“I'm pleased you let me speak with you, Charlotte. You look much improved now you've come back to these people.”
“Thank you. It's… very nice to speak with you, too.”
A cool touch on my shoulder announced Lucas's return from hunting and he settled on the arm of the couch. We shared a smile and he spoke softly. “Go on.”
I turned back to Ripley, his mother still kneeling in front of him. She had returned to gazing around the room, a look of wonder in her eyes. “What year is this?”
“2008.”
“Then it's been four hundred years since I last saw my beloved son. Such wonders you have in 2008.” Her eyes came to rest on the laptop, which Lucas had left on the coffee table. “Goodness, what is that?”
“It's called a computer. They collect information and store it.”
“Do you not have paper in 2008?”
I stifled a giggle, certain it would be impolite to laugh at a woman of her standing. “Yes, we have paper, but a computer stores more information than you could write on a thousand pieces of paper and you can retrieve the information in a second.” The familiar stab of a headache began to pulse behind my eyes.
“Is the one named Acenith here?”
“No, she's not home right now.”
“Such a pretty girl. Ripley cares for her deeply, I believe.”
With no answer to this statement, I asked a question that had remained unresolved since I embraced the ability. “You can see them?”
“Yes, I see through your eyes when you look around. What you see, I have been able to view. Now it's different, I can see you, as you see me,” she explained. “I can witness things for myself now and it is astounding.”
“Where do you— what happens to you when I'm not in contact with you?”
The beautiful woman smiled and looked into her son's eyes, adoration, and love reflected in hers. “That is something I cannot answer.”
“Is that because… you don't really exist? Other than in my head? Or is there something more? Where did you go, when I blocked you from contacting me?”
“Oh! Is that what happened? We wondered why we could no longer reach you.” She smiled gracefully. “We do live, child. On a different level of existence to this world. I am afraid that is all I can tell you.”
The headache that was threatening began to erupt into fully-fledged pounding and my hands trembled with the effort of keeping her spirit in the present. Lucas rubbed my back tenderly, his presence comforting.
“You are tired, my dear child. You rest for now and I shall visit another time.” Lady Wadworth smiled affectionately and her image faded away.
Slumping against the pillows, I rubbed my temples wearily. “She's gone.”
“You okay, Lott?” Striker's voice was edged with concern.
“It's a headache, it's nothing.”
Ben was at my side at once, brushing his fingers across my head. “I'll get you some pain relief.”
“May I ask what that was all about?” Lucas said.
Ripley explained the events of the last few minutes as Lucas massaged my shoulders, his fingers magically easing the tension that had built up without my knowledge.
Ben reappeared with a bottle of Tylenol in his hand but before he had the chance to open it, I spoke. “The headache is disappearing. I don't know why.”
“Some Tylenol won't do any harm – besides, the pain relief Jerome gave you after the surgery will be wearing off,” Ben insisted. He opened the bottle and retrieved two capsules. “Other than the headache, how do you feel?”
“A little tired.”
“What you did was absolutely astonishing, you described my mother exactly as I remember her,” Ripley announced, as Ben handed me the capsules and passed the glass of water to me. “I could hear the entire conversation.”
Ben looked up with interest. “Both perspectives? You could hear your mother?”
Ripley nodded enthusiastically. “I can't explain it.” He turned his gaze to me. “Charlotte, when I hear a person's thoughts, I only hear their voice. Even when they are recalling someone else's words to them, I only get everything one-dimensionally.” His eyebrows rose a little. “In your case, I'm not only hearing your thoughts, I could actually hear mother's voice, emanating from directly inside your head.”
With a tired shrug, I lay my head back against Lucas's thigh. “Don't ask me, I can't explain it.”
“Neither can I,” Ben agreed. “But it is certainly an extraordinary turn of events.”
“Extraordinary as it may be, I think Charlotte should lie down and sleep a little. You look exhausted, my love,” Lucas said. I wriggled down obediently against the pillows and Lucas pulled the blanket over me, playing with my hair until I fell into a dreamless, heavy sleep.
Chapter 25: The Bet
The wafting smell of food woke me, tantalizing my taste buds. I wasn't sure how long I'd been sleeping, but the room was darkened and someone had turned on the lamps. With a yawn I stretched, rolling over to find Lucas sitting on the floor beside me, his hand clasping mine.
“Hi,” I said sleepily.
“Hello, my love. Do you feel better now?”
Releasing his hand for a moment, I dragged myself into a sitting position, nodding in agreement. “I smell food.”
“Rowena brought Chinese food. We can naturally assume you are hungry?”
“Naturally.” Glancing around, I discovered the women had returned from their shopping expedition. The living room had literally exploded with numerous parcels, bags, and boxes which Marianne and Gwynn were unpacking. “I thought you were picking up your wedding gown?”
“We did. While we were there, Gwynn thought we should buy half of Billings,” Acenith explained with a gentle smile. “In case you hadn't realized, both Marianne and Gwynn would win medals in the shopping Olympics.”
Rowena appeared at the foot of the staircase, wearing snug jeans and a claret sweater, her hair drawn back into a ponytail. “I believe that's everything prepared for the wedding now, thank goodness.”
“Except for Charlotte's dress,” Marianne announced. She was unpacking expensive-looking boxes filled with equally expensive-looking clothes. “I had the perfect dress picked for you – but Acenith insisted you should be allowed to choose something yourself.”
“It's only fair,” Acenith protested softly. “I know you have exquisite taste, Marianne, but Charlotte should at least get a look at the dress before she's expected to wear it.”
My gaze went from Acenith to Marianne and back again. “I wasn't aware that I would be attending the wedding.”
“Of course you are invited to the wedding, Charlotte,” William assured me in his tranquil way of speaking. “We wouldn't have you miss the event.”
“I assumed this would be a V.I.V. occasion.”
William stared at me blankly and Lucas explained with a wry smile. “Very Important Vampire. It's Charlotte's way of saying she understood the wedding was a vampire-only event.”
“That's cute, I like that – V.I.V.” Marianne chuckled, tossing her pink streaked hair back from her face.
“The wedding will be attended by a number of our vampire friends, but a good number of humans will also be attending,” Ben explained.
“Oh.” Panic rose quickly in my throat.
“The vampires attending are not human feeders, love. Friends of ours from New York, some from Egypt. You won't be at any risk whatsoever, I promise.”
“Oh,” I repeated. “In that case, I'd love to attend. I've never been to a wedding before.”
Lucas threw me a curious look and I realized he was thinking of my Mom's marriage. “I did go to Mom's wedding, but it was in a registry office.” It felt uncomfortable to mention Mom's marriage to Pete – since the night when I'd released my pent-up memories of Mom's murder, Lucas hadn't mentioned it again, and neither had I. It had been a relief to discover he wasn't going to press me for any more details, although I was sure he must be curious and have some unansw
ered questions. Although enormous relief had followed releasing the memories, I hadn't faced them head on for a second time. The memories were still too raw and painful.
My stomach rumbled ominously, drawing some grins from the men and Rowena headed towards the kitchen. “Look at the time, it's after eight. I've been keeping some takeout warm for you.”
“Thank you!” I called as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Gwynn approached with a rectangular box in her hands. “I've bought you a gift. Ben says you're confined to the couch for the next week, so I bought something to keep you amused.”
“I— thank you.” I took the lid from the box to discover an iPad. I gazed up at Gwynn, overwhelmed by such an expensive gift. “I— Gwynn, I can't possibly accept this, it's too much!”
“Of course you can,” Gwynn responded airily, obviously pleased with my reaction. “It's the very least I can do, after treating you so badly. Please accept it; you would make me feel better if you will.”
I smiled happily, running my fingers across the top of the box. “I really appreciate it. I don't know what else to say.”
Lucas took the box and placed it on the table. “I'll set it up while you eat.”
Rowena emerged from the kitchen with a tray holding four containers, setting it carefully on my lap. “Fried Rice, Chicken and Cashews, Sizzling Steak and King Prawn Chow Mein. I didn't have any idea of what you would like, so Acenith and I guessed.” She winked conspiratorially. “We don't have a lot of experience in these matters.”
“Wow, Lott. If you get through that lot, I'll be astounded,” Striker chuckled, eyeing the containers curiously, as I picked up the fork and started eating.
“Bet you five bucks she can eat the lot,” William announced quietly from his seat beside Marianne.
“You're on,” Striker grinned. “She's way too skinny to get all that food in, so it's a certainty I'm gonna win.”
“Don't be so certain,” Lucas warned him mildly, “If there's one thing I've discovered about Charlotte, she can eat.”
“I hear you had an interesting afternoon,” Acenith said inquisitively.
I shrugged, swallowing a mouthful of chicken. “Ben and Ripley seemed to find it interesting. I'm not sure, it all seems pretty weird to me.”
“It's a remarkable power,” William protested softly. “Your grandmother had psychic abilities?”
“Yeah. I'm not sure how strong they were, I remember when I was little she used to always be telling Mom I had an old soul. I don't know if she recognized my ability, or if the things I said and did were things that seemed familiar to her. Mom didn't have psychic abilities at all.” I ate a mouthful of fried rice, swallowing it thoughtfully. “Ripley, you said something earlier about a shield?”
Ripley nodded, tucking his ankle against the opposite knee. “Some vampires have a shielding ability when their psychic powers develop. It can develop in a variety of ways, for instance, some can shield their thoughts from others.”
“Some vampires can use their shield as a barrier to protect them from harm,” Acenith added.
“Harm? They can protect themselves from being attacked?”
“Yes,” Acenith agreed. “I've heard tell of one vampire who could use it to shield specific parts of her mind from people like Ripley, also.”
“That's… pretty amazing.” I thought about their explanation as I continued nibbling at my dinner. “I imagine it would be a useful skill to have, but I still don't see how what I can do is useful. Talking to dead people and being able to shut them away doesn't really help anyone, does it?”
“Of course it does,” Lucas protested. “Without the warnings, you would have been in danger when Ambrose's Kiss visited. Without the information you received from your Mom – Ben, Striker and I would have been in grave danger when we went out and met with them. It was your connection to the spirits which allowed us to escape unscathed.”
I shrugged, still unconvinced. “I guess so.”
“Do you ever have spirits contact you whom you don't know?” Rowena questioned. She'd settled down on the carpet in front of Ben's legs and he'd leaned forward to wrap his arms around her shoulders possessively.
“Before I met you guys, I'd only ever heard from Mom and my grandmother. After I met Lucas, I started hearing from the other Charlotte.” Lucas caught my eye and smiled. “When I met you all, I heard from your families.” I chewed my lip self-consciously. “It seems I hear from people who are important to people who are… important to me.”
Rowena's smile was brilliant. “Thank you, Charlotte, that's so lovely of you to say so.”
“Have you seen my mother?” Striker queried. “You know, actually seen her, like you saw Striker's Mom?”
“I think they all visited me at the cottage. Almost endlessly, for the first three days it seemed. At least,” I admitted, “until I discovered a way to stop them.”
“Ah, the whole 'boxing them up' thing?” Striker grinned broadly.
I finished the Chicken and Cashews with a sigh and began on the Sizzling Steak. Dropping individual pieces into the box of Fried Rice, I picked them up again, coated in rice, and popped them into my mouth. “I guess that's what Ripley meant about shielding abilities. I thought I was going crazy; having dead people appear in your field of vision is creepy. It took me two days, but then I discovered I could force them into a box in my head. When I shut the lid, in my imagination, they can't talk with me anymore.” A frown creased my forehead. “I know it sounds bizarre, but it seems to work.”
“You actually visualize a box?” Ben questioned. He was playing with Rowena's hair, massaging her scalp and Rowena looked as if she was in heaven.
“Yeah. When my family was murdered, someone gave me pamphlets about the grief process, and coping with it. Psychologists apparently recommend it – a way of allowing your brain to deal with stress as you recover from a major trauma. You're supposed to put anything in the box which you can't cope with and then you're supposed to bring stuff out slowly as you begin to recover.” I shook my head minutely. “It didn't work for me; I guess I was so overwhelmed I couldn't even begin to sort it all out. But it seems to be working with my spirit visitors.”
“Do you know, that's the first time you've mentioned your family since Christmas,” Marianne pointed out gently.
“It's getting easier, more so now I talk to Mom regularly. I can't say I've come to terms with what happened – I don't think I ever will – but it's become easier to cope. Mom reminds me of the good times we shared.” I smiled wistfully. “In some ways, it's like having her back.”
Lucas rubbed my arm tenderly, his touch exceedingly light. “I'm so pleased for you, Charlotte. You went through such unspeakable nightmares, more than any young person should do. It's nice for you to have contact with your family again.”
The group settled down into companionable silence whilst Gwynn and Marianne continued to unpack their day's purchases. I returned to my meal, eating in silence until I'd swallowed the last mouthful of Chow Mein and dropped the fork onto the tray, utterly satisfied.
“Damn it. I just lost the bet,” Striker remarked good-naturedly. He retrieved his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans, pulled out a five-dollar note, and handed it to William, who winked at me and smiled triumphantly.
“Striker, can you pass my sketch pad and some charcoal please?”
“You want to do some drawing?” Striker asked, complying with my request.
“I want to sketch Ripley's mother,” I explained, taking the sketchpad from him and flipping to a fresh page.
“I do believe you, Charlotte. Although I could not see her, I heard her voice,” Ripley remarked quietly.
“I know,” I replied, already sketching from the vision I'd had. “I want to see how accurate I was.”
Ben sat on the arm of the couch, watching over my shoulder. “It would be fascinating to see how precise these visions are,” he agreed. “Do you mind if I watch you work?”
“Of course
not.” Already I was completely focused on the task, knowing that within seconds I would forget about Ben and for that matter everyone else in the room with me. I sketched quickly from memory, capturing every aspect of the woman I'd seen earlier. I sketched a portrait of her, exactly as she'd appeared to me, kneeling in front of Ripley's knee, followed by a smaller sketch of her face and shoulders, then a full-length sketch capturing the items I'd described to the men. Ending with a rough sketch of the necklace I'd seen her wearing, I tried to capture as much detail as I could recall of the exquisite jewel.
Satisfied that I'd catalogued everything I'd experienced, I passed the sketchpad to Ben and he examined the drawings closely. He handed them across to Ripley, obviously delighted with the sketches. “What do you think, Ripley?”
Ripley studied the sketches closely for more than a minute, his eyes flicking across every little detail, his expression serious. “You have captured her perfectly, Charlotte. That is my mother, exactly as I remember her.”
“May I see?” Acenith asked. The sketchpad was passed from one person to the next, finally coming back to Lucas who passed it to me with an encouraging smile. “You really are a remarkable artist, my love.”
“Thank you.” His praise delighted me, bringing a happy smile to my lips.
“Charlotte, would it be an imposition for you to make a sketch of my mother. I would very much like to see her again,” Gwynn said quietly.
“Of course,” I agreed easily. “I'd be happy to do it.” It seemed after our recent rocky moments, Gwynn and I may be developing a fledgling relationship, and I was eager to have that happen. Sketching her family was a small thing to do and if it would cement our relationship into something more concrete, I would be glad to do it. I reached for the charcoal I'd discarded on the coffee table, preparing to start.
“Not tonight,” Lucas said firmly. “You had surgery this morning and the past week has been difficult for you. There is plenty of time.”
Chapter 26: Billings
I would feel more comfortable about this if I were going with you,” Lucas announced.
Knowledge Revealed (The Nememiah Chronicles Book 1) Page 32