Love Immortal (41 page)

Percy gave Collin a grim smile. “All I can do
is tell you what I think is best, but in the end, it’s your
decision…and Jewell’s. Before either of you make a decision, both
of you should sit down with the family. I think that she needs to
know everything. It wouldn’t be fair of you to let her make an
uninformed decision.”

Collin nodded. “Good. Well, you look like
your healing well, which isn’t much of a surprise, and that
morphine seems to be sending you off to la la land. I’ll stop by
tomorrow and check on you.” Percy stood up and patted Collin’s
cheek affectionately before leaving Collin with his thoughts.

Ashley brought Jewell to the hospital a
couple of days after she checked out so that she could visit with
Collin. Ashley had some things that she needed to do because she
had been out for so many days. Other than that one visit, Jewell
didn’t get the opportunity to talk to or visit Collin during the
week that he remained in the hospital. Ashley told Jewell when
Collin’s uncle checked him out, but other than that, Jewell was in
the dark. She had nothing to do but wait until Collin was ready to
talk.

Three weeks after she left the hospital, she
was sitting in her living room, reading. Her thoughts often strayed
to Collin, but she tried to divert those thoughts to other things.
She spent time reading, cleaning, and cooking. She finished
Twilight and wondered at the end. Edward had asked Bella if she was
ready to give up everything for him. Was she ready to give up
everything for Collin? Would the heartache she would cause him be
worse if she left now, or if she lived for another fifty years and
died of old age?

Her thoughts were interrupted when there was
a knock at the door. She looked at her watch and walked to the door
thinking that it was probably Ashley stopping by to check on her
before going on to work. Frankly, Jewell was tired of being
“checked up on” and coddled. She felt fine; most of the bruising
had faded to a light yellow that was barely noticeable except in a
few spots where the injury had been more severe. The cut on her arm
was healing nicely. The surgeon had done a beautiful job on the
stitches so although there would be a scar, it would not be
noticeable to the casual observer. Her legs still hurt, there was
some deep bone bruising on her thighs which still bothered her when
she walked.

Jewell reached for the doorknob and opened
the door. Rather than Ashley, Percy was standing in the doorway.
Jewell stood there for a moment, gaping, before she remembered her
manners and invited him in. The fact that Percy was there and not
Collin made her nervous. She gestured to a chair so that Percy
could sit down and offered him a Coke. Percy declined. “How are you
feeling,” he asked compassionately.

Jewell sighed. She had lost count of how many
times people had asked her that question. Sometimes she wanted to
reach out and choke the person asking, but she always managed to
remember her manners and respond politely. “I’m healing well. Thank
you for asking. How’s Collin?”

“Collin is great.” Percy scrutinized her.
“Actually, I think he looks at least as well as you do.” He paused
and reached for Jewell’s hands. Holding her hands in his he looked
into her eyes. “I can understand what my nephew sees in you; I just
wish it didn’t have to be so hard.” He paused. Jewell waited
quietly to see where Percy was going with the conversation. “Collin
would like to bring you to the house. He would like to discuss your
relationship with the Family.”

The way that he emphasized the word “family,”
Jewell knew that Percy wasn’t talking about mom and dad. Percy was
talking about the others that were like Collin. “Are you a part of
the Family.”

Percy sat straighter in his chair, as if that
were possible. “I, my dear child,” he began, “am nearly one
thousand years old. I was once a Templar Knight. I’ve met Florence
Nightingale, I’ve fought in…well, a lot of wars. I have lived the
history that most people only have the chance to study.” Jewell
stared at Percy, her mouth gaping. She couldn’t find a response to
his words so she just continued to stare. Percy finally spoke
again. “If you would like, I can take you to Collin now. We can
talk with the Family or you can just visit if you prefer. There’s
no rush right now, but I wouldn’t want to wait too long.”

She glanced at Percy, “do I need to
drive?”

Percy smiled and shook his head, “I’ll be
happy to bring you home if you would prefer.”

Jewell glanced at the car keys she held in
her hand. If she rode with Percy, she was trapped in whatever
situation she was getting into. If she drove herself, she had a
quick and easy escape. She briefly weighed the keys in her hand
before setting them gently on the table. “I’ll let you drive.” She
smiled weakly looking around the living room. “I guess I have
everything I need. Shall we go?”

Percy smiled and gestured Jewell in front of
him. When they reached the door, he opened it for her. He waited
politely on the porch while she locked the door, before offering
her his elbow like the princes did in the movies. She looked at it
briefly and placed her hand gently on top of his proffered arm.
Percy reached over with his other hand and patted her hand gently.
“It will all work out my dear.” Jewell just nodded. When they
reached the car, Percy opened the passenger side door for her,
gently closing it after she had pulled her feet in and settled into
the seat.

When Percy had settled himself into the
driver’s seat and started the car, Jewell looked at him a little
nervously. “Aren’t you going to blindfold me or something?”

Percy laughed, “Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know. Collin was always kind of
secretive about where he lived. He wouldn’t even give me a phone
number to call him.”

“I’m afraid that’s partially my fault.” Percy
frowned slightly. “Because of what we are, we need to keep our
houses private. As you know, there are some people who would
sacrifice much to kill us.”

“Then why do you trust me?”

“Because Collin trusts you,” Percy answered
with a hint of admiration in his voice.

Jewell just nodded, wondering at what she had
gotten herself into. She leaned her elbow on the door handle and
cradled her chin in her hand as she watched out the window. She
watched the water shimmering on the lake as they drove across the
causeway. The water sparkled, drawing her eye towards its rippling
surface. She must have fallen asleep because she didn’t remember
anything until they turned onto a gravel road. She blinked,
clearing the sleep from her eyes and yawned. The huge oak trees
were dripping with Spanish moss, completely blocking the sun that
fought desperately to shed its light on the winding road before
them. Every once in a while the sun would win the fight creating
mottled patterns with strange shadows.

Jewell sat silently as they drove, turning
occasionally onto smaller and smaller roads until they finally
turned onto what looked like a driveway. It wound around some old
oaks and Cyprus trees before opening on a beautifully landscaped
yard. When Jewell saw it, she sat forward to admire the artistic
beauty. She assumed it must have been planned to carefully keep the
surrounding trees at bay, but what made it so beautiful was that it
could very easily just be a clearing where someone decided to build
a house.

The house was something else entirely. While
its white majesty was a sharp contrast to the surrounding trees, it
still seemed to fit into the environment, as if it had grown there;
a rare and unique flower. It had clearly been there for some time.
The style harkened back to the large plantations of the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries. Jewell remembered that Collin had once
mentioned that he lived in Houma. She knew that the area had once
held some of the largest sugar cane plantations in the world.

The beautiful white house was surrounded by
porches on both the first and second floors. Large balconies
decorated the third floor of the house. It had been immaculately
kept, or restored, in its original beauty. The large magnolia trees
decorating the front of the house, and the random dogwoods dotting
the yard, would provide a brilliant array of white flowers to
accent the house each spring.

Percy pulled to the front of the house and
parked right next to Collin’s silver corvette. Somehow, just seeing
his car made her feel better. Percy walked around to the passenger
side and opened the door, offering his hand to help her from the
car. As she stood up, the faint smell of honeysuckle wafted past
her on the breeze. She took a deep breath inhaling its spicy sweet
fragrance. Percy led her around the car and up onto the porch.
Several white rocking chairs and a porch swing moved lazily in the
breeze. Percy held open one of the huge wooden doors and ushered
her in.

Inside the home, the massive foyer was lit
with a beautiful chandelier that was large, yet didn’t seem
ostentatious in this beautiful old home. To her left and right were
identical French doors inset with leaded glass panels. Percy
ushered her towards the doors on the right. “Are you ready?” Percy
asked; breaking her silent reverie that she was certain must be a
dream.

Jewell took a deep breath, not knowing what
she would see on the other side of the doors. Percy grasped the
handle on each door and pulled to reveal the interior of the room.
Jewell’s breath caught, and her knees weakened. Before she was
aware of what was happening, she found herself sitting on the
floor, trying to remember how to breathe. The room, along with its
occupants, was exactly the same as her dream.

Chapter 53

When Jewell realized that she was sitting on
the floor, she moved to get up but was gently pushed back to the
floor. She glanced up and saw Percy’s gentle eyes. She looked
around her and saw Sheriff Payne and Dr. Babineaux. “What
happened?”

“Oh, get out of the way boys! Let the girl
get some air!” A woman with a firm voice but gentle eyes was
approaching. The men standing around her parted like the Red Sea
before Moses. She knelt next to Jewell and held a glass of cold,
freshly squeezed lemonade to Jewell’s lips. Jewell took two long
swallows of the cold, sweet-tart liquid. After a minute or two, the
woman commented, “there now, that’s better. Can you stand up?”
Jewell nodded as the woman helped her to stand. “See. She just
swooned a little. I’m sure that all of this is a bit overwhelming.”
She put her arm around Jewell’s shoulders and led her to a loveseat
where Collin was sitting. Collin stood with a little effort and
helped Jewell to sit on the seat next to him.

His tender touch and the warmth that radiated
from his fingers through her entire body calmed her as she looked
at the people that were sitting in seats arranged in a semicircle
in front them. Before sitting down, Collin began introducing each
of them. He started with the woman that had helped her when she
“swooned.” The thought of her swooning seemed almost silly.
Southern Belles living on plantations with names like Tara,
swooned; not girls living in tract houses in Covington.

“This is Gladys.” Collin started introducing
the people sitting in the room. The woman smiled warmly. “I lived
with her until I was five.” He gestured to the man sitting next to
her. “This is Kendryck, a friend of my uncle’s.” Kendryck studied
her, but didn’t smile. “You know Sheriff Payne and Dr.
Babineaux.”

Jewell nodded. “Why are they here?”

Percy motioned to Collin to sit down. “Hugh
Payne is a Templar Knight. He’s the Grand Master in this region.
Dr. Babineaux is his second.” Percy paused to let Jewell absorb the
information.

“But, the Templar Knights were disbanded,”
she looked at Collin for confirmation, “almost a thousand years
ago.”

Collin nodded. “Officially disbanded. In
fact, there are Templar Knights around the world continuing their
duty to protect those requiring, and deserving of their assistance.
The Infinitas, what we are,” he gestured around the room, “are
a…special undertaking, thanks to Percy.”

Jewell looked at Sheriff Payne and Dr.
Babineaux. “Are you like them too? Are you immortal?”

“No,” Dr. Babineaux responded. “Sheriff Payne
and I are just like you. And just to clarify, they aren’t immortal.
They will age and die just as the rest of us do,” he glanced at
Percy who was clearly the oldest immortal in the room, “they just
do so at a much slower rate.”

Jewell started to feel dizzy again. She
leaned forward, letting her forehead rest on her knees so she
wouldn’t “swoon” again. Collin placed his hand on her protectively.
She stayed in the same position, letting his strength wash through
her.

When she could breathe again, and her head
stopped spinning, she sat up and looked at Dr. Babineaux. “And this
is your research? You’re trying to figure out how to extend
peoples’ lifespan so that they’ll live as long as,” she gestured to
the others sitting in the room, “as long as they will?”

Dr. Babineaux smiled indulgently. “That’s
part of it Jewell. Immortality, or at least the ability to live an
extended time, has been an interest of humans for thousands of
years. Every generation we get a little bit better, but the
progress is slow. If we could determine the cause of their
longevity, we might be able to extend life to thousands of years
instead of a mere hundred. Two hundred years ago, thirty five was
considered old age. Now, many people are really just beginning
their lives at thirty five.” He looked at Jewell’s horror struck
face. “There are other benefits as well.” He looked at Collin.
“Consider their rapid healing abilities for instance. Imagine if we
could harness that; if we could give someone a shot, or an ointment
that would heal their injuries in a fraction of the time that it
takes now. These people are the equivalent of superheroes. Their
genes have the ability to save the human race.”