She was impressed, she worked in IT and knew her way around technology. He started typing and then his expression seemed a bit startled. She asked him what he was doing.
“Well, your aunt told me to find out the meaning of your name in a rather cryptic way, implying it may be of some use to us. So that’s just what I have googled.” He looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense, what have you found out? It’s not something I ever bothered to do, it’s just my name that’s all,” she said.
“According to this, your name means Defender of Man. Now that’s what I call interesting.”
Alex was taken aback. “What? Are you kidding me? That is so weird, it was my mother’s name and my gran’s. It’s sort of a tradition. Every girl born was named Alexina, for as long as I know. Shit!” she exclaimed, as if something had just hit her consciousness.
Zach looked at her intently. “Is there something else?” he asked her.
“Well, from the very little I managed to find out about my family, from paperwork left by my gran, it’s something that now seems a bit strange. It’s just as I said, the girls were all called Alexina, but there were only girls, and only one at that!”
Zach’s eyebrows raised as he queried, “You mean, you’re telling me your family only ever had girls?”
Alex was nodding her head. “Yes, and each one only ever had one child, which was also a girl. That’s weird isn’t it?” she asked him.
“Well, it does seem rather odd. I think we need to try and find out more. Come sit next to me and we will see what we can come up with.” Zach put an arm out to motion her to sit next to him.
She moved over and sat on the arm of the chair and he started to search online. Only he came up with nothing. Not one bit of information was on the internet about her family. Not even about her parents’ death. This was getting stranger by the minute.
Zach sighed. “Well, there’s not much more we can do just now. I’ll phone the Council and pass this onto them. Hopefully by the time we get there, they will have found out some more information. Anything we can get can only help. In the meantime, Alexina, I think you should go and lie down and try to get some sleep. I have some business to attend to and I will be busy for a while.”
She picked up her suitcase, made her way to the back of the plane, and went through to the area there. There were a couple of rooms with very comfortable looking full size beds and both had en suite bathrooms. She stripped down to her underwear and got in, and to her utter amazement, she promptly fell asleep.
She awoke several hours later with Zach gently shaking her. He sat on the bed next to her, and when she finally opened her eyes, he advised it wouldn’t be long until they landed.
She was a little self-conscious having him sit so close to her while she was only in her underwear, and he had the strangest look on his face. If she didn’t know better, she would say his eyes were shining?
“Okay, I’m going to have a quick shower and freshen up, promise I won’t be long,” she spoke sleepily.
*****
Zach nearly moaned, the sight of her sleepily looking up at him – he wanted to – fuck! He tried to get those thoughts out of his head.
Zach went back through to the main part of the plane and tried very hard to get rid of his arousal, which had come on as soon as he had seen Alexina lying in bed.
He was always so in control and he had never experienced this lack of restraint before. He was extremely attracted to this tiny human.
It made him more convinced than ever that he would do anything, anything at all, to make sure she was safe.
Chapter 5
Alex enjoyed her shower. It refreshed her and she almost felt she could cope with all that was going on. She finished getting dressed in clean jeans and a casual shirt with her hiking boots, which she had put on for her walk in the country before all this started.
When she looked out the window of the plane it was still dark, which startled her as she assumed it would be daylight. She packed her dirty clothes in her case, and as she was doing this, she saw her mother’s necklace. On impulse she put it on, then closed the case, retrieved her mother’s journal, and went out to the main compartment.
Zach was sitting at the table in the chair she had left him in hours before. He had put the laptop away and had a plate with some croissants placed in front of Alex’s chair, along with coffee and fresh orange juice.
Alex loved her coffee and this one smelled fabulous, so she filled a cup and blew on it to cool it down before taking a sip. Yup, it tasted as good as it smelled.
After she finished her first cup, she filled up again and then took one of the pastries. “We’ll be landing in about twenty minutes, so you have time to finish your coffee and juice,” Zach told her.
“Just where are we landing and what’s the local time?” she asked.
“Firstly, it’s 1:30 a.m. local and we are going to be landing at the Council Headquarters. We have a very large compound in the middle of nowhere, it's actually called Unity, but I still think on it as the compound. Well, technically it’s in Arizona, but there is nothing for a number of miles in all directions. Just the way we like things, no nosy neighbours It’s really quite large and is like a mini-town. The actual HO is smack bang in the middle, so it will be a short drive from the runway, but won’t take us long to get there. Hopefully they will have some information for us, Alexina.”
“HO?”
“Headquarters Office,” he explained.
The landing of this fabulous aircraft was as smooth as silk. Very quickly they were in a waiting jeep and on the way to the HO.
Alex became extremely nervous. What the hell was she doing flying halfway around the world with a stranger?
Stranger, she thought? It was very weird, but she did not think on Zach as a stranger. In fact, she felt relaxed with him, and that in itself was weird, as she was a bit of a loner who didn’t have many close friends. She had what was commonly known as trust issues.
She tried to see what this ‘compound’ was like and was expecting something along the lines of an army barracks. That was what the word compound conjured up in her mind.
However, it was nothing like that. She could see proper streets with houses and some shops. This was so far from the word compound as you could get, the name Unity suited it so much better.
After about ten minutes, they came to a stop in front of a large building, which to her looked like her local Town Hall with steps leading up to it from the pavement. At the top of the steps there were two very large men standing guard. At least that’s what she assumed they were doing. They were even bigger than Duncan and he was huge.
As they approached she got increasingly nervous, and Zach took her hand in his and ran his thumb over it as they walked. “It’s okay, Alexina, they will not harm you. Nobody here will ever harm you. This is the safest place on the planet that you could be right now.” His voice was low, and she got a very weird feeling pooling in the pit of her stomach.
She relaxed slightly, but still felt on edge. One of the guards opened the main door for them before they got to it and they walked inside.
Her breath stuck in her throat. This place was huge, gorgeous, and simply stunning. She ran out of words to describe it in her head. The entranceway was very large with marble floors and several doors on each side of the room with one of the grandest staircases she had ever seen right in front of them and in the centre of the large space.
It was truly a magnificent area. There were some very, very old tapestries on the walls, and they were made so exquisitely, she had to drag her eyes away. There were some ancient marble statues that were exquisite and paintings galore, too much for her to process.
Zach gave a small chuckle. “It can be quite disarming the first time you see this, can’t it?”
“Oh my God, I have never seen anything like this. It is so beautiful, it’s really quite breathtaking,” she
replied, still in shock at the greatness of the place.
“Yes, we have amassed a colossal amount of items over the centuries, and we take great pride in them,” he told her with a smile on his face.
“Come, I’m sure there are people waiting on us,” and he guided her to the grand stairs. They went up to the second floor. This area was made up of a very long hallway branching off each way from the stairs.
There were numerous doors. Zach turned left and headed towards a set of very large double doors at the end of the corridor. He knocked first but didn’t wait for a response, but opened the door and ushered Alex in.
Once again, she was astonished as she took in this very large corner room. It was just as grand as the entranceway downstairs and had doors leading off from the left and right. There was an absolutely enormous antique desk on the far side with yet another large man sitting behind it.
“Come in, come in, Zach and Alexina, we’ve been waiting on you. I am Thadius, a member of the Council.” He introduced himself to Alex, getting up and coming around the desk to take her hand.
She only then noticed two other people sitting on a sofa in the corner of the room with a coffee table in front of them. They also got up and made their way over. He introduced the two people. “This is the Head of the Council, Viktor, and this is our Head of Sorcery and Witchcraft, Amelia.”
Alex looked at them closely. Viktor was slightly taller than Zach, but had the same aura of power around him, and she surmised he was extremely capable. He had dark brown hair with quite an attractive face, though not nearly as good looking as Zach.
Amelia on the other hand was one of the most gorgeous women she had ever seen, and Alex did not like the way that she was looking at Zach. Not one bit.
She realized this with a start and filed it away for further thought later.
Amelia took her hand and said, “Hello,” all the while looking in Zach’s direction and not at her. She had long auburn hair that was styled ‘just so’ and her make-up was flawless. She wore a very figure-hugging little black dress with emphasis on little.
She made Alex feel like Cinderella, dressed as she was in her jeans, shirt, and hiking boots.
“Come sit down and have some coffee and we will proceed,” Viktor advised.
Thadius spoke in a low rumbling voice, “We have been discussing these recent events and the information we have uncovered is disturbing, to say the least.”
Alex sat on a chair and Zach sat on the arm of it next to her and laid his arm across her shoulders. She was surprised at how good it made her feel.
Alex could see that Amelia was not happy.
“So what has come to light?” Zach asked.
Thadius started to explain, “As you know, Brianna, the seer of the coven in Quebec, contacted us and advised Alexina was in some sort of trouble. Her vision was quite dramatic, and of course, we sent you, Zach, to protect her while we tried to find out what was going on.”
Alex interrupted, “How?”
“How what?” Viktor asked.
“Well, I take it this seer didn’t get a flash with my address on it?” she said.
“Ah no, she didn’t, but in one of the visions she saw you parking your car in some out of the way car park. She got your license plate. From there, it was very easy for us to find you,” Viktor answered.
Thadius continued, “Now, we are still not one hundred per cent sure what is happening, but the information you passed on while you were in-flight certainly helped us. Amelia has uncovered some obscure text in one of her many old books, and it seems that Alexina is exactly what her name depicts. She is the Defender of Man.”
Alex opened her mouth to speak, but Thadius beat her to it, “Alexina, I know you must have many questions, but if you could hear us out first, then we will be happy to answer. Is that okay?” She just closed her mouth and nodded. Her stomach was in knots. This was madness.
“Okay, so for as long as we can figure out, there has been a bloodline that Alexina is the latest of. This bloodline has never wavered, always a female named Alexina. The important part is the bloodline – to be frank – the blood. Wait, Alexina, I know you are troubled, but please let me explain.” Thadius once more pre-empted her interruption.
Zach’s arm tightened a little bit on her shoulders, and she knew he could feel the distress she was in.
Thadius continued on, “This line of women was created in order to keep the doors to Hell closed. They were entrusted with special blood, which they would use every thirty-five years or so in a special ritual, at a particular point on earth, that ensured the gates did not open. What we have learned is that Alexina’s mother and grandmother was killed to stop them from continuing to carry out this ritual, and these gates are getting weaker by the day. It is down to Alexina to learn this ritual. Hopefully it will be in this journal that you have brought with you, and to get it done as quickly as possible to ensure they do not open fully. Already some Demons have escaped, and we assume that is what was after Alexina in the woods.” Thadius stopped talking, but had never taken his eyes from Alex.
“I don’t know what to say,” Alex whispered. “I never knew any of this, and I certainly don’t know the ritual. Are you sure? I mean this all sounds a bit far-fetched to me. I have looked at the journal my aunt gave me, but I can’t understand it. It’s written in a foreign language, but one I have never seen before.” She had been holding the journal – all the way from the plane – it was her mother’s, and she had not wanted to put it down.
At this, Amelia reached over and said, “May I? I know many of the ancient tongues, and I may be of help.”
Alex handed it to her, reluctantly, and looked up at Zach. He smiled at her. “We will do everything we can, Alexina, please try not to worry. I will help you. I will not leave your side until we know you are safe!” He said this while staring into her eyes.
This calmed her a bit, but she was struck with how sad she felt that he would ever leave her. She didn’t want this Vampire not to be in her life. She hadn’t known him long, but she felt very deeply for him, and she was a bit scared at the strength of her feelings.
Viktor spoke, “Amelia, do you think you can translate the journal for us?”
“I think I may be able to, but it’s going to take me some time. I suggest that you leave it with me,” Amelia said in a haughty tone.
“Of course, of course,” Thadius responded.
“I think Alex should get settled and rest,” Viktor added to the conversation.
Thadius looked over at Zach, “That’s a very good idea. Zach, there are the usual rooms available here. I think a few days for her to rest is in order, plus, that will give Amelia some time to go over the journal.”
“If it’s all the same, I think we will go to my place. I think Alexina will relax a bit more there,” Zach announced, and Amelia’s eyes darted between Zach and Alex. Alex was sure she could detect jealousy in her look.
Thadius just nodded. Zach stood and took her hand and they retraced their steps to the jeep, which was still outside.
“I know you are very scared and a bit daunted, but we will get through this, Alexina. Together we will get through this. Please tell me you believe me?” He gave her the most endearing look she had ever had from a man, any man, and for it to be this magnificent man, well, she was astounded.
“Zach, I do trust you. I don’t know why, I mean, we’ve only just met as such, but I know in my heart you will do everything you can to help me. I just hope it’s enough. This is all pretty scary. I mean, Demons, gates of Hell, really. It’s scaring the beejesus out of me.”
Zach once more frowned while answering her, “Oh, there you go again. You have some very funny sayings, you know that?” He laughed.
“Well, they’re not funny to me.” She grinned back at him.
They got into the jeep and Zach drove for only about five minutes until he pulled up in front of a lovely little detached bungalow.
&nbs
p; To say Alex was surprised was an understatement. Didn’t Vampires sleep in coffins?
She realized she really would have to change her preconceptions.
Chapter 6
Zach opened the door to his home and Alex noticed the door hadn’t been locked. It must be nice to live somewhere that you didn’t need to lock the door, she thought.
Once inside, it was not at all what she expected. They were in a small hallway that had a door to the living room and a couple of doors further down that obviously led to bedrooms.
She had expected the black leather sofa, hi-tech toys, glass and chrome that a lot of men had in their ‘bachelor pads.’ But no, it was nothing like that. There was a couple of very comfy looking sofas and armchairs in front of a very large fireplace and a TV in the corner. It wasn’t one of the huge plasma TVs that were all the rage, it was just a normal sized flat screen TV.
There was a gorgeous antique writing desk in the corner opposite the TV, and it didn’t look out of place at all, which surprised her a little.
On the wall opposite the fireplace there was some watercolours that were just beautiful. Very simple but stylish. There was a couple of doors leading off from the living room, one of which gave her another surprise, a piano was there. She hadn’t taken Zach to be the type to play the piano, but then again, she had only just met him, hadn’t she?
The other door led to a kitchen with a door further from there leading to a bathroom and utility room. He advised that both bedrooms had en suite, so he didn’t need another separate bathroom. He took her jacket and told her to sit down while he got her a drink.
He came back in a few minutes and handed her a tall glass with a drink, ice, and a straw, which she took to be cola. However, as soon as she went to take a drink she could smell it wasn’t. It was Jack Daniels and diet cola – her drink.
“Did you just happen to have this in your drinks’ cabinet?” she laughed.
Defender's Blood Alex's Destiny (An Urban Fantasy) Page 5