The Silent Soldiers

by Travis Stinnett

into the camera system to keep a closer watch than what the cameras themselves pick up. We definitely don’t want Nhados in the mansion again or anywhere else on the property. Dakota, Matt, and I will patrol the perimeter. I will talk to Grandpa about helping out with patrolling,” I explained.

  I looked at Ava as she reached into her bag to pull out five of the spell orbs she had created.

  “What are those?” Jenna asked.

  “Well, I distributed the binding spell I made from Thados’ blood into five smaller ones. Each one of these should be more than powerful enough to bind Nhados’ powers. I made one for each of us. I think we should keep them with us at all times,” said Ava as she distributed the orbs to each of us.

  “That is definitely a great idea, especially until the protection spells are up,” I said. Ava dismissed herself from the group to find her mother. I told her to text us as soon as she found something out.

  “It’s going to be a long night,” said Matt.

  “I’m used to it,” Dakota said with a laugh as we all stood to go about the duties I had assigned. Jenna went to the security center with her dad while the rest of us headed for the elevator. Grandpa walked out as the doors opened.

  “I was just coming to look for you,” I told him. I gave Grandpa a quick rundown of our conversation and plans for the evening. He agreed that it was a great plan and pulled out his cell phone and made a call.

  “Every available member of the pack will be on patrol tonight. As soon as Ava and Rachel are done with the protection spells we can patrol in shifts,” Grandpa said after he was done with his phone call.

  “We will be on the first shift since Dakota will have to retire at dawn. Then we will go and get some rest to prepare for the next one,” I told Grandpa.

  “I’m going to take the next shift. Your grandmother and I have much to discuss so we will be in my suite if you need us,” said Grandpa as we headed for the elevator. Once we were outside Matt took to the sky in his dragon form. He could scan the fence line much better from the air. Dakota and I decided to patrol the perimeter. I shifted to my wolf form so I could utilize my sense of smell. Dakota didn’t say much as we walked around the property. This was mainly due to the fact that I couldn’t talk back to him while in wolf form. I could only talk to other shifters. We patrolled for several hours before Dakota received a text from Ava and he relayed the message to me.

  “Ava says they have the spells in place.”

  “Awesome. I am exhausted,” I said after shifting back to human form. Dakota said he would continue to patrol until dawn. I told him I would see him tonight after he rose. I shifted back to wolf form so I could tell Matt he was clear to go to bed for the evening. I also told Uncle Charles that the first shift could retire for the evening.

  When I finally made it to my room all I wanted to do was crash. I realized I hadn’t eaten all day so I ordered up some food and decided to take a shower while I waited for it to arrive. When I got out of the shower I was shocked to find Grandma sitting by the fireplace waiting for me.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked as I made my way over to sit in the chair across from her.

  “Luke, I need to tell you something very important,” she said. I really didn’t want to learn anymore news tonight whether it was good or bad, but I could see the concerned look on my grandmother’s face and knew it must be very important.

  “What is it Grandma? You know you can tell me anything,” I told her.

  “Well, I am sure your Grandpa has told you I have visions, right?” she asked.

  “Yes, he has. In fact, I inherited your gift of sight myself,” I said. Grandma’s facial expression showed much confusion and excitement all rolled together.

  “Are you serious? That is absolutely wonderful!” she exclaimed.

  “Is that what you came here to tell me at this time of night?” I asked a little too bitterly.

  “Of course not, Luke, I am just so pleased and shocked by this news,” she told me. “What I came here to share with you are the details of my latest vision,” Grandma said as I watched her begin to get very nervous about what she was going to tell me. Her hands fidgeted with a book I just now noticed she was holding. She couldn’t sit still in her seat.

  “Tell me, Grandma,” I said.

  “Luke, the vision I had, only hours ago, was about your parents. In my vision you were reunited with them,” she said.

  “How is that possible when they both died in the plane crash?” I asked after the butterflies in my stomach settled. Was there really a possibility that my parents were alive?

  “My theory is that they could possibly have staged their deaths to throw off Nhados,”

  “But how can that be? Their bodies were found at the site of the crash,” I said.

  “The bodies they found in the wreckage were not able to be identified. The number of bodies found corresponded with the number that left on that flight, but that doesn’t mean that your parents were ever even on that flight,” said Grandma.

  I was completely unable to wrap my mind around the possibility of my parents being alive in my current state of exhaustion. I ate most of my food while Grandma talked. Now I could barely hold my eyes open as I tried to comprehend what grandma was telling me.

  “Grandma, can we please talk about this again in the morning? It has been a heck of a long day. I am very tired. I need to get some rest now,” I told her.

  “Of course we can Luke. I will talk to you again in the morning. Good night,” she said as she stood and made her way out of my room. I went to bed as soon as she was out of the room. My mind was completely shutting down as I drifted off to sleep.

  When I woke up and looked at my phone to check the time I realized I had slept for nearly fourteen hours straight. It was almost eight pm. I made a sandwich with stuff from the fridge and grabbed a soda.

  I hadn’t noticed the stack of books on the floor beside my door before I went to sleep. I didn’t know if they were already there or if someone dropped them off while I was asleep. I couldn’t believe they brought them with everything that happened yesterday. I brought the books over to the bar to look through while I ate my sandwich. There were six books, and most of them were normal classes. There was a book for English, Biology, Math, and History. The only two books out of the ordinary was a Demonology book, and the sixth one was titled “Supernaturals and the Human Race,” by some name I couldn’t even begin to pronounce. The Demonology book was the same one I looked at in the library.

  I opened the Supernaturals book to the table of contents and started scanning the chapter titles. Most of the titles indicated they had to do with the laws that governed the different supernatural races. Not necessarily the race themselves, but their interaction and secrecy from the humans. I wondered how the supernatural community had been kept secret from humans for so many centuries. Maybe this class would shed some light on that mystery. I pushed the books aside and finished my sandwich just as a knock came at the door. Grandma stood in the doorway looking a hundred percent better than she had when I found her in the cave yesterday. It’s a wonder what a shower and a change of clothes will do for someone.

  “May I come in?” she asked with a warm smile.

  “Sure,” I replied. I stepped out of the way for her to come in and closed the door behind her. She headed for the sitting area and I followed her.

  “Have you thought anymore about what I told you last night?” Grandma asked.

  “A little bit,” I lied. It really hadn’t crossed my mind since I woke up.

  “If it’s true that they could still be alive, where would they have gone?” I asked.

  “Well, I’m not really sure,” she said.

  “Do you think they could have still gone to England?” I asked.

  “It is possible that they kept with their plans to go to your fathers’ home country, but I think they figured too many people knew where they were headed. I think they decided to go somewhere else,” she
said.

  “How would we ever find them?” I asked.

  “Well, I am going to contact your father’s family in England to see if anyone has heard from them over the years. It’s got to be the best place we can start looking,” she said.

  “Luke! What’s wrong? Are you ok?” I heard Grandma saying as everything went black. When the vision came into focus I had no idea where I was. By the looks of my surroundings I definitely was not in the South. I could tell instantly I was somewhere in the mountains. A light snow was falling all around me. I was running through the forest in wolf form. It felt great running free.

  “Luke!” I heard a woman’s voice say. I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around looking for the source of the voice.

  “Luke, I have waited so very long for this moment,” I heard the voice again.

  “Who’s there?” I asked as I continued to search the woods around me. Suddenly a wolf came into view in the distance. The wolf was more beautiful than any I had seen before with its light blonde colored coat, and brilliant blue eyes. The wolf stopped and stared into my eyes.

  “Come to me my son,” the woman’s voice said. Can it really be? I asked myself.

  “Mom?” I say as I continued to stare at the wolf.

  19

  The next thing I know I am staring up at Grandma.

  “Honey, are you ok?” She asked.

  “I’m fine,” I responded.

  “Tell me about your vision.” She helped me up and back to my