Ancient Guardians The Legacy of the Key (42 page)

He turned and
addressed the four of them. “However, we all must understand that today Movac
will return home with his men, only to begin plotting his next move. The
Ciatron never have, and never will, give up their pursuit of the Key, or the
power that comes with the discovery of the stone. However, we shouldn’t be
prideful over this victory. We must never believe that we have ended their
cause.”

Navarre turned back
to watch the departing vessel. “I suppose they will leave Earth today with
heightened motivation for finding more creative ways of pursing Reece.” His
features softened. “For now, let us all enjoy the short reprieve we have been
given.”

The Ciatron were
the last to leave the grounds, leaving only the Pemdai men below. Reece watched
as the crowd of Guardians made their way to their cars, and quickly sped away
from the castle.

Navarre turned to
Levi and clapped him on the arm. “Well done today, Levi. I know it was not an
easy task. I am proud of you.”

 Harrison
interjected, “And here I thought Samuel and I had a hand in saving the day,
too.”

Navarre chuckled.
“Harrison, you and Samuel have made me, and all of Pemdas, proud today! No
doubt your father will be honored by your achievements, as well.” Navarre went
on, teasing his nephew. “…Although, your timing could have been a little
faster.”

Harrison laughed.
“I’ll have to keep that in mind for the next time I’m ordered to ambush a
hundred men with a company of thirty soldiers. Please excuse my tardiness.”

“Here we go,” Levi smiled mischievously at his cousin,

“Samuel will need to document the facts of their
rescue mission, because Harrison is sure to embellish this story each time he
reminds us of it for the next sixty years.”

 Harrison laughed
loudly, “I only repeat the stories of my victories because I know how much
everyone loves to hear them.”

Navarre broke
through the jesting and said, “I am grateful to each one of you standing here
with me; for, if any of us were absent today, we would most likely not be
standing here with each other now. Now, let us return home, I am certain the
Empress impatiently awaits us. I should not like to be chided for taking my
time returning home when she is so eager to see all of us safe and sound.”

He looked at Reece.
“As you heard in the council meeting, I have made it very clear to all that you
will be living amongst us in Pemdas. I know this is your home, and we will
never stop trying to find a way for you to return, if that is your wish. For
now, I must insist that you to return with us. I know that my wife and daughter
will be thrilled by the news,” he glanced at Levi with a subtle grin, and
looked back at Reece, “as well as the others in my family.”

Reece smiled,
unsure of how to respond.

Navarre then
offered, “Harrison and Levi will escort you back to your apartment to retrieve
anything you wish to bring with you. I would ask that you use this time to bid
your farewells to any friends or family members that you have. This may not be
easy, but it is not only for your safety, but for theirs as well.”

He turned to Levi.
“I am only comfortable with your remaining on Earth for three days, at most. I
will have Samuel dispatch a Guardian unit to stand by, should you need backup
during your stay. I know the Ciatron will not return, but I will not take any
chances. Use every minute you have on Earth wisely. Our men will be waiting and
watching from the minute your plane lands in Philadelphia, until they have seen
you back through to Pemdas. We will see you all then.”

With that, he
smiled widely, turned, and walked down the steps with Samuel toward their
vehicle.

Harrison put his
arm on Levi’s shoulder, squeezing Reece where she stood between them. “Well
kids, it’s just us again! There is only thing I must know before our
departure…” He breathed in deeply and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Is Reece
content with these arrangements? You realize you’re going to have a love-struck
fool chasing you around every day, don’t you?”

Reece laughed. “I’m
sure I’ll manage.”

“We’ll see about
that!” Harrison stepped back and ruffled Levi’s hair, “I’ll meet you two
lovebirds at the car!” He said as he turned to hop down the steps toward the
car.

Levi turned to face
Reece. She stared deeply into his brilliant blue eyes as he smiled at her. “You
did extremely well today, Reece.” Relief and happiness were apparent in his
voice.

She gazed into his
eyes; eyes that reflected everything he felt for her. He was so unbelievably
handsome when he smiled at her in this manner.

There was nothing
she wanted more than Levi. She knew, if given the option, she could never
choose living on Earth over living in Pemdas. She felt as though she didn’t
belong on Earth anymore. Since her father’s death, she had no real attachment
here. Her absence would go noticed only by her college friends, and that would
easily be worked out.

She studied Levi’s
face, intrigued by the man she loved. He not only saved her life physically, he
had saved her in many more ways than he would probably ever understand. He
filled a void that she didn’t know existed. She didn’t know she was missing
anything, until she fell in love with him. She reached up and caressed his
cheek. He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, never allowing his eyes
to leave hers. “I love you,” she whispered.

His eyes took on a
deeper glow. “I love you.”

“Well, are you
ready?”

He softly laughed.
“I am only waiting for you, love. My only wish is that you are happy on your
return to live with us in Pemdas.”

Reece wound her
arms around his neck. She softly ran her fingers through his hair and smiled.
“Levi, I love Pemdas—but more than that, I love you. I couldn’t imagine living
anywhere—”

She was silenced
when his lips captured hers. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist,
drawing her closer in to him. Reece molded her body tightly against his,
savoring the rich taste of his kiss.

“Should I fly the
plane to Philadelphia on my own?” Harrison shouted from the car below. “It
looks like you two are ready to go straight to Pemdas from here!”

They both laughed.

“Shall we?” Levi
said as he offered Reece his arm.

They arrived in
Philadelphia in the early evening. Reece slept on the flight, and woke up
starving. Levi and Harrison thought dinner out would be safe for all of them,
and they encouraged her to bring her friends along.

  Dinner was an
upbeat occasion, and Reece felt as though it was the perfect way to close this
chapter of her life; saying goodbye to old friends, while in the company of the
people with whom she would spend the rest of her life.

Everyone took the
news of Reece’s departure well. Jack gave her a hard time for “ditching him,”
but was happy for her.

“Back to San Diego,
huh?” Lori said with a sigh, “are you absolutely certain you don’t want to be
my roommate for the rest of your life?”

Reece laughed and
reached over to give her a hug, “I’m definitely going to miss you, Lori.”

With promises to
return to visit when she could, Reece was able to leave without any
uncomfortable interrogation.

The three days
spent on Earth went quickly; there was not much for her to prepare. She had
only a few boxes that Levi carried down into the car. Lori was more than
excited that Reece gave her the majority of her wardrobe, with the excuse of
starting a new life and needing new clothes for it. Levi arranged the sale of
her car, pricing it to sell the same day he had listed it. She was completely
ready to leave. They could have left earlier, but Levi encouraged her to take
the time with her friends.

The morning they
left, Lori and Jack waited to see them off. They said their goodbyes with a few
tears from Lori, but none from Reece, who felt as though she could not wait one
minute longer to leave Earth.

As they came
through the vortex, Levi pulled the car into the stone garage. Once they were
out of the car, Levi walked Reece over to the gates. Before walking through
them, Levi stopped and pulled her into a loving embrace. He held her tightly as
he brought his lips down on hers.

Harrison approached
from behind. “I think you two could use some time alone. I’m starting to feel
uncomfortable.” He laughed as he went through the gates before them.

Reece flushed, and
decided to change the subject. “What about the boxes from my apartment?”

Levi smiled down at
her. “I notified the Palace to send servants to retrieve them.”

When they walked
through the gates to where Harrison stood, the sound of the horses thundering
toward them made Reece’s heart react with anticipation of their return to
Pemdas. She gripped Levi’s hand excitedly as she watched their magnificent
approach. Levi looked down and smiled at her reaction.

Areion slowed, and
pranced over to where Levi stood. Once they were on Areion, Reece wrapped her
arms tightly around Levi’s waist. Areion began stamping his feet, eager to go.

 Once Harrison was
on Saracen, he turned to Levi and Reece. “Shall we race?”

 “Not today. I
believe I will be taking an alternate route this time. Go on without us; I know
you’re desperate to get home.”

Harrison’s eyes
narrowed, studying his cousin. “Indeed?”

“Indeed.”

Harrison chuckled,
shaking his head. He spun his horse down the road, and raced off.

 Areion became
instantly jealous and extremely impatient, but Levi held him back. “Would you
care to take an alternate route?”

She shrugged.
“Would it matter?”

 He laughed as he
answered. “No, my love, it would not.”

Levi let slack fall
in the reins, and the horse leapt forward toward Pemdas. Areion led them over
the barrier, lunging over the gray mist. Reece held tightly onto Levi as he let
the horse choose his own speed. Illogically, the faster he ran, the smoother
the ride was.

 It was before
reaching the forest that Levi turned right, off the road, and through a grassy
meadow with a tall mountain range behind it.
This must be the scenic route,
Reece thought. They traveled alongside a large river, with tall trees outlining
its banks. Areion slowed as he stepped them down a deep, narrow, stone road,
cut like a canyon through rock. The stone walls dimmed the light of the sun,
and the air chilled.

Once they were
through it, Areion’s pace increased. Levi covered Reece’s hands, bracing her.
“Hold on.”

Areion sped up,
digging at the ground beneath him as he began his ascent up a mountainside.
This was Reece’s longest climb yet on the horse; she felt it in her legs and
back. Just as she was about to ask for a break, they reached the top. Even
Areion seemed to feel relief to be finished with the climb. He did not fight
his master as Levi walked him straight ahead, toward the edge of the mountain
top. Reece squeezed Levi tightly, and buried her face in his back.

 She felt him
laughing as Areion stopped moving. “I believe the view that Areion worked hard
to show you is much better than the back of my shirt. Open your eyes, love.”

As she looked over,
she was rendered speechless. The trees on the top of the narrow mountain peak
were minimal, and she was able to view everything around them. They stood
overlooking Pemdas—hills, valleys, and farmland that seemed to go on forever.
Far in the distance, past smaller mountains and hills, water glistened. “Is
that an ocean?”

“It is. This is the
best view of it. It is not necessarily my favorite ride, but the reward is
worth it.”

She stared ahead,
amazed by the beautiful view. She leaned into his back, her eyes gazing out at
the sparkling body of water.

“Wow,” was all that
she could manage.

Levi spoke softly,
“I felt I should welcome you to your new home in this manner.”

Reece squeezed her
arms tightly around his waist. “It’s breathtaking, Levi. Thank you.”

“You are very
welcome. Now, let us give Areion a break. I must share this view with you
properly, anyway.”

They dismounted,
and walked to a spot of scrub grass off to the side, which offered a better
view of the ocean. Levi pulled her into his arms, and she let her body relax
into his embrace while taking in the view. They said nothing for a few moments;
she only felt the soft kisses he bestowed to the top of her head.

“The first time I
was brought here was by my father; it was when he explained to me what would be
expected of me when I became Emperor.”

Levi stared
intently out toward the glistening waters of the ocean. “My father compared the
power and duty of an Emperor to an ocean. Just as the ocean is viewed as
powerful, one day I would be viewed in the same manner. He spoke of how
unpredictable the ocean is. It can be peaceful one moment, and then with no
warning, it can become fierce, instantly humbling you. With that, he instructed
that as long as I understood the gravity of the position I would hold, and yet
remain humbled by it, I would be able to cope with the responsibility.”