by Julia Mills
“Did touching the mind of your fýlakas tis kardís mou feel as if you had known her before? Or at least met in another life or time?”
“No, nothing like that. It was an easy acquaintance, one that was meant to be, but something completely new, like a breath of fresh air.” Viktor had paused then asked, “Why?”
Not sure how or if he should answer, Achilles did as he had always done and jumped in head first. “I don’t really know how to explain it. I know without a doubt that Juliette is only a few weeks old. I felt the spark in my heart and soul the moment she drew her first breath, but it’s as if…” He stopped, walked across the room and looked out across the snowy mountain tops before continuing, “It goes beyond the feeling of completion or just knowing she is the keeper of my heart, it is a deeper connection that I hadn’t thought I would feel until she was older and we had actually met.”
Stepping to his side, Viktor narrowed his gaze and asked with a tone Achilles remembered from many a battlefield, “Have you had contact with your fýlakas tis kardís mou’s mother?”
Chuckling, the archer had to admit he wasn’t surprised by the question. Of all the Kings of the Blood he was the one most likely to test the limit of every boundary, but in this case he had adhered to the letter of Zeus’ law. “No, Commander, on my honor, I swear I have had no contact with either Mr. or Mrs. Bakoyannis.”
He could feel his Unum, the first of their kind, the one man the mighty Zeus trusted to command his warriors, pushing into his conscious, assuring that Achilles had indeed kept his word and stayed away from his mate’s family. When Viktor was satisfied, he gave a single nod before saying, “I must admit I am proud of you and quite surprised. You are not known for your…ah…shall we say patience.”
The corners of the Commander’s mouth curved into a grin. “I understand how hard it must have been for you to stay away.” Viktor looked out the window before taking a drink from his glass and continuing, “I admit to being shocked and somewhat skeptical when you told me of your dream and the knowledge of your mate’s kin. Even Zeus himself questioned its validity, chalking it up to folly but as we have seen, you were truly blessed by a visit from the Charite, Pasithea, and the prophecy you were shown has come to pass.”
Viktor stared at the snow-covered gardens. Achilles could feel the depth of his Commander’s thoughts and waited for what was to come. Never one to disappoint, the Unum turned to the archer, put his hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Roman and I have always known you were destined for great things. I believe now, more than ever, that your mate is an integral part of that plan.” The Commander’s grip tightened for just a moment then he added, “All I ask is that you fight your nature to leap before you look and be patient, Achilles. Great things are to come. Of this you can be sure.”
Despite the dire situation he was faced with, Lee had to smile. He hadn’t thought about that conversation with his Unum for a very long time. Of course, over the years he had been less than patient, some would say petulant, and had disobeyed nearly every direct order he’d been given but it had been for a good cause…Juliette.
He couldn’t explain it, didn’t want to analyze it. He just knew it was a matter of fact that he, above all the other Kings, shared a bond that defied even Zeus’ explanation, with the keeper of his heart. He knew the other men loved their mates, would die for them, were pining away for the day they could hold them in their arms, but it was different with Juliette.
She was embedded deep within, not only his heart and his soul, but every fiber of his being, every molecule of his body, every thought, every breath. She was the one thing in all the world that sustained him as no other ever could. Lee had no doubt that he could survive weeks, days, maybe even months without food but there was no way he could make it longer than a moment without his Juliette.
Over the years and during the many, many, many lectures he’d received from every single one of his brothers, the archer had tried to explain this to them. Their answers had always been the same. They had claimed to understand, said they were feeling the same thing, and commiserated with him, but in the end, condemned him for not showing restraint. That was how he’d known what he felt for Juliette, the indescribable way their souls had immediately blended, was far different from what the others felt for their mates. Not better, only different and uniquely more powerful.
He thought about the time in Egypt when he’d used the pretense of being on assignment for Katsaros Industries, Viktor’s tech company, as a cover story for following Juliette. As usual, Roman, as well as Viktor, caught him red-handed but not before he had actually locked eyes with the keeper of his heart.
The impact had been nothing short of earth-shattering, the recognition instant and without fault. The feeling of complete and total bliss, indescribable and absolutely without a doubt what Lee wanted to experience every day of his life for the rest of time. But as usual, his phone had rung, he had blinked and Juliette had disappeared in the crowds of people cluttering the marketplace. That time he’d been so close to her that they had connected on a level so deep that he knew immediately the soul lying within the beautiful body of his mate was so much more, so much older, so much more intuitive than any other he had ever encountered.
He’d tried to explain it to Bain, who as usual, told the archer he’d lost his mind. After that, Lee had stopped talking to any of them about his mate and simply waited until the day she would finally come to him and thank the gods it had finally happened, but oh what a ride his Juliette was taking him on.
Just about to give up on the ‘waiting and watching’, Lee had just opened his eyes when four little words turned his entire world on its side.
“I knew you’d come…”
Juliette’s voice floating through his mind was the only motivation the King would ever need. She had finally spoken first, made that all important first contact. She was his fýlakis tis kardís mou and she needed his help. There were no other questions to be asked. Jumping off the bed and nearly tripping over his own feet, the archer answered, “Of course, agápi mou, I’d follow you anywhere. Are you alright?”
The long moments of silence that followed had Achilles pacing as he kept watch on the bond waiting for a response from his mate. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Juliette answered, “As well as I can be.” There was another pause. Lee barely took a breath until she continued, “It’s my team I’m really worried about. They were about a hundred feet from me when the earth started to move. I tried to run to them but the force of the landslide was too much. I haven’t heard a sound except for the machinery overhead.”
Unsure what to do, needing to be by her side instead of on a plane over a gods damned ocean, the archer unconsciously growled, “I need to be there. I cannot trust this to anyone else.”
“Yes, you can and you will. You are Achilles Giannopolous and you can do anything.” Not only her conviction but the actual words that Juliette spoke shocked the King and had him immediately asking, “And how do you know my full name? Wait…how did you call to me? Why are you not freaking out right now? What the hell is going on, Juliette?”
His questions were met with silence and for a brief moment the King feared he had said too much and scared her away. Just about to speak, he stopped as his mate said, “Now is not the time, but suffice it to say, we are both much more than we seem.”
She cleared her throat. He could feel her tension coupled with fear and immediately felt like a complete ass for firing unneeded questions at her. He should be comforting her not interrogating her. “I’m so sorry. I have no excuse for my actions. Blame it on my fear. You are right, we have a lot to talk about, but right now, you need to conserve your strength and oxygen.” He softened his voice even more, “Know that I am thinking of you and I will be there just as quickly as I can to supervise your rescue and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
He could feel the smile in her voice as she responded, “I never had a doubt.” The light in his soul
, the one he associated with Juliette, burned brighter as she added, “Just be safe and…” But her words were cut off as a blood-curdling scream burst through his mind and the light he had been so focused on instantly blinked on and off several times before dimming.
Screaming both in his mind and out loud, Lee roared, “JULIETTE!”
Pulling open the door that separated the bedroom cabin from the rest of the plane, he bellowed, “Bain! Help! Something’s happened…AGAIN!”
Chapter Four
“What do you mean we still have three hours until we land?” Lee roared while pacing the length of the jet and running his hands through his hair. “She doesn’t have that long. I can’t contact her. What if there was another cave-in? What if she ran out of air? What if…”
“What if you just calm down and stop thinking of worst case scenarios?” Bain stood right in front of him, arms crossed with his patented scowl on his face. “You are doing no one, especially your mate, any good by panicking.” The older, wiser King put his hands on Lee’s shoulders and looked him right in the eye. “Can you still feel her?” Removing his right hand from the archer’s shoulder he pointed to Achilles’ chest.
“Yes.” Lee blew out the breath he’d been holding.
“Do you still see the light in your soul?”
“Yes, but…”
The same index finger that had been pointing at his heart was now straight in the air and Bain was slowly shaking his head. “I am not asking for explanations or suppositions, yes or no will suffice.”
Lee thought about punching his brother in the nose but knew from experience, Bain could take a punch and come right back with several of his own, so the archer only nodded for the larger King to continue.
“Did the foremen of the dig crew say the land was still stable?”
“Yes.”
“Did he tell you that he would call if there was the even the slightest change?”
“Yes.
“Then you need to sit down, calm down and be ready to hit the ground running when we land.”
Angry at his brother’s rational thinking, Lee was contemplating a witty comeback when his cell phone began to ring. Pulling it from his pants pocket at the speed of light, he hit the green button on the screen and bellowed, “Yes, hello? Any news?”
“I can see you are handling the situation with your usual calm, cool, collected persona.” Roman’s smirk could be heard through the phone making the archer’s fist close tight around his phone.
Unable to speak, Lee thrust the device into Bain’s hand and turned on his heel, stalking towards the cockpit. Using the enhanced hearing given to him upon his rebirth, he listened to the conversation between the two Kings.
“How is he holding up?” Roman asked.
“As well as can be expected. Did you find out anything new?”
“Only that they have to be extremely careful not to remove too much dirt at one time for fear of triggering another landslide. The outlook from the National Weather Service is on our side, at least for the time being. The radar shows no more rain for forty-eight hours.” There was a slight pause and then the dreaded question. “Has he been able to make contact with Juliette at all?”
“No, nothing.” Bain’s answer was resolute.
“And do we have any idea how he is communicating with her before the mating is complete?” His mentor sounded more intrigued than condemning.
“Not a clue. It is just as it has always been with him. The unexplainable and unimaginable are every day occurrences.” Bain turned and gave Lee a half-smile letting the archer know he was well aware that he was listening.
“That is what I told Viktor yet again, but you know our fearless leader, he is worried we are simply awaiting the wrath of Zeus.” Roman sounded more entertained than upset.
“Rightfully so, although to be honest, I have a feeling the Father of the Gods needs to look in his own backyard for what is happening with our brother.” Bain’s voice had taken on a speculative tone.
“Oh really?”
“Yes. It’s something I have been thinking about for some time. There is absolutely no way either Lee or his Juliette could have made any of this happen, not without help from a magnanimous source. Even if he had broken the rules and made contact, their bond would not be this strong, there would be no mind-to-mind communication and he would have more control over his emotions.” Another look from the bald King with an added nod before Bain added, “As it stands, he is barely holding onto his sanity. The loss of communication and the fluctuation in the strength of their bond have pushed him to the brink.”
“There has been a change in their bond?” Roman now sounded suspicious.
“Yes. I thought Achilles had shared that information with you.” Bain furrowed his brow and slowly shook his head at Lee, mouthing, “Why?” To which the archer could only shrug. He had been out of his mind, not unlike now, when he’d called Roman. Had no clue what he was saying or doing only that he was calling the one man in all the world he had always been able to count on to have all the answers.
Another shake of his head and Bain returned to his conversation just as Roman’s angry response could be heard. “No, he did not.”
“Then I shall explain.” Lee shook his head and sighed as he received another pointed look from his brother. “At the same time Juliette became unresponsive there was a dimming of their bond, followed by several hours of fluctuations. It has since leveled off but has yet to return to its original strength.”
There was a long silence that made Lee even more anxious. It was as if he could feel the wheels turning in his mentor’s head, even with the distance between them. Roman had not been known as one of the best strategists of all times for no reason. He possessed the uncanny ability to see all sides of a complex situation and devise the more feasible plan for victory within minutes.
True to form, the General answered, “I believe this is something we should keep to ourselves for the time being. Of course, I will inform Viktor, but until we have confirmation or at least something more than our gut feelings, I am not inclined to have our Unum open communication with Zeus.”
“Agreed,” came Bain’s quick response, immediately followed by, “I would rather not be wrong, especially when accusing a god or goddess of misdeeds.”
“I pray you have made a mistake but I must admit, you present a convincing case. Please keep me informed and let Achilles know there will be a helicopter waiting when you touch down.”
“I will and thank you.” Bain disconnected the call, took his seat and stared until Lee followed suit.
Tapping his foot on the floor and pounding a frantic beat on the table in front of him, Lee waited exactly three seconds before confessing, “Juliette knew my last name.”
Bain snapped to attention, leaned forward and asked, “What did you say?”
Taking a deep breath and rolling his shoulders to ease a bit of the tension threatening to choke him, Lee reiterated, “Juliette knew my last name.” Then added, “When she spoke to me just before we lost touch.” He paused, wondering if it was the right time then went on, “And she said that we needed to talk because, and I quote, ‘we are both much more than we seem’.”
“And you did not think to tell me this before now.” Bain’s irritation was palpable as he took a deep breath, maintained eye contact and rubbed his temple as if to relieve a headache.
Shrugging, Lee admitted, “It slipped my mind. I was, hell, I am freaked out. My mate is in a hole in the ground in the middle of nowhere and just when I think things might actually be okay, she screams and goes incommunicado. Forgive me, but I hadn’t thought about it until you said something about the gods to Roman.”
“And?” Bain growled.
“And…well, it makes sense. She didn’t say I was more than I seemed, she said we.” He stopped, hoping Bain would comment but when the King only sat staring, Lee sighed and added, “So maybe we’ve been wrong all these centuries, maybe there are more of us.” He jumped to his
feet, unable to sit still any longer and took up pacing the aisle again. “Or if not more Kings, at least more immortal beings.” Turning to face Bain he asked, “Right? That would at least explain what I’ve been telling you guys since I first recognized Juliette.” He stopped beside his brother’s chair. “It’s at least a plausible explanation, isn’t it?”
“Well…yes…I just wish I had known about your conversation when I was speaking to Roman.”
Unsure how to answer and truly needing to focus on getting to Juliette, Achilles took his seat and looked out the window at the passing clouds. The next two hours crawled by as he tried not to climb the walls while Bain sat in quiet contemplation. The archer knew his friend was trying to reason through all that they now thought they knew, but his brother’s continued silence was all the more nerve-wracking coupled with the lack of communication from his mate.
Finally, Carl’s voice sounded over the loud speaker, “Buckle up, sirs, we are coming in on our approach.”
Securing his seatbelt, Lee said at least his millionth prayer since Juliette’s first call and prepared for their landing. Once on the ground, their feet barely touched soil before they were loaded into a KI helicopter and once again in the air. The trip to the dig site from the airport was just over another slow, mind-bending hour.
The blades were still spinning and the landing skid had barely touched the sand when Lee flung open the door, jumped out and was running towards the excavation. Seeing a huge hole in the ground, he immediately asked, “Survivors?” As he looked side to side.
Looking like he’d seen a ghost, the foreman stepped forward. “We’ve retrieved nine people.” He looked over his shoulder to a tent with a huge red cross monogrammed on the side. “They all seem to be…”
“Wait,” Lee interrupted. “Nine? Juliette?”