A Guardian's Love

by Stein Willard

  “And then what. After you have killed them…what then? Paloma bested you 500 years ago and again this time.” She walked over to stand next to the vampire, her eyes not hiding the contempt she felt for the creature. “She is the ultimate assassin, groomed to kill you and others like you. Your money will not be able to save you this time, Mercredi.”

  The vampire’s claws shot out and wrapped around the woman’s slender neck, but she didn’t flinch.

  “Hold your tongue, woman, or I will count you among the corpses that will soon litter this room,” the renegade growled. At the creature’s threat, there was an audible gasp from the others in the room.

  Disdainfully, the woman lifted her hand and pushed the creature’s claws away.

  “If you could, you would have killed me centuries ago.” Her voice dripped with hatred. “The humans in this room were corrupted by their own greed, and I do not really give a damn if you slaughter them, but do not try to intimidate me with your false bravado.” She turned her back on him and smiled at the helplessness she felt coming from the renegade. But it only lasted for a few seconds.

  “I know exactly where your mate is now. I will bring you his head on a platter for your insolence. You will rue the day you decided to take me on in front of these,” a gnarled hand swept the table before him, “these cattle.” His claws snaked out and he grabbed the man closest to him.

  The woman turned away and left the room. Columbus was depraved and he used any chance he got to show her just how deeply. She heard the obscene sucking noise behind her as he drained the human, but she kept on walking. He had kept her prisoner for more than 400 years, threatening to kill her mate. But this time she had caught him in a lie.

  About 120 years ago, he had told her that her mate was destroyed in battle. Devastated by the news, she had begun to settle into her loathsome life. With Pierre gone, life held no meaning, and every chance she got she baited the vampire, hoping he would forget the vital role she played in his foul existence and kill her. But today he gave her the best news ever.

  His son, the vile animal, was dead. And her beloved Pierre was still alive.

  For centuries, she had mourned the death of her beautiful blond angel, but tonight she was going to lock herself in her room and try to make contact with him. That’s if he hadn’t severed their mental link believing her dead. There were others she could contact. Tahlia, Jonas, and Paloma were still alive. She smiled as she made her way to the luxurious set of rooms that had been her prison for the past 400 years. For the first time in four centuries, she felt the stirrings of happiness.

  †

  Jemima gently cradled her in her arms, and for once Inger melted into Jemima’s arms. She hugged Jemima closer to her, inhaling the familiar honeysuckle scent of her parent. The love and safety she felt in Jemima’s arms was the same as when she was a child. She snuggled deeper when Jemima’s arms tightened around her. She recalled the conversation she’d had with Tahlia a couple of days ago. How could she ever have doubted Jemima’s love for her? Cradled so tenderly against her mom's chest, Jemima’s radiating love overwhelmed her.

 

  The gentle voice in her mind made Inger smile where she had her head pressed against Jemima’s shoulder.

 

  Jemima pulled back to look into her eyes, a highly skeptical look in her sapphire gaze.

  “What is it that you want from me this time, Inger? A Porsche, perhaps? Bored with the motorcycle already?”

  Inger smiled and placed a gentle kiss on Jemima’s cheek. “I just want you to hold me like you're doing now, Mom.”

  Jemima laughed softly and held her close again—careful not to crush her.

 

  Tahlia’s voice interrupted their mental conversation and Jemima and Inger turned to look at her where she stood. Tahlia was looking out of the window with her back turned to them.

  Jemima allowed Inger to step from the embrace and walk over to Tahlia. Inger knew Jemima would not mind. As a child, she’d moved between them like this giving them both equal attention.

  Locked in Tahlia’s strong arms, Inger stole a quick glance Paloma’s way. They were at her grandparents’ house, and Paloma was playing chess with her grandfather.

  As per Paloma’s request, they spent the day sightseeing. The silver eyes were wide and sparkled with childlike awe as they walked through the sunny park. A highlight of the day was Inger showing her how to lure a pigeon closer in order to feed it. The look on Paloma’s face at doing something so mundane was amazing. Inger reveled in Paloma’s enthusiasm, and it was humbling to see how she would stare and point out every day things Inger overlooked. Paloma was especially captivated by the dog parks, but their stay there was brief; the dogs immediately picked up the scent of a predator in their midst and ran to cower behind their humans. Afterwards they went to a small restaurant for lunch. It was there that she’d first sensed Paloma’s amorous intentions. Thus, she was completely caught off guard when the playfulness was replaced by long yearning looks. Paloma had quietly sipped on a glass of wine, but still Inger could feel her intense gaze.

  She was greatly relieved when Paloma left the table for a while, giving her time to collect her thoughts and get her emotions under control. Their sightseeing was concluded when Paloma was called to the Consortium headquarters for a checkup and tests to evaluate the progression of the drug. It was dark when they returned to the mansion, and she was pleased to find her parents were already there. In their presence, Paloma had kept her distance and instead challenged James to a game of chess. Time and again, she would catch the smoldering silver eyes resting on her, as was the case now.

  Inger blushed when James looked up from the chessboard and found Paloma staring at her. She watched as his blue eyes moved across the room to where his wife was reading a thick paperback novel. Rafina must have felt his eyes on her, because she too looked up and they shared a smile. They rose and walked toward each other.

  “We old-timers need our rest unlike you night crawlers.” James turned to look at Paloma. “You're welcome to sleep over, Paloma. Inger can show you where you can rest.”

  Paloma smiled and respectfully came to her feet too. “I wish you both a good night’s rest.”

  Chapter 9

  When the door closed behind James and Rafina, Paloma settled her tall frame back into the chair. She was surprised when Jemima immediately came over to sit in the chair that James had vacated. She lifted her head to meet Jemima’s eyes. She wasn’t human and thus wasn’t supposed to feel anxious when confronted by her lover’s mother. Jemima scanned the chessboard quickly and nodded.

  “My father was thoroughly outplayed, I see. No wonder he made such a quick and graceful exit.”

  “He is one of the best I have ever played against.”

  Jemima picked up one of the ivory carved chess pieces, turned it around in her hand, with her eyes focused on Paloma.

  “I never got the chance to thank you for volunteering to look after my daughter. She is very special to Tahlia and me.”

  Paloma looked over to where Tahlia and Inger stood arm in arm, gazing out into the night. Yes, Inger was very special indeed. A hazy scene of a gasping mouth and quivering thighs crossed her mind, but she quickly pushed it back before anyone could read her thoughts—especially the woman sitting next to her. When Paloma turned to look at Jemima, she was surprised to see the hint of fear in the other woman’s eyes. As a vampire, she, too, was private about feelings, so she didn’t pry. It wasn’t in her nature to do so, either.

  “She is very special to me too.”

  “I know.”

  They sat in silence, looking at each other. Paloma felt a strong ripple of power surge through the room. She was shocked to find that it came from Jemima and not from Tahlia as she’d initially thought. Her eyebrows rose as she looked at the blonde with new respect. For such a young vampire, Jemima was quite powerful. She was a baby at fifty compa
red to Paloma’s 2000 years. From what Juan had told her, Drake completely drained Jemima and she had a full blood replacement from Tahlia. That meant that Jemima had inherited the same rich and powerful genetics of Lecrac. She looked at Jemima more closely. Yes, it was there—the subtle power that clung to her. She didn’t carry it like they did, instead hid it behind soft blue eyes and easy smile.

  Tahlia too must have felt the surge of power in the room because Paloma saw her swing around to look at them. Her black eyes rested possessively on Jemima before moving to Paloma, where they sharpened with burning intensity.

  “I got the warning,” Paloma said calmly, but with slight amusement. The power display was simply to ensure that Paloma knew that if she hurt her daughter, Jemima was more than capable of taking her on—without Tahlia’s help. Jemima’s lips curved up in a slow, feral smile and with a fluid movement, she came to her feet. Paloma couldn’t help but admire the woman as she walked away from her to join her family. If Inger turned out to be like her mother, she would have to find a hobby to keep herself sane so Inger could have a rest.

  A low growl in her head cut her thoughts short, and she looked up to find Tahlia’s dark eyes boring into her. Smiling, she shrugged and came to her feet.

  “I am going out.” It seemed the family needed time together.

  Paloma’s eyes met Inger’s, before the young woman’s eyes shyly roamed over her body. She was definitely interested. It had been pure torture spending the day with Inger and not touching her. Inger had looked so beautiful as she patiently took her through the city. Her blue eyes twinkling with amusement as she’d looked on as Paloma tried to take in everything at once. One specific moment stood out. They were feeding the pigeons, and she had turned to look at Inger. Those amazing blue eyes were gazing at her with a pensive look and she was biting down on her lower lip. The surge of desire sparked by that image had left Paloma trembling. Since then it had been impossible for her to think of anything else but making love to Inger. But this time she would not make the first move. She’d been broadcasting her need the whole afternoon only to be snubbed by Inger. Let her take the initiative for a change.

  “I will be here at dawn to accompany you to class, Inger.”

  She saw the confusion in Inger’s eyes.

  “Are you not going to spend the night here?”

  She shook her head.

  “I have a few places to go and people to see. I might not be done before dawn.”

  Inger nodded, but Paloma saw the speculative look in the blue eyes. Yes, my love, I want you to wonder about me. She dissolved and streaked through the open window.

  †

  Shortly after Paloma’s departure, Inger went to bed, leaving Tahlia and Jemima behind. The minute they were alone, the two lovers melted into each other’s arms, sharing a long, passionate kiss.

  “I thought we would never get the chance to be alone, my love,” Jemima gasped with her face pressed into Tahlia’s neck. They’d fed earlier before coming to the mansion, but the smell and heat of Tahlia’s body so close to hers, spiked her blood with desire and called to her ever-present hunger. She contemplated taking a few sips, but knew she would miss their lustful ritual afterwards. She pulled back and looked into Tahlia’s eyes. Oh, those beautiful black eyes. Tonight they were velvety soft and ablaze with love. Her sexy, dangerous…wife. She rolled the word around in her mind. It had a nice ring to it.

  “But you still have not made an honest woman out of me yet?” Tahlia’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

  Jemima laughed softly. “I will have to rectify that.” Her blue eyes held an enigmatic look, and Tahlia frowned.

  Since Jemima had realized her power and had proven to be a great warrior, she’d stopped worrying too much about her safety, but now and then that same mysterious look would come into her eyes and she knew from experience that it meant trouble. The last time she’d had that look was about twelve years ago. Jemima had left the safe house without Tahlia’s knowledge and walked straight into an ambush set for her by a bunch of renegades. Tahlia had luckily sensed her anxiety and had followed her, only to arrive and find Jemima ripping into the band of renegades. Her explanation for leaving the safe house without protection was because she wanted to surprise her with flowers because it was their anniversary. Since then Tahlia had come to panic when she saw that look.

  Jemima leaned forward and pressed a kiss on the furrowed brows. “You worry too much, my love. I will not do anything irresponsible.” She lifted Tahlia’s hand from where it rested on her hip and placed it on her breast. “Would you like to see the new lingerie I bought?”

  There were no meetings planned for the night, nor did they have to worry about Inger roaming the streets. The night suddenly turned into one that Tahlia knew she would remember for centuries to come. She grabbed Jemima close, and, using preternatural speed, rushed them to the basement.

  †

  Earlier in the day, Paloma noticed a black van appearing at almost all the sightseeing spots she and Inger visited. While they were having lunch at the restaurant, she had excused herself without alerting Inger and crept closer to the van. The closer she had come, the more ominous was her feeling. There were three men in the van, and all of them reeked of violence and death. They were members of the Servants of Redemption. She knew that, because they carried the same stench as the guy she captured a few nights ago and the ones they killed in the warehouse. Standing next to the van, she had eavesdropped on their conversation. When she heard nothing of importance, she made a move to distance herself from the van only to stop in her tracks—the topic had moved to the vampiress.

  “If the boss doesn’t need her anymore, maybe he will allow us to have some fun with her,” one of the men was saying. “She’s quite hot or so I’ve heard.”

  “You wish. If he's kept her alive for 400 years, she must be very important to him. What would make him change his mind about her now?”

  The first men snorted. “There are so many other vampire chicks running around. When the boss gets here, I’m sure he will re-evaluate the arrangement he has with the redhead.”

  The third man laughed.

  “You two are crazy if you think Mercredi will replace her. Focus on the human girl instead. She’s quite a looker even though she lacks that dark sensual aura of the bodyguard. I wouldn’t mind banging her silly though.” The other men chuckled, and Paloma made up her mind. The last speaker would die first and the rest would follow. No one would talk like that about Inger and live.

  The radio crackled, followed by a harsh voice. “The bodyguard’s no longer at the restaurant.”

  At that exact moment, she had materialized in the van with them. It had taken the men a moment to sense her presence, but by then it was too late. She had snapped their necks before they got a chance to respond to the man on the radio.

  After leaving the mansion, she headed for the city morgue and was now standing in a corner cloaked in an invisibility spell. Someone was sure to come and identify the bodies. Once she knew who the person was, she would follow them until she found their hiding place. The place was deserted and quiet except for the beating of the rain on the roof. She had been there for quite a while; still no one had turned up. She had read the state coroner’s mind earlier before sending him home and found that the police were there earlier asking if they had notified any next of kin, but no names were known or persons had come forth.

  She had been a hunter long enough to know that Mercredi wouldn’t want the men to be linked to him, and three unclaimed bodies in the morgue mixed with a very suspicious and dedicated detective could spell trouble for his organization. Someone would be sent to get the bodies, and she was waiting for that person.

  Although she was no stranger to death, being in a morgue was not comfortable. She quickly turned her thoughts to Inger and found herself smiling. Since having met her, Paloma was surprised by the many times she found herself smiling for no apparent reason. The little minx was good for her old, tired soul. W
hen the drugs had taken action last night and she was near total collapse, she remembered Inger coming to lie next to her, holding her in her arms. It was a great feeling, being taken care of for a change. She had gone to bed alone for so many years, but last night made all those other nights fade into obscurity.

  Paloma stiffened suddenly as a slight ripple coursed through the air. Three shapes materialized a few meters from where she stood. Renegades. They went to the cooler and unceremoniously dragged the bodies out of the freezer.

  Outside, she followed them at a safe distance until they entered what looked like a deserted warehouse. At least she knew now where to come back to. She would come back during the day, when no one expects a vampire to attack.

  She dissolved and made for home. She would spend the night at her place.

  †

  Inger sat up in bed and scanned the room. Cast in semi-darkness, she could see the shadows in the room shifting. She was surprised when the vampire announced that she would not be staying, but Inger had hoped for Paloma’s return.

  After the day they had spent together, she assumed that the night would end with them being together. For a brief moment in the park, she had looked at Paloma and realized that there was so much more to Paloma than meets the eye. A small skirmish broke out amongst the pigeons over one of the crumbs with the smaller guy losing. Paloma had distracted the larger pigeons with a handful of crumbs, letting them fight it out while slyly feeding the smaller guy on the side. The act seemed uncommon for someone who others perceived as deadly. As their eyes met, Inger recognized the feeling she had struggled with for the past few days whenever the tall vampire was in the vicinity. She was in love! It had made it difficult since then to meet the pale eyes without giving away her feelings. Her parents’ presence helped a lot in soothing her jumbled thoughts, but it only lasted until Paloma announced that she was leaving.