Warriors of Poseidon 03 - Atlantis Unleashed

ground on her stomach just over a slight rise in the ground, hidden by the tall grasses. Alejandro flanked her, kneeling, and between the two of them a pile of ammunition lay ready for reloading. Justice had tried to hold her, just for one last embrace before he went down to face the vampires, but she‟d been stiff and resistant in his arms. He‟d kissed the top of her head and let her go, hating that their last moment together would be like this.
    He crouched down beside the two of them. “It‟s time. Are you ready?”
    Alejandro swore virulently, shaking his head. “No, we‟re not ready. We‟re nearly useless here. I need to go with you.”
    “No. We‟ve been over this. If I fall to them, I‟ll need for you to come get Eleni and keep her safe. Keep Keely safe. I need your word,” Justice said.
    Alejandro looked like he wanted to argue, but finally nodded. “You have my word. I will protect the child and your woman with my dying breath. Right now I‟m going to check that everyone is in place. I‟ll return within two minutes.”
    Justice nodded and Alejandro slipped away as silently as one of the jaguars that roamed the jungle.
    Keely watched him go, too, and then looked up at Justice, that flat, dead look still in place in her emerald eyes. “I can protect myself, and I‟m nobody‟s woman. You do what you need to do. We‟ll take care of our end.”
    Justice wanted nothing more than to take her and fly away from this miserable place, far from vampires and death and stolen children. He‟d finally found the true mate to his heart, to his soul, and he would lose her so quickly. He knew the optimistic plan he‟d fed the others had no chance of succeeding. The vampires would be more than ready for him.
    He‟d stepped into situations like this before, but always with his brothers and the rest of the Seven at his side. They could handle all of it as long as they were together.
    Alone, he was nothing but vamp fodder.
    There were so many things he wished he‟d had the time to say. Abruptly he stood up, forcing himself to move. “Keely, know this. No matter what you are thinking or feeling, you have no blame in this. It was I who stole you away for those hours, I who failed to protect this village and the child. I am tasked with protecting humanity, and yet I chose selfishly instead of honoring my duty.”
    A flicker of life moved behind her eyes, and she slowly shook her head from side to side. “I knew how much she was suffering, Justice. She‟s just like me, except she was orphaned and treated like a pariah. I knew, and still I abandoned her.”
    Tears welled up in her eyes, but her face was hard and unyielding. “If you fall, I will follow you and rescue that child, no matter what it takes.”
    He took the shotgun from her hands, pulled her into a fierce embrace, and kissed her with every bit of love and longing his soul cried out to give her. Forcing himself to release her was the hardest thing he‟d ever done in his long, bleak centuries of existence.
    She caught his arm as he turned away. “Justice,” she said, so quietly he nearly missed it. “I love you, too.”
    He said nothing. Words were beyond him, as his soul prepared for death. He simply began the solitary walk down to the San Bartolo temple, a condemned man walking to his own execution.
    But he‟d save the child first. When they remembered his worthless life, they would know that Eleni lived.
    There was only one final act he must at least try. He stopped walking and closed his eyes, mustering every ounce of energy and power he possessed, and then he called for the portal.
    This time it answered his call. Fickle godsdamned thing. As the familiar ovoid shape appeared and shimmered and stretched into shape, he saw the startled faces of the guards on the other side as they recognized him and lowered their weapons. When he made no move to enter, one of them called out to him.
    “Lord Justice? Your brothers will be very happy to know that you‟re back. The portal hasn‟t opened for any of us, not even Alaric, since you left.”
    Ah. That answered one question. They‟d known he was in San Bartolo. Part of him had hoped—no, expected—that they would show up to save the day, as Ven liked to say.
    “My lord? Are you entering?” the other one asked him. “Is there trouble?”
    “Yes,” Justice finally answered. “Yes, there is trouble. Tell Conlan and Ven . . . Tell them to send help. Tell them we need reinforcements. Tell them