A Guardian's Love Read online

  “Let’s not keep our lunch companions waiting. Or was that just an excuse to shake off Verna?” She started up the stairs and heard Paloma follow. Once on the first floor she turned toward the private booths. Paloma walked past her.

  “Over here.” They came to stand at a booth and when Inger saw who their lunch companions were, she stared in total disbelief. Never in a million years would she have expected to meet them here.

  “What are you two doing here?”

  Tahlia and Jemima grinned at the shocked expression on their daughter’s face. “We thought we’d surprise you.” Jemima shifted to make way for Inger to sit, and Paloma moved in next to Tahlia.

  A waiter approached their table and they quickly placed their drink orders. Tahlia’s black gaze moved between the two of them before it came to rest on Inger. “You had a fight.” It was more of a statement than a question.

  Inger shrugged. “We simply had a tiny misunderstanding, but we’ve sorted it out.”

  The black eyes remained expressionless. “No you have not.” She turned to Jemima. “We are going for a short walk. I would suggest you sort out your misunderstanding.” She came to her feet and waited for Paloma to step out first so she could pass. With a worried look on her face, Jemima placed her hand on Inger’s shoulder as she too passed through to take Tahlia’s outstretched hand. Without looking back, the pair left. The waiter returned with their drink orders and glanced meaningfully at the two empty places. Inger quickly explained.

  “I can sense that you are still angry at me,” Paloma said soon after the waiter had left.

  Inger took a drink from her wine glass.

  “What do you expect, Paloma? Your jealousy is unfounded.”

  “It is not my intention to be like this.” Inger saw the regret in Paloma’s eyes. “Vampires are very possessive by nature. Finding love is like the Holy Grail for us, and we guard it jealously.” Paloma reached for her hand and brought it to her lips. “You know that I love you very much.”

  Inger sighed deeply. “All I’m worried about is that you will become like this every time you see me talk to a woman or look at one.”

  The waiter stepped closer with a stack of menus. He quietly placed them on the table and left discreetly. Paloma gently stroked the back of Inger’s hand with her thumb. Her silvery eyes held remorse. “Will you forgive me if I apologize for my possessiveness and promise to be more...relaxed when we find ourselves in the presence of other women and...men.”

  The blue eyes widened. “Men?”

  “Yes. As if I do not have enough trouble fighting of lusty women. I also have to deal with immature college boys.”

  Giggling softly, Inger playfully slapped Paloma’s hand. “You love to exaggerate. You make it seem like I’m this totally irresistible woman who attracts attention wherever I go.”

  The silver eyes melted. “But you are, my love. That is how I first met you.” Inger’s eyebrows arched in question. “Soon after I had resurfaced, you called out to me. Following your call, I stumbled upon you in the park where Tahlia had hidden you.”

  Confused, Inger worried her lower lip between her teeth. “Let me get this straight. Are you telling me that you knew me even before we met? But how? I mean…” Inger licked her lips as her eyes roamed over Paloma’s face. “I would’ve remembered meeting you. You’re not easy to forget, believe me.”

  Paloma gave her a sexy grin and took a sip of her wine. “Many centuries ago I visited a small seaside village in Italy where the local fishermen swore to the existence of a sea siren, whom they called Lucia. Of course, I, too, found myself drawn to meet Lucia. I went out to sea with the fishermen on numerous occasions, but it was all in vain. I finally wrote it off as a fiction of their imagination. But I still had my doubts because Lucia kept calling to me. Even in my daylight sleep I could hear her sweet siren song.” The silver eyes were devouring her now and Inger felt the heat building up between her legs. She closed her eyes when Paloma reached out and lightly touched her fingertips to her temple. Inger gasped when she was pulled into a dark swirling vortex.

  When she opened her eyes again, she saw the tall black-clad figure of Paloma standing on a ragged cliff looking out at a foam-spitting sea. Dazed and utterly confused, she looked around her. A small tranquil village lay below them. What she assumed was candlelight painted the windows of the houses yellow, giving the village a cozy feel. She turned to Paloma and found her looking at her. Before she could form a question, Paloma's voice carried on the breeze.

  “I asked them to describe her to me.” The silence that followed was so absorbing that Inger leaned closer and would have stepped over the cliff in her eagerness if not for Paloma's strong arm that pulled her up tightly against her. It was quite cold and she was grateful for Paloma’s body heat. Inger snuggled deeper into Paloma’s arms. She loved it when Paloma regulated her body temperature for her benefit. Paloma smelled wonderful, like a mixture of the rain-soaked earth after the first spring shower and fresh crisp mountain air.

  “What did they say she looked like?” Inger asked.

  “We can go ask them.”

  Paloma’s hold tightened further around her body and Inger felt them moving. Fast and effortlessly, they cleaved through space and time. Just as suddenly, they came to a stop. The strong smell of fresh fish assaulted her nostrils and opening her eyes Inger saw a battered wooden fishing boat bobbing on the waves in the harbor. It was quite dark, but after a while, her eyes could make out a few shapes moving about on the deck. Paloma took off her long cloak and handed it to her. Instinctively, Inger knew she didn’t want her strange 20th century clothing to raise suspicions.

  “Vittorio, my old friend, may I come aboard?” Paloma’s voice was gentle and almost immediately, the commotion on the boat stopped.

  “Cara, I have not seen you around for a while.” The man was speaking in rapid Italian and Inger was shocked to find that she understood every word he uttered. She looked up and found Paloma smiling at her.

  “Vampire magic,” Paloma whispered. She turned to answer the man. “I have a friend here who would like to find out more about Lucia.”

  The unseen man guffawed. “Ah, Lucia...She too disappeared when you left, my friend. Please, come aboard. The men just finished preparing dinner. I would be honored if you could stay and dine with us.”

  “It would be an absolute pleasure to sample Antonio’s seafood special again.” Inger looked up at Paloma who was smiling down at her. “I will not swallow, I promise.”

  Paloma led her to the climbing rope that doubled as stairs. Holding her close with one arm, Paloma scaled the rope easily and carefully placed her down on the swaying deck. A man, presumably Vittorio, came over to them clutching a lantern. Inger could see the confusion on his face, thinking he was probably wondering at the speed that they’d scaled the rope. With the light falling directly on him, she was surprised to find that Vittorio was in fact quite old. She estimated him to be at least in his late seventies. A smoking pipe hung from his mouth, which was almost fully covered by a bushy moustache. The fisherman stepped closer and kissed Paloma’s hand. His admiration and affection for Paloma was evident as they shared a warm look before Vittorio turned to her. She saw his deep-set brown eyes blink a few times before he looked from her to Paloma and back.

  “It is her.” He took a small step backwards, nervously licking his lips. “But how?” The question was directed at Paloma, who took a reassuring step in Vittorio’s direction and put an arm around the old man’s shoulder.

  “When I met her she reminded me so much of Lucia that I decided to bring her to you. She didn’t believe me when I told her that she looked like our Lucia.”

  Vittorio, assured by Paloma’s closeness and explanation, took a bold step toward her and reached for her long black hair. Rubbing several strands between his fingers, he shook his head.

  “Yes, child, you look exactly like her. If I have not touched you myself, I would not have been truly convinced that you were not our Luc
ia.” He traced a rough finger down her cheek and gave her a wide smile. “You, too, are ciao bella. Come; let me go show you off to the others.”

 

  Inger nodded and followed Vittorio to meet the other fishermen. They stayed for a delicious Italian seafood dish while the men regaled her with stories of Lucia. Some of the accounts sounded rather farfetched but looking at the men, Inger saw honest conviction in their eyes. Who was she to doubt them? Inger was surprised to find that she was actually sad to think that she had to bid farewell to the scruffy fishermen with their rough hands, quick smiles, and warm eyes. She couldn’t help but laugh at the incredulous looks of the other men upon seeing her for the first time. Just like Vittorio, their first reaction was fear as they all tried to move away from her. They only relaxed after Vittorio’s explanation and then they swarmed her. After a while, Paloma stood and held out her hand to her. The men looked crestfallen at their quick departure, but Paloma firmly refused their request to stay a while longer. When they were back at the cliff, Paloma cradled her face in her large hands.

  “You will have to close your eyes so I can take you back.”

  Inger did as she was asked, but quickly snapped them open again. Paloma’s gaze was questioning.

  “Will I remember this when we return?”

  “You will,” Paloma murmured. “But I can remove it if you want.”

  “No,” Inger said quickly. “I want to keep these memories.” She grinned. “By the way, did you get that recipe from Antonio?”

  At that, Paloma threw her head back and laughed heartily. When her humor had subsided, she shook her head slowly. “You are the most extraordinary woman I know, Inger. Here you are almost 700 years in the past and the most pressing question you have is about a peasant dish.”

  “It was really good, honey. It just melted in your mouth. I’m sorry you couldn’t taste it, but take my word for it. It was delicious.”

  “Considering your appetite, I believe you. I can probably write out the recipe for you. Remember, I spent many nights on the boat with the men.”

  Inger clasped her arms around Paloma’s neck. “How did I get so lucky?” She poured all her love and adoration for Paloma into the kiss she gave her. When their lips parted with a soft smack, Inger was pleased to see a dazed look in Paloma’s eyes. “Home?”

  She watched with amusement as it took Paloma a few moments to collect herself.

  “Yes. Now close your eyes.”

  When Inger opened her eyes again, she was surprised to find them back at the restaurant. If she remembered correctly they’d spent more than two hours with Vittorio and his crew, but back here everything was still unchanged.

  “It’s as if time stood still here,” she said.

  “The two timelines have no influence over each other, unless you deliberately change something in the past. Only then will it affect the present.”

  The waiter appeared at their table again. Only then, did Inger remember her untouched drink. Smiling at the man, she ordered fresh drinks for her parents. When the waiter left to fill their orders, Inger took Paloma’s hand in hers and brought it to her lips. “It’s amazing to think that you knew me before we first met.”

  “It was actually the other way around. As a baby, you recognized me.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me before today?” Inger looked at Paloma, watching the beautiful face closely.

  Paloma blew out a noisy breath. “I am not sure. Maybe I was scared you would not believe me. As I watched you grow up, I was stunned by your resemblance to Lucia. I already knew then that I had found my one true love.”

  Inger carefully looked around the floor and when she saw no one was looking at them, she leaned closer and gave Paloma a quick kiss. “Have you met her? Lucia, I mean?”

  “No. I only saw a likeness of her once. One of the fishermen managed to draw a painting of her while she was apparently sitting on a rock combing her hair.”

  There was a slight ripple in the air and both Inger and Paloma turned to look at the stairs. Tahlia and Jemima came walking up the stairs, smiling and holding hands. They were both dressed in light linen suits. Tahlia in white and Jemima in a dove grey.

  “I never thought it would be so nice to feel the sun on my skin again,” Jemima gushed while taking off her sunglasses and folding them. Tahlia on the other hand was more reserved, but not even she, could hide the excitement that radiated off her in waves.

  “I am glad you have managed to sort out your little misunderstanding.” Tahlia looked from Inger to Paloma. “I saw a large group of people playing chess in the park, and I fancy a game or two. Are you up for it, Paloma?”

  Inger rolled her eyes while Jemima laughed softly. “Those guys look like professionals, my love. I don’t want you to be humiliated in public.”

  Tahlia’s brow lifted arrogantly. “None of them has had two thousand years to refine their skill.” She turned to Paloma. “The two of us started playing at the age of ten. In our teenage years, we started to play for money or bread, which we took home to our parents.”

  “Later it became a way for us to ground ourselves.” Paloma had a faraway look in her eyes as she spoke. “In between battles we would play chess to while away time or just to clear our heads.” Inger’s hand slipped into the vampire’s bigger one and squeezed softly. Their eyes met and Inger could see the shadows, brought on by Paloma’s memories, slowly recede.

  “But today we will play for the pleasure it brings us both, my friend,” Tahlia said with a gentle smile.

  Chapter 15

  Her hands shook so much, she knew she would give herself away if she reached for her wine glass. The beady little eyes of Mercredi were sharp and didn’t miss anything. Just as she suspected, she looked up and found the creature staring at her. She hated being in the same room with him, especially now that a rescue was a possibility. Still, she didn’t want to draw unneeded attention to herself. Luckily Mercredi was so distracted by his growing hatred for whoever killed his son and his plans for revenge that she knew he was bound to let his vigilance slip. It was then that she would take her chance.

  She heard a faint echo in her mind and quickly erected mental blocks to keep Mercredi out. She had to find a way to get away from him so that she could verify the identity of this person seeking her out. She hated that Mercredi could, if he wanted, be privy to her thoughts and mental conversations. That was a drawback of him feeding on her blood regularly.

  “My scouts have managed to find out who was responsible for Jonah’s death.” Mercredi’s raspy voice interrupted her thoughts.

  “What is keeping you from pursuing them?”

  The monster smiled, exposing stained fangs. She looked at him, her disgust visible on her beautiful face. “The time is not right. I know that they are aware of my presence here in the city, but they do not know when I will strike.”

  She sniffed the air and felt her stomach recoil. The smell was unmistakable. Another human was going to die tonight. She had lost count of the number of humans Mercredi had killed in the past couple of weeks. His vicious bloodlust was the reason he couldn’t leave his lair to hunt. Even with the blood she provided to rejuvenate him, he already was too far gone. His stench was so repulsive that any human would smell him coming a mile away. She pushed her chair back and came to her feet. She needed to get away from him before she did or said something that might jeopardize her intended escape.

  “Are you not going to stay for dinner? The animal blood you are taking is weakening you. One day it will sap your great strength, and then you will have no purpose for me anymore.”

  “The last thing I would like is to become a monster like you, Columbus. If you had listened to my advice all those centuries ago, you could still have retained your human form.�
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  Before the creature could respond, she left the room, walking past a group of guards. They were Mercredi’s personal security detail and followed her every move when she was outside her room. When her bedroom door closed behind her, she went to sit on the bed.

 

  There was a long silence before the voice answered. She was busy reading in the lounge when the voice sought her out, but before she could reply, Mercredi had entered the room.

 

 

 

  She smiled thinly. Pierre was an insatiable lover and like all vampire couples, they too had loved to take each other’s blood during sex. He would flip her over and drink from her lower back, sending her off on another series of orgasms. As much as she wanted to confirm the true identity of the person, she didn’t feel comfortable revealing such personal details about her marriage. Maybe she could test his memory of the many travels they had taken together.

 

 

  There was a stunned silence from both sides.

  Not even Tahlia or Jonas had known about their plans to go on holiday. Pierre had just returned from a battle and knowing how shattered he felt after all the killing, she had wanted to take him somewhere quiet with only her as his companion. Valpré was an ideal location. Pierre and Erwan had played chess almost every night for the two weeks they had stayed there, and the two men had grown to become good friends. It was one of the best holidays they’d ever had, with the only unpleasant memory being the amounts of solid food they had to eat to keep the couple from suspecting anything.