Keeper's Knowledge (Balancer's Soul cycle) (77 page)

“What do you mean?”

“She has been trying too hard to get an emotional connection with someone, but she doesn’t realize that you don’t have to always
use your sex appeal to get us to do anything she would please.”

“Yeah…
Food works better
for real men
.” S
he giggled an
d he couldn’t stop him
self either.

“Sarah, be nice.” She
calmed and
started rubbing
his
arms again. “Listen, she puts on a show for other men, but you don’t need to flaunt yourself like that. You hold more physical and mental beauty than any woman I have ever met. You have a kind of shy pride that cannot be duplicated. Also you didn’t shy away from me when Sorono told you about how I would have killed you
with my energy
if I didn’t bring your strength
up
to m
y level
. Yes
,
you were worried, but you still didn’t fear me. And when we make love you are uninhibited, but around others you become shy around that subject.”

“So? When we are together we do what we want, but it is
private
and between us
. I don’t think someone’s sex life should be broadcasted like a televised football game.”

“I agree. That is one of the reasons I fell in love with you. Just don’
t change that about yourself.” He
then remembered something. “Do you remember my promise
that
I made with you?”

“Which one? I’ve lost count.”

“The one about your ultimate dream
,
”

Sara
h
rolled to her side. Her left shoulder
began
resting on
his
right rib
cage
and her
hip rested on his thigh. Connor
could tell she was having a hard time looking at
him
because her dark green eyes were trying to
focus on a certain aspect on his
face. “Yes
,
I remember that promise. You promised me that you would stay alive so that you could see th
at I became an Elder one day.” He
nodded because she wouldn’t be able to
see his darkened
smile. She rested her head against
his
chest and said “No matter how bad the situation ever is, you always find a way to
set things right. Don’t ever l
ose that comforting aspect
,
my k
night.” She yawned.

“Good night, Princess. We have had a big day.”

“Good night.” She
moved to get comfortable. Once he
started r
ubbing her back she was asleep.

He
also slept, but also
remained alert throughout the night.

When the light in the center of the dome lit, Sarah and
Connor
dropped to the floor and put
their
clothes on.
She looked positively refreshed from the full night of sleep
while
he
felt perfectly centered once again.
They
w
alked out of the sanctuary and he closed the door behind them
.

He
looked
around
and saw that the large stone gate was
already
open.
M
any of the other Elders
were
making their way into the
center
yard,
between the three Elder b
arracks. Somehow there were three large picnic benches
that
he
didn’t see on
the
way in
. On top of the three tables were heaps
of breakfast foods. The moment he
smelled it
,
his
mouth began watering.

Off to a far wall
he
saw sheets of marble
and wood
that weren’t there yesterday and some other building materials
laid nearby
.

“Morning, Brother. Morning, Sarah. Did staying
in
the forest
for
the night work
out
?” She yawned while stretching.
Mark walked beside her and he caught her
infectious
yawn. They were both around the centr
al building and walking up to them
looking normal. M
ark held Connor’s
shirt, chainmail and armguards
that
he’d
left in the painting room
.
Mark
tossed them
over
and
he
quickly slid all of them on.

“Good as n
ew.” Sarah said while patting his
stomach. “Now it’s time for br
eakfast.” Sarah grinned up at her mate
.

“First a greeting then
immediately
followed up by a reference to food. Yep she’s pregnant.” Kara said while laughing.

Connor
looked at them and asked “Where did you two sleep?”

Mark said “We stayed up most of the night as she studied all those paintings. We finally went to sleep on the cold floor.” He stretched his arms. “Ah it was wonderful.”

Kara then couldn’t contain her excitement. “Sarah, you won’t believe this, But Sorono gave me a present this morning. He gave
me several painting pallets and twenty different colors of acrylic paint. He said ‘I give these to you on one condition. Make a painting for me and we will call
the expenses
even.’ and I told him I would have done it regardless. I already have the perfect image in mind.”
Kara then pointed a finger at the two of them
. “I don’t want either of you digging around in my brain until I’m finished working
… Got It!?
”

“Alright, alright. We promis
e, no digging.” Sarah said and Connor
agreed.

Jillian and Jack found
them
a few minutes later. Jillian said “Sarah! Last night we got to sleep in the guest quarters of the Elder Keepers. Their beds are
so
huge. They are as big as your cottage and were lined with red silk sheets. It was a beautiful room.
” Jillian hugged Sarah and then let go. “And how did you sleep
, Sarah
?”

In
his
head
Connor
thought,
Naked.

Sarah shot him
a
cold
look and
he knew she was in his
mind and that
had been
why
he
said it. She smiled at her mother and said “We slept well
,
Mother. Ready to go get some breakfast?”

Jillian looked over her shoulder. “Doesn’t she remind you of someone?”

Jack laughed and said “Yeah, you. Every pregnancy y
ou had meant one thing for me.
Get
.
M
ore
. F
ood.”

“Aw, quit making fun of me. It’s only a natural thing since I’m carrying your grandchild.” Sarah turned around and grabbed
Connor’s
hand.
They
walked together
,
towards the food. Behind
them came
snicker
ing sounds
.

By the time they reached the
large tables a hush settled in as all the Elders noticed
who stood in their midst
. It was almost rude of them and how they looked at
their small family
. That was until
they
heard a familiar voice.

“Everyone come sit over here with me.” It was Elder Adela and she was standing up so she could see ov
er the mound of food. “Oh Sarah?
If you sit by me I brought you
some fresh
apples. I want my youngest granddaughter to have a healthy baby
girl
and she needs to eat
properly
.”

Kara chirped saying “If she eats any more apples they will go extinct.”

The annoying silence shattered as everyone giggled, laughed or roared
to the comment
. Sarah also chuckled.

Sarah and the rest of them
walked around so
they
could reach Elder Adela. There was plenty of room for a
ll of them
to sit together.
They
jumped up and landed on the bench seat. Sarah sat beside her eldest gra
ndmother and Mark sat next to Connor
. In front of Sarah
lay
a tray with nothing but
an assortment of fresh
apples. A
platter of pancakes
laid nearby along with
Sausage
s
, scrambled eggs, unbuttered toast and
several sticks of
butter off to the side, mixed fruit, fried green tomatoes, bacon and three
large wooden
barrels filled with orange juice.

On the Keepers table were stacks of fully cooked pigs, chickens, cows and a few goats were left on th
e end platter.

Everyone had arrived except
Sorono and Veronica.

Sarah started tearing into the platter of apples
,
like a starving tiger stumbling onto a dairy farm.
Connor
filled
his
tray with the mixed fr
uits, bacon, sausage and eggs. He also
grabbed Sarah’s and
his
mug and went to fill them. B
y the time he
returned she had already
eaten four apples to their cores
.
He
handed her the
full mug and she took a sip. They
ate for about three minutes until the last two
finally
arrived.

Sorono and Veronica were walking in
their direction and Connor
noticed a few miniscule differences in their movements
from
earlier
. Before
,
Veronica walked uneasily
beside
to Sorono and she gave him as much room as she could. But now they were walking side by side and were very close together. They were like magnets now. Veronica still had her egg wrapped and tucked in the curve of her left arm. The thing
is
she wasn’t as skittish as she was yesterday.

It hit him then as Connor
figured out
why she looked so..
.
complete.
If Keepers gave their abilities to Balancers then they could fuse their souls like Sarah did with
himself
.
He
understood that since she finally bonded
,
that she could be herself. He
smiled
proudly
for both of them.
They deserved each other.

Sorono and Veronica
smiled as they saw
everyone already gathered
, but they walked over to sit at the head of the Keepers table. Everyone quieted as they sat down. Then once Veronica grabbed a few pigs and a goat and Sorono grabbed
a single cow, ripped it in half and kept only the hind in and
everyone resumed what they were doing.

It was then that Connor noticed something peculiar. Sorono didn’t consume near the quantity that his brethren did.

After everyone finished eating did Elder Adela and Alexander stand and drop to the ground. Elder Alexander
informed
“We must go and start preparing breakfast for everyone else. We will return
with
in a few hours.” And then they were leaving down their hall with a pentagram above the hallway’s entrance.
Two Immortal Guards pulled from the shadows and followed their charges.

Connor
felt Sorono entering
his
mind as did Sarah.
“Alright everyone
,
we need to go over today’s meeting and what must be done.”
Every head turned to the end table
where he
spoke
.
It became clear with the linked minds then that Damian always sat there and it
seemed
awkward for the others to see
the
true leader take his rightful place at the head of the table.
“I will be
gin
in the middle of the stage and
be joined by
Conner
,
and if Sarah wishes she may join us.”