Dark Truth

by Lindsay McKenna

  Because of his metaphysical training, Mace understood how coming together with Ana—on a level of pure, unselfish love—made them a team to be reckoned with. Guerra might have slavelike minions and a gathering army, but Mace and Ana had love to combat him with. The Dark Forces hated an open heart, for there was no higher, greater power than love.

  Leaning over, Mace smiled into her eyes. “Our love will see us through, Ana…and I will love you forever….”

  His words cascaded over her and sank into her heart, which beat in rhythm with his. “I like what we have, Mace. I want you at my side. You’re my other half.” Ana caressed his bristly cheek and gazed fervently into his blue eyes. “I like the idea of being together for the rest of our lives. I look forward to it.”

  He gave her a teasing smile. “Right now, I’m centered on this moment.” He glanced over at the clock on the bedstand. “Think we have time for dessert before desayuno?”

  Giggling, Ana stretched like a lithe cat against him. “Oh, Mace, you are my desayuno! And I’m hungry… for you!”

  Laughing with her, Mace felt himself thicken once more within her responsive body. “And I’m starving for you.” As he helped Ana sit up, she locked her thighs against his hips and began to move with him. Mace didn’t care if they shared breakfast with Reno and Calen or not. And if they didn’t, he was sure their hosts would forgive them.

  Right now, his whole attention was focused on the woman in his arms. The love burning in her emerald eyes for him touched his soul, and that sultry smile of hers told Mace she was his and his alone.

  Chapter 15

  Ana studied the blueprints Reno was showing her for the Vesica Piscis Foundation building that would soon be constructed. She stood in his office on the first floor of the condo, with Mace by her side. Absorbing Mace’s closeness, she felt herself responding to his blatant masculinity. Though he was dressed casually in jeans and a red T-shirt, Ana couldn’t stop looking at him. They’d shared so much of each other just this morning.

  When Calen strolled in with a tray of coffee and freshly baked cookies, Ana looked up and smiled. The other woman’s face was rosy and her willow-green eyes sparkled with happiness. She was about three months pregnant, and Ana witnessed the tender look Reno gave his wife as she entered the spacious room.

  “Espresso and midmorning goodies, anyone?” Calen called, setting the mahogany tray on a nearby table.

  Ana curved her hand beneath her hair, twisted it up, pinned it in place with a bright red plastic comb. She grinned at Calen and went over to help her with the tray while the two men continued to talk in low voices about the complex plans. “Nothing like South American espresso,” she whispered with a wicked smile.

  “I can’t live without it,” the other woman confided, pouring the fragrant liquid into small red cups. Her smile suddenly turned into a frown. “Ana? Did you see this?” She pointed to the birthmark on the back of Ana’s neck.

  “What? Oh, my birthmark?” Ana self-consciously touched her nape. She wasn’t comfortable letting others see the symbol that marked her as Tupay. Even though she knew Reno and Calen accepted her as being of the Light, the mark was there. Out of habit, and without thinking, she’d put up her hair.

  Calen came around the table and placed her hands on Ana’s shoulder. “Did you see this?” she repeated.

  Hearing her stunned tone, Ana couldn’t keep the worry out of her own voice. “See what?”

  Mace and Reno lifted their heads in unison and glanced over at them. Ana felt heat flood her cheeks when Calen touched the back of her neck.

  “This is unbelievable. Mace? Reno? Come see this right now,” she called urgently.

  Confused, Ana twisted her head to look at Calen. “What?”

  The other woman pulled her to a bathroom near the office. She picked up a small, round mirror and placed it in Ana’s hands. “Turn around and look at your birthmark!”

  Unsettled by the sudden attention, Ana saw Mace walk toward her. Reno wasn’t far behind. When she lifted the mirror and reflected it off the medicine cabinet mirror, she gasped.

  “I don’t believe this! Calen, is it true? Is my sun symbol…gone? Changed…?”

  Mace eased into the bathroom and bent to look at Ana’s neck. “Incredible,” he murmured, and grinned down at her. “You’ve got the Vesica Piscis birthmark now. The Tupay symbol is gone.” He rubbed the area with his finger. “Yeah, you’ve got the symbol for the Light on your neck now, Ana.”

  She stared at it in disbelief. “But how, Mace? I thought birthmarks lasted forever.”

  Calen gave a giddy laugh and patted her on the shoulder. “Hey, we live in a magical world, Ana. We just forget that. I bet if you ask GrandmotherAlaria about this, she’d be able to tell you what happened. Don’t forget, your mother’s symbol changed, too. Why not yours?”

  Mace leaned down and pressed a tender kiss on Ana’s slender neck. “Now you’re really one of us, sweetheart. You always were. Your birthmark has changed to make it official.” He searched Ana’s stunned green eyes as she lowered the mirror.

  “I—I just can’t believe this.”

  Reno checked it out, too, and grinned. “Your mother was a Warrior for the Light. You have her genes, and always lived in Light. Why isn’t it possible that your own dark side would go away, become less pronounced in every way as you consciously chose the path? You agreed to help us find the Emerald Key. You fought your father and stopped him from killing Mace,” Reno said. “Maybe it changed then? When you made a decision never to be like him?”

  Calen smiled happily as she led Ana back to the office and handed her a cup of espresso. “We know our physical body conforms to our emotions and thoughts. That’s why some people get sick and others stay well.” She handed Mace and Reno their cups. “Those who get deluged by their emotions fall ill. Those who process and release them stay healthy. Why couldn’t the symbol on your neck change? I think it’s wonderful. Welcome to the club.” She grinned broadly.

  Ana was shaken by the discovery. She kept touching her neck and giving Mace questioning looks. When had the transfer taken place? Something deep inside her heart told her the change had occurred as she and Mace made long, passionate love that morning. Not that she’d been aware of it; no, she’d been floating in light and joy that suffused her inside and out.

  Mace’s heated look spoke volumes. He nodded briefly, as he was in touch with her thoughts on a telepathic level.

  “Well,” Ana said softly, settling on one of the wooden stools at the drafting table, “I just hope it never changes back to that Tupay symbol.”

  Mace came up behind her and kissed her neck. “Don’t worry, you’ve turned a corner in your life, sweetheart. Many people come from less than healthy backgrounds, or from dark beginnings, but that doesn’t mean they have to stay there. You’re living proof change can happen. A real role model in every sense of the word.”

  Calen smiled across the table as she eased herself down on another stool, next to her husband. “If you ever had any doubts about who and what you are, this sign should convince you. It’s a wonderful gift. A miracle.”

  Ana nodded and sipped her coffee. Calen had thoughtfully brought some warm lemon cookies that her housekeeper, Eliana Santos, had just baked for them. Nibbling on one, she felt Mace glide his hand comfortingly across her shoulder.

  “Now you won’t have to be ashamed of your birthmark,” he told her. “You don’t have to leave your hair down all the time to hide who and what you are.”

  “I was just thinking that.” A giddy feeling of relief flowed through Ana. She saw the pride in the eyes of the group surrounding her. A sense of belonging swept through her, and for the first time in her life, Ana realized she had a real family. That didn’t mean she didn’t love John and Mary Rafael, who’d adopted her. They would always be the mother and father of her heart, and an integral part of her life. And, she had a grandfather who she was going to integrate back into her life shortly. But she relished the sense of being pa
rt of a larger, spiritual family who loved her, respected her and looked upon her as an equal. Ana was no longer the Daughter of Darkness, a pariah, an outcast shunned and feared by others. She was now, officially, a Warrior for the Light, fighting for the cause of peace.

  Reno held up his espresso in a toast. “Welcome to our world, Ana. You’re one of us now.”

  Feeling the heat of a blush stain her cheeks, Ana realized Reno, too, had read her thoughts. She saw the sparkle in his cinnamon-colored, intelligent eyes, felt the warrior energy exuding from him. Holding up her cup, she grinned in response. “Thanks, Reno…and everyone. It feels good to have such a beautiful spiritual home.”

  “Home,” Mace murmured. He slid onto the stool beside Ana, embracing her. Looking at the other team members, he said in a suddenly emotional tone, “You know, we are all coming home. To here. Now. And our spiritual grandparents, Alaria and Adaire, are guiding us. It’s nice to know we have a team not only here on this physical dimension, but in the Other Worlds, as well.”

  Ana leaned her head on Mace’s shoulder. “After not knowing who I was, well, home feels wonderful to me,” she confided in a choked voice.

  “I was homeless until I met Calen,” Reno admitted, with warmth in his gaze as he regarded his wife.

  “And I was orphaned at age seven,” Calen confided. “So you see, Ana, we were all lost in one way or another until we met.” Her eyes glistened. “And now we’re creating a new family of a sort. Only the mission we’re undertaking isn’t just for ourselves, it’s for all our relations.”

  “It’s for Mother Earth,” Mace agreed in a serious tone. He gazed down at Ana’s upturned face and absorbed the love she had for him. His heart opened even more, if that was possible. “The four of us bring unique talents and knowledge for our coming missions. And I know we’re making a difference in the world.”

  “I agree,” Calen said, slipping her arm around Reno’s narrow waist and squeezing. “The other two members of our cosmic family will be arriving this afternoon. I’m anxious to meet them. I know they don’t yet realize any of what is going on in a greater spiritual sense, the war between Taqe and Tupay forces.”

  “But they will,” Mace said grimly, sipping his espresso. “They might be from the educational branch, but each has special talents in areas we don’t.”

  “I wonder what paranormal abilities they have?” Ana murmured.

  “We’ll find out shortly,” Reno replied.

  “In my dreams, they were clearly the two meant to help us,” Calen said. “I trust the guidance I get that way.”

  “Grandmother Alaria said dreams are a wonderful pipeline of information,” Ana said. “She said she’d help me develop in that area, too.”

  “Listen, you’re a jaguar shape-shifter. You and dreams are synonymous.” Calen laughed, giving Reno a knowing glance. “I’m sure Mace is a great dreamer, too.”

  Mace smiled at Ana. “As a child growing up, I received half my education in my dreams at night. And I dreamed of Ana after I met her. It shows dreams can and do come true.”

  Warmth suffused Ana’s heart as she met Mace’s gaze. His eyes were filled with love—for her.

  Calen set aside her cup and pulled a piece of paper from her pants pocket. Opening it, she said to them, “Speaking of dreams, this is the one I had about where Kendra and Nolan need to start their search for the next emerald sphere.” She flattened the paper on the desk before the group.

  Ana frowned and studied the scribbled ink drawing. “That looks like a crop circle. Is it?” The beautiful geometric drawing showed two circles next to one another, one slightly smaller than the first. “It looks like the Vesica Piscis symbol, only with the rings pulled apart. They’re not overlapping.”

  Calen nodded and stared down at the drawing. “I thought the same thing. I was also shown a windmill turning on top of a hill.” She glanced around at her cohorts. “Anyone have an idea of what that’s all about? I’m a dreamer, but not necessarily the best interpreter. What in the world would a windmill have to do with this crop circle symbol?”

  Mace traded glances with Reno and Calen. “I know a little about crop circles. I have a great fascination for them. They most often appear in Britain, but have shown up all over the world. The most intense area of concentration, though, is around the Marlborough region in the southwest of England. At one time I wanted to go over there, walk into one and see what I could pick up, energy wise.” He smiled at Calen. “That windmill you dreamed about? Well, one of the hottest areas for crop circles appearances is below Windmill Hill. There’s an old Neolithic fort on top of this hill, and it’s a real power center. There are farms on all sides, and crop circles continually appear in those field. I think your dream is trying to tell you that this symbol—” he pointed to her sketch “—will appear in the Windmill Hill area shortly. That’s my gut feeling.”

  Reno nodded. “I’ve always had an interest in crop circles, too. But it looks like our third team is going to get to explore them up close and personal. And your dream does appear to indicate that specific area, Calen. I wonder if this crop circle has formed yet?”

  She shook her head. “It hasn’t. Before I brought the coffee, I jumped on the Internet and went to a crop circle Web site that shows pictures of all crop circles as soon as they’re found and photographed. So far, there’s no photo of this formation. Kendra and Nolan need to start their search for the next emerald sphere at the next formation. It’s as if we’re being given bread crumbs to follow.”

  “This is so fascinating!” Ana whispered, eyeing the drawing. “Crop circles are symbols, pure and simple. Energy in a symbolic form. All we have to do is figure out what they’re trying to tell us.”

  “Not so simple,” Reno warned. “Calen and I’ve been looking at several books of photos published by a group over in England that routinely flies a paraglider over every new formation. No one knows where they come from. Or what each symbol may mean.”

  Calen rubbed her hands together. “Fear not, intrepid family members, we have arriving shortly two of the world’s most knowledgeable people on this topic. I’m sure they’ll have an opinion or two about my dream.” She grinned and added, “And I’m sure they’ll probably fight like cats and dogs over the meaning. We might have to put them on separate planes bound for England!” She laughed heartily.

  Ana didn’t share Calen’s obvious delight. “Victor is skulking around. I can feel him. He doesn’t have the dream info you have, Calen, but that doesn’t mean he can’t send someone to covertly follow Kendra and Nolan. There’s no guarantee he won’t try and snatch the sphere from them once they find it.”

  Reno nodded grimly. “They have to understand how dangerous this game is,” he stated. “They can’t go into the mission blind or unprepared. We’ll do the best we can to educate them about Guerra and his kind.”

  With a worried frown, Ana whispered, “Kendra and Nolan must be protected. What if Victor possesses one of them? They’ll die…”

  Mace squeezed her tense shoulder. “One step at a time, sweetheart. Let’s get them here and explain things. We don’t even know if they’ll take on the assignment.”

  Calen sighed. “That’s right, Mace. Kendra and Nolan are used to working with facts and pure science. Not mysticism, paranormal events or magic.”

  “Let’s hope they’ve embraced quantum physics then,” Mace murmured with a sly smile. “Because quantum mechanics does explain the invisible dimensions and mystical realms we all live in, whether we’re aware of it or not. If they have, I think they’ll leap at a chance to find the next emerald sphere. After all, they’re archeologists. They live to discover the next important artifact. And it doesn’t get any bigger than finding a piece of the Emerald Key.”

  Ana murmured her assent. With Mace tucking her against his strong, masculine body, she felt safe. And at home.

  There was no question in her heart that in the next week, he was going to ask her to marry him. She’d picked up telepathically on his t
houghts. He wanted her as his wife. He wanted her as the mother of their children.

  Reaching over, Ana squeezed his hand. Mace was now her home and her family. And their children would have a loving mother and father, not to mention wonderful grandparents. Yes, life was suddenly good for Ana. Better than she’d ever thought it could be.

  As she drowned in Mace’s warm blue eyes, her heart blossomed fiercely with love—such great love that for a moment, only the two of them existed. She gazed at him adoringly, knowing she would love Mace—and he would love her—forever.

  * * * * *

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  A Doctor’s Secret by Marie Ferrarella

  Tatania Pulaski loved being a doctor, or more accurately, loved being a resident. Tania was in her fourth year, that much closer to being able to hang up a shingle if she so desired. She loved everything about her duties, even the grosser aspects of it. Very little of what she dealt with at Patience Memorial Hospital fazed her.

  Even so, she took nothing about her journey or her ultimate goal for granted. She, like her three older sisters and her one younger one, had paid her dues and was acutely aware of every inch of the long, hard, bumpy road it had taken to get here. She knew the sacrifices her parents had made and the contributions each of her older sisters had made. It was an unspoken rule: the older always helped the younger. It was just the way things were.