by Dani Hart
“Dad, you can’t let them hurt the Hunters.” I looked up to him for understanding.
“It’s out of my hands, Abby. They are immortals, and we are The Order. It’s predator against prey. We can’t change the natural order of the universe, and I can’t defy The Order. Let’s just hope they were faster.”
His eyes were remorseful. He didn’t want them caught, because he knew how it would hurt me. Because he loved me that much that he would let me love my immortal friends.
TIME PASSED IN A blur, traveling from the field, to a black car, to an airplane, to an unknown bed. I was numb, the events proving to be too much for me.
Abby has always been a bit fragile.
Those words once stung, but now they rang true. It only took a trial beyond my control to admit it to myself. I was fragile.
Judging from the matching green bedspread, curtains, and pillow shams, I was in a hotel room. A sliver of light filtered between the drawn curtains. Even after sleep, I was beyond exhausted from the events, and the pit in my stomach remained. Elijah was most likely dead, and Wes was gone. I was rescued, but I never felt more alone.
Voices on the other side of the door lured me out of bed. I had been changed into my favorite sweats from home. My legs were sore, making it difficult to walk just from the bed to the door. As I got closer, I recognized the voices. I yanked it open, relief stretching from ear to ear.
“Mom, you’re here.” I forced my legs to move quicker as I closed the distance and fell into her arms.
“Of course, I am, sweetie. I’ll always be here.” She stroked my head lovingly.
She and my dad had been sitting on the couch, talking.
I looked over her shoulder to my dad, confused.
“I told her everything, Peanut. I had to after what happened to you.”
I released from her embrace, more worried than relieved. “But I thought that was against The Order rules?”
“It is, which is why they can never know.”
I nodded, understanding.
“I changed you into your pajamas, and I brought more stuff from home,” my mom said cheerfully.
I expected my mother to be…different after finding out we were battling a secret war, but she was the same mom I left a few short days ago. “You are taking everything well.” My crooked smile was unsure.
“I’m sure I’m handling it just as well as you, Abby. It’s a lot to wrap my head around, but it won’t help any of us to fight the truth. You’re my baby.” She took my hand and then looked at my dad. “And you’re the love of my life.” She took his hand with her other. She was sandwiched between us. “I will do whatever it takes to keep our family together.”
My dad appeared a thousand pounds lighter, having ended the lie that weighed him down since he had met my mom.
She stood up. “I should go.”
Alarmed, I jumped up, blocking her way. “Why? Where are you going?”
She looked to my dad.
“We have to be careful. We are too close to The Order’s headquarters. She needs to go home and act as though everything’s normal.”
“But she just got here,” I whined. The glances they shared made me uneasy. “What?”
“I’ve been here for three days,” she answered.
I looked quickly between them, trying to process how I could have possibly slept for that long.“How?”
“The Order gave you a sedative. You were in shock. They wanted to give your mind and body time to recover.”
My mental state had been delicate, but I didn’t realize it was that bad. “What about Elijah and Wes?”
“Let’s walk your mother out, and then I’ll tell you everything I know.”
He slid his hand on my mom’s back, leading her to the door. She picked up her duffel bag and purse and gave my dad a kiss.
“Come here, sweetie.” She waved me over.
This time I held her, squeezing tightly. “I’ll see you soon, right?”
She pulled away and brushed unruly strands from my face. “Of course. I love you, Abigail. Stay safe.”
She kissed me on the cheek, and after several more goodbyes, she hopped into a rental car and drove off. That was when I got a better look at where we were. We were at an inn somewhere in the woods, the pavement freshly layered with rain, the clouds still threatening more.
It was difficult seeing her leave after everything I went through, especially because I wasn’t sure I’d ever see her again. “I’m not going to see her for a long time, am I?” I was still in the door opening, staring after her car as it drove out of sight.
His hand landed on my shoulder. “No.”
I knew why, but it was still hard. I needed her. “Did you tell her about my brother? Her son?”
“No.” His head dropped shamefully. “This isn’t the time. Come inside,” my dad urged.
I closed the door, putting the locks securely in place, and turned to him. “Is Wes okay?”
“Yes. They all are. The Specials weren’t fast enough for them.”
“And Elijah?” I was still hanging onto a sliver of hope.
My dad’s eyes dropped. “I don’t know. The Order isn’t talking, but he didn’t have a heartbeat when they left.”
My heart just kept breaking. He died because of me.
“I’m sorry, Peanut. He meant a lot to me, too.”
“Dad, you revealed yourself to the woman in the field. I thought no one was supposed to know who you and the other council members were?”
“No one does, except for that elite group of Specials. They know everything. In fact, they probably know more than we do. It’s their job.”
I remembered the fear in the Special’s eyes when my dad told her to stand down. As if she saw death staring back.
“I’m never going to see Wes again either, am I?” I didn’t even have to ask. I knew it was the truth.
“Never say never, Peanut.”
“So, what now?” I was living somewhere in between a nightmare and another life.
“We continue where we left off. Nothing has changed.”
Yet everything had. My heart felt vacant, waiting for something to fill it again, only I didn’t know what could possibly fill this kind of void.
“When do we go?”
“The Order would like you as soon as you’re awake and ready.”
I bit my lip, wondering if I should tell him what Penelope had revealed about me. Maybe he already knew.
“What’s bothering you?”
“When I was with Penelope, I told her about my gift. She said it was rare and that I wasn’t a Special.” His eyebrow raised curiously. I continued, “She said I was a Chosen?”
His face dropped slightly. “Did she now?” He paced a few steps, combing his fingers through his hair. “There’s so much for you to learn before that. You can’t become what you are until you’ve learned how. You need The Order for that. The Kung Fu fighting.” He threw me a smile.
“So, it’s true then?” I was taken aback.
“Yes, it can be. We are counting on it. We are at a huge disadvantage without a Chosen.”
“But you tried to keep me from all of this. If you needed me so bad for this war, then why would you risk that?”
He took my shoulders in his hands. “Because, Abigail, none of this matters if you’re dead. I’ve told you that over and over. I will do anything to keep you safe, which is why I will be your official partner when your training is complete.”
“You will?” A part of me was happy to hear that, but it was also a reminder that Elijah could be gone. He was supposed to be my sidekick.
“What’s going to happen to Penelope?” In one moment she had turned my world upside down and shook the life force out of it.
“The Order has her. She’ll be handled properly.”
“They won’t kill her, will they?”
My dad looked at me, revolted. “No, Abigail. We aren’t killers. We ensure the safety of humans and bring justice to those who deserv
e it. We aren’t out for the slaughter.”
“Not for humans, at least.” I wiggled from his grip.
“Abigail, immortals aren’t alive. They don’t have a heart, and their souls left their bodies as soon as their hearts stopped beating.”
“But they love and laugh and fear. What is more human than that?”
His eyelids dropped, sorrow and regret looking up through his lashes. “I’m sorry, Abby. That’s just not how it works.”
There wasn’t much more to say on the subject. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” I mumbled sadly. Wes had left the field so quickly.
“I know, and for that I’m truly sorry.” He walked toward the second bedroom. “We leave in an hour.”
I had an hour to embrace my new life. A life without Elijah or Wes and with a whole bunch of people I’d never met.
I COULDN’T STOP FIDGETING on the drive to The Order’s headquarters. I was queasy, and my lip was swollen from chewing on it so much.
“You okay, Peanut?”
My dad was staring at my stretched out shirtsleeves that my hands had been working on for the past hour. I interlocked my fingers to stop them from causing any more damage.
“No.” I sniffled, looking out the window.
“I know it’s a lot, but you’ll adjust quickly. I did.”
I had never asked him about his experience. A part of me was worried I would drudge up bad memories for him with Grandpa and Elijah’s dad.
“Dad?” I paused.
“Yeah?”
“What’s it like?” I was picturing a concrete structure surrounded by barbed wire, much like a prison. Not sure if it was to keep people out or to keep people in.
“Believe it or not, much like being on an extended vacation.”
I looked at him, surprised. “Really?”
“For the most part. Don’t get me wrong. It’s hard work, too. Most of your days are spent training, which is exhausting, but The Order has taken great care into making your experience tranquil. A lot of The Order training is based on Zen ideas.”
“It doesn’t sound as horrible as I imagined.” I smiled, thankful.
“It’s even better in person. You’ll never want to leave. Integrating back into the real world after spending a year there was not any easy transition,” he admitted openly.
His honesty curbed my nerves a bit, but knowing I would be confined for a year without any possibility to communicate with Wes or my parents was breaking me.
“We have a stop to make before The Order. There’s one last thing I’d like to do for you.”
My heart jumped excitedly. My dad always had the best surprises, and I could definitely use a pick-me-up right now. He pulled off the highway in a cute little suburban town, surrounded by mature, bushy trees in every fall color imaginable. It felt like we had stepped back into the past when life was simpler, houses smaller, and kids could safely play on the streets as they were doing now. A soccer ball raced in front of the car followed by a little guy. He waved with a huge smile on his face as he retrieved it and ran back onto the sidewalk where a group of kids his age were playing soccer on the large lawn in front of a house.
“Why are we here?” I was beguiled by the serenity. I rolled down my window, taking in the warm, fresh air.
“You’ll see,” he said mischievously.
Leaving behind the town, we wound through a thick forest of deep green cedar trees and open road. Thirty minutes later, we pulled into the Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars. I was awestruck by the massive nature of these trees and immediately jumped out of the car and ran to the informational sign. The trees dated back two to three thousand years and were over 150 feet tall, and the trunks were as wide as twelve feet in diameter, the sign read. My dad caught up to me.
“You’ve always wanted to bring me here,” I said nostalgically. My grandpa had taken him here every year as a little boy.
“I wanted to continue the tradition, but then Elijah needed me, and there just wasn’t enough time. My dad and I stopped coming here the year I entered The Order. I wished that we would have come back, but it never happened.” His memory was fraught with regret. He draped his arm around my shoulders.
“Time for a new tradition,” I exclaimed.
“I think so. I brought waters, lunch, and snacks.” He patted a large hiking backpack.
“What about The Order?” I followed him to the trailhead marked Granite Falls.
“They’ve been waiting long enough. They can wait a little longer.” He turned around and winked.
The weather was perfect. The sun was shining, but there was a light, cool breeze and plenty of shade from the trees. My red Chucks kicked up dust, rifling butterflies nearby. We had the trail all to ourselves. As we walked up the steep incline, wildflowers sprinkled the forest floor, boasting an array of pinks, yellows, blues, and whites. The waterfall echoed off the tree trunks, escalating my excitement. I had never seen a waterfall in person. We were close now.
My dad bent over to tie his shoe. “Go on ahead. I’ll be there in a second.”
I danced up the last of the trail and froze. At the edge of the waterfall, standing between two trees, stood Wes. My heart palpitated with unhinged excitement, happy tears falling down my cheeks. I turned back to my dad who had caught up.
“Dad, I—” There were no words to thank him for the grandest gesture a father could make for his daughter.
“The way you are with him,” he pointed toward Wes, “the way you look at him is exactly how I look at your mother. And he looks at you the same. I don’t agree with it. This goes beyond the overprotective father, but I can’t deny you someone that you love, human or not.”
I jumped into his arms, squeezing him as hard as my little arms could. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“There is no limit to my love for you. I want you to be happy, and if I can give you this moment, then I am honored.”
I snuggled into his chest a little longer until he pulled me away.
“Now, go. I’ll be back at sunset.” He handed me the backpack and then headed back down the trail.
I put it on the ground and spun on my heels, but Wes was gone. I frowned until a pair of arms wrapped around my waist, lemongrass electrifying my senses.
“I never want to let you go again,” he whispered.
There were so many things I would miss. Wes’ cool breath on my skin was on top of that list. I closed my eyes and branded this moment into my heart.
“Then don’t,” I replied in a feeble voice.
He rested his chin on my shoulder. “It’s otherworldly, isn’t it?”
“Breathtaking.” I placed my hands on his, lifting them up, tucking under and spinning to face him, falling perfectly into his arms. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Ditto.” He hugged me intensely. “And Elijah?”
I couldn’t even form the words as a lump stuck in my throat, so I just shook my head.
“I’m sorry, Abby.” He nuzzled into my hair. “I know he had become a friend to you.”
“Are you really, though? I mean, you didn’t hide your dislike for him, and you assumed he was going to kill me, and yet he was the one to save me.” I didn’t mean to be so abrupt, but he showed nothing but hate for Elijah until he was hurt.
Wes put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me away so he could look at me. “That doesn’t mean I would wish death upon him. You misunderstood my displeasure.”
“How so?”
“I didn’t like or trust him around you. Outside of that, his affairs meant nothing to me. I would have saved him had you given me permission.”
It was true. He had offered to turn him, but I declined, not being able to choose someone else’s fate. My heart ached deeply in his absence, though, and I believed it always would.
“Come with me.” He pulled my backpack over his shoulders and took my hand gingerly, his crooked smile melting my insides.
We climbed down an unmarked, rocky path alongside the thundering waterfall,
the mist cooling my cheeks from the bright rays of the sun. There was no sense trying to talk over it, so we walked silently, enjoying the tranquility. I followed him as he veered off to the right, leaving the waterfall behind and leading us deeper into the forest. The massive trunks of cedar trees were covered in bright green moss, and the ground was covered with more wildflowers. I felt like I had stepped right into a fairyland forest.
“This is gorgeous.” My eyes studied everything in sight, including Wes who was only a few steps ahead. He moved fluidly across the rocky terrain while I had to be more careful, not wanting to fall.
We came upon a beautiful arched wood bridge with support railings that stretched across a large stream supplied by the waterfall.
“This reminds me of all our adventures around my house.” He squeezed my hand gently and pulled me over the bridge, stopping in the middle, enveloping within his arms.
“It’s so unreal in person. I never imagined beauty this great.”
“I have,” he said as he turned to me, catching a lock of hair and placing it behind my ear. He held my ear between his thumb and index finger, massaging it gently, making my cheeks hot and my knees weak. One touch was all I needed to be reminded of the love that could never be broken no matter how far apart or how much time passed.
“It’s not fair,” I mumbled as I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes and imagining a forever future with him. Like this.
As we stood in the middle of a fairy tale, I wondered if he would kiss me again.
“What are you thinking about?” He leaned on the rail, his full attention on me.
I blushed, dipping my head slightly as my heart raced. His finger hooked my chin, lifting it up. We shared a moment, the forest silencing for us. An eternity could have drifted by, and I wouldn’t have cared, because I was suspended in time with the one person I wanted to spend my forever with.
His finger pulled my lips closer to his. His lips were soft on mine as they kissed slowly and released. He did this several times, each touch just a little more intense than the next. He gripped the back of my neck and rested his forehead on mine.