Eternal Flame (Guardians, Book One) by Valerie Twombly (17 page)

He lifted his shoulders. “That is one answer I do not have. I am guessing it’s because you have some psychic abilities.”

Her head tipped to the side. “How did you know?” True, sometimes she could read people. Not their minds, but knew things about them. It spooked the hell out of her.

“I can read your mind.”

She gasped. “What do you mean you can read my mind? Get out of my head!”

He held up a hand. “Cassie, I am not intentionally reading your mind, but you have left it open to me.”

“I don’t understand.”

He leaned back on the couch and tapped his fingers on the cushion. “All guardians are telepathic. We often communicate with each other this way. However, we have to make a mental connection by touch or blood in order to read a human’s mind. I, on the other hand, can read any species. I would be happy to teach you how to put up mental blocks to prevent this.”

“Oh, that might be a good thing to learn. Why is it you have these special powers and not the others?”

“Because of who I am. Now on to Marcus…”

She must have looked dumbfounded because he stopped mid-sentence and took a deep breath.

“Cassie, I am a product of a god, meant to lead powerful warriors, protect the human race and keep peace among all immortals. I need strength and yes, on many days, an arrogant attitude. Now, let me finish.

“I am going to start at the beginning. I know he told you that many of our women died in the Demonic war.” He paused, waiting for her to acknowledge. When she nodded in confirmation, he continued. “But he did not tell you about Eliza.”

Her chin rested on her fist, waiting to hear more. “Who is Eliza?”

His expression became slack. She sensed it difficult for him to talk about, but he focused his gaze on her. “She was my sister. Three hundred years ago when Drayos started the war, he took our women, used them like breeding stock. When we found them, they were nothing but soulless creatures. We beheaded them.”

Her hand slapped her mouth, tears threatened to spill. “I’m so sorry.” She choked. It seemed cruel and barbaric, but sensed it was also necessary.

He gave a nod of acceptance then continued. “Eliza was Marcus’s destined mate. He had not bound her to him yet because she was young and he wanted her to live her life first. He is the one that killed her.”

She was no longer able to hold back the tears. Poor Marcus, how he must have suffered. She tried to imagine the pain but would never understand what it must have been like. Another piece of her heart shattered for him.
That must be what he meant when he said he had already received a second chance.
Now she had taken that away from him as well.

“Yes, Cassie, he did suffer, greatly. His mother had been abducted. His father had to kill her. I was there when he begged Marcus to end his own life.”

Her face dropped into her hands, sobs racking her body. Mind numb, Cassie was unable to comprehend the pain and loss he had suffered. And now she had caused him even more pain.

She sniffled, eyes looking to the guardian who sat across from her. “Something tells me you’re not finished.”

His gaze lowered to the floor. “No. Drayos cursed all the men. We were created from light and dark. The light is the guardian, the dark the warrior. The curse imbalances us, eventually taking away the light and leaving us in darkness. We become no better than the evil that attacked your sister.”

Bile rose in her throat, it tasted of fear. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“If Marcus becomes consumed by the dark, his soul will be lost. It means I will be forced to kill my friend.”

Her lashes fluttered; she must have misunderstood. “Is this what’s happened to him? Why he is missing?”

“No, not yet but I fear he is close. My last contact with him was disturbing, to say the least,” Aidyn said.

She pulled her legs out from under her, planted her feet on the floor, and leaned forward. Fear licked her skin like an animal about to devour its prey. “What happened?”

“He claimed Eliza was alive and they were together. His last words to me were to watch over you.”

Shaky fingers ran through her hair. This made no sense. “Can you live if your head is removed? I mean. How does that work?”

His lips pursed together. “No, we cannot reattach our heads. My sister is dead. This is an impostor. Someone means to harm Marcus.”

“So how am I supposed to help exactly?” She chewed her bottom lip. What if Aidyn was wrong and Eliza lived somehow? She didn’t like to think of him with another woman, not that she held any claims. After all, she'd thrown him out.

His fingers touched her arm. “You are now his mate; you have a connection to him. I hope to be able to use it to find him.”

Her eyes searched his. “Did you tell me all of this to make me feel guilty?”

“No. I thought you might want to know that the man you love is going to die if you don’t come to your senses.”

Ouch, that stung. “Nothing like being blunt,” she retorted, turning her head away. She simply wanted to curl up and forget everything.

Aidyn moved in front of her in a flash. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “Yes, I will use whatever means necessary to save him. Including your guilt. Be thankful I don’t bend your mind to my will.”

“W-what do you mean by that?”

He let out an arrogant laugh. “Cassie, I am an extremely powerful man, not even my brethren know half of what I am capable of. I could make you live an eternity of lies, remembering only what I want you to know.”

If he meant to scare her, it wasn’t working. Her vision saw what was in his heart. A man who would do anything to save his friend. She couldn’t fault him for that. Hell, if only more people had this much dedication, maybe the world would be a little better place to live.

“You may have the power, but you also have a heart. You would never do that to me.”

He smiled. “We are going to get along just fine, little one.”

Chapter Fifteen

Cassie wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to find comfort. Waves crashed, the sea full of turmoil, the same as her. Had she been standing on the beach, she might have stepped into the waves and let them carry her away. Instead, she watched from her perch tucked high on a bluff in Aidyn’s home. After his recent visit, she'd agreed to come to Vandeldor and try to help find Marcus.

Everyone here welcomed her with genuine warmth. Gwen tried to help her connect with Marcus, but so far, they had failed. Lucan, a dark and mysterious vampire, had taught her how to fight. Guns, daggers, hand to hand. Aidyn wanted to make sure she was able to defend herself if needed.

On this day, two weeks after Aidyn’s visit, she stood in his living room and waited for her escorts. Recon work done by a few demons indicated Draki activity in the Carpathian Mountains. Aidyn believed Odage was behind Marcus’s disappearance. Gwen was sure if Cassie got close enough she could break through whatever blocked their communications and connect with him. Either way, she wanted to help. If his friends were worried about him, then there was cause for her to worry as well.

“Cassie, stop being so stubborn and admit you love him.” Aidyn’s voice caused her to jump.

Arching a brow, she peered at the king. “You’re putting your own thoughts into my head. I don’t love him. Besides, who’s to say he’s not happy with his mate Eliza?” Just speaking the woman’s name made her want to run a stake through the bitch’s heart. She had been assured, however, that only worked in the movies.

Aidyn snorted. “You’re a stubborn woman, Cassandra Jensen. It’s no wonder the gods chose you. Only problem is Marcus is even more difficult. Believe me, he would never have left you for this long. Something is wrong.”

She started to make a rebuttal when another figure appeared next to the king. Tall, dark and handsome with much emphasis on the dark. The scowl upon his face made her wince.

“Cassie, this is Seth. He will accompany you on this mission.” Aidyn’s lips curled into a grin.

She regarded Seth with a wary eye. Cassie guessed him to be over six-foot tall. His dark hair was cut short, and his Mediterranean blue eyes stared deep into her soul.

She turned to Aidyn with a shiver. “Are you sure he’s safe?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “The only thing you need to worry about is being bored to death. Seth is not much of a social butterfly.” He leveled his gaze and stared into her eyes. “I trust him with my life, and I trust him with yours.”

Still, she wondered about the vampire. From where she stood, he looked like a cold, heartless killer. It didn’t help her demeanor any that they still waited for one more to join them. A shudder ran up her spine. She’d been told a demon would round out their team of misfits.
God, I hope he doesn’t have red skin and horns.

Her spine went rigid when she heard someone enter the room. Wanting to sneak a peek, she peered through slits. Of course, he looked nothing like a demon. Who the hell created these immortals? A horny goddess who hadn’t been laid in centuries?

Similar to the vampires, he stood over six feet tall. His raven hair had been pulled back with a leather tie, and his body was solid muscle and sinew. Pale golden eyes reminded her of a cat.

Aidyn spoke first. “Baal, I am glad you agreed to this assignment.”

Baal gave a slight bow. “My condolences on the death of your mother. Queen Daria was a remarkable woman. She served as a staunch ally in the fight against the slave trades. My people are grateful for any help you can give us.”

Aidyn slapped Baal on the back. “You’ve nothing to fear, my man. We will continue to assist you in this endeavor.”

Aidyn turned toward Cassie. “Cassie, this is Baal.”

He gave a slight bow, a twinkle in his eye. “So you’re Marcus’s mate. My friend is an extremely lucky man.”

Her cheeks grew hot. “Thank you.”

“You have been briefed about where we are going?”

“Yes, but do you really think this will work?” She knew the plan. Both Gwen and Aidyn believed she could create a telepathic link with Marcus even though she wasn’t a telepath. She had doubts but would try anything. She only hoped that her heart didn’t get broken in the process. Aidyn might be wrong. What if Marcus was happy with Eliza? She tried to convince herself she didn’t care.
And you’re a big fat liar too.

Baal shrugged his broad shoulders. “Who knows, but we will try. Are you ready?”

She grabbed the backpack with her supplies. “It’s now or never.”

Baal took her hand then looked at Seth. “While you’re cute and all, I don’t swing that way. No hand-holding, so take my arm.”

Cassie furrowed her brows. “He can go through the portal on his own, right?”

“No portals for me, doll. I can flash us right out of this realm and into yours.” He gave a head nod in Seth’s direction. “Damn vampires gotta carry an amulet with them every time they want to leave home. Dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of.”

Her body tingled with a thousand tiny pinpricks, and the room faded away to total blackness. She wondered if she would ever become accustom to this kind of travel.

* * * *

Marcus opened his eyes then quickly slammed them shut. His retinas burned like they’d been sandblasted.
Damn it!
Again he tried, this time more slowly. First he peered through lashes. When the pain subsided, he opened them a bit more until, what felt like an eternity later, they opened completely.

The room was small and bare, with no furniture except for the bed he lay on. The only lamp hung over his head and flickered like a moth caught in a bug light. Upon closer inspection, he realized he was surrounded by rock.
I’m in a damn cave?

He tried to sit up but found his arms chained to the wall.
What the hell happened?
His brain recalled Eliza and silver bands. Sure enough, when he looked up at his wrists, he saw the glint of silver. Okay, so he hadn't imagined it, but Eliza was dead.

“Well, lover, I see you’re finally awake.”

He strained to follow the voice. When he focused in on the beautiful woman, he found Eliza staring back at him. All cleaned up, her golden strands shimmered in the light. Her skin looked as if she'd washed with the morning dew. Skin-tight jeans and a yellow T-shirt that showed off her bra-less breasts covered her body. Her strawberry nipples pressed into the fabric, looking as if they were trying to make an escape.
Fuck, I’m in trouble.

“How is it you’re alive?” he asked.

“Marcus, Marcus, my unfaithful mate,” her voice sang out like an angel as she approached the bed. She reached up and ran a red nail down his cheek. “I will tell you my secrets in due time, but first, I have other plans for you. You are my mate, and I will forgive your indiscretions once you bind us together.” She squeezed his cock through his jeans, and he sucked in a breath, waiting for a reaction, but nothing happened. Slowly, he exhaled. Eliza was no longer his true mate. Cassie had been given that position.

“Look, I thought you were gone. We had to kill all the women that day.” Gods, had they somehow been wrong? Could they have been saved? His stomach rolled and threatened to spill its contents at the thought of such a horrific mistake. No, there had to be another explanation.

Eliza unsnapped her jeans and pulled them past her rounded hips. Once they were to her ankles, she stepped out of them then crawled up on the bed and straddled his lap. She grabbed the end of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing it to the floor. She began to knead her breasts and rub against his cock. The only thing between them was his jeans and her red lace panties.

“The only thing that’s dead, Marcus, is the innocent little girl you left behind.” She narrowed her gaze. “And it seems your cock as well.” She pushed aside her panties and dipped a finger inside, letting out a moan as she worked in and out. “I have spent three hundred years without a man because of you. The only pleasure is what I give myself.” She moved her finger faster and pinched her nipple with her free hand. Her moans became louder and her breaths more shallow until she screamed out in pleasure. When she regained her composure, she slid up his chest and wiped her juices over his lips. Gods, she tasted sweet but not as sweet as Cassie, never that good.
Keep telling yourself that, and maybe you can keep it together.