by I. T. Lucas
The satisfied grin on Turner’s face was a rare sight. “Bridget is the best. You made a good choice putting her in charge of this operation.”
“Indeed.”
4
Ella
“Someone pinch me,” Ella said when they walked out of the entry pavilion. “This is unreal.”
As the glass doors slid open onto the picturesque grounds of the village, a gentle breeze brought with it the smell of freshly-cut grass. To see all that lush greenery was as surreal as what it had taken to get up there.
Parker hadn’t been kidding about the clan’s use of futuristic technology. He’d warned Ella about the limousine’s windows getting opaque, but he hadn’t said anything about driving into the belly of a mountain and then taking an elevator ride up to the surface.
It was like a scene from a sci-fi movie.
Men in Black came to mind. Was she going to open a locker door and discover an entire civilization living there too?
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Vivian wrapped her arm around Ella’s waist. “Just listen to how quiet it is. From up here, you can’t even hear the cars driving down on the road below. That’s what I call true serenity.”
“Or The Twilight Zone.” Ella looked around.
The village was beautiful, but it seemed deserted. Other than the chirping of birds, it was devoid of human or animal sounds.
Even Gorchenco’s Russian estate hadn’t been this quiet. There had been gardeners with their air blowers and grass mowers, people talking and arguing, dogs barking, horses neighing, and even the occasional sheep bleating. Being isolated and far away from the city didn’t mean it was devoid of life.
She turned to Magnus. “Where is everyone?”
“The café is closed at this time, so there is no reason for anyone to be out and about. I just hope they are not in our house preparing a welcome party for you.” His grimace didn’t bode well.
On the way, Magnus had said that the welcome wagon would only include Julian’s mother, the big boss and his wife, and maybe the boss’s sister. Four new people she would have to smile and chitchat with were too many already. All Ella wanted was to take a shower in her own private bathroom, crawl into her own bed, and go to sleep without fear of anyone joining her.
Except, even that was too much to hope for because she might be stuck with the specter of Logan following her around in her dreams.
“I thought that only a few people were going to come.”
Magnus rubbed the back of his neck. “That was what I’ve been told. But as you are about to discover, our clan is full of busybodies. They mean well, but it gets annoying at times.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Parker said. “They are all very nice.”
“I’m sure they are, and I’m grateful for everything the clan has done for my family and me, but I would’ve appreciated a softer landing.”
Whatever, she would survive. She’d smile, and shake hands, and thank everyone for their help. It was the least she could do. Eventually, everyone would go home, and she could get that shower she was yearning for.
“This is our house.” Her mother pointed. “I don’t see a crowd, so that’s a good sign.”
The door opened, and a short redhead stepped out, smiling and waving. “Welcome to the village, Ella.”
“That’s Bridget, Julian’s mom,” Parker said.
She looked like his sister, but Julian had warned Ella that everyone looked about the same age, although they weren’t. For some reason, she found it easy to make a mental switch and not assign an age to any of the immortals based on how they looked. What bothered her, though, was that it seemed that the village was like a commune, and people walked into each other’s homes even when the owner wasn’t there.
“Is it always like this here?”
Her mother frowned. “What do you mean?”
“People going into other people’s houses whether they are invited or not?”
Vivian paled and leaned to whisper in her ear. “Didn’t Julian tell you about their exceptional hearing? Your comment was very rude.”
He had, but she’d forgotten about it. “I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. I’m just curious how things work here.”
Bridget walked down the steps and offered Ella her hand. “Normally, no. We don’t go into each other's houses uninvited. But your mother allowed us to wait for you here.” She clapped Ella on the back. “Don’t worry, for now it’s only me. Kian, Syssi, and Amanda are coming a little later, but none of us is going to stay long. I know you must be tired after all of that excitement and can’t wait to get in bed.”
Feeling like a jerk, Ella nodded. “Thank you for organizing my rescue. Julian told me that you were in charge of the entire operation.”
“I’m the one who coordinates everything. But the actual missions are Turner’s department. He plans them, although normally he doesn’t join the teams on the ground.”
“Come on, Ella.” Parker waved her in from the door. “I want you to see my room.”
“I’ll take Scarlet for a short walk.” Magnus patted the dog’s head. “She was too shy to do her business with Ella around.”
Scarlet adored Parker, but she seemed suspicious of the newcomer joining her family. Or maybe she just didn’t like Ella for some reason.
Whatever, the dog liking her was the least of her concerns. Ella had an entire village of immortals to befriend.
Not yet, though. Maybe after two or three weeks of hibernation.
“That’s a gorgeous house,” she said as she entered. “Did it come like that? No offense, but I know it’s not your work.”
It was evident that the decor had been done by a professional. Everything was high-quality and perfectly coordinated, but it wasn’t ostentatious or over the top like Gorchenco’s homes. It felt cozy and homey and nothing like the estates Ella had been living in lately.
Thank God for that.
She wanted no reminders.
No more fancy houses, no more limousine rides, and no more private jets with bedrooms and a staff of servants on hand.
“Thank you for the non-compliment,” Vivian said. “But you’re right. All the homes in the village are furnished and decorated by the clan’s interior designer, and they come ready and supplied with everything. And I mean everything. There was even food in the fridge.”
“Excuse me,” Bridget said when her phone rang. “I’ll take this outside.”
As Bridget stepped out into the backyard, Vivian beckoned Ella to follow her to the kitchen. “Just look at this cookware. It’s almost a shame to use it. I would hate for these beautiful pots and pans to get scorch marks.”
“So why cook if we can get takeout?” Parker asked.
Vivian ruffled his hair. “Your brother has developed a taste for restaurant food. He treats what I make like punishment.”
“No, I don’t. I just like eating tasty food.”
Ella rolled her eyes. “I love you, but you’re such a dweeb.”
As the door opened and Magnus entered with Scarlet, the dog rushed in and headed straight for Ella, then stopped a couple of feet away from her and sat back on her haunches.
It seemed that Scarlet had changed her mind and was ready to be friends.
“She wants you to pat her,” Parker said.
Scarlet tilted her head as if saying, “What are you waiting for? I’m ready to be friends with you.”
Crouching in front of her, Ella reached with her hand, letting Scarlet sniff it first. She knew the ice had been broken when the dog licked her hand and started wagging her tail.
“You’re such a good girl.” Ella patted her solid head. “How old is she?”
“A little over five months. But she’s big for her age.” Magnus sounded like a proud father.
As Bridget opened the living room’s sliding glass doors, Scarlet bounded outside, and a moment later returned with a rubber ball between her teeth.
“That thing doesn’t belong in the house, and yo
u know it!” Vivian pointed to the backyard.
Tail tucked between her legs, Scarlet trotted out.
It was such a homey scene that it was almost surreal.
Ella felt as if she’d crossed into an alternate reality. Even though she was in a secret village whose occupants were immortals, everything seemed so normal here, so familiar.
After having everything taken away from her, she had her mother and brother back, and even a dog, and a future stepfather who seemed like an awesome guy.
So why the hell did she feel like an intruder in someone else’s life?
“Do you want to meet Merlin?” Parker asked. “He’s our only neighbor, and he’s the coolest guy ever. He’s teaching me magic tricks.”
Ella pushed up to her feet. “Maybe some other time.”
“Come see your room,” Vivian threaded her arm through hers, and then glanced at Bridget. “Do you want to see what I’ve done with it?”
Ella didn’t need to communicate with her mother telepathically to know what this was about, and apparently neither did Bridget.
“Sure. Lead the way.” The doctor waved her hand.
The room was much bigger than the one she had in her old house, and it was better furnished and decorated, but Ella missed her old room and the innocence she’d left behind there.
Bridget closed the door and motioned for Ella to sit on the bed. “Julian said that you weren’t injured during the rescue. Is there anything else you’d like me to check on?”
Ella nodded. “I need a pregnancy test,” she whispered. “I’m late.”
“You’re not pregnant.”
That was as unexpected as it was welcome. Except, Julian hadn’t said anything about immortals’ ability to sense early pregnancies. Then again, he had no reason to. The subject hadn’t come up.
“How could you know that?”
Bridget tapped her nose. “Immortal sense of smell. The hormonal changes start right away, and I’ve trained myself to detect them in humans. But if you want to make sure, I can give you a kit. But since I need to take blood samples anyway, we might as well test for that too.”
“Why?”
Bridget cast a quick glance at Vivian, who shook her head, saying no to Bridget’s implied question.
Ella wondered what that was all about.
“Every newcomer to our village gets thorough blood work done as well as other tests.”
That sounded ominous. “What tests?”
Bridget waved a dismissive hand. “Nothing to get all worked up about. Mostly it’s bloodwork and measurements. Naturally, I’ll also check your lungs and your heart, just to make sure everything is running like it should.”
“So, it’s like a physical?”
“Precisely.”
“So why didn’t you say so from the start? You had me scared for a moment.”
“My apologies.” Bridget cast her a pitying look.
Here it goes.
Up until now, no one had looked at her like that. Ella had been wondering when that would come, and she’d just gotten her answer.
As long as she acted as if she was fine, people treated her like everyone else, but the moment she showed fear, it was a reminder of what she’d been through and a catalyst for the sad faces.
The take-home lesson was clear. Fake it till you make it, or in her case, show no fear and hold your chin up.
5
Vivian
Bridget’s confident assertion that Ella wasn’t pregnant had done a lot to improve the girl’s mood. Still, it was obvious that Ella didn’t consider the doctor’s nose a reliable test.
Except, Ella didn’t know Bridget as well as Vivian did. Not that she and the doctor were close, but Vivian was convinced that Bridget would’ve never made a claim she wasn’t absolutely sure of.
Bottom line, a huge weight had been lifted off her chest, and if Bridget weren’t such an intimidating woman, Vivian would’ve hugged her and kissed her on both cheeks to express her gratitude.
There was so much to be thankful for, and the doctor had been instrumental in bringing most of it about.
Ella was back, and she seemed in better emotional shape than Vivian had expected. Not only that, her daughter and Magnus had hit it off from the first moment. There hadn’t been any awkwardness between them, and they seemed to genuinely like each other.
But if everything was going so well, why was Vivian’s gut still churning?
Perhaps because she was predisposed not to believe in happy endings, and when things seemed too good to be true, it was because they probably were.
Or, maybe she just didn’t know how to be any other way.
Her life up till now had been one disaster after another, and her natural state was to expect the next one in line.
“I can swing by tomorrow and take the blood tests and measurements,” Bridget said as she opened the door.
In the living room, Magnus and Parker were setting up the table for the late dinner Vivian had planned to have with her family. Hopefully, there was enough food to share with their guests.
“Kian and Syssi are on their way, and so is Amanda,” Magnus said. “It’s good that Callie prepared a welcome feast big enough to feed a unit of Guardians.”
“Who is Callie?” Ella asked.
“She’s the fiancée of one of the Guardians and an amateur chef.” Vivian cast an apologetic glance at Bridget. “I wanted to prepare the dinner myself, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She said that an occasion like this called for a celebration feast.”
“And thank goodness for that,” Parker said. “Callie is an awesome cook.”
A loud knock preceded Amanda, who didn’t wait for anyone to open the door for her. “Hello, Ella.” Entering with her usual dramatic flair, she sauntered in with a smile and wide open arms. “Come give your Auntie Amanda a hug.”
Ella cast Vivian a sidelong glance and mouthed, “Auntie?”
“It’s a figure of speech, darling.” She pulled Ella into a crushing hug. “Aren’t you a beauty.” She pushed her away but kept her close with a hand on her shoulder. “Let me get a good look at you.” She gave Ella a thorough appraisal. “You rock the sweet girl-next-door look. Just so you know, though, if you’re sick of that and desire a makeover, I’m the one to turn to.”
“Thank you. In fact, I would love one. What do you think I should do to change my appearance as much as possible?”
Vivian didn’t like where this was going, but Amanda seemed to side with her daughter. “We can change your hair color.” She reached behind Ella, pulled the rubber band off her ponytail, and fluffed her shoulder-length hair out. “What do you think about going short? Like me.”
“No,” Vivian said.
“Sure,” was Ella’s enthusiastic response. “That’s different for sure. I also like your hair color. Do you think black will look good on me?”
“No way.” Vivian put her hands on her hips. “Your hair is beautiful. Why would you want to change it?”
Ella pinned her with a pair of hard eyes. “Because I want to change everything about me.”
That was new. Vivian had seen Ella upset, angry, and even furious, but her eyes had always remained soft.
As she imagined what had put that hard expression on her baby’s angelic face, a lump formed in her throat.
Amanda wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Relax. We are not going to do anything today.” She leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “There are all kinds of methods to exorcize demons. Some of them involve dancing naked in the woods, and some involve a pair of scissors and a box of hair dye.”
“Someone is at the door,” Parker said.
Vivian hadn’t heard anything, but a moment later there was a knock. Undoubtedly, Parker’s hearing was improving by the day.
That must be the big boss and his wife, she sent to Ella. Kian and Syssi.
As Magnus opened the door for the couple, Ella sucked in a breath.
“Wow, you look so much like Julian,” she exclaime
d.
Kian smiled. “Hello, Ella, and you look a lot like your mother.”
She and Ella exchanged looks.
“I don’t see it,” Ella said.
Behave, Vivian sent.
Do I need to agree to everything he says?
No, but try to be polite.
I am.
“Mom,” Parker said. “You’re doing that thing again.”
An awkward silence followed, which Syssi broke by walking up to Ella and pulling her into a quick hug. “Welcome to the clan. We are overjoyed to have you here, free at last.”
“Thank you. I’m forever grateful to you and everyone who took part in getting me out. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”
“You already did,” Kian said.
Vivian arched a brow. What was he talking about? Was it a figure of speech? Maybe he’d meant that the joy of rescuing Ella was worth the huge effort and all the resources that had gone into it?
Somehow that didn’t fit what she knew about Kian. The guy was too pragmatic to say something nice like that.
“That ring you gave Turner will finance a halfway house for the girls that are ready to graduate from the sanctuary and transition into semi-independence.”
“What ring?” Parker asked.
Ella shifted from foot to foot. “The engagement ring from the Russian. I thought it was the least I could do to repay the clan for what it has done for us.”
That was news to Vivian. “You didn’t tell me that he gave you a ring.”
“Yeah, well. It wasn’t important.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t going to keep it anyway.”
Vivian knew her daughter well enough to tell when she was being evasive. But this wasn’t the time for a frank conversation. It was up to Ella to decide when she was ready to share more of what had happened to her.
Until then, Vivian would have to wait patiently.
6
Ella
“The guy in booth four is looking at you,” Maddie whispered in Ella’s ear as she passed by her on the way to the kitchen. “He’s cute. Do you want to take his order?”
