Watchtowers : Water Read online

  “I think he works for Amidurah.”

  Zion frowned. “Knowledge from the dolphins is useful to Amidurah to prevent counteraction to his manipulations of the seas.”

  She mulled over his statement. “Thane indicated Amidurah had something to do with the hurricanes and tsunamis. What else can this maniac influence?”

  “The remaining elements are earth and fire. We’ll never know until someone opposes him.” He took a deep breath. “Are you ready to see what you can do?”

  Her mouth suddenly went dry and Keely licked her lips. Silence hung between them like a sword poised to lop off an enemy’s head. Then her ears heard a faint whir.

  The Castle was righting itself. In a short while, the climate control would resume and the sump pump would begin to work on removing the remaining water from the dungeon. The locking mechanisms on the doors would engage. She’d check for system hardware integrity after the room dried, if the resettling didn’t further damage her home.

  The information loaded in the VDU was compromised by the damage Doubilet visited on the unit. Her most recent breakthroughs hadn’t been transferred yet to VDU storage. Knowing the tiny encapsulated chip replicated her basic studies and was stored in two separate locations, Keely nodded her head assured that not all was lost.

  Chapter Nine

  Keely tied her hair back and watched Zion check the power level of the yellow jet bike in the stable. Enjoyed the way his muscles flexed and the definition the tight, black cotton jeans gave his ass. Nothing in her imagination prepared her for the reality of Zion and his sexiness. Heat pooled between her legs thinking of the way they’d made love, the ways they could make love.

  “We’re set to go.”

  She was set all right. Not to practice her supposed power in the upcoming fight with Amidurah but set to jump Zion’s bones. She shifted trying to ease the volcano-like desire building and ready to erupt in her core.

  “Great.” Her voice sounded half-hearted. She didn’t want to manipulate the water like she’d seen Zion do. Nature never intended people to wield the sort of power capable of changing the flow of rivers and pushing back tides.

  “So what are you standing there for? Get on.”

  Or get off. She shook her head. Domnu help her. She couldn’t get her mind off the possibility of a quickie with this hunk.

  Keely straddled the jet bike and placed her hands around Zion’s waist. The black tee he’d donned after the Sentries removed Doubilet, molded to his torso, the heat of his body engulfing her hands and arms. She couldn’t imagine getting to Doonbeg River, ten minutes away, without spontaneously combusting from the sexual fire smoldering within.

  Between her legs the engine of the bike thrummed to life, the sensations acting like a huge vibrator against her sensitive slit. She’d never make it to Doonbeg without bursting into a spontaneous orgasm.

  Zion gunned the machine and it shot forward out of the stable and onto the path leading to the road.

  Every direction she looked traveling north dampened her sexual ardor. Keely saw the damage wrought by Amidurah’s tsunami. Crews on N67 worked to clear a wider path free of dirt, broken oak limbs, and pieces of buildings. The gentle roll of the green hills was dotted with small, contained fires. The scent of burning flesh tainted the air.

  The cloying odor roiled her stomach, overpowering the vibrations racing through her body and corresponding longing. She still couldn’t comprehend the necessity of such needless violence. What did Amidurah hope to accomplish with such destruction?

  Just outside the town of Doonbeg, Zion turned onto a narrow road. Evidence of the tsunami shoving the ocean water up the river littered the area. He dodged the bike around downed trees and decaying animals.

  “Stop.” The single word seemed enough for him to bring the bike to a halt.

  She leapt from the seat and ran to a tree near the side of the road. Her stomach reacted to the surroundings forcing her to bend at the waist. She heaved, shoulders lurching forward, but nothing came up. Tears slid down her face, a visceral reaction to the combination of what she saw, the dismay she felt, and her inability to vomit the intangible.

  Behind her, she heard Zion’s footfall trample the grass. He draped an arm around her shoulder and one of his hands pulled the strands of her hair away from her face. His presence offered her comfort.

  She caught her breath and stopped jerking. The tears continued in a helpless torrent of the anger, betrayal, and disappointment she’d kept dammed up.

  Zion turned her toward him, wrapped his arms around her and said nothing.

  Words were unnecessary. The safety and comfort of his arms allowed her sanctuary and told her more about him than weeks of long drawn out courting rituals. The pad of one of his thumbs brushed aside an errant tear.

  Keely wanted to linger in the haven Zion provided knowing she couldn’t. Amidurah beckoned with his calling cards of natural disasters of unprecedented proportions. Weak, she knew she was no match for him. Only one reasonable choice was left.

  She straightened, cleared her throat, and leaned back to look into Zion’s blue eyes. Her pain mingled with his and radiated back. She reached up and stroked the side of his face, a tender caress to give back a little of the comfort he’d given her. “I’m ready to bring this bastard down.”

  *****

  Keely’s statement echoed in his mind. She was mentally ready to take on Amidurah.. He fisted his hands in her hair and kissed her, his lips crushing hers in possession. Beneath his, her mouth opened in invitation. He thrust his tongue into her warmth, stroking the velvety heat. Her body melted against his, made him aware of every sexy curve and his own hard desire. By the gods, he wanted to take her this very moment.

  With effort he pulled his lips from hers. “You make me insane with lust.”

  A blush crept up her face and she cast her gaze toward the ground. “I feel pretty much the same.”

  He tipped her chin up and stared into her green depths, wanted to devour her with his primitive urges. Silky soft, her very skin called to him to make love to her all day long. Amazing, she’d finally given in to his presence and he’d been the one blessed. There would never again be life for him without her by his side.

  The thoughts made a difference. Poseidon held no such beliefs beyond lust and sating the body with whomever was handy.

  He reigned in his desire the way that his father halted the hippocampi, with powerful yanks on his mental restraints. “Much as I’d like to test the limits of my virility and your ability for limitless orgasm we don’t have the time.”

  Her eyes warmed and she blushed again. “I’d like to try.”

  Suddenly Zion felt like beating his chest in victory. The sound of her husky voice nearly swayed him from his resolve. “The sooner we find out just what you do, the sooner we discover our limits.” He winked.

  A smile briefly crossed her face, and then her countenance turned serious. “Just what did you have in mind?”

  He couldn’t resist answering the question. “I thought about electronic bracelets locking your wrists to the bedposts and a pair for your ankles.” He rubbed his chin in mock thought. “Yes, then I could have you at my will, any way I desired.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’d do that?”

  “And more. I’ll tantalize you into total submission, darling.” The thought of her helpless beneath him, writhing in pleasure hardened his cock to the point of pain. He leered at her, licked his lips, and reached out to grab her.

  Keely scampered away from his outstretched arms. “Oh, you big tease,” she laughed. “It’s time to get serious.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows. “What makes you think I’m not?”

  *****

  She forgot to breathe. Zion’s suggestions were so, well, suggestive. Her nipples tightened against the synthetic cropped blouse. He knew how to make her body quiver with erotic excitement. The sooner they worked on her water control, the sooner she’d discover what other sensations he’d elicit in her sexuall
y hungry body.

  Instead of responding to his playful question, she turned her back and headed toward the Doonbeg River. The scars wrought by Amidurah on the river and the surrounding land burned onto her retina. She’d never forget what he’d done to her beloved Ireland or the murder of her parents.

  Keely stuck out her hands, pointing them at the still murky water. Nothing. Disappointment held her in its grip. At the beach, Zion had flexed his wrist and the incoming wave stopped mid-motion. Another twist and the ocean resumed its advance to the beach. She scowled.

  “Here now, you’re going about it wrong.”

  Spinning, she faced Zion. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

  He turned her so she looked at the river again. His arms came down on each side of her with his hands resting on top of hers. His warm breath tickled the side of her neck. “Relax. Let your essence open to the innate, natural power of the water. Close your mind to outside influence.”

  She nearly snorted. She fought to close her mind to the loud crashing water and the singing birds, but was unable to keep him from her thoughts. A subtle move and his hands would be on her waist, skimming up the side of her ribs and able to caress her breasts. Her heart pounded in a crazy staccato. Always she’d be aware of Zion, his male presence, the scent of his skin, the way she responded to his touch. There was nothing to do but settle for what she could do.

  “Good. You’ve been angry with what Amidurah’s done. Rightfully so. Now let go of the anger and think of why he must be stopped. Let empathy and sorrows guide you. Love, kindness, and genuine concern are far more powerful than the hatred and revenge flowing from his being.”

  Keely closed her eyes and concentrated. There were precious few memories of love in her past. Sorrow for the losses she and others endured and empathy for the plight of the ocean’s life abounded. Memories of her parents decaying bodies, the destruction visible on the beach, roads, and pastures rushed to mind. Her heart clenched with the ache such devastation created.

  “Yes, Keely. Strong, sincere emotions will combat Amidurah and weaken his strength. Let the truth of his ugliness guide your responses.” Zion’s hands kept her arms lifted in front of her.

  He provided her with physical strength and more. A thread of power connected them. Cleansing her spirit, she inhaled deeply, exhaled, and repeated the action. She let go of her sorrow and felt tears steak down her face.

  “That’s it. Let it go, all of it.”

  The power grew. The tenuous thread between them became a ribbon, turned into a rope. It wrapped protectively around her, binding her with strength.

  She opened her eyes and gasped. A narrow wall of water stood tall in the middle of the river and cast a rainbow.

  *****

  Keely stared out her bedroom window, a hand resting flat against the wall. She’d been like that for nearly a half-hour, not saying a word.

  All Zion did was hold her. The satin smooth texture of her skin, the floral scent of her hair renewed his resolve and strength in ways he didn’t know were possible.

  She turned, broke from his hold, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Will I have to work myself into such an emotional state every time I use this ability?”

  He looked at the pale gray, splintered walls of her bedroom before meeting her anxious eyes. Apprehension filled her green depths. There was more, an unspoken fear that tore into him like a mouthful of shark’s teeth. Zion didn’t know how to respond.

  She’d managed a thin wall of water, the effort depleting her physically and emotionally. Hell, her struggle fatigued him. It would be a long time before she could handle the feat on her own.

  Time they didn’t necessarily have. He needed to return to Atlantis and rebuild his own diminishing strength if he were to be of use to Keely or his people.

  “No. Not every time.”

  “How long then before I don’t feel like a wrung out rag?”

  “Depends.”

  “On?”

  “Your aptitude and willingness to learn, practice, and cultivate your power and emotions.”

  “Like this?”

  Keely stood on her tiptoes, took his face between her hands and kissed him.

  Zion surrendered to her insistent kiss; allowed her to take control by softening his lips beneath hers. Keely represented everything right with the world. Studious, kind, tender hearted, beautiful. The perfect counterpart to govern Atlantis.

  He stroked her cheek with his fingers, memorizing the feel of her delicate, scented skin. The reality of Keely was better than the visitations he’d made in her mind prior to her eighteenth birthday. He hated the thought of letting her go.

  But he had to.

  He pulled her hands from his face and kept them captured between his own. The colorless gray walls of the bedroom closed in around him, constricting the breath in his lungs.

  He had to leave. Soon.

  He shifted from foot to foot.

  “What is it, Zion?”

  Her voice, a barely audible whisper, slashed at his heart.

  Every moment he spent with her on land took twice as much energy as his life in the sea. The power that flowed from him to her emptied the little reserve he had remaining.

  “You know I’d never willingly abandon you. You’re the most important woman in my life.”

  Her eyes lit with happiness and she shyly smiled.

  “But, I can’t stay indefinitely. I have to leave.”

  Chapter Ten

  Keely couldn’t keep the shock from her voice. “Leave?”

  Zion nodded. “On land, my power diminishes, rapidly.”

  A chill caressed her skin and she rubbed her arms. Her mouth formed an “O” but the word didn’t come out. He had to leave her. The man who’d just professed his devotion was leaving. She rolled the words around in her mind and tried to keep them from stabbing and slicing her heart. She failed.

  She stumbled away from Zion. With the heel of her hand, she scrubbed her eyes, an attempt to keep tears from falling. She didn’t want to face him, not until she could calm her swirling emotions and get herself together. “When?” The single choked word was all she managed.

  “Soon.”

  She swallowed hard. That one word he uttered sounded forlorn. “You don’t want to go?”

  A moment later, Zion was behind her and turned her to face him, his hands gripping her upper arms. “No. But, I must. I’ll be no good to you dead.”

  Keely flinched as if she’d been slapped. Worry gnawed at her stomach. “Dead? What’s wrong with you?”

  He let go of her arm and stroked her face. “Nothing out of the ordinary. I can’t stay topside for long. I am, after all, a man of the sea.”

  She nodded, trying to comprehend. Part of her mind accepted his words at value. Another part realized with sadness they could never be together permanently. Her heart ached with loss. “Will you come back?”

  He smiled. “For as long as I’m wanted.”

  The words were hauntingly familiar. She laid her palm over the top of his hand. Firm and strong, just like the rest of him. But it was an illusion. A strength he couldn’t maintain on land. Zion weak was not a reality she readily imagined, not when his potency currently emanated from every pore. Keely drew his hand toward her lips and kissed the tender inner skin.

  Zion began to pull away. Keely kept a tight hold, kissing his palm again, covering every centimeter of skin with her lips. She had to show him how much she loved him, even knowing he would have to leave her forever one day. When she reached the pad of his forefinger, she drew it into her mouth and swirled her tongue around the tip.

  A needy groan met her ears. She released his finger, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips. Zion grasped her hips and pressed her against him. His erection nudged her sex and she spread her legs. With a shaky breath, she pulled away from his face, as sexually aroused and aching as he was. “I want to make love to you before you go.”

  He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, tipped her chi
n upward and crushed her against the solid wall of his chest. The strong column of his neck called to her and Keely nibbled on the slightly salty skin, working her way up to the tip of his earlobe. Tasting Zion intoxicated her. She’d never get enough of him.

  “I want to feel you around me,” he whispered, his voice uneven.

  Lowering her feet back to the floor, she unfastened his jeans and shoved them off his hips to pool around his ankles.

  Deftly, he stepped out of them, held her away from his body and stripped off his shirt.

  Warmth flooded her body, preparing her to accept his length deep between her legs. Together they would make love to one another, create a new symphony, and weave a tapestry of binding love, all symbolized in the union of their bodies with one another.

  Her goldenrod shirt flew off her body in a rush. Cool air caressed her skin, but it didn’t stop her from reaching for the waistband of her capris. Her hand met Zion’s.

  Together they tugged the slacks down, until she too was gloriously free of restraining clothing.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, her nipples tingled against his skin, hardening into tight, aching points. Caressing Zion’s taut muscles, it was hard to believe he could ever be weak. But the way he’d said it had frightened her. Accepting he had to depart was difficult, but if leaving kept him alive, Keely had no choice but to let him go.

  A firm hand stroked over her bottom, a finger teased the cleft between her thighs. She shimmied against the caress, her breath caught in a hitch as she waited for more.

  Zion slipped from beneath her arms and with a light stroke of his hands on the backs of her thighs, dropped to his knees. “Mmm, you smell so good I want to taste you.”

  Anticipation coiled low in her belly, arousing her further. She shifted slightly when he pulled her thighs closer to his lips.

  When the first stroke of his tongue touched her intimately, Keely moaned. Languid lashes started at her clitoris and continued to probe her ready entrance. Her hips bucked forward to let more of Zion’s wicked tongue minister to her. Damn, but his tonguing felt wonderful.