Unexpected Eden (27 page)

Eryx angled the photo so Lexi could see it better. “Look at it again. Didn’t you meet Jillian the other day?”

Lexi’s jaw dropped, and she snatched the picture from Eryx. “Holy shit.” She angled her head, eyebrows dipped down in a V. “You think his wife was Jillian’s mother?”

“And Ian’s her father,” Jagger added.

“That’s crazy.”

“Is it?” Eryx asked gently. “Put yourself in his wife’s place, Lexi. She was about to bring a child into the world. If she was Myren, she couldn’t tell Ian where she was from. He’d either think she was nuts or she’d be punished if her revelation was ever discovered. Think about her deciding her daughter’s future. A daughter who would most likely be born with gifts that would want out once she hit a certain age. Remember the signs you felt?”

Lexi backed into one of the thrones and plunked to a sit. She looked good there. Damned good. And would have said so if the moment had been a little less intense.

“But she left him. It almost killed him.” Her voice was thick with disbelief, filled with pain for her friend.

“How do you know it didn’t kill her?” Ludan, always so blunt. “Jillian was barely one when we found her. They lived in a rundown shack on the edges of Asshur. Mom was dead, kid was starving. Natural causes from what we could tell, but we never found a father.”

Eryx smoothed his hand along Lexi’s shoulder, but her eyes stayed fixated on the face in the picture. “What matters is he very likely has a daughter. All the more reason to find him.”

“We don’t have any clues to go on.” She looked up, her tension palpable. “The men Jagger noticed in Asshur tells us almost nothing. You’ve said combing the places we know will take significant time. What’s to keep Maxis from killing him?”

Eryx sprawled in the chair beside hers. He pulled her hand into his lap and caressed her knuckles. “He told you himself. Ian’s his insurance policy. A tool for negotiation if he needs it. He’s not going to kill him. Not unless he’s backed into a corner. That will give us time to find him.”

“Galena thinks Reese might roll over.” Ramsay scowled, not at all his twin’s usual demeanor. “I don’t like how she’s acting around him, but we shouldn’t discount the possibility.”

Not a bad idea. One he should have thought of sooner. “How is he?”

“He’s got an infection, but Lena’s giving him herbs. She wants to take him out of zeolite for a full healing.” From the snide tone, Ramsay didn’t sound too happy with the approach.

Eryx was more inclined to heed his sister’s instincts. “Knock him out and let her do it. If he has information, I want it. One way or another.”

* * * *

Lexi sat on the hillside peak many hours later, gazing on her new home as the sun dipped behind horizon. She rested her chin on her knees and absorbed the colors—plum, blue and mango—all framing the castle with streaming sparks of energy. She’d loved this spot the first time she’d viewed her new home. Fifty years from now she probably still would. Or five hundred years from now, seeing as her life span now stretched a bit further.

It was the quietest moment she’d had in a very long time. If the last week and a half had taught her nothing else, she’d make the most of it. Eryx and Ramsay were still at the main training hall, barking orders and digging for leads to follow up on Ian and the missing guard and quaran. Ludan, no doubt, was glued to Eryx’s side with his silent brooding.

She wasn’t alone, though. Glancing over one shoulder at her new somo, she smiled at Jagger. She wouldn’t be truly alone for a very long time. Not if Eryx had anything to say about it. The formal ceremony where Jagger accepted his new role wouldn’t occur until preparations were completed, but she liked the idea of him as her protector.

The wind tossed her hair in a wild mass around her face. She chuckled. One of those dastardly feminine laughs every man feared. Eryx would be pissed if he saw it, especially with Jagger so close. It didn’t matter here. She’d re-braid it before she headed back and Jagger was smart enough to hold his tongue. Right now, she wanted to enjoy the air and relax, free to consider the many challenges she and Eryx had ahead of them.

The sky blended to a deep blue velvet and the torches along the garden walk blazed to life as workers departed for their homes. When a thick, velvet cloak was laid across her shoulders, she wasn’t surprised. Eryx settled in behind her without a word. His legs framed her hips and he wrapped the full, warm garment around her bare arms.

“Anything?” she asked him quietly.

“Reese is still out, but recovering. Galena’s resting.”

Lexi hadn’t realized how chilled she’d become until his hands settled on top of the fabric.

“Do we tell Jillian?” No matter how long she’d chewed on the question, she still hadn’t found an answer.

“Not yet. Let’s see how things go with Reese first. She needs to be told, but it can wait a few days.”

Lexi nodded, accepting Eryx’s opinion as she did few others. “I figured out what I want to do. What I want my role to be.”

Eryx stopped moving.

“When this is over, I want to help other people like me,” she said.

Eryx nuzzled closer and his mystic scent wrapped around her. “You don’t have to wait. You can start now.”

She shook her head. Damn her new home was beautiful. “No, not yet. Not until we find Ian. After that I’ll figure out a way to find them.”

She leaned back and rested her head on Eryx’s shoulder so she could see his eyes. “Are you worried about the ellan? About the prophecy?”

Eryx crooked an arrogant eyebrow. “Do I look worried?”

Lexi batted his shoulder. “Maybe you should be. I’ve come along and stirred everything up. It’s going to make people nervous.”

Eryx slipped one arm beneath her knees and lifted her so she lay across his lap. “The fates led me to you, Alexis. You’re the destiny I dreamed of and searched for. No opinion matters to me save yours.”

The fates. Perhaps this was their destiny. To come together in this unexpected Eden and forever change the future of their race.

Glossary

Asshur - A region in Eden. Sun isn’t unheard of, but tends to be more cloudy and rainy than the other regions. The population has dropped off in the last few centuries with inhabitants moving to more hospitable areas.

Awakening - A Myren ceremony where people between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one are brought into their powers. The father (or paternal representative) is typically the trigger for the process, where the mother (or maternal influence) acts as an anchor for the awakened individual.

Baineann - The female within a bonded union.

Brasia - A region in Eden. The terrain is covered in mountains, with heavy snow and difficult conditions prevalent in the higher elevations.

Cootya - A type of cafe that sells common Myren beverages and snacks. Myren fruits and vegetables are the most common menu items, but some pastries can be found. Most feature an open-air area where customers can relax, while kitchen and serving areas remain indoor.

Cush - The capital region of Eden. Densely populated with elaborate buildings.

Drast - Field issue protective garment worn by warriors to protect the most vital organs in battle. Made of fine, metal threads, the garments fit their bodies closely. Day-to-day drasts are sleeveless, but the most formal version covers 3/4 of their arms. The necks are boat shaped to allow for greater comfort when fighting with the metal threads blocking most fire and electrical attacks.

Drishen - A fruit found in Eden. Looks like a grape, tastes like lemonade.

Eden - Another dimension, unknown to humans, within the fabric that surrounds Earth.

Ellan - Elected officials that govern the Myren race alongside the Malran or Malress. Like most governing bodies, there are a mix of honest servants who seek prosperity and growth for the Myrens and corrupt, “lifers” who stand on antiquated ideas and ceremonies.

Evad - The realm in which humans reside.

Fireann - The male within a bonded union.

Havilah - A more affluent and less populated region in Eden. Rain occurs, but mostly in the evenings with pleasant days full of sun and comfortable temperatures.

Histus - The human equivalent of hell.

Kilo - A fish the swims in many lakes in Eden, but is most prevalent in Brasia. A popular mainstay of protein in the Myren race, most often prepared by smoking in apple wood and basting with an apple and cinnamon glaze.

Lastas - A favorite Myren breakfast pastry.

Lomos Rebellion - A faction of Myrens that have long pursued the enslavement of humans and sought to overthrow the tenets of the Great One.

Malran - The male leader of the Myren people and the equivalent of a king in the human realm. Leadership has descended down through the Shantos family line since the birth of the Myren race, with the mantle of Malran (or Malress) falling to the first-born.

Malress - The female leader of the Myren people and the equivalent of a queen in the human realm.

Myrens - A gifted race in existence for over six thousand years that lives in another dimension called Eden. They are deeply in tune with the Earth and the elements that surround her. Their powerful minds and connection to the elements allow them to communicate silently with those they are linked to, levitate, and command certain elements. Their women typically have more healing or nurturing gifts, where men trend more toward protective and aggressive abilities.

Natxu - A regular and expected practice of physical discipline for all Myren warriors. The moves and postures are grueling yet meditative in nature, resulting in peak physical performance and enhancing their tie to the elements.

Nirana - The human equivalent of heaven.

Quaran - The Myren equivalent of a general within the warrior ranks.

Shalla - Sister-in-law.

Somo - Sworn personal guard to the Malran or Malress.

Strasse - A highly intoxicating Myren beverage made from berries found only in Eden.

Strategos - Leader of the Myren warriors.

Vicus - A vegetable known for its extremely tart flavor, popular among the older generation.

Zurun - A thick flaky pastry with a thin layer of icing in the middle, twisted in the shape of a bow. Rhenna never thought a weird dream, a bucket list, and an addiction to romance novels would lead her into publishing, but that’s exactly how Unexpected Eden came to life. Okay, there might have been a jillion revisions in there somewhere, and a few points where her family thought she’d lost her ever-lovin’ mind, but pretty much everyone’s accepted that this author thing is chronic.

Meet the Author

When she’s not working on the rest of the Eden books or her naughty contemporary romances, you’ll find her chasing two precious little girls, batting eyelashes at her indulgent husband, or driving with the top down and the music up loud. Oh, and “researching” on the internet. Those half-naked men she uses for inspiration don’t download themselves.

She’d love to share her “research” with you too and get to know you a little better in the process. Find her blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media links at www.rhennamorgan.com. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter there too for snippets, upcoming releases, and author news.

If you enjoyed Unexpected Eden, Eryx and Lexi would sure appreciate it if you shared your review at Goodreads, Amazon, or other favorite online bookstore. Lexi would make you a mean cyber-cocktail in exchange if she didn’t have her hands full with Eryx, but rumor has it they haven’t left the royal suite in days.

Acknowledgements

Getting the knack of this writing thing is no easy task. Trust me when I say, there’s a lot of sweat and tears holding the words together. Those guiding and coaching me along the way are treasures of the highest order.

Penny Barber, I’m so damn thankful for whatever it was that drew your notice. You’re no ordinary editor and the time and attention you show our craft every day proves it.

A most heartfelt acknowledgment goes out to Marcy Kennedy, T.D. Hart, CJ Burright, Traci Douglass, Jay Donovan, and the Smart Women Writers group. Each of you have shown more patience and stalwartness than I can ever repay.

My dear friends—thank you for listening, nodding, and never locking me in a padded room. (No matter how much I probably deserved it.) I’m blessed to have a list long enough I could never list you all here, but I thank God for you every single day.

And my family—how lucky am I to have each one of you? This was a group effort and I’m well aware where the bulk of the patience came from. Thank you for never giving up on me.