The Peacekkeeper Journals: The Joining [Book 1]

by CJ England

  "I am sorry, my Heart. All of you.” She paused and gave a frightened laugh. “The compulsion is great. I do need you. This time I need you to protect me from myself."

  "Just part of the job, honey,” Lucas quipped, but he was relieved she was back and talking.

  "Can you tell us more, my Lady?” Danolas patted her on the arm.

  Kira sat back from Gallegar, and Lucas adjusted her comfortably on his lap, his face possessive. She looked up at the building. “He is in there..."

  Lucas groaned. “Not another one."

  She threw him a disapproving look. “I must go to him. There is not much time. There is great danger. Please."

  Gallegar looked at Kira for a moment then got out of the car. The others joined him on the sidewalk. The bodyguard's car disgorged its four occupants and they came to stand behind their leaders.

  They all looked up at the building before them. There was something frightening about it, something they all sensed on a different plain. Gallegar turned to Patrick as an idea struck him.

  "Do you have people in this building?"

  Patrick nodded. “I have them everywhere."

  "We need to find out what is happening inside this building. I don't like what I am feeling."

  "Consider it done.” Patrick turned to Kira. “I'll be right back, sugar.” With a sound like a slap, he vanished.

  "We must go inside!” Kira fretted.

  "Not until we know it's safe.” Lucas was firm. “Let us do our job, honey. We're here to protect you."

  "High Priest!"

  They all turned to see Danolas’ acolyte standing in front of a plaque that hung by the building's entrance. “There is a sign here."

  "What does it say, Jorad?"

  "It reads ... Cassidy Genetic Institute."

  Gallegar didn't stop the hiss that filtered through his fangs. “A laboratory?"

  Danolas’ face was grim. “I have heard of this place. It's a place that studies the abilities of what they call Enhanced Humanoids or Suprahumans. Those who have special abilities and aptitudes."

  "Like us?” Lucas spoke with an inhuman growl. He felt his inner beast come to life.

  "No, we are supernatural. They are considered the next step in evolution."

  "And humans buy into this?"

  Danolas shook his head. “I know this because of my contacts as a witch. Humans think this is just what the sign says, a genetics laboratory."

  Kira plucked at Gallegar's arm. “I must go to him. Please, Gallegar."

  "Wait till Patrick gets back, A Ghra ... There is something here disturbing to me."

  "To all of us,” Danolas put in.

  "To all of us,” Gallegar agreed. “If we walk blind into a situation, we could all be hurt."

  Kira subsided. She understood what Gallegar and her other joined ones were saying, but they didn't feel the urgency she did. If she didn't get up there soon, all would be for naught. Pacing, she tried to hold on to her patience. She was almost jumping through her skin by the time Patrick popped back.

  "Can we go now?” she demanded, rushing to him.

  "Just a sec, sugar.” Patrick turned to Gallegar, Danolas and Lucas. “There's something goin’ on all right. My Ethereals are as nervous as coons in a dog run."

  "What do they know? Have they seen anything?” Danolas asked.

  Patrick shrugged. “Something about the sovereign bein’ replaced. I think we are about to walk into the middle of an old-fashioned execution."

  "No!” Kira cried, pulling strongly on Danolas's arm. “He is the one. We must save him."

  "You're to be joined with this sovereign? The old one, not the one who's taking over?” Patrick looked at the other men. This time he sensed the same displeasure in himself he saw in them. No wonder they hadn't wanted him around. Whew, I don't even know the guy and I don't want him anywhere near Kira.

  He stood scowling down at her until he saw the other men's knowing looks.

  Not as easy as you thought, is it?” Lucas mocked him with a chuckle. Patrick opened his mouth to sarcastically respond, but Kira broke in first.

  "We must save him, please."

  "All right, A Ghra ... We will come to this sovereign's assistance. But we must be careful. We do not know of the abilities of these Suprahumans."

  Danolas hefted his staff. “If the Power sent us here, we must believe we can help."

  "Yes,” Kira breathed. Her eyes glowed in relief and she stood taller. “I allowed my fear to overcome me. I am Peacekeeper. I will join with him."

  The others felt the sweep of her power. Theirs moved to meet it. All at once they felt stronger, more secure.

  Kira headed for the door. When she pulled on it, it didn't move. Lucas tried it. “It's locked up tight.” He looked at Gallegar. “I don't think either of us is strong enough to break it open."

  "Then let's try another way.” Danolas raised his staff and spoke an incantation. The air itself moved and shimmered. The door gave a groan and they heard the locking mechanism detach itself from its locked position. It clicked open with a loud snap.

  Danolas waved his staff. “After you, my Lady."

  Lucas snorted and placed himself in front of Kira. “After me, you mean.” They all walked cautiously through the open door. Jorad closed it behind him and wove a spell to relock it.

  Once inside the huge lobby, Kira opened her senses to try and find the sovereign. The others added their magicks to hers without a word. Kira felt herself drop back into that semi-trancelike state she had entered before. Without a word, she walked across the lobby to the elevators and pressed the button up.

  "Is it safe?” Danolas wanted to know. Patrick gave a little shrug and popped out again. The rest waited, their senses and powers on full alert. After a moment, Patrick was back.

  "The elevator is empty. My shades say the party is on the thirtieth floor."

  The elevator arrived and all stepped in. Even with the nine of them, there was plenty of room to maneuver. Lucas reached over and pressed the button for the twenty-ninth floor.

  "We must go to the thirtieth floor, my wolf,” Kira protested.

  Lucas shook his head. “We may need the element of surprise. If they don't know we're already here, stopping a floor early and walking up may give us an advantage."

  "Good thinking,” Patrick commented.

  The closer the elevator got to the floor, the more the group could sense the turbulent emanations. Something very bad was happening. Kira's eyes were glowing with power by the time they reached floor twenty-nine.

  "I am staying in the elevator.” Kira's words were determined. “I will arrive in their midst as The Peacekeeper. I will not show fear."

  Gallegar started to argue, but sensed the firmness in Kira's mind. She was in Peacekeeper mode. She would do what was necessary. She would go in alone if she had to ... just as she had done with him.

  "All right,” he agreed, surprising everyone. He took charge again. “I will go with you, as will Lucas. The rest can come up the stairs as Lucas had planned. If there is trouble, having many spread throughout the room will keep us from being vulnerable."

  Danolas hesitated, his gaze dropping to Kira, who stood resolute.

  "It is all right, my brother.” This time it was the vampire who comforted the witch. “We will take care of her. This time, your magick will work best ... unannounced."

  Danolas nodded, and he, Patrick and the bodyguards stepped off the elevator.

  "Follow the High Witch's instructions. Serve him well,” Gallegar said to Noah and Gabriel, as he pushed the button to close the door.

  "We can feel where he is, and he can feel us,” Lucas commented.

  "Yes, and Patrick can use the Ethereals if we get in trouble."

  "They know someone's coming,” warned Lucas, changing the subject. “The elevator light."

  "It matters not,” said Kira. Her face was glowing with her power, her exotic eyes strikingly golden.

  "Get ready!” Gallegar said. He an
d Lucas drew themselves up into their most intimidating bearing.

  The doors opened into a huge conference room. Wooden paneling ran along all the walls, and Lucas wondered what had happened to all the windows. Tables ran along the sides of the room covered in innumerable food dishes. Several kegs of beer sat on one end of the room next to an open bar.

  People were huddled in small groups. It looked like a party, but the atmosphere didn't feel festive. When Kira, Gallegar and Lucas stepped off the elevator, everyone turned to look at them. No one looked friendly.

  Kira took a closer look at the big room. She knew Gallegar and Lucas would keep her safe, so she was free to use her power and look around. The room was full of people. All shapes, sizes, sexes, and races. None looked enhanced to Kira's untrained eye, but her power could sense abnormalities in their auras. Something just a little off surrounded all of them.

  She looked toward the far end of the room where a stage was raised, and she caught her breath.

  Gallegar and Lucas whipped around and looked at Kira when they felt her power surge. She wasn't looking at them, but across the room. Carefully, keeping their eyes on the people who were slowly crowding closer to them, they turned and looked also. Their stomachs rolled at the sight.

  On the stage was a man. He hung spread-eagled against a large circular table that had been set on its side. He was attached to the table by large knifes that pierced his hands and feet. He had been beaten severely. Some type of blade had been used to make slashing cuts through his clothes and into his flesh. Streams of blood flowed down from his wounds to pool on the floor beneath him.

  Lucas and Gallegar flinched when Kira's scream of anger shattered the psychic plain. The burst of power that exploded out of her rocked everything within ten feet. Quickly they staggered to her side.

  "A Ghra...” Gallegar rasped, his hands coming down strongly on her shoulders. “Control! Use control or you will destroy friend and foe alike."

  Kira's power receded. She looked at them apologetically. “I am sorry. My temper—"

  "Let's not worry about that right now, honey. We need to help that guy.” Lucas was appalled at the spectacle before him. His people could be cruel, but they didn't hold with torture.

  Kira firmed her shoulders and walked toward the stage. Several men came forward to stop her, but one look into her glowing eyes, or at the anger on the faces of Gallegar and Lucas, and they stepped quickly aside.

  Kira's eyes were only for the man pinned to the table. Her power told her this was the Sovereign, the one she was to join with. How had he come to this? She sensed great power in him, but it was muted, as if under miles of water.

  He had a powerful body, one that spoke of much strength. His arms and legs were as muscular as Lucas'. His black hair fell over his face so she couldn't see what he looked like. What was left of his blood-soaked and tattered clothes was what looked like a tight fitting two piece catsuit. It had once been black.

  As Kira got closer, she noticed several people sitting on the side of the unfortunate Sovereign. One, a young man, was sprawled in a throne. His whole demeanor was contemptuous of everything around him. He could have been handsome, but his sneering face destroyed any attractiveness he may have had. He too, was dressed in black. He wore leather pants and a too-tight fitting leather vest, that gaped at the buttonholes, showing black hair on his chest. He had bleached the hair on his head white and had styled it so it stuck up in large tufts on his head.

  Kira stopped in front of him. Her words were abrupt. “I am here to see The Sovereign."

  The bleach-haired man sat up languidly and looked Kira up and down insultingly. Both Gallegar and Lucas tensed behind her.

  "So,” the young man drawled in a patronizing voice. “My first petitioner. You have come to give me your allegiance. To show me due respect."

  Kira's eyes flashed gold fire. “The only respect you are due is disrespect. You are not The Sovereign. You are nothing!"

  "Oh shit! The fat's in the fire now.” Lucas's mind-moan was almost funny. He and Gallegar stepped forward.

  The people on the stage came forward in anger. The young man jumped out of his chair like a jackrabbit. His face went red in rage.

  "How dare you? I am Superjack. I am the Sovereign. I rule here.” He swept a hand in front of him at the crowd gathered. His voice was petulant. “Ask any of them."

  Kira sniffed. “You sound like an angry child. I do not know how you have taken the true Sovereign's place, but you are a weakling and a parasite."

  Superjack was incredulous a girl would walk in and speak to him so. “Who do you think you are?” he screamed. “You will pay for that!"

  He motioned to one of the men standing next to him. “Seize them!"

  Three of the enhanced came forward. They were all large men with longer than average arms and legs. The features were slightly simian. They came at Kira with a rush.

  Gallegar and Lucas tensed to stop them, but suddenly, the three monkey men flew into the air and hung there, screeching. Their arms and legs kicked back and forth.

  They heard Danolas’ amused voice in their heads. "I thought you could use some help, my friends."

  "Perfect timing, Danolas. Just keep them there for a minute, will you?" Lucas stepped forward and addressed Superjack, who stood there staring at his men with his mouth hanging open. “You don't know who you're dealing with, kid. This is Kira, The Peacekeeper. I suggest you listen very closely to her. It may mean the difference between your life and death."

  Superjack shut his gaping mouth. His gaze flicked back and forth nervously between Kira's small group and his floating men. “Just who the fuck are you?” He managed to sneer.

  Gallegar stepped forward. “We are those who have joined with her. I am Gallegar, King of the Vampires.” A loud murmur went up at his declaration and the crowd of people backed away from him.

  "There are no such things as vampires,” one of Superjack's cronies said loudly.

  "Really?” Gallegar smiled, letting his power slide from its bonds. His eyes glowed green and his face paled. A set of fangs slipped from beneath his red lips. A supernatural wind blew gently through his hair. He looked otherworldly and deadly.

  "You are so beautiful, my Heart.” Kira's mind-voice was awed.

  Gallegar smiled and brought her hand to his lips. He accidentally nicked her palm with a fang, and a tiny droplet of blood oozed forth. Staring seductively at Kira, he licked her hand clean.

  Kira couldn't help the rush of desire that went through her.

  Superjack swallowed noisily, staring at Gallegar. His crony squeaked, as he hid behind one of the others.

  "Good show, you two. Let me give it a try now!" Lucas stepped forward. “I am Lucas of the Wolf Clan of Shapeshifters.” He grinned at the gasps that rose up around him. He didn't think any of this would make its way back to Elijah, but he couldn't take the chance. “I am also one of the Lady's Chosen."

  He looked at the crowd on the stage. “What?” he snarled. “No questions about shapeshifters? How sad. Now I can't prove it by doing this...” He willed the claws to burst through his fingers. The nails on his hands were smothered by the six-inch razor-sharp claws. There was pain, but it was easily managed now. That was part of Kira's gift to him.

  He held his hands up to Superjack and growled at him. “Want I should scratch your back?"

  Lucas could hear the mind-laughter of the others. He grinned, keeping his eyes on Superjack. The others on stage were looking at him for help, but the kid didn't know what to do. He saw Gallegar was still holding his otherworldly pose, so Lucas kept his claws out, just in case.

  Kira spoke, her voice smooth as glass. “There are others. Those who have power just as great as you have seen here. I will ask you one more time. I wish to see The Sovereign. Take me to him."

  Superjack licked his lips.

  They could all sense the fear in him. How had this kid beaten The Sovereign? Was he more powerful? It seemed ridiculous. The kid's eyes narrowed
.

  "You're right!” he said. “I'm not The Sovereign. But I will take his place after the execution tonight. I have beaten him in a fair fight. It is the way of the Enhanced. I will be the next sovereign, so anything you want to say to him, you can say to me!"

  Kira looked at the boastful young man. She was sure he hadn't beaten the old Sovereign. Her skepticism must have shown on her face.

  "You don't believe me.” Superjack sneered, and he put his chin in the air as if that would give him more courage. “Wanna see how I did it?"

  With speed faster than the eye could see, Superjack moved in front of Kira. He had her by the throat before any of them knew he had even moved.

  "You see, bitch. I don't need parlor tricks. I can beat you fair and square."

  Kira heard the shouts of her joined ones in her head. Lucas moved to use his claws on Superjack, his expression feral.

  "No, my wolf. Do not strike him. He is only a child wanting to prove a point."

  "His point is to kill you, A Ghra ... “ Kira heard the strain in Gallegar's voice. He too, had moved up behind the young suprahuman.

  Kira smiled. Superjack looked nonplused. "My loves, would this boy's hand damage either of you?"

  "Of course not!” Lucas answered out loud. “But it's you..."

  "You have given me more than your life and your passion. You can also give me your strength. Will it so, and he can not damage me."

  Gallegar met Lucas’ eyes. It went against everything in them, but together, they stepped away from the man. They gave their strength to Kira and felt her take it into her body.

  "Do you wish to harm me, pretender?” Kira's tone was icily sweet, as she spoke to Superjack. “Go ahead. Try if you can."

  Superjack's eyes widened. He hadn't expected this. Gingerly, he squeezed Kira's throat. Nothing happened. He squeezed again. Still nothing. Struggling to keep his face impassive, he squeezed as hard as he could. His fingers made no impression on the woman's neck.

  Keeping the fear from his eyes, Superjack stepped back. “I will allow you your life,” he stated breezily. “So all can know I am a benevolent leader."

  Lucas snorted. “You can't even spell benevolent."