Eternal Bond (Edanholme Book 2)

by Catherine Fitzpatrick

  Police Commissioner. The preliminaries had gone over her head, concentrating on the

  images on her laptop she had missed it the first time he had spoken.

  Clad in a power suit of charcoal grey, tailored to fit her measurements exactly, a crisp white

  blouse showcased the glowing peach of sun-kissed skin. Hair braided from her face to roll

  into a neat chignon, she looked, was, efficient and business orientated.

  “Yes Commissioner…?” She raised her eyebrows at the gross bad manners of the man, in

  interrupting the Queen as she outlined the problem they all faced.

  “Ms Franklyn, you are the lady’s business partner, is that correct?” He was a big bruiser

  of a man, white hair clipped close to his head, a craggy handsome face held disbelief, his

  temper apparent in the narrowing of piercing blue eyes.

  “Yes.” Alex became the monosyllabic Queen.

  “How long have you known her, and can you vouch for her honesty and integrity?”

  He was really pushing his luck with three enforcers in the same room. The atmosphere

  was zinging with the build-up of tension.

  Sapphire blue eyes swept over the five members of the opposition. The odds weren’t

  stacked in their favour. Her gaze fell on the Commissioner’s right hand man.

  “Detective Inspector Ireland…” Alex stood up, hands resting on the table she leaned

  forward as the police officer nodded in assent.

  “You work for the commissioner, how long have you known him and can you vouch for his

  honesty and integrity?” She let the smallest of smiles cross her lips as she brought a melting

  gaze back to the commissioner.

  “Touche…” He laughed mirthlessly.

  “Commissioner Dallas, the Sidhe cannot lie. They are incapable of telling you anything other

  than the complete truth. As to being honest, let me put a question to you.” She absolutely

  hated being spoken down to. This aggressive male had the gall to do it to the Queen.

  Go Alex… Do your stuff.

  Cat shot the thought into her head without taking emerald green eyes off the brazen male

  across a wide table.

  “If, for whatever reason… I don’t know call it an alien invasion for want of a better simile,

  something threatened you, your family, your friends, your whole way of life, would you use

  any means at your disposal to protect yourself? Would you choose to camouflage your

  home, use disguises to prolong your existence?” Under pressure from eyes that glittered

  with shards of blue crystal, he had to agree that he would.

  “So you would do something that wasn’t completely honest, but not intrinsically dishonest?”

  The close cropped head nodded in assent.

  “As for integrity, Cat has more integrity in her little finger than can be found in the whole of

  the House of Commons.” At the last statement, the Commissioner struggled not to laugh and

  the government official turned green. The reporter just chuckled happily, lost in his own

  little bubble of contentment.

  Turning to her left, trying to ignore the stern gaze of her mate, Alex offered Cat the full

  deference of allegiance, protection and love to her sister in spirit.

  “For your meeting to progress beyond bully boy tactics, I think it’s time I introduced our

  delegation by their titles.” Cat inclined her head regally, the petty snigger in Alex’s head

  shouted, bring it on.

  She began with the huge male at her right. “Turi, Lord Marron of the Ursine.”

  Turi shimmered earthy green brown to stand at the table dressed in leathers and armour.

  Dark haired, dark eyed, dark skinned, dark and menacing.

  Alex moved on to the figure lazing urbanely on a practical office chair, attired in an

  exquisite Armani suit, glaringly at odds with the armour of the Sidhe warriors. He hid silent

  amusement in a charade of inspecting his finger nails one by one.

  “Phillipe St. Clair, Prince Regent of the Dark Court.”

  Phillipe dipped his head, then continued with his inspection studiously ignoring speculative

  glances. Alex was dying to laugh out loud at his attitude of bored detachment.

  Drusal was vibrating in his skin with the need to release the cloak of glamour.

  “Drusal, Lord Vardon of the Greenhills, Prince of the French Court and consort to the Queen.”

  An immense warrior shimmered in all four colours of the elements, bright enough to vie with

  the midday sun. There was a concerted ‘Wow’ from across the table.

  Alex felt Cat’s fingers grip at her leg. Dropping her gaze sideways another thought crept

  through her shields. Leave Jarl ‘till last…

  “Iscatya Edan-Fire, the Lady Vardon, Queen of Edanholme and the Dark Court, Sister to the

  Fates.” Rising to her feet Cat glowed from within in rainbow hues, burgundy hair rippling

  free to come alive with strands of molten gold. Motes of gold and silver sparkled beneath

  skin covering a lush figure clothed in Sidhe leathers of vest and form fitting pants, displaying

  the bulge of advancing pregnancy. Silver brands on both forearms pulsed with blue flame.

  Rainbow eyes flicked over the Commissioner with the merest hint of anger.

  Turning to Teague, Alex’s smile grew wistful, she wanted out of here fast. The lilac gaze

  locked onto her face agreed whole-heartedly.

  “Lord Teague of the High Fells… The Bard of Edanholme, and my mate…”

  Teague bowed low to her before turning and dipping his head in the least deference possible.

  The Commissioner blew out an incredulous breath, piercing blue eyes held shock and awe.

  There was also a streak of avarice lurking in a half smile.

  “Thank you for making it plain where we stand in the scheme of things Ms Franklyn…”

  The tone was clipped, not fearful, but not completely comfortable.

  She was about to knock him off his self-righteous perch.

  “I haven’t finished Commissioner…”

  With a bow to the Police Commissioner’s right hand man Alex grinned mischievously.

  “The Lord Jarl, Prince of the Irish Court and Grandfather to Queen Iscatya.”

  Jarl shimmered green and gold to stand dressed in Sidhe leathers and armour, fierce eyes

  flaring with green fire. Offering Cat the deference of a loved one, he resumed his seat with

  cool aplomb.

  “Well blow me… No wonder you’re so damn good at your job.” This time a rumbling belly

  laugh consumed the Commissioner, instead of greedy desire to make use of the Sidhe in

  the form of weapons of war.

  That was it… She couldn’t do anymore. It was time to let them fight it out.

  “Mister St.Clair.” The government official spoke for the first time, he wasn’t green anymore.

  His skin tone had assumed the pasty grey shade that comes just before you throw up.

  “Oui…?” Phillipe lifted his head, ink black eyes stared blankly at the fool who had dared to

  address him in a starchy voice.

  “You are not one of the Sidhe…?” The hapless tool of the government swallowed nervously.

  Phillipe smiled, a deliciously wicked grin revealing just a hint of fang.

  “Non… I am Vampire, as is my Queen.” You could have cut the atmosphere with a blunt knife.

  Picking up her bag, Alex turned away from the table.

  “Wait Ms Franklyn…” The commissioner was a relentless man, who was beginning to

  really get on her nerves. “What are you?”

  She shrugged her shoulders with a weary sigh.

&
nbsp; “Me? I’m the idiot who’s going to arrange lunch for another idiot.”

  Leaning over to Cat she spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “Why don’t you just bite him now, and save us all a headache?” Without looking back she

  marched from the room.

  Leaning against the folding patio doors covering one wall of the kitchen, Alex gazed

  longingly towards the portal to Edanholme. It was a bright afternoon, the sun shone hazily,

  sitting low in the sky. The down side of crisp autumn days was the advance of gloomy

  darkness for fourteen hours of a twenty four hour cycle.

  Thankfully paradise held constant summer and soothing warmth.

  “Ms Franklyn…” A booming voice rang through the kitchen. Shit… Couldn’t the idiot just

  leave her alone?

  Let him have his say… Please. Cat’s voice tingled in her head.

  “I just wanted to say goodbye.” His face softened in a wide satisfied smile.

  “Have you ever considered taking up corporate law, because dammit woman you are no

  diplomat.”

  Alex had to smile back. He was a really attractive man when he wasn’t being a mean,

  bullying bastard.

  “Diplomacy makes my teeth ache.” Her smile had ensnared a Sidhe. The man taking up

  her breathing space wasn’t immune. Offering her a business card, piercing blue eyes fixed

  on her face.

  “If you ever decide to move on, give me a call.” Taking her hand, his grip was firm and cool.

  “Good Day Ms Franklyn.” Dipping his head he turned away to re-join the party.

  Cat sidled up beside her in the form of Iscatya. “Made a friend there kid?” She whispered so

  that no-one else would hear. “I think he likes you….”

  Holding up the business card Alex frowned.

  “I think he just offered me a job.” Sapphire eyes flew wide.

  “Yuk… I hope it was just a job he was offering.” She threw the card onto the kitchen table as

  if it had burned her.

  Cat opened the patio door, laughing fiendishly. “Go, Teague’s waiting for you.”

  She didn’t need telling twice, taking off at full stretch until she ran straight into the arms of

  her mate. Steadying Aingeal against his chest, the Bard tilted her chin to look into crystal

  depths with swift understanding of the turmoil in her mind.

  “Tell me what that police person reminded you of?” The smile on his lips held tenderness

  and the promise of gentle kisses. Alex looked at him blankly, her brain was fried.

  “Superior, arrogant, coldly uncommunicative…” He teased her gently, cradling a tense body

  in his arms.

  “The Sidhe…” She had to laugh. The Bard had summed up the Commissioner with the same

  description she had used for the proud dispossessed.

  “The matrons will make a meal of him.” Alex wanted to be there if it ever happened.

  “Aingeal, thy wily tongue has already managed that feat.” Nuzzling into her neck, he soothed

  her aura with Christmas spices. “Where shall I take thee?” He purred huskily.

  “The lake, I need to breathe clean air.” No sooner said, than it was done.

  Standing on the shore of the lake, back lodged securely against Teague’s chest Alex

  stared wide eyed in amazement. The promised tree house had a frame work secured

  solidly around the trunk of an immense tree, similar to the ancient oaks of earth.

  The warriors had wasted no time in fulfilling the wishes of a lonely soul, suffering under

  the watchful eyes of disapproving matrons. Bless their mighty hearts…

  Ameia had been adopted by the elite enforcers as a little sister, to be protected and

  guarded in the same way they had shielded her from the worst bouts of vicious tongues.

  Her day took a turn for the better.

  Turning in the Bard’s arms, crystal blue eyes sparkled with tears of happiness, her aura

  brightened to pure white light.

  “Thank you…” For once she didn’t care if she had shown gratitude to a member of the Fae.

  Teague could have anything he wanted in exchange for the precious gift of freedom for a

  beleaguered vampire.

  Raising his eyebrows in mock surprise, canted violet eyes gleamed with mischief.

  “Tis not wise to offer thanks, you may not wish to pay the price I require….”

  On tip-toe she brushed his mouth with a light kiss. “Name it…” The world shimmered blue

  to reveal their private cove. Chuckling at the amethyst of desire darkening his eyes Alex

  didn’t need to read his thoughts to know where payment would lead.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The website Alex designed held key words to attract the attention of exiled families.

  The site was monitored daily, in the hope that at least someone out there was computer

  literate enough to realise it wasn’t a trap, had sense enough to log onto a website that

  offered them a chance to start anew.

  The meeting with officialdom yielded success, a new task force was in place, attached to

  the police, but not integral to the constabulary.

  Lord Jarl had been appointed head of the Special Investigation Unit. It was an anonymous

  collection of warranted officers of the law and Sidhe warriors. Turi had been the first

  volunteer from Edanholme. Many of the younger nobles vied to join him.

  The press had been surprisingly circumspect in releasing news of an alien species living side

  by side with homo sapiens. The task force was explained away as a peace corps, intended

  to protect both communities if the need arose. No mention of the vampire threat was made

  public. One shock was more than enough at present.

  It was also made known the task force was privately funded, to deflect the flack aimed at a

  government living in ignorance of a magical realm. It made interesting reading.

  The only images to accompany the reveal, belonged to Commissioner Dallas and the

  government’s sacrificial lamb, Mark Senior. Cat flatly refused any request to be photographed.

  It wouldn’t have made a difference, Sidhe glamour scrambled pictures. Alex had tried taking a

  selfie with Teague. It was a mess of conflicting colours and muddy smudges.

  Commissioner Dallas had put forward a request for Alex to take on the role of liaison officer.

  She considered it for a while, before deciding he had an ulterior motive, one that made her

  feel icky.

  “Angel…” A strident shout interrupted a cosy chat with the matrons.

  They had unbent enough to include Alex in the day to day running of lives that held few

  perils except the laundry room. High tech, modern equipment posed problems for females

  who had lived on the edge of human technology, but never fully understood it.

  “What is it? I’m busy...” She snarled back, sliding down in her chair to hide in a throng of

  tall Sidhe females. Giggling broke out at Lady Alex’s reluctance to leave the party.

  Turi’s head appeared around the doorframe, deep brown eyes searching for the blue black

  hair of a computer wizard.

  “Aye Angel, why do you hide?” His deep voice was a mellow liquid honey. More than one of

  the matrons shivered under the influence of the Bear’s magnetism.

  “Because I can…” Easing to her feet with a fatalistic shrug, Alex stepped close to Turi.

  “Ok… Because I could…” Lifting her chin she looked him straight in the eye.

  “This better be good… Has the system crashed? Have you accidently set light to the barn?

  Why the urgency�
�?” Hands on hips, toe tapping, Alex made up less than half his bulk.

  Dressed in shorts and t-shirt, seemingly a breath away from adolescence, the Angel of

  Edanholme demanded an answer.

  “Your contraption is singing… Fireworks cover all the screens. What does it mean?”

  Turi and computers got along fine until he touched one. Usually they just green screened

  and had to be re-booted. This was a first for him. Alex danced on the spot, arms swaying

  above her head. “We’ve got a hit…. Someone has logged onto a key word.” Pushing the Bear

  ahead of her, Alex heard Meatloaf’s Bat out of Hell signal a contact they had all been waiting for.

  “Go get Cat and the rest of your brothers, I promise not to do anything until you get back.”

  Slipping into a seat in front of the console, she dropped her chin onto clasped hands waiting

  impatiently for the cavalry to arrive.

  Within minutes she was surrounded by a breathless crowd of beautiful people. Even the

  matrons wanted to be in on the reveal. Fingers of both hands crossed, Alex prayed that her

  website had attracted the real deal, not a bunch of wannabe goths and ghouls.

  Tentatively she opened up a map of the UK. Pinpoints of light indicated where the contacts

  were located before she retrieved the messages.

  Relinquishing her seat to the Queen of Edanholme, Alex had done all she could for now,

  the context of the messages were none of her business.

  Pulling on jeans, thick fleece and bright pink parka, Alex stamped into Ugg boots before

  opening the outer door. Winter had come to Yorkshire hard and fierce in the run up to

  Christmas. If the contacts proved to be exiled Sidhe, the Queen’s enforcers, her mate

  included, would be sent out to bring them home.

  A deep sigh left her lips. It was days like this she wished to be able to translocate. To move

  instantly from here to her flat or to the tranquil beach of her second home. Nope… She was

  human and pretty useless all things considered. Second best was to walk to the portal and go

  for a swim in the lake. A plan in mind, Alex kicked at deep drifts of soft snow, working her way

  slowly to the truth pool.