Chapter Six

 

Declan looked around the dining room at the mess they’d made and swore he was going to upgrade the technology in the place. He didn’t mind cooking, but the cleaning of the kitchen and dishes afterward was not one of his favorite things to do. A few replicators would do the place a world of good since he and his brothers had been spending more time there lately.

“Thank you, that was really good. I can’t believe how well you can cook,” Nalini said with a smile as she stood and began picking up the empty plates.

“Yeah, that was pretty decent grub. I can’t cook worth a damn, but I can do dishes,” Dizarion added as he grabbed up a bunch of plates and hauled them into the kitchen.

Declan watched as Asha also stood and began helping to clean up the mess he’d made cooking for all of them. He knew he should join them but decided to finish his coffee instead.

“So where’s the mystery mate? I want to meet her first. It’ll kill Angel and the other girls to know I did.”

Declan sighed in relief as he turned to see Chris striding through the door with a grin on his face. He gestured to the kitchen as he stood, met his brother in the middle of the room and hugged him tightly.

“They’re doing dishes. Let’s go talk,” Declan whispered as he pulled away from Chris and nodded to the door.

Without another word, the brothers left the dining room and headed into the Talunaha for some privacy. Declan began explaining everything to Chris the moment they entered the pyramid. By the time they’d reached the interior and were standing in front of the rock containing their Xaratia Tarona, Declan was finished.

Chris looked at his brother with a shell-shocked expression for a moment before he shook his head as if to clear it.

“Holy shit, I think you need to run that whole thing by me again. I swear you just said your mate is the immortal daughter of a Hindu God of War who’s coming back for her. And something about daemons killing her? What the actual fuck, bro?” Chris threw his hands in the air.

He couldn’t help but wonder if this was some kind of joke to get Declan out of trouble for not checking in like he was supposed to.

“Declan is telling you the truth, Chris,” Tarona said solemnly. “His mate is Nalini, daughter of Kartikeya. He’s a world guardian who was created specifically for war with the daemons and rogue Prime. In essence, Kartikeya is the ultimate weapon for the Night Walkers and Dranovians.”

Chris whistled low and ran a hand through his hair as he looked at Declan in shock.

“Man, when you step in it, you really step in it,” Chris said with a snort.

Declan shook his head and threw his hands up.

“Like I expected any of this shit when I decided to go hunting for fucking plants!” Declan shot back.

“What can I do to help?” Chris asked, trying to understand it all. “It sounds to me like you got more than enough back up here. You have the second in command to both Tristan and Tiernan, an immortal mate and a world guardian coming for her! What do you think I can do?”

“I need to know how to protect her! The daemons come for her every single night. Every night she’s slaughtered, only to awaken again in the morning. Would you let that happen to Quinn?” Declan snapped.

“Fuck me,” Chris whispered in shock.

He turned to look at the rock containing Tarona, hoping the Xaratia would deny what Declan had said. When she remained silent, Chris cursed again and began to pace.

“What’s with the energy barrier here? I saw it when I came in. Will it help protect your mate? What about Base Beta? The energy is different there. Maybe Indrid’s people can help?” Chris rambled out the first thoughts that came to his head.

“The barrier was erected by Asha, Dizarion and myself. It will help protect Nalini from all but the most powerful of daemons and will make any of them think twice before attacking. Being as remote as we are, it is unlikely that she will encounter many daemons here,” Tarona stated.

“Unlikely isn’t good enough for me,” Declan argued while Chris nodded in agreement.

“He’s right, we can’t let anything happen to her. Especially not on our turf. We need to contact Mikal and pull in the family for this bro,” Chris suggested and hoped Declan would agree.

Declan growled in frustration as he stomped around the chamber. His mind was spinning with everything that was going on, and his heart was tearing into pieces at the different directions it was being tugged in. In the end, it was his honor that won out, and he shook his head.

“No, we can’t. I think we should pull in one or two brothers from each of our teams and leave Mikal and everyone else focused on saving Dad. I can’t sacrifice my father and our family for my mate. Nalini wouldn’t want that anyway.” Declan’s voice held a hard edge, indicating how difficult it had been for him to make the decision.

Chris sighed and placed his hands on Declan’s shoulders until they were looking at one another eye to eye.

“I swear to you, this place will be a fucking fortress and we’ll keep her protected for as long as we need to,” Chris promised and exuded confidence in his energy to his brother.

“I must reiterate that it is highly unlikely that Nalini will be found here or that anything will be able to detect her presence. Though I believe precautionary measures are always welcome for your protection, I think the shield already erected will be sufficient,” Tarona stated in a tone that indicated she was offended.

Both brothers turned at the delicate throat clearing in the doorway of the chamber and immediately blushed.

“She doesn’t look pleased with our plan. I’m shocked by that. Seriously, totally shocked. Nice to know that all us brothers are equally cursed with such beautiful, stubborn and frustrating women,” Chris whispered as he gave Declan a congratulatory pat on the shoulder.

Declan couldn’t help but smile as Nalini came striding towards him like a graceful dancer. Her steps were so delicate and light that she almost appeared to float across the chamber towards him. It was the look on her face that ruined the picture in his mind of his mate.

She’s pissed, Declan thought, a little worried at the anger that radiated from her energy like a cloud.

“Your family needs your brothers, and you dare to make a decision to pull them away from their tasks to save me? Without even asking me? How dare you! I’ve been alive longer than some mountains, and you think that somehow, in the last 48 hours since I’ve met you that I can’t survive without your help? I don’t need your help!” Nalini shouted the last as her small finger poked him in the chest to prove her point.

“Wow, yeah. I’m Chris. Nice to meet you. See you later.” Chris grimaced sympathetically at Declan before he ran from the room.

Declan closed his eyes and tried to force himself to calm down and try to handle the situation with care. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Nalini away or make her any angrier than she already was. Figuring he was as calm as he was going to get, Declan tried to explain things to her.

“I know you don’t need my help. I know you’re immortal and you’ll come back. But my heart and my mind can’t take seeing you die. I’ve just found you, and haven’t even had a chance to get to know you. The last thing I want to do is lose you. I know you can understand that because it’s why you kept trying to get me to leave the cave. Don’t be mad at me for trying to do what you did for me.” Declan saw the angry expression completely wipe itself from Nalini’s face as he spoke and he almost sighed in relief.

“Thank you,” Nalini whispered as her eyes welled with tears.

Declan couldn’t stop himself from pulling her to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her delicate frame, and his heart clenched when Nalini’s own snaked around his waist. He held her quietly, not daring to speak and interrupt the feel of her in his arms.

He could almost see the strands of their energy intertwining in the air surrounding them and Declan couldn’t remember ever feeling anything so intense in his life. Even his beloved family didn’t make him feel like this. They came in a close second, but this combined energy between he and Nalini was powerful and a little scary.

“I may have some news that will please you,” Tarona stated.

It was apparent the Xaratia was still a little miffed that Declan had doubted her ability to protect Nalini. He knew he had to try and fix the situation.

“I would love to hear your news Tarona. And thank you for the shield,” Declan replied with a genuine smile for the soul within the rock.

“Nalini’s father has awakened, and if the intensity of his energy is any indication, he’s searching for his daughter. The best part is, her mother has also awakened through the power of another Prime and they are together,” Tarona said.

Her voice sounded far too cheery, and Declan knew she was getting even with him. It worked.

“Oh hell,” he muttered before he could stop himself.

“Mother is with him too?” Nalini whispered in excitement as tears welled up in her eyes. “I never dreamed they’d both return at the same time. I always assumed Father would have to search for Mother as he would for me.”

The happiness Declan could feel in her energy made him feel like a dick for not being thrilled at meeting both of her parents. He sucked up his own mixed emotions and gave her a happy squeeze.

“Is there anything we can do to help them find you faster?” Declan asked politely.

He was hoping there wasn’t anything he could do. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Nalini’s parents to find her, he was just hoping it would take long enough for them to develop a verbal and physical relationship first.

Declan didn’t want to admit how nervous he was about his father-in-law being a world guardian but he feared the man’s influence on Nalini. It scared him to think of losing her in any way, even to her father, so he tried to hide the relief that flooded him at the shake of Nalini’s head.

“I wouldn’t have the ability to track his energy but would know if he was close and would be able to call out to him. Father will begin his search around the cave and follow my energy from there. He knows of this place and the others like it, so he’ll figure out where I went pretty quickly,” Nalini explained, blushing at the implication that her Father would know she’d gone with a Dranovian.

“He can sense Dranovians?” Declan was pretty sure he already knew the answer. A still peeved Tarona reminded him.

“Kartikeya was created to fight the daemons and the rogue Prime as a leader and companion warrior to the Dranovians and the Night Walkers. As the World Guardian of War, he is the rightful commander of the Guardian Forces which the Dranovians are a part of,” Tarona explained, surprising Declan.

“He’s our leader? I thought our Sotier was our leader and Tiernan commanded the Night Walkers?” Declan asked.

“You are confused. Kartikeya is the Guardian of War. He is the general of the light and dark warrior forces. He is whom Tristan and Tiernan will ask for battle plans and strategy. Kartikeya’s skill is unmatched, and you’d be wise to listen to his counsel,” Tarona explained.

Her tone held an edge of respect for the guardian and a hint of warning to Declan as well.

“What Tarona means is that my father was created with an infinite number of battle tactics already imbued on his soul. If there is a way to defeat an enemy, Father knows it and has most likely used it. He is also a master of the deeper energy within the planet, and now that he’s awakened, Father can call upon the primal forces of Terra to aid him,” Nalini explained with daughterly awe in her voice.

Neither Tarona’s nor Nalini’s explanations made Declan feel any better. It all came down to his father-in-law being the baddest ass on the planet next to his baby brother and Tiernan.

Awesome, Declan thought sarcastically.

“So do we have an ETA on him?” Declan asked.

Nalini shrugged a shoulder, her excitement shining in her dark brown eyes.

“With today’s technology, it should only be a few hours. A day at the most.” Nalini was near shaking with happiness.

Declan was surprised at the time frame. He thought for sure it would take longer than that for the guy to travel the globe on an energy hunt for his daughter.

“Is he that good with energy?” Declan wanted to know how the guy would do it so quickly.

Nalini nodded her head. “Oh, yes. Father will call on the deeper planet energy, and it can assist him.”

“Great,” Declan muttered.

“What?” Nalini asked, her happiness fading into her energy as she looked at him oddly.

“I was thinking it’d be great because he can stop any daemons if they get through Tarona’s shields,” Declan lied as he pulled her close and kissed her head to hide his grimace. “When he gets here, we can use this place as our base of operations while he works with Tristan and Tiernan for a permanent fix. You don’t mind, do you, Tarona?”

“I would be honored to assist the World Guardian of War,” Tarona replied without hesitation.

“You’re awesome, Tarona. Just in case I haven’t said it in a while. And I apologize for offending you,” Declan said, hoping to make the soul in the rock feel better.

“Thank you, Declan. I love you too,” Tarona replied.

Declan felt the warm energy rush directed at him by Tarona and smiled as he led Nalini from the chamber and back outside.

“What do we do while we wait? Is there anything that must be done?” Nalini asked as she looked up at Declan with smiling eyes.

Declan was relieved when he saw Chris coming towards them. He hoped his brother had some ideas on how to pass the time while he waited for the father-in-law from hell to arrive.

“Bro! I was just talking to Asha and Dizarion, and they were telling me about Kartikeya being the commander of the guardian warrior forces. What an honor for you that he’s your mate’s father.” Chris’s voice held enough respect to fool Nalini into thinking he was sincere. Chris didn’t know that Declan had just found that out and was warning him.

“Yeah, that kind of floored me. At least our baby brother will have such an experienced general to aide him while he grows in power,” Declan said carefully.

“It’s Tristan and Tiernan who will need him the most. It is only in the battles that require combined forces where you would most likely have to answer to Father,” Nalini explained, thinking she was helping the brothers understand. It only made them more nervous.

Chris looked worriedly at Declan and noted that his brother was avoiding his gaze. While Declan may feel resigned to his fate because of Nalini being his mate, Chris wasn’t taking any chances with his brother.

“So is your Dad, an easy-going kind of guy?” Chris was hoping to make her open up about what kind of man Kartikeya was, not the warrior.

Declan noted that the question made Nalini’s face light up and she remained animated as she spoke.

“He’s wonderful! So kind and loving. He’s got a great sense of humor and such a brilliant mind you could talk to him for days without being bored. But Father can be hard to train with and is relentless about things being done a certain way.” Nalini’s voice never lost her girlish adoration even when she said the last.

“So he’s a little anal retentive about some things but all in all a great guy. Sounds decent to me. What about your mom? Is she as beautiful as you?” Chris asked, not really sure what to think about the Guardian of War.

“Mother,” Nalini breathed out on a sigh. “She’s more beautiful than I could be. With a soul that shines so brightly. She’s fiercely devoted and as much a warrior in her own way as my father is.”

The brothers looked at one another in confusion, not sure how to interpret Nalini’s description of her mother. Declan held the door to the dining hall and let Nalini precede him inside. He shrugged his shoulders at Chris’s questioning look and followed his brother in.

Asha and Dizarion were lazily sitting at one of the tables with coffee cups in front of them. The smell drew Declan to the pots and he poured a cup for Chris and Nalini as well then handed one to each of them to fix as they liked. 

“Tarona said both of your parents are coming. I’m glad to hear that,” Asha said with a smile as Nalini approached the table.

“She was led to another Prime pod too. Sounds a lot like foresight to me,” Dizarion mumbled the dig at Declan.

Declan flipped off the Night Walker while Nalini’s back was turned and Chris laughed until Nalini turned around to look at them oddly.

“This is going to get real interesting. Real quick,” Dizarion said with a grin.

*****

 

Morgan sat casually in the plane, not even looking out the window at the scenery below. His hand gently held Isabel’s as he concentrated on the energy trail he could feel above the plane’s altitude.

“Apparently the Dranovian has ships that the humans are unaware of,” Morgan mumbled as he mentally cursed the physical and mechanical limitations of the plane they were in.

“Why would a Dranovian have our baby? For what purpose?” Isabel asked worriedly.

Morgan sighed and closed his eyes as he tried to fight the rush of anger that ran through him. He hated what he’d discovered and didn’t want to be the one to tell his beloved wife.

“I think it may be Nalini’s mate. His energy and hers have been merging since the cave,” Morgan admitted, not wanting to think too much about the cave.

He’d nearly thrown up from the residual smell and energy left behind by his daughter’s blood and life that had been spilled there. Before they left, he noted the Dranovian in the cave and had seen their energy combining even there. It had only gotten stronger in the miles since then.

“No! She’s just a baby!” Isabel cried, looking at Morgan to fix it somehow.

“My love, our daughter is thousands of physical years old and hardly a baby,” Morgan replied with a chuckle as he hugged her to his side.

“He better hope he deserves her or I’ll kill him,” Isabel growled, causing Morgan to laugh.

Not if I kill him first, Morgan thought, unwilling to let his wife know what he’d felt in the Dranovian’s energy.

This was going to be something that Morgan would relish all by himself. More so if the Dranovian had defiled his daughter in any way. What the daemons were doing to his beloved Nalini was terrible enough, so he was more than ready to destroy the Dranovian who may be feeding off her tender emotions. Though an apparently powerful warrior, Morgan didn’t doubt that he could beat the Dranovian in battle.  

“Mr. Van Helfen, we’re landing in Anchorage momentarily,” the pilot called out through the loudspeaker.

Morgan gave Isabel one last squeeze then let her sit back in her seat.

“You have what we need to rent the helicopter?” Morgan asked as he buckled her seatbelt.

“Yeah, your Dad gave me everything we need. Since we can’t let the place be found we’re going to need to grab some basic gear so we can hike there,” Isabel warned, making sure that he remembered.

Morgan nodded his head, then leaned back in his seat and sighed heavily.

“As much as I would love to rappel from the helicopter to their front door, I will not act rashly and endanger the Dranovians needlessly. We will get what we need for the hike,” Morgan unhappily said.

“You’re the wisest man I know.” Isabel gave him a quick kiss as the plane descended.