“Son of a��� ” Steve groaned in pain.
Laney watched as blood soaked through Steve’s pant leg. Her mind was telling her to keep running but her body didn’t listen. She went and knelt down next to him.
Steve stared at her with a pain-filled expression.
Laney placed her hands on Steve’s leg near the injury. Using her healing ability she repaired the damage the bullet had caused. Her own leg began to throb as the pain was pulled from Steve into her.
Steve felt a tingling in his leg. When Laney removed her hands to grab her own leg, he rolled up his pant leg to look at the wound. The only evidence of the injury was the damp bloodstains on his leg. There was no bullet wound visible.
Ben came rushing over to them and grabbed Laney by the arm, yanking her to her feet. “Sorry boss. You jumped in my shot.”
“Ow!” Laney exclaimed as her own healing was taking longer than usual.
“Leave her alone, idiot.” Steve ordered.
“What?” Ben asked but released Laney, who fell to the ground holding her own leg.
Steve scooted next to Laney and raised her head. “Did you heal me?” he asked her.
Laney nodded as more tears streamed down her face.
Steve used his thumb to wipe away one of her tears and smiled. “What else can you do?” He did not give her a chance to answer. He stood testing his leg. It felt fine.
Ben stared questioningly at him.
Steve just smiled and picked Laney up into his arms, settling her on his hip.
Laney’s use of abilities and lack of food made her sleepy. “I want my daddy.” She said before resting her head on his shoulder.
“I’m your daddy now.” Steve said and walked back into the house. Laney had already drifted off to sleep in his arms. Steve ordered Ben and the other man to gather a few items from Laney’s room, then they were off.
Life as Laney knew it would never be the same. Over the next forty-five years she would live her life being used and abused until the day she made her escape.
7. How to Begin
Present Day
“I’m your Daddy now.”
Julie slowly woke from her dream hearing the name of the man who had taken her from the life she knew. Once she had escaped to the small Virginia town she now lived in; she changed her name from Laney to Julie. Her reasoning was so they would not find her.
She stretched in her nice warm bed as she recalled the events of the last few days. Sitting up, she looked around her room. The apartment was furnished but she had not been there long enough to add any personal touches. There was one personal item in the bed with her. “Gero,” she smiled and picked up the stuffed cat. Austin had won her the adorable plush toy at the carnival they attended. “I wonder how he is doing?” She asked aloud. Austin was the first friend she had made in town. They quickly became more than friends.
Austin recently found out his mom was really his step-mother. That on top of all the other revelations about just who and what they really were made her sick with worry about him. They both had been through a lot. Before she met Marcus at the hospital where she did volunteer work, she knew nothing about how she came about her special gifts. Her childhood had been a nightmare she wished to forget. “Okay, enough feeling sorry for myself.” She voiced and tossed back the covers. She got ready for the day.
After showering and changing into her clothes for the day she opened the refrigerator. She stared at the empty contents and sighed. “Guess I should get a paying job so I can get some food.” The money she took when she went on the run was taken back when the men found her. She made the money for them being forced to tell them lottery numbers, casino games and anything else with numbers. “Okay. This is what you wanted. Suck it up and get moving.” She told herself. Her stomach grumbled in protest. Ignoring the noise in her belly, she grabbed her hoodie and opened her apartment door. Her nose was instantly assaulted with a wonderful scent. Someone was making a delicious breakfast. She locked her apartment door and turned. She lived next door to Doctor Eli Elsworth. He became a close friend and confidant when she first moved to the area. He knew what she was and wanted to help her. He owns the apartment building and let her live in there rent free. She hoped to rectify that once she got a job that paid. Eli’s apartment door was open and Julie smiled. Eli was an Earthling and did not need to eat, yet the wonderful food smell that drifted about was emanating from his apartment. She knocked on the open door.
“Door’s open.” Eli called out.
Julie walked in and grinned at the sight that greeted her. Eli was wearing an apron and cooking breakfast. “I’m not sure what to ask first. Why are you cooking when you don’t need to eat or where did you get the apron?” Julie laughed.
“I promised your Uncle that I would make sure you ate. The apron… came with the new pots and pans I purchased.” He smiled at her. “Now come and eat.”
Julie felt her heart flutter when he smiled at her. Her mind drifted back to the clearing in the woods. Eli and his Earthling family had banded together to help rescue her and Austin from Luke, the evil man who had tracked her to Virginia. Eli was barefoot and shirtless and that was the image that flashed through her mind. She lowered her head and hoped her blush did not show. “Have you heard anything from Suron?” Suron was the eldest of the Earthlings who was upset with Eli for using the Earth’s forces to help in rescuing them.
“You needn’t worry yourself about Suron.” Eli placed a steaming plate of eggs and sausage in front of Julie.
She reached for his hand before he pulled it away from the plate. “I do worry. You should not be punished for trying to help me.”
Eli raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Eat.” He said, returning to the stove.
His lips left a tingling on her hand that she quickly put out of her mind as her stomach once again growled. She began to eat and relished every bite.
“So, what are your plans for today?” He asked.
After taking a sip of the orange juice he set down, she responded. “Well, before work I’m going to see if I can find a job that pays actual money. Then I’m going to the hospital to try and explain my absence.”
“I told them you had a sick relative, remember?”
“I know but that does not cover the questions they will ask. I hate lying. I want that part of my life to be over.”
Eli walked around the breakfast counter and placed his hand on her shoulder. “This is a new beginning. It will take some getting used to.”
Julie smiled up at him.
“If I’d known you were cooking, we would have been here sooner.” Marcus said.
Julie turned to see Marcus and Austin. Austin was staring angrily at Eli.
Marcus was an intern at the hospital and was the first person to tell her about what she was. He and Austin were both Blends. Austin only became aware of his origin recently.
“Why are you guys here?” Julie asked. It wasn’t that she was unhappy to see them; she just wanted to get a lot accomplished.
“That’s the thanks I get for wanting to feed your���” Marcus began to say.
“Marcus, it’s fine. Jules, I just wanted to make sure you got something to eat.” Austin interrupted.
“I made sure she did.” Eli said.
Julie stood and faced all three men. “Okay, here’s the deal. Eli, thank you for the food. Marcus, no thank you. Austin…” She paused. “I’m going to be okay… and you are too. I just need time. I need to take care of myself. Now, I’m going to leave you all here… with your testosterone.” She left the apartment.
Marcus was the only one to chuckle. “So Doc… you get oven mitts to match the apron?”
Silence permeated the air as Austin and Eli continued the stare down.
Marcus shrugged. “Since she’s obviously not going to finish this…” Marcus reached for a sausage link on the plate. Eli moved it out of his reach.
“Leave.” Eli ordered.
Marcus grinned lopsidedly be
fore turning to leave. “Come on.” He placed a hand on Austin’s shoulder. The boy stared at Eli for another moment before turning to leave with Marcus.
Eli sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He had not meant to be so rude. “Why am I having so much trouble controlling my emotions?” He wondered aloud. He rubbed a hand down his face. “Work, that’s what I need.” He cleaned up and left for work.
Marcus drove with Austin to the hospital. “I’m just going to eat here.”
“Can I use your car?” Austin asked. “I want to go see my mom… step-mom. Uncle Gordi said he called her.”
“Yeah, sure. You wreck it, you bought it. I’ll call you when I need to be picked up.”
They both exited the car. Marcus handed Austin the keys. “Don’t make me regret this.” Marcus closed the door after Austin got behind the wheel. He leaned in the open window. “Good luck with your mom.”
“Step-mom.”
Marcus pursed his lips but said nothing. Tapping the car he turned and walked into the hospital.
Austin drove for about a mile and a half toward town when he saw Julie walking on the side of the road. He pulled over a few feet in front of her. “Need a ride?” He asked as he exited the car.
“Marcus let you drive his car?”
“Surprisingly, yes.” He smiled.
Julie’s heart skipped a beat at the sunshine that radiated from Austin’s smile straight to her heart. She tried not to let it sway her from her desire to be independent and take things slower with him. Averting her eyes from his smile, she began walking again. Austin stepped in front of her.
“Julie. Please… don’t shut me out. I thought…. we were going to deal with this together. I need you.” He placed his hands on her arms.
“Austin. We are… going to deal with this. I just need some time. I want to get both my feet planted on the ground. This is my first chance to be on my own.”
“We can be on our own together.”
They looked at each other then laughed.
“Okay, maybe that did not make sense but you know what I mean.”
Julie laughed along with him. She understood what he meant but decided to change the subject. “So, where are you off to?”
“I talked to Uncle Gordi last night. He said he called my step-mom to let her know I was okay.”
Julie picked up on his new term for his mother. “You’re going to see her?”
“Yeah. He told me she is not aware of the whole Blend thing. I just want to know why I was lied to, you know?”
“What about your Dad?”
Austin leaned back against the car. “He’s in France. I haven’t seen him in over three years. He calls once in a while. I’m sure Uncle Gordi called him. Ball’s in his court.”
“Don’t be too hard on them, Austin. We both have a lot of adjustments to make but I think it is important for you to not forget the fact that they are your family. I don’t…” She was going to say that she had no family but bit her tongue instead.
Austin reached for her and pulled her to him.
“We need each other.” He said, brushing her hair back.
Looking into his eyes, she felt the familiar sensation. When his lips touched hers, her knees grew weak. The kiss reminded her of the first one they shared in the park. She wanted to lose herself in it, but found the strength to pull back. “Austin.” She breathed, resting her forehead on his.
“I know, I know. Miss Independent.”
Julie smiled.
“Are you too independent to accept a ride into town?”
As Julie squinted her eyes in thought, a loud clap of thunder vibrated through the air. Looking up into the sky she saw dark storm clouds. “Where did they come from?” As if in answer to her question, a lightning bolt struck the ground near them. “Oh crap!”
“C’mon!” Austin grabbed her hand and got Julie safely in the car. He had just made it into the driver’s seat when the sky opened up and released a pounding rain.
“Oh my gosh. What is it with the weather around here?” Julie exclaimed.
“We almost got soaked… again.” Austin laughed.
Julie smiled at the memory of them getting soaking wet during a previous storm.
“So where can I take you?”
“I want to try and find work in town. I need a job that pays.”
“Why don’t you just use your Numera?”
“Austin… that is not okay. We can’t just go around using our abilities to benefit ourselves.”
“Why not?”
“You are not seriously asking me this. If all the Blends went around using the Numera to get rich, it would be like cheating. It’s just not right.”
“Jules, we’re the only two other Numeras. Uncle Gordi told me it is very rare. He is one, and was surprised when he found out I could see numbers too.”
Julie contemplated the fact that only her, Austin and Uncle G could see numbers. “Did he say it was okay to use it for financial gain?”
“Well, no. Not exactly, but why not? Marcus said���”
“Stop right there. Please tell me you are not going to take advice from him.”
When Marcus had explained some of the abilities to Julie, he took his explanation of the Lure a bit too far.
“He’s not that bad. You should cut him some slack.” Austin suggested.
Julie wanted to respond but did not trust herself to be civil. ���So can we get going? I don’t have a lot of time before work.���
���Sure.��� Austin said and put the car into gear. It only took a few minutes to get to town. ���Is there any place in particular you want to go?���
They drove past the General Francis Marion Hotel. ���Any place but there. Too many bad memories.��� She said. It was there that one of the desk clerks was found murdered while she was staying there. Doctor Elsworth had drove her home one night only to find the nosy clerk snooping around her room. He was murdered later that night. Julie realized afterward that he was murdered by a man named Fred who was working with Luke to find her.
���I have some pretty good memories with you there.��� Austin reminded her.
She looked at him and smiled shyly. There had been some very special moments she shared there with Austin. ���The rain stopped.��� She commented, clearing her throat. She changed the subject. ���Just pull over anywhere.���
Austin pulled over. ���Good luck with your job search. Stop by the Laundromat when you are done. If I’m free, I’ll drive you to the hospital.���
���Thank you. Go easy on your mom, okay? Listen to her side with an open mind.���
Austin did not correct her noun of choice. He simply nodded then asked, ���Can I get a good luck kiss?���
Julie gave a quick nod and leaned closer to him. Their lips met in a gentle kiss that left Julie feeling lightheaded.
���You okay?��� He whispered gently in her ear.
���Yes… I think.��� She said, exhaling deeply. She sat back in her seat. ���The air just felt heavy.��� She paused and looked at him. ���Did you just use Lure?���
Austin smiled. ���I might have. I just wanted to test it out, Marcus told me all the cool things you can do with it and ������
���Austin, no! Using the Lure that way is wrong. You are taking away a person’s control… their will to choose.���
���You used it on Luke, I felt it. How do I know you didn’t use it on me when we met?���
Julie was stunned into silence. She had used the Lure on Luke to get him distracted so he would not go after Eli. She never used it on Austin, at least not intentionally. She knew nothing of the ability until Marcus told her about it. He said her Lure was strong and taught her how to rein it in. She’d had no knowledge of it when she met Austin. ���I… I don’t know.��� Julie said, staring straight ahead as she contemplated the possibility.
�
��Julie… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insinuate that. I’m still trying to process everything.���
Julie knew Austin was talking but could not focus on his words.
���Jules.��� He said, placing an hand on her shoulder.
She looked at him; at his dirty blond hair, slightly spiked on top, and at his beautiful blue eyes, and sighed. ���I don’t know if I did, Austin. If so, it wasn’t intentional. I feel like I messed up your life.���
Austin had not shown any Blend abilities until after their relationship became intimate. She blamed herself.
���You didn’t mess up my life, Jules. The abilities would have surfaced eventually. You can’t blame yourself.
���I’m going to go.��� She said and opened the car door.
���Don’t… don’t leave like this.���
���We’ll talk… later.��� She said and exited the car before he could try and stop her. Julie did not look back and was glad that he did not get out to follow her. She walked for a few blocks before sitting down on a bench with her thoughts.
���Julie… right?���
A young woman had stopped in front of her and asked her the question. Julie thought the woman looked familiar. She had short blonde hair and was dressed in a business suit.
���I’m Cindy. I was your waitress at the cafe. You were there with Austin.��� She added when it looked like Julie didn’t remember.
Julie smiled, ���Of course, Cindy. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.���
���Must be the new clothes.��� Cindy said, posing slightly and laughing. ���I got a new job. I’m working in an office off of Elm Street.���
���I’m job hunting myself.���
���They may still be hiring at my place. How fast can you type?���
���Type?��� Julie asked. ���I never really learned. How fast do you have to be?
Earth Blend Page 5
