“Chloroform.” Xavier spoke and that one word had Aggie frozen. His voice was a rich velvety baritone, that sent goosebumps running down her spine.
“That makes sense, no one heard anything and a child would likely react or be upset to have a stranger removing them from their room at night.” Mathius looked deep in thought as he revealed that small tidbit.
“If your bodies don’t react the same way humans do to drugs, why would chloroform do anything to any of you, let alone Rikan?” Aggie was doing her best to keep up, but now dealing with a completely different species of being and therefore outside her realm of knowledge.
“Just like human children have different tolerance, as do our children. While it wouldn’t have knocked him out entirely it may have subdued him not unlike a slow morphine drip used to subdue pain.” Aggie rolled her eyes, of course Liel would answer her question.
“Is he the only one of you guys who knows these answers? No offense, Liel, but you make learning about your people very boring.” Processing the information she received, Aggie started pacing the room. It seemed someone had abducted these kids and subdued them with chloroform. With sleeping children, they didn’t panic or cause a ruckus. “How did they get out?”
A collective sigh rang through the room. Aggie glanced up just as Mathius came to stand beside her. Without saying a word, he gripped her around the shoulders and braced tightly. Aggie didn’t get a chance to speak before the room started swimming. She felt like she had done a bad dose of acid or something equally as awful. When the room finally stopped moving she was no longer standing in the same place. Instead, she was across the room, back in front of Rikan’s wardrobe. Her stomach was in knots. “Breathe deeply the feeling will pass in a moment.”
After a couple of deep breaths Aggie regained the ability to formulate words, “What the hell was that?”
“That, Aggie, was what I mentioned earlier about dusting. To everyone else in the room you merely disappeared as though dust was blown from the mantel. In reality, you phased from one side of the room with me to another. It’s the easiest way for us to travel. Anyone with demonic blood can do that.” Mathius looked proud of himself that he had caught her off guard with his demonstration.
“You’re saying that all of you can do this?” Aggie’s hand flew to her forehead. She was becoming overwhelmed with information and her little impromptu teleportation hadn’t helped only caused her to become dizzy.
“No, only those with demonic blood. Mitchell, Ren, Liel, Xavier and Eldon weren’t blessed with that privilege.” Mathius’s pride was reaching new heights. Aggie put all that together and something clicked.
“You’re a demon as well?” She focused all of her attention on Kyrel and instantly regretted it. She was locked, and couldn’t stop looking at him and before she could stop it, she felt her feet begin to guide her straight for him.
“Yes, well, I’m a kind of demon.” Kyrel spoke and his voice was so captivating that Aggie just wanted to find a way to crawl inside and live in it. Her entire body was at ease and there were no more threats or worries. All that was left was Kyrel and his charisma that had her lost to him. “I’m an incubus.” His words were a story just for her. No one else existed, that is until Mathius smacked Kyrel in the head again and spun her around so she could realign her attention on anything or anyone else.
Aggie shook her head instantly angry, “That is what you have been doing to me? You’ve been using your powers of seduction on me. Why would you do that to me? I should have known there was something magical at work. I never get dopey-eyed over men.” Fuming, partly because she didn’t want to become enraptured again, and partly because she wanted it to be natural attraction, Aggie refused to look at Kyrel.
“Not magical, my powers while they can be used to draw in the opposite sex, and occasionally not the opposite, that only happens when I push out my powers. With you I haven’t done anything of the sort. I would never do that to you unaware. The only thing that I can figure is you are tapping into something more instinctual, more raw.” Mathius cut him off again with another slap to the head. Kyrel never flinched once in the times that Mathius had done that.
“That is enough, we have other things to worry about and I will talk to her about that later.” This piqued Aggie’s interest but given their current situation, she filed that away for later, along with her other questions. “If there aren’t any smells for you two to pick up and no one else is getting anything, let’s all prepare for dinner and then tomorrow we can comb through the physical evidence collected the morning Rikan was discovered missing.”
Chapter 6
Dinner was a quiet affair and Aggie was pleased to find out that even though she was in a demonic realm, there was still normal food to be eaten.
“Was dinner to your liking?” Mathius was walking her back to her room, as everyone else trailed behind.
“Yes, I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but the steak was a pleasant surprise.” Aggie hadn’t seen a spread so large in any buffet on Earth. She felt bad that she couldn’t eat more.
“They knew to prepare for you but didn’t know what you would like.” He hadn’t reverted back to his bristly self all day and for that Aggie was grateful.
“I’m not picky, while I’m willing to try new things, I’m glad it wasn’t anything outside of my comfort zone for my first night. They don’t have to go to any trouble for me. In the future, I’m happy to make do with whatever is provided.” They stopped outside her room and the rest of the men walked straight to their own, most without so much as a glance. She still didn’t know how to feel about most of them, but she wanted to get along with everyone since she was going to be spending more time with them. At first, it was a bit intimidating and farfetched, but now having lived it for a day she realized how real everything was. The thought of these kids in an unfamiliar place held captive by a strange demon was unthinkable. More than anything she wanted to help get them back where they belonged without anything else happening to them.
“Are you still up for that discussion?” Mathius wedged his shoulder between her and the door, to prevent her getting past him alone.
“I guess, but I’m getting tired, so let’s make it quick.” She hoped that she sounded convincing, as she didn’t know that she had a lengthy discussion in her after her day.
“I will try to be quick and concise. If you have any questions you can ask them or wait until tomorrow. I’m afraid though that the details I need to reveal to you can’t be put off for long.” Reaching for the doorknob, Aggie noticed it glowed softly under his hand. It was so fast it was nearly imperceptible.
“Are these rooms locked like Rikan’s?” She stopped before entering because she was intrigued. Mathius nodded and pushed the door open further. “Then why doesn’t it glow when I touch it?”
“That will be answered before the night has come to an end. Please head inside as the information I have to give you is sensitive and I fear you won’t want anyone hearing it until you are more prepared.” Mathius waved her inside and she followed his encouraging and he shut the door behind them.
Aggie sat on the bed and pulled her legs up and crossed them. If this was going to be a sensitive conversation she was going to be comfortable.
“Aggie, you come from a very special family. The Wasley family are descendant from the first Gatekeepers. It has passed through the bloodlines to each female child. It will pass through the male children as a carrier to keep the family line intact.” Mathius was starting to sound like Liel. If it weren’t for the facial expression and tonal changes she would have questioned him.
“There is a part of being the Gatekeeper that is a choice for each to uphold. It doesn’t eliminate the position or the importance at all, but the choice is a difference of power. Your ancestors, including Blythe, your grandmother, chose not to take on every role and just chose to maintain the doors in the gateway. If you so choose, you could ultimately be the ninth Guardian.” Aggie was glad she was sitting d
own, but Mathius wasn’t finished.
“In order for you to accept your role as the ninth Guardian and full Gatekeeper of the realms, you must consummate your bond between the Guardians individually. With that, you will take on your complimenting powers to each one of the Guardians,” Mathius stopped. Aggie wasn’t sure if he was finished or if she even understood him correctly. She didn’t know if she could straighten her thoughts into questions or if she was destined to be lost in the chaos forever. Since she wasn’t speaking Mathius reached over and took her hand. The warmth spread instantly and the buzzing in her chest, that felt like home and everything she could ever want, was like it had never left her. Aggie found herself leaning into his touch and before she could connect any other body parts to his, he spoke again.
“That is why we feel this connection when we touch.” Aggie’s eyes flew open and felt her mouth drop again. He gently closed it before pulling both hands back again to his own lap.
“You feel it too? I’m not crazy then.” She breathed a sigh of relief, but then his words fell into place. “You're saying I’m meant to have sex with all of the Guardians? Did you guys have sex to form your bond?” She felt silly for even asking, but the way he worded it, that was exactly how it sounded to her, not that she would fault them if that was the case.
Mathius scoffed at her, “Of course not, our powers are natural. You are human and must be gifted powers when you accept your full role as Gatekeeper and ninth and final Guardian. Yours is most important and strengthens the internal bond between all of us. We will not only be stronger, but nothing will be able to defeat us as a completed unit.”
“You only answered one of my questions. I’m supposed to have sex, with all of you?” Aggie wasn’t put off by the idea but just wanted to get clarification. She found each of the men attractive in their own ways, but she hoped she had time to get to know them all individually before asked toconsummate anything.
“It isn’t only about the sex, it is about the bond. You must choose to mate each of us. There is one true mate for everyone and ours is the Gatekeeper. While we can mate with anyone we please, it will become more intimate and complete with the one truly meant for us. In our case, it is you.” Mathius’s eyes darkened at his own words and he drew a bit closer, as though the idea of mating her was the only thing he ever wanted to do.
Aggie’s thoughts caught up with her like a scratch across a record player, “Wait! You’re saying I’m supposed to have sex with all of you. So, all I am to you is the power equivalent to a broodmare? Without me, you all don’t come into your full power?”
“You’re overthinking this. You get powers as well. So, it is what you humans would call a win-win situation.” Mathius’s words had Aggie fuming.
Before she could say anything, that she might later regret, Aggie simply pointed at the door. “I think it is time you left me to sleep. I’m not sure I can rationally speak to you anymore without a good night’s rest and some coffee tomorrow morning.”
“Now Aggie,” before Mathius could continue, she opened the door and shoved him toward the hallway. While he was stronger and heavier than her, she was determined to rid her personal space of him.
When she couldn’t budge him, her voice rose louder and echoed down the hallway, “Mathius, if you don’t walk out of here on your own, I will march my happy butt all the way down to your room and lock your ass out!”
“You can’t lock me out of my own room.” He said with a devilish smirk. “Did I not prove to you earlier that people coded to the room can just phase in? It is my room, even if you could figure out how to get in there before me and shut the door. I could get in purely because it is my room.”
“Don’t attempt to cloud my opinion with logic, that up until today wouldn’t have been even remotely considered logic, mind you. I want you out of here so I can get some sleep.” She was practically shouting at this point and she was pretty sure she heard at least one door latch click, meaning someone had come out into the hall to enjoy the show. “Whoever is out there, come get this goon out of my room this instant.”
Moments later Kyrel came into view, not who Aggie was expecting at all. “What seems to be the problem?” Aggie avoided looking directly at him for fear of his hypnotic entrapment. The idea that he was an incubus was a teasing thought. One she might consider pondering once alone and allowed to consider all this new information.
“He dropped a bomb on me and expected me to react better than I did. Now I need him to leave while I digest everything that I’ve learned today.” Aggie thought she did a good job of reining in her temper, since she wasn’t angry with Kyrel, even if she couldn’t actually look at the demon.
“A bomb?” Kyrel’s face was a mix of emotions and Aggie realized while these men looked like men they weren’t human. So, she needed to watch the human phrases and slang around them.
“I made her aware of her options and possible destiny.” Mathius relayed, with little remorse for upsetting her. His words were matter-of-fact as though they had been discussing the weather. Aggie watched as Kyrel’s eyes darkened.
“Oh no you don’t, not you too. I’m taking the rest of the night for me and letting myself have a much-needed break. If you would be so kind as to help me remove this bastard from my room, I’ll get the rest of my plans started.” With a slight nod, Kyrel gripped Mathius’s arm and tugged lightly. Aggie rolled her eyes, of course he would move easily for Kyrel. As soon as they were across the threshold, she slammed the door. To her surprise, it didn’t bang as she had hoped. It was as though the door had been pressed closed slowly. So instead, she kicked the door, just for good measure, to release her frustration.
Breathing out a heavy sigh, Aggie decided to take a shower. Thankfully, her room had an en-suite bathroom. She had yet to explore it, but what better time than when she needed to relax. Stepping through the doorway, Aggie gasped suddenly, walking into a glass room. She remembered that the homes in the ice-covered wonderland that was Ahael, looked like glass. What she didn’t realize was that it wasn’t just the ice. Luckily the lower half of the glass was frosted, but the upper portion was clear and she could take in the winter landscape by the light of the moon.
Her eyes glanced around the space, she realized that in addition to a shower, she was blessed with a full-size tub. Upon further inspection it even had modern accessories, like jets. Without much delay Aggie quickly changed her plans in favor of a hot bath and beautiful scenery.
*****
Lost in thought, Aggie found herself thinking of the guys. She would have to be dead to not notice they all were more than attractive. Now that she knew about her future options if she so chose, Aggie couldn’t help her thoughts from roaming the possibilities. She didn’t know if it was her thoughts or the jets flowing through the water, but she couldn’t stop the tingling between her legs. Given the fact that she was alone in the bathroom, she gave into temptation. After all the men I’ve dealt with today and the news I was just given, I’m allowed to take care of me now. Aggie figured her train of thought was permission enough. Her fingers trailed down her body, stopping at her nipples and tugging lightly. A moan escaped her lips as her other hand extended farther to her center. As her fingers ran over her sensitive nub, her body thrummed in response. Before long she had worked herself into a rhythm, tweaking her aching nipples and caressing her clit just the way she knew would have her climaxing quickly.
Just as she suspected with the images of the men fresh in her mind, Aggie was tipped over the edge with the strongest orgasm she had ever experienced. It racked her body with such an explosion she didn’t know she would ever come back down to earth. When her muscles finally relaxed, Aggie was breathless. If these men caused such a reaction just from the pictures in her mind, what would happen if she had one of them in real life?
A crash sounded from the bedroom side of the door. On instinct she covered her body and watched the door for a second. Then she remembered that only those granted access could enter her room. Leaping
from the tub, she haphazardly threw a towel around her and yanked the door open. Scanning the room, she nearly screamed when she realized what had made the sound.
There standing near the door to the hallway, was Kyrel. He at least had the decency to look sheepish. “What are you doing in here? I thought I told you guys I wanted to be alone.” Aggie was practically screaming and out of breath due to the heart attack he nearly gave her.
“My apologies, Aggie. I couldn’t help myself. Usually in this wing I have no issues, but I sensed your activities and was drawn here almost like a drug.” Kyrel’s eyes remained glued to the floor and for that Aggie was grateful.
“What do you mean sensed my activities?” She scowled at the top of his head, as though it were his eyes.
“It is my nature to feed off of the energies of sexual desires. You basically sent out a homing beacon and I followed it.” Kyrel glanced up slightly but didn’t meet her eyes. Aggie wasn’t sure what would happen if he did. She wanted to hang on to her anger a little longer and not have it taken away on a whim of another creature.
“So, you felt me when I was touching myself?” Her words were hesitant as her anger faded into embarrassment. She was alone in the bathroom. Never would she have gone that far had she known there was an audience a few feet away.
“Your sexual desire was what brought me into the room, but once I was here I might have helped you along a bit.” Gone was his timid shameful act and his smirk rested firmly on his face proud of himself.
“What do you mean you helped me along? Did you come into the bathroom at some point?” Aggie was confused and a bit worried what all this meant.
“I don’t have to be in the same physical space to use my powers on you. I knew you needed to relax and since your mind had already drifted there on its own, I decided to help you be as relaxed as possible.” His grin firmly planted on his face showed Aggie that whatever he had done was more than just stood at the door and listened.
The Final Link_The Gateway Saga Page 5
