Zaden was struggling with knobs and dials, cursing in frustration as he tried to open each cage, one at a time. The people inside were no longer conscious, and stared into the air at nothing.
“Zaden,” she said, touching him gently. He was frantic with the need to help, but her intuition was telling her to move on. “Zaden, these people are gone. They have found their peace. We have to keep them from harming anybody else. Please, it’s the only way to win this fight.”
Zaden roared in pain and anger, knowing that Kala was right. He didn’t want to leave anybody behind, but now that he knew they were there, he would never stop fighting for a way to release them.
“They’re going to unthaw soon,” she said gently.
“All right,” he said reluctantly.
“I’m going to get fired!” a man was shouting. “Why is he naked?”
Zaden raised an eyebrow at the man as he struggled to open the cage. Kala gently pushed him aside. She would be able to do this. She closed her eyes and concentrated, willing herself to find the combination and release the prisoners. After a few moments of silent button pressing, there was a hiss and a click, and the door opened.
“Get home,” Zaden said sternly to them. “Now. And get help for the rest of the people here.”
The group nodded. The man’s authoritative voice was convincing enough for them, and they took off running through the back door, which Zaden and Peter had left gaping open.
“I guess we should run, too,” Zaden said to Kala. And so they went.
Chapter Nineteen
“Do you think they’ll be all right?” Kala asked Zaden over the roaring campfire. It had taken a few hours for the events of the night to sink in. Zaden nodded.
“Humans are great at making a fuss. Did you hear them squawking about being late to work? As if they were purposely oblivious to the fact that their lives were in serious danger. They probably contacted the newspapers already and have had the place raided by police.”
“Thank goodness,” Kala sighed. Her lavender eyes filled with tears, and she dropped her head in her hands.
“Hey,” Zaden said, moving close to her and putting his arm around her shoulder. “Everything’s all right. We did the best we could.”
“I know; it was just so horrible.”
“Yeah,” Zaden said, holding her face in his hands. “But we made it. Richard can’t hurt you anymore.”
Kala embraced Zaden tightly, allowing his strong, masculine body to reassure her. She looked up with a gasp, suddenly realizing that she hadn’t told him.
“I remember who I am,” she said, her purple eyes serious.
“What?” Zaden asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. “Since when? Who are you?”
“I have to give a message to the leader of the Kersh clan,” she said dutifully. “I remembered back at the Guardian’s place. I’m a Loni, from Kaldernon.”
“What?” he asked, shocked. Suddenly, it made sense why she seemed so familiar. There had been a nearly pure-blooded Loni woman in the clan when he was small, but she had since been victimized by the Guardians.
“I came from Kaldernon, directly. And I need to speak with Clayton as soon as possible.”
Zaden was silent for a few moments, and pulled away from her a little bit. “So on Kaldernon…” he began. He seemed to be having some difficulty getting the words out.
“Yes?” she prompted.
“Did you have a husband?”
She laughed, a musical sound that brought a deep blush to his face. “No, Zaden. I had nobody. Nothing. I was an orphan, too.”
He looked up at her in shock.
“Really?”
“Yes,” she said gently, taking his broad hand in hers. Their thumbs stroked each other for a long, intimate moment, before Zaden finally spoke again.
“Then…does that mean that we could be together?”
“Is that what you want?” she asked, examining him closely.
“I came here to see what the Guardians knew about you. So you could be with me without having to worry any more about your identity. I don’t think it’s right to be with someone who doesn’t even know who they are.”
She laughed again, this time stroking his arm flirtatiously.
“I think sometimes it’s better to lose myself when I’m with the person I love,” she said softly, tilting her chin up to meet his lips. Zaden took them greedily, not needing any further invitation. He lifted her easily onto his lap and she could feel his manhood harden from the heat of her middle. A moan of pleasure escaped her lips and they kissed deeply, his tongue sliding sensually against hers.
He gripped her waist as she began moving gently on top of him, slowly grinding him until he had to grit his teeth to keep from groaning out loud. He slowly stripped her, admiring her body in the firelight. She was all he could have ever asked for, and he buried his face in her breasts, taking a nipple into his mouth as she lowered her on top of him, teasing the head of his cock with her clit until neither of them could stand any more foreplay. They had been beating around the bush for far too long, and she had seen exactly what Zaden was made of.
She groaned as he slid his thick shaft deep inside of her and began pumping his hips expertly, taking her on a ride of pleasure unlike anything she had ever experienced. The sex had been good the first time, but nothing compared to the exhilaration of knowing who she was and fully trusting the man she was with. Somehow, she knew he would never abandon her, and they would be together.
Soon, she was shuddering on top of him, the bliss overwhelming her completely. She had never felt so completely pleasured, and when he sensed her nearing her orgasm he picked up his pace, grunting as his cock was enveloped by her hot body. She moaned deeply as his body brought her deeper in the pools of ecstasy and he hissed in pleasure as her body contracted around his shaft.
Suddenly, her body was filled with the hot power of his explosive climax. It enhanced the bliss of her own orgasm and they both moaned as they were taken to a new height together; a plateau where neither had ever even hoped to achieve.
They fell to the ground together, panting, and Kala rested her head in the crook of Zaden’s arm.
“Is it all right if we’re together for a long time?” he asked.
“Of course,” she said with a grin. And with that, they fell asleep.
Epilogue
Clayton’s young son was the first to see the couple appear in the distance, and he ran up to them and embraced their legs.
“I’ve been so worried!”
Kala and Zaden exchanged looks. They had spoken briefly during their journey back to the settlement about Zaden’s feelings for Archer, and Kala had helped him understand that it was normal to feel jealous, and that it didn’t take away how much he loved the boy. Zaden held him tightly and grinned when they broke apart.
“We just had to go fight some bad guys,” he said with a wink. “I killed Richard.”
Archer’s eyes filled with excitement and he ran in, shouting for his father.
Clayton looked worn out when he emerged, and laid eyes on Zaden as if he had finally discovered a missing treasure.
“You had me worried sick!” he exclaimed, embracing Zaden. Zaden softened and allowed Clayton to fuss over him for a few moments before he remembered the importance of Kala’s mission.
“Could we have a word please?”
After speaking briefly with Clayton, it was decided that Kala would make her announcement to the entire clan. Clayton wasn’t sure what it was, but he trusted Zaden that it was important.
“People of Earth,” she began, once the entire clan had gathered around together in an assembly. Everybody shifted nervously, confused by the way she was speaking. “My name is Kala. I was chosen as a messenger from Kaldernon. The trials of traveling through the dimensions took its toll, as you may know. I lost my memory. But upon seeing the noble Zaden defeat Richard, I remembered my goal. People of Earth, you are not alone. Kaldernon has not forgotten you.”
> Everybody was silent for a moment, before the room roared with thunderous applause. Kaldernon hadn’t forsaken them. And Kala’s very presence there could only mean one thing.
Soon, they would return to Kaldernon.
THE END
The Highland Locket
Jessica Savage
Copyright ©2015 by Jessica Savage. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Thank you so much for your interest in my work!
’TWAS on the 9th of September, a very beautiful day,
That a numerous English army came in grand array,
And pitched their tents on Flodden field so green
In the year of our Lord fifteen hundred and thirteen.
***
All was quiet across the hillside, the air eerily calm as before a storm. The occasional sound of a horse braying or a man shouting echoed across the valley, disturbing the peace. A bright sun gleamed across the vast blue of the skies as William Stewart waited for the signal for the battle to commence. He did not know that thousands of the men and boys around him would be dead by the time the sun rose again, one of them being his King. But he could not alter history or the lineage of over 10,000 men. It was possible, however, that he could shape his own destiny.
***
Rebecca Brooke stared out the window. All week the weather had been cold and dreadful, and a low mist had hung over the valley, blotting out the wonderful view that the brochure had promised. For a summer vacation, late August in Scotland had proved to be a damp squib so far. OK, so it was a working vacation, two months working on a 16th-century archaeological dig in Scotland. It had sounded pretty awesome at the time. Cool, yes. Cold–no!
It was her first proper assignment and her first time in Scotland. She would have preferred Egypt or India, but she had been allocated to Scotland instead. Although she had been told to pack for the weather, she had ignored the advice. Living most of her life in California, she spent most of the time in shorts and miniskirts that showed off her tanned and toned legs. What she needed here was a woolly jumper and thermal underwear! She had managed to buy a few pairs of thick leggings and wore these under her shorts and socks. It wasn’t her best look, but at least they showed off her figure. Most of the other girls wore thick, shapeless sweaters over practical-looking outdoor pants that didn’t do them any favors.
Not all was lost, however. There was James Anderson.
James was the lead archaeologist on the dig, a Scotsman and an expert on Scottish history. Not only was he handsome, but he was intelligent, too–the new sexy. With his deep auburn hair and brown eyes, no woman was safe. Not that he noticed her, or anyone else for that matter. By breakfast, he had already eaten and gone out to the dig, and when he returned, his nose was always in a book. At least he was eye candy.
Her cell phone rang in her pocket and Rebecca looked at the number. It was her Mom. She had only been here for a couple of days but she had already phoned twice to see if she was eating properly and if she had managed to see the Queen of England yet; it was a no to both.
“Hi, Mom.” She tried not to sound bored.
“Becky, sweetheart, how are you doing out there?”
“Same as ever. How’s Dad?”
“He’s good, sweetie. Are you eating OK?”
The conversation continued thus and Rebecca tried hard to stifle a yawn. Her Mom meant well, but sometimes she could be overbearing.
“Are you tired, honey? You sound tired.”
“No, Mom, I’m still a bit jet-lagged. We haven’t been able to go out on site yet because of the good old British weather.”
“Well, don’t forget you could check out our relations there. We do have a great Aunt, twice removed, if she’s still living. She must be at least 90 by now. Wait a minute, and I’ll get you the details.”
“Mom...” But it was too late. Rebecca could hear her Mother scrabbling around in her bag for one of her notebooks.
“Here we are. Have you got a pen handy? It’s Mrs Nora McPherson, the Old Vicarage, Selkirk. Did you get that, sweetie?”
Rebecca hadn’t any desire to visit a relative who wouldn’t know her from Adam, but agreed with her Mom just to shut her up. After she promised her mother not to fall into a Loch, the call was finally over.
Sammy, a bespectacled English girl, was walking towards her with a smile. She had done her best so far to avoid her. Sammy was a “jolly hockey sticks” type who was always trying to arrange outings and activities for the others.
“Hey, Rebecca, do you feel like braving the weather and heading into the nearest village this afternoon? We might even find a pub–do you want to come?”
They were all staying in a large rented property on the outskirts of a village, and Rebecca hadn’t had time yet to get her bearings.
Sammy was of the baggy jumper brigade and Rebecca felt nothing in common with her. She would rather stick pins in her thighs than have to make small talk.
Shaking her head, she stood up to leave when Johnny Hampshire strode into the room. Johnny was handsome yet arrogant. He was Scottish but had attended an English public school and spoke with a very clipped accent. He worked closely with James, and neither man had much time for each other. Unfortunately, Johnny had noticed her long blonde hair and treated her like the local bimbo. For once she wished she was wearing Sammy’s shapeless garb.
“Hey, Becky, fancy a stroll in the heather with me?” he grinned suggestively as he looked her up and down, before placing his hand territorially on her arm.
She wanted to tell him to go screw himself but was far too polite.
“Actually, I’ve already arranged to go out with Sammy.” Rebecca shrugged his arm away and his grin slipped into a sneer.
“Frigid bitch,” he muttered under his breath, the muscles clenching around his jaw line.
“What did you say?”
Johnny smiled again, but this time it made her shiver with its coldness. “I said have a great time” and with that, he turned and slowly left the room.
“What a creep.” Sammy made a face as he left and Rebecca laughed. Perhaps the afternoon wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
They ventured out into the mist and fog. The drizzle was light yet constant and Sammy loaned Rebecca a bright green jacket to wear. There was no one to see her wearing it in this place, and James would probably find it sexy.
The girls walked along a little path, and for once Rebecca was glad she had bought a decent pair of walking boots. She could feel the mud slip and slide beneath her feet and was glad that she wasn’t wearing her usual flimsy sneakers.
After half an hour, they had almost given up hope of finding a place when they stumbled across an old coaching house –The Bluebell Inn. Relieved, they staggered inside, dripping water across the polished floorboards as they made their way to the bar and ordered double whiskies to warm them through.
Rebecca looked around, amazed at the place–it was like stepping back in time. Apart from the two of them, the bar was occupied by several all men wearing tweed jackets and caps. They all stared back and nodded. She must have looked as strange to them as they did to her, in waterproof, fluorescent pink boots.
Sammy walked back with the glasses of golden whisky. The whisky tasted good. It was the best thing about Scotland so far. As it hit the back of her throat, her whole body seemed to glow.
“We’re just down the road,” Sammy laughed. “I bet we can see our place from here–I’ve just spoken to the barman, and this is the village of Selkirk.”
Rebecca coughed and started to choke on the amber nectar. Selkirk was the place where her old relative lived, and she was staying literally on the doorstep. A shiver ran through her as if there was something sinister about the connection, as if it was always meant to be. Maybe it was j
ust a mixture of the cold and the alcohol or perhaps she was still jetlagged? She laughed at her foolishness. There was something surreal about the whole thing, standing in the middle of this Scottish pub, dripping wet and drinking whiskey among the tweed-clad locals that made the whole thing seem absurd. A couple of double whiskeys later and she had soon forgotten all about her ancient relative.
It was evening when they rolled out of the door and into the darkening air. The mist had lifted slightly and a smell of decay lingered. The night had started to draw in and wrap itself around the girls, chilling them to the bone as they hurried quickly along the road, this time taking the more direct route. The path took them past an old church, its old Norman tower looming in the darkness. Next to it, Rebecca could just make out the dark shadows of the ancient gravestones and, stopping for a second, she peered through the rusting iron railings and wondered if any of her ancestors were buried there. Sammy proceeded to pounce on her making ghostly wailing noises and Rebecca shrieked with delight as they ran on, not stopping until they were back inside, safe and sound.
It wasn’t late when they returned, but Rebecca was tired, still recovering her recent flight.
As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. If it weren’t for a noise outside her door, she would have probably slept all night. She stirred and reached on the bedside table for her watch. It was only 10:30 and she realized she had a terrible thirst from the whiskey. She always slept naked and quickly slipped into her fleecy dressing gown, a present from her Mom, before opening the door and setting off down the landing towards the stairs. There was some juice in the kitchen downstairs, and if she was quick no one would see her.
A noise on the landing made her stop in her tracks; perhaps it had been the same noise that woke her? All was quiet again apart from the muffled voices coming from the downstairs lounge.
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