Sin and Sacrifice

by Danielle Bourdon

  She didn't miss a thing Dracht said in the meantime.

  “The thing is, Alexandra, that if they knew the real truth, that you are who you say you are, then they can take further steps with the Knights who've acted out against you. Once we find the rest of them, they'll all face charges and you won't have to ever worry about them again.” Christian spoke up this time.

  “And then what? I mean, I get your point. But then we'll become curiosities and have no life but the one they dictate.”

  “Why would you think that?” Christian asked.

  “Because I'm not stupid. They'll want something in exchange for their help. They'll want the same information the Templars have been tryin' to wheedle out of us for centuries. And I don't need to explain what world-wide repercussions this will have if it gets out.”

  “...that can never happen, Alex,” Dracht said, cutting in. “They wouldn't allow it for one thing because they'll realize the consequences. They've kept many secrets for thousands of years--”

  “None of them are living, Dracht.” Alexandra, blunt as the day was long, nevertheless spoke with respect to the brothers.

  Evelyn thought wonders would never cease.

  “What do you think, Minna?” Rhett asked with a chin tick her way.

  Demure and quiet, Minna, with her hands clasped lightly in her lap, said, “I think it is the only way we can ever hope to continue living and have some semblance of a normal life.”

  Alexandra scowled sideways at Minna. “What? C'mon, Min-Min. We'll be nothing more than glorified prisoners.”

  “They gain nothing by keeping us prisoners of any kind. Perhaps they will simply continue to offer us their protection,” Minna said, splaying a palm toward Rhett, Dracht and Christian to indicate who she thought might get the job.

  Alexandra snorted. “There's no way they'll let us out of their sight ever again, much less live 'our own life'.”

  “We have no other choice but to trust them, Alex. There are only three of us left. We must preserve what we can.” Minna's voice was filled with so much inner sorrow that Evelyn reached an arm around her shoulders to both give and share comfort.

  “Evelyn?” Christian asked, putting her on the spot.

  She licked her lips, rubbing Minna's arm lightly. Alex had a valid point. She understood where her hellion sister was coming from, but she also believed Minna was right. They had no choice any longer.

  “I think we have to trust that they'll do the right thing. Rhett made a good point that we've already discussed between us before. With facial recognition and fingerprinting and everything else, it's only a matter of time before making new identification with new names doesn't work anymore. If the wrong authorities pick us up, it could go a lot worse. Think about it, Alexandra.”

  Alex exhaled and shoved up off the couch, tonguing the wound on her lower lip. Hands on her hips, she paced around the large room while all eyes followed her. The dark length of her hair, unbound and wavy, made a curtain to hide most of her profile when she bent her head in contemplation.

  Evelyn met Rhett's eyes and held them while her sister made circuits of the room. A prickle raced along her skin at the energy she imagined passed between them. Even with a look, he moved her. She had come full circle with her thinking and trusted Rhett and his family implicitly.

  It had nothing to do with the sparks she felt every time she was around him. He had proven himself time and again, risked his life in their honor.

  Finally, Alex lifted her hands and let them smack down on the outside of her thighs. “All right. Whatever you guys think.”

  “Good. I think we should have him come here instead of flying to Italy. It's not wise to be putting ourselves out into the open more than we need to until we collect what's left of the group,” Rhett said.

  “Which could take weeks, if they've been trained like you,” Alexandra pointed out.

  “We have our ways,” Christian said where he leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

  It seemed to be a favored position of the brothers.

  “Or we could bait them out,” Alexandra suggested, leaving no doubt she meant using herself to lure them.

  “Alex! Don't even think it,” Evelyn said, lurching up off the couch. She frowned at her sister; there had been too many losses already. The risks were too great. Evelyn would have rather waited weeks or even months for the others to be found before putting another sibling at risk.

  What worried her more, was that Dracht, Rhett and Christian didn't have the same reaction.

  Christian watched Alex thoughtfully. Rhett regarded her while scraping the tips of his fingers through his whiskers. Dracht...was grinning.

  Were they all mad?

  Minna did not look as opposed to the idea as Evelyn wished she did. Then again, why should she? Minna had always been practical and ready to do what it took to see a situation resolved. She was much more methodical and precise than Alexandra however. Alexandra would likely just waltz out into the open and invite the chaos in.

  Evelyn rubbed her temple.

  “It's a good idea, Ev. I'd rather just get it over with. Then we can see what the Father V guy has to say and--”

  “No, Alexandra. I won't listen to another word of it.” Evelyn felt every eye on her. “It's not worth it. Let them do their jobs. They're Templars too, and if anyone knows how to find them, they do.” Evelyn threw a hand wide to indicate the brothers.

  “Why don't we talk about more immediate concerns. Staying here is a good idea because it's fortified already. The other Templars wouldn't think we'd bring you here and won't show up because they know we'll detain them. Let's figure out what you need, if anything, and get you settled into your rooms?” Rhett suggested. He stood up off the ottoman.

  Evelyn didn't immediately jump on Rhett's offer. She stared at Alexandra, facing off with her sister over an idea she just didn't agree with. Then Alex smiled broad and deviant at her, diffusing the situation like she always did. Evelyn wanted to throttle her, which wasn't anything new.

  “C'mon, Ev. He's right. One thing at a time.” Alex swung an arm around her shoulders.

  Evelyn scoffed but relented. There was little use in arguing and demanding. She caught a grin on Rhett's mouth, too, as he led them across the large room.

  Bigger than it looked from the outside, the Templar Stronghold impressed Evelyn with its design and function. The front end consisted of the broad foyer with a library and offices off to the sides. It led back into the long living area where they'd had their discussion, flanked by the stairs leading to a second floor. Beyond that sat an indoor sand pit situated in a courtyard surrounded by arches and hallways that gave easy access to the bedrooms lining the perimeter. A clear dome rose over the pit, allowing sunlight or moonlight to filter down and illuminate the sand.

  Evelyn recognized it as a training area, especially after she caught sight of several Templar swords attached to a board within easy reach. Just seeing the swords caused a shiver to race down her spine. Those weapons had once meant death and destruction. Had terrified her, filled her sleep with nightmares.

  Although the moldings, ceilings and statues of the stronghold were elaborate, the space itself was spartan and clean. The furniture, heavy teak accented with leather or microsuede, suited its purpose rather than fashion.

  Rhett escorted them along a hallway that ran parallel to the courtyard with doors leading off to medium sized rooms. Each bedroom—Evelyn counted ten rooms on each side of the pit—offered a queen sized bed, one dresser and one teak chair. Nothing fancy, just clean and neat. The small closet might hold enough clothes for two weeks, if that.

  Of course Alexandra and Minna gravitated toward the sand pit and only redirected their attention after Rhett called their names three times.

  Rhett suggested they could put two more beds into one of the more spacious rooms so the girls could all sleep in the same space, but Alexandra declined. Evelyn knew her sisters would go exploring when they couldn't sleep and as
long as they were all under the same roof, she didn't really care where anyone slept.

  The back of the stronghold sported a gym, a large, galley style kitchen and a long dining room. Nailed to the wall of the dining room were what looked to be ancient Templar artifacts; chainmail, more swords, a white shield lined in hammered silver with a red cross emblazoned through the middle.

  Such blatant signs unnerved her, until she caught a warm look or smile from Rhett. He grounded her, reminded her that he was on her side.

  The building seemed like a fortress, with bulletproof windows, Rhett pointed out, and steel enforced doors on the only two main entrances leading in from the outside. There were updated alarms as well, and they were cautioned not to touch the doors after dark unless they told someone first. The basement, which they didn't visit, had a secret entrance that Rhett explained in some detail. Evelyn understood he meant to give them knowledge in case, just in case, the barriers were breached.

  She put thoughts of that from her mind. Evelyn was tired of death. Tired of running. She just wanted peace.

  Chapter Twelve

  A slice of moonlight slanted down through the dome high in the ceiling, painting the sand in the pit white instead of beige. Rhett could only see a sliver of the milky illumination in periphery from his supine position on the bed. This room flanked the training pit at an angle. For now he studied the ceiling, one arm cocked up behind his head.

  The smell from dinner the brothers made the women finally dissipated and midnight had come and gone, leaving the stronghold in silence. On rotation with Dracht and Christian, Rhett was supposed to be resting. Unable to sleep, his mind wandered through the things he'd learned the last two days, lingering on Evelyn.

  Immortal.

  A daughter of Adam and Eve.

  He still had a hell of a time wrapping his mind around it. Evelyn would live a long time after he was gone, hundreds or thousands of years, not bound to mortal concerns like the rest of them.

  Rhett wondered if her thoughts had strayed where his had. Did she think about them, too? He knew she felt the same inexorable pull. The current between them was alive with attraction and chemistry. It didn't matter how long he'd known her. He couldn't deny the magnetism or the furious desire to see her safe.

  His life up to this point didn't allow for personal relationships that lasted longer than one night stands. The dangers were too many, the intricacies too hard to hide. He'd accepted his role with no remorse, no regret. Constantly on the move, challenged with puzzles and danger, he could ask for no better job. It made him feel alive.

  Evelyn made him feel alive, too. In ways his job didn't. He wondered if she had ever been in love, if she'd ever had children. Were they immortal, too, destined to live out forever on the earth? Those were questions he hadn't asked on the flight over.

  Eventually, someday, he would marry and start a family of his own, leaving his offspring to carry on in his wake. It was the way things were done, had been done for thousands of years.

  The hiss of steel on steel snapped his attention to the crack of his door. Easing up off the bed, he crossed the room in silence, fully dressed. Just in case. He had a clear shot of the sand pit and the doorways of all the rooms across the courtyard.

  He was more than a little surprised to see Dracht and Alexandra, barefoot, swords in their hands, faced off against each other.

  Instantly he tensed.

  Then he realized when he saw their faces that Dracht was giving her instruction. The sword raised in a blocking motion, she copied it precisely, handling the weapon with skill considering she'd probably never held one like it before.

  Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the door frame and watched.

  This must be the epitome of ironies; a Templar Knight giving a Daughter of Eve self defense lessons. They circled each other, parrying until their blades slid slowly off one another. They did not clank or clang, but Alexandra was learning nevertheless.

  He was impressed by their resiliency, how they stayed as fluid as the situations around them. Rhett imagined it was part of how they'd survived this long.

  Motion further beyond the pit drew his gaze. Across the courtyard into the opposite hallway. Evelyn, resembling a deer caught in the headlights, stood just far enough out of her doorway for the vague glow of the moonlight to outline her features. She looked startled at what she saw her sister doing in the pit. To her credit, she did not interrupt the lesson.

  He knew the second her gaze found him, though. Her chin shifted and he saw the fixed stare his way. The distance was not so great that he couldn't read the change in her expression. In another moment, Rhett knew that he wore the same look of open desire and need that she did. Across the space of the courtyard, through the moonbeam, they locked and held gazes while Dracht and Alexandra moved in slow motion with the blades catching light to bounce off the steel.

  For five minutes he kept her there hovering in the doorway with nothing more than a look. Finally, she broke the spell and backed into the room, closing the door with a quiet click. Putting a barrier between their gazes but not the energy he could still feel slithering through his system.

  Rhett glanced once more at the two in the pit before drawing back into his own room. Any thoughts of sleep had been lost for the rest of the night.

  Gathered in the spacious living quarters the next morning, Evelyn sat between Alexandra and Minna on the couch. Smoothing her hands along the crease of her ash gray slacks, she waited in silence for the meeting Dragar had called. Their luggage had arrived early that morning from Egypt, giving them access to their own belongings once more.

  Alex leaned behind her to whisper to Minna and Evelyn caught words like 'training' and 'sword' and 'skill' in the conversation. She was curious what Minna would think about Alex practicing with Dracht but didn't interrupt the girls to ask.

  If she didn't know better, she would think Alex was starting to enjoy herself here. All the facial swelling had dissipated overnight and the bruises were fainter.

  The brothers stood across from them, ever appearing the warrior; Christian, with his hands behind his back, Dracht and Rhett resembling twins in posture with their arms folded over their chest. Rhett looked especially appealing in jeans, a white button down and dark navy blazer.

  Dragar entered the room and with him came the presence of power and steel control. He exuded it more strongly than did his sons, though none of them were lacking in confidence or ability. Evelyn wondered how she couldn't have realized the familial similarities between he and Rhett if only because of their size and stature. Dracht was almost a spitting image of his father with his dark hair and goatee.

  Standing at a spot that allowed him easy eye contact with everyone, Dragar got to the point.

  “I have spoken at length with Father Valanzano, who, as you know, is my direct liaison with the Church. Everything that we have learned from you as well as Saul was discussed and as you may have guessed, he is extremely skeptical. They're going to need some other kind of proof, but I have his early assurance that if this can be proven beyond doubt, that you will have their protection from here on out. Actually, you will have our protection. We—myself, Dracht, Rhett and Christian—will become your guardians. You will live as you always have, without the need to constantly look over your shoulders. Provisions will be made to change or hide your identities as the years progress so that as technology grows ever more intimate, you will be able to slide under the radar,” he said.

  Evelyn exchanged a look that was hopeful but cautious with her sisters. She knew they felt the same way she did; if this was truly the end of being hunted, then it was worth the small sacrifice of answering questions and having what amounted to bodyguards for the rest of their lives.

  Which brought Evelyn full circle to the knowledge that when these men became too old to properly do their job, someone else would take their place. It reminded her, again, that she and Rhett had all the odds stacked against them.

  “You do
want the protection, don't you?” Rhett asked.

  “Hm? Oh yes, of course we do. Although I expect that your jobs will be fairly boring after this because the biggest threat to our existence is one you're going to take care of now, rather than later,” Evelyn said, coming out of her reverie.

  “Somehow, I have a feeling it will be far from boring,” Dragar said.

  Evelyn watched his rugged features while he spoke. Relief and melancholy fought a bitter war inside for dominance; if this had happened a few weeks ago, Genevieve and Galiana would still be alive. She glanced at Alex and then at Minna, exchanging silent communication. They had another way to prove they were who they said they were, but she wouldn't give that information over without their consent.

  “Might as well,” Alex relented. Her foot started bounce-jiggling with restlessness.

  Minna inclined her head in agreement.

  Evelyn felt every one of the Templar's eyes on her.

  “Somewhere in the tunnels of the Vatican is a box that has been passed down from the time of Christ. Its existence has been kept a strict secret. The Church will recognize it as the box of the Golden Pear.”

  “And what's in the box?” Rhett asked.

  “A scroll with a list of twenty-two names. I'll give you the names, in the order they appear. There should be script as well indicating that these were the original daughters born to Adam and Eve.”

  “Why just a list of the daughters?” Christian asked.

  “Because there's already a list of male names and this particular list was made specifically in case we found ourselves in the position we do now,” Alex interjected.

  “Instructions were passed down that dictated the box was not to be opened until a woman named Eiah came for it,” Minna added. She pronounced it eye-ah.

  “Who's Eiah?” Dragar asked.