United Eden (28 page)

Il lie if you real y want me to, I began, catching a downy cluster of snowflakes on the tip of my tongue but does reality sound al that awful when weve got each other to return to it with?

It didnt sound that awful to me. Actual y, there was nothing remotely awful about it.

Sure, the past month had been the kind of time people look back on in their coldest, darkest days and has the ability to bring a smile to the surface, but going back to a family, an Al iance, and a routine sounded anything but dreadful, especial y with my husband at my side.

Yes, it real y does, actual y, he said, trailing his fingers down my front. Since there was nothing but the occasional bird to see us, skinny-dipping had at last become a reality. I wasnt sure if Id ever wear a swimsuit again. If it means having to focus my attention on something other than you, than yes, it does sound awful.

I knew he was exaggerating,
slightly
, but I was stil a sucker whenever he turned on the puppy-dog face and voice combination he was utilizing to his benefit right now. Id stil be a sucker for it a thousand years down the road. It was that darn adorable and that damn sexy when I was positioned as I was against his wet, naked body. Alright, youve got me convinced. Lets spend the rest of our eternities dodging reality at every turn.

Youve got a handful of houses we can float between to evade responsibility, right?

Weve
got a handful of houses, he clarified. Not to mention a houseboat Ive relocated to a certain undisclosed location.

I smiled. It was like signing my new name. It didnt quite come natural y to accept that what was mine was his and what was his was mine or to sign my name Bryn Hayward, but it would soon enough. I never would have guessed Id be a real estate tycoon at the young age of twenty.

But you did presume youd die, become an Immortal, marry a man whos been”by al definitions of the term”stalking you down in time for two hundred plus years, be Betrothed to quite possibly the son of Satan, discover you were the strongest Taker in known existence, nearly kil your one true love, run away before running back to one true love, be Betrothed again, kidnapped, overthrow said spawn of Satan, and Unite with the man of your dreams”I heard the smile in his voice”al in under a years time at that?

Wel , yeah, nothing but your typical year in a col ege girls life, I said, like it was the least impressive thing Id heard. And I thought you said I didnt almost kil you?

Despite wanting to get over it, the incident was stil a sore spot and would likely always be. I probably had more tragedies weaving my life together than most people my age, but the worst of these had been looking at Wil iams lifeless face and believing Id been the one to kil him.

Of course, the one thing you would bristle at in the midst of al that, he said, kissing my cheek. I was being dramatic to prove a point. Youve lived in a few months what most people would never live in a lifetime. You are the most extraordinary woman Ive ever known and you chose me. You fel in love with me, he whispered, curling his arms over my stomach and pul ing me down in the water to him. I stil dont understand why, but I dont care just so long as you never figure out just how much you United below yourself.

Okay, Mr. Skewed-Sense-Of-Self,âwed-Senst"€ I said, ready to launch into a rebuttal that would hopeful y be resolved with his mouth against mine, his body soon fol owing, when I noticed something”tattered, frayed, and nearing the end of its stint circling his left wrist. You know, you dont have to wear this ratty old thing any more, I said, running my fingers over the bracelet Id made him on a whim one night an entire lifetime ago, never expecting hed stil be wearing it months later as my husband. Id thought Id known better back then than to dream such far-fetching dreams, but now I knew better.

The sky wasnt the limit”the only limits were the ones we imposed upon ourselves.

I like it, he said defensively, sweeping the bracelet from my grasp and covering it with his other hand. I know I said Id take it off when you replaced it with a ring on my left hand”he flashed his fathers old band and Wil iams new one in front of me”but Ive grown very fond of this and its been through a lot with me. I wont take it off until it fal s off, he said, looking at me as I cocked a brow. If thats alright with you.

Hed misinterpreted my eyebrow elevation. It wasnt done in confrontation, but because I was touched. Of course its fine with me. And Il tel you what. When this thing fal s apart, Il make you another one, I said. One thats made of Immortal grade leather and has an eternity guarantee. I grinned, moving in for a kiss, when the phone he kept close by vibrated for the first time since wed left.

We grumbled in unison. Reality cal ing? I guessed, twisting in the water to face him.

He grimaced as he looked at the screen. Ive got to take this, he apologized to me.

No problem-o, I said, meaning it. Wed been given more peace and privacy than Id expected given the situation of Immortal chaos wed left the States in, especial y given Wil iams prominent role in the Guardian world. It had been a slice of heaven to pretend we were unhindered by duty and responsibility and Id been sure to enjoy every minute of it.

He leaned forward to kiss me before answering it. Hel o, Father, he said, his voice grave, his face lined in a way I hadnt seen for a month.

Where do you need me and when do you need me? he asked after a minute.

Charles answer must have been succinct because Wil iams head almost instantly began shaking. This is the last night of our honeymoon. I dont intend to spend it on a cargo jet headed for a jungle in the middle of nowhere. Il take the first one out tomorrow” Dont lecture me on duty, Father, I know my duty and it is first and foremost to my wife, Wil iam said, his voice elevating.

I almost had to smile. It seemed Charles was back to his old Chancel or self. Good to know some things never changed.

The Council wants me there, theyl just have to settle for it being a day later, he argued back, beginning to pace into the deeper area of the hot spring.

Wil iam was right, this was the last night of our honeymoon and, while I didnt want to spend it on a cargo jet either, I certainly didnt want to see him so upset on it. Whats going on? I asked, swimming in front of his him.

He held the phone to the side. Theres been a huge tribal war on the eastern coast of Africa. Thousands affected. The Council is sending Joseph and a few others out immediately, but given my present location on the globe, Im the closest one. Theyre sending a helicopter here for me in an hour to take me to the closest air field, he said, having to force himself to stay composed as he told me.

So wed better get ready, I said, not nearly as upset as he was. I knew this day was coming. In fact, Id looked forward to the day Id get to travel the world medical tent to medical tent with him. Sure, I might have preferred it to have begun a day or two after the conclusion to our honeymoon, but the only thing I real y preferred was being with him. Location wasnt a detail to get worked up over.

What do you mean,
wed better get ready
? he repeated, looking at me like I was insane.
Were
not going anywhere. Im not leaving until tomorrow and even when I do, theres no way Im taking you into the middle of a warzone. Ive been in too many and if you think that”after everything Ive done to protect you”Id take you into the middle of an unfamiliar jungle teeming with machetes and malice, youre out of your mind.

Okay, this was one of those times I should shut up and let him blow off his steam instead of pressing it, but it seems with a helicopter on the way in under an hour, we didnt have time. I go where you go. Simple as that, I said, looking him hard in the eye. I thought we understood that of one another by now. Would you let me go off on my own without you? I asked, already anticipating his answer.

Hel no, he said.

Exactly, I said, rising to a stand so I could look him in the eye. So, hel no are you going to Africa without me.

He ran his hand through his hair. You are being exceedingly difficult right now.

I shrugged, undeterred. Im your wife. Thats my new job.

Lets just pretend, for a moment, that Im fine with you coming with me, he said, folding his hands behind his head, picking up his pacing again.

Youre going to have me believe youre alright with our last night in Germany being interrupted?

I held a wince in; he knew my weak spots like I knew his. There was only one way (that wed been very near to realizing pre-phone cal ) I wanted to spend the last night of our honeymoon, something that would be next to impossible to carry out on a helicopter and a cargo jet. I wouldnt let just anything interrupt us, but I believe Mortal lives up for the saving is a justifiable means for honeymoon invasion, dont you? Were stil Guardians last time I checked, I said, proud of myself for taking the moral high ground over my hormones in constant overdrive.

His head began to shake.

Im going, I said, crossing my arms. His head had just started to shake again. And dont you dare shake your head at me again. This matter is settled. Tel your dad were ready.

He studied me for a few seconds, looking at me with a mixture of frustration and fondness. It was the later that his expression formed around.

You
want
to travel around the world, visiting the places tourists dodge away from, fighting with everything you have to keep the person on the table below you alive? Youre tel ing me you actual y want to do that? he asked, sounding like he couldnt quite believe it, but that he wanted to.

I nodded. Isnt that what Ive been saying?

He crossed the distance between us, settling his hands on either side of my face, the phone stil held in one. Why?

I inhaled, putting on my most serious face. To tel the truth . . . I said, biting my lip. You look sexy as hel in a pair of scrubs.

His head fel back. My god, woman, lives are hanging in the balance and youre making jokes, he said, an utter failure at sounding stern. I think youre just what I need out there, exactly what the doctor ordered. A laugh, a smile, a breath of fresh air, he sighed, his face peaceful again. Youre sure about this?

Im positive, I clarified. I might even be able to find one of those hot nurse outfits to keep you occupied during your off hours. I winked, running my thumbs up the seam of his back.

Il need a nurse both during on and off hours, he said, fixing his hands over my shoulders. You know that may require bed pan emptying, he said, sharing a remembered thought with me.

I curled my nose. If thats what it takes to be with you at your side, Id empty bedpans round the clock. I know Im a Taker, but Im a Guardian above that and your wife above al else. My place is next to you, I said, stepping into him and resting my head over his chest. Please dont leave me behind.

A few more seconds ticked off before Wil iam sighed. I wasnt sure what hed say when he lifted the phone to his ear, whether Id be left behind waiting for his return or Id be in the thick of a balmy African jungle busting my butt at his side. Wel be ready in an hour. Make sure theres room for two. Im not going anywhere without Bryn from now on, so you better let the Council know, he said, hanging up and tossing the phone off into the snow. Cursed technology, he mumbled. I mourn the days before it made me a slave to it.

Whys that? I asked, tilting his chin back towards me.

Because I could be doing exactly what I wish I was doing right now instead of having to go pack to leave, he said, his eyes growing hungry at the very mention of what hed rather be doing.

Weve got an hour? I asked, innocently twisting my arms around his neck.

Wil iam nodded, his eyebrows tilting at my mixed signals.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, dropping my mouth to his ear. That gives us plenty of time.

He didnt let a second pass wasted, bending my back against the nearest rock, his hands cradling my head. Temptress, he whispered.

I dont think that term of endearment fits any more, I hinted, staring into his sapphire blue eyes that I stil hadnt gotten used to, but certainly wouldnt mind the journey towards getting there. Tempting successful y carried out to completion.

I dont know about that, he whispered. Im sure you can think of a few ways to apply it stil .

Good point, I breathed as his lips locked into place over mine, the rest of his body fol owing. The smal est opening in the clouds appeared as the sensation of the moment became too much for my eyes to stay open.

A star that had been ours glimmered down at me, a star that always would”in a way”be ours, but we didnt real y need it anymore. Wed found one another and now that we had, we werent going to let anything separate us. Wed found our own piece of Eden that no one could spoil for us, no matter how hard they tried. We were the rulers of our future, no one or nothing else could rob us of that.

Fate, destiny, providence . . . whatever you cal it, didnt dictate our lives. They were phrases created by mankind to blame for their screw-ups.

Wil iam and I were done with it, wed seen through its lies. Things like fate and destiny didnt control our lives: we did.

If wed have let circumstance, bad luck, or the rough road we walked decide if wed be together, we wouldnt be. So wed set fire to fate, suffocated destiny, pushed providence over the precipice, and chose each other. Wed chased down our happily ever after, wed fought for it with our lives, and now that wed found it, we werent about to loosen our grips on it. We were riding the wave until the end of time, the biggest kahuna of al .

Girls would cal me codependent, guys would cal him whipped, and that was alright”they just didnt understand. Codependent was a title I was happy to wear in exchange for the love of a good man.

Wed won the game of life. We were the rulers of our universe. And wed spend the rest of our eternities settling for nothing less.