White Fire: Timewalker Chronicles, Book 5 (29 page)

What did an Itaran Queen even do?

She called back the warships on Earth that were there to hunt Timewalkers, that was what.

She wished they were alone so she could talk to Ajax about all of this, not staring at the bloodied palm of an Immortal female who was most likely at least a thousand years older than she was.

Emma turned to find Ajax watching her, love and pride shining from his eyes, not anger or regret.

She relaxed. It was going to be fine. They were going to be fine. She sent a jolt of fire to her Mark and smiled at him when he squirmed. She motioned to him to rise and she jumped down into his arms when he reached the edge of the platform. He set her on her feet, but she kept hold of his hand and pulled him forward with her as she approached the female who waited patiently for her decision. Emma raised her voice to be heard.

“My name is Emma, and I was not born on this world, but I was raised on it. I am human, and Timewalker, and I have claimed Ajax, the forbidden son, as my Marked Mate. I love him. If you make me your Queen, he will be both my King and my equal.

“I will protect Timewalkers, not hunt them. I will support the Darkwalkers’ mission to destroy evil, and assist the humans in their battle against the criminal Itaran Triads that control much of the Earth. And I will kill anyone who threatens my family, my Mate, or anyone else I care about. And I’ll both visit Earth, and invite my friends here whenever I want to. I’ll expect them to be protected and treated with respect.”

She stared at the woman and continued. “If anyone here has a problem with any of that, speak up now or forever hold your peace.”

The woman held out her hand. “My oath stands, Timewalker.”

“What’s your name?”

“Regina.”

Emma held out her hand. The moment the Immortal’s blood touched her flesh, a burst of energy flowed through her and Emma clung to Ajax in shock. The woman’s life force was bonded to her somehow, her power immense. It made Emma dizzy, then receded until she might choose to call on it again. The woman’s oath hovered in the back of her awareness, like knowledge, dormant but there the moment she called it to mind.

“What was that?”

“A blood oath to an Immortal is never a small thing.”

“But I’m not an Immortal.”

He smiled down at her. “Yes, Emma. You are. A true Mater Mortis. The goddess blessed you personally. Immortality is just a side effect.”

Emma looked around the room at the hundreds of Immortals that remained. One blood oath down…

“They don’t have to do this.” Emma raised her voice again. “I don’t need a blood oath.”

Not one Immortal moved.

It was going to be a long night.

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Ajax carried Emma to their new suite, irritated when the sound of several female voices waited for them on the other side of the door.

Emma had just spent six hours accepting blood oaths. He was tired, she was barely conscious.

He opened their door and found their family waiting for them. Teagh and Katherine, Raiden and Mari, Aron and Zoey, Bran, Celestina and Helene. The Darkwalkers were absent, and he was glad. Nicodemus’s blood oath to Emma had been a bit too personal for his liking.

Mari rose instantly when she saw Emma’s head roll back on his shoulder. “Is she okay?”

“I don’t know. She just accepted blood oaths from two hundred and seventy-three Immortals, most older than we are.”

“Holy shit.” Katherine’s shocked voice said she’d had experience with the bond in the past.

Mari lifted her hands, but stopped before touching her friend. “May I?”

“Of course.”

Ajax held still, a bit relieved that Mari had offered. Emma’s lethargy worried him, and he didn’t enjoy the feeling.

“Oh, my God.”

“What is wrong with her?”

Mari shook her head. “Nothing. It’s like she’s drunk.”

Ajax understood. “It will take her some time to adjust to the power of the others.” He turned to find Bran. “Was the order sent to recall Inessa and her warships from Earth.”

“Yes. And all three of them have returned.”

There was something in Bran’s voice that set his teeth on edge. “But?”

Teagh answered. “But Inessa was not on any of the ships. Four scouting vessels and twenty Immortal warriors are also missing.”

Katherine leaned into Teagh on the sofa. “She’s going to hunt Timewalkers. She’s not going to believe that the goddess created an anchor point. She’s going to think that capturing a Timewalker will allow her to change things.”

Ajax fumed. “I’ll take that female’s head myself.”

“You’ll have to find her first.” Celestina rose, her arms crossed over her stomach. The Seer didn’t look relieved, as the others did. She looked worried. And sick.

The females in the room picked up on it as well. Mari rose and blocked the Seer’s pacing steps to peer into her eyes. “Are you okay? Did you need me to work on you?”

Celestina shook her head. “No, Mari. Thank you. I just can’t stay.”

“Why?”

“I have to return to Earth as soon as possible.” The Seer turned to Helene. “I have to go.”

“I know.”

The two words froze Celestina, and Ajax watched the byplay, fascinated. He’d never seen Celestina truly rattled before. Whatever Helene was communicating to the Seer made Celestina tremble. Bran leaned forward in his chair, but neither female gave away any more details.

“I have to go.” Her voice nearly pleading, Celestina waited for Helene to nod before she left without saying goodbye to anyone in the room.

All eyes turned to Helene once Celestina was gone.

“What was that all about?” Ajax walked to the large chair Celestina had been perched on and settled into it with his new Queen safely snuggled into his lap.

Helene fidgeted, which troubled Ajax even more. Everyone in the room was on edge.

“It’s not my secret to tell.” Helene rose and looked around the room. “I’m sorry.”

Bran stood. “At least tell us if she’s in danger.”

Helene looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Every day of her life, Archiver. More than you can possibly imagine. That’s why she has to go.”

Bran frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Zoey, Aron’s ever-practical Mate, spoke up. “It makes perfect sense. Now that this is over, now that Celestina has made sure all of us are all right, she can go take care of it…” Zoey waved her hand around in circles. “Whatever
it
is.”

“Or who.” Katherine’s words settled over the group with a thick silence. Who indeed?

Bran walked silently from the room, but Ajax knew the Archiver would be too late. Celestina was sly as a fox. If she didn’t want anyone to know where she was going, there would be no hope of Bran finding her.

With Bran gone, Ajax hoped for a bit more information from the other Seer.

“Who is it, Helene?”

Helene debated, clearly torn, but gave in to the worried faces around her. They were family now, and families took care of one another.

“Her Marked Mate.”

“What?” Mari shook her head. “No. She’s totally in love with Bran. I’ve seen it. She’s not a Timewalker. She doesn’t have a Mark. She can’t have a Marked Mate.”

Helene sighed. “Oh yes, she does. He’s an evil bastard. And he’s killing her.”

<><><>

Emma woke slowly. Her head still felt foggy, but at least she could move. Those Immortals and their blood oaths were brutal, like a jolt of electricity with a whiskey chaser. Her head felt heavy and slow, like she was trying to move through molasses.

But Ajax held her, so she quit trying to move and just opened her eyes. “Hi.”

“Hi, yourself.” He grinned, a boyish, delighted grin, and the sight was new and infectious.

She looked around the room at the elaborate furnishing, the thick draperies and heavy furniture. “Where are we?”

“Your new chambers, my Queen.”

She frowned. “Don’t you mean our chambers?”

Ajax leaned over her. “No. I don’t. These are the designated sleeping chambers of the Queen of Itara.”

She shoved at his chest. “Get up.”

“Why?”

Anger rolled through her. She knew it was foolish, but this whole situation made her a bit angry. Why was Ajax acting like he didn’t care that hundreds of Immortals had sworn blood oaths to her last night, but not to him. It bothered the hell out of her. “Get up. We’re going to your room. Where are the King’s chambers?”

Ajax laughed and rolled her beneath him, pinning her to the bed. “There aren’t any. You’ll just have to share.”

“Damn it, Ajax.” She stared up at him and tried to hold back the tears, but found that killing a Queen, burning through a couple thousand Triscani, and then letting the Itarans connect their Immortal life force to her through a blood oath, had put her on tilt.

His smile died when he saw her tears. “Shh. I’ve got you.”

“You always say that.”

“It will always be true.”

She sobbed but lifted her arms to hold him closer. “Doesn’t this bother you?”

“What? Why should I be bothered? I have everything I want.”

“No you don’t.” Emma looked up into his eyes and prayed the contentment she saw there was real, and not an act designed to keep her happy. “You wanted to be their King.”

“I am.”

“But…” Emma sighed, trying to say what she needed to say without making him angry. There was no easy way to say it. “But you aren’t. They chose me, and you’re the sidekick.”

He actually laughed and she felt the first tendril of uncertainty melt away.

“And thank the gods for that.” He lowered his head for a quick kiss. “I chose you first. Don’t forget that when the next Darkwalker comes by pledging his life to you.”

“Ajax…”

“Hush. Emma. I am happy. I have everything I ever wanted. I have you. I have a home and an odd assortment of Timewalkers and half-bloods for a family. I found my brother. And I’m a King. I’m content.”

“I’m not.”

He stilled and she wiped a tear from her eye. “They should have chosen you Ajax. I’m no goddess-chosen, super-special Mater Mortis. I would have burned to a crisp without you there to save me. I’m nothing special. I’m no Queen. I didn’t do anything to deserve what they did.”

“Yes you did, love.” Ajax pressed a soft kiss to her temple, to her tears. “You saved them.”

“Not all of them.”

“You saved me.”

She gasped as he climbed from the bed and stood before her. His face hardened as he organized his thoughts. She sat up and waited, hoped to hear words that would close the door on her doubts forever.

“Your stone brought me back from the brink and led me to that bar. When I was gone, lost, a full Triscani Hunter, your touch remade me. When I thought a mild warmth would be enough to soothe my soul, you made me burn. I’d be nothing without you, Emma. And I don’t begrudge the Immortals their desire to offer you their blood and their protection. I can’t pretend I don’t understand why they fight for the right to kneel at your feet and pray that they are worthy.”

He dropped to his knees beside the bed and reached for her. “I’ll do the same, every day, for the rest of my life, if you’ll let me.”

Emma nodded, touched his cheek. Oh, yes. This male had a talent with words.

She tackled him, thankful for the soft rug that cushioned their fall. She took his mouth as the heat of her Mark burned hot and bright with her love for him. She had his clothes off and his cock inside her in under a minute. Subtlety…still not her specialty.

When she let him up for air, he smiled, and lifted his hips into her. The move made her moan. “Is that a yes?”

“I love you, Ajax.”

“I love you. And I’ll spend every day by your side.” The vow wasn’t sealed in blood, it was sealed by the white fire that jumped between them and the heat of the Mark, the blessing of the goddess herself, that tied them together.

When they came up for air a while later, Emma grabbed his ankle. “Look at this. What does this mean?”

Ajax looked down to inspect the once black Mark on his leg. It now blazed white against his skin, the color of pearls. And at the Mark’s center, not a black stone, like the Darkwalkers carried, but white, similar to a fire opal. He’d never have to worry about taking out a Triscani, even if Emma wasn’t around when he did it. He didn’t have to depend on her white fire to cleanse his soul. The goddess had blessed him again.

Ajax pulled his beautiful Mate back into bed for more loving and told her the truth. “It means I finally knelt at the right pair of feet.”

<><><>

Coming Soon: Chimera’s Kiss, Timewalker Chronicles, Book 6

(The story of the Darkwalker, Nicodemus)