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.
Feedback: Constructive criticism is greatly
appreciated, so feel free to drop a line or two at
steinwillard80@gmail.com .
PART 13
Chapter 21
Tahlia was grinning at the shocked look on her wife's
face.
"It's not true."
"Well,find out for yourself."
Jemima immediately sent out her senses and gasped. Oh,
my…Who was this woman? She turned wide eyes on her grinning
wife.
"You're right. She must love our Clarissa very
much."
"I'm sure she does. It took Gabriella quite a while to get
usedto the idea of sleeping underground…even with Trinity
nearby."
Jemima smiled tenderly as she walked over to the bed and
stretched out next to Tahlia. She purred when the Vampire Queen
drew closer, spooning her body.
"Clarissa deserves all the happiness she can
get."
"I agree," Tahlia murmured softly, her lips nuzzling Jemima's
neck. "You haven't fed tonight, my dear. You will have to do so
now, otherwise you will keep me awake worrying about
you."
With a soft seductive laugh, Jemima turned in her wife's strong
arms and looked into the warm black eyes. She felt her heart
stutter at the look of utter love and placed a tender kiss on the
soft lips.
"My baby…Have I told you lately that I love you?" She
blinked when Tahlia suddenly burst out laughing. It was a rare
sight, even for her, to see Tahlia guffawing and secondly, she
wondered what she said that was so funny.
"Baby…?"
Tahlia sobered up and placed a soft peck on her
nose.
"You've been listening to Rod Steward with Inger again, haven't
you?" she enquired teasingly, rolling a long blond strand around
her finger.
"It's a beautiful song, baby, and it always makes me think of
you." Jemima saw Tahlia's eyes melt at her soft declaration and
grinned at the enchanted look that came into the black eyes as she
stared at her. After 70 years together, she was still falling in
love with Tahlia everyday.
"Every time you look at me, your eyes tell me how much you love
me. So yes, you do tell me often how much you love
me."
"Come here, you big softy." She grabbed the dark head and held
it against her beating heart.
******************************************
The flickering of the flames highlighted the hard angular planes
of the woman's face as she sat there, staring straight ahead of
her. The knuckles on her hand were showing white where it was
curled around the goblet of wine. Except for the slight rise and
fall of her breathing, anyone looking at her would wonder if she
was even alive. They would be right on both counts. She was a
vampire first of all and secondly, the news she'd just heard had
thrown her into such a state of shock that she might just as well
have died.
"You have been sitting like that for over an hour now. Please
say something."
A wizened man in white robes stepped closer and placed his hand
on the broad shoulder of the woman, his sharp eyes showing their
concern. But still the woman didn't respond. He walked over to
stand in front of her to break the hypnotic power of the flames.
There was a tiny flicker in the ice blue eyes, before they blinked
rapidly.
"Please, Molan, tell me that you haven't said what you've just
said to me." The words came out in a croak, the beautiful strong
face showing raw despair.
"I wish it wasn't so, but it is, warrior."
A trembling hand lifted to rub over watery eyes.
"Dear heavens, Molan, do you know what this
means?"
The Druid priest nodded as she shuffled over to his cluttered
table, where a thick book lay open. His eyes scanned the ancient
passage again, before he looked up into the expectant eyes of the
female warrior.
"I'm afraid nothing has changed in the text since the last time
that I've read it to you."
The ice-blue eyes narrowed and a large hand pushed through short
sable locks.
"So there is no other way of fulfilling the prophecy without me
getting myself killed?"
The priest slowly shook his head.
"No, I'm afraid not."
"Then why the hell should I do this? This is a suicide mission
and I don't even know exactly what role I would play in this. No,
no…wait…I'm the idiot who's going to sacrifice her life
trying to merge two races." She hurled the goblet across the room
and surged to her feet. "I haven't survived 700 years just to have
my head chopped off because of the feverish rumblings of a dying
priest."
The Druid shook his head ruefully. "The prophecy is very old.
Even Lecrac knew about it. Why else do you think he keptyou
alive?"
"I think it's obvious, Molan. I'm to be slaughtered by his
Queen, that's why."
The Druid carefully approached the agitated woman, his approach
frontal and fully intentional. She was big and very strong and he
didn't want to startle her into a fit of violence. He could see
that she was holding on to her sanity as best asshe could at the
moment. He really wasn't in the mood of being flung across the
room.
"Let me show you something. The mission will be extremely
dangerous, but I don't think you will die in the
process."
The ice-blue eyes lit up at this.
"I'm listening."
"I cannot tell you, but I can show you."
He quickly made way for her big hulking frame next to his desk.
With a murmured passage from the same book, he held his hand out.
There was a gentle burst of light before the rays each multiply
until there were so many that it gave off a blinding light.
The warrior turned her head away from the blaze of light but the
priest nudged her gently.
"Look, warrior."
The ice-blue eyes grew wider and wider the longer she watched
the scene unfold before her very eyes. Was it really possible? It
has been so long. She was left with a gentle feeling of warmth in
her heart when the rays withered and disappeared.
With new resolve she turned back to the priest.
"When should this be done?"
"According to the passage, the deed should concur with the
dethroning of an evil master. The end of her reign will herald the
beginning of a period of healing for the Race. Two races shall
blend, both of noble purpose. " Molan slammed the book shut with a
loud thunk and looked up at the warrior. "I believe it will all
happen the day after tomorrow."
The warrior felt a sudden weakness wash over her and she threw
her huge body into a nearby chair.
"In two days' time!"
"Yes, because the evil princess referred to in this passage
bears an uncanny resemblance to Mary Huntington. My sources
anticipate a full out attack by the Royal Clan in two
days."
The dark warrior nodded.
"Then it shall be done. Just make sure you do your part." On
silent footsteps the warrior left the chamber, leaving the Druid
priest staring at the book in his hands.
With a soft sigh, he flipped it open again and read the passage
again. With a slight feeling of guilt his finger traced the last
part of the passage, the one piece of information he had withheld
from the warrior.
Torn asunder to the four winds, is the fate of the one who
attempts this perilous feat. Only the one truly deemed worthy by
the prophecy will not succumb to the rage of the Dark
One.
If he was wrong about her, he was leading the warrior to her
death. If she wasn't the true one the prophecy calls for, he was
sacrificing a true and just leader to death. Leaving her people
leaderless, isolated and at the mercy of those she had vigilantly
protected them against.
He reached for his crystal ball.
"Old friend, I need your assurance that I am not
wrong."
**************************************
The sun was high in the sky when Jessica fought her way back to
consciousness. She languidly stretched her long frame, rolling onto
her back in the process. Her eyes flew open when she bumped into
another body and her head snapped to the side.
"Oh my…" She jumped off the bed and stared at the stiff
form lying on the bed. Dear heavens, that…She looked…
Her shocked eyes travelled over the rigid form of Clarissa, the
pale, almost translucent skin tone and sunken eye sockets. She
slowly crept closer; wanting to have a better look, wanting to make
sure her heart was still beating. With her eyes fixed on Clarissa's
chest, she waited for a sign of life. After two minutes and no
heartbeat, she scurried away to stand at the door. She'd been
sleeping next to a corpse. A shudder went through her body at the
realization. She turned to the door, getting ready to make her
escape when she felt a soft presence in her mind.
<I know you are scared right now, beloved, but I beg you
not to go outside without any protection.>
Clarissa! She felt relief flood her body at the knowledge that
her lover was indeed alive.
Jessica noticed that Clarissa sounded tired which was
understandable considering the time of day. The heart rendering sad
note in her voice however Jessica knew was a result of her reaction
to waking up next to a corpse.
<Please, promise me, Jess.> Clarissa's voice was
gentle as she pleaded with her.
Jessica lowered her head in shame. She was ashamed for the way
she had reacted when she'd woken up next to
Clarissa.
<I promise.>
Clarissa must have sensed her dejected mood, for she slowly sat
up, making Jessica jump in shock. The brown eyes were deep-set, but
they still burnt with a fiery intensity as they looked at
her.
"Come to me, my heart. Let me hold you."
Without any hesitation, she crossed over to the bed and slipped
into Clarissa's arms. The minute she felt the vampire's familiar
touch, she sighed and snuggled deep into her strong
arms.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, my love. You are braver than any
other person I know. I doubt I would have been able to process half
the things you have heard and lived through since yesterday."
Clarissa gently brushed her lips over her hair. "I love you very
much and I am very proud of you."
Jessica just lay there listening quietly to the soft husky voice
of her lover. How she wished the sun would set already so that she
could spend more time with Clarissa. She lifted her head and saw
that Clarissa was even paler than before. It must be because she
was using all her strength to stay awake at this hour of the day.
She placed a soft kiss on the dry lips and watched the brown eyes
flutter open again.
"I love you too, Clarissa, very much." She gave her another
kiss, this time it lasted longer and was deeper than the first one.
"Sweet dreams, my love. I will be here when you wake
up."
Jessica almost burst out in tears when she saw a lone red tear
run down Clarissa's cheek and disappear into her
neck.
"I am so happy…" Her voice faded and Jessica knew she had
fallen asleep when she felt no heartbeat anymore. She gently
stroked the pale cheek, before she once again snuggled deeper into
Clarissa's arms and closed her eyes.
She was safe here. This was home.
************************************
Paloma swung her feet off the bed, very much alert for someone
who'd just woken up from a twelve hour long sleep. Naked, she
padded over to the chair where Inger was sitting deeply involved in
a thick Law book. Paloma bend over and placed a soft kiss on the
dark hair.
Inger turned in the chair and allowed her eyes to travel
leisurely over her wife's nakedness. She slowly licked her lips and
grinned.
"Hi, honey. You look delicious."
Paloma smiled warmly as she pulled Inger out of the chair and
into a deep, lingering kiss.
"You, on the other, hand taste delicious."
They kissed a few more times before Paloma gently cupped Inger's
cheek and stepped back.
"I have to get ready. I'm sure the others are waiting for
me."
Inger took her reading glasses off and placed them carefully
next to the Law volume. Her blue eyes were worried as they look at
Paloma where she was dressing quickly. Her heart clenched when
Paloma reached for the leather breastplate and sword. Tonight could
be an all out war between the Renegades and the Royals. It would be
bloody and dangerous and her wife was going to be in the middle of
it all.
"Paloma."
The Assassin turned to face her and quickly came over to her
when she saw the haunted expression in blue eyes.
"I will not put myself in unnecessary danger, my love. I promise
you. Come dawn I will be curled up in your arms, sleeping like a
baby."
Inger swallowed hard but nodded anyway.
"If anything happens to you and you don't come back to me, I
will search for you myself and you will regret it when I find you."
The threat came in a hoarse voice, thickened by unshed
tears.
Paloma pulled Inger into a crushing hug.
"I fear you more than I do any other being on this planet,
sweetie. I will come back to you. You just promise me that you will
be there to hold me before I fall asleep."
"I promise."
They shared a tender kiss before Inger pushed out of the
embrace.
"Let's go meet the others."