JAVIER

by Miranda Jameson

  “So you drew me out. Well done. Things seem to have fallen apart a bit after that Dion Erebus.” said Javier. Where the hell was Gabriel? Harry Marshal had definitely moved again.

  “I misjudged the skill of my operatives. You were not meant to escape and the Mathrafal sisters were not meant to live. I would have ransomed you for the daggers and then killed you. Retribution, Javier, pure and simple. Payback for both you and your father.”

  “Well, you were doomed to failure from the start then. We never ever pay ransoms. How futile, all this for nothing; if you hadn’t gone down this road you would still have your drug empire, your whole operation. Instead, all your men are dead and Chronus is busy confiscating the contents of your many bank accounts.”

  Javier deliberately relaxed his body as his keen hearing caught the sound in the hall. Then he caught their scents. Gabriel was here as was Max and Rafe. He had left the door to this room ajar when he entered, Gabriel would have a clear line of sight. He wouldn’t miss; he never did. Looking up quickly he caught Cassia’s eye briefly before looking away; she had heard them as well. Dion was oblivious as he circled behind Cassia then suddenly yanked her head back by her hair and aimed for her throat with the deadly black dagger.

  “No!” Javier cried out as he launched himself from his chair.

  There was a sudden flurry of movement as Harry Marshal lunged across the table, grabbed Cassia’s gun and fired. Dion Erebus spun round and returned fire then dropped to the ground as a third shot rang out from the doorway.

  “Looks like we were just in time.” Gabriel said calmly as he lowered his gun. The room seemed suddenly full to overflowing as he entered with Max and Rafe right behind him. Javier was acutely aware of the slightly acrid smell in the room following the gunshots and the warmth of Cassia as he held her tightly in his arms; whole, safe.

  “Harry?” she whispered suddenly as she pulled away.

  It would take years for Javier to forget the rawness of Cassia’s long keening cry as she knelt by Harry Marshal and gathered him into her arms;

  “Harry? Harry! Oh no you don’t…don’t you dare…Harry!”

  Javier watched as the Human smiled slightly, his blood pooling on the floor.

  “My lovely girl…” Harry Marshal coughed as blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Then his eyes, fixed on Cassia’s face, slowly lost their light.

  “No! Oh no! Oh please…please Gabriel, let me take him back to the Island. Hera…Hera could save him. Javier…please…help him…please.” Cassia pleaded as her eyes flicked desperately from face to face.

  It was Gabriel who knelt down and touched her shoulder before speaking with infinite gentleness;

  “It is too late Cassia. Your friend is dead. I am sorry.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Javier sighed and checked the time again; Cassia was late and he couldn’t sit still. Across the room Gabriel threw him a quick glance then carried on cleaning his gun with his usual intense concentration. Over three weeks had passed since Harry Marshal’s death. Their clean-up team had conveyed Harry’s body to his home and cleverly manipulated the scene. So far the police had come up with nothing; an inquest had been held and the Coroner’s verdict had been homicide. Harry’s death was an open case.

  He had attended the funeral with Cassia. It had been held after sunset in accordance with the strict instructions Harry had left with his solicitor. The Human had wanted Cassia there. The church had been full and many people had made the assumption that Cassia was Harry Marshal’s daughter. One extremely elderly man had even referred to meeting Cassia’s mother back in nineteen seventy- seven and had commented on how much Cassia resembled her. It had all made Javier extremely nervous but he had not had the heart to forbid Cassia from attending this final rite for her friend. Especially as he blamed himself for the Human’s death.

  Absentmindedly he clicked the pen he held in his hand and checked his watch; she should have finished at the solicitor’s in London ages ago, why had he let her go on her own? What was keeping her?

  “Alright, alright Javier, if you click that pen one more time I will shoot you!” Gabriel sounded exasperated as he carefully put everything down and leaned forward in his chair, elbows on knees, hands clasped tightly together;

  “What’s up? What is troubling you?”

  “What makes you think something’s troubling me?” Javier put the pen down hastily before he clicked it again.

  “Oh, I don’t know Javier…is it the fidgeting, the sighs, the pen clicking, the constant time checks or is it the look you have had in your eyes ever since Cassia’s friend was killed? We have lived and worked together for ten decades Javier; believe me, I know when something is on your mind.”

  Javier looked up; trust Gabriel to have noticed. He had even managed to hide it from Cassia who had been so lost in her own grief that she hadn’t realized how subdued he had been or the many days he had lain awake staring at the ceiling as she held on to him tightly in her sleep.

  “Are Hera’s empathic powers rubbing off on you or something?” Javier asked brusquely.

  Gabriel just carried on looking at him calmly and Javier could suddenly see why his fellow warrior was such a successful interrogator; those intense dark eyes seemed to see right inside him. He sighed again and raked his hands through his hair.

  “I couldn’t take the shot Gabriel. I had two perfect opportunities and I couldn’t take the shot. All I could see was Cassia. All I could think of was Cassia and what would happen if I missed. I could have ended it with one bullet in his head but my emotions got in the way. I didn’t save Charlotte and I couldn’t save Cass. Harry Marshal died because of me.”

  “I think you are being a bit hard on…” Gabriel began; Javier cut him off fiercely.

  “No! No I am not. I failed Gabriel, I failed. You would have done it, taken the shot and not missed. That’s how I was so easy to lure in the first place. They all know, somehow they all know…Javier of Seville wears his heart on his sleeve. What kind of warrior does that make me? You would have done it. You didn’t hesitate when Hera was taken this summer; she was yours and you saved her…yes, don’t shake your head at me, you saved her.”

  Gabriel stopped shaking his head slowly and stared down at the floor for a moment; when he spoke again his voice was quiet and his eyes brilliant with emotion;

  “All these years…when are you going to stop Javier? There is nothing, nothing at all you could have done to save Charlotte. She died, you avenged her death, you have to live your life. End of story. As for me, well you did not see me at the moment I realized Ferenc had captured Hera. I was completely…terrified. I could not stand up straight or speak or take a breath. My whole body went into complete panic. All I could see was him hurting her and then killing her because he would have known she was mine.”

  Javier stared; this was news to him. He hadn’t been there when Gabriel and LaSalle had discovered Hera missing.

  “But…when you and LaSalle came back to the house you were so controlled, so focused. You had a plan…” Javier tailed off as he remembered.

  Gabriel gave a brief smile;

  “That was after LaSalle snapped me out of it, before he got me to think clearly and stopped me spiralling any further into total panic. If it hadn’t been for him I would have been literally paralyzed with fear. Fear for Hera.”

  “What did LaSalle do?”

  Gabriel laughed out loud;

  “Oh you know LaSalle. First he slammed me against a tree and landed me with a sharp right hook then he lectured me sternly and finally he gave me the pep talk. It worked.”

  Javier shook his head as he smiled;

  “Typical LaSalle then. I never guessed Gabriel; I have always admired your cool head, your ruthlessness and your control.”

  “The thing is Javier, if it had been Hera in that room I would have reacted the same way. Harry Marshal made his own decision and he paid the price. He did it for Cassia, do not take that away from him. You asked me what kind of
warrior you are, well the answer is a damn fine one; I have never doubted you. You are the kindest of us, the most compassionate. Ditch the guilt Javier, it is pointless and it will consume you.”

  There was a long silence then Javier asked;

  “Has Cass been to see you yet?”

  Gabriel nodded;

  “Yes. I told her to give herself a few more weeks.” he cleared his throat;

  “It is none of my business Javier but I think you two need to talk. She is carrying just as big a burden of guilt as you are.”

  He was right, thought Javier. He and Cassia had both retreated into themselves; one of them needed to make a move.

  The door flew open and Javier started to get up but it was only Rafe who stuck his head into the room;

  “Have you seen Andreas? I’ve been hunting for him everywhere. Why isn’t he answering his bloody phone?”

  Javier narrowed his eyes; what on earth was the matter with Rafe?

  “He asked for a couple of days leave and I granted them. He’s probably in his quarters or maybe he’s gone over into Nice. Why? What do…” Javier stopped as Rafe ducked out, slamming the door behind him.

  “What’s up with Rafe?” Javier asked.

  Gabriel started on his gun again;

  “Hmm, I get the feeling that something is wrong and that, as usual, Deverill senior is the cause of it. There are some strange rumours flying around at the High Council if my informants are to be believed.”

  “You have spies at the High Council Gabriel?” Javier asked incredulously.

  “I certainly do and it’s just as well.” Gabriel paused as he re-assembled his gun with practised precision;

  “I do not want to say anything more at present.”

  Javier nodded. He was quite aware of the shadowy world that Gabriel sometimes inhabited.

  “When I was checking on Andreas at Sutton Place I found out that he was bonded. Guess who the girl is.” said Javier then stared in astonishment as Gabriel murmured;

  “Artemisia Deverill, only daughter of Amund. Don’t stare Javier, it is my business to know these things. If Rafe’s father has found out all hell could break loose. We had better keep an eye on Rafe; that father son relationship is toxic.”

  “And Andreas,” said Javier, “We do not want Deverill senior accusing him of corrupting and seducing his daughter. I cannot think LaSalle would be amused to have Councillor Amund Deverill turning up on our doorstep breathing fire. That bastard has been looking for an excuse to stick his nose into the affairs of the Warrior’s Council for years.”

  “Yes he has and recent events have not helped. LaSalle now has great standing and popularity amongst our people. That can be dangerous.” Gabriel said, lost in thought.

  “Are you seriously suggesting someone would make a move against LaSalle? Against us?” Javier asked, alarmed. He could scarcely believe such a thing was possible.

  He never got an answer because at that very moment he heard Cassia’s familiar footsteps then the door opened and he caught her scent before he saw her.

  “Sorry I’ve been gone so long.” she said as Javier rose to greet her and took her hands in his. Gabriel jumped to his feet scooping up his gun and cleaning materials as he made a hasty exit;

  “I’ll leave you both to it. See you at dinner.”

  “I finished the business with the solicitor then went to a little wine bar down the road and sat there for an hour or so. I just needed to think.” Cassia said.

  “Have you eaten?” Javier asked anxiously. She had hardly eaten for the last few weeks and when she did he had to practically force food into her. He was sure she had dropped over ten pounds in weight and her features had taken on some of Flavia’s fragility.

  Cassia smiled wryly;

  “You are beginning to sound like a stereotypical Jewish mother Javier of Seville. I had some nuts and only one glass of wine; I’m not about to take to drink.”

  “Come and sit down.” Javier made to steer her to a chair but Cassia pulled away.

  “I want to talk to you. I want us to talk, properly. I’ll just go and change out of this outfit then can we go for a walk? I could do with the fresh air. I’ll meet you outside the main doors in fifteen minutes.”

  “Alright, fifteen minutes.” Javier watched as Cassia turned and left. She looked beautiful and elegant in her severe grey business suit with her hair up but he hankered after the tall black clad biker girl with her curtain of long glossy raven hair. He suddenly recalled the purchase he had made in Nice two days ago and raced up to his room to fetch it. As he stuffed the item into his pocket he had a moment of extreme anxiety. What did she mean when she said she wanted to talk properly? My god, was she going to leave him?

  They were bonded, bound together by blood. He couldn’t imagine being without her yet, in the last few weeks they had tiptoed round each other. When she had needed blood he had offered her his wrist and she had done likewise. Their wrists, for god’s sake. How polite they had been with each other, how distant, how careful. Even their lovemaking had been gentle, comforting, almost dreamlike, both of them holding back. He was beginning to believe he had imagined that day of fire and passion in Rafe’s London apartment. She hadn’t even moved out of the guestroom and he hadn’t asked her to move in with him because he wanted to give her space to grieve. Yes, Gabriel was right, they needed to talk properly. He loved her, he loved her desperately yet somehow, in all the trauma and sadness of the last three weeks, he still hadn’t told her. The timing had not seemed right. Javier ran downstairs. The time had come.

  He smiled as he saw her in exactly the clothes he had imagined. His Cass; tall, bold and dressed in black. Her hair swirled round her in the autumn breeze as they fell into step beside each other down the path towards the beach. Reaching out he touched her hand and his heart leapt as she slipped it into his and squeezed hard.

  Cassia held onto Javier’s hand as tightly as she could. Ever since that awful day in Dion Erebus’s house he had treated her as though she was made of the most delicate bone china. He had looked after her with a tenderness and care she had not experienced since the days before her father had fallen into the hands of Draco Erebus. She had clung to him as though she had been drowning and he was her life raft. How selfish she had been.

  The silence between them was comfortable and soothing as they walked along the beach heading for a small rocky outcrop that jutted into the sea. Javier had brought her here once before; it was a favourite spot of his. They sat side by side on the rocks as the sea pounded choppily around them.

  “It was all my fault Javier.” Cassia said at last then grasped Javier’s wrist as he started to protest;

  “No, please listen…I’ve run through it so many times in my head. If only I had trusted you, if only I had listened to you, if only I had waited instead of charging off by myself. I wanted you safe you see; I was so afraid of losing you when I’d just found you. I asked Gabriel how you got out of Rafe’s apartment. My god, I never knew that was possible; you could have been smashed to pieces. All my fault, all a result of my stupid decisions. And what was it all for? Nothing noble, nothing heroic or epic; just a deranged criminal’s petty need for revenge. Is that what Harry died for? Is that what I nearly got you killed for?”

  Javier took both her hands in his and held them firmly as he shook his head;

  “Oh Cass, what a pair we are. I’ve spent almost every waking moment since thinking it was my fault. If only I had taken the shot, if only I had not hesitated, if only I had not let my heart rule my head…I suppose we could both go on and on. Perhaps we need to accept that sometimes bad things just happen. Harry did not die for nothing, he died to save you. He did a brave thing for the woman he loved. You are alive because he fired that gun and I’ll never forget that. Gabriel killed Dion but it was Harry’s shot that deflected that cursed dagger away from your throat.”

  “He left me a fortune Javier. That’s what the solicitor told me today. He left the club to his business partner
in the venture but, apart from legacies to his staff and his housekeeper everything comes to me. There’s his big old rambling house in Richmond and the contents of an offshore account. I never knew, I never even thought about it. I need to do something with it all. I need to do something good, something that makes a difference. Will you help me Javier?”

  Cassia looked up and her heart turned over. Would she always feel like this when he gazed at her with those beautiful eyes? She hoped so. She reached up and stroked his face gently and Javier took her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm before replying;

  “We’ll work on it together; think of something Harry would approve of. Cass, there’s something I want to ask you, something I need to tell you…hang on…”

  He rummaged in his pocket then Cassia stared at the ring he held out to her;

  “It’s a ring.” she said, oh full marks Cassia Mathrafal.

  Javier laughed;

  “I see you haven’t lost your touch Cass.”

  They both laughed together as she elbowed him painfully in the ribs and suddenly they were back to where they had been before the death; before they had both got so careful and polite with each other. Javier took her hand; they were face to face now and Cassia’s heart thudded crazily. She paid close attention; she wanted to remember everything about this moment for as long as she lived.

  “Well get on with it then Javier of Seville.” She couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off her face. She knew he loved her; everything he had done for her over the last three weeks told her that. She didn’t need the words. He was looking at her with such intensity that she felt her smile fade; this was a big deal for him, a huge step forward.

  “I know…Cass…” Javier faltered as he cleared his throat and Cassia held her breath;

  “Rings are not our tradition but you have spent so much time amongst the Humans, I thought you’d like it. I chose the stone to match your eyes…”

  “It’s beautiful Javier.” Cassia whispered as he slipped the ring onto the third finger of her left hand.