King's Crusade (Seventeen) (27 page)

‘ ’morning,’ said Carrington, a knowing grin dawning on his face and stretching the silver scar on his cheek. Alexa shot him a warning look. ‘Here. It was still in the SUV outside the Hall.’ He put the hardback case that held her field computer on the table.

‘Thanks,’ she murmured grudgingly.

Dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a clean shirt, Jackson stood downing a cup of coffee at the kitchen counter. His eyes glided appreciatively down her body for a second.

Alexa felt heat flare across her skin where his gaze had landed. She turned to Schmidt. ‘When did he turn up?’ She indicated Yonten with a head tilt.

‘He was on the terrace outside when we got here,’ replied Schmidt coolly.

She ignored the Crovir Hunter’s hostile tone and raised her eyebrows at the monk. Yonten smiled beatifically. ‘Karmic signal,’ he said in a sedate voice.

‘The
Emerald Tablet
,’ Reznak murmured. ‘In all the centuries since I first heard of it, I honestly thought it was just a myth.’

‘So did I,’ said Jackson. He crossed the marble floor and took the seat opposite Reznak. ‘I have to admit, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting to find when we broke into the Freemasons’ Hall.’ He grimaced. ‘I’m just annoyed that we never got round to examining their archives. They might have held more information on the
Rose Croix
sect.’

A grin flashed across Yonten’s face. He reached inside his robe, took out a slim tome, and lobed it across the room to Jackson. The Harvard professor caught it deftly. ‘What is it?’ he asked curiously, skimming through the faded pages. His fingers froze on the book. His chin came up sharply and he stared at the monk. ‘Is this from the Freemasons’ vault?’

Yonten nodded. ‘Parts of the book are encoded. You must decipher it,’ said the monk.

Jackson looked down at the tome in wide-eyed wonderment.

‘I have other news,’ said Reznak, his expression darkening. ‘From the initial investigation by the Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City, it appears that there was a hidden microphone and tracking device in Francesco’s ring. The
Rose Croix
sect must have heard our conversation two nights ago. They obviously didn’t want him to talk. This can only lead me to conclude that Cavaleti has spies in the Holy See.’

Alexa silently digested this information. Lorenzio’s assassination had to have been a last-minute decision on the part of the sect. The measures the archbishop had taken to arrange their meeting had evidently given him enough time to divulge most of the information he had wanted to disclose.

‘I spoke to Abbot Kelsang again this morning and asked him to send me a picture of the artifact that was stolen from their monastery three hundred years ago,’ said Reznak.

Carrington brought out a slim laptop from behind the chair and flipped it open on the coffee table. Reznak turned the computer around so she and Jackson could see the screen. ‘What do you think?’ he asked, gazing steadily at the Harvard professor.

An image occupied the display. It showed a beautiful, thick, intricately designed, gold sun cross pendant lying inside a sculptured, metal box.

Jackson leaned forward and examined the picture closely. ‘Interesting,’ he murmured. ‘But I’m afraid it would be impossible to come to any definitive conclusions about this object from a simple photograph.’

A shrewd light appeared in Reznak’s eyes.

Alexa watched her godfather guardedly.

‘Would it be helpful if you could see an identical item in person?’ he said.

Jackson’s eyebrows rose. ‘Yes.’

‘Good. I know someone who possesses a pendant almost indistinguishable from the one in that picture,’ said Reznak. ‘We’re meeting her in Paris in a few hours.’

They left the penthouse and were in the air within ninety minutes. Shortly before midday, the Gulfstream jet landed on an abandoned airstrip several miles outside the French capital. The sky was a crisp, clear blue, and the air had an icy chill that promised frost for the night.

Alexa glanced curiously at Reznak while they waited by the steps of the aircraft. Her godfather had remained resolutely tight-lipped since they left London. Apart from admitting that the woman they would be meeting was an immortal, he had not said another word on the matter.

Although she sensed his disapproval of her relationship with Jackson, Alexa felt there was more to his silence than petty punishment for her actions.

It was another hour before they heard the distant roar of a vehicle approaching from the east. Seconds later, a black Jaguar XK120 roadster appeared from under a line of trees and raced toward them.

The vehicle rolled to a smoothly controlled stop thirty feet from the jet. As Alexa admired the lines of the immaculate vintage car, the doors opened, and a couple stepped out.

The woman wore a thick coat with the collar turned up against the blustery wind blowing across the airfield. Knee-high boots covered her legs and ended just beneath the hem of a woolen dress that hung perfectly on her slender frame. Her chestnut colored hair tumbled in soft curls around her face and past her shoulders. As she walked toward them, her alluring, olive-green eyes studied them neutrally from beneath thick eyelashes.

A genuine smile parted her lips when she spotted Reznak. That simple act transformed her face from beautiful to stunning.

Alexa’s gaze switched to the man who strolled at her side. She stiffened. Although the woman was unknown to her, she recognized her companion. Schmidt, Carrington, and Reznak’s bodyguards tensed behind her godfather. The Crovirs undoubtedly knew the identity of the male figure heading their way.

He was as tall as Jackson and had short, black hair that curled slightly at the collar of his bomber jacket. Black jeans encased his long legs, the ends tucked inside a pair of practical boots. His blue eyes were a shade darker than Jackson’s. His body was lean and his face as striking as the woman beside him.

‘Lucas Soul,’ murmured Schmidt warily.

Reznak frowned at the Crovir Hunter. ‘He’s a friend.’

The woman with the green eyes ignored the exchange as she stopped in front of Reznak. ‘Dimitri. It’s good to see you again,’ she said in a soft voice underscored by a thin veneer of steel. She rose on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

‘Anna,’ Reznak acknowledged with a warm smile. He nodded cordially at the man. ‘Lucas.’

Lucas Soul, once the most hunted man in the history of the two immortal societies, inclined his head briefly and murmured, ‘Dimitri’ in a steady voice.

‘I’m sorry to trouble you,’ said Reznak, a contrite grimace flashing across his face. ‘And in the days before your wedding as well.’

Alexa glanced at the simple yet exquisitely detailed engagement ring on the woman’s left hand.

‘Will you be able to make it?’ asked the woman called Anna. ‘It was a pretty impromptu decision,’ she admitted with a sheepish smile. ‘Pierre and Solange only arrived two days ago. It’ll be a small ceremony.’

‘I would love to be there, but I’m afraid the matter at hand requires all my attention,’ said Reznak. His eyes brightened slightly. ‘Will Victor be in attendance?’

‘He’s walking me down the aisle,’ said Anna, golden speckles dancing in her eyes.

Sadness flooded Reznak’s face, much to Alexa’s surprise. ‘I’m glad. Tomas would have wanted it so,’ said her godfather quietly.

Anna smiled and nodded, her green eyes glittering with a sudden, wet sheen.

‘I take it Reid’s going to be best man?’ asked Reznak, turning an enquiring stare at the quiet, blue-eyed man.

A wry grin flashed across Lucas Soul’s face and softened his features. ‘He threatened to shoot me if I didn’t ask him,’ he said.

Reznak laughed out loud.

Alexa was startled at how relaxed he seemed in the presence of the two immortals. Her godfather was only ever this carefree in the company of people he trusted unconditionally. There was a hidden history between the three that she did not know of.

‘I really wish I could come, truly,’ said Reznak. His expression grew sober. ‘Unfortunately, there are schemes afoot that may have far-reaching implications for the immortal societies.’

He introduced the couple to the group. Alexa noted how he carefully abstained from revealing her identity as his goddaughter. A frown dawned on her face when he started updating the two immortals with the unsettling events of the last week.

Soul’s eyes grew still and Anna listened intently while Reznak spoke. From what Alexa gleaned of their discussion, the pair already knew of the caves in Egypt and the extraordinary contents Reznak had discovered within.

Jackson watched silently, his curious stare shifting from Schmidt’s increasingly strained face and Carrington’s cautious countenance to the couple’s contrastingly composed demeanors. Though the Harvard professor seemed aware of the tension coursing through the two Crovirs, he remained quiet.

Yonten stood frozen at Alexa’s side. The strangest expression unfolded across his features as he stared at the two immortals. It took her a couple of seconds to grasp the emotions on the monk’s face: it displayed deep-seated reverence mixed with awe.

Schmidt finally spoke, interrupting Reznak. ‘Should you really be telling them all of this?’ he asked harshly. ‘Some of this information is privy only to the highest members of our Councils.’

Reznak turned and looked at the Crovir Hunter with cold eyes. ‘Anna Godard is the granddaughter of Tomas Godard, the previous Head of the Bastian Hunters and the leader of the Bastian race. She is one of the highest-born immortal nobles in existence today,’ he said. He glanced at Soul. ‘Though they have yet to accept the offer, both Anna and Lucas have been invited to be members of the Crovir and Bastian Councils. As far as I’m concerned, they have the same security clearance as any individual in our First Council.’

Schmidt looked dumbfounded at Reznak’s words. He stared at the immortal couple with newfound, albeit begrudged respect in his eyes.

Alexa was similarly surprised at her godfather’s revelations. She could not suppress the scowl that flashed across her face; the number of secrets Reznak had kept from her seemed to be escalating with the passage of each new day. She sensed a steady stare on her face.

Lucas Soul was appraising her with a carefully blank expression. Although he stood completely motionless with his arms relaxed by his sides, the quiet, understated power in his gaze ruffled her raw nerves.

In all the centuries that she had served as an agent of the Crovir First Council, Alexa had never been ordered to hunt and kill Soul. She had always suspected Reznak of having had a hand in bringing about that strange state of affairs, quite likely because of the fearsome reputation of the man who stood watching her silently.

Soul was the only immortal in the extensive history of the two races who could truly kill another immortal, with a single strike at that. It mattered not if it was their first or fifteenth death. If the weapon that he wielded had a direct physical connection between his body and their heart, he would shatter their entire existence in one fell swoop.

Anna Godard glanced at Soul before looking at Alexa. Although the same understated power emanated from her green eyes, they also contained a wealth of compassion and empathy that overshadowed her undeniable strength.

Alexa blinked. The woman had just given her a gentle, knowing smile.

‘Be still, warrior,’ said a quiet voice at her side. Alexa looked at Yonten. The monk’s eyes did not shift from the couple. ‘They are not your enemies.’

Though his words dampened the hunter’s thrill humming through her veins, Alexa could not help but discern another meaning behind them. Was the monk suggesting that she would not be the winner in a battle with
either
of the two immortals?

Her gaze flickered back to the blue-eyed man. For the first time since he’d stepped out of the car, she detected an emotion she had not picked up on before in his expression.

Lucas Soul was at peace with himself and the world around him.

The stab of envy that flashed through her consciousness shocked her to the core. Her jaw clenched instinctively and her body reflexively tightened for battle.

Jackson took a step toward her, anxiety evident in his eyes. Reznak looked at her stiffly.

Alexa ground her teeth together and inhaled shallowly. A heartbeat later, she answered the unspoken question in her godfather’s stare with a brief nod. She had her emotions under control once more.

Relief replaced the concern in Reznak’s eyes. He took the laptop from Carrington and typed briefly on the keyboard. A moment later, the image of the sun cross pendant appeared on the monitor.

Anna Godard grew pale as she stared at the display. Her hand fluttered to her neck. Something glittered under her fingertips in the harsh sunlight. She pulled the collar of her coat aside and brought out a thick, intricately designed sun cross pendant suspended on a fine chain. It was the mirror image of the one on the screen.

Jackson gasped and strode forward. ‘May I?’ he breathed, stopping in front of Anna. His eyes never left the gold pendant at the base of her throat.