Battle of Forces: Sera Toujours

by Ali Vali

  “It’s at Farthington House outside London.” Her legs twitched with an overwhelming urge to pick Piper up and just bolt.

  “You have another collection of swords in England?” Piper teased her as if trying to defuse the tension. “How many do you need?”

  “I’ve walked through our closet, love, and gotten a look at all your accessories. Don’t think about making fun of me,” she said with a kiss to the tip of Piper’s nose.

  “What else did you see, Piper?” Lenore asked.

  “Kendal’s hair was longer and she wore it down. She was standing on a hillside as if waiting for something to happen.” The tone of Piper’s voice had taken on an almost trancelike quality, sucking them in even more. “Troops stood behind her looking in the same direction as she was, but I couldn’t make out what they were studying.”

  “And the day, what did it look like?” Lenore asked softly in a way that didn’t break Piper’s concentration.

  Kendal pictured the events. She remembered the nervous energy prickling her skin and the weight of the new gift strapped to her side. The rain that made her leather jerkin squeak with every movement had been falling for days, causing her horse to constantly shake his massive head to clear his eyes. In that time, those who knew her thought she was young for a warrior, but her fighting skills were legendary.

  No one thought it wise to challenge Erik Wolver no matter how different he looked from the rest of the northern people. Her dark hair and skin stood out in the sea of fair redheads and blonds, but they’d befriended her and given her a place in their society.

  “It was stormy,” Piper said. “It seemed like everyone’s mood was like the thunder booming around them, except Kendal’s.” In a gesture of what felt like curiosity Piper pulled on the ribbon holding her hair back as if to compare the reality with her dream. “Erik. That was the name you picked in that life, wasn’t it?”

  “Erik Wolver.”

  “But how would I know that? I don’t really remember all the chapters Lenore read from your book, but I’m fairly certain I’d remember the picture of you dressed that way. There wasn’t one.”

  Before Kendal answered, she hugged Piper tight. In her heart it was an act of farewell to the innocent Piper she’d met. “Your grandparents are inside waiting for us.”

  “I asked you a question.”

  Kendal moved to stand, helping Piper to her feet as soon as she did. “And I have every intention of answering it, with help, I’m sure.” She glanced at Morgaine and Lenore. “To give you an answer that’ll satisfy you, though, will take time.” She smiled before she kissed Piper’s pout. “You have eternity to contend with, love, so it’s a good idea to start practicing patience.”

  “You aren’t always so patient.”

  “With you, no man or woman would ever learn patience once they tasted…” She paused, searching for the right word. She cocked her head to the side when Piper arched her eyebrow. “A bite of the peach, as it were.” In a move worthy of the gallant Antonio, she bowed over Piper’s hand and kissed it. “You can’t blame me for my impatience in that arena, dear lady. I have the longevity of a god, just not the willpower of one.”

  “You never will if I have anything to do with it. There’s a whole lot about you to love, Asra, but your hunger has to be one of my favorites.” After their kiss ended, Piper laughed when she noticed they were alone. “We’ll be all right, won’t we?”

  “I won’t lie and tell you the future will always be easy, but you have chosen to spend your life with a warrior. To me that means no matter what the challenge, I’ll meet it head-on to keep you safe. So yes, we’ll be all right.”

  “Then dance with me one more time before we have to think about whatever all this is about.”

  Kendal requested another waltz from the band leader and gave Piper her wish. They smiled at Molly and Mac as they passed the table, then kept their eyes on each other.

  “I fell in love with you here, and that only grew when we were in Venice,” Piper said as she moved her hand closer to her neck. “But right now I love you so much I can hardly breathe.”

  “It’s a long story, but tonight you’ve found your place, and the Elders can’t deny you anything.”

  “My place is with you. That’s all that’s important to me.”

  “Yes, and I didn’t need an old prophecy to prove it to me.”

  Chapter Five

  The ride back was quiet and Piper seemed content to just rest in Kendal’s arms as the car sped along. They promised Mac and Molly they’d have lunch with them the next day as they walked them to their door, and then Piper fell into her arms for the short trip home. When they reached Oakgrove, Kendal walked Piper upstairs, where one of the maids Morgaine and Lenore had obviously brought with them helped Piper out of her costume. Any servant who attended an Elder usually came from a family who’d served the Clan for generations and was highly trusted.

  “Will you be okay?” Kendal asked Piper.

  “Go, I’ll be down soon.”

  Morgaine and Lenore were waiting for her in the front parlor. “How much time do I have before they want to see me?”

  “I told you, they’re expecting you by the next full moon. They’re angry, but I think in light of tonight’s developments, they might change their minds about the lecture they’d planned to deliver.”

  “Rolla’s never been one for lectures, so I’m sure he had more than talk in mind. What happened tonight will most probably make him want to destroy her.” The aged brandy burned a little going down, but it tasted good after a night of champagne. “You know as well as anyone that a good number of them don’t want to see change. The world is of their making, and they won’t accept someone like Piper coming into it and trying to steer us in a different direction, if that’s what she sees.”

  “Have faith that the life you’ve led up to now is good for something,” Lenore said. “No matter how long some of us have lived, we’ve seen you consistently pick the good fight, even though at times it would’ve been more prudent to either sit it out or fight for an enemy that would’ve given you power. Talent like yours hasn’t always been used for the betterment of mankind against evil that even the Elders were at times powerless to stop.”

  “Tell them I’ll come, but I’ll fight anyone who tries to harm Piper. This time I will pick any side to keep her whole.”

  “We promised to help you tell her the story, but I think it’ll be easier and better if she hears all this from you. Go to her, Asra, she is waiting for answers.” Lenore kissed Kendal’s cheek before walking out. If there was one thing Oakgrove didn’t lack, it was guest rooms, and Kendal knew Lenore was anxious to get to her books.

  Morgaine, though, stayed behind, so Kendal stood and poured herself another drink. For months she’d put the past out of her mind, but a large part of it sat across from her, looking at her like their worlds would never be the same.

  “Are you happy?” Morgaine asked.

  “Don’t do this.”

  “After all we’ve been through I have a right to know if you’re happy.” Morgaine got up and moved behind her.

  She tensed when Morgaine placed her hands on her shoulders, but she didn’t shrug them off. “My answer will only bring you pain, and because of what we’ve been through, I’ll never wish to do that to you.” She let her head fall forward as she took a deep breath, and Morgaine tightened her hold on her. “I love you. I have for so long now, and you’ll always be a part of my life.”

  Kendal spoke softly, but Piper heard every word, and she pressed her hands to her lips to keep quiet. She was smart enough to know it’d take time to erase Morgaine from Kendal’s mind and her heart, but she never expected to hear the truth so bluntly put as she eavesdropped outside the door.

  “But our roles now are that of warrior and watcher. She owns my heart and I love her with all that I am. I see it every time she looks at me, and it makes me want to cry from the joy of it. I’ve lived all this time waiting for her to come into thi
s world and complete the person I am. If something ever happens to her I don’t care to see another sunrise, and I’ll sleep the sleep of the dead.”

  “You can feel like that in so short a time?”

  Kendal finally stood and stretched to her full height, causing Morgaine to let go of her and take a step back, which made Piper relax a little. “Morgaine, you and I both know the most important law of the universe.”

  “For everything that exists, something else exists to balance it.”

  “Correct. For the darkness there is light, for good to exist there must be evil, and for every person another must be born to complete who they are. It’s the only way to achieve balance. Piper is my balance. She’s the other half of my soul.”

  Piper finally noticed something about the room she hadn’t been in since their arrival. The picture of Angelina over the main fireplace was gone, and in its place was a large landscape she’d admired from the house in Venice. Kendal had made every effort for her to feel at home, no matter where they were.

  “My search is done, and she’s my peace as well as my lover.”

  “I’m sorry to question what you’ve found, Asra.”

  “I think you’ve earned the right to question whatever you see fit,” Piper said when she came into the room. “You’ll always be welcomed wherever we are, Morgaine. I know the friendship you and Asra share is special, and I don’t ever want her to forfeit that, especially since you’ve taken such care to keep her safe all these years. With time I hope we can become good friends as well.”

  “Thank you, Piper.” Morgaine turned to Kendal and bowed her head. “You have chosen well, Captain. I’ll leave you two alone.”

  “How long have you been standing there?” Kendal’s voice held no hint of accusation, and to Piper she looked incredibly sexy. The old-style white shirt was slightly opened at the neck and she’d pulled it out of her leather pants. With her hair still down, Kendal looked like she belonged in the pages of a romance novel.

  “Long enough to learn something about myself.”

  “What’s that?” Kendal looked at her as if trying to figure out if she was wearing anything under her robe. The expression on her face now made Piper believe she’d guessed nothing.

  “That knowing I belong to someone, and I mean completely belong to someone, doesn’t mean I’ve lost a part of myself.”

  “Did you think you would?”

  “My friends seem to always be making huge sacrifices once they fall in love, so yes, I thought so.”

  “You should know I belong to you just as completely,” Kendal said, and took a step closer.

  “Knowing that taught me something else.” She took a step forward too.

  “What’s that?”

  “That I’ve never wanted you to touch me more than I do at this very moment.”

  She loosened the tie of her robe but Kendal didn’t come any closer. Passion between them hadn’t been a problem, just a dance that Kendal always initiated. Tonight that would change.

  “I thought you wanted to talk?”

  “I do, but why always talk of eternity if you don’t mean it?” She dropped her robe and smiled at the way Kendal was staring at her. “I want to talk to you, but I want you to touch me first. Will you do that for me?”

  Kendal moved fast to scoop her up and carry her to the rug in front of the fireplace. The burning logs made popping noises, but Piper ignored them as she watched Kendal strip off her clothes. The anticipation of Kendal lying over her and giving her what she wanted made her wet.

  How much she craved Kendal embarrassed her at times, but when Kendal touched her and found her this ready, it seemed to only fuel Kendal’s passion. In turn, Kendal’s body was perfect in her eyes, with only a few scars she’d gotten as a small child, but to Piper it was the elixir’s way of reminding her lover of her humanity and a way to keep her grounded.

  “Asra,” she said. The name was becoming more familiar and easy to say.

  “What, love?” Kendal came to her, covering her but keeping most of her weight off her by pressing her hands to the floor.

  She spread her legs wider to bring Kendal closer. “I need you, but I want—”

  The words died in her throat as Kendal held her weight up by only one arm, moving her other hand between Piper’s legs. Kendal spread her open and instantly found her hard clit. Piper dragged her nails down Kendal’s back until she reached her butt, then with her newfound strength, she reversed their positions.

  What amazed Piper was that even though she was now straddling Kendal, the sexual massage she was getting had never stopped. “I can’t let you get too smug, Captain,” she teased as she dipped her hand between Kendal’s legs. “I love that you want to touch me so much, but I want you to crave me. Do you?” Kendal was wet so there wasn’t a question of how much she knew she was wanted, but she wanted to hear the words.

  “Crave you?” Kendal tilted her hips up so she could feel more of her, but the move also drove her fingers deeper into Piper. “Like a hungry man who hasn’t eaten in years craves a feast.” Kendal flattened her feet on the ground so she could move with more strength.

  With every upward thrust her fingers drove farther into Piper, who returned the favor with a countering downward stroke. The urge to stop and enjoy what Kendal was doing to her overwhelmed her senses. The orgasm was beginning to build like she was on a wave starting to crest, and when it broke it’d wash through her like a storm. She fought it, wanting more than anything for them to reach the shore together.

  “Come on, let me hear you,” she whispered into Kendal’s ear when she bent over her, letting their bodies come closer together. The move slowed them down a little, but Kendal seemed to want more and flipped their positions again.

  Kendal moved up a bit so she wouldn’t have to stretch to keep her hand in place, then started their movement again. Their skin made a slapping noise as they came together, and Kendal stopped and looked at her.

  “Are you all right? I’m not hurting you, am I?”

  The sex together had been intense but never anything like this, and it wasn’t a good time for talk or worry. “Don’t you dare stop,” Piper said before she bit down on Kendal’s nipple. “I want to feel you and I want you to finally stop holding back. Don’t hold anything back.” A sound close to a battle cry ripped from Kendal’s chest, and Piper was sure everyone in the house heard it.

  “Oh, God,” she said as the intense pleasure made her shut her eyes. She didn’t move her hand, but she’d lost the ability to concentrate on anything except the orgasm she was experiencing. Kendal kept her hips moving, which was enough to get her off because she tensed, then slumped over her.

  The walls of Piper’s sex clutched Kendal’s fingers, then relaxed. She felt spent but her body seemed to want more. Kendal took a deep breath and moved to the side a little so she could breathe, but kept her hand in place. After a minute she reached behind them and grabbed the soft blanket off the sofa.

  Piper hissed when Kendal withdrew, but snuggled closer. “You know something else?” she said in a raspy voice.

  With gentle fingers Kendal combed back her hair and smiled down at her. “What?”

  “I’ve never felt beautiful and desirable with anyone until I met you. I regret that you weren’t my first so this would forever be my definition of how it should be with someone you love.”

  “That’s because you never met anyone with the sense the gods gave a goat, if they couldn’t see you for who you really are. But then, I should be thanking those same gods that you didn’t. It was different in the old days, but now the law really doesn’t allow me to slice up my competition, no matter how much I want to. Now I’m limited to toilets and my fists when it isn’t Clan business.”

  “Flatterer,” she said with a laugh.

  “With you and for you, definitely,” Kendal said, and tapped the end of her nose.

  “I love you and I can’t tell you that enough.” She sighed and hugged Kendal closer. “Now that even m
y toenails are completely relaxed, tell me a story.”

  “Before we start, have you ever heard of a seer?”

  “Is it something like a fortune-teller?”

  “Not like the ones in the French Quarter with the cards and the crystals, but someone truly gifted with sight of the future.”

  “I’m a Catholic girl who went to private schools, so no. None of the nuns who preached about everything I did wrong said anything insightful about the future except that I’d probably end up teenaged and pregnant if I didn’t start paying attention in class.”

  Kendal laughed and shook her a little. “You didn’t tell me you were wild back then.”

  “I wasn’t. Their sheltered existence didn’t make for very original threats, so they lumped us all together when it came to behavior. The worst thing I ever did was wear red socks every once in a while to brighten up my day.”

  “You’ll have to show me pictures later, but let me get back to my story.” Kendal stopped to throw more logs on the fire and grab the cushions off the sofa. “Considering what you’ve seen already, you know the fairy tales you’ve heard all your life are based on some iota of truth. In time they get a little exaggerated, but you’ll come to see, and have to accept, that some things are real even if it’s hard to wrap your brain around them.”

  She let Kendal lie down, then moved over her so they could face each other while they talked. “If you tell me something is true, I’ll believe you.”

  “Thanks, your faith in me means a lot.” Kendal took a deep breath. “Let’s review some things first so you’ll have the facts to understand what happened. The immortals who exist are all ruled by the Elders of the Genesis Clan, and their ages and makeup are known only to their ranks. I’ve met a few in my lifetime, and of all those, I’d guess Morgaine and Lenore are two of the oldest and serve on Rolla’s governing court.”

  “And Rolla is?”

  “The old man is one of the oldest and is the leader of the Elders. Like Lenore, his passion is his library and being an archivist. He seldom leaves the library in the compound in Egypt.”