Veiled (20 page)

Several of the team thanked her for the warm greeting.

He felt Rachel’s hand in his. Glancing at her, he watched as she glided her hand over her lower abdomen. Was she in pain? Had she gotten hurt?

But she smiled up at him, so maybe she was just feeling queasy again. “Do you see her garden, Duncan? She’s growing watermelon in December, just as I did in Seattle One. I feel as though we’ve come to paradise. I think I could live here forever.”

A profound wave of tenderness moved through him. God, he loved Rachel so much and it seemed the world he’d inadvertently brought her to suited her perfectly.

He was inclined to think she was right; Rex had created a paradise. But he wasn’t sure he knew what to make of the man or the world he’d forged out of the desert. The river alone astonished him. How had the man put a river in a place like Phoenix, with woods in various places? He could even see a couple of smaller side canyons upstream.

Whatever the case, he felt oddly at home here as well, though he had no idea why.

~

As the team moved forward, Endelle hung back. She was on Third Earth in some kind of Rex-made wonderland, but she couldn’t make her feet move. Her pulse throttled at top speed, she felt absurdly dizzy, and she had a bad feeling she knew the exact cause.

Rex.

Sweet dinosaurs and lords of all creation.

Rex.

The man was tall. She outstripped him in her stilettos, but not my much and if she lost her shoes, she’d have to reach up to wrap her arms around his neck. How awesome would that be?

But what the hell was she thinking? She’d just met the man and already she was wishing he’d lose the damn cape so she could get a better look at his ass in that fine black leather.

Something deep and hungry had come alive in her the moment she’d settled her gaze on his rugged, handsome face.

When the distance from the group made her look ridiculous, she levitated and caught up. She dropped down beside Luken, matching his long stride.

He winked at her. “That man’s got some muscle on him.”

“Hadn’t noticed.”

“Like hell. You’re still slack-jawed.”

She scowled at him. “Shut the fuck up. And don’t forget that though you rule this team, I rule you.”

But Luken only laughed.

From the moment she’d landed in Phoenix Three, her gaze had been fixed on Rex’s left arm. It was completely bare and almost as big as Luken’s. She supposed his right arm was a match, but how would she know since that same damn cape had also covered up his companion muscles. But she had a good imagination and it didn’t take much to picture herself biting and sucking on all that hard flesh.

Ripples of bare-faced desire kept chasing other ripples down her arms, her back, and aiming like a rocket between her thighs.

“Just so ya know, Endelle,” Luken said, keeping his voice low. “I think Braulio can go fuck himself for leaving you the way he did. Just sayin’. You’ve served your dimension way too long and those Sixth Earth assholes shouldn’t have kept you chained to Second. Now you’re on Third. I say, let your hair down.”

Was he giving her permission to fuck the creator of Phoenix Three? “How about you keep your opinions to yourself for a change?”

“Again, just sayin’.” He grinned, however, an expression that made her want to bitch-slap the team leader.

But Endelle knew she needed to be sensible, so she worked hard to keep her lust under control.

Over the next few minutes, Rex’s servants led each of them to their respective dwellings. Much to Endelle’s surprise, the tall man assigned to her folded her to an exotic house made of colorful stone walls. Several small, manmade waterfalls created a series of bathing pools and lounging areas in the front rooms. When she meandered toward the back of the house, she was absolutely stunned when she found a large room filled with at least twenty beautifully wrought outfits in a myriad of colors, and each in her basic overkill style.

Rex’s Prime Seer had definitely done her homework.

The attached bathroom already had a tub full of bubbles waiting for her. She folded off her costume, letting it fall into a pile at the foot of the tub. She stepped in, sank beneath the foamy mass, and released a sigh so heavy it reverberated through the room.

The male servant entered at the same time, carrying a brass tray bearing a decanter of wine and a jewel studded goblet. He was also completely nude.

Her brows rose as her gaze landed on his impressive male apparatus, beautifully formed and hung.

He smiled. “I’m ready to serve you in whatever way you desire.” He ran his index finger the length of his cock just in case she missed the point.

Her earlier lust for Rex rose in a heated flush to her cheeks. She wanted nothing more than to haul the servant into her bath, yet she hesitated. Some instinct warned her against taking him up on his offer. And that something had to do with a man wearing a cape and looking like a god.

“Though I am tempted, I’ll just have the wine, thank you.”

When he left, she slid her hand between her legs, fondling her swollen folds. With her free hand she sipped her wine, while her mind became intently focused on a very specific image of Rex’s thick muscled arm.

~

Owen stood in the middle of a steel, glass, and leather living room, scowling. The decor suited him, which meant he’d been analyzed and he didn’t like it one bit. He wanted everyone out of his business, not picking him apart and making decisions on his behalf.

He’d already sent the servant away; he could take care of himself.

He was irritated as hell and why wouldn’t he be when fifteen minutes ago, he’d stood locked arm-to-arm with the veiled woman who had essentially blown the lid off his world. Literally.

The woman was Merl’s sister, the one called Katlynn and he’d carried her through a fold to Phoenix Three, only relinquishing her when Merl called to her. She’d all but flown from Owen’s arms and embraced her brother.

But the power. Oh, God, the power that had flowed through him, ripping apart everything he knew to be true about his life. His skin and his mind still buzzed with the aftereffects, holding him immobile even now.

Katlynn and her doe eyes, the sweet flowery perfume she wore, the soft peach bloom on her high cheekbones as she stared at him.

He hadn’t really come back to himself since their shared power had set Merl’s Third Earth What-Bee team free and momentarily destroyed Yolanthe’s mist above the prison.

He wondered how long the disorientation would last.

He needed to get a move on. Rex wanted everyone back at his dining hall within the hour.

Finally, he forced his damn feet to move.

Heading to the massive stone shower, broad enough to mount his wings, he folded off his clothes, stepped in, and started scrubbing. He wanted Katlynn to see him at his best and not covered in battle blood. He wanted her to know he was a civilized man, even though he came from Second Earth to her advanced Third. He wanted her to know he was worthy, though every cell in his body knew the exact opposite to be true. He was ruined to the core when it came to women.

So, what the hell was he thinking anyway, worrying about her good opinion of him? He was caught in a war. What good would it do to be pursuing a woman on Third, when he didn’t even know how long he’d be here?

Yet as he washed his hair, the shoulder length indicative of his in-between state, he felt a profound compulsion to get back to her. He also needed to see if Rex had a few extra weapons lying around. He’d already tried to fold his identified sword from Second Earth, but couldn’t. Third was wrapped up tight as a drum and if he was going to make sure Katlynn stayed safe, he’d need some serious weaponry.

He was under no illusions about Rex’s manmade paradise. Yolanthe of Mexico City Three now had several reasons to come after Duncan and the rest of the black ops team. And if what Duncan had said was accurate, someone in the future streams had started messing with him, someone no doubt in Yolanthe’s employ, and who could possibly interfere with Rachel’s shielding power.

When he was finally dressed, he was the first one to arrive at Rex’s home. He positioned himself across the way near the river so he could see everything happening around him in a three-sixty.

If he wondered why he’d suddenly grown so concerned about a woman he’d just met, he set it down to the mysteries of ascended life. Whether he liked it or not, he felt in his gut he was intended to serve as the woman’s bodyguard.

~

An hour later, when Luken arrived back at Rex’s home, several of the warriors had already gone inside, including Owen who stuck close to Katlynn.

Luken didn’t follow right away, but took a moment to have a good long look around. The temp in Phoenix Three was about perfect, even in December. He suspected a microclimate kept the entire canyon or valley, or whatever the hell this was, in a temperate state.

The palatial structure of Rex’s home reminded him somewhat of Endelle’s McDowell Mountain palace, constructed as it was of cream-colored quarried stone.

When he finally entered the house, he saw that like Endelle’s palace, Rex’s home had no glass windows. The main living areas were open to the air, perfect for viewing what proved to be a mixed woodland, a sparkling river, and acres of cultivated ground.

Crossing through the main rooms, he found the team gathered around a massive dining table. For some reason, his gaze went to Endelle first and he noted the uneasy look in her eye. She blinked more than usual and kept glancing around the room as though afraid to let her gaze light on the man across from her and chatting with Duncan. He couldn’t recall ever seeing Endelle knocked so completely out of stride.

But as he shifted his gaze to Rex, he could understand why.

The man had an undefinable quality, something so full of strength and power, even Endelle had to be awed. No doubt she’d gain her bearings soon enough, and give as good as she got. But for now, it was pleasant to watch her adrift, stunned like a rabbit caught in a snare.

She’d also toned down her wardrobe choice, wearing a single pheasant feather draped across a massive pile of her black curls and a multi-colored gown gathered at her left shoulder, the other one bare. Of course, heavy eye-make-up including gold sequins somehow pasted to the outside edge of each eye, gave her the usual over-the-top look. Still, she actually sat with her hands folded politely on her lap. Unbelievable.

As Luken looked around the table, he realized a chair was missing; there were too many guests and not enough places.

He was about to bring the oversight to one of the servant’s attention, when Rex spread his hands and began speaking. “Now that we’re all gathered, may I present my prime Seer, Megan of Atlanta Three.” He gestured to a woman at the head of the table. “I’ve asked her to say the blessing.”

The woman who rose to her feet had several blond braids looped on top of her head, though the bulk of her hair cascaded behind almost to her waist. She had a terrible scar across her right cheek angling to her lips and pulling up to distort her features. In the ascended world, scars occurred only two ways; if they were acquired before an ascension from Mortal Earth or if the individual wasn’t allowed to self-heal. Luken wasn’t sure why, but he suspected the latter.

Megan had an unusual inner spiritual light and seemed familiar in a way he couldn’t explain as she lifted both her hands. Her eyes were a lovely green, her brows arched. Except for the twist of the scar, she must have been a beauty in her day.

When she spoke, her words were slightly twisted as well because of the scar. “Most blessed guests, you are welcome in Phoenix Three and our master, Rex, hopes you will stay among us as long as it pleases each of you.
Y pro nai-y-stae.
” Luken knew her words were from the ancient language and loosely meant ‘stay forever’. Megan continued, “This night, pray be at ease and may the Creator bless this food to our use as we find nourishment at the master’s table.”

When she sat down, Luken immediately stood up. “Please, Rex, have my chair.”

But Rex waved a hand. “Not needed. I have only one aim, to make sure you’re all well-fed. I’ll be directing traffic.”

With that, he clapped his hands and a stream of servants arrived bearing bowls of steaming food and pitchers of what proved to be an excellent sangria.

As Luken sat down, he couldn’t help but watch Endelle. She was slack-jawed again, no doubt because her host had proved not only to be charismatic but thoughtful as well. Her gaze rarely strayed from Rex as he took his time moving around the table, directing his wait staff and chatting with his guests.

Rachel and Duncan had their heads bent together. The new woman, Katlynn sat beside her brother, Merl. He held her hand and more than once palmed his cheeks in the same way Katlynn swiped at her tears. The reunion of brother and sister had been a beautiful thing and had further helped Luken to forgive all of Merl’s prior annoying behavior.

Owen sat on the other side of Katlynn. He had a similar expression as Endelle’s and that’s when Luken’s heart sank. He’d been so busy battling and getting everyone to safety, he’d forgotten about the power surge that had allowed his team, as well as Merl’s squad of What-Bees, to escape Yolanthe’s home.

He suspected the
breh-hedden
had found its next victim, though time would tell. However, the fact Owen and Katlynn had created some kind of sonic boom to destroy a powerful veil of mist over Yolanthe’s property seemed to indicate exactly how their relationship would progress.

He brought his goblet of sangria to his lips and set his gaze on a nearby bowl of cracked wheat salad. He’d been alone a long time and the presence of the
breh-hedden
hitting so many of his fellow warriors, yet skipping his own desert of a soul, made him wonder if he’d missed the boat somewhere along the way. Would he ever know the kind of bond many of his warrior friends had already experienced?

Luken.
A faint female voice entered his head. He glanced at Endelle first, then Megan, Rachel and Katlynn in turn, wondering which of them had spoken to him. But each was engaged in conversation and couldn’t have accessed his telepathy at the same time. Besides, the voice didn’t sound familiar at all.