With Jackson sitting this close, I couldn't help but think about the pages I'd read earlier; the words he'd written with me in mind. “So I guess we should practice this healing thing,” I said.
“I know it was an accident,” Jackson said.
“What?”
“Your father. I know that it was an accident. I'm sorry that happened to you, but if you were telling me that to scare me away, it's not going to work.” Jackson leaned closer to me in his chair and added, “But if you don't feel anything for me...anything at all, just say the word.”
I took a deep breath. “The thing is...I'm not good at stuff like this,” I said, gesturing to the space between us. “I'm not very good at getting close to people.” I paused. “My whole life has been about fighting the Venator, about training to be high priestess in Ivanna's place when it's time. I don't really know anything else,” I admitted. I moved my eyes from the wooden floor of the porch to look at Jackson.
“Caring for someone isn't something you have to have experience at, Olivia.” Jackson took my hand, sending tiny tingles through my arm. “Do you feel anything for me?”
My heart picked up in speed, and I hoped Jackson's senses were at a normal level so he couldn't hear it. In spite of that, I felt my face take on it's default look of cool guardedness. “I barely know you,” I answered.
Jackson's mouth turned up in a slight smirk. “You're dodging the question.” When I didn't answer him, he said, “Well I'm getting to know you a lot better. Like how you lied about your age and you're only nineteen. I know you love pancakes. I know King Arthur stories are your favorite, and that you think James Dean was the most gorgeous man to ever live.” I could feel my cheeks turning pink.
“Well, you should also know that my sister, Sylvia, has a disease that prevents her from ever shutting up,” I said. He chuckled, amused by the fact that I'd guessed the source of his information.
“I also know what you did to that man who was bothering Jenny,” he said. My smile faded. “I saw you sneak out the back door, and I could feel the magick in every cell of my body. And I thought it was incredibly kind,” he added, rubbing his thumb down the length of my fingers.
“It wasn't nice,” I said. “It's one of my many, many flaws. I have a lust for revenge that I just can't shake.”
“And a great deal of empathy for people...even the people that you're not very good at getting close to,” he said, throwing my own words back at me. The fire that I loved was shining in Jackson's eyes like an amaretto-colored flame that made it hard to look away. I knew he was going to kiss me before he ever leaned forward, and so help me, I wanted him to. He hesitated just before our lips touched, making whatever was between us heat up to the point that it was almost tangible. And then I was the one to move forward so that his mouth was on mine.
I might have been scared to death of Jackson Vance and whatever power he held over me, but the kiss was pure bliss. It gave me the same dizzy feeling that I'd had the night I was drinking, and I leaned into it, letting that heat radiate throughout me in waves. I wanted...I didn't know what I wanted, only that I wanted more of whatever this feeling was. I let my senses stretch out, wanting to hear Jackson's heartbeat when he kissed me, wanting to appreciate the taste of his lips more, wanting to dive inside the essence of him. It filled me, the warmth and the golden light that was Jackson Vance.
The moment I started to bask in it, he stopped kissing me and jerked back. “That's it,” he said, breathless.
“What?” I asked, dazed and still longing for him.
“Whatever you just did. That's how I was able to heal you that day. That's how you dropped your guards.” He was looking at me in awe, as if he was dizzy from the kiss, too. “Can you do it again?”
I exhaled, realizing I'd been holding my breath. “I don't know. I didn't really do anything except...” I let the sentence drop, not knowing how to explain the stretching of my senses.
“Do it again,” he said, gripping both of my hands in his. “Just like you did.”
I furrowed my brow at him, and then inhaled deeply. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the tingling in my hands and let my senses stretch out. I could hear his heart beating steadily, the deep breathing of Zeus' sleep beside us, and in the background, the sounds of my family; a shifting here, a heartbeat there. Suddenly, my hands were hot in his and that same golden light and warmth came spilling into me. I felt like I could drown in it; like I wanted to drown in it.
“That's it,” he whispered, his voice sounding a little raspy.
I could feel the life force coming from him and into me, rejuvenating me. I had no wounds to heal, but it was as if I was absorbing the energy directly from his body. When he let go of my hands, my eyes opened. He was gazing at me intently.
“You did it,” he said, grinning at me.
“Wow.” Not much of a reply, but I was a little at a loss for words. For a long time, we sat in the chairs side-by-side, hands touching. I was going over and over the feeling in my head, the light, the energy. I guessed he was doing the same, since he wasn't speaking. I started to wonder if it would be possible to do the same thing with other magick users; Everett, Charlotte, Ivanna. Did I have the power to allow myself to experience the magick when I wanted? How was I constantly keeping up guards that blocked the magick without even knowing what I was doing?
Soon, and without words, we settled into a quiet watch, fingers still just touching. I could still feel the energy coursing through me; the energy that I must have taken directly from Jackson. As the rain started to fall from the inky sky in soft, steady drops, Jackson turned his head toward me and spoke in a low voice.
“James Dean wasn't all that gorgeous,” he said, lifting his head high.
Biting back a laugh, I shrugged nonchalantly and looked back out into the night. That's when I heard the scream.
Chapter 17
I was out of the chair before the scream even faded, Jackson at my back. Sylvia was in the guest bedroom next to mine, and Everett and I nearly collided in the hall and rushed into her room at the same time. Ivanna, Perry, and the others followed closely behind us. Someone flipped on the light as I reached her, and I was startled to see that she was sitting up in the bed, her eyes glazed over and an expression of fear on her face.
“Sylvia,” Ivanna said calmly, making her way to the other side of the bed. “What is it, honey? What do you see?”
I realized that Sylvia was having a vision, something I'd never seen before. Her silky, dark hair was messy from sleep and a sheen of sweat covered her brow. She sucked in a sharp breath at something the rest of us couldn't see, and then whispered, “Venator.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood and every nerve in my body readied itself for fighting. I watched Sylvia closely, waiting for her to reveal some location. Were they near the house? Were they outside? Was there some way that Jackson and I had missed the sounds of them approaching because we'd been so focused on the healing...or maybe the kiss?
“Where, darling?” Ivanna asked in a soothing voice. She was gripping Sylvia's hand in both of hers, comforting my sister, but I could see the gleam of panic in Ivanna's dark eyes.
“They have Livvy. They're going to kill her. Oh, Goddess. They're hurting her!” Sylvia's voice grew louder, and she winced. I could almost picture the scene in my mind, too. The hunters grabbing me outside the safe house, the dark cloth going over my eyes, the chair that I was bound to.
While the eyes of everyone in the room landed on me with fear and anger flashing in them, I breathed a sigh of relief and allowed my body to relax. “It's already happened,” I said, putting my hand to my chest as if I could calm my heartbeat in that way. “Everything's okay.”
A moment later, Sylvia looked around at us, at me, and I could see that her eyes were clear. Her vision was gone, just like that. She threw the covers off and leaped up at me, slinging her arms around my neck. I shushed her gently, hugging her back.
“It's alright, Sylvia. You're seeing something that has alr
eady happened. I took care of it. It's okay,” I repeated myself to calm Sylvia.
“Already happened?” she asked.
“Yes. It was before you got here. It was the hunters who took me to the safe house. Jackson rescued me. Everything is fine.” I smiled at her. I could feel the collective sigh of relief from those around me. “Come on. Back to bed. You need to sleep.” I helped her into bed and pulled the blanket up around her. Ivanna kissed her on the forehead as if she were a small child, and seeing that everything was fine, the others started to shuffle out of the room.
“Go back to sleep, Ivanna,” I said. “I'll make sure she's fine and then we'll continue our watch.” Ivanna gave us another worried look before smiling at Sylvia and then leaving the room. Jackson hovered by the door.
“Alright,” I said. “No more screams like that. You scared me to death,” I laughed, bringing a small smile to Sylvia's lips.
“Sorry,” she said. “There was just so much blood. It was blending into the color of your dress so that it looked like your entire body was covered with it.” Sylvia shivered at the image she must be reliving. My smile froze on my face. For a moment, I couldn't move, and then I looked at Jackson with a warning in my eye; a warning for him to keep his mouth shut.
“Everything's fine now,” I said, giving her hand one last squeeze before leaving her room. Jackson waited until we were back in the chairs on the porch to speak.
“When you were attacked by the Venator before, you weren't wearing a red dress,” he said. “You were wearing Stallott's uniform.”
With dread in my chest, I nodded. “I know.”
Jackson and I didn't talk much more during our watch, maybe because he knew I was thinking about what Sylvia had said. I told myself that she was wrong; that she'd been wrong before. After all, she'd seen the Venator going to Eagleton, not Staves. Even Margaret, a far more advanced oracle, had been wrong. She'd assumed the Venator were searching for Everett. When Perry and Everett relieved us and I went back to the quiet guest room, there was no sleep to be found. I puzzled over the entire situation for so long I gave myself a throbbing headache. The truth is, her words had terrified me. Sure, I didn't want to face torture from the hunters, but most of all, I didn't want my plan to fail because if it did...what would happen to my family, to Jackson, to Claire?
Finally, I convinced myself that my plan simply had to work, that it would work. I had to make Ivanna agree, though. After last night's episode, I had an idea of how to do that. When the gray light of dawn was just starting to spill through the windows, and I could hear slight shuffling downstairs, I sneaked into Sylvia's room. I knew that Everett, Perry, and the other boys were making preparations out back, and there was a heavy tension over the house. It was the calm before the storm...the Venator were no doubt already in Staves, waiting for Jackson or me to show up somewhere.
Sylvia's breathing was steady and soft, and I gave a silent prayer to the Goddess for forgiveness for what I was about to do. I needed Sylvia to cooperate with me, and I knew exactly how to touch her heart strings enough to make her do it. So I woke her up, shushing her when I accidentally startled her, and then told her I needed a favor.
“What is it? What's wrong?” She asked, her voice still thick with sleep. She sat up, pulling the thick quilt over her legs, and leaned forward toward me. That's when I told her about Jackson; about the things that had really gone on between us. I told her about Paula, about Jenny and Erika, about the kisses and the healing in the woods. As much as I hated the reason I was telling her, it felt really good to talk about it to someone. The more I talked, the more her eyes sparkled. She got a ridiculously romantic look on her face that stayed even after I was finished.
“Well I'm not going to pretend I haven't seen the way you two were looking at each other,” she said, “but I didn't know it was like that. What's the favor?”
I explained to her what I needed, and talked even more to convince her when she swore she wouldn't be able to do it. “Sylvia, it's our only chance. Don't you see that? Do you want our family to survive this? You have to give them this gift, at least.”
Her huge brown eyes stared at me for a few moments and then she took a deep breath. “Okay. I'll do it, Livvy. But only for you, and I can't promise I'll be convincing enough.”
“You can do it. I know you can,” I said. We hugged, and then went together down the stairs. The kitchen had become a headquarters of sorts, a place where we could all fit comfortably and discuss what we were to do. Not to mention the fact that it contained the fresh coffee and food. Everyone else was already there when Sylvia and I entered, Sylvia moving quietly to 'her' chair. Instead of sitting, I stood at the doorway and cleared my throat.
“Ive been thinking,” I said. Gradually, every face in the room turned to look at me. “I've been thinking about how to get the Venator here.”
No one spoke, but it was clear that they were expecting me to continue, so with my heart beating nervously, I did. “They'll be at Stallott's or the safe house without a doubt. They'll be waiting for Jackson or me to show up. If Jackson were to show up, they'd capture him, or die trying. If I were to show up, they'd follow me or attempt to get me to reveal where Jackson is.” I paused, swallowing hard. “Part of being a great assassin is having a wide range of disguises. I think my latest one should be bait.”
I waited for my words to reach them all, for the meaning of them to register, and then for the reactions I knew would come. Jackson was the first.
“No,” he said harshly, and then looked around at my family. “I mean, there has to be another way.”
Ivanna joined in. “Absolutely not, Olivia. We cannot risk you like that. This plan of yours is a big enough risk as it is.” Charlotte was shaking her head nervously and Everett was staring at me like I'd just spoken in another language.
“Hang on just a minute,” I said, putting my hand up. “I know that you're all nervous but the fact remains that one of us will have to do it. Jackson is out of the question,” I threw a protective glance his way, “and they're not looking for any of you. It's likely that they have my description since they captured me once.” I took another deep breath, searching for the right words. “I can do this. I was made for this.” I looked to Perry for help, knowing that if someone were going to defend me, it would probably be him. Perry loved me, but unlike many of the others, he had a greater understanding of the survivor in me; the dark face of the Goddess. He didn't have a chance to speak before Ivanna, though.
“It is out of the question,” Ivanna said. “We'll just have to find another way. And you'll swear to me right now --”
I coughed, and Sylvia's sharp intake of air sent the heads in the room snapping toward her. I watched, nervously. She squeezed her eyes shut, moaning low as though she had a terrible headache. Charlotte immediately put a hand on her shoulder, and looked toward Ivanna.
“Sylvia, you're alright. Everything is alright. You're only watching this. What is it? What do you see?” Ivanna used the same tender voice with Sylvia that she had last night.
“The Venator. They're here. They're coming here.” Sylvia's voice was low and eerie.
“When, sweetheart?” Ivanna asked. “When are they coming?”
There was a pause, and then Sylvia said, “They're looking for Olivia. They're following her.” Fear covered her face, and she whispered, “oh no. No.” She paused again and then exhaled loudly, “They've spotted Olivia and Jackson. They're going after them.”
I fought hard to keep a whimper from rising in my throat, and I had been prepared for this 'vision.' Jackson glanced at me with some unexplained emotion in his eyes, but I kept my eyes on Sylvia, my face a mask of concern.
“OH,” Sylvia said loudly. “They're dead.” I thought Ivanna was going to faint until Sylvia continued. “We've killed the Venator. They're dead!” Sylvia actually smiled.
Ivanna clutched her hand to her chest and said, “Do you see anything else, Sylvia?”
Sylvia let her eyes flutter
open, putting her hand to her throat and shaking her head. I watched as my family slowly began looking back and forth at each other. The same twinkle started to slowly enter each of their eyes. Sylvia had seen the outcome of all of this, and we were going to be okay. Or so they thought. I felt almost guilty about that. Almost.
“I guess that settles it,” I said, with a small smile of my own. I knew without a doubt that even Ivanna couldn't argue with me now.
Preparations began then, since there was no use in delaying the inevitable any longer. We knew what we were supposed to be doing; how we were going to fight the Venator. I was restless. I was tired of the anxiety building in my chest, and I just wanted to get it over with. The house became a flurry of activity. The boys were still working on something in the back yard and Ivanna, Charlotte, and Claire had taken over the kitchen to cast protective spells and work magick.
I shut myself in the guest room, pretending to be sleeping. I just had to think; to prepare myself for the task ahead of me. In whispers, I reminded the Goddess of my offering to her. That if she felt one of us owed our lives, to let it be me to give mine up. I didn't want to die, but if it would secure the lives of my family, I would.
My morbid thoughts must have triggered something inside of me, because I had a strong desire to see Everett. Back in Eagleton, Everett and I had been inseparable. We'd been like two halves of a whole, and in the weeks I'd been in Staves, I had missed that closeness terribly. At a time, I'd thought that only Everett could truly understand what was inside of my heart. Even as I moved to the door to find him, I wondered if that were true.
To my surprise, Everett was on his way up the stairs. “Livvy,” he said. “I was just coming to check on you.” He smiled, and his blue eyes twinkled. “Look what I found.” He reached down into the pocket of his jeans and produced a pair of dice. I couldn't stop the grin that spread over my face. When Everett had first come to Eagleton, he'd been traumatized, scared, and unsure of who we could trust. He latched onto me immediately so we spent hours together each day, running through the woods or playing silly games.
Amaretto Flame Page 18