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 14

Chapter 26

Her body thrummed with bloodlust as Beira made her way to the ring, accompanied by loud applause and cheers. Over the years she had always given them good value for their money and their loyalty was, to say the least, heart-warming. Stepping into the cage, she threw a glance in Copernicus' direction and found him looking at her with an enigmatic smile. For a second Valiant's warning sounded in her ears, but she quickly pushed it away. She had to admit that Copernicus would not put such a large sum of money on the spell if she was to fight a mediocre opponent.

He knew how much she thrived on a challenge and if Valiant fears were justified, she had to thank her boss for this long awaited opportunity. She gave him a broad smile and saw his smile falter a bit. She will show him for having doubted her. She will cut out her opponent's heart and offer it to him. That should be a lesson in faith for him. The cheering and chanting stopped abruptly and Beira looked away from Copernicus to the entrance from the changing rooms.

What she saw made her eyes hardened.

The leather clad woman was almost as tall as herself with well-developed muscles and piercing eyes. But that wasn't what had her body as tense as a snare. Even from where she stood she could pick up on the woman's aura. Her opponent was a vampire. She watched, transfixed, as the woman strolled towards the ring, an uneasy silence hanging in the air. Her catlike gait was easy and fluid as she entered the cage and quietly made her way over to the corner opposite from her.

Beira would never admit it out loud and never to anyone else, but looking at this newcomer, she couldn't help but feel a slight frisson of unease trickle down her spine. The feeling was so foreign to her that she had to delve deep inside herself to expunge it from her system. Copernicus, it seems, hadn't been totally honest with her. If she'd known she was to fight the Royals' champion she would've adapted her training a little bit. Not much, but a little bit at least, because she never stepped into a ring unprepared. She looked at her opponent and found cold, expressionless hazel eyes looking back at her.

The bell sounded at that moment and the woman's large body pushed away from the ropes, a feral smile on her lips. Beira carefully circled the woman; her eyes fixed on the woman's eyes to gauge her next move. But even as she kept her eyes on the woman, she missed the lightning fast movement, until her head jerked backwards with the force of the blow. Beira was stunned by the power behind the blow and shook her head to clear it. The arena was unusually quiet as everyone sat up straighter. Beira didn't have to look at them to know they were all stunned. She herself was shocked. It has been ages since anyone had managed to get in the first blow. She had to regain the upper hand and quick.

She noticed an opening and moved in to deal a hard crippling punch to her opponent's abdomen. Beira knew what such a blow could do. She had broken many fighters'' dream with just such a blow, leaving then crippled shells of their former selves. With a victory so close, she made the mistake of letting her concentration slip. Throwing her full weight behind the blow, she looked up to see the reaction of her opponent. But it was too late. Way too late for her to correct her mistake.

Cold hazel eyes looked back at her, taunting her, knowing that she was stupid to have fallen for the oldest ploy in the book. She'd been duped and already being reeled in there was nothing she could do. At the last possible moment, the other woman sidestepped her attack with blinding speed and bought her elbow down hard on the back of her neck. Beira heard a loud snapping sound and then … nothing. She felt absolutely nothing. Not even when she saw the canvas coming closer at an alarming speed and her face made impact with it. When she opened her eyes again, all she saw was blood around her, but still she felt nothing. Was this what her opponents felt right before they had died?

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

Lake couldn't take it anymore and flew out of her chair. She made it just in time to the darkest, farthest corner of the warehouse before she started to throw up. The stench of her own vomit was so strong that it made her nose burn. She kept on gagging until all that was left was just dry heaves.

" Drink this."

Pulling her hair out of her face she took a startled step back when she looked into the blackest eyes she'd ever seen. She took another careful step backwards taking in the tall dark figure standing silently looking at her. She was dressed in all black and her presence ... her presence was making her skin break out in goose bumps. She jumped when the woman moved again, her hand outstretched, holding a bottle of water. She carefully looked up at the woman again before she reached for the bottle with a shaky hand. The woman gave her one final look before she turned and disappeared into the dark shadows of the warehouse.

Lake quickly unscrewed the cap and guzzled the water after having rinsed her mouth, not caring that streams of water trickled down her throat and onto her expensive blouse. Feeling a little fortified, she scanned the warehouse for Copernicus. He was standing in the ring looking down at the fallen fighter, hands in his pocket. The scene almost reminded her of how he'd stood over Josh's mutilated body. At that moment she hated him more than she ever had. Tossing the half-empty bottle away from her, she rubbed a shaky hand over her face.

She had to get away from here and to the nearest police station. She pushed her way through the throng of people making their way to the exit, unaware of the two men following her discreetly.

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The warehouse was silent, with some spectators standing around, shell-shocked. No one, it seems, anticipated the reign of Beira to come to such an abrupt end.

"You should've heeded my warnings, Beira." Copernicus murmured as he looked down at the woman.

He squatted so he could look into her eyes. Even he had to cringe at the sight of Beira's bloodied face. She was still alive, but for how long he couldn't say. Harassa had completely shattered the vertebra in Beira's neck, closing off the blood flow to the brain. He doubted that even a vampire could recover from such a devastating blow. Looking closely he could already see her pallor changing to a sickly grey as the lack of blood to her heart would send her into cardiac arrest soon. For an instant, he felt sorry for her, but only for an instant.

"This wouldn't have happened had you known your place. I wouldn't have had to look for someone else to fill your place. You became a liability I could not afford any longer." He shook his head slowly. "Who would've thought? Your first move was also your last."

He saw her lips move, but only stream of blood came forth, dripping down the corner of her mouth. When he looked into her eyes he was taken aback by the hatred he read there. It was good that she was dying, he'd hate to have her alive and coming after him. He quickly came up straight, just as two burly medics pushed passed him to assist her.

Glancing across the wide expanse of the warehouse, he met Valiant eyes. There was one more loose end to tie up. With a light jump in his step he made his way over to his second in command. It truly was a great feeling when everything just seems to fall together so effortlessly. He walked passed Valiant and the renegade fell into step with him. "You know where to find me."

Copernicus had to keep himself from doing a two-step as he walked down a short corridor to where the changing rooms were located. He came to a stop before one of the doors lining the corridor and taking a deep breath, pushed the door open, a broad smile on his face.

Standing with her broad back to the door, was the soon-to-be newest member to his team. She turned slowly and Copernicus' smile faltered as he met the fighter's lifeless eyes. With much effort he broadened his smile as he looked at her. She was about the same size of Beira, but she looked so much more lethal than his former ... correction … his late bodyguard.

"Congratulations on your first win. No one and I mean no one ever thought that Beira could be defeated." He stepped deeper into the room. "And you made it look so effortless. I'm truly impressed."

The woman just stared at him, studying him, until he felt as if she was sizing him up for dinner. It took a lot of effort from him not to take a step backward. Even with all his power he doubted he would be able to protect himself is she decided to snack on him.

"Where's my money?" she asked in a flat voice, making him stiffen at the unexpected sound of her voice. He pushed his hands into his pockets as he slowly stepped closer to her.

"About that ..."

"Where's my money?" She repeated coldly, her body tensing in anger. Copernicus quickly held up his hand.

"Your money is on the way here as we speak, but I have a business proposition for you." He saw a flicker of what he believed was interest in the woman's eyes and quickly continued. "Since Beira is no longer in the picture, I have a job offer for you. It pays well and you will inherit all that Beira left behind as part of the deal."

Cool hazel eyes studied him closely. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need a bodyguard."

The fighter shook her head slowly. "I don't take orders too well. I'll pass."

Copernicus' eyes narrowed slightly. "Is there no way I can change your mind? More money, your own mansion, women perhaps?"

At the mention of women, he saw the corner of her lips twitch. Yes, he got her. Valiant's background check on the woman was very thorough. Besides money, women were her other passion. It was time to sweeten the deal. At that exact moment there was a knock on the door and Valiant stepped in followed by one of his men dragging a struggling Lake with him.

He quickly walked over and grabbed Lake by her arm. He smiled when her saw her eyes moved behind him. The blue eyes grew wider, a look of horror on her face. "I thought you'd want to meet the new Champion, my dear."

Lake's head snapped to him and she shook her head. "No ... please ... no more ..."

Copernicus turned her so she faced him directly. "No more? But I thought you had it all worked out, Lake. Befriend me ... seduce me and then take your revenge." He laughed at the shocked look on her face. "You thought I didn't know about Aljoshua? I had you checked and knew about your treachery for the past three weeks now." He watched as her eyes widened in shock. "Yes, my dear, I knew about it when we went on our first date together. I was just biding my time, waiting for the right moment to expose you."

He felt her begin to tremble in his grasp and he looked at the tall fighter. "Would it help my case if she was part of the deal?"

He watched as the vampire slowly let her eyes move over Lake, not realizing that he was holding his breath awaiting the woman's answer.

The vampire stepped closer. She was taller than both of them, causing her to look down at them with an inscrutable look on her face.

"I can do with her what I want?"

Copernicus almost cried in relief. "Yes, anything you want."

She moved so fast, snatching Lake from his grasp and held her against her body. "I want to taste her."

With a deep growl she threw her head back, given them all a glimpse of sharp fangs reflecting the overhead light. Eyes, glowing an unholy red, studied them. The brunette's head was roughly pushed to one side and the vampire slammed her fangs into Lake's neck.

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Chapter 27

Lake had barely exited the warehouse when two men appeared by her side. Before she could scream, a large clammed over her mouth and she was dragged into the dark shadows of the alley next to the warehouse. She couldn't make out the faces of the men, but she instinctively knew that they were linked to Copernicus. The sense of doom she'd been experiencing all night was spot on. She had struggled against the man's hold but he was too strong. Her feeble efforts were in vain as she was dragged to a side door and from there to down a hall. After a short knock, one of them opened the door. She wanted to cry when she saw Copernicus looking at her with a smirk on his face. But he didn't hold her attention for long.

She did.

The woman was large. Larger than most men she knew. Her hazel eyes were cold as they stared back at her from out of an expressionless face. A hard, but exquisitely beautiful face. She hadn't noticed that when the woman was in the ring as she was so overwhelmed by the fear she'd felt as the woman methodically eliminated her opponent.

Her heart nearly stopped when she heard Copernicus offer her to the beautiful demon. The shock and fear at hearing that he already knew about her plans, was nothing compared to the terror when that woman came closer. She looked even bigger and scarier than she did a scant second ago.

Now as the woman held her against her hard body, she was numbed from terror. The deep, animal growl reverberated through the body of the demon and her body stiffened with pain at sharp impact of her teeth in her neck.

Now, as she hung limbless in the arms of the demon, her lifeblood draining from her, all she could think about was her mother and the fact that she'd failed her. Copernicus won and she was paying with her life for her failure. A lone tear slipped down her cheek as she felt herself slipping away slowly.

"I'm so sorry, mother," she whispered softly before she gave in to the lure of nothingness.

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Copernicus was scared, but also fascinated by the woman's ferocity. Not even Beira with her psychotic tendencies had exhibited such behavior. This woman was an animal and she would be a great asset to his team. He watched, enthralled, as she drained Lake, her blood red eyes holding his captive. He felt immense relief when she lifted her head, breaking her death stare and pushed Lake's lifeless body away from her. The front of her leather vest was glistering with blood, trickling from her bloodied chin onto it. With a slow, chilling move of satisfaction, the vampire licked her lips before she turned away from them.

"Get rid of the body," he snapped at Valiant and grinned when the men jumped in surprise at the unexpectedness of his voice. They quickly stepped closer to pick up the body and left the room quietly. He waited a while longer before he spoke again, not sure what the mental state of the vampire was now that she'd fed.

"Does this mean that we have a deal?" he asked carefully.

"Yes," came the quiet reply and Copernicus smiled broadly.

"That's good. I will ask Valiant to contact you in a few days so we could talk about what will be expected from you."

The vampire turned slowly, a dangerous warning in the cold eyes. "No orders."

Copernicus nodded quickly. "I understand. We'll talk about what we both can expect from each other."

The vampire nodded and Copernicus turned and left. He was glad to be out of the woman's presence for the time being. As he made his way over to the back exit of the warehouse where his limousine was parked, he found Valiant and the man stuffing Lake's body into a casket. He was once again filled with anger thinking of how Lake had managed to get so close without him knowing about her plans beforehand. He walked over to where her body lay in the casket and stared down at her pale face. He wondered how many will try to get to him that way again. His eyes hardened. He hoped that this will be a warning to others who had already infiltrated his workforce with the same agenda.

"Make sure no one finds her body." He walked over to where his chauffeur was holding open the door to the limousine. If he was wondering about what happened to Lake, he was wise enough not to ask.

"I'm going home."

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Syria sat down heavily as soon as the door closed behind Copernicus, her chin resting on her chest. She never thought it would be so difficult. Meeting Copernicus face to face after so many centuries had cost her a lot of willpower not to just rid the world of his foul presence. But doing so would've ruined everything. After having killed so many Outlanders already, killing him without the help of the others, would mean that the spirits of their brothers and sisters would float around in limbo without a chance of reconnecting with their Core. The Pillars were the only way to guide them back. Thus keeping Copernicus alive was necessary. She hoped she never forgets that.

"Good job, Outlander."

Her head snapped up to find the Assassin standing a few feet away from her. Syria couldn't help but stiffen at the sudden appearance of the woman. Paloma still gave her the chills. It will definitely take her some time before she could relax in the woman's presence.

"Sorry if I don't offer you champagne to celebrate, but this has probably been the most challenging day in all my life."

Paloma nodded. "I can understand why, but you have passed the toughest test today."

"Maybe if I keep telling myself that I might be able to improve my mood," she said and closed her eyes. But they snapped open almost immediately when two terrified blue eyes swam before her. "The woman ..." She stopped and looked at Paloma. "The woman I bit?"

Paloma shook her head. "She is an acceptable loss. Do not worry too much about her."

Syria averted her eyes. That was one of the most difficult things she'd ever had to do, besides meeting Copernicus. But she was expected to play the part and the woman was an important piece in her plan to lure Copernicus closer. But still it was needless to kill her. She rose and grabbing her knee-length leather coat, made for the door.

Outside the door she sniffed the air and quickly turned left. Stepping outside the warehouse she found Paloma lounging against the wall looking bored.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Staring at the disappearing sight of a car's tail lights, she nodded. "Yes."

"And put the whole plan in jeopardy? It is not about you alone now."

That made Syria's shoulders slump in defeat. Paloma was right. She should just forget the woman and remember that was at stake if she was caught.

"You're right," she sighed and walked off in the opposite direction of the car. She needed a drink. She was focused on getting as far away from the warehouse and its morbid atmosphere that she didn't see Paloma take off in the direction the car had gone.

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Standing with her arms folded behind her back, the Vampire Queen looked on with pride and amusement at the scene unfolding before her eyes. Playing in the snow, like little kids were everyone, but herself and Paloma. Jonas had accompanied Izi and the other two Eternals to Athanas for the season after a vague excuse about how silly the season made his family act and how he was in need of a break. But Tahlia knew better. The Eternal Healer had asked her a month ago if she could return to the home for the season and she knew instinctively that her brother wouldn't survive being away from Izaura for a whole three weeks. It was wonderful to see him in love again and she could expect to see him like that for a very long time since Izi was going to be around for long stretch too.

Her dark eyes touched on each of her family members and she watched as Inger rolled a large snowball and staggered to her feet. She remembered all those past Christmases when she would stand outside and watch Inger and Jemima pelt each other with snowballs. Their snow fights still remains her fondest Christmas memory.

Just as Inger was about to launch her snowball at an unsuspecting Jessica, she was hit in the shoulder and stumbled backwards. Waving her arms to regain her balance, she muttered a soft 'oops' as she began to fall backwards. Tahlia watched as Paloma, using preternatural speed, arrived just in time to catch her heavily pregnant wife in her arms. Inger threw her head back and laughed as she kicked her legs in pure delight, causing a shaky-looking Paloma to shake her head in exasperation.

"Thank you, sweetie. I knew you wouldn't let me fall."

Tahlia snorted softly at the stupid look that came over Paloma's face. Inger really had Paloma completely wrapped around her pinkie.

"Yes, my angel, I will always catch you."

"You are the sweetest, most ..."

Panicking, Paloma quickly smothered her words with her lips, making the others burst out with laughter. The playing continued again with Paloma rolling the snowballs and Inger doing the shooting.

Not far from where she stood, Pierre and Genevieve were chasing each other through the snow-laden trees making even Tahlia grin at their playfulness. Those two were rarely apart these days. She remembered sending Pierre to Russia a few weeks ago to lead a hunt there and it was sad to see how Genevieve almost wilted away in his absence. In the end she had to send the redhead after Pierre and it was wonderful to see how happy they looked upon their return. She heard Genevieve giggle as she was caught up in Pierre's arms, his huge frame towering over her petite body. She sighed inwardly as she looked at them. This century was hard on them, but she can't ever remember being so happy to see her family so cheerful.

She heard a soft whooshing sound. Knowing what it was, she waiting a few seconds longer before she turned sharply to the left as a snowball sailed past her. Her dark eyes gleamed as she caught the surprised ones of Gabriella. A grin formed on her face when she saw Jessica's eyes blinking in awe.

"That was like that move from the Matrix movie," she gasped as she grabbed Clarissa closer.

"Can you do that too, honey?" Her question was met with snickers from the others. Tahlia smiled when Jessica blushed and hid her face in Clarissa's neck.

"I think so, my love," Clarissa whispered in her ear. "I can show you later ... in the bedroom." Jessica quickly looked up into her eyes and winked.

Tahlia watched all this and felt her heart clench at the loving display. Lecrac would be proud of the new additions to the family. Hell, she was more proud of them as if they were her own flesh and blood. Her attention was quickly drawn away from the couple as she saw everyone rushed to roll snowballs. With an enigmatic smile she watched them through hooded eyes, noticing the quick looks they darted her way. She knew it was time to give them a grand show. After more than 2 000 years she was still growing into her powers and rarely revealed them, but tonight she felt like showing off a little. It was Christmas Eve after all.

She smiled when they all launched their missiles at her at once. Again she waited until they were almost in touching range. Centring her powers she shot up into the air and folding her arms across her chest, spun her body. The energy created by the whirling movement disintegrated the snowballs, making them explode into a white burst of powder. She stopped just as quickly, still floating and looked down at her family who were gaping at her. With a wide grin she gracefully landed on her feet, staring at them with arched eyebrows.

<That was so sexy, baby.>Jemima's voice was dark with desire and Tahlia quickly sought out her wife's eyes. As usual a small spark started in her belly as she gazed upon her gorgeous wife who was staring back at her with through heavy-lidded eyes. Caught up in the dark, sensual look on Jemima's face, she gasped when a salvo of snowballs bombarded her from all directions. Disorientated for a moment, she glared at the others. Jemima cocked her head, a knowing smile on her face. She was setup, Tahlia realized and smiling she dusted the snow off her leather jacket as the others double over with laughter. Jemima appeared beside her, her arms snaking around her middle.

"Are you going to punish us for our insolence, milady?" Jemima teased softly as she pressed a kiss against Tahlia cheek.

"As a matter of fact ... Yes!" With a flick of her hand a thick layer of snow shifted and doused the laughter of the others. She smirked at the dumbfounded expressions as they looked down at their snow dusted clothing. This one she knew they didn't expect. For centuries it had been speculated whether in fact she had inherited Lecrac's power to manipulate the elements. Tonight she'd given credibility to those rumours. It was a real shame Jonas missed it though.

Nine pairs of eyes still gaped at her and Thalia suppressed the urge to laugh at their bedraggled appearance. Tahlia turned to Jemima with a mock glare. "You, I will deal with later and I will show no mercy." Jemima squeaked when Tahlia's hand moved lower and pinched her bum.

Genevieve turned to Pierre and brushed the snow off his shoulder. "We will never win, it seems. We should probably get all the pregnant ladies out of the cold now. Dinner should be served in a short while."

With a subdued grumble they all moved toward the house, leaving Tahlia and Jemima behind. Jemima snuggled closer to Tahlia and pulled Tahlia's arms around her swollen belly.

"Merry Christmas, my love."

"Merry Christmas, Jemi." Tahlia nuzzled her wife's hair as her hands splayed over Jemima's belly. At that exact moment their daughter started kicking, making Tahlia smile in wonder. It wasn't going to be long now before she would hold her in her arms.

<Hush, little angel, we will meet soon.>

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The bar was full, which surprised her a bit since it was Christmas Eve and all. Wasn't it a time for human families to spend together? Syria brought her glass to her lips and drained the last bit of bourbon. Since joining Copernicus' army, she'd developed quite a fondness for the drink. That was probably the only pleasure she had in life at the moment and also the only thing that kept her sane. Not a day goes by that she has to restrain herself from ripping off Copernicus' head.

She remembered one day in particular, about three weeks ago, when she had to sit in on a meeting with Copernicus and a business associate. The meeting was held in a sound proof room at the back of Copernicus' office. It was the first time she'd been in that room and that one time was more than enough for her. The room was spacious with a fully-fledged bar, a lounge and a small dance floor in the centre. But that was not what caused her instant aversion to the room. It was the flat circular crystals mounted against the wall. They were fifteen in total. But she was careful not to pay too much attention to them. Instead she had calmly walked over to where Copernicus and a handsome dark-haired man sat with drinks in their hands.

It was easy to detect the visitor's brutal nature from the dark, oppressive aura which surrounded him. The man was a killer, fitting right in with the kind of company Copernicus keeps. The man's cold eyes had raked over her few times and for a few unguarded moments, she could actually read the vulgar thoughts he had about her. She was tempted to press his eyes so far back into his skull that they pooped out at the back, but rigid self-control over the years had kept her standing quiet and still as she looked at the man.

"Vladimir, I want you to meet my bodyguard."

"What happened to Beira, if I may ask?"

"She moved on," Copernicus said curtly. "I called her here so she could be brought up to speed."

The man's dark eyes narrowed. "You trust her?"

Copernicus nodded.

For the next hour and half Vladimir took her down the dark, brutal path of his life as Copernicus' personal bounty hunter. All the while, on a frequency not audible to the human ear, the crystals against the wall emitted a soft hum. When she looked at Copernicus, she was relieved to find that even he couldn't pick up the sound from the crystals. Only a Pillar could.

They knew she was here.

After the bounty hunter had left, Copernicus had poured them both a drink and after handing her a drink, he'd walked over to the wall where the crystals were mounted. He had stood there, sipping his drink in silence. When he spoke again, what he said, made her more determined to make him suffer greatly before killing him one day.

"They all had these shocked looks on their faces just seconds before their heads rolled. That and the power surge afterwards were incredible."

Schooling her features to hide her murderous thoughts, she just looked at him, her whole attitude nonchalant. Copernicus studied her eyes for a while before he shrugged.

"I'm sure you have experienced that kind of rush more times than I have." He drained his glass and turned back to look at the crystals. "This world is not for the weak and it's people like you and me who deserve to be where we are. The weak are simply stepping stones to allow us to attain our destiny."

Since that day in that soundproof room, her urge to kill Copernicus intensified. Only her great friend bourbon managed to pull her from the edge every time. She looked up to signal the waiter over, but her hand stopped mid-air as a hand moved from behind her and a glass of bourbon was placed before her. She slowly lowered her hand and turned her head to look at her benefactor. An involuntary smile formed on her lips as her eyes fell on the gorgeous blonde vision standing behind her.

"I've been holding onto your drink for you since you were so deep in thought."

Her interest piqued and her libido awakened, Syria's smiled widened. "Thank you for being so thoughtful. What can I do to return the favour?"

The blonde stepped closer. The action allowed her breasts to brush lightly against Syria's arm and the Outlander bit down on her lower lip.

"I don't want to be alone on Christmas Eve. Would you mind spending the evening with me? We can get something to eat, go to the opera or go see a movie … anything you want to do."

Calm green eyes studied her as the blonde waited for her answer. Syria turned back to the bar, sensing the woman's disappointment at the snub, picked up the glass and drained it in one gulp.

"Thank you for the drink and I think since you were so thoughtful, I think the rest of the evening should be on me." She smiled when she saw a faint glimmer of relief flash in the woman's eyes. Yes, she didn't want to be alone tonight also. Coming to her feet, she held out her hand to the blonde. "Shall we?"