“Yeah. I will get some blankets,” Adam said, leaving the room.
“I will talk to your father. I’m sure Mona is going to love me pulling him out of bed at this hour.” She rolled her eyes then, one by one, kissed each of us on the forehead. She said a few words in Italian and smiled. “I have faith you will be able to rest. Come morning; we have festivities to see to.”
Once my mother was out of the room, all three girls turned their focus on me.
“I knew something was up,” Helen snapped, tucking her wings in their little imaginary pouch.
“I didn’t mean to mislead you guys. It’s just things weren’t going so well here,” I sighed.
“So, you decided to flip sides?” Helen bit at me, pulling away from my touch and walking to the other side of the room.
“She didn’t flip sides,” Wesley interrupted, his eyes flaring red. “She came to rescue me. She just got more out of it than she bargained for.”
“Wesley …,” I started, but he cut me off.
“NO, DAWN! I have sat idly by watching everything going on around here. I have heard the things people say, the stories they were told. The Priestess was powerful, yes. She could turn water to blood, aspirin to painkillers and antibiotics, even create an oasis out of nature itself. I watched her. I felt for her. I saw when John threw himself at her; it took everything in her power not to smite him.” Wesley’s voice was booming through the room. “All she wanted to do was save me. At the same time, she saved others. People like the ones in the field. Blessed Ones, Cursed Ones, hybrids, purebloods, anything you could possibly imagine.”
He wasn’t going to stop; he had so much pitted up inside of him. His eyes were frightening me. The color was so deep and red that it made my heart melt. I had no idea the passion that was bottled up inside of him. With all his egotistical comments, I had pushed his emotions and feelings to the side.
“She did all of this for you. For the three of you. She put herself out there so she could make sure you were safe. The Reapers, they helped me by transporting my art to her. The little pieces of paper I had kept hidden from Miranda’s sight. Those little shards of the images I had of her. She came for me because, without me, she knew you would be beaten. Your Prophet told you inaccurate information intentionally. To rip you apart!”
“Wesley, you don’t have to …” I put my arms around him to calm him, and he buried his face in my hair.
“They don’t understand. All they see are the superficial things. Why is one better than the other?” He whispered in my ear, but I knew they heard. I could tell by the silence in the room they were lost in thought.
“I didn’t realize,” Helen said softly, running her fingers through her long brown hair. “I’m sorry.”
“I thought I had lost you,” he sighed into my neck. “I felt that bullet tear through my head when they shot you. I felt every inch of your body go lifeless.”
“Who shot you?” Rose asked.
“I don’t know. Mona said it had to be done, though. The death of Prudence meant I could return as Dawn,” I said, rubbing Wesley’s back, comforting him.
“Of course, my mother would be behind this,” Rose laughed. “I suppose the whole thing was her idea.”
“She wasn’t alone. She was just the deciding factor. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t know how to do half the things I can do now.” I didn’t want to talk any more.
I heard footsteps enter the room and looked toward Shawn and Adam; their arms weighed down with thick comforters and pillows. Adam had managed to find a shirt to cover his torso, and Shawn looked like he was about to kill someone for waking him up.
“Dawn, you and Wesley take the far right corner, the couch folds out. Rose and Adam take the far left, take the mattress from Rose’s bed. Krista, I have Marshall joining us, you will take the front right corner, you can stay where you are. Helen, you and I will take the trundle by the door,” Shawn said as politely as he could. I didn’t like being paired with Wesley, even with Adam in the room. “Ladies, please do not mistake this for matchmaking. I based it on the powers possessed by you and the ones by us.”
Everyone moved the direction they were told, and we all sat there in our respective corners, just staring at each other. Adam and Wesley put their issues aside long enough to get the mattress from Rose’s room and set up the couch bed. The room seemed bigger than it had when I was in here last. I knew the house adjusted to the number of people inside. It might have looked small to some, but it was enough for us.
“There are only five hours till morning. I suggest we sleep. I don’t mean to sound crass, ladies, but the only way we can block the hijacker is actually to have contact with you. So, hold hands, spoon, hook arms, or cuddle. I don’t care. I’m just as tired as you. So, let’s just get some sleep.” Shawn snapped his fingers, and the light went out.
I laid down next to Wesley and felt his fingers fold into mine as they had so many nights before. I could feel eyes on me. I glanced across the room. Adam was staring at me with intensity, the moon illuminating his face. His eyes were stern, his jaw set. He wrapped his arms around Rose and pulled her close to him, kissing her briefly on the top of the head, before nestling into his pillow and closing his eyes.
“You love him,” Wesley said softly so nobody could hear.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, turning my face to look at him.
“Nothing,” Wesley replied, scooting closer to me. I allowed him to place his arm over my body and bury his face into my neck as he had in the past.
I fell asleep quickly, and, unlike the last episode, I didn’t wake again until morning.
I slept like a log. When I woke up, Wesley and I were the only two left in the room. I rolled on my side and smiled at the sight. Even in his current anomalous state, he was quite handsome when he was sleeping.
“Good morning, birthday girl,” I heard him say groggily.
“Same to you, birthday boy,” I groaned.
Why did he have to remind me?
“Who would have thought we would share the same date of birth,” he chuckled to himself and opened his eyes. They were orange, well at least for a second, until they settled to their beautiful blue.
“How long you been awake?” I asked, wanting to roll out of bed and plant my feet firmly on the floor.
“For a while. I just laid there and watched you breathe.” He smiled at me. “I forgot how beautiful you are when you are sleeping.”
“As opposed to any other time,” I laughed. He gave me a stern look, and I stuck out my bottom lip in a pout.
“No. I have yet to find a single thing you are not beautiful at.” He stretched.
“I don’t want to get up,” I groaned, stretching as well.
“Your mom has the entire day planned. I don’t think Miranda or John could do anything to stop her from celebrating today. Just don’t get mad at her when you see what she got you, I helped.” He brushed a strand of black hair from my face.
“Great,” I groaned. “You think if we stay in here all day, she will notice?”
“Yes, I think she will.” I heard an annoyed voice and glanced toward the door where my mother stood. “It’s time for my two special people to get up. We have one hell of a day for you.”
“Does it involve roasting redheads for lunch?” I asked, stretching my toes again, pointing painfully toward the door.
“Dear me, Dawn, you are going to be the death of me at this rate.” My mom rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air before turning and leaving the room. “Be downstairs in five minutes.”
“You think she’s serious?” I asked, looking at him and smiling.
“About as serious as a heart attack,” he replied, crawling up and out of bed. I didn’t even notice the way the shirt clung to his body. He was always a thin boy, but now it was almost saddening to see what the camp had done to him.
I could see the faint outlines of the scars Mona had been talking about peeking from under the short sleeves
of his shirt. Several sets of pinprick marks lined the sides of his neck. I had to stop the desire to investigate each and every mark. My heart was melting. Emotions came flooding back to me, and I fought to regain control. I had been so blind by what was happening in that camp I hadn’t thought to make sure nothing had been done to him.
Yes, I love him still. No, I will not become what he claims I am. I must be strong.
“They don’t hurt,” he said, noticing me watch him.
“Pardon me?” I asked, shooting my eyes across the room.
“It was when I was unconscious,” he explained as I pulled myself to a standing position and helped him to put the couch bed back into its hole.
“I saw you, though.” I wrapped my arms around myself and sighed. “I saw you.”
“We spent one night together. Even then, you were so tired your vision was clouded. Not to mention, it was some pretty poor lighting in that tent. Better than most but not near perfect.” He walked up to me, taking my face in his hands. “You didn’t know.”
“Sort of puts a damper onto our plans,” I laughed, feeling my eyes swell with tears.
“Only temporarily. We will figure this out.” He hugged me close, and I wrapped my arms around him. Why was he making me so weak?
“You blamed me,” I sobbed into his chest as he caressed my back.
“I know,” he whispered. I felt his cheek warm on the top of my head.
“Did you mean it?”
“No.” His voice was quiet but sincere. “I don’t know what I thought in the beginning. I didn’t know who those creatures were attacking everyone. I would defend Miranda, yes, but only so far.”
“After everything she did to you. You still feel some loyalty to her?” I asked, the tears stopping.
“No. Not loyalty. If it had not been for her, John would have killed me himself. The only thing stopping him was Miranda’s experiments.” Wesley let me go. “We can talk about this later. Today is a good day.”
Chapter Twelve
Happy Nineteenth
After I had taken some time to get dressed and do my makeup, I let Wesley take my hand, lead me down the stairs, and through the house to the back yard. As soon as we opened the door, we were pushed back by the number of people waiting for our grand entrance. My mother stood proudly, her face glowing. She took a step toward us and took Wesley’s hand in hers, leading him through the crowd. In response, he pulled me with him, looking over his shoulder.
“Today is a celebration of life.” She began speaking loudly as she turned to face the crowd. “Nineteen years ago, today, I gave birth to my miracle child. On that same day, at exactly the same time, my dear friend Greta gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Today we do not think of the threat heading our way. Today we celebrate life, their lives.” The crowd roared, and she looked at us.
“I couldn’t do much, but I did what I could with what we had.” She moved her hands around her. “When you were a little girl, you loved the carnival. With the girls’ help and the assistance of the people here, we were able to create a little bit of that childhood magic.”
“We have a rotating shift today, covering Harrisville and the land. Do not worry about anything; if she is going to attack today, we will know in advance,” my father said as he appeared beside my mother. I rubbed my nose to avoid the smell of sulfur in the air.
“I also have a surprise for you, Wesley.” She retook his hand and looked at my father with fondness. I heard the music come alive behind us as well as laughter and conversation. Even when things were at their possible worst, these people took the time to celebrate something as minuscule as a birthday.
Mom led us through the trees and into a tiny opening in the center. I saw a bright light in the corner of the space, and a woman appeared. I knew her face, but her name was evading me. I felt Wesley stiffen, his hand squeezing tightly onto mine. His shoulders shook as horrific sobs erupted from his throat.
The woman stepped closer and reached out her arms, waiting for him to enter them. He let me go with hesitancy and ran into them, sobbing on her shoulder. I finally realized who she was. My breath caught in my chest as the amazement of his mother’s presence made my eyes sting.
“How did you do it?” I asked my mother as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and gave me a squeeze.
“I pulled a few strings. I talked to a few old friends. Ramiel helped me quite a bit,” she smiled. “His sister and father will be here as well, but I wanted these two to have a moment. It’s been nearly three years, you know.”
“How long will she be here?” I asked softly. She had her hands on his face now and was covering him with kisses.
“For the day. It was the most I could get for them. God is not always so willing to allow one of his souls to return to Earth. Not without being reborn, I should say.” My mother smiled and looked toward the other side of the trees. I could hear the sound of the helicopter. The other part of the present must be here.
“Do they know?” I felt my mother pulling on me as she dragged me through the trees again toward the sound.
“They know enough. Melissa may be confused, but Greg knows.” We stood at the edge of the trees as Greg and his daughter were helped out of the back. Melissa, with her bags flung over her shoulder and Greg with his jumbled behind him.
Melissa took off at a sprint the moment she saw my face, wrapping her arms around my neck. The now thirteen-year-old was taller, thinner, and far lovelier than before. It felt like years since I had seen her, though it had only been a few months.
“Look at you,” I said, pulling her away long enough to get a good look at her.
“Look at you,” she repeated, touching my hair. “You are different.”
“Is that a good thing?” I teased her, and she laughed.
“Yes, that is a good thing.” She tucked her hands in her pockets. “My dad said your mother called us out here to celebrate your birthday. You know it’s Wesley’s birthday as well?”
She hung her head and glanced at her father, who was standing only a few feet away, engaged in a conversation with my mother.
“Dawn, I’m going to take Melissa and Greg inside and show them to their rooms. Be a dear and check on what we were talking about.” She winked at me.
This present wasn’t just for Wesley; it was also for Greg. Just the day before, my mother had told me she wasn’t sure how to tell Greg his son was not human anymore. Well, in fact, that he was never all human, to begin with. I suppose she had found her way. Either that, or she had managed to create a loophole, causing things to be understood in a way without actually saying what that way was.
“Of course.” I looked at the girl and touched her cheek. “We have so much to talk about.”
She nodded at me and, smiling, ran off to join her father and my mother. I watched them enter the house and then hastened through the trees to Wesley. He was holding the woman’s hands, talking away when I showed up. He gave me a warm smile and motioned for me to join them.
“Mom.” I saw the smile spread across his face. The woman looked at me and smiled herself. It was identical. “This is Dawn.”
“Son, I know who she is. I have been seeing her face far longer than you have.” She didn’t put out her hand, just instantly grabbed me and crushed me to her chest in a hug strong enough to break Hercules’ back.
“Mrs. Jensen.” I gasped for air. Her strength was impeccable. She let me go and looked from me to him and back again.
“I will admit she is far more beautiful in person than on paper.” She gave me another smile.
“She’s a Warden,” Wesley said sheepishly. I think he was starting to feel overwhelmed by the fact his mother was there.
“I know, love. Wes, I know her mother.” Greta laughed and squeezed his hand in hers.
“So sorry about that, I didn’t mean to rush off.” My mother walked up and grasped Greta by the shoulders before hugging her affectionately.
“No, I understand. You are a busy woman.” Gret
a glanced at the trees, and I saw her face contort slightly. She appeared sad, but only for a moment.
“Please come inside. The party has just begun, but I wanted to spend some time with you before the excitement of the day gets to the children.” My mother patted me on the back and winked at Wesley.
He was elated. There was a light in his eyes when he looked at his mother. The last time he had seen her, she was being haunted by his girlfriend at the time — the first victim of many associated with Wesley.
“Of course.” She took a step and smiled. “I forgot what it’s like to walk on the Earth.”
“Let me help you, Mom,” Wesley offered, looping her arm through his and helping her across the grass and toward the house.
We entered through the back of the house. My mother led the way along the corridors to the living area, where she paused. I could hear Melissa at the top of the stairs.
“This place is huge!” she exclaimed to her father; unaware we were standing at the bottom just out of sight. “It must have cost them millions.”
“I forget you wouldn’t know this house. We used to take care of it before your mother passed.” They reached the bottom of the stairs, and both of them stopped. The air thinned as faces were recognized.
“WESLEY!” Melissa’s voice echoed through the room as she took off in a sprint toward her brother. The reunion brought tears to my eyes, but that wasn’t what I was staring at anymore.
First, his eyes got misty than his lip quivered. He glanced at my mother and then back at me, then at his son. He was unsure of what to do. He didn’t know if he should hug his son first or grab his wife.
“Greta?” His voice shook as he stepped slowly toward her.
“Greg,” she replied, twisting her hands together. This was the reunion she had been anticipating.
Seconds passed before she took off running, throwing herself into his arms, their lips crashing together, tears streaming down both their faces. I shifted my eyes to brother and sister, still embracing, their mouths moving silently.
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