Weddings Bells Times Four (14 page)

This time he turned and Beth followed. For some reason she trusted the old coot. And he was old, that was for sure.

“I’m 4600 of your Earth years,” he said, without even looking back.

Her cheeks heated. “Sorry, but you really should stay out of people’s heads,” Beth mumbled and rubbed her arms. “Is it always so cold here?” She looked down and couldn’t even see her feet.

“It’s in your mind, Beth. There is no heat or cold here,” he stopped and looked up. “As I said, we don’t have much time, but I must warn your there are others here that don’t think we should be giving you this information.”

“Will I be attacked when I enter this place?” Beth looked up and up, but there seemed to be no end in the giant tower-like structure. Everything around them was gray, white and black.

“No. You were brought here by the majority of the rule. No one can say or touch you while you are here.” What looked like a solid wall opened and light penetrated the dark.

“Please follow me,” The man said, stepping into the light.

Now that she could see, the man wore what could be black leather chaps, cowboy boots and a black Stetson western shirt. But she did have to admit he did have a nice…” Beth slapped her hand over her mouth and looked up to see him smiling at her.

“Thank you.” Isaac said as they moved into a room filled with people.

All talk stopped as soon as she stepped into through the door. Some of their gazes were friendly while some were downright hostile.
Edward
.She sought out his comfort, but once more there was a blank slate.

Not paying attention where she was going, Beth walked right into Isaac’s back. She jumped back and looked around him to see why he had stopped.

Four half-men, part-something-else stood in front of them. Every one of them followed her with their almost orange eyes. “Who is this Isaac? Did you bring us a young one?”

As if watching a western, the four men parted and another joined their rank. This time Beth couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped her. This man was what nightmares were made of.

There was no color to his eyes. They were black, his fangs were long, but his skin was pitted. Beth could have sworn one of the spots actually moved on his cheek. He also didn’t believe in clothes it seemed as her gaze traveled down his body. She snorted coming to his cock.
He should take pills for that thing, disgusting.

A loud laugh drew her attention behind the men. “Move along ,Felix, or do we need to send you home?” another man asked as he appeared behind the four. He had dark red hair and blue eyes. Nothing scary, but all five men parted, but not before she heard.

“It’s real and soon I’ll show you.”

“You will do no such thing,” the man with the red hair said, staring up at the ceiling. “I owe you an apology, Lady Beth. My name is Simon. Please.” He held out his hand to her and she studied him for a minute before placing her hand in his.

“Isaac, are you coming?” Simon asked and Beth looked to see Isaac had moved back towards the door.

“Why? I do not approve of this. The old ways were brutal. They should be kept in the tombs.” It was the first time she’d heard the venom in Isaac’s words. Beth stepped forward and frowned at him.

“When was the last time you stepped on Earth?” she asked, staring at him.

“What does that have to do with this?” He turned all his anger towards her.

“If I’m right, it has everything to do with it. Did you know last year alone over 6000 humans were murdered?”

“That is nothing.” He challenged.

“Do you know the town of Providence?” She asked him, and he narrowed his eyes.

“You know I do.” Isaac said, moving his feet apart as if getting ready for a duel.

“I thought it was you. You were famous there for saving the town. Too bad you didn’t stick around. That number I just quoted was for that town alone. A group of rogue's took up refuge there in January. Within two months, those were the numbers before Edward found out about it. This is not the only town either,” she sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

“Edward has been trying to organize amongst your kind, but so many of you still valued the old ways. It was the only way he thought would bring everyone together. So don’t judge, if you don’t know the facts.” She turned away from him facing Simon.

“But even you didn’t know he had enacted the bonding until it was done,” Isaac said right behind her.

“That is true, but he did inform me of the possibilities even though, like you, I was not all for it. I even went through the scenario of me not being in the equation anymore, but the attacks and downright I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude has increased in not only humans but all species.”

She nodded to Simon and he took her out of the main room into a series of tunnels.

It wasn’t until they came to a brighter area that Beth noticed Isaac behind her. She didn’t say anything and waited. Simon stepped in front of her and looked down at her. “There are many in here that will hassle you, but ignore them. You are here for only one purpose, to take back with you the missing pieces of the oath. Beth, be warned that once this is done, all humans and other species will know about each other. This is a risky thing to do, this raising the veil of protection, especially with the new weapons on Earth.”

She smiled. “Edward has taken that into account. He’s already made contact with a few of the higher officials around the world.”

“He’s been busy then,” Simon said and another wall moved, allowing them in.

“Yea, too busy…” she mumbled, but sighed, knowing Edward had no choice as she had none either. All they could do was their best, and to pray.

In the room were cubby holes, or what looked like offices, but in the offices the walls were ancient and held what looked like old texts. “Oh my, Avril would have a field day here,” she whistled.

“Who is Avril?” One man stood in a robe-like outfit almost gliding to them.

“He’s my personal assistant and a fanatic with anything to do with the old scrolls.” She nodded to the ones closet to her. “You have a scroll on sex?” her face warmed and the three men laughed.

“We have scrolls on everything and anything. Come let’s get you the one you’ll need,” The man said without introducing himself, but he jerked and hissed suddenly, almost falling on her.

At once, Isaac and Simon were next to her and whisking her up the stairs that she hadn’t known were there. “He had placed it in his quarters expecting this. You’ll have to go back with her, it’s the only way now, Isaac. I’ll hold them off and seal the opening, but make sure he finishes the oath first thing.” Simon spoke as they raced through some hall so fast that Beth didn’t have time to concentrate on anything around her.

They rounded a corner and she lost her breath. Looking down, Beth stared at the strange stick poking out of her arm. “Damn, that hurt!” Beth grunted and flung open the power she’d kept hidden, sending the thing with the elephant cock back through three doors.

“Do you know how freaking tired I am of people taking pot shots at me!” She reached up and yanked the stick out of her as both men stood there, stunned.

“You going to just stand there or are you going to help me pull this thing out of me? Oh, and you lied,” Beth grumbled, but a little yelp came out as she tried to pull it on her own.

“Don’t,” finally Isaac said as he waved his hand and the thing vanished.

She stared down at the wound in her arm. “Yep, they’re going to be furious.” She stuffed a towel in the hole knowing it would heal on its own. “Let’s get this shit done. I want to go home now.”

Isaac said nothing as Simon scooped her up into his arms and ran. “Isaac, get ready,” he yelled and shoved through another door, coming to an abrupt halt. He placed her into Isaac’s arms along with a bottle containing one of the ancient scrolls. “He’s coming, now go. I’ll close the portal and meet you later. Stick close to Edward. They’ll come for him now and her.”

Isaac didn’t say a word as he looked down at her. A strange sensation fell over her again and she moaned, hoping to be in her men’s arms soon.

A stabbing burst of pain radiating from his right shoulder had Edward ripping open his shirt and inspecting his shoulder, but there was nothing there. That’s when the doors burst open, and Dred and Rock stood there looking at his arm, then at his gaze.

“She’s hurt and we can do nothing!” Dred snarled, his hands were now massive weapons waiting to rip anyone apart who had hurt their woman.

Edward’s gaze flashed to his Grandfather. “You were going to say?” He let the anger show as he stood.

“If…she shouldn’t have been hurt. I can’t go there now that I’ve awakened.” His grandfather snarled and the chairs and table in the room started to shake as his power ripped around him. “It takes years to go there when you are resting. Only the most powerful ones could have taken her into the Between Worlds, if that is where she is, but it makes no…” He stopped speaking as a ripple of pure energy opened in the back of room.

“Close the hole, hurry,” An elder ordered as he stepped through the portal with Edward's woman in his arms. “Damn it! Don’t stand there. Those that hurt her are coming in fast!” The man ordered, snapping Edward out of his trance.

“Raynard!” Edward shouted and met Dred and Rock in front of the Elder as he placed Beth into Edward’s arms, before he turned and spouted a few words.

That’s when Edward heard the shouts and fighting. “Duck!” The man yelled and threw him and Beth to the floor as a blast of flame came through the hole before it was sealed. “Damn freaking dragon,” the man muttered. “Next time I see him, I’m going to put a bullet in his head.” he grumbled and helped Edward up with a still unconscious Beth in his arms.

“She’ll wake up here in a second. The move between the realms always takes a little to get used to.” He picked up a bottle and looked over at Edward's Grandfather. “Nice to see you again, young one.”

“Someone better start talking because right now I want to rip this man apart,” Rock snarled, but he placed a gentle kiss on the top of Beth’s head as he sat down with her in his arms.

“Yes, please explain who you are and why we shouldn’t kill you where you stand.” Edward’s gaze locked on the man in question.

“May I?” He nodded to the chair across from him and Edward nodded. “I’m called Isaac. I met your grandfather a long time ago, when he was but a lad. Anyway, the old ones could call you to them since you have enacted the old ways, so they were trying to bring your woman to them. They believe in what you are doing and wanted you to have the last scroll.” He held up the bottle. “But it didn’t go as planned.”

“Ya think? You told me I couldn’t get hurt,” Beth grumbled in Rock's arms. Her fists were curled around his shirt, holding on. “If one more person attacks me, I’m going to go ballistic on someone."

“Who hurt you, Little Witch?” Edward asked and peeled back the towel to see a small red scar there.

“Elephant Dick and his goons,” she mumbled and Isaac laughed.

“That would be Pollux and his little clique, but I wouldn’t worry too…” Isaac frowned and stood. “Simon is coming and that’s not good.”

Another door opened, and a man sporting a long gash down his arm jumped through, followed by two others, before the rift closed. Both Rock and Dred approached them, with Edward’s father and grandfather behind him.

“Bernado is dead. Right now, not even our resting place is safe,” a man with red hair, who had to be Simon, said to Isaac.

“How? The only way to kill us in that realm is to find our bodies.” Isaac demanded.

“Apparently not. This wouldn’t have happened if she had not been brought in,” the smaller black man behind Simon said.

Without warning, Simon shoved a deep blade into the man’s heart. “I had a feeling you were working with Pollux, but now I know it. Rest in peace,” Simon’s gaze jumped to the other man, who held up his hands.

“I was one who approved of this.” The blond turned and bowed. “I am Diego Breadwine and I’m here to offer my assistance in any way possible.”

Simon turned to him. “I’m sorry, but right now we have bigger problems other than the conflict going on here.” He turned to Isaac again. “Lucas is stirring.”

The blond gasped and Edward’s grandfather grabbed the back of his chair. “Are you sure? Isn’t he supposed to be sealed in a protective barrier?” Edward’s grandfather stepped around him and walked over to Simon.

“He was, but from what my sources tell me, the reason Pollux has been so cocky is that he’s chipped away the barrier and believes Lucas will take up the realm again.”

“Who is Lucas and why is everyone so paranoid of this one man?” Beth asked and tried to sit up, but she just fell back into Edward’s arms.

“Gentlemen, thank you for bringing our woman back home to us, but if you will excuse us, I think she needs to feed and sleep. In fact, we all do, if what you say is true. Father, why don’t you take our guests to the South wing. They can stay there. Let’s say we meet back here in six hours. That will give each of us plenty of time to rebuild our strength.” Edward stood up with Beth in his arms.

Isaac turned to him and nodded, but glanced down at Beth. “I’m sorry you were hurt; please forgive me. I informed you of a falsehood, but at the time I didn’t know what was happening around us.”

Beth waved her hand. “Please, you got me home, that is all that matters, but I want the dick head. Someone needs to cut off that foul appendage of his,” she mumbled and snuggled into Edward’s arms.

“If anyone could do it, I have a feeling it would be you. Goodnight, I’ll see you all tomorrow.” With that, Isaac turned and walked with them out of the room.

“Thank you for bringing Beth back to us. We are in your debt.” Edward bowed to the three of them before pivoting and heading back to their private rooms.

“I’m tired. Do you think the next time someone has something to say to you they can take Rock or Dred? I really don’t like to be the center of attention, unless of course it’s with you three,” she mumbled, her eys closing. "I'm so tired,"

“Not yet Little Witch. I want you to feed before you fall asleep. You are drained and need the extra feeding,” Edward said, finally stepping into their room as she frowned at him.