Scarred Protector (Midworlder Trilogy Book 2)

by Mundy, Maggie

  Chapter 25

  Healing at a Cost

  Heath held on tight to Evie, as they walked down the corridors of Pergor. It would not take long to reach the crystal chamber, and he didn’t want to accept what might happen when they got there. Since the first moment he had met her, he sensed they were fighting a battle to be together, and he would continue to pursue that until the end. Evie snuggled into him, and he could tell her breathing was getting shallower.

  “Are you all right, my darling?” he whispered, as they followed the others.

  “It hurts, but I’m getting cuddled by a gorgeous guy, so it’s worth it.” Evie reached up and touched his cheek, and he pressed into her palm, which was beginning to feel too cold. Her lips were turning pale blue, and he knew she was leaving him, and if they could not reverse this quickly, then it would be for forever.

  The crystal chamber looked as it had before, just minus Charles, Sayell, and Liliath, which was a good thing. At this moment, he would’ve ripped them limb from limb. If Evie didn’t survive, then that could very well still happen. He would go down in history as the first Midworlder to kill an Elevated. In his opinion, someone should have killed her off years ago.

  He took Evie up to the platform and laid her on the altar. She coughed as he supported her, but he could hear the fluid collecting in her lungs. They didn’t have much time. He looked up and saw Genia enter the chamber.

  “Are they coming?” He tried to keep the impatience out of his voice. He was aware she was doing everything she could, and what they were asking had not been done before.

  “Her name is Deena, and she’s willing to come and see if she can do something. She is aware of what has happened with the darkness and with Liliath. I fear lines will be drawn here tonight that will change the situation on Homeworld permanently.”

  Ridge walked forward. “They’ve tried to ignore the situation after what happened with Nicole, but it was only a matter of time.”

  The atmosphere in the room changed as the crystals started to vibrate. Evie reached out and took his hand in hers and squeezed. She motioned for him to come closer.

  She whispered. “I don’t want to be the cause of people dying Heath. I love you, but I won’t start a war on your world. I’d rather die now.”

  “I refuse to accept that your death is inevitable. You’re not the cause, and this discontentment has been brewing for a long time.”

  Heath stood up beside Evie, ready to fight if he had to, as forms started to appear below the platform. The first was an Angelic guardian he had met before. She used to be attached to Nicole and was called Mira. Beside her, two more Angelics appeared, but so far no sign of an Elevated. Maybe this Deena had changed her mind. They just wanted to use Midworlders, not help them. Then the vibrations in the crystals increased, as Deena arrived.

  That she belonged to the same group of beings as Liliath seemed almost impossible. The Angelics looked like pixies, but Deena was celestial, what artists would have painted angels after. She stood a good six feet tall, and her body was slender and as white as the robe she was wearing. On Earth, they would have called her an albino with only the slightest hint of pink in her snakelike eyes. She was hairless like Liliath, but her skin shimmered as if it had been sprinkled with the ground up crystals of the room.

  “She’s beautiful,” Evie said, which broke his attention. Deena glided up onto the stage, as if walking was a pointless action. Heath stood at the head of the altar with his hands on Evie’s shoulders. Deena stared at her but said nothing. Then, she placed her hands above Evie’s body. A glow formed, encasing Evie and him from their heads to their feet. He could feel the warmth of the healing and, for a moment, could see through Deena’s eyes. Every muscle and cell was clearly defined, including where the damage was. As the light withdrew up Evie’s body, it was healed. Then it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. Deena smiled but still didn’t say anything. This time, she turned her attention to him. He could hear her thoughts in his mind.

  She will live, but she cannot be completely healed. Genia will have to cleanse her body of toxins left over by the darkness at least once every one of your Earth years. I fear you can never have children, for it would kill her. Then again, Midworlders cannot reproduce with one another anyway. I’m sorry I could not do more. She has suffered much because of our kind.

  With that statement, she moved away from them and disappeared. Evie smiled up at him and took in a deep breath. Her lips were starting to get their normal color back, as he hugged her and picked her up and carried her down from the platform.

  “She said something to you, didn’t she?” Evie asked.

  “Yes, and I’ll tell you when we get back to Earth. We are to be together, and that’s what you need to know for now.”

  “Okay, but as soon as we get back, or I’ll get out the corkscrews.”

  “What kind of a woman have I saved?”

  “One that loves you.”

  Mira and the other Angelics stood before them. Mira stepped forward to speak.

  “There are things we wish to impart before we go. Many on Homeworld are considering breaking ties with Earth. They’ve seen what is happening with Liliath but will not punish an Elevated. They will not tolerate one side or the other ruling down here. If we can’t find a solution, I fear there will be war.”

  “What’ll happen when people need guardians?” Ridge asked, as he stepped forward.

  “For now, they’ll continue, but there may come a time when we will leave and the Midworlders will have to fend on their own.”

  “We’ve been doing that for a long time anyway,” Suzie said.

  Mira touched Ridge’s arm. “I also need to let you know something we discovered while investigating Liliath’s plans. You have a brother. His conversion was not straightforward, and it seems Liliath perverted the course of nature and has put DNA from both Angelic and Demonic in him. She sought to make a strong mate for herself on Earth, but he escaped her clutches. We’ve been searching for him and think he may be in Australia. We also believe he may be unstable or have no knowledge of what he is.”

  “Do you have a name or know what he looks like?” Ridge asked.

  “Soren is his name. That is all we know. We need to leave now. It will be difficult enough to explain our presence here as it is.”

  Heath wanted to ask more questions, but they were gone before he could get a word out.

  Heath shook his head. “I don’t think there’s any point in us staying here. Let’s get out of this place, and I hope I don’t have to come back for a long time.” He strode from the room with the others behind him. For once, he couldn’t wait to get back to Earth. For the first time ever, he felt like the alien on Pergor.

  Chapter 26

  Heath smiled, as he looked over and watched Georgia fuss over Evie. Ridge was pouring himself a large whiskey, and Heath joined him.

  “I could kill someone for not tellin’ me I had a brother on Earth. Sayell was so in with Liliath, he must’ve known.”

  “If you want some assistance in looking for him, I will help.”

  “So will I,” Evie called from across the room. “I’ve always wanted to go to Australia.”

  Heath shook his head, knowing he would not be able to stop her if she put her mind to it. She patted the seat next to her, and Heath walked across.

  “Now, I know that Elevated said something about me, and we’re amongst friends, so out with it.”

  He explained what Genia would need to do, but he guessed Evie knew he was not telling her everything, from the way she raised her eyebrow as she peered at him. He turned to her aunt.

  “We’ll return to England tomorrow, and you are most welcome to come with us, Georgia. I’m sure Evie would like it if you chose to live with us.”

  “I will sort some things out here first, b
ut I would love to come and stay.”

  Ridge came over and stood beside them. “Nicole and I will head back to America tomorrow. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out anythin’ of my brother.”

  Evie yawned, and so did Georgia. He scooped Evie up.

  “I’m fine. You can put me down, so I can walk.”

  He didn’t let her go and carried her back to their room and laid her on the bed. She smiled and tapped her finger on her bottom lip, as if she was planning something. And then she stood up.

  “What are you up to?” he asked.

  She started to undo the buttons on his shirt, as she pulled it free of his pants. He took her lead and undid her blouse, pushing it from her shoulders. She leaned forward and placed kisses on his chest. Each one was like a little shock of pleasure where it touched. She kicked off her shoes, and he did the same. Then she returned her attention to his belt that was undone, pulled it out, and threw it across the room. She didn’t waste time and unzipped him, easing off his trousers and underwear over his aroused cock. Before he could do anything else, she pushed him back on the bed and pulled his clothes off.

  He watched, as she slowly slipped a bra strap off one shoulder, then the other. With her arm behind her back, she unclipped her bra and let it slip forward to reveal her breasts. Her nipples were like tight buds, and he wanted to suck them now. She unzipped her jeans and slowly pushed them over her hips until all she was wearing was a pair of small cream lace panties. Once they were gone she crawled up the bed, so she was astride him. Leaning down she kissed him gently as she moved her pussy up and down the length of his cock.

  Heath groaned. He wanted to be in her more than anything. She moved back onto her knees, took his cock, and guided it into her core. Inch by glorious inch, she lowered herself onto him until he was completely encased by her. She leaned forward and started to move back and forth. He kissed her, as his hand went down and found her clit, massaging it gently. She was so wet and hot, and he knew he would not last long in this position. She started to pant as her orgasm came, and he was there with her. She lay there on top of him as they throbbed together, and he ran his fingers up and down her back.

  When they came apart and lay side by side, he knew she would ask him what Deena had said. She listened quietly while he told her.

  “It’s okay. I’ve never been crazy about having kids. I reckon I’d rather help troubled teens instead. I have you, and that will be enough for me. Just let me tell Aunt Georgia, though. She’s still coming to terms with having an angel for a niece.”

  “I’m still coming to terms with the fact I will have you to love for the rest of my life. Now we are joined, if one of us dies, the other will. I fear there may be rough times ahead.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be here without you anyway. Whatever the future holds, it’s us together now.”

  Heath held her in his arms and knew she was strong but was not sure any of them would be strong enough for what lay ahead.

  Also by Maggie Mundy and Soul Mate Publishing:

  HIDDEN MORTALITY

  In Bath in 1850 a witch is murdered in a ritual granting longevity to four men. What they are not aware of is that she has bestowed the same power to another called Seth to avenge her death.

  Cara is a descendant of the witch and fills her days with food with her Irish-themed catering business. Her nights are another matter; they are full of erotic dreams of a mysterious lover, or nightmares with mutilated bodies. So this wasn’t the best time for her Nana to tell her she is coming into her power.

  Of the original four immortals, Vincent is the only one left and to stop his own long life from fading he needs another witch to kill. Seth was meant to protect the witch’s descendants from a distance, but with Cara he can’t stay away. He has to make a choice to love Cara, or avenge the original death and possibly die himself. Cara has the fight of her life on when one man comes to kill her, and another to love her.

  Available now on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ogskr5h

  UNKNOWN PROTECTOR

  Two things have helped Nicole cope since the murder of her husband. One is running her detective agency, and the other is her guardian angel, Mira. When Mira is killed by a demon, Nicole accepts the help of a Ridge, a long-haired, cigar-smoking diamond in the rough with wings. Things go from bad to worse when a replacement guardian cannot be found. She has to trust Ridge, which is tricky when she realizes there are no demons or angels, just parasitic aliens that humans have built the myths of these celestial beings around. Ridge isn’t an angel or a devil, but an alien half breed known as a Midworlder. He is also way too sexy for his own good.

  Available now on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ofk2er3