Whispers From the Past

by L. S. O'Dea

  Maybe, she should’ve asked him but it didn’t matter now. She couldn’t undo the past. “It worked out better anyway. If I hadn’t been there Mirra would’ve died.”

  “Gaar would’ve found her.” He began filling the bucket.

  “Not before Jethro.”

  “Use your head for once.” His eyes looked her over and there was contempt in his gaze. “Instead of everything else.” He lifted the full bucket. “Jethro and his Guards wouldn’t have been in that area if they hadn’t been following you.” He walked away.

  Her heart froze. He knew about her and Jethro. It’d been written all over his face. She headed toward the cabin but stopped. She couldn’t go inside. She couldn’t face him. She turned and went to the barn.

  Gaar was on the ground outside of the cage. Mirra was curled up in a ball by his side. Rocco stood in the doorway, frowning.

  “Convince the Guard to leave.” Gaar looked up at her as he stroked the fur on Mirra’s back.

  “The Tracker has to be locked in the cage,” said Rocco.

  “We’re not going in the cage.” Gaar’s voice was a soft rumble and his black eyes glittered.

  Gaar was losing his temper and it wouldn’t end well for Rocco. She turned to the Guard. “Rocco, we’ll be leaving soon. Mirra isn’t going to do anything.”

  “I have my orders.” Rocco crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Please.” She’d like to tell him his life was in danger, but that’d make him dig in his heels. Males were so stubborn. “Mirra hasn’t been locked in the cage anyway.”

  “What do you mean? I secure that lock every day and night.”

  He wasn’t going to be happy with her. She stepped into the cage, pulled the door shut, snapping the lock closed. She removed the thin pieces of metal from her backpack and in less than three minutes the door was open.

  Gaar’s laughter filled the barn.

  “Gruntshit!” Rocco stormed away.

  She hopped out of the cage. Gaar patted the place on his other side. She sat, leaning her head against his shoulder. He handed her some food from a tray that someone, probably Rocco, had brought.

  “You weren’t asked to eat with Verly?” She didn’t like that her friends had been excluded. Sure they were dangerous, but they still had feelings.

  “She offered. I refused.”

  “Why? Because of Mirra?”

  “No. She offered for Mirra to come eat too.”

  “Really? She’d never offered that before.”

  “Verly told me she was giving Mirra time to herself. Time to adjust to her loss.”

  “And you believe her?” She sat up. “I think it’s because she knows she can’t push you around.”

  “The Forest Witch fears none and Verly is usually exceedingly polite. Her aunt, the previous Forest Witch, was a little saltier.” He sighed. “But I was sorry to hear she’d passed.”

  “You knew her?” She leaned against his shoulder again.

  He shrugged and it was like riding a wave on the river. “We’d known of each other for years.”

  “So, why aren’t you inside?” She reached across him, touching the soft fur on Mirra’s neck and then glanced up into his black eyes.

  “That woman and I do not see eye-to-eye.” He rubbed Mirra’s ear and the Tracker’s contented purr rumbled through the barn. “It’d be impolite to accept an invitation to dinner when you know it’ll only end in an argument.”

  “Why don’t you get along?” Verly could be a bit bossy but other than her cryptic messages, she was nice.

  “I’m assuming she’s had visions about you.”

  “Yes, and that’s annoying because she hasn’t told me anything about them. Nothing that means anything anyway.”

  “You’re lucky.” He looked at Mirra. “Years ago, she and her aunt had the same vision about me. She still insists that it’ll happen. I insist it won’t.” He looked at her and smiled slightly. “She doesn’t take kindly to those who disbelieve her.”

  “Did she say it would happen or might happen? She told me that some of her visions never come true.”

  “She said I’d break my bond with Mirra. Abandon her. I’d never do that. Never. I don’t care what the witch has seen. I won’t allow it to happen.” There was a hint of fear under his anger.

  “Of course not.” She took his hand and squeezed. “She’s just a crazy Almighty. Nothing more.” She was glad her voice sounded sure because now she was scared. If Gaar believed in the witch’s visions, then her fate was already determined.

  “Why aren’t you in the cabin with Hugh and the witch?”

  “Well...ahh...we...Hugh...We had a fight.” She didn’t want to talk about her and Hugh, but she needed to find out exactly what Hugh had heard.

  “He’s hurt.” He was looking at her like he was going to give her a lecture.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt him.” She rested her head against his shoulder again.

  “I warned you.”

  “I know.” She stood and began to pace. “What do you know?”

  He raised a brow. “Keeping secrets?”

  “Not from you. I’ll tell you everything, but I want to know what you’ve heard.”

  He nodded and gave her a rundown of everything he’d heard since he’d returned from the mountains.

  “I can’t believe Jethro stabbed Jackson?” The lingering guilt over drugging Jethro disappeared.

  “And, since Hugh was with Jackson and Kim, he knows about the rumors.”

  “What rumors?” She knew what he was going to say.

  “Hugh didn’t discuss it with me, but Birdie’s nephew found me when I was searching for Mirra.” Gaar paused, glancing away from her. “There were rumors that you were with Jethro. Naked. In bed.” He looked down at Mirra, as a hint of red crept into his cheeks.

  “Oh, no.” She dropped down on the floor across from him. If Avions knew, everyone knew.

  “Is it true?”

  “No. I mean yes, but I only went in there to drug him so Travis and I could escape. It just...it got a little out of hand.” Her face was on fire. She’d enjoyed what she’d done with Jethro and she should be ashamed.

  “Did he force you?” His face was twisted with fear and rage.

  “No. It wasn’t like that.” She ran her hand over Mirra’s soft fur. She didn’t want to see his disgust but she had to tell him the truth. “Before I was captured, Jethro and I were lost on the other side of Harbor Point. Together. Alone. For days.”

  “How did you get over there?”

  “There’s a waterfall.” She kept petting Mirra. This was the easy part of the story. “We were running from the other Tracker. The one we hadn’t seen in years. We went over the fall and were on the other side.”

  “Lazaretto Falls?”

  “No, another one. The heavy rains must’ve moved earth or rock.”

  “Where did this happen?”

  “A few miles north of Lazaretto.”

  “How did you get back?”

  “We saw the Tracker over there and realized there had to be another opening in Harbor Point. It took us awhile but we found it.”

  “Unbelievable. Mirra and I spent years searching the wall.”

  She shrugged. “It was a small crevice. It may have opened recently or something.” His eyes were on her again, but she refused to look at him. She was going to have to tell him everything and it wasn’t going to be easy. He liked Hugh and she’d been a fool.

  “What happened when you were over there with Jethro? Alone. Together. For days.”

  “He was different. He was like he’d been before. Kind.” She buried her fingers in the fur, wanting to bury her head and hide. “We kissed a couple of times.”

  “Is that all you did?”

  She nodded.

  “Did you want more?” He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. “It’s okay if you did. You’re a young, healthy female with a generous heart.” His lips twitched a little. “Too generous and you’ve foolishly
had a crush on the boy for years.”

  A crush. He’d said that to her before, but this time the truth of it resonated inside of her. Everything she’d felt for Jethro had been a fantasy built around their friendship when she’d been at her loneliest.

  “Now, comes the hard part.” He pulled her to his side, tucking her under his arm. “You have to decide who you want.”

  “I hate Jethro. He was going use me to set a trap to capture Mirra and you and...Hugh.”

  “Hate is a strong emotion. What do you feel for Hugh?”

  She stopped, her lips parted. No words would come.

  “You need to decide that before you do anything else. Hugh loves you.”

  “He never said that.”

  “He shouldn’t have to. You’re a woman, not a child. You should recognize the signs. Don’t play with him. His is not just an infatuation.”

  “It doesn’t matter. He hates me. He’ll never forgive me.” She looked up at him, trying to blink back the tears but they refused to go away and instead trickled down her cheeks.

  He patted her head, pulling her back to his shoulder. “I forget how young and inexperienced you are. Hugh is a man and in love. He’s angry and hurt, but he’ll understand you did what you did to survive.” His hand stilled. “But, don’t explain any of it to him if you don’t love him.”

  “I care for him. I don’t want him to hate me.”

  “That’s not enough. Let it go between you two until you know how you feel. If you decide you love him then tell him the truth. He’ll forgive you, but if you don’t love him, let time heal the wounds. I’m sure you’ll be able to be friends of a sort later, a long time later.”

  She didn’t want Hugh to think she’d betrayed him, but the truth was she had. She’d kissed Jethro on the other side of Harbor Point and in the tent she’d lost control. If it hadn’t been for the drugs on her claws she wouldn’t have stopped. She would’ve mated with Jethro. She thanked Araldo that hadn’t happened. But Gaar was right. She needed to know what she felt for Hugh was love before she spoke with him. Hopefully, he’d be right about Hugh forgiving her too but she didn’t think so.

  CHAPTER 34: HUGH

  HUGH TRIED TO calm down before walking into the cabin. He was a fool and he didn’t need some Forest Witch knowing it. He should’ve never listened to Verly. Trinity’s betrayal was still too raw. Now that he knew she was safe, he could be furious. He’d only followed her to tell her about her family and friends. Withholding that information had been childish and cruel but when he’d realized how frightened she must’ve been, everything but his desire to comfort her had disappeared. She’d felt so good in his arms, so right, but then she’d pushed him away. She’d made it clear that she didn’t trust him and without that they had nothing. Unfortunately, none of that mattered to his heart.

  He went into the cabin. Verly’s eyes widened at the sight of his wet clothes.

  “There was a slight accident.” He put the bucket down in the corner.

  “Where’s Trinity?” Verly ladled water into the tea kettle.

  “Probably with Gaar and Mirra.” Her friends. Those she trusted and cared about. He sat at the table, trying not to frown.

  “Perhaps this conversation is better without her presence anyway.” Verly’s eyes met his as she hung the kettle over the fire. “But you do need to speak with her.”

  “I did.” He was done talking to Trinity. Right now, he didn’t want to see her or think about her. He’d leave her here if he could, but Gaar would never stand for that and neither would Mirra.

  Verly sighed as if exasperated with him. “There are things I need to tell you. Things that happened long ago.” She moved to the counter and began putting food on a plate. “You know of my great, great Grandfather Ben’s work.”

  “Yes.” He’d heard rumors of Bradley’s work. He accepted the plate she offered as she sat across from him. He wasn’t hungry but he needed to eat. He hadn’t eaten much since hearing of Trinity’s disappearance.

  “Good. Granddaddy Ben was involved in many things even for a Supreme Almighty.” She paused. “I’m not sure what you know but there have always been those who fiddled with Nature’s design. Tried to control it, mold it to their desires.”

  “How do you mean?” he asked around a mouthful of bread. Conguise was dabbling in experiments that had been illegal for centuries.

  “There are those among us who have always found an excuse to”—she waved her hand—“modify and enhance others. It’s in their very genes to tamper with these things.”

  “I’m not one of those, no matter what you’ve heard.” Being intelligent and scientifically bent could be considered genetics. However, there was no gene that made people use their talents to mutate and control other creatures, but there was no reason to start the argument yet.

  She laughed, it was musical and he couldn’t help smiling at the sound. She was an attractive woman. His gaze dropped to her chest and then he frowned, moving his eyes to his hands. She wasn’t for him. She wasn’t Trinity. He wanted to pound his head onto the table.

  “Of course, you aren’t. I never believed a word of that.”

  “I wouldn’t perform such grotesque experiments.”

  “But there are those among us who do. Such as the good professor.”

  His gaze flew to hers. Where was she getting her information? Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

  “These people have existed since before the Great Death and even though it’s forbidden, there are those who circumvent our laws. They use many excuses, but it always ends the same. Death and destruction.”

  The war they were fighting was definitely causing death and destruction.

  “Granddaddy Ben was a scholarly man and not directly involved in these experiments, but he learned of them.” The tea kettle whistled and she rose. “I know you’ve discovered that we aren’t so genetically different from the others.” She poured the tea and brought the cups back to the table before sitting down.

  “Yes. It was when I tried to release this information that...you could say my life got interesting.”

  She laughed again. “I like you Hugh Truent. I wasn’t sure I would.” She took a bite of her food. “Granddaddy Ben was a voracious reader, buying every book he could find. Studying many subjects.”

  “I’d heard he was quite intelligent.” He took a sip of his tea. It was hot and good. “He was a great asset to many with his knowledge.”

  “Yes, but knowledge is a liability to those who like secrets.” She stared across the room, her eyes losing focus. “My great, great grandparents had three children. My great grandmother and twins. A boy and a girl.” A slight smile played about her lips.

  He paused, a slice of bread partway to his mouth. “People still had twins back then. I thought Almightys had stopped having multiple births decades bef...” Her gaze landed on him and he fought the urge to squirm.

  “Almightys were still having twins then, but they weren’t supposed to be.” The air seemed to take on a chill with her hardening eyes.

  “What did they do?” He knew from experience that those in power could be brutal when they were disobeyed. Even though having twins was not an act of disobedience, he’d bet there were some who didn’t see it that way. Multiple births linked them too closely to the lower classes. It’d cause too many questions.

  “They took the children, of course.” Sadness replaced her anger. “Grandma Helen, Granddaddy Ben’s wife, was heartbroken. Granddaddy Ben was angry and scared that she wouldn’t recover. My Grandma Helen had always had visions but once her babies were gone, the visions started happening more and more and they weren’t pleasant.”

  He had no idea why she was telling him this and he wanted her to stop because there was something in her tone, in her demeanor, that made him fear this tale would change everything. He had enough to deal with right now. He wasn’t sure he could handle anything else. Some secrets were too terrible to unveil.

  “Grandma Helen saw what they di
d with her babies and all the other twins.” Her face hardened again. “Granddaddy Ben didn’t believe her when she told him, but he did do the research.” She stood and went into another room, coming back with a small book. She placed it on the table and sat down, sipping her tea.

  He waited, not sure if he wanted to leave or stay and devour the knowledge in that book.

  “Did you know Trackers and Handlers cannot breed?”

  He leaned back a bit, confused at the change of subject. “Just because Mirra had two unsuccessful pregnancies doesn’t—”

  “Nature has her own plans. No matter how we meddle, Nature will make her own way.”

  “I don’t understand?”

  “Of course you don’t. I haven’t finished my story yet.” She smiled, but it was sly. “As I was saying, Trackers and Handlers cannot...could not breed. When a pair of Trackers or Handlers decided they were ready for offspring they’d come to the Almightys. They believed it was to aid in their pregnancy. The female was imprisoned in what they called a fertility station and later she’d return to her mate, a baby in arms.”

  “Are you saying they used artificial insemination?” That wasn’t so bad.

  “No. The Trackers and Handlers never carried their young. They never birthed their offspring.”

  “I...That doesn’t make sense. The mother would’ve known if she didn’t give birth.”

  “They kept the females drugged and simulated contractions.”

  “Why would they do that?” The horrors his kind had inflicted on the other classes just kept getting better and better. Perhaps, he should shift their war effort and go for extermination of all Almightys, even himself.

  “To keep their secrets. Almightys have many and one of them was that they designed Handlers and Trackers to be sterile.”

  “You mean altered them when they were young, right?” He prayed she’d misspoken.

  “No. Designed.”

  “Cloned. There are many papers written on how to clone an inexact replica of the host. It’s not easy, but that’s what they were probably doing with the Trackers and Handlers. They’d take cells from the male and female and inter—”