Chapter 1

 

 

The Sikorsky S-92 helicopter was steadily cruising south on an early March morning, with Alexandria and Gaius at its helm. They were flying from their estate on Holy Island to Oxford’s Kidlington Airport, to retrieve Alex’s family for their first visit to Elysium. It had been four days since Alex and Gaius returned from Santorini, where they had begun their days and nights as husband and wife. The three weeks had been most serene, and afforded them a beautiful honeymoon away from the crush of their fellow Nephilim.

Alex let her mind replay the last days as they moved progressively closer to her family. Her brothers, Wallace and Conner, and Wallace’s girlfriend, Emily, were going to stay with them for the next four days. Her parents and Jameason, another five beyond that. It was a reunion she had looked forward to, yet Alex still felt a little sad that the visit signaled a true end to her honeymoon.

Alex thought of how she and Gaius had left their Santorini home the morning after they packed their belongings and stopped off first in London. They had spent a small amount of time having lunch in the city, and then shopped for foods her family liked to eat in the market before they flew north to Elysium. The closer they came to home, the wider their smiles had spread, and they had frequently reached out to touch one another’s hand or face.

Gaius had carried her over the threshold, and they had tried to use restraint until all of the perishables they had purchased were placed in the refrigerator or freezer. As soon as the last item was secure, he lifted her and carried Alex to their bedroom. She remembered laughing loudly as he literally kicked their door closed and fell with her upon the comforter. They had not left the solitude of their bed until hours later, to shower and retrieve all of their luggage and island purchases from the S-92.

Over the course of the following three days, they had unpacked all of Alex’s belongings and found new homes for her photos, books, and few decorative items. Her grandmother’s upright mirror and jewelry armoire had found places within their bedroom, and Gaius had easily been persuaded to give up a bit of space within the walk-in closet so that all of her clothing could fit.

And during the time they were not unboxing items, they had loved one another and taken rides on their horses across their estate. Alex had felt like she had been given another short honeymoon, and she had told Gaius that one night as they lay in each other’s arms. He had kissed her forehead and promised Alex that most of their nights and many of their days would be like that.

 

“That mind is busy,” Gaius said softly, drawing Alex from her silent reverie.

“I was replaying the last few days,” Alex smiled, turning her eyes towards his.

“Hmmm,” he hummed. “And those days are not over, love. They are just beginning.”

“I know,” Alex said, as she reached over to gently touch Gaius’ hand.

“I love you,” he said, and then lifted her hand with his to kiss her skin.

“And I love you,” Alex replied, feeling her smile grow.

“We’re almost to the airport now. It won’t be long before we get to see them all. And I know they’re ready to see you,” he added, with a grin of his own.

“They are ready to see us,” Alex gently corrected.

“Yes, they are ready to see us, my love,” Gaius agreed, and then turned his eyes back to the controls.

“That’s better,” Alex smiled and then refocused on the helicopter’s controls as well.

She admitted to herself that she was so excited, and yet nervous at the same time. Excited to begin her days and nights in service to her fellow man as the Nephilim she now was. But nervous about her role as the leader of the Lord’s immortals.

Alex had never been one to like the spotlight or the focus that such public roles called for. Her unique childhood had led her to shy away from any unnecessary attention, not only from strangers, but also her own extended family. Only her parents, brothers, and their dear butler Jameason knew her well. And, Alex thought, they were the only ones privy to the secret of the transformation she had undergone, when she agreed to live as a Nephilim once more. They and her dear friend, Jackson Campbell, she corrected herself.

And now, she was about to see the Groabans, without the strain of all that the demon Rangor had put them through. Gone was the hunt that he had led to ensnare Alex, and gone was the struggle her body had faced in the days and weeks before she had been remade into the powerful Nephilim she was now. It was thanks to her mortal and immortal family that Alex had made it through the fires, and she wanted to show them how happy and settled she was now, so that they could see the struggles were not in vain.

So many changes had taken place in her life in such a short amount of time, and now she was poised to live the life she had chosen for herself. And with Gaius at her side, as her partner and helpmate, Alex knew she would learn to navigate the changes with grace and poise. She glanced over at him again and smiled to herself, thanking the Lord and her own angelic father, Ganymede, for helping her find her soul mate once more. Alex knew that no matter what lay ahead, with Gaius’ help, she would embrace her new life and flourish.

 

Soon, they were communicating with the airport’s control tower and landing the S-92. Alex could not unfasten her seatbelt fast enough, and she heard Gaius laughing lightly at her dilemma. Alex only smirked at him and then finished freeing herself from the constraints. He stood and offered her his hand, then gently pulled her to her feet beside him. Gaius took one last moment to steal a kiss before he led her from the cockpit.

Alex bit her lower lip slightly as they entered the terminal near the private area where they had touched down. She spotted her family straightaway, and Alex ran ahead of Gaius and embraced each loved one tightly without delay. She ended her round of hugs in Wallace’s arms and he kept her there for several moments, not willing to release her too soon.

When she pulled away, Wallace smiled down at her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear while his eyes searched hers. He gave her a playful wink, letting Alex know without words that he was happy with his assessment. Gaius moved forward then and hugged each person, smiling as Lady Juliana studied his eyes as well and patted his cheek.

Only when there was a brief lull in conversation, did Wallace finally introduce them to his girlfriend Emily. She was a lovely young lady, six years older than Alex, with strawberry blonde hair and warm, green eyes. Emily was almost as tall as Alex, with a relaxed and friendly air about her, and she put Alex at ease immediately.

“Alex, I’ve heard so much about you from Wallace,” Emily gushed with a smile as she stepped forward to offer Alex her hand. “And you too, Gaius.”

Alex looked at Emily’s outstretched hand and chuckled as she shook her head. “You might as well know now, Emily, this is a family who hugs. A lot,” Alex added. “Come here,” she grinned. Alex opened her arms wide and welcomed Emily to their family. “It is so good to meet you.”

“And you both, as well,” Emily said.

Gaius offered Emily a hug, and then he turned their attention to securing a trolley for their luggage. He and Alex helped her family with their cases, and once they were comfortably seated, she and Gaius piloted the Groabans north to Elysium. A little over an hour and half later, they landed gently on the front lawn, and Alex glanced over at Gaius in anticipation. They waited for the blades to slow, before leading her family off of the aircraft.

They all filed out, and as the family stepped onto the grounds they grew quiet momentarily. Alex watched their facial expressions, and she knew they were slightly stunned and certainly speechless as they viewed Elysium for the first time. Alex had always thought her parents’ estate was large, but Elysium was over four times as large as the Manor and its surrounding grounds, and her new home easily dwarfed it. Gaius took her hand in his and patiently waited with Alex for the Groabans to move forward.

Wallace looked over at them first and angled his head at Gaius. “Please tell me how you can call your home a small castle?” he asked, in mock exasperation.

“It’s smaller than Aeoferth,” Alex laughed, glad to have someone finally say something.

“And every other castle I have ever seen is,” he played back in answer.

Gaius chuckled softly as he lightly slapped Wallace’s shoulder, and the two smiled at one another.

“Good heavens, Alex!” Conner breathed. “I had no idea from Gaius’ earlier description that it would look like this.”

“Small castle,” Wallace muttered again, gaining a laugh from them all.

“Well, there’s a lot more to see inside. Come on, all of you, and let’s get settled. Then Gaius and I will give you the official tour,” Alex said, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was all going to work out, she told herself again. It had to, she thought, because she was determined to keep her mortal family with her and a part of her new life.

She ushered them forward, and once all of their luggage was within their rooms, Alexandria and Gaius led them on a complete tour. Gaius shared the history behind many a piece of furniture or artwork, without divulging too much information in front of Emily. When they came to the door to Elysium’s library, Jameason, Conner, and her father took immediate interest, and Lord Errol reached out for Alex’s hand.

“Alex, this is extraordinary,” he marveled. He looked overhead at the expansive mural, depicting angels and humans working alongside one another amid varying scenes within nature. He smiled as he shook his head in wonder.

“I think so too, Father. This is one of my favorite rooms here. There are so many books and documents I want to share with you all. Come over here for a moment,” she said as she laced her fingers through his and led Lord Errol to a tall bookcase along the far wall. Conner and Jameason followed them and Gaius smiled contentedly at Lady Juliana.

“Shall we move to the kitchen while they explore a bit?” he asked.

“That sounds like a good idea, Gaius,” she agreed. “Because the four of them will be in here for a while.”

Eventually Lord Errol prompted Alex to lead the way to where the rest of the family had gathered. She sensed for Gaius’ aura and smiled over the knowledge that she could find him wherever he happened to be. They caught up to the others, sitting and chatting in the kitchen, and Alex walked directly to Gaius’ side for a hug.

He held her closely for several moments before she made her way over to the refrigerator to bring out snacks for them all. Gaius helped her spread several platters across the marble island, and her family lightly grazed on the food as they sat or stood around the kitchen talking.

Afterwards, they took a long walk across the grounds and Alex was beside herself to share the stables with her brothers. She learned that Emily had limited riding experience and seemed less sure of the enormous stallions and mares, but Alex mentally asked them to be gentle and kind to their newest guests. After demonstrating, she was finally able to convince Emily to let a stallion eat an apple from her hand. Alex delighted in the surprise and wonder in Emily’s eyes as she experienced Arvan’s gentleness.

Alex received a surprise herself, when they made their way to Elysium’s garage. She had never thought to look for one, and she gasped when Gaius turned on the lights to illuminate the space. He laughed softly at her expression and pulled her in for a quick kiss. It seemed that Gaius not only owned a new Aston Martin, but also two classic models of the car. There was a new Range Rover and a large truck parked within, too.

He moved to stand behind her while her family looked over the vehicles.

“We’ll work on parallel parking at some point in the near future,” Gaius whispered in her ear.

She laughed loudly and turned to put her arms around his neck. Alex forgot momentarily about their guests, and kissed Gaius with heartfelt conviction before she hugged him and moved back to his side.

“I take it you like the garage,” Gaius smirked, though he tried diligently to maintain a straight face.

“Hmmm,” Alex hummed as she narrowed her eyes playfully at him.

“And when do we take these out for a spin?” Wallace asked, eyeing one of the older Aston Martins.

“What is mine, is yours,” Gaius offered without hesitation.

Each male member of her family wanted to drive a particular car, and Gaius showed them where the keys to each hung in a cabinet. He told them to help themselves any time they wanted to take one out, and received thanks all around. They returned to the main house afterwards, so they could all rest briefly and refresh themselves before dinner.

When Gaius gathered Alex’s hand in his and turned towards their bedroom, Alex saw a look she had learned well by then playing in his eyes. She shook her head as he nodded his, and she took a step away as he closed their bedrooms door.

“Gaius, no,” she whispered. “My whole family is here.”

“So?” he chuckled and pulled her back into his arms. He began to walk her backwards to the bed, while she blushed a deep shade of red.

“We cannot,” she protested, though she knew her voice betrayed her true desire and lacked any real opposition to his plan.

“We will be around others most of our days and nights, Alexandria. And that will not stop us from making love. It is possible to remain quiet…”

“Gaius, hush,” she interrupted and blew out a heavy breath.

“Now you’re getting it,” he laughed softly, and then leaned down to tease her neck with his lips. “Just follow my lead, sweetheart,” he whispered against her ear and smiled as she shivered from head to toe.

And with that last nudge, Alex gave in to her true yearning. She wrapped her arms around his neck and matched her lips to his. And as she had during their honeymoon, Alex let Gaius teach her about a new aspect of their physical bond, though she found it almost impossible to maintain her silence. She conceded it would only be more challenging when they joined their brethren and had to contend with the Nephilim’s extraordinarily acute hearing abilities.