Illumination

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Illumination Page 2

by ID Johnson


  I’m sure if something has happened to me that Cass is probably really upset, and I’m very sorry for that. She’s such a good kid. I was so honored to have the opportunity to look out for her for all of those years. Please remind her that I love her very much, and you can let her read this as well if you want to.

  Also, I did try to contact Amanda, like you recommended, but I don’t think she’s interested in hearing from me. I do feel better about trying, though. So thanks for that.

  I didn’t mean to write a damn book, but I guess I feel better knowing that, if something does happen to me, you’ll at least have a few answers.

  All right. Hopefully, this has just been a waste of an hour-and-a-half (What? I’m a slow writer!) and none of this was necessary. But, if something does happen to me, remember that I love you very much. Hope to see you around some time, once in a blue moon.

  Love,

  Elliott

  Cadence read the letter twice, tears streaming down her face as the sound of his voice filled her head. When she was done, she folded it back up, handed it to her grandmother, and began to sob uncontrollably.

  Janette patted her gently on the back, “There, there, darling. It’s all right,” she whispered quietly. “I’m sure the last thing he would want is to cause you grief all over again.”

  While Cadence knew that was true, it was still very difficult to get a grip on herself. It had been over six months since Elliott had died, and it still seemed like yesterday. Even though she hadn’t known him that long, she’d become extremely close to him very quickly. She regretted the time she’d spent away from him, trying to figure out who she really was now that she had become a Vampire Hunter, trying to decide whether or not she should continue to fight for Aaron or let him go. Elliott was right—if he hadn’t died, she would probably still be fighting with Aaron instead of engaged to him.

  Eventually, she was able to get a handle on her emotions, and she excused herself to go into the restroom to wash her face and blow her nose.

  Looking in the mirror, she hardly even recognized who she had become. Vampire Hunting had certainly made her more muscular. She looked more mature than she had just a year or so ago when she’d started this new adventure. Was that all the time that had passed? It seemed like this had always been her life, and yet, not that long ago, she was a college student, hanging out with her high school friends on the weekend. Now, two of those friends were dead, and she’d lost Elliott as well. Aaron had also died, though not for long. And she’d nearly been killed herself when Laura shot her with a titanium bullet in an attempt to take out Giovani (who was also now dead.) Her sister was some sort of half-Vampire, half-Hunter the likes of which no one had ever heard of before. So much death and destruction. Why had she chosen this life again?

  Of course, there had been lots of moments that made it all worthwhile as well. She couldn’t count how many victims she’d saved just before a Vampire was about to strike. There’d been the sweet little girl in Oklahoma, when they’d taken Brandon on his first hunt. And the baby she’d rescued from Henry. If she hadn’t chosen to Transform, she wouldn’t know any of these people. She certainly wouldn’t be engaged to the most intelligent, talented, sexy guy she’d ever met. She wouldn’t be crying about Elliott because she would have never met him. But then, if she hadn’t joined the team maybe he’d still be alive.

  And so would a hell of a lot of monsters.

  Sighing, she dried her face off on a towel and tried to get control of herself. What was done was done. Now, she just needed to move forward. There was so much to do and never enough time to do it. Forcing herself not to think about Elliott anymore, she went back to the living room, happy to have received word from him but resolved not to let this distract her.

  When she walked back in, she could see her grandmother reading the letter. She sat down next to her, and saw a tear wending its way down her wrinkled cheek. “Grandma? Are you okay?” she asked, quietly, placing her hand on her grandma’s knee.

  “He knew….” she whispered, shaking her head. Finishing the letter, she inhaled deeply, folded it up, and slid it back into the envelope

  “I guess so,” Cadence said, assuming she meant he knew he was going to die. Feeling that resolve starting to loosen, she steeled herself and took the letter from her grandmother.

  “No, that’s not what I meant,” she said softly. Cadence turned her head to look at her grandma, curious, and she continued. “Yes, it does seem like he knew something was about to happen. That doesn’t surprise me. Guardians have intuition like no one else. You know that.”

  Thinking of all the times Aaron had told her things she didn’t think he could possibly know, and then the exact event happened, or he told her something he’d pieced together somehow with very little information, she nodded.

  “But this is something else—something very few of us were supposed to know about.”

  Cautiously, Cadence asked, “What’s that?”

  Grandma Janette took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “If I tell you, I’m certain Aaron will be very cross with me.”

  “Grandma,” Cadence began, “if you and Aaron—and Elliott—have a secret, I think you should let me know about it.”

  Janette opened her weary eyes and looked into Cadence’s. “Do you know what a blue moon is?”

  Caught off guard by the question, instead of a revelation, Cadence wasn’t sure how to respond. “I… don’t know. It’s just an expression, isn’t it? Like ‘see you around’?”

  “Sure. Usually. But a blue moon is a real thing, too. And sometimes people get confused and think it’s something it isn’t.”

  “Grandma, I’m not following,” Cadence replied, scooting back against the couch.

  “Some people think a blue moon is when you have an extra full moon in a season—and technically, that’s true. But it can also be when you have an extra full moon in a month—at least for our purposes. They are both very rare.”

  “Okay…” Cadence said, confused, but doing her best to follow.

  “For thousands of years, people have believed there was something magical about the blue moon. Some think it brings luck, wealth, or fertility. Others thought that sleeping with a blue moon’s light on your face could cause insanity. Perhaps there are some truths to those superstitions, though I doubt it.”

  “And what does the blue moon mean to you, Grandma?”

  Once again, Janette took a deep breath. Exhaling, she resituated herself so that she was turned toward Cadence. “When I was younger, I heard a story about a Guardian who had been summoned using the blue moon portal. He was accidentally killed by a Hunter, and the Hunter felt so terrible, he searched to the ends of the earth to find a way to bring him back. On the night of a blue moon, he took his friend’s remains out, on a cloudless night, and set them on the ground, coffin open. Just as he had been told by an ancient Guardian, a portal opened, and he was able to speak to his friend.”

  “Oh, my goodness,” Cadence sighed.

  “I never believed that was possible. Don’t ask me why. I mean, with all of the things you and I have both seen in our lifetimes, why not? Right? But… after your grandfather died, well I had to give it a try. I wanted to see him again.”

  “And… did it work?”

  “Yes,” Janette replied.

  Cadence’s eyes widened. “You mean, you’ve been able to speak to Grandpa—after he died?”

  “Yes, but only on these rare occasions when the moon is blue, the sky is clear, and the portal is willing to open. It doesn’t always work, darling.”

  Cadence could hardly believe her ears. She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands. “Why didn’t… why didn’t anyone ever tell me?”

  “Well, I didn’t say anything because… I suppose there’s a reason Aaron didn’t want you to know, dear.”

  “But… if there’s a way that I can see Elliott, talk to him again, why would he want to keep that from me?” Janette pursed her lips, her han
ds folded in her lap, and Cadence knew immediately there was something else, something she wasn’t saying. “Grandma?”

  “It’s a portal, darling. You know what that means, right?”

  “Are you saying—it’s a doorway?”

  Janette nodded her head once.

  Cadence jumped up off of the sofa and spun to face her grandmother. “It’s a doorway! He can come back?”

  “Calm down, dear!”

  Cadence ran her hands through her long brown hair, tangling her hands at the roots, and began to pull. “Oh, my God! Grandma! Why? Why would Aaron keep this from me? You’re telling me that Elliott could actually come back—walk through a portal from the afterlife—like nothing ever happened—and no one bothered to tell me?”

  “Darling, it’s not that simple,” Janette replied, her voice still calm and even.

  Twirling around to face away from her, Cadence shot back, “Seems pretty damn simple to me.”

  “Cadence Josephine, watch your language,” Grandma Janette scolded.

  Taking a deep breath and crossing her arms, Cadence tried to calm herself. “I’m sorry, Grandma,” she said, slowly turning around to face her. “I guess, I just don’t understand why Aaron wouldn’t tell me this. What in the world could possibly keep him from telling me that we can bring Elliott back? Is there any reason in the world that he wouldn’t want him to come back?”

  “I think that Aaron will have to answer that question for you, sweetheart.”

  Cadence couldn’t think of anything—not one thing—in the whole world that could possibly prevent her from bringing Elliott back if it were possible. And yet, she had to believe there must be something. She collapsed onto the sofa next to her grandma, careful not to jar her, and leaned her head back, staring up at the wide wooden beams of her grandmother’s living room ceiling.

  It took her a few moments before she finally collected herself enough to turn her attention back to her grandma. “So… why didn’t Grandpa ever come through?” she asked quietly.

  “Oh, he is quite happy over there,” Janette said with a smile. “One thing I didn’t tell you that’s very important is that, once a Guardian comes through, they can never go back. This old fellow I was telling you about, he decided he wanted to go back after a while, and nothing would kill him. Not even a Hunter’s bullet. Nothing. So… while it was possible for your grandfather to come back, I would die eventually, even if I didn’t re-Transform, and then we’d never be together. No, it’s better this way. I can still see him every so often, and he gets to stay on the other side.”

  Cadence nodded; that made sense. Her grandfather had died before she was born, but her grandma was already very old, and Hunters knew they would die eventually—unlike Guardians which could live forever so long as a Hunter didn’t kill them. “Do you think that’s why Aaron didn’t want me to know? He was afraid I’d talk Elliott into something he didn’t want to do?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” Janette said quickly. “I doubt he’d be too concerned about that. Elliott is capable of making his own decision.”

  “Is there something else then?” Cadence asked, still unable to believe that Aaron would keep this from her.

  “I told you, you need to ask him that.”

  Realizing she’d get nothing else out of her grandma about this particular topic, Cadence nodded. “All right. Well, I better get on my way. I still need to stop by and check on Cassidy before I head home, and it’s already past noon.” Her grandmother gave her a nod and a smile, clearly happy not to have to say more. “Do you want me to put the album away for you, Grandma?”

  “No, darling,” Janette replied. “I like to look at it more and more these days.”

  “You miss Grandpa a lot, don’t you?”

  “Oh, yes,” Janette said, tears forming in her eyes. “People say it gets easier with time, but not for me it hasn’t. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss him more.”

  Cadence didn’t know exactly how that must feel, but she had experienced her own loss; she’d even lost Aaron for a few hours, so she could imagine. She reached over and hugged her grandma, realizing she felt even more frail now than the last time she’d been by to visit, which hadn’t been that long ago. “I love you, Grandma. Very much.”

  “I love you, too Cadence, and I always will. Don’t ever forget that.”

  While Cadence thought her grandma’s statement was a bit odd, she didn’t question her. Kissing her on the cheek, she slipped the letter into her jacket pocket, and made her way out to the driveway and climbed on her F4CC, planning to stop by and visit her family before she headed back to headquarters with a million questions to ask her fiancé.

  Chapter Two

  Cassidy was still at school when Cadence reached her parents’ home just a couple of hours later, but her sister would be back soon, and it gave her a chance to visit with her mom who had stopped working outside of the home the year before. Her father, who was an engineer, was still at work.

  While Liz Findley was a bit ditzy at times and often didn’t know when to keep her mouth closed, she was an amazing mother. Cadence had never questioned how much her parents loved her. She’d been well taken care of growing up in their two-story home in Shenandoah, Iowa, never wanting for anything. Her mom was at every performance, every competition, every bake sale. She was also full of embarrassing questions.

  “So—are you still using birth control?” Liz asked, taking a sip of her coffee, sitting across from Cadence on the couch in her living room.

  “Seriously, Mother? You did not just ask me that!” Cadence declared, wanting to throw a pillow at her but knowing she’d definitely spill her drink.

  “What? Can’t a mother inquire about grandchildren?”

  “We’re not even married yet, Mom. Couldn’t you at least let us get hitched and then give us a few years? I’m kind of busy hunting down bloodsuckers right now.”

  “Okay, okay. I just thought I’d ask, that’s all.”

  “Well, don’t,” Cadence said, full-body shuddering.

  Liz took another sip of her coffee and then asked, “Everything is going well, though? No major problems?”

  She knew her mother was asking out of concern, not attempting to pry. Still, she wasn’t about to explain the situation with the blue moon portal to her mom before she asked Aaron about it. Finally, she just said, “Sure. Everything is great. I mean… we have our problems like everyone else. But we love each other a lot. We work well together. He hasn’t kicked me out for leaving the drain full of my hair—yet.”

  Her mother chuckled, having first hand experience with that hair. “Good. Sometimes it’s hard to be with someone so much and not drive each other crazy.”

  There was certainly some truth to that statement—especially when the person in question seemed to literally know everything, was always one step ahead of her, and was so damn good at everything he did. It could be a little unnerving at times when she was just trying to learn the ropes. “He’s perfect,” she muttered, shrugging.

  “No one is perfect,” her mother reminded her.

  “No, Mom. He is. Literally. Perfect.”

  “And?”

  “Sometimes it’s really annoying,” Cadence replied, letting out a deep breath she didn’t know she was holding.

  Her mother’s chuckle turned into a giggle and then a full-belly laugh.

  “What is so funny?”

  “Nothing, dear. It’s just nice to hear that other people have issues, too.”

  “You’re impossible, Mother,” Cadence said, shaking her head. “I’m glad I didn’t say there was an actual problem. You might tear your spleen.”

  “Oh, come on, honey. Everyone knows you two are a wonderful couple. The universe put you together after all, and since when is the universe wrong?”

  Cadence turned to look at her mother. “What in the world are you talking about?”

  “You know, darling. The Guardian Leader and the Hunter Leader always end up together, righ
t? It was… fate. I don’t know why I ever fought it to begin with. I guess I just wasn’t sure you’d end up with this position.”

  While she was familiar with the pattern her mother was referring to, she hadn’t given it much thought. “You don’t really believe that, do you, Mom? That fate brought us together?”

  “Sure? Why not?” Liz asked. “It’s always happened before. Why wouldn’t it now?”

  For the second time that day, Cadence felt greatly unsettled. She wanted to question her mother more, but just then, they heard a car in the driveway, and a few moments later, her little sister, Cassidy, walked in the door.

  “Cass!” Cadence exclaimed, jumping up to go hug her. “How was your day?”

  Looking at her a little oddly, Cassidy shrugged and said, “Fine. How was yours?”

  “Exhausting,” Cadence admitted. Cassidy hung her backpack by the door and then followed her older sister into the living room, sitting in a chair next to Cadence who rejoined her mother on the sofa.

  “Sorry to hear that. Why are you here?”

  “Nice to see you, too,” Cadence replied snarkily.

  “I just didn’t know you were coming.”

  “Well, Grandma called me last night and asked me to come over, so I did. She just wanted to talk about some old pictures. So I decided to come and see you on my way back home.” She decided to leave out Elliott’s letter and the whole portal bit just now. After all, she had no idea whether this thing really worked or why Aaron hadn’t told her about it, so it seemed like a bad idea to tell her sister and get her hopes up just to have to take it back later.

  “How was school?” their mother asked, smiling at her youngest daughter.

  Shrugging again, showing disinterest in a way only a teenager can, Cassidy said, “Fine.”

  Having been the mother to two of these creatures, Liz probed on. “Did you have your Biology quiz?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you think you did all right?”

 

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