by Debbie Behan
Axon wholeheartedly agreed and once they left, he gave the two chamber maidens a hurry up as his impatience grew. While they worked feverishly running a bath, lighting the fire and laying out clothes, he opened his mini NAVcom. He had given Cassie time to speak with Zoren, and now it was his turn. On the private NAVline, Zoren picked up straight away. The entire time Axon spoke he continued very lightly stroking Caitlin’s hair to let her know he was there with her.
‘Zoren, they almost killed her this time. I want her out of the Riders. She is to be my wife, and I won’t keep putting up with these “accidents” as you call them.’
‘Axon! I knew it was wrong to sanction your mateship with this woman. You have become too personally involved! As far as I can tell, this didn’t come from the gods. The chatter we are picking up is mostly them in shock, finding out who you and Caitlin really are. This cloak and dagger game has to stop. It was your idea was it not, to hide behind aliases. It has only made this situation worse.’
Axon’s temples throbbed as his annoyance built. ‘That may be true. I did continue with the pet names, but only to keep Caitlin alive. Yes, and it is evident now, that it did not work. Even so, I’m pulling her from the team.’
‘No you will not; get in here now!’
Axon tapped his earpiece to lower the sound from the vibration and loudness of Zoren’s angry reply.
‘Zoren!’ His tone matched that of his boss. ‘I’m waiting for Kayden, and when I have settled “your” team of Riders and made sure they are safe… then, I will come straight in.’
The mention of him looking after the Cloud Riders calmed Zoren. Anger turned immediately to concern. ‘Was anyone else hurt?’
‘Just Cait.’
‘I appreciate you putting them up, Axon, you’re a good man, but as for this hysteria regarding Caitlin, that isn’t going to happen no matter how big a tantrum you throw. Not her, mate. Sorry!’
Axon went silent to calm down. Zoren had his own way of defusing situations, even from far away.
‘You still there, Axon?’
‘Yes!’
‘You okay?’
‘What if she wants to leave? Will you let her, Zoren?’ Axon heard him exhale deeply.
‘Maybe.’
‘Then we will leave it up to her.’
There was no answer at the other end of the line and Axon didn’t expect to get one. Zoren had grown to admire Caitlin and would not tolerate the subject being brought up again, but he had to give it one last shot. He knew she belonged to so many, and he wondered if, at any time in their lives, she would ever just be his.
‘The bath is ready, My Lord.’ The chambermaids waited to help him. He nodded and both quickly and yet skilfully, barely moving her, undressed Caitlin.
‘Here!’ He pulled a bottle out of his side dresser and handed it to one of the women. ‘Pour half of this mixture into the water.’ It was the potion the doctor had given him to use when Caitlin was cut and bruised the first time he cared for her. While the chambermaids were busy warming towels and her nightwear, Axon undressed, went over to the bed, picked Caitlin up in his arms and carried her to the bath. This the reason for choosing his room. His bathing tub was huge. He walked down steps into the water and lowered them both into it. He was so glad she was unconscious and couldn’t feel the pain of the water against her wounds. Yelling out to the women, he had them sit on the edge and gently sponge the soot and dirt off her skin while he held her steady. They didn’t wash her enough to hurt her, but just enough so the doctor could see the damage.
‘Enough!’ He worried it had taken too long. ‘Out of the way.’ He had little patience. ‘While I dress, only place the robe on her until after the doctor has been. He will need to look at her wounds.’
Both maids straightened, stood and waited for him to place her on the heated towel they had laid on the bed for her. Here, they dried and carefully put a robe on her while Axon sipped on slacks and buttoned his shirt. He turned to see them drying her hair, which lay around her like a copper glow. Her angelic features, even though puffy, still astounded him. To him, she was the most beautiful of all women.
The door opened, and Nigel entered. ‘The physician is here, My Lord.’
‘We are ready – send him in.’ Axon nodded to the man who entered. ‘King Lepius, so glad you could make it.’ He extended a hand.
‘Doc Lepius will do.’ He shook Axon’s hand. ‘You know I hate formalities while on the job.’ He looked over at the patient on the bed. ‘Heard about the bombing and as soon as the call came through, grabbed my medical bag and came straight over.’
‘Did you hear Zeus sent Apollo to revive her?’ Axon stood with arms folded.
He nodded, already digging in an opened bag for his NAVoscope that he inserted into each ear to hear her internals. In his hand, he held a body NAVscan that doubled as a healing device; this he moved slowly above her skin and did a thorough examination of her internal system. The thing beeped and made noises enough to wake even the heaviest of sleepers as it began to find problems and repair them.
‘Has she regained consciousness at all?’ Doc Lepius asked.
‘Nope, it’s scaring the hell out of me, but I’m trusting Apollo is good at what he does.’
‘Mmm.’
‘What do you mean by, Mmm?’
Axon understood doc Lepius had zoned out to care for his patient. Soon enough they could talk. In the meantime, Axon paced, worried and watched. Lepius still had a lot of work to do and apparently needed quiet to pick up all the problems. It was an hour later before he sat on the bed beside Caitlin and patted her hand.
‘I’m sorry, but I have done all she is allowing. There is a block, a reason she is not responding as well as she should.’
‘Did the gods do something to her? Has someone put a spell on her?’
‘I don’t know. I think it comes from Caitlin.’
‘Why would she not want to be well? This is ridiculous. I’m losing patience with this goddess or whatever continues to possess her. I want my fiancée back – for good!’
‘She is a powerful woman.’ Doc Lepius faced him. ‘I doubt there is any man, human or immortal that will ever totally own Cait. If you continue down this path and insist on marrying her, my advice is to learn patience. You have to let her go. If she is truly yours, when her work is done she will always come home here, to you.’
‘You know me, Doc, I am what I am. I will not change for any man never mind a woman.’
‘Then if she lives, end it. Send her back to her own Home World with her team.’
‘Hell no!’
‘Then it is you that must change, Axon, because she will defy you to do what she needs to. This will put you in a world of pain if you are not accepting of the person she has become and is still becoming.’
‘Becoming? There is more?’
‘She is only young in our world of magic, Axon. You know this. You also feel her power, or you would not be this attracted. I always told you it would take an incredible female that would capture you because of your own supremacy. You need equal or more. In her, my friend, you have found a perfect match,’ doc Lepius said.
Axon ran a hand roughly through his hair as his gaze fell on Caitlin. ‘She is my opposite and at times feels like my nemesis yet I melt when I look at her. I hurt here...’ he rubbed his chest over his heart, ‘…when I hurt her.’
‘And now you understand how Hades feels. She has given him her love too. Not as she has you, but a friendship that will last aeons.’
‘Like hell! That ends now! That ended when he did this.’
Lepius stood up. ‘I will leave you with this thought. If Hades feels as you do, could he have done this? He is no fool and sees how perceptive Cait is, that she’d have picked up the danger from wherever she was located and found a way to be there.’
Axon was flushed and li
vid. ‘He knows nothing of Cait and, he is a fool! I hope he rots in hell for what he has done.’
Lepius packed up his medical gadgets and ignored Axon’s outburst. He had known him long enough to see his love and possessiveness of this woman was clouding his own astuteness. ‘Call me if there is any change.’ He patted Axon on the back as he left.
Caitlin had groaned, and he hastily sat on the bed to soothe her. ’Honey, you’ve broken some ribs, and your insides are a mess but could only be partly repaired. You have to let the doc help you,’ he pleaded, but she was still unmoving and back in a deep sleep.
He ran a hand through her hair. ‘Don’t worry, your team are on their way. Maybe they can do what you wouldn’t let the doctor do.’
The feeling he was alone had him look around and notice the doctor had gone. He mentioned he’d met the Cloud Riders on several occasions. Said they were a scary lot when they had a member down. Most likely that was the reason he had departed so fast. Axon didn’t blame him, Rory and his team would be in a right mood with Caitlin injured again. It was probably for the best the doc didn’t witness their wrath. Rory on his own was someone not to muck with when annoyed. Just his eyes alone would scare the bejeezers out of anyone the way they electrified and glowed when he was pissed off. It gave him comfort to recall how Caitlin, half Rory’s size, ignored it and gave him attitude anyway.
‘Keep fighting, Cait, just like that. Don’t you dare die.’ Axon tapped his earpiece, ‘Nigel – send in a chambermaid to dress Caitlin.’
‘Yes My Lord, she is on her way.’ Axon heard him bark an order and within seconds the door handle turned and the chambermaid arrived.
Caitlin looked so little and helpless, he wished he could get into bed with her and hold her but had too much to organise. He kissed her. ‘I love you, sweetheart, thanks for staying alive for me, for us. I promise I will try to change, please stay,’ he whispered.
‘Sorry to disturb you, My Lord, but there is a caller on Navcom that insists on speaking to you only,’ Nigel’s voice interrupted him.
‘ID?’
‘System didn’t register a place of origin, My Lord.’
Axon was pretty sure who it was and didn’t want Caitlin to hear what was going to be said. After leaving instructions to be called as soon as Caitlin woke, Axon slipped quickly out from the room. He had been waiting for Hades, the traitor, to call.
‘How dare you lie to me, to her? You nearly killed her; what the hell were you playing at?’ He went quiet… ‘Yes, she is breathing, but that’s about all at the minute. If she dies, Hades, I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself. And when I’ve finished with you, your brothers will have the same fate.’ Axon shook with rage. Although he didn’t answer, he knew Hades had not hung up even after the onslaught of words that spewed angrily from him. He could hear him breathing and… was that him choking back emotion?
‘Can I see her?’
‘When hell freezes over and even then, not over my dead body!’ Axon gritted his teeth.
‘Axon please, I didn’t know. It wasn’t us; well it was a family member, but none of the gods from our planets. We wouldn’t do that to her, you know that. Please! I have powers. I can help. Don’t shut me out. I’ll give you any information you need.’ His tone pleaded with Axon and weakened his better judgement.
‘Hades, don’t damn well lie to me. You came to the island, checking she was away from danger, she told me!’ he yelled.
‘I didn’t mean it that way, Axon. Dammit! I just meant I was glad no other men were hanging around. I was jealous, that was all. I imagined her on a beach with Earth men, bodybuilders, maybe. She said you were fishing and she was sunbaking. When I saw there wasn’t another soul on the beach but her, and that your boat was heading back, I relaxed and left. That was all. It was innocent on my part, sort of. Well, you know how I feel about her, Axon. I love her too but differently from you. Please, Axon, let me come see her. I won’t stay long, I’m hurting too. I know how angry you are with me, but you have it all wrong.’
Axon really did feel he was telling the truth. The words rang true, for he believed Hades would have been jealous. His love for her was new, uncertain. Hades also knew who the culprits were and needed his help. He had to calm down, or he would blow his chance to uncover who it was, and the motive behind the attack. Kayden and Cassie had also felt it wasn’t the planets. Anger had blinded him, and he had jumped to conclusions. It was time he did start to trust the friendship that was offered.
Hades was quiet on the other end of the line, waiting for Axon’s answer.
‘Hades, are you sure you’re prepared to help me?’ His anger was now under control.
‘Anything you need, Axon, just don’t close the door on me, on us, please.’
‘Give me a minute to get rid of the help. I assume you can track wherever Cait is in the house.’
‘Yes, somehow I’m connected to her subconscious. I feel her wherever she is.’
‘I see!’ Axon huffed, and although annoyed she had made Hades part of her life like this, it helped him understand the connection they had. ‘Cait is very clever and has apparently connected you to her as the Cosmic Riders are connected. Can you feel only her, or the rest of the team as well?’
‘Just her!’
‘I’ll be blowed.’ Axon was amazed at her ingeniousness and capabilities. As Lepius said, she was becoming one very powerful woman. Should he be scared of this new ability? Hell yes! But on the other hand, he knew the universe was one big mystery. The plan it had for her, for him, was something he would just have to ride out. Although he did hope one day it would all be over and the two of them could find peace alone together.
‘Hades, I can’t believe this has happened. I want answers when you arrive, an no stalling.’
‘I know Axon, and please, around Caitlin, it’s Jett.’
‘She knows you are Hades.’ Axon was confused.
‘She sees Hades as your enemy; I have worked hard to earn her friendship as Jett. If she hears you refer to me as Hades, she will think we are still enemies, and I fear it will all start up again as she works to make peace between us. Axon, you are angry, but it is not Hades this should be directed towards. My friendship is still sound between us. I’ll see you shortly.’ He closed off the port of communication.
Could Axon trust him? He had no idea. All Axon did know was that he had to believe in Cait, and she trusted him. He went back to the room. Cassie was sitting with Caitlin and shook her head in disbelief at the announcement of the soon to arrive god.
‘I have promised Hades, I mean Jett, privacy.’
As they moved out of the bedroom, Axon discussed with Cassie the reasons why he relented with Hades so she could let the others know.
Axon had a call and tapped his ear. ‘Yes.’
‘The guests have arrived, My Lord,’ Nigel said.
‘Settle everyone in and keep them from this level. I want total privacy on this floor and tell Rory I want a meeting with him, Kayden and Woody in the tower ASAP.’
Axon turned back to Cassie. ‘You right to find your way down to meet them?’
‘Sure you don’t need help blowing up that – that blatzing rotten god?’ she fumed, still not convinced Hades was the good guy.
Axon didn’t answer for a moment, considering the proposal to get rid of one of his biggest headaches. He smiled. ‘Not today. But I’ll take a raincheck.’
She gave a slight grin, but behind it was real anger. Axon was glad she was on her way to meet up with Kayden. He would help her harness the power from it, use it later, and Axon almost felt sorry for the next evil that crossed her path.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Judgement Day
Axon stayed to watch Caitlin until Jett arrived, and worried for the stillness of her body.
Jett shimmered in, eyes going straight to Caitlin. He sat but made sure h
e lowered his heavy weight gently beside her, so not to cause her pain. His hand found hers without even looking, his eyes still focused on her face. To speak just yet, Axon knew would not be easy as he watched Jett gulp back emotions that threatened to break through his tough façade. Axon for the first time actually felt for the guy. His friendship with her was way beyond normal, yet Axon also knew how much Hades loved his own wife, the goddess Persephone. Cait would only ever be a much-loved friend. Axon had never seen this much devotion before. He knew the difference now, Hades’ harsh features had gone, and this was Jett, her friend who meant her no harm.
He put his hand on his back. ‘I’ll give you privacy with her but after, we are going to have a brutally honest chat.’
Jett looked up at him gratefully. His eyes had dark circles around them and were dull with worry. Axon understood his emotional state. He would be feeling exactly the same if he thought he would never be allowed to see her again. It was soul torturing to love this woman for both of them.
Axon went and stood outside and could hear Jett talking to her. It was mostly just a mumble, but his sorrowful voice was shaky and sad. He waited a little longer than he should have, jealousy pinching at him even though he tried to push it away. He wished he was enough for her, but what drove her needs caused her to stretch out to yet another. He listened to Jett softly pleading then heard Cait speak faintly. He opened the door. Jett had her in his arms, rocking her. He ran his hand down her face and the magic he used on her crackled and spat out golden sparks from her skin. He glanced up and grinned, before dropping his head back down, talking to her again.
‘Glow, why did you go there? You would have stayed safe if you didn’t leave the beach. You can’t go putting yourself in danger like that. You have too many of us that love you. Please don’t frighten us all like this. Poor Axon is beside himself, he thought he lost you.’