by Jaymin Eve
“Everything,” Brace said. “They have the ability of creation and destruction at their fingertips.”
I looked at Luce. “Well, at least we know where our shirts came from.”
I managed to stay away from them for the rest of our time there, even though their power continued to call me. I’d had enough of manipulation by powerful entities. They seemed to screw with my head all too easily. My own laluna had not arrived in a long while, but I knew it would be back when I needed it.
“I can’t believe we have to leave tomorrow.” Fury was sprawled across the soft rug in the television room. “I don’t think I’ve been this relaxed in years.” Her head was cushioned on Dune’s stomach.
“Personally I think I’ve gained ten pound from all of this amazing food,” Lucy said, throwing her head back and trying to catch popcorn as I launched it at her.
Colton snorted. Lucy spun around to glare at him.
“What’s that snort for, Coltonnn?” She dragged his name out.
“I’ve never understood why women stress about gaining weight. Personally, the more curves the better for me.”
“Well, you just shot to the top of my list.” Interest was written across Lucy’s face.
“What list?” he asked.
She shook her head, refusing to say more.
“Seriously, where is this list located?”
I smiled to myself. She was going to torment him with this. I just hoped she wouldn’t get in too deep with this Walker. I really liked Colton, but he had ‘player’ written all over him.
That night as I lay in Brace’s arms I let out a contented sigh.
“Is it wrong that I kind of don’t want to go back in the morning?” I missed my parents, but this felt like such an escape from our responsibilities.
He tightened his arms. My head shifted on his tensed bicep.
“I know what you mean. My instincts are telling me to throw you over my shoulder and escape somewhere.” His lips brushed my cheek. “But since you tend to frown and kick me where it hurts when I go all caveman, I’ve discarded that plan.”
“Clever,” I said, “and I have to say my feelings about this gathering are very up and down. A storm is coming, Brace, and I can’t tell if we’re going to get caught in the centre.”
“I’ll keep you dry, baby. One thing I have is a really big –”
“Don’t,” I interrupted him with a laugh, “don’t say it.”
“Umbrella,” he finished. “What did your dirty little mind think I was going to say?”
I shook my head. “Go to sleep.”
“Love you, Red.”
I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face all night.
Chapter 17
Day one of the Walker gathering was off to a brilliant start. I was following Brace and Josian across the field as they sped over to defuse a confrontation. And we hadn’t even started any of the organized events yet.
I really couldn’t believe how quickly the last month had sped by, even with our few days away. The open field was now packed to capacity. Josian estimated, based on Doreen’s numbers and their last gathering, that each clan had approximately ten thousand members. So now we had almost seventy thousand hot-headed, egotistical god-like creatures filling the mountain space.
Suffice to say the view was awesome. There were plenty of very fine male specimens, but most of them needed major personality overhauls. I’d never met so many asshats in my life. The stories of gods and the hell they’ve caused were entirely believable. And their fanatical obsession with us half-Walkers, both positive and negative, was destined to result in some butt-kicking. Mostly by Fury.
I heard that, Red. Fine male specimens, huh? I’m thinking I’ll lock you in our tent until this is over. Brace might be busy keeping the peace, but he always occupied a corner of my mind.
I’d love to see you try that, I said, following at my much slower pace, dodging around Walkers.
In the early days I’d questioned why we had to camp out here when we could trace back home in seconds. Apparently there were two reasons.
No one wanted to leave in case all hell broke loose, and there were also rules for these gatherings. The most important centered on honor.
You could not run from anything that happened here and, to make sure everyone obeyed, a sacred spell was cast over the circle of moonstale stones. From the moment of entering the perimeter, no one would be able to leave until the final day. Seven days from now. I wondered how much the damage this many Walkers could do in that amount of time.
I had to decrease my pace as I arrived at the fight, pushing my way through the crowd toward the angry voices.
“I’m going to kill you, dog. Don’t think there’s any place where you’re safe from my wrath.”
I wasn’t surprised to see an angry Relli Walker with both hands wrapped around Colton’s throat, holding him against one of the thud trees. Colton was one of those who just found trouble, wherever it was hiding. Glancing around the animated crowd, I felt a sense of ... patriotism almost, to see everyone’s marks on display. I still thought the pulsing red of Doreen’s lace network was the most beautiful, followed closely by the Whar clan’s purple design. It was an intricate indigo square-style pattern. Of course, as I stared at Brace, his heavily muscled arms crossed as he stood at Colton’s side. Abernath’s was hands-down the sexiest. His head swung around to lazily pin me to the spot, the slightest smile creasing the corners of his lips. I bit my own lip as the blood rushed through me, spreading a path of heat.
Damn.
I managed to wrench my gaze and focus on the fight; okay, it may have been after Brace turned away. But everyone has a weakness. Mine just happens to be six and a half feet of sexy Abernath Walker.
The giant shook Colton again and involuntary laughter burst from me, drawing their attention. I shook my finger at Colton. Brace’s friend was proving to be great entertainment – unlike his sister, who was teaching me the concept of ‘watch your back’.
“What have you done this time, Colt?”
He was always sticking his white-blond head where it wasn’t welcome.
“This dog was sniffing around my tree.” The Relli Walker must have loosened his grip minutely; the color was starting to return to Colton’s ivory features.
I glanced at my father. “Is he speaking literally? Or are there some Walker metaphors I’m missing here?”
I heard Colton waste some of his very precious breath snorting out laughter.
“Either officially challenge or walk away, Edmond,” Brace interrupted before Josian could answer me. “You know the rules; random fighting is not tolerated.” His lilting accent, adopted from years on First World, was calm.
But I knew he could snap into action within a blink of my eye.
“How is it that they seem to know the names of all seventy thousand Walkers?” Lucy’s breathless voice had me spinning around.
She stood next to me, her breath coming in gasps. She’d clearly sprinted to get here.
I eyed her carefully, raising my eyebrows. “If I was a suspicious kind of person, Luce, I’d think you were stalking Colt.”
Her eyes widened, the picture of innocence, something she used to her full advantage amongst these Walkers. In general they spent a lot of time shielding the women, and Lucy especially inspired their protective instincts. Colton was an exception; despite their few interactions in the caves, he had mainly ignored her, which had only increased her interest.
“We’re an old race and have had many thousands of years to meet each other,” Josian answered Lucy’s original question.
“Who gave you permission to speak, Earthling?” Another voice rang out.
I growled. Those damn elitists were getting on my nerves. I spun to glare at the small group of Walkers who’d decided that half-Walkers and Lucy were the crap under their boots. Especially Lucy. We were keeping her abilities quiet at the moment, so they thought she was a useless human.
At these words Colton moved into action, smash
ing aside the hands on his throat. Okay, he had definitely been letting that Walker hold him. He stalked across to the Abernath who had spoken, getting right into his face.
“If you value your life, you will never speak to her like that again.” His tone was low. “Her name is Lucy. You will use it.”
And without a backwards glance Colton stalked off. The Abernath he’d threatened gave Lucy a wide-eyed look before turning tail and departing himself.
“You wish you could be his stalker now, right?” Lucy said, one of her hands pressed against her chest. Her voice was light and breathless. “Damn,” she muttered.
“I take it you’re not issuing a challenge?” Brace gave the original Relli Walker one last chance.
The man pursed his lips, before shaking his head. “He’s not worth it, but you tell him if he comes around again I will neuter him.”
Brace gave one nod.
Once the tension had dissipated everyone left to go back to their clans’ territories. There were no set events that day. The real fun would start the next day. This moment was for settling in and socializing.
“This week is going to be awesome.” Lucy pranced beside me as we left to find Talina.
I’d been on my way to meet her by the lake when the fight broke out.
“Huh?” I stared in disbelief. “Are you crazy? If this is day one, they’re going to be tearing each other apart by tomorrow.” I grabbed her arm. “Promise me that you won’t go off by yourself. Make sure you’re always with one of us. These Walkers don’t give a shit about you and some of them might actually prefer you dead.”
Lucy snorted. “Don’t you worry that gorgeous head about me. I’m not useless; I have my fight training and if all else fails my soothsayer abilities.”
Walkers had exceptional hearing, so we really shouldn’t be having this conversation here, but I needed her to understand. Lucy wasn’t great with accepting limitations.
I leaned in closer. “You’ve seen them fight. I wouldn’t stand a chance and you have even less than me.”
She opened her mouth but I cut her off.
“And Mom told you that your visions can be very hit and miss. Sometimes you’ll see everything, sometimes nothing and, most importantly, you often don’t see your own direct future.”
Lallielle believed Lucy was exceptionally strong as a soothsayer, maybe even more so than her sister Francesca, who was believed to be the greatest ever. But she’d had no training and no time to really understand and develop her abilities.
“Just don’t get over-confident,” I finished.
She was quiet for a moment, before her laughter rang out. I was about to give her a good whack when she darted out of my reach.
“I recognize that look, Abigail. We’re so not going to have a bitch-fight here and entertain the Walkers. I just found your whole mother speech funny and sad.” Her expression sobered as she stepped closer. “We were always equals and now you’re so much stronger and more powerful. I don’t like being the weak one that people have to look after.”
She was uncharacteristically serious as she waited for my reply.
“You’re smart, resourceful and the future has you on its speed-dial. No one thinks you’re weak.” I took a deep breath. “You’re just my best friend, soul sister, and I can’t live without you.”
Her eyes widened and looked a little shiny. “Are we having a moment here, Abbs?”
She was close enough now to step in and throw her arms around me.
I leant down into the hug.
“I love you too.” Her voice was muffled in my arm.
“Am I interrupting something?”
We pulled away to find Fury standing five feet from us. I recognized the flash of pain and loneliness before her mask fell back into place. We’d been together a lot in the caves, but she was always a little distant, holding back pieces of herself.
“Dune’s with the others trying to get the setup finalized for the banquet tonight.”
That’s where Brace and Josian had disappeared too also. They had a stadium of neutral ground which could house about a hundred thousand people. All of the important events were going to happen there.
“We’re just heading to swim with Talli. Do you want to join us?” I shoved my curls back. I was getting so lazy with my braid.
She nodded, falling into step with us.
“Have you found out anything about your father?” I asked her as we walked.
She shook her head. “There are too many Walkers here. I have no idea where to even start.”
Fury had been hoping her father held answers to her mother’s life and why he had just left them, but it wasn’t an easy task to figure out who he was. Dune knew what he looked like but so far they had not crossed paths.
We were in the Doreen territory now, moving toward the section of lake reserved for us. There were so many Walkers mingling around, eating, chatting, and playing these weird mind games where it looked like they were just staring at each other for an hour. They were a fascinating race to observe.
None of them looked older than in their late twenties, but I felt as if I could tell the older men and women by their actions. Many of them were isolated, sitting on the open rock mountains, not moving for the day. Josian had woken many of them from their sleep stasis, and they weren’t particularly happy about it, but apparently we had a statewide emergency with the Seventine.
Word of mouth had gotten around about us half-Walkers. So far their curiosities had been limited to open stares and lulls in conversation as we passed by. But something told me sooner or later the Walkers would not be so reticent in approaching us. Hopefully Josian would address these concerns and answer most of their questions that night.
Reaching the edge of the lake, I started to strip down to my low-backed one-piece swimsuit. Lucy had on a racy red bikini, far skimpier than I would have worn in front of everyone, but she didn’t care. Fury wore a leafy concoction that she’d created in the forest. And, knowing Talina, she was probably butt-naked, showing off her awesome gills-skills by sitting on the bottom of the lake.
“Hello, ladies, mind if we join you for a swim? We’ll be the most fun you’ll have all day.”
My shirt was half over my head. I struggled to shrug it off so I could see who the haughty voice belonged to.
“I mind,” Lucy said, dismissing them. “What about you two?” Her voice sounded bored.
Finally I freed myself, finding a pair of douche Walkers standing on the edge of the lake. I didn’t pay much attention to their appearance besides noting that one had red hair and the other’s was a light brown. Yes, apparently not all Doreens were reds. They were tall with defined but slim-line muscles.
“Run along. We don’t have time to tame any boys today, and you won’t like that kind of spanking anyways.” Fury shot them her famous glare.
The brown-haired one, who was the speaker, clenched his fists and took a step closer. His demeanor changed from teasing to waves of anger in seconds.
“Do you know who I am? Who my father is?” he started.
“He’s probably been waiting his whole life to say that,” Lucy side-whispered to me.
“How dare you speak to me like we are equals?”
I laughed. “Equals?” I blinked a few times. “I don’t believe we did anything of the sort. You’re definitely not in the same universe as our men, so I suggest you leave now before someone rips your head off.”
He moved quickly, gripping both of my biceps, lifting me up to his face. Hot anger laced my mind. I slammed shut the bond but it was too late. Brace’s roar could be heard from across the field.
“You should really take your side-bitch, scream and run away now.” Lucy leaned forward. “Because if her mate gets his hands on you, your famous father is going to be mourning the loss of a son.”
The hands that gripped me were starting to heat. My skin burned under his touch.
“You’re going to regret the disrespect you showed me today.” He leaned in cl
oser.
I flinched as his lips grazed my ears.
“I have a way of bringing you to heel. Soon you will be begging for me.”
Eff. This.
Since he still held me off the ground I used his body mass to leverage my legs up, kneeing him in the jewels before continuing higher and kicking him in the chest. I added some of my power to it. I could see as we flew apart that he hadn’t been expecting my attack.
I was back on my feet in seconds, falling into a fighting stance, my energy sending flickers of light up and down my arms.
Fury moved to stand next to me, along with a dripping wet Talina, who was thankfully dressed in a swimsuit similar to my own. She must have exited the water during the fight.
The golden strands were swimming in my energy, wanting to connect to the power I could feel brewing in the girls. I struggled to keep them from emerging; we were trying to keep my conduit powers a secret, not wanting Que and the Seventine to know. The more they underestimated us, the better our chances of victory.
He bellowed as he charged at me. I held my ground, gathering energy. Not that I needed to worry about it. Just before he reached me, a blur flew in and smashed him away. The Walker flew to the side, and faster than my eye-blink Brace was on him. He had one hand around his throat, while the other punched into his cocky face. Brace’s black eyes never shifted from the Walker. I found it interesting that Brace mostly fought hand-to-hand in battle, instead of using his considerable power.
“Tell me what way you want to die?” He spoke in a cold methodical voice.
I tried to reach Brace mentally, but I was shut out in a wall of red rage.
“Brace is such an honorable man, giving him options like that. I just prefer to rip their intestines out through their nose.” Colton had appeared and was lazily observing his best friend.
Throwing him a derisive glare, I ignored his cavalier attitude and took a step closer.
“Brace!” I screamed. “Stop. It’s not worth killing him. You’ve made your point.”
This was why I’d tried to block him out earlier. He didn’t see reason when it came to me. I looked around for Josian or anyone who might help.