Ancient Guardians: The Uninvited (7 page)

“He was that young man who argued with your father, right?”

Levi nodded and smiled. “Correct.”

“He’s also an arrogant fool!” Harrison interjected, as he came up behind Reece. He looked down at her with his icy blue eyes and grinned. “It’s been too long, Miss Bryant,” he said, as he reached for her hand and bowed over it dramatically.

Reece laughed softly. “It’s nice to see you again, Harrison. I have to admit, it’s been pretty quiet around the palace without you there entertaining us all.”

“This does not surprise me.” Harrison responded with a wink as he clapped his hand on Levi’s shoulder. “How’d this old man treat you while I was away? He has a tendency to become deeply depressed whenever I leave him behind to go on assignment. I can only imagine what you must have gone through.”

Levi rolled his eyes while Reece smiled in response. “I have no idea how he did it, but he found a way to manage.”

Harrison smiled and turned to greet Elizabeth, who was standing next to Reece. “It is always a delight, sweet one,” he said, as he bowed properly over Elizabeth’s hand.

“Harrison, it is always good to have you amongst us,” she answered.

“Well, gentlemen, we have at least thirty more minutes until we arrive at our destination for the evening. I know our ladies must be famished, so we can convene this discussion later,” Navarre said, and before turning to escort Allestaine toward the carriages. With that, the rest of the group followed behind. Levi, however, hesitated and used the opportunity to steal a quick kiss from Reece.

The next two days of travel to the Oxley’s oceanfront estate went fairly quickly. Levi and Harrison followed close by the convoy on their horses, giving Reece plenty of time to admire him along the way. They traveled through numerous villages, stopping only to eat, before they were soon on their way again. The terrain they traveled through began changing on the third day. Glistening-white sandy hills replaced the vivid green pastures, and it became obvious they were nearing the ocean. Reece was eagerly anticipating what an ocean in Pemdas would look like, given the beauty of everything else in this world.

When the ocean came into view, it was absolutely breathtaking as she imagined it would be. Aquamarines, turquoises, silvers, and a brilliant jade color sparkled brightly off of the surface. The white foam of the waves rushing toward the shoreline appeared as if someone had thrown silver glitter into the water, and it shimmered brightly as the waves surged toward the seashore. It was like a whole new world inside of Pemdas was opened up to her. There were people walking arm in arm, using umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun. The trees were similar to palm trees, except their leaves were an iridescent green, and their trunks were shimmering white. The glittery sand gave Reece the overwhelming desire to ask if they could stop, so they could walk barefoot through it.

Seeing the coastline again made memories from her life in San Diego come rushing back to her. A strange pain stabbed in her heart as thoughts of her father returned to her. She hadn’t thought about him much lately. Levi had filled the void that his death left her with; but for the first time since she had been in Pemdas, she saw a landscape that reminded her of being home with her father. She fixed her eyes on the surf rolling in as memories of her father flooded over her, accompanied by the grief of losing him. She inhaled deeply, and forced back the tears.
I miss you, Dad,
she said to him in her thoughts, as the carriage stopped unexpectedly.

Reece snapped out of her daze to find Elizabeth watching her with concern. She had been so absorbed with remembering her father that she hadn’t noticed her cheeks were wet from tears that had been streaming down her face.

“Is everything okay?” Elizabeth asked, as she handed Reece a handkerchief to dry her eyes.

Reece sniffed, while blotting her wet cheeks. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry, it’s very beautiful here. I grew up at the beach as a child—” Her words caught in her throat. She managed a confident grin, took a deep breath, and tried to speak with casual ease. “I guess all of my memories are coming back and hitting me all at once.” She shrugged, but the uneasy pain in her heart was still there.

Elizabeth smiled and reached out, placing a caring hand over Reece’s. “Do not apologize, Reece.”

The door to the carriage opened. “We’ll see you then, Harrison!” Levi called out, and then brought his attention to the ladies in the carriage. He glanced at Reece with an expression of sympathy and concern. He looked at Elizabeth, “I believe I will take this time to introduce Reece to the beauty of Pemdas’ shorelines,” his promising eyes returned to Reece’s as he extended his hand to her. “We will see all of you at the estate this evening.”

Reece accepted Levi’s hand and let the beauty of his brilliant eyes ease her heartache. Having him in her life was so comforting, especially at a time like this. Before Reece could question what Levi was doing, he kindly guided her away from the carriage. The convoy was soon continuing its journey on the cobblestone roads, leaving Levi and Reece alone. Reece felt mildly embarrassed, wondering if she had caused a scene by becoming emotional in the carriage.

Levi turned to face her, and tenderly brushed his thumb under her eye, capturing a stray tear. “Care to join me on a stroll along the shoreline?” he asked softly.

This was exactly what she needed, and her heart swelled with love for this man. “I would like that, thank you.”

Levi drew her arm up into his, and they strolled through the sandy banks and down toward the water. Reece, still somewhat frazzled by her unexpected emotions, remained quiet. She inhaled deeply of the salty air, enjoying the familiar fragrances of the beach. The warm breeze rushed through her hair and soothed her spirits even more. She leaned into Levi, absorbing everything she loved about this environment. “I haven’t gone back to the beach since my dad died.” Her eyes began burning again as she fought back the tears. “I was too afraid. There were too many memories of him there,” she said, as she glanced away from Levi and studied the glittery foam of the waves rushing into the shoreline.

“You and your father were particularly close,” he said in his low, smooth voice. “I learned that very early when I was assigned as your Guardian.”

Reece nodded, but couldn’t respond. Never once did she think that seeing a beach in Pemdas would resurrect these memories of her father. Now, here she was, an emotional wreck, and Levi was about to witness her having a total breakdown.

They strolled silently together through the thick, powdery sand before Levi stopped and pulled Reece into a sturdy embrace. “I remember the first time we were assigned to guard you.” He placed a kiss on her forehead. “You had recently graduated high school, and I believe you were the first woman from Earth I had ever encountered who was distressed about the idea of leaving her home for college.” He laughed softly. “You and your father walked along the oceanfront, and he seemed to be the one begging you to leave and follow your dreams.”

“That was one of the only arguments my dad and I ever got into.” Reece said as she looked up at Levi. “You were following me then?” she asked, intrigued by the idea that Levi was around at that time.

“Yes,” he said, as he ran his hands along her back. “I thought it was admirable that your father encouraged you to pursue your goals, even though the last thing he wanted was your absence.”

Tears formed in Reece’s eyes again. “I turned down that university—I couldn’t leave him, Levi.” Her eyes began throbbing and burning as she forcefully fought back her tears. “I might’ve been a baby, but I was all he had for family after my mother died.” She frowned, and then clung to Levi tighter, finding security in him. “So I decided to stay in San Diego for him; and how did he thank me?” She stepped back and stared intently out at the ocean. She crossed her arms and faced this memory as if she were looking her father in the eyes. “He left me,” she said coldly. A shiver of guilt coursed through her as she tried to work through her emotions of anger. She sighed softly, and looked up at Levi. His handsome face displayed nothing but love and concern for her.

Levi traced his fingers along her forehead, and his gentle touch calmed her further.

Reece sighed again. “I’m really sorry about this. I truly thought I had made peace his death. How can I possibly be angry at someone for dying?” She sighed in defeat. “Even when I went to settle out the last of his estate before I was brought to Pemdas, I felt so much better about letting him go and moving on.”

“My love, you mustn’t fault yourself for having these emotions.” He embraced her again. “Those who survive the death of a loved one are left with emotions that manifest themselves in many ways. The best thing to do is to embrace them, and know that it is your way of working through your loss. There is no right or wrong emotion, but how you react to them can either benefit you, or harm you.” He affectionately brought his lips to her forehead. “You are never wrong to express them, as the more you do, you’re releasing them and becoming that much closer to healing. That is not weakness; it is the single bravest act a person can do.” He tilted her chin up so her eyes would meet his. “He will always be a part of your life, if only through your memories now.”

Reece studied Levi’s expression. “He would have definitely approved of you.”

Levi flashed a tiny grin. “Is that so?” he said, with an arch of his brow. “A man from another world?” he teased. He caressed her cheek. “I will promise you this, my love; I will spend every day of my life ensuring that you are loved beyond measure, and that whether or not I have your father’s consent of marriage, he will not be displeased with my care of his daughter.”

Levi knelt down and removed the straps of her left shoe. Reece’s heart skipped several beats as he tenderly caressed her ankle. He ran his fingers along the flesh of her calf muscle as he slowly removed the strap of her heel. After her shoes were removed, he interlaced the straps into his long fingers and rose up.

“Now, from what I recall, the woman I fell helplessly in love with has always enjoyed walking through the surf,” He kissed her lips briefly, “and feeling the warm sand beneath her bare feet.”

“I love you so much.” Reece said as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. She dug her toes into the warm sand, absorbing the velvety texture against the bottoms of her feet. “Will you be joining me?”

Levi gazed at her for a moment before answering. “I believe I will be most fortunate to have the opportunity of admiring you strolling through the water from a distance.”

Reece glanced down at Levi’s polished, black shoes. “What a pity. I would’ve thought a Guardian would be much more adventuresome.”

Levi arched his eyebrow, and smiled in response to her challenging statement. “Well, if you must put it that way, Miss Bryant.” he said, as he bent down and began removing his shoes and cuffing his slacks, “It would be my greatest pleasure to join you on an adventurous stroll along the shore.”

They spent the next hour or so enjoying the solitude of the beach together. They walked through the shallow waves, holding hands and laughing when the unexpected larger waves caught them by surprise. On more than one occasion, Levi seized her firmly around her waist and drew her body tightly against his, kissing her ardently. It was more than enjoyable sharing these moments with him and Reece was content in every way.

When Reece was ready to move on, Levi helped her onto Areion, and used the vast, empty beach to his advantage. To Reece’s greatest delight, they rode along the sands of the beach almost the entire way to the Oxley’s beachfront estate. The sun had slid below the horizon on the ocean as they left the beach and began riding down cobblestone streets, passing various estates along the way. A large gate opened as soon as Areion approached the secluded road that led to the Oxley’s estate.

They followed along the drive, which was lit by dozens of lanterns. Reece leaned back into Levi’s sturdy chest as Areion cantered at a brisk pace down the road. She admired the illuminating foliage above them, watching multi-colored, glowing insects dart through the iridescent leaves. Areion’s hooves clicking on the cobblestone surface, the sounds of the ocean waves crashing in the distance, and the harmonious sounds of the night creatures cast a spell of tranquility upon Reece.

They rode under a large, stone archway that opened up into a magnificent courtyard. A servant promptly retrieved Areion’s reins as Levi helped Reece from the massive stallion’s back. “Miss Bryant,” Levi winked, as he offered his arm. “Welcome to Stavesworth Hall.”

S
ervants greeted them at the front doors, and behind them was a magnificent foyer. The estate paled in comparison to Pasidian Palace, but the décor was equally as splendid. The same Queen Anne-style furniture was placed throughout the foyer, giving an air of elegance. Reece covered a yawn as Levi led her to the alabaster staircase that curved up along the wall, leading to the second floor. A long day of traveling, coupled with her emotional upset from earlier, had left her quite exhausted by the time they arrived at Stavesworth Hall.