Her Warrior for Eternity

by Susanna Shore

  The streets here were new, as large parts of London had to be rebuilt after the Second World War. But the warriors had learned the street plan well by now – unlike their prey.

  He’s trying to cut through the St Alphage Garden. Jeremy sounded smug for the mistake the bastard had made by heading into a dead end.

  We’ll get him there.

  The four warriors rushed into the tiny greenery that was left of the erstwhile St Alphage’s Church.

  Spread around. I don’t want him to circle behind us. And take him alive, Gabe added, unnecessarily. They knew their mission objective.

  Jeremy was about to execute the order when the air became saturated with the foulness of dozens of renegades. Their enemy emerged from behind the trees and hedges, surrounding them. They were trapped.

  Corynn paced the large bedroom she shared with Jeremy. She didn’t know what to do with her time now that she was alone. More importantly, she didn’t know if she could trust the Rider to lay low without him around.

  You might, the damnable side-effect stated smugly. Her worry for Jeremy had messed with her self-control, giving the Rider space. Look, we don’t have to be enemies. We’re allies. We’re in this together, for eternity.

  It sounded reasonable – or she, as it chose to be today; it had sounded like a man the previous time. She would have to come to terms with it eventually, but for now: I’d rather remain myself.

  Too late.

  She sighed. She had better find something to distract her or she would spend the night worrying for Jeremy. If she’d had her laptop, she could easily have spent the night improving her encryption programme. She couldn’t go running, her feet not quite recovered yet; she had read the books in the room, and there was nothing interesting on TV.

  But the books must have come from somewhere. A manor this huge was bound to have a library. And she could explore the building while she was at it too, now that all the warriors were away.

  Do you think you’re welcome to?

  What do you mean?

  The Crimson Circle is the most secretive vampire organisation. Do you think they’d like you to explore the place on your own?

  Well, I’ll be living here with Jeremy anyway.

  Says he. But have you seen other women here?

  I haven’t seen anyone here. But the Rider’s words worried her. What if Jeremy had lied to her again? Or, maybe he hadn’t lied; maybe he was merely guilty of wishful thinking.

  She hesitated, but she would go crazy cooped up in the room. Nice try. You want me to stay here so you can overpower me. The Rider didn’t answer. Resolutely, she exited the room before it could make her change her mind.

  The floor plan of the manor was the traditional Elizabethan E, with longer side wings and a slightly shorter middle wing that faced the formal gardens in the back. The east wing contained some of the common rooms, like the morning room where they had breakfast. There was a gym there on the third floor and the computer room on the second, a very tempting destination.

  The entire west wing was dedicated to the bedrooms. With fifty warriors in residence, they were all needed. This would be the best time to study the hallways there, but they probably all looked like the one Jeremy’s room was in. So that left her with the middle wing to explore. She felt confident she would find the library and other recreational rooms there.

  The main staircase with its wide steps, dark oaken balusters and wainscoting dominated the middle wing. She didn’t take it but headed down the hallway that ran through the wing. It ended up at two sets of double doors, symmetrical like all the baroque interiors here, but she had already learned that anything could be found inside the rooms, style-wise.

  Curious to see what was behind the doors, she opened the pair on the right and waltzed in – almost to fall down a pair of steps. Only her new reflexes saved her.

  She had found the library, and it was huge.

  It was located on the lower floor, but it opened all the way up to this one. On this floor, a gallery bordered the room, wide enough for tall bookcases and two people side by side. A hardwood and brass baluster prevented people from falling, and in each corner a spiral staircase led down. Small writing desks and chairs were placed at intervals by the baluster, all in reddish hardwood of beautiful Queen Anne style.

  She walked around the gallery, skimming the spines of the books. There were thousands of them on this floor alone and most of them were old. But none of the topics, that ranged from seventeenth century agriculture and animal husbandry to twentieth century books on herbalism and healing among Australian aboriginals, interested her. Maybe the lower level would have some novels too. Since there were comfortable-looking reading nooks by the windows there, she was hopeful.

  Showing great restraint, she didn’t venture down but exited the library through the doors she had come in. She had plenty to explore on this floor.

  The room on the left to the library provided another delightful surprise: a traditional English pub. There was a gleaming mahogany bar at one end, the shelves behind it well stocked with everything a demanding patron might wish for. There were some tables here and there, a widescreen TV that was showing Rugby, dartboards, snooker tables, and even a karaoke machine in one corner. If she got bored with computers, she could work here.

  But the place was empty, deserted in a hurry. She saw half-empty bottles and glasses everywhere, and a game of billiards abandoned with the balls and cues left on the table. It reminded her that Jeremy was out with his fellows, fighting something so important that every warrior had been needed. Her stomach lurched uneasily.

  Maybe they’re not in any danger. Maybe they just abandoned you here.

  Oh, shut up.

  She left the pub without a glance back. The room next to it was a TV room. There were TV sets in every corner, with comfortable sofas and armchairs facing them. She wondered what it would be like when all four TVs were on at the same time, each on a different channel.

  Or, you know, they block the noises with magic. The Rider sounded sarcastic, annoyed that its plot to unsettle her had failed once again. Its voice had changed to a man’s again, which actually unsettled her more than its words.

  There was only one room across the hallway. The double doors leading in were closed, but since the building was abandoned, she didn’t hesitate to enter.

  She paused in awe. It was the most beautiful cinema she had ever seen. Lush red velvet everywhere, rows of comfortable chairs, enough for probably all the residents to attend at once, and crystal chandeliers and wall sconces for providing light.

  The place was dark now and a movie was playing on the huge screen at the other end. The warriors who had been watching it had left in such a hurry that they hadn’t even switched it off.

  Since the Star Trek movie playing was one of her favourites, she walked deeper in the room to take a seat. It would distract her for the hour there was left of it.

  She was about to sit when a cultured male voice spoke right next to her. “Do join me, why don’t you.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Corynn almost jumped out of her skin in fright. “I didn’t see you there at all.” She put a hand over her frantically beating heart. Closing her eyes, she breathed like Toby had instructed her when he taught her yoga, steadily in through the nose and out through her mouth. She needed to centre herself, to find her inner balance, before the Rider could take advantage of her emotional upheaval.

  When she felt secure enough, she opened her eyes and looked at the man seated on a chair next to the one she had been about to take. He was dressed casually in jeans and a tee, with his feet bare. His right leg was resting on the armrest of the chair in front of him, and a cane was propped against the back of it. All in all, he looked very comfortable and laid-back.

  She couldn’t see his face properly in the dark, no matter how much she strained her eyes. All she was able to detect was his size, long legs and wide shoulders. She thought it had to be some kind of magic causing it, but he didn’
t exude the overwhelming power like other warriors, so she relaxed.

  “Are you injured? Is that why you’re not with the others?” His short sleeves revealed the circle tattoo she had seen on Jeremy too, a thorn wreathe circling one bicep.

  A flash of white teeth in the dark, more smile than a grimace. “Someone has to hold the fort.” She didn’t probe. It was probably a sore spot for him that he had to stay behind. And even though she was curious, she didn’t ask either why he hadn’t healed his injury. Maybe he wasn’t powerful enough for it.

  He gestured at the seat next to him. “Please, sit down.”

  She complied, and even accepted the popcorn he offered her. “I’m Corynn Sparks.”

  “I know. There are no other newly fulfilled vampires around here, and definitely no women.” She could see his face now, and he was amused. He was classically handsome, overly so, with dark eyes and hair, short and fashionably cut. A scar marred the left side of his face from the eyebrow to the ear, but it seemed to emphasise his beauty instead of diminishing it. And it was a familiar face.

  “I bet you’re one of the Hamiltons, aren’t you?”

  He smiled again, twisting the scar. “What gave it away?”

  “Well, I’ve never met siblings so alike. It’s uncanny.”

  “Or magic.”

  “You can determine the look of a child with magic?”

  He laughed. “No. I was just teasing you. So tell me, how have you found your life as a vampire?”

  “Confusing.”

  He laughed again, genuinely amused. “It can be that too. But what I’ve heard – and observed just now – you have nothing to worry about. You’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”

  She sighed. “As if my life wasn’t difficult enough to fathom before, and the only thing I had to worry about was finding a job after graduating.”

  “Well, I hear Marcus already hired you.”

  “Yes, but did he mean it?”

  He was taken aback. “Of course he meant it. Does he strike you as a frivolous man?”

  He had her there. “It’s just that I haven’t seen any other women around. And I don’t mean the housekeeping.”

  “You’re wondering about your status in Jeremy’s life.”

  She saw no reason to deny it. Here was the first warrior she had met that didn’t frighten her and seemed willing to discuss with her. “Yes. I mean, I’ve heard of Philippa, Jas’s girlfriend, but I’ve never seen her. And then there’s the lot of you brothers and no mother around.”

  “We’re a bit too old to live with our mothers, don’t you think?”

  She rolled her eyes. “But you guys must have come from somewhere. Your father is here, so why not your mother?”

  He nodded. “We don’t generally encourage our warriors to bring their spouses here, if that’s what you’re after. It made sense in the older times, and modern times have made it easy for the warriors to live outside the manor should they choose to have a spouse. But Jeremy has chosen a mate that would be an asset to the Circle. I think an exception can be made in your case.”

  An asset. Great. “Jeremy said that an instinct made him choose me, something so overpowering he cannot resist it.” She ruthlessly stifled the upset that threatened to rise.

  “Yes, the hunger.”

  She soldiered on, although she feared she would lose control of her Rider. She had to find out. “So what happens when it goes away, or I stop being an asset?”

  He smiled, reassuringly. “That’s not going to happen. The hunger doesn’t choose frivolously. It chooses for life. And it’s a long life.”

  She tried to find solace in his words. “But what about love?”

  “No one who saw Jeremy when you died on that operating table could doubt that he loves you.”

  Warmth spread through her at his words. Then a thought occurred and she frowned. “How do you know what happened there?”

  “Because I was there.”

  “You were present when I was turned? Who are you?”

  A slow smile, amused and challenging, spread on his face. “I’m Alexander Hamilton, Lord Foley. The leader of the Crimson Circle.”

  Corynn’s entire body went slack in shock. With the physical control went what little restraint she had over her Rider, and it didn’t waste time. She could only stare helplessly at Foley as her second nature took over.

  “Okay, lads, remember we need one of them alive.” Gabe sounded almost cheerful about the prospect of facing an enemy five times larger.

  The renegades that had them surrounded were briefly fazed by his attitude. Then one of them sneered. “You are the one about to die, warrior.”

  “We’ll see about that.” Gabe charged, signalling the start of the fight. Jeremy engaged the closest bloke, making a brief job of disposing of him. He knew the orders, but they needed to cull the numbers before they could start taking prisoners. Then again, the havoc Gabe was wreaking contrary to his own orders was so devastating that there might not be anyone left to detain once he finished. He was a force of nature when it came to fighting, using his large knife like a short sword, and he had centuries of experience in close combat – unlike the enemy.

  Despite their best efforts and the inexperienced enemy, taking prisoners soon began to seem impossible. They needed skin to skin contact to compulse the enemy immobile, body and mind, extremely difficult in the heat of battle. And when they managed to have one frozen, his companions would come and kill him themselves.

  With every enemy Jeremy was forced to kill, his aggravation rose. The blade of his large knife was black with the goo that renegades turned into when they were stabbed; he reeked of rotten eggs. One bastard even managed to stab him in the shoulder, the blade slipping under the Kevlar-lined leather jerkin, which would otherwise have stopped it.

  The wound wasn’t deep and he was able to stem it with magic, but it infuriated him that the bastard had even been able to try. At least the bloke hadn’t shot him. No one had resorted to firearms yet, for the fear that they would hit one of their own in the melee, but since the renegades didn’t seem too worried about killing their own, it was only a matter of time.

  Then they were down to ten enemies. Gabe was only getting warmed up and Jeremy kept a worried eye on him, just in case they would have to put a stop to the slaughter. He wasn’t the only one. The renegades were starting to realise that the fight wasn’t going their way after all, and began to desert.

  They couldn’t have that.

  Jeremy was about to dash after the closest escapee when half a dozen warriors leaped over the wrought iron fence and joined in the fight. “Don’t kill everyone,” he shouted – a fair warning, as the fresh guys were eager to do their share.

  When everything was over, they had three captives, the best haul they had ever had. If they could keep them alive for long enough to interrogate them, they would have a good chance to find who was killing the women. But the bastards had a nasty tendency to self-destruct when caught. They couldn’t release the compulsion binding them for a moment.

  The immobile renegades were carried into cars and driven away to be interrogated later. Some warriors stayed behind to clear up the fight scene and check the CCTV cameras in the surrounding buildings in case they had caught the fight. A few guys were dealing with the bodies of the women and contacting the police.

  But Jeremy, he couldn’t wait to get back to the manor. Cora was there and he had left her alone for far too long. Anything could have happened to her in this amount of time.

  He was too wound up to let anyone else drive, so he took the wheel despite Jas’s grumbling. It was less than two hours to sunrise and he wanted to be home before it.

  At the manor, he drove straight to the front door, ignoring Zach’s protests that the cars should be parked by the garages. Zach could deal with the car if it was so important. Jeremy dashed in and took the stairs two at the time to the third floor, ran to his room, and burst in.

  It was empty.

  Instantly
worried, he swivelled around, ready to search for her. But he caught his image in the mirror by the door and changed his mind. It was best he cleaned up first. She would have a fit if she saw him looking – and smelling – like a victim of a tar pit accident. And he would have to have the wound checked too.

  Smiling at the thought of how angry she would be with him for getting injured, he headed to the shower. He would find her later.

  Power unlike anything she had experienced washed over Corynn. It forced her to her knees and made her eyes water. She couldn’t breathe, she could barely keep from passing out. But it also forced the Rider to back down.

  The pressure on her disappeared and she collapsed in relief. She knew she should be frightened, but she felt grateful. “Thank you,” she said the moment she was able to speak again. “I wasn’t paying attention and it slipped free.”

  The man in front of her wasn’t the pleasant, relaxed guy she had chatted with earlier. Even without the power, sitting down with his leg propped up, he was Authority. She couldn’t fathom how she hadn’t seen it before.

  “Because I didn’t let you,” he answered, as if having read her mind. “I made you. I can get into your head whenever I want,” he continued, proving it was true. Then he relented a little. “Don’t worry about losing the Rider. It’ll happen again. Many times. Don’t take it personally.”

  She frowned. “I’ve always been in control of my body. I can’t help but take it personally.”

  “It’s not enough to control just your body. You have to control your mind too.” He regarded her for a moment and then reached a decision. “Follow me.” He got smoothly up, his leg not bothering him at all. Now that she knew he was the best magical healer in the world, the injury was even more inexplicable.

  She followed him out of the theatre and down the hall. He limped a little, but didn’t lean against the cane that seemed to be more for show. He led her to the east wing where the gym was, and she anticipated a rigid workout session where she could punish her body into submission, but they went past it and down a smaller staircase to the second floor. They ended up in a large room full of computers and surveillance monitors.