Zandra sounded defeated when she confirmed, “Yes, Angela made a selfless act by running away in the night and leaving her betrothed behind. In her wake she ensured I must remain in a position I never wanted to begin with.”
Chiron shook his head, “Do you not see? Your prediction is still a possibility. You must tell Angelo you know of his plans before he can take an action that can never be reversed. If he views Cameron as a threat, he will not hesitate.”
Zandra looked mortified. It was my turn, I needed to make sure I had understood what Chiron said. “You said Zandra told Mom that Angelo intended to kill Kyle Richardson?”
Chiron nodded that I had understood correctly. “Traditionally, the Chairman chooses a son, daughter, niece or nephew. Zandra could have selected Angela, Angelo, or either of Zethus' sons. Because she was still blinded with rage at Zethus, she never met, nor considered either of her nephews. Angela was preferred over Angelo by all who met her. Angelo was angry – he viewed Angela and her betrothed Kyle as his competition for his own Chairmanship.”
“So Mom never wanted to be the Chairman?”
Chiron smiled as his complexion grew more radiant. “Your mother believed she could save Kyle’s life by running away. She fled to protect him. By not bearing his children, she believed your grandmother’s prediction could not possibly come true. Her flight should have resulted in Angelo receiving the Chairmanship he so desperately wanted.”
“But when Cameron and I came back into the picture – the prediction is a possibility again.”
Chiron walked toward me, his hooves heavy on the rocky earth. “It is within Zandra’s power to stop this. If she doesn’t, I fear for my herd’s future – all of my herds.”
“Athena told me about a curse on the Chiron Centauride’s twins. Is it true?”
Chiron looked pained. “I have watched the struggle among my children for generations. The curse has been broken with you and Cameron, but Zandra’s actions have the chance of bringing it back. If Cameron or you are sent to the pasture by Angelo or any other Chiron, life is breathed back into the curse.”
“Where did the curse come from?"
"Eris and I had a run in a very long time ago. It is not important, but know that it is within your power to bury the curse for good."
"So Cameron isn’t evil?”
“No.”
“But he hates me?”
“Hate is an interesting emotion. It resembles love in its intensity. Truth has a way of morphing one emotion into the other.”
“That’s a yes?”
“That is entirely up to you.”
Zandra would not make eye contact with me. She favored instead looking out onto the valley below through our prison bars. She lied to Cameron about me. She convinced Mom that if she married Kyle, Angelo would try to kill him. She had told Cameron, Angelo, and me that we were all to be Chairman. What would Angelo do if he found out she had promised it to all three of us? Would we then become the threat he believed Mom to be all those years ago?
Chapter 22
(Cameron Chiron – Cavern in Peru)
“Keep up, Cameron.” Every step we took, Angelo was becoming more annoyed with me. I hated that we had left Centurion. Grandma took off with a gaggle of enforcers and Drake. I wanted to go with her, but she refused. She told me to wait for her there. The next thing I knew Angelo was dragging me off to the airport.
Doing my best to keep my own frustration out of my voice, I asked, “I still don’t understand what we’re doing here. You said we needed to hide from Camille, but do we need to be underground? Why’s she coming after us?”
“We are meeting a friend, someone who can offer us both protection from her.”
“But I never did anything to her. What’s she got against me?” Technically, I had threatened her before the Council meeting, but no one was after the Lost Herd anymore. She couldn’t think that I would go against Grandma’s wishes?
Angelo didn’t answer me. I got the feeling that more was going on than he was telling me. The cave was wet and cool and seemed to go on forever. The sides were worn smooth and the floor was uneven. Trying to keep up with Angelo was next to impossible. We had been in and out of this stupid tunnel for days.
I stepped on something squishy and aimed the light down, praying I hadn’t just found a snake. Thankfully, it was a wadded up filthy piece of cloth. There was some comfort knowing we weren’t the only ones ever to be down here.
“Cameeerrrrooooon. Where are you?” A voice echoed off the walls from the mouth of the cave. It stopped me in mid-stride. No, it couldn’t be. I hadn’t seen him in a couple years. How could he be here?
Angelo and I both froze. More echoed shouts found their way to us, “Cameeeeroooon, I know you’re down here.”
Angelo’s hand grabbed me by my throat, cutting off my air. “Who the hell is that?!”
I tried to answer, but his grip was wrapped tightly around my vocal cords. Nothing but a gurgling sound came out of me.
The voice grew louder, “Cameron. Make some noise!! Where are you?”
My hands shoved hard against Angelo’s chest as I tried to wrench my neck out of his grasp. All I could manage was, “AAAAAHHHAHAH.” Not exactly a cry for help and not enough noise to be heard from a few feet away, let alone to be used as a vector for someone several tunnels up from us.
I could hear him drawing closer, as if he were running straight toward me. His voice growing more angry by the foot. “Dammit, Cameron! I told you I was a phone call away. What the hell happened? I know you’re down here. I didn’t give up my life to see you rot away in a godforsaken cave in the middle of nowhere.”
Angelo’s grip around my neck loosened marginally, his words slow and angry, “Who is it?”
I coughed and gagged, my voice was raw. “Ro. . .ger. Guar. . .” More coughs spewed out of me, “dian.”
“Who?”
I took in a rush of air. The feel of it flooding my lungs threw me into a coughing fit I couldn’t control. I heard his boots running right for us. Only a speck of light was visible from the tunnel we had come down, but in that little bit of light I could see the man who had raised me.
I doubled over, my hands on my knees trying to suck in whatever air my lungs would hold. “Roger. It’s Roger. The human who raised me.”
Relief spread on Angelo’s face. “How in the hell did a human follow us here?”
I shook my head. I didn’t know. The last time I had seen Roger was just before my twenty-first birthday. Roger’s truck was packed for some fishing trip he was headed to in Wyoming or Montana. I was in our little living room watching something on television when he walked in with a birthday cake. He set it on the table and had a large envelope tucked under his arm.
“I’m going on an extended trip this time.” Roger opened the envelope, pulled out a bunch of papers and a wad of cash and set it on the table. “I filed these down at the courthouse; this place is yours now. You said you wanted to start a secondhand shop in town. You can do that or you might consider converting the barn into one. A lot easier to be a few feet from your store front, but that’s your call.”
His announcement was sudden. The two of us had always talked over everything, so his decision that he was moving out was unexpected. Questions whizzed through my head, but the only one I could put to words was, “Where are you going?”
“Fishing. I’ve got some family out west I haven’t seen in a while. Got a sister I haven’t seen in twenty years. Think it’s time I look her up.”
A sister? He’d never mentioned a sister. He was from out west? We had always lived here. No one ever called or visited us, not once. I looked around our little house, realizing this was more than a fishing trip. Roger’s twelve gauge shotgun was missing from over the fire place. A few pictures were missing from the living room wall. I looked out the window and saw his truck was completely packed with boxes. He wasn’t coming back.
I got to my feet, “Well, hold up. I’ll go with you. I’d like to
meet her.”
Roger shook his head, “Naw, not this time. You’re a man, Cameron. It’s time you make a life for yourself.”
The burning question emerged before I realized I was even asking it. “Are you coming back?”
Roger shook his head, “Only if you need me.” He handed me a little slip of paper with a phone number scribbled on it. “I’m always just a phone call away.”
Roger gave me an awkward hug, then just walked away. He stopped in the doorway, turned toward me and warned, “Remember what I said about your family. You don’t got none. Don’t go turning over rocks that there’s snakes underneath of. Hear me?”
I nodded and he walked out of my life. I rifled through the papers he had handed me. On top was the deed – our house and the twenty acres around it was now in my name. I had mentioned starting a secondhand shop. It wasn’t a huge dream or anything, just an idea. As I turned over the wad of cash, it was more than enough to hit a few estate auctions and to pay a few months' rent on a store front.
Roger taught me to hunt and to fish, he taught me how to do laundry and to split wood: he’d taught me all the bare necessities of life. He had given me the tools and was sending me out into the world to succeed or fail – but wasn’t interested enough to stick around and watch it.
I left the front porch light on for over a year, thinking he might show up. I never did call the number he had given me. I wasn’t sure if it was some kind of a test or if he had just decided his job was over and he was washing his hands of me.
Angelo’s voice brought me back to the present. “A human could not have possibly followed us here. Who is your guardian?”
Roger cut in before I could answer, “You weren’t listening when I told you about snakes hiding under rocks, were you, Cam?”
Roger had been the closest thing I had to family for most of my life. I was excited to see him, but the bitterness of his abrupt departure gnawed at me. How had he found me here? Did he know I was a Centaur? He had to have known, but he never said a word. I wasn’t sure what I could even tell him. Grandma and Angelo both told me humans weren’t supposed to know about us.
Wanting desperately to give him a hug, I took a step in his direction. I stopped short when I noticed he was glaring at Angelo. His question hung in the air, so I answered, “I guess not. How was the fishing trip?”
Roger inserted himself in between Angelo and me. “Fish weren’t biting this week, decided to try Peru. Turns out the fish here are a little harder to get off the hook; they got teeth, so I went for a stroll.”
Perspiration shone on Angelo’s brow, “You went for a stroll? You expect us to believe you just happened to be in the neighborhood?”
“Yeah, didn’t Cameron tell you? I’m his guardian.”
I laughed, “Yeah, I’m an adult now, Roger. It’s great to see you and everything, but I don’t get why you’re here.” My neck felt raw where Uncle Angelo had just choked me. I was grateful my voice seemed to be working.
Roger shook his head at me. “You did exactly what I told you not to. You turned over rocks looking for snakes. Congrats, Cam, you found one.”
I shook my head, “This is my uncle Angelo. He was my mother’s twin brother.”
“I know exactly who Angelo is. C’mon, we’re getting out of here.” He kept me toward his back and continued facing Angelo. That eerie feeling I’d had when it was just Angelo and me was gone. What kind of a schmuck was I that Roger showing up out of the blue gave me a safe feeling. What was I, four?
Angelo took a step in Roger’s direction, “I don’t believe my nephew has use for your services any longer, Roger. Why don’t you go back to your fishing.”
Roger sounded bitter, “Not a chance. Angela told me all about you. You stay away from him.”
My breath hitched, and I felt like I’d just been sucker punched. “Angela? You told me you didn’t know my mom. You lied to me?”
“Not here, Cameron. We need to get top side. Now, go.” Roger shoved me toward the path we had walked down.
Angelo’s answer was condescending, “You’re not listening to him. He doesn’t have any desire to go with you. We’re meeting a friend.”
I was still pissed about Roger leaving me without so much as a call on my birthday or Christmas, but I didn’t want Angelo to hurt him, either. I hadn’t seen Angelo’s temper for myself, but Grandma told me he could be dangerous when provoked. Centaurs were seriously strong and fast. I wouldn’t put it past Roger to pick a fight, and he wouldn’t know what he was getting himself into with Angelo.
Roger held his ground, even with me tugging at his shirt from behind. His expression looked like Angelo had just told him a joke. “A friend? You don’t mean Eris do you? Maybe you think Ate is down here, too?”
Angelo’s eyes widened with surprise, “How do you know my friends?”
“Your friends are up at the Mountain talking to Dad right now. I think they’re going to be grounded and won’t be able to come out and play after all. Now, get away from my charge.”
Angelo asked incredulously, “Talking to Dad?”
“Zeus, you moron. Jig’s up. Now feel free to get yourself lost in this cavern or find another rock to crawl under. I’m taking Cameron back to South Africa. There’s going to be a little ceremony he needs to attend.”
“Ha! A little ceremony, is there? Don’t pass out the invitations too quickly.”
Roger’s smile grew wide, “It’s already been announced. The Chairman is stepping down and you might just as well stay here.”
This couldn’t be. How could Roger know about the ceremony? Somehow he had information. I asked, “Is Grandma okay?”
Roger nodded, “Yeah, c’mon, I’ll explain everything once we get out of here.”
Angelo laughed an evil hiss of a laugh, “Grandma? Isn’t that cozy? So it wasn’t just a hick act: you really believe you have endeared yourself to her? Roger, maybe you can enlighten my nephew on what a sweet old lady my mother really is?”
Roger kept his back toward me, prodding me toward the entrance. Angelo walked toward us with an evil look in his eye. “Come, let me share a little secret with you. She is a manipulative dictator. She isn’t satisfied unless everyone around her is miserable. You were nothing more than a pawn in her game.”
None of this was making any sense. Grandma told me to be careful of Angelo and to stay away from Camille. Camille told me not to trust any of them. Roger shows up out of the blue and says Grandma is retiring. How does Roger know any of this? I wasn’t going anywhere with anyone, “No! Tell me what the hell is going on.”
Roger repeated, “Toward the top, Cam. Let’s go.”
Angelo kept walking toward us as Roger kept pushing me toward the mouth of the tunnel. Angelo’s eyes narrowed as his voice thundered, “You think she cared about you? She doesn’t have the capacity to care about anyone but herself. You think your dear mother was any better? She disappeared without a trace. Everyone presumed Angela was dead, and who do you think everyone blamed?”
I stammered, realizing that we were in real danger. Angelo's narrow eyes fixated on us as his face contorted in rage. We needed to get out of here. I worried what he might do to Roger. I stopped backing toward the cave's entrance and reminded Angelo, “Roger didn’t have anything to do with my mother taking off. Leave him alone.”
“Me! Angela destroyed my future. My only vindication was finding out that she had snuck off and birthed you bastards. Fatherless Chirons, who could have guessed? Yet she did one better and located the Lost Herd in the process. Well, bully for her. I don’t care what the Chairman says, no Council in their right mind will allow either of you as Chairman.”
Roger stopped moving backwards. He stood erect and in a forceful voice announced, “It’s already decided. Now back off.”
“Who do you think you’re speaking to?” Angelo lunged at Roger. He was so fast that Roger was on the ground with Angelo’s knee in his chest before I’d even seen Angelo flinch.
Roger looked
straight at me and said, “Don’t make a sound.”
Angelo’s fists were burying themselves into Roger’s face. I vaulted toward them, yanked hard on Angelo and threw him into the wall. Angelo jumped to his feet, but a confused look was the only expression I saw. His face turned right, then left, then right again. Angelo yelled, “Go ahead and hide, you coward! Hide like your mother! You think I can’t find you? I know how you think Cameron! You’re just like my sister!” He took a few steps toward the left as if he were going to run up to the mouth of the cave, stopped, turned back, and ran further into the cave.
Had he just gone mad? I reached down and helped Roger to his feet. Roger cautioned in a whisper, “Not a sound.” Angelo ran back to where Roger and I stood. Angelo was pissed, “Where is he? What did you do with him?”
Roger looked directly at me and gave his head a small shake, reminding me to be quiet. Angelo whipped his head around, looked right at me, then turned back toward Roger. “What did you do with Cameron?”
Roger grinned, “Sent him back to South Africa, just like I said I was going to do.”
None of this was making sense. I was standing right here. I was an arm’s length away from Angelo. He bellowed, “Impossible!” Angelo shined a flashlight along the walls looking to see if I was tucked in a crevice in the passageway.
I looked down at my feet – they were gone. My body had transformed into a boulder. I blended in perfectly with the sides of the tunnel. Angelo stepped around me, shining his light along the wall and in the space between me and the side of the cave. Angelo’s words became frantic, “I know you’re here. There’s no use hiding from me. I’ll find you!”
Angelo’s temper got the better of him as he went after Roger a second time. Roger was back on the ground as Angelo was landing kicks to his side. Roger had rolled up into the fetal position protecting his head and internal organs the best he could. I jumped on Angelo’s back, knocking him off-balance and to the ground. I looked like myself again as Angelo tried to get me off of him.
An ear-splitting CRACK sounded, and a lady in battle armor appeared out of thin air. Rocks fell off the walls, as the crack echoed up and down every crevice in the tunnel. She spoke with authority, and it wasn’t any kind of a request. “It’s over, Angelo.”
Centaur Redemption (Touched Series) Page 21