Time Eternal (29 page)

Skyla reached for him; her hand held his whiskered jaw lightly. “Hey, look at me. I’m okay.” Rising on her toes, she brushed a soft kiss on his mouth and whispered, “See, I’m all right. I’m not hurt.” His lips felt like granite at first, but he slowly returned her kiss. His harsh expression and rigid, battle-ready pose were slowly relaxing too. His left arm curved around her waist, flushing her against his body, which was humming with energy. Just like every time these past few days, her body tingled all over immediately. No time to play, though. With much reluctance, she stepped away from him.

“Here’re your toys.” A small backpack was pushed into her arms. Vivi smiled at her, teasing, and pulled out one of the two broad swords strapped behind her back. “And here’s your baby. Happy hunting.”

Skyla reached for her custom-made sword and swung it left to right and right to left a couple times. The sword was as wide and long as her arm, but she held it with ease and confidence as if it was an extension of her body.

Satisfied with testing her sword and her sword arm, she quickly put on the spare black thermal sweater and cargo pants from the backpack. No matter how fashionable she was, fighting bad guys in a sexy tank top and shorts just wouldn’t do. Next she strapped a collection of knives on her utility belt and her broadsword behind her back.

It took all of thirty seconds. “I’m ready.” Just as she turned for the door, Rei pulled her back and turned her around. Before she could question him, his warm lips pressed against hers. It was a searing kiss, all tongue and teeth.

“I’ll kill Fernando for touching you again,” he growled against her breathless mouth. His determined gray eyes were full of the promise of vengeance and also full of love. That gave her strength, gave Elizabeth strength. She knew in her bones that this time she and Rei would end it together. History would not repeat itself again.

“I know,” she answered him breathlessly.

Somewhere someone was clearing his throat and said, “We’ve got to go. Save the necking for later, please.” It was Gus. Funny, she had never heard that kind of tone from him. He almost sounded like a growling father seeing his teenage daughter kissing her prom date good night on the driveway. She and Rei both jumped apart. Without further ado, Rei grabbed her hand and led them out of the chamber.

Outside of the chamber, the two guards were lying on the floor. No blood, though. Rei and her team must have knocked them unconscious, which was good. Fernando didn’t know of her rescue yet, which bought them time and the element of surprise.

Rei led them down the spiral stone staircase. When they reached the landing with the arched iron door leading out of the tower, a dark shadow emerged from the corner. They halted abruptly, and both Rei and Gus swung their swords forward while pushing her and Vivi behind them. Both she and Vivi rolled their eyes. And in unison, they both stepped up and fanned out next to Rei and Gus, drawing forward of their swords, ready for battle.

Skyla wasn’t surprised to see Antonio stepping out from the shadows. His hands were empty. She immediately stepped up to her cousin. “Where are Papa and your father?”

At the same time, Rei tried to grab a hold of her. “Skyla, no!” But she was already standing toe-to-toe in front of her cousin. With no choice, Rei rushed up next to her and pointed his saber against Antonio’s neck.

Her cousin’s eyes turned hard. Quicker than either of them could react, Antonio’s hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist, yanking her forward. “Listen to me, Elizabeth. If you want to keep your father and my father alive, you have to come with me.” His eyes flickered to Rei and then Gus. “Now.”

“Don’t you dare to touch her again. Don’t you dare to even speak to her. I should’ve killed you a long time ago.” Rei grunted out his hatred at Antonio through gritted teeth while pressing his sword deeper against his throat.

There was no fear in Antonio’s face, and his voice remained calm. “Get your damn sword off me. Elizabeth has to come with me now. If I don’t bring her to Fernando immediately, he’ll have our fathers executed on the spot.”

“Where are they?” She looked into to her cousin’s once-warm, handsome face, but now all she saw was a cold, unfeeling traitor to her family. If Rei’s saber was not already drawing blood from Antonio’s neck, she would’ve thought her cousin was tricking them again. But the determination in his eyes was too real to dismiss.

“Fernando has them in the dungeon underneath the main house. He’s expecting you now.” There was a slight rise of her cousin’s voice, a sense of urgency, a sense of fear, not for himself but for their fathers.

She raised her hand and pushed down on Rei’s arm. “Let him go.”

“Are you crazy?” Rei grabbed her elbow and looked at her fiercely. “It’s a trap for all of us. Fernando must know I’d stop at nothing to rescue you. He’s using your family as bait.”

Gus spoke up as well. “Skyla, it’s too dangerous. Our immediate goal is to secure you. Once you’re back at the agency safely, we’ll come back to take Fernando down.” Gus was following orders. All mission active teams must always work within the primary parameters of their mission, and she knew her team was there to rescue her and make sure she got back to their time period safely. She also understood Rei’s fear of losing her again. But how could she just leave with her birth family in danger? Besides, she knew in her bones that this was meant to be. This was the end. She had to see it through.

She took a step away from both of the men, making sure they saw her as the trained agent she was, not the helpless girl from another lifetime.

“No, we end it now.” Then she turned back to her cousin and gave him a nod. “Lead the way.”

Before Rei reached for her again, she had her dagger out and pushed the dull side of it against his throat. Her movement surprised Rei; anger lined his raw, masculine face. “Skyla—” There was a tightly controlled warning in his voice.

“No. I have to go. Only I can save them. Don’t ask me otherwise.” Still holding the dagger against his throat, even though it was no threat to him, she turned to Gus and Vivi. “Find my father and uncle. I’ll delay Fernando.”

There was hesitation in Gus’s and Vivi’s eyes, but they reluctantly nodded, knowing her all too well. Once her mind was made up, no one could stop her, not even the director. Satisfied, she carefully put the dagger back into her utility belt and turned back to her cousin. “If this ends up as one of your schemes, cousin or no cousin, I will kill you.”

Antonio gave her a solemn nod and led the way through the arched door. Before she moved out, a hand stopped her.

“I won’t let you go to Fernando without protection.” It was Rei. She was surprised by the pleading tone in his commanding voice.

She smiled up at him. “I know you won’t. It’s something I must do for myself, for Elizabeth.” Then she pulled his head lower, pressing her forehead against his. “You and your men will follow us. Wait outside and be ready, okay?”

With much reluctance, Rei inhaled a deep breath and nodded in agreement with her. She held him closer for a moment longer and then walked out with her cousin.

Antonio led Skyla into a room behind the grand staircase in the main house. It was spare, just like her holding room in the tower, a bed, a table with two chairs, and an oversized dresser. The only personal item in the room was a small picture frame, which Skyla couldn’t quite make out from afar.

“Take off your combat clothes and gear and put this on.” He shoved a woolen cloak toward her. She hesitated for a long moment but understood the cloak could not possibly hide the sword, though it would cover the rest of her weapons. She made haste with her clothing and took the sword and scabbard off her back.

“No tricks,” she said before handing her sword to him. She knew better than to trust him, yet she had no choice.

The cloak felt soft on her skin; it was made of exquisitely fine yarn. Only noblemen in this time period could afford such luxury. So maybe her cousin hadn’t lied about Fernando keeping his promise of riches. And maybe her cousin was genuine about helping her and their fathers. Skyla sent out a silent prayer that it was true and that she would not have to kill her cousin. She absolutely would if she had to, but part of her still remembered how close they were as children and how much she had trusted him as her protector. Even though her uncle, his father, had never approved of her cousin’s choice of military career, nevertheless, Uncle Giovanni liked Antonio immensely, especially after Antonio’s mother died from childbirth. So it would seriously suck if she had to kill him.

No time to dwell on what-ifs. “Ready.” She adjusted the cloak, making sure it completely concealed her.

Antonio let her up the staircase to the far back of the mansion. The hallway was progressively getting dimmer. At the end of it, two guards were posted outside of a set double doors made of ornately carved wood. Light was coming from underneath the doors. As soon as the guards saw their approach, they reached to open the doors, which took both of them to push open. A heavy creaking noise echoed through the empty hallway.

But as soon as Skyla stepped inside, she immediately knew why Fernando had used such heavy wood for the doors. His playroom was a BDSM fantasyland. Crops, whips, floggers, spreader bars, St. Andrew’s crosses, cuffs, ropes, chains, and all sorts of other toys were arranged in a classic dungeon setting. Skyla muted her gasp.

“Welcome, Elizabeth.” Fernando smiled at her. He was shirtless, with only a pair of cotton trousers on. Two sets of five guards were lined along the walls on the side. They too were dressed like Fernando in thin cotton pants with nothing else except their swords.

Her eyes narrowed, and then she stepped forward. “I’m here. Release my father and uncle.” A loud clunk sounded behind. She didn’t need to turn around to know the doors were firmly closed.

Fernando’s smile deepened on his thin, pale face. That alone gave her the creeps already. And now he was beckoning her to come closer. Inside, Elizabeth recoiled from the sick lust shining in his eyes, but Skyla knew she had to play along to give Vivi and Gus the time to rescue her father and uncle. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to Fernando while Antonio kept pace with her from behind.

Standing tall in front of Fernando, Skyla held out her chin. She would be damned if she would let him see that Elizabeth was trembling inside of her. She repeated. “I am here. Release my father and uncle.”

The lecherous bastard had the nerve to hold out his bony hand, trying to caress her face. She wanted to crush his wrist for such audacity, for inflicting so much terror on countless young women before her. But she forced down her need for vengeance. She needed to buy time for her team.

Fernando’s cold, clammy hand brushed her cheek lightly, as if he were examining a rare antique. She stood still, accepting his unwelcome touches stoically. Obviously not satisfied with her reaction, he stroked his hand down to her neck. It started as a light caress, and then he abruptly tightened his hold, choking her. Her body tensed up immediately. Her instinct was to fight back, but again she forced herself to relax, to give the appearance of submission. Out of the corner of her eye, Antonio almost took a step forward but stopped himself immediately. He too understood the need to stall for time.

Fernando’s smile was cold, yet his eyes were dancing with excitement. “Elizabeth, you don’t know how long I’ve waited for you here in my domain.” He leaned forward and ran his slimy tongue along her cheek.
Gross!
Still Skyla forced herself to remain still, remain submissive.

“I told you, you could be either my wife or my whore. I guess you’ve chosen to be my whore. I could have executed your papa and uncle right then and there, but my spies found out about your uncle’s time machine and how you didn’t die in the fire but used the time machine to escape me.” He yanked her forward and pushed his hard-on against her, wanting to shock her as he had done to Elizabeth. Skyla knew his game, and she also knew in order to win, she could not show him any reaction. So she schooled her expression to be as blank as possible, as bored as possible. And it worked. Now anger was blazing across Fernando’s face. He was not getting his fix from seeing terror in his prey’s eyes. His lips curled into a hideous glower.

“Elizabeth, it doesn’t matter who you think you’ve become, I will break you, and you will submit to me.” He raised his hand. Just as she was debating whether she should take the blow to give Vivi and Gus more time or deflect it as her training demanded, the doors crashed open, and the two guards were thrown into the room. Their lifeless bodies landed on the floor at Fernando’s feet.

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