“The Gorhans did this?” he paused some before continuing. “Why would they do this?”
She now shook her head, thinking about everything he said. Thinking that she heard him say something about others, it came up fast and it helped her calm down some even more. “You said that others are with you. How many are there?”
“There are six of us.”
She nodded again. Six? Thank the gods. She almost screamed but didn’t. She forced herself to relax.
Hearing everything, and feeling her mind flare as it was, Joseph had to come in. “You cannot tell him where you are Lady Sharlia. You must not tell him any of this, not yet.” He had to stress. He had to make her understand what he feared the most. He only hoped she would.
She looked at him and nodded. She understood what he was trying to tell her, but at the same time, she wanted—no she needed—to see him again. If what he told her was true, and he and six others have lived, then she had to find them. She had to see them. She had to have them by her side again.
Hearing her, Joseph stepped to her red aura and took a deep wince. “I know how you feel my lady, but you must do this.” He gave her a solemn smile. “You must keep quiet on where we are.”
She nodded. She agreed. “Maxwell, we must meet some place where no one will find us.” She stopped, thinking some. Only one thought came up. “Go to the cove. I will find you there. Gather everyone you can, and meet me there.” The cove made sense. Everyone in her family knew about it. They were all told to go there when trouble came. With everything that happened, she almost forgot about it, but now, remembering it, she did.
“I will.” Maxwell’s voice came in calmly. He sounded much more relaxed.
Sharlia nodded. “Be careful Maxwell. The Gorhans will not hesitate to destroy you if they find you first.” She also shook her head.
“I will my lady. Please, you must do the same. Be careful. Be cautious. Take care of yourself.” And the phone went out.
She dropped it back to her side. She now felt relieved, but at the same time, she felt even more worried. Vincent’s face crossed her mind again. He would not stop in trying to kill all of them, and knowing this, she feared for all of those that were left. She still felt relieved, and feeling it was enough for her to relax even more. It was all she had left.
“My lady?” Joseph felt everything she felt. He felt her fear. He felt her pride. He felt her relax. He, himself, felt none of it. “Are you sure that you can trust him?” He had to know. With everything going on, he did not have the same feelings that she obviously had. He could not do it. He trusted no one that was not in the room with them right now.
She looked up to him and felt somewhat surprised. Some of her felt angry too. “You do not know what you are talking about Kenar. How dare you question someone of my family?” She meant all of this.
He truly did sigh some with her reaction. “I mean no disrespect my lady. I only mean to trust no one other than us here. We don’t have the choice.”
Listening, her anger subsided some. She understood what he said, but at the same time, she didn’t. She knew that he would never truly understand what they were to each other. How could he? He was a Wanderer after all. He never truly understood about the loyalties of a Walker. They trust those they make. They trust those that share their blood. They are families for a reason, because of that trust. “I trust him. He is the second of my family. I trust him with my very breath.”
He nodded, felt her inside, but even with that said, he did not share it. He also did not wish to argue about it either. It was not his place to do it. “Very well.” He put his hands on his hips.
Robert felt pleased for her for finding out what she did, but at the same time, he still truly did not care. All he cared about was getting to Scotland, and before that, getting to the plans. “I am happy for you Sharlia, but Kenar is right. We must be careful and trust no one. We must plan. We must keep all of this to ourselves.”
Jimmy listened, still seeing this Cassandra’s face inside his mind. He could not flush it out. She just wanted to stay there and almost blind him to everything else. She’s important. She is the one that I have to find. She will help. She will help all of us. Because of this, he now felt, more than ever, that he had to find her. He had to leave, and while thinking this, he also knew that Sharlia was right. “Sharlia is right. She must go to her family.” He left the archway to the dining room and moved to the back of the sofa. He stepped in between Kenar and Robert. “She has to find them. We have to do things before we leave.”
Robert heard him and almost felt like smacking his head into a wall. If he were near one, he would have done it. “No.” He could not believe what he was hearing. “We have to stay together. We have to plan for the coming battle. We have to move on.” There was not any other choice. Why they did not see this bothered more than anything else ever did. In fact, it was beginning to piss him off some. He was beginning to feel completely alone.
Jimmy shook his head. “We need our friends. We have to gather our strength.” He looked directly into Sharlia’s eyes and gave her a smile. “We need help. We need everyone that we can find.”
She returned the smile.
Joseph sighed.
Robert pouted some. He of course could not agree. He just didn’t, and with it, his anger only grew stronger. “If we separate, he can come after us. After tonight, and with everything that happened, I think that has proven itself time and time again. We have to keep together.”
Joseph listened to this and felt the need to come in. “What do you mean Kalima?” Again, he heard something coming in with his voice. It told him one thing. He knows what he’s doing. We have to trust him. We’re going to have to trust his plan. With it, he doubted him some, but not by much. He, in fact, trusted him more than he ever had before. He just did and left it at that.
Jimmy turned to his old friend. Although he looked different, he still saw him clearly as Kenar. “I’m not sure. I just know that we have to do this. We need to gather together everyone that will come with us.” He stressed everything he said. He believed in it, now more than ever.
Robert shook his head.
Sasha nodded, hearing Jimmy’s voice. It sounded different, but at the same time, it didn’t. She still recognized him all the same. “Jimmy, what are you thinking? What are you planning?”
Jimmy turned to her softly. “I just think that we have to find them—gather everyone with us.” He looked back to the others. “We need everyone who will stand with us to help with the fight.” He thought about this, and suddenly he saw a field stretched out before a dark gray colored wall. All along the wall, and in the field, bright colors of red and tan were everywhere. There were thousands of them. He knew what they were. Devish is going to have many more lying in wait on that field for us. He will be ready. Without more, we’re not going to have the chance to defeat him. He will have the numbers and so should we. He blinked and looked back at Sharlia and their eyes met. “We need our friends.”
Sharlia saw a strange look in his eyes. It told her something that made her feel somewhat confident. He knows something. He knows what he is doing. It all made sense, and with it, her confidence only grew.
“Other than Sharlia’s family, who else is there?” Joseph shrugged. Kalima has something, I’m not sure what it is, but I can feel that he does. There was more to it than that too, and right then, he understood it. He’s blocking me now. I can’t see his thoughts. Why would he do that after all of this time? He thought about saying this, but in the end, he kept it to himself. He had to be doing it for a reason, and that was good enough for him. In the end, he knew that he would have to play along. All of this is for a reason. I have to keep the faith.
“I’m not sure.” Cassandra’s face flashed stronger, and that meant only one thing. He had to find her, end of story. “I just know that we have to get everyone together that will fight by our side. This includes me.”
“Who do you know?” Brandon now came in. He stayed
quiet for the most part, and was just content to listen, but sometimes, he spoke without thinking, and, well, this was one of those times.
“I can’t say, just that I know that I have to go.”
“Go where?” Sharlia felt intrigued. She also felt hopeful. If there was help out there, she now felt stronger because of it. Even if he was being cryptic about it, she just did not care.
“I can’t say.” He shook his head. In him, he could see the mountains of the Catskills. He could see the trees blowing softly in the moonlit air. He could see a pavilion of some type standing tall on what looked like an overlook. He could even feel the breeze rolling down from hills behind him. A fire was burning in a small clearing within the trees. He watched the fire burn. I have to build it there. She will see it. She will come. It all felt so clear that it felt like it was happening to him right now. It just felt downright odd, but it did also feel right in every way.
Robert looked up to him, feeling even more frustrated than ever. “You can’t say or you won’t say.”
Jimmy turned to him with a slight chill coursing through his soul. He has never truly trusted me. Even now, after all of these centuries, he still doesn’t. After realizing this thought, he shivered again. His memories seemed to come back to him all on their own, whenever they wanted to, so it explained the shiver. “I can’t.” He shook his head. He added a shrug with it.
Robert sighed with this. He lost the argument. He saw the determination on his face. He saw the look in his eyes. I have to trust him. He nodded quietly. “What do we do?”
Jimmy blinked. He suddenly felt ashamed for what he just thought, and shrugged again because of it. It seemed that he trusted him after all. “I have to leave for a few days before heading off to Europe. Sharlia has to go and find her family. You and Joseph have to gather the Wanderers with you.” He said everything with an almost complete clarity that it surprised him some. After saying it, he just nodded again, but this time, he did it to himself. It seems that I know what I’m doing after all. He also gave himself a smile. “We have to do this before we can face him. We don’t have the choice.”
Robert’s mind flared.
Joseph nodded as Kalima confirmed everything that he just thought for himself. “You are Kalima again.” He smiled.
Jimmy looked at him feeling somewhat surprised. He then nodded.
Sasha did too. “So what do we do?” She looked back to Brandon.
Brandon looked as confused as ever. He felt even worse.
Jimmy smiled to both of them. “Brandon has to go with Sharlia.” He gave him a nod.
Brandon heard his name and that brought his eyes up. “Why? Why do I have to go?”
Jimmy kept the smile. “You are the child of Michael Gorhan, that’s why.”
Joseph nodded. He understood completely.
Sharlia smiled. “You are directly from Michael?” She shook her head. Hope exploded through her very soul. She had no idea how deep all of this was until now, and loved the idea of where this was heading. The plan was there, and it was slowly revealing itself.
Brandon’s confusion came rushing back into him like lightning striking a very large tree. “What does that mean?”
Jimmy laughed some before answering him. “You are a second gen, Brandon. Michael came directly from Gorhan, the Blood Walker of the Eastern Steps.”
Brandon shrugged. “So.”
Sharlia laughed. “You are the strongest of all of us, except Kalima.” Her hope was turning into an outright strength.
Brandon looked at all of them in turn. “Again, so.” He heard the strong part and that lifted his eyes to almost complete circles. “And what?”
Jimmy laughed again, before he turned serious all too fast. He had to explain, so he did. “Walkers are only weak to those who bite them. Each time the gift is passed on the strength wanes. A true Blood Walker made Michael. Michael made you. The closer one is made to the ones above them, the stronger they are.” He moved closer to his best friend and took his right shoulder into the palm of his right hand. He then squeezed him gently, but firmly. “You are who bit you.”
Sharlia nodded. “He is right.” She could also see that Brandon was having trouble in understanding what he heard, so she felt the need to explain it to him too. Besides, she had practice in doing it. After all, she has made many herself. “We are like the children of those who bite us—who make us. When that walker dies, we take their place. I was made by a second generation, which makes me a third generation. That makes you stronger than me, because you were made by a first.”
Brandon suddenly felt exposed. His confusion was paramount. “What does that mean?”
Sharlia smiled stronger. “Michael died, so you have now taken his place. You are now the strongest of the Gorhans.”
Brandon looked at her and nodded. Thank God, someone could explain it. As for Jimmy, I was lost. “I understand.” He looked back to Jimmy. “So why do I have to go with her?” This, he needed to know.
Jimmy dropped his arm. “Vincent is the strongest of the Gorhans, but he wasn’t made by Michael. That means that you are even stronger than he is. You are the true leader of the Gorhans.”
Brandon straightened up some with hearing this. He felt confident with it too.
“That’s why they came after us tonight, isn’t it?” Sasha looked at both of them but stopped on Brandon. She knew he was strong but didn’t know how much, until then. It also made sense for the attack. If Devish was going to take the Gorhans with him, he needed to take him out because of it.
Jimmy nodded. “They had many reasons, but I think that was the principle one.”
Joseph nodded. “Kalima’s right. If you go with Sharlia, you can protect her.”
Brandon looked at him and sighed. “What if that Devish finds us? What if he comes after us again?” He did not like the thought of that. He feared it. He feared him, and for a good reason. He was no match for his strength. He was truly weak. He was truly defeated.
“Devish has other things to do.” Jimmy looked to Sasha. “And so do we.”
She felt his eyes. She looked at him with utter surprise. “Us? What do you mean?” She did not like the thought. Again, she did not know what to think about any of this. It just made her feel more confused because of it.
He nodded. “You have to come with me.”
Brandon heard this and did not like it either. “I’m not leaving her side.” The very thought burned him. He might have been afraid of Devish, but he did not intend to let her stand again and face him without him being there with her. Together they could have fought him. He felt sure of this.
Jimmy understood his feelings. “She’ll be all right Brandon.” He looked from him and back to Sasha again. “But she does have to come with me.”
“Why?” Sharlia also did not understand this. As far as she was concerned, with a child of Michael Gorhan and a black wolf at her side, she knew that she would be safe. Both were better together, and no Walker would dare stand against them again. She loved the idea.
Jimmy turned to her. “I need her. I’m not sure why, but I do.”
Joseph nodded. He heard enough. “Then that’s what we do. Sharlia and Brandon will go and find her family and gather them together. Kalima and Sasha will go where they have to, and Rochie and I will gather the Wanderers.” He smiled. The plan was coming together—whatever that plan was, he didn’t know, but he did have faith in it. Again, he trusted Kalima completely.
Robert now had to come in. “I don’t understand any of this.” He didn’t. Nothing he heard made any sense. He could not help himself.
Jimmy turned to him next. “You have to trust me Rochie—um Robert. I know what I’m doing.” He paused and shrugged. “I think.”
Hearing this, Robert sighed harder. That so helps me. He shrugged.
Danny stood there quietly the entire time. As he listened, he tried to understand what he heard but couldn’t. He did not know what to think. When the rest of these—whatever in the hell they
were—fell quiet, he felt the need to now come in. “What is going on here?”
Joseph turned to his grandson and bowed his head. With everything going on, and with everything said, he completely forgot that he was even there. Now realizing it, he had to say something. “I will explain everything to you, I promise, as soon as I can.” He smiled to his aura flaring strongly in front of the Nightwalker’s red that was standing behind him. He felt bad for him. He understood it, but now was not the time. The time was going to come. It was coming soon.
No one else even cared that a human was there.
“Then we go.” Sharlia turned to her driver and gave him a nod.
He let go of the human boy and walked to the front door.
She left the living room and joined him in the foyer.
Robert felt the need to continue with his thoughts. If they were going in separate directions, against his own ideas at that, he needed something more than this. He needed something, anything, and just could not help himself. “Wait.” He turned to everyone after calling for Sharlia. “How do we all get there?” He looked to Jimmy last. “Where do we come together again and when?”
Jimmy took a deep breath. “We meet in three days in Glasgow.” He bowed his head. “There is a cabin just north of the city, in the trees, not that far from the field, not that far from Devish’s home. You will find it just off the Northern Road. It’s deep within the trees near the creek North. That is where we’ll meet.” Cassandra’s face was stronger than ever. With her being so, he felt stronger than ever too. It meant that he was doing the right thing. At least he hoped he was. He just didn’t know.
“How do you know of this place?” Kenar had to ask.
Jimmy laughed some. It was a quiet one at that, but everyone still heard it. “I built it.” He saw it in the trees, right where he said it was. He saw himself building it right where he needed it. It looked quaint. It looked neat.
A Werewolf's Saga Books 4, 5, & 6 (A Werewolf's Saga Boxed Sets Book 2) Page 44