by Kristie Cook
"I know what happened, but you cannot stay here. They know you are around here somewhere."
"Son of a bitch!" Tristan pounded the counter, cracking the granite countertop. "How?"
"From what I have gathered, a local was drunk in Key West, complaining loudly about how a couple tried to rob him and broke his arm. He described you two perfectly, down to the mark on Alexis's chest." Stefan glanced at me grimly. "They do not know exactly where you are, but they know you are in the Keys and they are looking."
"Alexis, get ready to go. Now," Tristan ordered.
I hurried into the bedroom and threw whatever clothes I could get my hands on into our bags as quickly as my shaking hands allowed. Tristan closed all the shutters and locked up the house. We were on the road in five minutes and in Mom's driveway in two hours.
"I need to see if there's anything left at all," Tristan said, not getting out of the car.
"But I want to—"
"No, it's not safe. You stay here with Sophia." He leaned over and kissed me. "I won't be long."
I sighed with resignation. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he said. "Now go. I'll be right back."
He nudged me and I grabbed our bags and hurried inside. Mom rushed to greet me with open arms. She squeezed me tightly and then pushed me back. Her face looked sick with worry.
"You need to pack just the bare necessities," she said, the words coming in a rush. "We have to get out of here. Just the basics. And be sure to back up your book and wipe out your hard drive."
I gave her a confused look.
"You heard me. We need to go. It's not safe here anymore."
I obeyed. I knew what "bare necessities" meant from previous departures—enough clothes for a couple days and important documents. That was all. I saved two copies of the book on CDs and erased the hard drive. I gave one CD to Mom and put the other in my own purse. We were ready to go by the time Tristan walked in the door. I flew into his arms. I hated being separated from him and he, apparently, hated it, too, because he held me tightly.
"Anything?" I asked.
"No, didn't look like it. I didn't get too close, though. I'm sure it's being watched."
"We need to go now," Mom said. "The Daemoni know about the marriage and your vows to the Amadis and claim it's Provocation. They've given free rein on all Amadis…especially on royalty."
Owen and Stefan burst through the door.
"Tristan, get her out of here!" Stefan barked.
Tristan pulled me out to the car and threw our bags into the tiny trunk space. My heart hammered for the first hundred miles we drove, headed north, as I stared out the window in fear. I imagined demons surrounding us, flying over us, waiting for an opportunity to swoop down and attack. I wondered where we could go for safety. Can we ever get away?
Then deep sadness eclipsed the fear as I closed my eyes and visions of the past year played against my eyelids. It all seemed so innocent and safe. Will we ever have peace again? The tears fell silently as I absently played with the pendant on the chain. Tristan gently squeezed my hand.
"I rushed us right into this mess, didn't I?" I said quietly.
He looked at me. "Don't ever blame yourself for this, Alexis. This started before you were even born."
"I insisted we get married, though."
"It would've happened anyway, whether we married now or ten years from now. The marriage was inevitable…unless they killed us first. So, at least we are married." He squeezed my hand again. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I'd rather fight for us forever than not have an us to fight for."
I kissed his hand and held it against my face.
"I love you more than anything, ma lykita."
"Together forever, right?"
"Absolutely." He smiled and winked at me. I didn't fog over. And that made me sadder.
We drove for hours, stopping only for gas. Finally, a little after midnight and somewhere near the South Carolina-North Carolina line, Tristan turned off the main highway, crisscrossed several country roads and found a small town with a motel. When he pulled in front of the motel office, Mom, Stefan and Owen stepped out of a dark corner. Mom and Stefan stood by the car while Tristan paid for the adjoining rooms and Owen disappeared to place a shield over the entire motel. I still didn't know how he did it—I just took it for granted it was there.
"Anything new?" Tristan asked the others once we were locked inside the rooms. I sat on a bed and pulled my knees to my chest.
"Nothing from Rina," Mom answered.
"There have been a couple of attacks on my people, just because they can," Stefan said. "But the Daemoni are really focused on you two. Fortunately, they do not know where you are. We have been able to sidetrack them, at least for the time being."
"There's still a safe house in Washington?" Tristan asked.
"It's being cleared for us," Mom said.
"We will need to divert them, though," Stefan said. "Go on north, past the safe house, and double-back the long way."
They discussed a watch schedule so everyone could sleep, then Mom, Stefan and Owen went into the other room. Tristan sat on the bed next to me and rummaged through a sack of snack food Mom brought us. How can he eat? He opened a bag of chips and tossed a package of cheese crackers at me. The thought made my stomach lurch. I made a face.
"You need to eat," he said.
"I don't think I can."
"You haven't eaten for over twenty-four hours." He opened the package. I took a couple crackers to make him happy and after eating one, I realized how hungry I actually felt. I devoured the entire package and then started on a candy bar. Just as I swallowed the second bite, my stomach lurched again and I had to run for the bathroom.
"You okay?" Tristan asked when I came back out.
"Just really scared," I admitted.
He held me close in the bed and I trembled in his arms. I woke up once after a nightmare and the room was dark. I was alone in the bed.
"Tristan?" I whispered.
"I'm here, my love. It's okay," he answered from somewhere else in the room. It must have been his turn to keep watch.
I felt Mom climb into the bed next to me. She put her arms around me. I fell back to sleep.
***
"Lexi, ma lykita," Tristan murmured, nuzzling my neck. "You need to wake up."
He picked me up and carried me into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind us. He kissed me fully awake.
"What are you doing?" I asked between kisses.
"We only have thirty minutes and it's been nearly twenty-four hours since I made love to my wife," he said, starting to undress me.
"Now? Here?" Despite the verbal protests, I automatically responded to his touch.
"Just be very careful so we don't break anything. I've already paid in cash."
He turned the water on and we stepped into the shower together. The bathtub was tiny and we had to be careful, so it wasn't nearly as wonderful as it usually was in the shower. But it was real. And it was for us, when everything else was against us. I gave myself to Tristan, not knowing when the next time would be that we could just enjoy each other.
Thirty minutes later, we left the motel. Mom, Stefan and Owen disappeared while Tristan and I drove for hours. I stared out the window, barely noticing the changing landscapes as we sped north, past the Washington, D.C., area, up through northern Maryland and even briefly crossed into Pennsylvania. Every time we stopped for gas, Mom, Stefan and Owen waited for us, as if they'd somehow been following. Mom accompanied me to the bathroom and she didn't say anything, but gave me a knowing look when I vomited every time. My stomach stayed knotted with fear.
In the afternoon, we looped back, dropping down into Northern Virginia. As we had several times already, we exited off the highway to take the back roads, sometimes crossing and retracing our path.
"We're getting close," Tristan finally said at about five in the afternoon.
We were somewhere in Fairfax County, Virginia. T
hough it was only twenty miles from where we lived in Arlington, I didn't know the area. The busy suburbia tapered into a more rural area, with large colonial-style mini-mansions in estate-type subdivisions. Then the subdivisions disappeared and houses were scattered on large acreage lots, thick woods separating them. We turned down a narrow street, sunlight filtering through the trees encroaching both sides.
"Shit," Tristan swore under his breath. The street dead-ended about two hundred yards away.
"Are we lost?" I asked, my voice small with fear. This was the worst time to be lost.
"No." His jaw clenched. "We're surrounded."
My stomach rolled. Vomit shot up my throat and I clamped my hand over my mouth, but it couldn't make it past the huge lump stuck in the passageway. I trembled all over.
"Hang on, ma lykita. Things could get ugly." He slammed on the accelerator.
We tore down the narrow street. I wanted to squeeze my eyes closed before we flew into the wooded dead-end, but my eyelids peeled back, refusing to shut. Just before we reached the end, the trees surrounding us opened into a large meadow. A grand mansion stood toward the back of it. Tristan sped for the structure.
A man suddenly appeared in the meadow, to our left. He turned toward us. Someone else flew out of nowhere, knocking him to the ground. More people started appearing with faint pops. Voices yelled over the Ferrari's engine. They started fighting with each other. The car slid and fish-tailed as Tristan swerved to avoid them. I turned in my seat to watch as we passed.
Some shot unseen powers at their opponents, sending them backwards several yards. They were instantly on their feet, shooting power back at their assailants. Others traded violent blows in hand-to-hand combat. A long object sailed across the window. My head whipped to where it came from. One of the people fighting just lost an arm. But he kept fighting, unfazed.
Holy hell! Who are these people?! I didn't even know who was Amadis and who was the enemy. They all fought viciously, like animals. Is this what it means to be Amadis? Is this what I'm in for the rest of my life? Rina said Amadis were good, full of love, ruled by Heaven. Not this…this repulsive brutality.
The Ferrari abruptly stopped. My hands flew to the dash to brace myself before I sailed head-first through the windshield. The car door flew open. My body left the car seat and air rushed by. Then I was suddenly set on my feet inside the mansion. Owen stood next to me and Tristan appeared right behind us. My stomach heaved.
"Bathroom!" I bellowed. Another rush of air and I stood in front of a porcelain toilet. I leaned over and puked. Then my knees buckled as I fell to the floor, my body shaking violently.
"It's okay, honey. You're safe now," Mom said, pressing a cool, wet washcloth against my forehead. I had no response.
Eventually the trembling stopped and I tentatively stood. Mom led me down the hall to a dark living room filled with antique furniture. The curtains were drawn tightly shut, but I could still hear fighting outside. Rina rose from a wing-backed chair to my right and opened her arms wide.
"Alexis, my poor dear," she said. Her power washed over me as she embraced me. "Ah, a baby…or two?"
I stepped back and stared at her. Mom frowned and nodded. A baby? Or two? Tristan appeared in the doorway behind Rina. His brows momentarily furrowed, then he smiled at me, his eyes sparkling. For two beats. Then the smile disappeared.
He took my hand and led me through the doorway, into a library. Books lined the shelves, floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall. At each corner of the room sat a pair of chairs with a small wooden table between them, a reading lamp on each table. They were all lit, the only light in the room as there were no windows. Tristan took me over to one of these sitting areas and pushed me down into a leather chair.
"I need to talk to you," he said, kneeling in front of me to look me in the eye.
An ominous feeling brushed my shoulders and slid down my spine. I narrowed my eyes. "I don't think I'm going to like this."
"No, you're not. I hate it myself." His eyes were dark, the gold sparkle from just a few minutes ago gone. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I need to go out there."
"What?! No!"
"I can put an end to it, Lexi."
Of course he can. Nobody can beat him. But I shook my head.
"You can't go fight! What if you don't come…back?" I choked on the last word, my voice cracking as I spit it out.
"I may not have to fight. They just need to see proof I've given myself to you and the Amadis and that I am truly part of the royal family."
"Oh." My chest loosened from the grip of panic. "Well, that's not so bad. Let's give them proof. What do we do?"
I searched his face and he looked away from me for a moment, then back into my eyes. He pulled the collar of his shirt down to expose the Amadis mark.
"They have to see it for themselves," he said grimly. "They've set a meeting place for me to meet Lucas."
Chapter 26
Lucas—the sperm donor, now their most powerful warrior.
"Absolutely not!"
"Lexi, it's the only way."
"It's a trap, Tristan! You can't go to them!"
"I know it's a trap. But if I don't go, they'll continue to fight and attack. They'll continue to hunt us. I put everyone's lives in danger."
I shook my head. Tears spilled. "No! You can't do this!"
I threw my arms around him, thinking if I held him tight enough, he couldn't go.
"I have to," he said. "I've made a vow to you and the Amadis that I would lay my life down for you."
"You also vowed you would never leave me! They're going to t-t-take you or…k-k-kill you!"
He grabbed my upper arms and pushed me back so he could look into my eyes. I quivered in his hands.
"They can't take me down, Lex, remember that. They don't know how to kill me."
"Then they'll take you away!"
"Nothing will keep me from you, my love. I will come back to you." He pulled me back into his arms. "And then we can be together in peace."
I pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "Then take me with you if you're that confident. If they stop fighting, then there's no danger, right? And if it's a trap, like we know it is, we can at least be together."
"Absolutely not!" he growled angrily.
I stood up and strode around the room. "See! You don't know for sure this will work! You don't know that you'll come back. They don't want us together, Tristan, unless we're with them. If they're going to get you, they're getting me, too!"
"Stop the nonsense!" He grabbed me by the arms again. "You have to stay here, no matter what happens. You have a purpose and you have to do it for the Amadis."
"But I need you!" I cried. "I can't do it without you. I can't live without you!"
I fell against him and sobbed. He held me, stroking my hair.
"You won't have to live without me," he said softly. "I will come back to you. Nothing can stop me. But I have to do this. For the Amadis. For you. For us."
I cried in his arms. My gut told me this was it. Once I let him go, I had no idea if I'd ever see him again. I held his face in my hands and looked into his eyes.
"Promise me," I whispered. "Promise you'll come back."
"I promise," he said firmly. "I can't live in this world without you, Alexis. I promise I'll be back, no matter what happens. I will come back to you."
He sealed the promise with a kiss, loving yet urgent…like it was one of our last.
Then he took my necklace off, stood up and fished something out of his jeans pocket. He thread a small key onto the chain and clasped the chain back around my neck.
"Guard this with your life," he said. "This is literally the key to our future."
I nodded as I held the key and the pendant in my hand. He pulled an envelope out of his back pocket and handed it to me.
"Keep this in a safe place, too. There are copies, but you should have this."
"But you're coming right back," I said firmly.
"Yes.
I'm just taking precautions." He nuzzled his face against my neck as he rubbed his hand over my lower abdomen. "You stay safe. You're carrying precious cargo."
I nodded, more tears flowing. He leaned down and kissed my currently flat belly.
"You need to come back for all of us," I whispered. "We need you."
"I will. I promise you." He crushed his lips to mine. I only hoped I could communicate just a small portion of the love I had for him, because there was too much to be held in just one kiss. Too much for all the kisses in the world.
He pulled me by the hand back into the other room, where Mom, Rina, Solomon, Owen and Stefan stood. They all turned toward us, their faces bleak.
"Ready, Tristan?" Stefan asked.
Tristan nodded stiffly. My resolve fell.
"No!" I cried. "Please, don't! Please, Tristan! Don't leave me!"
He hugged me again and I clung to him.
"Please, don't…" I sobbed. "I love you too much."
"I'll be back. I promise." He kissed me one last time and I looked at him, into those adoring hazel eyes, memorizing his beautiful face. I inhaled deeply, taking in his scent—mangos and papayas, lime and sage, and a hint of man—capturing it to memory. He smiled sadly and I clung to his last words. "I love you, ma lykita."
"I love you, my sweet Tristan."
He took me by the shoulders and gently pushed me into Mom's arms. Then the men left the room, leaving us three women to do nothing but worry. When they opened the front door, fighting sounds filled the air. The window rattled loudly as something hit it.
"Down to the shelter," Rina said to Mom. I reluctantly followed them. As we passed through the foyer, I glanced through the still-open door and saw Tristan several steps ahead of the others, leading them out to battle.
"No!" I yelled. I ran for the front door. Tristan's hand flicked and the door slammed shut just as I reached it. I banged my fists against it. "No! I have to watch! I need to know what's going on!"
My feet left the ground and the air rushed past me again. Rina carried me, speeding down a hallway, then down several flights of stairs. I struggled in her arms, but she was unbelievably strong. She finally stopped, setting me down in a small room with concrete walls, lit by a single lamp dangling from the center of the ceiling. Mom pushed the concrete door closed, securing it with a large, wooden beam across the center. Four maroon recliners, each with a blanket folded over its back, and a coffee table furnished the room. Shelves full of food and jugs of water lined one wall. A toilet sat in a corner and a sink was bolted to the wall next to it. The three of us could easily stay here for three days. I certainly hoped that wasn't the plan. I couldn't wait three hours to see Tristan again, to know he was safe.