Maliuth: The Reborn by Stormy McKnight Page A

Oracle or The Elder have Alea taken?” King Folmar asked
softly. “The council has spoken and she is to remain your mate.”
    “The Elder is power mad.” Galan spoke when Maliuth just stood silently,
“He cannot stand the fact that he has lost authority over Alea. Who knows what
he is capable of doing.”
    “We must get her back.” Queen Elisven was trying to console his mother,
“Maliuth take your unit to the Oracle Temple.”
    “Use whatever means necessary to bring your mate home.” The King finished
for the Queen. “I will meet with the council and discuss the reason behind the
increase in complaints of corruption and greed among them. We shall see what
they have to say for themselves.” With a short bow at the others, King Folmar started
to escort the Queen from the room.   At
the door he paused, “Oh and Maliuth. Once this is settled we shall have a
celebration to welcome Alea to Abondiel. Here in the Grand Tree. I must insist
on it.” He smiled heartily.
    Queen Elisven gasped and called to Sartya, “We need to plan.” Before she
had finished her sentence, his mother was hurrying to her side. “There are
decorations to gather, what music will be played….oh and we need to get the
cooks to prepare…” their voices were lost as they went around a corner.
    Maliuth groaned at the thought of having a celebration. They lasted days,
and he was just getting to know Alea. His thoughts snapped back to the current
issue. He needed to get Alea away from the Oracle in order to have something to
celebrate.
    “To the Oracle Temple then.” Maliuth didn’t even ask who was with him. He
knew all the males in the room would relish a chance at cracking some heads
together.
    His group stormed across platforms and bridges. With one look at their
faces, everyone got out of the way. In a short time, they were at the doors to
the temple. Without bothering to pause, they burst inside. It appeared
completely abandoned, not a single person in sight. With a sigh, Maliuth rubbed
his face. Now it was just a matter of finding Alea in the maze of rooms and
levels of the temple. That could take awhile.
    “First Prime.”
    Maliuth turned at the tentative voice that called his name. He saw an
Oracle standing in the shadows of a doorway. It was the leader of the group
that had helped when Alea was Reborn.
    “My name is Ori. Please follow me.”
    Maliuth reached the Oracle that had spoken and grabbed his robes. “Why should
I trust you?” anger seeped into every word. “You have my mate here somewhere.”
    “Not all agreed with The Elder’s decision to poison your mate.”
    “Poison?!” Maliuth jerked the Oracle closer. “Did you just say that my
mate has been poisoned?!” His fists were bunching the material of the robe so
tightly against the Oracles throat that he knew it was close to choking the
man.
    “Please.” The Oracle gasped. “I am here to help you. We need to hurry this
antidote to Alea before it is too late.” Maliuth saw a small vial in his hand.
“I have a certain talent with herbs and I think this will help her. Please. She
was very kind to me…”
    Maliuth dropped the robes he was clenching and pushed the Oracle away.
“Very well.” His friends started to protest but he held up his hand. “Take us
to her.”
    Straightening his robes, the Oracle hurried ahead of them and they all
rushed to keep up.
    “This could be a trap you know.” Galan was at his side, looking furtively
from side to side as they passed doorways. His daggers were at the ready. When
Maliuth looked to the others, they were all in the same state of preparedness.
He was the only one who wasn’t paying attention, and didn’t have his daggers
out. His worry for Alea was causing him to make mistakes. Seeing the look on
his face Galan sighed, “We are covering your back. It is natural to worry for
your mate.”
    “To the point of distraction?” Maliuth grouched.
    “Yes.” Galan did not elaborate and that made him feel better than