Tourmaline Truth

by Khloe Wren

  A chime sounded and Darcy headed off toward the sound. Moments later, she returned with Fiona. When Darcy had been captured, she'd been stationed at the sewing machine next to Fiona and they had formed a close friendship. Fiona was carrying a box, as was Orlando who followed her into the room. The load was deposited onto the coffee table. Fear froze Sharon when she saw what lay on top. A leather-bound tome with one word imprinted in the leather. Toki. Her hand flew to her throat as her lungs began to burn. She tried to step away but stumbled.

  "What's wrong?"

  Barret's cool arms gathered her up and he sat on the couch with her propped against his chest. She glanced back at the table and only saw the throw rug Darcy had tossed over the boxes.

  "Sitting on top was a book. With the name 'Toki' on the cover. I wasn't expecting it and it threw me for a moment. I'll be fine in a minute."

  She closed her eyes and curled into Barret's embrace. She took deep breaths of his scent into her lungs. I'm safe. Toki isn't here. I'm here with Barret now. After repeating the reaffirming mantra, that the therapist had suggested she do a few times, she felt calmer and ready to face Fiona and her questions. She slowly uncurled herself and Barret allowed her to move so she sat beside him.

  "Ah, I'm sorry. What did you want to ask me, Fiona?"

  Fiona gave her a very sympathetic look and it just about brought her to tears all over again.

  "I'm sorry to upset you. It wasn't my intention."

  She waved away her concern. "It's silly, a book shouldn't cause me to react the way I did. It's just while I'm still adjusting to being free… Post Traumatic Stress Disorder I think is what the therapist called it. Random things will trigger reactions for a while." She hoped it wouldn't take long to get over all her triggers but she doubted after twenty-seven years of captivity, it would be fast.

  "Well, the book you saw, with 'Toki' on the cover? It's old. Like ancient. I've worked out the language is Nordic, the language of Vikings. But to translate it will take a serious amount of time. I was wondering if he ever spoke of the book to you? Maybe mentioned a translation somewhere?"

  Sharon took a deep breath and folded her hands in her lap. Her insides were in such a mess, she needed her outside to look in order. This story was one Toki had bragged of regularly.

  "He spoke of it often. He did mention he had translated the book, but not if he'd kept the translation. But he knew the story by rote. I should be able to tell you most of what it contains. If you want?"

  She hoped she could anyway. With Barret by her side, even if the story did drag her back into her time with Toki, he'd make sure to keep her grounded in the now. Sharon continued to focus on her breathing as Fiona took out a pen and notepad.

  "If you could, that would be great. I want to gather all the histories I can find of both Nobles and Vampires and put them in one place. Darcy and I were chatting about it earlier and neither of us could believe how little Vampires know about their own creation and history."

  Okay, she could do this if she focused on the purpose. It was for a good cause, the world at large needed to know how the Nobles were created. Barret's arm slipped behind her back and his hand gripped her outside thigh as she began to speak.

  "The book is a diary written by the original Noble. His name was Toki. The current Toki was named after him, a fact he took every opportunity to boast about. The diary details how a Viking by the name of Njal stole an Eternal Bride named Sif. Sif had been claimed and her Vampire, Jorvik, came searching for her. I guess Vikings were convinced they were the toughest things out there so didn't exactly hide their tracks. Jorvik found and rescued Sif. Apparently the diary didn't detail how. I'm guessing Njal panicked and ran for the hills when he had a pissed off Vampire come at him.

  "Unfortunately, all this happened around the twenty-ninth of February. Njal impregnated Sif in the short time he had her. Sif birthed a healthy son nine months later—without gemstone eyes. According to Toki Senior, Jorvik never forgave his Bride for bearing another man's son. He treated her poorly and forced Sif to abandon her son as soon as he was of age. Back then that was young. Toki found himself on his own at the tender age of twelve. Sif confided in Toki the name and location of his biological father before he was sent on his way."

  Sharon paused a moment and took up the drink of water that Darcy had brought in for her. Retelling the story was surprisingly easy. Maybe it was being surrounded by friends and family or maybe it was because once she told the story, Fiona would have it recorded. She would be free to forget it and move forward. Maybe she should start a diary of her own, to release all the horrors she'd suffered.

  After placing the glass on the table, she leaned back into Barret before continuing.

  "Toki's father, Njal, was overjoyed to welcome his son into his home. Toki was taught the way of the Vikings and became a hardened warrior. Njal noticed as Toki aged past maturity that he'd remained the same physically. At this point Toki concluded he had to tell his father the truth about his mother. He told Njal everything he knew about Vampires and their Eternal Brides. Toki was certain he wasn't a Vampire but had noticed his stamina lasted much longer than his fellow Vikings and, as his father had noticed, was no longer aging. His father quizzed him about his mother, apparently the old man still held a torch for Sif. When Toki told Njal how poorly he'd seen Jorvik treat his mother, Njal was enraged. He hated that he was the cause of her being mistreated. He wanted to go raiding and capture her again but Toki stopped him to tell him about the blood bond between a Vampire and his Bride.

  "As you can guess, the two of them soon devised a way to trap and weaken a Vampire. Then they began to go raiding, searching for women with gemstone irises and Vampires alike. This continued for quite a while. Their band of Vikings earned a reputation for 'saving' women and somewhere along the way they were given the title of Nobles for their cause was noble. Well, in their minds it was anyway.

  "Things took a turn for the worse after Njal died. Toki's ego grew as did his loneliness. In the diary he speaks of how unjust it was that no human woman would touch him because he didn't age, but he wasn't a full-blooded Vampire either so he didn't have an Eternal Bride. So, he took it upon himself to claim a Bride anyway. He only chose from the Claimed Brides, although he never explained why from what I know. After a number of cycles, Toki discovered the sons he had with the Brides were like him. Not Vampire but not human either. The Brides he raped wanted nothing to do with the children so they were taken and given to men in his team to have their wives raise. Eventually his team was made up of only Nobles who had no wives. From what Toki Junior told me, it was at this point the levels were created within the society."

  ~ * ~

  Barret ran his hand over Sharon's back as she took another drink. The manner in which Nobles were created made so many things fall into place. He could see how a power hungry man who felt he'd been ripped off by fate could create a legacy such as the Nobles. Before Sharon finished her water, Orlando took over telling the story time.

  "I've found a classification of their levels. It took some doing. The Lower Level Nobles are basically brainwashed. They're not told of anything that happens with the Brides. They are generally the younger generation and are out in the world. All they know is that Vampires are evil and women with gemstone colored eyes need to be protected from them. There's a sub class in this level who are responsible for raising the sons from the breeding program, I have no idea what they get told of how the boys are conceived. Now, if they are lucky enough to find an Eternal Bride, they get elevated to Guardian level. This level is removed from the general public. They live in compounds like the one we raided. These guys still believe we Vampires are evil and they are protecting the women in their care. They look after everything the captured Brides need, without actually touching any of them. There seems to be a sub class in this level too. These are the ones who would—sorry to speak of it Sharon—prepare the Brides. I don't need to explain more on that one. Pretty sure we all know what the Elder level is a
ll about too."

  Darcy leaned forward from where she'd been sitting next to Angelo. "Okay, so to make society safer we need to educate the Lower Levels. Hmmm. I'm thinking the best way to go forward is to educate everybody. If the general public are made aware that Vampires pose no threat to them, Nobles won't be able to get away with their crap anymore. The only reason they get away with it now is due to the ignorance of society."

  "Not sure we have enough information yet, Darcy. How are we going to prove Vampires don't pose a risk? The newspapers and TV stations aren't going to just take our word for it. Nor are they going to believe that Vampires suddenly have a Queen."

  Fiona's words brought a blush to Darcy's cheeks. Poor girl didn't even know about Vampires until fifteen months ago, now she was being crowned as Queen of all of them. Apparently, there was a legend that told of an Eternal Bride birthing a female who would rule over all the Vampires and bring peace to the race. Barret had wondered about the fact that Sharon had birthed a daughter when he'd only heard of sons being born to other brides.

  "The history of Vampires is as forgotten as that of the Nobles. My father, upon returning to Italy, approached the Old Ones to request access to their libraries. On hearing of Darcy's existence they granted him full access immediately. The books and texts that he found relevant to our creation and the Queen prophecy are on their way to us already. In fact, I had hoped they would have arrived yesterday."

  As Angelo had spoken, Barret became aware of Sharon relaxing into his embrace. It was obvious they didn't need her to answer any more questions at the moment. He kissed the top of her head and inhaled her scent as he continued to rub his palms over her back. She was running a fingertip in small circles on his thigh as she listened to the others. The small caresses were firing his blood up to boiling point with lust for his Bride.

  Before he could suggest they leave the others, the door chimed and Angelo headed off to see who it was. Sharon sat up straight and threaded her fingers with his. Fear rolled off her in waves.

  "Shh, Sharon, only a Vampire or Bride who is staying in the building can get up here. There is no way a Noble can get past the security downstairs."

  He whispered the words into her ear so no one else would notice she'd panicked. He was certain she didn't want everyone to know how on edge she still was. Guilt slammed him hard, tightening his gut in knots as he again realized her capture and abuse was, at least partly, his fault.

  Two Vampires followed Angelo back into the room. It was starting to get seriously crowded, even though the room was quite sizable.

  "Fiona, the boxes my father sent have now arrived and are waiting downstairs. Darcy, how about we take this stuff down with us and help Fiona and Orlando go over it all?"

  Barret's senses went on alert. Angelo was trying to clear the room. He cocked a brow at Angelo when he glanced over. The grim set of Angelo's mouth and the tinge of pain in his eyes didn't bode well for the news these two Vampires had brought with them. Angelo nodded slightly toward them before grabbing one of the boxes and ushering the others out, leaving him and Sharon alone with the two newcomers.

  "My name is Jashan, and this is Tye. We're the ones who have been assigned to the search for Sharon's sons."

  Sharon's grip on his fingers tightened to a point he felt a twinge of pain. He swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat so he could speak.

  "I gather you're here because you have found some information?"

  "We have. Unfortunately, there's both good and bad."

  He heard the sob catch in Sharon's throat and he pulled her in tight against his side, willing his strength into his precious Bride. Both men moved to sit on the couch opposite them. Tye sat forward with his hands clasped between his knees.

  "I gather from the other Brides that you are unaware of what your sons were named?"

  Sharon nodded in quick, jerky movements.

  "Okay, let's start there. Your eldest, after Darcy of course, is Haskell born in 1988. Brandt was born in 1996, Colborn in 2000 and your twins, Jari and Vali were born in 2008.

  Barret struggled to breathe. Sharon had told him she'd bore five sons but this somehow made it more real. His poor Bride had only not fallen pregnant for two cycles.

  "Have-" she paused to clear her throat, "Have you found them?"

  "Not all yet. As you know, we had a team go in solely to find and retrieve information when the rescue went down. The Nobles' records were not well kept. Some are in computers, some on paper. All of it is a mess. Birth records are separate from other details. It's taking a long time to piece together all the information on each child. So even though we don't have full details on all five of your sons, both Jashan and I felt you would want to know what we have discovered so far."

  "You said it's not all good news."

  Sharon's voice was quiet but steady. His heart swelled with pride for his Bride, she was so strong.

  "Sharon, I'm sorry but Haskell worked security at the compound in Portsea."

  So he was dead. No one aside from the Elders had made it out after the raid. He looked down at Sharon. He could see the glistening trails down her cheeks from her tears but she held still. Completely motionless.

  "Brandt and Colborn are school age and we've located several boys with their names in the Education Department's databases. We are in the process of gathering more information on each boy to find which are yours."

  Jashan stood up and removed a slip of paper from his back pocket before sitting back down.

  "The reason we had to come to you before we located your middle two sons was that we've found the location of the twins. With their slightly unusual names, it was easy to find where they were enrolled at preschool."

  Barret gasped in shock as Sharon flew to her feet.

  "You've really found them?"

  "Yes, ma'am. We have their address here."

  Jashan kept possession of the slip of paper as Barret rose to stand. He wasn't sure what Sharon would do, but he didn't want her rushing off without having a plan. Tye moved from the couch and stood between Sharon and the exit. Barret frowned at him as he wondered what was about to happen.

  "Sharon, there's more. Not all of us are focused on finding the stolen sons. Some of the guys are searching for the missing Elders."

  Barret's blood ran cold. He had a horrible feeling he knew what Tye was about to say.

  "We have confirmation that Toki is staying at the same address as your twins."

  ~ * ~

  Sharon stayed quiet for the rest of the night. Her head felt like it was filled with cotton wool. She wanted to go out now and take her sons away from Toki but she couldn't. Jashan had told her to not run off on her own when he'd finally handed over the address. Barret had agreed and not left her alone since. She wondered what the house they lived in looked like. It was in Glen Iris, a good suburb. She hoped that meant they lived in a nice clean home with a big backyard where they could play. She was still lost in thought when Barret declared it was time for bed.

  Without paying much attention, she allowed him to lead her to the center of their suite. Once they were in the bedroom, Barret stopped her near the foot of the bed.

  "You've been caught up in your head long enough, love. We'll get them back, but we need a plan first."

  Yeah, right. There had been about a two-month gap between Darcy's escape and the rescue. She refused to wait that long to go to her sons. When she didn't respond, Barret began kissing his way down her neck. His hands smoothed down her shirt until he reached the hem. Gripping it, he peeled it up and over her head. She groaned as her mind emptied while his fingers caressed her bared skin. He slowly crept toward the junction of her thighs then flipped open her fly as he scrapped his fangs across her shoulder.

  "I need you, Sharon."

  "Take me, I'm all yours."

  With a low growl, he shoved her jeans from her hips. Leaving them mid-thigh, he picked her up and tossed her on the bed. The sheets were cool against her back and she arched up with
a hiss. Arousal coursed through her veins as she watched him through hooded eyes. Barret tore off his shirt as he moved to stand before her. Her gaze drank in his defined pecs and abs. She sighed in feminine appreciation. Damn, my man is built. He leaned over, gripped the bunched denim around her thighs and tugged it hard and fast down her legs, leaving her in her panties and bra. She was suddenly very grateful she'd been barefoot. She was desperate for Barret to make love to her, to take her mind off all the stress of lost children and rescues.

  "I love you."

  He froze a moment at her words. A huge grin slowly spreading across his face, he said, "I love you too, Sharon. Let me show you how much."

  He slid onto the bed between her thighs and put his mouth over her covered core. His breath was warm and sent sparks through her body when it filtered through the cotton of her underwear. She shuddered as she reached for him. Threading her fingers through his thick hair, she bucked her hips against his mouth. A ripping sound filled the air causing her to gasp, but she didn't have time to process what he'd done to her panties. His lips descended once again and he impaled her with his tongue. Her body lit up. She put her feet flat on the mattress so she could arch her back and press against him. He placed a large palm over her tummy to hold her down as he begin to flick her clit with the thumb of his other hand. The duel assault was too much. She sat on the edge of a climax, so close to going over. Her body shook as she opened her mouth to pant.

  Then he was gone. All sensation stopped and she wanted to cry. She'd been so close!

  "Barret!"

  She forced her lids open to see what he was doing and caught the finest view of Barret's very hot ass. He was taking his shoes and pants off and had turned around. She groaned as his penis was briefly revealed. Her hand slid down her belly toward her core as he turned around toward her. She was so hot and so close, and she needed a release.

  "What are you doing?"