by Aliyah Burke
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, amongst family and friends to witness the union of Lian Yang and Lana Tennesol.”
Lana could feel the love from Lian soaring through her. She finally had a home. A place where she belonged. Friends. A family.
* * * *
The hot poker slid into her flesh and she screamed again. A weakened one—her energy was about gone.
“Tell us what we want to know.”
“You’ve demanded that for years. I don’t know what you want and even if I did, I’d never tell you. You may as well kill me.” Lana struggled feebly against the metal cuffs anchoring her to the cold lab table.
Erlik—or so others around him called him—gave a grin that did everything but soothe her. “You should know by now that I don’t have to do anything. I won’t kill you but, trust me, you’ll wish you were dead.”
She already did. He withdrew the poker and she didn’t flinch. She knew the feeling—she was about to pass out. Her only solace in this world.
“I’ll not tell you anything.” Defiant to the last.
“You may change your mind.” He stood close to her and placed his hand over her stomach. “I think I should take this from you so you will always be alone. I will take from you that which you need to get pregnant. Cut it from you, bit by bit, until nothing is left. That way I will ensure you have nothing but what we allow for you to have. Never have a child of your own. Never have a family.”
She blinked at the tears that pressed hot and unforgiving against her lids before she finally allowed them to escape. His grin became sadistic at the sight of them. She had no defence. Not able to wipe them away, she ignored them. “Do your worst.”
He lifted a knife, the likes of which she’d never seen before. There were markings on the black blade which she longed to turn from. The jagged edges were different from previous ones. Knives might not be supposed to exude a feeling, but this one did. Pain. Evil. Hatred.
“I think I just may.”
She closed her eyes and screamed at the first touch of the blade to her belly.
“Lana. Lana! Wake up, baby. You’re having a nightmare.”
She scrambled from both the bed and his arms as she bolted for the bathroom. Barely making it before she lost the contents of her stomach. Cold, she was so cold. Lian was in the doorway as she rinsed out her mouth, his black eyes full of concern.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, reaching for her then holding her close.
“No.” Her heart thundered and she clutched him tightly. “Never.”
Lian swept her up in his arms and carried her back to bed. As he joined her, she curled up on his lap and buried her face into his neck.
“Okay.” His hands moved soothingly over her back, and he pressed his lips to the top of her head.
Eventually she drifted back to sleep, and she woke in the same position. Fighting off a yawn, she drew away and looked up at the man, who watched her solemnly. “Did you sleep at all?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
She placed her head against his chest. “After nights like that, sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever be okay again.”
“I wish I could make it all better for you, Lana.”
“Tell me about the other prophecy.”
“The other one?”
“Yes, the one that kicks in after this one is fulfilled.”
“The parts to waken the world’s hope have been scattered far and wide to the winds and throughout the stars. It is from there the chosen ones are marked, becoming Astral Guardians. Alone, their individual defeat has a greater chance than when paired with the amaranthine and genuine love of their mate. Those Guardians must find, defend and bind the pieces to call forth the hope of the world. It will take courage, strength, love and sacrifice. If the Guardians fail, swift death will arrive to the one who calms the beasts. With this outcome, the world shall descend into darkness, chaos and anarchy.”
She took a few moments to dissect what it said. Or rather, how she would interpret it. “But you don’t know who the Guardians are?”
“No. I have ideas on how I will recognise them, but I’ve not yet.” He brushed his lips along her forehead. “I was with six back in the fourteen hundreds. That was the last large battle I was in.”
“Why only six Guardians? Don’t you have more? Like twelve, since you speak of the zodiac?”
“I don’t know.” He sounded stressed about the entire thing.
“Which six?”
“They were grown men who had a brand of the animal on their neck. Zodiac animals. Boar, cock, pig, rabbit, rat and ox.”
“What happened to them?”
“They died.”
“I’m so sorry, Lian.” It still was a marvel how he continued to persevere even after losing so many who’d meant anything to him. “So you think it will be the other six next time?”
He readjusted his legs. “I don’t know. I wonder if we should have had all twelve for the battle. All I know is I’m supposed to train them, but how can I train what I don’t know?”
“I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories for you, I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t, Lana. Come, let me fix you something to eat. And we can figure out how to spend this day.”
They took a leisurely shower together and he dressed first before leaving her to finish getting ready. On the edge of the bed, she chewed on her lower lip as she ran over those words once more in her mind. As lost as she was in her thoughts, she didn’t jump when the air shimmered and Ala stood before her.
“Thought you might show up.”
“You are figuring it out, are you not?”
The dread in her gut she ignored, instead focusing on the woman before her. Same dress style again, but today’s colour mirrored that of the ocean.
“I don’t have any choice in this matter, do I?”
Ala sat beside her and placed a hand on her leg. “None of us do.”
“How can you say that? You’ve had plenty of say. You didn’t have to pick me, you could have left me out of it.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I couldn’t. The first time I saw you, Lana, I knew you were the one. Much like how Lian will figure out who his next ones are, it’s just something we figure out. It’s not fun or fair.” She shrugged. “But that’s how it is.”
“I’ve had nightmares for the past week. Things your brother put me though. Think you could stop them?” She didn’t expect her to respond, just felt like snipping.
“Is that what you want me to do?”
Lana hesitated and took another peek at Ala. “Can you do that?”
“Sure. Keep in mind, however, you would no longer remember your family.”
No longer be able to recall her father’s face as he watched her with kind, loving eyes? Not being able to remember her mom’s beauty and laugh, or the two cherubic faces of her younger twin sisters?
“No,” she said firmly. “I need them.”
Ala plucked at the bedspread between them. “Are there any more questions you have for me?”
“Why are you being helpful?”
“My Inaki told me how Lian confronted him about you. I realised then just how much you mean to him. The ring, as well, tells that story.”
Lana stared at the aforementioned item. She had no other way to put it than that it felt right on her hand. “Do you know about the other prophecy?”
“Yours?”
“No, about the one dealing with the Astral Guardians.”
Ala’s smile was brief. “I would not worry about that. You have your own battle coming.”
She sighed. “Yeah, so I hear.”
“Do not let your guard down, Lana. No matter how things may slow, keep alert.”
Lana slipped her feet into her moccasins. “You sound like you’re not going to be around anymore.”
Ala was silent and Lana looked up at her. Had she been aske
d to describe the expression she saw on Ala’s face, Lana would have said sadness.
“Are you leaving?”
When Ala met her gaze, her eyes burned red. Before she could move, Ala grabbed her hair and held her still then blew something into her mouth.
“Above all else, enjoy your time with Lian. Every minute, every moment. Cherish them, for you will soon know what is coming.” Ala’s words chilled her.
Eyes burning and watering, Lana struggled and the hold broke. She wiped her eyes and shook her head only to find that Ala was no longer with her in the room.
“Lana, are you coming to breakfast?” Lian stepped into the doorway.
She wiped at any remaining evidence of tears and got to her feet. “Yes.” She glanced around again, but still discovered no sign of Ala. Lana fought the need to rub her shoulder where the ring tattoo was, for right now it burned. She avoided Lian’s gaze, afraid he would see something she wasn’t prepared to share with him.
Chapter Fourteen
He slammed the newspaper down on his desk. “This can’t be correct,” Lian muttered as he strove to rein in his control. As the clouds outside darkened and swirled, gathering speed, he knew he was failing.
“Lian?” Lana’s gentle voice broke through the rage coursing through him. “What’s wrong?”
He looked up to see her entering his office carrying a tray with tea on it. Immediately he calmed and gave her a small smile. “Just something I read in the paper.”
She strode across the floor, her moccasins making no noise as she completed the journey, and placed the tray near him. “You need tea.” She reached for the paper. “What’s the story?”
He pointed it out but let her read it herself. She had made great strides in her reading and was always looking to better herself. He’d caught her in the library reading Dante’s Divine Comedy a few days ago. At the rate she was going through books, he expected her to finish everything in his place soon.
“This isn’t right, Lian,” she said angrily. “You can’t treat kids like this.”
“I know.” He fixed himself a cup of tea, deeply breathing in the soothing aroma. “I know. But they’re reporting on it, Lana, so the kids have been removed from that home.”
“So”—she sat on the edge of his desk, paper still in hand—“people take these kids to make money? Is that how it works?”
“Unfortunately, yes. You get a stipend from the government for each child you foster and some people”—he gestured at the paper—“people like that scum there, take more children so they get more money. However, the money they get doesn’t go for the kids but to themselves and their pockets.”
Her foot twitched as it did whenever she was angry. “So what happens to the kids now?”
He sighed and shook his head. “They will be put in another home or remain in a facility for the state.”
She stared at him and he read it in her eyes even before she mentioned it.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Lana hopped off and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you, Lian!” She kissed him before fairly skipping from the room and leaving him alone once more.
He sat in his chair, reclined in it and stared out of the large windows that overlooked his property. For a moment, he imagined it overflowing with children of all ages and how happy Lana would be if that were true.
“Okay, Lana. You want it, you get it.” He sat forward and reached for the phone. He’d dialled one number when a knock came on the door. Hanging up the receiver of the rotary phone, he called out, “Come in.”
Maxwell opened the door and stuck his head in. “Sir, there’s a gentleman here to see you.”
He lifted his brow. “Do you have a name for him, Maxwell?”
“No sir.” He entered the office. “He asked me to give you this card.”
Taking the offered item, Lian stared at Maxwell for a moment longer. The man seemed almost uncomfortable. Lian looked at the small piece of black, rectangular paper in his hand.
Edmond Stanton.
Lian frowned. That name, written in silver, didn’t mean anything to him. He turned the card over and froze. The Chinese symbol for the boar was on the back, embossed in silver on the otherwise dark item.
“Show him in, Maxwell.”
“I’m sorry, sir, he said he preferred to wait outside for you.”
Instantly on his feet, Lian stepped from around his desk. “Thank you, Maxwell.”
He hurried from his office to the front door, took a deep breath then opened it. Waiting on the other side was a tall black man, dressed in old jeans and a flannel jacket.
“Edmond now, is it?” Lian asked with a smile.
“Lian,” he said with obvious relief. “It is…good to see you again.”
They hugged then Lian stepped back, running an assessing gaze over him. Exhausted would be an apt word to describe him. “Where have you been? I thought you died. I saw you die.”
“Everyone saw me die. But I woke later in a mass grave.” He scratched his head, fingers disappearing into his thick afro. “Since then, it’s been day-to-day.”
“You know you are more than welcome to stay here. For as long as you wish.”
He couldn’t miss the flare of hope. Lian touched his arm. “Come inside, clean up, get some food in you and we will talk.”
“Are you sure?”
“Son, I mourned your loss when I thought you were lost to me like the others. Now you are here before me, of course I am sure.” He sobered. “I am sorry about the others. I feel as though I failed you.”
Edmond immediately shook his head. “You did no such thing. I don’t harbour any blame towards you. We went in to battle with what knowledge we did. We won but there was great loss for us as well.”
Lian nodded and stepped back to the door. “Come on in.”
Twenty minutes later, a clean-shaven and freshly dressed Edmond sat across from him in the living room. The man had put away three large sandwiches and was on his second soda.
“You have done well for yourself. A winery?”
“I purchased this land a long time ago.” He shifted in his seat. “What have you been doing?”
“I’m interested in technology. Computers, phones and the like.”
“I could use someone like that here.”
Edmond paused with the dark liquid up to his lips. “For the winery or for other things?”
“Other mostly.”
After a long drink, the man leant forward. “Have you found them?”
“No. I did find my woman, however.”
“Really? Is she here? Do I get to meet her?”
“She’s around somewhere. I’m sure you’ll see her, by dinner at least. In fact, we just recently got married.” A wry grin. “I had a man of the cloth come out here and perform the ceremony while the staff stood as witnesses.” He reached for his tea. “What do you say, Edmond? If you understand technology, I could use you.”
“I’ll stay. Just show me where you want me to work and I’ll get started immediately. And congrats on your marriage.”
“You can rest for the day, if you need to. There isn’t a rush for you to jump headlong into work. Thank you.”
“Thank you,” he said, with a smile.
Just then, Lana walked in and Lian introduced her to Edmond. As they spoke to one another, he remained in the back and observed. As he had as part of the first six, Edmond had the mark branded on his neck and he knew his student had not had an easy time of it. He now walked with a limp and favoured his left leg.
“I like her, Lian. She is a strong woman and perfect for you.”
The sound of Edmond’s voice in his head was a shock. It had been so long since he’d communicated that way with someone, to be quite honest, he’d forgotten he had the ability.
“She is that. What happened to your leg?”
“I lost it in the war. I eventually got a prosthetic for it.”
He didn’t ask which war—for Edmond it could have been a
nything since the early fourteen hundreds. The man had no ill will about him. He appeared genuinely happy to be there and his feelings towards Lana were not faked.
“Do you have a wife, Edmond?”
“Not anymore. She died when they ‘discovered’ this country.”
“‘I am sorry for your loss.”
“As am I.”
“Lana,” Lian said. “We should let him get settled before dinner. You can talk to him later.”
“Of course,” she replied. “I’m sorry to keep you.”
“Think nothing of it, Lana. You are a joy to talk to.” He bowed low then walked away.
Lana came to lean against him. “Where do you know him from, Lian?”
“He was one of the six.”
She furrowed her brow. “One of the six…oh, you mean one of the six? The first ones from so long ago?”
“Yes.” He stared down at her, smiling over her near awe struck expression.
“He’s lived a long time—I wonder what it’s been like for him.”
Lian lifted an eyebrow. “He’s not the only one who’s lived a long time you know, Lana.”
She tipped her head up to meet his gaze. “Are you jealous?”
Was he? Slightly. He grunted, not about to answer her question. Lana laughed at him and wriggled her ring finger in his direction as she walked away. He watched her leave, allowing his gaze to linger over the sway of her hips. He wanted to follow her. Take her somewhere private and strip her bare then enjoy the smooth glide of her silken skin beneath his. Use his tongue to trail over her, exploring every inch of her as she writhed and tossed beneath him.
He sighed and headed off in the opposite direction. There was something else he had to attend to at the moment. Lian returned to his desk and reached for the phone, placing the call he knew was going to change their lives even more. A fact he was okay with.
* * * *
After dinner had been eaten and they’d gone back to their room, Lian sat on the bed, brushing out Lana’s hair. She loved it and he didn’t mind doing it for her. She made little moans of pleasure and her entire body relaxed in stages.
