Elixir of Eve: The Keepers, Book One - A Fae Series Read online

  Elixir of Eve

  A Keepers of Eden Novel

  Book One

  Alex Temples

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, locales and events are either a product of the author’s imagination, or they are used fictitiously.

  Copyright © 2017 by Alex Temples

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in book reviews. For information, or to contact the author, please visit: www.alextemples.com

  To mom,

  Who introduced me to the magic of story.

  For all those nights you read to me,

  All the weekends you took me to the library,

  For always walking around with a book in your hand,

  And sometimes leaving them lying around…

  Acknowledgements

  A heartfelt thank you goes to Jacob Springborn, for his unfailing support and encouragement. His insight and thoughtful advice helped take this book to the next level. Thank you to my husband and my three children, for their unending patience with me while writing this book. And thank you to my late grandmother, a bibliophile whose adventurous spirit and lifelong love of learning continues to inspire me to this day.

  It is vain to dream of a wildness distant from ourselves. There is none such. It is the bog in our brains and bowels, the primitive vigor of Nature is in us, that inspires that dream. I shall never find in the wilds of Labrador a greater wildness than in some recess of Concord.

  I was born upon thy bank, river, My blood flows in thy stream, And thou meanderest forever; At the bottom of my dream

  Henry David Thoreau

  They were an ancient people, born of the elements, forged from the elemental powers of earth, air, fire and water. She was the earth that pushed up the mountain beneath her feet, the wind as it whipped through the towering oak trees, the waves as they crashed against the rocks, and finally, the crackling fire, burning bright within the stone circle.

  The Book of Eden[LK1]

  Elixir of Eden

  Chapter One

  NYU Pharmacology Lab

  New York City

  July 25, 6:45 A.M. EST

  The lab building loomed large as we hurried down the narrow alley. I couldn’t believe it was my last week of work for an entire year. I sighed with relief as we neared the entrance, wishing I’d worn better walking shoes.

  I just had to wrap up some paperwork and hand off my projects, and then I was free from responsibility for an entire year, and I’d earned it. Boy, had I earned it.

  I waved my access card across the security panel and punched in my pin. The heavy steel door swung open with a groan of complaint. My best friend thumped me on the back encouragingly. Sam worked for the university as well and had tagged along to provide moral support.

  We ducked through the door into the lab, breathing a sigh of relief as an air-conditioned breeze washed over us. The halls were empty, scuffed linoleum shone in the florescent lighting. The distant sound of mugs clinking and people talking carried from the kitchen. We made our way down the hall until we arrived at my office.

  “Wow, your office seems to have gone a bit rogue.” Sam said. She waved a hand in the direction of my desk where towers of paper, old coffee mugs and other miscellaneous debris cluttered the work surface.

  “I’ve been busy.” I said defensively, giving her a sideways glance.

  I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and deposited my leather bag in its usual chair next to the filing cabinet.

  Sam laughed. “I get it. I’m just giving you a hard time. I know I have no room to talk.”

  I nodded affirmatively. Sam was the messy one between the two of us. Usually I was organized to the point of minimalist perfection, but with the rush to prepare for leave, I’d abandoned my usual tidiness. Now I had the unpleasant task of putting everything in sufficient order to allow people to find things while I was out.

  My mind full of all the things I had yet to accomplish, I groaned, shaking my head with frustration.

  “I’ve been so focused on getting the lab ready, I haven’t been any help to Robert in finding a new pharmacologist.” I bit my lip in frustration. “He still doesn’t have any viable prospects.”

  “I’m not surprised. Your work is very specialized. It’s not like there’s an army of people out there with the expertise to transform plants into miracle drugs.”

  With a contented sigh, Sam sunk into the chair next to the desk, shoving a stack of papers aside to make room for her purse.

  I rolled my eyes at her exaggeration.

  Where in the world did I put my leave paperwork?

  I began pushing around stacks of paper, shuffling through the piles in search of the stapled triplicate form. Leave it to a state-funded institution to require forms in triplicate. I rolled my eyes again. This was going to be a very long day.

  With a cry of success, I freed the badly stapled document from the pile and tossed it on the chair so it wouldn’t get reabsorbed.

  Sam cleared her throat.

  I looked at her expectantly.

  She smiled, looking amused.

  “You asked me a question, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, I was just continuing the conversation we had on the walk over.” She said, bemused.

  I racked my brain, trying to remember what we’d been discussing on the walk over.

  “You were telling me they’ve released more information on the viral outbreak, right?”

  I settled into a leather recliner across from her, propping my feet up on the coffee table and sinking back into the chair. I would miss this chair.

  Twisting open a bottle of unsweetened tea, I waited for her to speak.

  She shifted in the chair, sliding her heels off and rubbing her insole as she began.

  “Oh, it’s a mess. You know how the media is, always trying to dramatize the situation to boost their ratings.”

  She rolled her eyes. “One minute they have someone on saying it’s a virus, the next, they have a panel talking about how it might actually be mosquito borne.” She used finger quotations when she said “expert panel.”

  My lips twitched with amusement.

  I drank my tea as she rambled, realizing how much I’d miss these conversations with her.

  “Some outlets have the count up to 24 countries infected, others put it at 36.”

  As she droned on, my thoughts drifted to my father. I hadn’t been further than a cab ride away from him my entire life, and I worried about being away for so long. He was getting older and had been experiencing cardiac issues the last few years.

  My little brother had promised to drop in from time to time to make sure he was taking his medications, but Oren was notorious for his inconsistency. He suffered from a common affliction among twenty-something males – an ennui for everything unrelated to food, adventure or friends. I shook my head, trying to focus on what Sam was saying.

  “They don’t know if it’s airborne, vector born or due to contaminated groundwater. We’re definitely playing the sit and wait game. At least we can be grateful it hasn’t hit New York yet.” Sam finished.

  I nodded thoughtfully and sipped my tea, enjoying the feeling of cool liquid sliding down my throat. My mind clung to something Sam had just said. I bit my lip thoughtfully.

  “Where did you say the latest cases were reported?”

  Sam slid out her tablet, swiping at the screen and typing furiously, until she’d pulled up the latest tracking data.

  “Atlanta.” She re
ported, looking up at me. “There are thirteen people at Emory with symptoms – again, all adults, no children.”

  I frowned.

  ‘Hmm, that’s strange. I don’t understand why no children have fallen ill. Every pandemic disease affects children as well as adults. I mean, I could understand if we were only seeing a few dozen cases here and there, but no cases at all?” My voice raised slightly in question. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

  I frowned at her tablet, struggling to find meaning in the numbers.

  “I’m with you. It’s atypical, but the entire profile puzzles me. We’re seeing people with mild flu symptoms on one hand, then others with severe respiratory issues. We even have a handful of patients who’ve come in with mild symptoms initially, going from the sniffles to a coma in a matter of hours.”

  Her fingers flew over the screen as she spoke. “The CDC thinks it’s an airborne pathogen.”

  She paused and squinted, her eyes a few inches from her screen. “Oh, great – they are about to hold a press conference.”

  “Wonderful.” I hopped up and crossed the room to the flat screen mounted on the wall. I’d just flipped to the right channel and settled back into my chair, when a knock sounded at the door.

  My lab assistant, Emma, stood in the doorway clutching a fistful of papers.

  “Hi Brin. I need your signature on some requisition forms.”

  I smiled at her eagerness.

  Emma was fresh out of an undergraduate biochemistry program and came with all the enthusiasm and meticulous attention to detail her field demanded. I’d been skeptical of her when she first arrived, but had grown to respect her passion for the work and her incredible memory.

  “Hi, Sam.” Emma nodded a greeting in my friend’s direction.

  “It’s good to see you, Emma. I bet you’ve been swamped with Brin trying to escape for a few months.” Sam’s green eyes twinkled.

  Emma laughed and smiled.

  “Yes, you could say that. I think I’ve been taking it pretty well, but Siddarth is devastated. You know how he feels about Brin.” Emma leaned against the door frame, crossing one ankle over the other and winking at Sam in a conspiratorial fashion.

  My cheeks burned and I rolled my eyes in exasperation, sinking back into my recliner.

  “You know I don’t date people I work with. Don’t poison the well and all that.” I made an unfurling motion in the air.

  Sam and Emma gave each other a knowing look.

  “You don’t date at all, Brin.” Sam argued.

  Emma nodded in agreement.

  “That’s not true.” I argued, taking my feet down from the table and straightening in my seat. “I’ve dated. I just don’t have time for long term commitments, or men who expect more than I can give. Besides, it’s not like there’s a big pool to choose from. We spend all day here. How are we supposed to meet men? We might as well date each other.” I knew I sounded defensive, but I raised my chin stubbornly and stared back at them in challenge.

  Emma and Sam burst out laughing.

  I sighed and shook my head. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the press briefing starting. I waved a hand at Sam and Emma to silence them.

  “Oh, it’s on, everyone quiet down.” I shushed them and the three of us turned towards the screen to watch the CDC spokesperson step up to the podium.

  “Is this about the viral outbreak?” Emma asked, moving further into the room to stand by my desk where she had a better view of the screen.

  I nodded silently and the three of us turned to watch.

  “For the last six days, the CDC and our other partners have been actively engaged in discovering the cause of the unknown viral outbreak currently plaguing the nation. We want to assure U.S. Citizens that the situation is under control. There are currently more than 700 cases reported and 60 deaths. We’ve been tracking reported cases, which are mostly contained to the Gulf of Mexico and the Southern United States, though we are working with our international partners to track cases in Central and South America as well. It’s a rapidly changing situation and we expect to see the numbers of ill rise in the coming weeks…”

  “Ugh.” Sam groaned, picking up a remote and turning the tv off. “It sounds like the usual speech to me, ladies. We aren’t going to get any real information. Why don’t you call up your friend at the CDC, Brin?”

  Emma’s ears perked up. “You never told me you have a friend at the CDC, Brin.”

  I pressed my lips together to refrain from smiling. It was no secret Emma’s lifelong dream was to work for the CDC.

  She shuffled her feet and casually added. “You could call them and we could get the inside scoop, maybe even have some work thrown our way.”

  I entertained the thought briefly, brow scrunched in contemplation. I felt a spark of interest at her suggestion, but couldn’t help but think back to my conversation with Oren a few weeks ago.

  We’d gone skydiving to celebrate his birthday and a recent recognition I’d received for my work developing an oncology drug. Taking me skydiving was a total Oren move. He frequently lectured me on spending too much time working and not enough time enjoying life. His timing was right on. I’d been dying to take a break and get away from the office, maybe live a little irresponsibly, and I’d immensely enjoyed skydiving. Oren was right. All work and no play…

  My mind made up, I turned to my friends.

  “I have several quote un-quote friends at CDC, but I am not calling. This situation is very interesting and all, but I’ve worked every weekend for the last eight years and I am ready for a break.” I smiled at them, tossed back the rest of my tea, threw the bottle in the trash and stood.

  Sam nodded her understanding, but I caught the sideways look she gave Emma. The two of them were up to something.

  “We should go out tonight and get some drinks.” Emma suggested casually, twirling the pendant on her necklace. “What do you guys think?”

  Sam and I looked at each other.

  “Sound great to me.” Sam replied enthusiastically, tossing her blonde curls over her shoulder and standing to retrieve her purse.

  Heavy footsteps in the hall made us turn towards the door.

  “Siddarth!” Sam cried enthusiastically, moving out of the way to let Siddarth Nolan in. He was Associate Professor of Biochemistry and worked closely with me in my research. A handsome, reserved man in his early 30s, he’d completed his doctorate at NYU after moving from India.

  “Sam, how are you? Long time, no see.” Siddarth wrapped Sam in a quick hug before turning his attention to me.

  “Brin, getting ready to leave us for your adventure, I see.” He nodded and gave me a kind smile, his brown eyes warm.

  “Siddarth, you know I hate to leave you,” I said, pulling him in for a hug. “You never should have told me about the glories of India. I just have to see them for myself.” I teased.

  His smile widened. “I’m so happy for you, Brin. You never take a vacation. This is long overdue – and remember what I said. If you are in Calcutta, please let me know. My sister’s family would be very happy to have you.” He pulled back, clutching my shoulders in a light, affectionate grip, his brown eyes warm. “You are like family to me, so you will be like family to them.”

  Warmth blossomed in my chest and I flushed with pleasure at the kind words. It was so good to have friends like this. I had such a small family, just my father and Oren, and a handful of distant relatives. The fact that this little group of friends I’d grown so close to felt the same way about me, filled my heart with joy. I’d always believed family was what you made of it.

  I pulled Siddarth in for a hug again, enjoying his warmth and the spicy scent of his cologne.

  “Sid, I’m touched by the offer and I will certainly take you up on it. Calcutta is my second stop – right after Agra. I must see the Taj Majal.” My eyes sparkled with excitement at the thought.

  “It will not disappoint you.” Siddarth’s laughter was cut short at the sight of another ste
pping into my increasingly crowded office.

  “Looks like a party in here, and I wasn’t invited.” A deep voice boomed from the hallway. A distinguished looking older man with a neatly trimmed gray beard appeared in the doorway, smiling at the group.

  “Professor O’Connell! You know you’re always invited to join us.” I replied with a fond smile.

  The professor was both my mentor and my friend, and I knew he was sad to see me go, even if only for a year. He glanced around the room, nodding at everyone in acknowledgement.

  “Brin, just the woman I was looking for. I was hoping to talk with you and review your leave plan.

  “Yes, absolutely. Let’s do that now.” I smiled apologetically at the others and trailed after my boss. Paperwork was something I wouldn’t miss during sabbatical.

  “See you tonight, Brin!” Sam called after me, and I wondered when I’d agreed to drinks. As I walked away, the conversation turned back to the viral outbreak and my mind drifted to the disease maps and the uncharacteristic spread. Rounding the corner to Professor O’Connell’s office, I pushed the thought out of my mind. I was going on vacation. It would just have to be someone else’s problem. Soon, I’d be relaxing on a beach without a care in the world.

  Chapter Two

  The Crystal Palace

  Crystal City, Eden

  Daybreak

  “Nia, tell me the rumors I’m hearing are untrue.” Aelwen’s voice was tense. It had been a perfectly lovely day, until the tales of her son’s exploits had made their way to her ears.

  “I’m afraid so, milady.” Nia shook her head sadly.

  Aelwen had promised herself she was going to stay out of Aiden’s life. She was going to let him find his own path. Well, he’d found a path. Unfortunately, it was the same path his father had taken. Though as far as Aiden knew, his father had died when he and his twin brother, Tristan were very young. She knew she shouldn’t have kept the truth from him for so long, but now she had more immediate problems to deal with.