by Lisa Logue
“The plan was to secretly grow an army, attack the weaker races first, and eventually overthrow the rest of the kingdoms. With all the power on his or her side, there would no longer be anyone to answer to.”
“Where does Lia come in?” Austin asked quietly.
“She has to stop it,” he said so simply I almost laughed.
“She doesn’t even know how to deal with what she can do now, how do you expect her to stop it?” I retorted.
“She will know, in time. We still have alliances and the element of surprise. No one knows we still exist. But it will be dangerous when they find out what she is. It won’t be easy to keep her alive, but she’s the only one powerful enough to save us all. Now then, anymore questions?”
“Yeah, how the hell are we supposed to keep this from her?” I asked incredulously.
“I’m sure you can think of something. Just train her as best as you can, prepare her mind before you prepare her physically. She will need to know how to protect herself and others as well as healing. It’s important that we showcase some of what she can do. The rest of her training will come once the council meeting is over.”
“What if they want to kill her? How are we supposed to save her?” Austin breathed, clearly shocked.
“That will be up to me, but as I said before we’ll cross that bridge when it comes. In a few days I’m going to have a package delivered to your house. It will contain some items she will need to wear, as well as some journals you’ll be able to use for training. Her information must be limited. She can’t know I was on The Council or anything of our plans. It’s important she knows where she came from, but nothing about where she’s headed. There are preparations being made that need to be kept secret. If anything is leaked we’re all dead. If you so much as utter a word about this plan I’ll kill you myself. Is that understood?” his gaze was soul shattering. We nodded again.
He rose from the chair, as did we, and headed toward the foyer. He turned to Austin as he opened the door and clapped him on the back with a knowing look. He sprinted toward the car and I waited patiently until Emerson turned to me.
“What are your intentions, Christian?”
“To keep her alive,” he eyed me carefully and reached into his pocket.
“These tablets will help with the thirst. It won’t fade completely, but you’ll notice a difference. You probably won’t have to drink for days, but I warn you it will not have the same magical effects of that elixir. I will try to have something sent for you as well. I don’t know him,” he nodded toward the car, “but I know you. You keep your word. Don’t fail her. She’s very fragile after all she’s been through.”
“I know,” I said with a nod, “and thank you. Can I ask you one more thing?”
“I suppose.”
“What part do I play in this? I’m virtually powerless,” he eyed me a moment.
“You will be the only one holding her together once this all begins. You aren’t as powerless as you think, son. You just have to be able to realize your own potential. Some gifts aren’t as obvious as others,” he smiled and placed a warm hand on my shoulder.
“You do realize that if she finds out I lied to her about all of this I’ll probably be dead anyway?” I said incredulously. The last thing I wanted to do was lie to her again.
“I’ll make sure she knows what your role was. In the end, I’ll be able to give her all the answers she will need,” he reassured with a smirk. I nodded, with little understanding, and left.
The ride home was quiet, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Wasn’t everything hard enough without this? I groaned internally. She would hate me by the time this begins, but I desperately hoped Emerson was right.
“So how are we going to pull this off?” Austin asked with a sigh.
Now that was the million dollar question.
CHAPTER 29
Lia
Austin came in, looking frazzled, followed by Christian. They both sat on the sofa opposite me and began looking through the journal and papers. Neither of them acknowledged my presence. I was beginning to get annoyed, when Christian looked up and motioned to sit tight. Something happened while they were gone. I sighed loudly and threw the blanket off, revealing my naked legs. That got their attention.
“I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were awake,” Austin said, masking his anxiety.
“I’ve been sitting here staring at you two for the last five minutes. What’s wrong now? Did Josiah show up again?”
“No, this actually doesn’t have anything to do with him. Would you mind covering yourself please?” Christian responded clenching his jaw.
“I would mind, actually. Tell me,” I glared at him.
“I think your grandfather might be the Shaman we were looking for,” Austin looked at me with a mixture of emotions. I watched his expression and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“That’s crazy. There’s no way it’s him. He’s barely seventy,” I wiped my eyes and applied more drops.
“He appears seventy. I’m a good judge of energy, Lia. His energy is older than he seems. I don’t think he practices anymore, but even if he is one of the original Shamans the connection to the Spirit World must still be strong if he’s maintained a regular human life afterward.”
“What do you mean?”
“Usually when someone stops practicing, they sever ties with whatever magical forces gifted them. Once that happens, the lifespan is usually short. Less than that of a mortal life, in fact.”
“So you’re telling me that my grandfather is immortal too?” I croaked.
“Not anymore. He ages now, whereas before he probably looked as young as we do. In his current state, he’s probably found a way to slow the aging process and therefore has been able to lead a fairly normal human life,” he went back to examining his papers while I chewed my lip.
“He knew something was up. He didn’t talk much, but I could tell he was uneasy. I’m sure he doesn’t think you know what I am, but I’m pretty sure he knew. He will probably be checking up on you soon and we need to figure out whether it’s wise to open up about this to him,” Christian met my terrified gaze. I was completely speechless.
I swallowed thickly and wrapped the blanket around myself as I stepped outside. Finding out about so much I hadn’t even known existed was exhausting. I was drained, mentally and emotionally. Running away seemed like a good idea, but I remembered Josiah and decided against it. I wanted to run home and tell Nana and Pops everything, but something told me Nana didn’t have a clue about any of it. I had to admit the closeness to Pops was more than just our blood relation. I felt connected to him. The more I thought about it the more sense it made. I went back inside and met Christian and Austin with a new determination.
“He knows. He’s always known what I am. He told me a story about The Wives. I think this is a reference to the Shamans during the wars. He said when they found out their husbands were dead, they asked God to stop the pain and were gifted with abilities that could protect the weak from evil. The Wives eventually weren’t needed anymore and went into hiding. He said when they are needed, they seek out the ones to protect in order to uphold their pact with God. He knew all along.”
They stared at me, wide-eyed, soaking up the story. It felt good to contribute. Pops was telling me to embrace my gift and I hadn’t a clue what he meant at the time.
“Well then, I guess that settles one question. Do you think we should tell him?” Austin asked, clearing his throat.
“Honestly, I do. He knows more about this than anyone else. I don’t think he’ll leave the house, but he’ll be able to give me some type of instruction. What else do we know about Shamans?” I sat between them on the sofa and was immediately overwhelmed with different sensations. One side was super charged from Christian and the other was smoldering from Austin. I braced myself on the coffee table for a moment attempting to catch my breath.
Both of them moved several inches away, gasping for air. Apparentl
y the energy was just as strong on the outside. Laughing nervously, I leaned forward looking over the different printouts of information. Surprisingly, it was easy to tune the guys out as I scanned feverishly for information. I had to pause several times for more eye drops and I ignored Christian’s protests. My stubborn was showing.
“This says that Shamans were mostly healers and I remember you telling me that before. Does that mean I’m a healer?” I turned to Austin who shrugged.
“From what I remember, Shamans were the best healers around during the old days. Unfortunately, I don’t know if that gift was exclusive to all of them. Did you find anything else?” he leaned forward slightly, stopping before our legs touched.
“I’m not sure. Can I take this with me when I talk to Pops? Something tells me he’ll be able to fill in the blanks.”
“I don’t see a problem with that. Christian?”
“If it will help it shouldn’t be a problem. Have you eaten anything?” he asked flippantly.
“No. I can feed myself, thanks for asking,” I turned my back on him.
“Fine. I’m leaving. You should sleep soon, your eyes are tired,” he disappeared in a huff.
I sighed and pushed the papers back onto the table. I was starving, but I didn’t want to tell him that. I hadn’t eaten anything since the day before and my stomach yelled at me. I smiled at Austin as I went to the kitchen.
“So, are you handling all of this alright? Is there anything I can do to make it easier?” he asked, helping to cart items from the fridge.
“I can’t really expect to have much time for all of this to sink in. The best thing to do is process only the information I need then move on to the next. I can bury us all in questions if I don’t. Obviously, we don’t have time for that,” I downed a bottle of water while he watched me curiously. My eyebrows rose in question.
“I think tomorrow we’ll work on centering. It should help with the residual energy. I do have a question though, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Shoot.”
“What type of energy do you feel from me?” he set out to making his own sandwich, hopefully not noticing my pause.
“Uh, well, it’s warm,” I blushed.
“Warm as in color or literal heat?” he looked at me with genuine curiosity and I smiled.
“Heat. I don’t really know how to describe it. I just know it’s like a blanketing heat,” I looked away as I finished making my own food.
“Hmm, that’s kind of nice. What does Christian’s energy feel like?” I dropped several items in the sink, eager to finish the conversation and retreated back to the sitting room. He followed; clearly not ready to drop it.
“It’s like static, but it lingers. Not quite as powerful as electricity, but it’s not always pleasant,” I pushed the memories aside trying, and failing, not to think about what almost was.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he placed a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged and he removed his hand, mumbling more apologies.
“I’m not really uncomfortable. I’m just trying really hard not to make you uncomfortable. Blocking out my emotions is harder since you did that spell. Most girls get to fantasize and dream, but I’m stuck forcing that away for the sake of other people. It’s not easy,” I reassured him.
We continued eating in silence. We studied the journal and Shaman histories until my eyes hurt so badly they burned. I excused myself and took a long, hot shower. I yearned to run. So much confusion cluttered my thoughts and I felt claustrophobic.
After dressing for bed, I splashed more drops in my eyes and sat on my bed in a daze. Images of the last few weeks washed over me and I embraced them. It felt good not to hold back or push thoughts aside. I relished the memories of laughs and stolen moments with Christian and sped through the hateful parts. I couldn’t deny that I wanted him, but more than anything I just wanted my friend back. My phone chimed, startling me.
I will run with you tomorrow if you want. I know the last few days have been rough. –C
I stared at the message for a while, debating on whether I should respond. My resolve caved.
Thanks. Are you off hunting? –Lia
I was, but I finished hours ago –C
So why are you still gone? –Lia
I sighed and settled into the fluffy comforter. Clutching the phone, I fought with my droopy lids. Eventually sleep overcame me and I drifted into a dark world all alone.
CHAPTER 30
Christian
Why was I still gone? Because it was too difficult to stay around her all day without wanting her. Because I knew that the longer I stayed, the closer I would come to breaking my promise and that scared me more than anything. Because I was desperately trying to figure out how we were going to keep all the information Emerson told us to ourselves. I had no idea what part I was supposed to play in the plan and I needed to get away.
I was never really far. Actually, I was able to sneak away to my room without notice. A huge plus of being a silent predator. Occasionally, I would venture out until it was late enough for her to be sleeping so I wouldn’t have to endure her sadness. I knew I was the cause. I had told her that I wouldn’t use her, but that’s what it seemed happened. She was right to hate me.
I arrived home to find her sleeping with her cell phone. She fell asleep waiting for my response. For some reason I was capable of deceiving her, but when she wanted the truth, my best response was silence. My father would have turned in his grave at my actions. I hung my head and sulked back to my room.
I checked every avenue I could think of for more information about Shamans but fell short. The internet wasn’t very helpful with factual information pertaining to creatures that may or may not have existed. I began drifting to better thoughts of Lia and me together on her bed. Her scent was overwhelming; her body warm against mine. Shudders rippled through me. Agony and longing lingered over the places she’d once touched and I couldn’t stop the barrage of memories from overtaking me. I lay on my bed, breathing heavy, allowing a small amount of time to fully appreciate her at the most vulnerable. She was so real.
Before realizing it, I was in her room again staring as she slept peacefully. I was glad she had peace that night, I didn’t enjoy her pain. She stirred, sensing me, and blinked several times before realizing I was real.
“Christian? What’s wrong?” she sat up, reaching for me.
“I’m not sure,” I furrowed my brow, trying to remember what brought me to her.
“Do you want to lie down? You haven’t slept have you?”
“I haven’t. I don’t want to keep you awake,” I sat on the edge of the bed trying to decide what to do.
“You won’t if you lie down. What’s the matter?” she asked more lucid.
“This is just harder than I expected. For some reason, I ended up here although I know I shouldn’t be. None of this makes sense,” I rubbed the back of my neck. She reached over and touched my hand, setting off a chain reaction of sparks. Her breath shuddered and she began pulling me toward her.
“You don’t have to do or say anything. Obviously a part of you wants to be here and that’s enough for me. You don’t have to stay, but its okay if you do. Nothing has to happen tonight,” she whispered in my ear and I inhaled in her hair.
“I shouldn’t,” I whispered back, leaning into her.
“But you want to…” it wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” I growled in her ear and her heart skipped a beat.
“Then stay, Christian,” she said pulling back to look into my eyes.
“I don’t know if I can without complicating things,” I watched her face fall, “Not because I don’t want those complications, but because I care more about hurting you than hurting myself.”
“I miss my friend. Not just the guy who takes my breath away. It hurts me more to know that I’ve lost both,” she let go of my hand and pushed herself back against the pillows. Of course she knew I hadn’t thought of that, but I didn
’t know how to separate the two.
Instead of talking, I resigned to settling in next to her. I pulled her into me and hummed lullabies my mother sang when I was a child. She was very still and refused to look at me. I tried a different approach.
“You don’t have to hold back what you’re feeling right now. I can tell you’re struggling to block it out. I’m already here, Lia. Let me be your friend if that’s what you need.”
“But you’ll leave,” she squeaked.
“Not this time. I’ve neglected to think of what you’ve been through recently and I’m sorry for that. Can you let me be here for you?” I nuzzled her hair again.
“I want to, but I’m not thinking of what has happened the last few days. If I let it all out, you’ll get mad and leave. I’m trying to savor the time you’re here.”
“What are you thinking about?” I played with her hair absently.
“What do you think I’m thinking about?” she said sarcastically and I chuckled.
“Would it help if I told you I’ve been thinking about the same thing?” I took her silence as a good thing and resumed twirling her hair around my finger.
“It’s very hard to concentrate with you doing that,” she remarked, turning on her side to face me. I let her wrap her arm around my waist and I traced small circles on her back, remembering how soft her skin was.
“Is it worse when I do this?”
“Yes,” she answered breathlessly. I felt my stomach tense at her response. Her hand clenched the back of my shirt desperately, adding to my excitement.
“I’ll stop if this is too much. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“It feels nice. A little too nice,” her breath was hot against my chest and I shuddered.
“I’m not helping anything am I?”
“I don’t care right now. I can deal with it later. Since all this started, all I’ve wanted was some form of comfort that never came. It hurt,” she looked at me again and I saw it in her eyes.