The Guardians

NB:

As always… do read the previous chapters first before reading this. As for those who have left comments and sent me emails, I hope you'll like the following chapter. Do keep on voting and commenting =) You all make my day!

Chapter Two

Heading back to the pub where she left her father, she figured he should now be hungry for lunch. She had loved her grandmother's cooking and was looking forward to having more local dining while they were still here.

Stepping into the cozy pub, she immediately spotted her father with his gradual greying hairs and slight belly. But it was his company that surprised her. Walking up to them both, with her hands on her hips, she said, "Why am I not invited to this party of two?"

"Ella!" both replied in unison. Her father had turned a shade of pink and Ben was looking away.

"Papa, why is he here?" Ella demanded. Sure, he was a family friend and she was starting to like this man but to have him around all the time? He was surely overstepping boundaries! This was a personal trip!

"It was coincidence," said Ben, trying to hold his gaze with hers.

Sure as hell it was, she thought. She didn't know to be angry or flattered; she just felt betrayed somehow.

"I think I'll head back to the hotel. Perhaps you gentlemen would like to join me for dinner later," she muttered and walked off.

"Perhaps it wasn't such a good thing for us to meet at such a public place hmmm my friend…" Rafael said as he watched his daughter storm off. "At times, she has such fire just like her mother."

"Would you rather I walk into your thoughts? I don't think so Rafael. There are times when I do want to live in the company of humans too," Ben said. "Besides, you said yourself that her Grandmamma had summoned her here. Do you know why?"

"The old woman is dying though she may appear so well. I know you know why she had asked Ella to come here. Why don't you tell me Abben?" Rafael said, his eyes weary.

"She wants to bring Isabella to The Chiesa di Santa Margherita de' Cerchi. Yes, her mother's resting place… you need not come if it brings you much sorrow. But you must know… Before the mother who confers the bracelet to her daughter, the child must first be affirmed by the priests to be the bloodline descendant of hers, thus reserving her, her final resting place in the Church. Annabella had not been able to do so after passing away soon after giving birth as such it becomes the duty of her mother, the Lady Margaret. Her maternal ties to Ella is so strong that she can still summon and will me to do her biddings as she wishes. Rafael… I am sorry that I could not protect Anna anymore… the birth rite is a personal rite between her and her Maker and I can only promise you now that I will do my all to protect Ella…"

"Go to her Abben… I think… I shall have my time alone now. I want to be there when we visit the Church."

"Very well my dear friend… I will come here again to fetch you for dinner. Stay well old man," Ben said as he bowed and walked towards the exit.

Ben knew that he would grow weak the moment he entered her room, but he had no other choice. Knocking on her room door, he waited and hoped that she would not slam the door at his face. She didn't.

She had ushered him in and walked back into the bathroom.

"I'd like to continue my bath now, if you don't mind. Make yourself comfy; make a cup of coffee, whatever. I suppose Papa sent you here to keep an eye on me. I'll be out soon," she shouted.

Ben didn't dare to even breath as he watch her clad in only a towel. He had seen her naked, but there was something even more erotic and sexy about seeing a dripping wet woman wrapped in just a towel. He could smell the scent of soap that she had applied in her bath.

Did he dare to open the bathroom door and walk in? He sat on her bed for a few minutes contemplating his decision. She was humming a modern pop tune and he heard the splashing of water. He had abstained from human contact with her for so long for fear that he would lose his focus and strength… but the image of her kept creeping into his head, nagging at his lust, at his need.

"Down boy…" he muttered as Leukós sired a cry deep inside him. Opening the bathroom door, he was treated to a view of Ella buried beneath a tub full of bubbly foam, except her head. The room smelled of rose oil.

"Ben? Is there something you need?" her eyes were suddenly open and looking threateningly at him.

"You…" was his only reply.

Her eyes ceased their warning stare and soften. He was looking at her with his intense stare again; stirring her loins with memories of their first love making. She watched him pull off his polo t-shirt and tossed it carelessly on the floor. His body was even more beautiful than the Statue of David that she had glimpse briefly from outside one of the museums in Florence.

With the bathroom light on, she could see everything that she had touched in the dimness the other night. His jeans were worn low on his hips and her eyes were drawn particularly to his well defined obliques slightly below his waistline. She always found that irresistibly sexy in a man. His oblique muscles visually pulled her line of focus downwards… towards his…

His hands were slowly unbuckling his belt and buttons and Ella felt extreme heat that wasn't from the water bath. Leaving his button undone, he stepped closer to her, willing her to pull down the zipper. Ella felt excited touching his cock, now semi hard from outside his jeans. She didn't get a chance to touch it the other time. This time, she wanted to see it… and taste it…

Ben chuckled as he watched her try to pull his jeans down. Relieving her of her agony, he pushed it down together with his boxers and stood stark naked; his cock directly in front of her face.

Ella actually sat back, startled to actually see Ben's cock. It was thick and she could see the veins pulsing beneath the skin. She blushed remembering all the things he had done to her with his cock the other night. Feeling rather bold, she touched it gently and heard him gasp. Looking up to make sure she was doing nothing wrong, Ella continued to stroke him. She pushed his cock up and tickled his balls with her left hand. When Ben gave a loud groan, she quickly pulled her hands away.

"No… no… it's… it's so good…" he said and guided her hands back to his cock. "Would you like to taste me Ella?" he added gently.

Ella nodded her head and brought her mouth closer to the tip of his cock which was glistening with pre-cum. She knew the male anatomy from her classes in school but she never would have imagined an erect cock feeling so powerful and virile in her hands. When she licked his pre-cum, Ben started swearing in a foreign language.

"Ben?" Ella looked up to see his eyes a pool of liquid steel. "What were you saying?"

"Oh Ella…" he said and climbed into the bath tub with her. In one quick movement, she was sitting on top of him, with her back on his hard chest. Ella could feel his cock, now hard, poking at her butt.

"Tell me what you want…" he whispered to her ear. Ella moaned as he nipped her earlobes and trailed hot, wet kisses down her slender neck.

"Please…" she pleaded. Her hips tried to move to position his cock at her entrance, which was already wet with anticipation.

"Please what my love?"

"Please, please me…"

"With pleasure…" he said and lifted her hips and impaled her pussy on his cock. The feeling of warm water gushing away from between them combined with the feeling of fullness of being connected to each other made them both moan out loud. Ben was thrusting his hips upwards and Ella pushed hers downwards to meet each of his thrust. His lustful grunts and her pleasured screams echoed within the walls of the bathroom.

Ben used is hands to grab fistfuls of her bouncing tits and massaged them. He moved his thumb and index finger to leisurely squeeze her hardened nipple; enjoying the wonderful moans that he elicited from her. Ella was grinding her pussy, wanting more and more from him. His cock felt so good inside her; its thickness stretching her muscles so intimately.

With her pussy still gripping his cock tightly, Ben stood up, carrying her, and got out of the bath. Ella grabbed hold of the vanity top in front of her and looked at their reflections in the mirror. Her hair which she had tied up just now was escaping from its knot and falling down her shoulder while his, were turning a dark shade of ash. He stood behind her, grabbing her by the hips as he thrust his cock deep into her. In this position, Ella felt him impossibly much bigger and harder than before and he was ruthless as he continued to fuck her with such a continuous speed that she knew she would come very soon.

Her screams became louder and longer as her hips moved uncontrollably to meet his hard cock, signaling her orgasm. Ben felt a wave of satisfaction seeing her face glowing with lust and pleasure. Pulling his cock out, he lifted her and made her sit on the vanity top. Ella did not get a chance to protest as his tongue was now lashing greedily at her pussy; his mouth greedy for her scent, for her taste. Her juices were plentiful from her previous orgasm and Ben wanted to make her come one more time in this position. His fingers soon joined in the hunger and delved deep into her pussy as his tongue sucked greedily on her clitoris. Ella was screaming with pleasure as she held his head between her two palms. She was pushing him nearer and harder towards her pussy, all the while thrusting her hips upwards to meet his invading fingers. She could feel her come building up inside her; waiting no more for her release, she screamed and surprised them both when hot jets of liquid squirted out from her pussy. Ben did not let a single drop to waste as he quickly covered her pussy with his mouth and devoured her.

"Oh my… that… was amazing…" she sighed and leaned back against the mirror.

"Return me the favor soon," Ben replied her and winked. Standing up now, he pulled her legs towards him and positioned his cock at her pussy once again. Ella's eyes widened when he began to thrust deep inside her again. Ben could see himself mounting her like a berserk stallion in heat; a primal growl inside him from Leukós reminded him that he was just that.

"Ella… quick… get on your knees and open your mouth…" he instructed as he felt his cum rising to its climax.

Ella did as she was told, not really sure what to expect. When Ben placed his cock inside her mouth, she did what was most natural- she closed her mouth and suck. That brought him to the edge of ecstasy and he came, gushing into her mouth; filling it with his thick hot cum. Ella was surprised when the sudden gush of his cum hit the back of her throat. She didn't have much time to think as jets upon jets of hot cum filled her mouth. He tasted salty and tangy at the same time and she swallowed all of him, sucking his cock, milking him with her lips.

Ben looked down and saw her soft lips draining the life out of him. He knew that once the fatigue sets in, he would once again become weak and unable to perform his guardian duties. But watching Ella's face, satiated, and glowing pink with happiness, he did not know which was worst- sacrificing his immortality or abstaining from making love to her. Although he knew it was only temporary; history has taught him that when you let your guard down even for a moment, that's when your enemies attack you.

"Ben… what language was that that you were saying while we were in the bathroom? I've never heard it before," Ella had asked a little while later while they were lying on her bed.

"It's an old language that I find useful in the course of my research and studies. Latin? That's the root of all languages my dear."

Latin? Ella thought she had heard something about this before. Oh yes! Didn't her father say that Latin was regarded as a more refined language of the past? And who was that poet who defied the norms by writing his cantos is Italian? She couldn't remember and wasn't in the mood for all that rubbish right now.

She was positively glowing from their love making. Tangled up naked on her bed, she could see his full body laid out for her eyes. It was then she noticed a small white tattoo near his ankle.

"Oh? I have never seen a white tattoo before," she said as she scrambled forward to examine the design. "It's a dragon…"

Ben looked at Ella and smiled. She was so beautiful and absolutely wonderful in the way she laughs or pouts or dazzles him with her knowledge. Sometimes he was convinced she is the same woman that he had loved more than a millennium ago, but her spirited nature and penchant for getting into trouble set her apart from Juliana. Juliana was serious and never said a word more than necessary; she was gifted in her study of the natural medicine and was an excellent markswoman but she had neither the carefree spirit of Ella nor her sweet radiant laughter.

He had never had more than a brief kiss with Juliana up on that terrace but his heart had been forever hers. With each century he had anticipated her rebirth but she never came. The night that Annabella was at the hospital having her contractions, he had stood by her, watching. He had guarded Juliana's line of descent ever since the start of the Anicii bloodline. Annabella was beautiful as she was bold. She had a temper and a glib tongue that was often in argument with him over her thoughts. In her lifetime, he had been a student, who later became her best friend and later her best man at her wedding.

As a guardian, the rule of the thumb was to never let out the secret until the person's very last hour. Somehow, he had known that this birthing was extra special because his siblings had come down to see her as well. As far as he knew, they were never around any one human at any one time for their powers were too great for the human to bear. Aurora was usually not allowed at any birthing for she was the messenger of death that instantaneously took life away just by her mere presence. Neither was Adrian for he would bring sickness and disease to the living.

But they had all crowded around the bed; Rafael on her right, he on her left and his two brothers and sister in their spirit form at the foot of the bed. After Ella was born, she had curled up at Annabella's breast and Ben had felt a wonderful pull radiating from this small, little baby.

But he knew, as did his siblings that it was time for revelations.

Anna was already gone.

Ben had to part with Leukós so that the beast could mediate inside Rafael's body to prevent him from dying. His siblings soon materialised in their human form; parting with their respective horses as well.

Ben had explained to Rafael that at that point in time divine intervention had made its way into their circle and had chosen Annabella's life to be taken away before her mother's; breaking the cycle of guardianship. Since she has died even before her revelation or her mother's revelation, the baby Ella therefore was granted two revelations. But because she was not of age, Rafael as her sole guardian would have to hear the first revelation for her.

Rafael had fallen to his knees, crying as he heard all that was told to him. Baby Ella was crying for she had not had the chance to nurse. Rafael had picked her up and held her to his heart, promising he would love her and protect her forever.

"Rafael, I will give you only one moment… before the five of us will have to leave," Ben had said. Each of the four beast had retracted back into their guardian bodies and for that one moment, in between the realm of life and death, he had seen the spirit of his dead wife, smiling at him.

"Take the bracelet from my hand and give it to her when she turns ten… Give our child my love Rafael…" and within the blink of an eye, the four horsemen and Annabella were gone. Rafael felt his lifeforce being sucked back into his body albeit a gush of wind that strikes deep to the bones.

Ella had been quiet, her right thumb in her mouth, sucking as she would on her mother's teat. Rafael faced his wife for one last time, to take her bracelet and turned his back and walked out. She was no longer there.

Ben couldn't bear remembering what had happened in that hospital room 21 years ago. It made his heart ache to recall the lost of a friend. Ella had now curled up beside him, her head resting on his chest. He only wanted to think of now, of her in his arms, for tomorrow could wait another sunrise.

****

Ben knew that he was in a truly mortal state and would leave Ella vulnerable should he go and find Rafael without her.

"Aurora…"

"No," was her reply, so loud his head almost burst.

"Fine, Adr…"

"Alright alright! Hurry up and go. Your mortal scent is choking me," she had snapped.

"Baby sister… you do know that eventually you will find yourself in this same position one day… so stop complaining and keep watch!" instructed Ben as he pulled his polo t-shirt down over his head.

Rafael was actually already at the lobby café having a cup of freshly brewed coffee. He felt that he had too much to drink and had wanted to sober up with some caffeine before seeing his daughter for dinner. She wouldn't be pleased at him otherwise. Ben had patted his friend's shoulder in agreement and told him to wait for them at the restaurant. He was going up to escort Ella down.

When he was back in her room, Ella was already awake and brushing her hair in front of the mirror. She was wearing her bathrobe and stood smiling as she saw his reflection in the mirror.

"Your father is waiting for us at the restaurant downstairs. Guess we all need some food to replenish ourselves?" From the corner of his eyes, he had seen Aurora rolling her eyes. He gestured for her to go.

A while later, Ben had walked with Ella down to the restaurant; Rafael was already savouring his favourite Italian cheese, Fontina with a glass of red Chianti wine while waiting for them.

"Papa, I see you've gained your appetite again?" Ella mused.

"Oh my Bella, how can a father not be anymore happier to have his family gathered around the dinner table like this?" Rafael replied smiling at the two of them. "What do you feel like having Abben?"

Ben smiled. Both of them knew that he could not taste anything he ate as a human so food was usually a social act of normalcy for him. But now, knowing that his state of mortality was at its peak, Ben decided to try his luck.

"Perhaps the lady could suggest something really special for us all?" he replied instead.

"Ah! I don't know… let's see… how bout fresh pasta and a nice plate of pizza? I'm sure we could all share," Ella said. She was in such a delirious mood. Everything was perfect- Ben and now her father with his cheerful appetite.

****

With only two days left to their trip, Ella had decided to go visit the museums and perhaps drop by the library to do more research. Her father had chosen to do some shopping and had urged her to bring Ben along. He had sensed the growing affection they had for each other and figured that they should have the time alone for themselves. What other way for two academics to enjoy themselves than to share their passion for history and art?

Ben was still weak but he would not let Ella wander around on her own. He had wanted to follow her unnoticed but after yesterday, he could not come up with any excuses to stay away from her. Despite the rain that followed the dull weather that morning, Ella had appeared at the lobby dressed in a red pencil dress that hugged every inch of her curves. She held her coat in her arms and was smiling at him with such warmth, he couldn't look away.