Ancient Guardians The Legacy of the Key (39 page)

Reece nodded.

“My father has an
enormous challenge awaiting him today as he faces the Council of Worlds. What
Simone and Michael have done has not only put all of Pemdas at risk, but it has
also destroyed our reputation and good faith with the other worlds. My father
must restore their trust in us, while ensuring that you are kept safe.” His
eyes grew dark, and he reached for her hand. “I am not trying to frighten you;
I just need you to be prepared for whatever I may do at any given moment. I
will remove you from any intended harm.” His eyes were as sincere as his
promise. “We are going into this situation at a disadvantage. We must trust
that Samuel and Harrison will free the rest of the Guardians, because we will
need them immensely.”

Reece finished her
breakfast, and followed Levi as he stood from the small table. He brought her
into a tight embrace. “I have my own plans, if their plans fail. I love you,
Reece. I will protect you. Do you trust that I will?”

She looked up at
him unquestioningly. “Of course, I do.”

He kissed her head
softly. “Freshen up, my love; there are clothes in the back room for you to
change into. We will begin our descent into Scotland soon. We have contacted
Samuel, and he is waiting to retrieve us from the airport.”

When she was ready
for the day, she found a seat on the plane as it began its descent into the
beautiful country beneath them. Reece had always had a great desire to visit
Scotland, and she laughed as she thought about the circumstances that she was
finally able to do so.
This isn’t exactly how I would’ve planned it.

The airplane
descended smoothly onto a private airport runway, and followed the markers to
its destination. Two black Pemdai cars waited, and the plane came to a stop
next to them. As the engines shut down, Levi and Harrison exited the cockpit
and came to her.

Levi led the way,
dressed in a dark business suit. Harrison, in contrast, wore sniper attire—a
tight fitting, long-sleeved shirt with a high neck, and black pants tucked into
black, lace-up boots. He grinned at Reece. “Did you enjoy your breakfast? Levi
only went through two cartons of eggs to make them.” He laughed.

She grinned. It
amazed her how the guy was always in a great mood, regardless of the
circumstance. “Actually, I did. And scrambled eggs can be a challenge—nobody
likes them slimy.”

He laughed as he
walked past Levi, who was stopping to help Reece up from her chair.

Harrison walked to
the back room of the plane while the stairs were being brought down, giving
Reece and Levi a moment alone.

Levi brought Reece
into a tight embrace. “My love, stay close to me and remember what you learned
in your training. I need you to stay focused, as best you can.” He bent to kiss
her, letting his lips linger on hers.

When Harrison
returned, he was pulling a black leather glove onto his left hand. “Ah!
Practicing for the council today?” He arched his brow, teasing them both.

Reece’s cheeks
flushed, but Levi laughed. “I’m willing to give it a try. It may buy you some
time, if you have trouble freeing the men we need.”

“When have I ever
failed a mission? Give me a mission impossible, and I will shine!”

He wore black
leather, protective gear over his clothing. It formed to his body and covered
his chest, arms, and the upper half of his legs. Knives and other weapons were
sheathed and strapped to his legs and arms. Harrison shook Levi’s hand, and
clapped him on the shoulder. “Be careful, Levi. I’ll have your back when you
least expect it.”

“I know,” said
Levi. “You always do.”

Harrison bent down
to give Reece a hug. “Say ‘hi’ to Movac for me!” As he stepped back, his
features became somber. “You’re in good hands. Do not fear; this will all be
over soon enough.” He nodded, and then he was gone, down the steps to the
ground.

“Are you ready?”
Levi asked as he held out his arm for her.

She put her arm
through his, and let him lead her down the steps to where Harrison and Samuel
stood in conversation.

Samuel, who was
dressed in the same clothing as Harrison, extended his hand to Levi. “Excellent
work yesterday, Levi.” His expression became solemn. “Let us go bring our men
home. Levi, follow Harrison and me. If all goes well, we’ll have our men freed
quickly, and will join you in the council.”

Harrison and Samuel
got into the first black car, while Levi led Reece to the one waiting behind
it. They followed them out of the private airport, where ten other black cars
joined them; half of them pulling in front of Samuel and Harrison, and the
other half following behind Levi and Reece. Levi remained calm, but was very
quiet. His eyes were glowing brightly; Reece knew that he was listening in,
mentally, on the conversation in Samuel and Harrison’s car. He held her hand,
and absently rubbed it with his thumb.

As the cars sped
through secluded mountain roads, Reece was awed by the breathtaking landscape.
The bright green hills reminded her of Pemdas, though the colors were less
vivid. After a while, she found she was clenching Levi’s hand tightly.

“We are getting
closer. Are you all right?”

She inhaled softly.
“Yeah, I think so.” But everything began to weigh on her. She did not know what
to expect, or how bad things were about to get. She rested her head back
against the seat, and tried to compose herself. She forced herself to take
comfort in Levi’s words. Of course she trusted him, but she was not sure if he
could save them.

They traveled on a
gravel road that cut through the soft green grass of the rolling hillside for
about ten minutes before Harrison, Samuel, and the other vehicles veered off
the road suddenly, cutting through the grass. Levi continued on the gravel road
as it ascended up the hillside.

It wasn’t until
they crested the hill that Reece saw an enormous castle situated on the
mountain top.
Castle Ruin.
It was obvious that this was a stately castle
in its time, however, what seemed to be hundreds of years of neglect had left
it in shambles.

As Levi maneuvered
the car to the front steps of the building, two men descended the steps that
led to the entrance. Levi was out of the car, and opening Reece’s door before
they reached them. The men were very tall and very pale, and they smiled
sinisterly at Reece and Levi as they approached them. Their eyes were vacant,
seemingly lifeless.

Levi had his arm
braced tightly around her. “Step aside.” Levi commanded.

 As Levi guided
Reece past the men to begin their ascent up the stone staircase, one of the men
put his arm out to stop him. Levi stopped and exhaled. “Remove your hand from
me, now!” He growled.

The man stood
face-to-face with Levi. “Guardian, you will serve me, soon. I suggest you show
me the respect a master deserves!”

Levi reached out
and gripped the man’s neck. In the same moment, he lurched forward and
head-butted him. As he dropped to the ground, Levi half-guided, half-carried
Reece up the steps toward the other man, who backed away and let them pass.

His grip on her was
starting to become uncomfortable. She looked up at his angry face, and touched
his hand. The grip loosened, and he looked down toward her, “Stay focused.” He
commanded.

He marched them
forward at an extremely fast pace through dark halls, lit by widely-spaced
flickering candles. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Nothing seemed to calm
her, not even him. Levi warned her, but she had not fully comprehended the
danger they were in. Yesterday, adrenaline had shielded her; today, with an
extremely angry and mentally detached Levi, she feared everything.

As panic began to
filter its way into every rational thought she had, she started to fight Levi’s
grip. She felt claustrophobic, and she couldn’t catch her breath.

Without warning,
Levi turned into a darkened room. Reece’s heart rate matched her breathing; she
tried slowing them, but was unsuccessful.

Levi braced the
back of her head with his hand, and brought his mouth next to her ear. “Are you
all right?” He whispered gruffly. “I know you are scared, but need you to calm
yourself down. This will be over soon, but we are currently in great danger.
You must focus on what you learned in your training. I cannot be confident that
I will get you to my father if you are panicking or fighting me.”

 “I don’t know if I
can do this,” she whispered, still trying to catch her breath.

“You don’t have an
option anymore. You have to,” he commanded. “It’s imperative that you restrain
your fear in order for me to protect you. Samuel and Harrison are facing the
same dangers we are, and their plans depend upon our making it into that
council. Ciatron defenders are scattered throughout, waiting for us to come
through the castle. You must focus; I know you can do this.”

It was exactly what
she needed to hear. Even though she was frightened far beyond what she could
have imagined, she needed to gain her composure. “Yes,” she said as she took a
breath. “Yes.”

“Very well, we must
go. Do not be afraid; I will protect you. This is what I am trained to do.”

He took hold of her
arm, led her from the dark room and back into the bleak hallway. The candles
flickered eerily; shadows came and went where there seemed nothing to cast
them.

A man jumped out of
the shadows. As the man approached them, Levi thrust the heel of his hand into
the man’s chest. The moment his hand struck the man, there was a loud crack.
Levi threw him up against the wall, turned back to Reece, and gripped her arm
tightly. “Quickly. Move.” He said in a deadly tone.

They marched on
swiftly, hearing noises from behind. A grand staircase before them was lit by
hundreds of candles. Levi led her up the steps. “We’re close,” he said
distantly.

It seemed as though
there was nothing left but empty hallways, and Reece began to gain confidence.
Levi led them around a corner, and they began to walk down a narrow passageway.
Then, it all happened in an instant. One moment Levi had her in his tightened
grip; the next, she was torn from it. She screamed as she was dragged backward
into a dark room. Her heart felt as though it had stopped. She tried to scream
again, but nothing came out. As she tried to fill her lungs with air in order
to call out to Levi, a large hand clamped down over her mouth.

The door to the
room was open, and Reece saw bright flashes of light coming from the hallway.
The arm that was wrapped around her abdomen was squeezing her back into her
captor’s chest. “We’ve got you now!” A raspy voice snarled into her ear. She
pushed against the arm with all her strength but was unsuccessful in freeing
herself.

The doorway was now
completely dark. Where was Levi? What happened to him? Her body would not
respond to anything she forced it to do. She was paralyzed with fear. She
forgot how to inhale; her legs felt numb beneath her. Her heart pounded so
loudly that she could hear nothing else.
Focus, Reece!

She stared into the
darkness for Levi, but didn’t find him. She began to recall her training; she
had to find a way out of this attack. She tried to spin out of the man’s grip,
but was not successful in releasing herself; he was too powerful. She was,
however, successful in removing his hand from her mouth, and she managed to
scream. “LEVI!”

No sooner had she
screamed before the hand seized her mouth again, wrenching her head back. As
she struggled to break free, she felt a sharp blow to her kidney so forceful
that she buckled, yet the captor held her so tight that she never fell to the
ground.

As the captor
dragged her backwards, Reece continued to stare into the darkness, hoping to
see any sign of Levi. Her heart nearly stopped when she noticed a faint blue
glow out of the corner of her eye. Levi’s eyes.

Her attacker
stopped his backward motion. “Come any closer, and I will snap her neck!” His
voice did not sound like the men they encountered at the entrance to the
castle. It was normal, like Levi’s.

 Reece kept
fighting him, searching for a way out. The eyes she thought she had seen were
gone. She struggled to breathe as the man’s large hand covered her mouth and
nose.

“I know you’re in
here, Oxley. Why don’t you show yourself? Are you the coward your father is?
SHOW YOURSELF!” The voice screamed in her ear. “You know I will rule over you,
Levi. They have made me one of them! Once we take you captive, Pemdas will be
mine to rule!” The voice laughed darkly. “Once we get the map to the stone from
the girl, we will control everything. Pemdas will be…”

Her captor’s body
jerked, and in that instant, Reece was able to break loose and fall to the
ground. As soon as she was on the ground, she twisted around, facing where the
man was that she freed herself from, and scurried backward on her hands and
feet until her back hit a wall. As fast as she could, she stood up against the
wall.

 She could hear
nothing except for rustling and heavy breathing coming from the middle of the
room. She struggled, without success, to see through the dark, and to interpret
what she was hearing.