Dark Warrior's Legacy

by I. T. Lucas

  “And there is my vision,” Syssi added. “I saw Andrew playing with his healthy, beautiful daughter. They looked so happy.”

  Bhathian pushed to his feet, his large body swelling with aggression as he got in Syssi’s face. “Did you see my Nathalie in your vision?”

  Kian was there in a flash. His hand on Bhathian's shoulder, he pulled him back. “Easy there. Syssi is not the enemy.”

  Bhathian hung his head. “I’m sorry, Syssi. I’m just so fucking worried… forgive my language, ladies… But I still have to ask, did you see Nathalie in your vision?”

  “No, I didn’t,” she admitted, then quickly added. “But that doesn’t mean anything. Andrew and the girl were playing in the park. Nathalie could’ve been sitting on a bench nearby, or stayed at home, or gone shopping.”

  He nodded. “I know. But I also know that the next nine months are going to be torturous for me.”

  “You should talk.” Nathalie snorted. “Typical male. I’m the one that will get to be the size of an elephant, and you are complaining about how difficult it’s going to be for you?”

  “You’re right. Come here.” He opened his arms and Nathalie went to him. Putting her cheek on his chest, she sighed. He closed his arms around her with infinite care. “Whatever you need, I’m here for you. And you—” He pointed at Andrew. “—are a dead man should anything happen to her. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Nathalie let Bhathian get his fill, then pushed against his chest. Reluctantly, he let her go. “So what’s the plan? Are you kids getting married or what?”

  “We are, and the sooner, the better. I don’t want to walk down the aisle with a big protruding belly.” Nathalie glanced at Syssi who took the hint in an instant.

  “Give me three weeks. With Amanda’s help, we can have it done, including the most gorgeous custom-made wedding dress you can dream up.”

  “Six,” Kian said.

  “Why six? I did ours in two.”

  “Because we can’t hold the wedding here. The enemy knows where we are, and they will be sending new troops. Probably already have. I’m not going to risk bringing the entire clan here for the wedding. I propose we hold the reception at our Scottish stronghold.”

  Syssi’s eyes sparkled, and she reached for Nathalie’s hands. “Oh, Nathalie, it’s going to be so beautiful. I’m already jealous. What Kian calls a stronghold is an old, majestic castle. You are going to have a real princess wedding.”

  Kian smiled. “It’s not a done deal yet. I have to call Sari, get her okay, and see that she can have everything ready in six weeks.”

  “I feel uncomfortable about it,” Bridget said quietly.

  For a moment, Andrew thought she was going to say something about their prior involvement.

  Nah, it wasn’t Bridget’s style.

  “What do you mean?” Kian asked.

  “All of us going to the wedding and leaving the keep unprotected. We’ve never done something like that before, and we don’t have the procedures in place.”

  Kian waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. We will have it locked down and well guarded by our human security. Sari faced the same concern when she had to leave their castle behind and come to our wedding. Worse, they had to leave it exposed without the perpetual shroud they keep over their stronghold because everyone came here.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. But we will need to keep it short.”

  “Naturally. Three days tops, that’s all I can afford. If some of the others opt to stay longer, that’s fine.”

  “Andrew and I will stay. A honeymoon in Scotland sounds amazing. Right, Andrew?”

  As if he was going to deny her anything. “Sure, baby, whatever you want is fine by me. I just hope that I don’t get fired for taking so many vacation days.”

  A hopeful expression on his face, Kian squeezed his shoulder. “You can always come work for the clan.”

  “It would be great if I can find Eva in time for the wedding,” Bhathian said to no one in particular.

  Nathalie turned around to face him and took his hand. “I don’t want you to go crazy about it and take unnecessary risks. If you find her, great, if not, then not.” She chuckled, but there was a sad undertone to it. “Instead of a mother and a father, I’ll have two fathers at my wedding.”

  Andrew shook his head. “You know how it sounds…two fathers.”

  “Yeah, well, whatever.” Nathalie suddenly looked bothered.

  “What’s the matter, baby?” Andrew picked up her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.

  “I still want Fernando to walk me down the aisle. I know you have a different tradition, but this is something I always dreamt about, and I’m sure so did he.” She glanced at Bhathian. “I hope you don’t mind…”

  “Not at all. It’s important to you and Fernando, and it’s your wedding day. You get to choose what you want to do. Right, guys?” He swept his eyes over everyone present, his stern gaze daring anyone to object.

  “Yes, of course,” Syssi hurried to agree.

  Kian shrugged. “For all I care, you can get married on a beach in Hawaii, wearing swim trunks and a bikini. And I don’t even care who will wear what. Though I have to admit that I’m not looking forward to seeing Andrew in a bikini.”

  Andrew rubbed his chin. “That’s not a bad idea. I love it. We can have a luau, with hula dancers and fire eaters…”

  Three pairs of irate female eyes speared him.

  “It was just a thought…” Andrew mumbled, looking at Kian for support.

  With a smirk, the traitor shook his head.

  Chapter 13: Carol

  Screw her promise. She should dump Robert now before he managed to soften her resolve.

  Even after all he’d said, or rather the way he’d said it, she was letting him hold her hand as they made their way back to their room.

  Carol, you are a soft-hearted fool.

  In her defense, holding hands with a guy was a novelty, and it felt surprisingly good.

  Her lovers from her courtesan days had never acknowledged her in public, and her modern-times hookups were of the badabing badaboom kind. No handholding or leisurely strolls involved.

  In his other hand, Robert was carrying a shopping bag with the fruit-flavored vodka they’d bought at the gift shop. He’d wanted the plain stuff, but she’d told him that she hated it, and they’d compromised on a brand with a fruity flavor.

  Carol smirked. If Robert thought to get her buzzed so she’d agree to his terms, he was underestimating her the same way most males did. She might’ve not been educated or highly intelligent, but she was a pro at the art of negotiation.

  Back in their room Carol took the only armchair, while Robert opened the fruit-flavored vodka and poured a glass for each of them. He handed her one, then lifted the chair from behind the desk and brought it next to her.

  Carol took a sip, waiting for Robert to start his spiel.

  “You know what I want. Tell me what you want,” he started.

  Not bad for a beginner, she had to give him points for tactics. Letting the other side state their demands first lowered their defenses. Except, she was so ahead of the game she could run circles around him.

  “I’ll start with something simple. You never ever use that offensive W word, or the P word either. In fact, I don’t want you to mention my old occupation at all.”

  Robert raised his glass. “Deal.”

  She smiled sweetly. “Your turn.”

  “I’ve already told you the big items, but it seems you want to discuss the small ones first, so let's hear them all.”

  Carol scrunched her forehead as she thought what else she wanted from Robert. She couldn’t ask him to change his dry and boring personality. That was who he was, and no amount of effort on his part would turn him into charming and worldly. These qualities were innate, not learned. Other than that she had no complaints. He was a good-looking guy, clean, respectful—most of the time—not selfish, not arrogant, and seemed
to be a hard worker.

  Fates, if only he weren’t such a bore.

  She shrugged. “That’s all. Up until today you treated me with respect and never got angry or raised your voice at me. I liked that about you, and I want you to continue treating me like this.”

  “I’m sorry I blew up before. Usually it takes a lot more to get me so angry, but without meaning to, you dealt me a harsh blow.”

  What was he talking about? “How so?”

  Robert sighed and emptied the contents of his glass down his throat. “In so many words, you made it clear that once I can support myself, you want me out of your home. Out of your life too. I don’t have a home anymore, Carol. I can’t go back to the Brotherhood because I’d be executed on the spot. And if you cut your ties with me, I’d be all alone in the world. Doesn’t seem like a fair reward for my good deed.”

  Poor guy, he’d misunderstood what she had planned for him. “Robert, I would never dump you like that. What I had in mind was to introduce you to some of my friends, my cousins, as it happens. Maybe one of them would turn out to be your true love mate? Ha?”

  Robert was taken by surprise. “You would do that for me?”

  “Sure. I don’t want you to be lonely.”

  “What about you? Aren’t you lonely?”

  With a sigh, she put her glass down on the table. “As you said before, there are no immortal males I can pick and choose from. But I have a big and caring family, and some of them are close friends who I love hanging out with.”

  “It’s not enough.”

  She snorted. “You’re telling me? But what are my options?”

  “Easy. Me.”

  “We like each other, Robert, but you don’t love me, and I don’t love you. Each of us has a true love mate somewhere out there in the world. If we stay together, we might miss the chance of finding that special someone.”

  For a few moments he didn’t respond, sitting with his elbows on his knees, the empty glass clutched in his hands, and his head bowed. She didn’t press. Robert wasn’t a fast thinker; he needed time to figure things out. A good quality, since he didn’t rush into things the way she often did.

  Less chance of getting in trouble.

  When he lifted his eyes to her, she was hit by the intense emotion she saw in them and braced herself for whatever conclusion he’d arrived at.

  “You don’t know for a fact that there is someone out there for each of us. We can spend our entire long lives searching for them and never find them. We have something here, Carol. It isn’t the all-consuming love of a true mate, it’s not a perfect match, but I suspect that this is as good as it’s going to get. Let’s not squander this opportunity for companionship. It must be better than having no one.”

  Damn, he had a point. But…

  “It may be true for me, but you’re giving up on an opportunity most immortal males would kill for. I just offered to introduce you to a bunch of immortal females who would love to get their hands on a handsome guy like you. One of them might be your true love match.”

  That shut him up. Not that she wanted him to stop talking. They were finally having a real conversation.

  After a moment or two, he looked up at her with such a stubborn expression on his face that she knew what he was going to say before he said it.

  “I’d rather hang on to what I have than give it up for a dream. I don’t need perfection. You’re a beautiful, sexy female. You’re nice to everyone. You have a good heart, and you’re trustworthy. Doesn’t get better than that. Not for me.”

  Carol couldn’t help a smile. It was so sweet of him, but he was so misguided. Regrettably, she needed to shatter his illusions.

  “Robert, sweetie, it’s not going to work. I can’t promise you fidelity, and I know you won’t be able to compromise on that.”

  He looked so hurt that her heart ached for him.

  “Why? What’s so special about these humans that you would choose them over me? I know I’m not perfect, but I’m decent enough.”

  She sighed. “You might be, but I’m not. I’m just not the type of female who can settle down with one male. I need the variety, the excitement of the chase, of new partners. Every morning when I wake up, do you know what I think about first?”

  “What?”

  “Where I’m going to go prowling for hookups, and what I’m in the mood to cook. That’s it. Occasionally, I invite my friends to dinner, and once or twice a week we go clubbing. That’s my life. I have no other interests. I’m shallow, and I’m a pot head, which means I like to smoke pot in case you didn’t know.” Curiously, though, she hadn’t had the urge to smoke or vape lately.

  “I know what a pot head is.” Robert got up and started pacing. “Are you satisfied with that? Isn’t there anything else you would’ve liked to do?”

  “Nope. I like my life the way it is.”

  He raked his fingers through his short, thick hair. “Fine, I see there is no changing your mind. After my three exclusive months are up, I move to a spare bedroom in your house, and you can do whatever you want with whomever you want. We will remain friends and roommates: nothing more. But the same holds true for me. If any of your friends want to hook up with me, are you going to be fine if I take them to my room?”

  “Sure,” she said without much conviction. “Roommates with benefits.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We can still have sex.” She winked.

  Robert shook his head. “I don’t know. We will have to wait and see how it goes. But are you okay with the rest of the deal? The fake marriage and everything?”

  Why not? It wasn’t as if she was going to find her true love anytime soon. Two years were a blink of an eye in the lifetime of an immortal. “Yeah, I guess, unless I can get you legit papers some other way.”

  “You think you could?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ll have to call and make arrangements for your arrival. I want to get an okay and a guarantee that you will be treated like a hero and not an enemy.”

  Chapter 14: Anandur

  “Would you accept charges for a collect call from Mexico, sir?” The operator asked.

  Anandur frowned. He didn’t know anyone there and wasn’t aware of any clan member vacationing south of the border. Not that he’d checked the register lately. Perhaps one of the young ones had gone for a short visit to Mexico. Maybe he or she lost a wallet, or it might have been stolen. But why would they be calling his number?

  “Who’s calling?”

  “She wouldn’t give her name. She says she’s your girlfriend.”

  Anandur’s breath caught. “Put her through.” The only one who considered herself his girlfriend was Lana.

  “Anandur?”

  The sound of her voice was such a tremendous relief that he had to sit down.

  “You there? Anandur?”

  “Yes, I’m here. Where are you? I’ve been worried sick about you.”

  “You miss me. I knew you liked me for me and not the information I give.”

  Yeah, he did, a little. “What’s going on, Lana, is everyone okay? I have been imagining the worst. I was afraid that Alex found out about me contacting you and did something horrible to you and the others.”

  “He found out something, but we don’t know what. He thinks the FBI is after him.”

  Anandur chuckled. “They might be.”

  “Are you FBI?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “So why you afraid Alex find out about you?” As usual, Lana was suspicious as hell.

  “He knows me. We used to hang out in the same circles. Not the criminal ones, just socially. If he found out about me snooping around his business, he would have known my people are after him. And believe me, he is much more afraid of us than he is afraid of the FBI.”

  “Hmm, more than the FBI you say?”

  “Definitely. By the way, I’m glad you’re calling me from a public phone. He has listening devices all over that ship, and now that he is ultra-paranoid,
even your burner phone is not safe.”

  “I know. He is very suspicious. We do everything to look normal for him. I went to buy supplies, and I call you. Did you talk to your boss?”

  “Yes and he had a sweet deal for you, but you were gone before I could tell you about it.”

  “What deal?”

  “How would you girls like to own and operate a dinner cruise in Hawaii? Affiliated with a high-end hotel?”

  “You joke?”

  “No joke. Serious offer.”

  “Let me think.” Lana was quiet for a few moments. “You help us start new? Papers and everything?”

  He considered saying yes but ended up sticking to the truth. “I’m not sure we can get you real papers, but I can promise you that the fake ones will be top notch. I think it’s not a big deal given everything else my boss is offering. You’ll never get a better deal than that.”

  “I’m not complaining. It’s a good deal, too good…”

  Suspicious Russian.

  “Why would I lie to you, Lana? To get away from Alex, you would’ve been happy with any help my boss offered. Am I right?”

  “That’s why it smells like fish. Why would your boss offer more? No one gives things for nothing.”

  She was right. But Kian was a businessman, and he saw opportunities where others didn’t.

  “You girls are an experienced crew and highly motivated to succeed. My boss is opening a new hotel in Hawaii, and when I told him about you, he saw an opportunity. You get what you want, and he gets a profitable side business for the hotel. Win-win.”

  “So the profit goes to him?”

  “Part of it. Do you really want to negotiate the details now? You haven’t escaped Alex yet.”

  “Da, I know. I will speak with others, and we make a plan. I’ll call you from our next stop.”

  “You do that. And, Lana?”

  “Yes?”

  “Be careful. Super careful. Don’t talk about any of it on the boat or even near it. Check your pockets and your clothes for listening devices. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”