by KT Webb
“You’re going to need all the information you can get if you’re going to unravel the mysteries of our lives. I dare say we have simply forgotten pieces of our history. I cannot say whether that is by the Creator’s design or due to the sheer number of memories we have built up during our time on this earth. I hope you will be able to learn more from these than I have,” Dorian told them.
Nora shared a meaningful look with the man who raised her, before she carefully placed a stack of books in her backpack. Thatcher and Hadley did the same.
“We’re not happy about this, but we would rather you go knowing we’re here for you no matter what,” Tahlia told them.
Hadley rushed forward and hugged her mother. She whispered for her to look after Whitley and to give her love to her dad.
Thatcher shook hands with both Dorian and Romulus, then gave Tahlia a quick hug. The girls gave hugs all around. Then the three of them stood in a circle and joined hands.
The library melted around them and they found themselves standing amongst the temple ruins where they had all been five years before. While the jungle around them had continued to grow, the trees still parted perfectly to allow the sun to shine on this spot. The trio took a moment to look around and reacquaint themselves with the ruins. Hadley hadn’t really spent much time exploring when they were there before. She and her sister had discussed their prophecy at the stone table. She walked around the stone table to stand in the spot she'd been in with her mother after Whitley stormed off.
Her life had become so full since the day they joined the Old Immortals. Thatcher came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
“I love you,” he whispered into her ear.
“I love you too,” Hadley replied contentedly.
“Alright, let’s take a peek into Dorian’s research, shall we?” Nora said from behind them.
Hadley turned around to see her sitting on a broken piece of a column. She had started looking through the book of prophecies. Hadley took a seat across from her and grabbed the oldest of the research notebooks. She opened to the first page and began reading.
Chapter Twenty-Two:
Tahlia
Eric blew a gasket when he arrived to discover that Hadley had run off to who knows where with Thatcher and Nora. He understood why they left, he just didn’t appreciate being the last to know again.
“Lia, I thought we talked about this,” Eric told her. “The only way we can make this work is if there are no more secrets between us.”
“I understand what you’re saying, and I understand why you’re upset, but you need to understand that a lot of this stuff is out of my hands too. We can’t exactly call a family meeting every time the Evolved decide to take off on some mission,” Tahlia told him.
“I know. But when my daughter is involved, I would at least like a phone call,” Eric told her.
“Our daughter, and I didn’t think I needed to call because you were going to be here soon,” Tahlia retorted. “Anyway, our other daughter is excited to see her father.”
Eric gave Tahlia a torn look. It was still too much to hope that Whitley was back. Tahlia would never have put Eric through this if she weren’t certain they had their baby back. She took his hand and led him to the kitchen where Whitley was waiting with freshly-baked cookies.
“Hi, daddy!” Whitley squealed as she flew into his arms.
Eric choked back a sob as he held the daughter he thought he’d lost. Tahlia wrapped her arms around both of them.
“Oh, baby, I thought you were gone,” Eric told Whitley with tears streaming down his face.
“I was only gone for a little while. I’m sorry you guys had to go through all that,” Whitley told him, trying to make him feel better.
“It’s not your fault, sweetie. You did what I asked you to. You protected your sister. You saw that she was in danger, and you acted without question,” Eric told.
Whitley reached up, wiped the tears from her father’s cheeks, and gently kissed the last spot the tears had rested.
“Come on, I made cookies!” Whitley said cheerfully.
Tahlia and Eric sat down and grabbed an oatmeal butterscotch cookie.
“So, you did it, huh? You’re Mr. President,” Whitley teased her father.
“Well, yes. It’s an election year though, so we don’t know for sure that I’ll be re-elected,” Eric told her.
“Oh, please, Eric. Don’t be so modest. Your father has been doing a great job in his role. One of the most-loved presidents to lead our country in as many years,” Tahlia replied glowing with pride.
“Glad to hear it. And you two? When are you getting remarried?” Whitley asked bluntly.
Eric started choking on his cookie. Tahlia reached up and smacked him on the back with all her might. He coughed a few times before regaining his composure.
“We haven’t really talked about that,” Tahlia offered.
“That’s not true. We’ve talked about it, but your mother doesn’t want to get married until she finds out if she’s going to die,” Eric replied.
“What?” Whitley looked at her mother in surprise.
Tahlia kicked Eric under the table. She shot him a warning look, but it was too late. Tahlia knew Whitley wouldn’t let that comment go without exploring every possible angle.
“Mother?” she asked, her tone indicating she was demanding an answer.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with the Maladies, and I don’t want to break your father’s heart twice,” Tahlia said simply. “Besides, we’re practically still married anyway.”
“Mother,” Whitley exclaimed, turning red.
“Oh, please,” Tahlia replied.
“At any rate, I plan to make an honest woman out of your mother as soon as all this business with the Maladies is sorted out,” Eric said with a warm smile at Tahlia.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Whitley said.
Whitley smiled at her parents before excusing herself to take cookies to Keira and Kerr who had built a fort in the backyard.
“She’s really back?” Eric asked.
“She’s really back. I don’t know entirely why, but I have a feeling we’ll find out eventually. Right now, I’m just thankful. You should have seen them together again,” Tahlia told Eric.
“I’ll see it soon enough. Hadley will be back as soon as she figures out whatever she’s decided to figure out,” Eric replied.
Tahlia knew he was right, she just didn’t know when they would see Hadley again. Whitley breezed back in the door with Kerr and Keira trailing behind her.
“Well, there’s a little princess who needs a hug!” Eric said as he lifted Keira into his arms.
“Hi, Eric!” Keira said as she hugged him around the neck.
Tahlia smiled at the sight of Eric holding the little girl.
Tahlia couldn’t help but feel the ache in her belly that told her she would give anything to have another child. Eric had continued to age and was now in his mid-forties, but Tahlia was still suspended as a thirty-something woman in the prime of her life. She knew that if they did find a way to move to the next step in mending their damaged relationship that they could have another baby. Tahlia wasn’t sure how Eric or the girls would feel about that, considering the insanity that surrounded their lives, but she wanted to hold on to that glimmer of possibility for a little longer.
“I have an idea!” Whitley said, startling Tahlia from her thoughts.
“What’s that, sweetheart?” her father asked.
“Let’s go for ice cream in Benton,” Whitley said with a mischievous smile.
They decided to take Keira with them to allow Kerr some time to talk to Romulus and Dorian. When they arrived at the Dairy Barn, they piled out of Eric’s armored car after the secret service agents established that it was safe. What a surprise for the people of Benton; they knew he occasionally returned home to visit, but he rarely wandered into town.
They ordered their ice cream from the stunned manager. He was
a friendly young man, and Tahlia was certain that if it weren’t for his ebony skin, his face would have flushed red as he bustled around to ensure that the President had everything he needed.
They took their ice cream to go and decided to take a walk along the path at Riverside Park. Eric held her hand as they walked watching Whitley chase Keira along the way. It was a beautiful day; one of the last they would see before the winter months came.
“Mom,” Whitley called out to her a second too late.
Strong hands grabbed her from behind and roughly pulled her away from Eric. She tried to fight against them, but she was powerless to resist. Everything happened so quickly—she was in the clutches of an unknown enemy, then a shot rang out and she saw Eric fall from the corner of her eye. A scream tore from her chest.
Chapter Twenty-Three:
Kerr
Saying goodbye to Nora without knowing when he may see her again was the hardest thing he had ever done. When Tahlia and Eric volunteered to take Keira with them for ice cream, Kerr was more than happy to agree. He wanted some time to talk to Romulus about the other Evolved.
“I can’t explain it, Romulus. I just know that somehow, they’re going to do it,” Kerr told him.
“The Creator has truly blessed you with a gift. Those visions of yours have helped us immensely,” Romulus told him. “You get them more often than I ever did”
Kerr smiled at him. He knew the Old Immortal held no jealousy in his heart, even though he had every reason to envy his descendant. Kerr was lucky enough to find the love of his life and keep her, while Romulus had to deal with losing his soul mate with the birth of his son. He sat with Romulus in silence. They had grown comfortable enough with each other that they didn’t have to verbally communicate in order to understand each other.
Kerr felt a searing pain rip through his stomach without warning. He gasped and reached down to grab the spot where the pain radiated from. He brought his hand back and saw it was covered in blood. Romulus gave him a look that said everything Kerr himself was thinking, then the room went black.
He stood in the middle of Riverside Park. His abdomen no longer hurt, but he saw the original source of the pain. Eric lay face down on the ground, blood pooling around him. The secret service agents lay less than twenty feet from him. Kerr walked closer to them and discovered they appeared to be covered in ugly pustules. Their lifeless eyes stared at the sky, frozen in the shock of the disease that claimed their lives.
Kerr felt panic begin to rise in his chest as he scanned the area looking for his daughter. Had the Maladies discovered that she was likely the next vessel to be chosen by the spirit of hope? He looked around desperately, but couldn’t find Whitley or Keira. Tahlia was missing too.
He knelt by Eric, who was dead.
Kerr opened his eyes to find Dorian and Romulus staring at him. He quickly looked down and patted his stomach, checking for blood. The only blood he found was the blood that had dried on his hand from the initial pain he had before the vision.
“We need to go. Now,” Kerr told them.
“I’ll stay in case you need something,” Dorian said.
He took a chance and called out for Nora, praying she would answer his call. She materialized next to him and registered the desperation in his eyes within seconds. He felt Romulus grab onto him just before Nora whisked them away.
Nora dropped them off and left to get Hadley and Thatcher. They knew there was a possibility that they’d be called back during their journey, but at least they had the luxury of being able to travel instantly from one place to another.
Kerr pointed to the secret service agents that lay on the ground then ran toward Eric. If he hurried, he might be able to heal him. He fell to his knees and felt the man’s neck. He was relieved to feel a faint and slow pulse. As long as there was a pulse, he could heal him.
“Eric!” Kerr said, rolling him over as gently as he could. “Eric, you need to wake up.”
The man wouldn’t wake, and his pulse grew weaker and slower until it stopped. Kerr had failed.
Hadley appeared next to him and gripped her father’s shoulders.
“No. This cannot happen,” she said through gritted teeth.
Hadley rubbed her hands together and energy crackled between them. She looked at Kerr for a moment, before steeling herself for what was to come. She placed her crackling hands on Eric’s chest. She was a human defibrillator. She delivered a shock to his heart, then waited a few moments. When nothing happened, she leaned forward and shocked him again. He took an involuntary breath. She had managed to restart his heart.
“Daddy! Wake up. Wake up,” she yelled at him and smacked his face.
Kerr watched her pull back to deliver another shock to him, but grabbed her hand when Eric’s eyes fluttered open. He instantly set to work trying to heal the bullet wound in his abdomen.
“The bullet is still in there. I’ve never healed something like this. I can heal the area where the pain is, and heal what is causing the pain, but I can’t remove the bullet. It needs to come out,” Kerr said evenly.
Hadley smacked his hand away and wordlessly held her own hand over the wound. Eric cried out from the pain. Kerr watched her hand hover there and was sufficiently impressed when the bullet flew out of Eric’s stomach and into her hand.
“Magnetic pull.” Hadley shrugged at him.
Kerr went back to work on healing the wound. The green light wrapped itself around Eric’s body, growing steadily brighter until it dissipated in a flash.
“Thank you,” Eric said. He sat up suddenly, seeming to remember that he had not been alone in the park.
“Your men are dead,” Kerr told him sadly. “The Maladies turned them against you, then killed them.”
“And we can’t find mom, Whitley, or Keira,” Hadley told him.
Eric stood and looked around him. Kerr knew without asking that he hadn’t seen who had attacked them and was just as clueless as they were regarding the location of the others.
“We’re going to have to talk to the police. These men are dead, and I’m sure people heard the gun shot. What are we going to tell them?” Eric asked.
As if on cue, the sirens became audible and drew closer to them. They quickly discussed their story, deciding that Romulus would stay with Eric and the rest of them should leave. The fewer there were to question, the quicker they could find the rest of the family.
Chapter Twenty-Four:
Whitley
“Keira, where are we?” Whitley asked the little girl uncertainly.
Just moments ago, they had witnessed her father being shot by one of his own men, and Tahlia being dragged off by another. Now they were standing in the middle of the park all alone.
“We’re in the other place,” Keira told her as though that explained everything.
Whitley looked around and realized the muted colors and silence were exactly the same as the place she had been wandering, looking for a way to get back to the house.
“What is this place?” Whitley asked.
“I don’t know. I’m just a kid,” Keira told her.
“Well, aren’t you a little sassy pants?” Whitley asked her rhetorically.
Keira took Whitley’s hand and pointed to the river. A woman stood there by the water. She turned to look at them and raised her hand to wave at Whitley.
“Lida!” Whitley cried out as she ran to her.
Lida embraced her warmly. Whitley didn’t think she would ever see this Old Immortal again after she was given her life back.
“Hello, dear girl. And hello to you, Miss Mason,” Lida said with a bright smile at Keira.
“I don’t understand. What are you doing here? What are we doing here?” Whitley asked Lida. “We need to go back. My mom and dad need us.”
“Your father is being cared for,” Lida told her.
The way she hadn’t mentioned her mother told Whitley something was wrong. She waited for Lida to offer an explanation, but one didn’t come.
“As far as what you’re doing here, it is time we met Keira,” Lida said gently.
“Why do you wanna meet me?” she asked.
“Well, you have been tapping into our collective abilities. Some of them are going to be very useful in the coming days,” Lida told her.
“What is that supposed to mean, Lida?” Whitley demanded. “What happened to my mother?”
Lida smiled at her kindly, but Whitley could detect a hint of sorrow in that smile. “Your mother has been taken by the Maladies. They mean to destroy her.”
“We need to go help her!” Whitley said urgently.
“Your mother will live. She has served the Creator faithfully all these years. The more pressing issue is that they will succeed in extracting the spirit of hope from her,” Lida told them.
Whitley looked at Keira with concern. If they were going to extract the spirit from her mother, wouldn’t that put the little girl in danger? How could the Creator expect such an innocent person to carry such a heavy weight?
“We hadn’t planned on this happening for years. With the death of Absalom, the Maladies have grown braver and much more reckless. Keira wasn’t supposed to come into her role as the vessel until she was older,” Lida shared.
“How do they plan to ‘extract’ the spirit of hope from my mother?” Whitley asked, afraid of the answer.
“We don’t know. We just know we need to prepare the next vessel,” Lida said, placing a hand on Keira’s shoulder.
Whitley couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could they see some things, but not all? How did they know her mother would live? How did they know the Maladies would succeed in extracting the spirit of hope from Tahlia? Whitley was so frustrated she couldn’t even find the words to express her feelings.