Eternal Flame - Book 6 (The Ruby Ring Saga) Read online

  His lips lowered on mine. I so longed for his kiss and gentle caress as he softly stroked his hands through my hair. Every touch, every stroke, every soft kiss was magnified ten times. My body was consumed by his fiery lip-lock, filled with our deep connection and meaningful intimacy. I enjoyed that waltz of our lips, that connection of our souls, and I felt every ounce of love pouring into me like a flowing river. The touch of his warm, hungry lips and tongue sent my pulse racing. Words couldn’t express how connected I felt to that man, my glorious king. He calmed my racing heart and gave me the strength to do what I knew I had to do. Because of Victor, I would be victorious.

  “I’d give anything to take your place,” Victor said.

  “You will feel the pain too,” I whispered. “We’re bonded once again. Just stay brave.”

  “Look at you, telling me to be brave, when you are the one who must fall under the blade. Sarah, you are so selfless, so compassionate. You are the bravest soul I’ve ever met.”

  “Victor, you are just as selfless and strong. Thank you for not stopping me from what we both know I must do. Ultimately, you always let me make my own decisions, no matter how difficult they may be for you. For that, and for so many other reasons, you will always have my love and respect.”

  “I understand your reasons, my love. It wouldn’t be right for me to scoop you up and carry you out of here.”

  “Just think of this as a necessary evil, one step closer to getting home.”

  “Home?”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “To Tastia.”

  He grinned and pulled me close. He loved me referring to Tastia as home. I could tell by the way his entire face lit up.

  “I love you so much,” I said.

  “And I love you, my Queen.”

  When I opened my eyes, the huge temple was filled with Jackson’s rebel army, hundreds of tall, well-built warriors, all with blue rings and all staring intensely at me with their light blue eyes. I also noticed their gold rings in the shape of an eagle on their right hands.

  Liz ran over and gripped my hands. “Please tell me we’re leaving this very second.”

  I gripped her hands. “I can’t go. Not yet.”

  “What!? You can, and you should,” she said. “We’re not hostages, and Jackson said we can leave on our own free will. You can’t just let them stab you, Sarah!”

  “I’ll heal.”

  “So what? I can’t stand by and watch them torture you and Victor. Because he’ll feel it too! Maybe not as much because he’s so strong and hundreds of years old, but he’ll definitely feel it. Let’s forget this nightmare and bolt, okay?”

  “This is my decision. Please respect it.”

  “What about Victor?”

  “I can handle it,” Victor said, “though I wish I could lie down in her stead.”

  “Victor,” Charles said, “Liz is right. This is foolish nonsense. We must leave immediately.”

  “I’m not fond of watching my wife suffer, but I have to respect Sarah’s decision.”

  Charles and Liz argued some more, and we adamantly stood by our side of the argument. After a few minutes, they realized we weren’t going to change our minds. Liz wasn’t happy about it but accepted it. I was putting all my trust in Jackson, and I hoped I wasn’t wrong to let my guard down. Part of me didn’t trust him; Ethano had made it difficult for me to ever trust anyone again.

  Victor and the others were given front-row seats. I knew it would be hard for them, and I wondered if I was actually crazy for volunteering to be sacrificed in a ceremony I really knew nothing about.

  A woman with long blonde hair took me into the back. I was given a brown, coarse dress. The material felt like a burlap sack, but I was told the unflattering garment had been traditionally worn in many such ceremonies in previous generations. Gold bracelets adorned my wrists, and they slid a gold ring on my finger.

  “You look beautiful,” a redhead said. “One more final piece and you’ll be all set.”

  “What’s this?” I asked, cocking a brow as she handed me some gold headgear, a gaudy thing that looked like something Lady Gaga would wear on the back of a Harley.

  “It’s an ancient, ceremonial helmet of protection. It dates back thousands of years.”

  “I don’t want to wear it,” I said nicely.

  She smiled. “You must. It will protect you from the brunt force of magic that even your mark will not be able to withstand. For your sake and the sake of your family and loved ones, please take all necessary precautions.”

  I sighed and put the helmet on my head. I felt like some kind of priestess as I walked out, all eyes focused solely on me. While a chorus of eerie, weird chants broke out in a ritualistic language I did not understand, I tried to be brave, but the whole macabre scene was far too reminiscent of what I’d been through with Ethano and his priests. To make matters worse, I had no idea what they were saying as they read from ancient texts.

  Suddenly, ten golden balls of fire began to encircle us.

  “What are those?” I whispered, staring at the orbs in awe.

  “Only one is the correct one,” the priest said. “Please choose wisely.”

  I blinked. “How do I know which one to pick?”

  He motioned toward them. “It will be brighter than the others.”

  I sighed. “But they all look the same.”

  “Concentrate and focus,” the priest said. “If you truly have the mark, you will know which one to choose.”

  “And what if I pick the wrong one?”

  His face grew grim. “Then you will die.”

  I swallowed hard.

  “You can do it,” Jackson whispered.

  I closed my eyes and focused, then opened them again. One of the balls was, in fact, burning hotter than all the others. I reached my hands out and slowly grabbed the flame. When I glanced down, I saw that I was holding what looked like a golden egg. Much to my surprise, it didn’t burn my hands. In fact, I felt enchanted by the mystical object. Energy surged from it and raced through my body like a bolt of electricity. It wasn’t painful, but it contained power like none I’d ever felt before, A tidal wave of energy, harmony, and peace washed over me, and from somewhere in the distance, a voice seemed to whisper, telling me that everything was going to be okay.

  Next, I was instructed to put the golden object on the altar. The priest chanted some more and spilled blood on it from a silver goblet encrusted with tiny, shimmering diamonds. I stepped back as the stone exploded into a thousand tiny particles, coating the entire altar.

  “Lie down,” the priest said.

  My entire body shook as I reclined on the cold concrete slab in the front of the sanctuary. I was scared and wanted to run; the calm feeling had quickly left me at the sight of the blood from the goblet.

  When the chanting started and a group of priests came in, I felt myself starting to panic. Jackson gripped my hand and assured me that everything was going to be okay. The ritual must have put me in an altered state, because everything in me wanted to jump off the altar and give up the whole ludicrous idea. The chants grew louder as I stared up at the stone ceiling. It was like something from the ancient, gothic past.

  “I can stop this,” Victor’s voice whispered in my head. “Please let me stop it.”

  Jackson looked at me. “Please trust me. We’ve come too far to stop now.”

  “I’m scared, but I trust him,” I said. “It’ll be okay.”

  The temple grew even darker, and an ominous silence blanketed the room. A gust of wind broke out, shattering the glass of the large, circular window on the ceiling. I blinked, trying to keep the shards out of my eyes. The wind grew fierce, swirling around the room to the left and right. Dozens of lightning bolts then shot through the gaping hole, followed by a long stream of red fire and blue ice. Deafening thunder clapped, and a powerful energy seemed to flow into me from every direction, making it impossible for me to even breathe.

  Out of nowhere, a sketchy, blue, 3D map ho
vered in the air. I blinked, trying to make it out in the howling wind and swirling debris and a thick white fog that had suddenly rolled in. It looked like the map had been drawn with lasers, and while I didn’t recognize it as any familiar country, the priests seem to be well up on their otherworldly geography lessons. I could tell by their excitement they were overwhelmed with happiness and knew exactly what they were looking at.

  “The map,” an immortal screamed. “It’s pinpointing where to find the box.”

  Then, just like that, the map dissipated. Before I knew what was happening, the priest raised the dagger over his head and plunged the blade deep into my heart.

  Sudden pain exploded in my chest, and I silently screamed. Liz screamed an audible cry, and Victor doubled over in pain. When my sister tried to scoop me up, a group of men held her back.

  “She will be fine,” Jackson told her. “We must finish the most important part.”

  “Victor,” I called in my mind, “it hurts so damn bad. I-I can’t breathe.”

  “I’m here. We’ll get through this together.”

  “I don’t know about that. I feel like I’m dying.”

  “Try to breathe through the pain, my love.”

  Suddenly, I felt Victor’s arms wrap around me, an effort to comfort me. In his dream world, I gazed deeply into his eyes. “I love you so much,” I said.

  “And I love you, more than life itself.”

  I snapped back into reality and opened my eyes.

  Back in the temple room, Liz and Charles attacked, and things became grim very quickly. How did things get so quickly out of hand?

  As the immortals dragged them out, I called for Jackson. “I-I need them,” I gasped out between breaths. “Please!”

  Jackson instructed that the immortals bring them back in.

  Victor held my hand, and I felt comforted as dizziness overcame me. The room went dark once again, and the wind stopped, but a brilliant light filled the room, the emission of hundreds of yellow orbs. They swirled around me, then exploded into tiny red and green lightning bolts that struck everyone in the room. I couldn’t hang on anymore and closed my eyes.

  Chapter 12

  When I awoke, I was back at the safe house, in bed, surrounded by all my friends and family. Even my round-the-clock surveillance team greeted me, thanking me for my cooperation in the ceremony. I felt for the ceremonial helmet but somebody had taken it off. The gold ring and bracelets were gone, and so was the ancient dress I wore. I was back in my own clothes.

  “Who dressed me?” I asked.

  “Me,” my mother answered. “And nobody was around. I swear.”

  “Wh-what happened?” I stuttered, a bit disoriented. “Am I...okay?”

  “You’re doing fantastic,” said a familiar voice.

  “Dr. Meyers?” I said.

  “Hi, Sarah. I came as soon as Jackson called me. You’re going to be just fine.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Victor?” I said.

  He gripped my hand. “I’m right here.”

  “They didn’t hurt you or Charles or Liz, did they?”

  “No. We’re all fine.”

  “Is Alexander okay?” I asked.

  Victor kissed my hand. “He’s sleeping, darling.”

  I felt the skin over my heart. “They really did it. They really stabbed me.”

  “Well, you are healed now. As you would say, I punched Jackson’s ass out.”

  “Oh, Victor. You didn’t?”

  “He did,” Liz said, “but don’t worry. Jackson took his sucker-punch like a man and just walked away.”

  My mind was still fuzzy, but it was all slowly coming back to me. “Well? Did it work? Please don’t tell me it was for nothing.”

  “They found the location of the relics, and the ceremony intensified everyone’s powers.” She smiled, then nudged me. “Including ours!”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. I’ve already had some fun with mine. The best part is that we will now have no problem kicking blue-ringed butt. Wanna go find one and try it out?”

  “Liz!”

  “I’m kidding. But anyway, we are now more powerful than them, and here’s the kicker. They can’t turn off our powers anymore. When that box is opened, they won’t have any powers at all. They better not mess with me then!”

  I could feel a deep energy coursing through me, far more powerful than any I’d ever felt before. I glanced up at Victor. “I can really feel it,” I said.

  “As can I.”

  “I didn’t want this,” I said. “Being immortal gave me more than enough powers.”

  He gripped my hand. “Yes, I know, my love, but this will help us in our battle against that foul Ethano. We are now far more powerful than him.”

  “True, but he still has loyal followers,” Charles said. “No matter how strong we are, we remain sorely outnumbered by his warriors.”

  “They are not so loyal to that tyrant. They are just afraid to defy him, since there is no one in place to protect them. When I go back and make a stand, many of them will forsake him and come back to my ranks,” Victor said. “We will take Ethano by surprise and crush him under our boots like a snake.”

  ***

  I always thought I had unspeakable powers before, but now I was stronger than ever. The ceremony was frightening, but I’d been given a gift, one I needed to stay alive and keep my son and my family safe. All things considered, I was more than willing to shed a little of my blood to save theirs from being spilled.

  I knew the blue-ringed immortals would target my parents, since they considered them to be the weakest links; they were mortal and had no powers whatsoever. For that reason, I couldn’t wait to whisk my family away to Tastia, where I would feel much safer. Even if the box was opened, rendering them powerless, their wrath was worth feeling, and they could do much harm to my mortal loved ones. We had to keep my parents safe, at all costs.

  As we waited for Jackson to plan his next move, we plotted for our return to Tastia. We planned to leave in just a few weeks, and I hoped we could quickly find the artifact and key that Jackson needed to save his people. Without it, mankind had no chance against the blue-ringed immortals.

  Victor came in and handed me a glass of wine. “This may help to settle your nerves, luv.”

  “I can use that, but there’s something I need even more,” I said in a seductive tone.

  He smiled. His strong hands moved over my shoulders, pushing aside the spaghetti strap of my red silk top. I let my head fall back as he trailed kisses down my neck. His tongue began to work its magic on the tender flesh of my neck. I lifted my arms, and he slid my shirt off. My nipples were aching to be teased and tasted, burning to be touched and caressed. He held my breasts aggressively with his hands but licked them so softly that I couldn’t help but moan in ecstasy. He told me to lie on my back, and he slowly inched his warm tongue down the length of my body, tasting me and driving me crazy. Then, I turned the tables and made him lie down, so I could return the favor.

  My breasts spilled into his hands, and I loved the taste of his lips, the feeling of his strong body, his bare chest pressed against mine. I kissed him all night long, and it still was not long enough. In a thousand lifetimes, I would never quench my eternal thirst for Victor, my blue-eyed king.

  ***

  Victor and I spent a wonderful day with Alexander. So I was okay when Victor and Charles left with Jackson. They had things to discuss and I knew Victor would fill me in when he got back.

  “There’s nothing in the fridge!” Liz shouted from the kitchen.

  “I know. We need a grocery run, desperately.” I knew Jackson would have been happy to oblige, but I hated being so dependent on him. I gently put my sleeping baby in the bassinet next to me. “Wait till Charles and Victor get back, and then we’ll all grab a bite to eat.”

  “It sounds wonderful, but I really wanted to make everyone a home-cooked meal,” she said.

  I laughed. “We both know you�
�re not cooking it.”

  “What? I’m a wonderful chef,” she retorted, “with Mom’s help. And I want to make something special for everyone including Jackson’s security.”

  “Why don’t we give Mom a break? I’m sure the two of us can whip up a meal.”

  Liz cocked a brow. “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  Mom smiled as she walked in on our conversation. “I’d love that, and I can watch Alexander while you girls run to the store. Grandma would love some alone time with her grandson.”

  “I can go by myself,” Liz said, smiling. “I won’t be long.”

  “And let you pick out the ingredients?” I said. “Not a chance.”

  “Hey! I’m well capable of reading a grocery list.”

  “Anyway, it isn’t good for you to go alone,” our mother warned.

  “Please, Mom. With my fancy new powers, I’m sure I can handle cleanup on Aisle Four.”

  “It’s safer for you to stay together, no matter how strong you think you are.”

  I kissed Alexander on the forehead, then left with Liz.

  “You got the list Mom gave us?” I asked, starting the engine.

  She didn’t answer but just stared hard at my ruby ring.

  “Liz, what’s wrong?” I asked.

  “You and Victor got your connection back, and your bond is now intact, but what about Charles and me?”

  “We’ll figure out a way,” I assured her with a smile.

  “It’s highly unlikely that Jackson is gonna give me some all-expense-paid trip to some Fantasy Island with a magical chief on it.”