Brink of Eternity (Guardians of Ascension #3)

A single man, a warrior, folded into the battlefield. He wore the same traditional black leather kilt and weapons harness. His black hair was Warrior of the Blood–long and held in place by the traditionalcadroen.

Elise drew a little closer to Gideon. “Who is that?” she asked, keeping her voice low. “He looks a little taller than you, and I know all the Warriors of the Blood, but I don’t recognize him from the Blood and Bite.”

She felt Gideon’s sudden tension as though even the air around him tucked in close. “Leto,” Gideon said. “A former Warrior of the Blood, now serving Greaves.”

Duncan spit on the ground. “A goddamn traitor.”

Leto.So this was the vampire who had left Endelle’s service to align with the Commander.

Leto acknowledged both Gideon and Duncan with an inclination of his head. As he drew closer, within ten feet of Gideon, he met her gaze and actually bowed to her. “I have come on behalf of the Ascenders Liberation Army to address the ascendiate.” The ALA. Now there was a serious joke. What exactly did ascenders need liberation from? But wasn’t that always the way. When a megalomaniac wanted to take over the world, he always promised freedom, then delivered slavery.

Leto had a rich, resonant voice that filled the desert night sky. “You are hereby afforded the opportunity to choose between service to Madame Endelle or to the Commander, Darian Greaves. The Commander hopes you will choose this night to align with him.”

Elise took a step forward so that she stood beside Gideon. At the same moment, he folded his sword away. “You would say that to me after your commander sent thirteen death vamps to this Borderland not ten minutes ago?”

Leto held her gaze for a long moment, then bowed to her again. “The Commander offers his apologies. His servants acted hastily, and not from his orders, and he begs your forgiveness.”

Both Duncan and Gideon scoffed at these remarks.

Leto ignored them and continued, “The Commander also wishes me to advise you that should you choose to align yourself with the Coming Order, you will be well rewarded. A place of prominence has been prepared for you, a fine house, and great wealth. You will be given a post as a Seer’s apprentice, since he has perceived that you possess such abilities. I assure you it is a place of great honor. The Commander also wishes me to say that reports of his wrongdoings have been grievously exaggerated, that he is a man, a vampire, of noble character and high ethical standards.”

She couldn’t believe Leto had the audacity to say such a thing to her. “Does he consider the creating and sustaining of death vampires to be the representation of his high standards?”

“Weapons of war by definition are heinous. All of them. The Commander does not differentiate between a sword, a gun, or a death vampire. The achievement of a Coming Order will once and for all eliminate the depredations of the death vampires from the face of two worlds. That is the Commander’s promise.”

“How would that be possible?” she asked. “Don’t death vampires require dying blood to survive? Would he actually destroy his entire army?”

“On no account. His world-renowned scientific team works day and night on a medical solution to the truly heinous addiction. Each day they draw closer to the awaited answer, but until the achievement, he feels compelled to use whatever means he must to draw this war to an appropriate conclusion.”

Again, the scoffs followed, but none of it mattered. She had already made her choice.

“Will you consider the Commander’s offer?”

“I know too much about Second Earth to ever consider an alignment with Commander Greaves. There can be no more discussion.”

She felt pressure on her mind, almost a tapping sensation. She watched as Leto’s eyebrows rose.You have powerful shields, ascendiate.

Though telepathy was new to her, she responded,As I have been told.

Leto bowed. Aloud, he said, “Then so be it. I have been notified that Madame Endelle has convened COPASS to argue on the illegalities of the recent attack. The Commander graciously grants a reprieve from further attack until COPASS has made its decision concerning the remainder of your rite of ascension. I bid you well, Ascendiate Jordan.” He bowed once more.

That he knew her name shouldn’t have surprised her, but she was still startled. He lifted his arm and vanished.

Gideon brought his phone to his ear and conferred with Bev at HQ. She confirmed all that Leto had just said; the reprieve held.

Gideon suggested they retire to his Mortal Earth home in the hills just beyond Cave Creek to the north of Phoenix. He would cloak the house in mist just in case Greaves was up to his old tricks. He’d also have his men patrol the grounds through the night, guarding the property until dawn.

He suggested that Bev fold them as a unit in order to offer Elise the greatest protection. Gideon made the phone call and the moment he returned the card-like phone to the small pocket near the waist of his kilt, the vibration began.

Elise had never folded before. She tensed—darkness, a long quick slide full of vibration, then suddenly her feet touched gravel.

She found herself standing in front of a Santa Fe–style house, on a long driveway. The men, under Duncan’s direction, fanned out and took up another protective circle around the property. A ravine and nearby hill offered a certain measure of privacy. Since they were still on Mortal Earth, some distance from neighbors would always be necessary.

Gideon put his arm around her. “I’m going to cloak the house in mist now.”

She watched the mist appear, an interlocking lace-like structure that would serve to confuse the mind, as if the house simply didn’t exist. It was just like the mist Gideon had created in front of the booth when were at the Blood and Bite.

“So beautiful,” she whispered.

He turned to her. “Let’s get you inside. You’ve been through a lot and it’s late. I’m thinking you may be wanting a nice hot shower and a bed.”

She nodded. As she stepped across the threshold, the lights came on, soft lights from the ceiling. Dark slate covered the floor. A coat of arms decorated one wall. Ancient swords, another. The furniture was heavy, dark, very masculine, more black leather.

On the wall opposite was a large screen TV and beside it, a photo of Rachel.

Elise crossed to the photo. “She’s so beautiful, but her hair is a lighter blond than yours.” Rachel wore her hair in a mass of waves and curls. Her blue eyes sparkled. She had sculpted cheeks, also like Gideon’s.

Gideon stood just behind her, off to her right shoulder. “She and Duncan used to date. I’ve been debating all night whether to tell him about the vision.”

She looked over her shoulder. “This has to be really hard on you.”

He shrugged. “Better to have a vision than to get a phone call one day. But please, don’t think about that now. This is war and one thing you must learn is to be in the moment. It’s very clichéd, but damn true.”

She turned toward him. “I know you have a mind-link with Rachel. I know that’s part of your strategy here, but what else is being done?”

He nodded. As he drew his warrior phone once more from his kilt, he said, “Bev runs the surveillance grid at Militia Warrior HQ. She’s looking at northern California for us.”

He thumbed the phone then brought it to his ear. “Hey, Bev. How’s the grid looking? Any signatures?”

Gideon nodded and frowned. His shoulders sagged.

When he thumbed the phone a second time, she already knew the answer. “The grid is just finishing up a section in the mountains to the east, but there aren’t any rivers in that area, certainly nothing large enough to warrant a bridge or two. Basically, no signatures.”

“Maybe Rachel’s not even there yet.”

“Maybe.” His cheeks looked drawn and he didn’t meet her gaze.

She put her hand on his arm and rubbed back and forth. He shifted to look at her, then overlaid her hand with his arm. “What can I say, I love my sister.”

She nodded. “I know, and we’ll find her in time. I have confidence in my visions. They’re never wrong.”

“Never?” his brows rose.

“They’ve always come through.”

“Well, shit, that’s something. Thank you.”

“And thank you for saving my life tonight, you and your men. I will never forget that.” Then she smiled. “Now, how about that shower?”

Gideon glanced first to the left then to the right. He frowned, as though undecided about where to put her.

Finally, he looked at her. “I don’t mean to crowd you, Elise, but would you share my bed tonight? No funny business, I just want to be close in case something unexpected happens.”

Elise nodded. “You won’t hear me argue. I’m not sure I could sleep if you weren’t next to me.”

“Good. Then we’re in agreement. Good.” But his brow was pinched.

He gestured to his right and she headed down the hall. “Take the second hall on the right.”

She turned and made her way into a lofty suite that had a large bathroom on the right and on the left a bedroom with a vaulted ceiling.

She debated for only half a second. She headed left into the bathroom. Just before she shut the door, she glanced back. He stood there, godlike in his flight battle gear, his hair flowing away from his face, his hands fisted, his arms flexing and releasing.

“You won’t go far, will you?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I’ll use another shower and join you in a few minutes. How does that sound?”

“Good. That sounds good.” Funny how awkward she suddenly felt. She knew his body backward and forward and upside down from all her time with him at the Blood and Bite, but put her in his master bedroom and she felt strangely shy.

As Elise flipped on the lights and closed the door, she happened to glance down at her jeans. She drew in a soft hiss. The legs were covered in dark blobs and a couple of sprays of the same matter, which must have been blood from the death vamp she’d killed.