Unexpected Eden (22 page)

Chapter 24

Stomach rumbling, Lexi wandered toward the kitchen. Eryx hadn’t lied about her needing more food. Especially after two non-stop hours of target practice—and that messy elemental weapon experiment with water.

Off the main corridor, a castle worker dusted a twenty-foot table.

Lexi smiled and waved.

The young woman averted her gaze and wiped the shiny surface double-time.

Same response she’d had from everyone. A little lacking on the welcome wagon side of things, but she couldn’t blame them. Not with her prophetic calling card splayed on Eryx’s arm.

On the bright side, she’d wielded electricity, fire, and wind with little, if any, hesitation by the time she’d stopped, her aim finally somewhat predictable. But Ludan was right—wind was definitely her thing. Her distance sucked, but no way was she hooking up with those strands again until she talked to Eryx. For all she knew, it was bad Myren mojo.

Crap
. She drew to a halt in the foyer, retracing her steps in her head. Must’ve been the left hallway instead of the right. She huffed and redirected.

A flash through the giant picture window stopped her. In the garden beyond, a tall patch of amethyst blooms shook, rattled by something dark at its base. Silver hair peeked above the top.

Orla
. She changed her path, her steps lightened with the promise of company. The white sand path sparkled in the noonday sun and the varied blooms settled on her palate. Sweet. Spicy. Citrus. All mixed together with the bite of tangy ocean salt.

Rounding the corner, she drew up short and nearly stumbled over a set of youthful legs with bare feet. “Oops. Sorry.”

With a handful of errant weeds, Orla looked up from the flowerbeds, and a pretty girl with loose pigtails crawled out from behind a tall patch of wispy grass.

“Lexi.” Orla dusted her hands on her apron. “I thought you were in the gardens with Eryx.”

“Nope. Been solo most of the morning. The boys went to play war.” Tired of tiptoeing around the strangers in her new home, she held out her hand to the girl. “I’m Lexi.”

The girl took Lexi’s hand and ducked her head in a shy, but polite semi-bow. “I’m Jillian.” Though small, her sunny smile matched her yellow tunic and leggings. “I live here with Orla.”

Lexi took the cautious hand offered and a vague familiarity brushed her senses. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Dark blonde hair, tiny freckles along her cheeks and nose, and a prominent bone structure that looked awkward on her young face. She’d grow into those bones though. And mixed with those hazel eyes? The boys wouldn’t know what hit ’em.

Hazel. Expressive. She’d seen that—

“Wait a minute.” Lexi looked to Orla then back to Jillian. “How are you related to Orla?”

With the exuberance of youth, her eyes lit up. “Oh, I’m not. She takes care of me. I’ve lived here with Uncle Eryx and Uncle Ramsay ever since I can remember.” As quickly as she’d brightened, her features locked up tight. Her gaze darted to Orla. “I-I mean, they’re not really my uncles. I’ve just always called them that. If you’d rather I didn’t…”

Lexi opened her gifts a fraction. A lost, wayward soul. Happy, but still disconnected. She squeezed Jillian’s arm in reassurance. “My being here doesn’t change a thing. Maybe we could spend some time together and you could help me get to know everyone? Every time I get close to them they duck and cover.”

Jillian clasped her hands behind her back and a blush pinked her cheeks. “I’d like that.”

A dog padded out from behind the wall of tall grass, his long coat a color flitting between lilac and gray, maybe periwinkle. The only break in the surprising shade was a streak of pearlescent white shimmering down his spine. It ambled forward and nudged Lexi’s wrist with a cold, wet nose.

Jillian’s laugh flittered with the same lightness of the petals dancing in the breeze. “Oh, now you’ll come out.”

“He’s beautiful.” Lexi petted the top of his head. “What’s his name?”

“Samuel.” Jillian crouched and dragged her hand along the white streak at his spine. “Uncle Ramsay got him for me.”

“He’s a menace.” Orla stood and rubbed the small of her back. “We’re finishing up here. If you’re not practicing your new skills would you like some lunch?”

“That’s where I was headed. I got lost on the way to the kitchen and found you instead.”

“Perfect.” Orla tossed her spade into a battered taupe tote made of some sturdy fabric and motioned at a handful of tools strewn on the path behind her. “Jilly, get those gathered and I’ll get these in the shed.”

Lexi joined in to help and snagged the bag before Orla could. “I’ll put them up if you’ll tell me where they go.”

Orla nodded, picked up her sack of weeds, and pointed down the path at a shed set near the garden’s edge. “Just over there. While you do that, Jilly and I will start on the food. Anything in particular you want?”

“What was it you made yesterday? The pastry with the peach and caramel sauce on top?”

Orla and Jillian both laughed, but it was Orla who answered. “That’s lasta. And it’s normally for breakfast, but what the heck.” She looked back at the weed-free beds behind her. “We’ve worked for it right?”

“Absolutely.” Lexi took off for the shed, motivated by the promise of Orla’s treat almost as much as she’d been eager to learn to throw a fireball. She rummaged through the rows of tools, found an empty spot for the tote, and stepped into the nearly noonday sun.

“I’d hoped I’d be able to find you.” Serena’s anger hadn’t tapered off since the last time they’d met.

Lexi clamped down her gift and braced. “What do you want?”

Evil burned in her exotic blue gaze. “Maybe I wanted to atone for my behavior the other day.”

“Something tells me you don’t apologize for much. Sniffing around for my fireann is more like it.”

“You use that term pretty easily for a woman who knows nothing of our race.” The classic catty tone. A blade slipping from its sheath. “You’re right, though. I don’t give a fig about your feelings. And Eryx will be mine.”

“Like hell.”

“Really?” From the folds of her gown, she revealed a slim, gold box no bigger than her hand. She held it out to Lexi with an unspoken dare. “I’ve got something here that says otherwise.”

Lexi stared at the box, then at Serena. “Games?”

“Hardly.” Her free hand floated to cover the lid. “See for yourself.” She lifted the lid. A gold shield lay on a bed of white felt.

Dread tingled through Lexi and her stomach lurched.
Don’t react. Breathe slow and steady.

“What is it?” With a little luck, Serena would be too hopped up on vengeance to notice the tremble in her voice.

Serena’s head cocked. “You don’t recognize it? I thought surely you would. His memories made it look like he was proud of his time as a…what do they call them in Evad? Policeman? Hasn’t he shown you this?”

The shiny gold emblem winked from its innocent bed. The black TPD emblazoned across the middle sliced her gut open wide. Dread thickened to fear, but no way was she showing her cards to this bitch. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“Oh, darn it. I’m so bad with names.” Serena touched one finger to her chin and surveyed the sky. “Ike….Isaac…” Her eyes popped open and her head snapped upright. “Oh, I know. Ian.”

Fuck.

Serena paused, all dramatic effect and Grinch smile. “He wouldn’t admit he knew you either. It’s rather cute the way you two try to protect each other. Does Eryx know about him? Surely you two weren’t intimate. He’s so
old
looking.”

Lexi’s nails bit into her palms, the need to seize Serena’s perfect neck and squeeze nearly more than she could stand. Her temples ached from the press of her clenched jaw.

“Your friend’s tucked away in a villa on the outskirts of Cush. All you have to do to get him safely back where he belongs is to meet me there tonight.”

Lexi straightened, tall as she could. “I realize you hold me in the lowest regard. But no one, not even a human-raised Myren, would be stupid enough to walk directly into a trap like the one you’re suggesting. And you grossly overestimate the pawn you’re using as bait.”

“So, you wouldn’t mind if I give the order to slit his throat now?”

Lexi’s lips sealed up tight, unable to let such devastating words loose.

Serena chuckled. “I didn’t think so. I’ll give you the location and you’ll be there tonight, alone, at sunset. And think twice before you share your plans with your precious new fireann. I’ve got political connections and an army at my disposal. All it will take are a few, well-placed words in the right ears and you’ll be the lone instigator of a full-fledged war.” Morbid delight glittered in her azure blue gaze. “I’m sure your subjects would be thrilled to know their new malress was the sole reason for bringing a new era of suffering and death to our people.”

Serena rattled on with her instructions.

Lexi kept her silence. There had to be some way to deal with this. Some way to cut the shrew off at the pass and get Ian someplace safe.

When she was done, Serena stepped back into the shadows and shimmered into nothingness.

An overly perfumed breeze brushed past her.

Serena whispered in her ear, “I’ll see you tonight, my malress.”

Chapter 25

Eryx stomped from the kitchen toward the garden and tamped down the silent fury racing through his veins. Orla and Jillian had pounced as soon as he’d landed with a frantic download of what had happened in his absence. Not that their words were helpful. Serena might have dropped in and rattled Lexi to the point of visual agitation, but no one seemed to know what was said. With Serena, it couldn’t be good.

He stepped out into the late afternoon sun. Lightning pierced a wooden crate propped against the fire pit. Another three crates sat on the ground—if one could still call them crates. Hacked up scraps of wood and piles of ash was more like it. And the air reeked with the stench of smoke.

“That crate must have really pissed you off.”

Lexi spun to face him. Her crimson tunic was damp down the center and clung to her torso. Two splotches of dirt or ash marked one cheek and her forehead. “I didn’t hear you come out.”

“I see that.” He started forward, cautious. Curious how she’d play whatever she was up to. “You been at it awhile?”

Lexi nodded, a little too emphatically. “Getting lots better.”

“Looks like it.”

She tucked her hands behind her back and shifted her feet. “How was the meeting?”

Ah, so diversion was her tactic. “We modified our focus area. Patrols have gone out.” He hugged her and the fine hairs along his arms lifted, a flagrant indicator she’d been at her drills too long. “You stop and take a break today?”

Lexi’s head bobbed up and down, but her eyes didn’t quite meet his. “I had lunch with Orla and Jillian.”

He waited to see if she’d add anything else.

Nothing.

“Come on.” If she wouldn’t talk to him, he could at least take care of her physically. Tucking her against his side, he steered her toward the house. “If you don’t rest, you’re going to pass out.”

Her head whipped up, eyes big and round. “Shit. I forgot about that.” She focused on the ground so hard he was surprised he didn’t hear gears grinding.

And that was it. Not so much as a peep the rest of the way to their chambers. She crawled on top of the made bed and curled onto her side, her back to the door.

In that moment, there seemed more distance between them than before he’d first seen her in dreams. His blood simmered with frustration, and a slow, steady squeeze gripped his heart. How was he supposed to help her if she wouldn’t let him in? After their mating, he’d thought they’d be past this point.

With clipped steps, he snagged a throw off the bed. If she wouldn’t talk, he’d just take what he needed from her memories. He spread the blanket over her and settled on the edge of the bed. “Talk to me.”

Lexi kept her eyes shut and pressed her lips together so tight, the color shifted from berry to white.

Stalemate. Now what in histus was he supposed to do? Take her memories, or trust her to share when she was ready?

So still and silent, curled in a fetal position beside him. In one week, she’d been thrown more life-altering loopholes than most people walked through in a lifetime, and not once had she shut down like she was right now. The fatigue bit was bullshit. Whatever was eating at her was bad. Raw, barely dammed emotion—and it ripped him from the inside out.

And there’s your answer.
If he stole her memories, he’d be no better than the people who’d hurt her in her youth. Not to mention he’d single-handedly kill what trust they’d forged. He let out a sigh and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re not in life alone anymore, Lexi.”

A tear fell and a deeper crimson wet spot bloomed on the silk beneath her temple.

He stood and strode for the door. Better to leave before he could change his mind and do or say something he’d regret. The cold sting of the metal doorknob matched his heart.

“Eryx.”

His heart kicked at the sound of her shaky voice. He braced and faced her.

Her face was tight, fists full of the comforter beneath her. “We need to talk.”

* * * *

Of all the strategies and outcomes she’d contemplated since her run-in with Serena, not one had played out like this. The details rushed out, peppered with a number of colorful metaphors to make a biker blush.

Eryx pulled her into a hug tight enough to crush her lungs. No ranting. No shifting into war mode. Just held her. His voice shook with what her senses confirmed as bone-deep relief. “Thank you for trusting me.”

A stuttered breath. “You knew.”

Eryx pinned her chin between his thumb and finger and lifted. “Jillian and Orla jumped me the minute I got home and told me Serena had been here, but didn’t tell me what she said. I almost took your memories. I realized I needed to trust you the same way I want you to trust me.”

Stunned, her knees nearly buckled. Tears spilled down her face and pooled in the hollow of her neck. Never since she was fourteen years old had she had anything worth crying about, but this man—this man was everything to weep for.

He wiped each tear and brushed tender kisses along her brow, her nose, her cheeks. “We’ll find Ian.”

She hiccupped around a sob. “But the Rebellion, we’ll start a war.”

He smiled. The arrogant, self-confident, deliciously wonderful man actually smiled. “The Lomos Rebellion will take on a life of its own no matter how we approach this. Whether we see to Ian’s safety or not won’t stop any plans Maxis wants to put into motion.”

With that, he swept Lexi into his arms, settled them both on a chaise in his adjoining office, and sent a mental summons to Ludan and Ramsay. Half an hour later, his study was a hive of covert strategy—five quarans representing each region, Ramsay, Ludan and Jagger.

Lexi perched on Eryx’s lap, all too conscious of her bedraggled appearance and the intimate pose the two of them made during such a serious discussion. No matter how many times she tried to escape for her own chair, Eryx held her tight with an arm around her waist.

“There’s zero activity near the villa to distract from our movements. You’ll have to use a limited number of warriors with strong stealth abilities to get inside undetected,” one quaran said. “You’ve already noted Maxis exhibited skills unknown to us before. If he’s gained the ability to detect masked Myrens, then sending too many in would tip him off.”

“I don’t know.” Jagger shifted in his chair at Ramsay’s right. “With the increase in men I’ve seen in Asshur, all built like warriors, it’s possible they’ll stage an ambush.”

Another quaran chimed in. “Are you sure the human is there? Surely we won’t risk our warriors on the words of a scorned woman?”

“One life—any life—is too precious to chance.” Eryx’s icy stare pegged the quaran who’d spoken. “If it were someone you loved, would you want me to ignore the situation?”

No one expected a reply, least of all Eryx. He looked to Ludan, sprawled in an oversized chair, one foot propped carelessly on the edge of the coffee table. “What’s your spin?”

“Hostages and weak points were always his family’s M.O. Doesn’t surprise me he’d take that tack. Question is if Ian’s still alive?”

“And how Maxis knew to find him,” Ramsay added.

A fresh wave of nausea hit her.

“He must have been on our tail in Evad longer than we thought. Maybe saw us together inside,” Eryx said. “Maxis isn’t much on human ways but even he’s got to be able to track a tag.”

Ludan sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Makes sense.” He didn’t sound like he was sold on the idea.

“You gotta assume it’s a trap.” Ramsay leaned a hip against Jagger’s wingback and crossed his arms. “We scout the area first. If it’s clear, we send the best people versed in masking first. If the whole thing’s a ruse, we back out and regroup. Never let ’em know we were there. If the shit’s real, we nab Ian and bolt.”

“A diversion of some type might be convenient.” A third quaran stepped into the fray, his voice almost whiny compared to the other masculine tones. “If they’re expecting the malress, why not have her approach the villa and we provide backup?”

“No.” The word dropped like an anvil.

The room stilled and each man gazed off at indistinct points around the room.

Lexi itched to pace. She tried to push from Eryx’s lap, but his arm wouldn’t budge.

Maybe it was the tightly leashed power in the room making her antsy. They were powerfully built, capable of impressive destruction. Yet they each stood motionless, their minds grinding for options.

“Ramsay and I will go.” Eryx’s tone left no room for rebuke. “No one’s stronger at sensing and shielding from other Myrens than we are. Jagger and Ludan are on back up.”

Panic and anger bubbled in Lexi’s gut.

The arm around her waist tightened further, as did Eryx’s voice. “I need two guards, highly regarded, advanced skills. They’ll be here with Lexi. I want the best.”

“I’ve got a newly promoted man well suited for such an assignment.” The whiny-voiced quaran stepped forward. “His skills are exceptional and he’s moved quickly within the ranks. His loyalty is unquestioned.”

Eryx’s chest rumbled against her. “Anyone else?”

One of the yet unspoken quarans stepped forward. “I would be proud to offer my son, my malran. He’s up for promotion to elite and has always shown outstanding initiative.”

Eryx’s gaze slid back to the wimpy sounding fellow. “Not sure I should trust a man so willing to throw my baineann to the wolves.”

“Eryx.” Lexi didn’t make a full escape, but did manage to angle for a glare. “What he suggested makes perfect sense. I think you should reconsider.”

“No.” Eryx’s response was even more clipped than the last. He eyeballed the two who’d offered warriors for service. “Get them here. And tighten castle detail. If they’re not warriors, staff, or family, they’re not welcome. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” The quarans’ voices rang in unison.

“Ramsay, have a battalion with specialties in hand to hand on deck nearby. Don’t disclose the final location unless the shit hits the fan. All plans will be kept to the individuals in this room. No one knows about this operation until it’s over and Ramsay or myself give the order to share it further.”

“We’ve got about an hour and a half before sunset.” Jagger’s voice was smooth compared to Eryx’s harsh commands. The gold damask of his wingback framed his streaked hair. “I’ll need every minute to scout.”

Eryx nodded, his thumb a steady back and forth motion at her stomach. If he knew how close she was to puking he might rethink the action. “Everyone out. Wait in the foyer.”

The men strode from the room under a cloud of murmurs.

Eryx rested his hand atop her white-knuckled fist.

Blood pulsed hot and thick beneath Lexi’s skin. With every breath, her arguments built and battered against her tightly clenched lips.

Eryx’s gaze held hers. Chagrined, but resigned and ready to battle.

The office latch slid into place with a reverberant click.

“You can’t do this!” Lexi launched from Eryx’s lap and spun to face him.

The leather of his chair cracked in the silence as he reclined. His silver eyes darkened to liquid metal. “I can. I will.” Pure, smooth dominance. A predator who’d planned his attack.

Lexi’s teeth snapped together with a painful clink. “At the very least you need to let me go with you. Let me be a diversion. You can’t leave me here while you’re out fighting my battles.”

Eryx shot forward, captured her hand, and made a show of twining their fingers together. “This isn’t only your battle, Lexi.” He tugged her so she stood between his knees. “It’s been my family’s battle for generations and now it’s impacted you.” He raised their joined hands and skimmed her inner wrist with his lips. “Because of that, I need to do this.”

The contact raced up her arm. “Then I should go too.”

“No.”

Lexi opened her mouth to argue.

Eryx laved her tender skin and her mind tripped. He blew against the wet path he’d left on her skin. “You’re not ready yet. What you did today tells me you’re warrior material, but we don’t yet know to what extent. Putting you in this situation is unacceptable.” His teeth scraped at her thumping pulse. “You’d know that if you stop to think for a moment.”

Lexi jerked her hand away and spun for escape.

Eryx surged from the chair. His arm snaked out to cage her against him. His free hand gripped the back of her head and angled her face to meet his fierce gaze. His hot, elevated breath clashed with hers. “I know this isn’t because you don’t trust me. If that were the case, you’d have gone out to handle this on your own. You also know you need to develop your skills or you wouldn’t have worked yourself to the point of exhaustion today. So what’s eating you?”

A direct hit. A question she wasn’t sure she had the strength to face. She squeezed his shoulders, so defined and solid, and dropped her forehead to rest on his chest with a haggard moan. “I don’t want to lose you.” The tears started again, the fear banging around in her belly pushing out ragged sobs. “I just found you. I don’t want to lose you.” The words cracked as they passed her lips. If she’d had to walk naked in the middle of Times Square she wouldn’t feel this exposed. “I love you.”

He lifted her chin. The implacable hardness of his eyes softened. “You won’t lose me. I’m not that easy to get rid of. Between the four of us, we’re damned near unstoppable. No one can sense or shield their presence better than my family’s line.”

“And if it’s an ambush?”

“Then we’ll know and abort for a different attack.”

Lexi hugged his neck and plastered herself closer. Her ear settled over the solid rhythm of his heart. Her own wasn’t as steady. It hammered like cement shoes in a clothes dryer.

Eryx stroked her spine, his confidence evident in every stroke. She trusted him, knew he and his warriors were the most skilled to handle a man like Maxis. Still, no one was infallible.

One tiny mistake and she could well lose the two men she loved most in her life.