Immortal Reborn - Arianna's Choice

“Alexandria, are you alright?” Jackson asked, standing over her and looking a little worried.

  She opened her eyes to find that she was lying on the garden bench with Dudley licking her left hand, which was hanging off of the side.

  “Um, yes, I’m fine. I was just napping, that’s all.” Alex sat up feeling ridiculously self-conscious, and she could sense the blush on her cheeks.

  “I’m sorry if I startled you,” he apologized, looking as embarrassed as she did. “I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. It’s kind of cold out here. Wouldn’t you rather sleep inside?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Which one of my brothers put you up to coming out here?” Alex knew that Jackson had probably been told by everyone in the household to come outside and get her. She had been with Ganymede, but to the outside world, she had slept. Alex looked around disoriented. “How long have I been out here?” she quizzed him further.

  “Well, about two hours, but you’ve only been asleep for the last forty-five minutes or so. And to answer your earlier question, no one in your family told me to come and get you. I offered, and they acquiesced. It’s what I do,” Jackson said, sounding a little shy.

  Had she embarrassed him, she wondered. Surely not.

  Alexandria stood up from the bench and felt cold to her core, but she was not about to admit that to Jackson or anybody else. She decided to walk a bit more to get the kinks out before returning to the house.

  “I think I’ll take another turn around the garden before I go in. Is that alright with you?” She waited to see if he really had no deadline by which she had to be indoors. To her surprise, Jackson agreed and offered to escort her if she would allow it. How polite they were being, Alex thought.

  As they strolled around the frozen landscape, she decided to find out more about the quiet, controlled man by her side. “So, Jackson, can you tell me where you’re from?” Alex looked out at the path in front of them, not wanting to look into his eyes in case he appeared put off by her question.

  “Sure, ma’am. I’m from a small, but growing town in Georgia called Evans. It was smaller when I was a boy, but it’s growing like wildfire these days.”

  Wildfire! Alex chuckled over his choice of words.

  “Are you laughing at me?” he asked, feigning shock and indignation.

  “No, I just like your phrasing, that’s all. So you’re an American from Georgia. Why are you here, then?” That last question popped out before Alex could stop herself. Perhaps this was too personal and not her business to know. But Jackson did not hesitate to answer.

  “After college, I joined the Marines and served a couple of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After that, I decided to put my talents to work in the private sector. I knew some people from the service who had already crossed over to contract work, and they encouraged me to make the change. Still getting to do something I like, just not quite so dangerous as the front line in an active war zone,” he explained.

  Alex stopped walking and looked up at him. She was deeply humbled and embarrassed that she had made him explain such a personal account.

  Jackson looked questioningly at her.

  “Did I say something to upset you, Alexandria? I know that not everyone is a fan of what’s going on in the Middle East.” He looked concerned, and she wanted to apologize.

  “No, no, that’s not it at all,” she said, shaking her head. “I am sorry I intruded, but please don’t mistake my reaction for disapproval. I have nothing but respect for your service. In fact, I am in awe that you chose such a dangerous occupation. Isn’t your family worried sick about you?” There, she had done it again! She had asked a personal question and this time about his family. She had to stop before she made a complete idiot of herself.

  “Not as much as they were before I entered the private sector. My parents and grandparents are proud that I served. Heck, my little brother thinks I’m like James Bond. If only he knew that most of what I do is stand, watch, and listen. Not so glamorous,” he said, smiling down at her.

  For the first time, Alexandria really took a good, long look at Jackson. He was over six feet tall, just as her brothers were. He kept his blonde hair cropped short, but it was still given to curl around the edges. A straight nose and a sculpted chin set off his face, and he had beautiful blue eyes with little laugh crinkles around the edges. He was a very handsome man, and Alex admonished herself for noticing. In fact, he looked like he was aware she was noticing him, and that could not be good for either of them, she decided.

  Alexandria tore her eyes away from his and started walking again. Alex pretended that she was watching the labs running up and down the long stretch of lawn. Neither said anything else for several minutes. Finally, it was Jackson who broke the silence.

  “If it would be alright with you, Alexandria, maybe we could head back inside? Your father told me that Dr. Holbrook had called to say he was coming by, and there’s a good chance that he might already be here.” He looked down at her expectantly but was surprised to see all of the color drain out of her face.

  “Alex, are you okay? Are you feeling ill?” Jackson asked, alarmed at the change in her complexion. He reached out and grabbed Alex’s elbow in case she was about to faint.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she replied, not sounding as sure as she had hoped she would. “I’m just tired. Perhaps we’ll go back now and see Dr. Holbrook.” Alex tried smiling up at him to reassure him, but the smile did not quite reach her eyes, and his keen gaze saw that it did not.

  “Okay, let’s turn back.” He guided her in the direction of the house, studying Alex every so often through wary glances.

  “Now or never,” Alexandria thought. This would be an interesting conversation. She wondered how John was going to convince her family to let her leave with him. Alex hoped that he would be telepathically communicating with her so she could help him establish the case for her departure. But the sooner she got away from her family, the sooner they would be safe. Alex just did not know how to extricate herself from them so soon after Bertrand’s attack.

  As she and Jackson entered at the back of the Manor, Jameason was waiting in the mudroom to give her his famous, hands on hips and eyebrows crinkled up, wilting glare.

  “Just where have you been, young lady? It is too cold out there for you to take your beauty rest on a frozen bench. The next time you decide to give yourself pneumonia, I am coming out there with a switch. Have I made myself clear?”

  Boy, he was in a state, Alex thought to herself. Alex did not dare laugh, but she could not help the smile that began to spread across her face.

  Jackson looked from Alexandria to Jameason and back again, trying to make sure she was not about to be throttled by the older man.

  “Yes, sir. Love you, too.” She giggled and leaned up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. “Is Dr. Holbrook here yet? Jackson said he was coming.” Alex hoped to distract Jameason from his tirade, but he was not completely derailed by her affection.

  “You’re lips are like ice! And, yes, Mr. Campbell is correct. Dr. Holbrook has already arrived, and he’s with the rest of the family in the main sitting room. Hurry along and don’t keep him waiting. I want him to see how blue your skin looks.” And with that last command, he swatted her with a newspaper that had been lying on a nearby bench to get her moving.

  Alexandria laughed and moved in the direction of the sitting room, with Jackson right on her heels.

  “Has he been with your family for a long time?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she smiled back at him, “since before I was born. He’s like our butler, nanny, and grandfather all rolled into one. He keeps us all straight.”

  “Yes, I can see that,” agreed Jackson. “Oh, and you can call me Jack. Most of my friends do, and if we’re going to be together for a while, you might as well.”

  Alex stopped short in the hallway,
and Jackson almost bumped into her. She looked up at him suddenly confused. “Just how long do you think we’re going to be in one another’s company?” She had hoped only for the remainder of the week while she was home, but honestly knowing her father, Alex should have counted on a more drawn out affair.

  “I’m with you until you’re safe, Miss Groaban, or until your father decides our services are no longer needed. I’m in his employ so he will decide the when and the where. I hope that’s alright with you?” As soon as he added that last question, Jackson was kicking himself internally. Why would it matter to him whether she wanted the security detail there or not? His firm was working for her father, and as long as Lord Errol was keeping protection tight, Jackson knew he should not worry about his team’s presence.

  Alexandria studied Jackson for another moment and then pursed her lips together. She slowly nodded in his direction to let him know she understood she was not included in the chain of command, and then turned to head down the hall. Jackson regretted the look of hurt in her eyes, but he chose to remain silent and followed along in her wake.

  They entered the sitting room to find Alex’s parents and brothers listening to Dr. Holbrook. He was explaining a new aspect of the residency program he was currently overseeing, and he had their rapt attention, even Wallace’s. Alexandria was shocked. She walked over to her father and kissed him on the cheek, then turned her attention to John. Jackson stood to the side of the doorway, looking bored and detached.

  John finished his last statement, then turned his intense gaze towards Alexandria and shifted the focus to her. “Alexandria, you look well. How are you feeling?”

  Oh, she did not want to conduct a medical interview in front of her family. Alex wanted to shift the focus somewhere else, quickly. She caught John’s smirk and knew that he was playing with her.

  “I feel really well, thank you. I’m less sore today too, after a long walk. So all in all, I think things are going well,” Alex said aloud, but she pointedly looked at John and sent him a silent message. “What are you playing at? I don’t want to do this in front of my family,” she admonished, but to Alex’s surprise, he did not back down at all.

  “Yes, we’ll do this here and now and, forgive me, but my next line of inquiry will be your ticket out of here for the next few days.”

  Alex heard him loud and clear in her mind, but she had a hard time schooling her face at his words. What was John thinking?

  “Very good, my dear,” he said aloud. He paused for a moment and leaned his head to the side a bit, considering her. “Can you tell me how you’re sleeping at night? Any flashbacks, Alexandria, during the day or night?”

  No, no, no! She definitely did not want to have this conversation in front of her loved ones. Alexandria paled and sat back on the edge of one of her father’s desks which was in the room.

  “You’re going to hurt them, John! Stop now!” she shouted in her mind.

  “No, Alex. They have to be able to let you go,” he countered, his internal voice calm and steady. John was not going to relent.

  Wallace walked over and sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay, Alex, you can answer Dr. Holbrook. We’re all here for you,” he encouraged.

  She looked up into his eyes and saw only love and encouragement, not pity or judgment. Alex turned back to John and slowly nodded. “Yes, I have had flashbacks since coming home and bad dreams.”

  “Hmmm, indeed. I know that this is new territory for you, Alexandria. Can you tell me how often they are occurring?” John pressed her further, tapping a lone finger on his chin.

  She gave him the coldest stare that she could manage and said, “Constantly.”

  The word hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity. Alex had to remind herself to breathe. Her mouth felt dry, and she wanted to run from the room and hide. This was not what she had expected and not what she wanted. Dear Lord, what had she agreed to, she wondered.

  “Be patient, Alexandria,” John spoke to her mind. “This would be the natural course after any kind of attack. They need to know you’re in need of more specialized care than you can get here at home.”

  Wallace squeezed Alexandria close to him and looked pointedly at Dr. Holbrook. “What can we do to help her? Will these pass in time, or is there something we can do to help her with what that bastard did to her now?” he asked as his voice shook. Alex lifted her left arm and rubbed his back, trying to soothe Wallace’s anger away.

  “Well, what I suggest may not sit well with everyone here, but I think that meeting with a team of specialists I know quite well, may help to begin the healing process. Alex, when a person experiences what you have, there are many residual feelings of hurt, anger, betrayal, and even sorrow. Sorrow for innocence lost and anger at feeling so helpless in the face of a stronger, dominant opponent.”

  “I think it would help if you talked with some very skilled colleagues of mine, just to start to exorcise some of these intense emotions.” John looked at her alone when he explained his intentions, and Alex knew that he was not just giving her a way out of the house, he was hitting on a very raw and real issue that she had not yet discussed with her family.

  She was angry that Bertrand had gotten the upper hand so easily, and she was mad as hell that she had felt powerless to stop him. Her father broke the silence by clearing his throat and walking over to Alexandria. She looked up into his face and saw how moist his eyes looked.

  “No, Father, don’t cry,” she whispered.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart. One day, when you have children of your own, you’ll understand. When they hurt, you hurt.” He gave her a sad smile. “I think Dr. Holbrook has a good point, Alex. You’re healing well on the outside, but you haven’t even begun to heal the inside.”

  He turned away from her to face John again. “I think your idea is a sound one, doctor. Where are these colleagues of yours? Are they in Oxford?” her father inquired.

  “No, Lord Groaban, I am afraid not. They’re not here. Their retreat is slightly outside of Rothbury in Northumberland. In my opinion, it is one of the best facilities in the world to help with emotional trauma. It won’t take us long by helicopter, and I could set that up if you all decide to pursue this.” He stood and walked towards the doorway. “I’ll just step out for a few minutes while you all talk this through.”

  Once John left, Jackson stepped out into the hallway as well, giving the family the room. They all took turns telling Alex why they thought she should go with Dr. Holbrook, and she had no rebuttal. Alex silently agreed that she must go and not just to meet the other immortal children, but to perhaps meet another who had experienced a run-in with a fallen Nephilim before and understood what she was grappling with.

  “Alright, I think I’ll go with him and perhaps find a way to cope with this before I go back to New York. I guess I should call and ask for more time off. Do you think they’ll agree?” Alex asked her father. She highly doubted that she could ask for more leave because she had barely been there a full year.

  “Don’t you worry about that. I’ll call Donald, and he’ll sort it all out for us. Time off should be the least of your worries right now.”

  Alex thought that sometimes it really did help to have a father who knew the right people to call at the right time. He had managed to keep all of what had happened out of the papers, so surely he could get her more leave with an old friend at the U.N. as well.

  They all moved together and hugged one another in a group embrace that started tightly and almost desperately, but ended in giggles and all out laughter when Wallace accused Conner of stepping on his new shoes. As Alex was wiping the happy tears from her eyes, her mother moved forward and hugged her again.

  “I love you, Alexandria, always.” Lady Juliana leaned back and looked into Alex’s eyes, then smoothed her hair away from her forehead. It was a calming gesture,
one that Alex had loved since she could first remember.

  “I’m going to be okay, Mother. It’s just going to take a bit of time, that’s all.” Her reassurance gained her another hug, and then they heard a discreet cough from the doorway.

  John re-entered, and they told him that Alexandria would be traveling with him. “Very good,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “I can call them and set everything up this evening. I shall come at ten in the morning to collect her. Will that be satisfactory?”

  “Yes, that sounds just fine,” Lord Errol agreed. He looked back at his daughter, and asked, “Is that okay with you too, Alex?”

  She appreciated that he was asking her rather than telling her what the plan was. She felt more in control.

  “Sounds good.” Alex smiled back.

  “Oh, John, if I may call you John?” her father asked, and received Dr. Holbrook’s nod. “I plan to send Mr. Campbell and his team with Alexandria. I want her to still retain some security while she’s there. Can you see to accommodations for them as well?”

  This left them in a unique situation. Everything was going according to John’s plan, but Alex had not considered that her father would not want her to travel alone.

  “No, Father. Mr. Campbell and his team don’t need to come too. I’ll be just fine in Northumberland. Who’s going to look for me there anyway?” asked Alex, sounding more eager than she had intended.

  Wallace and Conner both studied her expression, trying to determine what might be on her mind.

  “Alex, I think Father is right,” said Conner. “We would all feel better if we knew security was tight.”

  Alex looked over at John, whose face was unreadable. He looked almost bored.

  “Help me with this,” she pleaded silently to him.

  “Lord Groaban, I can assure you that this retreat caters to people who expect their anonymity to be preserved. Security is already very strict at this facility. The best I’ve ever beheld.”

  “I appreciate that, John, but if she’s going then so is Mr. Campbell, at least. Just one guard shouldn’t cause them too much discomfort. I’m afraid this is non-negotiable for us.”

  Alexandria held her breath and was beyond shocked that John finally agreed.

  “I understand completely, Lord Groaban. If she were my daughter, I would demand the same for her. I’ll set it all up. Well, Alexandria,” he moved forward and extended a hand to her, “until tomorrow morning.” And with that last sentiment, John walked with her father and mother out of the room.

  Alex could feel her brothers still watching her, and she looked up, surprised to see Jackson studying her as well. She had not heard him re-enter the room. She would have to be very careful to watch for him in the future, Alex told herself. He moved too stealthily for her own comfort.

  “You don’t feel railroaded here, do you, Alex?” questioned Wallace.

  His concern was misplaced. She had no idea how Jackson could possibly go where she was headed, and no idea why John was allowing it.

  “No, I just want to make sure I have privacy, and not an audience when I go there.” Alex looked past her brothers at Jackson. His cheeks and ears colored at her pointed remark, but he shook his head at her.

  “No, ma’am. I won’t be intruding, I promise. You won’t even know that I’m there. Remember, I’ll just stand, watch, and listen, that’s all.”

  “See,” interrupted Conner. “He’ll just be in the background, so don’t let it worry you for another moment. You just concentrate on you, we’ll handle the rest.”

  “Alright,” Alex quietly agreed, but her eyes drifted back to Jackson who was still intently studying her.

  Chapter 9