Mystic Flame (Beyond Ontariese 4) (23 page)

“Because you’re lying.” His hand slid down
along her jaw, his thumb stroking back and forth across her bottom
lip.

A hot, golden haze burned through her mind,
consuming the image of Brother Gabriel. Naomi’s eyes flew open. It
was as if he were controlling images inside her head!

“You lied about being a scribe. You lied
about Gabriel. You not only know where he is, but he is important
to you. What is the connection?”

Someone had to end the stalemate. Although
he could easily find out about her, his identity and purpose would
be far harder to learn. “Brother Gabriel is the nearest thing to a
father I have ever known. He is a friend and mentor. What is he to
you?”

“Gabriel is my brother.” With an enigmatic
smile he turned and left the room.

She stared after him for a long moment, her
mind filled with questions. Why had Gabriel never mentioned having
a brother? Was the stranger a mercenary or had he come simply to
visit his brother? His interest seemed somehow…menacing.

How had he known her name?

An odd combination of fear and excitement
pulsed through her entire body. She had never met a man who made
her tingle with just the intensity of his gaze.

She must tell Brother Gabriel a man claiming
to be his brother had arrived at the Krak des Chevaliers, but he
was in the chapel attending Vespers. As she should have been, she
realized with a small, rebellious smile.

It was all so very strange.

She turned her attention back to the
manuscript page, determined to banish thoughts of the stranger from
her mind. His striking features refused to stay suppressed. With a
helpless sigh, she reached for a scrap of vellum and began to
sketch.

Naomi angled her sketch of the stranger
toward the lamplight and felt heat spread across her cheeks. Just
his image caused her senses to respond. It was ridiculous.

“I missed you at Vespers,” Brother Gabriel
said from somewhere behind her. “What kept you so occupied that you
neglected your evening prayers?”

Carefully keeping the scrap of vellum turned
away, Naomi pivoted on the stool and offered her warmest smile.
“Adam and Eve. Well, mostly Adam.”

Brother Gabriel chuckled and Naomi tried to
release the tension gripping her abdomen. She studied her mentor
with new interest as he crossed the scriptorium. There was nothing
she didn’t know about this man or so she’d believed until a short
time ago.

He wore a long-sleeved black robe emblazoned
with the distinctive white cross identifying him as a member of the
elite Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Naomi felt proud to be part
of such an important order. The Knights of St. John had been
serving Western pilgrims as they traveled through the Holy Land for
well over a century. One of their grandest accomplishments had been
building a hospital in the heart of Jerusalem. Now members of the
order were often called Knights Hospitaller.

Naomi focused her attention on the man
within the robe. Gabriel’s neatly trimmed hair was a bright
blending of silver and gold, nearly opposite from the raven-black
locks of the man claiming to be his brother. His eyes were a warm
brown, but there were shards of gold Naomi had never noticed
before.

“Is something troubling you, Naomi? You
stare at me as if I have sprouted horns.”

“Who is this man?” She handed him the scrap
of vellum.

His eyes widened for just a moment before he
concealed his surprise. She watched his throat work as he swallowed
awkwardly. “Where did you see him?”

“He just left. You may have passed in the
bailey.”

He set the sketch aside and grasped both of
her hands. Fear shone in his eyes as he searched her face and
person. “Are you well? Did he harm you? Threaten you?”

Naomi nervously licked her lips. “I’m fine.
But why would that be your first assumption? Is he your brother as
he claimed?”

Releasing her hands, Brother Gabriel averted
his face for a moment before he spoke. “Tell me exactly what
happened.”

“Nay, not until you tell me why he frightens
you. I have never known you to be afraid of anyone or anything yet
I see fear in your eyes.”

“Gideon can be dangerous, Naomi. I cannot
pretend otherwise. He—”

“Gideon,” she whispered. “He didn’t tell me
his name.”

“What
did
he tell you?”

“Only that he is your brother. He asked
where he could find you and when I wouldn’t volunteer the
information, he became annoyed.” She had to fight back a smile as
she remembered the heated embrace they had shared. “He can be quite
intense.”

“Did he touch you?” He took a step toward
her. “You said he didn’t harm you.”

“He didn’t harm me,” she said reassuringly.
“What does he want with you?”

“I’m not certain.”

“Why did you never tell me you have a
brother?” The faintest edge cut through her tone despite Naomi’s
effort to conceal her disappointment.

“It never occurred to me that you would
meet.” He turned toward the door. “I must find him. His coming can
only mean trouble for both of us.”

Gideon leaned against the stone wall of the
mercenary barracks and stretched out his legs along the narrow cot
assigned for his use. Crispin had chosen the cot on his left while
the one on his right remained unoccupied. The barracks were
spacious and surprisingly clean. Gideon had arrived with eight
mercenaries and the castellan of Krak des Chevaliers had extended
them hospitality without hesitation. The compound was massive. Ten
additional inhabitants would hardly be noticed.

Men of every shape and variety milled about
the open room conversing with each other, some sharpening weapons.
Gideon watched them with dispassionate interest in the smoky
lamplight, his mind distracted by his encounter with Naomi.

She had been lovely and spirited. Still, her
emotional connection to Gabriel was what interested him most. Who
was she? How had she come to be in Gabriel’s care? Did she know her
“father’s” true nature?

“Does he know you’re here?” Crispin
asked.

“I’ve yet to speak with him, but it’s only a
matter of time. As soon as the girl tells him I’m about, Gabriel
will come running.”

Gideon had quickly learned having a human
under his control was more than just convenient. It was necessary.
Crispin safeguarded Gideon whenever he was vulnerable. Gideon
didn’t allow him to remember many of the things they did together,
but Crispin was loyal. A preternatural compulsion assured his
loyalty.

“This girl, is she comely?” Crispin asked
with a characteristic grin.

“She is wondrously fair.” Gideon felt his
hunger stir as he remembered her sweet taste, so pure and innocent.
“Her dark hair has just a hint of fire and her eyes hold the blue
of an endless summer sky.”

“How poetic,” Crispin teased him.

The raucous sound of numerous conversations
diminished suddenly, drawing Gideon’s attention toward the main
entrance to the barracks. A Knight Hospitaller stood in the
doorway, his dark monastic robes decorated only by the large white
cross on his chest.

Gideon suppressed his unconscious reaction
to the symbol. Revulsion, fury and fear rolled through him.
Breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, he managed
to keep his expression composed. He focused on the individual
clothed within the robes and ignored his discomfort.

Nearly a century had passed since he last
saw his brother face-to-face. The confrontation was long overdue.
Drab robes didn’t distract from the purity of Gabriel’s features or
the bright splendor of his gilt-colored hair. Gideon watched as he
crossed the barracks. Gabriel managed to maintain a serene
expression yet his gaze revealed his uncertainty.

“Gideon,” he greeted calmly as he reached
the cot.

“Gabriel,” Gideon replied, his tone
mocking.

“What brings you to the Krak?”

Before Gideon could answer, Gabriel noticed
Crispin’s avid interest. “May we speak outside?”

Gideon smiled. “Why? Do you have words for
me that would make my friend uncomfortable?”

“Making people uncomfortable seems to be
your goal not mine.”

He narrowed his eyes. How much had Naomi
confessed? Surely she hadn’t shared all the details of their
meeting. Swinging his legs to the floor, Gideon rose and followed
his brother out into the night.

Moonlight caught on the large cross atop the
chapel’s bell tower, casting a dense shadow across Gideon’s path.
His steps faltered and his stomach clenched. With a surge of
stubborn determination, he marched through the shape and into the
darkness beside the barracks. He didn’t stop until they were well
away from curious ears.

“How did you find me?” Gabriel asked.

“It’s a simple thing to find someone who is
following you. Did Michael dispatch you or do you willingly
participate in my punishment?”

“There is only one participant in your
punishment, Gideon, and that is
you
.” Gabriel’s voice was
firm, his expression guarded. “I am here. You cannot change that
fact. When did you become aware of my presence?”

“I saw you in Jerusalem. I thought you had
some manner of assignment, but the more I thought about it, the
more suspicious I became. How long have I
been
your
assignment?”

Gabriel smiled and glanced away. “You have
been more like a command center from which I am dispatched to other
assignments.”

“So you spy on me unless He has something of
more importance for you to do?”

“For the most part,” Gabriel agreed.

“And you are only to observe? Not give me
guidance?”

“Would you accept my guidance should I give
it?”

Gideon chuckled, resting one shoulder
against the barracks outer wall. “You’re nearly as good at avoiding
questions as am I. You can speak only truth so tell me now. What
role has Michael set for you?”

Gabriel fidgeted. “I have been told to
monitor your situation.”

“And report back to Michael no doubt. How is
the study coming? Have I learned my lessons well? How much longer
am I to be banished from the Light, expected to live off these
mortals?”

“That is and has always been up to you. All
Michael did was release your constraints. You claimed that we are
slaves so Michael set you free.”

“There is no freedom in what I have become,”
Gideon sneered.

“You are a creature of your own making. If
you are not content, then change.”

They glared at each other for a long
moment.

“Have all these years taught you nothing?”
Gabriel asked.

Anger boiled up within Gideon, tasting foul
in the back of his throat. He folded his arms across his chest and
began to pace. “Oh, my time with mankind has taught me many things.
I’ve learned to be ruthless and to deceive. I’ve learned to
manipulate others to my own will. I’ve learned to lust and covet.
I’ve learned—”

“Nothing you needed to know,” Gabriel
interrupted impatiently. “Have you not seen the sacrifices they
make for each other? Their tenderness and their loyalty, their
courage and honor?”

“Honor?” Gideon scoffed. “Honor is as much a
myth as love.”

“You have known love, Gideon. I love you
unconditionally. You must learn how to
give
love, not how to
be
loved.”

Gideon looked away from the hope and the
expectation in his brother’s eyes. He gazed out into the night,
drawing strength from the darkness.

“Are you in love with her, Gabriel?” he
asked in a quietly provoking tone. “Do you feel the full range of
human emotions as I do, or did Michael spare you that torment?”

“We speak of Naomi now?” Gabriel asked.

“She is quite remarkable. The most
intriguing combination of innocence and lush, feminine
promise.”

Gabriel took a step forward, anger hardening
his features and brightening his gaze. “Leave Naomi alone. She has
nothing to do with any of this.”

Gideon grinned, amazed at how well he had
guessed what his brother was feeling. “No wonder you masquerade as
a monk. Your very nature makes the role effortless. Piety,
selflessness and chastity are routine for an angel. You do not burn
with lust, do you? You feel protective and responsible, but you
feel nothing more for this girl.”

“I have cared for Naomi since she was a
babe.” Gabriel sounded defensive. His bright eyes narrowed in his
perfect face. “Her mother died in my arms, and I have taken
responsibility for the child ever since.”

A deep chuckle rumbled in Gideon’s chest.
“She is no longer a child,
Brother
Gabriel. And I will
continue her education from here.”

“Why are you doing this?” Gabriel demanded,
frustration clear in his melodious voice.

“Because I can,” Gideon snapped in
return.

“I don’t understand.”

“Aye, you do. That is the reason you stink
of fear. You understand exactly what I intend for your precious
‘daughter’.” Gideon started back toward the barracks.

“Will it ease your pain to hurt Naomi?”

“That’s what I intend to find out.” He
tossed the words over his shoulder without turning around.

“She has done nothing to deserve this,
Gideon. I will do everything in my power to protect her from
you.”

“Good.” He paused at the corner of the
building. Penetrating the shadows with the golden intensity of his
glare, he knocked Gabriel back a step. “I welcome the conflict,
brother
. I have grown quite accustomed to war.”

Anything-but-Ordinary
is Cyndi's creed
and her writing reflects her dedication to the concept. She writes
in a variety of genres, but seems happiest in outer space. Her
books have been nominated for numerous awards, and
Taken by
Storm
was named Best Fantasy/Science Fiction Romance of the
year by Romance Reviews Today.