Of Gods and Goddesses: Book 3 (Lords and Commoners Series)

by Lynne Hill-Clark

  “Valentina! Are you coming?” he asked the empty hallway. No answer. The doors to the elevator opened and he had to go. He hoped she would be able to get out. His head swam with thoughts about what this would mean for Vallachia. Valentina is alive. How can that be?

  The elevator buttons indicated that it was ten stories up to the ground level. A surveillance camera hung in the top corner of the elevator. Elda’s probably already spotted me. Elijah jumped, grabbed the camera, ripped it from its holder and crushed it on the floor. He looked around for a way out of the elevator. I’m vulnerable in this damn metal box.

  Elijah broke a roof panel and leapt onto the top of the elevator. An alarm sounded and the elevator came to a screeching halt. He almost lost his balance but quickly recovered. He moved to the thin ledge of the nearest door frame. Up he went leaping one floor at a time until he reached the door marked ‘ground level’. The shaft continued upward for many more stories.

  They will be looking for me on the ground level. Elijah made one more jump to the second story opening. He began to slowly pull the elevator doors apart, which required breaking them. The doors moaned in protest. The sounds of metal grinding against metal mixed with voices below. Someone was prying the ground level doors apart.

  A glance down revealed the barrel of a gun. A man in the elevator door below scanned the shaft. Elijah pulled with all his strength. Bullets whizzed past. The doors came apart enough for him to squeeze through. He took off at a full run across the second story, looking for a window. All he knew was that he had to get out of the building. It appeared to be normal business offices on this level.

  Elijah caught a glimpse of sunlight from a window ahead. He did not slow his pace as he ran straight for it. Using his arm to protect his face, he jumped through the glass. He landed on his feet on the street below. The sound of glass shattering on pavement was followed by startled screams from onlookers.

  A woman coming out of the main entrance pointed her gun at Elijah. “Stop!” she ordered.

  Elijah was gone in a flash. He swerved as the sound of gunfire rang out. He looked around for any sign of where he was. The building he had been held beneath had a large sign that read Pittman’s Laboratory Industries.

  The woman was a good shoot. Elijah was a fast-moving target, but not fast enough for vampire eyes. She narrowed her eyes down the sight of her gun. She steadied her hands and pulled the trigger. With one well-placed shot she saw blood spray as the bullet found its mark.

  Chapter 17 New York 2020 A.D

  For the first two weeks of endlessly searching the city and surrounding areas, Vallachia had been able to remain hopeful, as Teller had survived that long in Elda’s clutches. Val was at least able to keep the panic from consuming her. But now a month had passed since she'd last seen Elijah. The search parties took shifts and covered every inch of the city. They sneaked into buildings and combed the streets looking for any sign of their king.

  What good is all this if Elda can see them coming, Val thought. But she couldn’t give up. Elijah was missing and they had to do something. She prayed he was not dead. I can’t do this — any of this — without him. It was easily the worst month of her life.

  At first, she was staunch about avoiding Teller but without Elijah to run to, this grew more difficult, as the long days and nights droned on. Eventually Teller caught Vallachia alone in her tent one night.

  She stood to leave.

  “Please, I only want to talk,” Teller said. ‘I promise I will behave. I want to be here for you.”

  This was too good an offer to resist and that was how he got in.

  “I do hate it that we can’t be friends anymore,” Val admitted.

  From that point on, when he was not out searching, they were together. He was a shoulder to lean on — to cry on. He made the waiting and the not knowing somewhat bearable. Val didn’t know if she could have gotten through this without him. He kept her hopes up that they would find Elijah. Still, as time passed things were looking bleak.

  They took strolls around the camp. Teller told Val about his adventures in the Far East. This was fascinating as she had never been. He talked about the friends he’d made over the years, many of whom were now in New York, helping with the search. At this point their camp was bursting with vampires from all over the world.

  Val told him about their travels, mostly around the Americas. She told him about trying to help slaves and fighting for civil rights. She told him of the children that she looked after whenever she could, as they still ran the largest orphanage in the city.

  “Sometimes I think that things never change,” Teller said.

  “How so? The world is a vastly different place than the one we grew up in,” Val said.

  “Is it? During my time as the Prince of Wallachia, I faced all the same issues that politicians face today. I battled a militant Islam. The wealthiest of merchants did not want to pay their fair share of taxes. I dealt with a corrupt yet powerful group of people meddling in politics for their own personal gain. Back in Wallachia we called them the Boyars but today such people would be called the mafia. How best to fight crime and poverty, these are all issues of today and they were all the same issues I faced as a leader in medieval Europe. We haven’t solved any of these problems. You see, the world never truly changes.”

  “Well you did not have to run in an election.”

  “That’s true. That would have been easier.”

  Val laughed. Teller had won the hearts of the people of Wallachia. She was sure he would have been elected by them. Yet, as it was back then, he’d had to marry a princess and then kill her father. So an election very well may have been easier. That princess now went by the name Elda. So Teller killed her father and Elijah killed her love. No wonder Elda is after the two most important men in my life. This thought sent a chill through Val. “We’re in big trouble, aren’t we?” Val whispered. “I mean ... Elda, she truly has reason to hate us and she’s out for revenge.”

  “Aye.” Teller said.

  “I’m sorry if I ever seemed disrespectful to you,” Teller said.

  Val sat curled up in a chair in her tent. She raised her eyebrows at Teller.

  “You have never been a queen to me. You’re my childhood love and my dearest friend. The one who used to play with me in the fields outside our village. I’m sorry for not treating you like the royalty that you are.”

  These memories created a sense of longing. The better part of a millennium had passed since they had been children in Ludus. “I know,” Val said. Not exactly accepting his apology but acknowledging that things were complicated between them. “I’m grateful for your company,” she admitted.

  Teller moved to sit in a chair next to her. His muscular arm rested close by. He wore a short sleeve t-shirt and Val could see part of a tattoo on his bicep. She tilted her head to examine it. He always wore a black leather jacket so this was the first time she noticed his tattoo. “What’s this?” She lifted his shirtsleeve to get a better look. It was the head of a dragon. Not a surprise, she thought.

  “Do you want to see the rest?” he asked.

  “No! That’s not necessary.”

  Teller gave her a mischievous smile. “Come now. I know you’re curious.”

  He stood and pulled his shirt over his head, turning his back to Val. Her lips parted. The head of the dragon started at his upper arm and covered his large shoulder. The serpent’s body twisted and wound its way across his entire broad back. The tail of the beast curved around his waist and ended on his stomach.

  Val was mesmerized. “It’s beautiful,” she breathed. She simply had to touch it. She did not remember standing. Her fingers ran gently across his olive skin. She started at the nose of the dragon on his bicep and slowly ran her hand across the dragon. He flinched at her shocking touch and his muscles tightened as her hand brushed across his skin. She lifted his arm with one hand while she finished tracing the tattoo with the other hand. She ended up standing in front of him with her han
d on his stomach.

  Teller took her hand in his. She let him pull her close. His lips were on hers.

  The pleasure of his touch rushed through her body. This will be like before, the few times he stole a kiss. It is only a … kiss. Val told herself.

  Instead of stopping him — or trying to — Val shut her mind off. She let herself go. She became completely lost in his caress, nothing else mattered — a complete escape.

  Teller pulled her shirt over her head, he stepped back at the sight of her tattoo. His green eyes darkened with anger and his jaw muscles tightened. “The perfect reminder that you are not mine.”

  This helped to bring Val back to reality. She shook her head. Right — not his. Thank God for my tattoo to break the spell, she thought. She took her shirt from his hand and started to put it back on.

  Teller grabbed her arm to stop her. “I don’t care. I know you love him but we were meant to be together. I can make you forget about him.” He pressed his lips and body to hers.

  At his overpowering touch she felt herself slip away once again. There was a voice that screamed for her to stop but soon that part could no longer be heard. She completely let go.

  It was different being with Teller. His touch was determined, strong — even rough. Elijah was always smooth and gentle. Maybe it was the overwhelming sensation between them. It was more than she could stand. When Val closed her eyes, she saw thousands of fish making their way to a giant fiery planet in the darkness. An intense feeling of enlightenment consumed her. For the briefest moment she thought she knew the purpose of life. This visceral experience was overwhelming. So she chose to keep her eyes open and focus on Teller’s bright green eyes.

  One last shudder went through her body. When his heartbeat began to slow — or perhaps it was her own, she was not sure which — she managed to shove Teller off. She rolled away from him. Once he was no longer touching her, she could think again. Thinking brought the tears; soon she was sobbing. What have I done? I can never take this back.

  After a moment Teller put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her and the electric touch was so strong it hurt. Val jolted and would have moved away but the painful sensation disappeared. This was enough to distract her from her sorrow. She gazed at Teller with wide eyes. “What was that?”

  “I don’t know. I have never understood our connection,” he whispered.

  Val put her hand in his, locking their fingers together. The shocking sensation was gone! It was a normal touch. She felt two opposing emotions at the same time. Half of her was relieved and the other half was devastated. Our connection is gone. We are no longer linked — we can finally be free of each other. Perhaps we can move on! Yet, that amazing feeling is gone. We may never feel it again.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I have always loved you. That was never the problem.”

  Teller laid his head on Val’s chest and she ran her fingers through his thick dark hair. That’s how Riddick found them.

  Chapter 18 New York 2020 A.D

  In a blur, Elijah headed north out of the city. He clenched at his side where the bullet had grazed him. He took flight as soon as he could. Elda’s men were nowhere in sight. Perhaps I lost them or perhaps they chose not to pursue me, he thought.

  Elijah easily found the camp that Valentina told him about. This was where Vallachia would be waiting for him. By the time Elijah found the camp he was beginning to think that Valentina had only been a figment of his imagination.

  Riddick was the first to greet Elijah. He looked relieved at first, then concern flashed across his face when he noticed Elijah’s blood-soaked shirt.

  “I’m fine or I will be soon,” Elijah said.

  Riddick gave him a one-armed embrace and a slap on the back. “It’s good to see that you are alive. Vallachia will be relieved. I will let her know you’re back.”

  Samuel appeared at Elijah’s side. The two old friends grabbed one another’s forearms and gave each other a one-armed embrace.

  “Let me have a look at your wound.” Samuel said.

  Riddick lifted the flap to Val’s tent. “Excellent news … shit.” He looked between the lovers for a moment. His eyes narrowed on Val. “The King has returned.”

  Elijah is back! That was all that mattered. Val had to see that he was alive and well. Riddick dropped the tent flap and Val quickly dressed and was gone. She caught up to Riddick and soon spotted Elijah and Samuel. Elijah was in the same clothes she last saw him in, only now they were dirty and torn. His shirt was soaked in blood.

  “He will be fine,” Samuel said.

  Val threw her arms around Elijah’s shoulders.

  Elijah breathed in her scent but all he smelled was … him. Elijah knew in that instant that his nightmares had come true. I’m too late. When Elijah looked into Val’s bright blue eyes, he saw something new — something he had never seen before. It was guilt. Over her shoulder Elijah spotted him — the culprit — the dragon from his nightmares.

  Elijah had always thought that “seeing red” was only a figure of speech — a stupid cliché even. But it was as if the sun had suddenly set. The sky turned a deep red. In fact, everything he saw was shrouded in a blood-red hue.

  Elijah didn’t know if he pushed Val way or if she simply ran off but in an instant Elijah was on top of Teller. His hands were around Teller’s neck. Teller gasped for air when Samuel pulled Elijah off.

  This is only a dream, Elijah thought.

  Days passed and Elijah’s head cleared from the loss of blood and being endlessly drugged. Vallachia, however, was nowhere to be found. Elijah sat at the desk in her tent. He spun her broken cell phone in his hand. Riddick had found it not far from camp. The cover looked like a spiderweb. Someone, most likely Val, had shattered it.

  She obviously wants to be alone. She’ll let the guilt eat her alive. It will destroy her. I have to find her! She never denied her love for Teller. Even in the very beginning she had always made it perfectly clear that she wanted to be with him. When that did not work out and we finally married, I knew that their love was a part of the deal. It is worth it — to be with her. She is worth it. The fact that she loved him doesn’t matter because she also loves me and she chose me. If she were to choose me again then it still wouldn’t matter. I have to tell her that I forgive her, Elijah thought.

  “My Lord,” Riddick said as he entered the tent. “Do you want us to continue the search?”

  “Yes. Find her,” Elijah demanded.

  “Would it not be wise to give her some time, My Lord? She clearly does not want us to follow her.” Riddick gestured to the broken phone.

  “No. That would not be wise. You know she will beat herself up over this — over nothing. I have to get her back.” Elijah put his head in his hands and resisted the urge to scream. If only I could speak with her, I could set everything right.

  “Of course, My Lord. We’ll find her.” Riddick turned to leave.

  “Wait. Is Teller well?”

  “Yes. He’s been confined as you requested.”

  “Bring him to me.”

  With a nod Riddick was gone. When he returned, he brought with him two guards with Teller secured between them. Teller wore heavy iron shackles.

  For a moment Elijah wanted to tighten his fingers around Teller’s neck again. She wouldn’t want that. She wouldn’t want any of this. “Let him go.”

  “My Lord?”

  Elijah glared at Riddick and he quickly unchained Teller.

  Teller stepped forward rubbing his wrists. “Where’s Vallachia?”

  “That is the question. I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on her whereabouts?”

  Teller’s eyes widened. “She’s not here?”

  “She’s been missing since the day I returned. Do you know where she would go?”

  Teller shook his head. “I have no idea. We have to find her! She may be in trouble.”

  Elijah thought that Teller appeared to be telling the truth. He didn’t know
where she was. Elijah nodded in agreement and then waved his hand for Teller to leave. He knows nothing or would tell me nothing of use.

  Elijah couldn’t stand to look at Teller any longer because all he saw was Teller and Vallachia intertwined. This image was enough to bring out the monster inside. If Teller didn’t get out of his sight, Elijah was afraid he might kill him. Then Vallachia would never forgive me. As Teller left, Elijah gestured for Riddick to approach. “Follow him,” Elijah said in a low voice. Then he was alone.

  Chapter 19 New York 2020 A.D

  Vallachia ran. She didn’t care where she was running — it didn’t matter. What did matter was that she got away from the mess she had made. Now I've lost Elijah. I’ve also lost the connection with Teller. I’ve lost everything. I didn’t fully realize that I had so much; now it’s all gone. This is a fitting punishment. I don’t deserve either of them.

  Lost in her miserable thoughts, Val barely stopped in time when the glowing figure of a woman appeared in front of her. The stranger wore a long white dress and there was a faint light that outlined her lean form. Val almost ran into her. She stood directly in front of Val. For a moment Val thought she was looking in a mirror. But the woman was not exactly a mirror image; she looked to be a bit older than Val.

  This must be the woman who saved Teller from Elda. Val stepped away from the woman.

  The woman’s smile was warm. “Come, my darling. It’s time you went away with me.”

  “What?” was all Val managed to get out.

  “My beautiful daughter, it’s time for you to come with me.”

  Val’s head had already been spinning from the events of the day. Now she thought she might black out entirely. “Daughter? That … that can’t be.”

  “We have a lot of catching up to do but for now you must trust me. We have to leave. They’ll be looking for you.”