Nia pressed out a bubble hoping it would help in some way. She knew it would keep them hidden but obviously these weren’t normal people hunting them. They had gotten into her head through the glamoured vehicle.
At least twenty minutes passed as Nia’s anxiety shot through the roof. A twig snapped and they all flinched. Aaron held a finger up to his mouth and they heard a menacing laugh and Isabel grunting as swords clanged in the dark.
“A little help here.” She managed to mutter and Aaron looked at Nia and she shook her head rapidly begging him to stay put. One loud grunt from Isabel followed by a sizzle and Nia knew she had dispatched the hunter. She sighed in relief that was short lived. “Seriously, my foot is caught.” They heard Isabel say in a loud whisper.
Aaron moved to help but he was stopped by a strong grip on his forearm. “No, stay with the girls, I’ll go.” Adam said surprising everyone.
He squeezed Rhea’s hand and unsheathed the dagger Darragh had given him and gripped it tightly. “Be careful.” Aaron said grabbing Adam’s shoulder.
“Please.” Nia added feeling faint as a whimper escaped from Rhea’s lips.
Adam kissed Rhea’s forehead lightly. “It will be okay, you’ll see.” He tried to assure her.
“Umm? Hello?” Isabel hissed, clearly irritated.
Adam took a deep breath and stepped out of the bubble as Rhea stuffed a hand to her mouth to stifle a sob. Nia grabbed her and held her to her side.
Adam crept slowly crouching low to the ground like Darragh had showed him.
“Isabel.” He hissed into the darkness.
“This way.” she whispered waving her now lightly glowing sword, “Quickly they are getting closer.”
He ran still in a crouch and knelt beside her where her foot was wedged in between the large roots of a huge tree. She instructed him as to what she needed and as soon as her foot was free. She clapped a hand over his mouth and pulled him to the ground.
He heard the footsteps and chills erupted all over his body making his pulse speed.
Aaron was getting nervous as Nia tried to keep Rhea calm, it was obvious now that she had feelings for Adam. “I need to go check on them Nia. What if they got into trouble? I need to at least check.” He pleaded.
She looked deep into his eyes he was definitely a guardian and she knew he would not be away from her side for long. She bit her tongue and nodded stopping herself from being selfish and begging him not to go.
“Keep the bubble up and tight. You hear me? And try to get in touch with Eric.” He said.
“I’ll be right back.” He told her kissing her gently and taking off into the night.
The girls stayed as still as they possibly could as Nia tried and tried with no success to breach any of their group’s minds. She supposed it may have something to do with the vault thing but she couldn’t chance letting it down. So she just concentrated on her breathing and Rhea followed her lead. Rhea was still whispering hushed prayers as Nia prayed the prayers were heard. Too much time was going by causing Nia’s heart to pound until it was the only thing she could hear.
The girls decided to make a break for it but they were thankfully stopped along the way by Eric. Once he came for her and Rhea there was only a slight relief. Nia was happy he was safe but she would be better when she saw that Aaron and Adam were okay too. The fact that Eric wasn’t talking much was nerve wracking but what could she do but go along for the ride. She had a churning in the pit of her stomach telling her something was off. The closer they got to their destination which turned out to be the ranch they were headed for, the more uneasy Nia felt.
What she found when they got there rocked her world shattering it to the ground. The moment she saw him she lost it and slipped into darkness. She hoped to never wake up from the nightmare that had quickly become her life.
Chapter 23
Nia’s nose burned as she was awakening, the smell of bleach was thick in the air. She covered her face with the fluffy comforter hoping to staunch the urge to gag.
Her mom must be cleaning her bathroom again, she thought, stretching. Easing her eyes open she was assaulted by the intruding sunlight. So she sat up but stilled when she felt a pounding in her head, looking around slowly what she now knew was not her home she rubbed at her eyes.
The mauve walls mocked her with their hideous hue, she always did hate that color.
“Oh my God! Aaron!” She gasped and stood but fell directly on her butt with a loud thud. Her legs felt like rubber and her mouth was dry, she rubbed her scratchy throat as she sat on the tacky rug and cried. Letting the full on sobs rack her entire body she remembered his bloody state.
Aaron. Her Aaron, she had never seen so much blood before. Her vision blurred and she felt arms wrap around her and lift her from the floor.
“Aaron.” She sobbed into the strong shoulder connected to a sweet smelling stranger, he was dead he had to be. Surely no one lost that amount of blood and lived to tell the tale.
Eric sat on the bed and pulled her gently onto his lap as a woman with raven dark hair rushed in and set a cup in Eric’s hand giving Nia a stiff smile before exiting as quickly as she came.
“Nia, drink this.” He said in a soothing tone.
She turned wondering who brought the delicious smelling beverage only to see her back and hair swaying behind her in a long braid on her way out the door. She held the cup tightly and sipped at first then wolfed down the rest of the liquid heaven quite greedily, she recognized it as the same sweet goodness from before.
Her shaking steadied and she began to feel only a little calmer. “Eric, where’s Aaron?” she asked trying to be brave and biting down hard on her lip tasting her own coppery blood.
“Once you are able to stand, I will take you to him.” He told her setting her on the bed and placing the cup on a small table.
Nia’s eyes went wide. “What! He’s alive?” she asked with disbelief etched in her voice as much as her features. “But all the blood, there was so much blood.” She stuttered out in a daze shaking her head slowly.
“Yes, he is… but Nia, look at me, please.” He said gently turning her from staring at the door to looking him in the eye.
“He’s not doing too good they have tried everything. Rowen even sent a healer from his people and we can’t get him to wake up. He’s healing even slower than Isabel.” He said scratching his head.
Nia tried to stand and Eric helped her. He knew that if it were Avery he would crawl to her if need be, so he relented and helped Nia out the door and through the hall.
The door was closed on the room Nia had collapsed in. Savannah came out shutting the door behind her looking drained. She looked at Nia and spoke softly. “He’s still not awake kiddo and don’t you dare go passing out on us again.” She said as she shuffled down the hall hopefully to get some much needed rest.
Eric opened the door and the smell of bleach drifted to Nia making her stomach turn. Aaron lay motionless with just a shallow rise and fall of his chest indicating his existence in her world was true. Eric helped Nia to the other side of the king sized bed and propped the pillows there. She laid on her side and brushed a hair off of Aaron’s forehead.
Eric brought the blankets up over her and headed for the door. “If you need anything just send it through the bond.” He said, then he clicked the door shut lightly.
Nia clasped Aaron’s hand lightly and stared at him trying off and on to breach his mind. She drifted to sleep thinking perhaps she needed to be stronger to help him but she wouldn’t leave his side.
###
Five days had passed and Nia was only pried from his side once to bathe and she took her meals in the room moving from the chair to the bed and back again. She tried talking to him and singing to him and she prayed, a lot too.
Savannah and the raven haired woman who was named Celia hooked up monitors to Aaron’s heart and brought in other medical supplies since their ways weren’t working.
When his breathing was so shallow
that he needed oxygen and his heart rate was almost non-existent the whispers began.
“Maybe it was time to let him go” they’d say to anyone but Nia. Rhea pleaded with her to get out of that room for a little while but she refused.
She hadn’t eaten much since he took a turn for the worse and she wasn’t doing much better when Savannah and Darragh entered the room on the fifth day.
“We have decided to bring Amarie to you.” Savannah said.
“That’s up to you. I’m not leaving him.” She said without tearing her eyes away from his chest watching it rise and fall.
“I know.” Darragh said. “But Nia, you really do need to eat, you need your strength to help him.” Savannah pleaded with her.
“Fine.” was Nia’s clipped response.
It was four hours there and back to get her Great Aunt so she had plenty of time to eat and shower and prepare herself for whatever Aunt Amarie had to do with all of this. Having done all that she said she would and eating like a normal person at the table with Adam and Rhea, she went back to her room and snuggled to Aaron’s side and fell into a deep sleep thinking of the person she wanted to see the most besides him.
Nia woke up to pitch black frustrated that she didn’t dream about Deirdre. She flicked on the lamp, stretched and stomped off to the restroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.
Opening the door she turned off the light and when she looked up she clutched her chest Aaron was sitting up, propped on pillows, eyes open and groggy, sipping a drink.
She rushed to his side and hugged him nearly spilling the warm liquid on them both.
“Aaron!” she exclaimed kissing his cheek. “But how?”
“Nia?” She heard her before she noticed her standing in the doorway.
“Aunt Amarie?” she asked looking at the old woman with her pink jogging suit and orthopedic shoes. Her face was wrinkled and her hair was white but styled beautifully and shoulder length. Her eyes were a bit cloudy and she looked tired but it was definitely her.
Aunt Amarie nodded and Nia bolted out of the bed to wrap her Great Aunt in a hug.
Chapter 24
Aunt Amarie looked exactly as she remembered. From what she knew the woman was at least eighty years old. She released her aunt and went back to Aaron’s side and just stared at him in awe.
“I am so glad you are okay. But how? How are you okay?” she asked hugging him tight again.
“Ow. I missed you beautiful.” he replied wincing but so happy to see Nia’s face.
“Honey I am sure he is sore and plenty stiff from being under for five days.” Her aunt told her.
She loosened her grip wiping the tears from her eyes.
“Sorry.” She said apologetically.
“Now that he is awake we should let Savannah and Celia come work their magick. Huh?” Aunt Amarie suggested.
Nia made a sad face and turned to Aaron.
“Baby, I’m not going anywhere and you two need to talk.” he said kissing Nia lightly on the lips.
“Okay, but not long, I will be back soon, I promise.” She told him kissing him one last time before following her Aunt out of the room.
“He is awake now ladies go do what you can for the poor boy.” She said to Savannah and Celia who left the room quickly.
“Come and have a seat princess.” Aunt Amarie told Nia patting the spot on the sofa next to her.
“I expected you last year Nia but I suppose no one has prepared you for any of this.” She said shaking her head in disapproval.
“That’s an understatement.” Nia scoffed.
Aunt Amarie placed her hand over Nia’s “We have much to discuss but first I need to see your journey thus far. May I?” she asked politely.
Nia just nodded and she closed her eyes and slipped into a flashback like you assume you have when you are about to die. Highlighting every super natural event that Nia experienced and there were more than she had realized starting from her infancy.
Nia gasped as her mind was released. Her aunt just sat there a few moments eyes closed.
“Do you have the ruby ring my dear? It’s the only thing that will allow me to speak of the things I need to share.”
Nia nodded and made the ring visible when she removed it from her finger and her weapons showed up as well. She handed her aunt the ring and the old woman slipped it on her wrinkled finger.
Aunt Amarie’s features shifted slowly to a woman of about twenty. The same amber eyes, with a little more green, and the same long black hair as Nia too. She was slim and quite tall at least five foot nine.
“Now that was cool.” Nia said feeling ridiculous for saying it out loud. Her aunt got up and stretched pacing as her clothes changed from frumpy old woman to chic and fashionable.
The long sleeved dress length cashmere sweater was charcoal gray and ribbed. She wore black leggings in high heeled, knee high, black boots. The gold jewelry shimmered on her wrist and neck. Her hair hung loose and straight.
“That old body was a glamour and I don’t want to wear it ever again.” Aunt Amarie said with a shudder.
Nia’s jaw dropped her Aunt Amarie was gorgeous! “Now then, I have much to tell you and a short amount of time to prepare you for the things that are being set in motion as we speak. I think Aaron needs to hear what I have to say as well but we will give him a bit more time so I will stick to the basics.” She said with a nod.
She looked at Nia to make sure she was paying attention and she definitely was. Nia had been waiting for this for what seemed like forever.
###
Aaron was shocked at the amount of time he had been unconscious. Vivid flashes of his first battle played behind his eyelids as he lay there with Savannah’s hands working feverishly at his side. He had glanced at his wound when they unwrapped it and nearly vomited. Closing his eyes was only mildly better. The visions he saw were not something he wanted to relive again.
He was so relieved when Nia came into the room, the thought that he would fall in battle leaving her without a guardian had wrecked him right before he blacked out.
Opening his eyes Aaron saw that the woman who was introduced to him as Celia was now working on his wound and Savannah was drinking something from a mug. She gave him a small smile. “Nia is the most stubborn woman I have ever seen. Especially when it comes to you.” She told him and Celia smiled then.
“Why do you say that?” he asked gritting his teeth as a searing pain shot through his side.
“Well, she wouldn’t leave your side, for one. Rhea had to physically make her bathe! She was impossible. She kept draining her powers trying to heal you.” She told him somberly.
Aaron thought about that for a moment and any doubts he had about her feelings went out the window. He just smiled as Savannah came to stand beside Celia they whispered something he couldn’t understand then a light flashed. The pain that he had been feeling was so dull it could now be called an ache. He sighed in relief unclenching his jaw and moving to sit up.
Savannah started to clean up the blood from his skin and he looked at the once jagged wound that was a thick puffy scar now. He touched it gently and was relieved it was over and done with. He changed clothes after showering and made his way to the living room.
Nia stared into the fireplace watching the flames dance, flames she could control if she wanted to. She was dumbfounded and felt like she could be sick.
Aunt Amarie waited patiently as Nia dried her tears and took a deep breath. She knew what she was now and she still couldn’t believe it.
Relief flooded her insides before he stepped into the room but she felt Aaron the second he was close. She rushed to his side and wrapped him in a hug, he smelled like soap and salve. She rested her head on his shoulder, no words were necessary for this reunion.
They sat on the love seat hand in hand, not willing to give up the contact. “Aunt Amarie this is Aaron. I’m sure you two have met but I just want to be sure.” Nia said smiling, happy to have him back.
�
�She was there when I woke up.” Aaron said looking at Amarie.
“I didn’t recognize you at first but I saw your eyes and I knew.” He said looking at her. “Thank you.” He added.
“Oh there’s no need to thank me dear you are my family now. You two have a grand future though it may prove to be a difficult one.” She said nodding at them. “But I assure you there are plenty of those who will support the journey that you are about to embark on.”
She told them seriously and assured that once she returns to the realm everything will begin to fall into motion. Her plan was to lay low until she contacted her allies then she would indeed make her presence known.
True Fate Page 33