She nodded. “I thought you’d say that, but I had to ask. I had to give you the option to go, if you were waiting for it.”
“Marly, you know you can go home if you want to.” I didn’t want her to leave. I wanted to hug her tight and beg her not to abandon me here, to lay my head on her lap and sob.
“I don’t leave if you don’t,” she answered crisply. “I’m here as long as my kids are. And I’m ready to kick some Hive ass if it’s necessary. Because now I’m madder than I was before.”
I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to kiss her cheek and hug her or laugh. Marly Sawyer was the least threatening woman I’d ever met, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard her use the word ass before. But I didn’t have any doubt that she’d take on anyone who threatened her family.
I decided that changing the subject was probably the most prudent course at this point. “Do you want some coffee? I bet Henry’s already down there cooking, if you want to have some breakfast.”
She shook her head. “You go on down, and I’ll sit with Michael for a bit. You need a break, sweetie. Just bring me up something when you’re finished.”
I slid out of bed and stretched. “Okay, if you’re sure. I’ll just throw on some clothes and grab something.”
Changing from the sweats I’d slept in into yoga pants and a hoodie took only a few minutes. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and brushed my teeth, since I was likely to see people, and ventured downstairs.
As I’d predicted, Henry was at the stove, making pancakes. He greeted me with a huge smile that held only a hint of sadness. “Good morning, Miss Tasmyn. Are you hungry?”
“I could eat,” I admitted. “And please tell me that’s coffee I smell.”
He laughed. “It is. Miss Cathryn’s already been down here and gone through one pot, so this one is fresh. Help yourself.”
I did as he’d suggested and took a seat at the counter. I knew there was a large dining room beyond the kitchen, but for now, I was content being in here with Henry, who’d always been one of my favorite people at Carruthers.
“Hard night, wasn’t it?” He flipped a pancake and glanced over at me. “Losing one of our own . . . well, we never get over it. Never gets easier.”
“I think you’re right.” I thought of Emma, the double agent who’d lost her life—I assumed—that afternoon in the rooftop garden with Ben Ryan. I knew that she’d been working against us, but watching her die had been awful. “Julia was so young. I think all of us are devastated.”
“She was a good girl, and I always liked it when she visited Harper Creek. What happened to her . . .” He sighed, heavily and then gave his head a little shake. “Well, it’s wrong. And it hurts us, and we’ll grieve her loss for a long time. But we’ll take care of it. We will.” The cook piled three pancakes onto a plate and slid them in front of me, nudging the syrup and butter closer. “How’s that husband of yours? He’s doing okay, right?”
“I don’t know,” I confessed. “He doesn’t seem to be getting any worse, and that’s good. But I wish he’d wake up.”
“Everything happens in its own time, Miss Tas.” He winked at me. “It doesn’t always make sense to us, but we need to trust that it’s true.”
“I’m trying.” I took a bite of the food and moaned. “Oh, Henry. Seriously, you have a gift. Have you ever considered life on a small but successful plant nursery and landscaping outfit in central Florida?”
He chuckled. “I think that would make Miss Cathryn very unhappy, and I’d never do that to her. But I’m happy to cook for you whenever you’re around.” There was a sound just outside the back door, in the yard. Henry frowned.
“Who’s that now?” He squinted, peering out the window, and then glanced at me over his shoulder. “Run and get Miss Cathryn and Veronica. And if you see Nell, bring her down, too. I think we’ve got company.”
My heart was pounding as I took off up the stairs, but I hadn’t gotten very far before I nearly ran into Cathryn, who was heading in the opposite direction. She frowned at me as I tried to catch my breath.
“What’s wrong?”
I pointed in the general direction of the kitchen. “Someone’s . . . outside. Henry says—” And then in frustration, I gave up and dropped the blocks on my mind, letting Cathryn hear everything I’d just seen. Her eyes widened, and she pushed me aside.
“Get Nell. Now.” She sprinted down the stairs, and I tried to remember what room belonged to Nell and Rafe. Figuring out the configuration of where everyone was sleeping hadn’t been a high priority of mine.
But I needn’t have worried, because I’d only gotten a few steps before a door open, and Rafe stumbled into the hallway, his hair wild from sleep and his eyes hazy.
“What’s up, Tas? What’s wrong?” He ran a hand through his hair. “I could feel you panicking. Guess some connections don’t sever.”
“I need Nell. Cathryn said—I think there’s someone here.”
“Shit.” He turned to go back into the room. “We’ll be right there.”
I didn’t know what else to do, so I ran down the stairs again, into the kitchen. Cathryn and Henry stood staring out the window as an ancient blue pick-up truck rumbled into sight and came to a rolling stop at the edge of the yard.
“Who is it?” I asked to the silent room.
“I have no idea. But we’re out in the middle of nowhere, and there are charms and wards around this place to cloak it from view. It’s not like the Avon lady or the Jehovah’s Witness are going to wander over to make a call.”
“True.” None of us moved. “If the Hive was coming to attack us, wouldn’t you think they’d have a better car? That truck looks like it’s about to die.”
“I don’t think it’s them. I don’t think it’s anyone . . . bad.” Nell spoke from the doorway. She wore a huge, oversized T-shirt and sweatpants that I thought must belong to Rafe, because they dwarfed her small body. She looked young and vulnerable. “I don’t feel anything from them.”
The driver’s door opened, and a guy who I guessed was about my age climbed out. He didn’t seem threatening; in fact, he only looked . . . tired. He looked back into the cab of the truck as another man emerged, followed by a girl. We all watched, tense and waiting.
And then the second man turned his face to face us, and in a lightning bolt moment, I recognized him.
“Seth. That’s Seth.” I ran for the door, ignoring shouts from Cathryn and Henry, telling me to stop.
Seth must have heard the kitchen door open, because he was waiting with a broad smile when I all but tackled him.
“My God, Seth! What are you doing here?” I hugged him. “I never thought I’d see you again. You vanished after—well, after. During my freshman year in college.”
“I had other assignments. And look at you, Tasmyn. You’ve just . . . flourished.” He put a brotherly arm around my shoulder and turned to the girl who was waiting uncertainly behind him. “Joy, this is Tasmyn Vaughan. Well, Tasmyn Sawyer now. I knew her some years ago, when she was in college.”
“What are you doing here, Seth? How did you find us?”
I’d never thought I would see him again. When I’d been going through one of the most challenging times of my life, during my work with Carruthers, I’d met the man I’d assumed was simply a history professor and a friend of my therapist. Seth had always given me a warm and positive feeling, and at a crucial point that year, he’d given me some much-needed advice. I’d always had the hunch that he was more than he appeared to be, and now I was pretty sure I’d been right. Here he was, showing up at the safe house . . . with two companions. I spared the girl and the other man a scant glance.
“I mean . . . this is not a great time for a reunion or a catch-up visit.”
“I didn’t just happen by, Tasmyn.” Seth reached behind him and drew the girl forward. “And I came bearing a gift of sorts.”
I narrowed my eyes as I took in the young woman. She had red hair, a freckled nose and when I looked more clos
ely, she sported a definite baby bump beneath her hooded sweatshirt. She also had a very open mind, which was moving a mile a minute just now, full of speculation and wonder. Her lack of barriers was also why I could hear the words before Seth said them out loud.
“I brought you the vessel.”
Joy
I’d just spent two months on my own, running from one place to the next and never having another soul to chat with me. And then I’d had several cramped, endless days and nights of riding in a nearly-broken down pick-up truck between two boys. And boys, may I tell you, can be smelly and loud, even if one of them is an angel.
Now, I stood in the center of a room where everyone was talking at once. I was the topic of most of the conversations, but none of them were paying any attention to me.
The minute Seth had dropped the word vessel, all heck had broken lose. (Dang. I wondered if once I was finished being the vessel, I’d have the ability to curse like normal people.) The girl who knew Seth had dragged us all inside the huge cabin, where she’d introduced us to the short blonde who seemed to be in charge of everything. After a few moments of confusion and turmoil, we’d moved into a large, open living room that was set up more like a movie theater or a conference room.
The blonde—her name was Cathryn, I remembered—sent the hot Irishman—the first one I’d met, anyway—to gather the team. Pretty soon, a bunch of sleepy-looking people had come trickling down, taking seats. They’d all stared at me like I was the newest exhibit at the zoo.
Cathryn had explained that we’d just arrived, and she asked Seth to tell all of them the whole story of the vessel—uh, me. Since it was pretty much a rerun from that evening at Colby’s farm, I’d tuned out, taking the time to surreptitiously study everyone else. I tried to guess who might be a witch or a vampire. They all seemed to be fairly normal, run-of-the-mill folks, although . . . dang, some of the guys were seriously built. And darn good-looking.
Speaking of hot, built dudes . . .
“Hey, you all right?” Colby had come to stand beside my seat, his gaze roaming over the people in the room. “You need some water or something? Or food?”
I shook my head. “I just . . . I’m overwhelmed, I think.”
“Yeah, I get that. Who the hell are all these people?” He was definitely ill at ease, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
“I guess, judging from everything Seth said, they’re the good guys. The one girl, the first one we met, she knew him.” I’d nearly fallen over from shock mixed with exhaustion when the young woman they’d called Tasmyn had come running out and hugged the angel.
“Seemed like it.” He’d stuck his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “I just don’t get it, though. He said some of these people are vampires and witches and whatnot. They just look like regular folks to me.”
Since I’d just been having the same thought, I’d felt a twinge of discomfort, which made me a little defensive. “Does Seth look like an angel to you? I think the lesson here is that you can’t judge a paranormal person by his or her cover. I don’t exactly have vessel written all over me, but apparently, that was what I was designed to be.” I was still trying to come to terms with this idea.
“That’s not true.” Colby had been vehement. “It’s a role you may or may not play. It’s not who you are.”
“I guess.” I’d laid my head against the back of the sofa and tried to pay attention to everything that was being said. But it had been too much, and pretty soon, I’d dozed off, not waking up until the sound of voices swelled, which I guessed signified the impromptu meeting was over. I stood up to stretch my back, attempting to ignore Colby’s worried gaze on me. I understood now that he’d been created to protect me—which was a little annoying, but that was a piece of baggage I’d have to unpack later—but he was beginning to act as though I was made of fragile glass.
“Hello.” A woman whom I would’ve guessed to be a decade or so older than me approached us. “I’m sorry. We’re all being so rude. But these are kind of weird circumstances, and we’re all . . . ah, struggling, I guess. But let’s start here. I’m Jackie.” She stuck out her hand.
I took it automatically. “I’m Joy. And this is Colby.”
She smiled, shaking my hand and then Colby’s in turn. He frowned at her.
“So, what are you?”
“I beg your pardon?” Jackie looked lost.
“Seth told us all of you were . . . ah, gifted people. He said some of you hear thoughts or manipulate minds or change into other people. So, what’s your talent?”
Jackie laughed. “Sorry. I’m just a plain, ordinary woman. I’m here because my boyfriend Lucas—” She pointed to a guy who had that nerdy-hot look to him. “He’s a half death broker, half vampire.”
“He’s a vampire?” I stared at the dude. “He doesn’t look like one. And what’s a death broker?”
“It means he helps determine what happens to souls after death. Ask him about it sometime, and he’ll be happy to tell you.” She pursed her lips, scanning the rest of the room. “And see the beautiful blonde lady? She’s also a vampire—and she’s really old. She’s lived for over four hundred years. The younger woman with the black hair is Nell, and she’s a witch. Her boyfriend, standing next to her, he’s a mind manipulator.”
“Wow. He’s . . . ummm.” I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. “Looks like a really nice guy.”
“Yeah.” Jackie sighed. “Rafe sure is pretty. And he’s a terrific guy, too. He’s one of my best friends.” She rested her eyes on him for a few more beats. “Ah, well. Anyway, you already met Tasmyn. She’s talking to Sionnach and Daeglan. Sionnach is a kitsune, and Daeglan can be invisible.”
“What’s a . . . kitsune?” Colby stumbled over the word.
“She’s a kind of fox spirit, which just means she has abilities that are connected to her heritage. She can shift into other people’s forms, and she can create illusions.”
“Anyone else we should know about?” I rubbed my lower back.
“You know, I should just let you meet everyone on your own.” She tilted her head, frowning at me. “But maybe not now. You must be tired.”
“She’s exhausted.” Colby crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at me as though being tired was something I’d chosen to do. “She’s been running from the bad guys—the Hive agents—for a long time. She hasn’t slept in a real bed in two months.”
“Well, there was one night when I—”
“That’s terrible.” Jackie took my arm. “Come on. They’re going to be talking down here for a while. Let’s find you a bed.”
I glanced up at Colby. “What about you? You need some sleep, too.”
“I’ll sit down and put my head back. You go get some rest.”
A yawn nearly dislocated my jaw. “Yeah, that might be a good idea, after all.”
Jackie had installed me in a small room with an attached bathroom and left me alone after checking to make sure I didn’t need anything else. I sat on the end of the bed and reveled in the silence and the novel feeling of being safe. And I tried to forget some of the talk I’d overheard downstairs.
“The vessel. This is the vessel?”
“We’ve been looking for her everywhere. Now we might have a fighting chance.”
“Thank heavens the Hive didn’t find her first.”
A knock on the door roused me from my brooding.
“Come in.”
The woman who poked her head around the door was older, with dark brown hair. She smiled at me, and the edges of her eyes crinkled.
“May I come in? I brought you some clean clothes to wear.”
“Sure.” I started to stand up, but she laid a gentle hand on my shoulder.
“Please, sit down. I’m Marly Sawyer. I thought you might need a few things to get settled.”
I watched her carefully. “Are you a witch?”
Marly chuckled. “Nope. No witch here. No extraordinary powers at all. Just plain old me. My son is
married to Tasmyn, and I came with them, hoping I could help.” She sank onto the bed next to me. “And it occurred to me that maybe you are the reason I’m here. Tasmyn tells me that you’re pregnant, and other than Veronica, I’m the only person here who has some experience there.” She lowered her voice. “No offense to her, of course, but she had her baby in the sixteenth century. My son’s not even thirty yet, so I think I’ve got the advantage here.”
Relief flooded through me. “You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. I’ve been on the run almost since I found out about the baby. I didn’t get a chance to talk to any of my friends before that, so I have about a million questions.”
Marly nodded. “I remember those days. I can’t imagine how you did it. I could barely walk across the room without needing a nap, let alone manage to keep myself safe from people trying to find me.”
“I was always afraid I’d fall asleep on the bus and wake up to realize I’d slept through all the stops. And for the first few weeks, I still couldn’t really eat without puking. It wasn’t fun. But I survived.”
“You certainly did. And now you can take some well-deserved rest.” Her lips twitched. “At least until the fight gets underway, and you have to do whatever it is that a vessel does.”
“I’m still not clear on that either,” I admitted. “But getting some sleep before it happens sounds like the best plan ever.”
“It is.” Marly set down the pile of clothes. “These belong to me, because I’m a couple of sizes bigger than my daughter-in-law, and I figured right now, you could use that space in your waist. But if you need anything else, just let me know. I’m in the room next door.”
“Thank you.” I stood up, clutching the clothes to my chest. “I’m really grateful for your help.”
“You’re very welcome.” She rubbed my shoulder before she left my room, in a way that I imagined a mother might, and I felt that same sharp yearning that I’d experienced most of my life. I missed the mother I’d never known with a keen sense of loss.
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