“Yes, that will be refreshing.”
“I can finally be just me, Liz—royalty, as it should be.”
Charles glanced over. “I’m so sorry I made you pretend to be Princess Gloria, but I only did that to save your life.”
“She knows it’s not your fault,” I said.
“I still grieve for her,” Liz said.
Charles swallowed past the lump in his throat. “She was a beautiful woman, and we’ll never forget her.”
“My first proposal will be to eliminate mandatory executions for humans who become immortal. We will study each case on an individual basis.”
“Mandatory executions?” my mother asked, looking worried.
“Yes. As the law stands now, Sarah should’ve been executed.”
“Then a veto is definitely in order,” Mom said.
“I agree, and I have the power to do so.”
“Also,” Liz interjected, “an immortal should be allowed to marry a human, as long as that human is willing to accept immortality. Maybe cases could be presented to the council. If the couple is deemed worthy, the marriage can proceed.”
“A few immortals have secretly courted humans,” Charles said. “They are devastated when their mate dies. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Liz, so I went against all the rules and made her immortal. We should be given that option.”
“There are definitely changes to be made,” I said.
We finally parked the car and hiked to the cave through the dark. Victor led the way, and we stopped to rest so my mom and dad could catch their breath. When we reached the cave, I could feel the energy from other immortals.
“I feel it,” Charles said.
“They’re trying to follow us to the portal,” I said, “to learn where our world is.”
“They’re too close,” Liz said. “We’ll never get that door open in time.”
Victor motioned to the left. “We can circle around and lose them.”
Suddenly, a familiar voice asked, “Did you think you can lose me that easy?”
“Jackson!” I said. “But what—”
“You left without saying goodbye,” he said, in a tone that held no friendliness.
Chapter 33
“We lived up to our end of the deal. I fulfilled my obligation and wanted to get the hell out of this world.”
His gaze narrowed. “I can’t let you leave.”
“These goons have us surrounded!” Dad yelled as Jackson’s men closed in around us.
Victor shifted into a fighting stance, and two red fireballs emerged from his hands.
“Wait,” Jackson said. “You didn’t even let me finish. I can’t let you leave...without me.”
I looked at him in complete disbelief. “What?”
“You will be slaughtered there without our help. I’ve foreseen it. As I see it, I owe you. Without you, I would’ve never gained control of this world. You have no idea what you did for humanity or our own race. You’ll be remembered as heroes.”
“What are you saying, Jackson?” I asked.
“I’m saying I am going to help you, whether your stubborn husband likes it or not. We will accompany you on the initial sweep and take their numbers down. We will not stay for the duration of what promises to be a long and exciting war, but we’ll give you the push you need to win. I need you to gather as many as immortals as you can to help in this fight.”
“But there will be casualties, son,” my father said, “as there are in any war.”
“You have no idea how powerful we truly are. We can install powerful shields around our bodies that will sustain anything Ethano and his men can throw at us. We’re not afraid of him. Not one of our warriors will fall, and we will all come home safely.”
“But don’t they need you here?” my mom asked.
“Countless trustworthy souls have swept into action. They can take care of things here until I return. I’ve delegated responsibilities to everyone, and I don’t plan to be away for too long.”
My mother looked at me and shook her head. “It’s a trick,” she said. “He is just trying to see where Victor’s world is.”
“You still don’t trust me?” Jackson said, sounding genuinely hurt. “Not only did Sarah restore my world, but she also gave me the shirt off her back and helped me when I was wounded in Egypt. I owe her everything. When I saw, in my vision, that she would be slaughtered, I realized I have to do what I can to stop it.” He looked at me. “Sarah, we spent a little bit of time alone, became friends. You know I don’t want to see anything happen to you. My stomach turns at the sight of your death.”
“How does it happen?” I asked.
“Ethano cuts your throat in front of your baby when you refuse his advances,” he said.
“And where is Victor while all this is going on?”
“He’s dies the second your throat is slashed. Alexander is never the same, as Ethano raises him. There is an apocalypse of epic proportions. I want to help you save yourselves and your world, Sarah. If we step in now and wipe out Ethano, we can change the future, but you can’t do it by yourselves. You need my help. I swear to you that I will never step foot into your world once I leave.”
“White Coyote said you can be trusted,” I said. “I didn’t believe him before, but now I know it to be the truth.”
“I’m the most honorable man you’ll ever meet. I can’t let you leave, let you wander off to your deaths. I’m a fighter. Let me help you win this war.”
I met his gaze. “That’s quite admirable, Jackson, but I know there has to be more to it than that. You wouldn’t leave your newly established world, not this soon, just to save my life.”
“I do want to help you and Victor, but yes, I seek something in return.”
“A payback for a payback, huh? I knew it. State your terms.”
“I want my spell book back.”
“The one Ethano has in his possession?” Victor said.
“Yes. If I help you defeat him you will give the book to me, to bring back to this world. It was in my family for generations, until it was stolen and taken into your world.”
“That book must be some kind of bestseller,” I said. “Why do you want it so badly?”
“It’s been in my family for—”
I shook my head. “Don’t play with me, Jackson. It’s not just some sentimental heirloom. If you want our help, you need to be straightforward and honest. Why do you want it?”
“Teleportation.”
“Don’t you have enough powers?” I asked.
He shifted his stance. “More importantly, what if Ethano figures out how to do the teleportation spell?”
“Gosh, sis, he’s right,” Liz said. “Last thing we need is Ethano being able to ask Scottie to beam him up.”
“Wow, Liz. You really are a Trekkie,” I said with a short-lived smile. I looked over at Victor and asked, “Do you know what’s in the book?”
“No. My father said it contained spells, but he did not put much stock in them. Ethano’s mother acted as if it was just a trinket, a souvenir to help her remember her home world.”
“Then Ethano doesn’t know?” I said.
“I’m sure he doesn’t.”
“We need to get the book from him,” Jackson said, “before he puts it to good use.”
Victor nodded. “Very well. Help me conquer Ethano, and I shall give you the book and safely escort you to the portal so you can return here...for good.”
He bowed. “We have a deal, King Victor.”
I held out my hand. “Welcome to the winning team.”
“It’s great to join you, my Queen.”
Liz cleared her throat, as if she was tired of being ignored by her lowly subjects.
Smiling, Jackson walked over to her and kissed her hand. “I’m glad we can work together, Princess.”
She smiled.
He then strolled over to Charles. “I’m at your beck and call, Majesty.”
Charles shook his hand. “We cannot triumph witho
ut you. You have my most utmost respect and gratitude. Thank you, Jackson.”
Charles activated the portal while we talked to Jackson about our mutual expectations. I assumed Charles did so because he didn’t want Jackson to know how to open the door, not that he could have anyway, without a ruby ring. He motioned us in.
I took one long look behind me, silently bid my old world farewell, then stepped through.
“It’s daylight,” Jackson said.
“Our worlds are on opposite time scales,” Charles said.
A howl screeched through the air, and Jackson frowned. “What the hell is that?”
“The guardians,” my father said. “We need to move fast!”
“We need to use invisibility,” I said. “It’s a good thing we’ve been practicing!” I closed my eyes and tapped into the power to make me invisible from whatever might harm us. We grabbed my parents’ hands, and they became invisible as well.
We walked through the forest, until we reached the border, where we knew we’d be safe. When we came to a meadow, Victor thought it’d be the perfect place for us to camp out for a bit.
“We need to find King William,” Victor said.
“That will be like finding a needle in a haystack,” Charles said. “He could be anywhere.”
Victor peered at him. “He would never join an alliance with Ethano. I’m sure he’s built up a rebel camp somewhere.”
“I wonder if my mother made it over here. If she didn’t, she will be powerless, like all the blue-ringed immortals.”
“Della said she wasn’t coming back here,” Victor said.
“I know, and that’s what scares me.”
“Any idea where your father would hide?” Victor asked.
“Not anywhere around here,” Charles said. “He’d be in Dornia.”
“Perhaps we can find some of my old comrades,” Victor said.
I peered at Victor. “We’re on the outskirts of Tastia, in your old stomping grounds.”
“Yes, and I have many allies here.” He looked at Jackson’s men. “We must make haste.”
“Wait! I want to go with you,” I said, pulling Victor off to the side so we could talk.
He pushed a strand of hair from my face. “I need you to stay here with Alexander, until I can make sure it is safe for you. Some of my old cohorts are...very dangerous, and I have to determine whose side they are on. Unfortunately, there are turncoats among them, and I won’t put you and Alexander in any more danger.”
“Just hurry, Victor. We only have Jackson for a short time.”
“He will not be able to flee early. He does not own a ruby ring.”
“Don’t hold him here against his will,” I said. “There’s no telling what he’d do. Just find out what’s going on and who is on your side, and then we’ll make our attack plans. As you said, we must make haste.”
“I might need a day or two. Will you be okay?”
“Yes. Stay inconspicuous. We can’t have Ethano finding out we are here. We need to strike when he least expects it.”
“I’ll gather an army, discuss a battle plan. We will hit hard and strike fast.”
“Be careful, baby.”
He kissed my lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He then kissed Alexander’s head. “I love you too, my son.”
I smiled. “Goodbye, my love.”
“Goodbye.”
I held Alexander close. My heart skipped a beat as the love of my life walked into the forest with Jackson and some of his men.
“They’ll be okay,” Liz assured me. “I’m more worried for anyone who ticks them off.”
“True. It’d be like going against a small army of superheroes.”
“Maybe we should have taken Ethano on sooner, before he had a chance to grow stronger.”
“We wouldn’t have had Jackson and his men. Without them, we would’ve been slaughtered.”
“So fate worked it all out?”
I smiled. “I think so.”
I breastfed my son, then changed his diaper. He loved being out in the fresh air and giggled at the chirping birds. I tried not to worry for Victor’s safety, but that was easier said than done. When it came to Ethano, I couldn’t put anything past him.
I glanced down at Alexander, looking deeply into his blue eyes. “Your daddy is gonna be just fine,” I said to him as well as myself. “He loves us and will fight for our home.”
“Is that reassurance more for you or more for him?” Liz asked.
“Me.”
“Stop worrying,” she said.
“I’m trying. You think Mom threw any Prozac in that bag?”
“Very funny, sis.”
My son looked at me. He was so happy and alert. I touched his face and smiled. That little baby, a replica of his father, was my world, and I loved him like nobody else. Alexander had our unconditional love, always and forever.
“Ah-ah-ah...oh-oh-oh,” he cooed adorably.
His grunts, sighs, and gurgles were music to my ears. I looked into his eyes, brought him close, and cooed back. I matched him coo for coo and couldn’t wait for the day he would call us by name.
“How does it feel to be back home?” I asked Liz.
“It feels like I never left. I just wish I could go back to my castle.”
“Do you think Charles’s cousins are still there, holding down the fort?”
“I’m sure they didn’t put up any fight against Ethano.”
“I’m sure Victor’s brothers didn’t either.”
That night, some of Victor’s knights came and escorted us to a house in an abandoned village. I was thankful that they were on our side, but I also had a nagging feeling that they might report it to Ethano at any given moment.
Three days passed without any sign of Victor, but I wasn’t worried. He kept in touch with me using the bond of the ruby ring. From what he told me, people were eager to revolt against Ethano, and Victor had many warriors on his side. Ethano had become a ruthless tyrant in the small amount of time we were gone. Some said he was worse than his and Victor’s father, but I wasn’t sure that was possible.
When Victor finally arrived, I jumped into his arms.
“I missed you so much, my love,” he said.
“Are things going well?”
“Yes. We should have our kingdom back in no time.”
“That’s great news.”
“Where’s Alexander?” he asked.
“Sleeping.”
I walked Victor into our baby’s makeshift nursery.
He stroked his back. “My precious little one,” he said, smiling.
My mom walked in. “He’s sound asleep. Why don’t you two spend a little time together?”
“Yeah, we’ve got this under control,” my dad said.
I smiled and kissed Alexander. “A little alone time sounds nice to me,” I said.
“I know the perfect place,” he said.
In a nearby meadow, his lips lowered on mine. “Your mother is very wise.”
I smiled. “Yes, she is.”
He laid down a blanket, and I cuddled up next to him. He wrapped his arm around me. I loved being held in his strong arms.
“How does it feel to be home?” I asked.
He stared up at the stars. “I am not sure. I am different somehow. I don’t think I will ever see things the same way again.”
I smiled. “It must have been quite a culture shock.”
“Yes, but I am glad I experienced your world. I am happy to be back though. I felt a strong pull to return here to Tastia, to the place I call home. Back in your world, I felt incomplete, restless. I missed a good hunt and goblets of ale with all the knights, all that music from instruments instead of machines. They were my brothers, my comrades. I missed my family and the familiarity of it all. I missed my kingdom, my castle. I know I belong here, above all other places.”
“I’m just glad we found our way back home.”
“I’m s
o glad you consider this your home.”
“Now and forever.”
“The stars are so much brighter here,” he said.
“Clean, crisp air, with no pollution to hide the stars.”
“The twinkling stars shine bright like diamonds, as if welcoming us home.”
“It’s so...romantic.”
“How so?”
“I’ve lived through high adventure, met my hero, my knight in shining armor, in a world I was never supposed to find. My king comes from a rare breed of chivalry and fights for the woman he loves. He’s mysterious and has supernatural powers.”
He smiled. “It is a love story fit for a queen.”
I continued, “You’re brave and loyal and live by a code of honor. We’re a real king and queen, with a castle for a home. I feel like I’m in a fairytale, and you’re my Prince Charming.”
He stroked my back. “I knew the second I laid eyes on you that I would be a lovesick knight until I held you in my arms.”
“I always thought I was unlucky in love,” I said, “but I know now that I wasn’t. Fate was just making sure I ended up in the right arms.”
“I’d been waiting for you for centuries, my love.”
“Now, our little Alexander is gonna grow up to be a wonderful man, who loves and adores his family. He won’t create the apocalypse Jackson saw in his visions. We’re going to change that vision, big time. I swear to you that we’ll defeat Ethano and get our kingdom back. We will enjoy a long, happy life.”
“I will not let Ethano off the hook so easily this time,” Victor said. “I will stomp on him like the snake he is.”
“Not if I beat you to it...and I brought my stilettos with me!”
To be continued...
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Eternal Flame - Book 6 (The Ruby Ring Saga) Page 23