“Let’s make this simple. Tommy, you first!”
Dorien and Philip rolled their eyes.
Oh yes! Her move was a calculated one.
Tommy would sing like a canary.
Philip laughed out loud. Likely from something Dorien had thought. Evangeline glared at them both. “And what is so darn funny, Philip?”
Dorien cast a look at Philip that promised her brother a slow, wretched death. Philip was smiling way too much. “Nothing. Dorien thinks you are adjusting well to your new role of motherhood.”
She curled her lip and growled at Dorien. “Is that so?”
Evangeline’s attention jerked back towards Philip. Apparently, he wasn’t finished quite yet. “It’s just that, well, with you being so…pregnant, we thought…meaning all of us, that decaf would be a good…Nay, a healthy way for you to enjoy your coffee. We were only thinking of the babes, of course!”
Evangeline’s eyes narrowed into thin slits. Her words were slow and deliberate in an effort to make them all understand.
“There
is
a
neeew
rule
in
this
faaaamily.”
Tommy pouted. “Sure, Evan, what is it?”
“No more assuming or changing anything in this house without discussing it with me first! Got it? You can’t mess with a girl’s coffee!”
Three heads nodded in unison. Evangeline was reminded of a collection of bobble heads. She pressed a pink fingernail deep into the sculpted muscles of Dorien’s chest. “And you owe me a cup of coffee, Mister!”
Dorien grabbed her upper arms in a blurred rush. She never saw his hands move. He pulled her fast into the bounty of his flexed embrace. Evangeline couldn’t help but squeal in laughter. But she still wanted a cup of real coffee. Their play was interrupted by the deep, reverberating blare of a limousine car horn.
Dorien lead the charge. “Let us go to Italy!”
He helped Evangeline into the waiting limousine. Taryn was quick to hand her a steamy, frothed latte. Giggling in wicked hedonism, Evangeline swigged a huge blissful gulp. She savored every moment of creamy, caramel flavor. Unexpected laughter filled the car.
“What’s so funny?” Taryn and Eliza asked in unison.
Evangeline glared at her meddling family. “It would seem the men in my life decided decaf was a suitable replacement for my coffee this morning.”
Taryn’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, you boys are on the dookie list! You’re lucky she allowed you to keep your bloody skins!”
“Good luck getting my skin off!” Philip answered a little too quickly. He pinched his pale, immortal skin for extra emphasis. Dorien jabbed his elbow hard into Philip’s ribcage. It was an obvious effort to shut him up. Philip held his side and feigned injury. Evangeline didn’t miss her brother’s reassuring wink of mischief.
She relaxed against the plush, leather seat and relished another soothing gulp of java. Her hand rushed to her swollen belly. The babies kicked and jumped. They seemed to enjoy the warmth of it, too. The limousine parked at the airport terminal. She couldn’t wait to get on that plane.
Evangeline watched Dorien and Philip with wonder. The plane vibrated and rumbled, gaining speed before it shot into the air and took off into the sky. Wonder filled her. Her fearless immortal warriors were experiencing their first flight. Judging by the looks on their beautiful faces, they weren’t too thrilled about it. It was a good thing they didn’t require food, or they’d probably be wearing it! Vivid Emerald and ice blue stares rested on her in an instant.
“You are a naughty girl, my love.” Dorien mused.
“Naughty or not, she’s right!” Philip admitted.
Taryn unbuckled her seatbelt and moved closer to Evangeline. She pointed a manicured thumb towards Dorien and Philip. “You know, I always thought you two looked a little pale, but you both don’t look so good.”
“It’s their first flight, Taryn.”
Eliza craned her neck. “That explains a lot!”
Taryn patted her shoulder bag. “I have an idea! Let’s watch a movie. It will make the flight time go by much faster.”
Philip perked up. “Sounds great! What do you have?”
* * * *
The rental van tires hummed in approach to Meter Marker Seventy-One. Dorien made a left turn onto the dirt road that led to the battleground site. He located the tents and pulled the vehicle forward. The swift jerk of his palm shifted the transmission into park. Everyone’s booted feet hit the ground. Dorien and Philip were the only ones who didn’t bother to stretch their muscles.
Evangeline surveyed the instruments and machinery. Everything she ordered had been delivered. Their heads craned towards the duo of armed security guards requesting proper identification. Evangeline relieved them of their duties after showing confirmation of their credentials. The officers nodded their heads and drove away in their Jeep.
Evangeline explained the sonography equipment and gave instructions on how to use them. The machines were placed in a row on the battlefield. Dorien assigned everyone a unit. Evangeline climbed into her waiting golf cart.
“This reminds me of a ride-on lawn mower!” Taryn yelled from across the field.
Evangeline giggled. “Remember, if there is anything solid below the ground, it will show up as a mass on the monitor. An alarm will sound in your earpieces. Watch and listen very carefully!”
Engines revved in unison. Everyone drove in slow, deliberate, straight lines. Sonography equipment rolled together in synchronized motion, all in an effort to cover more ground. Tommy hooted with excitement. He and Taryn’s machines both revealed a mass. Evangeline floored her accelerator pedal and drove her cart towards them.
Evangeline studied the monitor and placed an earpiece into her ear. Dorien and Philip watched closely, waiting for her opinion. She shook her head. Everyone’s disappointment was heavy. “I’m sorry. This isn’t a statue. If you see the striations, pits, and ridges on this mass, this is solid rock, which is quite normal for this region. We must continue looking.”
Dorien shouted new orders. The authority in his voice came so natural. “Try again!”
Another mass sounded Philip’s alarm. Evangeline’s was quick to reach him. Her stare was intense. She placed a small, round magnifying glass against the screen. “I can’t find any trace of striations, pits, or ridges. This shape is different than solid rock. It appears porous…a trait similar to marble. If you’ll look at the length of its shape, I would say that this is either a buried tree, or quite possibly one of your statues. It isn’t far beneath the soil, maybe eight feet deep. Boys, the shovels are in the back of my cart.”
Dorien cast Evangeline a knowing glance. Instinct told her what he was asking of her. “Ladies, let us go back to the tents. I could use a break and some cool refreshments.” Taryn and Eliza didn’t argue. They were quick to hop into her golf cart. Evangeline drove towards the direction of the tents.
* * * *
Dorien and Philip each grabbed a shovel.
Tommy frowned. “Hey, can’t I help, too?”
Dorien admired the boy. The lad had noticed there were only two shovels.
Philip threw a pair of binoculars to Tommy. “You keep watch while we dig out this mass. This task will only take us a few minutes.”
Tommy placed the binoculars against his eyes and scanned in the direction of the tents. “The women are in the tent. All is clear.” he reported.
Shovels cracked and slid into the grained, packed soil. Dorien and Philip’s bodies soon disappeared inside a huge gaping hole within minutes. Sparks shot off of the metal of the shovels when they scraped against something solid. A tall, dirt encrusted mass was soon revealed. Dorien dusted his fingers over the object before penetrating the crust on the surface of the structure. With a smile of victory, he felt the cold, smooth texture of marble.
“Philip, help me remove this grime.”
Their nimble hands work
ed fast. Dorien nodded in recognition at the emergence of a familiar helmet. Familiar markings revealed bold waves around the crown and sides. Eye holes were slanted like the eyes of a large cat. The nose and mouth were puffed, resembling that of a lion. Philip chuckled to reveal a large menacing frozen hand that gripped a mass of long raven hair weaved into the crown of the helmet.
“There is only one black lion I can recall. How about you, Dorien?”
“Aye, Brother. This is Celeas all right.”
Dorien remembered the proud Spartan warrior forced to cut his long hair to survive the harsh African summers. In retaliation, he had weaved his shorn locks into the top of his helmet, which only enhanced its proud lion features. They had nick-named him Leo, not only for his name-sake, but for his likeness of the black maned lion cub that had befriended him.
The cub had grown quick, following close behind his master throughout their many years of travels. Dorien never doubted man and beast shared the same spirit. It had been a difficult day explaining to his brother why his beloved lion was an unwelcome guest on the ocean voyage back to Sparta.
Celeas had stealth like no other. He was a strong, fearless warrior. Stalking his prey on the battlefield, Leo showed no mercy for any who came against him. Often considered a loner, for his pack there was no doubt. This man was as loyal as he was lethal.
With a single jump, Dorien was out of the pit.
“Okay, Philip. Go ahead and throw him to me.”
The statue of Celeas propelled out of the pit as if the ground had spit him out. Dorien caught the statue and placed it on the ground.
Tommy shook his head in wonder. “Whoa! This guy looks pretty scary.”
Philip snorted. “I imagine we didn’t look any better.”
“He’s huge!” Tommy mused.
“Well, Tommy. Celeas is standing on a pedestal. In reality, he is close to my size.” Dorien chuckled.
Philip cast a worried glance to Dorien. “Are you able to pick up on any of his thoughts?”
“Nothing! And you?”
Philip cocked his head aside and listened. He shrugged his large muscled shoulders. “Nothing here either. The witch made sure we couldn’t communicate with each other while in the ground. We could hear audible voices and sounds, but not each other’s thoughts. And to think we were buried so close to him. We never knew he was here!”
“Save your anger, Philip. I need you at full capacity.”
Philip nodded. “I wonder if he can read our minds now. I hope he knows we intend to free him!”
“We could hear and invade the thoughts others who weren’t in statue form. I would have to agree that he can.” Dorien cupped a hand on Celeas’ shoulder. “We will release you soon, brother. Hold on! Your curse will soon come to an end.”
Philip nodded. “We have Leo. Let’s fill this hole and find the others!”
Tommy kept watch. The massive hole was filled and packed with the stomp of Dorien’s foot.
“Tommy, take your equipment and cover the area from the south side. Philip and I will continue from here. Perhaps we will find Paraebates and Thessalus before we meet in the middle. Philip and I can cover more ground together.”
Tommy’s eyes lost their luster. The frown on his face spoke volumes. The kid looked hurt. Dorien read his thoughts. The boy wished he could do more to help.
Dorien rested the reassurance of his hand against the blade of Tommy’s shoulder. “Don’t feel bad about what you can’t do, son. Take pride in what you can do. The tasks we give you are important. You are mortal and we understand that.”
Tommy hung his red head. “I know, Dorien. If only I was like you and Philip. Sometimes I feel like a third wheel. I’m more in your way than anything.”
Philip tried to encourage him. “Nothing could be further from the truth. A car must have a third and fourth wheel to drive, kid. We appreciate your help. Don’t think we don’t!”
Tommy studied them. But doubt was written all over his adorable, teenage freckled face.
“Philip is right, Tommy. We wouldn’t lie to you. You are just as important as the rest of us. We are a team…a family, right?”
Tommy finally broke a smile. “Okay, I’ll be over here. Call if you need me.”
Dorien tousled the boy’s red hair.
Chapter Nine
Dorien chuckled at Tommy’s tenacity. The boy kept scanning the ground for any sign of Thessalus or Paraebates. He hooted and hollered at the alert of a new mass. “Dorien! Philip! I think I’ve got something here!” He flew off his machine and jumped up and down in excitement.
In a flash, Dorien and Philip were at his side. Philip stroked his chin and pondered. He studied the monitor with intensity. “What do you think, Dorien?”
“According to what Evan taught us, I would say this structure is almost identical to Leo’s.”
Three heads turned towards the statue of Celeas in unison. Their gazes returned to the screen. Dorien tossed a shovel to Philip. “Are you ready?”
“You know it!” Philip beamed.
Tommy knew his task. He grabbed the binoculars.
With blunt, rapid strides, clods of dirt flew high into the air. Dorien and Philip were enveloped in the newest pit. It took little effort to remove chunks of caked dirt from the solid mass. They delighted in the discovery of a large round shield. Without a doubt, the token was Spartan.
“Tommy, you did it! You found a statue! Way to go, boy!
Tommy grinned, freckles and all, in response to Dorien’s praise. Dorien brushed the remaining dust from the statue’s face and helmet. “All right, who do we have here?”
Blunt square eyes on the helmet were encrusted with large fish-like scales. Spartan Greek letters engraved the name “Pops” on the back neck of the helmet. Dorien and Philip worked in silence for the man they revered as a wise father-figure. Paraebates had been the eldest of them. He had only begun his fortieth year the day he became immortalized in marble.
Dorien thought of the man whose patient resolve calmed and stilled the angriest of men. Paraebates was not only a seasoned warrior, he was a born diplomat. A happy and content man, he never complained and always inspired others to be their best. His wisdom surpassed his age by scores. He was highly regarded and respected by every friend and foe who met him.
Philip caught Dorien’s gaze. He nodded in agreement of Dorien’s thoughts. “Aye, Dorien. There is not a man finer than Paraebates! Pops will be a welcome addition to our new family.”
Dorien chuckled in contemplation of Paraebates’ nick-name. It was given for his wisdom and adoption of any soldier who lacked a paternal influence. That was the lot of them! What an honor to free this man of his prison and permanently call him brother. “Are you ready to get Pops out of his early retirement?”
In a leap, Philip jumped out of the pit. “Bring it!”
The statue of Paraebates shot high into the air like a rocket. Philip caught it like it was nothing. Dorien jumped out of the hole. They filled it with soil and the pit was packed firm. The statue of Paraebates now rested beside Celeas.
“Well done! We only need to find Thessalus and our work will be finished here!”
Their heads jerked in unison towards the roar of rumbles hovering above them. The sky had darkened. Approaching storm clouds commanded their attention. Wails of whooshing wind snapped and whipped, growing stronger by the minute. The static charged scent of rain hung heavy in the air.
Dorien glanced toward the tents and thought of the women. The passing of centuries had failed to lessen the risk of a sudden Minoan storm. Flashes of lightning danced in anger, illuminating the Sicilian sky. Cracks of thunder pierced their ears. Large pelted drops began to fall. Only the wrath of Zeus would seek to punish the earth with rain and bolts of fire.
“We must get the women to the hotel!” Dorien yelled through the soup. His attention flew to the headlights of a fast approaching van. Rain poured down like a mighty river. The women were careful when they stepped from the vehicle. Ev
angeline rushed right towards him.
“Dorien…the storm! Should we head back to the hotel?”
“Yes, love. That would be for the best.”
Dorien glanced at Philip. He spoke to his brother in telepathic conversation.
“I am sending them all to the hotel. The two of us can wrap up here. The boy goes with the women!”
Philip nodded once in understanding.
“Tommy, would you please drive the women back to the hotel? Philip and I will remain here.”
Tommy opened his mouth to object. A flash of lighting lit up the darkness. Two large menacing figures stood side-by-side in the field. The sight didn’t escape Evangeline’s attention. Dorien heard her sharp intake of breath. She ran into his waiting embrace.
“You found two of your men already?” she gasped incredulous.
“We were able to work faster with you and the girls at the tent. I don’t think Taryn or Eliza would appreciate the shock of immortal ability.”
“If it’s helpful for me to keep the girls occupied, I can keep them busy for you.”
“That would be most helpful, Evan, thank you.”
“I suppose we’re done for today. We must get out of here before this storm gets any worse.”
The sudden crack of thunder was deafening. Evangeline winced, trying to find cover under Dorien’s large girth. Her wet clothes clung against the curves of her belly. She shivered with cold. Taryn and Eliza hurried back into the safety of the dry van. Dorien held Evangeline close.
“Tommy is going to take you back to the hotel.”
Evangeline’s mouth dropped. Her brows furrowed with worry. A slate of fear hijacked her expression. “But what about you and Philip? You can’t work in this storm! It’s too bloody dangerous!”
Spartan Heart, Part Two Page 8