Centaur Legacy

by Nancy Straight

  We checked in and went to the room; for some reason, I wasn’t surprised when I saw a taxidermied bison standing outside the hotel’s bar. The room was spacious, with a king-sized bed, Jacuzzi bathtub, and a sitting area in front of a large window. The room was western themed with the feel of a hunting lodge with modern amenities.

  Fluffy white towels hung at attention in the bathroom; granite countertops surrounded the sink. The shower had two shower heads and a lever for a steam room, but the furniture and bedding looked like replicas from a hundred years ago. This was a homey place to combat the jet lag I knew would quickly set in.

  The airport had been sensory overload for me, so when we arrived at the hotel, I did as Drake had instructed and held his hand throughout the check-in process. It seemed to work; I only heard others’ thoughts when I allowed myself to pay attention to them. Something about Drake’s touch drowned them out, so they became background noise. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay at the quiet hotel and still hope to accomplish what we had set out to do. My voice sounded more defeated than I wanted it to when I asked, “How are we going to find Cameron if I can’t be around people?”

  Drake’s hand squeezed mine, “As long as we’re touching, you should get a stronger signal from me than you do any others. If you start to feel overwhelmed, just hold my hand. We’ll figure out how to find Cameron. Give yourself some time to adjust; we just got here.”

  I smiled when I thought how Centaurs normally interacted with one another so formally. I looked down at Drake’s fingers intertwined with mine, “I bet your father would have heart failure if he saw us now, huh?”

  Drake nodded. He stood in front of the enormous bed in our room and let out a quick smirk, “About Dad, he’s a good Centaur and has been a great father to me, but he isn’t pleased that I’ve been gone for so long.” Drake had been at Zandra’s house for a month and with me for almost a week. “I spoke to him before we left for Ireland. I need to call him to let him know we’ve returned.”

  I could hear it in his voice: I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. Without cringing I asked, “And?”

  Drake avoided my eyes, “I told him about my broken engagement with Bianca right before we left your father’s house.”

  I could feel my eyebrows raise, “How’d he take it?”

  Drake answered flatly, “He wasn’t thrilled.”

  Still on a high from our conversation on the plane, feeling playful I asked, “Did you tell him you’d found another Centauride to fall madly in love with you, so he shouldn’t worry?”

  Drake looked at me and his easy smile warmed me, “No, I didn’t.” He didn’t hold my gaze. His eyes dropped to the floor when he said, “Before we left for Ireland, I wasn’t sure how you felt about me.” I rolled my eyes because Gretchen herself had told him I was going to choose him the night we escaped from Zandra’s. He looked back at me and added, “After our conversation last night, you seemed to be on board with getting married.”

  It would be bad form to say, “Duh,” so I answered, “Very on board.”

  Drake’s tone was flat, more matter-of-fact than the loving soon-to-be husband from the plane. I got a nervous pang in my stomach, wondering if he’d had time to reconsider. If he had, wouldn’t he have gotten two rooms?

  I stood staring at him when he continued, “If you’re sure, I’d like for my parents to get the call from your father. I’m sure our customs sound stupid to you. . . they sound juvenile to me when I think about them. But it would lessen his frustration with me if he knew I had been chosen and the Nash bloodline will continue. Well, maybe not in name.”

  I was confused, “What do you mean: ‘maybe not in name’?”

  Drake’s smile was warm. “I’ll keep the Nash name, but our kids will take on yours, since you’re a Chiron.”

  I’d gone from Benning, to Strayer, now Chiron – did it really matter? “What if I want to be Camille Nash?”

  His smile grew, “Let’s cross that bridge when it comes. Can you call him?”

  I shook my head, still not understanding the change in him, “This doesn’t sound like a big deal, Drake. I can call Will now if you want.” After three days of agonizing over whether Drake would still want me, the fact that he did wasn’t something I had intended to keep a secret.

  “I was hoping you’d say that. Dad’s set in his ways. When we last spoke, he wanted me to seek a blood debt from Bianca.” My eyes grew to the size of quarters, but Drake held out a hand in a gesture to keep me from jumping to the wrong conclusion. “When I told him I broke the engagement, he told me to get it fixed or don’t bother coming home.”

  My mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion as I took a step away from him. I thought back to our conversation on the plane. A hurt welled up within me, “So, that’s why you’re willing to stay with me: being stuck with me is better than being cut off from your family?”

  No wonder he’d made it seem like it was the most normal thing ever while we were on the plane. Every other Centauride was a virgin; they weren’t allowed to date and most got married in their late teens. He only said it was okay that I wasn’t because it was either choose me or be cut off from his family. What choice did he have?

  “What? No! Why would you think that?!”

  “You just said you were going to be disowned if you didn’t carry on your bloodline. So, what you’re saying is you’re settling for me. I’m the best you can do, is that it?”

  Drake closed the gap between us. I expected him to shout at me again. He pulled me close as his lips found the nape of my neck and kissed me softly. His lips caressed my collarbone all the way to my earlobe when he answered, “You are the best I can do. Don’t you see it? I love you. Do you understand what a gift it is for me to be loved in return?”

  I didn’t answer him. He grabbed both of my hands, his eyes locked on mine. “Few, if any, Centaurs have any choice in who they marry. They’re just happy to be doing their duty for our race and their family. When Bianca chose me, I felt awful. I had always hoped the Centauride who chose me would choose me because she wanted me. With Bianca, it would be a loveless marriage – just like my father’s and his father’s before him.” His blue eyes never let mine go, and I didn’t know what to say.

  “Then, you came into my world, breaking every tradition I’d ever known. You were so beautiful I was scared to look at you because I worried I’d never be able to look away. The more time I spent with you, I learned that your beauty wasn’t your best attribute.” Drake took his index finger and touched my chest, his touch sending tingles all over my body. “It was your heart. You opened it to me, and my whole world changed. Last night when you finally agreed to marry me, I felt. . . no, I knew, I was the luckiest Centaur to walk this planet.”

  I believed him, but a small part of me still needed to hear it. “Even though I’m not as good as all the other Centaurides?”

  His voice morphed, his frustration loud and clear. “Why do you do that to yourself? Why do you sell yourself short? You’re perfect. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, before I even knew that it was safe to want it.”

  “But your parents wouldn’t be happy to know that I’d been with a human.”

  “Cami, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I know you think that your relationship with that human before me somehow diminishes your worth in my eyes – you’re wrong. Of everything you told me, the only part that bothered me was when you told me you thought you loved him. If another took up residence in even the smallest part of your heart, it would destroy me. You said you’re sure you don’t love him. That means your heart belongs to me. That’s all I ever wanted.”

  Drake’s hands pulled my face to his, our lips a whisper apart. I didn’t need to say it, but I did anyway, “I’m yours, Drake.” My lips closed the distance between us. One of his hands dropped, sliding under the back of my shirt; sparks rained as I felt his hand on the small of my back.

  His mouth moved to my ear: I felt his breath, warm and heavy ag
ainst me. It was more than his words, his love enveloped me. With both my hands, I grabbed the material of his shirt and lifted it over his head.

  I traced the contours of his chest with my hands. He stood motionless in front of me: the longing in his eyes sent shivers through my body.

  Drake closed his eyes, the corners of his lips turned up in a content grin as I watched goose bumps appear while I traced the lines of his chest. I wanted more than just to caress his skin; I wanted to feel his skin against mine. I couldn’t be sure if it was his idea or if he was responding to what I wanted, but he slid his hands to my sides and pulled my t-shirt over my head. It dropped to the floor as I saw his eyes take in every inch of me.

  I stood in front of him half-dressed. Both his hands wrapped gently around my shoulders. His hands began to tremble, and I worried that a rejection was coming. Turmoil shone through his eyes. He tried to look away from me, but I wouldn’t let him. I reached my index finger to his chin and turned his eyes back to mine. His desire overrode his senses, and his hands shook as they began caressing me in a needy way. I stepped into him, molding my body to his, pressing hard against him. A moan escaped his lips.

  I felt his fingers sliding just under the waistband of my jeans; I could feel the conflict in him. I didn’t push harder. Drake’s breathing was labored, his hands were taking in my exposed flesh, and the shivers I’d felt initially were replaced by waves of raw desire. His voice was barely more than a whisper, so low I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him or if I had imagined the words, “I want you.”

  “Then take me.”

  His hands stopped the gentle caressing as his arms wrapped me in a steel grip. He was fighting the desire, as hard as I was hoping he’d lose the battle. He pulled me onto the bed with me on top of him – his decision finally made.

  I heard Daniel’s ringtone on my phone. I let it go to voicemail, too caught up in the moment to be interested in repairing the damage with Daniel from our earlier call. The phone rang again, and again, and again. After the fifth phone call in as many minutes, Drake whispered, “Go ahead and get it. It might be important.”

  I shook my head, “I’ll call him back, later.”

  Drake reached up, grabbed the back of my neck and brought my ear to his lips. “I’m not going anywhere, Love.”

  A sixth call began ringing. I forced myself to get up, intending to silence the phone, but as I did, something told me I needed to take the call. Drake was right. If Daniel was making this many calls, something was wrong.

  Chapter 15

  (Camille – Hotel near Crazy Horse Mountain, SD)

  “Hello, Daniel?”

  “Cami, are you okay?” Daniel’s voice was urgent, borderline panicked.

  Telling him “yes” would be a gross understatement. “I’m fine. I tried calling you back last night, but I kept getting your voice mail.”

  “Never mind about that. Beau and I are at my dad’s hangar. We’ll be in South Dakota in five hours. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

  “Why are you coming to South Dakota?” Drake could only hear my half of the conversation, so he gave me a questioning look.

  “Just stay put, okay? We’re leaving now. We’ll be there soon.”

  “Daniel, what’s going on? Why’s Beau with you?” I missed them both so much, but I couldn’t understand why they’d be coming here. Had Zandra found Daniel?

  “We met this lady; she was a Centauride. She said you were in danger, and Beau needed to get to you. We’re on our way. Whatever you do, just stay put until we get there. Is that Drake guy with you right now?”

  “He’s right here.”

  “Put him on.”

  “I’m going to put you on speaker, okay?”

  “Whatever, just make sure the schmuck can hear me.” I cringed at Daniel’s “pet name” for Drake, but did as he instructed.

  “Go ahead, Daniel. We can both hear you.”

  “Drake, I’m a friend of Cami’s. She’s in danger. Don’t let her out of your sight. Her brother Beau and I’ll be in at 3 p.m. Don’t go anywhere, find a hotel and wait for us. Understand?”

  Drake’s voice was different, protective and nearly hostile when he answered, “Daniel, she has chosen me. Her life is my responsibility. She will be safe as long as I breathe.”

  Okay, that was weird. It didn’t even sound like Drake’s voice coming from him.

  “Yeah, whatever. Don’t go anywhere, don’t do anything. You feel me? We’re on our way.”

  A soft knock sounded at the door. I motioned for Drake to answer it as I slipped my shirt back on. I took Daniel off of speaker while Drake put his back on, too. “Daniel, what’re you talking about?”

  “I wish I knew, Cami. Just don’t go anywhere. Wait for us.”

  “Okay, we’ll stay at the hotel. See you in a few hours.” Daniel hung up as Drake opened the door and Phineas stood in the hallway, all smiles. “You two look much better than you did last week.” It had only been a week since Phineas had helped us escape from Zandra’s house on Friday. We were in Ireland Sunday morning, and now five days later we were in South Dakota.

  It seemed so long ago and so much had changed that I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it. I was thrilled to see him even as my mother’s warning from the plane replayed in my mind. The echo of her warning not to trust him was loud and clear.

  I walked slowly to the door. A part of me was excited to see Phineas’s warm eyes and happy face, but a part of me wondered why he would be here. Could my mother have been wrong about him, too? As a ghost of her previous self, maybe she was confused.

  I shut off the silent argument in my head: I didn’t understand Centaur politics, and I didn’t care what herd Phineas was from. He was my friend. He was the reason I was still alive. Just as I was ready to embrace him, Drake held up an arm, blocking me from him, and asked, “Phineas, how did you find us?”

  “William told me you were on your way back from Ireland.”

  I gave Drake an angry look as his arm was still held up as a barricade between Phineas and me.

  Drake’s voice remained protective when he answered, “Mr. Strayer did not know what hotel we were staying in. How did you find us, Phineas?”

  Phineas returned Drake’s angry stare. “I called hotels looking for reservations.”

  Drake nodded, then added suspiciously, “We aren’t staying here under our real names. I’m going to ask one more time: how did you find us?”

  Phineas stammered for a second, “I wanted to know. . . I was worried that. . . I just needed to know that Camille was safe.”

  “She is. She has chosen me. Cami is under my protection. You will not touch my Centauride.” Phineas’s eyes went wide. His expression turned angry as he looked from Drake to me, then back to Drake.

  That was two times in less than a few minutes that Drake had told someone that I’d chosen him. I’d never heard him say those words when he was betrothed to Bianca. Why would he keep telling everyone that I’d chosen him? I was sure it was a Centaur thing that I’d have to get used to, but it still felt odd to hear, and I didn’t understand what was so significant that he had to tell both Daniel and Phineas.

  Drake heard my thoughts and answered me back before I understood I was hearing his answer resonate in my head. “Anyone who I perceive to be a threat is given a warning, Camille. I am your Centaur.”

  I could feel the confused look on my face. How had Drake just heard my thoughts? I was still formulating my question to Drake when Phineas held out a hand to Drake.

  Phineas acted as if he were happy for us, but something in his tone gave me goose bumps – and not in a good way. “Congratulations, young Nash. That is quite an accomplishment: coming back from the dead and being betrothed a second time, all in less than a week. This information was not shared with me by Mr. Strayer. Is her family aware of her choice?”

  The tension between the two was difficult to watch. I hated that they were talking about me as if I weren’t right there. I cut in and asked, “P
hineas, won’t you come in?”

  He ignored me, still pressing further with his interrogation from the hallway. “If you are betrothed, your families are unaware.” His tone was accusatory as he looked between the two of us. “You seem to be staying in the same room without an escort.”

  Phineas turned his attention from both of us to just me, “If I did not know better, Camille, I would think this Centaur had taken advantage of your weakened state following your imprisonment at your grandmother’s estate.”

  I smiled, “No, Phineas. Drake has been a perfect gentleman. Thank you for your concern.”

  “Have you notified your parents of your choice?”

  I looked at Drake. He’d wanted me to do that just minutes ago, but I hadn’t. We had both gotten distracted. “I was just getting ready to make the call.”

  “Then I’ve made it just in time.” Phineas looked to his left as four large Centaurs filed through the door. I could hear their attack on Drake before my eyes processed what they were seeing.

  Drake yelled, “Run, Cami! Run now!” I stood in shock as the scene unfolded in front of me. Two of the four men were holding Drake down, a third was landing well-placed kicks and punches, and a fourth was standing to the side of the commotion with a large syringe.

  I saw Phineas’s face. He seemed to be enjoying himself. I screamed, “Phineas, stop this! Stop it now!”

  Phineas’s amused look smoldered in his eyes, “We’ll do just that, my queen. This will only take a minute.” Phineas reached down to pick me up; his arms wrapped around me in a vice, compressing my lungs and immobilizing my arms.

  I wasn’t able to resist even a fraction of an inch. My vision focused on Drake taking a worse beating than I’d seen in any heavyweight title fight. The image of his body slumping to the floor permanently etched itself in my memory. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I screamed for them to stop.

  I watched in horror, unable to aid Drake. A conversation I’d had with Bianca came to me – she had told me as a Chiron I would be able to move objects with my mind. I concentrated with everything in me on a wooden desk off in the corner. I visualized the desk floating through the air and crashing into the Centaur who was still kicking Drake’s body on the floor.