The Progeny (The Progeny Series)

by Laynne, Ashlynne

  “How do you know that?”

  “I’m your key keeper, remember?”

  “If he’d just told me the truth, I could’ve taken it, but he lied. That’s the worst part about it.”

  “Guys lie. It’s in their nature. You have to look at it from his point of view; he made this commitment to someone that he didn’t love.”

  “You honestly believe that he doesn’t love that woman?”

  “Yes, I do. I’ve known Ash for a long time now. That sealing was arranged.”

  “Why do they call it a sealing? It’s the same as getting married, right?”

  “Not exactly.” Aggie flipped through her book, stopping in the middle. “A sealing is different and more permanent than any marriage. I don’t think Ascher believes in marriage in the conventional sense.”

  Shauna gasped, remembering his vague explanation about his beliefs. “What is he...an atheist? Are the Rousseaus some sort of religious cult?”

  “No! I can’t say anymore. He’ll have to fill in the blanks for you.”

  “More secrets, that’s just great. What is he hiding now—a wife and child?”

  Aggie laughed. “No. Ascher is a straightforward guy, and he never loved Ursula. He chose you and he loves you with his whole heart.”

  “You can’t possibly know that.”

  Aggie tapped her head. “Ascher has gifts that you can’t imagine. He and I held whole conversations in our heads. He’s what clairvoyants call receptive. After the incident on the pier, I closed my mind to him. It was just too painful.” A tortured expression crossed her face. “We keep our minds open now. We’re your key keepers and that means that we have to get along, whether we like it or not. Ascher is stubborn and sometimes he’s a real jerk, but he’s in a lot of pain. I know you still love him. Do you think you’ll ever forgive him?”

  Shauna peered down at her feet, wiggling her pink painted toes while she thought about what Aggie said. “I don’t know. He really hurt me, and I don’t trust him.”

  “You want to but you’re afraid. I completely understand why. What if he’s the one and you let him slip through your fingers? Can you live with that?”

  “Even if I wanted to try, I don’t know how to let him back in. I’m so scared he’ll hurt me again.”

  “You take it one step at a time, one day at a time. Start small. Does he still call?”

  Shauna nodded.

  “The next time he calls, pick up the phone and talk to him. When you’re comfortable with that, meet him somewhere and talk face to face. Before you know it, you’ll be back together again.”

  “You shouldn’t be this kind to me. I know how hard this must be for you.”

  “I would do no less for any of my sisters. I don’t think I’ll get anything accomplished with you today. Go home and relax. We’ll revisit this in a couple of weeks.” Aggie gathered her books. “Remember what I said. Take baby steps.”

  “Okay.”

  Aggie flashed a warm smile then uttered, “Blessed be.”

  Shauna returned her smile. “Blessed be.”

  Ten ~ Reconciliation

  Ascher lay in his bed, no closer to sleep than he’d been two hours ago. He was trying to give Shauna her space, but he missed her. His will was weakening and he constantly thought about that last night, before Ursula came between them. It was so perfect, spending the night with her lying in his arms. He hardly slept a wink, choosing to spend the time watching her sleep, counting each breath and every beat of her precious heart. When morning came, she looked so exquisite with her hair falling into her face. Making love was the only thing that would have made it better. Why didn’t he make love to her? At least then, she’d have a deeper emotional bond to him.

  Agony gripped his brain, as he heard the screaming of Shauna’s mind. The intensity of her thoughts pierced him, causing him to bolt upright in bed. Disorientation dawned in his drowsy head. Shauna was in a deep sleep, her heart racing, Katy the star of her nightmare.

  Ascher, help me, please. I need you.

  The haze wore off and he shifted his focus, attempting to center himself. Maybe her voice was a manifestation of his desire to see her. He saw her tossing and turning, drops of sweat beading on her brow.

  Ascher, help me. I need you!

  Bounding out of bed, he opened the terrace doors and took off into the night. He soared down to Sheridan Square, careful to avoid notice. Hovering outside her bedroom window, he peeked in at her.

  Shauna lay on her back, the covers hanging off and her face flushed with anguish. Grimacing, she turned her back to him, her breaths evening as he slipped into the room.

  A cheesy infomercial blared on her TV. He didn’t care about the benefits of juicing. Settling into the rocking chair in the corner of her room, he felt complete and his divided heart was whole.

  She turned toward him, a smile gracing her sleeping face, her fears replaced with happier thoughts. She was dreaming about him. They were somewhere warm, and the sun was bright with a sparkling body of water nearby. He immersed himself in her thoughts, feeling the heat from the golden sunrays.

  He sighed, longing to hold her in his arms and kiss her lips. If the opportunity presented itself again, he’d make love to her without hesitation. He reached for her, his hands aching for her touch and his eyes widening. His heart leapt into his throat and the hitching in his chest caused him to gasp for a breath. The warm contours of her face filled the nothingness of space in front of him. The impossibility of this floored him, yet he couldn’t reconcile what his mind continued to process.

  Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him, because Shauna was still lying in her bed, the edges of her lips curled into a most angelic smile.

  His heart accelerated to a dizzying pace. Everything he’d learned, experienced and knew to be true, suddenly shifted and became irrelevant. The world as he knew it, ceased to exist. His origins didn’t matter, and it didn’t matter that she was human. He didn’t care about the covenant rules anymore.

  He was quickening.

  Every part of him longed for, needed and sought to be with her. These unexpected feelings trumped everything else. Love for her became his new universal truth. If she could love him—and he knew that she still did—then he couldn’t be the monster he saw in the mirror every day. Maybe there was hope for him.

  With careful hands, Ascher reached for her a second time. Like before, her face filled the emptiness inside his palms. Her sleep deepened and he stroked her cheek once more. A moment later, he slipped out of her window.

  He wasn’t sure about a lot, but he was certain of one thing—his new universal truth. She was his, and he belonged to her. It was nowhere near over between them.

  * * * *

  Shauna awoke confused; she'd dreamt of Ascher during the night and felt his presence. She couldn’t get him out of her mind. The overwhelming urge to see him weighed on her, taking away the miserable feeling of betrayal. Was she losing her mind? Just yesterday, she was still unsure about what she’d do about their relationship. This morning was different and somehow, she was different.

  The desire to see him wasn’t just a need—it was a compulsion.

  Her usual struggle to get out of bed became a race to get dressed. She checked her phone, but there was no call from Katy. They never went more than a couple of days without communicating. Maybe she was busy or lost her phone. Shauna could conjure scenarios to ease the nervous ache in her stomach, but nothing made it go away.

  Something was wrong.

  Today was the day to right some of the wrongs in her life, and she’d start with the person foremost in her mind. The vivid dreams were a sign that she needed to make things right with Ascher. After bathing and dressing in her favorite jeans, a pink turtleneck and matching cardigan sweater, she decided to go out to Langley Park.

  Spring was approaching, and the shift in the seasons was evident. Early March was her favorite time of the year. The crispness of the winter air lingered in the background of the warm sp
ring thaw. The air was pleasant—not at all humid. The trees were not yet flowering or spreading their nose twitching pollen.

  She took a deep breath. The sweet smell of maple wood burned in a fire somewhere close by. A gentle breeze tickled her arm, prickling her skin with the promise of renewal and the emergence of a new Shauna.

  The sun was brilliant, the vitamin D recharging her, helping her to gain some perspective on her tattered love life. Soul searching, dreams of Ascher and nightmares about red-eyed demons brought with them a life altering lucidity. She didn’t want anyone else, because she’d found what all of her love poems harped about—her everlasting love, her soul mate. Every beat of her heart belonged to him now. It always would. This life was too short to be so unhappy when you had someone who loved you as much as he seemed to love her.

  Glancing at a group of children playing on a jungle gym, she remembered her childhood full of endless games of kickball, a time when recess was the most important thing in the world. There were no responsibilities, deadlines, complications—most importantly, there were no broken hearts.

  With a book of love poems in her hand, she sat under a tree to read. The world disappeared as she plunged into the poet’s deep emotion. Her words resonated with Shauna, their pace and meter pulsing out the poet’s anguish over a love gone bad.

  Love was like that.

  Just when you thought you knew what it was, it surprised you, reminding you that you don’t have a clue. Just as love made your heart stronger, heartbreak seemed to strengthen your ability to love. In the weeks since she’d seen Ascher, she’d grown to love him more. The beginning was bad. The initial jolt of disappointment proved difficult. Once the anger melted away, the wound of raw emotion scabbed over, leaving more room to love again.

  She heard footsteps approaching.

  Her hand-shielded eyes drifted up as she stood, squinting at the person in front of her. “Ascher?” His face wasn’t right. Something about his eyes filled her with anxiety, and she collapsed into his arms, hugging him with all her might. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  * * * *

  Ascher hugged her to him. “Happiness wasn’t a reaction I prepared for. I’ve missed you so much. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, Shauna.”

  “We so need to talk. I have so much to say.”

  “I need to talk to you too, but it’ll have to wait. I’ve been looking all over for you. This was the last place I thought to look.”

  That was the sort of thing a human, who didn’t have the benefit of channeling her mind, would say. He craved absolution, forgiveness for all of the lies. The guilt weighed heavy, the pretense of his origins crushing him. He was tired of hiding who he was and lies had ruined so much already.

  They sat under the tree and he held her wrist to keep a check on her pulse. “Have you not been watching the news this morning?”

  She shook her head.

  “Sweetheart, Katy is missing. Your parents were on the news. They haven’t seen her in three weeks.”

  “What? Why would they wait so long to report her missing?” Shauna questioned through the sheen of tears now misting her eyes.

  “She was supposed to be at an artist’s convention in Connecticut. She never showed up. When she didn’t come home two days ago, your parents called the police. They didn’t call you?”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “That can’t be true. I don’t believe it. They would’ve called me, no matter what they think of me. She’s still my sister and I love her! Doesn’t that trump their anger over whatever it is I did to offend them? They should’ve called me!”

  Her pulse flew off the charts. Ascher massaged her back in slow calming circles, but it didn’t help. Her deep staggered breaths became gasping hyperventilation before becoming panic ridden sobs.

  “I knew something was wrong. She never goes this long without calling me. Then, I had those dreams.”

  Ascher flinched, knowing that he’d been witness to some of those dreams. “What can I do to help?”

  “I just need you.” She broke into louder sobs. “I’m so sorry, Ascher. I’m so sorry for everything. I don’t expect you to want me anymore, but I love you—I never stopped.”

  “Baby.” He brushed his thumbs over her face, swiping away the tears. “Of course, I still want you. I’m the one who should apologize. I didn’t try to explain to you about Ursula, and the fallout is entirely my fault. You reacted the way anyone would. I’m the one who should be begging for forgiveness, not you. If you’ll have me back, I’ll never give you reason to doubt me again. I love you, and you never need to worry about that.”

  “But I said all of those awful things to you. I’m ashamed of the terrible things I said.”

  “Forgotten…” He glanced down at her shivering shoulders. “It’s chilly out, and you don’t have a coat. You should get one from home.”

  “I don’t want to go back right now. I’ve been there for three weeks now.”

  Handing her his black leather jacket, he said, “Take mine.”

  They walked toward the parking lot.

  “Where’s your car?” Ascher asked.

  “I walked.”

  “You walked here?” He shot her a disapproving stare before his face lit with intuition. “I know someone—Jon Blake. He’s a detective my father uses. He’s very thorough and discreet. We can start with him. Would you like to see my home? I want to talk to my family about Katy. We don’t have time to waste. I’m sure they’ll want to help.” He lifted her into his arms, placing her into his Jeep. Sure, she could have stepped in herself, but he’d take any opportunity to have her in his arms.

  “Okay. It’ll be nice to be around others. I was starting to hold conversations with myself.”

  Ascher gave her the obnoxious look that he reserved for teasing her. “Maybe Tris has an open appointment tomorrow.” When they came to a stop light, he turned to her and asked, “When was the last time you saw your sister?”

  A puzzled look passed over her face. “That last night at the bar.”

  His mind clicked, an involuntary gulp sounding in his throat. He knew her disappearance wasn’t an accident. The crime rate in Sheridan and Langley was low. Shoving his suspicions back down, he evened his thoughts.

  Ascher drove, his mind going over the last time he’d seen Ursula. When he’d returned to the lounge, she was gone. A growl begged to escape his throat, but he fought it back down. He’d have plenty of time to fume. His mind shut down long enough to send his brothers a subliminal. Meet me in the great hall. I’m bringing Shauna. Make sure Kara feeds. We wouldn’t want to tempt her.

  An hour later, they arrived.

  The home overlooked a cliff in Langley—a town north of Sheridan, near Laurel Pointe. They’d picked it for its seclusion, as it was the only house on the hill. The gardeners were out caring for the perfectly manicured grounds. The overcast sky was the main reason they loved the hill. Ascher never worried about bright sunlight, as his human side made that fear irrelevant. His brothers, however, were very allergic to the sun. The amulets prevented their deaths, but didn’t take away the discomfort that direct sunlight sometimes caused—especially when they thirsted.

  * * * *

  Shauna knew he came from money, but she had no idea he was wealthy. He wasn’t in the least bit snotty or snobbish. She’d only seen homes like this in magazines. In awe, she shook her head at the stark opulence she viewed as the Jeep turned up the curving dirt road.

  Her breath caught as the rest of the colossal structure came into view. It was a sprawling and lovely estate with a vineyard sitting adjacent to the home. The salty tang of ocean air tickled and burned her nose.

  Ascher pulled the car into the circle drive. “So, what do you think?”

  “I had no idea anything like this existed around here.”

  “It’s our little piece of paradise. I’ll show you the grounds later.”

  “I’d love that.”

  “Are you hungry?” he asked. “It’s lunchti
me. I’ll get Lucy to fix you something.”

  “Are you going to join me? You need to eat, too.”

  “No, I’m fine. I’d like to talk to my family as soon as possible. When you’re done with lunch, come down and join us. We’ll probably have something sent down.” He leapt from the driver’s side, dashing to hers. Anxious arms secured her waist, helping her out of his Jeep.

  The pieces of her shattered world fused back into place—she belonged with him.

  They walked the gilded path that ended in steps and enormous glass doors. Shauna was amazed and at a loss for words. Ascher led her through the huge foyer. Priceless pieces of art hung on the walls and sat on pedestals along the way. Some of the heavier furniture looked to be antiques, but that couldn’t be possible. They’d be hundreds of years old.

  She sighed, “This is overwhelming.”

  “It’s just a home that’s collected various baubles over the years.”

  She pointed to the wall. “That’s interesting.”

  The one picture that remained—amongst some empty spaces—was of a vampire carrying a woman in a flowing white dress.

  “Oh, that.” He gave her a slight smile before giving her a faux laugh. “Father has a rather sick sense of humor.”

  “I like it.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah, I think it’s beautiful, sensual and lustful. Look there.” She pointed to the vampire. “He’s in love with her. See the expression in his eyes?”

  Quinn arrived in front of them. “It’s nice to see you again, Shauna. Things have definitely been boring at the bar since you quit. I hope you’re coming back. Your regulars are asking about you.”

  “Quinn!” Ascher growled.

  “Well, I do want her to come back. Whenever you’re ready, your job is waiting. I hope you’ll enjoy your visit,” he spoke in a less pretentious tone, turning to Ascher to give him a serious glance.

  Ascher held on to Shauna and traded strange stares with his brother.

  Quinn gave him a nod.

  “Is Kara around?” Ascher asked, while still giving Quinn a deep stare.