Destiny Redeemed (23 page)

Amon
smiled, knowing that her use of the name she’d known him by all those lifetimes
ago meant she’d help him. Or at least he hoped that’s what it meant.

“I
haven’t heard that name in so long, I’d almost forgotten it, Elan.”

“I
didn’t use your Greek name so you’d use mine. We’re not having a past life walk
down memory lane here. Sit down and don’t think just because I still think
fondly of you because you were the brother of my destined one once that I’ll
help you.”

Amon
sat as ordered as she thumbed through items on the kitchen counter. When she’d
found what she was searching for, she turned toward him and handed him
something. In his hand he saw a picture of Callia with Varek, a small girl, and
a baby. He stared at it and then handed it back to her saying nothing. He knew
why she’d shown him it.

“Isn’t
that a beautiful family?  The little girl is his daughter Tia he’d thought he’d
lost after what happened with his first destined one, and the baby is named
Tanner.”

Amon
sat silently knowing he deserved Jean’s punishment. Nothing he could say could
change what he’d done.

Jean
sat down at the table across from him, her arms folded. “Well, I’m sure you
didn’t come here to see pictures of my grandniece and her lovely family, so why
are you here?”

“I
need your help concerning an issue with the Council.”

“That
seems strange since if I remember correctly you were sentenced to spend the
remainder of your lifetimes in Nil. If I’d known you were so bad, I wouldn’t
have sent Callia and Varek to you for help, Amon.”

His
gaze meeting hers, he said quietly, “Elan, I never meant to hurt her. I loved
her.”

Jean
was silent for a few moments and then sighed. “I think you did in your own way.
Okay, I’ve tortured you enough. I’ll let fate do the rest. So, what’s your
problem with the Council, other than its desire to return you to their hell for
the rest of your existence?”

“My
destined one has been taken, and I think the Council and the Soren are
involved. The bounty hunter sent for me took her, but he’s been seen at the
Soren headquarters. I confronted Kiril Gault about it. I know he’s holding her.
All the signs point to something going on between someone on the Council at Nil
and Kiril.”

Her
eyes closed, Jean listened and then after a long silence asked, “Why would
anyone on the Council get together with the biggest enemy of the Council?”

“I
don’t know, but I know the actions of the head of the Council at Nil have moved
into the illegal realm and at least one member had filed a formal protest.”

“Dissention
among the ranks of the most powerful council? What did he do?”

“He’s
authorized the use of my destined one’s past to capture me.”

Jean
whistled and stood up from the table. “That’s a big no-no. Obviously, he wants
you returned pretty badly. So the question I’m sure you’ve asked yourself must
be, ‘What did I do to him to deserve such an overzealous prosecution?’”

Amon
nodded. “Jean, I need to know the council member who filed the protest. And I
need to know fast. Thea’s in danger every minute she’s near Kiril.”

Nodding,
Jean moved into action. “Wait here. This could take a bit, but I think I can
find what you need.”

While
he waited for her to return, Amon picked up the picture of Callia and her
family. As he studied their faces, he had to admit that they were happy. He’d
hoped for that kind of happiness for lifetimes, and now it was within his reach
if he could save Thea and expose the Council’s corruption.

Amon
knew fate had always favored him. Born with powers in his first lifetime that
other Aeveren could only dream of possessing, he’d had the world on a string
for most of his existence. He’d had three destined ones who’d loved him probably
long after he’d deserved it, another blessing many of his fellow Aeveren would
trade almost anything for. He’d been fortunate, no doubt.

But
he’d squandered much of his time abusing his powers at the expense of others
and his destined ones, finding out all too late how mistaken he’d been with
them.

It
wasn’t in his nature to wallow in regret, though. If his time on Earth had
taught him anything, it was that there was no time like the present. No, he
wouldn’t make the same mistakes of his past. Destiny had given him another
chance in Thea, and he’d take it like he’d done with every chance in his
forty-seven lifetimes.

By
the time Jean returned, Amon had found the focus he’d lost when Ryu took Thea.
He knew what he had to do.

“All
right, the council member’s name is Naomi Cooper. And it seems she’s got a
cabal around her that has definite reservations about the head councilman’s
actions.”

Amon
rose to leave and Jean caught him by the arm. “Be careful with this group.
You’ve made an enemy in the head of that council. Even if this woman wants to
help, you’re going up against the two biggest power centers of our world.”

“Is
that concern I hear in your voice?” he asked in a teasing tone.

“I
promised Dmitri lifetimes ago when he was ready to move on that I’d keep an eye
on you. He knew what you were and worried about you. I’d like to be able to
tell him when I move on and see him again that you were happy and had finally
grown into what you were meant to be.”

“Are
you saying you broke the rule about finding people from past lifetimes, Elan?”

Jean
smiled. “I’m an ancient one like you, Amon. All of us have broken a rule or two
in the number of lifetimes we’ve lived.”

Amon
laughed and hugged her. “Some of us more than others.”

“Take
care of yourself, Amon.”

“You
too. And when you see Dmitri again, tell him I finally have what he always
wished for me.”

Outside
Jean’s home, Amon stood on her front porch while the early November chill bit
at his skin.  Armed with Naomi Cooper’s name, Amon once again sent out his
silent promise to Thea that he’d come for her and prayed to God he wouldn’t be
too late.

Chapter Eighteen

After
finishing with the other two slaves, Kiril seemed to be sated, and Thea prayed
he would remember his pledge not to hurt her. Despite Suzanne’s words, she knew
she’d suffered, and it took every ounce of willpower not to take her in her
arms and soothe the pain of what he’d done right out of her. But Thea suspected
any kindness offered would only serve to incense him.

She’d
only heard the painful sounds of their coupling, each sharp intake of Suzanne’s
breath like a knife to her heart. When he cast her aside to her place on the
floor and took one of the blondes, Thea had raised her eyes from the shield of
her hands to look at Suzanne, sure that what she’d heard had broken the woman’s
spirit. What she saw was a smile, faint but there, that had told her he hadn’t
taken away everything she remained inside yet.

Suzanne’s
strength inspired Thea, and she’d watched as Kiril took first the blond who
hadn’t spoken to her and then Cherie. It had been the most vicious sex she’d
ever seen, but she’d met his violet stare from the first thrust and never
wavered until he fell back onto the bed and closed his eyes.

More
than once as she watched him rest she considered using one of the torture
devices hanging from the wall near his bed to attack him, but that would’ve
required walking past him, and she had no idea if he was sleeping or merely
resting. Even if she succeeded in grabbing one, she had no assurance she’d be
able to kill him and his retribution on Suzanne and the others would no doubt
be deadly if she didn’t succeed.

No,
Thea knew she had to be more than strong. She had to be smart. Amon would come
soon, but until then, she had to take care of herself. The problem was that at
any moment Kiril could sit up and order her onto the bed believing that his
brand of sex didn’t constitute harm. She had to devise a way to distract him.
She had to make him think of something other than sex—in his bedroom, where
he’d just had sex with three other women. If she couldn’t, she only had the
same fate waiting for her.

Looking
around the room she saw little that didn’t have something to do with sex. The
enormous, intricately carved bed looked like it was straight from a brothel,
and the deep red silk sheets screamed sex. Even the lighting, with three
ceiling lights pointed directly at his bed, looked geared toward highlighting
the act. And then there were the metal implements hanging near his head, which
she was sure he used for sex, although she didn’t want to imagine how.

She
needed some way to focus his attention elsewhere and soon because he was
beginning to stir. She quickly ran through ideas in her mind and decided he
didn’t look like a sports fan, unfortunately. However, slowly a memory from her
lifetime at the court of Louis XIV of France bubbled up and she remembered
reading a French translation of
One Thousand and One Nights
. That was
it! She would act like Scheherazade and hope Kiril fell for her ploy just as
the Persian king had fallen for hers.

She
would have to improvise, though. Thea decided to do as her sister always
suggested doing for a successful date, ironically—“Ask questions, Thea. People
love to talk about themselves.”

Kiril
rolled over to face her and opened his eyes. Inside, the same butterflies she
had every time she performed danced in her stomach, but she took a deep breath
and reminded herself that she was a smart Aeveren woman with forty-five
lifetimes of experience to help her. Something in all those years would be sure
to interest him besides sex.

“Did
anyone come to the door?”

Thea
shook her head.

Kiril
stretched his long legs, slowly kicking the sheets from his naked body and smiling
at her small reaction to the sight of his once again erect cock. Instantly,
Thea regretted letting her focus fall from his eyes, but she quickly made sure
her face showed no more surprise or revulsion and once again stared into his
piercing eyes.

“See
anything you like?” he seductively teased as he folded his arms behind his head
and crossed his legs at the ankles.

She
hesitated for just a moment and then began what she hoped would be a very long
conversation with the most dangerous person she’d met in lifetimes, ended by
Amon’s arrival and her leaving this place for good.

“Your
eyes are the most unique color. I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyes such a
beautiful shade of violet,” she answered in a voice far calmer than she
actually was.

In
fact, she wasn’t being insincere. His eyes were beautiful, even if they did
belong to a sadistic psychopath. She worried he’d either misinterpret her
statement as evidence of her attraction or see right through her ruse, though.

Instead,
she found him pleased by the compliment and surprised, as if she’d caught him
off guard or he’d not heard anything like it in ages. But quickly all that
showed in his expression was pleasure and not the sinister kind that often
dominated his features. However, when he spoke, Thea knew she was by no means
safe yet.

“My
eyes? You want to talk about the color of my eyes?”

“Well,
no. I just think they’re quite unique and striking.”

Kiril
grinned and rolled over to press a button next to his bed. In seconds, his men
were in the room and with nothing but a wave of his hand, he instructed them to
remove Suzanne and the two other women.

As
Thea watched them walk out, their eyes down and chains clanging against one
another, she was thankful her ploy had at least provided them with a reprieve.
Now it remained to be seen if she could distract him long enough for Amon to
arrive.

Amon.
How she missed him! She had no idea where he was or why he hadn’t rescued her
yet, but her faith in him remained. He was her destined one and would cross
miles to save her because of that.

The
bedroom door shut, and she was alone with Kiril. Again, she focused her gaze on
his, but communicating across the room had lost its interest for him and he
ordered, “Come here,” as he motioned to the area next to him on the bed.

Fear
quickly escalated to terror as Thea stood from the chair. There had been some
sense of safety when she sat across the room, but now that rapidly evaporated
as she walked toward the bed. Now she’d be within striking distance with no barrier,
no matter how illusory, between them.

Thea
stood at the edge of the bed looking down at his upturned face that appeared
more pleased than ever. With a silent plea to Amon to please hurry, she sat
down on the bed next to Kiril.

“I
thought if you wanted to discuss my eyes you should be close enough to see
them,” he said in a low voice that told her she had a long way to go until he
thought of something other than sex.

Uncomfortably,
she stared into his eyes. “They are quite beautiful. Do either of your parents
have eyes like yours?”

Thea
knew she was possibly treading on dangerous ground introducing parents into the
conversation. Psychopaths like Kiril Gault often had poor relationships with
their parents. Happily, she saw no evidence of upset in him.

Shaking
his head, he explained, “No, neither. I guess I’m one of a kind.”

Disappointed
and shaken that he hadn’t chosen to talk more about himself, she remained
undeterred. She’d just have to find something else to draw him out, but she’d
leave the flattery behind, if possible. It seemed too close to flirting, which
was a far too dangerous tactic with a man like him.

To
her relief, though, he continued to talk, turning the conversation to her eye
color. “Your eyes are quite beautiful too, Thea.”

Unlike
him, she was more than willing to explain chapter and verse about who she’d gotten
her eye color from and any other detail she could think of that had even the
slightest connection to the subject of her eyes.