by C. A. Bleu
After taking a sip of his hot coffee, Aaron continued, “A team of Protectors has been dispatched to Erebus’s estate in Denver to gather as much intel on Lorcan as possible, assuming Lorcan is still there. Dimitri provided information on the layout and points of entry at the property. He also told us about Erebus’s headquarters deep below the Mohave desert we had been unaware of, some type of training facility he created there.”
Nodding her head, impressed by the progress so far and that a team was headed to spy on Lorcan, Zara was hopeful they would catch a break. They needed to find a way to end him and all that Erebus had built. Finishing her last bite, she couldn’t help but be distracted. All through breakfast she had been eyeing the Olympic-size saltwater pool, she couldn’t wait any longer.
Excusing herself from the table she stood, heading for the diving board at the deep end where she stopped and pulled her shirt and shorts off. Underneath she was wearing a navy blue and gold striped bikini she had found in her mother’s closet while Dimitri changed out of his wet clothes. It fit perfectly, aside from being a bit outdated it was in good shape.
Stepping slowly onto the diving board, she cast a quick glance at Dimitri and saw his heated crystal blue eyes taking her in. He eyed the thin straps tied at her hips and she felt his gaze move up. Smiling, she winked at Dimitri, she had been surprised that her mother had worn something so revealing.
Diving headfirst, Zara swam to the bottom of the deep pool overcome by the feeling of the water surrounding her, embracing her. Rarely did she ever have the opportunity to swim back home, but she loved it. Her skin tingled and warmed at the feeling of being fully submerged, she felt safe, protected. The water welcomed her and was a part of her, she knew it would bend to her will if she called on it. After swimming a couple laps, she let her body float on top of the water, gazing up at the blue sky. Using her power to create small waves to rock her, she sighed, feeling relaxed.
Gradually, she let her power build, making bubbles in the water, pushing them with her power, creating what resembled a large jacuzzi pool. Feeling the presence of someone new, she turned to find Jake watching, mesmerized, leaning on the French doorframe at the back of the house. Startled, it broke her concentration and the pool water immediately returned to calm.
“Sorry Jake, I didn’t know you were there.” She was worried it might shock him seeing her use her power, until she remembered he had been raised to know about all of this and had seen her mother using her own power before.
“Your arm, Zara, is that a tattoo?” Jake asked in amazement, walking toward her for a closer look.
Casting a quick glance toward Dimitri, he seemed to have his jealousy in check. Swimming over to Jake she propped her arm up on the side of the pool letting him get a closer look at her tattoo.
“Did you get this done recently?” He asked, astonished.
“Um, kind of,” Zara said, looking again at Dimitri and Aaron, unsure of what to say. Aaron nodded his head slightly, reassuring her it was okay to go on. “Well, over the past several weeks, it has slowly appeared. First the Trinity symbol, then later words appeared. First, Faith, then Love, and then Hope. The last word appeared as we decided to come out here.”
“I have never heard of anything like this. Did it hurt?” He asked, reaching out to touch the tattoo, stopping just short when he heard a rumbling growl emanating from Dimitri.
“No, I didn’t feel a thing,” Zara said, looking down at her tattoo.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a jolt of power blasted through her. Adrenaline and power pumped through her veins causing the water to begin to churn. This felt different, it was like nothing she had ever felt before. The others stared in awe, watching the changes in the water. A wave of dizziness overtook her as the water began to spin and push her from the edge of the pool. Golden light shot from her eyes just before they rolled back up in her head, darkness enveloped her. The last thing she saw was Dimitri’s panicked look before she fell back into the water unconscious.
Dimitri didn’t hesitate, he was out of his chair diving into the water the moment he saw Zara’s eyes roll back. Somehow Zara was already at the bottom of the deep end which must have been about nine or ten feet. Squinting through foggy saltwater-filled eyes, he fought the currents, pushing his way toward her. Grabbing her wrist he began pulling her up. The water churned and spun, making it difficult for him to see or swim. No longer sure which direction was up as he spun out of control, what was happening?
Another set of hands reached out, Jake was there, reaching for Zara’s other wrist. It took both of them fighting against Zara’s power in the pool, but they were able to finally push her up toward Aaron’s awaiting hands. They held firm to the side of the pool, straining against the churning waters as Aaron pulled her up and out of the water.
With Zara lying still by the side of the pool, the water stopped moving. Dimitri and Jake glanced at one another before climbing out to check on Zara. Somehow, she was still breathing, and had a pulse. She appeared to be okay, like she was sleeping.
“What was that?” Jake asked, catching his breath. Kneeling beside Zara, he looked scared and worried. No one answered, so he looked up at Aaron. “Has that ever happened before?”
“No,” Aaron replied, having no idea what he just witnessed.
Checking Zara again, she appeared to be knocked out, but otherwise breathing fine. Looking back at the pool, the water appeared calm as if they had never been in it. Aaron followed as Dimitri carried Zara up to her bedroom while Jake went to grab some extra towels. Lying on the bed covered in towels, they saw her shivering underneath as chill bumps erupted along the skin that was visible. Covering her with more blankets until the shivering stopped, she finally appeared calm and seemed to be resting peacefully.
Jake left to go talk to the other Protectors while Dimitri and Aaron stayed by her side, each taking their turn pacing the floor hoping she would wake up soon. Aaron watched her sleep, she seemed fine, but he knew, even for a Trinity this did not seem normal.
When Dimitri sat on the edge of the bed to hold Zara’s hand, Aaron found himself gravitating toward the pictures of Isabella. He missed her so much his heart ached. The day she died still haunted him, he should have known what she was planning, he should have been able to stop it. Feeling that he had let her down, he was not about to do the same with Zara. Glancing back at Zara a memory began to tickle the back of his mind, trying to break through.
Zara slowly opened her eyes, trying to blink away the fog, wondering where she was. The last thing she remembered was being in the pool and then a sudden rush of power, but then nothing. Realizing she was back in her bedroom, she saw Dimitri and Aaron talking over by the balcony door.
“Hey,” she said in a weak gravelly voice.
Immediately they turned and quickly ran toward her, concern etched on their faces. “Zara, what was that? Do you know what happened?” Dimitri asked, while Aaron looked at her with worry in his eyes.
“No, I was fine, then this rush of power just came out of nowhere, it was like I wasn’t the one in control or something.” Looking at Aaron, she felt nervous and confused. A wave of nausea came upon her as she motioned for the garbage can. After throwing up her breakfast she laid back, feeling a tiny bit better.
“Maybe I’ve just got a stomach bug or something?” she said, though she couldn’t ever remember getting sick in her entire life, except for the time just before her eighteenth birthday.
Running a hand through his hair, Aaron started pacing the room. “Dimitri, could you leave us a minute? I need to talk to Zara alone.”
Staring in amazement, he looked at Zara as if in question, he did not want to go anywhere. Giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, she shook her head no, she wanted him right by her side.
“Aaron, whatever it is, you can say it to both of us. What are you thinking?” She could tell Aaron knew something, it was simmering just beneath the surface.
Turning his back on them, he let out a deep sigh. He looked o
ut toward the ocean as he spoke. “I have seen this once before Zara, with your mother, this strange surge of power, then sickness.” Turning, he looked Zara in the eye, his face a shade paler. “The day we found out she was pregnant.”
The air was knocked out of her lungs. “What are you talking about Aaron?” she said on a nervous laugh, glancing at Dimitri. “My grandmother already told me that all the Trinity women get pregnant at age twenty-five. I’m not supposed to be pregnant for seven more years according to our history.” Her heart raced with emotions she couldn’t name.
“No one could know how things would be for you, Zara. You are the prophesized one, the one we have all been waiting for. For all we know, the traditions of the past two hundred years ended when you were born. For all we know.” He paused and looked toward Dimitri. “If you were with a man you could get pregnant,” he said with a raised eyebrow in question and his fists balled at his sides.
“This cannot be,” Dimitri said on a whispered breath, paling before their eyes. Holding Zara’s hand, he didn’t try to hide the fear and worry in his eyes. They had only been together one time, could this really be happening? Knowing he was the last person on Earth that should ever be a father, look at all the things he had done.
“Aaron, we need to be sure. Can you sneak out and go get a test? No one else here can know about this.” She cast a determined looked from Aaron to Dimitri.
For a moment, she thought she saw a glimmer of hope behind Dimitri’s worried eyes. It made her heart swell, but she was too fearful at the moment to focus. What if his small glimmer of hope was that she may not be pregnant? She needed to find out for sure. Surely this cannot be happening, she whispered quietly to herself.
Chapter 36
A few hours and three pregnancy tests later silence filled the room; Zara was pregnant. Sitting in the bathroom, watching her fourth test turn positive, she tried calling on her mother or grandmother, but neither one came to her and she didn’t know why. Standing on shaky legs, slowly emerging from the bathroom in a zombielike state, she walked toward the bed.
“That one was positive too,” she said, sitting down next to Dimitri.
Absentmindedly, Zara placed her hand protectively over her stomach as she stared out toward the ocean. Glancing back toward Dimitri, she noticed the worried look on his face. It was getting close to nightfall and Zara longed to be alone to talk with him. Looking up at Aaron with a pleading look, hoping he understood, it must have worked as he quickly excused himself. Knowing his head must have been swirling with many thoughts and mixed emotions of his own.
Before the door had completely closed behind Aaron, Dimitri was kneeling in front of her, taking her hands in his. His striking crystal blue eyes took her breath away as they held so many emotions. Tears brimmed along the edges of his long dark lashes, threatening to fall. His strong hands held hers tenderly while he told her how much he loved her.
Running her fingers over his hair, she noticed it had grown longer. “What’s going through your mind, Dimitri?” she asked, a bit nervous, but she could also feel excitement radiating off him. Looking down at him, she caressed his cheek, awaiting his response.
“Zara, this is something I would have never dreamed of. Until meeting you, this is something I probably would have never wanted before. To think of having a child is terrifying, but to think of having a child with you fills me with so much love and happiness, I’m overwhelmed. I’m scared too, I don’t know what kind of father I would be, but I do know in my heart that we were meant to find each other, to be together.” He had never felt more alive and happier.
Held captive by his eyes that seemed to see straight into her soul, she knew, they were meant to find each other. Something in the way the Trinity women had encouraged her to trust him, they must have known. Her grandmother even said he was a part of her destiny in some way. Nervous, she had no clue how to be a mother and she was just getting started on her own, trying to figure out her life.
Standing, so he could crawl onto the bed beside her, needing to be close to her. He leaned in to kiss her and she felt a sudden desire ignite in her heart, a yearning, she needed this closeness with him as well. Rolling Dimitri onto his back, she stared down at him with a heated gaze that shot straight through him. Feeling his strength build beneath her, she leaned down to kiss him again, she wanted him, needed him.
Fueled by desire, she made quick work of his shirt and pants before leaning back to take off her own clothes. Lying back on the bed, Dimitri stared up at her, his eyes wide with shock at her sudden assertiveness, yet his body quivered with a need of its own. Watching as Zara slowly crept back up the bed, leaving a trail of kisses up his muscled abs and chest to his neck and lips. Hovering over him, she was barely able to contain the urge to possess him. Somewhere in the mix of all their emotions, they both wanted, needed, to lose themselves in one another.
Smiling down at him, a golden spark glinting in her eyes, she slowly took him inside her. For a brief moment they stared at one another with the unspoken knowledge that they were one and would be forever. Moving slowly at first, she braced her hands against his hard dark muscled chest. This intimacy was still so new to her, but she could not believe the pleasure pulsing through her body. Moving quicker now, lost in his crystal blue eyes, she took all he would give her. His strong, muscled hands gripped tighter around her hips, he was about to erupt. She too was climbing toward a release of her own, stronger than anything she had felt before.
“Oh, Dimitri,” she said, leaning her head back, biting her lip to conceal her scream. A surge of power ripped through her body as she climaxed, blowing out the glass in the French doors and at the back of the room. She heard a loud splash as if the water in the pool had shot up and out the sides of the pool.
Dimitri heard her name spill from his lips as he exploded into her. Pulling her down against him, he held her tightly in a strong protective embrace. A silent vow that he would be there for her no matter what the future held for them.
“Zara, I love you,” he said as their breathing slowed. “We may not have all the answers, but I know as long as we have each other everything will turn out the way it was meant to.” Holding her tight, he kissed the top of her head, knowing that he would give his life to protect her should it ever come to that.
Zara could not remember ever feeling so loved, so safe. She rolled over next to him with her head on his chest and they held one another until they both fell asleep.
Early in the morning, a knock on the door startled them. Before Zara was fully awake Dimitri was out of bed and opening the door. It was Aaron, but the look on his face sent worry spiking through her veins.
Seeing the anxiety in Zara’s eyes, likely mirroring his own, Aaron could feel the energy in the room change. Stepping into the room he noticed the French doors against the back wall with the glass blown out of them. Casting a quick, curious look at Dimitri he raised a brow. Avoiding eye contact with Aaron, Dimitri threw his hands up, claiming innocence as he headed to the bathroom for a shower.
“What is it, Aaron?” Zara asked concerned, trying to calm her worry about the look on his face.
“Zara, there is something I need to share with you, about your mother.”
As he spoke, she realized he was holding a small book. It looked old and faded, a thick leather journal of some kind. Pulling a chair over to the side of the bed, he collapsed into it with a resigned sigh. He saw her looking at the journal and took a steadying breath, reminding himself that he was about to do the right thing.
“Zara, I loved your mother. We were friends at a young age as we both grew up here. We did everything together. I knew when I was young that I would be assigned as her Protector.” Glancing around the room, he said, “Being here has brought back so many memories. I think I pushed it all away because it hurt too much.” Looking Zara in the eyes, he continued, “I’m sorry I haven’t talked about her more all these years. You deserved to know more about her. She loved it here, Zara, she loved being in t
he ocean more than anyone I had ever seen.” Smiling to himself, he could visualize a memory of Isabella laughing and splashing him.
“She came to me one night and said we had to leave. I was confused, but knew I needed to follow her. She told me she had been visited by Lozen, the first of the Trinity line, and that you would be the prophesized one. I never doubted her for a minute. We packed our things and left here right away. She had already found the home in Tennessee where we were moving to, it was all planned out. She must have known about it for a while and I never even realized. Isabella said that Lozen Trinity had visited her several times and that she knew what needed to be done.”
Staring, her mouth open and eyes wide, she was unable to believe all that Aaron was sharing with her after all these years. “What did Lozen tell her to do?” Zara asked.
Fighting tears, he stared at the floor. “She told her about you, about the kind of power you would be able to wield. Power that you were going to need in order to defeat the evil invading humanity.” Looking back up, he stared Zara in the eyes. “Lozen told your mother what she needed to do in order to ensure that you would have all the power possible from her and all the Trinity women before her.” Pulling out a paper that was folded inside the small fragile book, he said, “This letter is what your mother left for me the night she took her own life.”
Zara’s heart ached, desperate for all the information she could get about her mother, about her life. “Can I read it?” she asked, trying to process all that she was hearing. Hesitating only a brief moment, he held the letter out to her. Taking it softly into her shaking hands she read.