Keeper of the Stars: Part Four

by Aliyah Burke

  “How do they get so many people to agree with them?”

  “Greed is a very powerful tool.”

  “How come you’re not on the same side as your brother?”

  “You think I want my soul destroyed? This Earth is me. I feel its pain. I feel its joy. He cannot win. That and…” She shook her head. “Never mind.”

  “And that’s why you didn’t kill me?”

  “You are more important than you could realise, Lana Tennesol. The day will come that you do realise and I know you won’t let me down.” Her head snapped up and red flames lit her gaze. “Get Mark inside and get Lian. You are about to have visitors.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “The New Order comes. I cannot help you with this battle. If I do, the others will know I was here talking to you and they will break what few rules they haven’t yet to kill you. Go now. Tell Lian, when he asks, this is because of what he did for Inaki.”

  Ala vanished into the air and Lana didn’t hesitate. Even though she wondered who the hell Inaki was, she swiped Mark up from the swing and ran through the garden to the house.

  “Lian!” she cried as she pushed inside. “Lian!”

  Maxwell met her at the stairs. “Ms Tennesol, is everything all right?”

  “No. Where’s Lian?”

  “He is in town currently. Something I can help you with?”

  Her heart thundered against her chest. “Put Mark and yourself somewhere safe. There are men coming who want to hurt him.”

  Maxwell stared at her. “What?”

  “Take him and go. I’ll buy you some time.”

  “No, I need to get you to the panic room.”

  “No!” She grabbed his arm. “Take Mark and the rest of the staff. Protect yourselves.”

  “What about you? I can’t leave you here alone.”

  “Lian told you to listen to me, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then do as I say. Get everyone else to safety. Go, now!”

  Maxwell did and she scrambled for the weapons she’d been learning to use. Her fight with whoever was arriving might not be that long, she might go down swiftly. It didn’t matter—she’d put up one hell of a fight while she could. She stood before the front door, trying to figure out how to do what she knew needed to be done.

  “I think you’ll need this.”

  She turned at the sound of Maxwell’s voice. He waited there with five other men. He held out another gun.

  “I told you to get yourself to safety.”

  All of them shook their heads.

  “The women are there with Mark. But we’re not about to hide and save ourselves while you’re out here alone. Not something we’re allowing to happen.” Maxwell loaded bullets into his revolver.

  At least it was Sunday and the winery was closed. She smiled at them all, fingering some of the unique weapons Lian had begun to teach her to use. “Thoughts on how to do this?”

  The men looked at each other. “You go into the safe room and let us handle this?”

  “Besides that,” she stated.

  “I think surprise will be our best asset. They won’t expect us to go after them. This is our place, we know it better. Maybe we can take at least a few of them out before they get to the house.”

  “Good idea, Maxwell,” Lana said. “Let’s go. Be careful. I expect to see each of you after this.”

  “And we expect the same from you, Ms Tennesol.”

  “Don’t you think you could call me, Lana, Maxwell? We’re about to go kill people together. Ms Tennesol just seems a bit formal.”

  He gave her a brief nod. “Lana.”

  They discussed who would go where and split up, sneaking from the house and to the woods. As she ran, her stomach turned at the thought of actually taking a life, but it came down to them or the people who lived here and had opened their home to her. The intruders got the short end of that stick. She wasn’t about to go back to Erlik, either.

  Come back soon, Lian. I’m scared and I want you with me.

  Chapter Twelve

  Her fear was tangible and Lian frowned. What had her so scared? He pressed the accelerator and the car shot forward along the road. He tore around a corner only to slam on the brakes and back up. There were cars parked alongside the ditch and normally it wouldn’t be a concern to him, however, the symbol he spied along one of the bumpers sent fury coursing through his veins. The mark of The New Order.

  Lana!

  Lian left his car parked there behind theirs and took to the sky. Instantly surrounded by dark, rolling storm clouds, he raced over his property and frowned as he saw his men battling people and demons who’d come to harm him and recapture Lana.

  Lightning bolts ripped down from the sky and incinerated The New Order’s goons. Clouds obscuring him from their view, he soared over the forest, straining desperately to see and locate Lana.

  His rage flowed fast and furious when he saw her surrounded by six men. He landed and strode forward from the clouds themselves. Shoving his fists through the chests of two from behind, he shook the blood free and positioned himself to where he faced four and Lana was protected.

  “Lian,” she said, voice full of relief. Luckily there was no fear, just acceptance of what she was dealing with.

  “We will discuss this later.” He had to expel some of his anger before that chat happened. Right now, he didn’t know how he would handle it without yelling about her actions here and now, this blatant disregard for her own safety.

  She snorted—actually snorted—behind him. He longed to turn to her and shake some sense into her. He didn’t. Staring at the four men holding clubs and rope, he arched an eyebrow at them.

  “You saw what I did to your friends. That will be your fate.” There was no negotiating for them. They would die, plain and simple.

  “Four of us,” one babbled, trying not to panic—Lian could smell it on him. His gaze constantly darted to the bodies of the two dead men.

  “You can send how many you want. You threatened my men. My kid. My woman.”

  One swallowed, rolling massive shoulders. “You can’t take us all on at once.”

  Lian moved with the speed of lightning cutting through the clouds, appearing behind the shocked man. “Yes,” he said with a deadly rumble. “I can.”

  He snapped his neck then swiftly dispatched the remaining three. Pivoting to face Lana, he frowned when he discovered she was no longer there. Does she ever listen? He ran through the forest and found her a short distance away with Maxwell. A dead man lay on the ground and she stood by his friend, bandaging his arm.

  “Woman!” he roared, approaching them.

  She barely blinked when he arrived at her side. Lana grabbed his wrist and held it to the cloth on Maxwell’s arm. “Press here.”

  Baffled, he listened and met Maxwell’s gaze. “You let her fight?”

  “I didn’t give him a choice,” she answered. Reaching out with a bandage, she tied it around Maxwell’s arm after pushing Lian’s touch off him. “I wasn’t about to hide inside while they fought. In fact, I told Maxwell he should be in the panic room with the others.”

  “All of you should.” Above them, the clouds rolled and spears of lightning spiked to the ground.

  “And what?” she snarked. “Let them burn down the winery? The house? Everything?

  He glared down at her. “You shouldn’t be putting yourself in danger.”

  She placed balled up fists on her hips. “I was defending my home. Don’t you dare yell at me for that!” Lana lifted the daggers she’d put down to attend to Maxwell then slipped away.

  Whirling on his man, he demanded, “How’d this happen?”

  Maxwell shook his head. “The only way we could have got her into the panic room would have been by force.” He picked up his own weapons. “I’m sorry, sir. I shall tender my resignation immediately after—”

  “You will not. I won’t accept it.”

  “Sir, I failed you and Ms Te
nnesol.”

  Lian gripped Maxwell’s uninjured arm. “Never. She’s—if you’ve noticed—a bit headstrong.”

  A fleeting smile. “Yes, sir.”

  “Round the others up and get back to the house. Lana and I will handle the rest.”

  “Right away, sir.”

  They parted without another word. Lian stretched out in a run. His feelings mingled between pride and anger towards Lana. Proud she hadn’t run from the fight and angry she had put herself in danger.

  The remaining skirmishes continued until the sun had just sunk below the horizon. He stood alone, arms out, and willed his body to begin its healing process. There had been a lot who’d come for her. Not only humans but demons had also shown.

  He frowned as he stared at the gash in his chest. Pain throbbed through him. I should be healing faster. He was tired. Erlik had spoken the absolute truth when stating he wasn’t as strong as he had been. A huge concern to Lian’s mind.

  He walked towards where he knew Lana was. It didn’t take long to get there. Sure enough, she stood under one of the many waterfalls on the property, washing off the blood she’d been splattered with. Her weapons were close yet not in hand. She was braced against the rock wall and letting the clear liquid fall around her.

  She faced him before he could say her name. The way her clothes were plastered to her lush body allowed him to see new cuts and bruises. She slicked her hair back and wiped a hand down her face. Now that her adrenaline had faded, he could see the exhaustion creeping in.

  He didn’t give her a chance to say anything, just strode through the water and to her, where he hauled her to him in a single possessive manoeuvre. She held him just as fiercely. When he lowered his head to kiss her, she waited for him briefly then met him partway. He growled in his throat and backed her up beneath the waterfall, his hands tearing at her clothes in a frantic, near desperate manner. Lian needed to feel her skin beneath his palms. Ensure himself she was fine and claim her. Reassure himself. And he wanted, no needed to leave no doubt in her mind of his feelings for her.

  * * * *

  Lian rubbed his chest as he lounged in the doorway of Mark’s room. Lana hummed some nameless tune as she put him in his crib. The house was silent, staff gone. It was only them. And that was how he wanted it.

  “Sleep well, little angel.” Lana kissed Mark once more before tucking the blanket around him. “Are you all right, Lian?” she asked without diverting her attention from Mark. “You keep rubbing your chest.”

  She’d noticed. He lowered his arm. “I’m fine. How are you?”

  Lana shot him a look of disbelief before moving to his side. Palms to his pectorals, she slid them up over his shoulders and linked them behind his head.

  “You checked me over from head to toe under that waterfall—you saw for yourself that I’m fine, aside from a few cuts and bruises.”

  He smiled slightly at the reminder. Sex in a waterfall. Correction, sex with Lana in a waterfall. He would never forget how she’d appeared in the throes of pleasure with the water cascading around her.

  “So I did.”

  They walked downstairs together and cuddled into the loveseat in their bedroom, which overlooked the garden. The moon, a tiny sliver in the sky, allowed the stars to display their brilliance with very little competition.

  “How did you know?” he asked. It was a question that had been plaguing him since the attacks.

  “Ala.” She stifled a yawn and wriggled her ankles.

  “She was here again?” His entire body stiffened.

  “Yes. Ala isn’t here to hurt me.”

  “How do you know this? She could be working it so you lower your guard.”

  “She’s a goddess or something equal, Lian. If she wanted me dead, I’d be dead. There’s no reason for her to play games.”

  Lian hated the fact she spoke the truth on that matter. “She isn’t supposed to be here.”

  “I know. She knows. We all know. Just like we all know I’m in this with you. With is the keyword here, Lian. We do this together.” She stripped off the leather band and smacked him in the chest with it. Her fingers dug into his chin as she held her wrist before his face. “This,” she stated, “this binds us, Lian…together. Not you getting to lock me away and protecting me. To-ge-ther.”

  She stomped away from him before she climbed into bed where she flopped on her side, then bounced back up. “And lest I forget to deliver her message, Ala told me to tell you, this was because of Inaki, or however you say that word.” She collapsed with a grunt back to the bed and sighed heavily.

  Lian didn’t know what to think. Inaki. Ala. Together? He shoved that titbit back and focused on the dilemma at hand. He stared out at the sky, admiring the sparkle of the stars upon the swath of black velvet.

  Her words had been strongly delivered and completely heartfelt. He pinched the bridge of his nose and got to his feet. Lian padded to the end of their bed, paused, then moved to the head and crouched beside her. Lana kept her eyes tightly closed.

  “I know you’re awake,” he said. “You don’t have to say anything, just listen.”

  She didn’t move.

  Lian took a deep breath. “I want nothing more than to keep you safe, Lana. Sometimes when I look at you, I still see the woman I met on the bridge. The one who was scared and mistrustful, the one I needed to protect. Then you stare at me and challenge me without any regards to fear—or might I say respect, for my awesomeness.”

  As expected, her eyes flew open.

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “I will never, and I mean never, stop wanting to keep you safe, Lana. That’s just a fact. I will, however, endeavour to remember you are in this with me.”

  “That’s all I want.”

  She yawned and closed her eyes. Lian left and returned to the seat he’d been in previously. Moments later, he popped up and paced back and forth. He was antsy. Eventually he stripped and crawled into bed with Lana, gathering her close and inhaling her fresh scent as she curved into him.

  He couldn’t get those words from the one who had raised him out of his mind. The thought of losing her scared him. He didn’t know if—or how—he’d survive without her in his life.

  * * * *

  She hummed along with the music that played on the phonograph turntable by Johann Hummel, Austrian composer and pianist. Lana finished cleaning up after herself. She’d gone and made a huge mess with her painting.

  “Not my best work, that’s for sure,” she muttered. Balling up the papers, she shoved them into the waiting trash bag. “Oh well.” She shrugged and finished getting rid of the evidence, taking it outside to the large garbage bins.

  A hawk cried from above and she looked up, her hand shielding the sun from her eyes. It soared, circling in the air currents, winging its way through the sky.

  “Freedom.” She smiled. “We’re both free now.”

  She remembered the time that she’d gone through the sky wrapped in Lian’s strong arms. At the moment, she’d been almost too scared to look around, but she thought about that night often, not to mention the feeling created within her by the air flowing over her skin.

  Some things still didn’t make sense to her but she was taking them one at a time. Her newest focus was why she couldn’t feel major temperature differences. The waterfalls never felt cold, the Pacific Ocean, when she’d walked in it, hadn’t either. She’d been wearing sweatshirts but found she was just as comfortable in short sleeves outside, and they were nearing the end of autumn and the start of winter.

  Back inside, she washed her hands and made her way to the kitchen. As usual, it was empty—Lian didn’t like a lot of people in his place. She grabbed the milk from the refrigerator, poured some into a pot then put it on the stove top after she’d lit the burner and turned it down low.

  While the milk heated, she got down one of her favourite mugs—oversized, it offered her more room for her drink—and found the marshmallows. When the milk was warm, she added in the chocolate an
d stirred it.

  She loved hot chocolate and marshmallows. Filling her mug, she then added in the extras, popping one in her mouth as a treat. She shut off the burner and took the drink out to the patio where she sat and watched the wind blowing through the multi-hued leaves on the trees lining the drive.

  From her seat she had a view of the road up to the house. She tipped her head to the side as a black sedan came into view. It didn’t belong to anyone she knew. Finishing her drink, she then placed the mug in the sink after rinsing it out after which she proceeded on to the front. As far as she knew, Lian was in his office working.

  Maxwell had just opened the door and let the woman enter. Tall and willowy, she gave off a secure vibe. Her dark chestnut hair had been drawn back in a tight bun, adding severity to her face. The dark skirt suit offset her tanned skin rather nicely. In one hand, she held a black binder.

  “I’ll get Mr Yang,” Maxwell said, bowing and walking away.

  Blue eyes focused on her and the woman said with a smile, “Hello. I’m Yancy Carroll.”

  “Lana Tennesol.”

  “Do you live here with Mr Yang?”

  Unsure why Yancy wanted to know, Lana bit back her instinctive response, opting instead to nod.

  “So you know the baby?”

  All senses went on alert. Lana nearly bristled. “I do. Mark.”

  “Is that what he’s been calling him?”

  “Can’t only call him baby. He deserves a name.”

  Another smile, this one nearly patronizing. “True. Did he seem happy here?”

  Seem? What the hell was going on? “Yes. Mark is a very happy baby. Almost never cries and is always ready with a smile.”

  She opened her folder and jotted down some notes. “That’s wonderful to hear.” Yancy tapped her pen against her lip for a few seconds. “Do you interact with him a lot?”

  “Yes, she does.” Lian’s voice preceded his appearance. “Good to see you again, Ms Carroll.”

  Again? He knew her?

  “Mr Yang.” This time her smile was even friendlier and Lana narrowed her eyes. “I was just talking with Ms Tennesol here about Mark.”