by Opal Thomas
I sat on the sofa, waiting for any info that might blink on my phone. Which had been pointless and bleak for half the day. As it was, Tracie had circle the perimeter at least a dozen times, insisting that she could get a better feel for Aiden if she was outside jogging.
And just like she might be royalty, half the security crew jogged with her.
Which I wasn't sure I liked or not, based on the way the guys ogled her ass in her exercise gear. Albeit from a respectful distance. But still.
She was my wife, after-all.
Amelia was in the library, working on homework, 'to keep her mind off of things' and here I was, sitting around feeling absolutely useless.
Not a good feeling for a type A like myself.
I wasn't the mopey type either.
Instead, I was playing a never-ending game of solitaire on my phone, putting my passive mind to use. I did better at solving problems, when I was calm, engaged in a game and able to just allow my brain do that dance with consciousness.
Whether we all liked it or not, a rescue was needed and we needed a plan. But first, I needed to find the Denizen's current main-stay and scope out their security detail both inside and out.
Zach was my go-to for these types of situations. When things needed to get done, dirty or otherwise, I knew he could take care of the ones I loved with the best men he could find.
I felt a soft squeeze on my shoulder from behind and then her warm arms surrounding me in an embrace from my seated position.
"Wicked game of solitaire you got going there..." Tracie whispered in my ear, back from her latest lap.
She knew how I was, when I was actually crunching even though I might appear calm and relaxed to everyone around me. When in reality, I was stewing.
She circled the sofa and sat on the one from across me.
"What do we do about Amelia?" she asked.
"You mean, the symbols? Introduce them to her?"
"Yeah, that too..."
I grunted, "I think we have to trust that she may be a new-to-this mage, but that there is more to her than we realize. I get the feeling she's holding back. I mean, so much has happened..."
"Right..."
"Like day one, the Gaiia practically lept out to say hello. Maybe we just need to get the introductions going and see which ones she syncs with best?"
Tracie nodded. "I was thinking the same. Ideally, Aiden would be here to help, but at this rate, I don't want to waste anymore time."
I nodded, checking my phone again. Zip. Nada.
I scowled.
"Nothing so far?" she asked.
I shook my head. "They've bunkered in deep somewhere. I'd thought perhaps Vancouver B.C., but Zach says otherwise. He thinks they're still Seattle proper."
Tracie absorbed that info and stood. "I'm gonna scry. Figure out if its East, West, North or South then. They might be closer than we realized. I'll focus on key landmarks. Something has to come through."
I stood, gave her a small kiss and patted her ass as she left the room.
A reminder for the crew.
My wife.
* * *
-- Amelia --
I'd lied to Tracie and Devon about studying in the library. There was next to no way I could do my schoolwork while knowing Aiden was going through god-only-knows-what with the Denizen.
Truthfully, I was searching for anything I could get my hands on that had to do with my ancestry, their history and power and how it all synced with the power symbols.
Because this Dragoness was a protector too.
I was a Dragon Protectress.
And had known since a young age that there was a purpose to my life that would be revealed to me - in time.
I'd sensed it for a long time and was well-read on just about anything I could get my hands on that had to do with my Scottish, Irish and British heritage. The Gaiia symbol had sung to me that day. In a beautiful hello that only my ears had heard. Then the kundalini power had synced up, feeling me with the sheer beauty and femininity that the Mother planet beheld.
I was on a ladder, searching for anything that looked like old books or journals. My guess was that if they were going to be anywhere, they'd be in here. Aiden seemed pretty traditional that way. Unless they were in a safe, my guess was that it made sense they would be in the library.
I'd already searched all of the lower shelves, cupboards and drawers with no luck. Although, I'd definitely learned a lot about Aiden and his reading habits. All of his old college textbooks in Finance, Business and Technology had opened my eyes to how educated he was, possessing multiple degrees. His range was eclectic and I was relieved to find even a few classic romances that looked well-read.
Being immortal would leave oodles of time for reading and I loved that he had an original Jane Eyre. To which, I'd gasped and then smiled. Fueling my heart with a fresh burst of resolve to get empowered and save him already.
Along with magazines, periodicals, saved newspapers for key events in history, books on wars and how to play chess, there were pictures and notes. Letters, and cards. As I scouted, Aiden became more real to me from the evidence of him - as if left behind to be discovered.
Which made me wonder, had any of the other women in his life ever done something like this before? Pillage his library?
I laughed out loud because I'd forgotten about the security monitors. Which meant, he would know one way or the other. I'd decided then it would be best to tell him first.
My seeking paid off when I stumbled on an engraved box that not only looked and smelled ancient, it felt ancient too. As soon as my hands came in contact with it, I'd felt a similar energy zip through me, saying hello.
"Well, hello there..." I murmured.
Wiping off the dust, I carefully pulled it from the top shelf, stepped down the ladder and placed it on the desk by the window with the best light. I sat down, took a deep, centering breath and closed my eyes.
I wanted to feel it first, then see.
As I lifted the lid, I was transported elsewhere. I felt my astral body leap from my physical body and I was immediately standing in a place that felt eons old but also, very alive and magical. My surroundings were beautiful. Deep, lush green was everywhere, with rich, forest-like foliage and a roaring sea that crashed against cliffs the like of what is on the Isles.
There were great stones like Stonehenge and I was standing in the center of a circle with thirteen quadrants. I took a closer look and noticed that each stone had a symbol on it. Slowly, starting with the one before me, I took in each symbol and really studied it, allowing it to speak with me before I turned and met them all, one by one.
On the last one, I gasped.
It was of a symbol I'd drawn and doodled my entire life, wondering what it was and why it held so much importance to me. This one came to life in an animated way, wavering and shimmering before me. I reached out and touched it and in doing so, was teleported again to another place.
"Please close your eyes," I heard my Mother's voice say to me. Which made me begin to cry. I could never forget her voice.
"Mother!"
"Keep your eyes closed, Amelia", she commanded gently.
I closed my eyes and I could smell her favorite scent of lilacs and lilies.
"You will learn much in the following weeks. More than you ever dared believe possible. Remember this, you are strong. You are powerful, you are divine, my child."
I gasped as I felt the power and truth in her words. Trembling, I reached out for her, to embrace her and I felt the wind stir, blowing warmly against my skin. "Is it really you?" I asked.
"Yes, my little dove. It's me and I will always be here for you, in this way. You can come here and we can discuss all that I need to share with you from anytime, anyplace, forever and always."
The comfort of her voice, this mirage-like presence of her was undeniable. I'd never been more excited and terrified in my life.
"First, I must provide you with information. Your dragon guardian needs to
be rescued and I will share with you his location. Where they have him. Inform Tracie and tell her and Devon that they have done well and we are honored humbly by their dedication to your care and protection. Then, you must inform them to use these three power symbols to put the Denizen to sleep so that the security team my infiltrate their headquarters and you can rescue your Beloved."
I gasped. "You know?"
"Of course I know. We are protectors of love, you and I. Endowed with the most powerful of skills, gifts and talents to be the true Stewards of Earth, her creatures, and even of the human race."
I held still, feeling her words roll over me and recognizing the significance of what she was saying.
"You've never been in love, Amelia. And you knew from the moment you met him that he was yours and you are his. True?"
I nodded, feeling silly and suddenly shy.
"Don't worry, I couldn't imagine a better being than Aiden to love you and be loved by you. You have so much to look forward to, my daughter. I miss you beyond compare, but know that I've watched every minute of your life, awake or asleep since I left the physical realm in which you still live," she shared.
"Mom, this is all happening so fast... I feel so futile, so disempowered. Why?"
"Why is the only question you can never ask. You may ask how, when, where, who and what. But never why. Why is to be answered by living. By truly living. And living to meet your divine purpose. Being you. Understand?"
I nodded, mute by both the eloquence of her words, the beauty of her being and the power of her presence. I was gob-smacked.
"Time is of the essence. Always. The elements, Amelia. You shall gain mastery over all the elements, including the elements of love and time. Time and love. Of which there are interwoven in our collective heart, mind, bodies and soul. This is our sacred heritage and what makes us divine expressions of truth. We are the embodiment of love - cast into time and space."
I nodded again, attempting to fully absorb all that she was sharing with me.
"Now, you must use these three symbols," she said, holding up her hands. "With this one, you will penetrate their safe-hold, with this one, you will cast a spell to make them fall to sleep and with this one, you will find where Aiden is being held."
As she spoke, she drew each symbol while holding her right hand out as if capturing a flame that hovered above it. With each drawing, they changed colors and danced as if alive. Magically, they then faded and crumbled onto old parchment that she held and then they were animated on the old paper. She handed them to me,
"Inform Tracy of these symbols, so she can get them in tandem with you. Your bond with Aiden is strong, for reasons I will share at a later time. Go now, time is of the essence! I love you..."
She started to waver and I reached out to hug her but she was already gone, her beautiful face disappearing.
And then I was back in Aiden's library. Standing mute and in my hand, the parchments with the symbols. Which had literally materialized out of thin air.
* * *
-- Tazora --
I had to hand it to the young Witch, her blossoming love for Aiden was easy to understand if looks were the key factor. He was tall, ruggedly handsome, clearly a Type A and absolutely bridled with sexual charisma.
An Apha male.
One look at his face and I knew that the challenge was on. This being would give his life to the death for what he protects, let alone what he also holds dear to his heart.
We craved those as foolish as this, their vulnerability was always the same. Their love and regard for another. Be it a family member, a friend, or a spouse or lover. It was easy to compromise people and we took pleasure in compromising silly and useless humans. Once a human's use was over, they were as meaningful as a fly. Something to swat, kill and get rid of and move on.
But a partnership between Aiden and the awakening good witch and benevolent mage was more than I and Venom could allow. I knew the strength of a pairing such as Aiden and Amelia would prove ruinous for our plans.
But first, I wanted to get acquainted and show him, I had no fear of him or his kind. They were just cockroaches that needed to be squelched. Eliminated. Destroyed. Like humans,
The sooner we had the protectors of humankind gone, the better.
I'd stepped into his cell, keeping in mind that it was a tight fit for us both. I stayed at the sliding steel door entrance. "Hello Aiden," I said, admiring his physique from afar. Only Venom had as tall and nearly as strong a body as Aiden's. "I know you've received some lovely dream messages from my beloved, warning you of this day that has finally arrived..."
Silence.
Then a grunt of disgust.
But no words.
His kind was known to remain silent when in our presence. They'd suffered much at our hands over the eras and were well acquainted with torment and torture of all kinds.
Their weakness?
They'd failed to make the advances in mind-control technology we chose to use for our dastardly purposes. In ways, their power was stronger than ours, in other ways, ours was more effective. With a world all networked on the Internet and via their cell phones, influencing humans was easier than anyone realized.
"Not feeling talkative today, Aiden?" I taunted.
Nothing. Nothing at all.
So I moved forward to where he was sitting, on the edge of the cot. I held a cattle prod in my hand. I poked it in his shoulder, briefly electrocuting him with a taze.
His body jerked, but he didn't cry out. He knew me well. That I and my kind are sadistic, gaining literal pleasure from the pain of others. One of our many dark and well kept secrets. We used the literal, physical and emotional pain of the human family because we had mental and empathic ways to feel it; but translated as the opposite of pain and as pleasure.
"You need to acknowledge my royal presence, Aiden."
He grunted again, pissing me off.
"Respect!!" I yelled out, bending close to his ear.
I knew I was too close and that Venom, who was watching through the one-way glass window, was likely already frustrated that I was so near one of the most powerful guardians of benevolent mages on the planet. But I'd always flirted with danger and disaster. It was in my nature. I got off on it.
Aiden shifted so that his face was closer to mine, staring me down. Something he had never done before. Typically, he always averted his eyes. But this time, murder was in his gaze, which I took for the warning that it was.
I moved away, somewhat concerned.
It seemed that his new love was emboldening him.
Which spoke well for the plans I had. But I needed to handle him carefully. I decided he needed more isolation, no water and no food. I was switching from a short plan to a long plan. Time was always in our favor when we denied them basic necessities to survive.
"I had an interesting tarot card reading done for me about your new love... very revealing information. You'll get in line to protect the one you love or I'll drag her in here to be tortured too," I said, the bite in my tone getting the first real emotional reaction from him since I'd entered the cell.
Pure fury was on his features.
And with that, I left his cell.
CHAPTER NINE
-- Tracie --
I was sitting in the living room, working with Devon and Zach to find the Den's stronghold. Their tendencies to move often drove us crazy, but over the years, we'd gotten better and identifying where they were at.
And then sure enough, they would move again and we'd have to start the search over. Most of the time, we never infiltrated one of their locations since it was always our goal to be on the up and up by not initiating encounters with them. But from time to time, we had no choice but to engage them on their territory. For rescues of key individuals that they were using or causing harm to.
Zach had joined as us a dedicated Security Adviser decades ago, providing security for our businesses as well as for our private homesteads. We trusted him with our lives
and the lives of our charges. He had a way of recruiting top talent in the private security sector. Mostly males who had been trained by the elite agencies of the government who then moved to the private field where good money was to be earned.
Zach's talent was that he could identify the ones who were honorable and had the exceptional talents we needed. Men who sincerely wanted to do work protected those who served benevolently. Many had lost ones that they loved to the Denizen.
There was a bit of a buzz on the property about Amelia's presence, the men having taken notice of her. Naturally, her beauty was part of it, but Devon and I knew it went deeper than that.
Fundamentally, a female triune evokes deep dedication. Which gets pronounced by the males around her. She emits nurturance and femininity which then evokes and matches the masculine's need to protect and serve.
When she came out of the library, she came out looking like a portal to heaven had opened and that she had the biggest news in the world.
"Tracie! I know where Aiden is and how we can get him back..." she said, a yell that dwindled down to a near whisper when she took in that the living area, dining area and kitchen were full of Zach's men from our security detail.
All eyes went to her in an instant.
I watched closely as she guaged everyone in the room. At first, she seemed a bit unsure of what she'd just walked into. But undaunted, I saw, as strength, a desire to act and then confidence spread across her face and demeanor. Watching her body language closely.
"How's that?" I asked.
"Please, come here. Just you and I will show you."
I stood up and followed her back into Aiden's personal library. I gasped when I entered it. It was completely ransacked and turned upside down. I didn't know whether to be alarmed or impressed. Either way, she was clearly excited and wanted to show me something.
"Please, sit..." she said, closing the door behind us.
