Ancient Guardians The Legacy of the Key Page 26

  Reece hadn’t considered the significance of the Emperor’s departure for the Pemdai; the emotions from the crowd were palpable. Their way of life was hanging in the balance, and although pride, confidence, and steadfastness emanated from them, it was obvious that there was some apprehension about this mission.

  He picked up Areion’s front hoof, checked it carefully, and then reached for the hind one. As he walked around Areion, hand on the horse’s hindquarters, the stallion stamped the inspected hoof. Levi chuckled. “Areion feels the same as you,” he said, reaching down for the other hind hoof. “The first part of this ride will be trying for him. He’s not much for show, and he’s not patient.” Levi bent over the fourth hoof. “I expect he’ll battle me until we’re past the crowds and are able to speed up.”

  “So, it’s going to be a bumpy ride, then?”

  He shook his head and laughed. “That’s one way to put it. You’ll be riding astride, sitting behind me this time. You’ll need to hold on tight to me, my love. I would put you on with another rider, but we are going through a different vortex than the others.”

  Reece laughed. “Liar. You would not.”

  “No, you’re right, I would not.” He smiled, as the men began to mount their horses.

  Navarre approached them. “Levi. Reece. We’ll see you both in Scotland.” He shook his son’s hand, and then, to Reece’s surprise, gently embraced her. “Be safe, stay close to Levi, and we will await your arrival.” He turned, and mounted his horse.

  Areion grunted and began raising his legs one by one, appearing to dance in place. Levi exhaled and spoke deeply to his stallion. “Areion, settle. If you plan on going with them, you might allow us upon your back.” The horse restrained himself for Levi and Reece to mount him.

  Immediately upon settling herself in behind Levi, Reece felt the tension in the massive horse. They hadn’t moved and already it felt as if they were trotting down the road. Levi directed Areion toward Navarre’s horse while the rest of the riders lined up in pairs behind them. Navarre’s horse stepped out at a gentle canter, and Levi tightened his hold on Areion. He was correct in assuming that Areion would be miserable. He shook his head and whinnied in protest. Reece noticed that the rest of the horses were in step; Areion seemed to be the only one who was marching to the beat of his own drum.

  Reece was surprised by how uncomfortable the ride was compared to riding him previously. Areion constantly tried to go faster. When refused permission, he threw his head up and whinnied. “Calm down, you’re making a fool of yourself,” Levi grumbled as they approached the village below the Palace.

  Navarre looked at them with an amused expression. “Hang in there, old man, it’s almost over.”

  Levi shook his head, and Reece held tighter. The horse stopped fighting for more speed; instead, he forced all of his energy into the ground in protest, exaggerating his movements boldly. He stamped hard onto the ground with his hooves, while bringing them up just as aggressively. Fearful of being jolted off, Reece focused on the waving villagers, and tried not to laugh at the insults Levi was now throwing at Areion.

  After they passed the village, Navarre turned his horse toward them. He reached over and shook his son’s hand. “Son, we’ll see you in Scotland. Give Harrison our best, and remind him of the plans Samuel has for him.”

  With that, he, Samuel, and the other riders, spun their horses and headed off toward the hills in the horizon. Areion began dancing in place again as Levi turned back toward Reece and managed an awkward kiss. “Hold on to me tight, love. We are taking a shorter, yet more demanding, route. Are you ready?”

  Areion was fighting the reins again. “I don’t think it matters either way; let’s just get this horse moving before he hurts himself.”

  Levi laughed and loosened the reins, heading Areion away from the main road toward an open meadow. Areion responded joyfully to the loosened reins, finding his stride and his speed. Reece enjoyed this part him, feeling his power and craving to dominate the ground beneath him. She laughed inwardly as they approached a mountain range, knowing they would be heading up it. She prepared herself, holding tighter to Levi’s waist.

  Areion’s hindquarters gathered under Reece, and he seemed to leap up the mountainside. Reece marveled at the energy and strength the horse possessed. At the top, he found a new burst of speed. The next thing she knew, they were in the air, with the gray mist beneath them. She turned back one last time to see the beautiful land she hoped to one day return to. When the mist swallowed the mountain, she turned forward, just as Areion’s hooves found the other side of the chasm. They were now riding through the forest of the trees with red leaves.

  In front of her, she saw the gates, and for the first time since understanding about her return, she felt nervous. Levi dismounted, lifted Reece off, and led Areion to the left of a large stone structure, behind where Reece remembered them parking the cars.

  Two men retrieved Areion, and wished Levi and Reece well.

  “So, this is where you keep the horses while you’re on Earth?”

  “For very short visits, yes. They stay here and are attended by the stablemen.” He led her through the gates. “Wait here. I’m going to bring out the car, and I must change.” He grinned. “Camouflage,” he said, and headed for the cave that was the garage.

  Reece turned around and looked back down the path; it didn’t feel like it was that long ago that she’d seen it for the first time. She remembered the way she felt the last time she was in this place as she looked at the majesty of this world through astonished eyes. Her life changed forever on that day, in every way. And now, coming full circle, she admitted to herself what had been weighing in her heart for a long time; she didn’t want to go back to Earth. Ever. Pemdas was her home now, and wherever Levi was, there was no other place she would rather be.

  She turned when she heard the deep purr of the black car pulling out of the garage. Levi stepped out of the car, staring down at his communication device. He looked as much at home in jeans and a t-shirt as he had in his regalia. The man complemented everything he wore.

  He looked up at her inquisitively, but she only smiled in return. He shoved his device into his back pocket with a casual ease that made Reece chuckle. It was as if his body and mind, as well as his clothes, were on Earth time now.

  He approached her and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Harrison is waiting for us. Apparently, my good cousin, who finds excitement in everything, has planned a little street race as our distraction.”

  “Nice clothes,” said Reece.

  He stood back and held out his arms. “You like them? I have a nice leather jacket, to go with it, and a matching one for you.”

  Wow! Was all Reece thought, as she took in the perfection of the strong man standing in front of her. The simple black t-shirt he wore left nothing to the imagination of the sculpted muscles underneath it. Yet, Reece’s eyes were drawn to his solid, muscular arms, and the beautiful olive tone of his skin.

  “Mmm, you may not blend in as well as you think,” she said, with a meaningful sideways look. His cheeks reddened, and she laughed. “Okay, what has Harrison planned?”

  “We will be coming in through the vortex as secretly as possible. Harrison has arranged to have as many cars there as possible to distract the Ciatron. Our vortex will open up to a wooded location, the same location we were at when we left from the park. It’s on these secluded highways that Harrison has planned the distraction. The forest in this location will help keep our entering and leaving concealed. He has spent the last three days in your friend Jack’s company, and Jack has offered to let us use his car. Harrison felt it best to put you in a car from Earth as quickly as possible. If his plan succeeds, the Ciatron will follow the Pemdai car, and not Jack’s.”

  Reece answered him, shocked. “Jack is with him? Will he be okay? Will anyone be hurt by the Ciatron?”

  “No one will be harmed. The Ciatron, like us, need to blend in with the crowd. They will have no interest
in harming anyone, except us. Now, Reece, the events that are about to transpire are going to be very intense, and it is vital that you follow my instructions without hesitation. Currently, the Ciatron are more interested in the street race than the vortex. Once our car comes through, that will change. They will be immediately alerted, and will pursue us.”

  “Then what do we do?”

  “When we come out of the vortex, we will drive to where Harrison awaits us in Jack’s car. He will then drive us down to the race, and return for the Pemdai vehicle. The Ciatron, who are constantly scanning through people’s minds, will most likely sense your presence by recognizing the barrier in your mind. Harrison will drive his car next to ours in the race. We believe the Ciatron will assume you’re in the Pemdai car, and not Jack’s. With the Pemdai car next to Jack’s, they shouldn’t question it. But in any case, Jack’s car will not be fast enough for me to outrun them.”

  “Do they have special cars too?”

  “No, but once they see the Pemdai car, they will take a car that they believe will be fast enough to follow it. They will move very swiftly, and Harrison and I must stay ahead of their changing plans. I’ll be reading their minds, and finding ways to keep us ahead of them. Harrison and I will be coordinating with each other mentally as well. I need you to know in advance that I will seem extremely distant, mentally. I won’t be able to talk much, or answer questions, after we start.”

  “I don’t understand why we would go in Jack’s car, though, if you just said it may not be fast enough? What happens if it’s not?”

  “Our plan is that Harrison will lead them away from us in the Pemdai vehicle. We have another vehicle, which you and I will be leaving Philadelphia in while the Ciatron chase Harrison. Harrison and I have to keep Jack’s car ahead of them long enough to confuse them.”

  Reece shook her head. “I hope this works. Street racing…really? Will you be okay driving Jack’s car?”

  “After this afternoon, you will find that I can maneuver all sorts of vehicles quite efficiently.” He kissed her softly, and stared intently into her eyes. “We must leave now, sweetheart. Remember, I’ll be in a different frame of mind from here. From this point on, I need you to follow my every move.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  He smiled and kissed her. “I love you. From here on, I’ll be focusing on getting you safely on that plane.”

  “I’ll be focused on not panicking.”

  “Good; then we each have our task.” They turned toward the car, and she walked around to get in. He opened the door and smiled down at her. “You look beautiful, by the way.” He winked. That would be the last personal response he gave her until they were out of harm’s way.

  Chapter 27

  When Levi got into the car, his appearance reminded Reece of the day she met him in the park; extremely reserved. He drove them out onto the black highway toward the vortex. The car raced down the tree covered highway, and before she knew it, there was a blinding flash of light, and they were on Earth.

  Levi turned the car sharply up a trail into a forest of trees, where they found Jack’s Camaro waiting for them, with Harrison in the driver’s seat. Reece was shocked to see how different Earth was to her now. The colors were extremely dull, leaving the vivid blue in Levi’s eyes as the only reminder of Pemdas.

  “Reece, move quickly. We have attracted the Ciatron; they are making their way here.”

  Hastily, they got out of the Pemdai car, and into the Camaro. Harrison stepped out, and helped her into the backseat. She was thankful he had the heater on; she had forgotten how cold it was in Philadelphia this time of year. She felt like she was going into shock with all the drastic changes. She could not understand how Levi, Harrison, and the rest of the Pemdai Guardians did this all the time.

  She sat back in the seat, feeling the adrenaline rush through her body. She took deep breaths, but the air of Earth felt heavy, and only made her anxiety worse. She closed her eyes, trying not to panic, and was thankful when Harrison teased her.

  “Reece, it is nice to see you again! I believe you will enjoy the little welcome-back-to-Earth party I have arranged. We’ll be joining them in about five minutes.” He smiled at her in the rear view mirror.

  She looked up at his playful eyes. “Nice to see you, too, Harrison. I should have known you would come up with something like this. Street racing? Lovely.” She chuckled, but could not conceal the nervousness in her voice.

  Harrison laughed in return.

  “So after you drop us off, how do you plan to get back to the other car?” She asked, trying to figure it all out.

  “Reece, I have my connections. I have a ride waiting for me even as we speak.”

  It seemed to be less than five minutes before they joined streets filled with hundreds of cars, and crowds of people.

  Reece sighed. “How did you manage to arrange this forbidden turbo-charged competition anyways?”

  He smiled back at her. “Have no worries, Reece, we won’t be detained by law enforcement today.” He looked over at Levi. “You know where to go from here, correct? We are only behind a couple of cars. Jack is arranging our race right now.” Levi nodded as Harrison pulled the car in, and parked it alongside others.

  Reece understood now why this was the perfect distraction. There were so many people and cars everywhere that it was confusing to know what everyone was doing. She was glad Levi knew what to do, because everything seemed so chaotic. People stood around everywhere in groups, staring at cars, and then more gathered, where the cars were racing.

  Levi and Harrison opened their doors, and Harrison turned to help Reece out of the back seat. Like Levi, he wore jeans and a t-shirt.

  Harrison grinned mischievously. “This is where it gets fun. If we are going to have to outrun an enemy, we might as well do it right, eh?”

  Reece laughed nervously. “I guess so.”

  “Now, go get in the front seat; we need to get you out of here.”

  Reece quickly walked around the car, where Levi stood, holding her door open. Stopping to speak to Harrison for only a moment, he swiftly came around and got into the driver’s seat. Reece could not help but to smile at how excited Harrison was. She shook her head as a group of girls approached him, and watched as he indulged himself in the attention for a few moments, before disappearing through the crowds.

  Levi revved the engine loudly. He pulled out into a small, open stretch of road, and lined up behind two cars that were waiting to race. Reece looked over at him, wondering what the next move was, and wondering if now would be the time to hold on.

  He was extremely serious, and his eyes seemed to see more than just the cars in front of them. When those cars sped away like bullets, Levi pulled up to the front, where an annoyed-looking man stopped him at a certain point.

  Must be mad because we have no one to race? Where is Harrison? This isn’t going to work, Reece thought as she turned to see if he was anywhere around. There was no sight of the car.

  Then, as if out of nowhere, the black Pemdai car slid into its place beside them. Levi’s lips turned up into a tiny smile. The crowd around both cars enlarged quickly as people noticed the lustrous Pemdai car. The man in front of them was preparing to signal their start. Reece braced herself. Levi’s attention shifted to his rear view mirror.

  He spoke in a very low voice, almost to himself. “They are behind us. We need to leave now!”

  With that, the man waved them on. Levi responded immediately, and Reece found her head pressed back against her head rest. She held tightly onto the door handle, and closed her eyes. That turned out to be a bad decision; all it did was heighten the sounds of the roaring car, and as they took tight turns, almost threw her into Levi. She opened them instead, and tried to focus on the road before them. Harrison’s car paced the Camaro. Reece could tell he was holding his powerful car back, and wished she was in the faster Pemdai car at the moment. Levi gripped the wheel tightly with one hand, and the other manipulated the speed of
the car while shifting its gears. His eyes, brighter than ever, repetitively scanned the rearview mirror.

  It was not long before he spoke—quiet and low. “They’re with you, and we still have one with us. I’ll do my best to lose them, but without enough speed, I may have to find another way.”

  The Camaro now tore through an empty highway. Reece felt her weight constantly shifting in the car as she tried to keep her balance. I’m gonna be sore after this. She hoped she would be able to walk when she got out of the car. They turned onto a private road that went up a hill. A car still followed them, and when Reece looked to Levi for reassurance, she found none reflected on his dark face.

  He reached over, bracing her tightly, and turned the wheel hard. The car instantly spun around and stopped. They sat, unmoving, in the middle of the empty road, facing downhill, the way they just had come.

  “Stay here,” Levi ordered. “Remember what we talked about.” He got out and locked the car doors. The oncoming car stopped about ten feet in front of him.

  Reece’s heart raced. Was Levi giving up? Not possible. The two front doors of the other car opened, and two very tall men got out and swiftly approached Levi.

  In a matter of seconds, Levi had the first man on the ground. Then there was a bright flash, and that man disappeared. The other one leaped onto Levi, got his arm around Levi’s neck, and held something against it. What? Reece sat on her hands to stop herself from jumping out of the car. But what could she do? She was a moment away from opening the car door to create a distraction when Levi freed himself. He swept one leg behind his captor, spun around, and he held him down until another bright flash came, and the man vanished.