Golden Blood (18 page)

Surely it’s just a coincidence. Tita was a
common name back then, wasn’t it?

“Babe, are you okay?” Harrison squeezed her
leg, pulling her back to the present.

“Who’s Tita?” Courtney’s eyes were alight
with the thrill of oncoming gossip.

“Um,” Gemma scrambled for something
plausible. “I’ve been reading a book at home about this woman. It’s
a mystery novel…” She suddenly found inspiration. “And I’ve been
trying to figure out who this mystery woman is, but the only clues
the author’s given away so far are these symbols.” Gemma waved the
page in the air. “But now I know its Tita.”

“Oh bummer. Sorry for giving the ending
away.”

“No, it’s fine.” Gemma pasted on a smile. “I
don’t mind. I won’t have to be so obsessive about reading it
now.”

She glanced at Harrison, keeping her smile in
tact, but he saw straight through it. Keeping her gaze on his, she
let him read her mind and he gave her a slight nod before turning
back to his work.

Gemma passed the sheet back to Courtney and
tried to keep her heartbeat from drumming so loudly the whole
library would hear.

Just last week they had re-distributed
another artifact. It had been in a similar area to the Tita
necklace. Ruby had gone in for retrieval that time.

I wonder if she knows anything.

Glancing up from her work, Gemma scanned the
library patrons and spotted her sister’s perfect hair.

“Back in a sec.” She didn’t look back at the
confused exchanges that no doubt followed her.

“Hey Rubes.” She wrapped her arm around her
sister.

“Hey Gemilicious. What’s up?”

Gemma squatted down next to her, leaning her
arm against the table and keeping her voice low. “You know the trip
we did to Germany last week. What artifact did Dad get you to
retrieve?”

Ruby’s eyes darted around her with surprise.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I was just wondering if it was a necklace
with a stone emblem shaped like an arrow head.”

Ruby’s mouth dropped open a little. “How did
you know that?”

“I collected something similar a while back.
Listen, did it have markings on the side that look like the Latin
alphabet.”

“That’s what they were.” Ruby shook her head.
“I’ve been trying to figure out why they looked so familiar.”

“Can you remember what they look like? Could
you draw them for me?”

Her sister’s eyes narrowed. “Why do need to
know this, Gem? You know we’re not supposed to talk about a mission
after debriefing.”

“Yeah, I know.” Gemma shrugged. “This one
just intrigues me. I want to know what these necklaces mean. What
if it’s some romantic love story or really cool history that we’re
going to read about soon. I don’t want to miss it.”

Surprisingly Ruby bought her lie.

I must be getting better.

“You are such a romantic sap now that you’re
dating that Harrison guy. Seriously, Gem. You’re making me ill.”
Ruby grabbed up her pen and started drawing.

“Oh come on, you’re just jealous.”

“Not even,” Ruby scoffed. “I got to make out
with Brent Taylor last night. You’re just stuck with skinny boy
over there. You should really play the field more, Gem.”

“Not a chance.” Gemma stood tall, grabbing
the piece of paper from her sister’s hand before planting a kiss on
her cheek.

She could feel Ruby’s gaze on her as she
returned to her seat. She knew her sister sometimes worried about
the fact she was so close to Harrison. She could feel a serious
discussion brewing and was mentally preparing herself for it. She
was stocking up her lie pile with everything from, “I’m thinking of
dumping him after prom,” through to, “He’s too good a kisser to
break up with yet.”

As long as none of her family found out she
had no intention of ever letting Harrison go then she shouldn’t
have a problem.

Keep dreaming, Gem.

She quelled the frown for the sake of those
around her. Every moment with Harrison was becoming more and more
precious, she could feel the hands of doom ticking out a countdown,
but she wasn’t willing to listen.

Reaching beneath the table, she found
Harrison’s hand and wrapped her fingers within his. She knew he was
never letting go. How was she supposed to?

* * * *

Harrison sat behind Gemma on his bed, peering
over her shoulder. He toyed with her ponytail, letting the silky
hair thread and fall through his fingers.

“This site looks good.”

She had asked to borrow his laptop as soon as
dinner was finished. Opening up a search engine she had speedily
typed in
latin alphabet
and was now scanning the
results.

Clicking open a page, they watched the screen
come alive with symbols that looked similar to the ones she had
clutched in her hand.

“Here we go.” She grabbed the pen next to her
and wrote the English letter below each symbol. “Titus.”

Her shoulders slumped.

“What?” Harrison wrapped his arm around her
waist, pulling her closer. “What does that mean?”

“Okay.” Gemma leaned her head back on his
shoulder. “So you know that trip I did where I re-located that
artifact? Well, just last week, we did a similar one in basically
the same area just a few hundred years later. I asked Ruby about it
today in the library and she said it was the same thing. A necklace
with symbols on the side.”

“They were Latin letters, weren’t they?”

“Yeah.”

“And yours said Tita.”

Gemma turned to peek at him. “Was my mystery
novel story okay?”

“Courtney bought it.”

“I can’t get anything past you can I?”

“Sweetie, your eyes are an open book.”

“Only to you.” She gazed at him, her green
eyes swirling with intensity. Harrison matched her expression then
kissed her softly.

“So, I’m guessing the necklace Ruby took said
Titus.” Harrison finally managed once his lips had regained some of
their feeling. “What’s the big deal, Gem?”

“Well, Titus and Tita were part of the
electus… you know, the original seven I told you about? Anyway, I
know that when they all went their separate ways that two of them
ended up in Germania. I was just wondering if these necklaces
belonged to them and why my father wants them to be discovered in a
dig, when we spend most of our lives trying to keep this history a
secret.”

Gemma sat forward, restless.

“Gem.” Harrison kneaded her shoulders. “I
really think you should talk to your dad about this. Maybe he’s
going to the dig sites himself and collecting them before they’re
discovered.”

Gemma’s body stilled to consider this.
Turning her head with a beaming smile, she let out a long sigh.
“That’s it. That’s what it will be. Harrison, you’re a genius!”
Swiveling her body, she placed a solid kiss on his lips, pushing
him back against the bed so she could lie on top of him.

He ran his hands around her thin waist and up
her back, drawing himself further into the kiss. The flame within
him began to burn blue as it always did when they got a little
carried away. He could feel the scorching heat radiating from his
skin and she broke the bond just in time.

“I don’t want the bed to catch on fire.” Her
lips quirked with amusement, but her eyes still gleamed with
heat.

“It would be worth it.”

“I know, but I’m not ready yet. I don’t
think.”

Her face crinkled with a frown and he
smoothed it away with gentle fingers.

“Gem, I told you, it’s fine. We’ve got all
the time in the world.”

He hated that look of uncertainty that came
into her eyes. Grabbing her face more firmly, he made her look at
him.

“Hey, we do. We’re going to make this work,
Gem.”

“How?”

“We’ll make your parents realize that I am
the most amazing guy on earth and we’re perfect for each
other.”

A fleeting grin passed over her face, before
she sighed. “They’ll never go for it, Harrison. You don’t know the
whole story.”

Harrison’s chest tightened. “Tell it to me
then.”

Pushing off his chest, she flopped onto her
back. “As the electus grew older, one of the seven, Decimus,
thought they could help more people if they left their village and
went out into the world. The three couples each left together and
Decimus traveled on his own.

“He was different from the rest. He had a
gift that helped him read people. He could sense if something was
good or bad and he was able to analyze situations with more depth
than the others. Although Gaius was the leader, Decimus was the
key. It was like he was the centre of the star and the other six
were the points.

“Anyway, he ended up… f-falling in love with
an outsider… human. The story goes that he was so blinded by her
beauty that he gave in to her every demand. She ended up finding
out what he could do and she used him. In the end he betrayed the
rest of the electus and nearly wiped us out altogether.”

Harrison squeezed her hand. “How did your
people survive?”

“The other six put their children into
hiding, scattered them across the planet so they couldn’t be found.
There is a strong bond between us though. That’s how they managed
to find each other again over the years. My mom once told me that
if I met another time spirit I would know. I’d be drawn to
them.”

“Well, you were drawn to me, maybe I can
travel through time and just don’t know it.”

Gemma’s laughter shattered the somber mood.
“Half the girls in the school are drawn to you, Harrison. I was
just lucky to catch your attention.”

His smile was serious as he ran his finger
down her face. “How could I not notice you? You’re meant to be
mine.”

“That’s where my parents are going to
disagree with you. After the whole Decimus thing, our people had to
be more careful. We’ve fought a lot of battles over the centuries.
Our survival hasn’t been easy and my parents would rather die than
have any of their children ending up like Decimus.”

“But surely there are others of you who have
married normal people.”

“Yeah there are, but according to my parents
it weakens the race. I know they really hate that they’re not full
blooded, pure time spirits.”

Gemma’s eyes grew distant and Harrison could
sense her imagining a future without him.

Tipping her chin towards him, he whispered,
“That’s not going to happen. I’m going to be there.”

“But there are rules…”

“Gem, there is an exception to every rule and
we are going to be it. I’m not losing you.”

Her birthmark came to life, pulsing in time
with her heartbeat.

“I love you,” he murmured.

Before she could say anything he pressed his
lips to hers, meandering over the kiss until her fingers laced into
his hair and the air around them ignited.

He didn’t care what the legends said or who
this Decimus was. Gemma and he belonged together and he would
destroy anything that got in the way of that.

Chapter Eighteen

St. Augustine, Florida
- 2011AD

The hallway was crowded as per usual.
Harrison walked towards the parking lot with the Hart siblings. Dom
and Ruby were a riot. They absentmindedly squabbled as they dodged
the bustle of students trying to break free for the weekend. Gemma
crunched through an apple as she listened to Dom’s latest joke.
Harrison caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. Her skin was
soft and delicious, sending spikes of fire up his arm. She rolled
her eyes then gave him a wink as Dom burst into laughter over the
punch line. Thumping Ruby’s arm, he repeated it and Harrison kindly
forced out a chuckle to help the guy along.

“Oh please.” Ruby shook her head then
extracted her phone to check a text.

Ruby’s reaction made Harrison’s laughter
genuine… and this was why he loved hanging out with these guys.
Gemma’s hand suddenly jerked beneath his and he turned to see her
beam of sunshine disappear beneath a black cloud.

“What’s up with you?” Dom frowned.

“I… have to go to the bathroom,” she said,
handing her half eaten apple to Harrison.

Ruby threw the phone in her bag a moment
later. “I might walk with you, Gemmalicious. I forgot something
from my locker anyway.”

“Catch you guys later.” Gemma gave him a
mournful look of farewell.

“I’ll wait for you by your bike.” He tried to
boost his smile to full beam, but couldn’t quite make it shine. He
hated knowing she was off to who knows where to get into who knows
what kind of trouble.

Dom cleared his throat a second later. “I
forgot to ask Rubes something. I better catch up with her.”

Harrison had been expecting the excuse, but
tried not to let it show. He gave a casual wave of farewell and
watched the guy stride purposefully away from him.

Walking out into the sunshine, he hitched his
bag higher onto his shoulder and tried to figure out what was
bothering him so much. They had never all been together when the
call to cross over had been issued. He wouldn’t have noticed it
otherwise. Biting into the apple, he chewed it slowly and ran the
thought through his brain.

Dom had had to ask Gemma what was wrong when
her expression fell. Ruby took a few moments to finish texting and
register the situation.

Which means Gemma must have known they were
crossing over before the other two.

Did it always happen like that?

Leaning against the black motorbike, Harrison
let the world around him blur into non-existence.

Maybe Gemma’s part in the time travel is
more significant than I realize.

The idea bugged him. He wasn’t exactly sure
why, but it made his stomach coil. She was different from the twins
and he had a feeling her parents knew that as well.

* * * *