Abigail gripped Samuel’s arm, fearing that he would lose it, but to her surprise, he stayed calm. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Kevin scoffed, and Abigail started speaking. “Kevin,” she said, touching his arm sympathetically, “it would have been one thing if only one of us had felt it. Her aura is spread all across the room. Samuel and I both feel it. You have to trust us.”
Cassie stepped forward, thinking. The room fell silent.
“It seems plausible,” Heather said, finally. “I trust them.”
All eyes were now on her.
“Think about it,” she continued, “Another Caillagh is going to be born soon. It wouldn’t be the most shocking thing if the aura of the first Caillagh is lingering around. One of her own is coming into the world. And if the light hadn’t appeared, Nina would have probably lost the baby just then.”
Kevin’s expressions softened as he heard Heather complete her speech. He hadn’t thought about that. She was right. They would’ve lost their baby.
“I just…,” Kevin’s voice broke off, and Cassie gently rubbed his back.
“I’m glad the baby isn’t in danger anymore, but I just want Nina to wake up.”
“Well then, I suggest we wait.”
***
A sharply dressed vampire wandered through the fields, clearly on a mission. His suit was unbuttoned at the front, causing it to sway lightly in the wind. With his gait swift and his motives evidently dire, he strode toward his goal.
The scene was empty for miles on end, nothing but nature coming into view.
His mind drifted off, lost in the thoughts of Ammara. He closed his eyes and pictured her face. She possessed a beauty unlike any he had ever seen before. Her calm, graceful nature soothed his heart. Although he had known her for merely half a century, it felt as though she’d been with him since the beginning of time.
Yet, his heart ached when she was no more. Something was missing inside him. He was well aware that she was Kalen’s partner, and he had no intention on laying claim on what was his. Ammara was just…different. She had a certain unexplainable charm to her, and he had often caught himself thinking about her.
He visited her often. She now lay under a barrier out there, and he just had to set his eyes upon her beautiful face.
He pondered over the day she had called on him urgently in confidence. He remembered how anxious he had felt. Why had the Caillagh asked to see him personally? And alone.
All these bizarre scenarios had been running through his mind, and his heart had been pounding at an alarming rate. He was still able to conjure up that feeling if he thought about that day hard enough.
To his surprise, Ammara had told him something that he hadn’t expected to hear even in his wildest dreams. Had he been given years to think about what Ammara wanted to talk to him about, he still wouldn’t have been able to come to the conclusion that Ammara had seen that she would be no more.
Death wasn’t exactly the right way to describe her circumstance. But she wouldn’t be alive, either.
The thought of not seeing her, conversing with her, working by her side, induced a strange unexplainable feeling in Gael.
His heart clenched in his chest. His mind reverted to what she had told him that day.
Instructions.
Things that were to be done, things that were not to be done.
He reminisced over how she had sat him down in front of her. Her voice still echoed in his ears.
He mused over her instructions, the details, which she had explained exactly what she wanted him to do for her and how.
He was so busy thinking about her that he didn’t realize it when he reached his destination. For a moment, he was confused. He turned around in circles. He was in the right place, wasn’t he?
Standing still, he tried to gather his thoughts. Was he forgetting something? He tried to feel her aura which always lingered around in this area. It seemed to have drifted away now.
That’s when his eyes fell on the cracks that lay on the barrier. On closer inspection, he discovered that it was shattered completely, and neither Ammara nor Kalen where anywhere to be seen.
Nina had pulled the barrier over them, had she not? How can someone pry through the Caillagh’s magic? Nothing made sense to the vampire. He stood shocked at the broken barrier that lay before him.
His mind ran around in circles. The wrongness that he had been feeling for weeks was now stronger than ever. With another quick look at the destroyed mess, he set off again, this time with another goal.
He had to see Diana, and he had to find out what the hell was happening here.
***
Miles away, in another part of the forest, Fergus feasted his eyes on the most graceful woman he had ever seen. He had picked up her scent from quite a distance and had followed it to the river where she was perched down, trying to get a drink of water.
Fergus noted how elegant every movement of hers was. With her poise, she looked like nothing short of royalty.
When she turned around, Fergus couldn’t help but gasp at her beauty.
He watched as she froze in front of him, unable to speak.
He hesitated for a moment before his lips parted and words started to flow out. “Can I help you, ma’am? You seem to be lost.”
She tilted her head at the stranger’s kindness. “I…um….”
Fergus feigned a look that showed the woman she had all his attention. “I seem to be lost. I don’t know where I am.”
“Say no more. I am here. Name the place you wish to be, and I shall take you there,” he said, stepping forward, extending his hand for her to hold.
The look in the stranger’s eyes told her that he could be trusted. Although she was lost and confused, her instincts were still sufficient enough for her to be able to survive.
A faint rustle among the trees sent them both darting their gaze toward it to see what had caused the noise.
“Probably an animal,” he said with a smirk, after they had waited a long while for someone to appear from amidst the trees.
She smiled at Fergus and placed her hand in his.
Chapter 4
“I told you, they’re gone.”
Diana gazed at the shattered magical object in front of her, leaning forward on her toes to look at it closely.
Her eyes wandered around, looking for clues that might help them understand what had happened there. So far, nothing as such stood out. Everything seemed as normal as it had always been – except for the broken barrier and missing people, that is.
Hands on her hips, the wolf got up and stared in all directions.
Her body was present there, but her mind was elsewhere. Who could be strong enough to challenge a Caillagh’s magic? It had been gnawing at her brain since the moment she had laid eyes on the barrier.
As though he had been reading her mind, Gael posed the question all too quickly.
“Who do you think is capable of challenging Nina’s authority like this?”
Diana pondered silently.
Gael continued, “She’s the Caillagh. Wasn’t her magic supposed to be our best bet? How could someone penetrate it?!” He was losing patience, as was she.
“I think you’re failing to see the issue at hand here, Gael.”
He shot her an icy look. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah,” she mimicked. “The question at hand is what could someone possibly want with two lifeless bodies?”
Gael fell into deep thought, feeling stupid for not realizing that himself.
She settled onto a boulder nearby, not sure of what to do next.
The wind rustled some trees in the distance, but to Diana, everything was quiet. She was so engulfed in her thoughts that she couldn’t hear anything. She had started to tune out Gael, too. His voice came through as soft, mumbling sounds that she could discard easily.
Staring into the distance, she noticed something–or someone–running toward them. She strained her eyes to see better, b
ut it didn’t work. Whatever it was, it was moving way too quickly. With the sun shining directly into her eyes, she’d never be able to figure it out.
She waited for the figure to approach and fell into shock when she realized it was one of her own wolves. Upon nearing them, the animal shifted into human form and greeted them gaily.
Diana was at a loss for words. “Wha…huh?” She was utterly shocked and failed to formulate a proper sentence.
Gael pulled out his water bottle and handed it to her. “Drink up, princess.” He studied the human standing in front of him. He looked flushed and somewhat annoyed by the vampire’s inquisitive gaze.
He held himself back, not wanting to growl at his superior’s friend.
After sipping the water and inhaling deeply, Diana finally found her words. “You’ve been missing for days! We thought you were dead like the other.”
Stray tears caused her eyes to glisten.
“I…I know. So did I.” The wolf’s eyes fell to the floor momentarily.
Silence filled the air again before Gael cleared his throat loudly. “Well, can we expect some sort of an explanation out of you?”
The wolf growled this time but realized that he did owe them an explanation.
“I don’t remember much,” he started. “All I remember is seeing a woman walking away from me. She had her back to me, so I couldn’t make out her features, but she exuded grace unlike I have ever felt before.”
He paused to think, to gather his thoughts.
“I know I felt her touch. Somehow, I know she was the one who healed me. Words could not escape my lips at that time, but I wanted to thank her so badly. She walked away without turning to look back at me. She must’ve known that I would be okay. As soon as I found the energy to move, I immediately ran to the pack, and they told me I’d find you here. They were right. I am so happy to have found you.”
The wolf had said a mouthful and was now thoroughly out of breath.
Diana withdrew to the boulder and sat down again. She thought she would stumble and collapse onto the floor if she didn’t find a steady base to give her support.
Gael sensed that something else was wrong other than her wolf being healed randomly, out of the blue by this mystery woman.
The energy that radiated out of the wolf was different. If Gael didn’t know better, he would’ve thought that Ammara herself had healed him.
But Ammara hadn’t been among them for ages. She’d been slumbering. She was dead. There’s no way she could’ve healed him. His face went pale with every second that he tried to think of a possible explanation for what was happening. It was all so confusing.
Diana saw the color leave his face and felt compelled to ask, “You feel it, too?”
He looked at her without attempting to hide his shock. “Why? What do you feel?”
She contemplated shrugging off his question, for it was filled with sheer stupidity, but his pleading eyes made her conjure up a reply anyway. She hadn’t ever met the Caillagh, and so Gael was very intrigued to find out what was going through her mind. There was no possible way that she was feeling the same thing as him.
His mind was probably just playing games with him; he was sure of it.
“This energy…it seems oddly reminiscent somehow.” Diana looked at him in hopes of getting an explanation.
Gael’s throat was dry at this point.
The wolf was stumped and wondered if he should just excuse himself. Neither Diana nor Gael looked like they were in the condition to talk to him. He didn’t know what had left them both perplexed. He didn’t think he was in the position to ask either, so he cleared his throat so as to get their attention. “If you’ll allow it, I’ll be taking my leave now.”
Diana’s eyes settled on her wolf, still thinking, but it was Gael who voiced her thoughts.
“Do you think someone’s using the Caillagh’s body to channel her magic?”
The wolf had been ignored completely, but he stayed put. He needed an answer before he could leave.
Diana stared at him in horror. She had been thinking the same thing, but saying it out loud made it sound a thousand times worse.
As though he had just heard the wolf’s statement, Gael uttered, “No, stay.” Waving his hand in the air, he added, “Just for a little while.”
The wolf was confused. Why was he needed here? What could he possibly do for them after he had basically just been raised from his grave? Nevertheless, he didn’t question the vampire as his superior seemed to be supporting his request.
They were lost in thought again for a couple of minutes and suddenly looked at each other at the same time. They paused to make sure they were on the same page, communicating without words. A nod ensured that they were.
“Wolf! I need a favor.”
Throwing Diana a glance, he said, “How can I be of service?”
“I need your scent. Were you wearing that shirt when she healed you?”
“I was in my wolf form, so no.” A pause caused Gael to fall into thought again momentarily.
Gael wondered why the wolf stopped before completing his speech.
Perhaps, resurrection makes your memory weak. The wolf continued, “The clothes were kept beside me. I was so far deep in the forest, I’d have to walk miles before I’d have found anything to wear. My guess is the woman left them for me after she healed me.”
Gael smiled slightly. “I’ll need you to take off your shirt, if you don’t mind.”
He was baffled as to what business they could possibly have with a shirt, but he didn’t question them again this time and did as he was asked.
“Be on your way now,” Diana murmured, “You need to rest. Sorry to have taken up so much of your time.”
“I’m glad I could be of service.”
Saying this, he shifted into his animal form and took off, heading back to the pack.
“Come on,” Gael commanded, before giving Diana a chance to discuss what had just happened.
She was hoping to exchange notes before making a decision on what they were to do next.
She was confused and stayed seated for a while, but when she figured that the vampire wasn’t coming back, she reluctantly got up and shifted, running behind him. It took a few seconds for her to catch up.
They galloped through the forest together, eyes fixed on the prize–only what the prize was, they didn’t know yet.
As the scent filled his nostrils, Gael couldn’t help but think of Ammara. Could it be?
No! He shrugged the thought off. He didn’t want any stray hope to pollute his mind. He had come to terms with the fact that Ammara was no more. Just because this strange sense of déjà vu was up in the air didn’t mean that Ammara had returned.
His most probable guess was that whomever had stolen Ammara, whomever had been channeling her powers, was the person they’d find at the end of the trail.
His muscles grew tense in anger. He was going to tear apart whoever was responsible for this.
He stalked through the forest, Diana at his heels until, to his surprise, they reached the wolves den.
Diana’s eyes grew wide in shock. Was one of her own wolves the cause of all this chaos?
The thoughts ran wild, but Gael was impatient. He forced his way in and stood flabbergasted at the sight before him.
Wide-eyed and mouth agape, he bowed his head and knelt to the floor.
Fergus and Diana exchanged looks. What was happening?
The vampire alpha stayed positioned on the floor until a smile escaped from the mysterious woman’s lips. “Rise, Gael.”
Although his figure stood erect now, his eyes were still lowered as though she would disappear and he would be awakened from this weird dream if he laid eyes on her.
A giggle. “I was starting to wonder when I would meet someone who would recognize me. It was bound to happen sooner rather than later by the looks of it.”
The silence that had fallen upon the room was seized when Fergus said, “What’s happenin
g here, Diana?”
She shrugged in response, her eyes glued to Gael.
“Allow me to introduce myself.” The woman’s voice was like honey to their ears, and she exuded such grace that everyone in the room stood dumbfounded.
“I am Ammara, the first Caillagh.”
Jaws dropped.
Two pairs of eyes stared at Ammara in disbelief. And then the realization hit them, feeling guilty like they had just been convicted of murder.
“Pardon us!” Diana’s voice was apologetic as she signaled at Fergus to kneel.
Both wolves dropped to the floor, their heads bowed, just as the vampire had done a few minutes ago.
“Please, rise,” she proclaimed, moving her hands in a gesture that said, ‘stand up.’
Gael’s eyes were now fixed on Ammara. They were questioning her, daring to ask what no one else in the room could muster up the courage to ask.
Before she could respond, the door slammed open and in floated a baby.
Sitting cross-legged, suspended in the air, he wore a baffled expression on his face as though he couldn’t believe his eyes either. His head was tilted to the side, staring at the majestic beauty in front of him.
He paused in front of the woman and rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
“Ammara, is that really you?”
The baby touched its tiny hands to her face, ensuring that it wasn’t an illusion.
The scene was quite odd to the bystanders, and Kalen realized that. He floated backward, and within a microsecond, transformed. In the baby’s stead, now was a man who was breathtakingly handsome. He stood tall, hunched over Ammara.
He looked into his beloved’s eyes as though they were the only two people in the room. He placed his hand on her waist and pulled her close. “I missed you so much,” he whispered in her ear.
Their foreheads were now in contact. Tears streamed down both faces.
“I missed you, too, my Kalen.”
He smiled softly and pressed his lips to hers, completely lost in them.
It was a while before he released her and withdrew to gaze upon her beautiful face again.
The Broken Barrier (Shadow Claw Book 4) Page 3