THE 5^th BOOK IN THE GUARDIAN SERIES

A Guardian's Eternity

By Stein Willard © 2011

A Guardian's Eternity is the 5^th and final book in the Guardian series. Other books in the series include A Guardian's Touch, a Guardian's Love, a Guardian's Passion and a Guardian's Salvation.

Disclaimer

The characters in the story are a product of my own imagination and hopefully have no resemblance to any living persons or vampires for that matter. But if it does it is entirely coincidental. Some of the places mentioned are either fictitious and or adapted to suit the plot of the story.

Sex: This story contains sexual content of a graphic nature between consenting adult women, thus if you are not 18 years old and not allowed to read content of this nature, please move on to other suitable stories.

Violence: Scenes of violence can be expected.

Acknowledgements: To my betas, rleef and Dan, you ladies are so cool. Thanks.

Last but not least, to all the G-series readers out there. Thank you so much for your support and patience. As always, this book is dedicated to you.

Until next time…SW

Feedback: Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, so feel free to drop a line or two at steinwillard80@gmail.com .

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PART 1

Chapter 1

Greece, 1301

The door opened with a soft squeak as the dark figure slowly made its way into the warm interior of the farmhouse. Sitting with his back to the door, a man was staring deep into the flickering flames in the fireplace. So lost in thought, he didn't hear the sound of the large man coming to stand behind his chair.

"Greetings, Father," a deep voice said.

The man surged to his feet as he turned to confront the newcomer. A huge grin split his handsome face as he looked at the newcomer. His eyes slowly travelled over the large frame of the knight standing in front of him. He slowly stepped closer and was clutched in a fierce hug.

"You are back. You are safe." The old man wasn't ashamed to feel warm tears run down his weathered cheeks. "I am so happy that you are home, my child. Come by the fire you are shivering."

"In a short while, Father. I need to unsaddle my horse first and bring in my belongings."

"Yes … yes … hurry, then. Your sister has made a wonderful stew for dinner. Oh, she will be so happy to see you." He gently shoved the large warrior in the direction of the door. "Now hurry."

The warrior walked over to his horse and led it to the barn. Inhaling the familiar scents of the night, the warrior smiled warmly. It was wonderful to be back home. He had three full months of rest before rejoining the army in Jerusalem. Looking around the barn it was good to see that it was kept clean, as always. Nothing else has changed in the past three years it seemed. He quickly unsaddled the horse, brushed it down, and rewarded the warhorse with a generous serving of oats. Crewel was a trustworthy steed and had come to its owner's rescue numerous times over the past three years. He was making his way over to the house when a sudden flash of color caught his eye. With a tight grip on his broadsword he stealthily made his way over to the copse of trees a few feet away from the house.

Through the dense protection, a soft whimper carried on the cool evening air. The knight hesitated. Could it perhaps just be two lovers caught up in a heated moment or should he follow his instincts? His instincts have never let him down. On silent footsteps he pushed through the tall shadows of the trees. Then he saw them.

Two figures caught up in a macabre embrace. He looked closer and felt the air in his lungs pushed out in a soft gasp. The one figure turned abruptly in his direction and the knight took a quick step back as he was pinned by two blood red spots. Dear Lord, what could this thing be? It looked human, but had the unholy presence and likeness of Lucifer. As a Crusader, his sole purpose in life was to vanquish all evil which threatened the Great cause. He stepped forward in challenge and the demon released its victim. A casual glance towards the whimpering woman at the feet of the fiend, made him stiffen. Oh, sweet heaven …! Izaura! What was she doing here? How …? Oh, please don't let her be dead.

"Izaura … Sister …"

No answer. Desperate now, he stepped forward. The demon was coming at him fast, his mouth wide open, sharp feline teeth barred and obscenely stained with blood. His sister's blood. His sister needed to be avenged. With that thought, he charged the evil being …

***

The quiet was disconcerting. His heart was beating loudly in his chest and his ears were ringing, loud enough that it was almost painful. His eyes slowly opened and filled with tears instantly. Lying next to him was his baby sister. Her eyes were open and staring back at her with a deep sorrowful look.

"I'm … sorry … so sorry … Leo …" For a second her eyes flashed a bright blue. "You … came home. Father missed you … so much … and me … me … too" Her eyes fluttered close, a gentle smile still on her lips.

"Izi … please …"

Suddenly two strong hands turned him over and his fading gaze met two midnight black eyes. They stared at him long and hard.

"Help, Izi, please … help her."

The Dark One walked over to Izaura and with its back to him, Izaura was lifted into a gentle embrace. Then everything faded to black.

***

The hidden village of Athanas, Greece

Present day

The gentle touch on her shoulder made Leo fly out of the chair. She spun around, already in battle stance.

"You sure are very jumpy lately, Sister. What is weighing on your conscience?"

Leonara Pompeii relaxed as she looked at the woman before her. Since they were children, Izi always had the ability to sneak up on her. As a skilled and respected knight, she'd hated the fact that her 18 year old sister could surprise her so. The petite blonde stared up into her face with puzzled blue eyes.

"Izi, please do not ever do that again. I know you cannot help it that you move as silently as a cat, but I beg you to make me aware of your presence when you seek me out." She reached out a calloused hand and gently traced a finger down the soft cheek of her baby sister. "I am expecting company, unfriendly company and I would hate to hurt you in my haste to defend myself."

The blue eyes were wide as they looked into her eyes. "Are you in danger, Leo?"

Leo averted her eyes before answering her sister's question. "I believe so."

Izi stepped closer to her large sibling, her petite frame dwarfed by Leo's. With a shaky hand she reached up and touched her sister's cheek. Since they were children, Leo had always been her best friend and protector. She never feared for her safety as long as her big sister was around. Not only did her large, muscled body scare off would-be troublemakers, she was also a very accomplished fighter. One of the best ever to come out of 14^th Century Greece. She had never let her down, not even when they were bitten by that vampire 700 years ago. Leo had been inconsolable for months afterwards, convinced that she had failed their parents by not having protected her.

Izaura sighed as she looked up into the intense ice blue eyes of her sister. She stepped even closer and pressed her head over the strong heartbeat. She adored Leo and she knew that Leo loved her just as much. For seven centuries Leo, who was assigned leadership of their small race, had dedicated her life to honoring her duty as First Prime of the Eternals. When Leo was not protecting the race or imparting the teachings of the Royals, she had spent her time doting on her baby sister. Standing on her tips of her toes she placed a soft kiss on the cheek of her stoic sibling.

"I love you, Leo. I have learned never to doubt you as my Prime and as your sister. You would never put the race or myself in jeopardy for a flimsy whim. But you are really nervous this time. Who are you expecting?"

Leo bowed her head and rested it on her sister's golden head. "I have ruffled the feathers of the Royals." She felt her sister's small frame stiffen at the mention of the Royals and decided to be specific. "A month ago, I kidnapped the mate of the Queen." She grimaced when Izi pushed out of the embrace to look up into her face with terror filled eyes.

"Oh, Leo, not her, please. Not her …" She dropped her face in her hands. "Why? What would make you bring the Angel of Death to our village, Leo?"

Leo gently pulled her sister into her arms. They stood like that for a while holding on tight to each other. The silence stretched between them and just when Izi thought that Leo wasn't going to answer her, the large Eternal spoke. "Love. I did it for love, Izi."

The blonde raised her face to look into the intense gaze of her sister. For as long as she could remember, longer than 700 years in fact, Leo had never spoken about love. Izi knew for a fact that Leo had never felt the touch of a lover. As soon as she had turned 18, she had joined the army under the guise of a man. Her large frame and skill with a sword made it easier to keep up her disguise. She doubted if Leo ever really tried to entice another woman or man to her bed. Doing so would have exposed her secret. Looking into the eyes of her sister, she felt her heart breaking for her. If Leo had provoke the wrath of the Dark Queen for love, then that was reason enough for Izi to support her sister's actions.

"What can I do to help, Leo?"

The electric eyes were soft as they moved over her sister's beautiful face. It was a wonderful feeling to know she had the support of her sister. She placed a soft kiss on Izi's crown.

"I do not want you to get involved, Izi. I will be fine."

"No, you will not be fine. She is dangerous and everyone knows that she is very possessive when it comes to her mate. It is rumored that she killed a whole battalion of soldiers in a few hours to avenge the death of her mate." The blue eyes were now shining with unshed tears. "I am so scared, Leo. What will become of us when she …?"

Leo swallowed hard. "It will be fine, sister. I promise you." She cuddled her sister in her strong arms and held her gently. "I will not leave you alone. I will not fail you again."

A tear-stained face looked up into hers. "You have never failed me and I promise that I will never fail you."

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Chapter 2

New York

The flames cast a soft glow on the couple sitting closely together on the blanket. A large hand rested possessively on the stomach of the smaller woman. Still silence prevailed. Seconds stretched into minutes and a half hour was gone before the silence was broken.

"It is a beautiful night."

A soft chuckle followed the statement and the smaller of the two women turned in her lover's embrace.

"You sound nervous. Since when do you discuss the weather?"

"You know me too well."

"Of course. I know your thoughts, my love."

The larger woman bowed her head and captured her lover's lips in a gentle kiss. They looked into each other eyes for a long while after the kiss had ended. Midnight black pools flashed as they travelled down the blonde's body to come and rest on the part of her lover's body where her hand was settled.

"I want to talk about the baby."

"Please, Tahlia, don't ask me to abort it."

The black eyes widened in shock. "I would never do that, Jemima. Why do you think I would want to abort the baby?"

Jemima quickly moved closer to her wife. "Tahlia ..." She cradled Tahlia's pale face in her hands as she looked deeply into her eyes. "Since you found out about the baby, you have been so pre-occupied and I got the feeling that you didn't want to have the baby."

"No, Jemima, I never said I did not want the baby."

Jemima's eyes were intense as she watched her wife. "Then tell me what you know about the baby … our baby."

Tahlia placed her large hand over Jemima's stomach and rubbed it gently. "I want this baby, Jemi. I want it more than you know." The black eyes glittered. "We made it together. I felt it when you conceived. I was inside of you when this life was created."

Jemima smiled warmly at her wife's uncharacteristic reaction. Tahlia loved children and she was a wonderful mother. Inger was a great example of Tahlia's patience and love. She had been so patient with their unruly daughter whereas she herself was sometimes so frustrated by Inger's escapades. Tahlia would always take Inger to the park with her and talk to her, listened to her, advice her. Inger was so much more controllable as a result of Tahlia's unconditional love.

She placed her hand over Tahlia's and smiled. "This baby would be very lucky to have you for a mother. You are such a good parent and great spouse."

Tahlia smiled. "I cannot wait to start changing diapers again. I cannot wait for the baby to be here already."

Jemima brought Tahlia's large hand to her lips and placed a soft kiss in the calloused palm. "I'm sure the baby can't wait to meet you too. Now tell me about our baby."

Tahlia pulled Jemima into her arms, cradling her tenderly against her broad chest. "About 700 years after I was made Vampire, Lecrac brought in new blood to boost the numbers of the Clan. The fledglings were not very disciplined and once, while on a trail excursion in Greece, they all caved in to their bloodlust and massacred a whole village. We managed to stop the carnage and could only save a hundred villagers. The others were already dead by the time we got there. Those ones we had to destroy before they could turn. The more violent the death, the greater the chance that the vampire will be brutal and uncontrolled. Those villagers were slaughtered like animals, ripped apart and … completely brutalized. We had no choice but to destroy them. Drake was there and I think he got the idea to create the renegades from what he had seen happen there."

Jemima snuggled deeper into Tahlia's arms. "This new Race was called the Eternals, right?"

Tahlia nodded, her black eyes staring at her long and hard. "How do you know about them?"

"Viv told me. How does our baby fit into all this?"

"Well, the hundred Eternals were segregated from the Royal Clan. They elected a leader, a First Prime, who reigned over them and served as the official protector of the Race. The reason why they were kept apart from the Royals was to ensure that they were properly indoctrinated in our ways first before they were integrated into the Clan. Soon after the creation of the Eternals, Lecrac was approached by a Druid priest. According to this priest, ancient texts, older than time itself, had predicted the conception of a new race right around the same time the Eternals were created. The text spoke of the blending of two races, two noble races which will join forces to rid the earth of evil. They would form an alliance with a powerful Race which will serve as overall protector of them all." Tahlia smiled faintly, her eyes faraway as they stared into the flames. "We were all convinced that it was just the feverish ramblings of a crazy old man. Today I am convinced otherwise."

Jemima turned to look into Tahlia's face. "I take it then that I'm carrying an Eternal baby. Am I right?"

Tahlia's eyes grew darker as she looked at her wife. "No. What you are carrying is not an Eternal. Our baby is an Outlander."

"A what?!" Jemima felt her heart flutter in her chest as she watched her wife's eyes turning even darker. Tahlia looked uncomfortable and that in itself made Jemima apprehensive. Tahlia feared nothing, but she seemed to be almost … rattled when she talked about this Outlander race.

Tahlia sensed Jemima's fear and quickly reassured her. "You have no need to fear them, my love. The Outlanders are a small, very old and elusive race. I have met only one or two before." She caressed Jemima's cheek. "Because not much is known about them, others fear them or treat them with suspicion. They are not aggressive or dangerous, but they are physically strong, very strong."

Slightly comforted by Tahlia's explanation, Jemima sighed in relief. "What else do you know about them? They sound like a fascinating people."

Tahlia grinned at her wife's inquisitiveness. She can already see her picking the brain of their child in her bid to learn more about the Outlander race.

"In about the 3rd century AD, villagers in a pagan Viking village reportedly saw a strange saucer-like object in the sky. Upon investigation it was found that this object had landed a few kilometers from their village. The chieftains of nearby villagers send warriors to investigate. They were shocked to find about 50 people abroad. Most of them were well-known and had disappeared from the region many years ago and were presumed dead. The returnees were taken back to their respective villagers. Amongst the other villagers they were known as Outlanders, because although they were like the others, they had strange ways about them."

"What did they do?"

"Well, for one, they would all come together on certain nights and all of them would stare at the stars for hours on end. About fifty years after their return all the women gave birth and died during childbirth. The remaining male Outlanders all just collapse suddenly a few days later and died. With what we know now, it seemed that their bodies were simply breeding vessels for a new race. The true Outlanders emerged. They were all immortal, telepathic and very strong."

Jemima turned her head upwards to look at Tahlia. "I still don't understand how they managed to impregnate us all without an Outlander being present."

Tahlia smoothed Jemima's hair tenderly and kissed her in the neck. A soft groan escaped Jemima's lips and she grabbed the dark head in her hands and kissed Tahlia deeply. For a few minutes they were distracted by their desire for each other as they kissed passionately. Tahlia pulled away with a grin and shook her head slightly.

"You are such a good kisser. You turn my brain to mush."

"I love kissing you, baby, because you are so responsive," Jemima purred sexily as she ran her hand down Tahlia's chest. "Are we alone here?"

"No, I sense others nearby. Were you planning on ravishing me out here?"

"Oh, yes! We haven't done so in a long time, wife." She offered her lips and smiled when Tahlia quickly leaned down to kiss her. "Uhmmm … so very nice."

"Do you want to go somewhere private?" Tahlia asked softly, her hand gently cupping Jemima's throbbing sex through her pants.

Jemima licked her lips as she weighed her options. She was hot for Tahlia, but she also wanted to hear the rest of the story. Tahlia wasn't very talkative in general. Tonight she was lucky to get her to open up and she had to make use of this opportunity.

"Tell me more about the Outlanders."

Tahlia sighed deeply. She was hot and painfully swollen already and really in no mood to continue the tale of the Outlanders. But knowing Jemima, she wasn't going to give her any rest until she'd finished the tale. She quickly backtracked mentally until she found where she'd broken off the tale.

"Over the years the few Outlanders … I believe they were 30 or so, lived amongst the Vikings. But because of their immortality and fear of rejection, they all moved away to become scattered across the globe. They had however, established a leadership council before they moved away. The leaders remained in a secret stronghold not to be seen for many years. After a peaceful existence of almost five hundred years, it became known that one of their own had broken the doctrine and had fallen prey to greed and power. He started travelling the globe, destroying his own kind, absorbing their essence to feed his power. Most Outlanders went underground to escape his murderous campaign. Over the centuries the Outlanders became very good at hiding, and frustrated, he set his sights on the Four Pillars, the leadership of the Outlanders. To ensure the survival of the race, the Pillars approached an ancient Druid priest. Using a spell he managed to capture their life forces in a crystal." Her eyes hardened suddenly. "Leo and Molan were unaware that the crystal held the Four Pillars. They were under the impression that they would only need you, break the crystal and chant a few ancient rhymes."

Jemima felt Tahlia's anger bubble to the surface and she quickly placed her hand over her wife's heart.

"Calm down, my love. What's done is done. We have a beautiful baby on the way that we have created together and will be playing with soon. Just focus on that. I know you will soon go to confront Leo and Molan, and I can't stop you. They have overstepped their boundaries and as the Queen you are expected to punish their insolence." She kissed Tahlia softly. "Just don't forget that they have given us a great gift too."

Tahlia nodded stiffly.

"I will try to remember that."

They sat in silence for a long while, staring into the flames. Jemima slowly turned to look into Tahlia's black eyes. A sable brow lifted as her wife looked back at her.

"What will happen to us once the babies are born? Are they only using our bodies as incubators? Oh my … Inger, Gabriella and Jessica. What effect will this have on them?"

Tahlia looked away quickly, but not before Jemima had seen the dread in Tahlia's eyes. She carefully lifted her hand and pulled Tahlia's face back until the black eyes were looking back into hers.

"What are you not telling me?" She probed warily, her voice shaky.

"I am not sure if it is in fact so, but they will definitely be affected."

"Will they … we die?"

Tahlia cleared her throat and pressed her face into Jemima's chest. She sat like that for a few seconds before she raised her head to meet her wife's eyes.

"Unlike in the case of the first Outlanders who were abducted, genetically altered and implanted with alien seed, the current carriers are not at risk of death. Instead, the text states they will be awarded a special gift." Tahlia looked directly into Jemima's sapphire gaze. "Immortality."

Jemima frowned as she sat up straighter.

"Are you telling me that Inger, Gabriella and Jessica are now immortal, just because they are carrying Outlanders?"

"Yes. After years of living on a spacecraft, the abductees were genetically altered to such an extent where they were not human anymore. They were fashioned in such a way that they were basically just incubators who self-destructed after they had served their purpose. In the case of you and the others, you are sharing and exchanging DNA with your babies. They get a strong human and in your case, vampire DNA component, and in turn they exchange their immortal genes with you."

Jemima just stared at Tahlia for a moment, before she blew out a loud breath. Her eyes were somber when she locked gazes with her wife again.

"Do they know about this?"

"No. Jonas, Pierre, and Paloma know, but the others not."

"Will you tell them?"

Tahlia nodded. "I have to, but maybe I should tell their spouses first. I think it might be easier for them to absorb the news if it came from their mates. What do you think? Or do you think I am shirking my duties to not tell them directly?"

Jemima shook her head. "I think it will come as a shock for all of them, their partners included, but I must admit that I'm taking the news better since it came from you, my spouse, and not my Sovereign. As my spouse you are just as involved and together we can help each other work through this."

Tahlia's eyes turned a shade darker and Jemima could feel the malevolence coming off her wife. She placed a gentle hand on the dark woman's arm. She knew Tahlia good enough to know that Tahlia hated not having control over a situation, especially since she and their daughters were caught up in it.

"I can gladly kill Leonara for laying her hands on you and my family." She closed her eyes for a few seconds. 'How do you think the girls will take the news?"

"I'm not sure. Inger might not feel too burdened by it. She loves Paloma very much and at one stage even considered conversion. Gabriella, I can't say. She loves Trinity, but they have only been together for five years now. Does she love Trinity enough to want to spend all eternity with her? Jessica on the other hand, I am not sure of. She and Clarissa are so private about their relationship."

They both sat there, each lost in thought. Tahlia was the one to break the silence.

"We also have a new common enemy. The traitor is still out there and he will come for them." Tahlia saw Jemima's hand move instinctively to her stomach and covered it protectively.

"I will be ready for him." Jemima's eyes were hard as they looked at her wife. "I don't care what race this baby is, but it is mine and no one will harm a hair on its head."

Tahlia pulled Jemima back in her arms and held her close. "I feel the same, love."

To be continued

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