The Unforgiven (5 page)

“You trapped Ian in the house?”

“I couldn’t let him run loose and get in my way. I had already broken the mind control Twilight had over me. I wasn’t about to let an amateur ghost stop me from saving you.”

“You could’ve told me.”

He placed a gentle finger under her chin, staring intently. “No, I couldn’t. You were locked in your own personal hell. Twilight was desperately fighting its way into your head.”

“Everything you did or didn’t do was to protect me.” Tears misted her eyes. She fought them back. Her new queen did not need to see her cry.

“Always, babe.”

“Wow,” Phoebe said with a soft sigh. “I’ve never seen any man look at a woman the way he looks at you.”

Flame drew a quick breath to compose herself. “I’m very sorry for getting off track there. I didn’t mean to drift.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m the luckiest queen ever, to witness such a powerful exchange. You two are awesome.” Her eyes were wide with wonder. “The energy coming off the two of you is unbelievable. I have chills just watching and listening to the way he speaks to you.”

“Von was definitely worth fighting for.” Flame ran one hand over his arm.

Phoebe sighed. “I have much to learn. My intuition needs sharpening. If I had my way, I’d be a warrior.”

“Don’t be discouraged. It takes years of experience, trials and errors, and heartache to mature our spiritual instincts.” Flame gave her a curious look. “Reigning as queen is quite an honor, especially at your age. Trust me…the warrior calling is not as glamorous as it looks. The world can be hell.”

Phoebe gazed at them in thoughtful silence. Flame sensed her holding back, yet the young woman managed to conceal her deepest thoughts surprisingly well for her age. She barely looked twenty years old.

“You are the youngest queen to reign in our village. I’m impressed by your ability to conceal your thoughts already. Qualities such as those make good warriors.” Flame offered a consoling smile. “Perhaps one day, your calling will shift.”

“I just turned twenty-one this past summer, and thank you. I am truly touched to receive such generous praise from a woman of your standing.”

“You are already a better queen than those who preceded you on the throne. I see greatness in you.” Flame pushed to her feet. “If you’ll excuse us, I should not keep the Lioness waiting even longer. I don’t want her to be growly.”

Phoebe let out a lighthearted laugh. “She could never be growly with you. Our high lady adores you.”

Flame smiled modestly. “I’m glad we finally met.”

“Me, too.” She surprised her with a warm hug. “Please don’t leave without saying goodbye.” Phoebe turned to Von. “I hope I did not offend you with the talk of Raef.”

“No offense taken. Everyone has a past. I trust her.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Likewise,” he said with a kind smile before Flame ushered him out.

Von draped an arm around her shoulders as they walked toward Sacred Pond. She drew a deep breath of crisp night air and exhaled. Bringing him here felt right and strangely enough went more smoothly thus far than Raef’s visit to the village.

“You made quite an impression on our new queen.”

“I think she was more smitten with you.” He stopped and turned her toward him. “Why didn’t you tell me that you had a daughter? Were you afraid I’d hold back on having a child with you if I knew?”

“What?” Flame stared wide-eyed. “How did—how could—how do you know?”

He gave her a suspicious look. “Your thoughts were wide open to me, babe. Tell me if I’m wrong, but I sensed you wondering if that girl was yours.”

Flame sighed. “No, you’re not wrong.”

“So you did have a child?”

“A very long time ago.” She hesitated but decided to honor him and not hold back. “In my last year of training, I got pregnant to a warrior. The sisterhood permitted males to be brought in to challenge my skills because there’s not a woman in our village that can defeat me in battle. Well, one thing led to another and we had a brief fling. Combat arouses me, what can I say?”

“And the mystery continues to unravel. You have a past. Now if I was a crazy jealous man who whips daggers at his mate in fits of rage, you might be in trouble right now.”

She giggled beneath his tickling hands, curling into a ball against him. “Okay I get it…you made your point.”

“What about the child?”

Her mood shifted instantly. This was not something she wanted to discuss again. She went for the brief rundown, hoping he’d be satisfied with that. “The Lioness suggested that I let another woman in the village raise her…an anonymous surrogate. My path had been established. I didn’t want my life to taint my daughter’s. The life of a warrior is a selfless one, a lonely one.” She looked into his eyes. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her. But I knew she was safe here, away from anyone who’d try to use her against me.”

“Do you have the same fears about our daughter?”

“No. I feel a sense of peace in having a child with you, as if my lonely road has finally come to an end. With you as her father, she will be well protected.”

“And so are you.”

“I know that now. I am still blown away by what my dream revealed. You are a very powerful man.”

Von nodded toward the main house. “Are you curious?”

“I’ve seen Phoebe on several occasions, but there are many girls her age in the village so I didn’t start the guessing game. I did as instructed and stayed away until the Lioness felt enough time had passed to sever the maternal bond. They didn’t want us to recognize each other and complicate matters. Warriors are trained in self-discipline. We are not permitted to dwell on our emotions.”

“You were raised in a harsh environment.”

“I guess one might see it that way, but I won’t risk disrupting someone’s life because of possibilities. I would only open that door if my daughter wanted me to. I’d never ruin her life with selfishness. If she ever actively seeks me out, then I will embrace her with all my heart. But I can’t act upon it otherwise.”

“Understood.”

They resumed walking through the lush fields. Their boots crunched on the frostbitten grass. Late October carried a stiff chill in Shamrock, Texas, and was a drastic change from the pleasingly warmer climate of the West Coast. She snuggled back under Von’s arm into the curve of his shoulder, relieved that he didn’t pry too deeply into her past. He continued to impress her with all the qualities she admired in a mate.

Von stroked the back of her hair. “Thanks for opening up to me. We need to be on solid ground. I have a feeling trouble lurks in our near future.”

“Really?”

“An evasive queen, a banished queen, and secrets only your high ruler is permitted to tell you. From where I stand, that can only mean trouble.”

“Well, we’re about to find out.” She pointed to the sparkling waterfall not far ahead. “We call this place Sacred Pond. It’s where ordained members of our society come to pray or seek guidance from the spirit world. This is also the gateway from the immortal realm to our village.”

“Your village is paradise-like with magical horses, exotic fruit trees, gold huts, and crystal doors. I’m surprised that a place like this exists yet remains untainted by outsiders.”

She plopped down on the grass and patted the spot next to her. “I was born into it, as you know. How it began is the big mystery. We have no founding families, just the Supreme Lioness and a council. Laws and secrets are passed from generation to generation.” She leaned against him when he sat beside her. “You seem to be taking all this in quite calmly.”

“There are stranger worlds than this one, babe.” He shifted his position so that she sat between his outstretched legs, then he wrapped his arms around her from behind. “But this is nice, sitting here with you, feeling your aura.”

Leaning back against his chest, she rested her hands over his at her midriff. She couldn’t help but think about the life growing inside her right now. History had repeated itself to some degree. Her mother had fallen in love with the original Satellite and given birth to his child. But this time would be entirely different.

I am nothing like my mother
,
who failed to pull Cooper O’Toole from the dark realm, and Von is nothing like my father
,
who turned evil in the end. No, little one, your future will be much different from my past. Your parents joined forces before bringing you into existence.

A light breeze picked up, sending ripples across the pond. Flame felt the heavenly presence of her high ruler draw near. Seconds later, the lovely apparition of the Supreme Lioness manifested amidst a shimmering mist over the water. She gazed at them with warm green eyes. Lustrous golden hair fell in shiny tendrils far past her shoulders, tumbling over her breasts. Flame noticed she was not cloaked in warrior attire for this visit.

“Flame Tahira Rennie, you have undone history, my child,” the Lioness said with unmistakable pride and affection. “And you have brought your conquest to the village. This surprises me.”

She felt Von tense and she grasped that he did not appreciate the condescending term regarding him.

“He is not my
conquest
, my lady, he is mine…period.”

“Straight to the point this time—you have changed. You seem more confident and less troubled.”

“I killed the demons that haunted me, including my bastard father.”

“I’m sorry that your father turned away.” The Lioness sighed. “You have prevailed over odds that would destroy most warriors. Naami’s actions shocked the entire nation.”

“I’m not the only one getting straight to the point,” Flame countered with a grin.

A smile hinted at the Lioness’s lips. “We have no time for small talk today, brave one. I assume you trust this man, since you brought him along?”

“We have shared the blood-bond on a very deep level and will continue to use it. Our powers have begun to merge as we channel one another freely. He is more trustworthy than the last man I bought to the village.”

“Blood bonds are not intended to be shared with
unworthy
souls.” Her disposition did a sudden shift. Visible concern flickered in her eyes. “Naami has created a root of bitterness in your soul. This is not good.”

Von held his tongue, which impressed Flame. She couldn’t deny that she shared his frustration over yet another insult.

“No disrespect intended, my lady, but I think bitterness took root long before Naami. I gave up my only child to fulfill my calling and I succeeded. I never got to know my mother, yet I triumphed where she failed. Then I was forced to dagger my own father after he killed the man I loved.”

Sadness touched her face. “I am sorry you suffered such loss.”

“I’m much better now. You told me to steal Twilight’s Satellite and make him my own, so I did.”

“Flame, you know our ways. This man was to be brought on board as your ally, not your lover.”

“Von is everything to me now. I have given myself to him in every way a woman gives herself to a man.”

“What are you saying?”

“I invited him into a mating. We are bound.”

“This relationship cannot be sanctioned. You must end it. I have chosen someone appropriate for you.”

“Chosen? I thought I was free to make my own choice in who I love.”

“A warrior of your elite status knows better than to base a relationship on love. Matches are ordained based on strict criteria.”

“Then what am I? My biological father was the original Satellite. Yet my mother has never been frowned upon for her poor choice.”

“We did not want to dishonor her in death. After all, she did birth the prodigy we needed to take down the evil realm. Both sides knew that the child born of both worlds would be the key.”

There’s that word again.
“What is this
key
everyone is so hyped up over?”

“You’re wearing it.” The Lioness pointed to Flame’s neck. “The Mirari Tear unlocks the Flaming Wall.”

“What is the Flaming Wall?” She glanced down at the stunning sapphire dangling from an exquisite gold chain.

“A mystical place between worlds only accessible by select immortals, where miracles are possible…Mirari means miracle.”

“I’m not following you.”

“When you were born, everyone in the spirit world watched and waited to see if you’d accept your calling. Once you took that first step, war was imminent. Twilight created their Satellite, so we produced something better—a rare gift made for you to be given at the right time. That time is now.”

“Such as?”

“You’ve seen it. We tested it on your mother’s horse. Our biochemists have been perfecting the serum for centuries. It contains the rare gene.”

“Immortality?”

“Yes. But we had to hide it somewhere so far away that even if the evil realm discovered us, they could not get their hands on the key or use their mind tricks to obtain the location of the serum. I’m sure you can imagine how many ways they could use this formula to their benefit.”

Flame sighed and knelt on the ground. “I think you need to break this down for me. I just came out of a hellish ordeal. I’m still a bit dazed.”

“Tahira’s pregnancy was not an accident. She was sent in to seduce and conceive but not fall in love.”

“What? You lied to me? This is what you consider breaking it down? I meant gently.”

“I bent the truth to spare you more grief. In war, there are no rules, as you know. Had Tahira stayed on course, she’d be alive today. At least she managed to get you into our hands and away from the evil side. You are the prodigy we needed to defeat the Twilight Realm. Her feelings for the Satellite were unforeseen and unfortunate. We could not risk a breach in security, so I chose not to save her.”

“You had the power to save my mother, but you let her die?”

“Allow me to finish. I cannot ordain a bond between natural enemies, nor could I save a woman whose loyalty was in question. Twilight killed her to prevent her from stealing their most powerful tool—your father was also torn between worlds.”

“So Cooper wasn’t lying when he said he loved my mother.”

“Perhaps, but it was love that got them killed. There were no other options for Tahira. At least she did right by you. Now that you have won the war, the location of the serum must be unlocked.”

“How can you not know where it is, if you’re the one who hid it?”

“In order to protect this precious gift, Paloma was compelled to hide the serum behind the Flaming Wall, and never return to that location until reunited with the Mirari Tear. You are familiar with mind compelling. We used it on your mother’s horse. She will only return to the secret location when commanded to do so by the one wearing the key.”

“Okay, so my mother was sent out to birth a warrior powerful enough to defeat the Twilight Realm. Then she was killed because even though she successfully delivered said child, she fell in love.” Flame sighed, deeply saddened by this new information. Her own mother—sacrificed by the sisterhood for falling in love. “In the meantime, chemists were perfecting a serum that grants immortality, but they hid it so well that it can’t be found without a mystical horse? So why don’t I just have Paloma take me and all will be well.”

The Lioness nodded. “We’ve encountered severe complications.”

“Is something wrong with Paloma? Has the serum hurt her? I didn’t see her in the meadows.”

“Naami’s physical connection to Raef opened a gap in the realm. During that brief lapse in security, the evil fiends snuck into the village and stole Paloma. They’ve taken her into hiding.”

“Those Twilight bastards have my horse? I’ll kill them.”

“You must find them first, and that is where your Satellite comes into play.” The Lioness turned her attention toward Von. “You know where their nest is located, don’t you?”

He gave a short nod but didn’t utter a word. Flame sensed his growing irritation over the Lioness’s attitude toward him.

“This is why you convinced me to steal the Satellite…to
use
him.”

“Men are tools to us, Flame.”

“Von is
not
a tool to
me
.”

“Your new ally is immortal and can travel to places that you cannot. However, if you are with him, you can also reach those hidden locations and right now, we need you to find the mare.”

“And when I do, then what?”

“Use the key that I sent to you through Raef, unlock the wall, and take the serum.”

“So you used Raef, too?”

“He was trapped in the void and willing to help.”

“Was his innocent soul just another tool?” Tears welled in her eyes.

A peculiar expression flickered in the Lioness’s eyes. “Once you become immortal, the evil realm will no longer be a threat to us…ever…because we will always possess the one woman who can destroy their evil fiends.”

“I don’t want to live forever if I must walk alone again. I’ve been a loner all my life.”

“I would never sentence you to a life of misery. There is a perfect man reserved for you. Trust me. Naami did not ruin your future. She has disgraced the sisterhood and is gone from us.”

“Is that why the medics stripped Naami’s memory and the council banished her from the village? Because she opened this paranormal gap?”

“Yes. Her treachery has jeopardized our ultimate mission. Fortunately, I was able to close the gap before more damage was done. Twilight would’ve taken us by storm had I not taken action.”

“What kind of action?”

The Lioness shifted across the water, reluctance hung on her voice. “I used Raef’s unborn child. I needed to sever the connection that enabled Twilight to get in. Naami miscarried.”