Legacy

by A D Starrling

  Murmurs broke out behind them. The Rangers and immortals were sitting up and staring at the destruction inside the cave and the ruined landscape beyond with dazed expressions.

  Crows appeared in the sky above the twisted remains of the army Jeeps and trucks that littered the blackened wasteland. The helicopters and vehicles bringing reinforcements stormed toward the mountains.

  Madeleine and Howard walked out into the sunlight. Anxiety washed through Asgard when he saw the blood soaking her shirt and trouser leg.

  ‘You shouldn’t be walking,’ said Asgard. He turned and took several steps toward her.

  Madeleine hobbled to a stop in front of him, her expression strangely determined. ‘Never mind that.’

  She reached up, grabbed his head with both hands, and pulled him toward her.

  Asgard had but a second to grasp her intent before her lips landed on his. He froze, shock resonating through him. It was followed by a wave of heat and need that rocked his soul. He groaned, dropped Armistad, and hauled her up against him, unable to fight his feelings for her any longer.

  Whatever this connection was, he was as powerless to resist it as the one he had had with the only other woman he ever loved, all those centuries ago.

  Madeleine responded to his fierce kiss with a moan, curled one thigh around his leg, and gripped his shoulders with biting strength.

  ‘Sheesh, get a room,’ Howard muttered.

  Asgard blinked and slowly released the soft mouth beneath his, suddenly conscious of a set of avid stares. Madeleine’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes gleamed brightly, their depths full of the same hunger he felt thrumming through him.

  ‘Once these wounds heal, we’re gonna have sex,’ she stated. ‘And it’s gonna be hot.’

  Asgard swallowed convulsively.

  Ethan chuckled. Olivia smiled.

  ‘You hussy,’ Howard said with a grin.

  Reynolds limped out of the cave and stared at the scorched desert stretching out to the distant hills. ‘What the hell happened?’

  Epilogue

  May 2013. Sumava National Park, Bohemian Forest. Czech Republic.

  Olivia stared at the hauntingly-beautiful landscape outside the window of the SUV.

  An hour had passed since they left the airport where Asgard landed their private jet in South Bohemia.

  Madeleine and Ethan sat next to her on the rear seat of the vehicle. Her soulmate’s gaze was also lost in the scenery, his fingers resting loosely around hers. The injuries he had suffered at the hands of the super soldiers had already healed. Olivia flexed her fingertips against his and felt them twitch in response. He looked at her then, his blue eyes warm, a loving smile curving his lips despite the anxiety that resonated through them both.

  Three weeks had passed since the incidents at Yuma. In that time, the US government had reinstated all of STAEGH Corp’s frozen assets and ordered a detailed inquiry into the activities of the US Army group that had supplied physical assistance as well as substantial financial aid to Jonah Krondike over a period spanning more than half a century. Despite the destruction of the command centers inside the base at Olivia’s hands, the investigators had managed to salvage the contents of some of the hard drives they had discovered below the Sonoran Desert.

  Howard supplied them with backups of the files Madeleine had copied from Ian Serle’s computer at AuGenD. As for the professor, he was apprehended a couple of weeks after the events in Arizona, when he attempted to cross the border into Mexico.

  William Gunnerson, the four-star general behind the rogue army faction, would never get to reveal all he knew of the secret projects he had overseen, nor be brought to justice. He was discovered with a bullet in his head the day after Asgard and Ethan stormed the research facility.

  The remains of Mark Scoleri and Jonah Krondike were never identified from the ashes scattered across the scorched desert.

  The US government also took over the care and rehabilitation of the subjects in the super soldier program, with the assistance of a group of Bastian scientists. From the initial reports on the men who had been taken out of the suspension pods and the super soldiers who made it out of Phase Three, it seemed the physical changes they had undergone secondary to their genetic manipulation would likely be irreversible. Only time would tell what the long-term psychological effects of the drugs that had been used on them were going to be.

  It took twelve hours for the super soldiers whose consciousness Olivia suppressed to come around again. As for the other humans, it was a couple of days before they awakened. Madeleine called Gillian Hofstadter one week later and told her about her husband’s whereabouts.

  In the aftermath of the dreadful day when she and her soulmate had decimated a good portion of the KOFA Range, Olivia met Victor Dvorsky and Dimitri Reznak, the immortal nobles who had come to Asgard and Ethan’s aid. She liked them straight away.

  Victor and Dimitri not only revealed the incredible stories of the other immortals who formed part of the group of special beings Natalia Ashkarov had told Asgard Godard about several centuries ago, but also the astounding truth behind the origins of the immortal races.

  The two men were the reason why they were here in Europe today, on their way to see some very important people.

  Asgard sat in the front passenger seat and spoke quietly with the red-haired driver who had picked them up from the airport, a jovial Bastian called Anatole Vassili. From their conversation, it appeared Anatole knew the immortals they were going to meet quite well.

  They had travelled through miles of lush fields hedged by low hills before heading into the mountains rising against the skyline to the west. The roads grew more winding as they climbed through the foothills of the soaring peaks and the fields gave way to towering spruce and pine forests. Shortly after signs for the Sumava National Park started to appear, Anatole turned onto a private forest track. The woods thickened around them, sunlight stabbing the shadows filling the spaces between the trees in thin streams.

  He finally slowed before a set of imposing, black wrought-iron gates. They opened ponderously to reveal a wide, stone-lined driveway.

  The trees crowding either side started to thin out after a few hundred feet. Olivia drew a sharp breath when they parted seconds later to reveal an immense park surrounded by forest.

  Stunning gardens dotted with fountains, ponds, and arbors stretched out around them all the way to the distant trees. Anatole headed up the drive toward the magnificent chateau in the middle of the plot. The building’s cream limestone walls and red mansard roof became more evident as they drew closer. Tall, leaded windows fronted its facade and smoke spouted from several chimneys.

  Asgard grunted. ‘He’s got nice digs.’

  Anatole grinned. ‘Is it true you’re older than him?’

  Asgard made a face and nodded reluctantly.

  They pulled up in a courtyard framed by the two wings of the chateau. Thick oak doors stood beneath the portico at the head of a split-level terrace. One of them opened as they climbed out of the vehicle. Their host appeared on the threshold.

  ‘I’ll bring your luggage to your rooms,’ said Anatole.

  He gave Olivia an encouraging smile before driving off.

  Dimitri strolled down the steps. ‘It’s good to see you again.’

  He kissed Olivia and Madeleine on the cheeks and shook the men’s hands.

  ‘Is Victor here?’ said Asgard.

  ‘Yes. He arrived last night, with Lucas and his family. The others should have landed at the airport just after you.’

  He led them inside a beautiful marble foyer dominated by a grand staircase. A middle-aged woman with silver-blonde hair and blue eyes appeared on the other side of the lobby. The smell of baked goods drifted from her clothes as she approached.

  ‘Mr. Reznak, you do realize that I’m the housekeeper, don’t you?’ she admonished the Crovir noble gently.

  Dimitri grimaced. ‘Sorry, Marie. I thought you probably had your hands busy with the
kids.’

  The woman smiled. ‘They are the most well-behaved children any parent could wish for.’ Her eyes sparkled. ‘But they do like their sweets.’

  Dimitri introduced them to his housekeeper.

  Marie Fawkes gave them a friendly smile and murmured, ‘I shall bring refreshments,’ before disappearing down a hallway.

  Olivia tensed as Dimitri led them through the chateau. Ethan squeezed her hand.

  ‘Stop worrying,’ he whispered.

  ‘What if—what if they don’t like us?’ she stammered.

  ‘Then I’ll pin them down with some elemental energy while you get into their heads and convince them otherwise.’

  Olivia chuckled nervously.

  They entered an elegant reception room with triple aspect views over the park and the courtyard a moment later. Olivia paused. Her gaze travelled over the opulent furnishings and expensive paintings dotting the large space before landing on the three figures seated on a cream brocade sofa to the right.

  Victor Dvorsky rose and crossed the floor to greet them. ‘Glad you could make it.’

  Olivia locked eyes with the handsome couple who got up behind him.

  The man was as tall as Ethan and built along leaner lines. His eyes were a different shade of blue from her soulmate’s and projected a quiet yet powerful presence. The woman next to him was nearly as tall, with olive-green eyes framed by thick chestnut curls.

  Olivia’s mouth went dry. She recognized their features. Ethan glanced at her, likely sensing her surprise across their mental bond.

  Asgard went deathly still.

  ‘This is Lucas Soul, Catarine’s son,’ Victor told the silent Bastian noble in a grave voice. ‘And this is Anna Soul, Lily’s daughter.’

  Asgard’s face slowly flushed as he stared at the couple.

  ‘Hi,’ said Lucas Soul. His eyes darkened with emotion as he walked toward Asgard. ‘It’s good to meet you.’

  Asgard swallowed.

  Anna came across and hugged him tightly.

  ‘Hello, uncle,’ she said in a choked voice.

  Asgard blinked and returned her embrace just as fiercely. A long moment passed before he stood back and scanned their faces hungrily.

  ‘You—you have your mother’s eyes,’ he told Lucas huskily, touching his shoulder. He looked at Anna and raised a hand to her hair. ‘And you have your mother’s complexion.’

  The couple smiled tremulously.

  Victor studied Olivia. ‘You’re looking more rested than the last time I saw you.’ He pressed his lips to her cheek, before turning and kissing Madeleine. ‘As are you.’

  Madeleine grinned and linked arms with Asgard. ‘Why, thank you. This big guy’s been taking care of me.’

  Asgard opened and closed his mouth soundlessly. Victor glanced from Madeleine to Asgard’s reddening ears, his eyes sparkling in interest.

  ‘I’m Madeleine by the way,’ Madeleine told a bemused Lucas and Anna Soul. ‘I’m a spring chicken compared to you, so it’d be damn weird if you started calling me aunt.’

  Dimitri snorted.

  The sounds of large paws and tiny feet striking wooden floorboards rose from the hall outside the doors. A golden retriever skidded into view, the remains of a cake in his jaws. He darted past them and disappeared behind a chair, bushy tail spinning.

  Two small figures dashed inside the room in his wake.

  A precognitive flutter darted through Olivia as she gazed upon a little girl with chocolate-colored hair and blue eyes, and a boy with dark hair and green eyes. They both shared the same exquisite bone structure and looked to be about two years old.

  ‘Bad doggie, Bob!’ the little girl admonished. She waved a finger at the chair where, if the noises were anything to go by, the golden retriever was inhaling the cake. ‘That was not for you!’

  Olivia startled. The girl’s speech was crystal clear and far more advanced than she would have expected for a child her age.

  The boy went still. He tapped the girl’s shoulder, his green gaze locked on the immortals standing beside Victor. ‘Lily, look.’

  The girl stared. Her eyes grew round.

  Olivia felt warm fingers brush her consciousness just before the child bolted across the floor, her brother in tow.

  The little girl collided with Asgard’s leg and hugged it tightly. ‘Grandpa Asgard!’

  The Bastian noble rocked on his heels as the little boy latched onto his other leg. He stared open-mouthed at the two children clinging to his limbs.

  ‘Grandpa?’ Madeleine repeated.

  ‘Our children, Tomas and Lily,’ said Lucas.

  He took Anna’s hand and shared a warm glance with her.

  The children launched themselves at Olivia and Ethan and took turns hugging their legs. ‘Uncle Ethan! Aunt Olivia!’

  ‘Er, hi,’ Ethan said hesitantly to the two bright faces studying him.

  The children’s grins widened.

  Tomas walked over to Asgard. ‘Pick me up, Grandpa Asgard.’

  Asgard complied, his expression still stunned.

  It was then that Olivia felt another presence in her mind.

  I’ve been waiting to meet you! said a small voice excitedly. Lily Soul beamed at her and raised her arms commandingly.

  Olivia hesitated before hoisting the little girl into her arms. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest as she looked deep into sparkling blue eyes. ‘Is that you?’

  Lily nodded, a grin dimpling her cheeks. She touched Olivia’s face with plump fingers.

  The Seer inhaled sharply at the power she felt thrumming through the physical contact. She looked over at Tomas, shock sending her pulse racing even faster. He reached across from Asgard’s hold and laid his hand gently against her other cheek.

  Olivia blinked. ‘Oh.’

  Tears formed in her eyes at the blindingly-beautiful energy pouring into her from the two children.

  Ethan stiffened. ‘Olivia?’

  ‘What is it?’ said Asgard anxiously.

  Olivia studied Lily and Tomas Soul with wide-eyed wonderment. ‘They have the same powers as us.’ She looked at Ethan and projected her feelings to him. ‘And more.’

  ‘What?’ said Anna.

  She exchanged a startled look with Lucas. Victor and Dimitri shared a similarly-shocked glance.

  Olivia raised her eyebrow at Lily. They don’t know?

  Lily shook her head, a mischievous light dancing in her eyes. It’s a surprise.

  A wave of contentment flooded Olivia then and washed away the apprehension that had plagued her ever since they started out on this trip. This was where they belonged. Here, with these children.

  She smiled at Lily. ‘That’s cheating, you know.’

  Lily giggled.

  ‘Is she…talking to you?’ Asgard said hoarsely.

  Olivia’s smile widened.

  ‘Yes,’ she said to the stunned immortals.

  Before any of them could voice the questions bubbling from their lips, a noise drew their gazes to the windows looking out toward the front of the chateau. A pair of black SUVs appeared at the end of the driveway and raced toward the castle, engines gunning. They swerved around the fountains and ponds and tried to cut each other off as they careened down the drive, sending arcs of gravel flying in the air behind them.

  Dimitri sighed. ‘Every single time.’

  The SUVs screamed into the courtyard and screeched to a stop in front of the portico, one a couple of seconds ahead of the other.

  A woman with short black hair climbed out of the first vehicle. A blond man stumbled from the passenger seat, covered his mouth, and heaved.

  A dark-haired couple and a German Shepherd got out of the second SUV. The woman was shaking her head with an expression not dissimilar to Dimitri’s. The dog trotted over to the blond man and pawed at his back while he bent over some rose bushes.

  They climbed the steps to the portico, the dark-haired man gesticulating animatedly to the woman from the first SUV. The blond man lagge
d behind them with the dog. Voices rose from the hall seconds later.

  ‘Admit it, King! That was cheating!’ growled a male voice.

  The dark-haired man from the second SUV stopped in the doorway of the reception room. His gray-blue eyes narrowed as he stared down the corridor at someone.

  Olivia registered the snake tattoo wrapped around his left forearm.

  No, that’s not a tattoo. That’s a birthmark.

  Her gaze flicked back up to his face. Recognition flared through her once more.

  ‘I’ll admit no such thing, Greene,’ said a female voice.

  The woman with the short black hair came into view. Her eyes were the color of silver and her features shockingly attractive. She faced the man with a casual pose that nonetheless projected a simmering, deadly intent.

  Olivia froze. She knew this woman’s features as well.

  The man with the snake birthmark scowled. ‘You threw metal spikes on the goddamn road!’

  The woman shrugged. ‘So? Those SUVs have run-flat tires. You weren’t in any danger.’

  ‘Face it, Conrad, you lost this race.’ The other dark-haired woman appeared with the German Shepherd in tow. She patted the man on the back. ‘Besides, I think Zachary’s barfing in Dimitri’s downstairs closet.’ Her hazel eyes gleamed as she glanced at the woman with the black hair. ‘I suspect Alexa’s in trouble.’

  The latter looked uneasily in the direction of the foyer. ‘Really? He’s throwing up?’

  Lily jumped out of Olivia’s arms and ran across to her. ‘Auntie Alexa!’

  The woman’s silver eyes softened when she turned and saw the girl. ‘Hello, sweetheart.’ She caught Lily as the little girl leapt toward her and kissed her forehead.

  Lily waved at the German Shepherd. ‘Hello, Rocky.’

  The dog sat down and grinned, his tail blurring as it swept the floor.

  Tomas slipped out of Asgard’s arms and barreled into the dark-haired man’s leg. ‘Uncle Conrad!’

  The man smiled and ruffled his hair. ‘How’re you doing, kid?’