“It was nice tonight guys,” I said, smiling easily.
“Yeah, it was… thanks to me,” James added.
I went over to him and punched him in the arm roughly.
“Ow. What was that for?” he asked, jokingly rubbing his arm.
“For being annoying,” I said.
“Has anyone told you that you hit hard for a girl?”
“Has anyone told you to not be annoying?” I asked back, instead of answering his question.
“Frequently,” he answered with roar of a laugh.
Everyone laughed and we kept on walking. Sam had his arm around me because it was cold and I was practically glued to his warm side. I was never going to leave him again, I thought to myself as I looked up at his beautiful face. Death couldn't even keep us apart, I'll make sure of it.
All of a sudden Elane stopped walking and she cut off talking, suddenly staring into thin air.
“Elane?” everyone asked.
I shuddered, and immediately searched around for danger.
We watched her vision come back into focus and her face looked horrified.
“Fredric, watch out!” she screamed, turning around with her hand out stretched towards him.
It happened very fast. Out of nowhere, someone came up from behind the unsuspecting Fredric who was slightly dawdling behind us all. They blindfolded him and dragged him into the bushes within three whole seconds.
“Fredric!” everyone yelled.
I went to go in after him but Sam caught me, and just in time too. Tommy walked out of the dark.
“James, no,” Elane warned, placing a hand on her brothers chest to keep him back.
I felt Sam push me behind his body and face Tommy, and whoever else was in the darkness behind him that we couldn't see. I saw Sams hand slide behind his back, and as he lifted up his jacket I could see a black gun handle at the top of his pants.
“It's an ambush. There is more than one,” she said, keeping her eyes glued to the darkness.
“Don't try anything, we have you surrounded and outnumbered, so I suggest you take your hand away from that gun Samuel,” Tommy said, somehow knowing Sam had a gun within his reach.
I saw Sam take the gun out of his pants, and without looking at me he put the gun in my hand, letting his arms fall beside him.
“Now here's the deal,” Tommy said, he still sounded as friendly as ever. “You give us Layla and we give you back your precious Fredric.”
“You've got to be kidding!” Hunter spat.
I had never seen him like this before so it scared me a little, but most of all I feared for Fredrics life.
I grasped the gun in my hand tightly, knowing Id never shot one before and it might be loud if it went off; loud enough to attract attention anyway.
“A being for a being. Were giving you a week to decide. By next Friday if you do not respond, we kill him,” Tommy said darkly.
“Don't you dare hurt him you arsehole!” I yelled, turning the gun on Tommy.
I couldn't stop the words before they bubbled to my lips.
“Oh, I like them feisty.” He smiled. “It is entirely your decision dear Layla. And if you were smart, you would put the gun down,” Tommy said, backing into the darkness.
When he was out of sight everyone was in staggered silence.
“No, no, no,” I said to myself, shaking my head and staring at the place Fredric disappeared.
I broke away from Sams hold and started heading towards where I saw them last, the gun in my hand by my side.
“Lays. Layla!” Sam shouted, running up behind me and picking me up so I couldn't walk any further.
“We can't just let them do this,” I said, on the brink of tears.
Sam walked backwards towards everyone else and put me down, facing me in distress as he eased the gun out of my hands.
“We will talk about it once we get home. There is nothing we can do now unless we all want to go with him,” he whispered fiercely and urgently in my ear.
He put his arms around me and pulled me closer, his warmth surrounding me. He kissed my head and started pulling me towards the Hummer swiftly, with the others breaking away and heading to their cars as well.
He unlocked the Hummer and lifted me in the drivers seat, giving me the keys and shutting the door behind me without a word. He had to drive Fredrics motorcycle home I figured, so I drove the Hummer illegally behind him with everyone on our tails. The darkness just whooshed by, I couldn't even tell if I was moving at times except for the quiet purr of the engine and the fact that I had to change gears. I knew if the cops would try to pull me over Sam would do something to catch their attention for me, so I wasn't worried about driving, I was worried about Fredric.
We finally arrived back at the Archer house and everyone drove into the court yard and got out, heading towards the house. We didn't have time to drive into the garage.
“We have to think of something,” Hunter said in distraught.
I knew he was upset so I went over and hugged him to keep him calm.
“They better not hurt him. But why didn't he try to stun them, it doesn't make sense,” I said to myself.
Sam, who was pacing the living room didnt stop, he just simply kept pacing and thinking.
“He probably did, but the being that got to him probably had something protecting him, because Fredrics first reaction would be to use his ability,” Jane explained to me thoroughly.
I nodded.
It was Fredrics life at stake here and I had to do something, it was my fault he was wherever he is now.
“Maybe the only thing for it is for me to go,” I suggested.
I never thought it was possible at this moment, but the whole room went quieter.
Sam had stopped pacing and was now facing me disapprovingly. “Don't be preposterous, we will just have to find some other way to get him back. I am not risking your life.”
“But how? We don't know anything. Where they're staying, how many of them there are. We are pretty much clueless,” Jane pointed out. “But they were monitoring us.”
We had been long back from the restaurant and had gotten changed. I had went home and told dad I was staying the night at the Archers and convinced him it was for a sleepover which was easy, but I saw it made him sad for me to go away. After that I promised myself that I would sleep at home all week, that would make him happy.
“Elane,” I said.
I got up and walked over to her. “Can you try to see?” I knew they could do it in movies and books, so why not in reality.
“Lays, I cannot. I only get them when something big is going to happen to me. I cant trigger it,” she whispered to me.
“Try to concentrate, to see what would happen if we were to find him. Surely you could see something,” I asked softly.
She was our only chance of finding him, and I believed in her.
She looked at me unsure but nodded while closing her eyes and starting to concentrate, breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly. I had my hands on her shoulders and I felt her go ridged after a minute, I knew that meant she got something. I felt her flinch and I flinched too.
“Elane, what is it?” I asked.
She opened her eyelids but her eyes were in the back of her head. She started shaking and that's when I started getting worried and scared.
“Sam, help,” I said, panicked.
She started falling off her feet and I caught her before she could fall, the only thing was, I was falling with her too. Everyone in the room rushed over and helped me to the ground gently before I could hit the ground. Her head was on my legs and her whole body was still shaking with her eyes rolled in the back of her head. It was like she was having an epileptic fit.
“Elane, come on,” I said nervously.
I was starting to feel even more scared when everyone was trying to call her back but nothing was happening. I watched her face nervously and her eye lids closed all of a sudden and she became still.
“Elane?”
everyone asked.
Her eyes fluttered open and I breathed out a sigh of relief as everyone else did.
“Thank heavens you are okay,” Jane said, and she had a hand over her chest.
“What did you see?” I asked, helping her sit up.
“He is on the reserve,” she said blankly.
“Well, what are we going to do?” James asked.
Nobody answered, but I had an idea. It might sound stupid but it may work.
“We take him back,” I said.
“That's not too bad,” James answered after a minute of silence. “Do we get to beat anyone up?”
“I don't know, but it might take some planning,” I answered.
“Its out of necessity and that is the best we have,” Sam said, coming out of his reverie.
“Peter and Summer come back in four days right?” Hunter asked.
“Yes, but we need to do this as soon as possible,” Jane said, her brow creasing as she thought.
“Tomorrow night,” I said determinedly. “We have to do this by ourselves, by the time we ask any other covens to help it will be too late.”
“Tomorrow night,” Sam agreed.
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
“I know exactly where he is, it should not be too hard,” Elane said, getting up and helping me up as well.
“We will dress in black so it is harder for them to spot us, and they better be there this time,” Jane exclaimed.
I was really starting to think Jane liked the colour black because every opportunity she had to wear black, she wouldn't miss it.
“We've got a lot of work to do tomorrow, so lets all hit the sack,” Hunter said. “Do you mind if I crash here tonight?”
“Not at all, you can take the guest room. I have a feeling Layla will not be using it,” Jane said slyly.
I smiled embarrassed and hid my face in Sams shoulder.
“Alright, let us get some sleep,” James said, before he disappeared.
It was so cool that he could run fast. I wondered if he ran around the world would he be exhausted then? Another mystery for another day I suppose.
“Lays,” Elane said, before Sam and I walked into the kitchen.
“Yeah?” I stopped walking.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?” she asked quietly.
I looked at Sam and he smiled gently. “I'll be in the kitchen,” he said, kissing my forehead.
He let go of my arm and continued to the kitchen while I faced Elane.
“What's up?” I asked, walking over to the couch and plopping down, waiting for her to sit with me.
She walked over and sat down next to me, her blonde and black hair was still up in a clip from dinner and her light blue eyes looked tired.
“Thank you,” she simply said.
“For what?”
“Well, I had never thought you could improve your sixth sense, and I have truthfully never tried. And now you have brought it up, and I tried to control it... well I've never done something like that before. So thank you so much.”
“No problem Elane,” I said with a smile.
“It is relatively late so I am going to retire to my bedroom,” she said, getting up.
I stood up too and hugged her goodnight, then she walked up the stairs and I headed to the kitchen.
Sam and I were the last to head upstairs. We had a warm cup of tea in the kitchen first and then finally decided to go upstairs. I got changed in his bathroom and jumped in his bed next to him, and I instantly fell asleep listening to the sound of his breathing.
****
I awoke in the gloomy morning and felt horrible. Sam wasn't awake yet so I slunk out of his hold and had a quick shower. When I re-entered the room he had not moved one inch, so I jumped up into the bed again and crawled closer to him. I leant my head down so I could whisper in his ear.
“My amator, time to wake up.”
He sat up straight away, his hair was awry but that didnt make him any less attractive. In fact it made him look more appealing.
He looked at me and smiled warmly. “Sleep well?”
“Yeah, you?” I asked.
“Perfect,” he said, hugging me.
“Let's go get something to eat,” I suggested, touching my nose to his.
“Alright, just let me go have a shower and I will meet you down there,” he said.
“Umm, I'll save you a seat.”
He smiled my favourite smile and leapt up out of bed agilely. I stood up on the bed and he waited for me to get down, holding his arms open for me to jump. He caught me when I did.
“Now get downstairs and have something to eat,” he said with a smile.
“Make me,” I said, quoting his words.
He kissed me softly and then pulled back. “Now.”
I rolled my eyes and he let go of me so I could walk out of the room.
“See you in five,” he called behind me.
“Yep.”
I walked through the upstairs living room, through the hallway and down the spiralling stairs.
“Hey James,” I said with a little wave.
James was sitting on the couch, remote in hand, and I knew without looking at the screen it was football.
Just to give James a taste of his own medicine, one day they should block the football channels on Austar and see how he reacts. It would be the end of the world for him, I thought evilly.
“Hey,” he called.
“How did you sleep?” I asked, plopping down on the couch next to him.
He turned towards me with a smile on his face. “One thing you should know Lays, I always sleep like a rock unless there's a fire,” he told me with a laugh.
I laughed too. “Okay, I'll remember that.”
He grinned widely and turned back to the football. We both sat there peacefully until James had to ruin it.
“Where's Sam?”
“Taking a shower.”
“Then why aren't you up there with him?” he asked, being a smart arse.
I punched him in the arm. “Shut up James.”
I got up and James was laughing. “I was just joking.”
“Yeah you always just joke,” I said, rolling my eyes and walking away.
I walked through to the kitchen and went over to Jane who had already cooked enough breakfast to feed us all twice over.
“Whoa, Jane,” I said, surprised.
She turned to see where I was looking and smiled slightly.
“We are going to need our strength for today,” she explained.
I sat down at the table and she placed a huge plate of food in front of me.
“Thank you Jane,” I said, smiling at her kindly.
She smiled back and turned her attention back to the oven. “James! Hunter! Sam! Elane!” she yelled out.
James came jogging into the room with Hunter, followed by Elane and Sam. They were all dressed in casual clothes today, but I knew it would all change by night fall.
Jane handed them all a plate full of food and they took a seat, and like Sam said, he sat next to me. Little things like that made my heart beat faster, it was very strange, I thought to myself.
Everyone hooked into their food and when we all finished we could hardly move so we all went and sat on the big couches in the living room.
“Should we send someone to monitor it first?” Elane asked.
I was sitting next to her and leaning against her arm.
Sam shook his head. “We do not have time for that, we have to practice techniques today, and when that comes to an end it will be time to get dressed and head off. Sending someone to scope it out just puts us behind and in danger.”
“So are you saying we have to do this blindly?” James asked.
I looked at his face and he seemed, for the first time in his life, he seemed worried.
“Yes,” Sam answered.
“It's the only way to get Fredric back,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck with one hand.
“I hope it
works,” Hunter said, worried as he rubbed his eyes.
We all looked at each other in doubt, but each of us tried to fight it off as best as we could.
“Let's get to work,” Hunter said, standing up strongly.
All the guys stood up tall and strong. Us three girls stood up fluidly, well Jane and Elane did, I'm not so sure about me, I think I stumbled just a bit.
We chucked jackets and jumpers on and walked out the back door. We thought it might have been better to practice outside just in case accidents happen. Soon we would have to do this in the dark and when all our lives depended on it, and truthfully, I was scared to death about it.
We were at it most of the day, practicing how to defend ourselves. Our main priority was to get in and get Fredric out as fast as we could, so in order to do that we had to practice again, and again. Hunter practiced his barriers, Jane practiced her fast changes, Sam practiced his reaction timing and Elane practiced her nature bending. Because they were on the reserve it would be good for her since she can control nature, and that would help us plenty. Me on the other hand, I practiced trying to take energy from a distance. I only did it lightly, but I was getting better at it every time and taking more and more energy. I practiced with Sam, so every time I took some of his energy from a distance I used it to break things with his ability. The easiest part of the whole day was practicing with the guns, which apparently I was a natural at.
“Alright everybody, this is good. We did well today, it should be enough to get us through the night,” Sam said, coming over to me and taking my hand.
We all headed inside, and I was nearly in the door when Sam stopped walking abruptly.
“Sam? Whats wrong?” I asked, concerned and wary.
I tried to make him look at me but he kept his stare on the ground.
“Sam, I know somethings wrong,” I said, facing him.
I reached my hand up to touch the side of his face and he looked at me, pain in his eyes.
“Please tell me,” I murmured.
“I don't think it is a good idea for you to come tonight,” he said slowly after a moment.
“What? No, you're not leaving me behind,” I said.
“I don't want you to be there, it is an open invitation for anybody to take you.”
The Hidden Revelations: First Light Page 36