Pure Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #3) (25 page)

Eventually Harrison’s arm squeezed tight
around her waist before he slid away from her. She turned to face
him, running her hand over his cheek and into the waves of his
hair.

“I…” her voice faltered and she closed her
eyes to ward off the tears.

Harrison’s lips touched the nape of her neck,
rounded her jaw line and came to rest on her mouth. His kiss was
filled with understanding and she delved into the pleasure of it.
It ended with a sudden sharpness that stung. With a certain amount
of detachment, Harrison stood to his feet and reached to help her
up. His hand lingered over her fingers, grasping the tips.

“Tu es ma stella del mattino. Tu es ma
gioiello. Ti amo.”

The lump in her throat was so huge she
couldn’t get a word past it. Instead she mouthed three words of
affection before stepping away from him.

He stood on the beach, looking at her as
though she was the most precious jewel on earth. She had to block
out the image of him in order to concentrate. Finally she let
herself diminish to gold dust, the will to save him making her body
soar back to 1993.

* * * *

Grants Pass, Oregon – 1993AD

The sting burning through her body was
nothing compared to the scorching in her heart. She tried to ignore
the sickening pain at leaving behind the best thing that had ever
happened to her in order to cope with what she had to do. Opening
her eyes, she orientated herself and shot into the shadows of the
large building.

The highway zipped with the steady noise of
late night traffic and the neon light above her buzzed and clicked.
Keeping her body pressed against the cool wall, she skimmed around
the outskirts and headed for the bathroom window with the broken
latch. Jumping to grab the edge, she scrambled up the concrete wall
and slithered into the stench of a public bathroom. She landed on
her toes like a cat and crept into the department store. Clinging
to the shadows she wove through aisles of underwear and shoes,
gathering what she needed along the way. Twenty minutes later she
was standing back in the bathroom, wearing a tracksuit and
sneakers.

She hit the pavement and began a gentle jog
towards the highway. She was annoyed with herself for forgetting to
grab a watch and torch, but her mind had been a little pre-occupied
with images of Harrison floating in and out on a wave of
nostalgia.

Maybe I shouldn’t have seen him last
night?

Are you insane? It was one of the best times
you had together!

Gemma shook her head at the discourse raging
in her brain and tried to blot the voices from her mind. The
highway was well lit and busy, something Gemma was not too keen on.
A young girl jogging along the edge of the road at this time of
night was way too suspicious. Ducking down the first side street
she could find, she tried to capture the image of the map her
father had shown her.

Her feet kept up a steady rhythm on the
pavement as she rounded corners and headed in a generally
northwestern direction. After what felt like an eternity of running
she knew she was lost. Stopping to catch her breath, she cursed
quietly and closed her eyes, forcing her mind away from panic.

Just take your time and get your bearings.
You can do this. You have to!

Her lids snapped open and she forced her eyes
to study the street sign closest to her. Her heart leapt in her
chest as she recognized the name. Spinning on her heel she ran back
the way she’d come, the map suddenly crystallizing in her mind. A
few blocks later she was standing beneath the street sign Butler
Avenue. Pulling in her breath, she jogged to number seven and
decided to skirt the house to make sure no uninvited guests were
lurking in the shadows.

Satisfied she was alone, she shimmied up the
trellis and inched her way to the nearest window. It took a little
force, but she managed to pop it open and stumbled into the room,
catching her balance and the falling lamp just in the nick of time.
Steadying herself, she replaced the lamp with ginger fingers and
turned to take in the room.

The night-light in the corner allowed a soft
glow to light the edges of the furniture. Gemma felt her insides
warm as she recognized the framed cross-stitch hanging above the
white crib. It had been in the background of the photo Gabe had
given her for her birthday. Creeping towards it, she paused to
study its intricacies and noticed the small bundle lying beneath
her.

Her breath caught as she gazed at the
sleeping infant.

“That’s me,” she whispered. Reaching down,
she gently stroked the soft tuft of hair on the top of her head and
felt her eyes glisten with wonder.

“What are you doing?”

Gemma jerked away from the crib and glanced
up to see Lena standing in the door, her body backlit with the
light from the hall. Her silhouetted form had a gun aimed at
Gemma’s ribcage and a phone pressed against her ear.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Gemma raised her
hands in surrender.

“Police,” Lena’s voice shook into the phone,
“there’s an intruder in my house. Seven Butler Avenue. Please
hurry, she’s trying to steal my baby.”

Gemma waited patiently while her mother gave
the rest of the details. Her hands remained in the air while her
eyes soaked in every facet of her mother’s shadowed form.

“Please,” Gemma kept her voice even, “you
have to take Lucia and get out of here.”

“How do you know her name?” Lena stepped
further into the room, cocking the gun with a frightening
click.

“There are people coming to steal her. Have
you heard of the
astrum arca archa
?”

Lena’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

“These people have it and they’re going to
find the keys and open it. They need the blood of a strong pure
one.” Gemma pointed to the baby who was starting to stir and
wrestle against her blankets. “She’s the last one left, Lena.
They’re going to raise her as their own and use her. You have to
get out of here now.”

“How do you…?”

A rustling outside the bedroom window had
them both freezing still.

“Take the baby,” Gemma ordered. “Trust me,
you need to run.”

The window slid open and Gemma watched with a
pounding heart as Alistair’s foot touched the carpet.

“RUN!”

Lena grabbed the baby in one swift movement
and leapt for the door. Alistair yelled out a curse, ordering his
wife to give chase. Gemma was too stunned by the appearance of her
parents looking so young, vibrant and calculated in their movements
that she couldn’t initially move. Reflexes soon kicked in as he
stepped towards her with a punch at the ready. She fought him off
as best she could, but he was ruthless in his attack. She managed a
couple of kicks, but a solid punch to her jaw had her dazed long
enough for him to get out of the room.

Coming to, she forced her limbs to action as
the squeal of a baby came racing up the stairs.

“Lucia!” Lena screamed.

Careening out of the room, Gemma took the
stairs two at a time as she descended into mayhem. Lena was
battling off a feisty Penelope; her face was bloodied and swelling,
but not enough to slow her down. Gemma winced as Lena landed a
solid right hook in Penelope’s face, making the woman fall to the
floor.

Gemma’s blood ran cold as she watched
Penelope’s perfectly manicured fingers curl around the butt of
Lena’s discarded gun.

“No!” The word bolted from her mouth as she
dove across the room. Capturing Penelope’s arms, she managed to
divert the shot aimed at Lena. The couch cushion swallowed the
bullet and two more as the women tussled for control of the weapon.
A shot exploded near Gemma’s ear.

“Ahh!”

In spite of the ringing in her head, she held
tight to the metal. With a forceful kick, she finally had the gun
to herself. Cocking the pistol she pointed it at the woman she used
to call mother and froze. Her finger lightly caressed the trigger
and her hands began to shake.

I can’t do it.

Penelope studied her in stunned silence
waiting for the death warrant that would not be issued. The cold
metal instantly felt contaminated and Gemma slid it under the couch
with a shake of her head.

A piercing scream from the baby stole her
concentration and she turned to see the small form being roughly
snatched from Lena’s arms.

“No! Lucia!” Lena’s desperate attempt to stop
the man were hindered as Penelope rose from the floor and grabbed a
fistful of Lena’s hair. Flinging her back towards the stairs, Gemma
watched in horror as her body smacked against the wood then went
limp.

The baby’s screams intensified as Alistair
ran for the door. Scrambling from the floor, Gemma jumped in his
way, punching him with as much force as she could muster. His grip
on the baby faltered. Gemma caught the infant just before she hit
the floor and held her securely as she listened to Gabe's words
scream through her head.

“
If things go wrong, you just get the baby
out of there.”

Hating the idea of leaving Lena, but knowing
her father was right, she turned for the door and was halted by a
burning pain searing her flesh. Her body jerked twice as the
bullets dove into her chest and belly.

Forcing her arms to remain tight around the
baby, she turned her body to land on her back, glimpsing the image
of Alistair holding a smoking gun. He came towards her with slow
menacing steps. Lena screamed her baby’s name once more. Her voice
sounded hoarse.

Gemma fought the blackness growing at the
corner of her mind and gripped the wailing child. This was the end.
Her sacrifice would be in vain. The despair was piercing and more
painful than the bullet wounds.

It was then the front door flew open and
Alistair’s body jolted three times before slumping to the ground.
Gemma’s eyes rounded with horror as Penelope rose with a scream and
raised the gun Gemma had slid beneath the couch. Her delicate body
flew back with force before she could even pull the trigger. Gemma
glanced up at the officer who held his weapon with a steady hand.
His eyes were wide with a mixture of shock and reticent acceptance.
Holstering his weapon, he gazed down at Gemma and quickly spoke
into his radio, requesting an ambulance.

Lena let out a loud sob and scrambled on her
hands and knees to Gemma’s side. Taking her baby, she cradled it
against her while lifting Gemma’s wilting head onto her knee.

“The box…” The words came out in pithy
breaths.

“Shh, don’t talk, the ambulance is coming.”
Lena stroked her hair.

“There might be others… you have to destroy
it… you have to…” Gemma felt the murky blackness clouding her
vision. Closing her eyes and swallowing against the pain, she
forced out her last request. “Dom and Ruby Hart… find them…”

“Dom and Ruby? Who are they?” Lena’s soft
voice was growing frantic as she too felt the inevitable. “Wait.”
She shook Gemma’s shoulder. “Don’t go yet. Please…”

Her mother’s voice faded with the rest of the
scenery as Gemma’s body evaporated.

* * * *

Anastasia National Park, Florida – 2011AD

The sand was cool against Gemma’s skin.
Opening her eyes, she took in the majesty of the sunrise as it lit
the sky with vibrant color. She could feel the life draining from
her as she watched a squadron of pelicans race above the edge of
the ocean. Her mind wandered back to the previous night and a soft
smile lit her lips.

“Harrison,” she whispered. He wasn’t there
waiting for her. That was the plan. She wondered where he was right
now and if he was happy. Taking in a final breath she captured her
favorite image of him then let go. Her body filled with a warm
peace then swirled into a flurry of gold dust.

Chapter
Thirty-Nine

Burlington, Vermont – 2011AD

Her eyes popped open and her body jerked
north with fright. Running her hands over her chest and stomach,
she felt for wounds that weren’t there. Her breath spurted out with
relief as her body flopped back onto the mattress.

“Lucia! Time to get up, sweetie!” The voice
that called her was familiar, yet it also felt like the first time
she’d heard it. “Gabe would you put Mya down and go wake Quinn.
Everyone will be late for school at this rate.”

The high pitched giggling that filled the
hallway came to a sudden halt and was replaced with the mumbling
protests of an adolescent male.

“Alright, Dad! I’m up!”

“Lucia! Breakfast is ready!”

Throwing back the covers, she scrambled into
the pair of jeans and the sweater on the floor beside her bed. She
ran her fingers quickly through her shoulder length locks and
exited what looked to be a very chaotic and inviting room.

Stepping into the kitchen she took in the
mayhem with a smile. Two boys were tussling over the Captain
Crunch, while an angelic looking six-year-old sat with her legs
dangling over the counter, happily humming as she smothered peanut
butter over a piece of toast.

“Marcus and Troy, stop that!” Lena suddenly
stepped into view and grabbed the box from their grasp, ignoring
their protests as she poured the cereal for them.

Lucia stood in the doorway, absorbing it all
like a mute dummy. It wasn’t until her shoulder was knocked from
behind that she was forced further into the room.

“Quinn, stop pushing your sister around.” Two
strong arms wrapped around her and a warm kiss was placed on top of
her head. “Good morning, sweetness.”

“Hey.” She smiled as Gabe tousled her hair
and sauntered past her into the kitchen. Her face lit with a grin
as she watched her father wrap his mother in a tight embrace and
adorn her neck with kisses. Pancakes forgotten momentarily, she
turned in his arms and melted into an elongated kiss.