Authors: Lara Nance
He let out a deep breath and
covered her hands with his. “I’m not going into danger. I will find them and discover what connections they have to Desmond, if any. Then I’ll tell you all what I’ve found. Now, go back to bed. I’ll be all right, don’t worry.” Her hands fell to her sides. He grabbed the jacket from the floor where she’d dropped it and crossed to the door. Hand on the door handle, he turned. Then, after a last look at her, he slipped through the door into the darkness.
Cool air rushed
through the opening with his departure, and she shivered, rubbing her arms. She turned from the door, her heart pounding at the rush of emotions passing through her. Rushing to the bar, she poured a glass of red wine with trembling hands then carried the glass to the sofa. No way would she be able to go to sleep until he was back on the boat, safe.
“Cara? What’s wrong?” Amber
bounded up the stairs, rubbing her eyes and yawning. “I heard voices.”
“I’m in trouble,” Cara
murmured.
Amber tightened the sash of her short blue robe and
pursed her lips. She padded to the couch and sat beside Cara. “You’re in love with Rolf, aren’t you, honey?”
“Oh my God!”
Cara flopped back and slapped a hand over her eyes. “Am I that transparent?”
“Well, sweetie, of course we can all see it. And he loves you, too. You can’t hide those sorts of things, especially from me.” She giggled.
“But you’re wrong about him. He doesn’t love me.” Cara sat up and snatched her wine glass from the coffee table.
“Ha! Oh, yes he does.”
“I just kissed him and he turned me down. Okay?”
“
It doesn’t matter what he just did. I’m one hundred percent positive he has feelings for you. I think the past keeps him from allowing himself to fall in love. Think about it. All those years alone, doing nothing but fighting and mourning a murdered wife. He can’t just turn around and say, ‘hey, it’s great to be alive and in love’. There’s baggage.”
Cara
shook her head. “It’s more than baggage. I think it’s because he’s an ancient. Remember Highlander? He’d fall in love, then the woman would get old and die, and, finally, he just stopped because it hurt too much.”
“This is real life, Cara, not the movies. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. I say take what love and comfort you can, while you can. We all have differences. But how you deal with them
is what makes a relationship work.”
“Maybe you should have this talk with
him
.”
“Maybe I will.”
“I’m kidding.” She grabbed Amber’s arm. “I’d be humiliated. Just leave him alone, please?” Amber was more than capable of doing what she said. Cara couldn’t bear the thought of Rolf knowing how much she cared for him then pitying her. Tonight had been bad enough. “Please?”
Amber didn’t answer. She smiled, patted Cara’s arm
, and trotted back down the steps.
###
Rolf
returned to
Avalon
sometime around four a.m. He paused at the door to the salon, listening. Dusty ran up the side deck and jumped at his thigh.
“Hey, big guy.”
Rolf ruffled the fur on his head. “Where’s your mom?”
He made his way to the stern of the boat and there was Cara
, asleep on one of the padded chaises. Standing in the shadows at the side of the deck, he absorbed the vision of Cara sleeping. She lay curled on her side, thick lashes fanned against her pale cheeks, her full lips slightly parted.
A tightness
invaded his gut. The kiss with Cara left him burning with need, but confused about what path to take. She was mortal and would die soon, leaving him alone again. A bare moment of pleasure and a betrayal of Sakhet. His soul revolted at the idea.
H
er eyelids fluttered and opened. The smile that broke over her face, though groggy, filled him with a tingling glow of pleasure.
“You’re okay
.” She pushed herself to a sitting position.
“I promised, remember?”
He sat on the foot of the chaise, the warmth from her body infusing him with contentment.
“What happened?” She
rested a hand on his arm, eyes searching his face.
“I followed
the evil stench and located one of the Takers at a bar in Hamilton. A thin, white man in his late-twenties. He did his best to entice some of the girls outside, but none of the women in the bar succumbed to his invitations, thank the gods. It was after two when he finally gave up and left.
“He went to a house in a rural area
and I detected two other men, all Takers. They had the windows open so I heard them talking. As far as I could tell, they’re just an isolated group of deviant Light-dealers who developed their sick need independent of outside influence. Seems they traveled here recently from England.”
“They didn’t see you?” Her hand squeezed his arm
as her eyes grew wide.
“Of course not.
I’ve been at this a long time, remember?” He smiled, longing to pull her into his arms and kiss away the worry lines on her face.
“Rolf, I was so afraid when you left. I thought you meant to take them on by yourself.” She placed her other hand on his cheek, and energy charged through him, touching his core.
He closed his eyes and grasped
the hand at his cheek, carrying it to his lips. Her indrawn breath sent a shiver of desire through him. He froze. By the gods, did he have no will power at all? Sakhet’s face rose in his mind, lush red lips smiling, and a pang of guilt sliced at his heart.
“Dear Cara.” He released her hand and stood. “You must let me do my job. Don’t
worry, I can take care of myself. It’s you I’m concerned for.”
She stood and laid a hand on his chest, eyes shining an invitation. “Rolf
—”
He
set his forefinger against her lips. “My feelings for you cast a veil of confusion over my senses. That’s dangerous. We have to fight these Takers. There’s nothing more important. Don’t you understand?”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Okay. If it’s what you want.”
“It’s what has to be.” He kissed the top of her head then stepped back, knowing he had to leave or all the good intentions in the world would not keep him from gathering her close and covering her body with kisses.
She
crossed her arms over her chest, and bit her bottom lip, eyes down.
“Good night, Cara.” He hurried
inside without looking back, and returned to his room, aching with need. Once in bed, he closed his eyes and her image stayed before him until he fell asleep.
Warm, d
ry air blew across his face. He blinked and when he opened his eyes, the sapphire waters of the Nile ran before him. Over his head, the white-hot sun floated in the clear cerulean sky. He squinted to gaze across the river where green grasses grew in wild abandon, thick and rich. A brush of air on his hand drew his attention to his right. Sakhet stood next to him, her full lips curved into a smile. His heart lurched.
She’s come back!
“Beloved.” Her voice embraced
the word in tender, rich tones of love. Her fingers wrapped around his, warm and comforting.
“Sakhet. I thought you would never come to me again.” His pulse raced. He swung his legs over the side of the bed to stand beside her. Raising his hands, he cupped her cheeks, savoring every precious part of her face—touching her lips and eyelids with his fingertips. Dear, sweet features. He lowered his head to kiss her, but she drew away.
“Bes, my love, tell me about your heart.”
“What do you mean?” Her withdrawal punched a hole in his soul. How could she not know his heart—she who knew him best?
She
tilted her head and gave him a gentle smile. “Poor Bes, I have kept you with me too long. I see that now.”
“No,” he said
, trembling with need for her. “That’s not true.”
“You must let me rest in peace, my dearest. Too long have you denied yourself the pleasure of joining with
another.” She reached up to caress his cheek with her fingertips. “I release you. Go and find the peace you seek.”
“No, y
ou are my love, now and forever.” Tears ruined his vision. Must she rip the heart from his chest with these words? His insides froze in the icy coldness of despair.
“Yes, a part of you, always, but you must make room for others. It is time. Your destiny lies along a different path from mine. So many years you have fought to avenge me. Now
, it is time to follow your heart. Unless you do, the world is lost. I must not visit you anymore so you can find your way to peace.”
“I won’t let you go.” He fell to his knees
and hugged her around her waist, burying his face in her silky, flowing clothing. Sobs nearly doubled him over. “To never see you, even in my dreams—”
“Do this for me, Bes.
Be strong.” She floated from his embrace and drifted away with her arms outstretched.
His limbs we
nt numb, but he managed to reach for her. Every muscle in him strained to rise and follow, but despite all his great power, she slipped between his arms like wisps of smoke. She smiled her beautiful smile, gentle and loving. Her body drifted from him. Then, with a last glance, she floated away until her form faded into the glare of the sun.
“
Sakhet
,” he cried and fell over, wracked with sobs, his heart a cold, empty pit. But she was gone and he knew he would never see her again.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The salon lay empty when Cara and Dusty climbed the steps to the main deck the next morning. Voices outside led her to the back deck. The others were all there, lounging on the cushioned seats and chairs that surrounded a teak table, drinking coffee as they munched on sweet rolls and fruit.
Rolf sat in a chair
, drinking a cup of espresso. For once, he wore a white shirt, unbuttoned at the neck and black cargo shorts. She swallowed and put a hand to cover her pounding heart.
Rolf
turned his head and pinned her with a blue-eyed gaze, unsmiling. She swallowed and turned away, sadness calming her pulse.
“Hey
, Cara,” Amber said. “Try this on.” She held out a necklace: A black leather cord with a large pendant containing three crystals and runes carved in the gold which held them.
Thankful for the distraction, she crossed the deck to Amber and
took the necklace, admiring the work her friend had done. Runes carved in the metal had no meaning for her, but, hopefully, the spells would work to hide her energy. She held her pendant up by the cord then placed it around her neck. She forced herself to stay focused on the jewel, with only a brief sideways glance at Rolf. “Well, feel anything, Rolf?”
He
hesitated, then rose and walked around her. Her skin tingled.
“I don’t feel any energy at all. Good job, Amber,” he said. “You only need to wear it when we leave the boat
, Cara. Here, we’re protected by the globe.”
“Yea
h!” Amber jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “It works.”
“So
, what’s up?” Cara removed the amulet and stuffed it in her pocket. She hoped the others couldn’t see how much her heart ached.
“I was about to fill the group in on my discoveries last night.”
“What happened?” Marc asked.
“I decided to find the Takers,” Rolf replied.
“By yourself?” Amber ceased her celebration and frowned.
“Yes, I
know what I’m doing.”
Shana walked by and punched him in the shoulder
. “Yeah, but now you got a team, so don’t be going off by yourself again.”
“So I was told
last night.” Rolf glanced at Cara.
Shana
raised an eyebrow, but Cara lowered her gaze to the floor.
“What did you find?” Alistair asked.
He recounted his tracking of the Taker and the discovery of the house with the two others.
“
You’re sure they’re not with Desmond?” Tor stretched his arms over his head.
“It would seem so.”
Cara crossed to the table and poured herself a cup of coffee from the thermal carafe.
“What are we going to do about them?” Amber asked.
Shana raised her fists in the air. “Eliminate them.”
“
What?
” Marc jumped to his feet.
“She’s right,” Tor said. “We have to get rid of the
se dudes. They’re murdering people. Are we going to let them keep killing?”
“You’re talking about murdering
someone, do you realize that?” Marc stared at Shana. “Can’t we turn them in to the police or something? Maybe they can get some help and change.”
“I told you, once a Taker is turned, there is no help.” Rolf draped one arm over the back of his chair. “There is no choice but death.”