BOOK ONE of the GAURDIAN SERIES
June 2008
TEASER
For 2 000 years Tahlia had lived on the fringes of humanity as one of the most powerful and feared Royal Vampires in existence. The only ray of light in her endless brutal existence is the reincarnation of her human lover, Aurora. For the past 20 centuries the blue-eyed beauty's love added a gentle touch to the otherwise deadly veneer of the Vampire Queen. As protector and lover, she passionately loved her mortal partner and jealously guarded her existence.
But it all changed when her lover's birth coincides with the resurfacing of a cunning and elusive enemy set out to upset the Vampire hierarchy. This though the time the target is not Tahlia...directly, but it does threaten the Vampire Queen's existence.
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 since one of the main characters is really ticked off at the bad guys.
Feedback: This is my first try and not being a native English speaker, it's so much more challenging. Constructive criticism if greatly appreciated, so feel free to drop a line or two at steinwillard80@gmail.com.
PART ONE
Chapter 1
Transylvania 32 B.C
The place made her skin crawl. An aura of danger clung to it. When they were coming up towards the castle, she had felt a shiver run down her spine when she'd gazed upon the tall moss-covered walls. That was when she felt the dangerous aura of the place. Dangerous but not necessarily evil. But a feeling of danger was still a good enough reason to be scared of the unknown. A movement to her right made her jump.
“I'm scared, Tahlia.”
Tahlia nodded and turned to look at her best friend. Paloma's eyes looked overly large in her pale. They've done everything together since they were nine and ten respectively. Paloma Soleil and her parents moved to Rome from a tiny village nearby so that her father could enlist in the Roman army. Not long afterwards, he was killed on the battlefield, leaving the grieving widow and her daughter fending for themselves on the harsh streets of Rome — which were overrun with pickpockets and drunken soldiers pouncing on vulnerable girls and women. Tahlia's mother took the pair in.
A single parent herself, Grinolde Oliveira was a breathtakingly beautiful woman, who was naïve enough to believe in the sweet lying tongue of a traveling Portuguese nobleman.
Once he had her in his bed and got her with child, he never looked back again. Life was tough, but at least they were four now. Together with Verandah Soleil, the two women had managed to make ends meet and kept their daughters from the roving eyes and groping hands of drunken soldiers. But even then it was more of an uphill battle than anything else.
Then one day their parents heard about this unbelievably rich man who were recruiting fit and healthy young woman and men to serve as scholars under him. In return he would make sure that each and every parent who was enlisted a child, was generously compensated with a patch a land and more money that they could spend in one lifetime. Both Grinolde and Verandah thought it was a great way of saving their daughters from the hardships of a life they endured and that they were sure to inherit one day.
They had traveled for almost month. Staying on the road and avoiding the dense forests for fear of being overpowered by bands of outlaws. It was with a great sense of relief that they'd reached Transylvania . They had asked around for directions at a small village and upon uttering the name of the man they were looking for, Tahlia had seen a number of the villagers making quick crosses in their direction, before pointing them into the direction of a dark over-looking mountain range.
It took them the rest of the day to reach their destination and arrived at a gigantic dark, looming castle built within a crevice in the mountain. It was already past midnight, but the place seemed alive. It felt as if the castle was alive. As if it had eyes that followed them every step of the way until they reached the heavy double doors. A haughtily thin man ushered them inside even before they had knocked on the door. Inside, the castle was warm and well-lit, the candles bouncing off the walls, which were adorned with paintings and thick expensive looking tapestries. The floors were decked in thick carpets that cushioned their steps. The place was beautiful, but she still couldn't shake the feeling of impending danger.
She groped for Paloma's hand. They'd always had each other. In happiness and sadness Tahlia had shared every minute with Paloma. After ten years of having been raised like sisters, their bond was unbreakable. She felt Paloma's hand tighten around hers and they quickly looked at each other. Paloma's silver eyes were almost transparent with fear and Tahlia knew her black eyes reflected the same fear. The thin butler pushed open a door and the four women gasped. In the middle of the room was a long table decked with food. Pastries, golden brown stuffed duck, boiled eggs, cheese, grapes, wine, and a variety of cold meats.
“The master will be with you soon. In the meantime he humbly request that you share in the dinner he'd set out for you.”
Slowly they made their way to the table. For the past month that they were on the road, their daily diet existed of moldy bread and cheese — not very appetizing but it helped to keep the hunger pangs at bay. Confronted with this bouquet before them, they were momentarily shocked, but once the hunger pangs kicked in, they ate quickly, as if they feared that the feast would evaporate into thin air. Grinolde and Verandah made sure that they also stashed a few tasty morsels in their travel packs for later. It was a long journey back to Rome and they had to set off again immediately after the girls had been examined by the nobleman.
“This is the kind of life you will be leading. Imagine the beautiful frocks you will be wearing and the nice warm rooms you will be sleeping in.” Grinolde was smiling as she was trying to reassure the girls, but Tahlia knew her mother well and she knew that Grinolde was trying very hard not to grab her daughter and run back to where they'd come from.
When her father disappeared, a pregnant Grinolde had taken on the name of the man who had enticed her with his lies and deserted her with a baby on the way. Having taken his name had helped with the lies she had to come up with to appease her family and neighbors back in the village. She'd told them that she had married a Portuguese mercenary soldier, but that he was killed in battle. Her parents accepted the lie, but once the baby was born she moved back to Rome and tried to find a way to support the two of them. They had been through a lot together and their love for each other was unrivaled.
Now Grinolde was standing on the brink of losing her only child. It was only two things that made her sacrifice worthwhile was the fact that her child will have ample food and not go to bed hungry that she will be taught how to read and write. As opposed to the short life she would've lived as a peasant, selling bread and cheese on street corners, getting married for protection, bear a ghastly number of children one after the other and eventually dying young.
It has been her, Tahlia's, suggestion that they go through with this, because she knew her mother would never have made the decision herself, even though she needed the money.
“Everything will be fine, mother. Paloma and I will look out for each other,” she whispered to her mother.
“Of course you will be fine, young lady.” a deep voice said from the door. They hadn't even heard the door opening. Walking towards them was a tall, well-built man. He was dressed impeccably and his long blond hair was held back in a ponytail. He came to stand in front of them and bowed deeply for the two older women.
“It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Valentyn Ordeleus Lecrac. I hope the food had been to your liking.”
He was very handsome, albeit a bit pale, but his blue eyes were sad as they moved over them.
Bobbing quickly, the two women acknowledged his presence.
“Thank you very much for your hospitality, milord. I am Grinolde Oliveira and this is my dear friend Verandah. We have brought our daughters to you for consideration.” Grinolde pointed to the two girls. “As you can see, mi lord, they are healthy, beautiful and very clever.”
The man smiled and walked around them looking them up and down. The man's inspection lasted only a few seconds, but Tahlia couldn't help but feel as if she was being stalked by some kind of predator. A wolf, perhaps. Lecrac's blond head snapped up and he looked straight into her eyes and smiled. There was amusement and admiration in his blue eyes. The moment lasted but a few seconds, before he turned to look at the two older women.
“Yes; your daughters are perfect.”
“I mean no disrespect, milord, but will our children be safe with you?” Verandah's green eyes were moist with emotion and when Tahlia looked back at Lecrac, she was shocked to see the tender look that came over his handsome face.
“I assure you that they will want for nothing, madam. I will look after them as if they were my own. I will raise them with love and respect.”
Nodding, Verandah walked over to her daughter and hugged her tightly. They had their assurance and now they needed to leave, before they changed their minds and the long perilous journey was all in vain.
“If you can one day, my child, come by so I can just look upon your beautiful face one final time.” Then she moved over to Tahlia and kissed her gently on the cheeks. “You are the other daughter I've never had. I love you like you are my own and I pray that one day I too will have to chance to see you again.”
The doors swung open and the thin man was back, this time there were two other men with him carrying two small money chests.
“This is a sign of my gratitude. This two men are my loyal servants and they will travel with you to ensure that you arrive safely back home. They will also help you acquire a patch of land, cultivate it and once you have your first successful harvest, they will return to continue serving me.”
The two men bowed deeply for the two women.
“I will now give you a few minutes to say your farewells. Have a safe journey.” With that Lecrac was gone.
After teary goodbyes, Grinolde and Verandah was lead to a coach and their journey back begun. For the two young girls their adventure was also just about to begin.
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Chapter 2
New York, August 1960
James Marsden was shattered.
His red brimmed eyes were resting on the pale face of his wife. The love of his life and his reason for living. Her hands were cold in his hand matching the coldness in his heart. Was he ever going to survive without this woman?
“We need to take her away now, Mr. Marsden.” A chubby nurse with a shock of red curls and freckles looked was standing behind his, her green eyes soft and sympathetic. Mary O'Driscoll could image the pain this man was going through. Prior to Jane Marsden being pushed into the delivery room, she'd caught James and his wife in a tender moment. The big burly man was massaging his wife's tiny feet all the while telling her how much he loved her and how much their little girl will be loved. She could see the love and admiration he had for his tiny wife with her big blue eyes. “Your daughter would love to see you too.”
James looked away. He didn't want to see her. Not while he was hurting so much. Jane used to reprimand him when he came home angry or stressed after a missed deadline, saying that their baby was very sensitive to both their emotions. She would then place his hand over her rounded abdomen for him to feel the baby moving restlessly in her womb.
“I am not ready to see her yet,” he croaked and swallowed back the tears which threatened to flow.
Her heart went out to him and Mary wanted to touch his shoulder, but that would be crossing the line between professionalism and becoming personally involved.
“Could I get you something else, Mr. Marsden?”
Yes, can you bring back my wife, James screamed in his head and all of a sudden he felt warm waves and waves of comfort rolling over him. A sudden warm feeling settled deep within his heart that dimmed the pain a little and.
Allow time to heal your wounds, James. It will get better, I promise you . James quickly looked up to see who was talking to him, but the redheaded nurse had left the room already.
Deep broken sobs rocked his big frame and this time he felt a soft pressure on his shoulder. It didn't last long, but the touch made James lift his head.
His handsome face streaked with by tears.
“Who are you?” he asked softly and when no immediate answer came forth, he bowed his head again. His grief was making him hear and feel things. But the voice replied, making his head snap up.
I will take care of you and your little girl until you are ready to face life again, James. Just allow time to work its magic. The voice was female and it sounded calm and confident. James knew instinctively that this was not a woman who goes around make empty promises. It was also at that time that he realized that the voice was speaking to him through his mind. He once again felt that gentle touch on his shoulder and his gaze went to the pale face of his dead wife. Bid your wife farewell, James. Her spirit is still lingering in the room. She looks worried about you. She is standing behind you…touching your shoulder. Tell her you love her and that you will be well taken care of.
James wanted to cry at hearing that and quickly turned around in his chair, piercing the empty space in front of him, hoping …wishing to see her one last time. But there was no-one.
“Here you lay, after having made such a selfless sacrifice to bear our child, and already I am chatting up strange women,” he said with a weak smile. “I will always love you, my angel, and I promise to take care of our baby girl until she is ready to take care of herself.” He placed his hand on his shoulder where just seconds before he'd felt the soft touch. “Some bossy lady told me to tell you that she will be taking care of both me and our baby girl. I trust that she will do just that and that everything will be okay. Don't forget about us, my love.”
As if on queue, Nurse O'Driscoll entered the room and he saw her stop dead in her tracks. Her green eyes rested on him and James knew that she could see the change in him. He looked so much better, calmer.
“I would like to go see my baby now, Nurse,” James said gently and pulling herself together, the nurse led him to the baby ward and left him there to quickly oversee the removal of his wife's remains.
****************************
A long slender hand came up and wiped away a single blood red tear that was running down a pale cheek. Cloaked in an invisibility spell, Tahlia Dorotea Oliveira looked at the sad scene enfolding in front of her. It was more painful than she thought it would be.
After having spent almost seven months looking over the couple, she had come to admire their love for one another. It was the first time she had been privy to such an expressive love between mortals in all of her two thousand years of existence. James had showered his beautiful wife with so much love and she in turn had channeled it all through to their baby. Now to see the lifeless form of Jane and the broken spirit of James, allowed her to do what she hadn't done often in many centuries of existence — cry.
The moment she'd sensed the shallow and stuttering heartbeat of the newly formed life, she was resting deep beneath the earth of the castle in Romania, waiting for that small sound which would set her free from decades of loneliness which was her constant companion — just like her ever-present hunger for human blood. It finally came. A shallow stuttering thud that was so faint that mortals and many of her kind couldn't detect. She had covered all the continents in search for the two people who conceived this great wonder and had found them in America . Just a few months prior to going to ground she had visited the Americas, following a silly impulse, but now she knew it must've been a sign.
James and the nurse left the room and she followed them. At the neonatal intensive care unit the nurse went in and walked between the many bassinets. Tahlia's black eyes already rested on the tiny bundle in the seventh row. She knew the baby very well and had visited her many times in her mother's womb but only after she had placed both her parents under a deep sleep compulsion. She'd talked to her and sang to her softly almost every night.
The nurse brought the baby closer and she could once again feel the sadness well up in James.
You'll be fine, James. I will be with you every step of the way and together we will make sure that she grows up into a wonderful woman just like her mother.
She smiled when James looked around. It will take a while before he becomes comfortable with their mode of conversation. He was the reason she could talk to him this way. James was a very strong psychic and that enabled her to enter his mind and talk to him at all times. His daughter inherited that gift from him.
She smiled tenderly when the tiny bundle moved and small fists punched the air. Yes, my love, she thought. You will grow up to be a headstrong and at times an impossible woman who will give me hell, but still I can't wait for you to become that woman.
What shall we call her?
Tahlia was shocked not only by the fact that James decided to communicate with her using their mental mode, but also by the question.
I am sure you and Jane must have discussed names. Maybe you should just pick the one that Jane liked the most.
James grinned all of a sudden and Tahlia's admiration for the human increased tenfold. He was very brave and his daughter will be so proud of him one day.
She wanted to call her Buttons or Sweetie Pie. The child will be teased mercilessly at school.
She laughed softy. Oh, how good it felt to be able to laugh again. She basked in the warm easy-going atmosphere she shared with the human.
Well, that was Jane.
They shared a silent minute thinking about the woman who gave up her life for this tiny bundle in front of them.
What do they call you?
Stiffening slightly, Tahlia looked at James. He is not ready for the whole truth, but she could at least give him her name, she reckoned.
Tahlia
James nodded . What would you have called her, Tahlia?
Tahlia frowned and looked at the tiny bundle. Throughout the centuries that she had known the baby as she grew up to womanhood, she had loved her and buried her, but never been she been asked to give her a name. Still… a name echoed down the corridors of her mind. A name she had already started calling the baby.
Jemima. And don't ask me why. You caught me off-guard. She couldn't tell him that one evening while he was working late in his small study in the house and she was watching over Jane in their bedroom, Jane had been reading a paperback novel and she had murmured the name quietly. Rolling it over her tongue lovingly and then touched her rounded tummy lovingly.
Jemima it is then. Thank you. It's a beautiful name. Jane would have liked it.
They both stood there in silence looking at the baby, each occupied with their own thoughts.
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Chapter 3
Tahlia's head snapped up and she delicately sniffed the air. They were not alone in the room anymore. As quickly as she had became alarmed just as quickly she relaxed again.
Juan.
Her voice had lost the teasing quality it had when she spoke to James and in its place was a hard authoritative tone. Tahlia looked at Juan. He could hide his presence from humans and lesser experienced vampires, but not from her.
She was one of the oldest most experienced vampires in existence. She was born in the 1 st century of the 1 st Millennium, 54 BC to be exact and was converted to a vampire in 32 BC at the age of twenty-two. Only two other royal vampires as powerful as her were ever made. Pierre Lafayette and Jonas Beydrenoff. There was third one once, but a very long time ago.
Their creator had decided that a woman warrior would distribute equal representation of power amongst the sexes, since more female children were being offered to Lecrac, thus the need arose to bring equality and harmony to the Race. Pierre, Jonas and she were chosen amongst many other worthy fighters of their time. To make them stand out amongst the other vampires of the nation they had to feed on the blood of Lecrac, the First Vampire to ever walk the earth. He was as old as time and his blood, thick and potent. To ensure that no others like them were ever made again, Lecrac, tired of the emptiness of such a long existence, destroyed himself by meeting the dawn.
His destruction made the three of them powerful beyond their wildest dreams. She'd become the first Vampiress, a glorified warrior and well-respected by her kind. Together they'd become known as the Royal Clan Vampires. They were the Rulers of all vampires and together ruled the nation, enforcing age old laws, to ensure that a balance was kept between them and the humans. They protected the human race and in turn they unknowingly provided sustenance to their immortal protectors.
The Council will be meeting tonight and they have requested your presence, my Queen.
She picked the rest of the information from Juan's mind and nodded. The past four centuries had been trying for their race. A rogue vampire got it his mind that he could start his own clan and started turning humans into vampires. These second class abominations or renegades were spreading terror and death everywhere they go, leaving them, descendants of the Royal bloodline, to clean up after them and destroying evidence to keep their existence hidden from the human authorities.
The renegade leader was known to them but always managed to evade attempts on his life. Drake Calderoni was once a great warrior who served under her, but his craving for power brought about his downfall. He disappeared four centuries ago and it was exactly around that time that the presence of the scum he'd created was detected. Since then the two groups had been locked in mortal combat.
Juan bowed low and disappeared in a burst of tiny molecular drops. Tahlia turned back to James. He was staring at his daughter with an expression akin to wonder. She knew that he would take care of the baby until she made her appearance again, but for now she needed to keep contact between her and her human charges to a minimum to avoid leading the renegades to them.
I am leaving now, James, but I will not be far away. Just call me when you need my assistance. Tomorrow your bank manager will call you and inform you that a distant relative of Jane had left you and the baby a substantial amount of money and property. Make sure that you and Jemima are well taken care off. I will always be around, don't ever doubt my presence.
James nodded meekly and just when she was about to go, he spoke.
Thank you for being here with me tonight.
Tahlia smiled and looked at the baby one last time.
Just promise me that you will take care of her. She means a lot to me.
James looked up.
What do you mean?
I will reveal myself to you when you are ready. But for now, please just believe that we are family for now.
With that Tahlia dissolved into fine mist and streaked out of the hospital.
****************************************
Outside in a dark alley behind the hospital, she took on her human form and using preternatural speed, rushed over to where the meeting place was. Once inside the safe house, she came to a stop and waited for a few seconds for Juan to appear. He was her bodyguard and she knew he had followed her all the way to the safe house to ensure her safety. Once he appeared beside her, she smiled faintly.
“You are becoming slow, Juan. I had expected you to keep up with me.”
The other vampire just smiled back at her. He was in awe of this strikingly beautiful, but deadly woman. She personally turned him from a mere servant into a well-honed killing machine, but he knew that no matter how long he lived and how hard he trained, he will never be able to be as good as she was. Together they walked through the luxurious interior of the house and entered the big boardroom.
Three men and a woman were seated around a table. With a brief nod she went to take a seat at the head of the table. Waiting for the men to retake their seats, she looked around the table. Her eyes lingered on Pierre Lafayette. His long blonde hair was fastened in her nape with a leather throng and blue eyes were smiling at her. It had been almost four hundred years since she had seen a genuine smile light up Pierre handsome features. He had lost his mate, Genevieve, when a group of human slayers attacked their castle and staked her, leaving her to die in rain of flames. Since then Pierre had never been the same.
And then there was Jonas Beydrenoff. He was every bit as handsome as Pierre, but whereas Pierre was blond, Jonas' features were dark and brooding. Jonas was a very serious man and very deadly on the battlefield. Women are always drawn to him because of his dark sensual look, but for Jonas nothing was more important than his duty to his race as a Royal. That was until recently. Of late he has been spending a lot of time in the company of a certain consortium executive. She nodded at Jonas and then took in the rest of the people around the table.
Michael Jensen was the head of the Human Vampire Slayers Consortium and with him one of the consortium most gifted members. Joan Arcadia was a beautiful blonde whom she suspected to be Jonas' love interest, judging from the intimate looks she had seen them exchange when they thought no one was looking. Joan was also the head of the paranormal research department at the Consortium. She holds a doctoral degree in paranormal science and was working as a physic for the local police force when Michael recruited her. She is a walking reference to almost all the past and present vampire events and has been a great asset to the Consortium in their fight of ridding the world of renegades.
“Drake is in the United States,” Jonas said suddenly, grabbing her attention immediately. “I have sensed his presence earlier this evening.” His midnight black eyes so like hers held a look of pure contempt. Jonas despised Drake more than anything else. Tahlia knew his hatred stemmed from the fact that Drake betrayed them all after having spent many centuries together tracking down rogue vampires only for him, a trusted ally to turn against them. For bringing their noble legacy in disrepute, Drake has become the most hunted rouge vampire in history. Whereas other rogues had turned because of power and greed, Drake has done the unforgivable. He diluted the bloodline by creating a new and inferior race.
“We believe that the birth of your mate might have lured him out of hiding.”
At hearing these words, Tahlia's black eyes hardened. That was exactly what she didn't want to happen. She survived so many centuries and stayed incorruptible, because of her. Jemima was the reason she had held onto life for so long. Every century she had waited patiently for her birth, shared every single second of her mortal life loving her and then when age robbed her body of the power to continue, she lovingly tended to her until she'd drawn her last breath.
Her eternal hope had always been that she would be reincarnated again and Drake knew exactly how much that sliver of hope meant to her — kept her sane and kept her dark side in the deepest recess of her body. If what Jonas said was true, then Drake's plan was to turn Jemima into a vampire and destroy her forever. She would never be reincarnated again if that was the case.
Drake had been part of her personal army of hunters. She had trusted him enough to even allow him to be her lover's bodyguard many times before. It was only when she'd sensed a disturbing change in him that she removed him from his guarding duties and personally took over from him. If she hadn't sensed the dark stain growing inside of him in time, he could've succeeded in his plan to destroy her. That was his ultimate plan. He craved the power the Royal Clan Vampires had. He had wanted to be a god — a creator.
“I'm afraid Jonas is right, Tahlia.” It was Michael. He had been working together with the Vampire Council for the past ten years, but already he knew about the Vampire Queen's sexuality and her love for this woman whom she patiently waited to be born, loved and buried every century for over twenty centuries. “Drake plans to hit you were it hurts the most this time.”
The walls of the boardroom undulated suddenly and totally rattled by the act, Michael studied the beautiful woman closely. She didn't show any outward signs of distress at the news, but her eyes glittered dangerously now and for the first time Michael saw passed the awe-inspiring beautiful exterior of the woman to the dangerous predator chained inside. He was never so happy to be on her side and not on whichever other sides there were out there.
Pierre closely studied Tahlia, his blood running cold. He could feel the ripples in the air as Tahlia was trying to keep herself from exploding, drawing on the empty pockets of air in the room. He saw that Jonas sensed it too from the worried looks he threw in the direction of Michael and Joan. After having lived for so long they both knew that the passing of time offered one the ability to learn patience and self-control, but the real danger comes when you threw caution the wind and simply lost it. Which could be the case now with Tahlia. They were both privy to such a moment in Tahlia's life before.
They were fighting as mercenaries alongside the English against the French in the Hundred Years' War from 1337 to 1455 when two royal houses fought for the throne of France — the House of Valois on the French side and the House of Anjou from the British side. After a grueling battle two days earlier, they had set up camp a few kilometers from the enemy's line and took a well-deserved break before the next battle. There were sentries stationed around the camp, but later it was found that they were all bribed to desert their posts. Tahlia and her lover, Armelia, were in their tent in the woods making love, when the enemy staged a surprise attack. Her beautiful blonde lover was struck in the heart by an enemy's arrow and had died instantly. She was only twenty.
Tahlia was inconsolable by the loss and it took both Pierre and Jonas to utilize all their supernatural powers in addition to strong spells to restrain a devastated Tahlia. While they were pushing back the enemy, she had quietly taken her lover's body to a burial place deep into the wood and upon her return, had purposefully walked passed them, straight into the enemy camp.
The scene that greeted their eyes when they eventually went in search of her a few hours later was one of complete carnage. Thousands of bodies were scattered around the camp. They found her at standing in the middle of the camp, covered in blood, her blood-stained fangs exposed and with streaks of bloody tears running down her cheeks. That was a very perilous century for their enemies and it took the reincarnation of Tahlia's lover ninety years later to restore her serenity. Now it seems like they might have a repeat of that fateful night again. Times have changed and it would be near impossible to explain carnage of that magnitude to the police.
“Tahlia…” Pierre said softly and when she turned her head to look at him, he really feared for the safety of whoever tried to hurt the baby who was born tonight. “We will not let anything happen to the baby. We know how important she is to you.”
Taking a deep breath, Tahlia gradually started to relax and when she turned to face the others she found Michael and the other woman on the feet, their guns pointed at her. The sheer tension and violence the woman exuded had them worried and ready to defend themselves. Tahlia blinked a few times before she spoke. A look of deep sorrow shadowed her eyes.
“Please, Michael, Joan, accept my apology. Please be seated. I promise to not ever giving you reason to fear for your well-being while in my presence.” Her voice was soft, so soft that the mortals had to strain their ears to hear her.
Once everyone was seated again, Tahlia continued.
“I apologize again.” She folded her arms. “Do we know Drake's location? His presence here is a direct challenge to me and I accept.” Tahlia's black eyes were icy cold and she refrained from looking at the humans lest she made them uncomfortable again.
Jonas cleared his throat softly. “I suspect that he is hiding somewhere in an underground chamber. Shall we try and sent out a search party?”
Still shaking lightly, Joan joined in the conversation. Never before had she felt so intimidated by a vampire before than a few minutes ago. It was very clear now that even armed as they were, Tahlia was extremely dangerous and could've killed them both even before they'd fired a shot. What she was well aware of now, was that the baby was important and needed to be kept safe.
“I suggest we try and track down some of Drake's followers. They might just lead us to his lair.” She looked straight into Tahlia's eyes. “In the meantime, I will be honored if you would allow me to keep an eye over the baby.”
“Jemima. Her name is Jemima.” The black eyes softened so suddenly, that Joan had trouble hiding her shock. “Thank you for the offer, Joan, but it would be unethical for me to expect you to be taken out of action and do babysitting. I will have to find a way to keep them save without arousing the interest of Drake.”