"What do you mean?"
"This comms suite has never been used. I dare say the whole facility is just as untested." Thorn was disgusted with himself for not realising earlier.
"Indeed. The facility was installed when Mother remodelled the house, though we have never had cause to use it."
"Until now," Thorn finished for him.
"Until now." Crane nodded.
"What changed?"
"You did, My Lord." Crane lowered his storm-cloud-grey eyes. "With all respect, it is not often the Order visits our House. You may be our King, but you are a warrior first and the attention did not sit well with my mother."
Frankly, Thorn was surprised by Crane's insight and it made him wonder how many of his loyal subjects felt the same. Shit. Pushing the thought away, Thorn narrowed his eyes at the other man. "The attention would sit better if you had nothing to hide."
Crane sighed. "I will endanger my father's honour if I tell you."
"You endanger mine if you do not," Thorn replied.
Raking a trembling hand through his long blonde hair, Crane just nodded.
"Crane…" The power in Thorn's voice shook the room, but he hadn't raised his voice. The beginnings of an order flowed from him and he watched as Crane winced, waiting for the hammer blow to land. Yet an extraordinary thing happened. Some kind of inner knowledge flashed in Crane's eyes before he whispered, "The order is not necessary, let me have my honour."
Thorn inclined his head, suddenly impressed with the strength the man displayed.
"We did go to the inn that night and that woman did run away…" Crane began.
"But?"
"But my father was not ambushed as I said, not in the manner I described at least. The woman, Saffron did you say her name was? Yes, Saffron, she came barrelling out of the groom's' entrance to the inn and flew straight into my father's arms. She begged us for help. My father tried to get her to safety but she wouldn't dematerialise. And then we realised why." Crane's voice dropped to little more than a whisper. "She had a child with her."
"Eden!" Thorn said.
"We never knew her name," Crane continued, "but Saffron said the child's life was in danger. Saffron refused to tell us who the child was; said something about her very name being a death sentence for the pair of them. It was the strangest thing I'd ever heard, but Father was right, is still right really. We are all honour-bound to help those in need."
"So where did they go?"
"Father and I escorted them through Norton woods to the neighbouring village. My Father knew the Maluth there and said he would be able to help us. House Clayden was well known for its strength in numbers, and the Maluth was a wise man. He would know what to do."
"Clayden? As in Oscar Clayden?" Thorn interjected.
"The very same. You know of him, My Lord?"
"Indeed I do." Thorn also knew that Oscar Clayden had died a long time ago and he prayed Crane wasn't leaving him with a dead end.
"Father was right. Maluth Clayden took Saffron and the youngling in, said he knew a safe place for the child."
"Tell me you know where this safe place was," Thorn said.
Crane shook his head.
Thorn puffed his cheeks out in a long sigh. So there it was. Eden had been there that night, but without Oscar Clayden, where were they supposed to go with it?
"You could have saved us a lot of time if you had only spoken of this earlier." Like two hundred years earlier.
"I couldn't. We swore on the name of Blackwood."
"Ah." Thorn really wished people would stop doing that.
Chapter 15
Kaden, Mercury and Sky made it back to HQ with little more than seconds to spare. Mercury had typically driven like a demon possessed to get them back, but all three were feeling nice and toasty when they emerged from the Land Rover inside the underground garage. Their distress alarms had rung out for the third time just over half-way home, meaning that they'd spent the last part of the journey with only the UV resistant windows and the Grace of God to protect them.
Kaden watched Mercury and Sky heave themselves out of the vehicle, stripping out of their sun suits as they went. Though not exactly crispy, they both looked decidedly hot and bothered. Kaden surprised himself as he jumped down to the hard concrete floor. Sure, he felt a tad on the warm side, but he definitely wasn't suffering as the other two were. In fact, he felt pretty damned good.
The smile that started spreading across his face dimmed however when he saw Mercury's face. "How you feelin', Boss?" the other Vampire asked as he wiped sweat and a thin layer of soot from his brow.
"Yeah. Fine. Close call, eh?" Kaden asked
"For some of us," Mercury replied appraising Kaden with suspicion.
Shit.
"You sure you know what you're doin?" Mercury asked.
"Dunno what you're talking about," Kaden replied.
"Yeah. Okay."
Sky lurched around the side of the Land Rover, using the vehicle to keep himself upright. "Jesus. I feel like I've gone ten rounds with a sun bed!" the younger man laughed. The smile on his face slipped as he regarded his two comrades, looking from Mercury to Kaden and then back again. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Mercury and Kaden replied.
"Right," Sky replied, a frown still pulling at his brow.
All three men span round as the steel door that led to the rest of the house flew open and slammed into the wall with a clang. Soraya bounded through. She skidded to a halt in front of the trio, her beautiful face drawn tight with worry. Her usually pale gold eyes were almost bronze as she looked at Kaden and all of a sudden he couldn't breathe.
Kaden could see her mouth moving but couldn't hear whatever it was she was saying. Mercury mumbled something next to him, but he couldn't have said what it was even if his life depended on it.
He felt a vice like grip come down on the back of his neck and suddenly there was a gravelly voice at his ear. "She's talking to you, my man."
"What?" Kaden croaked.
"I asked if you're alright," Soraya said as she searched his face.
Kaden cleared his throat. "Yes. Yes, we're fine."
Soraya arched her eyebrow.
"Honestly, we're fine." He really was. He felt better than he had in a long time.
"If you're sure?"
Kaden nodded.
Mercury slung his arm around Kaden's shoulders. "C'mon, Boss. Let's get a drink."
"Good idea," Sky chimed in.
Soraya led the way back up to the house, but turned towards the clinic, rather than heading to the den with the guys. As she placed a delicate hand on the door, she looked back at Kaden. "Come and see me later. I want to run some more tests."
"No worries," Kaden replied as he walked by her.
As soon as she'd left, his chest loosened and he could finally draw a proper breath.
Back at the den, Kaden collapsed into one of the oversized sofas as Mercury handed him a beer. Sky plonked himself down opposite, a big grin on his face.
The young Guardian laughed. "Christ, what a day. Tell you what; I wouldn't mind Soraya running some tests on me!"
Mercury let out a hiss from across the room as Kaden's vision went monochrome; the young Skylar the only thing in his sights.
Kaden was on him in less than the blink of an eye. Fangs punched down hard as he roared at the man, one hand gripping Skylar's throat the other snapped back and taking aim at the man's face. Fury thundered around Kaden's mind, his brain hardly registering Skylar's nose exploding in a crack under his fist as it made contact for the first time. Of its own volition, his arm sprang back for a second go.
Kaden felt his mouth curling into a grotesque kind of grin as he watched the blood pour down Skylar's face. The Guardian's dark eyes went wide with fear and confusion.
The words that came from Kaden's mouth didn't sound like his own, yet nothing felt more natural. "You will not speak of your Princess in such a manner. Do not let that mouth of yours leave a stain upon her
honour or yours."
Skylar gulped loudly but couldn't speak; Kaden's hand was still clamped around the guy's throat. Kaden still wasn't satisfied. This youngling needed to be taught a lesson. That other hand of his was coming down again, aimed squarely at Skylar's already ruined nose. The young Guardian squeezed his eyes shut in preparation, but Kaden didn't make contact. His fist stopped in mid-motion.
Kaden snapped his head up. Mercury was gripping his hand with all his strength, preventing him from sending the blow home. Mercury's chocolate-brown eye glowed ochre under the strain of keeping Kaden's fist away from Skylar's face.
Despite the considerable effort he was putting into preventing Kaden from moving his fist, Mercury's voice was clear as a bell when he spoke. "The Guardian is well aware of 'is honour. He wouldn't lose it over an innocent comment wrongly interpreted, Keeper of the Watch."
The blackness that had clouded Kaden's mind started to lift as he looked between Mercury and Skylar. Colour returned to his vision and he looked on appalled at the blood clotting on Skylar's face. What the hell happened? "Jesus. Sky… I'm sorry."
Skylar didn't reply.
"Maybe you wanna let go of his throat, Boss?" Mercury suggested.
What? Oh yeah. Kaden shook as he released his comrade and pushed himself up on the sofa, walking backwards till his legs hit the other sofa and he was forced to sit his arse down. Raking his hand through his blond hair, Kaden hardly dared look at either of his brethren. What the fuck had he just done? More importantly, why had he done it?
"Here, get this down your neck," Mercury said as he shoved a beer in Kaden's face. Kaden downed the lot and reached for another as Skylar made a discreet exit.
"Jesus fucking Christ, Mercury," Kaden whispered.
"I'll ask you again; do you 'ave the slightest clue what you're doin'?" Mercury asked.
"About what?"
"Don't fuck around, Kaden. You know exactly what I mean."
"With Thorn away, I'm responsible for her. That's all."
"Whatever you say, Boss."
Ryver chose that moment to join them, effectively ending Mercury's interrogation. Thank you, Goddess.
As Ryver plonked himself down in the easy chair however, Kaden's relief was short lived. Ryver's keen hazel eyes flashed brilliant green as they met Kaden's own. Shit.
Kaden slammed his mental shields down and locked them tight, but he knew by the paling of Ryver's face that he'd been too late. Kaden barely knew his own mind and was desperate to ask the Guardian what he'd seen. The frown tugging at Ryver's brow told him it couldn't have been anything good. Fuck it.
Ryver broke the silence. "Soraya tells me you found Thorn and Lena."
"In an Osmium safe room of all things," Kaden replied, glad to get back to the real issue at hand. "You had any luck raising anyone at House Bowman?"
"No not yet. I've tried all the usual ways, but no response as yet. God only knows if they even have a comms unit down there."
"And we can't get back there for at least another couple of hours," Mercury chipped in.
"Do you think you could get a read on them if you got close enough?" Kaden asked Ryver.
"Through osmium? Erm…" Mercury looked at Kaden as though he'd just asked Ryver if he could pull a rabbit out of his arse.
"Yeah, okay. Stupid question," Kaden conceded.
"It might not be that stupid a question," Ryver said quietly, not meeting anyone's eye.
"What?" Kaden asked.
"I might be able to do it."
"Jesus," Mercury said, mirroring Kaden's thoughts. If Ryver really could do what he said he could, Kaden and the rest of the Order had seriously underestimated their youngest brother.
"Are you serious?" Kaden asked.
"As serious as I can be," Ryver replied. "I'm picking up so much more than I used to without even trying."
Kaden sensed there was more to this than met the eye. "And if you do try?"
Ryver frowned. "I can hear everything."
"Everything?" Kaden said.
Ryver simply nodded his reply as Mercury cursed like a sailor from across the room.
"Fucking hell, Ryver! Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Kaden asked.
"Because I didn't want to see that look on the faces of those closest to me," Ryver replied, his tone hushed and full of sadness as he finally met Kaden's eyes.
Well, didn't that make Kaden feel like a prized shit.
Chapter 16
Oh Goddess. She was going to die.
Lena's skin was on fire. The place on her arm where Roarke had touched her had gone from merely unpleasant to excruciating in the short time it had taken her to get to the guest-room. As she paced around the room, trying to work out what the fuck was going on, she clawed at her skin. Her arm was red raw and the feeling was only spreading. So hot. She was so hot.
She had to cool down. She tore at her uniform, her utility vest and shirt falling to the floor. She ripped her combat trousers, sending buttons flying across the concrete.
A shower. Yes, that's what she needed. In a rush, she ran towards the bathroom but collided with the door frame with all the grace of a stricken baboon. Her brow knitted as she slid down the wall. She was still wearing her boots. She yanked at them, not bothering to untie the laces and threw them across the room.
Scrambling to her feet, Lena lurched into the bathroom, the bright-white tiles hurting her eyes as she fumbled with the light-switch. Reaching into the glass enclosure, she wrenched the cold tap on and fell into the shower.
Sweet Jesus. The relief was instant. She swore she could see steam rising from her as the freezing cold water ran over her skin. Lena stayed in a crumpled heap for the longest time. Her face grew numb, mashed against the hard floor and it was only when her back screamed for her to move that she finally shifted position.
Staying on the floor, she sat upright and leaned against the shower wall, bringing her knees up in front of her so she could rest her arms on them. She rubbed her right arm where Roarke brushed it earlier. The uncomfortable, almost sickly feeling had abated and the redness dimmed. Lena leaned her head back against the tiles and closed her eyes.
The water continued to pour over her, soothing her skin, but she could still feel fire within her. An inexplicable, golden fire burned brightest at her core, yet reached every part of her soul. The longer she sat under the freezing water, the more she realised there would be no relief unless…
Unless what? Lena didn't have the first clue what was happening to her body, or her mind for that matter. It was very likely she was losing her grip on reality entirely.
Thorn left Crane in the communication suite. Reeling from the truth he'd learnt and only just keeping a lid on the now-familiar-heat that rolled through him when he'd seen Lena talking to Roarke, he made his way to the guest-room. His hand hesitated on the handle.
Lena had made a pretty speedy exit earlier and as he sent his senses out in a wave, he knew she'd retreated to the room they were to share for the day. Share? Holy Fuck! How the hell was he supposed to get through an entire day with her in such close proximity? He felt strung out already, his nerves stretched to breaking point.
Swearing again, he raked his hand through his black hair, manned-the-fuck-up and barged in. Lena was nowhere to be seen. Closing the door behind him, Thorn made his way to the bed and cursed as he nearly tripped over something. Feeling like an idiot, he sat down and brought up one of Lena's boots. What the hell?
His eyes shifted towards the only other door. He could hear the shower in what had to be the en-suite. Images of Lena arching her strong body into the spray flooded his mind. Her long, jet-black hair clinging to her as she washed her china-white skin. The soap sluicing down between her breasts as she squeezed the sponge. Her hand moving lower as she…
Enough! Thorn squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to force himself back to reality. What the hell was he doing? All he needed was some cheesy pan-piped music and he had a full on porn film running in his mind. And Lena
was the star.
Jesus, get a grip, Blackwood. Lena was a warrior, Steward of the Watch. His warrior. His… That word flooded his mind until all other thoughts were lost. One resounding ideation: Mine.
And then the door to the bathroom opened and Lena stepped out.
This hiss that left his lips was completely involuntary. Barely covered in a white towel with her wet hair snaking down her back Thorn had never seen Lena looking so vulnerable. She clutched the too-small cloth to her with one hand and rubbed her arm with her other. When she finally lifted her chin and looked him in the eye, Thorn stopped breathing altogether.
Lena's midnight-blue eyes glowed a brilliant aquamarine and her breath hitched as she looked at him. "Thorn, I…" Her voice broke, but she tried again, "I, I need…"
Thorn was in front of her in two strides, his big arms pulling her to him. She shook as she leant into him, her breath uneven. He nuzzled her neck and that spice of hers enveloped him. His fangs punched down hard and he fisted her hair, bringing her face up to meet his.
Growling, he claimed her mouth. He wasn't gentle, wasn't soft. His lips slammed into hers, his fangs scraping her lips with a desperate need to possess her.
She opened for him and his tongue slid into her; caressing, teasing, tasting. Spicy, hot cinnamon rushed over his taste buds and he couldn't get enough. He wanted her. Heaven help him he wanted her and he couldn't stop.
Lena moaned as Thorn's tongue speared into her mouth, hot and demanding. Tiny pinpricks of pain bloomed on her scalp as Thorn pulled at her hair. If it were possible, their kiss deepened and she moulded her body against his. Savage need gripped her and she wound her arms around his massive shoulders. She had no choice. Her knees were about to give out. Her head span.
She shivered as Thorn's arm snaked around the small of her back, his hand spreading downwards to the top of her bottom. He drove her even closer and she could feel his arousal pushing at her through his combats. Jesus Christ he was big. The realisation sent another tremor through her and she arched under the force of it, her fingernails digging into Thorn's muscles to anchor herself, the heat at her core blooming further.
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