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Authors: Regan Black

Veil of Justice, Shadows of Justice Book 3 (27 page)

BOOK: Veil of Justice, Shadows of Justice Book 3

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"Child, remember what I have offered you.
Will you withhold your gift to me?" The queen lifted a corner of
her cloak to dab at Cali's blood and Cali recognized the
opening.

Cali dropped all pretense. Ducking out of the
queen's reach, she dragged her short sword across her wounded arm
and pressed her blood into the corner of Nin's cloak.

"I offer the gift of my forefathers."

The lining of the queen's cloak lit with
white fire as Cali's blood illuminated the maps. Nin whipped it off
to watch Solomon's mines, the Holy Grail, even location of the Ark
of the Covenant come into view.

Cali waited for her blood to reach the map
key, hoping she'd got it right and not just offered an engraved
invitation to the end of the world. Then it happened, the map
compass glowed and the Gairden key came alive. Light burst from
nowhere and everywhere as if a dozen flash-bangs had been tossed
into an auditorium. For a moment, she thought maybe Gideon had
interfered.

Then the light fractured and moved into
crystalline shapes of her father, brothers, and others who must
surely be her antecedents. The shapes grew until they towered,
surrounded, and swallowed the demon queen.

As if she'd been shot with Paracuron, she was
frozen in the onslaught, one dark lump of coal amongst so many
diamonds.

Then the world was silent but for the sound
of her own breath puffing small clouds of dust where she'd fallen.
The sun, now fully awake, seemed dim by comparison.

Cali stared at the crumpled cloak, then her
eyes moved, touching on the dust covered people surrounding her.
She barely recognized them in the post battle exhaustion.

Jaden stood across the circle, Brian and
Gideon flanking her. But it was the man she felt at her back to
whom she owed the most. Her heart threatened to beat out of her
chest. She'd rather do anything than look at him. What if he
resented what she was? What if he hated her for keeping the last
secret from him? What if –

"
That's a lot of ifs
." Nathan's
steadiness was a balm to her battered senses and unsettled
emotions. "Look at me, Calisto," he said aloud.

She cringed at the sound of her real name. "I
don't want to. Well, I want to. Sort of. I'm scared."

He spun her around, but she kept her eyes on
his chest, right on his heart. "You are a jewel among women. You
are perfect."

He couldn't mean it. She looked at the
ground, scarred with blood and vengeance. She closed her eyes, but
the images lingered.

"Open up, love."

She shook her head, but he was already
inside. It wasn't intrusive. It felt…right. Slowly, she lifted her
gaze.

"That's my girl."

"You can't still mean that."

"I do."

Brian and Gideon approached. "Those are some
permanent words, man," Gideon warned.

"The best words he can say," Brian countered,
his arm around Jaden.

"How close is Vegas?" Nathan's eyes were
still locked with hers.

Cali's stomach fluttered. He couldn't be
thinking marriage.
She
couldn't be thinking marriage.

"Oh, but I am. And where better to marry a
woman who doesn't exist than Vegas?"

Jaden nudged her shoulder. "Man's got a
point, there. Petra can be here within twelve hours. And you
wouldn't have to deal with the parents and all the trappings."

Brian drew Jaden up flush against him. "Isn't
she such a romantic?"

The laughter, tinged with exhaustion, did
more to restore Cali than hours of meditation on her best day.

"It's the hope, baby," Nathan whispered in
her ear.

He was right. They'd won, vanquished the bad
guy and his goddess and kept the world turning in safe
oblivion.

"I like hope."

"Marry me?" He had a cocksure grin playing at
his lips, but she caught a little fear in his eyes.

She felt the smile spread across her face and
chase away his worry. "Anytime, anyplace." She pushed up on her
toes to kiss him.

Daniel groaned. "I'd rather fight than watch
this mush."

She could get even with him later.

Nathan ended the kiss with a victory shout.
"Wings up, boys, we've got a chapel to book!"

Epilogue

"Turn here," Cali said pointing to a dirt
road that bisected green fields stretching out as far as he could
see. He made the turn and the battered Mustang rolled along toward
foothills. He felt several minutes tick by before a large rambling
farm house came into view. Beside him, his wife Calisto – his heart
kicked at the term – clamped her lips between her teeth. She was so
tense, it'd be easy to sneak inside her head and apply a little
calm –

"Don't bother. It won't help." She turned in
her seat, tugging at the seat belt. "What if they're mad? What if
I'm shunned? What if –"

"Those are a lot of ifs," he teased. "They
can't be mad, you did your job and lived to do it another day."

"But we're married."

"True." For a whole week. While he couldn't
be happier and knew she was thrilled, he
was
a little
worried about her family's reaction. They were their own society
from Cali's depiction. While he respected their ageless traditions,
he had no intention of tolerating any behavior that might hurt her.
They would eventually accept that she'd done what was necessary or
they would suffer the regrets.

"You're such a Neanderthal. And stop thinking
so loud. Of course they'll be irritated that we didn't invite them
to the ceremony."

"You wanted the fast ceremony."

"I wasn't the only one." She sighed, lips
disappearing again. "Guess it's just my job to keep rocking the
boat."

Nathan slowed the car, put it in park and
nodded toward the house. "It won't matter. They love you."

Her head whipped to the group gathered on the
porch and spilling down the steps. "Oh, God," she muttered.
"Everyone's here. Brace yourself."

He smiled, inside and out. He would've been
disappointed to meet her clan a few at a time. From all she'd told
him, they didn't do things halfway. He looked over the crowd,
guessing which faces went with the names and personality quirks
she'd shared. He could've picked her brain, there were no secrets
between them anymore, but he wanted her to introduce him properly,
out of respect for her and the family she'd come from.

He took advantage of her bewilderment to get
out of the car and open her door. He offered his hand, pleased that
she only hesitated a moment before accepting the chivalrous
gesture. They stood there, two facing too many and he squeezed her
hand, trying to snap her out of it. "Cali?"

She gaped, as if she'd forgotten how to speak
and he knew she was appalled by the tear rolling slowly down her
cheek. "It'll be fine, you'll see." He dashed away the tear and
tried to move them toward the house.

She didn't budge. He glanced up. It was as if
the entire clan had frozen in time. If she didn't do something,
he'd be forced to dive into her head.

"Cali," he said with all the condescension
she hated.

"What?" The whisper was a distinct
improvement over the silence.

"Introductions?"

"Umm." She looked at the woman who had to be
her mother, raised that fine-boned hand. "Mom...this is
Nathan."

With that small acknowledgement, the family
moved as one to surround her, them. Nathan caught snips of
welcoming words mixed with disbelief, laughter and emotional
tears.

"You're alive," Cali's mother exclaimed,
cradling her daughter's face. "Praise God." Her gaze dropped from
the sky to latch on to Nathan. "I am Sondra and I surely owe you
many thanks as well?"

"Your daughter is the hero," he said, stating
the simple truth.

Suddenly he was enveloped in Sondra's warm
embrace. "You are always welcome in my house." Sondra shouted at
the crowd pressing in on them. "Let them breathe, let them in so
they can tell us everything."

She planted herself between Nathan and Cali,
her arms hooked around their waists. "It is done?"

"Yes, Mother," Cali replied softly. "All is
safe."

"Even you, Calisto? You are safe?"

Nathan caught Cali's glance, relieved to see
the sparkle returning to her eyes. To him, she'd always be as
radiant as she'd been in that epic battle.

"Yes, Mother."

"Then all has worked for the good."

To Nathan's surprise, Cali laughed aloud, the
sound making the others turn and stare some more.

"Hi, Mr. Burkhardt. I'm Daniel," the tall
young man said, as if they'd never met. He reached out to hold open
the squeaky screen door.

Nathan thought he was playing the role a
little too well, but he extended his hand in greeting, ready for
the punishing grip. Ornery kid. But he looked relaxed for the first
time. "It's Nathan. Glad to know you."

"So you're married, huh?" Daniel asked,
letting the screen door slap closed behind them. "Saw the
ring."

There was a collective gasp and the woman who
must be Daniel's mother shook her head slowly, glaring as only a
mother can.

Nathan used his power to shuffle Daniel's
feet. When Daniel realized the trick, Nathan smiled benignly and
started to explain, but Cali filled the void.

"Umm. Yes, we're married." She reached for
her mother's hand. "But we'll do it all over if you want," she
blurted out.

"Do you need to do it over?" Sondra stared
hard at her only daughter. Nathan felt as if the woman could read
Cali as well as he could. Probably better.

"No, but you missed my wedding."

"And the honeymoon, I hope," Sondra said with
a gleam in her eye.

Nathan sputtered as Cali and her relatives
laughed. "You're really okay with it?"

"Only if you let us help you celebrate."

"It's a deal." Cali beamed, sidling up beside
him.

He felt a happy glow all over, knew it was
from just being close to her. "I told you it would be fine."

She just sparkled, refusing to admit her
prior doubts. "Can we stay just a few days before…"

She referred to the caves where they would
deposit the maps to their rightful place and she would resume the
Guardianship as she'd always dreamed.

"The maps are safe enough. We can stay as
long as you like."

She hugged him and he felt like he could
conquer the world as long as she stood with him.

* * *

Calisto stood outside the entrance to the new
cave, once more watching the sun sink, the fading light casting a
blue shadow at the foot of the mountain. She didn't feel the cool
air, only the warmth from Nathan's hand radiating through her body.
She glanced down and smiled at the way his hand enveloped hers.

In a week Daniel would join them and
eventually more of her nephews. For now they were alone.

"We're back at the beginning," she said.

"You're whispering."

She glanced up into his smiling eyes. "No
one, no
spouse
," would she ever get used to that, "has ever
been inside the sacred caves."

Suddenly all the plans, the compromises
seemed one sided. He'd given up his career, nearly his life, to be
here – with her. "Nathan, are you sure?"

He cupped her cheek, his gaze and his touch
holding her steady. "Forever."

"There's no rewind on this." Her view
blurred, her eyes awash with tears. She'd come so far, they'd come
so far. "My father would –"

"Your father would be proud of a daughter who
upheld the family commitment and saved the world as we know it." He
bent his head, brushing her lips with his. "Now are you going to
show me around or what?"

She squeezed his hand, knowing he was right.
Right for her and right for the secrets they would always keep.
They stepped into the cave, parents of the next generation of
Guardians.

The End

About the author
:

Regan Black is dedicated to providing
action-packed stories with a paranormal twist to readers of all
ages so you can savor a fantastic escape from your daily routine.
If you’re looking for an author who delivers stories from the
heart, full of unforgettable characters willing to risk it all to
reach the goal, you’ve come to the right place!

Discover other titles by Regan Black
at
ReganBlack.com
:

The Shadows of Justice Series
:

Justice Incarnate

Invasion of Justice

Veil of Justice

From the Ashes novella

Dream Works novella

The Hobbitville Saga
:

The Pixie Chicks

Hot Spots

Breaking New Ground

The Shadow Stone