Within minutes her mom was stood staring into the dark form of the forest. Wearing a pair of shorts and one of Ben's tops she looked at the strange tribe and apologised for her disarray. Sylvia followed and then Nicky and Morgan, Ellie watched in silence as the tribe and Sandy slipped away shutting their doors to allow the strangers privacy. Claire smiled gently as she hugged their mom, sitting close to them Ellie heard the whispered 'I love you' and waited for the bombshell she instinctively knew would come.
"Please sit, I need to tell you all a few things." Ellie waited in the background as everyone sat while Luke made to leave.
"No Luke, please stay for Ellie." Claire continued before Ellie could send Luke away. "First of all, Beth you need to promise you won't be mad at Vlad, he saved my life and protected me when I needed him to."
Vlad looked down at the floor even when Beth decided to elbow him in the ribs for an explanation which he did not give, so she returned to face Claire.
"Six months ago, Vlad and Ben found me unconscious in an office in Dreams." As gasps rang out, Claire raised her hands for silence.
"Please listen, I don’t think I can say this more than once. Since I was little I have been able to feel what others feel, like you mom. But I thought that I was not as strong as you because I couldn’t deal with internalising those feelings, every time I had to absorb someone's negativity, I pushed it inside of me. Unlike you mom, I couldn’t manage the overwhelming emotions I took from others. As I got older I struggled to control it, until I found something that helped me."
Claire paused for breath; they were all waiting on tenterhooks except Ellie who knew what was coming next so she moved closer to May, and Vlad tightened his hold on Beth.
"I was introduced to heroin." This time Claire ignored the gasps in the same way that she ignored Beth's little cry. "For the first time I only felt the emotions I didn’t absorb them, and god it helped me."
May couldn’t help herself as the words tumbled out of her mouth. "You are wrong I would have known if you had been taking heroin."
A sad chuckle emanated from Claire. "Not if you are wearing a charm bracelet. I managed to hide it for months and months while it slowly ate away at me, changing me into a husk of who I used to be. Ben and Vlad found me at Dreams; thankfully Vlad got me to the Emergency Department where I was resuscitated. At first I was angry at them; I didn’t know what to do about the emotions that were starting to hit me as the drugs left my system. Not only that, I was ashamed and scared, Mom and Ben found me a rehab unit which is where I was until a couple of months ago. I went through detox which I would not have managed had Vlad not brought Ice to soothe me, and again for that I will never be able to thank Ice. I know Beth that you will be furious with Vlad, but I begged him to keep my dirty little secret which he did at great angst."
"I am angry at him but also at you and you." Beth had pointed at Ben and mom, but then focussed on Claire before saying, "but mostly you Claire. I knew something was wrong, and you hid it from us. You didn’t let us help you, and now I want to know why."
Beth was angry which was scary on any day, but during this pregnancy she had turned into a hormonal monster so Claire received both the angry words and the tears of sadness while Vlad tried to quieten her, until Claire interrupted.
"I was scared Beth, I didn’t want you to know that I had failed you, I didn’t want you to see what it had done to me, but mostly I was ashamed of myself. So ashamed of how weak I was, look at how well mom copes."
Ellie watched her mom move so that she was sitting in front of Claire. "My brave strong girl you are so much stronger than me, I wish you had spoken to me so I could have told you that our gifts are different. Claire I can feel people's emotions, but I can't absorb them, I feel them and nothing more. The gift you have is so much more than mine."
Her mom was crying and so was Claire. "Really?" When her mom nodded, Claire looked to Ben who also nodded. "It has never felt like a gift to me, only a curse."
Morgan was openly sobbing at Claire's anguish and pain, Beth had crawled over to hold Claire close. "I have never been ashamed of you and I never would be." Ellie was holding May close, but released her so that she could go to Claire.
"You are my sister; we don’t hide things from each other." Claire nodded at May's words only to laugh when May continued. "I need to run some tests to make sure there have been no long lasting effects." Typical May.
Sylvia coughed, and all turned to her where she was holding Leyland's hand. "You girls are my grandchildren, when will you learn that families stick together regardless, when we make a mistake we lift each other up, and we support each other through everything."
Nicky was watching Ben and Lucky. "At least I now know what was eating you two, we were all worried about you, dad even worried you were going to split."
"I did not Nicky." Leyland was indignant though he softened as he saw the pain of the secret his son had been keeping on Ben's face.
Ellie decided not to prolong it anymore. Stepping forward, Luke still had hold of her hand. "I don’t think Claire's finished." Short and to the point, her face held a frown even when Claire nodded her thanks, taking a deep breath Claire started speaking again.
"What I haven’t said is that I also dream things, normally horrible things including the death of Connor and James, only the dreams came on the night of the murders so never have I had the opportunity to stop it before it happens, until now. For three nights' I have dreamt of the forest though no particular event, it was as though it was calling to me so when Ellie said she was going to find Luke, I knew I needed to come with her even though Ellie tried to stop me."
She brushed her hair from her face. "When we stepped off the plane things seemed different for me, I wasn’t sure why at the time. But quickly I understood that although I could feel people's emotions I wasn’t syphoning them. As soon as we entered the forest my pain went, here I can control it. In here it is a gift, not a curse."
Ellie didn’t need to say anything Ben did it for her. "Don’t say it Claire, the answer is no this isn’t happening."
Claire didn't listen to Ben, she was focussed on mom. "Taru called me the Queen of the Forest which I am not convinced is true, but mom the animals come to me, I can feel what they feel and I can absorb that but for the first time it is my choice."
When Ellie saw the joy on Claire's face she let the tears fall, it was too late, and she knew in her heart that the course of Claire's life had changed, and it was her fault.
"Claire what are you saying?" Her mom's voice was tinged with anxiety.
"Mom, the drugs were only the tip of what was happening with me, there were other things, and I now know that I am not coming home. I need to stay here."
"But…But what about…..What about."
"What about what mom, I have no job, my friends are addicts and some are worse. My every waking moment is spent trying to manage the influx of emotions that hit me from the second I wake; to the moment I go to sleep. Please understand."
Ben was silent as was everyone else, their mom was crying as she stroked Claire's face. Ellie waited for her mom to handle this, to forbid it even though Claire was in her twenties. Every breath was halted before Lucky asked the inevitable question.
"But what about us, we need you, you need us, how can we care for you here. There isn’t even a phone." Not quite what Ellie wanted, but valid points all the same?
"Mom that is the joy of Beth marrying Vlad, he can pop in whenever he wants and I don’t need protecting, watch this." Within seconds monkeys dropped down to surround Claire, a snake slid under the wire perimeter pissing Ellie off, and a bird came to rest on her shoulder. One of the monkeys sat on her mom's knee who lovingly stroked it, and Ellie knew it was too late.
"Mom, I understand them. Before you ask Nicky, I am not Dr Dolittle, I understand them through their feelings. This is where I belong."
Ellie watched her mom nod, and she wanted to stomp her foot in protest. She saw Beth move to stand until bi
gger monkey used its long arm to keep her sat, while it blew a raspberry on her shirt right through to her round protruded stomach causing Beth to giggle. Ellie stomped off with Luke on her heels.
As she slammed her palm into a tree the pain relieved her turmoil. "I'm sorry Ellie; I didn’t know I truly didn’t." Luke knew how much she adored her sister, he also knew she needed to protect them; it was how she kept control of her emotions.
"I know you didn’t Luke, and I don’t blame you. I blame me, if I hadn’t had pried into her business I wouldn’t have known. If I hadn’t known, then she wouldn’t have met you and insisted she come here."
He pulled her into his arms placing her back against his chest. "You are being unfair to yourself, if she hadn’t had come here she would have spent years fighting this gift and losing the fight with potentially disastrous consequences. I hate to say it, but maybe this is where she should be. Maybe Claire should have the right to make her own life and her own mistakes."
Ellie relaxed in his arms and with a sigh made a decision. "Well, it looks as though I am moving to the forest."
He chuckled tickling her neck with his breath from where his head sat on her shoulder. "Can you honestly see yourself living here among the animals; the forest is constantly moving, the animals evolving, the heat, the food."
With another sigh she contemplated this, if she said no would she also lose Luke, what if he wanted to stay here, what if he didn’t want her to stay with him? Her insecurities plagued her, but her honesty prevailed. "No but sometimes we make sacrifices, don’t you want to stay here, after all this is your home."
"No El it isn’t, home has always been where mom was, then it was on the road and now whether you agree or not, it's where you are. I like it here, but it isn’t home, I want to be able to come back and explore only for short periods of time, a bit like a holiday. However, if you choose to stay then this will become home for both of us."
Amid all of this she felt hope blossom inside of her as her body tingled. "Really?"
He turned her to face him; she could see the seriousness on his face in the shimmer of moonlight. "Ellie I need you to understand something. I am going to marry you whether you like it or not, you are going to be by my side for a long time."
Her nature was to argue her independence and no matter how wonderful Luke made her feel, it was hard to let go of her control. "And what if I don’t agree?"
He kissed her hard. "I am persuasive and tenacious; if that doesn’t work I will wear you down and harass you until you say yes."
She let her head rest on his strong chest. "Mr Drakos, is that a proposal?"
"Hell no sweetheart, when I propose you will know, and I am waiting until I think Ben will approve which could take some time."
Now it was Ellie's turn to smile sweetly. "And when you get Bens approval I then expect you to get my fathers. He pops in occasionally when we need him. I don’t know what he will think about me marrying a stalking superstar."
She left Luke standing watching her as she skipped away with a little spring in her step. As she neared the voices of the tribe her spine tingled, and the birds started squawking again. She moved quickly to meet the others.
"Vlad take everyone back starting with Beth and ending with May. Don’t say anything May, just take everyone back Vlad." The others started gathering their weapons, her mom looked around searching for her own weapon.
"Don’t even think about it mom, this is my fight if I could get rid of Ben I would send him home as well. Danny, can you take the north with Theo, Imogen take Ben to the South, Luke y need to get inside."
"I am staying Ellie, Nicky stood together with Leyland with a determined look on his face."
Then take the west, but if you get hurt I will kill you myself." Although hundreds of years older than her, Nicky was as excited as a school boy at her agreement.
"Ellie what about the East? You need me to stand by your side so that it evens out the numbers."
"Luke I don’t have time to argue." She was thinking things through until a voice cut through them signalling that Vlad was back with reinforcements.
"Leave it to us Ellie." She hugged Ice and Shaun before they headed East. Sandy came out.
"I will go with them, he knows I am here, but he doesn’t know about Luke or any of you."
"Mom you need to get back in, he will not get to you, I promise."
"I know that sweetie." Sandy took Ellie to one side where Luke could see them whispering before Ellie returned with a grin.
"Luke you CANNOT shift when they get here. Leochan get the women and children out."
"No fierce one we will not run, and if we did the risks would be greater. We will stay but thank you for your kind thought." As Ellie listened to Leochan, an idea formed in her head which changed her previous instructions.
"Here is the plan, the others need to come back from their points, we act as though we are tourists and Sandy is here with idiots."
Luke went to protest until Ellie stopped him. "Luke, do what you do best and look pretty, charm them and when they get intimidating look scared, let's not play our hand too soon. You are the reason your mom is here, if they ask let them think that you have paid her huge sums of money to show you the Forest." The alarmed noises of the forest threatened to drown them out.
"Claire get inside, it seems that everyone in this damned Forest thinks you are the Messiah which will put a target on your head. Everyone keep your weapons close and your actions relaxed." The others had returned and were nodding in agreement, none questioned her orders.
Ellie was more than tooled up, and though those around her were anxious they didn’t have to wait long to see what was amiss. As she looked at her friends and family both new and old, the adrenaline was coursing through her now; this was her domain and where she came into her own. The only problem she could see was all the damn animals, even some sort of cat had slipped onto the roof of the hut where Claire was. She pulled open the door.
"Can't you get rid of them?" Opening the door worked as all but the cat slipped into the hut.
She knew when they were close, for all of the Other's among them stiffened at the new scent. Slowly a Jaguar slipped into the clearing, close to the undergrowth it moved stealthily, though she saw the animal she didn’t acknowledge it. They all continued to chat as she gripped her knife handle that was slipped under her sleeve. As Sandy stood to stretch placing herself in full view, to her left the Jaguar stepped into the clearing and shifted.
A tall man with long brown hair stood in cargo pants and no shirt, arrogance was written across his face as he took in Sandy's form. His eyes were the darkest brown almost black in colour, his chest was strong and lean, and his mouth had a grin that just screamed sinister and violent. Ellie could feel the presence of other Jaguars in the Forest watching them.
"I knew you would return to me Assandra." Sandy played the part of a scared woman well, her voice hitched as she answered while she wrung her hands in front of her.
"Elias, I thought you would have moved on by now." There was hope inflected in Sandy's tone something he did not miss.
The man stepped closer taking in Sandy with an appreciative glance as his eyes raked over her developed yet slim body. Ellie stepped a little closer to Sandy, quietly prepared to intercept.
"Why move on Assandra, this is MY Forest. I knew you would come back, and that you would beg for my forgiveness. So where is the bastard that you took with you?"
Sandy dropped her eyes to the floor and shuffled her feet. "I lost him; he drowned on our way from the forest. He never had to know what a bastard his father was and for that, I thank the gods. Elias, I never came back for you."
Ellie expected an anger from him that never came. "I may be a bastard, but when you beg my forgiveness I will remind you of your words. So tell me, why did you come back?"
With the ruse of shuffling her feet Sandy managed to step back a little giving her more safety, Ellie was impressed. "It is not easy living in the West
ern World; I was made an offer I couldn’t refuse."
Luke stepped forward coming to stand in front of his mom. "Luke Drakos sir, you have a delightful home. I am thinking of bringing my crew to film here."
Ellie was pissed, he had made himself the target by standing in front of Sandy, and she knew that he had planned this.
"Really, if that is so we need to meet, nothing happens here without my approval. I have to say Assandra that it was foolish to bring these lovely people here with no thought to their safety, which I could have guaranteed had I known they were coming, as it stands now there is no longer the option of a guarantee."
Ellie saw an opportunity to step in. "She didn’t make any assumptions, their safety is my job." Luke went to grab her, but she stepped forward quickly coming to stand close enough to his father to spit on the man should she choose to. When he laughed she was tempted to pull out her knife and finish the job, but she didn’t, this was Luke's fight and he needed to do this.
"A slip of a girl like you won't be enough here, although I see a sense of determination in you that I like. When I say I like, I mean that I would like to break that spirit."
Ellie smiled. "I don’t break easily so I suggest you leave."
Another man stepped up to stand beside him and another stepped from behind the fire, all were in human form but were certainly Jaguars and deferred to Luke's father in compliance as he continued talking. "Now here's the thing. You have something I want, and I will leave with when that is in my possession."
With a feigned look of clarity Ellie nodded. "I got you; let me go get you your possession."
She made her way round the fire pretending to look for something. Instead, she picked up a spear and threw it with all of the force she could muster, watching as it pierced the heart of the man next to Luke's father knowing that it would hit her target. The two men stood there staring at her in awe, none of them had been expecting her to take the offensive. Now she had taken out one of his men she would become the target to neutralise, and Ellie had known this.
Taming the Warrior Page 21
