by KT Webb
Romulus nodded his head. “He isn’t a healer necessarily. But from what you told us, it appears he can sense an emotion or feeling, and help correct whatever is causing it. Impressive, son, I can’t do that.”
“I’m just glad we didn’t have to go the hospital,” Nora said, moving over to sit with Kerr. There wasn’t room for both of them in the chair, so she climbed on his lap and leaned her head on his shoulder. She blushed slightly when he wrapped his arms around her waist.
Dorian raised his eyebrows at her, and she rolled her eyes at him. Hadley, Whitley, and Tahlia exchanged a grin. Romulus smiled widely, and Thatcher clapped a hand on Kerr’s shoulder. Apparently, Nora had been the only one who didn’t see how much she and Kerr loved each other.
Hadley and Thatcher began filling them in on what happened at training. Nora felt a twinge of jealousy that she wasn’t here to witness their joined powers. All the advances and power bursts they were seeing were indicative of the strength needed for the coming battle.
The rest of the crew went on to explain what had happened here when Silas began his freeze. They received a call from one of the scouts, alerting them to his appearance. They were ready for a fight in case he had the guts to confront them on their turf. It took a few hours to hear back from the scout that there was no sign of him. Apparently his visit was meant to be a warning to the Evolved.
From her spot on Kerr’s lap, she saw Romulus wink at Kerr. He had already congratulated them on their “joined auras,” although she wasn’t sure how to take that sentiment. She knew he was happy they had found each other, but she saw a twinge of sorrow when he looked at them. She would give anything to reunite him with Anu, if only it were possible.
Dorian paced back and forth until everyone was seated, then he approached them holding the Book of Prophecies. He looked frustrated and confused. She’d never seen him at a loss for words. When he finally spoke, it was as though the air left the room.
“It’s time.”
Romulus was on his feet in a moment, and Tahlia gasped loudly.
“It’s time for us to take the fight to them. It’s time for us to take the next step toward bringing in the New Era,” Dorian said quietly.
“What do we need to do?” Whitley asked with a shiver.
Dorian closed his eyes and stared at the book. “I don’t know.”
Three simple words that left everyone feeling lost.
“What do you mean you don’t know?” Kerr demanded.
“The book doesn’t tell us everything. In fact, the book only has our history and your prophecies. The Creator was always adamant that nothing could be pre-written, that you have the will to choose what happens after your prophecies,” Romulus told them.
Nora felt Kerr hold her closer. She knew he had figured out that his prophecy had to do with embracing the future, and that she was part of it. But how would that help them in a battle against Silas and Absalom? She still didn’t know what her prophecy meant, but she gathered that she would play an integral part in ushering in the New Era.
“We won’t be rushing into anything this moment, but we need to begin formulating a plan.” Tahlia said. “They need more training,” she told Dorian imploringly.
Dorian nodded his head. “You’re right. We will prepare, and we will end this at the Winter Solstice.”
***
It had been over a month since they met in the library. Every day had been filled with more training and more battle strategy. Nora was exhausted. She had pushed herself to use her ability to its fullest extent, and it had taken a lot out of her. Her fellow Evolved were also feeling the strain. They were all appreciative that Tahlia insisted that they have a break from training to enjoy a family Thanksgiving celebration. Although they refused to accept that they were partially relieved because it could be their last chance to celebrate together. The Winter Solstice was now less than a month away, and they were facing the hard reality that they may not all make it to Christmas.
Nora was lying in bed with Kerr, enjoying the smell of the pies baking in the oven. She kissed his cheek and snuggled in as he tightened his grip on her. They were both exhausted. She sighed loudly and let the rhythm of Kerr’s heart lull her to sleep.
She looked at the ceiling in the room. She heard the steady beep of the heart rate monitor. She grimaced as the pain started to spread across her abdomen again. Looking to the side, she saw the numbers on the monitor rise higher and higher as the pain intensified. Where was Kerr? A nurse came in and told her it was time to push. Kerr rushed in with an apologetic shrug and came to her side. He took her hand and kissed it. She noticed the wedding ring on his hand and smiled weakly. The nurse asked if she was ready, and she nodded her head. Squeezing Kerr’s hand, she began to push.
“Gah!” Nora said loudly and woke with a start. She couldn’t help herself, she reached over and shoved Kerr.
“Ugh, what was that for?” Kerr yelled.
“You should know!” Nora yelled back.
Kerr looked at her like she’d lost her mind and shook his head.
“Like maybe you could have told me we’re going to get married? Or that we’re going to have a kid? That was not just a dream. I felt it all. I felt the contractions, I felt you holding my hand, and I felt myself pushing out a freakin’ baby!” she said seething.
Kerr looked at her closely. She knew he was trying to read her. Her irritation turned to alarm when his eyes grew wide in disbelief.
“Kerr? What is it?” she asked with concern as her panic level began to rise.
“How did you see that?” Kerr asked.
“Yeah, I am not the one answering questions right now. Spit. It. Out,” Nora said, enunciating each word.
“You know how I told you I saw a lot about our future when I received my prophecy?” he asked slowly. When Nora nodded, he continued, “Well, what I didn’t tell you, or anyone, is that I also know roughly what all of our prophecies mean.”
“Are you kidding me? You’ve known all this time and you haven’t shared? You’ve seen the frustration everyone is feeling with their prophecies and you didn’t think it was time to tell us?” Nora was shouting by the time she finished. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
Nora got up and ran for the bathroom. She was heaving her guts out when she realized Kerr had entered the bathroom with her. She groaned as he began rubbing her back and holding her hair out of her face. When she finally finished, he handed her a glass of water and had her toothbrush ready. She was still livid with him, and began brushing her teeth while glaring at him.
“I couldn’t tell anyone. I can’t now either. Like Romulus said, the rest of our story couldn’t be written in the Book of Prophecies because we had the ability to choose,” he pleaded with her as she wiped the toothpaste off her face.
She reached for the door knob, but Kerr stopped her. “You might want to be in here when I tell you what I know.”
She eyed him suspiciously and perched on the edge of the tub. When she didn’t say anything, he must have decided to get on with the story. He sighed and sat down next to her.
“Well, what you saw was a vision I had of you while we were sleeping. I didn’t know you could see it too. Long story short? You’re pregnant.”
“WHAT?!” Nora shouted. “How could I possibly be . . . Oh my gosh, are you freakin’ kidding me? You better tell me everything you saw that involves me.”
“In a nutshell? I saw us falling in love, which already happened. We’re going to get married, and we’re going to have a baby,” Kerr said.
“Well, clearly we missed a step. Is that where the whole free will part comes into play?” Nora asked rhetorically.
Kerr sat quietly while she ranted for a few more minutes, then he caught her attention by getting down on his knees.
“I’m sorry, Nora. I should have told you.” The way he hung his head, she could tell he thought she was mad. She didn’t really know what she was feeling. How could she be mad at him when he wasn’t in this alone? Nora
got down on her knees and lifted his face so they were nose to nose.
“This is not your fault. This was meant to be. I finally understand my prophecy. It’s the baby, isn’t it? The future will come from within me? This baby is part of the Creators plan,” Nora said as she began to cry. Kerr nodded solemnly at her before pulling her into a tight hug.
“I love you, Nora Lowell,” he said through his own tears.
“And I love you, Kerr Mason,” she said, and she kissed him deeply.
Chapter Thirty:
Whitley
Whitley had not been with her mother for a holiday since she was little. Tahlia took on the task of preparing the Thanksgiving dinner, and Whitley readily volunteered to assist. They finished the pies and left them cooling as they began the prep work for the morning.
“I can’t believe dad agreed to come tomorrow,” Whitley said to her mother.
“I know. I’m nervous. Is that silly?” Tahlia sounded like a teenage girl.
“It’s not silly, mom. There are a lot of unresolved feelings between you two, and you’ve been talking a lot more lately,” Whitley replied. She secretly hoped her parents could rekindle their romance, but it seemed unlikely.
Whitley worked on the island in the kitchen while her mother was doing dishes. From the kitchen window, they could see Hadley practicing her ability with Dorian. She was now able to not only control the weather, but also conjure it in her hands. As a result, she was throwing lightning bolts at a tree in the backyard. Whitley smiled as she thought about how far they’d come. Thatcher had been partnering with Hadley to perfect their fire tornado, and had also found a way to make fire fall from the sky like rain. Whitley had been working with Tahlia and learned how to use her ability as a sort of telekinesis. She could manipulate matter and channel energy. She felt stronger every day, but she also felt insecure.
Kerr and Nora weren’t much help in battle because they had what Tahlia referred to as passive powers. They were using them in practice by assuming they would be on the sidelines and used as a distraction. Kerr was advancing faster than anyone. He learned how to focus his ability in order to anticipate an opponent’s next move in battle, and was working on projecting his healing ability from a distance. Nora was practicing communicating with the Evolved through telepathy and could now transport them at a moment’s notice without the dizziness and nausea. They decided that Romulus would guard Kerr and Nora, while Tahlia would join the Evolved in battle. Dorian would be the decoy to draw Silas and Absalom to them.
The battle plans had been made, and now they were just waiting. No one had heard from Malcolm, and the scouts hadn’t spotted him again since he disappeared. He was still an unknown in the scheme of battle, but Thatcher was searching for him tirelessly.
Tahlia finished loading the dishwasher and turned to face Whitley.
“Done?” she asked.
Whitley nodded and headed to wash her hands as Tahlia put the chopped vegetables in the fridge.
“This all feels so . . . normal,” Whitley said as she dried her hands.
“I know, honey,” Tahlia said sadly. “I won’t tell you everything will be alright because I don’t know that.”
Whitley hugged her mother and linked arms with her as they left the kitchen. The kitchen opened into the entryway, which held the stairs leading to the bedrooms. Whitley looked up and saw Kerr and Nora coming down the stairs hand in hand. They complimented each other so well that it didn’t surprise anyone when they finally got together. Whitley felt a pang of jealousy that the other Evolved had managed to couple off and shared a deeper connection than she would ever feel with any of them. But she had the opportunity to spend more time with her mother, and that had meant more to her than any romantic relationship could.
“Hey, Nora, how was your nap?” Whitley asked suggestively. She was the one to suggest that Nora rest. Whitley was actually a little irritated that Kerr seemed to have infiltrated her nap time. Nora had been so tired and out of it lately that Whitley thought she would benefit from a rest. It was all she could do to convince her to let Tahlia and Whitley handle the Thanksgiving preparations.
“Too short,” Nora replied. Whitley noticed how pale she was, which only cemented her worry.
“You don’t have to get up if you’re still tired. Perhaps I should take Kerr into town for coffee so you can actually get some rest,” Whitley said pointedly.
“Oh no, it wasn’t anything like that.” Nora giggled. “Where is everyone?”
“Hadley and Dorian are outside. Thatcher is playing a video game with Romulus in the basement. Eric is on his way, he should be here any minute,” Tahlia replied. “Why? What’s up?”
“We just have something we want to discuss with everyone before tomorrow. My parents don’t really know about all of this,” Kerr replied hurriedly.
“Okay, I’ll grab the guys. Mom can get Dorian and Hadley,” Whitley replied.
Soon everyone was gathered around the dining room table. Nora and Kerr stood at the head of the table. Whitley had a feeling this was going to be some cheesy engagement announcement or a sentimental pre-Thanksgiving speech.
“Now that we have everyone together, there are few things we need to discuss,” Nora said with a business-like tone. “We’ve all been working so hard to learn about our abilities and come up with a game plan, that time has passed without us even realizing it.”
Yep, sentimental pre-Thanksgiving speech. Whitley put her elbow on the oak table and rested her head on her hand.
“Like the rest of you, I’ve spent a significant amount of time thinking about my prophecy.” Nora continued, “Today, I have finally figured out what my prophecy will mean for me.”
Whitley noticed that Romulus was deliberately not looking at Kerr or Nora. She assumed it was because he wanted them to be able to say whatever they needed to, rather than read it in their minds. She could tell how difficult it seemed to be for him because he was unusually jittery.
“I’m sure my prophecy is not as fresh in your minds as it is in mine, but I was told not to think of myself as being part of the end because the beginning would come from within me.” Nora placed her hand over her stomach and realization began to dawn in Whitley’s mind.
“Shut up!” Hadley squealed.
Romulus was up and bear hugging Nora and Kerr in a heartbeat. Tahlia was bouncing in her seat. Thatcher looked confused, but Dorian was unreadable. He looked almost angry as he took in this information. Whitley made her way up to Nora and held her closely.
“Well, I guess that explains a lot,” she whispered in Nora’s ear.
Nora smiled when she pulled away. Whitley felt almost giddy for the first time in months. One of the group had figured out their purpose! Soon everyone had hugged Nora and Kerr except for Dorian. It was very out of character for him to not show affection to Nora, especially when she was happy or excited.
Whitley grabbed Hadley’s hand and pulled her out of the way. Tahlia was behind Thatcher with her hand on one of his shoulders, as if to hold him back. Romulus had one hand on Kerr’s shoulder and the other hand on Nora’s shoulder. Nora looked expectantly at Dorian as he approached. He stopped directly in front of Nora and took both her hands in his. Whitley could now see the tears in his eyes, but she was still unsure of what they meant. The tension was palpable as they waited for him to speak.
“You are no longer my final descendant,” Dorian said in a curious tone. “I will not die when you claim all your power.”
Nora bit her lip as she nodded her head slowly as tears ran down her cheeks. Whitley choked back tears of her own as she watched the scene unfold.
“I feel like this child has given me my life back, but I know this will also put you in more danger,” Dorian said, looking troubled. “I had not been prepared for this.”
“It will change nothing, brother,” Romulus reassured him. “Nora was never going to be an active part of our fight. I will watch out for her.”
Dorian was about to reply when the d
oorbell rang.
“Saved by the bell!” Thatcher cheered as he headed for the door. Whitley had the feeling all the emotions and family togetherness was making him uncomfortable.
Whitley squeezed Hadley’s hand as they waited for their father to enter the room. But the last person they expected to see was Malcolm.
Chapter Thirty-One:
Thatcher
Thatcher opened the door to find a man holding the lifeless body of Malcolm. He was dumbfounded. When he opened the door, he was expecting to greet the future President of the United States, but was instead faced with a bleeding and bruised thirteen-year-old boy. The man introduced himself as Ross, one of Eric Callaghan’s private guards. He explained that they had been doing a perimeter check before allowing Mr. Callaghan to enter.
“The kid was just lying in the road right before we got to the driveway. When I got out of the car to investigate, he was barely conscious. He kept saying Thatcher and asking for help. I picked him up and ran,” Ross explained. “We need to complete our perimeter check.”
Thatcher took the boy from his arms and rushed him in to the rest of the group. As soon as he set Malcolm down, he motioned for Hadley and Whitley to follow him. Dorian was close behind.
“We need to check the grounds. I don’t know what happened to him or how he got here, but we need to make sure he came alone,” Thatcher told the twins.
“You need to make sure those security guards are not put in harm’s way. They are no match for Absalom and Silas,” Dorian told them urgently.
They nodded at him and went outside.
The three split up to make sure Malcolm had arrived alone. Thatcher took the unlit wooded area that separated the house from the road. Hadley went to the right and would head to the back of the house, meeting her twin who took the opposite route. It was imperative that he move quietly for fear of encountering Silas or Absalom. He sent a small fireball ahead of him to light the way; it wouldn’t do him any favors to meet someone in the dark. The fireball split in two and floated along in front of him on either side of his body. He walked through the trees like this for a few minutes before deciding it would take too long to search this way. As soon as he thought it, the fireball burst into the sky like fireworks suspended in air. The woods were instantly illuminated with a dull light. The trees around him were now well-lit and he saw that they were quiet and empty of any threats. He made his way to the road and found only staggering footprints in the dirt road. It appeared that Malcolm had approached the house on foot, which brought more worry than comfort to Thatcher.