zodak? Is this also the Syphon King?”

“It is,” he said.

Memories flashed through her head, and she gasped. “Seer is the one. He...helped him. The Syphon King didn’t want to hurt me,” she whispered, her vision blurring again. “He was helping me.” And this is why she remembered him. She only forgot very bad things. And she did not forget him because he was not bad. “Why did he save me?”

She got no answer as they led her down several halls before they entered the place she last remembered, coming to a group of men silencing their approach as they peered at something from a distance.

“Seer is with him,” another giant of a man said. “He asked for privacy.”

Zen finally found what their eyes were fixated on, and her breath left her lungs. The one called Seer held the head of her savior while he thrashed then erupted in screams of agony that choked her. The man yelled something and the air in the dome shook with a blast of light.

She stood on quaking legs as Seer fought to remove the restraints from her savior’s dangling, lifeless body. Panic gripped her at the thought of him dead. She shot out through the odd forest as fast as her bonds allowed, tripping on the stone steps leading to him.

Her face slammed into the cement as strong hands lifted her from the floor. “Leave me!” she sobbed, her feet finding purchase and fighting to propel forward.

“I got her,” the Seer man said suddenly before her. “Remove her restraints.”

“You sure?” the one with no hair growled.

“I’m sure,” he said as Zen’s tears returned at how her savior remained face down on the floor.

“He’ll be hurting when he wakes,” Seer said.

The second her restraints fell away she shot forward and lowered to his lifeless body, her sobs coming uncontrollably. Her hands hovered along the strange ink markings on his back, wanting desperately to touch him, to see that he was okay while fearing to do something that might mess it up.

Why? Why did he do this for her? Why did he save her from that hell? How did he find her?

One of the men approached her and she threw herself on him, holding him tightly with her eyes shut. “Don’t make me leave, please,” she gasped. “I need to be with him. He needs me.” She prayed they understood she wasn’t being hysterical—these were facts that she knew. She needed to be with him, and he needed her. And yet, there was nothing in her brain or memory to explain it, and still she knew this somehow.

“Leave her with him,” the Seer said to them. “She’s where she’s meant to be.”

Her eyes slowly opened and locked onto the blue gaze mere steps away as wonder and awe filled her. Who was this man? It was miraculous for her to have a savior, but to have two? She had never known anything so profound.

ZEN FOLLOWED CLOSELY as two of the men carried her King to his private quarters. When they entered, a beautiful, sweet canine began yelping.

“Jinxxy,” one of the Kings called. “Sit girl.”

“Your Pere’s gonna be just fine,” the man named Seer cooed as they passed through the dark, cave like interior of a living room.

Jinxxy. She eyed the pup as she wondered why her savior lived in such darkness. They entered a room with a large bed on a platform and Zen spied the exact continuation of décor here.

“Watch your step,” one of the Kings muttered. “Can’t see a damn thing.”

“Feral, call the infirmary and arrange for a nurse to assist him.”

“I can,” she hurried, raising her hand. “I can take care of him.”

They all eyed the Seer when he said, “If that’s what she wants.”

She nodded, wondering why she was getting a say in the matter. “I do want. Just tell me who to call if I think he needs more than I can provide.”

“Send an aide and instruct her to assist however Miss...”

All eyes turned to her, and she suddenly panicked. “Zenith,” she said. “Or Zen. I can cook a little.” She was sure she could. But...it had been so long. How long?

“We have twenty-four-hour catering with our cafeteria. The Kings are served prepared food from there.”

She clutched the closure at the top of the hospital like garment, shifting from foot to foot. “Alright. I can feed him, then. If he needs that.”

They exchanged silent glances. “Oh, I’m sure he’ll be thoroughly grateful.”

“Might want to steer clear of his teeth,” the same one said on his way out.

She turned to her warrior on the bed, almost glowing against the solid black of it.

“You’re in good hands with him.”

Zen glanced up at the one called Seer and stared into his eyes with a nod. “Thank you,” she whispered, swallowing down the rogue need to cling to him and sob.

“Take care of him for me.”

She nodded a lot. “With my life.” Whatever that counted for.

He gave a soft smile and she realized he was beautiful inside and out, even with the scar on his face. She watched him leave then turned, moving closer to better see him. How long would he be sleeping? She stood right next to the bed, gazing at the markings on his magnificent body. His skin appeared rough where all the black swirling decorated him. She considered the numerous chains he wore. Some were embedded into his body. They seemed to begin at the back of his neck, but she couldn’t see how exactly those were attached. She barely moved her finger over the nearest links on one of his sleek, muscular arms. What purpose did they serve?

Her eyes carefully took in the rest of him. Such sharp muscles, even while sleeping. He was...immaculate. Beyond beautiful. Was he in pain? Her gaze stopped at the chains on his arm and hand. So many there. She allowed the tips of her fingers to graze over them. His large hand snatched her wrist like the bite of a viper as he bolted up with his pointed teeth bared and terrifying, bright eyes right on her.

Her breath came in bursts as she stared back into the most striking silvern eyes.

He imprisoned her face in his hot hands and yanked her forward, bringing her gaze inches before his. He looked brutally deep into her as her pulse went crazy from the power pushing into her. She watched the light in their depths gradually dim followed by the lowering of his eyelids as he fell back onto the bed. He lay unmoving while she pressed her palms against the terror in her chest.

“You are clean,” he mumbled, turning slowly until his magnificent back faced her. “But you must leave if you are to stay that way.”

Leave? “But...I was instructed to watch over you.”

“Send the nurse,” he ordered, his voice like biting ants on her skin.

Was he hurting still? Was he angry with her for causing it?

“You can’t be near me. Ever,” he further growled.

Pain hit her chest and shoved her breath from her lungs. “Then I will keep my distance,” she whispered. “But I must...help you.”

“I don’t need it,” he all but seethed.

“Where am I to go?” she wondered, swallowing down acid at the idea of not remembering anything besides the darkness she’d come from. She’d not been able to live her life by days, only seconds and minutes. Hours at most. She brought her hands over her arms. “I don’t... want them to find me again.”

He suddenly sat up on the other side of the bed, his back to her. “The Kings will secure a safe place for you. Far from me.”

She didn’t understand. “He said I was where I was supposed to be,” she hurried. “The Seer said this. He told me to take care of you.”

“He thinks you are to help us but that’s not possible.”

Hope surged at the idea of helping him. “Why not?”

“Because it’s too dangerous. I’m too dangerous.”

She lowered her head, gasping for air as her tears fell. “But...I’m not afraid of you,” she said, discreetly wiping her face. “You saved me.”

“I’m afraid of me,” he growled, making her jump. “I can feel everything they’ve done and all they crave to do to you. And though they are outside my mind and spirit, they are pressed against it so fiercely that I can smell and taste their wicked lusts. And I will never risk it. If you were meant to help us, it will not be where I can ever see or be near you.”

She took several steps back, wondering what he’d seen, what he was feeling. Her lips quivered at the idea of not being able to stay with him. “I will do as you say then,” she said quietly. “So that you never have to see me. Or be near me.”

Again, he gave a long growl and stood. “You cannot leave.”

She stared at the immaculate, rigid muscles on his back, confused. “Why?”

“Because I’m the only one who can protect you,” he said, his anger like a hot knife.

She lowered her head as he made his way around the bed then room, wondering why this had him so angry. She chanced a peek at the doorway and slowly moved toward it, feeling like evil trash defiling his home and beautiful spirit.

In the living room, she found him on his knees, whispering something to his dog that whimpered and licked him all over his face. She heard his words but didn’t understand the language.

“I can... stay in the room you first put me in,” she said, moving her bandaged wrist behind her at recalling what she’d done. She didn’t remember why exactly she knew to do it but was not sad she had. It was to protect him. She knew this much.

“You will remain here where I can watch over you. But you will keep your distance from me.”

“Yes,” she agreed, her hope peeking back in. “I’ll keep out of your way.” She aimed her eyes at the floor and moved as far to the side as she could as he went back into his room.

She took in the black leather furniture and all the beautiful wood and metal art things filling lit crevices in the stone walls. Was it a real cave they were in? She made her way to the wooden carved tree in one of the niches, amazed. Did he do these?

She looked down, finding Jinxxy nudging her hand. Her joy erupted and she knelt on the floor, holding down her laughs when she got all the lickings on her face. “You like me?” she marveled very quietly. “Truly?” She wasn’t sure why this surprised her or why animals might dislike her. “Are you a good girl? I bet you are,” she whispered, hoping he wouldn’t require she keep her distance from the beautiful canine.

She quickly stood when he walked out, turning her attention back to the wooden art sitting in the spotlight while Jinxxy ran to her master. She barely glanced toward him, seeing his body was covered but she couldn’t see with what without looking. She wouldn’t look. She would be invisible. She felt like she was inherently good at that. He would see she was capable of anything he needed her to do.

He disappeared into another room opposite his bedroom. “Yes, I’m rejuvenated like before,” she heard him say quietly after a moment. “She’s here but it’s not good that she is. No, the evil is gone but it’s still there, waiting outside the door for the first opportunity.”

She made her way a little closer, collecting bits of the conversation.

“...and what if I can’t?...

“...I will never let them have her....

“...easy for you, Seer...

“...what?

His shocked tone drew her even closer.

“...when did you see that?

“... to tell me!”

She waited for more, hearing only pieces of whispers. Then nothing.

She quickly ran back to the sculptures, angling her head in deep study at a metal one while Jinxxy nudged at her hand again.

She crossed her arms at her chest, not wanting to give her King anything to fear. She was detached and aloof and invisible. The dog only saw her because dogs saw all things.

He entered the room and again she wondered what in his conversation had shocked him? Then angered him?

“You will stay in my room, and I will have the couch.”

She bit her tongue on the vehement protest of him being on the couch. “Thank you for your kindness, but the couch is—”

“Too close to the door for you,” he informed, pacing in the living room with his Zen problems.

“I can...make a cot on the floor at the far corner of your room and you can still have your bed, it’s only right,” she said, barely keeping the beg from her calm, quivering words.

“I cannot have you that near me,” he assured.

She lowered her head and nodded. “If you think this is necessary.”

“If you don't like the bed, you may sleep on the floor,” he roughly offered.

She immediately shook her head. “It’s an amazing bed, and I’ll enjoy sleeping in it,” she said. “Every second I’m in it, I’ll be so grateful. And quiet. I’m a quiet sleeper. Where is the bathroom?” she wondered, remembering she made frequent trips to those.

“There is one in the bedroom.” He gave a sound of frustration. “Come so I can show you the functions.”

She unglued herself from the floor, curious over these functions that needed showing. Halfway through his room, she stopped when she found nothing in her memory about any other bathroom to compare.

“Are you ill?” he asked from a doorway in the back wall of his bedroom.

She stared at him, her pulse racing. “I...I can’t remember things,” she said, hurrying on as calmly as she could. Had he siphoned her memories accidentally? Or could they possibly be tied up with the evil he’d mentioned taking?

She stood in the huge room that matched the bedroom except for the long black counter he towered at.

“Come,” he instructed.

She realized his voice was deep and scary, but she wasn’t afraid. Why wasn’t she? Had she forgotten how to fear? She kept a large distance between them, and he moved his hand under the faucet.

She gasped when the water turned on.

He stepped away and said, “Now you.”

She went forward and repeated his example, smiling when the water hit her skin. “And it’s warm,” she marveled over her shoulder, sure she’d never seen anything like it.

Her smile faded at finding his face lowered even though he had dark lenses over his eyes. He turned and went a few feet, gesturing at something behind a wall. “The toilet is automated.”

“Automated?” she wondered, trying to remember what that meant in connection to such a thing.

“It flushes without you touching anything. It knows when to do that.”

She nodded even while not understanding, keeping as many feet between them as possible as he gestured in another opening.

“The shower. Come,” he instructed again.

She hurried forward and peeked into the huge room, her jaw dropping at the small pool in the corner, sunk into the black floor.

“Here,” he said, snapping her attention back. “You speak to it.” He demonstrated. “Turn on the shower.” His command brought a spray of water from the ceiling. Like rainfall.

She removed the awed smile from her face. “Understood,” she said.

“The bath is voice activated as well. Should you wish to...” He suddenly paused with his head lowered. “Use the shower at this time.”

“Yes,” she said, eyeing the bath—not the pool—keeping her awe to herself. “I don’t need a bath. A shower is perfect.”

She followed him out, glancing at the tub, wondering if it ever got used. Maybe Jinxxy played in it. She hid her smile at the idea. Maybe she would be allowed to babysit her. Bathe her in the pool tub. Dogs loved water. That felt like a truth she could count on.