The Source: Book III of the Holding Kate Series (46 page)

“I am sorry Kate of a Thousand Years, but we cannot. We must now turn you over to the Sphere Master.” She fumbled in her saddle pack.

“What?” Kate choked out the word. “What do you mean?” Her eyes darted around looking for Gregory.

“He found us before we broke camp the morning after your escape.” Midri glanced over at Keislan who sat behind a woman who had the same eyes. “Gave us this.”

She held up a remote.

“No,” Kate moaned. She had come so far, overcome so many obstacles just to be taken back to the place of her nightmares.

“He promised to put in a good word for us with Lumisfere and the dragons. He ensured our place as dragon riders if we would deliver you.” Midri cast her gaze lovingly toward the city and watched the dragons as they spiraled through the many towers.

Midri jumped down from her Kiarnusk as he stood upright. The beast grabbed Kate, pulling her from the saddle.

“Please, no! He doesn’t have that power! But I do! The King and Queen here are friends of mine.” Kate struggled against the strong hands of the Kiarnusk.

“He said you would say that.” Midri pushed the button and the three of them jumped with a gong.

They landed on the veranda at Dragon Castle and Gregory sauntered out of his chamber. He wouldn’t look at Kate. He kept his eyes diverted as he strode toward them.

“Thank you, Midri.” He took the remote from her, grabbed Kate’s arm, and dragged her across the room. Then he activated the remote over his shoulder and Midri and the Kiarnusk disappeared in a sphere.

He never missed a step, dragging Kate toward his room.

“Kate, darling, you have been a disappointment.” He sighed, the sound of a weary soul. “I extend you my complete forgiveness for your wantonness, and harlotry and you repay me with lies and abandonment.”

“Don’t talk to me of lies, Gregory!” Kate spat and raised her hand to slap him.

He grabbed both of her arms and shook her violently. “NEVER RAISE YOUR HAND TO ME AGAIN!” he screamed into her face.

Spittle flecks pelted her and she grimaced in disgust.

“Why, Kate? Why do you drive me to such displays of anger?” His voice croaked out in anguish and his hands tightened around her upper arms. “I love you, Kate! I have only ever loved you!”

“No you don’t!” Kate roared at him. “You don’t know anything about love! You are not capable of love! All you know about is owning someone! You know nothing!”

“Stop it! Kate I am warning you! Do not speak such things to me.” A vein pulsed in his forehead, and his face flushed angry red.

“I will never love you, Gregory. You mean nothing to me! NOTHING! I can’t stand your touch! Do you want to know why I slept with all of those men? Do you? It’s because I wanted them to wipe your nasty, filthy, fingerprints off my body! I hate you!”

“YOU WHORE!” He reared back a closed fist and punched her face. She flew across the room and slammed into the wall.

Kate rolled over and touched her head. She looked at her hand dripping in blood. She began to laugh hysterically. “Go ahead, Gregory, kill me! If I can’t have Corey, then I’d rather be dead. He is my only life, my only love. He’s the only reason to breathe.”

“Have it your way, then,” he growled and picked up a huge silver candle holder, stalking toward her with wild eyes.

Kate saw him raise the weapon and knew this was her last few seconds. She closed her eyes and brought up the picture of Corey on their wedding night, fireflies reflecting on his smooth skin. The clock struck one, just before the weapon crashed down.

COREY WENT STRAIGHT
to his room and slammed the door behind him. There was no comfort, no pitying glance, nothing could reach the sorrow inside of him.

This wasn’t right. This couldn’t be happening. He knew deep inside that Kate loved him. How had things gone so wrong? Kate? With child? His enemy’s child?

“No!” He doubled over and fell to his knees.
Kate! Kate!

He clenched a throw pillow to his face and shouted into it, releasing all of the anger and sorrow that he had carried for three days. No, much longer than three days. Since the night Kate moved out of his home, he’d carried this heavy burden. Now, after seemingly endless searching and finally finding her, she had moved on, chosen another man.

“NOOooo.” His cry faded as serrated ripples from a deep wound.
This is not how the Beautiful One said it would end, h
e thought.
This can’t be the end.

He sat up and blinked.

It’s not over.
“This is not how it ends.”

A soft chime of a deep-throated bell toned behind him. He turned in time to see the flash of an elder man. For a split second a cane hovered in the air where he had been and then fell into Corey’s hand.

He looked down. Gregory’s remote! It was activated! Coordinates had already been set. With a leap of faith to rival the dragon riders, Corey pressed the button and a sandy sphere fell and took him.

Gregory stood over a bleeding defenseless Kate with his weapon raised. The sound of a sphere snapped him out of his livid response to Kate’s words. He stalled, then slowly turned his face to the upraised weapon. His angry expression mutated into unspeakable horror. His fingers convulsed, making him drop the candlestick. It clattered to the floor and rolled in a circle. Gregory stumbled back. “Augh! No! What have I done?” he cried, unable to wrench his eyes from the sight of Kate crumpled on the floor.

Gregory moaned and tore at his hair. He whirled around to find Corey a few feet away, holding his cane. Gregory’s mouth dropped.

“What? How did you get that?” he cried, then fixed his terrified eyes onto Kate. Rapid expression shifts spoke of the war raging inside of him.

Corey wanted to do nothing more than rush to Kate and make sure she was alive.
God! Let her be alive!
But an unstable Gregory stood between them. Corey wouldn’t risk Kate any further so he stood perfectly still, but ready.

Gregory slowly turned around, gazing down at Kate with overwhelming sadness, and whispered her name in defeat. He reached for something in his pocket as he spoke to Corey.

“Take care of her. I won’t bother you again.”

Then he turned, ran to the veranda, and jumped over it into the darkness below.

Corey dropped the cane and ran to Kate. “Kate, my love. Kate, are you alive?” He choked out the words through tears.

“Corey?” She opened her eyes and gulped a great draught of air. “Corey!” She reached both hands and clasped his face between them as though it would dissolve if she didn’t anchor it. She ran her hands through his hair and touched his lips and shoulders.

“Is it really you?”

“Yes, my love, my Kate. Oh my darling, Kate! Gregory has gone and left you and the baby in my care. I will love you both and we will make a beautiful home for him or her.” He reached down and touched her belly, his face dissolved into pain.

“What baby?” She saw where his hand was placed. Her eyes squinted up and her brows narrowed. “No, no, I’m not…did he tell you I was pregnant?”

“You aren’t going to have Gregory’s baby?” Corey felt a lightness bubble up inside of him.

“Never!” Kate growled in disgust.

“You don’t love him.” It was a statement that rang from him with overwhelming conviction.

“And you don’t love Najwa,” she stated, just as full of certainty.

Corey laughed aloud. “Kate! Oh my Kate! I have loved you for a thousand years!” He pressed his lips to hers and gently lifted her into his arms.

When he pulled his lips away she was fully awakened by his love once more. “I will love you for thousands more!” she whispered, her hands shaking as she traced his face and her eyes drank in the sight of him. His brow crumpled at her response and she froze.

“Corey?”

“Kate, I don’t think I can handle another thousand years. Can we just do, oh, say about 90 or so? I don’t ever want to jump again.”

Kate’s body shook with tremors of relief. “Sounds perfect.”

Kate gazed into the eyes of her savior-love and the familiar warmth of his presence washed over her, cleansing every particle of her being. The forgiveness was already there, before she even asked, before he even knew the depths of her betrayal, he had already forgiven her. She fell into the blue ocean of the love in his eyes, the lover’s sea.

This was the source of life! This rich and full love that flowed so much deeper than flutters and passion was the purpose of existence. Without this connection, this communion, life was empty and void. All the distractions in the endless supply of worlds could never fill the place inside of her that was reserved for him alone. Corey’s love was her source and she was his purpose, his home.

The air thickened between them and wrapped them in longing and need, love and purity. She had waited thirteen years for this moment. Kate breathed in the nearness of Corey and felt her heart race inside of her. Deep longing grew between them. Corey leaned toward his bride and their lips touched in an explosion of love and forgiveness, fire and passion.

In that kiss, Kate was whole.