Authors: Sarah Brocious
"They will return to Joseph's and she will be a witness. She will be here and she will be safe. Joseph is summoning for some guards and of course Isaac will be there to keep things in order. It will initially be Titus who brings forth the charges so he needed Raina. Isaac will believe Raina. He will see the goodness in her."
Thanatos sucked in a breath and tried not to growl. "So she will stand before Richard? And she will stand before Emmanuel? And she will stand before… Him?"
Michael heard the panic in Thanatos voice. "It had to happen sometime Thanatos. At least now she will have Nolan by her side."
"I want to be there too," Thanatos growled. "It's just as much my fault that she doesn't know. I was the one that caused Nolan to have to lie. I was the one that summoned Jonathan for the contract and of course…"
Jonathan was right there at Thanatos side. He took the phone from him. "Let me get the rest of the details from Michael. You go sit down. We don't need you make any rash decisions that will put you in harm’s way."
Thanatos gave him a look of disbelief. "I lived all these years on my own and without help from others. If I choose to put myself in harm’s way it is my choice." He yanked the phone away from Jonathan and slammed it shut. He grabbed his keys.
“Thanatos, don’t go,” Emily pleaded. “Please, wait until we know Nolan has her, and then you can go! You need your friends around you! You can’t be alone!”
He frowned. Needing anyone didn’t set well with him. “I won’t be alone.” He tilted his chin at Turk. “You want a ride boy?”
Turk was all ears.
“She should see him when she gets to Joseph’s. He will bring her comfort. He roughed the collie’s ears. “Happy?”
They all shook their heads.
Thanatos rolled his eyes. “Well I don’t give a damn if it doesn’t please you all!!” He turned on his heel…Turk close behind… and stormed out the door.
Jonathan quickly dialed Michael's number. “Sorry, friend,” he murmured into the phone.
"What was that?" Michael growled.
Jonathan drew in a breath. "That was trouble."
Michael half laughed. "So Thanatos is heading here huh?"
"You should warn grandpa before you leave. Have a safe trip, Michael." Jonathan hung up the phone and return to the group. He didn't have to tell Arabella what was going on. But he filled Melinda and Emily in.
There was relief and there was fear at the same time within the group. Melinda was relieved that Michael would be returning. She missed her husband greatly. Arabella would be happy to see her brother. Emily surprisingly, was overjoyed that it was Nolan going after Raina.
"He'll bring her back," she said with a smile. "And then things can get back to normal. I won't have to lie to Bradley!"
They all laughed at this.
Melinda gave her a smile. "Your life will never me normal after this Emily. But you will return to the semblance of what was normal. And maybe one day you can fill your husband in."
Emily nodded.
"So now we pray," Arabella said in her gentle voice.
Jonathan went for his laptop.
"What are you doing?" Melinda asked at his abrupt action.
"What any good lawyer would be doing right now. I'm drawing up contracts in anticipation of what's about to happen." He couldn't say much to the group about what could really be going down. He just knew he had to be prepared for anything.
"And now I feel useless," Melinda pouted.
Jonathan shook his head. "Not useless. You guys are supposed be praying, remember?"
And so the women got to the praying while Jonathan put his lawyer cap on.
He tried not to think of what was about to happen. He hated the thought that Nolan may come to harm. But he knew in his heart of hearts that it was all going to work out. He was going to make sure they had the contracts ready for when it did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Raina blinked against the bright light of the open door. Shadows filled the frame. There were two men, one overpowering the other, and throwing him into the room. Here with her? She bit back a gasp, pulling against her restraints.
“You have what you want,” a menacing voice growled at the crumpled form on the ground. He grabbed the arm of the unmoving man, and hoisted him up on the bunk across the room. The unmistakable clap of restraints echoed in the room. This would be a prisoner too.
Raina bit the inside of her cheek. The bright light still flooded the inside of the room, and her eyes were still adjusting. She first looked to the guard. He was the same scowling one that had thrown her in here. She didn’t like the way his eyes roamed her form.
“Yeh…enjoy your gift while it lasts,” the man growled.
Raina blinked back tears, shaking her head, not understanding. She let her eyes rest on the form on the bed while she still had the bright light to do so. It was a large form….a tall man. There was blood on his fine shirt. His feet were shoeless, his dark hair dirty, but thick and enviable, and he had the most unforgettably beautiful face. Her heart slammed hard into her ribs. Nolan! All of her dreams and memories could not compete with the real thing. He was perfection itself!
“Nolan!” she cried out.
His bruised lids fluttered, and silver peered between the slits. His mouth lifted slightly, cut, bruised as well. “Aelan,” he whispered. Then he groaned and seemed to slip from consciousness.
Raina pulled against her restraints again. “What have you done to him?”
The guard simply chuckled cruelly, and slammed the door as his answer.
Raina hated the darkness that surrounded them. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Even so, all she could make out was a dark shape on the bunk across from her. Soon she’d see better, be able to partially make out the extent of his injuries.
“Nolan,” she whispered. “Please be okay. Oh God after all this…please!” She felt tears on her cheeks. He would heal! Right? He would be okay! He had too! He was a healer.
His breathing was heavy in the room. A moan now and again slipped through his lips.
Raina ached to be with him, hold him close, and comfort him with her own body. She just knew she could accelerate the healing.
“Nolan, I love you,” she said softly. “You have to get better for me! I will die if you don’t”
He moaned again, as if in response to her words.
Raina bit down on her lip, and squeezed her eyes shut. She warred with exhaustion so that she could talk him through this, but exhaustion won out and she could not make her lids obey. She opened them hours later. She was pulled from her sleep. A hazy light was shining through the cracks of the blinds into the room. There was enough light to see, but not without straining your eyes.
She turned toward where Nolan would be lying. His eyes were on her, drinking her in. She took in a startled breath, and then smiled. “You are better!”
He grinned, his beautiful mouth free of cut or bruise, but the dried blood remained. “Getting there,” he sighed. “You are a sight for sore eyes,” he murmured.
His voice sent a shiver up her spine. “You have no idea,” she sobbed.
Nolan nodded. “Oh, I do.”
She could not make her eyes drift from him. She could not believe he was actually here with her! What had he gone through? How had he found her? She blew out a breath, wanting to ask, but afraid all at once. If he was here, how would he get them out now?
“I’ve missed that look,” he whispered. “That…I don’t wanna piss Nolan off, but I’m dying inside with curiosity look.” He grinned. “What are you thinking, Aelan?”
Her heart skipped. She loved that name. “How you got here….what we are going to do.”
“You tell me,” he chuckled. “I just got here.”
She glanced toward the minimal light shining beneath the blinds at the only window in the room. “It will be hours before the guard brings us anything to eat. He usually uncuffs me then.” She shook her head. “I doubt he will undo your bonds.”
Nolan sighed. “So what do we do for the moment?”
Raina smiled shyly. She could make out the strong line of his nose, the curve of his lips. “Just don’t stop talking. I have missed the sound of your voice.”
He grinned. “What do you want to talk about, Aelan?”
Her heart skittered. “I would ask that you reveal the secret you and Thanatos hold so fiercely to, but I know that is not going to happen!”
Nolan’s heart skittered with relief. She didn’t know yet! “No, we aren’t going to discuss that…yet. Maybe not ever if… I can help it. What else should I talk about, Aelan?”
She knew that would be the answer. “How about you finally fess up as to why you call me that. Why do you call me flower?”
He was silent for a moment, and then cleared his throat. “You won’t laugh?”
Raina wanted to laugh at the question. “Never!”
He pulled in a deep breath. “I started it long before you even knew I existed.” He pierced her with a stare. “Can you tell me…aside from me, the only time you felt peace after David?”
Raina dipped into her thoughts, and nearly came up empty. She suddenly smiled. “When I visited my parents in Hawaii. It wasn’t the entire trip…but a portion of it” she smiled. “It was the first and only time before you.”
He smiled. “Why didn’t you go back?”
“I didn’t want to be anywhere you weren’t.” She smiled brightly now. “Hawaii with you…now that would be heaven! I wish we could be there now!” She tried to let herself imagine it now.
“I’ve been there with you,” he spoke softly.
Raina shook her head.
“Yes, after you lost David. You didn’t know I was there of course.”
She tilted her head. “Go on.”
“I was just learning who you were. Learning what you would need, to be a better protector. I watched you all those weeks after, and followed you when you went to see them. You were hurting so badly,” he whispered. “You reminded me of myself after I’d lost my family. I knew what you were feeling. I wanted so badly to help you…just touch you once. I knew it would bring you comfort. Instead I had to just stay at a distance. I watched, and I worried. Your face…your eyes all spoke of the pain you were feeling. You were in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and you could not enjoy it.” He suddenly chuckled. “That is until you went for a walk by yourself…in that botanical garden. Do you remember?”
Raina smiled. “Yes, but I have a feeling I wasn’t by myself!”
He shook his head. “Your eyes were on those beautiful flowers, and you actually smiled. Your pain lifted for a brief moment, as you admired. It was the same thing that happened to me each time I looked at you. My pain forgotten…my world was right for an instant. You stared at your flowers, and I stared at my Aelan. You never were just Raina to me.” He paused, just staring at her. “You are joy to me, Raina. Anytime I’m hurting…physically, emotionally…thinking of your face gives me strength.”
Raina felt tears flood her eyes. “What? Me?”
He grinned. “Yes. You. I am a stronger healer because of you. There is so much I have learned these weeks being with another healer, with Our Sovereignty. I…I never truly knew the extent of the power I had. Never practiced it before you…not really. I learned that some of us need a catalyst in our lives, which determine the depth of our healing power.” He drew in a breath. “You are my catalyst! The shooting, the beating from Richard…my attack last night. Each time you were there, and I healed faster than I had before.”
Rainas breath caught. “Not because of me…”
“Yes Raina,” he argued. “You have a hidden strength in you.”
She laughed at this. “Nolan, we both know I am but a mortal!”
He shook his head. “Even your crazy love of alligators speaks of your mystery.”
She frowned. “Alligators?”
Nolan nodded. “You know the symbol of an alligator stands for hidden power and strength, didn’t you?”
She shook her head. “No, I didn’t,” she said softly.
“It suits you, all sweet and soft mannered. But you give strength to all those around you, not just me!” He shifted more, so he could truly see her face. “Look at Thanatos! Look at his change! Look at what he did when Richard attacked you! You made that happen, Raina!” He sighed. “I’m not the only one that sees that. One of Our Sovereignty is involved in this. He is using the both of us to get back at our leader. Of course Richard is using us too for his own gain. He knows I’m a healer now. He understands you are strength to me. He would like to utilize my abilities, and he is using you as the proverbial carrot.”
She frowned, not liking that at all. “How are we getting out of here? You did come to save me?”
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Then I got jumped.” He licked his lip, grimacing at the taste of blood. “Or I should say trapped.”
Raina closed her eyes. “They were waiting for you?”
“They knew once I knew where you were, I would come for you. They were right.”