The Surien Series Blood Guardian (9 page)

“The only thing I wanna do right now is go home, take a long scalding hot shower, and go to bed,” Kassie said.

“I second that,” Symarah agreed.

Thank you for all your help Dacian, you saved our asses out there, and thank you Sybris,” she said, as she gave the wolf a little scratch behind his ear.

Kassie and the guys thanked Dacian and Sybris as well.

“Anytime,” he told them, if you ever need me just call to me, or Sybris; we’ll be there in an instant.”

They said their goodbyes and once Jareth and Daire managed to drag the girls away from Sybris, they flashed back home.

CHAPTER 6

It had been three weeks since their encounter with Farkas and the demmic, and they were no closer to finding Vaiden than before. They had argued many times about going to Delmar to search for him but Daire and Jareth thought it would be too dangerous. Although neither of the girls appreciated being treated like helpless damsels in distress, they knew that they couldn’t go alone. They didn’t stand a chance against Vaiden without Daire and Jareth. The guys were still searching for information but they were getting nowhere and Symarah was beginning to feel like a sitting duck, never knowing when Vaiden would strike next or where. Kassie had left early to run some errands and check on the progress of her new shop, leaving Symarah to entertain herself since the guys didn’t get up until sometime after six in the evening. It was 2:00 p.m. and Symarah had just returned from a peaceful afternoon on her private stretch of beach. She shed her wet clothes and stepped into a steaming hot shower. Her shower was made completely of glass except for the back wall, which was water cascading over stone; there was a glass bench that ran along the back wall and up the sides. There were square tile shower-heads on the whole left side of the ceiling and a small section on the right where there was no water. She stood in the large area on the left letting the water fall down on her like rain. She rinsed the sand and saltwater from her hair and body; once she was clean, she sat down on the bench. She let out a long sigh as the hot water washed away all her anxieties. She decided to try and forget about Vaiden for a few hours; she knew he couldn’t strike in full daylight. Instead she chose to focus on Daire. He had been much more attentive since their visit to The Lone Wolf; flirting with her, touching her hair, even holding hands. It was like they were dating. She knew that it wouldn’t last, that they couldn’t be together, but she figured if Daire was willing to suffer Athena’s wrath then so was she. She decided to enjoy it while she could. It had only been a month since Kassie’s shop had burned down, the night she found out that Daire was real, but she felt like she had known him her entire life. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the glass, the water streaming down on her. She couldn’t explain her feelings for Daire, why they were so strong. All she knew is that she had never felt like this about anyone before. She missed him even now. He and Jareth occupied the guest quarters on the lower level of her home during the day. He was only three floors away and yet she actually missed him. The water was starting to turn cool so she turned off the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off. It was only three o’clock and Kassie wouldn’t be back for a few more hours; the guys wouldn’t be up till sometime after six so she had some time to kill. She decided to take a stroll down to her favorite spot. After she dressed and picked out a book from her library, she headed out toward the dolphin fountains and seated herself on the bench facing the statue. She laid the book down on the bench beside her and spent some time admiring the fountains. The graceful dolphins of pure white marble leaping from the water made her think of fairytales and children laughing; it was the perfect place to immerse herself in a fantasy world created by one of her favorite authors. She picked up her copy of
Realm of the Deorum
and began reading.

As Kassie sat at a secluded back table of the public library, an assortment of books before her, she couldn’t stop thinking about that night at The Lone Wolf. She never did scare easily but that was by far the most terrifying experience she’d ever had. She had never felt so helpless and she was determined to never feel that way again. When she was ten her grandmother told her that she was a witch, but she didn’t want to believe it. She’d said that all Kassie had to do was dedicate herself as a witch by performing a simple ritual and she would be given access to her full powers. At first she thought her grandmother was crazy, but when she turned thirteen something happened that made her change her mind. She was walking home from school alone when Stacie “the skank” Sanders walked up with her little skank minions and shoved her. Kassie refused to fight because she was outnumbered and that’s when the “skankettes” grabbed her by the arms and held her so Stacie could punch her in the face. Stacie started to swing but before her fist could make contact, Kassie willed her to stop. She didn’t scream or even raise her voice, she simply said “No.” When Stacie asked her what she had just said, Kassie calmly said, “You’re going to turn around and walk away and you’re never going to bother me again.” Stacie stood motionless for several seconds. She looked as if she was struggling with herself and then she just turned around and left, along with her minions. It was then that Kassie knew her grandmother had been telling the truth; still, she had no intention of dedicating herself as a witch. Kassie never told anyone this, not even Symarah. She was afraid of losing the only real friend she’d ever had. Symarah was always pretty accepting of anything supernatural but Kassie didn’t want to take that chance. This was the only thing she had ever kept from her best friend and she wasn’t looking forward to revealing her little secret after all these years. All she could do was hope that Symarah would forgive her. Hell, if she can accept the fact that Atlantean gods exist, she should be able to handle her best friend being a witch; besides, we need all the help we can get defending ourselves against Vaiden and the demmic, Kassie thought to herself as she took a book of spells and potions from the top of the stack and started searching for the dedication ritual.

After about an hour of reading, Symarah decided to go back to the house. She closed her book and headed up the winding path toward the patio. She admired the landscaping as she casually strolled through the live oaks, passing various statues and smaller paths. She passed the last hedge and started across the small clearing that stood between her and the patio. Just then she heard a man’s voice coming from behind her.

“Hello Symarah.”

She turned to see a large man standing by the hedge that she had just passed. He had called her by name but she didn’t recognize him.

“Can I help you with something?” she asked politely, thinking he was a crazed fan and not wanting to provoke him.

Hopefully he would just ask her to sign a copy of her book and then leave.

“No one can help me now, only thaison,” the man replied.

“Who is thaison?” Symarah asked, confused.

“You know him as Vaiden,” he answered.

Symarah’s blood ran cold at the mention of his name. She knew this man was not a demmic as he was standing in broad daylight, but if he was working with Vaiden he was undoubtedly dangerous. She knew Daire and Jareth were still resting and even if they were awake they couldn’t help her, the sun would turn them to dust before they could reach her. Her only hope was to run. If she could reach the patio door and lock it before he caught up to her then maybe she could get to the guest quarters and wake them up or at least call the cops and hide before he managed to break in. She turned and bolted for the patio; only thirty more feet to go. She didn’t dare look behind her to see if he was gaining, she just kept running as fast as she could. She finally made it to the patio and ran toward the sliding glass door that led to her kitchen; another twenty feet and she would be safe inside. She didn’t even make it another five feet before the man grabbed her from behind and put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. Symarah fought to get free but it was no use, he was too big and too strong. The man pulled out a large knife and aimed it at her chest. Symarah had no intention of dying at the hands of one of Vaiden’s thugs, if he wanted her dead he was going to have to do it himself. If she could just get to the patio door she might have a fighting chance. She stomped on his foot and thrust her head backwards, breaking his nose. As he let go of her and put his hand over his nose, she turned around and kneed him in the groin. Before she could turn to run he grabbed her by the wrist and lunged at her with the knife, cutting into her chest. Just then the man went flying off the patio as if thrown by an unseen hand. Symarah turned to see Daire standing just inside the patio door shrouded in shadows. She ran to him and as they were closing the sliding glass doors, her attacker apologized and ran off toward the front of her property.

“Did he just apologize for stabbing me?” Symarah asked in disbelief.

“He’s unden, he does what Vaiden tells him to; he has no choice.”

“What exactly is an unden?”

“It's a slave. Demmic can turn mortals into slaves by feeding them their poisoned blood. If the human drinks too much they die, but just a few drops will turn them into a loyal slave forever.”

“How did you know I was in danger?” Symarah asked.

“Your fear woke me,” Daire answered her question before she could finish asking it, “I sensed you and flashed to the patio door.”

“Kassie!” Symarah exclaimed.

“She’s fine; Jareth sensed her at the library and flashed himself there. When she’s ready to come home he’ll flash her back here.”

“Oh, thank God she’s okay.”

“Yes, but you’re not,” Daire said, looking at her bloody shirt, “let’s get you cleaned up shall we.”

He flashed them to her bedroom and sat her down on the bed. He disappeared into her closet and returned with a crimson red blouse and a pair of black shorts that went surprisingly well together.

“Ya know for an Atlantean god you sure know a lot about fashion; did you ever consider becoming a clothing designer?” she teased.

“I just know what looks good on you,” he flirted. “We need to get this shirt off of you.”

“What?” she said, startled by his bluntness.

“I need to heal that wound before you lose any more blood,” he said, amused by her misunderstanding.

“Oh,” she said, embarrassed by her mistake.

She removed the ruined blouse as he sat down on the bed next to her. The cut ran from just below her shoulder to the top of her breast, just above her bra but it was not deep. He placed his large hand over the wound on her left breast and closed his eyes. His hand felt warm on her exposed skin. She watched him closely as he concentrated on healing her. At first she didn’t think it was going to work but then his hand started getting warmer and then it was hot. Her skin started to tingle and itch. He opened his eyes and removed his hand from her breast. She looked down and was amazed to find the wound completely gone, not even a scar remained.

“Wow, there’s not even a trace of the cut,” she said, impressed.

That’s when she noticed the burned flesh on the back of his hand.

“What happened to your hand?” she questioned.

“The sun burned it when I reached out to throw the slave from the patio, luckily he was close enough that I didn't have to walk out into the sunlight,” he answered. “It will heal in time.”

Symarah couldn’t believe that he was willing to risk his life to save hers. Although it was not the first time he had saved her, it was the first time he’d been injured in the process.

 “You have a habit of saving my life,” she smiled, “thank you.” She raised his hand to her lips and gently kissed his wound. Daire was deeply touched by her sincerity and gratitude. He was unaccustomed to such behavior from a human, especially one who knew what he was. She had a generous, giving nature that was truly rare in this world. In some ways she reminded him of Meissen. Maybe that was why he had such strong feelings for her, why he felt so drawn to her. He leaned in and gently kissed her soft lips. Symarah returned his kiss as she ran her hands over his chiseled chest to his well-muscled shoulders. She could feel the muscles flexing under his shirt. She ran her hand up the back of his neck and pulled him closer. Daire growled low in his throat as he deepened his kiss. Everything about this woman made him feel alive with passion, a passion he hadn't felt in centuries. Her intoxicating scent, the feel of her soft delicate hand on his neck, those succulent lips that tasted of sweet strawberries. He could think of nothing more than her naked body writhing beneath his as he spent several hours pleasing her, a pleasure she had never even imagined was possible. He gently traced his fingers down her neck and cupped her breast. He could feel her taut nipple through the black satin bra she still wore. Symarah moaned softly as she felt Daire's rough hand on her breast. Her senses were reeling, her whole body on fire for him. She unbuttoned his shirt and slid her hands over his massive chest. His skin was so smooth and soft stretched over such hard muscle. It was all she could do to keep from throwing him down on the bed and riding him until their lust was sated.

“I want to feel your hands on my skin,” she whispered in his ear.

Her words burned like fire, turning his last ounce of restraint to ash. Knowing that she wanted him as much as he wanted her sent a blinding desire through his entire body. Daire unhooked the front clasp on her bra and tossed it aside. He cupped her breasts with both hands as he gently kissed her neck.  Symarah tangled her fingers in his hair and gently tugged at it as he kissed her neck. The feel of his full lips on her skin was almost more than she could bear. He left a trail of soft kisses from her neck to her full breast as he sucked her nipple into his mouth and gently nibbled it. Symarah leaned her head back delighting in the sensation of his hot mouth on her swollen breast. As he teased her hard nipple with his masterful tongue, she couldn't help wonder what other talents he was hiding. She ran her free hand down his chest to his rock hard abs. She could feel his fangs pressing against her breast and it sent a wave of desire through her. She grabbed a handful of his jet black hair and pulled hard forcing one of his fangs to lightly pierce her skin. Daire fought hard to keep control as he tasted a small drop of her blood. It was the most intoxicating thing he had ever tasted, all he could think of was sinking his fangs into her soft supple skin and drinking her sweet nectar. No, he had to resist. He lifted his head and kissed her hard as he plunged his tongue into her mouth. He reached down to where her other hand rested on his stomach and gently guided it further south. Symarah gasped at the size of the bulge in his pants. She knew he would be well endowed but this was beyond expectation. Daire pulled back, sensing her concern.

“I would never do anything to hurt you Symarah.”

“I know,” she smiled sheepishly, as she began unzipping his pants.