by Rivi Jacks
“No, all she cared about was being difficult. When you got here, she turned on the waterworks, and you fell for the phony bitch’s act! Traumatized my ass!” I reach the front porch, and Ben steps aside quickly as I march into the house.
Did I forget to mention I have a bit of a temper?
I head for my bathroom and splash my face with cold water. I brush my hair and head back to the kitchen. Jake and Taylor are grilling poor Dawn. Eli has arrived, and he sits beside her and holds her.
“I... I’m not sure about the hair or h-how tall.” Dawn gives me a “help me” look as I enter the kitchen.
I go to her and give her a hug. She trembles as she hugs me back. “Are you ready to go home?” I whisper. Her nod is almost frantic. “You can get your gifts later.” To the room in general, I say, “Dawn is done here. She’s going home now.”
Eli and I help her stand, and I walk with them to the back door. Dawn turns from the door. “Sofie, you saved my life tonight. You saved all of us. If it hadn’t been for you...” She shakes her head.
I take her arm and lead her across the back porch. “Be safe going home. I love you both.” They give me a hug and leave. I watch them get into Eli’s truck.
“Are you okay?” Sawyer steps up beside me. I loop my arm through his and look up into eyes as familiar as my own.
“I don’t think so,” I whisper.
“Sofie!” Jake calls.
Sawyer feels my body tense. “You don’t have to deal with this tonight if you don’t want to. We can take off.”
“Where would we go?” I ask.
“Somewhere far, far away,” he answers softly.
He’s going to make me cry by repeating our childhood mantra. As kids, Sawyer always knew when my emotions were shaken. Most of the time, it had something to do with my parents. And I was the only one he ever talked to about his dad.
I chew on my bottom lip, certain I don’t want to go back in the kitchen. Nick is in there. I saw him in the doorway when Dawn heaped praise on me.
“Sofie?” Jake sticks his head out the door. “Can you come back in here, please?”
“I’ll stay with you,” Sawyer promises.
I wipe my eyes with my fingertips and straighten my spine. I truly don’t want to do this.
I enter the kitchen with Sawyer beside me. The room is full of men. Diane is the only other female in the room. Ben stayed, which gives me comfort. Logan Rivers and Terry Joe Wooten stand by the refrigerator. They must have been at Sawyer’s when we raised the alarm. Andy’s presence surprises me. Just that morning, Emma Rae told me he was out of town. He stands by the pantry with two men I don’t know, but something about them seems familiar. Taylor stands with them too. I hesitate, seeing the strangers.
Taylor notices and steps forward. “Sofie, you know Andy of course.” I give Andy a slight nod, and he smiles. “This is Lucas and Max. They are the... hunters we’ve been waiting for.”
Hunters? I guess they are hunters. Monster hunters. Seems they’ve gotten here just in time.
“Hello.” I give them a small smile. I’m not sure which one is Max and which is Lucas. I study the one looking at me. He is middle aged with gray in his hair, and I now recognize him as one of the two men who attended the first community meeting on the cattle crisis. I’m not altogether sure the second hunter was the other stranger. I didn’t get much more than a quick peek that night, and I’m not getting any better of a look now. He stands a couple of feet behind the other men and wears a baseball cap with the bill pulled low on his forehead. I can’t see his eyes, but I know for certain he’s looking at me. I feel his gaze like a warm blanket.
I want to see his eyes.
The older man smiles. He must be in charge. “Hello.” His voice is courteous. “Sorry to meet under these circumstances.” I guess he’s speaking for them both. Yes, clearly he’s in charge.
Jake pulls a chair from the table for me, and I sit sideways to view everyone in the room. I’m facing the men by the pantry, and Taylor pulls out another chair so he can sit facing me.
Taylor gives me a gentle smile and takes my hand. “Sofie, I apologize for asking this of you. I know you’ve already told some of us what happened, but I need you to tell us one more time so Lucas and Max can evaluate the situation.”
“Okay.” My voice comes out in a whisper.
I tell them the surprise of seeing the creature when I flipped on the porch light, how I’d gotten the shotgun out of the pantry, and how Emma Rae got the one from the hall closet. “We had to do something in case it tried to come in.” I hate talking to a room full of people listening to me and hanging on every word I say. I surely don’t care for people staring at me, either.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt.” Every head in the room turns toward Nick. “Didn’t you remove the shotgun from the hall closet? Don’t you now keep it in your bedroom?”
What the hell? Does he think I’m lying? I hate that my face heats and becomes flushed.
“I stowed another gun in the closet,” Jake answers for me. His voice holds a definite edge.
Ben gives Nick a glare that could peel paint. It becomes clear to me in that moment that Ben doesn’t like Nick much. Several things fall into place when I realize that. Nick nods and crosses his arms, leaning back against the wall.
I face the pantry, feeling the strangers’ eyes on me again. I finish my recollection with no further interruptions.
After a few minutes, Taylor asks the next question. “Can you describe to us what this creature looked like?” He gives me an easy smile. “I know you only had a quick look, but anything you can remember may be important.”
I take a deep breath, looking at my hands in my lap. “It was... medium height. Solid build. Kind of... thick-bodied and overly muscled. It had long, straggly, dark hair that hung to its shoulders.” My voice is soft and low, but the room is quiet. “It had extremely bad skin... mottled looking.”
The older man turns toward the other hunter. I’m guessing the man in back is younger since I can’t see his face. His cap might be hiding gray hair. It’s hard to discern anything about him since he’s dressed all in black from the top of his head, covered with the black cap, down to the black leather jacket and jeans, to the tips of his black boots. I bet his eyes are black too. I wish I could see his eyes. Since I’m staring at his face, what I can see of it anyway, I notice a corner of his finely chiseled mouth twitch. I drop my head, my face burning, realizing he’s caught me checking him out.
“Sofie,” Taylor says, pulling my attention back to him, “can you tell us anything else?” I swallow. I can tell them a lot.
The man in black leans forward and says something to the older one. “Perhaps Miss Reece would care for a drink of water?” the gray-haired man asks. Had the mystery man suggested that?
“Sofie?” Taylor asks.
“Yes, please.” My voice does sound scratchy.
I wish they’d all quit looking at me. I rub my arm.
“I think Sofie’s done for tonight.” Uncle Ben speaks for the first time. “She’s tired.”
I am tired, but I don’t want to prolong this interrogation. “I’m okay, Ben. Let’s just get this over with.”
I think he’s going to protest, but instead he gives a quick nod. By the set of his shoulders, I know he’s not happy. He’s always tried to shelter me from unpleasant things.
As I drink, I know the man in black is watching me, and that makes me feel… a different kind of self-conscious. I take a good, cleansing breath and sit up straighter. “His eyes… You said they wore contacts—this one didn’t.” I quirk an eyebrow at Taylor. My voice is clearer and stronger now. “The pupils were not like ours, more like... a goat’s. Yellow-brown.” That gets some reaction from the crowd. Glancing at Diane, I see fear in her eyes.
I hold my hand to my ear. “The ears aren’t rounded on the top as ours are, not pointed... but different. The fingernails are long and thick. I’m not sure how to describe the smell—but it
has a distinct odor. And this one had” —I hesitate— “pointed teeth.”
That, of course, gets a response. The only ones in the room who remain quiet are the hunters.
I wait a couple of minutes, but no one else asks anything. I know the man in black is looking at me, and I return his stare. One side of his mouth finally lifts. “That’s all,” I say as I stand. I’ve told them enough.
Monsters—like the one I just described—have tormented me in my dreams since I was a small child. However, I won’t tell them that. I’m not telling them anything else. I need some alone time to think. I leave the kitchen with Diane right behind me.
I’m suddenly roasting in Jake’s coat. I feel certain I will suffocate before I get it unbuttoned. Diane has to help me, and her hands are trembling. I glance into her cornflower-blue eyes, large with her fear. “Everything is going to be okay,” I whisper, hoping that’s the truth.
She nods, wanting to believe me.
In a way, I wish I could spend the rest of the night alone with my thoughts, but my two best friends are with me. I’ll have to save any in-depth review of what I’ve seen tonight.
I never told anyone about the horror of my nightmares because I figured people would think I was crazy. If I tell them that the Kihn have haunted me for years, will they believe or judge me a liar? Or worse?
A part of me wants to tell Diane and Emma Rae. But how? Diane is already spooked and will truly freak out. Plus, I have no answer for why the Kihn came to me in my dreams. My feelings about Nick need to wait too. His actions trouble me.
The three of us pile into my bed, and we talk ourselves to sleep. My last thought before drifting off is of a pair of eyes, in deep shadow, looking at me from under the bill of a cap.
Sam and Sawyer stay the night too, leaving early with Jake to tend to the livestock. We girls decide we aren’t in the mood for our exercise class, and I have an errand to run. We make plans to meet later at the Shotgun Shack.
I pace around the house for a while, thinking about Nick. I’m still a little angry with him. I’m bothered that he hasn’t called and that he left last night without saying good-bye. Earlier in the week, we’d gone out to eat, coming back to my house for a movie. We had a good evening, eating popcorn and poking fun at the movie. We ended up wrestling around and tickling each other. I discovered Nick is as ticklish as I am. At one point, we toppled to the floor, laughing. Nick rolled us over and kissed me until I was breathless. He told me he was falling in love with me.
I’m still not sure how I feel about his declaration. I leave that thought for later because I need to do something. I wrap up a pound cake left over from the party—bless Jordanna and Lucy for tucking all the food away last night—and head out.
As I drive along the country road, I marvel at the enchantment of the season’s first snowfall. The sunshine makes the snow-covered branches sparkle. Everything appears fresh, pristine. I turn on the narrow lane, drive into the clearing, and stop to look around. It’s incredibly beautiful. The snow diminishes the shabbiness of the old house and restores some of the splendor the grand mansion must have displayed in its day. I drive around to the back and park, sitting in the Jeep after shutting off the engine to get my nerve together. After a few minutes, I gather up the cake and trudge through the snow to the house.
Estella opens the kitchen door before I knock. Dressed in dark clothes again, with her hair drawn back into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, she looks neat as a pin. “Sofia, I brewed a pot of tea. Won’t you come in and have a cup?” Her voice is deep. I hadn’t noticed that before.
“Thank you.” I stomp my feet free of snow and step into the warm, sunny kitchen. “I’ve brought you a pound cake.” I offer it to her.
“How thoughtful of you. Thank you.” She sets the cake on the countertop and takes down cups and saucers from the shelf.
“I hope I’m not imposing, just dropping by.” I glance around the kitchen, wondering if Lucian will join us. I’m not exactly nervous about being alone with Estella. What I need to speak to her about is private anyway.
“You are not imposing,” she assures me as she sets saucers with slices of cake on the table. “Sit, please.” She brings our cups of tea and joins me.
“We had visitors at my house last night.”
“Tell me.” She listens carefully without interrupting. “It is good Santiago is here at last.” And that’s all she says on the subject.
I take a sip of tea. I’m not sure if being here is the right thing. I bite my bottom lip and turn my teacup round and round. I glance at Estella. She holds her cup with both hands, watching me.
Okay. I need to know. “Um... the night Nick brought me here to meet you?” Estella gives a single nod. I lick my lips nervously. “As you... when you came into the room...” I take a deep breath. “You looked at me and then glanced behind me as if you saw someone else.”
“You wish to know if I see your Palagar,” is her casual response.
“My what?”
Estella smiles slightly and looks over my shoulder. I am not going to look, but all of a sudden I feel a twitch at the back of my neck. As if she’s asking someone if she’s using the correct terminology, she says, “He is a type of… guardian?”
“Is that... what he is?” I whisper.
“That day in the grocery store, he is the reason I probed. I found myself curious about what you were.”
I swallow, nervous. “What... I am?” A chill moves over me.
“You do not see him?” I shake my head, biting my lip. “You are aware he is with you, though,” she states.
“I... I feel him sometimes... more than other times.”
“Does he speak to you?”
“He used to... in my dreams.” I guess I’m going all the way with this. “Sometimes, he would wake me from my nightmares.” Estella takes a sip of her tea. She doesn’t say anything—she waits. “I don’t have those types of dreams anymore.” I squirm a little and lean toward her. “Can you ask him why he’s here now?”
She answers quickly, “You might need him.” I take another deep breath. “You have no reason to fear him, child.”
“I-I learned a long time ago he won’t hurt me.”
“Do you wish to know his name?”
His name? That catches me totally off guard. I feel the old, familiar fear surface. At last, I give a quick nod.
Estella smiles and starts to speak, then pauses. “He says—you can call him Harvey.”
I give a choked laugh. “Are his ears long and pointed?” She frowns slightly, looking at me quizzically. I shake my head, dismissing my question. She is totally serious. It surprises me that I want to know more. At least, I think I do. “Please, tell me about him.”
She stands and moves to the stove. “I am sorry, it is not my place.”
I look at her. “Whose place is it?”
She doesn’t answer as she brings the teapot to the table. She refills our cups and sits. “The story belongs to Harvey; I do not know it.”
“Can’t you ask him?”
“Why do you not ask him?” she questions with an eyebrow raised.
“He doesn’t talk to me other than in my dreams.” Not entirely true. He warned me, the night at the McNish, but I decide to remain quiet about that.
“You mentioned you no longer have nightmares, but you sense his presence.” Estella sees my frown and lays down her fork. “Sofia, he is here for you. Years ago, it was for a little girl having nightmares, now...” She shrugs and takes another sip of tea. “You are going to need him.” I exhale sharply. “He is with you for a reason. I told you, he is your guardian.”
“Why? What reason?” My heart beats with an unsteady pounding.
“Ask him,” she suggests.
I wouldn’t think it possible to be any more freaked out than I already am, but it just goes to show you things can always be worse. I have never wanted to dwell on his presence. Deep down, I’ve always been afraid that thinking about him will help the mo
nsters find me.
“Child—” Estella reaches over and covers my hand with her warm one “—you do not need to fear him. You must learn to trust him.”
I think about what she says. He might not harm me physically, but his presence is not so great for my psyche. “Thank you for speaking with me.” I stand and carry my cup to the sink before slipping on my coat.
“Sofia, I enjoy your company. Please come back to visit again.”
“I will, thank you.” I walk slowly toward the door. I do have something else to ask. “Is he a ghost?”
Estella laughs. “No, he is no ghost.”
“Why can’t I see him if you can?”
“I don’t see him in a physical body. I see his… breath… his energy.”
“You said... a type of guardian. I’ve heard of guardian angels. Is that what he is?”
She smiles. “He is not an angel. He is your protector, your defender, and he is here for you.”
Okay. “I guess,” I respond as I turn toward the door. “Please give my regards to Lucian.”
“Of course. He will be sorry he missed you.”
“Um...” I turn back to face her. “Would you please not say anything to...” I hesitate, not wanting to offend her.
“I will speak of nothing that you confide in me.”
“Thank you. Good-bye.”
“Sofia, please come back soon.”
“I will.”
I have a contemplative ride home. I went for answers, and now I have more questions. Slowing the Jeep to turn into my driveway, I think of Nick. He might think as I do, and a little time apart is probably a good thing. I’ve been with him nearly every night since I’ve been home. This was our first fight.
I don’t think I’m mad at him, mostly just annoyed. I am bothered that he didn’t say good-bye last night. Not hearing from him all day suggests he might be mad at me. Well, it’s better he finds out I have a temper now than later. But still.