A Destiny Revealed (25 page)

“You tears are killing me, sweetheart.” He kissed her cheeks
and used the pad of his thumb to wipe away her tears.

“I won’t go through this again,” she whispered.

“I will not betray you again,” he promised.

Dalia fit her mouth to his and kissed him. He lifted her in
his arms and laid her gently on his bed. He made love to her slowly, each kiss
making up for every hour they spent apart. She screamed his name as she reached
her peak, the explosion wiping her mind. Bron followed her over the edge and
she reveled in his roar as he came, his body pounding into hers. Dalia closed
her eyes, and finally rested in a way she could not when they were separated.

Chapter 24

BRON WATCHED HER AS SHE SLEPT, his hands slowly stroking her
hair. Her mouth was lush in sleep, her brow smooth without her normal scowl. He
traced his finger across her bottom lip, couldn’t resist dipping down to steal
a kiss. He growled softly as he tasted her. He moved his hands along her body
reveling in her soft skin. Kissing his way further south, he delighted in the
blush blooming across her skin as she came awake. He reached the center of her
body, his finger dipped there briefly, moaning when he found her wet,
ready
for him even as her body slept. He lowered his head
and took her into his mouth, his senses exploding at the taste of her.

Dalia awoke slowly, the most sensuous feelings running
through her body. She tensed as she felt him at her center, her body bowing
when his tongue touched her there. His name was a prayer whispered as he took
her up and over the edge. He cuddled her afterwards, and they lay quiet. Dalia
looked around the room and marveled at the beauty. The walls were painted a
beautiful teal color that made the room feel like a haven. Unlike his room in
their safe house, she could tell he lived in this one. There was a large plasma
screen television on the dresser at the foot of his massive bed. There was a
large playing area for his monkey that spanned the room, and his sleeping area
was the size of a small sitting room.

“You love your monkey,” she said conversationally. She felt
his smile against her chest.

“I do spoil Little Lord,” he admitted.

“His name is Little Lord,” she asked smiling.

“Yes, Little Lord Fauntleroy,”

“Like the children’s book?’ her surprise bark of laughter
filled the room.

“What? It was a good book,” he said.

“Yeah, like two hundred years ago,” she laughed again when
she remembered how old he was. “Never mind, I forgot you were around then. Why
do you spoil Little Lord?”

“He has been my friend for many years. The warriors passed
through here sporadically through the years never long enough for even a
conversation. When I was caring for Fynn it was not so bad, but when he left
I
started keeping pets to keep me company. Monkeys in
particular are very sacred to twins in our culture. Some believed that twins
came from the Colobus monkey.”

“I'm sorry about your brother,” Dalia told him, stroking his
head. His remark about twins reminded her of it.

“Thank you.” Bron moved from her lap and stood. He held out
his hand to her. “I'm starving, let’s take a bath and I will fix something for
you.” Dalia grabbed his hand and allowed him to pull her up. She followed him
into the bathroom, where she just had to gawk. His bathroom was decked out like
a roman bathhouse.

“Here’s something you don’t see in an African temple,” she
said dryly. Bron laughed,

“I had a lot of time on my hand.” His grin was lascivious.
They enjoyed a bath together, playing in the water. Bron helped Dalia out of
the water an hour later. He wrapped her in an oversize towel.

She went back in his bedroom to scrounge for clothing. A
small statue caught her attention. It was a small beautiful wooden statue, with
shells adorning its neck and waist.

“It’s my brother,” he said, hugging her from behind.

“That’s nice,” she said running her finger along its head.

“When Nuru died, our mother commissioned this
ibeji
.
Traditionally it is bathed, fed and taken care of as if he were still alive.”

“Every family does it?” Bron appreciated the genuine
interest he heard in her voice.

“Every family with twins.
Twins
must balance each other so if one dies the
ibeji
is created so you do
not lose that balance.” Bron turned her head and kissed her.
“Time
for food.”
  He held up a cotton dress, Dalia rolled her eyes. She
didn't bother asking where he got the dress; it fit her perfectly, falling to
the floor with only tiny straps holding over her shoulders.

Bron took her quickly through the temple, their bare feet
silent against the marble. Pointing out different areas and its history, they
tour ended in the massive kitchen
  Saleem
lounged
againt a marble island in the middle.

"I made dinner." Saleem offered as a peace
offering.

Bron nodded and sat Dalia at the heavy wooden table.

“I did not know the Ajo ate,” Saleem said conversationally.

She rolled her eyes. “I'm able to eat.”

“Dalia takes offense to vampire myths.” Bron kissed her
forehead and went to fix a plate for them both. Saleem sat with his plate and watched
her silently. Bron growled from the other end of the kitchen.

"Stop",
Dalia chided.
"You can’t go
around growling at people."

"I can if they are staring at my mate",
he
grumbled.

“Barbarians, the whole lot of you,” Dalia muttered. “Ask
your question,” she ordered Saleem. He looked at her, surprise showing in his
bedroom eyes. Hell, Dalia was just as surprised as he, she didn't know this
man, but she felt close to him and was able to literally feel his curiosity.

“Your tattoos are different,” he remarked.

“Yeah, this is actually new to me too, they were black
before.” she avoided Bron’s eyes. “Seems as though my powers have been
unlocked,”

“Really,” Saleem set down his fork. Bron and Dalia filled
him in on the things they had learned earlier in the day.

 “How long are you planning to be here?” Saleem asked
after their explanation. Bron shrugged. “Can you watch the mine for a day or
so?”

Bron nodded and Saleem left the room. Bron wiggled his
eyebrows at her now that they were alone. Dalia smiled and shook her head.

“I have you to myself,
chula
.” He said huskily,
coming up behind her chair. He leaned down and nipped at her ear.

“Oh my, what ever will I do,” Dalia said in a false sotto
voice. Bron laughed and scooped her out of her chair into his arms. Her squeal
pleased him and he took off at a run through the temple. They were both
breathless with laughter as he set her on her feet in his den. Dalia gasped as
she saw the huge television.

“Jeez, Bron, are you sure that T.V. is big enough?” she teased.
He bowed and smiled.

“Little Lord and I spend a lot of our time in here.” He
grabbed her hand and showed her around. He had every gaming console and tons of
games to go with it. There was a pool table on the other side of the room and a
huge leather coach where he had spent many restless nights.

"How long will you need, Bron?"
Zahra’s
voice interrupted his thoughts.

"A couple of days, can you protect her family that
long?"
Bron used his link to Fynn to include him in the conversation.

"We will keep them safe, Bron. Tend to your
mate."
Fynn told him. Bron thanked them both.

“All done?”
Dalia asked with a
smile lurking. She was laid back on his favorite sofa crooking her finger at
him. Bron tossed his shirt aside and joined her.

"YOU CALLED?” Lev’s voice was strained, hate simmered
in his eyes but Nala waved it off. She didn’t have time for his hurt feelings.

“Dalia has not called, are you still watching her family?”
Her voice was brusque. Frustration made her edgy, brittle. She needed pull it
together or she would break. She waged the battle with madness daily, it was
one of the reasons she enjoyed her retraining sessions so much; it allowed her
an outlet. This was the first time in centuries she'd have the chance for
revenge, and she would take it, she just needed to hold on.

She would never forgive the humiliation she suffered at the
hands of the Aje tribe. A ship captain passing through their port raped her
mother. Nala's resulting birth outcast her family. She set her eyes on the
Ijoye and the status being his mate would bring her. Her cheeks still burned
with embarrassment when she thought of the many times he'd ignored her
outright. A baker's daughter was beneath his notice, but Nala would change
that. Powerful, no longer the silly girl she'd been, he should be honored to
have her at his side. 

Meeting Maksim had been the best day of her life, and a
little part of her regretted killing him. After all, he converted her and
taught her to use her powers. But she could not abide a weak man, and in the
end, Maksim failed. Of course with him gone, she could go after Bakari so
everything worked out, as it should have.

Lev raised his voice and shook her from her musings.

“What did you say?” Nala snapped.

“How much longer should we wait on Dalia?” he repeated.

“No longer, I will step the game up. If she will not call,
then I will bring her to me.” A plan stirred. She would take a page out of her
lover's book. It was time to hit the family.

Chapter 25

           
DALIA WANDERED THE HALLS of the temple in awe. The place was beautiful, lavish
and fit for a king. She traced the drawings along the walls.  Warriors in
their lion form battled in various scenes, the enemy drawn in gruesome and
crude detail. One panel caught her eye and stalled her breath. Ajo vampires
were depicted with their faces frozen in terror. The artist managed to capture
the madness in the eyes. Their teeth were drawn as sharp daggers, blood
dripping from the ends.

She shuddered and moved on. The goddess assured her she
didn't have corrupted magic. A sound drew her attention and she stopped,
cocking her head to listen. It was faint, but she could hear voices. She crept
down the hallway slowly, pausing when she came to an ornate wooden door.

She leaned closer.

Was it her name they whispered? She traced the inscriptions
on the door. She couldn't read them, but the importance of the words settled
into her soul.

Your gateway
.

The voices?
No, she didn't think
so. Those words came from her. A feeling she had. Looking around to make sure
there was no one else in the hallway she opened the door. The whispers quieted
and the weight of the silence pressed into her. Dalia stepped into the room.
The room was pitch dark, she felt along the wall for a light switch. Her heart
sped up in alarm as she turned in a circle. The dark completely encompassed
her, until she couldn't tell where the door leading out had been.

"Bron," Dalia called out in panic. There was no
answer.

Her necklace warmed against her chest, filling the room with
a low hum. She grabbed it and winced when the metal bit into her hand. She took
a couple of steps forward and frowned. Ahead of her a dim light flickered.
Dalia walked toward it quickly, the light brightened and she sighed in relief.

A short-lived relief.
  A
ghostly touch brushed her neck, another her ankles. Her breath hitched and
Dalia barely contained her scream.

"Keep your eye on the light." The voice was eerie,
but she would recognize her grandmother's voice anywhere.

"Oh God," Dalia whispered into the darkness. Panic
was full blown as she realized what she'd done.

She was crossing the veil.

She held on to the charm Zahra gave her and focused her
attention on the light, praying her eyes didn't
so
much as blink. She quickened her steps, running for the light. Soft touches
along her back and legs and insidious whispers called for her attention as she
ran. Fear like she'd never known clutched her heart.

She could make out dim figures in the light until finally
she was engulfed in brightness. Dalia blinked at the abrupt change. She was in
Oya's temple.

"What are you doing here?" Oya called out sharply.
"You're not ready."

Dalia took a deep breath fighting nausea.

"Calm down." Zahra touched her back.

Dalia flinched, remembering the ghostly fingers touching
her.

"Sit, and calm yourself." Oya escorted her onto a
bench and the two women stared at her until she got her breathing back under
control.

"Sorry." Dalia wiped her hands across her face.

"It takes a moment to get used to. I can't believe you
are able to travel so soon." Zahra smiled.

"Her corporeal form is here, Zahra." Oya grabbed
Dalia's chain. "I protected this so her spirit would not drift."

"Oh
,God
." Zahra
whispered. "How is that possible?"

"You were at the temple." It wasn't a question.
The goddess looked at Dalia worry and shock chasing each other across her face.

Dalia nodded. "I was looking around while Bron
slept."

The goddess gasped, and her eyes sharpened. "Bron does
not know you traveled across the veil?"

"I didn't mean to, I was only checking the place
out." Dalia crossed her arms over her chest.

"What does that mean?" Zahra eyes darted between
them.

"If her anchor does not know she's here, then he's unable
to call her back. The longer your body stays here, the harder it's going to be
for you to will it back to Earth. How could this have happened?" Oya
hissed. The wind picked up, and blew through their hair as the goddess
struggled to reign in her temper and worry. "I cannot lose you so
soon."