Immortal Prophecy (The Immortal Prophecy Saga) (14 page)

Adele took a deep breath. “That is one of the things we need to discuss with you.”

“We?” she asked.

“James and I. He plays an important part in this too.”

“Right,” she said noncommittally. “The soulmate.”

“Ally, you need to listen to this,” Adele was starting to get frustrated. If this attitude kept up then she was doomed. “Sometimes in life, our choices are taken away from us, for the greater good. It’s not always about what we want. There is a reason that you have been given this destiny.”

“To ruin my life a little bit more?” she asked sarcastically.

“Alessandra, I have never been disappointed in you in my life, by god don’t make me start now. Not when our entire race is on the line.” She was intentionally harsh on Ally, hoping that a bit of shock treatment might bring her out of the desolation she was in.

Ally snapped her head around to look at her grandmother, “How dare you Gran! You betrayed me and then you have the gall to sit there and lecture me on being a disappointment. I lost my parents, you have betrayed me and James, my supposed soulmate has betrayed me as well. My life has been taken out of my hands, and I don’t even know what I’m getting into yet, but if the Fortune Teller is anything to go by it won’t be good. How much can one person possibly be expected to take?” her voice had risen with every word as she felt the blood pumping through her veins. She felt angry, hurt and betrayed but it also felt good to vent. Anything felt better than that dark place where she had been. She hadn’t felt that low since her parents had died.

Adele was openly smiling, her expression one of delight and pride. “That’s more like it. I was beginning to worry.”

Ally stared at her gob-smacked. “You baited me?”

“Yes, and it worked didn’t it.”

“I love you but you have issues.”

Adele laughed. Relief flooded through her as Ally had returned before her very eyes. She just had to hit the right nerve.

“You’re not off the hook Gran, you have some serious explaining to do before I decide if your deception was warranted or not,” she said with a sigh.

“I would expect nothing less,” Adele said.

“Can we discuss this in the morning by any chance?” she asked with a yawn. “I can barely keep my eyes open.”

Adele wasn’t expecting that. Normally she was like a dog with a bone. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I think after a good night’s sleep I will be better equipped to deal with all this.”

Adele nodded in acknowledgement.

“There is one other thing though…”

“What?”

“Tell James, I want my memories back.” She said, deadly serious.

“I think that can be arranged,” Adele laughed.

“Good. ”Ally rose to go to bed. She could barely stand from the exhaustion beating at her.

“Till the morning then,” Adele smiled.

After Ally had left the room, she went in search of James again. They could still compel her into a deep sleep and get her on a plane. Ally would be angry, but they couldn’t wait till morning. Her life was in danger. Adele just hoped that Ally would see reason when she woke up on a plane with them.

James was sitting at the kitchen table when Adele walked back in.

“Coffee?” he asked.

She smiled gratefully, “Yes thank you.” Adele sat down at the table and put her head in her hands.

“What’s wrong?’ he asked as he handed her a cup.

She looked up. “Things haven’t gone to plan, thanks to our dear friend Chase.”

“Oh, for the love of god, what has the imp done now?”

She laughed out loud. Chase and James had always had a rocky relationship.

James being older than Chase was only the start of the problem. Things had been cozy between them as children until a prank that went horribly wrong and James had never really forgiven Chase.

“Well, Ally somehow figured out enough to put him on the spot and he told her a few things.”

James laughed. “I should have seen that coming. She will stop at nothing to learn the truth of things from what I have observed over the years. But what set her off?”

Adele shook her head. “I really don’t know… There are so many questions in that aspect.”

“I would suggest we aren’t the only ones who have questions. Do you want me to speak with her?” James asked.

Adele took a sip of her coffee. “Ally wasn’t herself when I found her and she doesn’t want to talk about anything until tomorrow, so it’s probably best if you wait.”

“Should we be concerned, do you think?” he asked a little worried about how much this was all really affecting her.

Adele thought about her answer for a moment. “I don’t think so, she said that she was tired and that she needed a good night’s sleep before she could deal with everything she needs to hear.”

James raised his eyebrows. “That is all well and good but we don’t have time to waste.”

“I know James. I plan on putting her into a deep slumber still. I just hope she will forgive one last betrayal,” Adele sighed.

“It’s for her safety. I’m sure she would do nothing less if she was in your position.”

Looking around the room, but not really seeing anything, Adele replied, “I hope you’re right James, I really do.”

James sat up straight in his chair and took a deep breath bracing himself for what knew would be turbulent times ahead. “No time to waste then, we leave within the hour. Pack what you both need and I will command her to sleep. It should keep her that way till we are in the air. I want to tell her everything before we reach Scotland. She can’t run away on a plane.” With that, he stood up and started towards Alessandra’s room.

“One more thing James.”

He stopped and turned back, “What?”

“She wants her memories back,” she said trying to keep the smirk from her face.

“So be it,” he turned back and continued his path to Ally’s room.

Chapter Eleven

A
DELE STARTED TO PACK THE THINGS
she and Alessandra would need. She decided it was best to pack light and get anything they needed once safely settled at James’s house. She began to think of the couple she had witnessed tonight. Alessandra and James were made for each other and her heart filled with love for them, but inevitably she felt it break for herself.

Damian… she thought, allowing herself to indulge in a moment of nostalgia.

Adele could still remember every exquisite detail about him. The man was perfection personified. His eyes had locked with hers and she found herself captured in their dark chocolate depths. He was a tall muscular man with golden brown hair. They had spent many years together in a constant state of pure bliss before he was called into battle against Vincent. Her soulmate never returned. She was left broken-hearted. There was nothing to do but go on.

She met her husband a few months later and decided to marry him, since the man she was supposed to be with had died and she was with child. Adele had loved Jonathon dearly and he had raised Vivian as his own but he was not her beloved soulmate as Damian had been.

She mentally shook off the thoughts. It was still heartbreaking to think of Damian after all this time.

Adele knew that nothing remained in Melbourne for her now. It was time to return to the immortal way of life. She could help her granddaughter take down the evil vampire that had destroyed her life and taken Damian from her.

* * *

James went upstairs to Alessandra’s room. Coco, her ever-faithful dog was there beside her. She looked up at him expectantly. He gave her a pat and then sat down by Ally’s bedside and watched for a moment. She was perfect.

His heart broke at the thought of losing her but it might come to that if she couldn’t defeat Vincent. It was her destiny to fight him, but the outcome wasn’t written in the stars. That part was up to her, and her alone. James would stand by her till his last breath, if that was what it took, but it must be by her hand. He wiped his hand over his eyes, fighting off the despair.

James got control of his emotions. There was no time for that now, he had to get Ally to fall into a deep sleep and then get her out of here.

He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “Sleep my little one.” She let out a deep breath and James felt her succumb. It was time to go. James scooped her up off the bed and went in search of Adele.

She was waiting for them near the front door, looking around as if to say goodbye. “I love this house,” she sighed.

“You will return here Adele.”

“No, I think it is time for me to return to the immortal way of life in my homeland and Alessandra will need me in Scotland.”

They both knew that Alessandra’s fate was set. She was to kill or be killed by Vincent when the time came. It didn’t matter whether either of them liked it or not.

“Did you get Coco?” Adele asked, picking up the travel bags that she had packed.

James opened his jacket and Coco popped her head out and barked.

Adele couldn’t help but smile. “Ally won’t realise at first but she is very blessed to have you as a soulmate.”

James cocked his head to the side and gave her a lazy smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Tell her that for me won’t you? Something tells me I’m going to need all the help I can get to convince her.”

“She will come around, I promise.”

They left the house without a backward glance. It was not the right time for nostalgia. It was time to move. James’s shiny black Mercedes was parked in the driveway.

He lowered Alessandra gently onto the back seat then put Coco in the front passenger seat. She looked up at him with her soulful brown eyes. “Everything will be alright girl. We will all protect her.”

Coco continued to gaze at him for a moment then dropped her head down and went to sleep.

He threw the keys towards Adele. She caught them with reflexes so fast the human eyes would have missed it.

“Drive,” James ordered. All his softness from a moment ago gone. He was terrified for his love.

They had to get away without incident. The sooner they were at his home in the wild untamed land of Scotland the better. There, they would be surrounded by servants who were more like friends that would help him protect her if they had too. In Melbourne he felt too isolated and alone. There was no-one he could turn to.

Chapter Twelve

T
HE FLIGHT FROM
M
ELBOURNE TO
S
COTLAND
was a long journey. James took comfort in the fact they had the use of a private jet. It had been necessary to ensure that Alessandra could be taken out of the country. No self-respecting airline could let her be taken on board when she appeared to be unconscious.

Being an immortal, James had been on this earth for many, many years and had accumulated an enormous wealth. His fortune was in the millions, so hiring a private plane was no burden to him.

Seated in the beige oversized leather seats next to his beloved Ally, he worried if he had done the wrong thing stealing her away like a thief in the night. Maybe they should have waited till morning but what was he supposed to do. She wouldn’t want to hear what they had to tell her tonight and her life was in danger after all.

James continued tormenting himself with ‘what if’s’ and ‘should have done’ thoughts for the first few hours of the flight.

Adele, seated opposite him, seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Neither spoke, each preparing themselves in their own way for what was to come. They both knew that Ally would wake up soon of her own accord, if they didn’t do it themselves.

James finally dragged himself back to reality and decided he couldn’t take the torture any longer. “Adele, it is time to wake her. Are you ready?”

Adele bit her lower lip anxiously. “Now is as good a time as any I guess.”

James nodded and leaned closer to his one true love sleeping peacefully beside him. “Forgive me,” he whispered, having a funny feeling he would be saying that a lot in the time to come.

“Alessandra, wake up my darling,” James murmured as he relinquished control of her mind.

Her eyes fluttered open, waking from a dream, she was coming to.

Adele spoke to her first. “Ally, sweetheart wake up.”

Ally opened her eyes and gradually took in the scene before her. She was still shaking off the fogginess of sleep or perhaps she was still asleep.

“Gran?” She turned to her side. “James?” Ally was feeling very confused as to what was going on? Am I still sleeping? she wondered, convinced that this must have been a dream. She clearly remembered going up to bed and falling into a deep sleep.

“Am I still sleeping?” she asked them both.

James replied, “No, you are awake now.”

Ally looked from her Gran back to James again. Fear was overtaking Ally and threatening to suffocate her. “I was in bed… and now I’m not.” She looked around and discovered they were on a plane. “Why am I on a plane? And where are we going?”