Eternal Faith - Book 4 (The Ruby Ring Saga) (12 page)

“We
can hide and still lead a wonderful life, Liz.”

“Do
you really want to spend all your time and energy running and hiding? Not only
do we have to watch out for certain other Immortals, but there’s also the
government to think about. Do you know what they’d do if they realized the kind
of power we can wield?”

“I
love it here, Liz. I don’t need a big, fancy castle and a crown on my head. I’m
happy in the home Victor and I have created. For now, it’s just the two of us
and our dog, and we’ve got a baby on the way. For me, it’s the perfect life. I
have all that I need right here.”

“I
know, Sarah, but when Alexander is eighteen, you really must let Victor return to
Tastia. He’s a king. Surely you can’t be so selfish as to keep him away from
the life he loves and knows, to reduce him from ruling a great and mighty
kingdom to a nobody living in a white house with a picket fence.”

“I
don’t have any intentions to force Victor to stay, but even after Alexander is
eighteen, will he really be safe there? What if Ethano corrupts him as an
adult? What if he befriends him and poisons his mind? Staying here is not just
about me.”

“Admit
it. You love having Victor all to yourself. Here, he is only the king of his
very small, insignificant castle, and you don’t have to share him with anyone.”

I
raised a brow. “What?”

“Victor
was too busy running his empire in Tastia, and you felt neglected. You hated
the fact that he had to pencil you in.”

“Yes,
Victor was extremely busy, but he always made time for me.”

“I’m
not saying he didn’t. I just saying that now, here, you have 100 percent of his
time.”

“I
won’t deny that, and maybe it does make me a little selfish, but I love having
him around all of the time.”

“Is
that why you want him to stay here?”

“Maybe,
but it also has a lot to do with Alexander and Ethano. Victor and Della have
some kind of secret they refuse to share with me. Victor will not come clean
about it and does nothing but change the subject when I ask him about it. Whatever
happened, it’s bad enough to enrage Ethano. Della is on the run, and Victor was
almost killed over it. It’s obvious that Ethano wants revenge, and I don’t
think he’ll stop until he gets it. I’m sure that’s why he wants our son. I’m
terrified that if we go back, now or eighteen years from now, Victor’s past
will come back to haunt us all.”

“Why
do
you
want to stay here?” Liz asked.

“I
just don’t think I can live without my Smartphone.”

We
both burst into laughter, but my smile faded as I heard cries just around the
bend.

I
nudged Liz. “C’mon. Let’s make sure everything is okay.”

Around
the corner, we saw four kids huddled around a German shepherd. Their cries and
shouts tore at my heart.

“Call
911!” a little girl said. “Mommy, please!”

The
young mother wiped her eyes. “Baby, Max is gone. He’s in Doggie Heaven now.”

“I’m
so sorry for your loss,” I said.

“He’s
my best friend,” the little girl with long, curly hair said. “I can’t live
without Max!”

Tears
welled up in my eyes, as it jolted me back to the moment when I’d said the same
thing, when I thought I’d lost my Victor. I knew it was completely different,
but the pain we both felt was evident.

I
grabbed Liz’s arm, but she wouldn’t budge. Her eyes were fixed on the poor dog
lying in the snow as the kids hugged him. As soon as my sister knelt down, I
knew what she was about to do. She placed her hands on the dog and closed her
eyes.

“Liz,”
I said, “we’re not supposed to do this.”

“I
can handle a dog by myself. Remember back in Dornia, when I healed the horse?”

“What’s
she doing?” a little boy asked.

“She’s
praying,” the mom said.

Energy
swirled around her hands as she touched the dog. The kids watched intently as
the mom called for them. The German shepherd suddenly sat up, and the kids
squealed in joy.

Tears
streamed from the little girl’s eyes, and a smile lit up her face. “Max! He’s
all better! Thank you, lady! You have magic prayers!”

“What
the...?” the mom asked. “How’d you do that?”

Liz
walked up to her and the kids, all of them stunned. “The dog quit breathing.
Luckily, a veterinarian stopped on the trail and gave Max CPR, reviving him.”
She then wiped her hands on her shorts after a job well done and turned to me. “There.
They’re all compelled. I think my work is done here.”

The
little kids hugged the dog as he barked.

I
threw an arm around my wonderful sister. “That was beautiful. You’re such a
softie.”

She
smiled. “Well, I hate to see kids cry, that’s all.”

“You
love being Immortal, don’t you?”

“You
can read me like a book, Sarah, which is exactly why I’m a danger in this
world. I just can’t seem to keep secrets like I should, and one of these days,
I’m afraid my inability to hide who I really am is gonna get me in real
trouble.”

V
ictor
had left for work two hours ago for rehearsal when a co-worker picked him up to
practice their fight scenes, even though Victor didn’t really need the extra
practice.

I
didn’t start until nine a.m., so I decided to stop at the grocery store and
pick up some lunch for us. I was dressed in a black pantsuit and black shoes,
with my hair in a long, neat French braid. I reached for my car keys, and our
lunch flew out of my hand when a hand wrapped around my mouth.

“Do
as I say, and I won’t kill you,” a male voice said.

I
closed my eyes and focused on my powers, but it was of no use; I only hit a
brick wall. My heart pounded in my chest as a cold blade was held up to my
throat and I realized my powers were being blocked. “Wh-what do you want?” I
asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“Your
cooperation.” The man then wrapped a blindfold around my eyes and jerked me
forward. “Walk to the van!” he demanded, binding my arms behind my back.

I
heard the
click
of handcuffs and other voices. A door slid open, and I
was shoved inside. I tried once again to break free from the handcuffs, but my
powers were paralyzed. I could see nothing through the blindfold either. “Where
are you taking me?”

“Shut
up,” the man said. “One more word, and I’ll gag you. It’s your choice.”

Ignoring
him, I begged, “Please let me go. I’m pregnant.”

“Really?
As if it isn’t obvious.”

“Just
let me go. Please! I’m no threat to you.”

“I
warned her to shut up,” the man said.

“Well,
gag her then!” another man yelled.

Somebody
yanked my head back and stuffed a cloth inside my mouth. I felt a pinch in my
arm, and panic welled up inside me.

“Calm
down, lady. It’s just a shot,” the man said. “It ain’t gonna hurt you.”

I
was terrified, my mind spinning in a million different directions.
What the
heck do these guys want? Who are they? How dare they shoot me up with something
when they know I’m pregnant?  

In
the next second, I heard the noise of the man rummaging through my purse. “There’s
nothing in here but some damn prenatal vitamins.”

I
was worried for a minute, but then I remembered that Dr. Meyers had been careful
to put another doctor’s name on the label so the Immortals wouldn’t be able to
trace the pills back to her; helping me could have cost her everything, including
her life. Even though they were labeled as vitamins, they were something
entirely different, my life support. I had to have my medication and was glad I
had them stashed in my purse. I only hoped they’d allow me to take them when we
reached our destination. My heart thundered as a thought came to mind:
What if
they’re taking me somewhere to execute me?

We
traveled in complete silence. The worst part was not knowing what they were
going to do to me, and there wasn’t anything I could do to escape. I’d fight to
the end, but for the time being, I just had to try to appease them so they
didn’t do anything crazy to harm me or my baby.

“Call
Ed and tell ‘im we’ve got what he wants,” one man ordered the other.

The
sound of a cell phone flipping open was followed by Ed saying, “We got her.”
After a pause, he continued, “All right. We’ll just put ‘er in there with the
other one.”

Wait...the
other one? Who’s that? Victor? Charles? Liz? Who else could they have sneaked
up on this early in the morning?
I focused and tried to summon a vision,
but nothing came to mind.
Dang it! Of course the stupid power won’t work
when I need it most
. Images only came to me when they felt like it. I
needed to know that they weren’t going to kill me. I needed to fight. I
struggled in my bindings, to no avail. My one relief that they apparently
weren’t going to kill me right away.  

The
van came to a stop, and I got ready to run. I took a deep breath, trying to
relieve the anger that was quickly swelling up inside me like a volcano, ready to
erupt. Being separated from Victor and my loved ones wasn’t an option. As I
stepped out, I heard a plane taking off, letting me know I was either at or
near an airport.  

“Get
her in the helicopter,” the man said.

I
wasn’t about to cooperate, so I kicked my kidnapper’s shin as hard as I could. When
he screamed in agony, I bolted, but I didn’t get very far before I felt arms
wrap around me again.

“You’re
gonna pay for that, you bloated bitch!” the man roared.

My
heart hammered in my chest as I struggled to breathe, and I wondered if my
panicked breaths would be my last.

“Leave
her alone, you idiot. We need her alive.”

“Fine,”
Ed said, yanking his hand away.

I
tumbled to the concrete, sucking in air and moaning as searing waves of pain
rippled across my back.

Somebody
threw me over his sweaty, broad back and set me inside the helicopter; I was
sure it had to be an Immortal, because he lifted me up like I weighed nothing,
and I knew better than that since I looked like I’d swallowed a watermelon
whole. My chest throbbed with each breath as I heard the chopper lift into the
air and worried again about where they were taking me. I was forced to endure
the extremely loud flight, and I felt a soft, annoying tickle as the vibrations
shot up through my body.  

When
we finally landed, I was taken out of the whirlybird and marched into a
building. We rode up an elevator, then walked down a long, labyrinth-like hallway
that twisted and turned for what seemed like forever. I was gagged,
blindfolded, and handcuffed like some kind of dangerous criminal. When my
captors finally removed the blindfold, I blinked, trying to let my eyes adjust
to the glaring light. When my vision finally focused again, I found myself in a
large white room with no windows.

“This
is the control room, where we monitor everything,” explained a random soldier.

It
was obviously some kind of secret military operation, I realized, as I scanned
the humongous room. Bright light flooded the large space, but as I glanced up
at the ceiling, I saw no florescent fixtures and not even one light bulb. I had
to wonder if I was somehow witnessing the future of electricity. The walls and
ceiling glistened like millions of crushed diamonds. Beyond two high pillars
stretched the command center, bustling with personnel, blinking panels,
consoles, maps, and charts. In the middle, a contingent of people watched a
giant screen on the far left wall, as big as a highway billboard. It changed
images continually, displaying positions of different cities.

As soon as
someone pointed toward me, the murmur died, and heads started to turn.

Turning
to my right, I noticed a tall man wearing a white lab, and he smiled hesitantly.
The soldiers standing behind me, dressed in dark, military-style uniforms, didn’t
seem quite as welcoming. One spoke in a deep accent, saying something I couldn’t
understand, and the others nodded, a frown forming between their brows. After taking
several breaths to calm my racing heart, I fixed my gaze on the man with the
green eyes and black hair, apparently some kind of doctor or scientist.

He
signaled one of the soldiers over. “Take her with the other woman,” he said. “She’ll
need food and water. She must be kept healthy...and alive. Understand?”

“Yes,
Dr. Larson.”

My
shirt was glued to my back, and nervous butterfly wings fluttered in my
stomach. As I shot the man a questioning look, he turned away, and that terrified
me, because it indicated that he was definitely hiding something. Again, I
wondered what they had planned for me, and I shuddered when I thought about all
the options.  

We
walked through the maze of corridors and down a few flights of stairs. Finally
we entered a room where I was greeted by medical personnel in white scrubs.
They used handheld detectors and scanned me.

“She’s
clear.”

“Should
we put her through the decontamination process?” a man asked.

“No.
Her readings are excellent.”

“I
need my vitamins from my purse,” I begged. “I can’t afford to miss a dose.”

“Nope.
No pills,” the man said sternly, shaking his head.

“But
I’m pregnant. I have to take them!”

Ignoring
my wishes, they walked me to a metal door with a small window. A guard snapped
my handcuffs open and shoved me forward, and I fell to my knees. I’d been thrown
into a large, white, padded room, like a mental institution. My breath became
ragged, and my hands balled into white-knuckled fists as I stared ahead. Then,
my eyes widened at the familiar figure sitting in the corner of the room. “Della!”
my voice cried out. “Is that really you?”

She
squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them. “I think so. I’m on so many drugs in
here that I’m not sure what’s real anymore. You’re Sarah, aren’t you?”

I
gripped her hands. “Yes, it’s me. We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

She
leaned in close and eyed me straight on. “When they told me they’d captured
another Immortal, I’d been hoping it was Victor,” she said, her voice weak.

I
rolled my eyes. While I was glad to finally know where she was, I did not want
to be locked up with her, of all people. In fact, the only worse cellmate I
could imagine would have been Ethano himself, especially when she made comments
like that about
my
husband.  

She
ran a hand through her messy hair. “I’ve been a prisoner here for months.”

I
raised my eyebrows. “What have they been doing to you, besides drugging you?”

With
trembling hands, she pushed her sweat-dampened hair out of her eyes. Her voice
shook as she answered, “Everything, Sarah. I’ve been...they’ve kept me alive for
their horrible experiments, as if I am some kind of a laboratory rat, a
scientists’ plaything.”

I
gasped, and the room suddenly felt smaller, the air thicker and hotter. A heavy
sensation pushed down on my lungs, making it even more difficult to breathe. “No!
We can’t be here for that. I’m carrying a baby, for goodness sake.”

“Victor’s,
I presume?”

I
only nodded.

She
focused a cold gaze on me. “Well, these madmen do not care. There will be no
mercy here—not for me, not for you, and not for that baby of yours. I hate to
be the one to tell you, and you most certainly don’t deserve it, but I’m afraid
the horror will start the minute you wake up tomorrow.”

I
lashed out by pounding on the wall with my hands. My voice rose an octave or
two, and my eyes darted left and right. I was supposed to protect the precious
life growing inside of me, but I’d managed to get both of us—Alexander as well
as myself—imprisoned in a Frankenstein lab. A rush of emotions flooded through
me, and I didn’t know what to say or do.

Like
some ominous shadow of my grim future, Della looked absolutely horrible,
nothing at all like the glamorous woman I’d met at that bar one night. She
seemed thinner and paler than she was before, almost emaciated, and it was
impossible not to notice the dark circles under her eyes. Even her brown eyes
themselves had lost their sparkle and looked dead and empty, as if her very
spirit had been trampled to death.  

I
took a deep breath, summoning Victor’s picture. He would be my strength, my
rock, even if he was not physically there. He was part of me, part of
Alexander, and I knew he would be with his wife and child at all times, if only
in spirit.  

“Did
they give you a shot in your arm?” Della asked, breaking me from my thoughts.  

“Yes.
I thought it was to sedate me, but I don’t feel sleepy.”

“No,
that shot is to disable your powers for thirty days. Even though they can
paralyze our powers, they have others working for them who aren’t Immortal.”

My
mouth pressed into a hard, flat line. “Ah. So they want their minions to be
safe at all costs.”

“Exactly.”

My
gaze narrowed. “And how do you know this?”

“The
guy told me as he injected me. He said we’re beyond dangerous and need to be immobilized.”
A frown knitted between her brows. “He was right, too, because I would have
torn him limb from limb if I could have.”

As
the words came slowly out of my mouth, I could only stare in disbelief. “I-I
can’t believe I’ve been injected with more poison. I told them I’m pregnant,
so—”

“They
don’t care, Sarah, but don’t worry. If your baby is anywhere near as hardheaded
and stubborn as his father, I’m sure he’s fine.”

I
touched my stomach. “I hope so.”

“This
world has means for disabling Immortals, as well as good cause for it, since
our kind and humans do not always mix well. If we could get our hands on some
of those vials and figure out how to manufacture them, Victor could defeat
Ethano and his army and get his kingdom back.”

I
honestly didn’t want to think about leaving my world again. I didn’t want to go
back to Tastia. I’d had a five-month glimpse of the perfect life I’d dreamt
about for years: the loving husband, the home we’d decorated together, the
nursery we’d created, a bouncing baby boy on the way, a loyal dog, and living
just a street away from Liz and Charles, close enough to visit my parents
whenever I wanted. I didn’t want to leave all of that behind. I’d initially
wanted to leave Victor and go back through the portal with Frank, Beth, and the
others because I knew I didn’t really belong in his world, but I loved him so
much that I was willing to give it all up and try to live in his realm. I’d
tolerated it for a year, and it hadn’t been so bad, but after returning to
California, getting a real taste of home and the life I had always known, I
simply couldn’t bear the thought of leaving again.

I
turned to look at Della and wondered what had happened to her since she’d gone
missing. “Have you been here all this time, Della?” I asked.