The Gathering
Page 27
Evan was staring down into another version of his brother’s face. Same eyes. Same nose. Same warm brown skin. And not only was he was breathing, he was also trying to get his fist into his mouth.
When he turned to face them, tears were rolling down his face.
“He is alive and unharmed. Suwanee saved them. She sacrificed her life to save them!” His voice was shaking as he held the baby close. “How am I going to live without her? How am I going to raise them alone?”
Tyhen hugged her brother as Yuma put an arm across his shoulder. They looked at the matching babies in awe and in disbelief. How can something so rare and beautiful come from such a tragedy such as this?
Tyhen was doing everything not to break down and sob. Her thoughts were nothing but anger and confusion.
First Adam and now this? What were the Old Ones doing, putting him through such a loss?
Then she focused her thoughts. Her brother needed her. He needed Yuma.
“Look at us, Evan. We are your family. As long as you have us, you are never alone.”
He lifted his head, first looking at the naked baby Yuma was holding, then knelt with the child he’d just found and unwrapped the shift.
“Give him to me,” Evan said.
Yuma put the baby in his hands and in turn, Evan laid him back down beside his brother. Almost instantly their bodies curled into one another. They knew it was how they had lived in their mother’s belly, curled up in each other’s arms.
Evan’s heart was breaking as he wrapped them up and then stood with them close against his chest.
“I need to go home,” he said, and started walking down the path.
“Walk with him,” Tyhen said. “I’m going to get Suwanee.”
“What are you going to do with her?” he asked.
“I am going to take her home, too. There is a place to bury her behind their cabin. In time, he will need someone to talk to and it should be her.”
Yuma nodded and then ran to catch up as Tyhen flew straight up and then down the path ahead of them.
***
Tyhen’s hands were trembling and she was crying as she worked, removing the afterbirth and most of the blood from Suwanee’s body with handfuls of leaves. Finally, she picked the body up in her arms. It was evident how tiny she had been, but how she died had been proof of what a mighty spirit she had within her. Then Tyhen took to the sky with the body against her chest and flew down toward the village.
The sun was about to set and the shadows were moving across the trees and rooftops, and across the lodges standing tall. Smoke was spiraling up through smoke holes. The news of her death had yet to be told.
She circled the cabin and then came down in front of the porch.
Lola saw her and saw the body she was carrying and let out a heartfelt wail as she came running.
Tyhen’s heart was breaking and the story of Suwanee’s death had yet to be told, but at this moment, she knew she’d finally learned life’s first real truth.
The saddest part of life will never be about you, but about someone else’s death.
The End
Excerpt
Please enjoy an excerpt of
THE HERITAGE
Book 4 of The Prophecy Series
Adam came through the portal in a blinding flash of light, unaware that every moment of it happening had just been caught on tape. He had the spinning cube in one hand, the pocket knife and backpack in the other, and only seconds to assess his surroundings before he darted off into the shadows of a city.
He didn’t know where he was or what daylight would bring, but he needed different clothes and a place to hide, and to find them he turned on every psychic trait he possessed.
He found the clothing first, folded in the backseat of a truck. It had been so long since he’d seen a vehicle of any kind he’d almost forgotten what to call it.
The pants were made of what was called denim. That much he remembered, and the sleeves in the shirt were too short. He rolled them up and then tossed the clothing he’d worn into the truck, telling himself he hadn’t really stolen anything. It was just a trade.
The air was warm—the night dark save for the street lights at every corner. Unless things had drastically changed he was going to need money, too, but first things, first.
What he needed now was a safe place to hide.
The Prophecy Series