King's Crusade (Seventeen)

by Starrling, AD

  Although she sensed his disapproval of her relationship with Jackson, Alexa felt there was more to his silence than petty punishment for her actions.

  It was another hour before they heard the distant roar of a vehicle approaching from the east. Seconds later, a black Jaguar XK120 roadster appeared from under a line of trees and raced toward them.

  The vehicle rolled to a smoothly controlled stop thirty feet from the jet. As Alexa admired the lines of the immaculate vintage car, the doors opened, and a couple stepped out.

  The woman wore a thick coat with the collar turned up against the blustery wind blowing across the airfield. Knee-high boots covered her legs and ended just beneath the hem of a woolen dress that hung perfectly on her slender frame. Her chestnut colored hair tumbled in soft curls around her face and past her shoulders. As she walked toward them, her alluring, olive-green eyes studied them neutrally from beneath thick eyelashes.

  A genuine smile parted her lips when she spotted Reznak. That simple act transformed her face from beautiful to stunning.

  Alexa’s gaze switched to the man who strolled at her side. She stiffened. Although the woman was unknown to her, she recognized her companion. Schmidt, Carrington, and Reznak’s bodyguards tensed behind her godfather. The Crovirs undoubtedly knew the identity of the male figure heading their way.

  He was as tall as Jackson and had short, black hair that curled slightly at the collar of his bomber jacket. Black jeans encased his long legs, the ends tucked inside a pair of practical boots. His blue eyes were a shade darker than Jackson’s. His body was lean and his face as striking as the woman beside him.

  ‘Lucas Soul,’ murmured Schmidt warily.

  Reznak frowned at the Crovir Hunter. ‘He’s a friend.’

  The woman with the green eyes ignored the exchange as she stopped in front of Reznak. ‘Dimitri. It’s good to see you again,’ she said in a soft voice underscored by a thin veneer of steel. She rose on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

  ‘Anna,’ Reznak acknowledged with a warm smile. He nodded cordially at the man. ‘Lucas.’

  Lucas Soul, once the most hunted man in the history of the two immortal societies, inclined his head briefly and murmured, ‘Dimitri’ in a steady voice.

  ‘I’m sorry to trouble you,’ said Reznak, a contrite grimace flashing across his face. ‘And in the days before your wedding as well.’

  Alexa glanced at the simple yet exquisitely detailed engagement ring on the woman’s left hand.

  ‘Will you be able to make it?’ asked the woman called Anna. ‘It was a pretty impromptu decision,’ she admitted with a sheepish smile. ‘Pierre and Solange only arrived two days ago. It’ll be a small ceremony.’

  ‘I would love to be there, but I’m afraid the matter at hand requires all my attention,’ said Reznak. His eyes brightened slightly. ‘Will Victor be in attendance?’

  ‘He’s walking me down the aisle,’ said Anna, golden speckles dancing in her eyes.

  Sadness flooded Reznak’s face, much to Alexa’s surprise. ‘I’m glad. Tomas would have wanted it so,’ said her godfather quietly.

  Anna smiled and nodded, her green eyes glittering with a sudden, wet sheen.

  ‘I take it Reid’s going to be best man?’ asked Reznak, turning an enquiring stare at the quiet, blue-eyed man.

  A wry grin flashed across Lucas Soul’s face and softened his features. ‘He threatened to shoot me if I didn’t ask him,’ he said.

  Reznak laughed out loud.

  Alexa was startled at how relaxed he seemed in the presence of the two immortals. Her godfather was only ever this carefree in the company of people he trusted unconditionally. There was a hidden history between the three that she did not know of.

  ‘I really wish I could come, truly,’ said Reznak. His expression grew sober. ‘Unfortunately, there are schemes afoot that may have far-reaching implications for the immortal societies.’

  He introduced the couple to the group. Alexa noted how he carefully abstained from revealing her identity as his goddaughter. A frown dawned on her face when he started updating the two immortals with the unsettling events of the last week.

  Soul’s eyes grew still and Anna listened intently while Reznak spoke. From what Alexa gleaned of their discussion, the pair already knew of the caves in Egypt and the extraordinary contents Reznak had discovered within.

  Jackson watched silently, his curious stare shifting from Schmidt’s increasingly strained face and Carrington’s cautious countenance to the couple’s contrastingly composed demeanors. Though the Harvard professor seemed aware of the tension coursing through the two Crovirs, he remained quiet.

  Yonten stood frozen at Alexa’s side. The strangest expression unfolded across his features as he stared at the two immortals. It took her a couple of seconds to grasp the emotions on the monk’s face: it displayed deep-seated reverence mixed with awe.

  Schmidt finally spoke, interrupting Reznak. ‘Should you really be telling them all of this?’ he asked harshly. ‘Some of this information is privy only to the highest members of our Councils.’

  Reznak turned and looked at the Crovir Hunter with cold eyes. ‘Anna Godard is the granddaughter of Tomas Godard, the previous Head of the Bastian Hunters and the leader of the Bastian race. She is one of the highest-born immortal nobles in existence today,’ he said. He glanced at Soul. ‘Though they have yet to accept the offer, both Anna and Lucas have been invited to be members of the Crovir and Bastian Councils. As far as I’m concerned, they have the same security clearance as any individual in our First Council.’

  Schmidt looked dumbfounded at Reznak’s words. He stared at the immortal couple with newfound, albeit begrudged respect in his eyes.

  Alexa was similarly surprised at her godfather’s revelations. She could not suppress the scowl that flashed across her face; the number of secrets Reznak had kept from her seemed to be escalating with the passage of each new day. She sensed a steady stare on her face.

  Lucas Soul was appraising her with a carefully blank expression. Although he stood completely motionless with his arms relaxed by his sides, the quiet, understated power in his gaze ruffled her raw nerves.

  In all the centuries that she had served as an agent of the Crovir First Council, Alexa had never been ordered to hunt and kill Soul. She had always suspected Reznak of having had a hand in bringing about that strange state of affairs, quite likely because of the fearsome reputation of the man who stood watching her silently.

  Soul was the only immortal in the extensive history of the two races who could truly kill another immortal, with a single strike at that. It mattered not if it was their first or fifteenth death. If the weapon that he wielded had a direct physical connection between his body and their heart, he would shatter their entire existence in one fell swoop.

  Anna Godard glanced at Soul before looking at Alexa. Although the same understated power emanated from her green eyes, they also contained a wealth of compassion and empathy that overshadowed her undeniable strength.

  Alexa blinked. The woman had just given her a gentle, knowing smile.

  ‘Be still, warrior,’ said a quiet voice at her side. Alexa looked at Yonten. The monk’s eyes did not shift from the couple. ‘They are not your enemies.’

  Though his words dampened the hunter’s thrill humming through her veins, Alexa could not help but discern another meaning behind them. Was the monk suggesting that she would not be the winner in a battle with either of the two immortals?

  Her gaze flickered back to the blue-eyed man. For the first time since he’d stepped out of the car, she detected an emotion she had not picked up on before in his expression.

  Lucas Soul was at peace with himself and the world around him.

  The stab of envy that flashed through her consciousness shocked her to the core. Her
jaw clenched instinctively and her body reflexively tightened for battle.

  Jackson took a step toward her, anxiety evident in his eyes. Reznak looked at her stiffly.

  Alexa ground her teeth together and inhaled shallowly. A heartbeat later, she answered the unspoken question in her godfather’s stare with a brief nod. She had her emotions under control once more.

  Relief replaced the concern in Reznak’s eyes. He took the laptop from Carrington and typed briefly on the keyboard. A moment later, the image of the sun cross pendant appeared on the monitor.

  Anna Godard grew pale as she stared at the display. Her hand fluttered to her neck. Something glittered under her fingertips in the harsh sunlight. She pulled the collar of her coat aside and brought out a thick, intricately designed sun cross pendant suspended on a fine chain. It was the mirror image of the one on the screen.

  Jackson gasped and strode forward. ‘May I?’ he breathed, stopping in front of Anna. His eyes never left the gold pendant at the base of her throat.

  She hesitated for a brief moment before unclasping the necklace and dropping it in his hand.

  They all watched silently while the Harvard professor examined the sparkling relic in his palm. Alexa heard his breath catch in his throat.

  ‘Do you know how old this is?’ he asked, his eyes focused on the complex motif engraved in the gold.

  Alexa was probably the only one who detected the slight tremor in his voice. She stared at the pendant, a flash of intuition darting through her mind.

  Anna shook her head, her dark locks swinging around her face. ‘I’m not certain, but I suspect probably fifteen centuries or so,’ she said hesitantly. ‘It belonged to my father. I believe it has been passed down through the generations in his family.’

  Reznak gazed at Jackson with a guarded expression. ‘What is it?’

  The Harvard professor looked at him blindly. ‘This pendant is at least 4,000 years old,’ he said hoarsely.

  The shock that coursed through the group was almost palpable.

  ‘Are you sure?’ gasped Anna.

  Jackson nodded. ‘There are symbols on here that stem from the original Sumerian language,’ he said in a stronger, more confident voice. ‘Although it would be impossible to prove without physically seeing it, I suspect the pendant stolen from Yonten’s monastery is also from that period of history. But I don’t think the two artifacts are identical,’ he added, cocking his head at the image on the computer monitor. ‘There are subtle differences, even from examining the picture.’ He stared thoughtfully at the relic in his hand. ‘I would have to analyze this in an archaeological lab to be certain.’

  Reznak’s gaze shifted briefly to Anna Godard. ‘I don’t think that would be possible—’ he started to say.

  ‘Wait, Dimitri,’ said Anna quietly. She turned and looked questioningly at Soul.

  The immortal feared by so many others stepped forward and entwined his fingers with hers. ‘I’m happy with whatever you decide,’ he murmured.

  ‘It’s as much your legacy as it is mine,’ said Anna softly.

  Soul smiled at the woman in front of him, making Alexa realize once more how staggeringly attractive he was. ‘Will the pendant help you find and stop this sect?’ he asked bluntly, his gaze switching to the Harvard professor.

  ‘Yes, I believe so,’ Jackson replied with a firm nod.

  ‘Then I agree with Anna’s decision,’ said Soul. ‘We will leave the pendant in your care.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ said Reznak incredulously, staring at the two immortals. ‘That pendant is a priceless family heirloom.’

  Soul shrugged. ‘Whatever is going on here sounds pretty serious. All we ask is that you keep it safe.’ His eyes met Alexa’s for a fraction of a second, and she knew beyond a doubt that his request had been directed at her.

  The couple dismissed Reznak’s profusely expressed gratitude with quiet smiles and bade their goodbyes. Soul paused by the door of the vintage car. ‘Dimitri?’ he called out.

  ‘Yes?’ said Reznak.

  ‘Give us a call if you need a hand,’ said Soul. He dipped his head at Alexa and Jackson, and flashed a brief grin at Yonten. ‘Say hello to the Abbot for me.’

  The monk bowed solemnly as the immortal climbed inside the roadster. A second later, the Jaguar spun round and bolted down the tarmac.

  ‘He’s as crazy behind the wheel as you are,’ said Jackson.

  Alexa stared until the vehicle disappeared in the shadows beneath the trees. It was dawning on her that she had more in common with Lucas Soul than she would care to admit.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  They were airborne minutes later, headed east into Europe. Schmidt stayed back in Paris at the request of the Order of the Hunters; he had been assigned another mission by the First Council.

  Carrington kept Fawkes company in the cockpit for most of the flight. Reznak and Jackson sat at one of the tables and engaged in an animated discussion about the pendant and the Emerald Tablet.

  Alexa stared at the sea of clouds drifting outside the aircraft through the porthole next to her seat. Her fingers absentmindedly drummed a beat on the arm support as she puzzled over the flash of jealousy that had shot through her in Soul’s presence.

  She had always thought herself reasonably content with her existence over the last three hundred years. Her missions for the First Council fulfilled some of her hunger for the excitement that came with a hunt, and she engaged in enough adrenaline-filled outdoor and competitive combat sports on the side to temper her craving for danger. She was also wealthy enough to live in luxury for another ten mortal lifetimes and never lacked for willing partners to satisfy her physical needs.

  Yet she had never realized there was something missing from her life until she saw the expression in Soul’s eyes.

  Alexa had not detected any bitterness or animosity in his gaze, feelings that should righteously be his after the centuries of torment he had suffered at the hands of the two immortal societies. She was only dimly aware of his history, but ever since she started to walk the halls of the Councils, she had heard of his deaths at the hands of the Hunters. The savage excitement that coursed through the higher echelons of Crovir society at having bested the dangerous immortal was evident for days after the deed.

  She knew of the concept of immortal soulmates. Very much like human soulmates, they were individuals who were destined by fate to spend their many lives together. It took some several lifetimes to find their other halves, and not every immortal was successful in the task.

  She had not been curious about the notion or even considered it with regard to her own self until she saw the two immortals today.

  There was no doubt in her mind that they completed each other perfectly, not just physically and emotionally, but on a higher, supernatural level. The combined strength afforded by their union was subtlety evident in the way they stood, moved, and even spoke. Although Alexa sensed that they were individually very powerful, together they seemed invincible.

  Her gaze shifted to Jackson. Desire coiled inside her almost instantly. The fact that they were physically compatible was undeniable, yet she sensed there was more to her passion for the man than mere lust.

  Yonten opened his eyes and gazed at her silently from the other side of the cabin. Alexa frowned faintly at his expression. She had the uncanny suspicion the monk could read her mind.

  Less than two hours after it left Paris, the jet landed in the middle of a blizzard at a former military airport outside the city of Ceske Budejovice, in the South Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. Two black Mercedes four-by-fours sat waiting on the edge of the tarmac where the jet rolled to a stop. The vehicles’ roofs were already buried under a three-inch-thick blanket of snow. A pair of hard-faced, silent drivers bundled in thick winter coats stood impassively next to the car
s.

  Jackson winced at the icy rain and sleet that pelted his face when he stepped off the plane. Yonten skipped down the steps past him, bare arms exposed to the harsh winter conditions. Jackson stared at the monk.

  A smile dawned on Reznak’s face at the Harvard professor’s expression. ‘It can get pretty cold in northern Tibet,’ said the Crovir noble.

  ‘I know that,’ said Jackson darkly. ‘Still, I get the feeling the yak milk may have gotten to his brain.’

  Alexa climbed into the welcoming warmth of the first vehicle behind Jackson, Yonten, and Reznak. Fawkes joined Carrington and the two bodyguards in the second vehicle, and the convoy rapidly got under way.

  ‘Where are we going?’ asked Jackson. He stared curiously out of the window.

  ‘To my estate,’ replied Reznak.

  ‘I thought we were heading for your lab,’ said Jackson, raising his eyebrows.

  ‘It’s on the grounds of the property.’

  Alexa gazed silently at the snow-covered fields that stretched out to the low hills undulating across the horizon. The occasional bare tree punctuated the barren landscape, dark branches rising starkly against the white backdrop.

  Frozen streams and abandoned logging mills dotted the sparsely populated countryside as the four-by-fours headed toward the mountainous ridge soaring to the west. The gradient grew steeper, and ice-covered snow patches appeared on the freeway. The vehicles’ snow tires gripped the frosty asphalt securely as they negotiated the tortuous roads that wound through the foothills of the looming peaks. Spruce and pine trees loomed out of the gray vista, their boughs heavy with the fresh snowfall. They drove through tunnels of towering trunks, the rays of the sun filtered to an eerie twilight by the branches above them.