A Guardian's Passion

by Stein Willard

  “There is a new renegade in town. A woman.”

  Trinity sat up, frowning. Having to deal with Tristan was hard enough, but to have Mary here too could only spell trouble.

  “Is it Mary?” she asked and swung her feet off the bed. Behind her she felt Gabriella place a soft hand on her back.

  “No. She says her name is Clarissa and that you know each other.” Tahlia was practically vibrating with anger.

  At the mention of the name, Trinity felt a wave of dizziness come over her. Luckily Gabriella reached out an arm to steady her and kept her from toppling off the bed. It can't be. It must be a trick. Clarissa was dead. She saw her die. What is this? Why now? Why would this impersonator choose this moment to complicate my life more? She could feel the amber eyes on her, but was not ready for the questions she knew were visible in those tawny depths. Instead she kept her focus on Tahlia.

  “Where is she?”

  “Outside. Jonas and Pierre are with her.”

  “Who's Clarissa? And how do you know each other?” Gabriella asked carefully from behind.

  Tahlia looked at Gabriella and back to Trinity.

  “I will wait outside.”

  ~~~~

  Chapter Twelve

  Trinity could sense Gabriella's rising tension.

  “Who's Clarissa, Trinity?” This time there was a sharp edge to Gabriella's voice and Trinity turned to look at Gabriella. The amber eyes were anxious. “How do you know each other?”

  Trinity swallowed before she answered.

  “She…she was my first love.”

  Gabriella's body tensed up even further and she slowly swung her feet off the bed.

  “I don't understand.”

  Scenes of that fateful night four centuries ago rushed through her mind. Tristan. His bloodied clothes. Clarissa lying on the floor, dying.

  “Talk to me, Trinity.”

  “Clarissa is Tristan's sister. We all grew up together and then we…Clarissa and I…fell in love.” She looked at Gabriella and felt her heart break at the betrayal she saw in the amber eyes. “But Tristan killed her. I saw him bite her.”

  Gabriella walked to the end of the bed, her eyes holding Trinity’s with a deep intensity.

  “You never told me about her. Why?”

  “Because it was so long ago. Four hundred years is a long time, Gabriella.” She came to her feet and felt them buckling before they steadied. “We were in love.” She carefully walked over to where Gabriella stood. “You need not worry about her. Maybe the person waiting out there is simply an imposter.”

  Gabriella stared at her long and hard and with infinite sadness, Trinity became aware of the invisible gap between them. It grew wider with every second they spent looking at each other. Trinity desperately reached out to take Gabriella's hand. Her relief was great when Gabriella didn't pull away. Instead, she allowed her to take it, but it was cold and almost dead to the touch.

  “Come with me.”

  Tahlia stood at the foot of the staircase when they stepped out of the enclosure. She quickly stepped closer and effortlessly swung Trinity into her arms.

  “Just in case this is a ruse, I do not want you to show any weakness.” Tahlia's voice sounded dark and deadly, but when her eyes found Gabriella, they softened slightly. “Are you OK?”

  Trinity felt her heart burn at the pain she saw in the amber eyes.

  “I'll be fine. I will wait here with Inger.” With one last look in Trinity's direction, Gabriella walked away.

  †

  Standing on a hill outside that overlooked the mansion where Trinity was supposedly staying, Clarissa was well aware of the deadly vampires guarding her. She tried her best not to cower in their presence. She'd heard whispers about the Royal Clan vampires, but after having been around Tristan and Mary and seeing their deadly power, she'd began to doubt the hushed rumors of the immense power that the Deadly Four, as the Royals were referred to, wielded.

  Now she could see that it wasn't just rumors. The two vampires, who stood silently on opposite sides from her, were tremendously powerful. She could sense the power in the air surrounding each of them. The dark one's eyes were staring at her as if he couldn't wait to tear into her, whereas the blonde one stared at her with cold expressionless eyes.

  She'd managed to escape from Mary's castle in Germany after she'd overheard one of the guards mentioning that Trinity was alive and came straight here eager to be reunited with her love. She felt her heart expand in anticipation. Strange how she now wished she'd first made a call or something before showing up. She saw a movement out of the corner of her eyes and to her dismay more hunters stepped out of the dark. All of them stared at her with unblinking eyes.

  Clarissa swallowed hard. These guys made Tristan and Mary look like amateurs. The circle broke and a tall, dark vampiress stepped forward. She stared at her with cold black eyes and this time Clarissa felt her stomach turn. The Vampire Queen was back. But where is Trinity? As she watched, the vampire leader took a sideways step and Clarissa gasped when Trinity stepped out from behind the Vampire Queen.

  “Copperhead…” she whispered and instinctively took a step closer only to have a row of hunters step forward too. She saw the shock on Trinity's face and the green eyes became hooded

  “Clarissa.” She took a careful step closer, but Tahlia held her back.

  “She is Tristan’s sister. Do not forget that.”

  “I will not.”

  Trinity met Clarissa halfway and they stood staring at each other. Clarissa was the first to break the silence.

  “Had I known you were alive, I would have come earlier. But I was kept in the dark concerning your existence.”

  “I thought you were dead too. What happened?”

  Clarissa reached out to touch Trinity's hand, but Trinity took a careful step back. Clarissa almost doubled over from the pain that pierced her heart. Things had changed. Trinity was different. What did she expected? Four hundred years was a long time and Trinity had obviously moved on. More, she didn't trust her. It was obvious in the guarded look in the green eyes.

  “You do not trust me, do you?” As she asked the question, she could already see the answer in the green eyes. “Why would you think that I would want to hurt you?”

  Trinity lowered her gaze slightly before answering.

  “Tristan is in town. He tried to kill me last night.” The green eyes hardened. “And then you suddenly rose from the dead after four hundred years. You could be spying for him.”

  †

  Trinity looked away after having said that. It was difficult saying these things to Clarissa, but they needed to be said. When she looked back towards Clarissa, she took a hasty step backwards. The usually beautiful serene face contorted with hatred and the usually gentle brown eyes spat fire.

  “Do not say that pig's name in my presence. I have vowed to track him down once I had found you and to take revenge for what he had done to us and to our families.” Her voice was hoarse with emotion. “Are you going to help me?”

  Trinity stared at Clarissa for a while, her gaze pensive. Could she be pretending? Maybe, Trinity told herself, just maybe she was in cahoots with her vicious brother. But when she thought of what he had done to Clarissa and her parents, she told herself that the icy tantrum Clarissa just threw could very well be the real thing. Tristan was an animal. She needed to be sure.

  “You never really told me what happened after Tristan bit you and I lost consciousness.”

  †

  Clarissa glanced at the vampires who were still staring at her coldly. Even they didn't trust her and all because she shared the same blood as the vermin she despised with all her being. Looking back at Trinity she remembered the last time she'd looked upon her beautiful face. It was with a grunting Tristan raping her savagely. She closed her eyes tightly to dispel the disturbing image.

  “When he was finished with you, I too had lost consciousness by then, I suppose, because I remember him slapping my face to wake me. He
forced me to drink from his wrist and the next time I opened my eyes, I was in the dungeon of the castle. Tristan came back the next night, telling me that he had slaughtered your father and brother and that he was taking you with him to Italy to be his plaything before he killed you.”

  Clarissa opened her eyes and felt a small red tear trickle down her cheek. “I knew he was obsessed with you, but I never thought he could be so callous when it came to you. He left me there, hungry and thirsty for two nights before sending a gang of vampires to take me to a castle in Germania. I later found out that the castle belonged to Mary and that she was to be my keeper.”

  Clarissa quickly looked away, guilt and shame burning in the pit of her stomach. When she continued, her voice shook slightly. “I did horrible things to survive. Things I am not proud of. Things I will have to answer for to God one day.” The brown eyes settled on Trinity again and this time they were cold. “Mary would starve me for days and just when I thought I was going to go crazy with hunger, she'd send in a servant for me to feed on. By that time it was too late to control the beast and…” Clarissa couldn't get herself to finish the sentence. The screams of those she had killed to sate her hunger still rang loud in her eyes. So many innocents died needlessly. “I wish I had a choice which could have led to another outcome.”

  Clarissa frowned as the hunters began to hiss, their eyes searching the hills.

  †

  Tahlia stepped closer and swung Trinity into her arms. The other hunters were already forming a circle around them.

  “There are renegades approaching. I will bring you to the mansion quickly.”

  Trinity shook her head and Tahlia frowned.

  “He is with them, I can smell him. Let me stay and face him.”

  This time it was Tahlia who shook her head.

  “Either you promise to stay out of the fighting or I will take you to the mansion.” Tahlia's voice brooked no arguments and Trinity accepted defeat gracefully. Tahlia stared at her a few seconds longer before pushing her behind her back. “Lift the hood of your cape.”

  “What about Clarissa?” Trinity asked, sensing the renegades closing in fast.

  “What about her? Her brother made her live for a reason, maybe we will find out why tonight.”

  And then Tristan was there.

  †

  Tristan's anger knew no bounds when he recognized his sister standing amongst the Royals. Mary had informed him three days ago that Clarissa had escaped after she had overheard a conversation where Trinity's name was mentioned. He immediately had an idea of where to start looking for her. When he was close enough he could see the hatred in his sibling's dark eyes.

  “It is nice to see you, sister dear. It has been too long.” His tone was mocking, but he was seething inside. He hated it when things did not go according to plan. Mary was supposed to hold onto the little twit for just a few more weeks, allowing him enough time to conclude his master plan.

  “I am nothing to you, Tristan,” Clarissa snapped back, her dark eyes glowing blood red. “You stopped being anything to me when you killed our parents.”

  Tristan folded his arms behind his back and smiled. His eyes never left Clarissa, but he was acutely aware of the Royals moving about, constantly shifting positions. Their blurred movements were making his group nervous and he must admit that he too was becoming slightly unsettled. Drake and Mercredi were amongst the strongest vampires he had ever met and these Royals cut them down as if they were mere fledglings. His eyes scanned the group until it came to rest on the hooded figure standing slightly behind the Vampire Queen. He couldn't make out the face of the person, but his sharp sense of smell easily identified the figure.

  “Trinity, my love, how good to see you are still in one piece. After our little misunderstanding last night I thought I would never see you again.” His gave a dark laugh. “No matter what you and others may think, I do not want to hurt you. I simply want to show you my adoration.” He turned to look at Clarissa and found her staring at him with burning hatred. “You can ask Clarissa. We both consider you a sibling and we both loved you as such…and then a little more. What say you, sister dear?”

  “Get to the point, Tristan. Listening to you talking is giving me a terrible headache,” Trinity snapped and Tristan felt his anger rise. One day, he swore, he will make the arrogant bitch eat her words. His dark eyes turned to seek out the Vampire Queen's and he felt a shudder run through him. The woman was staring at him with a look of death.

  “I never wanted to drag you into this fight, Your Majesty, but it is still not too late for both our sides to step out of this without too much blood being shed.” The black eyes didn't even blink. They simply stared back at him. “Give me Trinity and I promise to leave your city, the continent if you like. Just hand her over to me now.” He held out his hand.

  Tahlia took a sudden step forward which brought her within a few feet from him and Tristan felt his heart stutter at the speed with which the woman had moved. When he looked around, he saw that the hunters too had shrunk the gap between him and his now nervous-looking gang of renegades. Tahlia stared at him with so much intensity that he felt cold sweat breaking out on his skin.

  “Too late for that now, renegade. When you tried to kill us last night you issued a challenge that we gladly accept.” She reached under her black ankle-length jacket and pulled out her broadsword. “Trinity was right. All this talking is giving me a headache too.” She lifted her sword and when she pointed the sharp blade straight at Tristan's heart. On cue, the hunters sprang into action.

  †

  From where she sat on the bed in Gabriella's room, Inger knew the exact moment that the battle started. She could feel the rush of adrenaline pulsing through Paloma’s body. She turned sharply to Gabriella.

  “There’s trouble. They are fighting renegades.”

  Inger was dismayed to find Gabriella still looking back at her with the same hurt expression she'd carried for the past half hour. Gabriella reached for a pillow and wrapping it around her face, she fell back on the bed.

  “If you need to go and help, then maybe you should,” came Gabriella’s muffled reply.

  Inger reached for her leather jacket. She had learned her lesson well over the years. The last time they were in situation like this, Mercredi had sent ghouls to the house to kill them while the hunters were distracted. She also knew that renegades were not very creative and that the past might very well repeat itself. She pulled the pillow away from Gabriella's ears and the look she gave her, made Gabriella sat up quickly.

  “What's wrong?”

  “Round up the staff and take them down to the bunker just in case we are being ambushed again,” she said sharply and left the room.

  She found Genevieve in the bunker already busy arming herself with her much loved bow and arrow. That was the only weapon she ever used and Inger had seen the woman in action before. She was extremely deadly.

  “I sense a group of people approaching from the back of the house. Will you take the front while I meet them?” Genevieve looked back at her. “Get the staff to safety and do not let anyone though the door, Inger.” She dissolved, leaving Inger to hurriedly arm herself.

  Armed and ready, Inger ran back upstairs and met with Gabriella who was herding the staff to the stairs leading to the cellar. Inger nodded when Gabriella gave her the thumbs up sign and went to the windows. The front of the house looked safe. She took the stairs two at a time to her grandparents' suite to check on them. She found them reading in bed and after sketching out the problem to them, she urged them to lock up. The last time the house was breached, Tahlia had decided to convert James and Rafina's room to an ultra-modern safe room. The doors slide closed at the press of a button and laser sensors crisscrossed the area between the steel bars and the suite door.

  When she re-entered the lounge, Inger quickly reached for her guns. A strange woman stood in the center of the room, her dark brown eyes resting on Gabriella, who was staring back at the woman as i
f she was the very devil.

  “Who are you and how the hell did you get in here?” she snapped aiming both guns at the woman. The blonde head turned her way and Inger was puzzled by the pain and anger she saw on the woman's beautiful face. A shadow emerged from out of nowhere and Inger sighed with relief. Paloma! Her one-man cavalry was here. With Paloma in the house everything was under control. The glittering silver eyes quickly scanned Inger’s body to ensure she wasn't hurt.

  “This is Clarissa. She is Tristan's sister.”

  “What?” Inger gasped. This beautiful, elegant woman could surely not be related to that bloodthirsty maniac. But then, looks could be deceiving.

  “It seems as if brother and sister had a little falling out, but to be on the sure side, we will keep her safe until we know what we have to do with her.”

  A loud snort made them turn to look at the renegade vampiress. Her brown eyes were boring into Gabriella's.

  “You!” Clarissa spat, her eyes burning with jealousy. “She reeks of you.”

  Inger aimed and cocked her guns again when Clarissa took a step in Gabriella's direction. Paloma stepped into the vampire’s path. Her silver eyes were as cold as death as they looked at the renegade.

  “Yes, and she also happens to be the Queen's daughter. Touch her at your own peril, renegade.”

  Inger held her breath and her aim steady, as Clarissa stared at Gabriella for a long uneasy moment. The renegade turned away and walked over to stand at the window.

  “Trinity was…is my first love. The only person I have ever loved and will ever love.” She looked over her shoulder at Gabriella. “I only recently found out that she was alive and set out to find her. I doubt you could ever love her the way I do. So why, do you not just leave her be?”

  Inger turned shocked eyes on Paloma. How could the woman show up after four hundred years and lay claim to Trinity. It was completely absurd. Where had she been all these centuries?