BOOK THREE in THE GUARDIAN'S SERIES
Book One: A Guardian's Touch, Book Two: A Guardian's Love , Book Three: A Guardian's Passion,
Book Four: A Guardian's Salvation
Disclaimer See Part 1
Feedback: Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, so feel free to drop a line or two at steinwillard80@gmail.com .
PART 4
Chapter 7
Nimiri stared in mute shock at the scene before her, her green eyes unblinking, scared that if she did blink, the picture before her might dissolve. They had just finished feeding and were now in Central Park killing time before they would return to the safe house. But that was not what had the Eternal warrior staring in open-mouthed shock.
Before her, kneeling amongst the fallen leaves was Leo, her face a mask on unconcealed elation. With her face turned upward, her bright white teeth flashed as she grinned widely. Now and then she would take a handful of leaves and toss them into her air, smiling tenderly as they came down, nose-diving and twisting on their downward journey.
Nimiri shook her head and discretely looked around, wondering who else was privy to this totally uncharacteristic behavior of the Eternal First Prime. Since they had left the safe house about four hours ago, Leo had hummed, whistled a silly tune and came very close to tap-dancing while the blonde had looked on in rapt fascination. Never before had she seen Leo like this, not even when they were human. Never. She had always been so serious. When she wasn't grieving for her mother; she was taking care of her father and her sister. She didn't take her eyes off the hulking figure playing in the pile of dried autumn colored leaves. She wanted this picture to be burnt onto her mind for as long as she lived. She wanted to dig it up when she needed to be reminded that maybe one day she too could be so ecstatically happy, if she was lucky, that is.
Abruptly, Leo came to her feet, her eyes still twinkling. “I believe it is time for us to meet with Jemima.” She grinned. “I hope her ‘teddy bear' will not be present. That woman really makes me nervous.”
“You better not bring that up in her presence, because Tahlia does not look like someone who takes kindly to being teased.” Nimiri warned. Her green eyes narrowed slightly. “So, tell me what that thing with Jemima was all about.”
A broad smile again, but she shook her head. “Soon.”
********************************
“No, no, no…NO! It just can't be! Are you sure?” Copernicus was pacing agitatedly before his gleaming desk, his hands on his head.
“Our sources are very reliable.”
The immortal turned to face his right-hand man, his brown eyes boring into the man. He lifted his hand and pushed it through his blonde hair.
“Let me just get this straight again.” He walked over to his desk and gracelessly fell into the soft leather chair. “What you are telling me is that The Pillars have been reincarnated. That's impossible. How and where?”
The tall, thin renegade's surly expression didn't change as he answered his leader.
“According to our sources the prophecy states that …”
“Prophecy? What bloody prophecy. This it the first time I'm hearing about this.”
Seemingly unfazed by the immortal's tirade, the renegade continued. “Centuries ago, the Pillars appealed an old Druid priest to preserve their life forces in a crystal to be only unlocked once a prophecy have been fulfilled. According to this prophecy their life forces would be reincarnated through a very powerful race and then blended with another to form a stronger, invincible race. A month ago the prophecy was realized and now it is only a matter of time before they are reborn, stronger and near invincible.”
Copernicus closed his eyes. For centuries he was under the impression that his enemies had been vanquished forever. When he didn't hear from them for over 700 years even after all the hunters he had sent out to find them, he was almost convinced that they had returned to their home planet. They were much too arrogant to have gone into hiding. He rubbed over his eyes again. Now they are back and they had outmaneuvered him. Him, Copernicus, the master tactician. He turned back to his longtime right-hand man.
“Where are they now, Valiant?”
He was surprised to see a slight tightening around the renegade's cold eyes. That alone gave Copernicus a reason to feel uneasy. Valiant was a badass killer and nothing daunted this man at all. That was until now.
“They are to be reborn as Royals.”
The silence in the room stretched for over a minute before Copernicus pushed himself out of his chair and walked over to the large window overlooking the city. His mind was reeling with what he'd just been told. For centuries he had managed to avoid tangling with the Royals. He'd managed that by operating outside of their headquarters, New York . But even then, he still had to avoid detection by their hunters. Now, it seems his luck has run out.
“I need more information.” He turned back to Valiant, his eyes unreadable. “As a precaution I would suggest your get an army together to accompany you.”
The renegade nodded and briskly left the room. Copernicus grabbed the nearest heavy object he could lay his hands on and hurled it at the window. A loud crash sounded as shards of the glass rained down around him, some imbedding themselves deep into his body. He reveled in the tiny pricks of pain, finding it to be a welcome distraction to the disturbing thoughts in his mind.
*********************************
Paloma was walking down the hallway on her way to the training room to blow off steam when she spotted the two Eternal warriors came walking towards her. Her eyes were vacant as they fell on the two tall women. Her sharp silver gaze never left the eyes of the large warrior. For a millisecond she was tempted to step in front of the woman, blocking her way. A clear challenge. As nonchalant as they appeared, walking towards her, she could sense their heightened alertness.
She thought back to the scene she'd just left in their chamber. Her eyes hardened as memories flooded her system, her body tightening automatically. She saw a flash of panic in the ice blue eyes of the Eternal Prime. Yes, Leo had all the right to feel afraid.
As soon as she'd brought the Eternals to the safe house, she'd gone in search of Inger and found her in their chamber, pouring over a thick book. As always she was stunned by the beauty of the wife as she stood in the corner of the room, silently watching her. Sensing her presence Inger had turned in the chair, her bright sapphire gaze locked with hers and Paloma had felt heart jump in her chest. Inger always had that effect on her. After 20 years she still trembled at the sight of the tall brunette.
<“What are you doing way over there in the dark, Vampire?”
“Looking at the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Inger grinned and took of her reading glasses. “Don't you want a closer look then?”
Paloma nodded and moved closer, her eyes fixed on the woman she loved more than life itself. She walked over to sit at the other corner of the sofa, but Inger gestured her closer. Closer and closer still until she found herself sitting on the lap of wife.
“Am I not to heavy, sweetie?”
“How many nights have you spent lying on top of me, Assassin? Have I ever complained?”
Paloma smiled and shook her head. “Never.”
Inger smiled her all-knowing smiled and lifted her head for a kiss. Their lips touched and held. When the kiss broke, Paloma noticed that the blue eyes were sharp as they delved into hers.
“What are you not telling me, Paloma?”
“What makes you think I am keeping anything from you, darling?”
“Uhmmm, maybe because I have a mental link with you which makes it easier to pick up on your distress or maybe its just because you haven't touched me in the past month or maybe it is because…”
“Ok, I get it.” Paloma slid of Inger's lap and walked over to the bed. She looked over her shoulder. “Would you like to…you know?”
Inger smiled faintly, her eyes dark and intense as they watched her.
“No, because you don't really perform when you're distracted.”
“Who says I am…”
“Tell me already, Paloma.”
Her silver eyes were almost transparent when she lifted her head to make direct eye contact with her wife. She watched as Inger came over to sit on the bed. She followed suit.
“There is something I have to tell you concerning the pregnancy.” Paloma quickly shook her head when she saw the flash of panic in her wife's eyes. “No, it is not really bad news…depending on how you see it.”
“What is wrong with our baby, Paloma?”
Paloma swallowed nervously before she reached for Inger's hand. She gently caressed the soft skin on the back of Inger's hand.
“Our baby is an Outlander.”
“A what?”
“An Outlander. They are a small immortal race who is more than a 1 000 years old.” She saw the blue eyes widened. “The prophecy foretold the joining of two races which will prosper under the protection of an ancient noble clan. Molan, the Druid priest, discovered that the Eternals and the Outlanders were the chosen races. To fulfill the prophecy, an Outlander had to be physically merged with a Royal.” She intently studied Inger's eyes for a reaction.
“Us?”
“Yes. You will all give birth to Outlanders.”
Inger's eyes narrowed slightly and Paloma saw her wife's lawyer persona come to the foreground. “Is that all or ….” The sharp blue eyes picked up on the slight stiffening of Paloma's shoulders. “How will that affect us…their mothers?”
Paloma sighed deeply and looked away from the Inger's penetrating look. The blue eyes were steady and unflinching as they stared at her. The truth and only the truth will suffice now.
“You are all immortal now.”
Paloma waited patiently for Inger's outburst. But nothing came. She slowly turned her head to gauge her wife's reaction, only to find the blue eyes swimming in tears.
“Inger…?” she asked tentatively.
She reached out to take Inger's hand, but the brunette slowly pulled her hand away. Paloma felt her heart splinter at Inger's rejection.
“Beloved…” She wailed softly, her silver eyes a dark stormy grey as they pleaded with her wife.
She moved closer to Inger, her need to reinstate contact with wife so great, that her whole body shook. Before she could touch Inger, the blue eyes closed and Inger surged to her feet.
“Not now, Paloma.” The sapphire orbs glittered with unshed tears. “I …I need to be alone for a while.”
“I do not want to leave you like this, my love.”
“I need to think, Paloma. I need to think and I can't do so with you here.”
Paloma's hand shook as she held it out to Inger in a pleading gesture. “I will leave, but I need to know that we are okay.”
Inger stared at the outstretched hand, before turning her back on Paloma. A shiver went through the powerful vampire and she slowly came to her feet. She walked over to the door, but spoke again before she turned the knob.
“I love you, wife. I will give you all the time you need to think about this.”>
With those parting words she had left the room and now as she's looking at the two Eternals, a seething rage took over. She saw the Prime's eyes widened slightly and her whole body language changed as she picked up on the dark, threat the other vampire posed.
Paloma's eyes turned flat and cold as she came to a halt before the two Eternals. She saw both reaching for their swords just as her own hands morphed into claws. This time she saw resignation in the Prime's light eyes.
“What is going on here?” came a quiet voice.
Paloma felt her whole body shudder as it tried to dispel the aggression. She slowly turned to find cold, midnight black eyes resting on her.
“Nothing.” She tried to turn away, but felt her limbs uncooperative. She knew fighting against the invisible bonds, would amount to nothing. She wasn't all together happy with Tahlia using her superior mental power against her, but she was complete shattered that she had missed the chance to avenge Inger's pain.
Tahlia slowly walked closer, her body taut as her gaze swung between Paloma and the two Eternals.
“Jemima is waiting for you in the library,” she said curtly to the two warriors. “I am sorry but it is obvious now,” Tahlia's black eyes came to rest on motionless Paloma. “that you are not safe here. Once you have finished with Jemima, you will be escorted to a safer place.”
The two Eternals bowed low and taking a wide berth around Paloma, left the two ancients in the quiet hallway.
“What was that about, Paloma?” Tahlia's face was impassive as they studied her friend.
Paloma felt the numbness leave her body and she lowered her head, her chin coming to rest on her chest.
“I told Inger.” Paloma's eyes were almost white with rage as she looked at Tahlia. “She sent me away. She…she told me that she needed to think and that I was in the way.” The dark vampire just stood there looking at her and Paloma hissed in frustration. “She did not even want me to touch her.” Paloma's voice was hoarse with pain. “She pulled away from me.”
Tahlia took a quick step closer, her hand grabbing Paloma by the shoulder.
“She is in shock, Paloma. But one thing I am sure of is that she loves you and that you will get through this.” The black eyes turned flat as they bored into the silver ones. “However, I cannot allow you to hurt the Prime.”
Paloma's eyes widened in shock. “What are you saying? She is the cause of all our troubles? Just a few weeks ago we had to beg you to spare her live.”
“That was a few weeks ago. My feelings towards her have changed.”
Paloma buried her face in her hands. No matter what, she couldn't disobey a direct order from Tahlia. Tahlia was serious about her warning not to harm the Prime. Tahlia using her power against her and she did so tonight, was one way of her telling her to back off. She peeled her hands away from her face.
“Why are you protecting her, Tahlia?” The silver eyes shone bright with curiosity. “What am I missing?”
Tahlia's eyes darkened slightly. “She is my daughter's soulmate.”
Paloma's eyes narrowed in confusion as she stared at Tahlia.
“Your daughter?”
“Yes.” A faint smile formed on Tahlia's lips. “Earlier this evening when Leonara came in contact with Jemima, the baby started acting strange.”
An ash blond eyebrow rose. “How strange?”
“Really strange. The baby recognized the Prime and reached out to her. I saw it with my own eyes, Paloma. There is a very strong bond between the two.”
Paloma spun around on her heel, a deep growl rumbling through her chest. If she'd thought she was robbed of her chance to make the Eternal pay, she was convinced now that she would never be able to lift a hand towards the Eternal.
“You know what a matchmaker Inger is. She would never forgive you if you killed her sister's soulmate.” Tahlia's quiet voice said in her ear and Paloma jumped at the unexpected proximity of her friend.
“I know.” She pushed her hands through her hair and sighed. “I was on the way to training room. Are you in the mood to be hacked into tiny pieces?”
A sable brow lifted and the black eyes twinkled.
“Sure, why not.”
***************************
Jemima felt a soft flutter in her stomach and she quickly turned to face her guests. Since the Eternal had left earlier the evening, she had tried to make contact with the spirit of her baby, but the little imp remained silent. She smiled faintly when she found the Prime's eyes fixed on her abdomen. She wanted to laugh at the lovesick look on the harsh features of her Eternal.
“It's good to see you again. I hope you didn't have any problems getting back here?”
The tall blonde Eternal opened her mouth to say something, but the Prime, shook her head.
“No. We have been treated with the utmost respect by all.”
Jemima's blue eyes darkened; picking up on the slight tension in the Prime's words. She hoped Tahlia didn't go back on her word and intimidated the woman.
“Good. Please, come in and take a seat.” She waited until the women were seated. She walked over to the sofa opposite her guests. “I'm going to come right out and tell you. I believe that the lives of the babies might be in danger.”
The Prime's eyes narrowed; a dangerous look in them. “From whom?”
“I believe you are familiar with the Outlander history.” She continued after Leo's nod. “We have sent out a communiqué to all our branches worldwide. It seems that the rogue is still at large and is based here in the US .”
“Copernicus Bohm.” Leo's voice was flat as the name rolled off her lips.
“Yes. He is listed as one to the richest men in the world, but rarely makes any public appearances.”
Leo unexpected surged to her feet, making the other two women stiffen at the suddenness of the movement. Her eyes were transparent with rage.
“Where can I find him?”
Jemima quickly came to her feet and walked over to the agitated vampire. Her eyes were worried as they studied the woman.
“No, Leonara. You can't go off half-cocked now. Copernicus survived for this long because he is dangerous. Up to now we had no reason to pursue him because he was cunning enough to steer clear of us.”
“He is becoming a problem now and needs to be dealt with.” Leo snarled; her large body taut as her eyes focused on Jemima's abdomen again. Her eyes softened abruptly as she reached out a shaking hand towards Jemima tummy. “I will not let anything happen to her, Jemima. I have waited over 700 years for her. I will die first before I let Copernicus hurt her.”
Jemima took the large hand in hers, smiling as she thought how different it felt to touch another woman beside Tahlia. They both had large hands and the unmistakable aura of strength, but then they were both so different at the same time. Tahlia made her breath quicken with just a slight brush of her hand. Leo's touch was pleasant, but so impersonal to her. She brought the vampire's hand to her stomach and gasped when she felt infused by a strong feeling of love. Oh dear, please don't let Tahlia walk in here now. She knew her wife was not hotheaded at all, but she knew what Tahlia would see if she happened upon this scene right now.
With her eyes closed as she savored the intense emotion rushing through her and the almost orgasmic look on the Prime's face, Tahlia was sure to flip. She allowed Leo a few more seconds to connect with the baby, before she took a step back. They looked at each other, both still a bit dazed.
<Jemima?> Tahlia's voice softly echoed through her mind. Jemima inhaled deeply and took another step away from Leonara. The Prime must've sensed her discomfort, because she too backed away quickly.
“What are we going to do about Copernicus?” Leo's voice was flat, but Jemima still picked up on her frustration in the Eternal's voice.
“Let me talk to the others first. They will know what to do.”
Leo reluctantly nodded and walked over to where Nimiri sat. The blonde had been silent throughout the whole exchange.
“What do you think about this, Nimiri?”
The bodyguard smiled at Jemima. “I think Jemima is right. We are in Royal territory after all and cannot engage anyone here without their permission. Let us give Jemima a chance to talk to the others first and then we take it from there.”
Jemima gave Nimiri a warm smile. Her eyes casually studied the tall bodyguard and she was surprised to find the woman to be quite beautiful. She realized that she hadn't noticed the woman's appeal before was because she always stayed in the background. Her hair was a deep golden color, framing a strong chiseled face. But it was her pale green eyes which Jemima was staring into as she smiled.
<Should I be getting worried, my love?>
Jemima burst out laughing her, her sudden show of amusement taking the Eternals by surprise. They stared at her with raised brows.
“Sorry about that, ladies,” she said with a sheepish look on her face. “Shall I escort you to your chambers?”
Leo blinked before she looked at Nimiri. “Actually we've found a …”
“I have spoken to Paloma. You will be safe here.”
All three women turned to the door to find the tall dark vampire leaning against the doorframe.
“What does Paloma have to do with this, Tahlia?” Jemima asked quickly as she walked over to her wife, an overpowering need to make a physical connection with her. Especially after the strange connection she'd had with the Eternal earlier. She slipped her arm around Tahlia's waist.
“Let us first get them settled and them we can talk. Okay?”
Jemima nodded.
“Please follow me, ladies.”