TheKnightsDruid

by Shannan Albright

  “How can you know this?” Juliet asked, fear and vulnerability a living thing writhing in her belly.

  “She knows because she is the Goddess Viviane, Lady of the Lake and the mist shrouded isle of Avalon,” Colin spoke softly by her side. “She sees with senses none of us could begin to understand.”

  “Oh stop that, Colin,” Viviane admonished lightly. “The poor girl needs time to digest all of this, just look at her, she’s pale as a ghost. Besides, I need to see Excalibur back in its rightful hands.”

  Viviane swept one delicate long fingered hand in the air and Juliet blinked as the air shimmered around the sudden appearance of a simple unadorned sword. Viviane gripped the hilt and drew the sword toward her. The air solidified as Viviane turned and presented the weapon to Arthur.

  “I present to you Excalibur, once again she is yours to command,” Viviane’s voice rang with authority. “You only have to think of your weapon of choice and she will become what you require. Just a little twenty-first century magic to mix with the old.” She gave Arthur an impish grin as he took Excalibur from her with solemn reverence.

  “I’m humbled by such a gift given to me freely twice. I will wield it with wisdom and courage.” Arthur bowed deeply before Viviane.

  Juliet didn’t know what happened or what to think. Far too many things had transpired which defied explanation for her to digest. She could only shake her head in disbelief while she struggled to assimilate it all.

  Without her being aware Andrea was at her side. “I think Juliet needs to lie down a bit.”

  “Then I will escort her back to her rooms,” Colin announced firmly daring anyone to object.

  “And I too shall retire,” Darius interjected. “I’ll do what I can to get you the information you need, Arthur.”

  “Like hell you will,” Simon’s growl startled the group, all eyes turning to his dark scowl. “There is another way besides your visions. There is too much danger to your health to take such a chance.”

  Darius turned on him with a snarl. “It is my decision to make, not yours. Just keep away from me,” he warned, turning his back on his best friend Darius stormed out of the room, leaving everyone in stunned silence.

  Without a word Simon followed Darius out. “Well, that was…interesting,” Merci frowned. “What’s up with that? Those two have always been as thick as thieves.”

  “I’m not sure, but if they don’t get it cleared up and fast I’ll have to make it my business.” Worry laced through Arthur’s words, matching the scowl he wore on his face.

  “Well,” Viviane sighed. “It looks like we arrived just in time and by the way things are going around here, I’m going to be staying around here for a while.”

  Chapter Seven

  Colin walked along side Juliet in strained silence. His emotions a seething vortex of desire, guilt soon followed then frustration and back again to desire. It was enough to make a man go insane. He stopped in the empty hallway and raked his fingers through his hair in agitation. Juliet stopped one tawny brow raised in question.

  “I owe you an apology for earlier, lass.”

  “Don’t even say it,” Juliet hissed, her cheeks flushing with color, blue eyes turning as dark as a storm at sea. “You have made your feelings abundantly clear there is no need to further stress the point.”

  “Have I now? Then perhaps you can enlighten me on what I feel since I have no clear idea,” he snapped his frustration fast becoming anger. Irrational, yes and for the moment he couldn’t seem to care. It was her, she did this to him. When he came near her, scented her heady fragrance of wildflowers, green grass and earth, his mind shut down leaving only the instincts of the wild animals he shifted into. And they were all in accord on one thing. They wanted to claim her, plunge into her hot, wet depths and get lost in her essence.

  Damn him and his nature.

  “Whatever your problem is deal with it,” Juliet bit out over her shoulder quickening her stride to his room. Opening the door she slammed it in his face.

  The tenuous grip he had on his emotions snapped, scalding anger coursed through his veins, his pulse pounding in his ears. He gripped the doorknob only to find it locked. If she thought to keep him out of his own damn room then she would soon learn otherwise. With a snarl of pure menace he broke the knob in his hand and shoved the door open.

  Juliet whirled around to face him; the look of surprise on her beautiful face would have been amusing had he not been so furious at the moment. He stalked into the room. Her gaze turned wary as he closed the space between them, so close he could feel her breath caress his throat and jaw.

  He raised a hand, his fingers lightly brushing over her cheek. “You, darlin’, are the problem and it’s driving me out of my mind. I can’t stop thinking about you, when I am not with you there’s a void inside.”

  There, he said it. Leaving himself open and vulnerable to this woman, who shook him to his very core. The admission made him feel…good. He wouldn’t castigate himself for the honesty of the emotions which she awoken deep inside him. Wouldn’t fight or rail against it anymore. Guilt sloughed off of him, heavy chains he carried for far too long, dropped away. His gaze caught and held on hers, drowning in those sky blue depths.

  Mine. His inner voice shouted and he finally agreed.

  He pulled his gaze from hers settling on her full, pink mouth. He wanted them red and swollen from his kisses, had every intention of doing so.

  Without a word, he pulled her into his arms, his head swooping down, capturing those delectable lips, taking her gasp of surprise into his lungs. Her taste intoxicating, addictive as the sweetest nectar he would never get enough of her. His tongue darted out to tangle with hers, stroking and twining in an ancient dance of seduction. She moaned into his mouth, the sound causing his cock to press painfully against his zipper.

  “Ah, Jules I want to taste you, be in you and have your scent all over me. No matter how much I fight it, there’s no resisting you.”

  Her body suddenly stiffened, her small hands pushing at his chest for release. “No. You can’t just barge in here and…and do this to me,” she railed against him, her hands clenching into fist, pummeling his hard chest with a mixture of hurt and frustration.

  He caught and held her hands in one large fist, the other lifting her enraged face up to meet his gaze. Her face flushed, eyes glittering like sapphires with unshed tears. Gods above, she was the most beautiful sight he’d seen is a very long time. “I owe you an explanation and you will hear it, lass.”

  Juliet frowned up at him. “Then let’s have it.”

  “I have been searching for someone for a very long time.”

  “Let me guess, a woman.” A statement not a question.

  He nodded slowly, feeling the pain, the loneliness he endured for all of his lives. “Ciara was my wife.”

  “You said was, is she dead?”

  “Yes, she died a long time ago.”

  Juliet took a step back and he let go of her hands, watching as she sat on the edge of the bed with a resigned sigh. “You must have loved her very much. How long ago did she pass?”

  “Seven centuries ago.”

  He watched Juliet blink in surprise, slowly she rose to her feet and was in front of him in a few short steps. Colin was unprepared when her hand made contact with his face, the stinging intensity of the slap momentarily stunning him.

  “Seven centuries? You really think I would buy into that bullshit? First Avalon, then King Arthur and now this!” Juliet snarled up at him, her index finger stabbing into his chest with every word.

  He grabbed the offending digit firmly in his hand, controlling the rush of anger surging through his bloodstream and bent his head down so close he could feel her breath on his cheek. “I’ll overlook a lot of your behavior right now since you’re in a state of shock. I won’t however, be called a liar. You would do well to remember that, lass.”

  Pulling her hand out of his grip she glared, her lips thinning into a firm, disappr
oving line. “So I’m to believe you’ve lived for seven hundred years?”

  “No, I haven’t lived for seven hundred years.” He chuckled.

  “Well, then at least you realized who farfetched that is.”

  “I have reincarnated seven times.”

  Again she blinked in surprise, her eyes widening with disbelief. “You what?”

  “I’ve reincarnated and each time I retain all the knowledge of each life.”

  “Wouldn’t that make you go crazy? I mean, how can you remember all those lives and not have them interfere with your recent life?”

  “Sometimes they do and yes, there are times when it can be a bit much to handle,” he agreed with a small smile.

  “I can’t believe I’m standing here talking to you about the possibility of reincarnation. I mean, this is all way off the beaten track of normal.”

  “And you’re normal?” he asked, not an accusation, but a question. Wondering how she could be so closed when what she did was so far out of the realm of what an ordinary human could do.

  Juliet surprised him with a laugh, light and musical, so utterly delightful he swore he would do whatever he could to make her laugh like that for the rest of her life. For in that very instant he knew he would do everything in his power to make her his, the lives he endured utterly alone would not be repeated. If Ciara hadn’t reincarnated by now then the chances were slim to none that she would. He’d wasted too much time in a fruitless pursuit of a dream he needed to let go. He drank his fill of this defiant woman standing before him with her fiery temper, so beautiful and so very much alive. Something deep within him opened a crack. Could he love her? The answer was a resounding yes.

  And that thrilled and terrified him at the same time.

  “Well, when you put it that way.” She smiled ruefully.

  Colin couldn’t help but brush his fingers lightly over her full lips wanting to feel them once again under his. An intense urge gripped him he needed to taste her sweetness and hear her moans of pleasure. His cock pushed insistently against the confines of his jeans, hard as granite and aching with the need to be buried deep inside her. He bit back a groan as her lips parted, sucking his fingers into the soft wet warmth of her mouth.

  “Darlin’, you are killing me here,” he husked out in a raspy tone.

  Her grin was unrepentant, her lids lowering seductively, thick dark lashes shadowing her eyes to a stormy slate grey. She released his fingers with a small popping sound and took a small step back.

  “It seems like a nice night for a walk on the beach, don’t you think?”

  “We have a perfectly good bed right here.”

  “Yeah, and a broken door, that won’t stay closed.” She stared pointedly at the open door.

  He followed her gaze and frowned. Any passerby had a good view into the room, and more importantly the bed. “I’ll have that fixed first thing in the morning. Until then I’ll get a blanket.” He grinned, wiggling his brows.

  Her laughter filled him with a sense of pleasure he never felt before, the delightful sound followed him into the bathroom’ linen closet where he kept towels and extra blankets, grabbing a large soft blanket he was at her side in less than a minute.

  “Wow that was fast.” She chuckled, noticing the heavy material draped over one broad shoulder as she took his proffered hand letting him lead her out into the hallway.

  “Darlin’, that’s the only thing that will be fast this evening. I plan on taking my time exploring every inch of you.”

  He felt her shiver and couldn’t help the grin from spreading over his lips. Something inside him settled for the first time in centuries. He finally put his past behind him and with Juliet’s hand firmly in his he would take the gift offered.

  The future looked bright with this enigmatic woman by his side.

  * * * *

  Darius repeated the relaxation exercises for the tenth time and gave a foul curse as once again his concentration fractured. Damn Simon to hell and back. His stomach cramped, chest tight with the emotions churning inside of him. He willed his hands to unclench as he lay on his bed flat on his back staring up at the ceiling. It was all Simon’s fault. If he hadn’t…well, then Darius wouldn’t…shit! He couldn’t even think the words to himself.

  If he was honest the real reason why he felt so conflicted boiled down to one thing, his reaction to Simon. A large part of him wanted what Simon offered. What the hell did that make him? Never before had there been a single time he felt any sexual urge when it came to men. He loved women damnit!

  Then why do you want Simon so badly? A small voice questioned inside his head. He didn’t want Simon that way, couldn’t. Could he? Fuck, he did and for the life of him he didn’t know why. Simon was his best friend, He trusted him with his life. They did everything together, joked, fought, ate and fucked women together.

  He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose where a headache was forming. Taking a deep breath he pushed all thoughts of Simon out of his head and concentrated on his breathing and only that. In and out, in and out, slow deep breaths. Closing his eyes he relaxed his muscles and let his arms rest loose at his sides. A deep breath in and a slow exhale out. He pictured a black void. Inhale and exhale. A pinprick of light formed in the center of the blackness, growing larger as the vision began. His head throbbed painfully as color swiped the blackness away, solidifying into crystal clear clarity.

  “Oh, Hell no!” adeep voice growled, firm hands gripped his shoulders scattering the vision forming.

  White hot agony seared through Darius’s skull as the connection splintered. His body shuddered through the wave of pain crashing through his system. His eyes flew open to glare up at Simon.

  “Get the fuck away from me. Do you know how hard it was to bring on that vision?” Darius snarled, baring his teeth at his friend.

  Simon straightened looking down at him with concern and a shadow of uncertainty flickering in his light blue eyes for a brief instant before growing distant. “If you are so damned fired up to do this then someone needs to be with you.”

  “Oh, yeah? When did you become my mother huh?”

  “When you stopped taking precautions, asshole,” Simon bit out between clenched teeth.

  Darius jerked up off the bed and gave Simon the best intimidating glare he could muster. Emotions seethed just under the skin as he looked, really looked at the man he called friend for over seven years. Simon’s ebony hair stuck out in places as if he’d raked his fingers through it repeatedly and damn the man, if it didn’t look way too tempting. What the hell was he thinking? Yet, he couldn’t stop his pulse from quickening as he stared at his best friend. His black tee shirt stretched over his wide shoulders, fitting snug to his skin and showing off his chest and ridged stomach. Jeans encased his long, muscular legs, the bulge pushing at his zipper seemed to grow larger and Darius tore his gaze away with a ragged breath, raising his eyes to catch the desire darkening his gaze.

  “I need to do this and nothing you say will change my mind,” Darius challenged, in an effort to keep on track and not ogling his friend’s package.

  “I kind of figured you would be bound and determined to do this and there was no way I would let you do this alone.” Simon sighed, rubbing the tension out of his neck.

  “Fine, you can stay, but you don’t touch me while I’m doing this got it?”

  “Yeah, I read you, but if it looks like you are in danger I will haul your ass back out. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Fine, take a seat in that chair by the window and let me get on with this,” Darius ordered, allowing his displeasure to color his tone. Not that Simon seemed to mind a bit as he sat down, stretched his long legs out crossing them at the ankles and folded his arms across his flat stomach.

  Darius growled low in his throat, which only made Simon smile. He turned his back on him and eyed the bed. Hell, no way could he lay back down with Simon in the room. He would never get his focus back. His hand raked through his long hair pulling
strands loose from his leather tie.

  “Just lie down Darius, I promise not to attack you.” Simon chuckled at his back.

  He looked at Simon over his shoulder and gave him a fuck-off-and-die look before the turned to face him and sat on the floor. Leaning his back against the bed, he crossed his legs in the lotus position and rested his palms up on his thighs, forefinger and thumbs touching.

  “If you insist on staying keep quiet,” Darius demanded.

  “Fine, I’ll shut up, but I will pull you out of the vision if I see any sign of trouble.”

  “Sure, whatever,” Darius shot back, closing his eyes and centering all his focus on his breathing.

  He didn’t expect to be able to entice the vision back, especially with Simon in the room. It surprised him when the white haze of the vision flooded him, his temples throbbed with sparks of pain, keeping time with his pulse and he ground his teeth against it. Falling into the vision, everything around him ceased to exist. Only the blur of colors coalescing into the moving picture before him mattered.

  He stood hidden in the thick copse of spruce and eucalyptus trees, looking out at the moonlit beach. Waves broke, with a hiss as the salt formed silvery white foam, rushing onto the wet sand. He easily spotted two figures entwined on a large blanket above the surging surf. He caught a glimpse of Colin’s face then the scene blurred, colors breaking apart to reform in another place. Colin restrained with a thick silver collar around his neck, he struggled against the restraints holding him in a metal chair. A woman’s scream filled Colin’s face with dark rage, with a growl he fought harder against his bonds. Darius studied the concrete walls, floor and ceiling and heavy metal door. There were no windows and he knew this was deep underground. How he knew didn’t matter, he learned a long time ago to go with his gut impressions when the visions hit.