Ancient Guardians The Legacy of the Key (32 page)

 They walked
together in silence down the hallways. Countless times, Reece had imagined what
she would say to him, if and when he returned to her. And here he was, by some
miracle, holding her hand tightly, yet she had no idea how to approach him. She
was worried for him and what he had gone through, but from his display earlier
in the room, she felt it best not to approach the subject with him for fear of
upsetting him again.

He opened a door to
a dimly-lit room, and stood back for Reece to enter. Before she could look
around, he closed the door and seized her in a tight embrace. She rested her
head against his chest, inhaling deeply the rich, masculine scent she had so
desperately missed. As he gently touched her face, the tears brimming in her
eyes overflowed and spilled down her cheeks.

“Reece, what’s
wrong?”

“I’m so thankful
you’re safe.”

His piercing eyes
were still concerned. He gently brought his hand to her cheek, tenderly
sweeping away a stray tear. He then slowly brought up his other hand, cradling
her face. His thumbs absently stroked her cheeks. “You’re so beautiful. I have
longed to stare into your eyes, and to feel your skin against my own. We’ll
attend to matters with my father, but first, I must have this moment alone with
you.” Fixing his eyes intently upon hers, he slowly drew his face in closer. Only
when his lips were pressed against hers did he allow his eyes to close.

After the brief kiss,
he rested his forehead against hers. “This—this is what gave me strength to
endure. I had to get back to you. I yearned for your presence.” He tilted her
chin up, and stared somberly into her eyes. “I needed to hear your voice, to
feel your touch, and to simply see your face again.” He traced her jawline with
one finger. “My only, one love.”

Reece wrapped her
arms around him. “Levi, I’m so sorry for what you have been through. I wish I
had words—”

“There’s no need
for words. We’re together now.”

Reece studied his
face, and brought her hand up to trace the bruise above his eyebrow. He closed
his eyes and sighed. She cupped his face as he had hers, and stood on her toes
to kiss each fading bruise.

“I love you,” she
whispered, finishing with a kiss to his chin.

Levi’s eyes opened,
more brilliant than ever. He smiled the special smile he seemed to keep only
for her. “And I love you, more than I can say.”

Reece relaxed into
his gentle grip, offering her lips, and without hesitation, Levi accepted the
invitation.

Chapter 23

Levi slowly ended their heated kiss. He smiled, his
eyes showing concern, yet he didn’t let go of her. “My love, I must request
something of you before we meet with my father.”

Reece stared at
him. “Anything.”

“I am about to
present my father and Samuel with a plan that will seemingly put you at risk. I
hope you know that I would never willingly allow your safety to be endangered,
but we’re at a complete disadvantage right now. I have an idea, but it depends
on returning you to Earth for a while. Harrison is arranging a safe way for
your return. If I did not have him, I wouldn’t consider taking you back.”

“Harrison is alive?”

Levi smiled
brilliantly. “Yes, sweetheart, though I wouldn’t say it in front of Simone.
About my plan—”

She looked up at
him and smiled warmly. “Levi, I understand you all have a lot to decide. I’ve
watched your father walk around here hopeless and distraught for days on end.
If there is a way to retrieve your men, and the plans involve me, I want to be
a part of them. I may not understand everything you all are talking about, but
I do trust you.”

He smiled down with
admiration in his eyes. “You, my love…intrigue me.” He bent down to kiss her
briefly. “Harrison wanted me to point out that he’s made good on the promise he
made to you the morning we left.”

Reece cocked her
head. “Promise?”

“Yes, don’t you
remember? He promised to return me to you safely.”

Reece closed her
eyes, and hugged Levi tightly. “I owe him, big time.”

Levi pressed a kiss
to the top of her head. “Now, let us go meet with my father.”

Navarre’s office
was large and luxurious, but also clearly a working space. Situated in front of
the Palace’s imposing windows, was a large polished mahogany desk with a deep
red leather chair behind it. Swords and other various pieces of weaponry hung
on the walls by a fireplace in the front corner of the room.

Reece was
immediately drawn to the paintings on the walls. The one that interested her
most showed a dozen men dressed in black standing alongside their horses. Both
the men and the horses were armored as if for battle.

As she looked
closer, she could see more detail. The men wore swords on leather belts. Their
capes were folded back on one side, displaying black polished pads on their
uncovered shoulders. Black boots went up to their knees; black gloves went up
to their elbows. The only color they wore was the red lining of their capes.
The men looked as fierce as their warhorses.

“These are men from
the time of my grandfather’s reign,” said Navarre, coming up behind her.
“This,”—he pointed to a man who was the spitting image of Levi— “is my father.
Levi resembles him, does he not? It is intriguing to see my father, in my own
son.” He smiled down at her. “Shall we have you sit over here?” He pointed
toward the desk. “I suppose Levi prepared you for what we will be discussing?”
He offered his arm, and led her over to one of the empty chairs situated around
his desk. Levi, who had been having a discussion with Samuel since their
arrival to the study, walked over to where Reece sat, and took the chair next
to her.

Navarre walked over
to his seat, “Where’s Harrison?” He asked as he sat in his chair.

“Harrison is safe—”

“Where are our
men—what has happened? What information do you have?” Navarre interjected.

“Our men have been
imprisoned at Castle Ruin. It is where they have arranged a council for you to
attend, to present Reece.”

Navarre gazed
somberly toward Samuel, and then back to Levi. “Scotland? So they have remained
on Earth? You have been on Earth this entire time?”

“Yes.”

“How were they able
to capture you and Harrison?”

 “They were waiting
for us outside the vortex with an army of Ciatron defenders. They used a
mechanism to shut down our car, but when we got out and tried to fight, they
overtook us.” He shrugged apologetically. “They brought us to a holding area,
where we found other Guardians. We had no idea, at the time, what was
happening. More and more Guardians joined us; they were hunting them down
throughout Earth. Then, without notice, they took Harrison and me away from the
others. When we protested our being separated from the rest of the men, they
told us they were relocating them to Castle Ruin. They told us that, because we
were the closest relations to Emperor Navarre, we would receive ‘proper
treatment,’ and would join our men in Scotland soon enough.” Levi’s face grew
distant. His tone of disgust implied that there was much detail about their
treatment that he was not mentioning. “It was at this time that Movac sent for
me. He was in a room with six other Ciatron defenders.”

“Movac is on
Earth?” Asked Navarre. “The leader of the Ciatron has left his protected
domain? Their leaders have always been cowards—Movac must be very confident
about whatever plan he has formed against us. Tell me, what did Movac have to
say to you?”

  “He knows that we
have the Key with us in Pemdas. He has contacted all the leaders of the other
dimensions and led them to believe that our reason for taking Reece into Pemdas
is to gain ultimate control over all of them.” Disgust was apparent on Levi’s
face.

“But they can’t
believe that!” Samuel said. Until now, he had remained quiet throughout the
entire conversation, listening and a few times had scribbling on a pad of
paper.

“I wouldn’t have
thought so, but they brought me into a council chamber with most of the
leaders. They do believe it, Samuel. I tried to dispute it; I reminded them of
our services to them, but—”

“Reece,” said
Navarre.

“Yes. I couldn’t
deny that we had Reece in Pemdas, and that we’d replaced her with a stand-in.
With Movac’s persuasion, they regarded that as proof of our bad intentions.
They instructed me to return, and bring you their terms.”

Navarre sat back in
his chair, and stared at Levi. Resting his elbow on the arm of his chair, he
leaned his chin on his fist and sat quietly. “It astounds me,” he said finally,
“that these leaders, who know of our cause to protect the Key, should so quickly
allow their minds to be changed. It is as if they have longed for an excuse to
make us their enemy. But there is no purpose to try to analyze the foolishness
of other worlds. I must protect our own. What is this negotiation they
present?”

“It’s really
Movac’s requirement, but all the leaders agreed. They want you to return Reece
to Earth, and present her to the council there. They have given you three days
to make your decision. If you choose to return Reece, they will decide, at that
time, whether or not the Pemdai are to be trusted again. If trust is restored,
they will release our men in trade for Reece.”

Navarre stared at
his son. “And if we do not?”

Levi looked at his
father darkly. “First, they will take action against those of our men whom they
hold. Second, they will attempt to prevent our ever leaving Pemdas again, by
heavily guarding our vortices into all dimensions.” Levi leaned forward.
“Father, the Ciatron are no longer our only enemy, they have turned all worlds
against us.”

Navarre inhaled
deeply and leaned back into his chair. “So it would seem. Now we have the
reason for Movac’s presence on Earth. That coward would never leave Ciatris
unless he was confident he had other worlds defending him against us.”

Navarre looked over
at his commander. “Samuel, what are your opinions?”

Samuel looked at
Reece, and then at Navarre. He seemed uncomfortable with her in the room, but
he answered calmly enough. “We are at a disadvantage. There is no way we can
retrieve our armies from Castle Ruin with the few warriors we have left. Either
we keep Reece amongst us, ignore these demands, and hope that they will return
our men,” Samuel inhaled deeply, “or we consider their demands.”

Levi scowled at
Samuel.

“I can see that
this information as taken you off-guard,” Navarre said, “I am equally surprised
by this turn of events. Let us not forget that the Pemdai, under no
circumstances, accede to coercion. We never have, and so long as I stand as
Emperor, we never will. Reece will not be traded. We are not cowards, and we
will not stay behind our secure borders and hide in the hope that our men will
be returned. Our brave warriors are depending upon us to take action on their
behalf. We must remember the soldiers we are, form a plan, and develop a
strategy.”

Levi addressed the
two men. “Samuel…Father, allow me to provide you with an option to consider, as
I believe it may be our only alternative. Harrison and I have formulated a
plan. I am confident it will work, and with your approval, we can bring Reece
and present her before the council as a distraction.”

“Harrison? How is
he? Where is he?” Navarre quickly asked.

“He is well. He
brought me through the vortex, and returned to Earth. If we agree to bring
Reece back to Earth with us, we will need a distraction at the vortex that she
will be returning through. As I sit here with you now, he is in the process of
arranging this.”

Light had returned
to Navarre’s eyes. “Son, please enlighten me. How is Harrison running freely
around Earth, and what is this plan you have come up with?”

Levi remained
serious. “Forgive me for misleading you earlier, but I would not speak in front
of Simone. Harrison and I have been free since early this morning. After they
released me to return to Pemdas, I used that opportunity to free Harrison. They
probably should have guarded him more heavily, as I was easily able to take
their defenders down and retrieve him.”

“Are you still in
communication with him?”

“Yes, they returned
my communication device to me, along with the car. Harrison drove me back
through the vortex so that he could keep the car and device with him. It served
us well that you allowed Areion to stay down at the gates.” Levi shifted in his
seat and looked at Samuel. “I couldn’t contact anyone; I didn’t have anyone I
could trust. I was still struggling to understand how Simone could have
contacted the Ciatron by herself.”

Samuel nodded
heavily. He seemed to have aged ten years since he’d found out about Simone’s
transgressions. “I have offered my resignation—”

“And I have refused
it,” Navarre said. “Samuel and Catherine have suffered enough. Levi, are you
aware that Michael Visor, and possibly Magnus Sterlington, was involved as
well?”

Levi’s expression
was steely as he stared intently at Navarre. “How was Sterlington able to plan something
like this? I thought he had been removed from Pemdas?”