Immortal Desires (Well of Souls)

by Eno, Laura

  Robert frowned at him. "I'd like her to be happy while I make that determination. What's wrong with that? She needs to be here where I can study her. I'm not heartless, Ian. This isn't murder."

  "If you say so. It doesna mean I have to like it." Ian had been happy roaming the cities of the world, battling the Conrí with Robert whenever they'd found them lurking amongst the human population. Then, ten years ago, the Guardians founded this corporation as an established point to bring the lost souls here for evaluation. Ian felt restless roaming these halls, wearing a suit named Armani. He longed for the feel of a sword in his hand. He shifted his feet as Robert gave him a shrewd look.

  "I have need for you by my side. In time, you'll understand." Robert cocked his head to one side and leaned back in his chair. "Why don't you get rid of some of your energy? Go climb a mountain or two. Wrestle a bear while you're at it."

  The idea appealed to Ian. He shot his mentor a grin and bowed. "Aye, I just might do that."

  He left the office and passed Fiona on his way to the elevator. He ignored the frosty smile she gave him and pushed the button for the top story of the twenty-three floor building where the apartments were located. Briefly, it crossed his mind that Robert wanted him gone when the Cameron woman arrived but it didn't make any difference. Whatever Robert's reasons for suggesting it, the idea had been a good one. Ian needed to run free for a while—leaving hard shoes and Armani behind.

  ***

  Deanna felt the stress drain from her body as she pulled the rental car out of the Denver airport and got on the E-470 N toward Boulder. The crisp spring air had a refreshing bite to it, so unlike Southern California's weather. Taking two weeks off had been a good call; she'd have time left over to see the sights and relax. Fortunately for her, no snow remained on the streets, with the temperature in the fifties, and an hour later she pulled into the Light Street Corporation parking lot.

  Rubbing damp palms against her jacket, Deanna belatedly realized how much this interview meant to her. Up until now, the whole trip had been more of a lark—an unexpected bonus and chance to get away. Now though… She squared her shoulders as she got out of the car, determined to present herself in the best possible light. Legions of people would kill to be in her position, interviewing for the most sought-after employment in the country.

  The Flatirons loomed behind the impressive building constructed mostly of glass, the sedimentary rock a perfect backdrop to the modern lines of steel. Deanna stepped through the front doors and found the lobby held a welcoming mixture of antiques—not at all what she'd expected from the outside modernism.

  The sign on the wall behind the reception desk both puzzled and amused her. It read:

  Rarely is a match made in Heaven, while more than a few are made in Hell. Most are given to ordinary chance. We find that unacceptable. The soul mates are lost. Our mission is to find them.

  Did the company also run a matchmaking service? Deanna chuckled under her breath, nerves making her giddy. She hoped she wouldn't be in charge of promoting that. Her track record in relationships wouldn't help their cause.

  "You're Deanna Cameron, right?" the receptionist said. "Mr. Thornton is expecting you and he's on his way down now."

  Before Deanna had a chance to thank her, the elevator door opened and a distinguished-looking man walked toward her, a smile on his handsome face. She recognized him from a picture on the website as Robert Thornton but he must have had his hair pulled back when the photo was taken for this man had dark hair that hung loose past his shoulders. Somehow, it suited him and with the touch of gray at the temples, he looked elegant.

  "Ms. Cameron, how nice to see you." He clasped both of his hands around the one she offered and held onto it. "May I call you Deanna? Please call me Robert. Let's go upstairs to my office to talk, shall we?"

  Deanna nodded, tongue-tied and off-balanced. He seemed warm and effusive, but at the same time…different from anyone she'd ever met. He kept her hand as they approached the elevator, tucking it into the crook of his arm like an old-fashioned gentleman. Deanna followed along, wondering what she was getting herself into.

  Chapter Four

  Deanna sat in the plush office while Robert gave a cursory glance to her résumé. He then opened the passport he'd asked her to bring, his eyebrows rising as he flipped through the blank pages.

  "Don't you like to travel?"

  "I'd love to, it's just that I haven't had the opportunity." Deanna ducked her head, unwilling to explain the aborted honeymoon that should have put stamps on those pages. That conversation didn't belong in her interview.

  "You'll have plenty of opportunities here." Robert smiled at her as she glanced back up. "Before we can promote a property, we have to experience what they have to offer their guests. A pleasant part of your duties will be inspecting a resort or hotel that requires our services. We manage specialty properties all over the world. Does that sound like something you'd be interested in?"

  Interested? It sounded like a dream come true. There had to be a catch. Rather than get down on her knees and beg for the position, Deanna asked about specifics. As Robert laid out the requirements of the job, she couldn't find any negatives. An alarm rang in her head. She told it to shut up. Too perfect it wailed, growing fainter the longer she ignored it. When Robert quoted her a salary almost double her current one, Deanna was ready to walk through hell for him.

  His expressive gray eyes watched her closely, a slight smile lifting one side of his mouth. Deanna had the distinct impression he could sift through every thought in her head.

  "I'd love to have the job," she said in a voice just missing a girlish squeak.

  "Lovely. Welcome to Light Street Corporation." He offered his hand to her. When she would have shaken it, he raised hers to his lips and kissed her knuckles like some knight of old. Definitely weird. She banished the thought, wanting nothing to spoil the moment. "Let me show you your apartment."

  "Apartment?"

  "Did I forget to mention that?" He gave her a bland smile, revealing nothing out of the ordinary. Deanna felt like the floor might wander out from under her feet with any more surprises. "Since you'll be traveling, it's easier to have you stay here and it's included in your package."

  He took her unresisting hand and looped it in the crook of his elbow once more, leading her out to the elevator. They rode to the top of the twenty-three story building and walked left down a long hallway, stopping in front of the next-to-last door. Handing her a hotel-type key card with a flourish, Robert bowed.

  "I'll leave you to get settled in. If there's anything you need, the front desk can get it for you. There's an employee dining room on the fifth floor for your convenience. Shall we meet there tomorrow morning at eight o'clock?"

  "Y-yes. That w-would be fine." She wasn't sure of her mental state at the moment. Overwhelmed didn't quite cover it.

  Deanna watched Robert walk back into the elevator, then swiped her card into the lock. Expecting a hotel room setting, she stood in the doorway a moment, stunned at the magnificent furnishings in the apartment. The view of snow-covered mountains through the floor-to-ceiling glass wall mesmerized her. Wandering through the full living room and small kitchen, she couldn't believe any of it was real.

  When she got to the bedroom, she thought she'd died and gone to heaven. Another view of the mountains served as a backdrop to the large bed. Intricately carved posts draped with gauzy white material surrounded a deep blue comforter with some kind of Celtic design on it.

  Her suitcase sat next to the bed, jerking Deanna out of her pleasant fantasy. Had she forgotten to lock her car door? It was possible… Still, it was awfully presumptuous to cart her bag in here without her knowledge.

  The unease crept back and she shivered as a tendril of doubt skittered up her spine with grasping fingers. Deanna pushed it aside. She'd let the next two weeks unfold before coming to any final conclusions. Too keyed up to rest, she headed down to the fifth floor to find something to eat.

>   Deanna cracked a smile as she walked into the cafeteria. It looked normal enough. After all the surprises of the day, she'd half-expected the area to be a formal dining room. She grabbed a tray and perused the varied selections as an employee hovered behind the counter with a ready smile.

  He dished the items she pointed at and then bade her a good afternoon. Deanna glanced around in confusion.

  "Excuse me. Where's the register?"

  "You must be new. The cafeteria is part of the perks. Enjoy your meal." He slid down the counter to help the next person, leaving Deanna to gape in silence.

  "Would you like to join us?" a friendly voice called out as Deanna wandered by with her tray.

  Three women and two men sat together at a large table, all looking to be in their twenties. Deanna smiled and nodded. Why not? It beat eating alone.

  After the round of introductions, Deanna listened while she ate. The girl who had called her over, Cassie, was slight, with black chin-length hair and oversized frame glasses. She had a bouncy personality and Deanna liked her right away. The group worked together in tech support.

  One of the guys kept staring at her as the others talked, which made Deanna fidget. Cassie noticed and leaned over in a conspiratorial fashion.

  "Don't mind Michael. He hits on all the women and falls in love at least once a month. He's a good guy though, if you don't fall for his brooding charm."

  "Thanks, Cassie," Michael said. "Now she'll never go out with me."

  "I'm not dating right now anyway." Deanna smiled to take the sting out of her words. Michael was good-looking but she had zero interest in men at the moment. After her experience with Nick, it'd be a long time before she'd venture into another relationship again. It would take an extraordinary man to break down her emotional barriers. She was sure Michael wasn't up to the task.

  The others left to get back to work with promises to contact her soon. Deanna stayed a few minutes longer, enjoying the scenery outside the glass walls. Something about this place begged her to stay and never go back home. That in itself scared her.

  ***

  Ian gathered a lungful of crisp air as he stood on top of the mountain in knee-deep snow. Being immortal had its advantages, such as not having to fear frostbite. It also meant the wild beasties stayed clear of him, sensing something unusual. He laughed, his voice echoing through the canyons. None had wished to wrestle with him. Robert would be disappointed.

  His eyes returned to the buildings in the valley yet again, as if an invisible tether clung to him and he found himself thinking of the displaced soul in the Cameron woman. He should go back and argue for her safe return to her present life. What harm would there be in allowing her to live it?

  He took his leisure to enjoy the day instead of transferring back when it was time to leave. Ian didn't need to hurry and the climb down the mountain thrilled him almost as much as the climb up had. It wasn't Scotland but the land was still a thing of beauty.

  Chapter Five

  Clouds drifted across the full moon in a dance of light and shadow as Ian jogged toward the Light Street building. The mirrored glass hid any movement inside from prying eyes, presenting a deceptively empty shell to the outside world.

  The extra senses he'd gained as an Immortal sent a tremor through his body as he walked through the lobby door but everything appeared normal for this time of night. Low lights, a murmur of conversation and strains of music played from somewhere in the building as a few people worked late. Otherwise, nothing. No danger lurked in the hallways. What had he felt? The vibration lingered; the taste of it sweet as it slid along the edges of his mind. Robert approached and the illusion shattered as Ian's concentration broke.

  "How was your journey?" His mentor clasped arms with him, seemingly in a good mood.

  "Refreshing. I needed the solitude. Thank you for throwing me out of here."

  "My pleasure." Robert tried to keep a straight face but failed as a ghost of a smile crept over his features. "By the way, I housed the Cameron woman in the apartment next to you."

  "I'll be sure to keep my midnight swordplay at a respectable noise level." Actually, Ian wasn't sure why Robert had elected to tell him that, unless he thought Ian wanted to avoid her. It was often hard to tell what the man was thinking. Enigmatic was Robert's middle name.

  Ian went upstairs, passing the woman's door on his way to his own. A brief moment of pity overcame him but it wasn't his call. Robert understood the pattern better than he. She wouldn't remember anyway. That could be a blessing. His own memories sometimes sliced at him with daggers sharpened on the stone of regret. He sighed and entered his dark room, heading for the bar and a bottle of scotch to chase the ghosts away.

  ***

  After calling Kate and giving her a detailed report of her luxurious surroundings, Deanna soaked in the marble tub spa, letting the jets pummel away any misgivings she might have had about staying. She closed her eyes, breathing in the aroma of scented candles as her muscles surrendered to the steaming water. Sheer bliss. She'd be a fool not to take the job.

  Soft sheets caressed her skin as she all but collapsed into bed, too drained to even finish the glass of wine sitting on her night table. Whoever heard of a stocked bar in a company apartment? Her thoughts became disjointed as she tried to go over the events of the day and she gave up trying to think, letting her mind drift into the oblivion of sleep.

  A strong hand grazed her face with a gentle touch, its owner hidden in shadow.

  "Why did you leave me?" a voice sighed in her ear, his tone filled with both love and pain.

  Did I? She wondered about the question. It hurt to know this. The calloused fingers stroked her cheek and she leaned into his touch, craving more, her body responding to this stranger. His heart beat against the hand she laid on his chest; the warmth of his skin filled her with desire.

  "Do I know you?" she whispered through lips begging to be devoured by his kiss.

  He faded from sight, leaving her bereft. Who was he? She shivered in his absence and snuggled deeper under the down covers, a tear seeping from the corner of her eye.

  Deanna felt the dampness on her cheek as her eyelids fluttered open, surprised to find herself alone in the room. The man had seemed so real—so vibrant. She sighed as her hand swept the empty side of the bed and rolled over, shutting her eyes against the loneliness welling up inside of her.

  ***

  Snow fell sideways with a blustery wind as Deanna met Robert for breakfast in the cafeteria the next morning. The trees outside the windows shook as gusts scoured them clean of snow. Deanna wondered if a girl from southern California could get used to this kind of weather.

  "You'll acclimate in no time," Robert said as he stood up to greet her.

  Deanna chuckled. "Were you reading my mind?" Nothing about Robert would surprise her at this point.

  "No, just your face. You looked outside and shivered." He waved his hand toward the buffet. "Shall we?"

  After they sat back down, Robert explained what her duties would be, including the travel required. Deanna tried not to drool as she listened. It was certainly a dream job. She'd never be able to go back to her old one and be satisfied now.

  "I know there are several industries under the umbrella of Light Street," she said as Robert bit into a sausage. "Is one of them a dating service?"

  He coughed and washed his food down with a gulp of tea. "What makes you ask that?"

  "The sign behind the reception desk—the one that talks about relationships. It struck me as odd."

  "Oh, that. It's a motto we have. And yes, I suppose you could say we're in the relationship business. Much of our travel industry involves honeymoon accommodations." He smiled and waved his hand in the air, changing subjects. "I'd asked one of my associates to meet us here but I guess something came up. If you're finished, we'll go meet your staff and you can get settled into your office."

  ***

  Ian ground his teeth together, watching Robert lead Deanna out of the room.
He stepped through the kitchen doors, startling the server.

  "Can I get you something, sir?"

  "No, thanks." Ian did his best to smile as he slid out from behind the counter.

  He wanted to run after Robert and grab him by the collar. Did he know? If he did, would he have chanced a meeting between the two of them? It didn't seem possible. Ian tried to shake off the tension, flexing his fingers that repeatedly curled into fists.

  Seeing Deanna when he'd first walked into the room to join them had been like a sword plunged into his gut. Unable to breathe, he'd ducked into the kitchen and watched through the window, while a fist of iron squeezed his heart.

  Deanna was his missing soul mate.

  That changed everything. Ian could no longer plead for her life to continue—as selfish as that was. He also couldn't bear to see her recycled. Since he could no longer return to the Well, she'd be lost to him forever. Somehow, he'd have to convince Robert to send her back to his mortal self; back to where she belonged.

  Would Robert see the logic in that? Ian didn't know. He transported outside, letting the cold wind calm his roiling emotions. The last place he wanted to be was anywhere near Deanna's office.

  His knees buckled, grief crashing over him. Since he had no memory of Deanna in his former life, wouldn't that mean Robert refused his request? Anguish pumped his muscles to the edge of endurance as Ian ran out to meet the full fury of the storm in an effort to forestall a storm of his own making.

  Chapter Six

  "Did you know?" Ian stalked into Robert's office, speaking before he'd even crossed the threshold.

  "Know what?" Robert looked at him with a blank face. "You missed our meeting this morning with the Cameron woman. I wanted to see if you could read any Conrí tampering. She's quite pleasant, by the way."