Eternal Hearts

by Jennifer Turner

  “So where’s the best place to start?”

  “Why don’t you go get your sword taken care of and I’ll go talk to Murdoch? He may have some new info, or at least some ideas on what Stryker might be trying to accomplish, if she’s even the one behind all this. Give me your cell number and I’ll call you when I’m done. Then we’ll meet back up and go check out the zoo together.”

  Toni rattled off her number and waited until Dominic entered it into his phone before she asked, “What happens if the werewolves are at the zoo when we get there?”

  “I don’t think they will be. I think they only used the zoo as a way into the city. After a day or so, I bet they were long gone and not a damn person who saw them at the zoo even remembers they were there. If Stryker’s got something to do with this, a lot of people won’t remember shit. Tech’s are known for mind tricks.”

  She grabbed Dominic’s arm when he headed for the door. “Promise me you’ll be careful and not start any trouble while you’re out.”

  His mouth twisted into a devious smile as he flung the door open and stepped out into the hallway. “I’d promise, but I don’t lie to people I love.”

  Toni watched the door close and sucked in yet another deep breath. Dominic may have been a little rough around the edges, but he was still very much her big brother.

  Chapter 20

  Toni parked her car in the driveway of a nice but weathered cabin on the far southern outskirts of the city. She stared up at a curl of thick white smoke billowing from the backyard then frowned.

  She really hoped she was in the right place, because if she wasn’t – she had no clue where she was supposed to be. She’d driven up and down the creepy overgrown street three times, once she’d finally found it hidden between a mass of snow covered trees, and this place appeared to be the only livable home in sight.

  It wasn’t until after she’d gotten out of the car and slowly made her way past the cabin that she realized the smoke was coming from the chimney of a rather large building. Reminiscent of a barn, it was made of stone and had two huge wooden doors cracked open on the side.

  She smiled when she noted the closer she moved to the building, the warmer the air around her became. And now that she really looked around, there wasn’t any snow within fifty to sixty feet of the place. Curious as to the reason why, she reached out and touched the wall, but jerked her hand back when the dark stones seared her fingertips.

  She stared up at the doors. It had to be like a sauna in there, and all she could picture was some burly medieval man with a handlebar moustache and arms bigger than her thighs. Sweat would be pouring off his brow as he banged a hammer against a piece of glowing red steel.

  She smiled to herself. Okay, maybe Dominic was right…maybe she had seen too many movies.

  But when Toni slipped between the doors and stepped into the large room her jaw nearly hit the floor. The man standing across the room definitely had a medieval look, but there was no crazy handlebar moustache.

  Tall with a thick, very muscular build, his long silvered hair was pulled into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck. He stood bare-chested, wearing an odd looking pair of brown leather pants that disappeared into an even stranger looking pair of boots.

  His hard features appeared hawkish and weathered, much like the cabin she assumed he lived in. She tilted her head as she stared at him. Handsome didn’t seem appropriate. Regal, yes, but not like Christian. The man before her, whose narrowed eyes were focused intently on the glowing red steel in his bare hands, wasn’t polished like the Lord of Chicago. He was older, both in look and the power she felt radiating from him.

  She frowned. She couldn’t find the right word, couldn’t lock on whatever it was that made him seem so commanding, so…

  “Ancient.”

  She shivered as his deep, resonating voice filled the room, charging the air around her. Yup, that was the one. That was the word she couldn’t find.

  He considered the steel in his hands for a moment before his voice enveloped her again. “Robert told me to expect a beautiful young woman this night, possessing eyes the hue of fired amber.” He raised his eyes to stare into hers. “You must be Toni.”

  She nodded. “Yes…are you…Molenyar?”

  The corners of his mouth, which was framed by a moustache and a beard just as silvered as his hair, tipped up slightly. “That’s the name I etch into my blades.”

  Toni pulled her eyes away from him and glanced around the room. She felt like she’d stepped back in time. Everything, even the few chairs against the far wall, looked old. Granted, they didn’t appear to be nearly as old as their owner, but they looked ancient nonetheless.

  She focused her attention back on Molenyar just in time to watch him form the end of the red-hot steel into a razor sharp point with his fingers. How in the world could he do that?

  “You’ve never seen someone craft a blade before?”

  She shook her head. “No. Especially not like that.”

  He raised a chiseled arm and motioned to the wall behind her. “What type of weapon do you feel suits you best?”

  She turned around and stared wide eyed at the wall. She’d been so stunned by the man working near the fire, she hadn’t even noticed it. Covered from floor to ceiling, wall to wall, were swords and other kinds of weapons she’d never seen before.

  She moved closer to the wall and carefully studied each of the blades. The craftsmanship was amazing, but the fine details on some of them were absolutely unbelievable.

  “With a small stature such as yours, I’d advise returning to where the blades begin.” Even though she knew he was behind her, it felt like he was all around her when he spoke. “The blades you’re viewing at the present moment are made for a man standing no less than six feet six inches. They also weigh far more than you’re able to carry.”

  Toni cast a glance back at him over her shoulder, brow firmly arched. “How do you know how much I can pick up?”

  “The power of my blood allows me to not only see, but sense it in your stance. Far superior to any human female you may be, but I surmise you’d find it taxing on yourself and the Veil should you choose to wield a three hundred pound blade.”

  She turned back to the wall. “What? Three hundred pounds? They really weigh that much?”

  “Some weigh more, some less.”

  Toni stilled and straightened as a tingling sensation crawled across her skin, followed by the warming and rushing of her blood. She gasped and sucked in a mouthful of searing air when she felt an unexpected pounding in her chest. It started slow and hard, but picked up and lightened as each second passed.

  She stared down at her chest. She could see the rhythmic pulsing just above her left breast. Her heart was beating. Her heart was beating again and Drake wasn’t anywhere near her.

  Closing her eyes, Toni forced herself to calm while her body, the best she could tell, went totally haywire. It didn’t hurt, but at the same time, it didn’t necessarily feel all that good either. It also sent terror screaming through every cell in her body.

  “It knows.”

  She looked up when she not only heard, but felt Molenyar next to her. “What do you mean?”

  He smiled. “You belong to me, and your blood knows.”

  She stepped away and narrowed her eyes as anger she didn’t really feel exploded in her blood. “I don’t belong to you. I don’t…I don’t belong to anyone!”

  His smile faded, but only slightly. “I am the second eldest of the Warrior line, Toni. No matter how many years may separate us, your blood is still mine. Her depth of emotion is still ours. We will always share, and shall forever be, part of something much larger than ourselves.”

  All at once, Toni felt a cool, serene calm wash over her. She had no clue what just happened, and didn’t understand why she’d gotten mad when she really wasn’t.

  She stared up at Molenyar. If he was who he said he was, the last thing she should’ve ever done was yell at him. “Sorry. I di
dn’t mean to yell at you. I don’t know…”

  “Your blood recognized mine, and in turn grew excited.” When she frowned, he raised a hand. “It’s not the same as becoming aroused. The magical properties in your blood became excited. It happens when a Fledgling comes into contact with a true Ancient.”

  Confusion replaced his proposed excitement. “But Clint’s an Ancient and so is Derek. It didn’t happen when I met them.” She paused for a moment when she recalled what he’d said earlier. “And what did you mean by ‘Her depth of emotion is ours’?”

  He smiled again. “Clint and Derek may be old, even Ancient in terms of years they’ve spent awake and walking. However, they have much to learn and much to see before they can truly be considered Ancient.” He rested a hand on her shoulder, which immediately warmed and tingled from the contact. “I apologize if my proximity bothered you. I only meant to give you this.” He reached up, removed a katana from the wall and held it out towards her. “This blade suits you. It once belonged to a Japanese Princess who fancied herself a fighter.”

  Toni took the blade and tested the weight, completely oblivious to the fact he hadn’t answered her entire question. She was more focused on how much lighter the blade was than she’d expected, and how well it fit in her hand. As her eyes followed the line of the edge, she noticed a group of symbols faintly etched into the metal. “What do the marks mean?”

  “The Princess resigned herself to the life of a warrior after her family was murdered by a rival family. She sought me out, recounted her tale of betrayal and how she’d chosen the road of revenge, thus I engraved the sigils for revenge and death into the blade itself. Unfortunately, before she was able to carry it into battle, she met her end. The blade has never been used. To this day, its purpose remains unfulfilled.”

  Toni traced the symbols with her fingertips. She knew the painful, all consuming feeling of losing her family, and also knew just what it felt like not to get revenge. “How did she die?”

  “Days before she was to lead her army into battle, she was captured by a member of the rival family. Instead of allowing them the satisfaction of ending her life, she took it herself.”

  Toni shook her head. “She was a brave woman.”

  “I’m not an advocate of suicide, yet I think in her case I would agree with you. In her situation, she was given no option for an honorable fight. She found herself alone, unarmed, and chose the best option she was presented with to deny her captures what they sought most, knowing they would murder her, or far worse.”

  A chill ran the length of Toni’s spine as she considered the blade. If she had to use it on the werewolves or Stryker, either way she’d get some kind of revenge. Revenge on Stryker for selling out her family, and the werewolves for killing Alexander.

  She studied the blade for another moment then nodded. “I’ll take it. How much do I owe you?”

  He waved a large hand. “I require nothing more than a promise. Swear to me you’ll only draw the blade when you truly mean it…and it’s yours.”

  “I promise.” She sheathed the blade and smiled up at him when she realized he was watching her. “Did I do something wrong?”

  His gray eyes took on a distant, almost glassy sheen. “While I can’t tell you exactly what will happen, I ask that you be cautious, Toni. This…situation you’ve found yourself in…isn’t by mere chance. It has been orchestrated by those you cannot see, those I pray you never meet.”

  She frowned when his eyes flashed a bright shade of blue before changing back to their normal color. “Is something bad gonna happen to me?”

  He turned, walked back to the fire and picked up the still glowing piece of steel he’d been holding before. “Truthfully, I do not know. I wish you well in your battle, Toni Tutoro, Fledgling of the Warrior line.”

  Sensing he had nothing more to say, Toni nodded at him. “Thanks for the sword, Molenyar. Have a good night.” When he gave a curt nod then went back to working, she slipped between the doors and headed back to her car.

  Toni hadn’t even gotten the car door fully open before her cell phone started vibrating its way toward the edge of the passenger seat. She slid the katana into the backseat, dropped down into the driver’s seat, and then picked up the phone. “Yeah?”

  “I just finished talking to Murdoch,” Dominic growled in her ear. “Meet me back at the hotel as soon as you can.”

  “What’s wrong? Why do you sound so pissed?”

  “I got some new information. We’ve got more dogs.”

  She tipped her head back against the seat and groaned. “More?”

  “Yeah, it’s a fuckin’ kibble party.”

  “Great. Okay, I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

  “See ya then.”

  Toni stared down at her phone when it clicked before she could say goodbye. Her brother didn’t sound overly happy. But then again, so far, he’d yet to actually sound happy.

  She considered the last couple hours of her life as she started her car. Dominic really didn’t smile much, either. But in his defense, his life hadn’t been exactly easy. Apparently, that was something else they shared.

  When life gets you down, drive faster. Toni nodded in response to her thoughts. After pulling out of the driveway, she shifted her car into drive and slammed her foot down on the gas. As she sped back towards the city of Chicago proper, she couldn’t help but to wonder if her brother drove fast, too.

  ***

  “Is there anything else I can do for you, Drake?”

  Drake smiled at Lisa, who stood near the table by the front door with her hands planted firmly on her hips, shooting him a motherly glare. “No, you’ve done a great job. Everything looks awesome. I can’t believe how much better you made it look. I wasn’t sure how the whole maid thing worked when I called, but I really appreciate everything you did.”

  She smiled at him. “Not a problem, Honey. Would you like to set up something a little more regular? I can have a maid who cooks stop by one…maybe seven times a week?”

  Drake caught his bottom lip between his teeth. “Yeah, there were a few pizza boxes weren’t there?”

  She brushed a speck of dust from her shoulder. “More like sixty, if you want the truth.” He thought he’d almost escaped it, but up flew her index finger, which she then shook in his general direction. “You should eat healthier food, Drake. No man can survive on pizza and beer alone.”

  He laughed at that. She knew damn well what he could survive on. “Let me talk to Toni and see what she wants to do. I plan on asking her to move in with me as soon as she finishes up the task Locke put her on.”

  Lisa lowered her accusing finger as she burst into an ear to ear grin. “I heard you were finally taking the big step. Congratulations!”

  “Thanks. I just hope she likes the place.”

  She flashed a knowing smile. “I’m sure she will. I had a long talk last night with your…” She trailed off when a gust of icy cold wind blasted through the room.

  Drake chuckled when Odin suddenly appeared a few feet away from Lisa. “And here Raze was worried you got yourself stuck in the Triangle again.”

  Odin grinned. “Oh, hell, no. I’m not going back there again. At least…not by myself anyway.” He straightened when Lisa picked her purse up from the table. “Uh, I’m not wearing armor…it’s just a black suit. My eyes aren’t blacked-out either, they’re blue. I look just like any normal guy you’d see on the street, so you don’t need to think about me later.”

  Lisa slung her purse over her shoulder then reached out and patted Odin’s arm. “Whatever makes you feel better at the end of the day, Honey.” She smiled as she blew Drake a kiss. “I think I’ll leave you and your friend here alone. Have a good night, Babe.”

  “You too, Lisa,” he said as she stepped around Odin and headed out the door.

  Drake burst out laughing when the door closed and Odin’s head jerked from side to side, as if he thought the entire place would crumble at any moment. “She just
left, Drake. That woman just left and my Jedi mind tricks didn’t work on her. Oh…that’s so not good.”

  Drave waved at him. “Don’t worry about Lisa, man. She’s cool.”

  Odin cocked his head. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. You’re good. So where ya been?”

  He scanned the room again, but this time it looked more like he expected someone to jump out of the shadows and grab him. “I’m not really supposed to be here right now,” he said in a much quieter voice than usual, “but Dad wasn’t looking so I snuck out. I just wanted to tell you that you really need to keep an eye on Toni, because she’s about to—”

  “Odin, you need to leave right now,” a very familiar and commanding voice scolded from the dark hallway a few feet to Odin’s left. “You know damn well you’re not supposed to be here.”

  “But Justin…somebody needs to tell him!” Odin argued, much the way a child would about going to bed early. “And he’s my friend…I can’t just sit back and not say anything!”

  Drake stared between Odin, and his own Dad when he stepped out of the shadows at the end of the hall. “What the hell are you two talking about? What’s going on with Toni now?”

  “Odin, get out.”

  “But Justin—”

  “No, Odin. Go home before I tell your Sire where you’re at. We both know what he’ll do if he catches you interfering with this, which is exactly why he locked you in the castle in the first place.”

  “Fine…but I’ll remember this, Justin.” Odin had no more than spit the words out when yet another blast of cold wind raced across the room.

  When Odin disappeared, Drake glared over at the man who, if someone didn’t know them, they might mistake for his twin brother, save the black moustache and goatee speckled with gray. “What the fuck is going on?”

  “Watch your mouth, Drake.”