“Exactly our thoughts,” Calen said. “As we understand it, GrandmotherAlaria said they have been waiting for this moment to arrive for a long time. And now it’s here. The four of us have finally met,” Calen gestured to all of them. “We each have a strength, a particular knowledge, and are spiritually trained to fight the Tupay.”
“Well, I feel like I’ve got training wheels on compared to the three of you, when it comes to metaphysical topics.” Ana chuckled.
Reno smiled grimly. “Says the one who faced down the Dark Lord himself and made him retreat. No, Ana, you just aren’t aware of your own power yet.”
“But you will be. Sooner than you think,” Mace said, his eyes full of emotion.
“But couldn’t any of you taken on Victor, too?” Ana asked.
Shrugging, Calen said, “It all depends. Mace let his guard down and Guerra got to him. If we don’t keep our energy armor in place all the time, The Dark Lord and his legions could hit us just like Mace was nailed.”
“You must understand that we’re all human beings,” Reno said. “We aren’t perfect. And because of this the Dark Forces will have the openings they’re searching for. Just because a Warrior has a paranormal gift doesn’t make him or her bulletproof.”
Mace nodded and held Ana’s gaze. “That means you, too, Ana.”
“I’m trying to understand all this,” she admitted. “I’m so new to it and you have a lifetime of training behind you, years of experience.”
“Well, speaking of learning…” Calen reached toward the coffee table and handed each of them a file. “Our third team’s coming in. Remember the legend? It said that three couples would form the Vesica Piscis Foundation. Take a look inside these dossiers. In two days, Professor Nolan Galloway from Princeton University and Dr. Kendra Johnson from Harvard’s archeology department are going to be visiting us.”
Ana opened her file and sat it in her lap. Color photos of both people stared back at her. “And who are they?”
Reno opened his copy. “They are experts on symbols and legends.” He grimaced. “During our investigation of them, we found out the two are archenemies. Big-name universities like theirs are always in competition for an archeological discovery. They like getting the glory on a new dig.”
Mace rapidly scanned through Dr. Johnson’s book credits. “Ancient Feminine Symbols Translated for the 21st Century,” he said, reading one title aloud.
“Wow,” Ana said excitedly, pressing her index finger to that title in her own report. “She’s taken all the male definition of symbols throughout history and turned them into feminine ones. Hey, this looks interesting! What a concept!” She eagerly looked at Calen, who nodded with equal enthusiasm.
“Professor Galloway wrote a book called The Suppressed Feminine Mystique in Male-Dominated Religion,” Reno noted. “He’s considered one of the most profeminine male archeologists in the world. And he’s on a global lecture circuit to every big-name university in the world.”
Ana scratched her head. “But if they both support the feminine in their books, why are they such enemies?”
Calen laughed. “We think part of it has to do with the competition between their schools, Princeton and Harvard. But there’s a vague indicator that they worked on an archeological dig together, many years ago.”
“We think that maybe they had more than just a professional relationship, and when it turned sour, they became enemies instead of lovers,” Reno said.
Mace nodded and thumbed through the report. “Love and hate. Inexorably bound together.”
Grunting, Reno agreed. “I’d rather love than hate.” He eyed his wife fondly, and his gaze fell to her belly, which was showing a hint of the baby she carried.
Ana laughed. “Me, too. But I know enough about educators to realize most are academic warriors in their own right. They think they are always correct, and can be the worst intellectual snobs.”
“Well,” Calen murmured, “I don’t believe these two are snobs. Whether they know it or not, they carry the Vesica Piscis symbol on their necks. Their lives don’t seem to show service orientation, however. They also don’t seem to have any paranormal abilities, or if they do, they’re being tight-lipped about them.”
“And that’s what we need to find out,” Reno confided. “Are these two people prepared to work with us? To be of service to something greater than their own considerable egos? Can they accept that paranormal skills are as normal as breathing? Will they go after the third emerald sphere? We know that Guerra is tracking the remaining spheres as we sit here. Calen and I are hoping these two educators will bury the hatchet and choose a higher calling.”
Calen crossed her fingers. “And they can’t be completely ignorant of the paranormal. Guerra will follow them, will send his sorcerer students after them, so they’ll definitely have to deal with the Dark Forces. Another challenge, if they hope to locate that third sphere, will be trying to figure out the map I was shown in a dream.”
“You had a dream about it?” Ana asked.
“Yes, I’m strong in vision dreaming. Last night, before you arrived, I was shown some cryptic symbols, and I saw the third sphere. In my vision, it was inscribed with the word trust.”
Reno shook his head. “And isn’t this following perfectly the pattern we’ve already seen between us? Johnson and Galloway distrust one another completely. If they agree to go on this journey to find the sphere, they must learn to trust each other.”
“At this spiritual level, every symbol is more than just a clever design,” Mace said. “It is an activated energy expression in motion. In this case, those two will be challenged to trust each other so that they can survive this mission—and succeed in it…”
Ana gazed warmly at him. “And look at us. Our lesson was about honesty.”
A wave of sadness flowed through Mace. “I know… and I am so sorry I lied to you, Ana. I can’t forgive myself—”
She placed her fingertips against his mouth. “Shh… let’s talk about this later. There’s a lot to say, to share here, Mace….”
Calen glanced at Reno, one eyebrow raised. “I think we need to call it a night, don’t you, my love?”
He nodded. “You both have gone through so much and must be exhausted.”
Mace felt his lower lip tingle where Ana had grazed his flesh like a butterfly. The expression in her eyes was like heat lightning going through him, and the pleasurable sensation settled in his core. It made him hungry for her again. “Yeah. Honestly, I’m whipped.”
“An honesty pun! There’s our word again!” Ana laughed.
Calen grinned and rose from the couch. “Reno will show you to your rooms. This is a large condo, and you’ll be across the hall from one another. If you need anything, let us know. Otherwise, we’ll meet you in the kitchen for desayuno tomorrow morning. Our third team should arrive shortly after that.”
Ana stood up, holding on to her dossier. She saw the dark smudges beneath Mace’s eyes and the shadows within them, and her heart opened. She understood him so much more deeply now and looked forward to the quiet time they would have. She wanted to be close to him.
Because she had nearly lost Mace, had seen him suffer at her father’s hand, Ana needed to come clean about her feelings. Gripping the file a little tighter, she climbed the polished mahogany steps to the second floor.
Ana was determined to tell him everything in her heart. And when she did, what would he do? Fear snaked through her, but she refused to allow her fear to deter her. No, she had to be a warrior for love as much as for peace. Mace was worth risking her life for…and equally important, worth risking her feelings for….
Chapter 14
“I want to sleep with you, Mace.” Ana stood at his bedroom door, her hand gripping the frame.
“Are you sure?” he asked uncertainly. Dark shadows beneath her green eyes revealed her evident shock over the confrontation with Guerra on the mountain.
“I just need to be held,” she whispered. “I want to h
old you. I’ll sleep better if I’m in your arms. If you want me.”
The soft tenor of her voice poured sweetly across his beaten spirits, lifting them as nothing else could. He glanced at the king-size bed and then back at Ana, who still hesitated in the doorway. “That sounds really good, Ana.” He held out his hand. “Come on, let’s go to sleep. All I want—all I’ll ever need, is you….”
* * *
Ana could not recall ever sleeping as deeply as she did in Mace’s arms. The song of a nearby bird gently lured her out of the healing slumber. Mace’s arms were around her and she was snuggled up against his chest.
As she lay there feeling his soft, warm breath against her neck and shoulder, she savored the exquisite moment. She opened her eyes and slid her hand down Mace’s arm, which was wrapped around her waist. Though she felt so secure in his embrace, a ragged sigh slipped from her lips. She was still grappling with the fact that she was the woman in the legend born to help bring the world to peace, not destruction. She didn’t feel important. Yet Calen and Reno had treated her as if this was fact. They seemed to have full faith in her.
Despite the pressures and expectations from Alaria and Adaire, Ana felt hope. It was a huge relief that they stood with her, supported her and would continue to train her to bring all her skills and abilities online. Reno and Calen were there to support her, too. And Mace. She was the one who had to adjust. And wrestle with the fact that her father was now—and always would be—her archenemy. She had to struggle with standing in the breach between the Light and the Dark.
There was so much to absorb. Before, she’d been a wildlife biologist. Now she was on center stage and indispensable in the coming war. Her thoughts turned to her mother, Magdalena, who had sacrificed her life so that Ana could be born. She could not fathom such heroism.
Heart swelling with pride and love for a woman she could not remember, Ana wished mightily that someday she might see Magdalena’s face. To know more about her. Alaria had promised that she would—but not just yet. And soon, she would visit her grandfather, Juan.
Ana felt Mace stir, and a soft smile pulled at her mouth. She heard his breathing change, and his arm tightened around her waist, pulling her more surely against him. Ana felt his hardness pressing against her. Her mind left the complexity of her new life and shifted to him. The yearning to love Mace fully, to become a part of him, caused Ana to glide even more firmly against him.
Mace opened his eyes as Ana snuggled into his arms. He felt the insistent pressure of her breasts against the naked wall of his chest, felt her fingers slide tantalizingly across his collarbone, down his torso and ribs.
Her eyes smoldered with emerald heat. Like the jaguar she was, her warm body moved sensuously against him. “I like waking up like this,” he mumbled, lifting his hand and sliding his fingers through her loose, tangled hair.
“I’ve been wanting this, dreaming of this, Mace.” Ana leaned up and kissed his cheek, the line of his jaw, and finally his strong, masculine mouth.
“Mmm…” He groaned, feeling the urgent contact of Ana’s lithe body against his. There was no question he wanted her. Opening his eyes wider, he absorbed her shining gaze, which held such love for him. “Are you sure? Is this what you want, Ana? This is no one-night stand….”
“I know that. I feel the same,” Ana whispered, grazing his chest with her breasts. Her nipples hardened beneath the silk. Mace’s eyes squeezed shut for a moment. His swift intake of breath satisfied her as a woman. “The only question left is, do you want to love me right now? Or should we wait?” She grinned wickedly as his mouth pulled into a boyish pout. Ana had her answer. She saw the feral gleam in Mace’s eyes, the cerulean light focused fully on her. His sizzling look drove a delicious heat through her and created a wonderful dampness between her thighs.
Mace rolled her onto her back, his arm beneath her neck, her hair spread like a gleaming dark halo around her head. A fierce love swept through him for this woman who was so feminine and yet had a strength of spirit he could hardly fathom. “Want to? It’s the most perfect thing in the world, Ana. Us. You and me.” He leaned down and eased the pale pink silk camisole over her head, dropping it on the floor beside the bed. He gazed at her full, ripe breasts, the dark pink nubs begging for him to suckle them. Without a word, he lowered his head, pulled the first one into his mouth and captured the second between his thumb and forefinger. Ana moaned, her body arching up to meet his. Savoring the taste of her, the fragrance of her skin, Mace felt her fingers dig convulsively into his bunched shoulder muscles.
He wasn’t surprised that her hands busied themselves first with his pajama bottoms and then with getting rid of her silky boxer shorts. When Ana pressed her hot, firm body against his fully naked one, Mace felt such unexpected pleasure that he released the captured nipple. Her hands framed his face and pulled him down to meet her questing lips.
Mace had had torrid dreams of loving Ana, but nothing could compare to the real deal. Having her in his arms, feeling the writhing, tempting movements of her flared hips, her soft belly and eager mouth, was better than his dreams.
And when she slipped her curved thigh across him, pushing him down on the bed and straddling his hips, Mace deepened the kiss. There was nothing passive about Ana. Somewhere in the spinning fog of his mind, he realized she was a jaguar mating with her male counterpart. Mace settled his hands on her hips with the errant thought that her body was perfect for carrying their children. It intensified the love he’d been keeping secret for so long.
As he watched Ana sheath his hardness, felt her wet warmth enclose him, he growled. It was a growl of ultimate pleasure. Of triumph in their coming together. He’d doubted this would ever occur, but it finally was. Here and now. With Ana. With a fierce feline glow in her emerald eyes, she moved downward, claiming him, claiming her right to him forever.
Each gliding, fluid movement brought Ana higher, closer to the light blazing above her. Even with her eyes closed, her lips parted and sighs of pleasure rippling from her mouth, she felt Mace’s love drenching her, taking her places she’d never gone before. As his strong, callused hands gripped her hips and he thrust deeply into her, she rode a wave of shimmering desire that built and tightened. The moment that her heart opened and bathed Mace with its energy, Ana felt her body implode.
The pleasure was so intense, she cried out. Ana was weightless and experiencing a oneness no words could ever describe. She savored the feel of Mace releasing himself within her, a celebration of their joining. She could hear voices singing, and a cloud of white-gold light encased them. She felt Mace within her, around her, an inseparable part of her down to the cellular level…and beyond.
Ana saw them together in colorful pictures, like a movie running before her tightly shut eyes. It was of their past lives with one another. In some, they were warrior brothers, man and wife, and still others, siblings. She felt the thread of love that had always connected them over hundreds of years. Their coming together in this life was a culmination of past work. Only this time, they were teaming up for the greatest battle of all: saving the earth and helping peace to flourish.
A rainbow of light seemed to filter through the scenes that moved swiftly past. During all those lifetimes, her love for Mace had seeped through her on every level. She felt the deep, abiding passion he had felt for her over time. And now it settled down upon them once more. Ana absorbed the knowledge, as the heaviness of coming back into her physical body returned. Back to the here and now, back into Mace’s arms, enclosing him, gripping him with her strong thighs as he prolonged their physical pleasure…
With a moan of utter surrender, she collapsed upon his chest, her head nestled in the crook of his shoulder. Her hair, damp and curling, spread out across his broad chest. She closed her eyes, feeling the perspiration trickle down between her breasts, the rugged tenderness of Mace’s hands now grazing her body. She tasted the salt of him. Kissed his shoulder and weakly moved her fingers up the thick column of his neck into his sh
ort, black hair.
“I love you with everything thing I have, Mace Ridfort,” Ana whispered unsteadily. “I saw us, I saw our lives together just now….”
“I saw them, too, Ana.” Weakness stole through Mace. But it was the best possible reaction a man could ever hope to have, that of sharing his body, heart and soul with the woman he loved. There was no greater feeling of partnering than this one. He closed his eyes, smiled and held Ana tightly against him. He relished the wild beating of her heart against the drumlike thud of his own. It only enhanced the power of his longtime love for this honorable woman warrior.
The moments flowed like light dancing off shimmering water. Rainbow colors continued to encircle them, and Ana was glad she had her sixth sense up and running. She’d have missed half the act of sharing their love, of coming together with Mace, if she had been shut down.
“I love you, Ana,” he rasped against her brow. “Whatever happens from here on out, we have each other. We know we’re strong together.”
Ana smiled lazily. “I’m stunned by our love. I felt it through the ages…and I can feel it now. I don’t ever want to stop feeling it, Mace.”
“What we have now will only blossom with time, Ana,” he whispered against her velvety cheek. “You can never destroy love. And love will destroy the darkness. What we have is special, something so rare. We’re lucky to be together right now.”
She pressed another kiss to his damp shoulder. “I do feel lucky—so lucky—that we have one another. It’s all that counts and all we’ll ever need.”
Mace agreed. He felt her hot, fluid body still holding him tightly, a willing captive within her. The drive to be one melted Mace even more. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of Ana, enough of her generous, honorable heart. As he held her, he silently promised to help her overcome the terrible realizations about her father. He ran his palm along her firm shoulder and down her strong, supple spine. He wanted to support Ana, hold her in moments of grief and weakness, and to celebrate the joy of their love. They could push back the darkness. A day at a time. An hour at a time.
Dark Truth Page 20
