by L. A. A. Law
“You saved him and gave him more time, I’m just afraid of what will happen. Mia, is it really possible that he could be human? I know that all the signs seem to indicate a human physiology. He even gave himself a paper cut to see if it would bleed and it did, but is it truly possible?”
“I don’t know, it seems like it is, but I’m not sure how.”
Her features reveal she is deep in thought. “Catherine what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry a selfish thought just crossed my mind. It’s nothing.”
“What is it? I wouldn’t push, but your features look as if whatever you are considering is devastating.”
“I’m happy for him, he has a second chance at life, that is what some of our kind have been searching for since their conversion, but if he is human, our time together is very limited. I feel as if I just found him, I can’t believe how soon I will have to let him go, but considering how soon I thought I would have to let him go, I…” She sighs and looks as if she would cry if it were possible. Her eyes shift to the floor. “I’m sorry. That sounded so selfish. I am happy for him, especially if that makes him happy. I just hate the idea of losing him.” She takes in a deep, calming breath and then squeezes my hand. “Mia, promise me that you won’t even tell Andrew what I told you, I know it is terrible and I shouldn’t be thinking this way. I just...”
Pulling her into a hug, I feel her anxiety and know I would feel the same way if it were Andrew. “It may not come to that. We don’t know what will happen.”
“Mia, there isn’t a trace of venom in him anymore.”
“Let’s give it a few days. You know that things always seem to work out the way they should in the end. I’m sure that we can think of something and there are options each of you can consider.”
She shakes her head slightly. “I could never ask him to choose this existence for me again. Mia, even though we band together and some of us have made peace with what we are, it is only because it was foisted upon us and the alternative is intolerable. I would never ask him to throw away his miracle for me.” She straightens herself up. “I will just make the best of the time that we have together and the memories of what we share will sustain me. Mia, please don’t speak to anyone about this. I can’t ruin his happiness.”
“I promise, but I do think that you should consider being honest about your feelings with him.”
“I’ll think about what you said.” Despite her words, her features reveal she could never speak to him about it. “If you don’t mind, I think we should get back in there.”
Lucas and the children look so happy. They kiss him and scramble off the bed. “We’ll see you later.” Nicole waves.
Andrew goes up to Catherine, squeezes her hand and whispers something that I cannot hear. Crossing the courtyard, we pass several of our family and our friends forming groups to search the woods. Andrew stops in front of Gabriel. Give me one moment and I will join you.
Upstairs, he kisses us good-bye. “Mia, remember, don’t leave here. I’ll be back soon.” Then he is gone.
Chapter Eleven - An Old Secret Revealed, A Sacrifice Uncovered, And An End Of A Life
Entering our suite, Cecil is gone, but Amanda is waiting in our suite. “I hope that you don’t mind. Cecil left with one of the search parties.”
“Are you kidding, I don’t mind at all. Can I get you anything to eat or drink?”
“A cup of tea would be wonderful.”
Nicole follows me into the kitchen. Is uncle Lucas really going to be alright?”
“He seems to be doing much better and it looks like the werewolf bite healed nicely.”
“Mom, please don’t do that.”
“Do what?” I turn to face her.
“You and dad are beating around the bush and answering our questions very carefully. I could hear his heart beating. I know that something is going on.”
I turn around. “Sweetie, we are not beating around the bush, we know that he is doing much better than he was when the werewolf bite had taken hold of him. I won’t lie to you, his heart is beating now.”
“So is he like us now, part vampire and because of the bite, part wolf?” Her features reveal her surprise at this thought.
“Honey, we are not really sure what is going on. He may not be vampire at all anymore and he may have returned to his human state, but we can’t say anything for sure right now that is why we are careful with our answers. We don’t want to say anything that wouldn’t be true. That’s all.” She stifles a yawn. They must still all be exhausted from the past several days and the uneasy sleeps.
As the tea is boiling, I pop popcorn and place it in a bowl. “Why don’t you take this out to the others and enjoy a nice relaxing movie.”
I hear the quick shuffling of feet in the other room as I take out the tea and a sandwich for Amanda. Placing it on the table, there is a knock and I let in Paul, Julianne and Charlie. “I was wondering how Kayla was doing now that she saw her uncle.” Charlie inquires.
“She is doing much better, but I’m sure she would be happy to see you. They are just in the other room.”
As they pass, Amanda puts her hand on Charlie’s arm. “Charlie, let Kayla know how much better it is for you know that you know how to control your phasing and how it gets much easier. She still fears what happens and I would hate to see her never phase again because of fear. I have a feeling that she could be as strong as you one day if she can move past her fear, she definitely has the potential.”
“I will, she’s just afraid of hurting people she loves, but I’ll talk to her.”
Sitting by Amanda “Thank you so much for coming when Cecil asked you, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
“I was happy to come, especially when Cecil told me what you did to David.”
Looking into her face, I see the devastation in her features as she utters his name. “Did he hurt someone you loved?”
“He destroyed someone who was very important to me and ripped my family apart.” She states bitterly. He is the reason I was so desperate to help the wolves gain an advantage over their transformations. I was always hoping that they would use their ability to wipe out David and his coven, but they never did. Grant tried several times, but his pack never got behind him so David’s coven grew too strong, spread out to several continents, and I just am not strong enough or brave enough to try to eliminate him myself after escaping from him.” She clears her throat. “Cecil was telling me that you are a very strong witch. Tell me, why have I never come across you?” It’s strange, not only is there something familiar about her, but the way she stares at me when she talks makes me feel as if she’s assessing me and committing everything I say to memory.
“I don’t travel. I didn’t find out I even had potential until I came here. Since that time, I have been raising my children.”
“You have a beautiful family. Your children are very close and very supportive of each other. I understand because of your circumstances why Kayla is so worried, but you should foster her powers as a wolf, she and Nicholas are going to be very powerful wolves because of their other talent and will be able to achieve great things as long as they embrace both their gifts. Embracing their werewolf side will not put them at odds with Nicole or Jacob because of what they are. Your children will do fine because they have a strong moral fiber and desire to do the right thing, don’t hold them back because you fought what you are for so long and lost your own sense of self. I know that you say that you haven’t really used your powers and I know you want your children to grow up as normal as possible, but you and your children are not normal. By hampering their growth in this world, you are limiting not only your ability, but theirs as well. Now is the time for all of you to come to terms with and experience who you really are and embrace all that you can do.”
Her candor surprises me. “Amanda, I appreciate what you are doing for my children, but you don’t know me so why would you say these things.”
“I have seen you in my vis
ions and your children. I knew I would be coming here to help you before you even knew you would have children, before Katrina was even a twinkle in your mother’s eyes. I have the gift of sight and you can tell Catherine not to worry, everything is going to work out as is should; she and Lucas will not be separated.”
I feel my mouth fall open and fight to close it again. “I don’t understand.”
“You can tell her that her concerns will not come to fruition but you and...” She stops. I’m sorry, I know better. “The St. Clouds have done a wonderful job with this facility. I can’t believe how many they have helped. This is a wonderful teaching ground for the children. You should really try to keep Grant and his family on, they could be invaluable to teaching Kayla and Nicholas, and it will make it easier for Charlie and Kayla.”
Trying to keep the exasperation out of my voice, I speak slowly, deliberately. “Make what easier. You are speaking very cryptically.”
“I’m sorry I tend to go off some times. I really should be able to control myself better after so many centuries. The ability to see another’s future path comes with the burden of not being able to share it with them because their knowing could change the course of events and sometimes not for the better. But tell me, do you know what it is about you that allowed your blood to kill David?”
“No, I don’t know. All we know for sure is that after Marlena and David bit me, I did not transform into a vampire and their hearts started beating, but I’m sure with your gift you know that.”
“Yes, I do. You were right to warn Lucas not to take too much. It was David’s indulgence that caused him to age so quickly and killed him.”
“How do you know this? You seemed not to know it before we left.”
“I didn’t. Like you, as I am around someone’s things, their story becomes clearer, more of the pieces begin to fill in and my purpose is revealed.”
“Can you tell me if Nicholas and Kayla will be alright with gaining control of phasing or is that not allowed?”
She laughs. “You didn’t believe me, did you? They will be fine with phasing, they just need to practice. It won’t take them long at all and I meant what I said, they will be very strong if they learn to embrace both sides of their power, they will be almost as strong as your own children.”
“Do you know how many of William’s men are out there now?”
“There are five of them now but more linger behind, waiting to see if they too are needed, but not the one that Jeff is seeking. William and the strongest of his coven are already gone. He knows that even his lesser minions will be successful in reclaiming Marlena and there is no need for him to be here, he has other matters to attend to now that he is the head that will rule David’s covens.” She takes in a deep breath and looks as if she is debating whether to say more.
“They do not understand the real prize, but may in time, the answer is still unclear and so I can say no more to this. The search parties will not find anything tonight, nor will they run in to any trouble so do not worry about Andrew and your friends. They will be fine and be back momentarily. If you don’t mind, is there somewhere that I could get freshened up? There is someone I have not seen in a very long time and can only now reveal myself to him.”
Rising, I lead her to the guest suite upstairs. Brushing by me, her arm touches my hand and the shock of the visions that shoot through my mind, stun me. They appear so fast, I cannot even decipher all of the information overloading my consciousness. Frozen in place, I vaguely acknowledge her thank you before mechanically walking back downstairs.
Reaching our suite, Andrew comes beside me, holding my arms and stooping to meet my eyes. “Mia what’s wrong? Are you alright? Are the children alright?”
I struggle to find my voice as the visions slow down allowing my mind to process what it sees, so I nod. Opening the door, he moves me to the couch, stroking my cheek. “Please talk to me, what’s wrong?”
The visions cease and I finally focus looking up at him. “Amanda is Reginald’s sister.”
“How can that be? Reginald said she was dead”
“He thought she was. She has been hiding from him all these centuries for fear if David, I mean Sebastian had tracked her, he would find and kill Reginald.
“Did she tell you this?”
“No, I just saw it. When I was showing her up to the guest room, she brushed by me and I saw her past. Sebastian after he had formed his coven as David, captured her. He tried to force her into transferring her powers to him, but she wouldn’t and he knew that if he killed her the powers would die with her. He tortured her for over a century until one day she escaped. Grant was wrong, he was not the first wolf she helped transform. There were others, but they were eventually destroyed. She stayed in the shadows hiding from Sebastian and hiding from Reginald for fear that if she were to ever reconnect with Reginald and David were to capture them both, that all David would have to do was to threaten and hurt Reginald and she would transfer her powers to protect him, but still it would not buy them enough time to escape and would make him a more powerful monster than he already was. She knew that if David could not find her, then he had no need to capture Reginald or hurt him because he had nothing more to offer David and every time she tried to envision herself contacting Reginald, she saw his gruesome demise because David was a much more powerful witch than Reginald.”
“Are you sure? I have never heard of witches being able to transfer powers. Although Reginald is not connected to the black arts, I can’t imagine someone being more powerful than he is.”
“Maybe she knew her brother, Sebastian, was more powerful or maybe Reginald could never go against his brother and that is what would get him killed.”
“Possibly, but what power could she have that Sebastian would kill his own brother for?”
“She says she can see the future.”
“I know she came to help us, but do you really think that is possible?”
“I don’t know, but I have a feeling she knows something about us, something not good and she says that she can’t tell people what she sees because it changes their future and not always in a good way.”
“What else did she say?”
“She said that the children need to embrace all sides of their power and that they will be strong. She also said that William is gone, but has left five of his coven behind near our land and others who are waiting to help if necessary and that they will be successful in recapturing Marlena, but that they don’t understand the real prize, but she wouldn’t tell me what that meant.”
“Maybe we should check on the children and then go have a talk with her and find out what she is talking about. If she knows anything about those coming for Marlena, we need know so that we can try to stop them and protect those here. Then I need to go and check on Catherine.”
Following him into the other room, everyone has fallen asleep watching the movie, including Paul, Julianne and Charlie. Not wanting to disturb them, I call over to Jeff to make sure it is alright if Charlie stays and to let Grant know about Paul and Julianne. We cover them up and catch Eva and Jackson going to their room to stay in our suite before heading upstairs to speak with Amanda.
Taking Andrew’s hand on the stairs, “I know that you’re worried about Catherine, but if Amanda is for real, she said Catherine would be fine and she and Lucas would not be separated.”
“Let’s not say anything to Catherine until we know for sure. I don’t want to get her hopes up. I’m not saying that Amanda is a fake, but I don’t want to give Catherine false hope if something causes their future to change.”
Raising my free hand to knock, Andrew grabs it and brings our intertwined hand to his lips cautioning me to be quiet. Turning around, we are heading down the hall when the door opens. “Come in.”
We turn again and enter. Reginald is sitting on the sofa, his features frozen. Amanda is holding his hands and stroking them gently. “We can come back, we didn’t mean to intrude.” Andrew states quietly.
> “You’re not intruding at all. I know that you are skeptical and have questions, but some answers I cannot give you. I shouldn’t have spoken when I did, sometimes I forget, but I wasn’t trying to be intentionally cryptic or scare Mia, it’s just that if I were to tell you what I saw, I could change your future and it would not be for the better believe me.” She turns to me. “I know what flashed before you, and although some things are very real and have already happened, others may not be what they seem or set in stone because the future has not happened yet and one thing could affect something else or change the outcome.”
She turns back to Andrew giving me time to process what she said. “What Mia saw about Reginald and I is correct, and although you will try to stop William’s men from taking Marlena, you will fail. I’m sorry but there must always be balance.”
Reginald snaps out of his comatose state, staring at her. “Sebastian said something very similar. What balance are you two talking about?”
“There must always be a balance between good and evil on this plane. Do you really think that one side will allow the other to get too powerful? For each good one that you save, one such as David sires another one for their team. You know that the fight between them is not limited to heaven or hell. Each day, the battle rages in this universe, on this plane for fresh souls to strengthen their side. Just look at this family alone if everyone made the choices they did, his underworld would never grow and that would never due. Why do you think covens such as David’s exist? They are the balance to a family such as this. Reginald for as much as you know, even you are unaware of how much he lost when he lost them. Even not knowing the full truth in this matter, did you really think that he was going to sit by and take such a loss? Please tell me that you are not that naive. When he lost them, the heads of covens committed to pure evil received a boost to their abilities, even on this plane. Some became virtually untouchable. How do you think the heads of such covens avert full on attacks while their followers are decimated.