Tala Prophecy: The Complete Series

by Tia Silverthorne Bach

  “His sources heard rumblings that Rafe was getting close to figuring out our location. We can’t take any chances right now, especially with our mounting injuries and concerns. Rafe will stop at nothing to recover the sword and kill you and Sam. He’s let you both slip through his fingers, and I bet that’s killing him.”

  Rafe’s evil knew no limits, and Reagan feared how much more aggressive and reckless he’d become thanks to his last few setbacks. He had nothing to lose but power, and they were a threat to that.

  “Okay, when do we move out?” She tried to sound brave even though every movement was more difficult than the one before. Standing took her breath away, and then she tried to move forward. As the room spun, a wave of nausea hit her.

  “I’ve got you,” Rowan said as he lowered her back to the bed.

  “Dammit!” she said while gripping the bed with her left hand out of frustration. “I can’t be down right now. How are we going to do this?” A burning sensation in her throat warned of impending tears. She pushed them away, although not before a few escaped and ran down her cheek.

  With his thumb, he lightly brushed the escapees away. “We’ll do this together.” He grabbed a T-shirt from her chair, put it on, and then leaned in to kiss her. Without losing contact the entire time, he pulled back only a few inches. “I love you, Tala.” He followed the words with another kiss, more demanding than the last. Then, he withdrew and placed a hand on her forehead. “God, you’re still burning up. I’m going to get Sarah and Nana, and I’ll be right back. Okay?”

  She nodded. Between the fever and his kisses, she was incapacitated; a feeling that left her terrified. It couldn’t be happening. They were too close to the final battle to be running on fumes. Doubt crept in with fear. How had she let herself get so hurt by a few wolves? They’d have to face hundreds, and she was bested by two; one of which she’d already injured. Even Sasha, who was much more experienced in combat, hadn’t fared well. But Reagan had powers, and she didn’t attempt to access them. Stupid, stupid, she told herself.

  “Hi, sweetie.” Nana entered the room.

  What little strength Reagan had left crumbled, and the barely held-back waterfall flowed freely.

  Nana made her way over to the bed. “It’s okay. Shhhh.” She repeated the words and stroked Reagan’s hair. “She’s still burning up,” Nana said.

  Reagan looked up to see Aunt Sarah. “I’ve consulted with Cheveyo. It took longer than I’d hoped to get the information I needed.”

  Breathing out and straightening herself, Reagan shook her head and sniffed, trying to regain her composure. “How is he?”

  “He’s coming around,” Sarah said as she spread out some supplies on the bedside table. “But let’s concentrate on you right now.” She mixed a few ingredients together and formed a paste. She rolled the concoction between her hands, making it into a small ball, and then broke it into three-inch pieces. “I need you to chew these.” She handed the first one to Reagan.

  One bite, and Reagan gagged, not sure she could keep it down. It had the texture of Play-Doh and tasted like grass. Growing up with a brother resulted in several dares, so she’d tasted both those items before. Still, she wasn’t going to let a little medicine take her down. Swallowing it, she reached out for the next piece.

  “This should help,” Aunt Sarah said.

  “I hope so. Otherwise, you’re just torturing me for your personal entertainment.”

  “There’s my girl,” Nana said.

  “I want to see Papa. I know we need to prepare to leave,” Reagan said. She saw a concerned look pass between Sarah and Nana. “I’m going to need your help to get there. We have to do this. It’ll help me to focus on moving forward. I can’t stand being an invalid.”

  Nana offered her hand to Reagan, who took it. They both stood. Aunt Sarah came up and offered her support as well. After a few steps, Reagan’s stomach settled. She hoped it was the medicine kicking in.

  When they entered the command center, several faces looked up. Rowan was by her side in seconds. “Let me help.” He took her elbow and led her to the chair Papa was pulling out.

  “Good to see you up and about,” he said.

  Wanting the focus off her and back on the mission, she got right to the point. “What’s the plan?”

  “We sent a first crew to set up a new location. They took the necessary supplies and weapons. Another crew sets out this afternoon. The rest of us will leave first thing tomorrow, with different routes for safety. We’ll use the van and then dump it after we’ve arrived. We can’t be cautious enough to keep this next location safe. I’m running out of camp-ready caves.”

  Her curiosity piqued, Reagan wondered how many caves the pack had; they were about to head to their third location since she’d joined them. “How long is the trip?”

  “It’ll take about four hours driving. Those of us on foot will stick close to the van for safety.”

  He pointed to the paper in front of him, and Reagan craned her neck to see. Her name wasn’t there. “What about me?”

  “You’re going in the van. I’m not sure you need to be on foot right now.”

  Although she wanted to contest his decision, she knew he was right. Studying the paper, she saw names written at each compass point around the van. To the north, Rowan and Jessica; to the east, Madeleine and Sam; to the west, Ricardo and Sasha, and to the south, Papa and Winona. Reagan assumed they were heading south since Papa liked to lead. Each of the pairings made sense, balancing strength with novice or injury. Being in the van felt like a penalty, but she chose to see it as a protector role versus basically being confined to a wheelchair.

  “Anything I can do to help today?” she asked, wanting to feel useful.

  “Yes.” Papa came over and put a hand on her shoulder. “I want you to relax and heal. Can you do that for me?”

  She nodded, pushed her chair back, and stood. Aunt Sarah and Nana rushed over to help, but Reagan raised her hand and gave a slight shake of her head. She was walking out of that room on her own with her head held high. As soon as she was in the hallway and out of sight, she felt her knees begin to buckle just as Aunt Sarah and Nana each took an arm. Reagan let her head fall on Nana’s shoulder and took in a deep breath. “Thank you.”

  Once back in Reagan’s room, she crawled into bed.

  “I’ll grab you some lunch. We’ll repeat the medicine dose once you’ve got something on your stomach. I promise to have you feeling much better by tomorrow.” Aunt Sarah left the room before Reagan could say anything.

  “How are you feeling?” Nana asked.

  “I’m doing better. Tired. Why do you think I reacted so badly to the bite? Is there anything I can take to avoid such a setback in the future? I’m pretty sure getting bitten is the least of my worries in battle. I can’t have it take me out.”

  “As your power has increased, so will your intolerance for evil. Those wolves are pure evil from what I understand. Their saliva or blood is powerful, and it will hurt you,” Nana said.

  A thought struck Reagan. “Would they hurt Jessica?”

  Nana tilted her head, pursed her lips, and narrowed her eyes. “Hmmm. I think not. Or, at the very least, she’d have a great tolerance. With you, it’s like being stung by a bee and being allergic. Obviously, the bite would hurt Jessica, but it wouldn’t be the same reaction. In theory, of course.”

  At that point, Reagan felt she might need a notebook to keep up with everyone’s weaknesses and strengths. Maybe she’d do that once they were settled back into their new digs. Back in bed, thanks to Nana’s insistence, tiredness hit Reagan like an anchor dropped into water.

  “Sweetie, you need some sleep. Would you like me to stay?” Nana said.

  “Just long enough to keep me awake. I need lunch and medicine before sleep,” Reagan said, squirming to wake herself. “Tell me a story.”

  “About what?” Nana asked.

  “How did you meet Papa?” Reagan knew they met very young, but she didn’t know
the whole story.

  “Your grandfather and I were young, and it was during the fifties. We lived in rural Georgia. My mother and I constantly moved. She was a gypsy at heart and couldn’t stay anywhere long. We’d just left New Orleans, a city full of excitement and life, so I was bored living out in the sticks. That summer, I spent all my free time outside exploring the woods around the area we lived. We rented a room from a sweet family.

  “Right up the road was a farm with a cute, white picket fence. I’d walk up there and dream about having my own property one day. There were kids and animals running around the yard. One day, I was walking by, and your grandfather came up to the fence. He asked if I was new in town. He was so handsome. I think I might’ve strung together a few words.

  “Mom called me home, and he asked if I’d stop by the next day. For several days, we’d meet up around the same time and talk. Then, he asked if I wanted to meet the animals.

  “Day after day, we fell more in love. Our first real date was the night he asked me to marry him. We couldn’t date, because we didn’t have any money.”

  Reagan noticed the increasing glow emanating from Nana the longer she talked.

  “I never doubted he was the man for me. He borrowed his dad’s car one night, and we went uptown to the ice cream parlor. After, he walked me over to a bench, got down on one knee, and proposed. We had no clue what we were doing, but when I looked into his eyes, the only word I knew was yes.”

  Sniffing and trying to rein in cloying emotions, Reagan pictured Rowan during their first meeting in the hospital. Love at first sight was such a cliché idea, but when she looked into his eyes the first time, she felt a deep connection. Like nothing she’d ever known. Who knew what their future held? If she were lucky, it would mirror what her grandparents had. Even her parents. Both had stuck it out through epic trials.

  “Lunchtime,” Aunt Sarah said.

  Reagan smelled the bacon and chicken before she heard her aunt’s announcement and accepted the wrap with graciousness. “Thanks. I didn’t realize I was starving until I smelled it.” While Reagan ate, her aunt prepared the Play-Doh and grass concoction. Thanks to the meat taste, it was easier to get down. Nana’s story and some food had kept tiredness at bay, but it quickly caught up.

  “We’re losing her again,” Nana said. “You really do need some rest. I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

  “Thanks,” Reagan said, settling into the covers. “Would you tell me another story about you and Papa?”

  Reagan drifted off with a smile on her face and love in her heart.

  Dreams were often the harbingers of truth, especially for Reagan. Restlessness and visions made her wonder if they were the ill effects of medicine and fever or some kind of sign.

  A couple of times during the night, Aunt Sarah had brought more medicine and removed Reagan’s bandage. She raised her arm above her head and made a couple of circular movements, surprised and thrilled at how much better it felt. Ready for a day full of action instead of resting, she hopped out of bed. A moment of dizziness sidetracked her, but she took a deep breath and kept moving.

  Before travel preparations started, she wanted to check on Sasha, Winona, and Cheveyo. Sasha’s room was closest, but Reagan found it empty. She took that as a good sign and headed to see Winona, finding her sitting next to a still sleeping Cheveyo. She looked up, put a finger to her lips, and made her way over.

  “I’m trying to let him have a little more sleep. He needs it,” she whispered once they were out in the hallway. “How are you?”

  “Much better,” Reagan said and then felt guilty. “Has Aunt Sarah been able to help him?”

  Winona ran a hand through her hair. Reagan noted the black circles under her sister’s eyes and shakiness in her hand. “Not much. He’s fading. Holding the protection spell for us really took a lot out of him.”

  “You’re looking pretty exhausted yourself.” Reagan wished she could touch Winona and give her strength. “Do you think he’ll be okay for the trip today?”

  She nodded, but nothing about it was convincing.

  Reagan’s brain flashed a reminder about her mother. “I just remembered. You mentioned my mom’s visions were disturbing. How bad?”

  “Pretty brutal. Stuff she’s probably never had to see. The Demon wolves, battle scenes, bodies being torn apart. It’s no wonder she’s terrified. But I think she’s determined to get stronger.”

  A breath of relief escaped Reagan as a stab of pain pierced her heart. She was glad Winona felt their mom was making strides but hated what she was going through. Forcing all concentration back to the tasks at hand, Reagan reiterated her plans for the day. “I’m in the van, and you know I’ll do everything I can to make it comfortable for him. Plus, Aunt Sarah and Nana will be there. I’ll make sure Aunt Sarah brings whatever she can on board to help him.”

  “Thanks. I guess I should get him moving,” Winona said, staring back into her room.

  Cheveyo hadn’t budged. If it weren’t for the slightest up and down movement of his chest, Reagan would’ve checked his pulse. He looked that pale and still.

  “I’m going to make sure everybody else is ready to go. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  Winona crept back into the room and leaned over Cheveyo. She stroked his hair, leaned down, placed a light kiss on his forehead, and began whispering.

  Reagan felt like she’d invaded a private scene, so she moved on.

  Mom, Dad, Aunt Sarah, and Nana were all packed up and ready when Reagan checked on each of them, so she headed toward the command center. Everybody else was there.

  “Hey, sis. You look a little less like death today,” Sam said.

  She would be aggravated at his insult, but ever since she thought she’d lost him, she had a lot more tolerance for what used to be annoying. “Thanks,” she said and put in a little sarcastic tone while squinting her eyes at him. She couldn’t let him off the hook without some pushback.

  “Seriously though, please, don’t scare me like that again,” he said.

  “He’s been worried sick.” Jessica put an arm around him.

  “I’ll try not to.” Reagan knew she couldn’t make any promises, but she wanted her brother to feel better. “Anything else we need to do before leaving?” she asked, turning her attention to Papa.

  “No. Rowan is gassing up the van. We don’t want to stop once we’re on the road.”

  Noticing the emptiness of the room for the first time, Reagan wondered if she’d ever have a normal living situation again. She missed the comforts of home. But more than anything, she wanted to feel safe again and dream of a happy future.

  “You okay?” Papa asked.

  “Yes,” Reagan said, shaking off her emotions. “I’m going to go grab a few last minute things and meet you at the van.”

  Walking away, she chided herself. When she was first thrown into the life of werewolf and warrior, she’d embraced it. Why, then, were the previous few weeks such a struggle? She couldn’t continue to let fear and doubt take over. Everyone in the pack had suffered loss and given up a normal life. What right did she have to be lamenting anything? She was blessed. No more. She had to be strong. With faith, we fight. Fight, fight, fight.

  Straightening her spine, she headed toward the entrance. She realized she had nothing of importance back in her room. All she needed was to keep the people she loved safe. They needed her to be strong and focused.

  With this new resolve, she stepped outside. Fresh air felt good. Snow glistened in the early morning sun. She didn’t see the van. Before worry could penetrate her newly reinforced confidence, Rowan pulled up. A huge grin spread across his face when he locked eyes with her. Her heart sang. Like a moth drawn to a bright porch light, he walked over and pulled her into him.

  “Good morning,” he whispered against her lips just before he made contact.

  Drawing strength from their connection, Reagan freed her mind to be in the moment. When he pulled away, she kept her eyes closed, refusing to
let in anything but happiness.

  “Seriously, sis, keep your head in the game,” Sam said, walking up to them.

  With the spell broken, she opened her eyes and put all her energy into a death glare aimed at him. He laughed, and she reconsidered her appreciation of still having him around. “Don’t make me tell Jessica about what you used to make my Barbie dolls do.” She could’ve come up with a better threat if she’d had more time and breakfast.

  Before he could respond, everyone filed out of the cave. Seeing Winona and Nana propping up Cheveyo, Reagan went over to help. “Here, Nana, let me take this side,” she said. She moved in to take half of Cheveyo’s weight, but Sam stepped in and led Cheveyo to the van.

  Once he was inside and settled, Papa reminded everyone of their positions. She felt a stab of jealousy as Dad started up the engine and pulled away. Staring out the window, she watched as her other family and friends shifted. She should be with them and not riding in a vehicle.

  No words were exchanged for the first hour. Everyone seemed in a daze except Cheveyo. He was huddled in a blanket, making soft snoring sounds.

  “Anyone up for music?” Dad asked.

  “Sure,” she said, ready for something other than silence and boredom, which allowed her mind to run off into too many directions. Some were good—reliving her morning kiss with Rowan—but others not so much—visions of Rafe, his demon wolves, and thoughts of the looming battle.

  “Keep your eyes on the road,” Mom said in her best parent voice. Sitting in the passenger’s seat, she hit the radio power button and adjusted the dial until something other than static came through.

  Johnny Cash filled the void. Reagan sighed, hoping for something more distracting. Cash’s Burning Ring of Fire hit too close to home these days.

  When Dad pulled off the highway onto an exit with no signs of life, Reagan wondered where the heck they were going. “Did Papa write down the directions, have you memorize them, and then destroy the paper?” She imagined a scene from a low budget spy movie and swallowed a laugh at the idea of her father eating paper while Papa watched.