Hadaen [The Marujan Brothers Series] Book One Read online

  She had woken up at Hadaen's place only a few minutes ago, feeling more cosy than she had ever had in many years. She had somehow felt at home. But then she had heard the voices; Hadaen's and another's. Of course curiosity had led her to the doors she was sure led out to the balcony. And she had listened. Amelia's heart had sunk through the floor when she heard them mention taking her to some place commonsense only told her she wouldn't even be able to find on a map. She had felt hopeless and frightened; and the only reasonable thing she'd seen fit was to get the hell away from there. She was damn grateful that his apartment wasn't far from where she lived.

  Looking around in all directions, Amelia scanned the area cautiously before running up the steps which led up to the building she called home. A staircase brought her up to a hall before she felt around in her pockets for her key and slid it into the slot. Shoving the door open, she saw Reese jump to her feet.

  "Where were you? I was starting to get worried."

  Amelia slammed the door shut. It was a good thing they didn't have neighbours. "Relax, okay? I'm fine. I just need to leave Washington… Or the country." Stripping out of her blouse, Amelia headed for the bathroom.

  "What?" her friend’s voice came from behind her. "What happened? Are you in some type of trouble? Amelia...we can talk about this!"

  She took a towel from the rack and started to blot her hair, glancing at her paled face in the mirror. "You wouldn't understand."

  Reese grabbed the towel from her hands. "Then tell me. Make me understand. Is this about that guy at the store? Did you see him again?" And then her hands searched at Amelia's face. "Did he hurt you?"

  Amelia glanced at her friend. She'd never seen her like this before. Maybe she really did care. Pulling off her jeans, she then took back the towel and wrapped it around her body before ridding the wet underwear. Suddenly remembering her cellphone, she retrieved it and pressed a button. It still worked.

  "I just need some cash, Reese. That's all I need. I have to get out of here."

  "Tell me what the fuck is going on with you!"

  There was a crash coming from the living room. Amelia's heart slowed to a thud. She gripped the towel tight. Reese spun around quickly, her gaze sharp and she moved out of the room.

  "No! Reese!" Amelia groaned fiercely. She was destined to lose her mind. "Don't...go out there!"

  After a moment, Amelia only thought it wise to go after her. Stepping out into the living room, she stopped dead in her tracks to see Hadaen Maruj standing in the middle of the room. His gaze was cold enough to give her frostbite. He held a hand out behind him, as if cautioning the other intruder. Amelia's glance ran over the other man. They looked alike, possibly related; same colouring, eye colour, and thick dark hair. Only this one looked more approachable. It took her a while to realize that neither of them was looking at her. Amelia's gaze averted to Reese. What the fuck--Reese? A golden glow surrounded her, her hair floated around her head slowly and she stood completely still. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. What the hell? She'd lived with this woman for seven years!

  "Who are you?" Hadaen's voice came, slowly and stealthily.

  "What do you want with Amelia?"

  "That's none of your fucking business. Who sent you?"

  Reese turned away and faced Amelia, walking towards her. "We must get you out of here."

  "The hell you will!" Hadaen snarled. And as if by some superhuman speed, he strode pass Reese, standing protectively in front of Amelia. "Do not move another muscle, woman."

  Amelia saw the anger riding across her friend's--her friend?--emotion. And before she knew it, a swirling golden fire ball was raised on top of one of Reese's palms. In a moment it disappeared, vanishing in a puff. She spun on her heel, glaring daggers at the man standing behind her at the door. He smiled smugly and buffed his nails against the breast of his coat.

  "I wouldn't be getting any ideas, sweetheart," his unfamiliar voice sounded through the room. "You have no idea who you are dealing with." And in one sharp second he had her slammed against him, twisting one hand behind her and his other hand by her jaw. Amelia had seen that hold before. He could easily snap her neck in a millisecond.

  "Let her go!" Amelia dodged Hadaen's grip and came up to a stop before them. The look in her friend's eyes told her she was not afraid. Amelia couldn't understand why she wasn't.

  "You might want to encourage your little witch here to speak up."

  "I am no witch!" Reese shrieked.

  "Mmm... I was beginning to think that," he went on. "You smell too damn good to be one."

  "Enough!" Hadaen moved up to them and tugged Amelia behind him. "I have no patience for any fucking chit-chat right now. The darkness Gideon sensed might already be upon us."

  Reese stilled at those words. She frowned deeply as if calculating something in her mind. "Doerci is here?"

  Hadaen's brows rose immediately and he glanced at his brother, then back to her. "What do you know of him?"

  "Not until this oaf releases me."

  He watched her closely before giving Gideon a short nod. Reese shrugged him off and scratched her temple. She then looked Amelia, who now looked scared to death.

  "I'm sorry. You should've known by now."

  "So I'm supposed to just believe all of this?" she scoffed. "The three of you can go fuck yourselves."

  The man snickered but quickly covered it up with a cough. Reese silently pleaded with her. Hadaen looked as if he wanted to murder someone.

  "My name is Esyth," Reese muttered. She glanced at Hadaen. "I'm from a village within the mountains to the east of Maruj."

  "The Hub of Lensai..." Hadaen nodded her to proceed.

  "This sounds like it's going to be a treat," the strange man drawled and then dropped himself down on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table.

  "The oaf is my brother; Gideon Maruj," he told her. "And I'm Hadaen."

  Reese gasped, her face blushing hotly. Gideon grinned, Amelia pouted and rolled her eyes. "My lord, I did not know," she said quickly, throwing in a fast curtsey. "Very few of us know what you look like."

  He nodded. "Tell me how you came to be here?"

  Reese swallowed and took a seat. "My people--there is only a few of us--are the protectors of the Liberty. Many years ago we sensed the power of a spell." She eyed Amelia. "It was a very powerful spell; served to break through the many dimensions of our world. But there had been a flaw. It was not executed properly and the energy of the mana surrounding it was shifted. Whoever had cast that spell was doomed to a life of mortality." Reese--Esyth--shook her head. "We managed to calculate the source of the spell as well as the destination of the caster. It was you, Amelia. Two of our best protectors were sent to find you and raise you; keeping your energy hidden. You are Liberty in itself, Amelia, and we knew one day that Deorci would find out."

  "What happened to the Protectors?" Gideon decided to ask.

  "They were murdered." She remained silent for a while, probably showing reverence. "When I got here, I could smell the darkness from far. Its trail still lingered from the burnt car, their bodies like char.” She turned to Amelia. “I could do nothing but watch you grow up in the foster home. If I'd taken you, Deorci would have known. I had to stay close and hidden as I shielded your energy for you for years."

  Amelia moved towards the coffeemaker shakily and poured herself a mug. She took two long sips. She was going crazy. "What does that mean?" she asked.

  Hadaen answered. "It means that somehow Deorci has gotten notice of your existence. And you're in danger."

  "Also, if we don't get you to remember who you are we are all screwed," Gideon said, his tone strangely amused.

  "They speak the truth, Amelia," Esyth said. "You are the Daughter of Liberty. And you must remember."

  Before she knew it, Hadaen was already standing before her and retrieving something from his pocket. It was a silver necklace with a huge diamond-shaped sapphire locket. She looked up at him, wide-eyed. Amelia's hand shook as she
took it from him. "I-I've seen this before. I-In that dream. I was wearing it."

  "Yes," he said, hoping she could remember before he ripped his own hair out with frustration. "You--" He cleared his throat. "You left it behind when you disappeared."

  She gazed at the remarkable piece of jewelry, running her thumb over the pendant. Suddenly, a blue light glowed within it and she jumped, almost dropping it. Hadaen moved in closer, his eyes intense. Gideon was on his feet now, edging closer. Esyth smiled warmly, eyes clouded with tears. Amelia swallowed and sipped on her coffee once more. This was one hell of a thing for one girl to handle all at once.

  The light intensified, sparkling wildly. She felt a connection, a surge of power tugging at her insides. Then the light burst through the room in an outward sweep, knocking over furniture, almost blinding. Esyth shielded her eyes from the glare, Gideon stood a bit shaken and hands tucked inside his pockets as the light sent a wave throughout the room. His coat blew backwards, straining against the powerful force. Hadaen's eyes never wavered; his gaze never left hers and for a moment she felt as if they were the only two people in the room. Time stood still. Nothing else mattered. And then the power was sucked back into the locket.

  "Fuck, that was awesome!" Gideon blasted.

  Esyth chuckled and clasped her hands at her mouth.

  Amelia looked Hadaen straight in the eye, never blinking. She held the necklace in a death grip. The mug fell from her other hand, smashing against the floor and coffee splashing across the tiles.

  And then she went out cold.

  It was the second time since night that she collapsed in his arms.

  Chapter Five

  Maybe his arm had reached out across the cool sheets long before he was fully awake. It seemed instinctive to do so. She was his key to redemption; to the freedom of his people from the dark cloud that had been casted over the Marujan kingdom by the Kankul Dynasty. So when his fingers didn't make contact with warm flesh or his senses hadn't been tingled by the total nearness of another being, his eyes had flown wide open. It hadn't taken him a millisecond to scramble out of bed.

  Hadaen refused to believe that Amelia had run off again. He had purposely set her down in his bed right next to him, after she had fainted, to prevent just that.

  Without even giving it another thought, Hadaen stormed out of the room. When he saw them--Gideon and her--in the kitchen, he had almost tripped over his own damn feet. Relief washed over him like a well-needed shower. Hadaen frowned and glanced at his brother who was sitting at the counter, sipping on a beer. He had always known Gideon had no sense. It was five-thirty in the fucking morning!

  Averting his gaze to Amelia's turned back, he immediately began to wonder how she was feeling. If she was all right but it didn't seem as if she was aware of his presence at all.

  "Where do we go on from here?" she asked firmly without even turning around. He could hear the gentle pouring of coffee. "Unless you still want to fuck me like an animal."

  "She's back, Hadaen," his brother grinned and bit into a thick sandwich. "And I can't say I don't like her."

  Esyth stepped into the room at that moment, dumping down two duffle bags. "I think it's high time we left Washington. I've got a bad feeling about lingering any longer." Then her cheeks turned to a high shade of red and it was then that Hadaen realized he was only dressed in his underwear. She cleared her throat. "I packed a few necessities."

  "I need a gun," Amelia's voice came. And all three turned to look at her. She was facing him now, her face glowing with a radiance he hadn't seen in centuries. It satisfied him greatly to see her wearing her necklace again. She was truly back. Hadaen was pretty sure it was obvious how excited he was. His cock jumped to attention, straining against the spandex of his boxers-briefs. Her gaze travelled over him distastefully. "Using our powers unnecessarily is going to be a drain. And it's going to give our location away. If we run into any bad guys--and I'm sure we will--firearms will suffice."

  "She's right," Esyth said. "We should all invest in weapons. Deorci will feed on the energy our powers release and that will only make him stronger. We cannot take that chance."

  Gideon stood and downed the rest of his beer. "I agree. I know someone who can help in that area." Hadaen narrowed his eyes at him. "What? I've made a few friends over the years unlike you, you fucking hermit."

  Amelia smiled lazily and shot Gideon a wink. Esyth concealed a grin. He didn't find his brother's words amusing one bit. The only thing that really had his attention at the moment was the sight of her. She was back.

  Moving towards her, Hadaen groaned as the pain in his cock intensified. He was thinking with his balls again. The same way he had seven centuries ago when she had ran away from him. But he didn't care. If he didn't touch her, he'd explode into a million pieces. "I've been dying for you to remember..." And he ran his palms over her arms, reveling in the sweet softness of her skin and taking her in. Amelia was dressed in a tight navy tank-top which was tucked inside the waist of low-riding cargo pants. He wondered where she got the clothes from; Esyth had proven to be very efficient since the previous night. He thought she'd never looked sexier; he could just come all over himself.

  The look she gave him made his balls shrivel. "The faster you release me, the less likely I'll be to cut your fucking balls off."

  He could feel the cool metal pressing sharply against his loins. The slightest move would have him staring down at his own testicles on the floor. A slow whistle came from Gideon at his left. Esyth groaned and dropped her head into her hands.

  A smile curved Hadaen's lips. He was going to have a grand time with her. Removing his hands from her person and holding them up where she could see them, he backed away slowly. It was then that he saw the large blade of the Chef's knife as she placed it down on the counter. She then walked pass all three of them.

  "I'm ready when you are," she muttered and disappeared from his view.

  * * *

  Hadaen maneuvered the black SUV out into the streets, heading into the heart of traffic. The morning was somewhat calm, the weather promising. Sun showed its way past the gentle sweep of the clouds as the orange-ish hue of dawn started to recede from the sky. Gideon sat in the passenger seat next to him, mentally scanning ahead and behind them for any signs of danger. He wore dark sunglasses to conceal the silvery-red glow in his eyes.

  Adjusting the rear-view mirror, Hadaen checked the vehicles behind them just to be sure. Everything seemed fine. He then glanced at Amelia who was seated behind Gideon, her face turned and was looking absently through the window. What he'd give for just an ounce of her thoughts. Her protector, Esyth, was trying to make contact with the others in Lensai.

  "Anything?" he asked her.

  "Not yet," she replied without breaking focus. "The differences in our dimensions seem to be interfering with my signals. I'm sure I'll reach someone soon."

  Gideon grunted and removed his glasses, his eyes returning to a pale shade of gray. "The coast is clear. At least for now."

  "Something's still biting at me though," Hadaen pointed out, pulling around a curb. "If Deorci is the devil we know him to be, then he might just tag a few mortals along in his scheme. They are no real threat as it stands but their energies would be harder to detect if we're not looking closely."

  Gideon scoffed. "Do you know how many mortals live in Washington? The whole fucking population. Our brains would be fried shit before we managed to scan through all of them."

  "All I'm saying is that we need to be cautious. If Deorci is here, it must mean the reason is important. Clearly he has learnt of our presence. He's here to destroy and conquer; it's what he does best. Him using mortals would be solely aimed at slowing us down."

  Silence drifted throughout the vehicle for a few minutes. Hadaen had no doubt in his mind that either of them were questioning his words. He glanced through the rear-view mirror again at Amelia. Her cold glare clashed with his, sending a chilled energy coursing through his veins.

 
; "You might want to keep your eyes on the road," she advised icily. "As much as I'd love the sight of you smashing head first through that windshield, an accident would only cause us further delay."

  Hadaen clenched his jaws and decided to ignore her. "How are you feeling?"

  "Great, actually." Her electric blue eyes had always managed to leave him feeling hard and eager. "Mortal life had taught me a great deal about handling narcissistic assholes."

  This damn woman was drawing him out! "Did it teach you how to shut up and be submissive too? Because it would come in just handy when I part those glorious legs of yours."

  She was sitting up straight in her seat now, the blue glow flashing across her eyes. "I do dare you to keep talking!"

  "Ooooh," he mocked her with a grin, the amusement never reaching his eyes. "What are you going to do? Sneak a hand down my pants?"

  "Fuck you!"

  "Oh yes, you will."

  "I'm picking up energy!" Esyth shrieked before either of them managed another word. "Gideon, do you feel it?"

  "Oh yes, I do," he responded, unhooking his seatbelt. "I'm ready as hell to see who this fucker is."

  "I feel it too," Hadaen said, glancing through his mirror. "Four cars down. Black Hummer. I'm sensing five men. All mortals."

  Gideon grinned and let out a whoop; hardly the expected reaction in a situation like this. "And boy, do I smell fire power." He cracked his knuckles and chuckled. "Let's do this baby!"

  Hadaen took the nearest exit and headed down through a short tunnel which led out to an empty lot. His instincts were directly on point so he wasn't surprised when the Hummer pulled in behind him a couple minutes later. Whoever these men were, they weren't very smart; possibly broke fellows working for an easy pay-off.

  Either way, he could not allow anyone to get in the way of his plans.

  "How far away is your friend with the weapons?" Amelia asked Gideon.

  "About seven minutes."

  "Too far. We're going to have to fight this set off right here, right now."