by Caris Roane
Katlynn and her doe eyes, the sweet flowery perfume she wore, the soft peach bloom on her high cheekbones as she stared at him.
He hadn’t really come back to himself since their shared power had set Merl’s Third Earth What-Bee team free and momentarily destroyed Yolanthe’s mist above the prison.
He wondered how long the disorientation would last.
He needed to get a move on. Rex wanted everyone back at his dining hall within the hour.
Finally, he forced his damn feet to move.
Heading to the massive stone shower, broad enough to mount his wings, he folded off his clothes, stepped in, and started scrubbing. He wanted Katlynn to see him at his best and not covered in battle blood. He wanted her to know he was a civilized man, even though he came from Second Earth to her advanced Third. He wanted her to know he was worthy, though every cell in his body knew the exact opposite to be true. He was ruined to the core when it came to women.
So, what the hell was he thinking anyway, worrying about her good opinion of him? He was caught in a war. What good would it do to be pursuing a woman on Third, when he didn’t even know how long he’d be here?
Yet as he washed his hair, the shoulder length indicative of his in-between state, he felt a profound compulsion to get back to her. He also needed to see if Rex had a few extra weapons lying around. He’d already tried to fold his identified sword from Second Earth, but couldn’t. Third was wrapped up tight as a drum and if he was going to make sure Katlynn stayed safe, he’d need some serious weaponry.
He was under no illusions about Rex’s manmade paradise. Yolanthe of Mexico City Three now had several reasons to come after Duncan and the rest of the black ops team. And if what Duncan had said was accurate, someone in the future streams had started messing with him, someone no doubt in Yolanthe’s employ, and who could possibly interfere with Rachel’s shielding power.
When he was finally dressed, he was the first one to arrive at Rex’s home. He positioned himself across the way near the river so he could see everything happening around him in a three-sixty.
If he wondered why he’d suddenly grown so concerned about a woman he’d just met, he set it down to the mysteries of ascended life. Whether he liked it or not, he felt in his gut he was intended to serve as the woman’s bodyguard.
~
An hour later, when Luken arrived back at Rex’s home, several of the warriors had already gone inside, including Owen who stuck close to Katlynn.
Luken didn’t follow right away, but took a moment to have a good long look around. The temp in Phoenix Three was about perfect, even in December. He suspected a microclimate kept the entire canyon or valley, or whatever the hell this was, in a temperate state.
The palatial structure of Rex’s home reminded him somewhat of Endelle’s McDowell Mountain palace, constructed as it was of cream-colored quarried stone.
When he finally entered the house, he saw that like Endelle’s palace, Rex’s home had no glass windows. The main living areas were open to the air, perfect for viewing what proved to be a mixed woodland, a sparkling river, and acres of cultivated ground.
Crossing through the main rooms, he found the team gathered around a massive dining table. For some reason, his gaze went to Endelle first and he noted the uneasy look in her eye. She blinked more than usual and kept glancing around the room as though afraid to let her gaze light on the man across from her and chatting with Duncan. He couldn’t recall ever seeing Endelle knocked so completely out of stride.
But as he shifted his gaze to Rex, he could understand why.
The man had an undefinable quality, something so full of strength and power, even Endelle had to be awed. No doubt she’d gain her bearings soon enough, and give as good as she got. But for now, it was pleasant to watch her adrift, stunned like a rabbit caught in a snare.
She’d also toned down her wardrobe choice, wearing a single pheasant feather draped across a massive pile of her black curls and a multi-colored gown gathered at her left shoulder, the other one bare. Of course, heavy eye-make-up including gold sequins somehow pasted to the outside edge of each eye, gave her the usual over-the-top look. Still, she actually sat with her hands folded politely on her lap. Unbelievable.
As Luken looked around the table, he realized a chair was missing; there were too many guests and not enough places.
He was about to bring the oversight to one of the servant’s attention, when Rex spread his hands and began speaking. “Now that we’re all gathered, may I present my prime Seer, Megan of Atlanta Three.” He gestured to a woman at the head of the table. “I’ve asked her to say the blessing.”
The woman who rose to her feet had several blond braids looped on top of her head, though the bulk of her hair cascaded behind almost to her waist. She had a terrible scar across her right cheek angling to her lips and pulling up to distort her features. In the ascended world, scars occurred only two ways; if they were acquired before an ascension from Mortal Earth or if the individual wasn’t allowed to self-heal. Luken wasn’t sure why, but he suspected the latter.
Megan had an unusual inner spiritual light and seemed familiar in a way he couldn’t explain as she lifted both her hands. Her eyes were a lovely green, her brows arched. Except for the twist of the scar, she must have been a beauty in her day.
When she spoke, her words were slightly twisted as well because of the scar. “Most blessed guests, you are welcome in Phoenix Three and our master, Rex, hopes you will stay among us as long as it pleases each of you. Y pro nai-y-stae.” Luken knew her words were from the ancient language and loosely meant ‘stay forever’. Megan continued, “This night, pray be at ease and may the Creator bless this food to our use as we find nourishment at the master’s table.”
When she sat down, Luken immediately stood up. “Please, Rex, have my chair.”
But Rex waved a hand. “Not needed. I have only one aim, to make sure you’re all well-fed. I’ll be directing traffic.”
With that, he clapped his hands and a stream of servants arrived bearing bowls of steaming food and pitchers of what proved to be an excellent sangria.
As Luken sat down, he couldn’t help but watch Endelle. She was slack-jawed again, no doubt because her host had proved not only to be charismatic but thoughtful as well. Her gaze rarely strayed from Rex as he took his time moving around the table, directing his wait staff and chatting with his guests.
Rachel and Duncan had their heads bent together. The new woman, Katlynn sat beside her brother, Merl. He held her hand and more than once palmed his cheeks in the same way Katlynn swiped at her tears. The reunion of brother and sister had been a beautiful thing and had further helped Luken to forgive all of Merl’s prior annoying behavior.
Owen sat on the other side of Katlynn. He had a similar expression as Endelle’s and that’s when Luken’s heart sank. He’d been so busy battling and getting everyone to safety, he’d forgotten about the power surge that had allowed his team, as well as Merl’s squad of What-Bees, to escape Yolanthe’s home.
He suspected the breh-hedden had found its next victim, though time would tell. However, the fact Owen and Katlynn had created some kind of sonic boom to destroy a powerful veil of mist over Yolanthe’s property seemed to indicate exactly how their relationship would progress.
He brought his goblet of sangria to his lips and set his gaze on a nearby bowl of cracked wheat salad. He’d been alone a long time and the presence of the breh-hedden hitting so many of his fellow warriors, yet skipping his own desert of a soul, made him wonder if he’d missed the boat somewhere along the way. Would he ever know the kind of bond many of his warrior friends had already experienced?
Luken. A faint female voice entered his head. He glanced at Endelle first, then Megan, Rachel and Katlynn in turn, wondering which of them had spoken to him. But each was engaged in conversation and couldn’t have accessed his telepathy at the same time. Besides, the voice didn’t sound familiar at all.
Who are you? He returned,
focusing inward.
I’ll be with you soon.
Are you here? In Phoenix Three? And again, who are you?
Nothing followed and he knew the unexpected communication had ended.
Great. Now another unknown entity had just entered the picture.
But was she friend or foe?
~
Yolanthe lay on her chaise-longue, her back aching from having been slammed against the stone stairwell. She had a bump on her head as well as a variety of bruises, even a few cuts from flying debris.
The waves of energy created by Warrior Owen and Katlynn had stunned her in every way possible. If she’d ever believed the mousy female could have brought forth so much essential power, she would have killed her long ago.
She drew a deep breath. “I hurt,” she whimpered.
Zander knelt beside her and pressed a cool cloth over her forehead. He’d summoned her favorite healer, but for some unknown reason the man hadn’t yet come. She thought about killing him in place of Katlynn just to give some relief to her bashed sensibilities.
She still didn’t understand how her careful plans had gone awry. Especially since Zander had finally made contact in the future streams with Duncan’s brilliant presence of almost pure gold. Zander had seen Duncan and the team enter by her portal, so she’d set up the ambush with great care.
Zander had even found it possible to interfere when Duncan attempted to communicate telepathically with Warrior Luken. Of course, the moment Duncan had launched his grayle power, Zander’s ability to disrupt Duncan had ended. But the biggest surprise was Zander’s ability to prevent Rachel from using her shield in the Third grid. This alone gave her some hope for the future.
But above all, she greatly feared Duncan was finally coming to understand the scope of the power given to him. Every instinct screamed at her that she must find him, entrance him once more, then set him on his destined path to locate Rapture’s Edge, solely on her behalf. Her window of opportunity was closing fast.
Only where the hell had he gone?
Zander had reentered the future streams very quickly following the debacle in her prison. But he’d found no sign of Duncan’s stream, which meant he’d been blocked again, but by whom?
“I’m so sorry, sister. But I want you to know I won’t give up.” Zander took her hand in his and kissed her fingers.
“I know, dearest. I have every confidence in you.”
Zander frowned suddenly. “Sister, I beg you to leave off your plans concerning Duncan. You were injured today and what would I do if anything happened to you?”
Her dear brother was so beautiful, just like their father. With her free hand, she caught his chin. “I will never leave you. I will always care for you.”
“Yolanthe, please know that I don’t need our father’s love. He wanted me dead from the beginning and I truly have no feelings for him. I’m begging you to forget about Duncan and forego your plans.”
She stared into silvery-blue eyes, loving her brother so much. “I do this because it’s the right thing to do. You should have your inheritance and your rightful place in my father’s home and in his plans for Second and Third Earth. Nothing less will answer.”
He sighed heavily, no doubt understanding he wouldn’t be able to move her from her path. More than anything else in the world, she wanted Zander to have his birthright. And she wouldn’t let anything stop her, not even tonight’s wretched outcome.
~
After dinner, Duncan walked with Rachel back to their dwelling. The serpent in his gut was quieter than he’d ever known it to be.
“Duncan, what is this place? Is it possible we all died in Yolanthe’s prison and were transported to the afterlife?”
He chuckled. “I know what you mean. The Seer, Megan, did her research on each of us well.”
Earlier, she’d led them personally to the home she’d prepared for them to share as a couple. Though they’d taken a tour of the dwelling, afterward they’d only had time to shower and change for the feast. But now they could explore the land surrounding the house as well.
He led her to a small vegetable patch, enclosed with a natural wood-branch fencing. Rachel opened the gate and moved inside.
He watched, leaning over the top rail of the fence. She was lit up from within, her love of gardening evident from the warm glow on her cheeks. She’d never looked more beautiful to him and a quick burst of breh-hedden desire streaked through his veins.
She rose up from examining a large plant and turned his direction. Her nostrils flared. “I can come back here later because I’m thinking you have something other than plowed earth on your mind.”
The property was a half-mile from any other neighbor, so he said aloud, “Don’t be so sure because I’m definitely thinking about ploughing.”
Rachel laughed, moving toward the gate. “I’m coming.”
“That’s the idea.”
Her laughing eyes met his as she sent. You please me in every way and now I have a garden I can tend as well, time permitting.
When she closed the gate behind her, Duncan took her hand. She’d been right to add the last bit about ‘time permitting’. Every bone in his body knew Yolanthe would be out for blood and wouldn’t rest until she’d made another attempt to bring him back under her control.
As he led Rachel up a rising path into a much narrower but wooded side canyon, he made an internal commitment to somehow end for good the woman’s hold over him.
“You’re tense, Duncan.”
“I let my mind slip in Yolanthe’s direction.”
“Don’t do that.” But she chuckled. She knew him well.
He glanced at her, feeling eased just by her presence, by her laughter and the sparkle of her blue eyes.
She’d changed into jeans, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes and had let her long blond hair hang freely around her shoulders. He’d gotten rid of his battle gear as well, and now wore jeans as well. Yet he’d also found a new stock of battle uniforms in the closet of the master bedroom. Megan had seen to all their needs.
He frowned for a moment as he thought of Megan. She seemed very familiar in a way he couldn’t quite pin down, though he was honored that Rex’s Prime Seer had been the one to see them to their home. At some point, he’d need a conversation with her about his suspicions that someone had interfered in the future streams. She might even know why Rachel hadn’t been able to access her shielding ability while in the Third grid.
But not tonight. As he caught Rachel’s garden scent, he wanted only one thing; to spend the next few hours with her and no one else.
The stream meandered through the side canyon, heading east to feed what Rex had named the Apache Falls River since there was a large waterfall at the north end of the colony. As Rex had explained at dinner, he’d fashioned the valley partly by design, and partly by exposing an underground river and several feeder streams. He’d done a lot of earth moving over a period of centuries.
As Duncan moved along the slight upward grade, a couple of smaller waterfalls spilled over boulders. Rachel exclaimed her pleasure more than once.
After a few minutes, he arrived at a small and very private grassy meadow.
Rachel drew up beside him. “This is so pretty.” Purple wildflowers bloomed at the edge of the grass then gave way to more dense woodland. “Do you think this was deliberate?”
“Yes, I do.”
“It would be a wonderful spot for a picnic.”
He turned toward her and pulled her into his arms. Or other things, he sent. Without preamble, he kissed her and was rewarded with her eager body pressed up against his.
He deepened the kiss, driving his tongue in a steady rhythm.
When he drew back, he recalled a quilt hanging over the back of a chair in the master bedroom and folded it into his hand. Turning toward the lawn, he flipped it open and spread it out on the grass.
Rachel, always a willing partner, waved a hand and lost her clothes.
He groaned at the sigh
t of her curves, her nipples peaked in the cool night air. He then returned the favor, shedding his jeans, shirt and shoes as well.
She dropped to the quilt, stretching out onto her back and holding her arms out for him.
“You look so beautiful, Rachel. More than ever. It’s as though you seem happier to me. Is it this place?” He inclined his head in the direction of the wood and the stream.
Her lips parted and her eyes widened a little. He could see by her expression she was choosing her words carefully.
“What?” He smiled. “Are you keeping something from me?”
“No. That is, yes.” As he knelt between her knees she gripped his arms. “There is something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about, but not yet. Is that okay?”
“You’re asking a man if it’s okay not to talk about something?”
At that, she chuckled, her eyes crinkling. “Right. You’re all so anxious to open a vein.”
His gaze slid to her throat. “Well, I am anxious to open your vein.”
Her hands relaxed their grip and she let her arms fall above her head, her body undulating. “I want more than just your fangs right now.”
He rubbed a hand down her abdomen and cupped her low. Easing his fingers inside her, he felt her moisture. He drove in and out a few times, loving the feel of her body clenching. She seemed different somehow, more ready for sex than ever, her skin glowing.
Something had changed with her, but he really was okay not to open that box just yet.
She continued to moan as he thrust his fingers in a steady rhythm. But because her bonding scent was rich in his nostrils, he had to have more.
He took his fully erect cock in hand and positioned himself at her opening.
When he began to push, her body rolled and writhed once more. “I’ve needed this so much,” she said, her voice hoarse, rich with need. “I can’t seem to get enough of you these days.”
“It’s the breh-hedden.”
Again, she looked at him with a speculative expression as she’d done moments ago. “Rachel, what is it?”
She released a deep sigh. “I need you to bite me.”