by Paula Weston
Mya watches him, hair dishevelled, kohl smudged around her eyes. ‘For now.’
Malachi nods. ‘Gym?’ They grip each other by the forearm and disappear.
Daisy and Jones meet halfway across the piazza, offer each other tired half-smiles. Slowly, cautiously, the Outcasts and Sanctuary Rephaim close the space between them. Jude comes over to me. His cheek is grazed and both forearms are mottled purple from blocking punches and kicks.
‘You okay?’
He rubs his shoulder, squints with one eye. ‘Still in one piece.’
‘You want a hand with that?’ Micah is a few paces away. His knuckles are bloodied and his nose a mess.
‘I can’t return the favour,’ Jude says.
‘No dramas. I’ll find Daisy afterwards.’ He checks me over. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I didn’t get involved.’
‘I know, that’s my point.’
‘Well, see, that’s where I differ from Gabe. I’m happy to sit out a full-on brawl if I can.’
He shakes his head. ‘Shame.’ And then to Jude: ‘Ready?’
I fight a pang of fear. They disappear and my heart bangs once, twice. It’s all right. It’s all right. It’s—
They’re back. Jude reaches for me to steady himself. The graze on his cheek is all but gone.
‘Sorted,’ Micah says to me. ‘See you in the chapterhouse.’
‘What’s in the chapterhouse?’
‘There’ll be a briefing at some point after this little demonstration.’ He smiles, weary, and then he’s gone.
Zak and Ez are back—they shifted with Rephaim I haven’t met—but no sign yet of Mya. I hope she and Malachi aren’t going at it again in the gym.
‘So what happened out here?’ I ask.
Zak surveys the piazza. The lawn is a mess, divots everywhere, torn bits of fabric littering the grass. ‘We were having coffee in the rec room when Mya turned up and said Jason had brought a kid here.’
‘How did she hear that?’
He looks at me sideways. ‘Best guess? When she finished with Brother Stephen she stalked Daisy.’
Of course she did.
‘Just the three of you came?’
‘We may have brought a few friends.’
I check the window, see Dani and Jason deep in discussion on the other side. Maria’s face is bleak, her arms wrapped around herself. Dani is agitated and points outside, in my direction. Jason turns, shakes his head. Is he trying to convince Dani to leave and she’s refusing? He could force her—it’s not like her mother would argue—but no matter how much he might want to get them both away from here I know he won’t do it against Dani’s wishes.
Nathaniel, Daniel and Calista are talking quietly further along the cloister. Daisy joins them, dabbing at her ear. By the time I look inside again, Jason is gone from the window. The heavy portico door heaves open, hinges protesting. Jason steps out first, and then Maggie, pulling her suitcase. Dani is dragging Maria along, eyes only for Jude.
Dani starts as soon as she reaches him. ‘That girl you were fighting alongside—who is she?’
‘Which one?’ Jude asks.
‘The blonde one with the panda eyes.’
‘That’s Mya.’
‘I’ve never seen her before.’
He shrugs. ‘So?’
‘There are a hundred and eighty-two Rephaim—’
‘A hundred and eighty-three,’ I correct, remembering Rafa’s tally when we were trapped in the iron room. ‘Counting Jason.’
‘No, there are a hundred and eighty-two—counting Jason. I’ve seen them all in my mind. I’ve written down their names and what they look like. I have a book.’ Her eyes shift to me. ‘And I have never, ever seen that woman with the blonde hair before.’
THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
‘Does it matter?’ I ask.
Dani blinks once, twice. ‘You and Jude are the only other Rephaim I can’t see and that’s only been since last year. Before that I could see you like everyone else.’ She zips her parka to her chin, shivers against the cold.
‘What does it mean?’
‘I don’t know,’ she says. ‘It’s weird.’ Her words hang in the air, none of us sure what to do with them.
Maggie steps around Jude to hug me. I breathe in cherry blossom and Chanel No. 5, fight an overwhelming urge to cry. Now’s really not the time.
‘Babe, I’m so sorry about Rafa,’ she whispers. I nod against her hair, not trusting myself to speak. She holds me tight, trembles. ‘Any word?’
I shake my head. ‘Did you bring the pendant?’
‘In my shoe.’
Thank god. Nobody here can force her to shift while she’s got that iron trinket. At least something good has come out of that farmhouse.
‘Is Simon okay?’ Maggie asks.
‘He’s in the infirmary. We’ll go see him in a bit, but we need to get Dani away from prying eyes.’ I squeeze her and let go. She’s dressed for Italy in winter: skinny jeans and tailored leather jacket, hand-knitted black and grey scarf looped loosely around her neck. Her blonde hair is tied back in a long ponytail.
‘And who is this?’ Ez smiles down at Dani.
‘I’ll explain in a minute,’ I say. ‘Hang on.’
Daniel and Daisy are headed in our direction. I meet them halfway, try to keep distance between them and Dani. Daisy stares at Jason and Maggie; Daniel, as usual, is interested only in me.
‘What’s this about Mya?’
Seriously, nothing gets past him. ‘I have no idea.’
‘Don’t you think the time for secrets has passed?’
‘Here’s an idea. I’ll tell you all mine when you and Nathaniel spill yours.’ It’s a throwaway line, meant to annoy him more than anything else and end the conversation. So I’m surprised to see uncertainty on his face. Or I think that’s what it was—it’s gone too quick for me to be sure.
‘Have you guys made a decision about the farmhouse?’
Daniel’s gaze skitters away. It’s like a knife to the chest. ‘You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you? You’re not going to Iowa.’
‘Nobody’s made any decisions.’
‘You must be leaning in one direction or another.’
‘It’s not that simple.’
‘Make it that simple.’
His eyes search mine. For a second I can see how much he needs me to be his Gabe right now. Daisy waits at his side, silent.
‘Daniel,’ Nathaniel calls out. ‘Escort the child and her mother to the spare guest room in my wing.’
I push past Daniel before he can respond. ‘No way. They’re staying upstairs with us.’
Nathaniel watches me, expressionless.
‘I mean it. They stay with us or they’re gone. You’ll never see them again.’
‘It is in everyone’s interest that the child remain here,’ Nathaniel says.
‘Is that a threat?’
He doesn’t answer and it takes another second before I understand.
‘Are you saying you won’t help us in Iowa if Dani leaves here? Are you so desperate to interrogate Dani you’d risk Taya’s life over it?’
I look to Daisy. She won’t meet my eyes. I don’t think she was expecting the conversation to take us here.
‘I hope that’s a bluff, buddy,’ Jude says. ‘Because I don’t know how your army will feel about you threatening a little girl.’
Nathaniel’s lips tighten, the smallest of movements. ‘You are not the only ones being pushed into a corner.’ He looks from me to Jude to Jason, and then turns and walks away, signals for Daisy to join him. She shoots me a quick frown—confused—and falls into step. Daniel hesitates a split second before following, and in that moment I catch a shadow of something I’ve never seen in his face before.
Doubt.
CIRCLE OF TRUST
‘You can’t keep her safe from him,’ Jason says, watching Nathaniel walk back into the library.
A breeze swirls through the piaz
za, drags a stray hair into my eyes. ‘The sooner we get an army together, the better. People here care about Rafa and Taya. If we can tell them what’s going on in that room, maybe they’ll sign on whether Nathaniel approves or not.’
‘Do you honestly believe that’s possible?’ He walks to the edge of the cloister, takes in the number of windows overlooking the piazza and comes back. ‘We can’t stay here. It’s not safe for Dani.’
I grab his sleeve. ‘Don’t make this about Dani—we can protect her long enough to do what she needs to do. This is about you and your issues with the Rephaim. If I can be here after what happened in the cage—if I can stand the accusation and the tension and the churning gut—so can you.’
Jason looks to Maggie, a silent question. She nods and forces a smile. ‘We can do this.’
His shoulders ease a little.
He doesn’t speak as we make our way upstairs, Ez and Zak with us. The only sounds are the rumble of Maggie’s suitcase wheels on the pavers and our hurried footfalls. Ez can’t stop glancing at Dani.
Jude lets us into his room and I falter when I see Rafa’s rucksack on his bed.
‘Zak went back for it,’ Jude says, and unzips it.
That’s what they were talking about in the library. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘You had enough on your mind.’ Jude takes the laptop to the desk and turns it on. It shouldn’t bother me, but there’s just something about the situation: the idea he made plans without telling me. ‘I assume the other stuff in there is yours.’
I check in the rucksack, see a t-shirt and cargo pants. Lacy underwear. Rafa packed them for me two days ago. Another punch in the chest. I need to keep it together.
Maria sits on the opposite side of the bed and pulls Dani into her lap, hugs her close.
‘Do you have to do this right now?’ Maria’s voice has all the hard edges I remember from our phone call in Rafa’s kitchen.
‘Yes.’ I sink to the carpet in front of them and take a steadying breath, look to Dani. Try not to give in to the fear and hope threatening to smother me. ‘What do you need to be able to find Rafa?’
‘A quiet spot, that’s all.’ She wriggles off Maria’s lap. ‘Sometimes it takes a while.’
Ez kneels on the floor next to me, looks from Dani to me and back to Dani again. ‘Is someone going to tell us what’s going on?’
Dani smiles almost shyly. ‘You’re even more beautiful in person.’
Ez’s fingertips are almost to the scars on her cheek when she realises what she’s doing. ‘You’ve seen me…in photos?’
‘In my mind.’
Ez frowns. ‘I don’t understand.’
We don’t have time for this, but I owe Ez and Zak an explanation. ‘Dani has a connection to the Rephaim. She has visions of us—sees things that have happened and will happen. And she can tune in and find out where any of us are…any time.’
Ez opens her mouth. Closes it. Zak stares at me as if I’ve just told him I’ve got a unicorn in the bathroom.
‘She’ll be able to see inside the iron room and tell us what’s going on,’ I say. ‘Help us plan our attack. We need her to start looking now. Right now.’
Still they stare. ‘She can see us?’ Ez asks. ‘How?’
At the window, Jason is rigid, fingers clamped on the sill. Maggie is next to him, hands tucked between her knees.
‘I do this meditation thing,’ Dani says, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. ‘I can see you whenever I want—usually.’
‘Holy shit,’ Zak says.
‘How?’ Ez says again. ‘Are you part of the family from Iowa?’
‘Of course she’s not,’ Jason snaps.
‘Then how do you know her?’
Jason meets my eyes, shakes his head.
Ez turns to Jude. ‘You knew about this girl?’
‘As much as Gaby, which isn’t much.’
‘There are a few too many secrets piling up around here.’ She massages her temples, looks back at me. ‘You seem to be in on a lot of them for someone who didn’t know who she was a week ago.’
‘Not by choice, trust me.’
‘How is it there’s a child who can see us, and how is it she knows the three of you?’
Jason and I exchange a long look. Neither of us answers. Dani bites her lip, stays quiet.
‘Okay, enough,’ Zak says. He’s standing over me now, even more intimidating when I’m on the floor. ‘You either trust us or you don’t.’
I wet my lips. ‘There are things about Dani that will change everything for the Rephaim. If Nathaniel knows the truth about her, that’s all he’ll care about. Not Rafa and Taya. And they don’t have time for him to get sidetracked.’ The words tumble out. ‘I don’t want to lie to you, but I don’t want you to have to lie to everyone else.’
‘Just tell us the truth,’ Zak says. ‘And then we’ll decide who we will and won’t tell, given we know everybody in this place better than anyone else in the room.’
I rub my eyes. I know he’s right. And he’s right on the other count too: either we trust him and Ez or we don’t.
And I do.
‘Okay.’ I find a spot to sit against the wall and I tell them the truth, the whole, messy truth—in as few words as possible. About Nathaniel killing our mother and taking Jude and me. About Jason’s mother surviving and raising him; having another child years later—a child who saw angels and demons. About the line of first-born girls with similar gifts. Until Dani came along and could see Rephaim.
When I finish, Zak stares at a spot above my head, peels the corner of his thumbnail. Ez is still focused on me. ‘You’re saying he murdered all the other women—my mother—too?’
‘Unless you think it’s possible he only lied about one of the women.’
For a while, nobody speaks. Zak and Ez look at each other. Seem to have an entire conversation without words. Jude is only half-tuned in now: he’s caught up in whatever he’s found on the laptop. Maggie lowers herself to the floor and catches my eye. I give her a quick smile. It stretches the skin on my face, feels all wrong.
Ez finally gets up and sits on the bed, leaves space between her and Maria. ‘If there’s a line of gifts—’
‘Curses,’ Maria corrects.
‘Do you have one?’
‘Had. It stops at puberty. I had nightmares about wars between angels and demons. Horrible blood-drenched nightmares, every night of my life until I turned fourteen.’
‘Past or future wars?’
‘I didn’t know and I didn’t care. My life started when the nightmares ended. Just like Dani’s will when all this goes away.’
Ez leans forward so she can see Dani. ‘You must be very brave.’
‘It’s not like I fight demons,’ Dani says. ‘Not like you. All I do is watch.’
‘I still don’t understand how that works.’
Dani crawls around her mother so she’s closer to Ez. ‘I have to be really still until my breathing slows right down. Then I think hard about the person I want to find. It helps if I know roughly where they are or what they’re doing. And then…it’s hard to explain. It’s like I’m inside their head. Sometimes, though, it’s like I can see them through someone else’s eyes. I can’t explain it.’
‘Inside our heads…?’ Ez looks at Zak, alarmed.
‘Other times I see things without warning. I usually faint for those. Sometimes I know what I’ve seen has already happened, and other times I know it’s going to happen in the future. But not always.’
‘What sort of things do you see?’
Maria puts her arm between Ez and Dani. ‘That’s enough questions. She’s risking her life to be here. That’s all you need to know.’
‘It’s okay.’ Dani scrunches her face in concentration. ‘Last year I saw you holding a baby, Ez. I think it was in a market somewhere hot and sunny. There were a lot of people and donkeys and music. You got sad when you gave the baby back, but you didn’t let Zak see.’
&nb
sp; Ez blinks, and her eyes slide towards Zak. ‘No, I didn’t,’ she says. ‘But he knew anyway. Was that a vision?’
‘No, I went looking for you.’ She ducks her head, shy. ‘Sometimes I like to see what you’re doing.’
Dani climbs off the bed and goes to Zak. He sits on his heels but he’s still so much bigger than her. She reaches for his thick black hair, touches a curled strand almost reverently.
‘You’ve always been one of my favourites,’ she says. ‘You’re a big scary bear. Except around Ez: then you’re a pussy cat.’
Zak laughs—surprising himself as much Dani. ‘I can see how that would be dangerous information in the wrong hands. I don’t suppose you saw what happened to Jude and Gabe last year?’
She bites her lips together and shakes her head. Jude looks up from the computer and meets my gaze. We need to tell Ez and Zak about Dani’s involvement, but not now; not when Dani needs to concentrate on Iowa. I give the smallest shake of my head. He goes back to his screen.
‘And Rafa and Taya—you really think you can see into that room?’ Zak asks.
‘Yes,’ she says.
‘Okay.’ Zak puts a hand on her head, gentle, affectionate. ‘Don’t worry about anything else. We’ll keep you safe.’
Ez checks her watch. ‘I should check on Mya. Make sure she doesn’t incite another riot.’
I stand up and stretch my ankle until it cracks. I trust Ez, but I have to ask. ‘What are you going to tell her?’
Ez flattens a crease in the doona. ‘We have to let her and the rest of our crew know about Dani and what she can do’—she holds up her hands—‘not why or how, just what. It will give them hope and stop everyone getting too restless. It’s going to get harder to keep them here the longer Nathaniel and the Five take to make a decision.’
Jason looks like he’s about to throw up.
Zak stands and his broad shoulders block the sunlight. ‘Relax, Jason. You think I’m going to let anyone hurt a twelve-year-old girl?’
Dani climbs back on the bed and crosses her legs, takes a deep breath. My chest tightens. This is it.