a Touch of Intrigue

by L. j. Charles

  He was right, but memories of that horrible time still haunted my nightmares every so often. Maybe now… “I didn’t know they’d volunteered or were friends of Annie.”

  “Every one of them had worked with her, would have gone rogue to help if they hadn’t been cleared for the mission.”

  Tears pooled, and I rubbed them away on Pierce’s shirt. “Until just now, I didn’t realize how much that still bothered me. I didn’t realize they chose—”

  “Sorry. I couldn’t talk about it then. Triggered too many fuck-up flashbacks, and you were with Hunt.” It was the first, the only, trace of jealousy I’d ever heard in Pierce’s voice.

  I captured his face in my hands. “I love you, Tynan Ailill Pierce. Do you understand that? Really understand it?”

  His answer was the most tender kiss I’d ever had in my life. And it jump-started a delicious rush of hormones that burned me to the core. “Home. Now.”

  Who knew it was possible to run through a half mile of a crazy, mixed up, Aukele-maze in just over a minute, every second of it spent in teasing, impatient foreplay. Our bodies were so attuned, so sensitive to each other, we didn’t need words or intimate touches. Just holding hands. Running together toward the screened porch where we’d shared sex for the first time.

  We were laughing, our bodies in sync and throbbing with the need to make love.

  It was perfect.

  Until I spotted Kahuna Aukele sitting on the porch steps. I staggered to a standstill, breathing heavy, and disappointment gutted me.

  “Way to destroy excellent foreplay.” I muttered the words to Pierce.

  He croaked out a grunt.

  Aukele stood, grinning. “Aloha, Niele. Granddaughter.”

  I swallowed hard, then sucked in a few breaths. “Grandfather.” This was good. Now if I could just get my curiosity to squelch my throbbing need to share an orgasm with Tynan.

  Pierce brought his palms together. “Namaste, Kahuna Aukele.”

  A formal greeting. What was up with that? And then my brain kicked in. Pierce was my grandfather’s student. Seriously a student. Nothing like another complication to add to an already screwed up mess of a situation. Pierce would have to be respectful, and not badger Aukele with questions no matter how badly we needed the answers. It was all gonna be up to me. “I have questions, Grandfather.” I infused my statement with bit of chill. Not something I’d ever done with Aukele, because I respected him—his age, his wisdom, and as a man who had mastered the art of Huna and become a revered kahuna. But this was different. He’d held the past, my past, a secret too long, and it brought Pierce and me into danger. And that wasn’t okay.

  I opened the door, made a mental note to ask Pierce about getting a security system, and motioned Aukele to sit on the sofa. “Before Fred kidnapped her, Millie left a container of juice in the refrigerator. Would either of you like a glass?” My tone dripped with contempt for Fred and all his gofers.

  Pierce nodded.

  Aukele smiled.

  I was thirsty from the run through the maze, but my detour to the kitchen was more about taking a few minutes to organize my thoughts. “Millie and Harlan better the hell be okay,” I muttered, leaving them alone to figure out how they were going to deal with me. Not that I was about to allow anyone to deal with me at this point, even if they were the most important men in my life, and I loved them dearly. I’d spotted the container of juice earlier, and rummaged to the back of the fridge to nab it. Images of Millie and Aukele hit my internal screen with a blast. She was yelling at him. And damn it all, I’d never wanted my visions to include sound so badly. Still, it was good to know that Grandfather made other people aside from me angry. I poured three glasses of juice, and inhaled the crisp scent of pineapple and guava—Millie’s favorite. I offered a silent toast to her, then scooted back to the living area of the great room and served the drinks. “Why was Millie so angry with you, Grandfather?”

  Pierce choked. I put a glass into his hand, and he gulped down a huge swallow.

  I took a seat across from Aukele, primly crossed my legs, and waited.

  “Childhood relationships can grow into adult disagreements.” It was a typical Kahuna Aukele response.

  I set my glass on the coffee table, and leaned forward. “The thing is, your secrets have put both my life and Tynan’s in danger. I need to know why you kept this property a secret, what your relationship is with Millie and Harlan, what you know about Fred, and exactly how much control Fred has over Millie and Harlan. And then we can move on to my mother’s formula, and how I can nullify it. Quickly.”

  Aukele calmly sipped his juice. “The property was a wedding gift from Makani Maliu and I to our children, a sanctuary for a time. You were born, and lived here with Loyria and James until your fourth year.”

  I waited.

  Aukele nodded. “On the day you left, Makani shared a vision with us that you would return home to Hawaii when it was time to release your memories. I promised your grandmother I wouldn’t act on that vision until Fred reappeared in your life. He was the trigger.”

  Pierce stiffened. “It’s been three hours.”

  “Yes. I allowed time to ensure the trigger was active. We’ve been working together my son. Millie and Harlan stayed with Eleu Niele, and Fred kept watch over the political and government issues while I have overseen this property, and handled our communication.”

  A nasty wave of doubt lodged in my chest. “You put the blocks in, why couldn’t you remove them when we first met?”

  Aukele turned to me and looked into my soul. “Your grandmother told me it would be dangerous to do so. I still have complete trust in her visions, no matter if they appeared decades ago. It is time, now, Granddaughter, for me to return your memories to you.”

  Adrenaline surged, kicking up my heart rate. “How…”

  Pierce was on his feet. “No. Not going to happen until that damn implant is out of her back.”

  He had a point. I stood, twining my fingers with his, but this wasn’t a good time to flaunt his protective instincts, Aukele being his teacher and all. “The pain is incapacitating when I try and remember,” I said, by way of explanation.

  Aukele swallowed the last of his juice, and set the glass on the table. “You are a qualified physician.” It was a simple statement that left no need for discussion.

  Red crept up Pierce’s neck. “Can’t trust Fred.”

  I nodded in agreement. There were too many unknowns, all with potentially lethal consequences.

  Aukele crossed his forearms, and tucked his hands into his kimono sleeves. “I was present when Fred placed the devices. It is safe to remove it.”

  A warning skittered over my spine. “Devices?”

  “Three. Loyria, James, and you, Granddaughter.”

  Anger exploded. “Fred was tracking my parents when they were murdered? And he let it happen?” Yes, that was my voice, bellowing loud enough to shake the house.

  Agony passed over my grandfather’s face. “They removed them. As I said, my Makani shared her visions with us, including the time of Loyria and James’s accident, and of Makani’s passage through the veil.”

  His grief was palpable, and the fight drained from me. It was the first time Grandfather had ever looked anything but young and vibrant. I found some words, maybe not the best ones, but they’d do. “We’ve both lost a lot. It helps that I was there when Fion Connor and Eamon Grady transitioned, and I have no doubt my parents’ deaths have been avenged. Having all those questions answered has helped me through my grief, but the best part was meeting my cousin. Do you know Caitlin Connor, Grandfather?”

  A slight smile touched his lips. “I will make her acquaintance one day. But now, we must return your memories, Granddaughter. Tynan Ailill Pierce, it begins with you.”

  ELEVEN

  THERE WAS NO PAIN. PIERCE had me lie on the center island in the kitchen while he cut Fred’s tracking implant out of my back. Grandfather Aukele cradled my head, and worked his magic t
o hold the memories at bay until Pierce finished with the surgical part of my transition. According to their comments, everything was humming along like a grease-slicked pig.

  It wasn’t. At least not from my point of view. “Can I get my body back any time soon, Aukele? Whatever you’re doing has taken control of my ability to move, and my mind won’t focus.” Petulance vibrated through my words.

  “I cannot allow you to move, or your memories to surface until Tynan has completed his work, Granddaughter. Your mother was more patient. You take after Makani Maliu.” There was a smile in his voice.

  I didn’t care a whit about my genetic predisposition as long as they’d let me get off the damn countertop in the next few minutes. “Pierce. Give me a timeframe. Please.”

  “Subcutaneous stitches are in. I’ll be finished in two…one…”

  There was pressure on my back. “That has to be a bandage. You’re done, right?”

  He stepped back, held up gloved hands. “Done.”

  Aukele released my head, Pierce stripped off his bloody gloves, and then helped me to sit up. “How goes it?”

  I circled my head, searching for any tight places in my neck. “Tingly, but my mind is still…frozen is the only way I can describe it.”

  “The memories will return slowly. Too much, too fast would be overwhelming.” Grandfather rested his hand on my shoulder. “Let me know when you begin to sense the change. It would be best if I talk you through the early years.”

  “That’s a plan. Pierce, can I use your shoulders to brace myself. I’m not sure my legs will support me.”

  He tossed the latex gloves into the trashcan, scooped me into his arms, and carried me to the sofa, then turned to Aukele. “Hold off until I grab some water for us.”

  Grandfather shook his head. “Tea.”

  Pierce blinked. “I don’t do tea.”

  I shut them out, closed my eyes, and sucked in some deep breaths. Some silent, internal communication with myself would be a good prelude to diving head first into the Fred-Millie-Harlan-parental-grandparental nightmare. I stretched out on the sofa, wiggling my body and curling my toes. It eased the tension of lying so still while Pierce had been extracting the implant. I raised my voice to reach the kitchen end of the great room. “Where’s that thing you took out of me? I want to see it.”

  Pierce had been washing his hands, and reached for a dishtowel. “Hang on.”

  I was hanging, but not patiently. I damn well wanted to know what the foreign object looked like that Fred, and my parents, and Aukele, thought should be implanted in my back. This revelation had undermined my trust in all three of them. And Millie and Harlan as well. My inner four-year-old wanted to fight back, but my common sense needed to understand exactly why they’d done such a thing to a child. And to themselves.

  Pierce and Aukele strolled into the living area. Pierce handed me a tiny rectangular object that I balanced on the soft pad of my fingertip. “Glass?”

  “Probably silicone. It had worked up into the dermis layer, almost to the surface of your skin.”

  “It’s so small, Pierce, I can barely make out the divisions. Is there any way to scan it so I can see what information they’ve been collecting?”

  Aukele stacked four large pillows on the floor at the end of the sofa to give him the height he needed to work, and then he sat, looking down at me. “We wanted to know your location at all times. As a child you were vulnerable to Loyria’s enemies, and they would not have hesitated to use you in trade for your mother’s formula. We intended the implant to be used as protection, but all of us underestimated the additional circuitry Fred’s people had secretly added to the devices.”

  I handed the implant to Pierce. “I’d appreciate whatever your people can do to get anything and everything out of it.”

  He took the small piece of silicone, his smile tight. “I’ll arrange a meet to pass it off.”

  It was probably rude that I hadn’t acknowledged Aukele’s explanation, but I wasn’t ready to accept what they’d done to me. He gave me an apologetic nod, closed his eyes, and began pranayama—yoga breathing to extend the life force. I recognized his preparation for deep energy work, and turned my attention inward. Aukele was a master healer, but even he could only do so much with an unreceptive partner. When he cradled my head between his hands, I was open and ready.

  The memories came in shattered fragments, disturbing because they wouldn’t fit together no matter how my mind scrambled to make them into a coherent whole. And then they slipped into oblivion. I gripped the sofa cushion, determined to fight my way through the chaos, and one memory popped into focus, as clear as if I’d shrunk into my four-year-old body. The sofa. Me curled into a ball, Aukele standing over me. I held on to the memory, dug deeper into my child-mind. Voices. From the table in the dining area. Had to be my mother and father…and my grandmother, but the words were garbled and had faded before I could truly listen to them.

  I was Niele.

  And I was Everly.

  Split brain. Split thoughts.

  The adult version of me needed to hear the child’s memory, so I ordered Niele to replay the memory, and listened carefully to the words.

  Makani: “You must leave with the man from the government. Niele…Aukele has completed his work…she will not remember anything prior to the time of the explosion.”

  Explosion! The sound of the blast detonated in my head. Hurt. Scared.

  Loyria: “Niele, can you hear me.”

  Yes, Mamma. The thought rang in my head, and my mother’s hands gently rubbed my arms and legs.

  Black. Blank mind. Silence. And then I was back on the sofa, listening.

  Loyria: “No, that’s not okay, Makani. She’s our daughter…”

  Makani: “And her destiny was determined before she was born… I see that you name her Everly… After your newly chosen middle name, and to honor your maternal great-grandfather, James. It will be one of the clues she follows when it is time for her to discover her destiny.”

  Note to self: Research paternal great-grandfather.

  Aukele moved his hands, freeing my head, and it jarred me into the present. Thoughts and memories swam inside my mind, creating a huge pool of confusion. I didn’t attempt to lift my head, barely managed to open my eyes.

  Pierce sat on the coffee table next to me, elbows braced on his knees, fisted hands pressing tight to his chin.

  I reached for him. “I’m okay.”

  He sandwiched my hand between his. Warm. Safe.

  “You suck at lying, Belisama.”

  Aukele stood. “I will prepare the tea.”

  I didn’t try to talk, or worse nod. My thoughts had slowed, but anything more complex than two-word sentence structure was still beyond my ability. Get a grip. I struggled to sit up.

  Pierce slipped his hands under my arms and lifted. “I’ve got you. Asking for help is always an option, Hot Shot.”

  I closed my eyes until the spinning stopped. “I hate when you call me that because I know I’m running barefoot on thin ice.”

  He grinned. “Love you. Want to talk about it?”

  “When Aukele gets back. I have questions. A bunch of memories flooded my mind, but I could only latch on to one long enough to hear the details.” I turned my palms up, staring at my fingertips. “It’s different from seeing things through my fingers, and I’m having a hard time separating…no that’s not right. Arranging my childhood memories with present-day knowledge.”

  Aukele padded into the living area and handed me a mug of tea. “It’s Millie’s blend, Granddaughter, and has restorative elements.” He placed his cuppa on the coffee table, then dragged a pillow over, and folded his ancient, agile body into a full lotus atop the pillow. I was in awe, and definitely jealous. I’d been working on relaxing into a full lotus for two years, and so far had only managed a half lotus.

  Pierce scooted off the table, sat next to me, and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, hugging me close. Safe. My anchor. I cuddled
in. “I love you, Tynan Ailill Pierce.”

  While Aukele sipped his tea, my attention shifted to the green bowl sitting on the bookcase behind him. He turned to follow my gaze. “Did you like my gift, children?”

  “Gift.” Relief poured through me. “You brought the bowl here? For us?”

  Grandfather grinned. “I happened to be in the store when you discussed the purchase with Annie, and I thought it would be an appropriate hand-fasting gift.”

  Hand-fasting? What the hell?

  “Thank you, Kahuna Aukele,” Pierce said, pinching my arm, and none too gently. “Thank your grandfather, Everly.”

  “I love the bowl, Grandfather. Thank you. It’s perfect.”

  Pierce rubbed my arm, easing the sting from his pinch. “Everly and I will cherish your gift.”

  My relief at solving the mystery of the green bowl aside, the detour in topic had been mind-boggling surreal considering the current situation. “Um, can we get back to my memory issue now?” What the heck were they thinking, derailing this discussion?

  Aukele bowed his head for a moment, then looked at me. “You needed time to settle, Granddaughter. A few minutes of respite and bit of tea can induce healing.”

  He was as bad as Pierce with making valid points. And they always pushed the limits of my patience. I’d have to work on that. Later. “Let’s start by you telling me about the explosion.”

  Every muscle in Tynan’s body tightened. “Explosion?”

  Grandfather wrapped his hands around the warm mug of tea, and watched me. Intently. “It was Millie and Harlan’s vehicle. They were caring for you inside this house, but you had mastered the art of escaping long before your fourth birthday. On that day you lived up to the name Makani chose for you, Niele, and chased after your curiosity. When you ran outside the force of the explosion tossed you to the ground.”

  Pierce glared at Aukele.

  “She faded in and out of consciousness, Tynan, but was not seriously harmed. The accident jarred her brain slightly, and made her receptive to letting go of the memories.” He turned toward me. “Makani had a vision that explained how I was to erase your memories before you left for your new beginning as Everly. It was necessary to protect you. We had started to see changes in you that were consistent with our expectations. You were beginning to ask questions about conversations you hadn’t heard, and acting on knowledge you didn’t have.”