Golden Blood (14 page)

The nerves that had been hounding her all day
dissipated as Gemma engrossed herself in mealtime conversation. She
answered meaningless questions, laughed at Sam’s jokes and smiled
at Rosie’s outrageous stories. Helen studied her quietly throughout
the evening, which unnerved her slightly, but she tried not to let
it show.

Gemma glanced away from her conversation with
Bryan to flash her a friendly smile. Making a good impression with
this woman was paramount to her survival in this family. After only
a week of being Harrison’s girlfriend, she was completely hooked.
She would do anything to make what they had stick. Helen’s eyes
softened towards her and she felt her chest loosen.

Her elated high suddenly vanished as she felt
her toes begin to tingle. She tried to keep her expression bland,
her only form of outburst being a swift tap to Harrison’s
ankle.

His eyes popped up and caught her message.
His face fell momentarily before he pasted on an easy smile.

“Sorry to interrupt Bryan, I just realized I
never showed Gem where the bathroom was. Knowing her, she’s too shy
to ask.”

Gemma blushed and dropped her gaze.
“Actually, if it’s okay, I might just pop there before
dessert.”

Completely enamored, Bryan shone her a smile
as she rose from the table.

“It’s this way.” Harrison held out his hand
and she grabbed it like a lifeline.

“Excuse me,” she muttered, lifting her gaze
only enough to glimpse a slight narrowing of Helen’s eyes.

Gemma felt her heart begin to thud
erratically as Harrison led her down the hallway.

“Hopefully, you’ll only be gone for five
minutes.” Harrison opened the door and stood aside. “I’ll wait for
you.”

“Thanks.” She squeezed his hand as she
brushed past him.

“Be safe.”

“I will.” She shone him a smile before
shutting the door and bracing herself for travel.

* * * *

Black Forest, Germania
- 84 AD

“So, how’s the date going?” Ruby pulled on a
woolen tunic.

“Fine,” Gemma mumbled, struggling with the
leather lacing of the boots her father had “borrowed.” She hadn’t
told Ruby it was more like a family dinner than a date.

“That’s it? Fine?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Gemma whispered.

Standing tall, she took a moment to glance
around. Her skin bubbled with goose bumps. The dark forest smelt
dank and earthy. Pine needles created a thick carpet, decorated
with fallen logs and mossy rocks as furniture. The trees towered
around them like faithful centurions, blocking any view of the sky.
Although dusk was only settling in, Gemma could feel the oppressive
darkness.

This place is creeping me out.

She tried to squash her jitters as she
approached her father for instruction.

“There is currently an archaeological dig
being conducted about five miles north of here. Half a mile east is
a grove that I believe contains some very important artifacts that
will get missed if we don’t move them.”

“A sacred grove?” Gemma hadn’t meant to blurt
it out, but now that she had, knew she needed to finish. She
cleared her throat. “I just thought… I mean should we really be
entering a… well, someone’s sacred place?”

“I know what you’re thinking, Gem, and I
don’t want to disrespect their religious customs anymore than you
do, but these artifacts are important. They’ll teach us a lot about
these northern tribes.” He placed his steady hand on her shoulder
and gave it a light squeeze. “You have to trust my judgment.”

Gemma nodded.

“Now, because we are entering such a delicate
zone we need to be particularly careful. Dom, Pen and Ruby will
secure the perimeter. Gem, you and I are going to sneak in and
re-locate the treasure.”

Everyone nodded and headed off in the right
direction. Gemma followed her father on light feet, sensing his
urgency. Dodging trees and jumping over roots, they soon found
themselves on the edge of a small clearing.

“See the knotted tree stump?” Her father
pointed. “It’ll be in there. You’re faster than I am. All we’re
looking for is a necklace with a stone emblem that’s shaped like a
thin arrow head.”

Gemma swallowed and gave him a swift nod.
Bounding across the clearing, she skidded to a halt by the stump. A
heady scent of pungent herbs swam around her. She fought off the
nausea. At the foot of a stump lay a human skull next to an urn of
what looked like bones. Gemma muffled a scream with her hand and
drew in quick breaths through her nostrils. Forcing her pounding
heart to a regular rhythm she focused on her task. She plunged her
hand into the hollow opening, praying that her image of rotting
guts was incorrect. With relief she realized the moisture at her
fingertips was moss. Fossicking through bugs and cobwebs she felt
her fingers land on a leather pouch. She pulled it out. A shiver
descended her spine as she pictured the creepy crawlies she had
disturbed.

Quickly untying the bindings, she opened up
the pouch. Being in the clearing was useful as the moon provided a
murky light for her to inspect the contents. Tipping it into the
palm of her hand, she saw the leather strap of a necklace amongst
the treasure trove of trinkets and pulled it free. The emblem swung
in the dusky light and she noticed four symbols engraved on the
side.

“Gemma, hurry!”

Her father’s voice nearly made her drop the
various stones and carvings. Steeling her nerves, she hastily
returned the goods to the pouch and shoved it back in the
stump.

That’s when she heard the low drone of voices
approaching from the north. Scrambling to her feet she dove for the
trees and was hauled into a run by her father.

“We need to bury this as close to the dig
site as possible and just hope that no-one unearths it before
2011.”

* * * *

St. Augustine, Florida
- 2011AD

Harrison leaned his head against the wall
behind his bed and gazed at Gemma’s beautiful face. Her eyes were
wandering around his room as she sat cross-legged on his bed,
listening to the soft strains of Emilie Clayton. It had been her
request and he was happy to oblige, the music did have a way of
soothing the spirit and she seemed to need it. Maybe the jitters
from dinner were starting to catch up with her?

He had been pleased with how dinner had
progressed. His mother had been a little quiet as she sussed Gemma
out, but that was always her way. Thankfully Gemma’s trip was
brief, making her bathroom break nothing out of the ordinary. By
the time dessert was served his mother was becoming her bright
sparkly self and he had noticed Gemma’s posture relax.

They were now up in his room. Sam had
insisted on giving Gemma a tour of the house and thankfully he had
ended with Harrison’s room. He’d quickly played his big brother
card and they were finally alone, sitting on his bed.

He’d watched with interest as she had perused
his room, running her finger over his desk, pausing to study his CD
and book collections, standing in front of his guitar with a look
of admiration. She picked it up with cautious hands.

“Will you play for me?”

He was sure he had blushed beet red.

“Please.”

With a sigh of reluctance he had taken the
instrument and flicked his fingers over a classical piece he’d been
practicing. He’d only just started toying with the Latin American
style, but she hadn’t seemed to notice. She had been completely
rapt, her eyes brimming with approval.

Thankfully when he’d set his guitar back on
the stand, she hadn’t protested and he was now very happy to be
sitting next to her. Sparks of fire ignited where her knee rested
on his thigh.

Picking up a strand of her sleek hair, he ran
it through his fingers and watched her lips quirk with a smile
before dropping back to thoughtfulness.

“What is it?”

Her eyebrows puckered as she began to chew
the inside of her cheek.

“You know you can tell me anything, Gem.”

“Yeah.” She smiled. Her long fingers drew
patterns on his jeans as she softly began. “You know this is my
first trip since telling you.”

“I know.” He stilled her fidgeting by twining
his fingers through hers. “I’ve been dying to ask you about it, but
didn’t want to be too pushy.”

She let out a soft chuckle. “Germania, around
80AD. It must have been the Black Forest. It was so creepy.”

“Is that what’s bothering you?”

“No, I just… you know how I said we always go
back to help someone or heal a situation?”

He nodded.

“Well, this one just didn’t feel like it. The
electus “motto” I suppose you could say, was always “others before
self.” This time just felt… wrong.” She shook her head and wiggled
her fingers free. “That’s so stupid. It wasn’t selfish; we were
moving an important artifact so that it could easily be discovered.
Someone will no doubt find it tomorrow and it’ll make their day.”
The hope in Gemma’s voice diminished as she finished her
sentence.

“You don’t believe your own argument.”

“My Dad said I needed to trust his judgment.
Maybe there’s a bigger picture I’m missing.”

“You should talk to him about it when you get
home.”

“He’s away on a business trip at the moment.
He does a lot of analytical work for companies around the world,
mainly Europe. I guess it’s kind of like a front for him. I should
just forget about it. Trust him. He’s got a tough job and as far as
I know, all of his decisions have led to good things.”

“So, he’s always the one who decides when and
where you go?”

She nodded.

“I’m surprised he pulls you out of school so
much.”

“It’s only ever for a few minutes and he
usually tries to co-ordinate it with lunch breaks or after school.
I get the impression that timing is kind of tricky. Being over
there takes a toll on our bodies and so he tries to work it so that
we’re there for the shortest amount of time possible.”

“What’s your longest trip?”

Gemma’s eyes narrowed in thought. “One day.
Twenty-four minutes for you earthlings.”

He grinned. “You must have been toasted after
that ride.”

“I think I was. I had only just started
traveling. I was… thirteen? I didn’t used to get as tired then. I
feel like the older I get, the more it drains me.”

Harrison didn’t like it. What did that mean
for her future? Sensing the worry was a common factor flicking
between them, he decided to lighten the mood with a simpler
question.

“What was your first time like?”

“Petrifying, exciting, mind boggling.” Her
lips toyed with a smile. “My Mom started prepping me when I was
twelve, so it wasn’t like I didn’t know what was happening to me,
but it did still freak me out.”

Harrison shook his head, a little in awe of
it all. He couldn’t even imagine winding up in some foreign place
in a completely different year. It was bizarre.

Gemma stretched out her legs and shuffled on
the bed, her agitation over the recent trip still evident. She
folded her legs back up beneath her, but not before he spotted
something on her ankle that was worth investigating. Grabbing her
foot, he wriggled it free and ran his thumb lightly over the
skin.

“Hey,” she complained as he twisted her foot
for a better look.

“You have another birthmark.”

Her cheeks flushed pink as she grimaced.
“Yes.”

“This one seems to be staying put.”

“Yeah. That one’s normal.”

“But it looks the same as your other
one.”

She shrugged.

“Do the rest of your family have birthmarks
that come and go?” He ran his hand up her calf muscle.

“No. According to my mom they are quite
common for time spirits, but we don’t all get them. I’m the only
one who seems cursed with the telling mark.” Gemma’s eyes narrowed
at him before turning thoughtful. “You know in saying that, you
seem to be the only person who has ever noticed it before.”

“Yeah, well maybe I’m the only person smart
enough to study you so closely.” He kissed her collarbone and was
rewarded with the desired affect. Her mark burned bright.

“Would you stop that, you’re going to make me
blush.”

“Stopping kissing you? Never.”

He placed his lips softly on the curve of her
neck making her cheeks flame red. He let out a low chuckle as he
pulled back and shuffled her body around so he could wrap his arm
around her shoulders. The feel of her nestled against him was
heavenly. He wondered if her body burned as much as his did. Would
he ever get used to the feeling? He hoped not.

“So, tell me more about how your Dad gets you
to travel together?”

“I don’t exactly know how traveling works,
but we’re all linked to my father. I’m pretty sure it’s because we
have the same blood.” She shrugged. “He’s the one that controls
when we leave and when we come back. That way we don’t have to be
near one another in order to go anywhere.”

“So, if he had to, your father could bring
you home at any time?”

“Yeah, but he usually doesn’t. Although he
did recently.”

“What happened?”

“I got separated from the others and when my
parents found out I was alone they panicked. It was really bizarre.
Everything was under control. I felt really bad because I had to
leave that little girl all by herself.”

“Which little girl?”

“Emilie.” Gemma’s voice glimmered with
pride.

“Emilie Clayton?”

Harrison heard the tremor in his voice.

“Yes.”

“So, that explains your dreamy expression in
the car when I told you that story. Your birthmark was practically
shining. I’ve been trying to figure that one out.”

“You made my day with that story. I thought
the men chasing us would have found her for sure, but we got lucky
and listen to our reward.”