Ally woke up to find herself curled up in James’ arms. Breathing a sigh of contentment, she was amazed by how right it felt to be lying in this man’s arms. He stirred next to her. She rolled over to find herself staring into those beautiful eyes that she would know anywhere.
“Morning,” he said still shaking off the sleep.
“Morning,” she smiled dreamily.
He kissed her on the forehead, and she smiled again.
“Did you have any more dreams?”
She frowned looking a little disappointed. “No. I was hoping I would, but nothing about Kat or Damian.”
He nodded. “The abandoned house it is then.”
She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. “I’ve decided that we aren’t telling Gran yet.”
“You know we have to,” he said solemnly.
“No, I don’t want to cause her any unnecessary pain. I saw the guilt and heartbreak in your eyes when I told you. What if I’m wrong? She’d be better off not knowing anything until we know for sure.”
“Is that really what you want?”
“It is,” she said firmly. “We will tell Chase once we leave.”
“We have to leave soon, the sun is starting to rise,” he observed.
She looked out the window and saw that the sun was coming up above the mountains. The mist from the night was trying desperately to coil its wispy arms around the ground. She pulled back the covers and grabbed a gown that was hanging on the back of the door. The gown belonged to James, but she was cold and knew he would have another. Ally was startled when a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” James said.
Sophie opened the door and came through with a breakfast tray and steaming hot coffee.
Ally could’ve hugged the woman; she was in desperate need of a coffee this morning.
“I thought you both might be in here,” she said with a sly grin.
Ally turned a shade of crimson with embarrassment.
“Coffee Ally?” she asked as she was handing her a cup. “I thought you could use one.”
Ally smiled gratefully. “Thanks! You thought right.”
Sophie set the tray down on the coffee table in front of the fire that had reduced to embers during the night. She lay more wood in the fire and set it alight, then walked back to them saying, “There…that should be toasty soon.”
“Thank you Sophie for everything,” said James.
“Don’t go talking like that,” she scolded. “I expect to see all three of you back here tonight safe and well.”
James and Ally both smiled at her. “We will try our very best Sophie,” he said.
They all knew what a risk they were taking. There were no guarantees that everyone would return safely.
“Ally your grandmother wants to see you before you leave,” Sophie said, then turned around and left the room.
Ally took her coffee out onto the balcony. She wanted to watch the sun make its upward journey over the peaks and terrain of this wild country. She tried to prepare herself for the day ahead, not knowing what it would bring. If they managed to find Kat and Damian, there would inevitably be a battle. She wasn’t ready for it, but it didn’t matter – this was about saving their loved ones. Her life was changing more with each day, and she had to accept that.
Ally began to tremble as she thought about the vampires. She didn’t have many defences against them, but she would use all she had. James was going into battle alongside her, but she knew that he would have enough trouble keeping himself safe. He would make her the priority, but she couldn’t risk losing him out of a misplaced sense of duty. She needed to protect herself.
James slipped silently beside her and wrapped his arms around her. “Everything will be fine.”
“We don’t know that,” she snapped.
He looked at her with surprise. “I’ll keep you safe, Ally.”
“Keep yourself safe.” With that she turned and walked back inside.
James stayed outside a moment, watching her leave. He had no idea what had happened or why she had snapped at him like that? He wanted to go to her and comfort her, but he knew that she needed some space.
Ally put down her coffee and went to her own room. She needed to get her head together. The thought of battles and the possibility of losing someone she loved today weighed heavily upon her. The fear that she was wrong about Damian being alive was eating a hole in her heart. If she was wrong about the dream, perhaps Kat wasn’t alright either. Even if she was right, who knows what could have happened between now and then?
Ally took the curling stairs two by two in an effort to reach her room quickly before anyone came upon her, she didn’t want to talk. She needed to get ready for whatever it was that would come. More than anything, she wanted a shower to clear her head before getting dressed and making her way downstairs.
Half an hour later, Ally emerged from the shower feeling less bemused and helpless. She walked over to the walk in robe and grabbed her favorite jeans, black v neck top and her fleece lined black knee-length jacket. She got dressed and pulled on her black kid boots and took a deep calming breath before she stood up and walked over to the door and downstairs to find Adele.
Adele was sitting in the kitchen talking with Chase and Mackenzie when Ally walked in. They all stopped talking and she had the distinct feeling they had been discussing her. Adele walked over and drew her into a warm embrace.
“What’s that for?” she asked.
“Can’t I just give my granddaughter a hug?” Adele asked feigning innocence.
Giving her a side smile, Ally said, “I will be fine,” with a confidence that she didn’t feel.
“Of course you will.” She could tell her Gran was trying to be positive, but she couldn’t blame her for feeling nervous. Chase and Mackenzie watched on in silence.
She looked over Adele’s shoulder and smiled at them. “Morning guys.”
They both greeted her in return.
“You ready for this, Ally?” Chase asked solemnly.
She shrugged her shoulders. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He thought her attitude was admirable but Chase had a sneaking suspicion that she was feigning the small amount of confidence she portrayed.
Mackenzie was scared that the man sitting next to her may not return. But then she found herself heartbroken at the prospect that he would return with his soul mate in tow. She didn’t wish any harm to come to Kathryn and hoped for her safe return, but she just didn’t want to sit around watching Chase and his soul mate in the throes of new love and passion.
Mackenzie liked to think that she possessed a quiet inner strength, but she knew that some things even the strongest person couldn’t handle. Chase laying his hand on hers shook her out of her thought. She felt a spark of energy run through her body that started in the place where he touched her. She almost jumped from the sensation and looked up to meet his deep brown eyes.
They held eye contact for a moment longer than was appropriate. Mackenzie was the first one to look away. He whispered so the others wouldn’t hear, “Be careful while we’re gone. I don’t want to come back and find out something has happened to you.”
She looked at him startled and saw something swimming in the depths of his eyes. She didn’t know what it was or what to make of it, but she knew that it was something intense. All she could do was nod her head and say, “I will.”
He seemed relieved that she had complied with his request. She couldn’t make any sense out of what had just happened. She didn’t know much about soul mates or immortals, but she was fairly certain this wasn’t supposed to happen when you had a soul mate. Mackenzie thought she might have read the situation unfairly, but her instincts told her that he was showing more than just friendly concern.
James had come down to find Chase and Mackenzie sitting at the table looking very involved in something while Adele and Ally were standing together talking.
He was still questioning her decision to keep the
information from Adele regarding Damian, but he knew that it was Ally’s call in the end, and he wouldn’t disrespect her by divulging the information she had chosen to share with him. He knew there was a small chance that Ally was wrong, and it would break Adele’s heart all over again. But he felt it to his bones that she was right and they would find Damian and bring him home.
Ally sensed James was nearby and looked up to find him standing watching Chase and Mackenzie with an inquisitive air.
What is going on there? she wondered as she focused her attention on Chase and Mackenzie. She watched and noticed Chase’s hand upon Mackenzie’s and the way they were lost in each other’s eyes. Ally was trying to understand what was going on between them when she felt James’ gaze resting upon her. She looked back to him with questions in her eyes. He knew something about those two that he wasn’t sharing, and she intended to find out what it was while they were out tracking Kat and Damian.
James must have heard her thoughts for he decided it was time to get started on their journey.
They all said farewell and the ones remaining behind would be home waiting for their safe return with Kathryn.
As they left, Ally noticed Chase and Mackenzie sharing a longing look. Something was definitely going on. He claimed to be Kathryn’s soul mate yet she was in the hands of the vampires and Chase was making eyes at another woman! She couldn’t fathom it! Ally hadn’t noticed any other man beside James since she had met him. That was how these things worked.
Ally decided that there were more important things to focus on and followed Chase and James out of the house to the stables.
Logan was waiting with three horses. Destiny whinnied when she saw Ally.
“Hi, girl,” she said as she walked over and stroked the white mare’s muzzle.
Logan wished them all luck and sent them off on their way with a wave.
The three of them looked out to the wild mountainous ranges before them and then nudged their horses into a gallop. They had to get a good start. The horses could rest later.
Ally’s plan had been ingenious; a vampire would hear a car coming and know that someone was approaching, if they heard a horse or two wander by they would think nothing of it. He was so proud of her; she was showing a real aptitude for the task at hand so far.
They rode in silence for the first hour wanting to get as far and as fast as possible. Choosing to take the horses over James’ car had put them at a speed disadvantage, but it would give them the added benefit of a silent arrival, once they reached their destination.
Ally slowed and rode next to James while Chase rode in front. “It’s time to tell Chase,” she said.
James nodded and called him back, saying the horses needed water, and they also needed a break. “Chase!” James yelled to catch his attention, “Stop, we need to talk to you and refresh the horses.”
Chase stopped and dismounted next to a slow running creek that was just in front of them. Ally and James rode up beside him and dismounted. James led all three horses over to the creek whilst Ally organized a snack for them and something to drink.
Chase went and sat down under the tree that wasn’t far from Ally. He felt sure that they wanted to talk to him about Mackenzie; and it wasn’t a conversation he needed to have. Chase still wasn’t sure what was going on himself.
Ally brought water and sandwiches over to Chase, and sat down to wait for James before she began to explain what she knew. Chase appeared nervous and uncharacteristically quiet. Her heart went out to him. She knew he was beside himself with worry.
James having refreshed the horses let them wander nearby and walked over to Chase and Ally.
He sat down next to Ally and with a shared look she began to tell Chase what they had been keeping from him. “I’ve been having dreams, and we think they are of a prophetic nature. Last night I dreamed that Kathryn was being held by Natalia and a few other vampires, which we knew but there was a man in the cell with her,” she paused.
Chase felt sick to his soul. What man was she sharing a cell with? Was she in danger from this man? Was she safe? He looked at Ally, urging her to continue.
“I believe that the man she is sharing the cell with is Damian.”
His eyes widened and they flicked to James, who nodded affirmatively and then back to Ally who was looking at him with a mixture of joy and sadness. He thought of what this would mean if she was right.
“Have you told Addie?” he asked them.
“No,” Ally answered. “I didn’t want to tell her until we had him home safe.”
“I think that is a wise decision.” He looked off to the side for a moment thinking, then said, “I saw her when she lost Damian the first time. I don’t think she could survive it a second time.”
James nodded. “It was hard on all of us, but Adele took it the worst. I was glad when she moved on, but I think she did it as a reason to keep going.”
“She was pregnant with my mum that would also have been a factor,” Ally said, reflecting on what Adele must have gone through. She looked to James noting how peaceful and happy he looked despite the situation and felt a pang of guilt that it would be taken away from him so soon.
“I think any soul mate would want their loved one left behind to move on,” she said purposefully, looking at James.
He looked at her quizzically for a moment then said, “I would want my soul mate to move on, but I don’t think I ever could.” Emotion flashed over his face and was gone before she could register what it had been.
“What of Kat?” Chase asked bringing their focus back. “Is she alright?”
Ally shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. She was when the dream ended but…” she trailed off.
“What?” Chase demanded.
“The vampire that left her said Natalia would be back for her later.”
He slammed his fist into the ground beneath him in frustration. “Damn you Natalia.” He stood up to walk off and lose some steam. “I should have killed her when I had the chance. I’ll regret it for as long as I live,” he said with conviction.
They watched him walk away and knew he’d come back, but he needed to calm down first. He would be no use to anyone with his emotions making him react erratically. Everyone needed to go in with a clear head.
Ally stared in the direction that Chase had walked for a while thinking about how things were coming to an end, before James brought her back to reality. “Ally, is there something you aren’t telling me?”
He was far too perceptive for his own good, she thought. Lying was something that Ally was terrible at, but she gave it everything that she had so that he wouldn’t know what would happen. Ally knew that she had to give her life for Kathryn and Damian, if it came to that, but she didn’t want anyone to know.
“No, I’m just worried about everyone.”
He smiled and pulled her in for a warm embrace that she memorized for it might be the last.
Reluctantly, she pulled back and looked into his eyes for possibly the last time. “Let’s get going, we can take Chase’s horse and catch up to him. He can’t have gotten far.”
They got back on their horses and grabbed Chase’s by the reins. James decided that he would lead the other horse. Ally had no arguments.
They had been riding for ten minutes when they caught up to Chase, who was brooding under a tree. “I figured you would find me quicker than I could walk back,” he said sarcastically.
“Come on, Chase, we have to get going. The house is only an hour’s ride from here.”
He nodded and then pushed himself up with a cat-like grace and jumped onto his horse. The three shared a look and then nudged the horses as fast as they could go. Time was of the essence.
James, Ally, and Chase rode hard until an old abandoned double story house came into view. The roof tiles had begun falling off, and it appeared to be overrun with weeds around the outside. It looked like an old hunting lodge of sorts, made from logs and the veranda had begun to lean. They dismounted from
the horses a few hundred yards away. Ally trembled from the anticipation. If all went to plan, she was about to rescue her best friend, Kathryn and her grandmother’s soul mate, Damian.
Although she knew that she would die doing it, Ally couldn’t regret her decision. Not knowing why she had been shown her untimely end last night in a dream, but the reason would be revealed, she knew that much.
Ally had kept it from James. She knew that he would never have let her come. Her heart contracted and exploded at the thought of what James would feel when she was lost to him, but she had no choice.
Everyone had been telling her from the start that she couldn’t fight her destiny, and it would seem her destiny was to die during this rescue. What that meant for the prophecy she didn’t know, but it wasn’t for her to decide. Someone had decided her fate, and they would pick up the pieces when she was gone.
Ally began to wonder if somehow she had adjusted her fate by the things that had happened along her journey. It was the butterfly effect; everything we did affected something else.
Upon further reflection, she hadn’t been able to decipher what she had done to change her fate. After a resigned sigh, she decided to continue with the task at hand.
Alessandra had made a decision riding here today that no matter what she wasn’t dying until Damian, and Kathryn were safe from the vampires. Then death could come and whisk her away, but not a second before. Ally would look death in the eye and tell it to go to hell until she had achieved that.
Chapter Twenty Four
Immortal Prophecy Page 31