I remembered everything—every tiny, painful, sordid detail about the slaughter of the Blackmoor House. How they had tortured Miles and Eli. Raped me. How a woman had hidden my pregnancy from them, and stolen my baby away in the night.
Miles and Eli were right, though. As much as I hated to admit it, I never heard that woman’s voice again after that night. There was no proof that my son even made it out of the prison tower alive—except a mother’s intuition. Something deep down said he was still there.
We walked along a rock pathway through the winter-dead green space toward a set of white French doors. Before either of them could knock, they opened and a pink face peered out.
“Come in,” the small brunette said with a smile. “The Oracle is eager to meet your wife.”
Miles and Eli stepped aside and let me enter first. My feet were bare, just like the Sisters scattered through the large sitting area. Even the white dress I wore was just like theirs.
“Please, sit, Mistress,” the brunette spoke again.
I sank into the chair she indicated. Miles and Eli moved quickly to stand behind me, refusing the offer to sit down.
“Always stubborn,” an old woman in the chair next to me spoke up. She turned and placed her hand over mine. “They never do as we ask.”
I gasped at the touch but didn’t withdraw. A spark of something passed between us and I knew she was the Oracle.
She smiled. “It is good to finally meet you, Diana Karlson of Blackmoor House. These boys have waited a long time for your return. It seems you have fully returned to yourself as well.” She patted my hand and then leaned back in her chair, her sharp blue eyes studying me. “You seek another, though. One who was lost to you many centuries ago.”
“My son,” I whispered.
“He will choose his own fate.”
Tears welled in my eyes. If he was choosing a fate, it meant he was alive!
“Will I see him again?”
The old woman paused, as if trying to decide how to answer. She finally sighed and said, “Yes.”
I leaned forward. “Why do you hesitate to tell me good news?”
“His fate is twisted up with ours. There is not a single pleasant path that I can see for him to reach you.”
“But you said I will see him again. That means he will come here? Or do I go to him?”
“You cannot cross into the Veil while Xerxes still breathes. We would all die,” the Oracle replied, her voice as calm as a summer breeze. “Our fates are knotted together, ice-breather. The fates of both worlds.”
It was pig slop! All of it. These women were just rambling about visions to keep themselves safely protected in this fortress. They’d certainly been doing a good job so far. They had a whole town that would lay down their lives for them.
“What’s so special about you?!”
“The Sisters of Lamidae are the only beings left in the world that can procreate with a Lamassu.”
“All the Lamassu are dead,” I objected. “Everyone knows they died when Babylon fell.”
The old woman looked past me, up to Miles and Eli. Then she looked back at me. “Rose Hilah, here in Sanctuary, is one of two surviving Lamassu Sentinels.”
I felt vomit creep into the back of my mouth. Lamassu and Drakonae hated each other. Our races had fought since time began. There were stories and poems about our battles. How could Miles and Eli be working with one?
“The other survivor is their betrayer from Babylon, her brother-in-law, Xerxes Amir Hilah. He sought to take us then, and he still seeks to take us now. He would use us to create a powerful new species—part Lamassu and part Seer. It would spell the end of both worlds if he succeeds.”
I leaned back against the headrest of the chair. I may have missed a thousand years of history, but even I knew what they said was the truth. The Lamassu male could not be allowed to take even one of these women.
“You stand with the Lamassu female because alone she cannot defeat one of her own.” It was a statement more than a question, but both men whispered a quiet “yes.” It was a noble vow they’d taken. One I would have expected them to find honorable, even if it was with a Lamassu.
My stomach rumbled and I shifted in my chair. I wanted to eat, but I also wanted to hear what else they had to say about this Lamassu female and this strange town.
“I understand your reasons for recruiting my husbands and agree that this is a noble fight. But why haven’t we simply gone after this Xerxes and taken him down?” I turned to face Miles and Eli. “Between both of you and the Lamassu female, he wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Life is not so simple here on earth, Diana,” Miles said, his voice soft and without displeasure. “So much time has passed. We’re unable to shift to fight Xerxes. We must find a way to defeat him privately without the general public witnessing anything. The soldiers you encountered on your journey here were only the beginning of what the humans can do now.”
“Xerxes also has the Djinn helping him control human armies. He has worked for decades to build his influence in the SECR and looks to soon extend his reach into the Washington Republic as well,” Eli added. “I know that doesn’t mean anything to you, but think about how many people used to live in Orin when we married, now multiply that by ten-thousand.”
I took in a quick breath and leaned back in my chair. That would mean there were … millions of humans. And the Djinn. They bowed to no one. How was he controlling them?
“No one can control the Djinn, and how do so many people even fit in the world?”
The Oracle smiled, her blue eyes sparkled. “The world is a lot bigger than people thought a thousand years ago. As for the Djinn, he blackmails their king.”
“And the humans have weapons now that can cut us down from the sky, from our dragon form. How did they become so powerful? They almost killed me. I know that were it not for our bond, I would be dead now.”
“Science has given them the ability to compete on a more equal level with us. Though we have magick and more strength, it is not enough anymore,” Eli answered. “They have machines that fly in the sky and can shoot us down. It is not safe to shift. Ever. Not on earth.”
“Never?” I turned back to look at both my mates. “We cannot ever shift? How have you lived this way for so long?”
“You grow accustomed to the cage. Find other ways to soothe the beast. Eventually, we will find a way back to our home. Until then, our true nature must be kept a secret at all costs. Most humans in this country have laws against us existing within their borders. You can be executed on sight,” Miles answered.
“How the bloody hell are we ever going to beat this damned Lamassu?” I stood from my chair with a snarl. “This is ridiculous.”
“The prophecy will honor our vow. We must protect the House of Lamidae from Xerxes until they find the last three Protectors. Once all eight have made their vow to the Sisters, the spell can be completed and the Sisters will no longer be in danger from Xerxes.” Eli stepped toward me and touched my shoulder.
I curled my lip, but didn’t step away from his touch. I craved it. I’d missed them so much. The last thing I ever wanted was to be separated from them again. If that meant that I needed to honor the vow they had made to protect these women and stay with them until it was fulfilled, that is exactly what I intended to do.
“How do we find these Protectors?”
“You can’t,” the Oracle said. “Two of our younger girls have had visions of possible Protectors. But it is rare for a novice to have a vision. Usually they only come to the woman appointed as Oracle.”
“You?”
She nodded. “We’re not sure if the vision she had is valid. It will take time. The fifth Protector was just recently found. It’s taken thousands of years to find those five.”
“That is not encouraging,” I snapped.
The corners of the Oracle’s mouth turned upward. “Patience, sweet lady. All will reveal itself in the appropriate time.”
I very
much doubted it, but I was done listening to their drivel either way.
Chapter 33
DIANA
Miles and Eli walked on either side of me down the strange stone-like pathway that lay alongside the large roadway where the horseless vehicles drove. I noticed the large one that had carried me here hadn’t moved. We passed by several shops, unlike anything I’d ever seen. One sign read Hardware, another was a woman’s name, Calliope Hart. Another just read Market. I knew the market was definitely a place where food would be kept. Though the building across the circle called Rose’s Cafe seemed more like a place to eat.
“I don’t know about you two, but I’m starving and terribly underdressed.” I caught the edge of the strange shoe one of the Sisters had lent me on a crack in the pathway. Miles’ hands were on either side of my ribcage before I could even squeak out my surprise.
I brushed his hands away and smiled. “I’m fine. It’s just these strange shoes that woman called flip-flops. I do not see how these are even considered shoes.”
Both men laughed. “In Texas, they’re one of the most popular styles of shoe. But we’ll find you some cowboy boots,” Eli said.
I glared up at him. “What in the bloody hell is a cowboy? I have no intention of chasing any cows. Though I really wouldn’t mind eating one right about now. I don’t suppose you could rustle up a butcher?”
The two giant men who were my husbands proceeded to fall apart like a pair of cackling hens. They grabbed their stomachs as laughter shook their massive frames.
I, however, was not amused. Just because this world didn’t make any sense did not give them the right to make fun of me.
“Laugh at this, you over-heated, insensitive cocks!” I waved a hand and froze them in solid blocks of ice that encased them from their toes to their gorgeous necks.
“Diana!” Eli gave me his best pout and Miles merely rolled his eyes.
Not an apology from either of them. Fine. They could melt themselves out.
In the meantime, I needed something besides this shift of a dress to wear and pieces of spongy material on the bottoms of my feet, held in place by a small post I was failing at holding between my toes. Flip-flops indeed. Probably because those who wore them either flipped over or flopped on their faces.
Delicious smells wafted from Rose’s Cafe, but the clothes hanging in Calliope Hart’s shop window pulled harder, and I carefully flip-flopped down the pathway a few more yards and knocked at her door, completely ignoring the rotation of curses and apologies now flowing from my mates’ mouths.
A beautiful face appeared behind the glass of the door. She paused a moment before opening it. Her porcelain skin was flawless. Long, shining brown hair hung in a waterfall braid down to her waist on one side. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and I couldn’t tell if they were blue, green, brown, or possibly a mixture of all three.
“Afternoon, honey. Did Miles and Eli get too clingy already?”
I scrunched my forehead, not quite sure what she meant by clingy. “No, they were rude and need to be alone with their thoughts.”
“I don’t know. Some of those things Eli is threatening to do to you sound like they might be fun. Miles, on the other hand, just looks like he wants to spank your pretty round ass.”
Heat rushed up my neck and I took a step back from the strange woman.
“Sorry,” she said, holding up her hands. “I forgot you don’t speak this century. Right? Women have become more liberated since last you were awake and free.”
“I noticed the clothing.”
“Yep,” she drawled on, throwing another glance toward my husbands. “How long will that hold them?”
“About ten minutes,” I replied. “Would it be possible for me to find some decent clothing in this shop? I’m afraid I don’t have money, but I’m sure that—”
“Miles and Eli have an account with me. Don’t worry about it.” She extended her hand. “Calliope Hart at your service, honey. Let’s find you some not-so-order-of-the-nymphomaniac apparel.”
I accepted her hand and shook it. “Order of whom?”
A soft giggle slipped from her ruby-painted lips. “It’s what I call the Sisters of Lamidae.” She pulled me up the single stair into her shop and closed the door behind her.
My stomach growled again and I covered my stomach with my hand, hoping she hadn’t heard. My body just wasn’t cooperating with me. I refused to walk around this town any longer in this slip of a dress. It wasn’t proper.
“Oh, honey! Are you hungry? I’ve got a box of sticky buns in my back room. Bailey brought them over this morning. That girl knows I can’t say no to a sticky bun.”
My face heated with embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I really need to find something decent to wear.”
“Hang on.” The tall, curvy woman disappeared behind a swath of hanging fabric and returned with a bright red box. But it was the divine smell coming from within it that truly captured my attention. Sugar. Cinnamon. Nutmeg. Honey. It was like heaven when she opened the lid and I saw the golden brown buns dripping with what could only be some type of syrup.
“Take one,” she said, lifting the box even closer to my face. “We can try on clothes as soon as you finish.”
“I’ll make a mess all over your beautiful carpets.” I clasped my hands behind my back and took a step backward.
“Gods, you are something.” She laughed and put the box on the counter behind her and disappeared into the back again. When she came back, she had a flat white plate in her hand. “Here.” I watched in amazement as she pulled the plate apart and it magickally became two plates.
“Are you a sorceress?”
She cocked an eyebrow and stared at the two plates in her hand. “Nope. These are paper plates. They come in packs of about fifty.” She shoved one into my hands and I turned it over and over, examining it. It did feel like paper, but it had the consistency of something much stiffer.
She opened the red box again and the fresh wave of honey and cinnamon made me forget about my introduction to paper tableware.
“Now will you eat? You don’t look like you have in years. Poor thing. We’ll have you fattened back up in no time. You’ve not had food until you’ve eaten at Rose’s Cafe. The brownies are amazing. Of course, Rose is not bad herself. These sticky buns are her specialty. Nothing like them anywhere else in the world.”
I continued to listen to her babble on about the different foods and baked goods that were made in the cafe and that there were pixies who worked with Rose. But most of my focus was on each bite of gooey heaven as I demolished two of the sweet sticky buns. All of the food sounded good and I had to admit I looked forward to trying it, but for now I’d be quite happy to just sit and eat every crumb from the box on the counter.
“So, you’re looking much better than when I first saw you arrive in town. The boys have been good to you, yes?”
I smiled and put my plate on the counter next to the half-empty box. Those last few were calling to me, but I just couldn’t be that rude. I couldn’t remember ever eating anything that tasted so perfect. It looked like it would be too sweet. But then the honey balanced out the spice … and it was just perfect.
“They are wonderful, except that they forget I do not like to be made to feel stupid. It is a problem that has plagued them for longer than I care to remember.”
“I’d say being without you for a millennia might put them a bit out-of-practice.”
“I agree. Which is why I only iced them up to their necks.”
She snorted out a laugh and popped the last bite of her sticky bun into her mouth. Licking her fingers, she put her plate next to mine on the counter and waved me toward several brightly colored racks of clothing.
“I need to wash my hands.”
She pulled a strange looking white towel from a yellow container and tossed it my direction. I caught it and rubbed it between my fingers. Suds appeared on my skin from the damp towel.
“Rub it over your hands,” she said,
holding up her hands as she wiped them clean with the towel. “Then toss over there.” She tossed her towel into a black basket in the corner of the room and held up her perfectly clean hands.
I followed suit, astonished by how easily the towel absorbed the traces of honey and sugar on my fingers. But when I threw the towel into the basket after hers, I was just as surprised to find my hands dry in mere seconds.
“It’s amazing. What is it?”
“Nothing special. Just a baby wipe.”
“A baby wipe?”
“Yeah, disposable cleansing towels. But most people just call them baby wipes. For changing nappies.”
I suddenly knew what she meant by baby wipe.
We turned back to the rack of clothing just as a heavy rap at the door rattled the glass windows.
“I believe your boys have thawed out,” she said, grinning as she pointed over my shoulder. “Should I let them in?”
“How could you possibly keep them out?”
She gave me a mysterious wink. “I have my ways. That’s why they haven’t tried to open the door yet.”
“I suppose they can come in. They will probably want to pick out the clothing themselves.”
“Well, hell no then. A woman should get to pick her own wardrobe after being locked up for a thousand years in a prison tower.”
I swallowed a curse. How the bloody hell did she know where I’d been?
“Don’t look so surprised, honey. It’s a small town and you’re the newest bit we have to talk about. Give me a sec, I’ll send the boys over to the cafe to order us some food. We can all eat and chat after you pick out the clothes you want.”
There was no way this little woman was going to be able to order my two giant mates right off her porch … was she? But she did. I watched, flabbergasted as they both flashed me apologetic looks through the windows on the door and then strolled down the sidewalk toward the cafe.
She came back inside and closed the door. With a flick of her wrist, curtains dropped across the windows and lights brightened around the room. She could call herself whatever she wanted, but I’d never seen magick like hers before.
Sanctuary, Texas Complete Series Box Set Page 41