Heart of Stone (28 page)

Blessed Ekhia, the sun, had set hours ago. Clad only in a pair of running shorts, Adrian made his way to the area he'd cleared in the untouched desert surrounding the hotel. Steps away from the hotel's parking lot, he could see the window of the room he shared with Ben. The light from the TV flickered, like others in the motel. Ben had promised to stay put while Adrian performed this ritual, and from this vantage point, Adrian would see anyone approaching the room. He could be there in moments if Ben was threatened.

All his strength and cunning would be required to keep them both alive until they got to Sedona tomorrow night. For that, his mind and heart needed to be clear and focused.

He turned his face to the star-studded sky. Brilliant Ilargi, the moon, had risen already, only half revealed. In another few days she would bloom in full glory. He murmured the appropriate words as he stepped into the sacred space he'd prepared. Soft sand, still warm from the day's heat, gave way beneath his bare feet. With the ease of a lifetime of practice, he crouched into the first position, arms bent, hands poised. Then he began to dance.

Beneath Ilargi's light, his body twisted and coiled, extended and stretched, a parody of battle. One movement led into another, each an integral part to an ancient song: graceful, controlled, balanced. The wind and the night were his music; Ilargi, his audience. The rite brought peace to his inner self. Reminded him of who he was. Reminded him why he was.

His muscles warmed; his soul calmed. He danced to keep his skills sharp, to keep his mind focused, to keep himself connected to the Earth.

And as always, he danced for victory in the battle to come.

 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

When Faith headed downstairs just before nine the next morning, she found Darius in the foyer with a man she'd never seen before. He looked to be in his late thirties, with black hair, bronzed skin, and strong bone structure that hinted at Hispanic or Native American heritage. He was dressed in jeans and a muscle-clinging black T-shirt with a buzzed haircut that could be either military or trendy. He looked up as she descended the stairs, his dark brown eyes speculative and alert.

Definitely military.

She glanced at Darius, and her stomach gave a little flip at the warmth in those gorgeous blue eyes. She'd missed his arms around her last night.

Warrior?
She flicked her head slightly toward the newcomer as she sent the telepathic message.

No. Human,
he sent back.

“Faith,” Darius said aloud as she got to the bottom of the stairs, “this is Rigo Mendez. He works on my father's security team and is going to keep you company this morning.”

“I see.” Faith held out a hand, and Mendez shook it. “So you're the babysitter.”

“I wouldn't say that,” Mendez replied.

“Not a babysitter,” Darius said. “Just someone to talk to. It's rude to leave a guest all alone.”

“Uh-huh.” She had to admit that it pinched just a bit that he didn't trust her to entertain herself. She'd thought that Darius, at least, understood she wasn't the bad guy.

This wasn't my idea, just so you know,
he sent.
Having Rigo here gives my parents a sense of security that they need right now.

Wow, it was like he could read her mind. Or maybe he was just really intuitive. She wanted to stay annoyed at him, but who could fault a guy for trying to make his mother feel safe? Her heart melted just a little bit more.

“So,” Mendez said, and she realized that from his non-Atlantean perspective, her telepathic conversation with Darius must have seemed like awkward silence. “What did you have planned for this morning?”

“First, breakfast,” Faith answered.

“Lupe made muffins,” Darius said. “Banana nut, I think.”

Mendez grinned, the flash of white giving a softer aspect to his stern visage. “My favorite. She must have known I was coming.”

“She must have,” Darius agreed. He glanced at his watch.

“I need coffee,” Faith announced. “How about you, Mr. Mendez?”

“Rigo,” he corrected. “Sure, I could go for a cup.”

“Okay then.” Faith looked at Darius. “You'd better go. We'll be fine.”

“You sure?” His lips curved in a private message just for her. “I could stay a couple more minutes.”

Her insides turned to warm goo. Aware of Rigo's perceptive gaze on them, she ordered her organs to solidify and managed a calm response. “We'll be fine. You'd better go before you get in trouble.”

“Right. Take care of her, Rigo.”

“You know it,” the other man replied.

Darius turned and began to climb the stairs, one fist gripping his cane and the other clenched around the bannister. He made good time, but the slow, steady pace indicated it wasn't easy.

“Let's go grab that coffee,” Rigo said. He added in a murmur, “Don't watch him; it will just tick him off.”

“Right.” With effort, she turned away from Darius's arduous climb and walked with Rigo to the kitchen. “You'd think they would have installed an elevator for him to use,” she said as they arrived at the coffeepot.

“Oh, they did.” Rigo waved a hand, indicating she should go first. As she poured her coffee, he continued, “When he was in the wheelchair, he had to use it. Once he got on his feet, he refused. He climbed those stairs no matter how hard it was or how long it took.”

“Sounds like him.” She added vanilla creamer to her coffee while Rigo poured his. “He's a stubborn man.”

“Sounds like you've gotten to know him pretty well after a couple days' acquaintance.” Sharp, dark-eyed gaze upon her, he took a swig of coffee, straight black.

She raised her eyebrows. “Is this the interrogation part of our time together?”

“You're blunt.”

“I grew up in what was basically a military camp. Not a lot of chatty types.” She indicated his biceps, where the letters of a tattoo peeked out from beneath the edge of his sleeve. “I'm betting that says
Semper Fi
.”

He slid the sleeve up with one finger to reveal the whole tat. “Good guess.”

“It was the haircut. And the way you walk. Everything about you screams ‘Marine.'”

He shrugged.

“Right. You am what you am.” That startled a laugh from him. She smiled back. “Since we're going to be hanging out together, what do you suggest?”

“It's up to you. I'm just along for the ride.”

“Okay then. First things first: muffins.”

“I'm down with that.”

*   *   *

Darius was sweating a little as he reached the
tenplu
on the third floor of the house. The family temple, a rooftop garden, and the vault holding all their Atlantean artifacts took up the entire uppermost floor of the house. This was where his brother Rafe would go through his Soul Circle. If all went well, Rafe would emerge from the ritual with more control over his powers than ever before.

If he failed, Rafe would be gone forever, replaced by the primordial warrior Rafe became when he allowed his abilities full rein—the Hunter.

Darius paused before entering the
tenplu
to catch his breath. He looked down at his cane. Rafe had lost control of his Hunter five years ago, resulting in the injury that had left Darius in a wheelchair. He hoped history didn't repeat itself.

Especially since his love life had taken such an interesting turn.

A Seer and a former member of the Mendukati. Who could have foreseen such an unlikely pairing? His mother said he and Faith were bonded as mates, and she was never wrong. Rafe had found his destined mate in Cara, and she anchored Rafe, something his brother had needed for a long time, especially today. The Soul Circle tested one's control over one's abilities, which meant pushing them to the limits. Rafe hadn't had a whole lot of control before Cara came along, and his link with her might be the only thing to save him if something went wrong. They were a truly bonded couple, and their happiness poured off them like rainwater, soaking any room they were in together with the bliss of true love.

He wanted that for himself and Faith, but would it be possible to overcome the deception that had been in play since the day they'd met?

“Darius, what are you doing standing in the hallway?”

He looked up and saw his mother in the open doorway. She wore the large, faceted crystal pendant around her neck that marked her as
apaiz nagusi
—the high priestess. The chain, made of orichalcum, an ore found only in Atlantis, shone red-gold against her black shirt. She focused her power through the clear quartz.

“Well?” she pressed. “Are you coming in or did you plan on participating from the hallway?”

“Sorry.” He stepped through the door she held open for him. “I was thinking.”

She patted his arm and closed the door. “I know you must be nervous.”

“A little. But Cara seems to keep him stable, so I'm holding on to that.”

“I'm glad.” Maria smiled. “Your brother needs your support.”

“I know. Listen, after all this is over, I'd like to talk to you and Dad about Faith.”

“What about her?”

“I need to tell her the truth.” His mother opened her mouth to speak, but Darius rushed on. “You said she's my mate. I can't keep lying to her. I know she means us no harm.”

Maria sighed. “We will discuss it—after the ritual.”

“Thank you.” Darius tugged his own focus stone from beneath his shirt, a solid two-inch triangle of green moss agate on its own orichalcum chain. “I'm ready.”

“Good. Everyone's here.”

He looked up and saw that she was correct; he was the last to arrive.

“Sleep through the alarm, bro?” Rafe asked. Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, he stood at the edge of the massive sandpit that split the room, hands on his hips and a smart-aleck grin on his face. The clear quartz focus stone hanging around his neck glittered in the morning sunlight streaming in the windows.

“You should talk,” Darius shot back. “I was up and swimming laps when you finally rose from your beauty sleep. I saw you stumble into the kitchen for coffee.”

“I expected you to sleep in a little,” Rafe said, glancing at Cara beside him, “given recent developments.”

“Rafe!” Cara smacked her fiancé's arm and hissed, “That was supposed to be a secret!”

“What secret?” Tessa asked, looking up from watering the plants lining the edges of the room. “What developments?”

“You tell us, O Knowing One,” Rafe shot back. “You're the one who makes all the prophecies.”

“Rafe,” Cara warned.

“You think you're safe because I can't read other Atlanteans?” Tessa put down the watering can and strode over to Rafe. “Let's put that to the test.”

“Here we go.” Cara buried her face in her hand.

“Bring it, sis.” Rafe folded his arms and smirked.

“Children,” their mother said, “this is not the time for nonsense.”

“It's not nonsense.” Tessa's eyes widened as she peered closely at Rafe. “Darius and Faith?
Mates?
Are you nuts?”

“Hey, since when can you read me?” Rafe demanded.

“Oh, Rafe.” Cara looked up, her expression revealing the exasperation Darius knew she felt. “She didn't read you, she read me. She
always
reads me.” She turned a scowl on Tessa. “Which is very rude, Tessa. If we're going to be sisters, you have to cut that out.”

“Sorry. I like to know what's going on. Darius and Faith? No way.” With a shrug, Tessa turned to Darius. “Tell them.”

“Tell them what?” Darius asked.

“Tell them it's ridiculous.”

“What's ridiculous?”

“Dar.” Tessa narrowed her eyes. “Don't play dumb.”

“Who said he's playing?” Rafe said.

“
Children,
” their mother said again, this time through gritted teeth.

“You and Faith, a romance, destined mates. Tell them it's crazy,” Tessa said.

Darius shrugged. “Maybe not as crazy as you think.”

“No way.” Tessa's eyes bugged. “Tell me you're not falling for that … that…”

“That what?” Darius set his jaw. “Finish it, Tess. I know you've got some ax to grind regarding Faith.”

Tessa folded her arms. “She used to run with the people who are trying to exterminate our family.”

“Briefly,” Darius said. “She broke off from them years ago.”

“Maybe.”

“No ‘maybe' about it. She's here to help us, Tessa, and she wants nothing to do with the Mendukati. It wouldn't kill you to be polite to her.”

“I don't trust her.”

“Why, because you can't read her?” Tessa's sudden flash of guilt told him the truth. “That's it, isn't it? Every woman Rafe or I have dated was human, and you could read them. Judge them. But Faith is Atlantean, so you have no idea what she's thinking. And it's driving you nuts.”

“Someone needs to know what she's up to.”

“Darius does.” Their father spoke from the other side of the room, near the light switches and temperature controls. “His powers do work on Faith. He'd tell us if she was up to something.”

“And while I, too, am nervous about having her here,” their mother added, “I know what I know. I don't want to believe Darius's destined mate is a true danger to us.”

“So she is his destined mate? That can't be right.” Tessa wrapped her arms around herself and turned away.

“It is what it is,” Maria said. “Now please shake off that negative attitude so we can work some energy. Rafe, are you ready?”

That quickly, every person in the room sobered. Rafe nodded. “Let's do this.”

Cara laid a hand on Rafe's arm. When he looked at her, she stood up on tiptoe and brushed a kiss to his lips. “I'm right here. Make sure you come back to me.”