A GUARDIAN'S ETERNITY

By Stein Willard © 2011

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.

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

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PART 13

Chapter 24

The supple body of the dancer was coated with a fine sheen of sweat, making her skin gleam under the red florescent lighting. Beira's eyes eagerly tracked the woman's movements. The woman sunk to the floor and rolled over onto her back. The skimpy thong she wore barely hid her womanhood. The renegade's eyes burnt on the small triangle before they slowly moved upwards, passed the obviously fake breasts, long neck, and met the dark eyes of the dancer. Beira gave her a small smile and received one in return.

"Hoping to get lucky tonight?"

Frowning at the interruption, Beira turned to the newcomer. She grimaced when she met Valiant's cold eyes.

"Just pray you didn't scare her off." She threw a quick glance at the dancer and was silently relieved that the woman was still looking at her. "What brings you here?"

When the reply didn't come immediately, she turned back to the renegade. She found his cold eyes taking in the dancer and she growled under her breath. Valiant must have a death wish if he thinks he can snatch the woman from under her nose. She had set her sights on the woman and she was planning on having her tonight, both to slake her lust and feed her hunger. Valiant must've heard her warning for he slowly looked her way.

"Copernicus found you a new opponent."

"And that brought you all the way here. Why?" Beira's eyes were back on the dancer. She'd lost her interest in fighting a long time ago. The only reason she still did so was because Copernicus owned her and the money she made was not too bad. But she was a killer and Copernicus knew that. She lived for the thrill of the kill. He knew that ten years ago when he broke her out of prison where she was serving 18 consecutive life sentences for brutally killing nine pregnant women. No, she slaughtered them, like the breeding cows they were.

She loved babies and all she wanted was to strike up a chat with those women. But they all looked at her as if she was some monster out to hurt them and their babies. All right, she was drugged out of her mind most of the time and her tattooed six foot two frame was probably reason enough for them to be wary of her. That, however, was no reason for them to treat her like a leper. They all had looked her up and down, disdain in their eyes and their hands cradling their swollen bellies as if she wanted to hurt their babies. In the end she took from them what they cherished the most. In a bitter rage, she had taken a hunting knife to all of them after having stalked them for a while first. It was sad that the babies had to die, but in hindsight she saved them from their judgmental mothers.

"This fight is special?" said Valiant, bringing her back to the present.

"Oh, yippy," she murmured, her disinterest obvious. She didn't take her eyes off the dancer. She couldn't wait for Valiant to leave so she could move in on the cute redhead.

"It is a mortal combat."

Those five words echoed through her mind body like an electric current, all thoughts about the dancer fleeing her mind. Her head slowly turned so she could face him. "Did I hear you correctly, Valiant?"

The renegade's eyes warmed slightly. "Yes, you heard me correctly."

Beira's blue eyes darkened and she reached for her half-empty glass, downing the contents. "When?"

"He did not say."

Beira climbed to her feet. "Well, I guess I will have to call it a night then."

"But why?"

"Copernicus wasn't going to go out tonight, but in case he changes his mind, I'll be at the gym."

Valiant grinned. "And what about the redhead?"

Beira's eyes moved to where the dancer was gyrating on the floor. For a few seconds, she was tempted to stay and take the redhead home with her. Instead she gave the redhead a sassy wink and left. After the fight she'll come back for her as a reward to herself.

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Lake could feel his eyes on her and turned her head. In the darkness of the cinema, she could see him smile at her. He leaned closer to her so she could hear him over the sound of the movie.

"You look absolutely stunning tonight."

"Thank you."

She was surprised when Copernicus called her tonight and asked her out to the movies. He rarely ventured outside his huge mansion.

"I've a surprise for you."

Lake's blue eyes lit up as she studied Copernicus. Since that night almost three weeks ago when he was called away from dinner, there was a slight change in him. From the way they'd parted, she'd expected him to initiate intimacy the next time they saw each other. Instead, he was more attentive even smothering her with jewellery and perfume. She knew something was up and it made her a little edgy not knowing what he was planning.

"You are already doing too much, Copernicus." She suppressed a shudder as she leaned closer to kiss his cheek. "I don't expect you to do all of that for me, you know."

The brown eyes were intense as they looked at her. "But I want to, especially with you going through all this trouble."

Lake's smile faltered at the strange remark, alarm bells going off in her head. "What do you mean by that?"

Copernicus' face pulled into a huge, dazzling smile. "You are giving me a second chance and even I know that I don't deserve it."

Relaxing slowly, she smiled back at him. "Getting to know you is enough for me. I get to spend time with you."

Copernicus smiled at her. "You will love your surprise."

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Valiant struggled to keep from showing his nervousness around the woman standing opposite him. Where the hell was everybody, anyway? He would definitely feel more comfortable knowing there was an army of guards outside, ready to come to his aid in case he needed them.

The tall black clad figure turned away from the window to look at him and Valiant stared into the cold eyes of the woman. He quickly looked away as he felt those lifeless eyes rake over him. He wasn't very fond of Beira, but they've worked well together over the past ten years and looking at this woman, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Beira. Standing before him, was one of the coldest, scariest vampires he had ever met. He doubted if there was any grain of humanity left in the woman.

"Where are they?" she spoke suddenly.

For a psychotic killer, she had quite a pleasant voice,Valiant thought. It was deep and very melodious. That is perhaps the reason why she used it rarely. That was also one of the first things he'd noticed about her when he'd first met her. After a frantic call from Esau, one of his Generals, about a dangerous female vampire scaring off four Royals, he'd contacted Copernicus at once. Although a little sceptic about the news, he had tried to sound as convincing as he could when he relayed what Esau had told him to his boss. He could hear from Copernicus' voice that he too wasn't totally convinced. They had met in Copernicus' bunker an hour later. It was evident from the intense way his boss was questioning him that Copernicus desperately wanted to believe their good fortune, but that he was also not naïve and careless to just believe it out right.

"What do you mean she came out of nowhere? No one sneaks into town without the Royals having a tail on them already."

"That is exactly what Esau told me, sir. He said that they were losing numbers rather quickly when this vampire showed up and threw around the slayers."

"No, I don't believe it. It just doesn't sound right."

Valiant had grappled around in his memory to recall everything Esau had said to him.

"He said that the woman identified herself a second generation Royal and that one of the slayers acknowledged it."

"A former Royal? A rogue." Copernicus had stopped his pacing. "Interesting, very interesting." He had turned to him, his eyes bright with excitement. "I want you to put a tail on her. See where she hangs out, who she associated with, and especially what her weaknesses are. You have one week to bring me something concrete and then we'll take it from there."

His research paid off. The rogue was a loner and fed well. He would catch her feeding on up to four people a night, especially women, whom she also took to her bed. It was also evident that the vampire didn't lack for money. She wined and dined her conquests well, taking them to the most expensive restaurants and nightclubs. He felt the vampire's piercing eyes on him and remembered that she'd asked him question.

"We are to meet them at the arena."

"Then I suggest we leave now. You are stinking up the place with your fear." The last she said with a hint of distain in her voice.

Not taking offense at the vampire's remark, Valiant nodded and led the way out of the room.

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The moment the car stopped in front of the non-descript building, Lake could feel a sense of foreboding settling over her. Something wasn't right. She looked at Copernicus and found him already looking at her, an unreadable look in his eyes. Before she could analyse the look further, it was gone and Copernicus was once again smiling at her.

"I promise you'll like your surprise, darling. Trust me." He leaned over and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "Come on; I can't wait to see your face when you see it." His door was opened from the outside by the driver and he gracefully stepped out, waiting next to car to help her out. "We will be here for a few hours. Be ready when we want to leave."

"Yes, sir," the driver answered politely and drove the limo to the back of the building and into the large warehouse space where the other cars were parked.

The heavy door swung open just as they neared it and Lake watched as a huge bald-headed man stepped back, allowing them to enter. She felt a shiver go down her spine at her first look at the inside of the building. It was dark and she quickly looked over her shoulder when she heard the door slam shut behind them.

"It'll be fine," Copernicus whispered in her ear, making her jump. He chuckled softly and this time Lake swore she heard an evil undertone in his laughter. "I'm with you and you need not worry about where we go, because no-one will touch you when you're with me."

Despite his assurance, she couldn't shake the feeling of doom. She stiffened slightly when Copernicus placed his hand on her lower back, gently ushering her forward. They entered through another door and Lake came to a surprised halt.

They were in some sort of an arena.

Her eyes nervously took in the large room. A large caged ring took up the centre of the room, with rows of chairs around it. She raked her eyes over the people in attendance and was shocked to recognize some of the world's most prominent industry leaders. She turned to Copernicus and found him already looking at her, a strange look in his eyes. For the umpteenth time that night, she felt a shiver run down her spine as she looked at Copernicus.

"What is this place?"

Copernicus smiled as he surveyed the area. "This, my dear, is the boardroom of the future." He turned to look at her again. "I'm sure you know some of our patrons, but I could introduce you them later if you like. Otherwise I would suggest that we take our seats since the match is about to start."

"Match?"

Copernicus grinned. "This is the first mortal combat in almost five years and both are prized fighters."

The only word stuck in Lake's head was 'mortal combat'. She glanced around at the men and women getting ready to take their seats and she couldn't help but feel the bile rising from inside. All these people are here to see two humans try to kill each other. What has become of mankind? She hasn't expected more from Copernicus, because she was aware of what a lowlife scum he really was, but all these other people ...? Educated and revered leaders in their communities?

She allowed Copernicus to steer her to their seats, which was just under the stage. Her feeling of doom intensified and she eagerly reached for a glass of champagne when a server passed her. The lights dimmed and a bright overhead light illuminated the ring.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to tonight's match. As always we promise you a titillating night of entertainment. Tonight we even have a special treat for you all ... a mortal combat."

The announcer was quiet as applause could be heard from the spectators, making Lake feel even more edgy.

"And what a match it will be, ladies and gentlemen. Our competitors for the mortal combat is none other than the undefeated ... Beeeeeira and a newcomer to the sport, Heraaaasssa."

Once again he waited for the applause to die down before looking at where Copernicus sat.

"As usual we would like to bid a special welcome to the Founder of the Game, Mr Copernicus Bohme as well as to thank him personally for setting up the mortal combat of tonight."

Lake watched as some of the cigar smoking patrons lifted their glasses at Copernicus, who graciously accepted the acknowledgement.

"But before we get to the highlight of tonight, we have two more fights lined up until then. Welcome once again and we wish you a pleasant night in the presence of some of the greatest fighters in the world. As you know by now; your pleasure is our business."

The announcer left the ring and Lake quickly drained her glass. When she set herself on the path of revenge she knew what she was letting herself in for, but she never expected to encounter such a deranged group of people. She almost jumped when Copernicus reached for her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Do you like your surprise?"

She wanted to jerk her hand out of his, but she knew that by doing so she would flush all her efforts down the drain. Pasting a fake smile on her face, she nodded.

"This is not what I'd expected. I never knew such a place existed." She kept her voice as light as possible.

"Because it doesn't, my dear." Copernicus said calmly.

Lake swallowed and frowning, she looked up into Copernicus' eyes. Once again she found him looking at her with a strange look in his eyes.

"But how do you keep word from spreading?"

Copernicus shrugged. "Entry to this place is by membership only. Everyone in here has given an oath that they would keep the location and the activities secret. On top of that, they love the exclusivity a $5 million membership fee afford them."

Lake's eyes widened. "It ... it takes that much to become a member?"

Copernicus smiled. "Yes, but for most of the people in attendance, that's pocket change. I believe they are lured by the sense of adventure of belonging to a clandestine international club."

Lake let it simmer in her mind for a while, before it struck her. Mission completed! This was more than enough to bring Copernicus down. His reputation would be completely destroyed and as an accessory to premeditated murder he was looking at a very long time behind bars. She reached for another glass of champagne when a server passed by their row again. This calls for a celebration.

She was so exalted with finally achieving success that she failed to notice the look on Copernicus' face as her studied her in the dimly lit room.

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Chapter 25

Cloaked in invisibility, the four vampires stood a distance away from the ring. Pierre was the first to break the silence between them as he folded his arms across his wide chest.

"I heard that this Beira woman is quite the fighter. Do you think she will stand a chance against her?"

Paloma scowled at him. "My money is on her."

"But does she have fighting skills?" Jonas joined in. He turned his head to look at the quiet dark woman standing next to him. The black eyes were expressionless when they met his. "What do you think, Tahlia?"

"Do not underestimate the power of purpose, my dear friends. She has more reason than all of us together to succeed. If you want to fear for someone, let it be for the Renegade."

Three heads nodded in agreement, but no more was said between them when the competitors for the first match entered ring accompanied by loud pumping music.

*************************

Tahlia's eyes rested on the sandy haired man in the front row and the gorgeous brunette sitting next to him. She vaguely wondered what type of woman would find a man like Copernicus attractive. He radiated pure evil and she refused to believe that the woman was daft enough not to pick up on it. A loud bell sounded and she turned her attention back to the fight.

***************************************

Beira was rolling the thick, rich liquid in her mouth, savouring the taste. She loved being a vampire. Her only regret being that she hadn't been converted ages ago. She swallowed the mouthful of blood and closed her eyes in almost ecstatic pleasure as she felt it splashing down her throat and being soaked up immediately by her parched organs. She immediately brought the bottle of 'wine' to her lips and greedily swallowed its contents. Smacking her lips together, she put the bottle aside and climbing to her feet stretched her tall frame. A rare smile flitted over her hard features. She relished in the moment, bathing in it because she doubted if she would ever find herself in such a good space again. A mortal combat was what she'd craved for so long. Just thinking about it made an almost orgasmic thrill go down her body. Her smile broadened. She will have to make it last, play with her opponent and drag out the fight. Later she will go find the redhead she saw a week ago and have a little fun.

She stiffened at the sudden presence she felt in the room and turned slowly. Valiant stood there, his face an unreadable mask. She smiled at him and revelled in the surprise she saw flicker in his eyes.

"Don't underestimate your opponent, Beira."

This time Beira laughed out loud, causing Valiant to start at the unexpected sound. "What's the matter, Valiant? Are you trying to tell me that you actually care about me?"

Valiant didn't reply immediately, but when he did, his words made her frown. "There is something different about this one. You will be stupid to underestimate her."

He left as quietly as he'd appeared.

Beira replayed his words in her mind before she smirked and began to do her stretches. Valiant has become soft over the years, even Copernicus has made a few remarks to that effect. Especially with the Royals in the picture, Valiant has shown fear, a weakness she herself never allowed.

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Jemima leaned back into the softness of the sofa and groaned softly in pleasure. Even as a vampire nothing much changed from what she'd heard about pregnancy. Her lower back was killing her and it was at times like these that she missed her personal masseuse. But Tahlia and the other Royals were out on a mission. She turned to look at the other women present and almost laughed at the same expression of bliss she read on their faces. With the other vampires out hunting, she was left with her two daughters and Jessica. The only other person with them was Molan. He had actually offered to keep them company in the absence of their mates. Looking at the white robed figure standing before the fireplace, it struck her that now was as good a chance as any to grill the Druid about their children. As much as her baby was a part of her, there was still a lot that she didn't know about her. Molan would be a great source of information.

"Molan?"

The wizened Druid turned to her, studying her with his ageless eyes. "Milady?"

Jemima couldn't help but smile at the form of address. "It's just Jemima." Molan nodded, his eyebrows lifted in expectation. "Tell us more about our babies. What else do you know about them?"

Molan frowned. "Why would you think I know more than I have already told you, mi ... Jemima?"

Jemima closed her eyes as her head rolled back into the plush velvet covering of the sofa. "Just call it a mother's curiosity." Her blue eyes flickered open again and she held Molan's gaze. "You have to admit that the way we have conceived is ... uh ... strange." A thought struck her and she set up slowly. "For instance, why have all of us conceived, but not Genevieve. She was there with us too."

Molan nodded. "That's an easy one to answer." He walked over to an unoccupied seat and folding his robes back with flourish, gracefully sat down. "I also wondered about that, but when I consulted the tomes, it came to light that the Pillars had to have some kind of human connection with their surrogates. Genevieve has not been human for over a thousand years. I suspect that according to the prophecy it was not expected from you to not be human. By bearing this child you were to gain immortality, but as you know things were sped up by Drake. I would like to believe that in your case, even after more than 30 years as a vampire, you have managed in a way to preserve your human essence, so to speak."

"And how do you explain them?" She pointed at the other women, who were eagerly listening to their conversation. Molan stroked his long white, a thoughtful look on his face.

"That is where I have no definite answer for you." He pursed his lips together. "But I would like to give you the most logical explanation I could come up with, if I may."

Jemima shrugged. "Please do."

"You see," Molan cleared his throat loudly. "Gellar's writings were in a very ancient language and with so many riddles that even I struggled to unravel most of them. According to what I could make out, the prophecy stated that the Vampire Queen's mate was to be the key in all this." His rheumy eyes studied her closely. "The crystal was to be implanted in you or as was the case crushed in your presence to unlock its essence. What I did not know was that four pillars were captured together. My explanation is that you were supposed to carry the First Pillar and once she was grown, it was her duty to unlock the others by finding surrogates for them. With three other susceptible humans around when the crystal was broken, I believe that you all became viable surrogates at that moment. I think that it was done by the directive of the First Pillar, because even though they were locked in the crystal, they were still very much aware of their surroundings." He glanced at the three other women. "You were weighed and found to be perfect matches, especially with your strong emotional links to the Royals."

The room was quiet and Jemima watched as the other occupants processed the news.

"That's interesting," Jessica said. "It never crossed my mind that I would be a mother one day. It was simply not something I thought about."

"Me too," Gabriella sighed. "But I love the idea of becoming a mother."

Molan smiled at them as he once again stroked his beard.

"Since you all like the idea so much, I believe there is more."

"There is?" Jemima said as she sat up even straighter. "Do tell."

"As I spend so much time reading over the text to make sure I do not miss something, I picked up something else." His blue eyes were twinkling. "It seems that the babies will take on some of you and your partners' traits."

Jemima heard Inger groan and all eyes turned to look at the blonde. Inger pulled her face in grimace. "Can you guys imagine what the world will be like with another Paloma? She scares the life out of almost everyone we meet."

The last was said with in such dry tone that everyone burst out laughing, even Molan. Jemima studied the other women. She knew they were all thinking about the unique traits of their respective partners.

She herself couldn't stop smiling as she thought about Tahlia. Her gaze turned to Inger and she grinned when she found her daughter looking at her. They shared a knowing smile which warmed Jemima's heart. Inger was a good example of what a great parent Tahlia was and they both knew that the baby was going to have a great role model.

Molan's face was beaming at the women. "More?"

"YES!!!" came the unified answer.

"You should also prepare yourselves for becoming grandmothers one day because Outlanders can procreate. Over the centuries I have heard talk of new births but with Copernicus around, they are all in hiding for the time being." The mention of Copernicus dampened the spirit a little and noticing that Molan quickly spoke up again. "The Royals are extremely powerful and Copernicus should be the one shaking in his boots at this very moment. I can assure you that with the babies being under the Royals' protection, he stands no chance getting anywhere near them."

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"Oh ..." Trinity exclaimed at the sudden surge of love pouring through her body. She turned to Clarissa and saw a wondrous expression flitting over the other vampire's face. They smiled at each other, a little sheepishly before looking away, slightly embarrassed by their reactions.

"They are talking about us," Clarissa said softly, her hand rubbing absently over heart.

"I think you are right."

For a few moments a tense silence hung in the air as Trinity studied the dark shadows moving in the park. With her enhanced vision she could make out the figures of Royal slayers and relaxed immediately.

"We are both so lucky," Trinity said after a while and looked at Clarissa.

"And happy."

It had taken months before they both had the courage to tell Jessica about their history together. Trinity remembered Jessica's shocked face. But seeing the fear of rejection on Clarissa's face, Jessica had almost immediately pulled Clarissa into her arms for a tender kiss. Her relief was great to know that their confession hadn't caused a rift between the two.

Trinity sensed where Clarissa's mind was and respectfully left the other woman to her thoughts. She too wanted a little privacy to indulge in warm, wonderful thoughts of her soon-to-be-wife and the mother of her child.

She was rudely plucked from her thoughts when she heard a soft whooshing sound and ducked in time to avoid the arrows coming at them. All thoughts of their partners fled as they jumped into action.