Shadow Revealed (The Enlightened Species Book Two) Read Free Page A

feed from their own kind. Why try to get iron from your brethren who are just as iron deficient as you are … unless it is to kill them. One of the side benefits to the Volaticus enlightenment is, if they drink from another psychically enlightened species, they get a psychic boost of their own abilities. The boost only lasts while they drink from the vein of the enlightened person. Somewhere down the line, an evil, uncivilized member of the species killed a psychically enlightened species by draining all of their blood. Once they do that, the psychic boost they get becomes an addiction to them. They turn into a Morsdente, the Latin word for ‘death teeth.’”
    Tabby’s eyes were huge, but she was nodding in understanding. Dorn breathed a sigh of relief. She was a tough little cookie, and he hoped she would use this knowledge to protect herself in the future. With that assurance, he continued explaining with a lighter spirit; this was important. “The Morsdente can get the psychic high they are addicted to from ANY enlightened species … including Aquaties.”
    Her gasp broke his heart. “The slave shook her head to warn me to stay away … didn’t she?”
    Dorn nodded his agreement at her deduction. “She was afraid you would reveal yourself to the Morsdente. Had he an inkling you were there, he would have stopped at nothing in hunting you.”
    Tabby swam beside him, silently absorbing the grown up information Dorn had just leveled on her. “If the female is Volaticus too, how come he doesn’t kill her? And how come she doesn’t try to get away?”
    Dorn stopped and took a long look at his daughter, truly pleased with her resiliency and with her intelligent observation and question. He could still see her compassion for the poor creature that she had wanted so badly to help glistening in her eyes.
    “She may have been Hulven. Some of the half-human/half-Elven offspring end up being high in iron rather than deficient. When that happens, the Elven can obtain their blood needs from one source anytime needed. That is the only reason the female is still alive in the presence of that level of evil. As for why she doesn’t escape, I am sure the chains he keeps her in will not allow her to be free.” Turning, they swam the few remaining feet to the resident school of the Aquatie people. “Come, we will let the leaders know what we saw, and then we will return home. I suddenly have a need to hug your brothers.”
    Nodding, Tabby followed her father into the cave.

Chapter Two
    “Umbrae girl—” The sweet voice of her friend floated into her mind through the blood bond established by the violent feedings of the Morsdente killer. The cognitive spirit of Etana’s energy had lingered within him since before Zakel had purchased Umbrae on that wharf. Sometimes when Master Zakel had failed to satisfy his addiction, leaving him weakened by need and cravings, Etana would communicate with her. The moments spent with Etana represented the only kindness Umbrae had ever known.
    “Etana, you remain within.” Though sad that her spirit friend remained trapped in the psyche of the killer, Umbrae was happy to speak to her again. She had never taken Master Zakel’s blood, so the bond was one-sided. If the Morsdente, or in this case the Morsdente’s victim, reached out to her and maintained the contact, she could telepathically speak back to them without communicating on an open type frequency, though Etana was the only one Umbrae had ever responded to.
    It had been a long while since Umbrae had last heard from Etana or any of the spirit energies that had been consumed. The horrific emotions of Master Zakel’s victim were hard to stomach for any empath, and she had long ago learned to block them out, the same way she’d learned to block nearly everything out. Unfortunately, it also made her block out Etana.
    Most spirit energies Master Zakel consumed were short-lived within him, remaining a matter of months; occasionally hearty