by Susan Reid
After filling them in, plan A was back in full effect and it was time to get ready to do what we all do best for the sake of humans as well as ourselves.
Chapter 35
Gage lingered behind after everyone left to get ready. I had some straightening and cleaning to do, with Nailah’s help, but when I saw him take a seat at the bar counter, I had her go up to my apartment to wait. Twinkie obliged too, trotting close behind her after seeing the can of sardines I gave her to feed him in her hands.
At first, I didn’t like the idea of having her remain with me and letting her wander around freely but it was definitely temporary. Nailah had more to fear with me than I did with her and she knew it.
Her company wasn’t as annoying as I thought it would be though. We actually had a few common interests like music, clothing styles, and television shows.
I only had a few moments to clean up and then get myself ready while waiting on everyone else to do the same. I hated leaving messes and I know I’d be too tired to get it done when we returned. We wouldn’t be ready to open early in the morning if I didn’t.
Clee, Elvie, and Duncan quickly went to work assembling and bringing to life three giant Golems as sentries outside.
I put on my traditional 90’s R & B music before I began arranging the chairs onto the tables, shortly after clearing up the dishes and drinks from the meeting.
I think Gage got the hint after a watching me meticulously start wiping down the tables.
“You’re rooming with her now, I see.” he commented first.
“For now. This is temporary, long enough for her to get me a new custom Quadski.”
He smiled and nodded. “That’s very generous of you. You trust her?”
“I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt until she proves me otherwise.”
“Fair enough. I suppose also knowing that you could easily kill her at any given moment sort of helps too.” He pointed out.
I shrugged and nodded.
“You make her nervous though. Ever since that little speech of yours, she seems to be very intimidated by you.”
He laughed softly and stood up. “Good.”
“Erian says there’s a good chance that you and he can come up with a cure for us.” I looked at him briefly.
He walked over to me and I returned my attention to the stubborn stain on the table.
“There’s more promise now but what’s happened to us isn’t a disease or a condition. That’s what makes it even harder to find answers.”
“Oh.” I replied mechanically, disappointed.
I continued to scrub the stubborn spot pointlessly, only stopping when Gage’s hand went over mine and his other slinked around my waist, pulling me against him.
I sighed deeply, automatically aroused by the incredibly delicious warmth of his touch. When he leaned down and pulled my hair back over my shoulder, he began to plant tender, erotically charged kisses along my neck and just beneath my jawbone.
I instantly felt my knees go weak. My heart was hammering wildly. How the hell was I supposed to ever resist him? He was definitely conveying what he was feeling against the small of my back but there was no time for that, not even a quickie. Besides, I was still confused about him.
Seeing Marq show up after all meant so much to me and I felt like a complete bitch skank.
His hand came up to caress my cheek, gently turning my head to meet his lips but I ruined the moment by talking instead.
“We should probably be getting geared up soon. Don’t you need to disappear again and get ready too?” I quickly said, pulling away from him and starting across the room.
He grabbed my hand and stopped me before I could take two steps.
“You must have thought I wouldn’t notice or care that you’ve been avoiding me and any direct eye contact during the entire meeting.”
“That’s not true. “ I lied horribly.
“Give me some credit, Kai.”
I sighed and turned to face him fully this time.
“Alright fine, yes, I’ve been avoiding you because of what you said earlier when I asked you if you’d ever return to your wife.”
He paused and thought for a moment.
“You’re upset with the truth?” He quirked a brow.
“No. I just can’t be with you knowing that you belong to someone else and you’re wishing you could be with her. I mean, you should feel that way.”
I started to turn away but he forced me to look at him, pulling me in against him once again.
“We don’t have time for this…” I said, trying to pull away but he wouldn’t let me go. Before I could say anything else, I realized what he was doing. The music had changed to a love song and he was guiding me into a slow dance.
I had no choice but to look up into his gorgeous eyes and face, and it hurt to see something that I had a very satisfying taste of but could never truly have.
“I take it that you want to know what I meant when I said that I would return to her if I had the chance.” His tone was tender and low.
Yeah, I do.
“What else could you have meant by that?”
He led and I was impressed by his rhythm and slow dancing abilities.
“Closure.”
I looked up at him in confusion.
He paused.
“She’s long since been happily remarried for the last twelve years.”
What? Stunned, I searched his face for hidden meaning.
His lips turned into a half-smile. “I’m over it. I understood and I didn’t expect her to wait for me, heartbroken forever. I do, however, want to return to tell her that I didn’t leave because I stopped loving her, that I was being selfish, or because I found another woman.
I did it to protect her, my daughter, and my entire family. I want her to know that I’m still alive and in good health, so to speak, and that I’m okay with her decision to move on. But more than anything, I want to get to know my daughter and ask her forgiveness for not physically being in her life and missing out on all the important moments that I will never get back.”
I was speechless. His words were sincere and honest, and for that I completely respected and understood where he was coming from and why.
“What made you think they wouldn’t be safe though?”
He sighed softly and hesitated before speaking again,
“I was bitten accidentally in a failed assassination attempt.”
My mouth fell. Someone tried to kill Gage while he was in power?
“I had no idea what was in store for me and when I started to change, it was extremely difficult to hide let alone accept. To make a long story short, once I found out that the Ascendants were behind the attempt, I returned the favor…successfully. I took out as many as I could in addition. Nailah’s father came to power after the one before him—the one I killed.”
“So that’s really why they’ve been after you and they know what you look like.”
He nodded. “Even though I faked my own death and disappeared to keep both her and my daughter safe, I wanted to be extra cautious. Our army is strong and powerful enough to protect the city from any kind of invasion but their personal protection I had to ensure for myself.”
Okay, I’m going to cry now. Feeling his pain and seeing it in his eyes made me want to just hold and comfort him while he spoke. I know the pain of feeling incomplete, never getting to say goodbye and missing those you loved. We both had much more in common after all.
“Why didn’t you just tell me all of this in the beginning? I mean, I had to find out from Erian what you had going on and who you really were.”
He smiled.
“I find that when people know certain things about you, they start acting differently.”
“Well, I’m not a sugar baby or a gold digger if that’s what you mean.”
“I know that you aren’t. I’ve always been very low-key, very discerning, and very picky when it comes to many things. It’s not very often, if it hap
pens at all, that you find someone who you’re in complete sync with. Someone who you connect with and who matches your wavelength to perfection. I was forced to give it up once and I’ve spent a lifetime trying to find it again. Now that I have, I’ll be damned if I allow myself to lose it.”
I understood exactly what he meant and what he was talking about. I felt it too, and though it was strange to me, the soul energy that sparked and connected us was powerful, matching up perfectly with each other.
On the surface, the sub-domina compatibility didn’t make sense. Tigers and Jaguars don’t mix even if they are both of the feline persuasion. While both are territorial and vicious when provoked, the Guardian Tigers were more protective and nurturing. I couldn’t say much about the Jaguars because I didn’t know much about them. Although he admitted to being trained to be cold and brutal, I just couldn’t see that in Gage...not completely anyway.
Heart swelling, I was torn between making love or simply holding him comfortingly in my arms. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for either anyway.
“I hope you’re talking about being with me.” I joked.
“No, I’ve just poured out my heart and soul to you in hopes that you’ll pass it on. You make me laugh, you’re beautiful, and you have a huge and loving heart…”
I cut him off, “I don’t know about that. I’m definitely no saint. You’re the benevolent one.”
“No one said anything about sainthood and believe me, benevolence for me may be a stretch. You’re the one that had the idea of creating a place that brings beings who would never associate with each other, let alone become friends and allies, together. And getting an undine to fall head-over-heels in love with you as a non-undine definitely takes an incredible allure and heart.” Gage pointed out.
I smiled, flattered.
“But most importantly, you turn me on because you’re just as dangerous as I am…Skai Lily Blossom.” He grinned.
“I’m beginning to regret telling you my full name.” I squinted my eyes at him playfully.
He laughed and then whispered reverently, “Don’t.” before leaning down to kiss me.
Chapter 36
The three, ten-foot Golems that Clee, Duncan, and Elvie had created using trees, boulders, coconuts, and clay from the Earth, were left to slowly march back and forth and guard both the Island and the bar in our absence.
The storm that was supposed to be here at around nine had abruptly changed course and was nearing landfall a little later than Isis had predicted. But it was going to be a catastrophic one, which was going to be a great asset in our favor, even with the help of Marq, Syhenna, and their friends. The sky was darker than dark since the iron gray clouds completely obscured the moon and stars.
In its growing fury, it brought in gale force winds and a constant misting spray of salty water from the wildly churning Pacific Ocean. Though the crowd of people had already begun to thin out because of the impending storm and lightning strikes in the distance, it wasn’t enough. There were still way too many gawkers and those who didn’t mind risking their lives to capture something phenomenal for YouTube videos and their own personal Facebook posts.
I hadn’t anticipated this gateway being this big. It was going to take a lot of energy to close. Looking around at all the elemental and supernatural beings that had already come through and were attempting to blend in with the humans, was going to make this a bit difficult.
They weren’t Nocturna but not all of them were considered friend or neutral, like the four hideous, hag-like Wisps that came through, searching for human bodies to suck life energies from.
“You sure you’re gonna be okay to handle yourself if needed?” I asked Nailah.
“I’m tired of running and hiding. I’m definitely ready.” She affirmed.
I armed myself with my trusty Bushido Katana, my rifle, and a several dozen new and improved darts, thanks to Gage. He had taken the technology of what those Nocturna had used on him and mass-produced a more effective arsenal at one of his labs specifically for us.
Turns out that was one of the reasons why he was always disappearing back and forth. In fact, he still had much he had to oversee, advise, sign off on, contribute to, and research constantly at several of his lab locations.
When Gage returned, he was dressed in an outfit similar to the one that we saw him in when we first met, the long duster like covering. This one looked a tad more casual though and he wasn’t wearing the hat. Across his chest, in an ‘X’ formation, were two black gun harnesses and resting in each one were tricked out, futuristic-looking, all chrome revolvers. Strapped along the bottoms of each of his forearms was a ribbon of ammunition. The sunglasses were a definite sign of skilled fighter but I wondered why he felt the need to wear them now.
He was an instant walking fantasy and I was so ready for an encore from the other night with him.
“I miss using the trusty extension of my right hand.” I said gripping the hilt of my katana. “This will be a huge missed opportunity to stock up. You’re cool and sexy enough without the movie star shades and I’m loving the guns. You’re gonna have to let me shoot sometime.” I smiled, nodding to the complicated design of his guns and the ammunition.
“We don’t want anyone knowing who we are and what we prefer to eat, which is why I wanted you to fill up before leaving. For me, the sunglasses and the hood are more to conceal my face. And as for shooting, I’m not quite sure you can handle the power in these.” He smiled, holding open his duster and pointing to both guns.
I admired them and then smirked. “Signature weapons of choice for the Phantom Jaguars?”
“And custom made for me.”
“I think I’ve already proven that I can handle just about anything you’ve got.”
He paused as if reminiscing and thinking about the other night.
“That, you did. Good point.” He nodded and grinned.
Cole, Pierce, and Jax were covering Clee, Elvie, and Duncan to keep them protected while they did their casting. I didn’t really think Clee should be out here with us at all in her condition but we needed her. She was one of the most powerful Animators that we had and this was her plan after all. Stone, Phillip, Max, and Erian and his friends were covering Noemi, Elvie, Sage, Isis and all of her Sylph buddies. Even though Riza could hold well on her own, being that she was really bad-ass, her fire elemental friends, Jade, Sparkle, and Lew were assisting and they always had each other’s backs.
Natives and tourists were scampering to get out of the potentially deadly storm but they weren’t moving fast enough in my opinion. Elvie and Duncan were positioned on either side of the gaping, glowing circular gateway, and Clee was in the center. Their spells and closing chants were already forming spider-webs of glittering lights, which began to crisscross across the opening.
“When should we start with the waves?” Marq asked, his head breaking the surface of the dark, choppy water. Syhenna and the rest of their crew were positioned behind him, all awaiting our direction. His hair was slicked back and his face was glistening under the light of the lamp-posts that lined the expansive docks.
“Go for it, Marq!” Clee called out to him.
He dipped back beneath the water like a stealth shark, and suddenly the surface of the already frothy waves began to roughly churn and ripple. Crests began to form and rise as water rushed and collided violently against the docks and shore, reaching heights of two feet, three…then four, gradually growing larger and stronger.
Humans began to scream and squeal, cursing in Spanish and herding themselves faster inland, all trying to seek safety from the impending hurricane that Marq and his friends were helping to produce. Huge, cold raindrops began to fall harder and faster.
Everyone maintained their designated positions. Gage and I stood the closest to the gateway watching and waiting, cloaked under the cover of darkness and rain. As Hunters, it was our job to scout out all beings based on their body signatures with our infrared vision.
We w
ere marking and separating the supernatural beings and other elementals as they scattered and tried to blend in among all of the humans.
“Nailah, stay hidden. You don’t know if any of them are looking for you and they’ll see you before you see them.” I told her as she crouched low and watched along with Gage and I.
“I’m keeping tabs on who and how many. So far, there haven’t been any from my hometown that have come through.”
Lightning flashed across the sky in several spots in the distance. Thunder didn’t boom until a few seconds later and it rumbled loud across the earth.
“Nailah, lightning. Can you start now?” Elvie called over to her. “We need to start this now, we’re ready!”
Nailah glanced at the sky.
“I’ll try. I can attract the lightning but I need to get someplace higher up.” She said standing and searching for a highpoint.
“Be careful.” I told her.
She nodded. “There! I’ll be up there.” She spotted a narrow, catwalk platform near the southern end of the large dock that electricians would use to check the power of the lamp posts.
“We better get to work. There are a lot of beings still lingering around. They’re taking notice and I don’t have a good feeling about this.” Gage told me.
When I glanced over the entire area through the rain, I noticed the same thing. On the other side, I could see that Riza, Jax, Cole and the others had also taken notice and were converging to maintain a solid front.
“Let’s get in there!” I said, racing towards the dock and completely disregarding the humans who were still trying to scurry to safety.
Torrential rain and monstrous waves forcefully pounded and sprayed water wildly in all directions. Rain began to pour even harder in sideways, blinding, and shimmering sheets. Though it was a great concealment for us, the sound of the surf combined with the thunder was deafening, drowning out most all other voices and screams.
