Immortal Desires (Well of Souls) (3 page)

When she got to the bedroom, she thought she'd died and gone to heaven. Another view of the mountains served as a backdrop to the large bed. Intricately carved posts draped with gauzy white material surrounded a deep blue comforter with some kind of Celtic design on it.

Her suitcase sat next to the bed, jerking Deanna out of her pleasant fantasy. Had she forgotten to lock her car door? It was possible… Still, it was awfully presumptuous to cart her bag in here without her knowledge.

The unease crept back and she shivered as a tendril of doubt skittered up her spine with grasping fingers. Deanna pushed it aside. She'd let the next two weeks unfold before coming to any final conclusions. Too keyed up to rest, she headed down to the fifth floor to find something to eat.

Deanna cracked a smile as she walked into the cafeteria. It looked normal enough. After all the surprises of the day, she'd half-expected the area to be a formal dining room. She grabbed a tray and perused the varied selections as an employee hovered behind the counter with a ready smile.

He dished the items she pointed at and then bade her a good afternoon. Deanna glanced around in confusion.

"Excuse me. Where's the register?"

"You must be new. The cafeteria is part of the perks. Enjoy your meal." He slid down the counter to help the next person, leaving Deanna to gape in silence.

"Would you like to join us?" a friendly voice called out as Deanna wandered by with her tray.

Three women and two men sat together at a large table, all looking to be in their twenties. Deanna smiled and nodded. Why not? It beat eating alone.

After the round of introductions, Deanna listened while she ate. The girl who had called her over, Cassie, was slight, with black chin-length hair and oversized frame glasses. She had a bouncy personality and Deanna liked her right away. The group worked together in tech support.

One of the guys kept staring at her as the others talked, which made Deanna fidget. Cassie noticed and leaned over in a conspiratorial fashion.

"Don't mind Michael. He hits on all the women and falls in love at least once a month. He's a good guy though, if you don't fall for his brooding charm."

"Thanks, Cassie," Michael said. "Now she'll never go out with me."

"I'm not dating right now anyway." Deanna smiled to take the sting out of her words. Michael was good-looking but she had zero interest in men at the moment. After her experience with Nick, it'd be a long time before she'd venture into another relationship again. It would take an extraordinary man to break down her emotional barriers. She was sure Michael wasn't up to the task.

The others left to get back to work with promises to contact her soon. Deanna stayed a few minutes longer, enjoying the scenery outside the glass walls. Something about this place begged her to stay and never go back home. That in itself scared her.

***

Ian gathered a lungful of crisp air as he stood on top of the mountain in knee-deep snow. Being immortal had its advantages, such as not having to fear frostbite. It also meant the wild beasties stayed clear of him, sensing something unusual. He laughed, his voice echoing through the canyons. None had wished to wrestle with him. Robert would be disappointed.

His eyes returned to the buildings in the valley yet again, as if an invisible tether clung to him and he found himself thinking of the displaced soul in the Cameron woman. He should go back and argue for her safe return to her present life. What harm would there be in allowing her to live it?

He took his leisure to enjoy the day instead of transferring back when it was time to leave. Ian didn't need to hurry and the climb down the mountain thrilled him almost as much as the climb up had. It wasn't Scotland but the land was still a thing of beauty.

Chapter Five

Clouds drifted across the full moon in a dance of light and shadow as Ian jogged toward the Light Street building. The mirrored glass hid any movement inside from prying eyes, presenting a deceptively empty shell to the outside world.

The extra senses he'd gained as an Immortal sent a tremor through his body as he walked through the lobby door but everything appeared normal for this time of night. Low lights, a murmur of conversation and strains of music played from somewhere in the building as a few people worked late. Otherwise, nothing. No danger lurked in the hallways. What had he felt? The vibration lingered; the taste of it sweet as it slid along the edges of his mind. Robert approached and the illusion shattered as Ian's concentration broke.

"How was your journey?" His mentor clasped arms with him, seemingly in a good mood.

"Refreshing. I needed the solitude. Thank you for throwing me out of here."

"My pleasure." Robert tried to keep a straight face but failed as a ghost of a smile crept over his features. "By the way, I housed the Cameron woman in the apartment next to you."

"I'll be sure to keep my midnight swordplay at a respectable noise level." Actually, Ian wasn't sure why Robert had elected to tell him that, unless he thought Ian wanted to avoid her. It was often hard to tell what the man was thinking. Enigmatic was Robert's middle name.

Ian went upstairs, passing the woman's door on his way to his own. A brief moment of pity overcame him but it wasn't his call. Robert understood the pattern better than he. She wouldn't remember anyway. That could be a blessing. His own memories sometimes sliced at him with daggers sharpened on the stone of regret. He sighed and entered his dark room, heading for the bar and a bottle of scotch to chase the ghosts away.

***

After calling Kate and giving her a detailed report of her luxurious surroundings, Deanna soaked in the marble tub spa, letting the jets pummel away any misgivings she might have had about staying. She closed her eyes, breathing in the aroma of scented candles as her muscles surrendered to the steaming water. Sheer bliss. She'd be a fool not to take the job.

Soft sheets caressed her skin as she all but collapsed into bed, too drained to even finish the glass of wine sitting on her night table. Whoever heard of a stocked bar in a company apartment? Her thoughts became disjointed as she tried to go over the events of the day and she gave up trying to think, letting her mind drift into the oblivion of sleep.

A strong hand grazed her face with a gentle touch, its owner hidden in shadow.

"Why did you leave me?" a voice sighed in her ear, his tone filled with both love and pain.

Did I?
She wondered about the question. It hurt to know this. The calloused fingers stroked her cheek and she leaned into his touch, craving more, her body responding to this stranger. His heart beat against the hand she laid on his chest; the warmth of his skin filled her with desire.

"Do I know you?" she whispered through lips begging to be devoured by his kiss.

He faded from sight, leaving her bereft. Who was he? She shivered in his absence and snuggled deeper under the down covers, a tear seeping from the corner of her eye.

Deanna felt the dampness on her cheek as her eyelids fluttered open, surprised to find herself alone in the room. The man had seemed so real—so vibrant. She sighed as her hand swept the empty side of the bed and rolled over, shutting her eyes against the loneliness welling up inside of her.

***

Snow fell sideways with a blustery wind as Deanna met Robert for breakfast in the cafeteria the next morning. The trees outside the windows shook as gusts scoured them clean of snow. Deanna wondered if a girl from southern California could get used to this kind of weather.

"You'll acclimate in no time," Robert said as he stood up to greet her.

Deanna chuckled. "Were you reading my mind?" Nothing about Robert would surprise her at this point.

"No, just your face. You looked outside and shivered." He waved his hand toward the buffet. "Shall we?"

After they sat back down, Robert explained what her duties would be, including the travel required. Deanna tried not to drool as she listened. It was certainly a dream job. She'd never be able to go back to her old one and be satisfied now.

"I know there are several industries under the umbrella of Light Street," she said as Robert bit into a sausage. "Is one of them a dating service?"

He coughed and washed his food down with a gulp of tea. "What makes you ask that?"

"The sign behind the reception desk—the one that talks about relationships. It struck me as odd."

"Oh, that. It's a motto we have. And yes, I suppose you could say we're in the relationship business. Much of our travel industry involves honeymoon accommodations." He smiled and waved his hand in the air, changing subjects. "I'd asked one of my associates to meet us here but I guess something came up. If you're finished, we'll go meet your staff and you can get settled into your office."

***

Ian ground his teeth together, watching Robert lead Deanna out of the room. He stepped through the kitchen doors, startling the server.

"Can I get you something, sir?"

"No, thanks." Ian did his best to smile as he slid out from behind the counter.

He wanted to run after Robert and grab him by the collar. Did he know? If he did, would he have chanced a meeting between the two of them? It didn't seem possible. Ian tried to shake off the tension, flexing his fingers that repeatedly curled into fists.

Seeing Deanna when he'd first walked into the room to join them had been like a sword plunged into his gut. Unable to breathe, he'd ducked into the kitchen and watched through the window, while a fist of iron squeezed his heart.

Deanna was his missing soul mate.

That changed everything. Ian could no longer plead for her life to continue—as selfish as that was. He also couldn't bear to see her recycled. Since he could no longer return to the Well, she'd be lost to him forever. Somehow, he'd have to convince Robert to send her back to his mortal self; back to where she belonged.

Would Robert see the logic in that? Ian didn't know. He transported outside, letting the cold wind calm his roiling emotions. The last place he wanted to be was anywhere near Deanna's office.

His knees buckled, grief crashing over him. Since he had no memory of Deanna in his former life, wouldn't that mean Robert refused his request? Anguish pumped his muscles to the edge of endurance as Ian ran out to meet the full fury of the storm in an effort to forestall a storm of his own making.

Chapter Six

"Did you know?" Ian stalked into Robert's office, speaking before he'd even crossed the threshold.

"Know what?" Robert looked at him with a blank face. "You missed our meeting this morning with the Cameron woman. I wanted to see if you could read any Conrí tampering. She's quite pleasant, by the way."

"Did. You. Know." Ian spit the words out one at a time, his hands curling into fists.

"What are you talking about? Honestly, Ian, sometimes I can't fathom what you're saying. Come sit down and relax." Robert moved over to a chair and beckoned him to take the sofa. Ian sank into it and held his head in his hands. "Tell me what's troubling you."

"Her." Ian gulped at the air in a shuddering breath. "Deanna Cameron. Robert, did you realize she's my soul mate?"

"Hmm. Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure." Ian exploded out of his seat and paced over to the door.

"While you're up, be a good lad and pour me some coffee, will you?"

Ian whirled and scrutinized his mentor but Robert only held up his cup with a bland smile on his face.

He walked over and wrenched the cup out of the man's hands, seething as he poured coffee into it from the carafe on the bar. "Is that all you have to say, 'Get me some coffee'?"

"What would you have me say? I'm sorry? Tough luck? That phase of your life is over now. You know that." He took the cup and sipped at the hot liquid as Ian sat back down.

"It doesna have to be. Send her back—back to me in the 16
^th
century. We belong together." Ian raked a hand through his hair, his eyes darting everywhere but at Robert's face. What if he refused? His heart hammered as he waited for a reply.

"You mean to trap the woman in the 16
^th
century? What kind of a life would that be for her?" Robert's eyebrows crawled up his forehead as Ian finally glanced at him.

"I know it would be hard for her—at first," Ian pleaded. "But she'd be loved. Isna that better than what you planned for her, to end her life now and be recycled? Her soul mate doesna exist in the Well anymore."

Robert leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on his cup, his eyes unfocused as he stared into the distance. Ian fought the urge to jump up again as he let the man think.

"You say she'd be loved but we both know it'd only be for a short time. Your fate cannot be changed, my old friend." Robert looked saddened as Ian watched him. He tried a different tack.

"Would you condemn my entire clan this way? They dinna exist because of my actions. This would be a second chance."

"You know the Aeneas' choices in this matter. Would you have us abandon our sacred duties as Guardians and act like the Conrí?" Robert had pity in his eyes but Ian only felt the agony burrowing through his emotions. It was as he'd feared. He had no recollections of Deanna because Robert had refused his request.