Ancient Guardians: The Uninvited (13 page)

“Are we to gaze upon horses all day and dream of our bride-to-be nestled in our arms?” Harrison called out, as he came up behind him.

Levi turned toward his cousin. “Why is Michael’s horse out with the herd?”

Harrison scanned the field where the horses were. “That is an excellent question. Areion seems as upset about the situation as you are.”

It remained a mystery that a trained Guardian horse would transport someone with evil intentions across Pemdas’ barriers. Somehow, Michael was able to manipulate his horse to carry him and Simone across the vortex with the intention of betraying Pemdas. This horse was a danger to Pemdas, making Michael, if he had possession of this horse, a danger as well.

Levi shook his head, extremely annoyed by the negligence that produced the hostile situation between the rivaling horses. He turned toward the stables to question the stable master, Javian. As he and Harrison strode briskly into the building, Javian approached him with the same look of distress.

“Master Levi, we are aware of the situation, and I have my men tending to it now,” Javian informed him.

“How is it that Michael’s horse is free from his stall?” Levi demanded.

Javian swallowed hard. “Master Levi, there is no excuse. I am as shocked as you are. I found him only moments before you arrived for Areion. We have questioned Christian, the stable man who was in charge of him, and he has no answer as well. We are unsure at the moment if someone intentionally turned him loose, or if a young stable man mistakenly did so. I will arrange to have the horse put down; it is my only option.”

“You will not put the horse down. We will have him retrained and looked after. If I must, I will work with him myself when I return from Earth. For now, retrieve him and find a better way to secure him. It would be best if you reinforced new locks on his stall gates, in case this was not an accident. Until Michael has been found, we will not take chances with this horse. Also, inform the emperor of what has taken place; he must be made aware of this.”

“We will do so immediately,” Javian answered. He cleared his throat, “Forgive me for not having prepared Areion. I was distracted by trying to assemble a group to attend to the soured horse.”

“I will prepare Areion myself. Just remove that horse and lock him away. I will make it a priority to work with him upon my return.”

After the morning’s delay, Harrison and Levi were finally en route to Earth. Levi and Harrison raced their horses toward the protective barriers that led to the outer boundaries of Pemdas. Saracen remained in the lead; but it was when they made it to the empty void that Areion found his next burst of speed. As the horses landed gracefully on the other side of the great divide, Areion charged through the forest. Levi glanced back and saw Harrison’s look of defeat as they arrived at the gates.

Both men dismounted and ordered the horses to return to the stable yard.

Levi glanced at Harrison. “You already know Areion enjoys defeating you and Saracen in such a way,” Levi said, as he clapped his cousin on the shoulder.

Harrison laughed and plucked a vibrant red leaf off of a low-hanging tree branch. “I will never be able to understand how your horse has such energy. Enjoy the victory once again, my friend,” he said, as they walked into the stone structure where their car was.

Harrison found his usual place in the driver’s seat. “I must say, I’m glad to be returning to Earth.”

“I agree,” Levi answered, as Harrison pulled the car out of the structure. “It’s good to be back into somewhat of a routine again.”

“Indeed it is.” Harrison said as he sped down the road toward the vortex that was designated to bring them to their assigned location; a small town in Wyoming, which was home to a possible impending abduction.

As Levi and Harrison came through the vortex, they traveled down the highway which would lead them to their destination. Levi was too preoccupied retrieving their assignment information from his communication device to notice Harrison traveling at a high rate of speed. It was when he heard a siren alarm, and he saw the blue lights out of his side mirror, that he exhaled in annoyance.

“Nice one, Harrison! You know how these small towns are. Their law officials only remain out on these roads in the hopes that someone would speed past them.”

As Harrison tried to find a place to pull the car over, he glanced at Levi. “Are you already turning into an old, married man on me? You should thank me for adding a little flavor to our exciting Wyoming trip,” Harrison said, as he brought the car to a stop on the side of the road.

“Well, I certainly won’t be thanking you if I end up spending my night in a jail cell.”

Before Harrison could answer, the officer approached the vehicle.

“Sir, I’m gonna need to see your license and registration. Do you know how fast you were going when you passed me?”

Harrison cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Officer. I thought I was driving the speed limit.” He looked at the officer, feigning innocence.

The officer bent down to study both men in the car. “You believe that ninety miles per hour is the speed limit? Where are you two gentlemen headed this afternoon?”

“Officer, we are headed to Laramie, on our way to a business conference.”

“Where are you coming from? I see your vehicle’s plates are from New Mexico.”

Harrison smiled as he handed the officer his license. “Yes, sir. Roswell, New Mexico.”

The officer narrowed his eyes at Harrison. “Roswell? And you chose to drive instead of fly? That is quite a long drive for a business conference.”

“You’re telling me! You see, my friend here is terrified of flying, so we must travel by car. I apologize for my speeding; I believe I’ve been so anxious for this trip to be over that I didn’t recognize how careless I was being.” Harrison sighed as he leaned his head against the headrest. “And now, it would seem that I not only have the pleasure of driving the entire way, but it looks like I get to pay the speeding ticket as well.”

The officer stared at Harrison suspiciously. “I’m glad you’re willing to accept that, sir. Please give me a moment.”

As the officer walked back to his car, Levi ran his hand through his hair in agitation. “Harrison, find a way to end this quickly. Roswell? Really?”

“Levi,” Harrison answered in annoyance. “You need to relax. Where is your sense of adventure?”

Levi laughed. “My adventure awaits in the town of Laramie, if we ever arrive there. This is a waste of our time. I am sorry that my idea of adventure doesn’t include getting a speeding ticket and playing games with law enforcement.”

The officer soon returned and handed Harrison his citation. When he finished his reprimand of Harrison’s reckless driving, he sent them on their way.

As Harrison eased the car back onto the road, Levi looked over at his amused cousin.

“Well, congratulations on your speeding ticket. Your heart must be on the verge of bursting from all of the adrenaline coursing through your veins,” Levi quipped.

Harrison shrugged. “Well, I tried. It is not my fault the officer was in the same dull mood you are currently in.”

They arrived in Laramie an hour later, where they were instructed to wait for their person of interest to make their appearance. They spent the next three days going through their usual routine of making preparations for the assignment.

Late in the afternoon on their third day in Laramie, Samuel confirmed to the men that there was a plan of abduction set to occur that night. Reports from other Guardians came back that it was planned to take place at a small bar on the edge of town. Levi and Harrison dressed themselves appropriately to blend in with the townspeople, and made their way to the bar. Upon their arrival, they discretely secured a secluded seat at a small table in the back corner of the room.

“It is strange that the Armedites keep choosing to abduct people from Earth. They’ve never had any interest in this planet before,” Harrison contemplated softly, as he studied the patrons in the bar.

Levi sipped his water. “I believe Lucas was offended by the outcome of the council meeting far worse than we assumed.”

“Either way, it’s his problem since the Guardians enjoy the constant action.”

As Harrison finished his sentence, their person of interest walked into the room. Harrison grinned as the attractive woman glanced over at the table where the men sat. She offered him a flirtatious smile in return, and turned to exit the bar. Unsure of her plans, they stood immediately to follow her out.

“This is interesting,” said Levi, as he glanced at Harrison. “I was unable to read her thoughts.”

“Since when do Armedites have protected minds? Whatever Lucas is up to now, whether he’s striving to distract us with beautiful women or send us on wild goose chases, he’s accomplishing nothing.”

As the men exited the bar, they found the woman walking toward their car.

She traced her fingers along the polished surface of the vehicle as she slowly walked the length of it. “It appears that I didn’t give the Pemdai Guardians enough credit,” she said, as she stopped and turned around to face them. She smiled seductively, “It seems as though you already knew I was planning to take a human with me tonight. So what happens now? Is this where you take me prisoner?”

Harrison smiled charmingly at the striking woman. “I beg your pardon, madam, but the action has not taken place; therefore, we have no problem with you.”

Levi examined the woman’s long red dress, and questioned what her true motives were. It was frustrating that he couldn’t read her mind and get this over with. “Tell me, what are your intentions on Earth? By the way you’re dressed, I would not believe you were prepared to take a human from Earth into Armedias.”

The woman gazed into Levi’s eyes. “You are Levi Oxley, are you not? Emperor Navarre’s only son?”

“Who I am is none of your business, madam. I believe I was the one asking the questions.”

She smiled adoringly. “So, Levi Oxley, it was especially intriguing to hear the news of your engagement. I believe this will be a first for Pemdas; an empress from Earth?”

“How would you know that?” Levi snapped.

The woman smiled. “Well, you have fallen in love with the one person every world seeks.” She gazed speculatively at him. “May I inquire; do you really love this mundane creature? Or is this how you plan to find your importance with your father?”

“My personal affairs are none of your business. Tell me now, how do you know any of this?” Levi demanded.

“We have a new resident in Armedias, and Emperor Lucas, could not be more thrilled. You see, Michael Visor has given our emperor more than enough information about Pemdas.”

“So Michael
is
in Armedias.” Levi answered as he glanced at Harrison. “Inform Samuel that we will be escorting this woman to Pemdas for further questioning.”

The woman giggled. “I look forward to it. I cannot wait to meet the future Empress of Pemdas.”

Levi’s expression grew dark as he glared the woman. “It would be wise of you to not concern yourself with her.”

“My concerns are not what you should be worried about. Emperor Lucas and Michael have their own plans for the Key!” she sneered.

Without warning, Levi seized the woman’s arms tightly. “Those plans shall be the last they ever make,” he growled.

At that moment the woman’s expression went blank, and a painful jolt of energy radiated through Levi’s body. Instantly, he released his powerful hold on her and mentally conquered the pain.

The woman stumbled backwards, eyes wide as she pointed at Levi. “Levi Alexander Oxley…
you
know where the stone is!”

T
he carriages arrived at Pasidian Palace as the sun was slipping below the horizon. Reece was completely exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to go straight to her room and collapse on her bed. Even though the journey home was tiring, she did, however, thoroughly enjoy her time with Allestaine and Elizabeth while Navarre handled the issues regarding King Prather.

Navarre’s investigators uncovered a plot that a group of men had put in motion to take over the Brunack kingdom. Medical personnel had confirmed that King Prather had been slowly being poisoned over the previous month, but with proper treatment he was making a full recovery. Upon conducting many interviews at the king’s palace, the group of men were implicated, imprisoned, and awaiting trial. Mark Prather could not be directly linked to the men, but after hearing Reece’s report about Mark’s opinions of her, the emperor requested Mark Prather stay under close guard while Reece remained in Sandari. The imperial guards were assigned to follow the man discreetly to ensure that there would be no plots formed or carried out against Reece.

While Navarre spent the remainder of their visit tending to business, Allestaine took Reece and Elizabeth to various shops, purchasing an abundance of items for Levi and Reece’s engagement celebration. Reece was astounded by Allestaine’s stamina; and toward the end of their stay in Sandari, Reece had finally grown weary of shopping and wedding planning. She laughed inwardly at the fact that she no longer had any clue as to what they had purchased or why they had purchased it.