Daylight, a Timeless Series Novel

by Lisa L Wiedmeier

  “Yeah, just looking for some ice packs,” I replied.

  “Let me help you.” He jumped beside me and grabbed some plastic bags from the counter. He moved again, landing before the freezer, and filled them with ice. He landed beside me. “Here.”

  “Thanks.” I pressed the ice packs around my wrist.

  “It’ll be better by tomorrow.”

  I nodded, knowing tomorrow was when we’d leave the estate. I had faith in my powers, but my fighting tactics, well, they didn’t come naturally. Fighting a human, hands down I’d be fine, but another Timeless with cloaking abilities…that was completely different. Everything I thought I knew flew out the window, and only having two and a half days to prepare didn’t help either.

  “We’re both strong enough,” Daniel reassured me, as if he could hear my thoughts.

  “I’m not worried about my strength, Daniel.”

  “Nakari and I will be there. We’re faster than them.”

  I sighed. “I know we have to work together as a team, and although I’m stronger now, I’m still the weakest link.”

  “Chey.” Daniel touched my shoulder. “You’re not the weakest link.”

  “But my powers aren’t fully stable, and I’ve never encountered a Cloaker before.”

  “That’s why we’ll be there,” Koda answered entering the kitchen. He stopped beside Daniel. “You’ve got more abilities than you realize.”

  “I just hope the risk we’re taking is worth it.” Even I was having doubts about leaving the estate. What if this was all just a trap? But I had to know if Colt was alive. If we didn’t do this, I’d have even more regrets than before. I had to be brave and believe in my protectors.

  I forced a smile.

  “Come on,” Daniel said and tugged on my arm. “It’s been a while since we’ve played poker. It’ll help take your mind off things.”

  I paced the floor in the main library, glancing out the window. The sky was darkening by the moment, both because of the rainclouds and the approaching night. I swallowed. We would be leaving within the hour to travel to a town about thirty miles away. Callon wanted to stay away from villages and any smaller towns, believing a larger community would provide more safety, more human eyes watching. However, there was still a dense forest we had to pass through. That was going to be the most dangerous part of the trip, particularly on the drive back, and particularly with the storm rolling in.

  I heard voices in the hall, and then Andre appeared, and tilted her head at me.

  “You’re a bit green, Cheyenne,” she said.

  I raised a brow. “Well, that’s a nice thing to say.”

  “Your aura that is.”

  I continued with my pacing, waiting for her to tell me all about it.

  “You’re worried, but trying to remain calm.”

  I tapped my nose. I didn’t need Andre to tell me how I was feeling right now. I was a bundle of nerves.

  “Maes won’t let me come with you.”

  “I heard.” I paused and faced her.

  She fiddled with her fingers. She was worried too.

  “I think I’ll hide in the back of the car. I don’t need a dog telling me what to do.”

  “He’s bossy.”

  Andre smiled faintly and rolled her eyes. “Slightly.”

  A dark shadow moved behind her, and she shrugged. She stepped away, but not before she and Maes exchanged glances. It wasn’t her typical glance laced with sarcasm; this was woven with emotions she’d rather not share.

  “Andre,” Maes’s grumbled. He too was hiding things.

  “Are we ready?” I asked.

  “It’s time,” Maes informed me with a curt nod.

  Grabbing my jacket from the chair, I followed Maes to the hall. Koda was waiting there, holding his cloak. For anyone else, the cloak wouldn’t have worked, but because of my powers, it did. Lilly had even altered the length so I wouldn’t trip over it.

  Memories of the last time I’d worn it crept forward, but I shut them out. I needed to do this. I wrapped the fabric around my shoulders, but kept my head uncovered for the moment. Koda stepped out the front door, and I followed. Three black Range Rovers with tinted windows were waiting on the gravel drive. I glanced around. Why did we need three? Only eight of us were going.

  “One’s a decoy,” Koda said. “The Campbell’s are driving out before us.”

  I nodded and watched the first depart.

  “Cheyenne!” Lilly called out, rushing down the front steps. She didn’t bother to hide her anxiety as she hugged me.

  “You need to be careful, do you understand?” Her voice trembled. “I need you to come back, and in one piece. All of you.”

  “I will, Lilly, I promise,” I replied.

  She kissed my cheek and drew back. Dex joined her, and he patted my shoulder.

  “We love you, Cheyenne,” he said. “Be safe.”

  “Love you too.”

  “Cheyenne!” Maes barked, nodding towards the second Range Rover. He opened the rear door, and I crawled in. Callon was already waiting inside. Daniel slid in beside me and Brogan took the driver’s seat. Maes moved into the passenger side. I turned to see Nakari, Skylar and Koda get in the second Range Rover. Koda was our one-way radio link to the second vehicle.

  Maes turned. “Wrap up and buckle in, Cheyenne.”

  I nodded and slipped Koda’s cloak hood over my head. Now I’d be invisible. I quickly buckled my seatbelt. Moments later we were driving down the long gravel drive.

  Callon kept his gaze forward, just like the rest. Our shoulders touched, but that was about all the contact we could risk. He had to pretend I wasn’t here.

  A tingling sensation ran over my skin as we passed the estate’s main gates. I jerked slightly as the heavy raindrops began to fall. The storm had broken again.

  The drive was quiet, but I couldn’t stop glancing through the windows. We were out in the open, exposed, vulnerable. I could only hope the cloak would fool them. Without me, the Trackers and Tresez had no reason to pay attention. Still, if we took too long, they’d get suspicious. We needed to hurry.

  “Breathe, Cheyenne,” Maes said. “You’re ready for this.”

  I pressed my eyes closed for a moment and inhaled. I swear at times that dog could read my mind. Calm, I needed to remain calm and aware of my surroundings. I returned to watching the landscape, searching for hidden dangers.

  Rolling green hills dotted with low-lying rock walls and open pastures with farmhouses lay around us. Those walls could easily hide a Tresez in this ever-darkening rainstorm…or worst yet, Cloakers.

  Several villages blurred past, their houses nestled tightly together. I shifted in my seat, trying to push down the nausea. I was working myself up too much. I took a few cleansing breaths.

  “It’s going to be okay, Chey,” Daniel whispered. I could tell he wanted so much to touch my hand, to reassure me, but he couldn’t. I wasn’t supposed to be here. Despite the risk, I softly brushed my hand against his.

  Finally the gloomy darkness of the forest appeared. The atmosphere in the jeep changed dramatically. Maes sat forward, while Brogan gripped the wheel tighter. Callon and Daniel had practically stopped breathing, alert for the smallest hint of trouble.

  Within moments, we were completely covered in shadows. I didn’t need to look at the speedometer to know Brogan had increased his speed. The headlights from the second Range Rover no longer lit the interior of our car; they were literally riding our bumper.

  Maes spread his arms, one resting on the dash, the other on Brogan’s seat. He was bracing for something when his head whipped to the left. He stared out past Callon’s shoulder.

  “Did you see anything, Maes?” Brogan snapped.

  “Just a dog.”

  Brogan nodded, but Maes kept his eyes glued to the landscape for a while longer.

  A bend in the narrow road was coming up. We came upon it, and a moment later an open patch of rolling hills appeared. The ruins of a moss-covered cas
tle stood stoic in the downpour.

  I stared at it longingly. This was about as much sightseeing as I’d ever get while in Ireland. What I wouldn’t have given to be able to stop and view the ancient walls, to run my fingers over the old stones and dream about who had once lived there. Could it have been a Timeless like us, or perhaps a wealthy family that had lands and livestock?

  “It won’t be long now,” Callon said, his gaze still locked on the trees. “Another five minutes, and we’ll be out of the forest.”

  I nodded even though no one could see me. Almost exactly to the minute, the trees vanished and more rolling hills surrounded us. The hills turned to small cottages, at first spread out, but quickly gathering together as we neared the city. We were almost there.

  The car began to slow and as we circled a roundabout, brightly colored buildings came into view, along with the city’s name, Killarney. Even in the gloom, the cheeriness of yellows, reds and greens were hard to ignore. The buildings were compacted in rows, each linked to the next the entire length of the street. People milled about regardless of the weather; it was a Saturday after all.

  We passed through several roundabouts when Brogan turned left and we stopped, parking in a larger lot. Koda parked beside us.

  “Stay here,” Maes said. He left the Range Rover.

  I watched through the tinted glass while he ensured the area was secure. I glanced at the dashboard and saw it was now four o’clock. With the wave of his hand, we too exited the vehicles. I made sure Koda’s cloak hood was over my head.

  Callon pressed close, his chest brushing my back, while Daniel stepped beside me, holding an umbrella. Callon had barely spoken a word since we’d left, not that he needed to. The tension in his face told me everything I needed to know.

  The sidewalk began to swell with weekend shoppers, and the sight of other people was comforting. At least we blended in.

  We began walking. Daniel and Callon walked side by side, and I kept just a step behind them. I caught glimpses of the colorful shops, and the smell of fresh bread. The scent of spices and meat grilling caused my stomach to grumble, regardless of the fact I didn’t need to eat. What I wouldn’t do for a caramel frappe along with a blueberry scone. My mouth began to water at the thought, but that would have to wait for another time.

  We followed Brogan, winding our way down a few alleys before we stopped at a rundown brick building near the edge of town.

  Brogan slid a huge metal door to the side and ushered us in. Any light in the dreary building vanished when the door closed.

  “Wait here,” Brogan said. He disappeared into the darkness.

  The sound of electricity crackled, and a dim light in the far corner of the warehouse appeared. Brogan waved us on, standing at the base of a staircase that led to a metal walkway.

  I pulled down my hood and looked around. The stench of must and oil hung in the air. Dusty old machinery lay in the corners, and a broken-down delivery truck had its hood open. It must’ve been an abandoned garage or something.

  The clanking of heavy footsteps echoed off the walls, and I looked up. Two figures were standing on the walkway, peering over the rail towards us.

  “Glad you could make it,” one said—a woman with a soft voice.

  Tre and Jayna were here.

  Chapter 14

  We climbed the metal walkway. My shoe caught in Koda’s invisibility cloak, pulling out part of the hem Lilly had made. Callon grasped my elbow.

  “Careful,” he admonished.

  I nodded, too anxious to speak. This was it. We were about to find out if Colt was alive.

  “Tre, Jayna,” Brogan greeted them. He gestured to me. “This is Cheyenne.”

  I stepped closer and pulled my hand out of the cloak.

  “Nice to meet you,” I replied, shaking their hands. The twins smiled in response.

  “The honor is ours,” the man—Tre—said. “We only hope we can be of some help to you.”

  I couldn’t help but see a resemblance in him to Quinn. In fact, both he and Jayna were of smaller stature, and had darker skin with black hair. Something about the shape of their face, the curve of the lips, too; they had to be related.

  “We need to get started,” Maes ordered. “I don’t like what I’m feeling around here.”

  Brogan moved back. Tre and Jayna stepped forward, placing themselves between me and Callon.

  “Did they tell you how this was going to work?” Jayna asked.

  “Sort of,” I replied. “From what I understand, it’s like a camera?”

  “It’s based off memories, Cheyenne,” Tre answered. “Jayna and I made a trip to Marcus’s compound because we had to have a visual link to the place. What you’re going to provide is a link to the person.”

  “Marcus,” I said. “So what we’re going to see isn’t what’s happening now?”

  “No, it will be a memory, Marcus’s memory,” Tre replied. “But it will be a recent one, so it should give us useful information.”

  “We’re going to need to hold your hands and borrow your powers,” Jayna explained. “It’s going to feel a bit uncomfortable once we lock on a memory, but I promise the feeling will ease within a few moments.”

  “Okay.”

  “We’re then going to filter through both your memories to allow the connection with Marcus and Colt. Some of them may be duplicates because we can’t have a connection to both at the same time. We’ll start with Marcus first, then switch to Colt.”

  Tre and Jayna extended their hands, and I clasped them. Callon did the same. I couldn’t read his expression.

  “You need to close your eyes, Cheyenne, and think of Marcus. I know this is going to be hard, but if you can produced a happier memory, that will make the process faster,” Tre said.

  I frowned. Any memory of Marcus was laced with anger and hatred.

  “You can do this, Chey,” Daniel whispered.

  I closed my eyes, trying to bring forth a happy memory. Almost instantly, I felt the wind. I was surrounded by trees, which were shaking from the force of the hurricane. I was on the hillside standing over Colt’s body. Red-hot rage filled my veins, giving life to the crimson-eyed beast. I’d destroy them all!

  “Cheyenne!” Callon screamed.

  My eyes shot open, and I gasped. Callon squeezed my fingers.

  “Cheyenne,” he said again, but this time softly. “I know this is hard. I know where your mind wants to take you, but you have to think of something else. Try and focus in on how you met him. You didn’t know who he was then. Before he…” He trailed off.

  I exhaled, trying to clear my mind from the rage. Instead I focused on a time I’d seen him in a softer light. When I’d spent time with Matt.

  “Cheyenne?” A hand touched the back of my head. “Are you feeling okay?”

  I groggily lifted my head to see steel gray eyes staring at me in concern.

  “Dinner’s ready, but if you don’t feel good…”

  I sat up straight and realized I must have fallen asleep. “No, I—I’m fine.” I forced a smile and stood up. Matt watched me closely.

  I gritted my teeth, my anger stirring again. He’d been nothing but a lying cheat. He was never a friend. No! I snapped to myself. He was Matt then, a concerned neighbor. Nothing more.

  “Is the kitchen table okay?” he asked.

  I nodded and headed for the kitchen. He pulled out the chair for me. “Thanks.” I sat and watched as he moved to the chair beside me. Sighing, I dropped the napkin in my lap and raised my brows at the full plate of pasta before me. “Wow, this looks great, Matt.”

  A smug smile spread over his face. “Thanks. Now dig in.”

  I rolled my fork with pasta and blew on the sauce to cool it down. The taste that touched my tongue was simply amazing. “Matt, this is fantastic!” I quickly shoved another bite in.

  “It’s an old family recipe.”

  “Don’t ever lose it!” I smiled, meaning it for the first time in a long while.

  We
finished dinner, and I was once again shooed off into the great room as Matt cleaned up. I stared out the windows, watching the rain tumble to the ground. I hadn’t realized truly how much I missed my trio until now.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Matt asked as he sat across from me in the chair.

  I looked down and fiddled with my Servak ring. It had actually been nice having company around. But my thoughts were private, and the thoughts about what happened earlier were off limits. “It’s not worth the penny,” I replied.

  He sighed. “I worry about you, Cheyenne. One so young shouldn’t have to bear whatever burden you’ve chosen to bear.”

  “I didn’t choose it. It chose me.”

  “I’m a good listener, you know.”

  I looked up and met his open face. “I’m sure you are, but I’m a lousy talker.”

  He remained silent for a few moments.

  “What’s your favorite color?”

  I tilted my head. “Huh?”

  “What’s your favorite color?” he asked again and took a sip of his wine.

  I shrugged, as I had no idea where he was going with this. “Blue.”

  “Favorite time of year?”

  “Fall.” It seemed simple enough to give one-word answers.

  “Song?”

  “I don’t have just one.”

  “Fair enough.” He nodded. “Okay, favorite instrument?”

  I shook my head. He should know that. “Guitar.”

  He smiled. “All right, favorite food?”

  “Mexican.”

  “Favorite outdoor activity?”

  I grinned, knowing he expected me to say hiking. “Horseback riding.”

  “Really? It so happens I own some of the finest stallions in Canada.”

  Suddenly an excruciating pain ran up my neck and into my head. My legs swayed, wanting to give way, but I didn’t fall. I was being held up somehow, floating in a vast sea of images…memories. We were racing across the sky, over the Atlantic Ocean, across the eastern coast of New York, and before I knew it, we were there.

  Rugged mountains came into view, followed by dense forests and a crystal clear lake. Now that we weren’t moving so fast, I spotted an army of Trackers and Tresez gathering behind thick, gray stone walls, the walls of a compound.