Relic (The Brethren Series) Read online

  “Well, Gabriel found out some stuff.” He flipped to another point in his notebook. “First of all, Dr. Chappo is a legitimate archeologist, but he’s a very quirky fellow. There are no current pictures of him anywhere, not even school-age pictures. So the only way we can identify him is by someone actually describing him to us. Also, he lives in an isolated area southeast of here, near Tortilla Flat.

  “Now, you mentioned he took Jared on a dig in Germany. Gabriel could find no record of this dig. It seems as though Chappo did this on his own time, funding it with his own money. Did Jared tell you anything about the dig or the finds?”

  “Not much.” Serena shook her head. “He said Chappo had been looking for a particular relic for a long time, and this dig had been part of that search. Jared worked there for nearly two months, came home the day before my birthday, and handed me the relic. In typical sister form and being the skeptic that I always am, or was, with him, I basically interrogated him. He had trouble with staying on the right side of the law when it came to acquiring goods. As I told you already, he claimed everything to be on the up and up. Of course we now know that to be a lie. That’s why I gave it back when I got the letter.”

  “Any idea why Chappo is so interested in ‘acquiring’ you?”

  “Honestly, the only connection I can see is that he knows I look like the freaking relic. The fact that he now wants me, too, tells me he is one sick, delusional man. I mean, what could he possibly want with me? I’m not some statue to be collected.” She bristled, aggravated by the whole thing.

  “How much do you know about the relic, Serena?”

  “I know that it’s about a thousand years old. It’s a statue of the goddess Sirona, an ancient Celtic goddess of healing. And that’s all I know. Oh, and I look like her. Whoopie for me! Wait a minute. I look like her. She’s the Goddess of Healing, but she’s a statue, and I’m real. Son of a bitch!” Serena shot up from her seat, her hands flying to her gaping mouth. “Raphael, don’t you see? It finally makes sense! He thinks I’m her!” She paced the floor and stopped cold, looking Raphael square in the eyes.

  “Raphael, I’m the relic!”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Her heart leapt to her throat at the stunning realization.

  “But why, Raphael? Why does he need me? What can I possibly do for him?”

  “Maybe he’s ill. Maybe he thinks you can heal him.” He rubbed his temples with his fingers.

  “You can’t be serious. With all the doctors and hospitals in the world, you mean to tell me he’s decided I can heal him? That’s crazy!”

  “I’m only guessing here, but it seems to make sense, in a twisted way, that if you look like the statue, maybe you could do what he thinks the statue can do. I don’t know. It’s just a thought, and a troubling one at that.”

  “So, now I possibly know why Dr. Crazy is after me. I can work with that. But Bull, he still presents a big problem. What am I going to do about him?”

  “First, you need to stop saying ‘I’ and ‘me’. We’re in this together, Serena. Don’t think for one minute I’m going to let you go or do anything on your own. Plus, we’ve got the other Brethren backing us up if we need them. So don’t worry about Bull. The Brethren will take care of him when we find him. As far as Dr. Chappo goes, now that we know a plausible connection between you two, we can work on a plan to stop him in his tracks as well.”

  “That’s sounds great to me. I want my life back, Raphael. I want to hike my mountains and walk the vortexes. I want to work my business. Lord knows I’ve been away too long, and owe it to my people who’ve kept the place running so well. And I want to be strong again. I know Emma healed me, but I can tell I’m still not my old self.” She sighed, looking at the sky. “The sun’s beginning to set. I think I’ll go in and start making dinner.”

  “Want some help with that?”

  “Actually, I’d like you to build a fire, if you’d be so kind. We could eat beside it. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

  “That would be perfect.” He wrapped his arms around her like a cloak. They stayed that way for a good long time, watching the sun take its leave of the day. Long enough for Serena’s belly to grumble. “Okay, okay. I hear you.” He laughed. “Let’s go in and get some grub.”

  ***

  Bull watched as the couple made their way back into the house. It had taken him long enough to get there, but he’d finally found the bitch’s hideaway. It took all of his restraint not to barrel out of the brush and kill her immediately, boyfriend be damned. He decided he’d kill him, too. Maybe he’d shoot him first and make her watch. And before he killed her, he’d teach her how real men want it, over and over. Maybe he’d even do her a couple of times just to see the look of horror on her face. It would be priceless. Pure fantasy. He knew he’d never get close to her now. He’d have to use his sniper rifle to kill her.

  He stayed seated in the prickly brush outside the property line, biding his time. He needed to catch her inside or out, alone and unawares. It would be difficult. This place is a fucking a fortress, but I can wait. He had all the time in the world. He took out his chewing tobacco and pinched a good amount between his fingers, shoved it between his cheek and gums, and waited for the nicotine to kick in. He felt a tingle in his shirt pocket. His cell phone. Steve was calling, again. So sorry, asshole, he thought. Bull can’t come to the phone right now. Bull’s gone a huntin’.

  ***

  Between the cozy fire and the homemade pizza and beer, Serena seemed relaxed for the first time in quite a while. They were leaning against the couch, sitting in amiable silence and watching the flames lick and tease the crumbling logs.

  That very comfortable silence reminded Raphael of the many times he and Sirona had lain with their bodies tangled by the fire, giving each other room for private contemplation. To know that her soul could be so close to his right now had him contemplating the right and the wrong of starting a relationship with Serena. At this point he had to admit to leaning toward it being more wrong than right.

  And he hated that.

  “I think I’ll go take a bath and turn in.” Serena interrupted his musings. “It’s been quite a day.” She stood up to leave.

  “Okay, I’ll just sit here and watch the fire die down before doing some work. Towels are in the closet in your bathroom, and the tub is Jacuzzi style in case you want to try that out. Good night, Serena,” Raphael said with aloofness.

  “Good night, Raphael,” Serena responded just as distantly, and she bent down to kiss him lightly on the cheek and gave him a quick smile.

  The way the firelight is playing with her hair and dancing in her eyes, she’s simply irresistible. Raphael slowly exhaled the breath he’d been holding. It took all of his energy not to reach out and grab the woman. But, my cheek. She kissed my cheek? What the hell is that all about?

  After the kisses they’d shared, she thought to kiss his cheek. Well, isn’t that a fine how do you do? She brushed me off like lint. And why am I getting so bent out of shape? I’m the one who’d been arguing in my head earlier about the pros and cons of getting involved with her. He had decided to back off until he could sort things out. She didn’t know it yet, but he did. And darned if she hadn’t beaten me to it!

  He took the fireplace poker and poked the crap out of the logs so they resembled charred, mangled bits. The fire blazed anew and embers floated majestically up the chimney. Suddenly, he didn’t feel much like a fire. He scowled and tossed the remains of his beer on the guiltless flames. His immortality didn’t matter. He could act very childish sometimes if he tried to, and it had been a while since the last time. He figured he was due.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Serena soaked in the Jacuzzi tub resplendent with oils and fragrances. The heat from the water and the pulse from the jets served to batter away at the threads of anxiety and grief. She knew it wouldn’t take them away forever, and tears threatened to expose themselves. When she decided that to hold them back would be worse than having a
good cry, she let them flow. My brother is dead. She would never have the chance to hug, laugh, scold, or tease him ever again. With every tear that mixed with the bath water, she said a prayer that he would rest in peace and be in a happier place.

  She ducked under the water as if to cleanse herself spiritually. As her head broke the surface, she took a breath, like the first one a baby entering the world took in. It was a new world for her. A solitary one. And she decided to make the best of it.

  Resting against the back of the tub, she looked around at the bathroom for the first time and thought it a shame it had no windows. But a safe house and windows weren’t the best combination. Brushed nickel faucets and accents tastefully appointed the room, with white subway tile for an overall clean and sleek look. She closed her eyes and let the bath oils and jets work their magic. And thoughts of Raphael entered her mind. He’d become so distant by the fire. Why? He’s such a puzzle. He deserved that kiss on the cheek instead of on the lips! I hope he’s as unsettled as I am. The bath oil aroma made her drowsy.

  And she dreamt.

  “Come wash my back, Raphael. I cannot reach.”

  “You are too far away, my love. All the way across the tub, you are,” Raphael teased back.

  “Then I shall have to move you closer, my love.” Hands wrapped seductively around Raphael’s ankles and tugged hard. She had taken him so by surprise that he plunged under the water and quickly came back up again, squirting water at her. They laughed and splashed and tussled with each other until she found herself straddling Raphael.

  “I can reach your back now, sweetheart. Do you still need a scrub?” Raphael asked, his voice—along with another body part—thick with need.

  “Yes, but first, I need you.” Breathless with desire and ecstasy, she filled herself with him.

  “Oh, my heavens!” Serena gasped and choked as she slipped under the foaming water. She pushed herself back up and sputtered. “Holy bejeebers, what the hell was that?” Her heart raced, and her stomach quivered, on the verge of a most exquisite orgasm. “And what the hell is this? Oh!” she groaned.

  “Everything okay in there, Serena?” Raphael called from behind the door, worry clearly evident in his voice.

  “Yes! Yes!” she croaked out. “Everything is fine!” Hell yeah, everything was fine. She just had a wicked orgasm without even being touched. How was that for safe sex?

  “Okay, I’ll leave you be.” She heard his footsteps retreat, and she let out a sigh of relief.

  This is crazy, she thought as the last ripples of pleasure ran up and down her body. She thought about the dream itself. Raphael had played Raphael in her dream, but who the heck had she been? She certainly didn’t feel as if she acted as herself even though she looked through her own eyes. Getting nowhere, she decided to give up trying to decipher the dream. With the bath water cooled and her fingers perfectly raisined, she drained the tub and wrapped herself in a luscious towel. Sufficiently exhausted from the day and whatever that had been in the tub, Serena tucked herself into bed.

  Sleep came easily enough, but she found herself wide awake by three o’clock in the morning. She’d already played ten hands of solitaire and read through the magazines left in her bathroom. Figuring the night air might help, she opened her small window and peered out at the stars.

  “Oh Jared, I really do hope you are in a good place. I’m so sorry for being hard on you. I’ve missed you so much and now that I know you’re not coming back, I miss you even more. If you see mom where you are, tell her that I miss her, and I will love her always.”

  She sighed as she continued looking at the twinkling stars. She recalled something she’d learned in school about stars. When she’d gone to a planetarium on a field trip, she remembered learning that some of the stars she saw may not even exist anymore because of how long it took light to travel. She marveled at the mysteries of the universe, and now itched to go outside rather than stay cooped up in the house. But she thought better of it, and settled for leaning out farther from her window. She heard what sounded like wind chimes tinkling. How relaxing.

  ***

  Being vigilant, Bull hadn’t so much as closed his eyes for more than a minute since laying siege in the brush. He noticed a small window opening. He looked through the scope of his sniper rifle and saw Serena’s head peeking out and looking up the stars. Her lips were moving, but he couldn’t make out the words. It didn’t matter. Here was his chance! With the silencer already screwed on, he unlocked the safety as he continued to look through the scope. He aimed at her pretty head.

  Bull squeezed the trigger and instead of seeing Serena’s head explode like a watermelon, he heard a tinkle, like a coin dropping down a metal pipe. He aimed and fired again. She remained oblivious and again he heard the tinkling sound. What the fuck is going on? He wildly unloaded his magazine in a fit of anger, only to get even madder than hell at seeing and hearing the same results. He had no explanation. What the hell do I do now? Retreat and regroup?

  ***

  Raphael slammed through Serena’s bedroom door like a snarling grizzly bear. “Get down!” he shouted as he raced to her side, pulled her back through the window, and pushed her down flat to the carpet.

  “What on earth are you doing, Raphael?”

  “Stay down. Shots were fired. Crawl over to the hallway and into your bathroom. Don’t come out until I come and get you myself. Go!”

  Serena scuttled across the floor as quickly as her trembling legs could move. She entered her bathroom, closed the door behind her, and crouched in the farthest corner, waiting. Bull. He’d found her! But she hadn’t heard any gunshots, only wind chimes. It must be that angel thing, she figured. Raphael could probably hear better than any human.

  What is Raphael doing? She worried for his safety. Could immortals still get hurt? She could fix a simple injury; she’d taken first aid classes for her business. But what if he got hurt worse than she could handle? Could another Savior get to him in time?

  “Shut up and stop thinking, Serena!” she berated herself. “Be a good girl and do as you are told. He didn’t tell you to freak out, so knock it off!” She sat in a tight, huddled ball waiting for disaster to strike.

  ***

  Raphael walked the perimeter of the property and stumbled across a pile of shell casings. Whoever the sniper, he didn’t seem to care too much about cleaning up after himself. Raphael knew it had to have been Bull. The other men Serena mentioned were on Chappo’s payroll and looking to snatch her, not kill her. Bull is driven by some skewed vendetta towards Serena, and he’d never been shy about it. At least he had the sense to get the hell out of here before being found out. Raphael would have surely killed him first and asked questions later.

  He flipped open his phone and speed dialed Kemuel. “Hey, Kemuel. Bull’s been here, shooting at Serena. Can you come and trace him?”

  “You bet. I’ll fly right over.”

  He walked closer to the house, easily passing through the invisible protective shield Michael had erected, the latest and greatest in Brethren protective technology. It detected the DNA signature of people allowed on the property. While at the hospital, Raphael had collected DNA from Serena and given it to Michael to submit into the program. Anyone else’s DNA could be put through the program, no problem. As he walked the edge of the shield by Serena’s bedroom window, he found the flattened bullets on the ground and silently thanked God the shield had held.

  No more than five minutes passed and Kemuel stood under the window shaking hands with Raphael, looking over the bullets. “Go take care of your woman, Raphael. I got this.”

  “I want him brought back here, brother. He knows too much about us now, and he wants Serena dead. That’s enough for me to level some serious justice on his ass.”

  “You know the law, Raphael. You’re a Savior, not a Warrior. I’ll bring him, but if he doesn’t provoke you in a threatening manner, you can’t touch him. Lethally that is.”

  “What do you think he was doing
to Serena? Giving her flowers?” he shouted. “I’d call unloading a full magazine at her enough provocation, brother.” Calming himself, he continued, “Don’t worry. I won’t do anything to jeopardize my position in The Brethren. However, I get the distinct impression it doesn’t take much to set this psychopath off.”

  “I’ll do my best to bring him here alive, ’cause if he provokes me, you know he’s a dead man.” Kemuel flew off into the night to go hunting Bull.

  Raphael went back inside the house, checking every latch and securing the house. Satisfied, he went to release Serena from her hiding place. He lightly rapped on the door so as not to startle her. “Serena, it’s me, Raphael. Open up. All’s clear.”

  A few moments passed. He heard the snick of the lock. The door opened a crack. He saw her peeking around and the door flew open wide. A blur rushed into his arms, squeezing him tightly.

  “Whoa! Easy, there. It’s all right, sweetheart. Everything is all right,” he cajoled, kissing her lightly on the top of her head.

  “You were gone for so long, I worried. I know you’re immortal, but I don’t know if you can still get hurt, and if you did, would I know what to do? And what if Bull injured you so badly and came after me and….”

  “Serena, whoa…take a breath. I’m here, and I’m fine. Bull is gone, but Kemuel’s gone after him. He’ll bring him back, and we’ll have justice served upon him.” He reveled in the feel of her body molded to his. Oh God, what had he decided to do about her? Something about staying away, right? He couldn’t remember for sure. She pulled back and looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.

  “What exactly does that mean?” she asked.

  “He can’t be dealt with through human law at this point. He knows where our safe house is. He’s seen our protective shield in action. That’s why the bullets never reached you. They hit the shield and dropped to the ground. Plus, the man has tried to kill you three times now. He’ll be dealt with by Brethren law. It is swift and permanent.”