by Amber Garr
The doctors came and began to patch up who and what they could. Palmer’s injuries were pretty critical and Troy had a concussion. They assured me that both should recover as soon as they were well enough to shift. Fortunately, no one else was killed, although I thought some of the wounds inflicted would take a long time to heal.
Julian spent the rest of the evening secluded from us and tending only to his selkies, guilt written all over his face. He’d fallen under Lucian’s spell again although I’d bet the fact he hurt those he’d sworn to protect grated on him more.
Malcolm had been one of the selkies on the beach and thought he might have been the one to hurt Palmer. But he didn’t wallow in his guilt, and instead did everything he could to assist the doctors. He’d been a medic during his military stint, and I was grateful that his training trumped all other reactions.
Daniel and Marisol prepared several of the bedrooms for the wounded. They felt like it was the best way to help, and I also think they were trying to avoid Aleksey and Quinlan. Their loved ones had viciously attacked them. Even though we now knew why, I wasn’t sure if their relationships would be able to move past this.
I felt bad for all four of them. Finding true love is hard enough. When that person is someone whom you are not supposed to love, it makes it even more difficult. Especially when they do something to betray your trust.
I shuddered and looked at the clock. It was nearly dawn. The flight Kain and I were supposed to take to Montana would leave in just a few hours. Exhaustion tried to pull me under, but one look at Kain gave me the strength I needed to keep going.
We moved him into a guest bedroom by himself. The doctors were able to stop the bleeding but it would be days before Kain would walk again. Lucian literally skewed him with a sword. In his brief moments of consciousness, Kain told us how Lucian appeared behind him and stabbed him through the back. Lucian didn’t say anything to my friend, just simply tried to kill him. The doctors seemed to think the location of the wound was deliberate. It wouldn’t kill Kain right away, but was instead intended to cause a slow, agonizing death.
I stayed by his side until he finally fell asleep from the concoction the doctors gave him. They said it would allow him to remain unconscious all day then they’d try and encourage him to shift later tonight. Transitioning should help with the healing although it could take several days of shifts before he would recover completely.
Being asleep allowed Kain’s body to heal, but it also gave me a reprieve from what I knew would’ve been a sure argument. I had every intention of traveling to Montana and meeting Lucian face to face and I knew Kain would have argued against it. In fact, one of the Council’s own members discouraged me to go. In thinking about Graham, I decided to at least return his phone call to let him know what happened here.
I locked myself in my bedroom to make the call. All of the blood, glass, and broken bodies downstairs did nothing to calm my angry and frazzled nerves. I needed a few moments away.
Graham answered on the first ring. “Where’d you go? I thought Lucian was attacking you again.”
“He was.” I let out a deep breath and told him everything. I went back to the morning Brendan left and filled him in from there. Graham stayed quiet, only adding the occasional question or comment. Thankfully, he left the whole Brendan situation alone.
“So you have the sprites on your side?”
“Yes. They helped us last night.” Well, Abhainn had, but he didn’t need to know every last detail.
“I really don’t think you should go to Montana, Eviana. Lucian wants something from you and he’s obviously willing to kill anyone who gets in the way.”
“Have you guys figured out why he wants me yet?” I hoped that the Council, in all their glory, would be able to provide some answers. When my question was met with silence, my heart began to pound in my chest. “Graham? You know something don’t you?”
More silence. Suddenly very uneasy about this conversation, some gut instinct of mine sent chills down the back of my neck. Graham knew and he wasn’t telling me.
“I can’t talk you out of this can I?” he asked, instead of answering my question.
“Why?”
“Because it’s not safe. Lucian is…he’s crazy. He won’t ever stop.”
“Then why won’t you tell me what he wants?” I yelled into the phone.
“Because I can’t,” he whispered. It was barely audible and his tone sounded full of pain.
“What do you mean?”
“Eviana….please.”
“I’m going Graham and if this thing is so bad, then you should tell me before Lucian kills me.” I hoped a guilt trip would help my cause, but I think it just made him angry.
“You are the stubbornest woman I’ve ever met. When are you leaving?”
“In two hours.”
He snorted. “Fine. I’ll see you when you land.” He hung up the phone before I could argue. I didn’t want to see him and I didn’t need Graham fighting my battles for me.
Or did I? He was a powerful merman, Council member, and someone who really did seem to take an honest interest in my safety. Now that Kain couldn’t be there with me, I suppose I shouldn’t protest the presence of someone as strong as Graham by my side.
I took a quick shower and packed a bag of warm clothes. Even though it was almost summer, the Rockies still had snow and we planned to stay in the middle of the mountains.
I had just over an hour before I needed to be at the airport. With one last check on Kain, I walked to the kitchen and into the middle of a cleaning frenzy. Quinlan, Aleksey, and Daniel worked with a few other selkies to remove all the blood and glass. The smell of bleach overpowered the room, but they were doing a good job.
The doctors removed my uncle’s body and I knew I’d have to tend to his arrangements when I got back. The meeting with Lucian was happening tonight, so I had every intention of being home tomorrow morning.
“Eviana, please don’t go.” I looked behind me to see my sister standing in the archway that led to the living room. Daniel and the selkies stopped what they were doing to stare at me as well.
“You’re still going?” Daniel asked.
“I have to.”
“But look at what he’s done,” Marisol pleaded as she moved closer toward me. “He’s hurt us all so much. Why would you want to speak to him?” She was hurting and her pain threatened to break through the wall I’d built up around myself in the last hour. I lifted my arms and she ran to me. I hugged my sister and felt her tiny, shaking body against mine. This stupid war was killing everything we loved and everything we were.
“It’ll be okay, Marisol. The Council will be there and they’ll have a dozen protectors.”
“I want to go with you,” a deep voice growled from the other side of the kitchen. We all looked over to see Julian standing there with his hands in his pockets and his head down. “I’d like to see Lucian again.”
“That’s not a good idea,” I said.
“Yeah, she’s right,” Daniel added.
Julian paced around the kitchen while he fisted his hands at his side. “He needs to be stopped. This has gone way too far. His stupid reasons for this war are no longer justifiable.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, abruptly aware that Julian may have more information regarding Lucian’s motives.
He stopped moving but never looked up. “I just mean that whatever his intentions are, he’s hurt enough people to last a lifetime. He made me attack your friends and kill your uncle. I’m tired of being controlled like a puppet and I do not want to live our lives in fear of that man dictating our behavior any longer!”
No one said anything because he had a valid point. I tried to imagine what it would be like to have all of my free will taken away without warning and be forced to do horrible things to people that I care about. Julian was the strongest selkie of their kind, and even he couldn’t resist the wrath of Lucian.
I unwrapped myself from my sisters arms and walked acr
oss the room to grab Julian’s hands. “No one blames you. It wasn’t your fault.”
He looked down at me with such sad green eyes that my heart instantly crumbled. I’ve seen that look before on another selkie’s face. It was the look of disappointment and defeat. “Please let me go with you,” he pleaded.
I shook my head. “No, it’s too risky and the rest of your group needs you to stay here right now. The Council and their guards will be there. I’ll be fine.”
“But…”
“No. You can’t. I won’t risk it.” I didn’t need to say it, but we both knew what I was talking about. If Lucian could control him again, it would be disastrous when the Council’s elite protectors were there. Julian didn’t stand a chance. There would be no forgiveness. “Will you please watch over Kain for me?”
It was a request I’d trust to few others and I think Julian realized this. Not only was Kain an important political figure in our world, but he was an important person in my life. The thought of him not being in it anymore terrified me and I believe Julian understood that better than anyone else.
He nodded and walked toward the bedroom where Kain slept without saying another word to any of us.
I said my goodbyes and promised to be back in one day. I hoped we’d have some type of solution in place when I returned to my clan. It was time to end this.
As I flew on the private jet to the secluded mountains of Montana, I tried to come up with a plan. But the only thing I knew for sure is that I’d do my best to temporarily appease Lucian by giving him what he wants. We all needed that time to prepare a final attack on him and his allies and if I could buy us a few days or even weeks, then that was what I needed to do. That’s what was in the best interest of my clan and what would hopefully save some lives.
The plane landed with gut-wrenching screech and I sent out a silent thank you for arriving in one piece. The trip had been uneventful as I’d been wrapped up deep in thought for the past few hours. It was almost like I’d been alone in my mind trying to fathom what might possible happen later tonight.
But I wasn’t alone after all. Troy woke up long enough to insist that a couple of protectors travel with me. Since there were only two of them without arms in slings or broken bodies, he picked Caleb and another young merman, Gregory. Both of them remained silent the entire time we flew, almost as if we’d all been contemplating the same scenarios over and over.
I didn’t trust Lucian for one moment. I knew he’d try something tonight but it wasn’t doing my nerves any good to continue to imagine everything that could possibly go wrong.
The jet pulled up to the small hanger and the pilots opened the door for us. Graham wasn’t waiting there, and I actually felt a tad disappointed. However, there was a driver who introduced himself as Randy, and he ushered us to a Jeep in the parking lot. We drove through the small, quaint town of Red Lodge and up into the mountain pass. Almost an hour later, we arrived at the lodge that someone at the Council had decided was a safe place to stay.
There wasn’t one large building; instead, I counted ten different individual cabins nestled amongst the acreage. We had two cabins, obviously meant for Kain and me, but since he wasn’t here, the three of us decided on the larger one with two bedrooms. No one from the Council was here yet, so I tried to get some rest. It had been over twenty-four hours since I last slept and with everything that had happened, my body and my brain needed a break.
I didn’t hear it at first, but when the knocking on my door turned into pounding, I realized someone had been trying to wake me up. I rolled over to see that I’d slept for nearly six hours. Jumping out of bed in a state of shock, I ran to the door to see why they let me sleep so late.
“Caleb,” I said as I jerked open the door and saw his fist raised for another knock. “What’s going on? Why didn’t you wake me up?”
He looked down at me with a slight apologetic smile on his face. “You needed to rest and nothing was happening before.”
“Oh. Okay.” I shifted uncomfortably. My jeans and sweater twisted around my body because I hadn’t even bothered to change. I was sure my hair looked a mess and what little makeup I’d worn was now gone. “So why are you pounding on my door?”
He smiled again and tilted his head toward the little kitchen and living room area. “Master Forrester is here to see you.”
My heart fluttered a bit before I remembered I was kind of angry with Graham. He was hiding something and I needed to figure out what this secret was before we met with Lucian tonight. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”
I rushed into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. Splashing water on my face and hair, I tried to make myself somewhat presentable. After all, I was a clan leader and Graham was a Council member.
Five minutes later, I opened the door to see that our cabin was empty. Movement from the front window caught my attention and I noticed Graham pacing in the yard. Caleb had decided to wait on the porch, apparently watching over him. I slipped into my shoes and made my way outside.
The two men had not been speaking to each other and when I nodded to Caleb, he didn’t move. “It’s okay,” I assured him. “Graham and I just need to talk about a few things before tonight.”
Caleb looked around the property nervously; eyes darting from cabin to cabin and then to the forest surrounding the perimeter. “Where are the other members?”
“What?” I asked.
“The rest of the Council?”
Graham groaned. “I already told you, bloke that they’re on their way.” Graham looked at me and smiled slightly. “There was an emergency meeting about the attack at your house last night.”
I nodded my head in understanding, but Caleb kept pushing. “I don’t like it. Something doesn’t feel right.”
Although I was inclined to agree with him, Graham didn’t seem to pose that much of a threat. After all, he’d saved my life once already. I doubted he would do anything to purposely harm me now. “It’s all right Caleb.” When he looked at me again, I added, “I promise.”
I stepped off the porch and joined Graham’s side. “We need to talk.”
“Yes, we do,” he replied and then spoke to Caleb. “I’ll bring her back before the meeting.”
“You better,” Caleb grumbled while sending out a warning with his eyes.
We turned and walked away from the cabin toward the edge of the woods. “Where are we going?”
“Let’s just take a walk, okay?” I stopped in my tracks. Something about his tone sent shivers through my spine.
“What’s going on?”
He reached out to me and wrapped his arm around my lower back, effectively pulling me alongside of him. “I just don’t want an audience.” He jerked his head back at my cabin where Caleb and Gregory watched our retreat like two hawks. I still didn’t feel completely comfortable, but I knew Graham wouldn’t hurt me.
We stomped through patches of snow and wet ground and made our way down a path cleared for hikers. “Where’s the rest of the Council?” I asked in an accusatory tone.
He whipped his head to me and stopped walking. “I told you. They’re coming later. Don’t you believe me?”
“I’d like to,” I whispered.
“But?” he prodded.
“But you seem to be hiding something, so I’m a little suspicious right now.”
He turned his back to me and ran his hands through his short but messy hair. Something made a sound deep in the woods. Whether it a stick breaking or a limb falling, it caused both of us to jump. “Let’s go a little further,” Graham said and grabbed my hand to lead me along the path.
We walked quickly and quietly through the woods and not once did Graham stop touching me. My silence seemed to be bothering him, so I didn’t say a word. He’d break eventually.
We came across a small meadow flanked by boulders and pine trees. The ground made sucking noises under our feet where the permafrost had melted during the day. The cool, crisp air smelled like winter and the slight breeze ru
stled in the branches.
Graham dropped my hand and began to pace at the far end of the meadow. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for him to talk. Although we didn’t know each other very well, I could still tell I wasn’t going to like what he had to say.
Finally, he stopped walking and turned to face me. The pain in his eyes nearly made me break, but he needed to come clean on his own. He smiled.
“I wish I would’ve met you sooner.”
Okay. Not really the introduction I was expecting. “What?” I asked.
He sighed and moved closer to me. I heard my heart speed up as he reached down and picked up my hand in his. “I need to tell you some things and you’re not going to like them.” I swallowed. “But please just hear me out, okay?”
“Okay.” I really didn’t have a good feeling about this.
“Remember how I told you my parents sent me to Adele?” I nodded, recalling our conversation at Jeremiah’s. “Well, somehow Lucian found out about me and offered to train me.”
“You mean use you?”
He winced. “Perhaps. Adele wouldn’t let him visit with me and instead shipped me off to Jeremiah. He’d just been shunned, but she still considered him a better mentor than Lucian.” Not surprisingly, I agreed. “But when I left Jeremiah’s,” Graham continued, “Lucian contacted me.”
I felt a ball of dread begin to form in my stomach. The hair on my arms stood in anticipation. “Weren’t you already a part of the Council?”
“Not yet.” He stepped away from me and started to pace again. It made me nervous. “He got to me before I was appointed. I don’t think Adele ever knew.”
“What do you mean he got to you?”
Graham looked at me with his dark eyes and handsome face and shook his head. I suddenly felt like I was about to be introduced to a whole new person. “Eviana, the man really knows what he’s talking about. His ideas are…,” he flipped his hands in the air looking for the right word.
“Ludicrous?” I suggested.
“Brilliant.”
I nearly collapsed to the ground. “Graham, no,” I whispered. Please, not him.