Dark Warrior's Legacy

by I. T. Lucas

  What was she hiding?

  Damn woman. He should remember that Carol only looked naive and innocent. Anyone strong enough to withstand what she’d been subjected to and not reveal every last detail of her life, had a heart of a warrior.

  “Who are they?” he asked as he pulled out a shirt from his duffle bag.

  She closed her eyes and took in a fortifying breath. “Kian, the clan’s regent, and Edna, our judge.”

  They were sending the big guns, impressive. “What about Brundar?” The warrior seemed to regard him favorably.

  “Probably.”

  Robert narrowed his eyes at her. “He is not your fitness instructor, is he?”

  The corners of her lips lifted in a small smile. “He is my instructor alright, and what he teaches requires me to be fit, but I’m supposed to do it on my own.”

  What could a Guardian teach Carol that required her to get in better shape? Not that there was anything wrong with the shape she was in. Robert liked her soft, padded body.

  Unless…

  No, the idea was ludicrous. There was no way Carol was training to become a Guardian. Yes, she was tough, but she was also lazy and undisciplined—definitely not Guardian material.

  Robert chuckled. “You’re in the Guardian program, aren’t you? You’ve been holding out on me,” he teased.

  She gasped. “How did you guess?”

  He winked at her attempted joke. “Your fighting moves betrayed you.” He imitated one of her bored poses.

  “You don’t believe me?” Carol bristled.

  He shook his head. “Prove it to me. Show me your moves.”

  She worried her bottom lip and then shrugged. “It’s a self-defense class, and if I’m good, I can graduate to the program.”

  Even a class like that was not something he would’ve expected Carol to join willingly.

  He lifted a brow. “Do you want to?”

  “Not really. I enjoy taking the classes because it’s something to do, and I’m good at some of the stuff.”

  “Good for you. It’s important to have basic fighting skills.” He wanted to ask her more questions, but it had to wait for later. They needed to get ready for their important visitors.

  They were dressed and ready when the knock came, but they hadn’t had enough time to make coffee. He wondered how formal these guests were, and if they would mind him using that Nespresso machine. It looked simple enough to operate.

  The door swung open, and for a moment Robert was confused, his eyes following the stout, strange looking man entering the room and carrying a large tray. He looked distinguished enough in the suit he was wearing, but the clan’s regent wouldn’t come in with a tray.

  Must be a servant.

  Robert’s eyes darted back to the door and those following behind the servant—a tall, striking male and a plain-looking woman with the wisest eyes Robert had ever seen. He didn’t know who impressed him more, the regent or the sage.

  “Hello, Robert.” The guy offered his hand and Robert shook it. “I’m Kian, and this is Edna.”

  She offered her hand too, and Robert shook it with utmost care. Her hand was so delicate that it seemed breakable. “Thank you for helping our Carol.” She smiled a sad smile that reminded him of that famous painting, The Mona Lisa.

  When Carol came forward, Kian pulled her into his arms for a quick embrace. “You gave us a big scare, girl. Don’t do it again.”

  She chuckled. “I don’t intend to.”

  The women embraced next, and Robert couldn’t help noticing that Carol had been more at ease in her regent’s arms than in Edna’s. Had they been lovers? A surge of jealousy clouded his vision, but then he shook it off. Carol had told him that clan members didn’t hook up with each other, and he had little reason to doubt her. Especially since Sebastian had said the same thing.

  Then again, there were always the deviants.

  Taking a quick sniff, Robert was relieved. No one in the room smelled of arousal or hostility. Suspicion, though, there was plenty of that in the air.

  The servant cleared his throat and waved his hand at the coffee table, bowing slightly at the waist. “Coffee is served, mesdames and messieurs.”

  “Thank you, Okidu,” Kian said as he took a seat in one of the chairs facing the couch. Edna took the other, leaving the sofa for Robert and Carol.

  The servant bowed again. “Would there be anything else, Master?”

  “I’ll let you know if there is. You may leave.”

  The regent turned to Robert. “We owe you a debt of gratitude, Robert. You can name your price.”

  Offensive jerk. As if Robert had rescued Carol for personal gain. He’d sacrificed everything for her. His home and his so-called family, as shitty as they had been, were forever lost to him, and he was left with nothing.

  He put his hand on Carol’s thigh. “My prize is sitting right next to me.” He held his breath as he waited for Carol to refute his claim, saying that this was only temporary until she fulfilled her promise to him.

  Kian nodded in approval. “I appreciate your nobility, but let’s be practical. You’ve abandoned your brethren and the only home you’ve ever known. I’m well aware that you couldn’t have taken anything with you, and that you need our help in starting a new life.”

  Unfortunately, Robert couldn’t afford a proud refusal. “I need papers to work legally in the States, and if you can help me find a job, I would really appreciate it. In the meantime, though, I’m asking for asylum. By rescuing Carol, I became a deserter. You can imagine what would be done to me if I were ever caught.” He wasn’t going to spell it out with Carol and Edna in the room, but he saw understanding in the regent’s eyes. The man was a warrior. “I have no doubt they are searching for me, but maybe with time they will give up.”

  Kian chuckled. “No one is looking for you, Robert, because they think you are dead.”

  Robert frowned. “Why would they?”

  “You didn’t tell him?” Kian asked Carol.

  She shook her head. “I was afraid to.” She lifted her palm when Kian’s features darkened and he eyed Robert with suspicion. “Don’t get me wrong, Robert is a kind and considerate male; a miracle given where he comes from, but these were his friends. He only hated his sadistic boss.”

  A shiver went through her, and Robert instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Whatever her deception was, she’d done it out of fear.

  “What happened?” Robert directed the question to Kian.

  “Before you helped Carol run, we were planning a rescue operation. When she called to tell us that she escaped, she mentioned the other women held captive at the base. We attacked, liberated the women, and destroyed the monastery.”

  “What happened to the men?” It was a stupid question, but he had to ask.

  “You’d be glad to know that your sadistic commander is dead, but most of your friends are not. There were some casualties, naturally, but the rest are in stasis.”

  “Stasis?” He had no idea what that was.

  Kian shook his head and lifted his coffee cup. “I can’t believe they don’t teach you guys the most basic stuff about your own immortal bodies. You know that other than death by venom you cannot die unless your head is cut off or your heart is removed from your chest, right?”

  Robert nodded.

  “Stasis is a suspended state achieved by injecting your enemy with venom but not until his heart stops completely. In that state, the body can survive indefinitely and be revived in some distant, utopian future when our peoples achieve peace or at least learn to coexist.”

  Robert snorted. “Never going to happen.”

  Kian’s handsome face twisted in a grimace. “That’s my opinion as well, but I’m overruled.”

  The overruling must’ve come from the goddess. That was what happened when a female was in charge. Females were soft-hearted. Not that he was ungrateful. Thanks to her, the lives of his friends had been spared.

  Robert felt conflicted. On t
he one hand, he was glad no one was coming after him; on the other, he mourned those warriors who were his friends. Even if not technically dead, they were just as good as.

  But he was happy that the captives were free and even happier that the sadist was no more.

  Aside from getting captured, Robert’s biggest worry had been the fate of the other girls. With Sebastian favorite whipping toy gone, his ex-commander would’ve probably killed them. Carol was indestructible, but they were not.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Carol said, her pixie face pinched with stress.

  Robert clasped her hand to reassure her he wasn’t mad. “I’m glad Sebastian is dead, and I’m glad the girls are free. I’m not happy about my friends being in stasis, but it’s better than being dead.”

  Kian looked puzzled. “Who is Sebastian?”

  “My sadistic ex-commander.’

  “I thought his name was Sharim.”

  “It was. He gave himself a new one when we came here. Mine isn’t Robert either, but I want to keep it.”

  “What’s your real name?” Carol asked.

  He shook his head. “It belonged to a different man. That male is gone.”

  He saw approval in Edna’s eyes. She hadn’t said a word throughout the entire conversation, and he was starting to think that she had only come to observe.

  The regent was the one who would conduct the interrogation. He shifted his eyes to Kian. “You wanted to ask me some questions.”

  “I think we’ve covered the basics.” He glanced at the woman. “Edna is going to perform her own kind of evaluation.”

  Robert turned to the woman. “Ask away.”

  She smiled her sad smile again and pushed to her feet. “Carol, would you mind changing seats with me?”

  “Sure, no problem.” Carol looked as puzzled as he felt, but did as Edna had asked.

  The woman sat next to him, her knees almost touching his, and lifted her hands. “Give me your hands, Robert.”

  Not knowing what to expect, he did.

  “I’m going to probe you, and it’s going to feel uncomfortable unless you open up to me and let me in. I’m not a mind reader, I can’t read thoughts, but I can read emotions and intents. That’s why Kian brought me here.”

  Robert braced himself for whatever was going to happen next. He had nothing to hide, but there were things he’d done that he wished he hadn’t. Not that he’d had a choice. Still, he was man enough to accept responsibility. He could’ve disobeyed orders and paid for the refusal with his own life. He’d chosen to live.

  Edna’s presence inside his head was indeed uncomfortable. Remembering her instructions, he tried to relax and let it happen. The pressure eased, feeling more like a gentle flow. Robert closed his eyes.

  “I need you to keep your eyes open,” Edna said.

  “Okay.” He lifted his lids with an effort.

  She took forever. By the time it was over, he felt lightheaded and nauseated.

  Edna looked drained.

  “So many layers.” She smiled weakly. “Your countenance is deceptive, Robert. You give the impression of being a simple man, but you’re not.”

  From the corner of his eye, Robert saw Kian tense. What the hell was she talking about? He was a simple man, and her words were making him look bad in Kian and Carol’s eyes. It sounded as if he was some kind of a mastermind who was hiding who he really was.

  “It’s not that you’re hiding something, it’s more that you’re hiding from something. I can’t tell you what it is, though. You need to figure it out for yourself. You care for Carol and would always protect her, but you don’t love her. Not yet.”

  She smiled at Carol’s crestfallen expression. “Not every love ignites with a flare, some start as a spark and need a lot of tending to grow.”

  Carol nodded.

  What was it with that woman? Carol wanted him to love her while she’d stated over and over again that she didn’t love him?

  “What about the Brotherhood?” Kian interjected, clearly not interested in hearing about love and flares and other romantic nonsense.

  Edna shifted her wise eyes to the regent. “Robert has no ill feelings toward the Brotherhood. Not everything he did for them sits well with him, but he is okay with most. I’ve gotten the impression that he regrets losing that way of life. But that’s not unusual for someone who suddenly finds himself displaced.”

  Kian waved a dismissive hand. “What’s the bottom line, Edna, can he be trusted or not?”

  “I don’t know.”

  The regent looked disappointed, but not as much as Robert.

  “What now?” he asked Kian.

  “We have another way to test you. But he won’t be available until the evening.”

  “He, as in the guy who is going to torture me?”

  Kian chuckled. “The only torture he is going to inflict on you, are his corny jokes. Prepare to suffer.”

  Chapter 37: Anandur

  Onegus had received the update early in the morning, and he and Anandur headed out to meet up with Turner’s team.

  Their first meeting had been last night, and the introductions had been made in a rented shack of a house that was to serve as their temporary base for this mission. Thanks to the case of Coronas Anandur had bought on the way, he’d gained the men’s approval even before they had a clue as to who he was and what he could do.

  Their commander, however—a guy named Javier who didn’t speak a word of Spanish, or much English for that matter, and communicated mainly through a variety of grunts—hadn’t been too thrilled about the booze before a mission.

  Anandur had disliked him on sight. Sticklers for the rules were, as a rule, not his favorite people.

  Even more annoying, the guy had gotten it in his head that he was the leader of this mission and could give orders to Onegus and him. Anandur would’ve told him to shove it if not for Kian’s explicit instructions to cooperate with the humans.

  “Listen up,” Javier called for everyone’s attention.

  “Here is the plan.”

  Wow, the guy could actually speak.

  Onegus and Anandur had gone over the update several times before arriving at the shack; it had been concocted by Turner, no doubt. The guy’s logic was solid, there was no argument about that, but Anandur wasn’t thrilled about the increased risk to the crew and the new victims Alex had collected on the way.

  “Overtaking the yacht while the cargo and the customers are still on board is too risky. We have to assume that the customers are armed, and the women, crew and cargo alike would be used not only as human shields but as a means to gain the upper hand.” Javier paused and unfolded a nautical map, then pinned it to the wall so everyone could see.

  Grudgingly, Anandur had to agree. However, he was more concerned with Alex than the mortal criminals who could be disabled with a thrall. The first thing the scumbag would do was to grab a girl and threaten to snap her neck if his demands weren’t met.

  The operation would be over before it ever began.

  “According to the inside information that Anandur provided, we know that the customers, together with their purchased cargo, plan to disembark in Acapulco. We let them. Our team will follow and apprehend the customers on land and free the women, while Onegus and Anandur will wait for the yacht to depart and catch up with it at sea, using a stealth-blade helicopter.”

  He pointed at the map then looked at Anandur. “Make sure the yacht is in international waters before you board.”

  When the briefing was done, Javier approached Onegus. “You sure the two of you are enough to apprehend the owner of that boat? What if he grabs a woman and hides behind her? You need a sniper. Any of you good with a gun?”

  “I am.” Onegus flashed Javier one of his charming smiles, but it didn’t do a thing for the guy. His lips remained tightly pressed, and his frown deepened. The dude needed to lighten up.

  “Two men are not a team. I’ve been in this business long enough to know that. Unexpected s
hit happening is the norm, not the exception, and having backup is the only way to go.”

  Damn, the dry stick was right. Problem was, any human assist they brought along would freak out when fangs and super strength made an appearance, rendering them useless.

  Onegus smiled again. “I’ll confer with my friend and let you know what we decide.”

  Javier nodded his approval. “Take your time. The yacht is not expected to arrive until evening.”

  On the shack’s front porch, and out of human earshot, Onegus rubbed his hand over his light stubble. “He is right. I think we should get another Guardian here.”

  Anandur sighed. “We could use someone like Arwel. Even a drunk immortal Guardian is better than a couple of human soldiers. But with Bhathian gone, the keep is left with only Brundar, Arwel, Yamanu and Kri. These are not good numbers. I don’t feel right pulling another Guardian away from there.”

  “Agreed. The next question is whether we take a couple of humans with us or not. Instinct tells me not to. This is between us, and one of our own. We just have to hope that the Russians will be smart enough to stay out of the way.”

  “Let’s hope so.” Anandur followed Onegus inside and watched him deliver the news to Javier. The guy wasn’t happy, but ultimately it wasn’t his call.

  “What are you going to do with the customers?” Anandur asked.

  Javier’s smile was chilling. “They belong to us. It’s part of the compensation.”

  Onegus and Anandur exchanged looks, then both shrugged. Whatever Javier was planning to do with these lowlifes, it would be a fate they no doubt deserved.

  “Javier, one more thing you should know before we part ways. The girls you free may not cooperate with you. They may even think that they are going with the customers willingly. Knowing the perpetrator, we suspect that he drugged and hypnotized them. Hold them here until we arrive so we can check what was done to them.”

  Javier’s brows lifted. “Hypnotism? You guys think I buy that crap? It’s all make-believe.”

  “It’s real, my friend, believe me.” Anandur clapped the man on his shoulder. “I can demonstrate. If you want proof, that is.”