BOOK FOUR in THE GUARDIAN SERIES

A Guardian's Salvation

By Stein Willard © 2010

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 Dan, thank you for making this book a smoother read. To my readers, thank you so much for sticking around, guys. You are a great group and I really enjoy our e-mail chats. Until next time…SW.

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

Teaser:

Alone, lonely and heartbroken, Clarissa was ready to put an end to her empty, endless existence. But as she was getting ready for the final crossover, a dark silhouette appeared on the horizon and for the first time in four hundred years she once again knew the loving touch of another.

Hiding away from herself and her failure to hold on to the woman she loved, Jessica Milroy, poured all her energy into her work. Convinced that she had squandered her only chance at true love, she wasn't ready to open her heart again. Not even when a beautiful, mysterious woman came knocking.

PART ONE

Chapter 1

The graveyard was overgrown with long stemmed grass and in the pitch-black darkness of the night; her feet found the now overgrown trail as she glided towards the left corner of the small family graveyard. There they were. She fell to her knees between the two graves and with a shaking hand brushed over the rough surface of the tombstone of one grave and then the other.

The blonde head bend slowly and two blood red tears rolled down and seeped into the soft soggy earth at the foot of the graves. They died a senseless death, fuelled by the misplaced greed of one they loved and raised themselves. The present peeled away and she was taken back to happier times.

<"There is always comfort to be had here, my child. The dead may not be seen and heard but they can hear you." The soft dark eyes had smiled at her then and the soft warm touch of the hand on her head had made her lean into the warm embrace of the woman.

"Will Grandmother hear me when I tell her about the new doll that Mable made for me? I asked her to make one that looks just like you."

The hand on her head shifted to her chin and lifted it so she could look into the warm brown eyes.

"You, my angel, are even prettier than the doll and when you grow older you'll look as beautiful as the Queen herself; if not prettier."

It was a beautiful summer day and the sunbeams were playing hide and seek amongst the tall trees, making the day unforgettable to the 7 year old.>

The present intruded rudely and coming to her feet in a fluid movement, she sniffed the air. Someone was coming. A human. She quickly stepped deeper into the shadowed corner of the graveyard. What was a human doing walking around late at night?

The rusty gate creaked and footsteps came closer and then came to a halt. She'd just fed on a deer earlier but the scent of warm human blood was near impossible to resist. A few sips would not be missed. Using the shadows as cover she began to stalk the human. She was a few feet away from her prey when a loud beeping sound pierced the quiet of the night. The sound was so unexpected that she quickly dashed for cover again. The human reached into the heavy coat.

"Yes." The voice was soft and husky. "I have already identified a few spots that I think would be ideal for the shoot. I'm exploring one now but I can't make up my mind whether this spot would work during the day." There was a short silence. "OK, I'm on my way back to the castle. We can talk once I'm there."

The moon shifted from behind a heavy cloud and she silently studied the profile of the human. He was quite tall with short black hair and a strong chiseled face. The human turned slowly and walked away but at the gate he turned back and looked straight at the spot where she stood.

Her blood lust was raging as she looked back at the man and she inhaled deeply. With his scent in her nostrils it would be easy to follow him as he walked the distance back to the Keep.

The human must've sensed her presence because he increased his walk to a brisk pace as she shadowed him. The path back was lined with giant trees which provided adequate cover for her to follow him undetected. The man came to an abrupt halt and turned to look behind him.

Very intuitive for a human; least of all a man, she thought as she watched him from behind the thick trunk of a tree. The man pulled his jacket closer around his body and continued to walk faster still.

They were a few yards from the towering castle and she decided to launch her attack. She glided forward quickly and was just about to grab the man from behind when a sharp light flickered on, bathing the area in light. Cursing underneath her breath, she mumbled a cloaking spell and stood there silently, frozen. The human reached under his jacket, pulled out a cellphone and pressed in a number.

"Howard, what's with the blinding beam? Are you guys planning on hunting rabbits later?"

She couldn't help smiling at the human's sense of humor. The light was really exaggerated.

The human chuckled softly, a husky sound that made her loins tighten. She hadn't been with anyone in a very long time and the huskiness in the man's voice reminded her so much of …Just thinking about her caused a dull ache in her chest.

The human turned sharply and looked right at her and even though she knew she was invisible to the human eye, she held her breath. Being so close to the human she could make out its features and she was stunned by the gentle beauty that the man possessed. Her eyes narrowed. Was it even a man? With the light behind the human it was difficult to make out the exact sex of the person and she leant forward and inhaled deeply.

She almost stumbled backwards at her discovery. Her 'companion' was actually a woman. A very attractive one, for that matter. No wonder she'd felt a slight attraction to the human. She smelt wonderful, a mixture of jasmine and her unique feminine scent.

"Are you still there Howard?" The woman spoke into her cellphone. "Yes, I think you're right. There's a definite weirdness about this place. I feel as if I'm being watched. I'll see you soon."

She hung up and pushed the phone back into her pocket and with another look behind her she walked the last few yards until she was at the door. With a final look over her shoulder, she opened the door and stepped through.

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

Closing the door behind her, Jessica felt the air explode out of her lungs. What a weird experience. Had her visit to the graveyard awaken the spirit of someone or was she just being followed by paparazzo? Having them pitch up at photo shoots was not surprising anymore. Photo shoots meant the presence of high profile models and sometimes celebrities. And where the stars went, the hounds followed. But then there were no flashlights or anything and whoever or whatever had been following her had been very close. Close enough for her to sense an alien feeling of sadness a few minutes ago.

Hurried footsteps came down the large hallway and she quickly pulled herself together, not wanting Howard to see how spooked she really was. Howard Moore, a young sandy-haired man with laughing blue eyes came to stand in front of her.Tonight however his eyes were not smiling.

"Please don't ever just take off in the middle of the night again. I've read up on this place before we came here. What I found out made the hair on the back of my neck rise."

Tell me about it, she thought and pushed away from the door. No need to rattle Howard any more than he already was.

"Let's go grab some dinner and then you tell me everything you know about the place. Afterwards we can inspect the set and make sure it's ready for tomorrow."

Howard followed her as they went in search of the dining room. After a minute of walking up and down the corridor and peeping into rooms, Jessica pulled out her phone.

"Maybe Grant will know where the dinning room is. I never want to live in such a big place. I can see myself walking around in my own home with a map… Grant, where's the dining room? Uhuh…Second door on our right and through another door on our left…Got it." She turned to Howard. "We'll have to use whatever energy we have left sparingly just in case we get lost again."

A few minutes later they were sitting around the huge gleaming table, feasting on cottage pie, and a superb red wine. Looking down the long table she shook her head again. This table couldeasily sit 50 people.

The housekeeper Miss Darcy had said that most of the furniture in the castle datedback more than six hundred years, the long table included. She loved intimate spaces, which translates as something smaller and homey. When the agency told her that she was flying to England for a shoot, she was under the impression that they would be staying in London and do the shoot at a studio or something. Haunted castles never crossed her mind but here she was in an 800 year old castle in the middle of the English countryside. And she will be here for another three days before flying back to New York. She turned to Howard and took a sip from her wine.

"Tell me about the place?"

Howard hastily swallowed a mouthful of cottage pie.

"Well it's said that about four hundred years ago, when the castle was still known as Cleaver Keep, the old Marquis, his wife and a nursemaid were found slaughtered in their study. What was strange about the murders were that the corpses seemed to have been drained of blood, making people suspect witchcraft. Just a day later the bodies of two more men were found also drained with two little pinpricks in their necks. The village was abuzz with rumours of vampires and bloodsucking ghouls. Some suspected the Marquis' children, who both disappeared that night never to be seen again. A servant girl apparently also went missing that same night and everyone feared the same fate had befallen her."

Jessica pulled a face and took another sip from her wine glass.

"Where does the haunting part come in?"

Howard looked around him and leant closer.

"Miss Darcy says that of late some of the staff swore they'd seen someone walking down the corridors at night. Some said they'd seen a woman sitting in the study and others again have spotted a figure walking around in the graveyard." Howard forked a spoonful of pie into his mouth.

No wonder the place freaked her out. "What is the link between the ghostly figure and Marquis' family?"

"Apparently the ghost is always seen standing at the graves of the Marquis and his wife."

Jessica nodded slowly. "Interesting. Enough about ghosts now. Did the models arrive? Morgana and Sadé were supposed to accompany them from the airport."

Howard nodded and Jessica smiled at the look in his eye. Howard was still very young and easily distracted by the long-legged beauties that they had to work with.

"Yes. They arrived about an hour ago while you were out patrolling the grounds." He took a sip from his wine and leaned closer. "There is one girl in particular that I think you will like."

Jessica sat back in her chair and swirl the wine in her glass as she studied Howard intently. She had a reputation for seducing models on assignments, a fact that has been greatly overexagerated over the years. She had slept with a few a couple of times in the past and that had eventually led to the break-up of her relationship with her long-time girlfriend. She absently rubbed the spot where her heart is supposed to be. She still missed her so much.

"This girl is exotic-looking with big brown eyes and a killer smile. You were the first person she was asking about when she got here."

That got her attention and she leant closer. She was single after all and having a no-strings-attached fling could maybe liven up her stay here in this dreary place.

"Tell me more," she said with a soft chuckle.

Howard gave her a sly smile.

"Well, everyone on the set thinks she's extremely hot. Even Grant couldn't keep his eyes off her, but she snubbed them all by asking loudly for you."

She drained her glass and poured another. After her break-up with Gabriella, she stopped having flings and had kept to herself for the past eleven months. It wasn't easy at first to control her rowing eye, but after a while she started to limit the time she'd spent with the models.

She took the photos and once she was done for the day, she'd rush to her room or wherever else to put distance between them. She also refrained from hanging out with the girls after hours, instead opting for Howard's company. That's when he wasn't skulking around the girls hoping to get lucky. Which he did quite often now. Maybe she should try and see if she still had what it takes to make a woman swoon.

"Will you send her to my room tonight when you bump into her again?" she asked calmly, her eyes resting on the intricate pattern of the table cloth beneath her hand.

"Come again?" Howard asked incredulously and Jessica lifted her grey eyes to look at him.

"You heard me the first time," she snapped at him and Howard held up his hands.

"OK. I'll send her to your room."

"Good. Now finish up so that we can inspect the set."

________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 2

With her presence cloaked, Clarissa was leaning against the table, calmly listening to every word that was said between the woman and the man. Before she'd followed the woman inside, she'd stood outside trying to figure out her sudden attraction to the strange woman. She will never feel for anyone what she'd felt for Trinity, but this woman had a strange magnetism that drew herselfto her. She had beautiful eyes too and Clarissa had to curb the urge to push her fingers through the short hair. The boy's cut suited her well, making her look tough and dangerously attractive. It completed the biker chick look of tight white t-shirt and heavy leather jacket.

She had studied the woman closely as she ate. Her lips were beautiful and made for kissing. Clarissa was surprised to find that she was content just looking at the woman as she ate and talked with the young man. The only time she stepped away from them was when the young men started to tell her about the murder of her parents. She had made a mental note to be more careful in future.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts and misery that she wasn't aware that her presence had been detected by the staff and the villagers. She had arrived back here about three months ago after she'd traveled extensively. She'd been almost everywhere. Visiting all the places she'd read about in the books that were at her disposal in the prison-like suite of rooms that Mary had built for her. Then she'd returned here. To the place where everything started and ended for her, Cleaver Keep. It was here, she decided, where she wanted to end it all. The castle was still in their family name. Tristan had employed a family to look after the place and had placed a massive amount of money in a fund for the upkeep of the place.

Before she ends it all, she needed to make sure that everything was neatly wrapped up. The castle will be sold and the proceeds divided between a charity and the Darcy family. But she was still having trouble letting go of her family home for now. There were still so many memories here that she wanted to relive before she severed it all.

The woman's soft chuckle interrupted her reverie and she turned to look at her again. She frowned when she heard what they were talking about and a sudden anxious feeling came over her. She dissolved and streaked up the stairs to the second storey and down the corridor. With the woman's scent in her nostrils, it was easy to locate her room. She stood in the room and looked around. Her breathing stilled as she scanned every corner of the room.

It was her old bedroom. All those centuries ago, she'd chosen this room because it overlooked the stables and she loved horses. She glided over to the window and smiled.

The photo set was erected in front of the stables and from here she could see the tall frame of the woman as she walked around the set, looking at the lights, switching them on and off. The young man she calls Howard was following her every move making notes in a booklet. As she looked on, the dark woman gestured to a light and two men came forward. Together they switched the light on and off and on again as they shifted its position. The woman nodded and stood back. Clarissa marveled at the tranquil picture she made standing there, hands in the pockets of her heavy coat and her long legs slightly apart as she studied the set. Then she raised a hand and long fingers pushed through the dark strands, ruffling them a little.

The breath slowly hissed out of her lungs. What is it about this woman that drew herselfto her like this, she wondered and stepped away from the window to go and sit on the bed. What was happening to her? For four centuries she'd been celibate, vowing to avenge Trinity's death and then greet the dawn. But destiny, it seems, had other plans.

Instead she found Trinity to be alive and living happily with her human mate, Tristan was dead and now she was fantasizing over a woman she'd only met an hour ago. She threw herself back on the bed and closed her eyes. There were no two ways about the situation she found herself in. She wanted the woman and will have to make it happen, otherwise she was sure to wallow in purgatory unfulfilled, alongside Tristan.

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

Satisfied with the positioning of the lights, Jessica turned to Howard who was taking notes on alternative lighting positions in case their current setup failed come dawn.

"I think I'm going to call it a night Howard. It's only..." She glanced at her watch. "…nine. Go meet the girls and chat a while, but remember that I want you bright and bushytailed on set tomorrow at 4.am."

Howard nodded and turned to leave.

"Should I really send the girl to you Jess? You haven't shown an interest in anyone for the past year." Howard looked as uncertain as he sounded and Jessica smiled.

"No. Maybe some other night. Tonight I just want to take a bath, read and sleep."

After a quick 'goodnight' she made her way to her room. She pushed open the door and locked it behind her. She took on this habit after she'd been approached many times before by skimpy-clad models hoping for a night of passion as well as a jumpstart to their careers. She turned away from the door and gasped.

A tall, dark silhouette was visible at the window.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped, more out of shock than anything else and flicked on the light switch.

The person turned and Jessica gaped at the woman. She had long dark blonde hair and deep chocolate brown eyes set in a fine oval shaped face. She was dressed in black. Black jeans, a black turtle neck, a long black leather jacket and black leather boots. When her eyes traveled back to the woman's face, she found an amused smile curving the full lips upward. The brown eyes were staring intently into hers and Jessica felt her breathing accelerate slightly.

"You know why I'm here."

Her voice was soft but firm and Jessica studied her more closely. The woman didn't strike her as a model. She was gorgeous enough and then more, but there was more to her. Shrugging out of her jacket, she threw it on the bed. There was a faint look of disdain in her eyes when she looked back at the woman.

"I get it. You must be an agent of one of the girls and you're here to strike a deal with me." The dove grey eyes hardened. "You must be desperate if you plan to sell your body as part of the deal."

The brown eyes just stared back at her blankly. There was no anger or shame reflected in them. Instead she took a few steps closer until she was standing in front of her. Very close; too close.

"You are wrong, Angel eyes. I am here because I wondered what it would feel like if I did this."

The stranger's hand curled around her neck and her face came closer and closer still. Jessica sighed when she felt the feather light brush of lips upon hers. The touch was incredibly slight but to Jessica it felt as if someone had brained her with a spanner. She didn't know when she'd closed her eyes but when they fluttered open again, it was to find the chocolate eyes staring straight into hers with an unfathomable look in them.Then she smiled faintly.

"Maybe we should try a few more kisses and then you can decide if you want me to leave." The brown eyes gleamed at the challenge. "But I want you to be comfortable." She stepped back and walked over to the fireplace where she fidgeted with a firelighter and bright yellow-orange flames sprang to life.

She turned and with the fire behind her, Jessica was stunned by the sudden ethereal look of the woman. The flames made her hair glow as if strings of golden threat had been woven into them and her eyes were darker and mysterious. Jessica swallowed hard as the woman walked over to where she stood, took her hand and led her to the bed.

Standing in front of the bed, the blonde reached up and began to unbutton Jessica's shirt, all the while staring into her eyes intensely. The thought suddenly crossed her mind that no matter how enigmatic and seductive the woman was, she was still doing this as a means to an end. And for no apparent reason it hurt her knowing that she was only being used.

"Your client must be very important to you if you're willing to go to such lengths for her." Her voice sounded bitter and Jessica was surprised to see the look of surprise in the brown depths. But the blondecontinued unbuttoning the shirt with relentless determination.

"You sound angry? Haven't you done this before?" There was genuine surprise in the soft voice.

"Sleeping with someone to further my career? No, can't say I have," she replied. The shirt came undone and the woman pushed it from her shoulders. The brown eyes dipped and Jessica knew that they were staring at her breasts. She could feel the intense scrutiny. Her nipples hardened almost immediately.

"What if I tell you that I'm not here because I want to further my career?" The woman's voice was husky now, replacing the soft, silky tone she was getting used to.

"I will say that it will be difficult to believe you. A woman like you can have anyone you want. You, standing here in my room with a photo shoot about to take place, show that you're desperate." The woman placed the palms of her hands on her breasts, through her bra and with slow circular movements massaged them. The brown eyes looked back up into hers. This time they were serious.

"When you refer to me as 'a woman like you', what does it mean?"

Jessica tried to laugh, but the sound that came out was more like a gasp since the woman had stopped her ministrations she'd been doing to her breasts and was now leaning against her as she reached behind her back to unclasp her bra. When her breasts were free and hard coral pink nipples brushed against the stranger's soft clothing, the woman stood back and stared at her breasts. She gently cupped one in her hand and bent her head down and took one nipple into her hot mouth. Jessica felt her knees buckle at the sight of the woman's sinfully sexy lips clasping over her nipple, but with surprising strength the woman held her up as her tongue swirled around the nipple, biting it gently and sucking it in and out between her lips.

"Answer me"

Jessica sucked in her breath and exhaled quickly.

"You are very beautiful," came her rushed reply.

"And you think you aren't?" Jessica felt her body heating up at the incredulous note in the woman's voice. She reached out a shaky hand and touched the woman's hair. It was soft and light. She pressed deeper and touched her scalp, rubbing her fingers on it. Maybe it was her imagination but she could swear she heard a soft purr resonating in the room, sure that it hadn't come from her.

"I abhor vanity but I must say that some people do find me attractive." She felt the hot mouth suckling her again. "People like you, perhaps."

The blond head lifted and the brown eyes stared straight into hers. The look in the brown eyes was filled with desire. Desire for her, Jessica thought warmly and she impulsively leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on the woman's lips. The brown eyes melted even further and Jessica felt how she was pushed backwards until she was lying on the bed. Six feet of blonde sexiness crawled over her and took her mouth in a deep, lingering kiss that made her insides turned to mush.

"You are the most alluring woman I have met in very long time," the woman said after a while and sat up, straddling her. "When I saw you tonight, I knew that I wanted to make love to you."

Jessica looked up with a frown. The puzzling pain was back.

"Then you did came with the models?" Jessica asked slowly, praying that she'd say 'no'. Because she wanted so desperately to believe that she was interested in her and only her.

"No, I'm a historian-slash-archeologist and have beenrenting a small cabin in the woods for the past few months." The brown eyes flashed at her. "Can we please stop talking now and get to the part that we both want to explore more?"

Jessica nodded; relief and lust mixing in her blood and making her hot and ready for this woman. She wasn't an agent. Her relief hissed through her teeth, not aware that she'd been holding her breath when she'd asked the question. Her hands pushed under the black sweater the woman was wearing and she lifted it over the blonde head.

For the next few minutes they undressed each other in silence, christening each newly expose of flesh with small kisses and touches. Both naked, they finally crept underneath the thick warm duvet.

Jessica was dizzy with the knowledge that the woman was here, in her bed…in her arms…because she wanted her. Brazenly she pulled the tall body closer to her, over her and clasped her hands over the buttocks of the woman to pull her closer until their twitching mounds touched.

The brown eyes smiled down into hers and Jessica reached out and kissed her. She poured eleven months of lust and desire into the kiss, trusting the beautiful stranger to sate her hunger. When they broke for air Jessica grinned when the woman shook her head slightly, her eyes dazed, before she hid her flushed face in her sweaty neck.

She was puzzled when the woman unexpectedly stiffened in her arms.

To be continued

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