Ending ELE (ELE Series)

by Gober, Rebecca

  “What happened? What did you see?” I ask in alarm. Knowing that a startling wake up like he just had has to mean he was in a deep vision entrancement.

  “We have to go now! They’re coming.” With that, he jumps to his feet and grabs Sebastian’s coat. I wake Sabby up and he gives us a grouchy look but doesn’t say anything.

  We don’t wait to ask more questions. Within seconds, the room is one huge blur of frantic activity. Tony, who is already dressed for the cold weather, is stuffing food supplies, blankets, and flashlights in a duffle bag. “How much time?” he calls out to my dad, who is helping Sebastian get on his shoes.

  I throw on my coat and take over, helping Sebastian so my dad can focus on answering.

  “I don’t know. With it being overcast outside, I couldn’t tell the time of day. I know they will come when the sky is filled with snow. So much snow that we won’t see them coming through the windows,” my father says.

  “Was it the soldiers, Dad?” I ask.

  He blinks his eyes rapidly as if trying to put some pieces together. “No...” He runs his hands through his hair in frustration. “No, at least I don’t think it was. They didn’t have on any uniforms like the ones we saw last night. This was a smaller group but they came...” His eyes nearly fill with tears but he swallows the emotions down. “They came for you, Willow. They don’t plan to take hostages. They just wanted you and were not going to let any of us stop them. They will use lethal force if necessary to achieve their goal.” His gaze lands on Sebastian and I can only assume that something happened to my brother in that vision.

  My heart lurches. How many times will my loved ones be put in danger because of me? Why do I keep putting them in this situation?

  “You are not the one putting them in danger. The ones who are against us are to blame. Don’t confuse the two, Willow. You have done nothing to deserve any of this,” Tony says inside my mind.

  I finish tying Sebastian’s shoes and look up to catch Tony staring at me from across the room. I merely nod, not convinced that everything he’s saying is true. The danger has come to us because of me.

  “No, it’s because of them,” Tony demands. His face is full of emotion.

  “You don’t always have to listen to my thoughts.” I don’t realize I’m glaring at him until his expression drops. Guilt rushes in and over me. “I’m sorry Tony. I... I hate this. All of this!” I gesture around the room. “Running, we are always running.”

  He crosses the room swiftly, using his unearthly speed. I stand up when he reaches me.

  “It won’t always be like this. I promise. We will find a way in this crazy world. I promise you,” Tony tells me in a whispered voice. He tenderly tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

  My eyes well up with tears and the emotion is thick in my voice when I say, “I hope so.”

  His hand rests on my cheek and for a moment, it’s just Tony and me in this room. He leans in to kiss me.

  “Ewwww! That gross!” Sebastian calls out before our lips meet.

  We both let out an embarrassed laugh and look down at my little brother. His face is all scrunched up, like he smelled something horribly stinky.

  Tony ruffles Sabby’s hair. “You won’t always think that way, sport.”

  “Yes I will!” Sabby throws his hands on his hips and stands up tall, prompting another round of laughs from us.

  “Let’s move,” my dad calls out from behind us. His voice holds a serious tone, reminding us of the severity of the situation. “Now!” With that call to action, the room is a blur of movement again. We grab our things and step out into the blustery cold together.

  “The snow is picking up,” Marya says. Alec instinctively drapes his arm around her.

  When we’re almost to the lake, I look back at the cabin. The snow is falling in thick sheets now. I can barely see the light from the fireplace at this distance.

  Tony looks back at the cabin too. “They’re here,” he whispers.

  Our whole group stops, crouching in the snow and we try to stare through the blizzard-like conditions. A black silhouette crosses in front of the lit-up window. We hold our breath as two more silhouettes walk to the front of the cabin. I can see the outline of the assault rifle hanging from one of their backs. We watch one of them kick open the front door. Two more large figures come up behind the group of three. Armed, they enter the cabin.

  We should probably be putting some distance between the cabin and us, but something has us glued to this spot. We watch for several minutes as they search the cabin in silence. After a few minutes, a man steps back out into the cold. I can barely make out his frame but something about him is familiar. “Search the forest!” he yells to the others.

  It was loud enough for us to hear his order from here. Alec and I turn to each other in the next instant. Recognition of that voice is clear in both of our expressions. This was no stranger hunting us. That was Alec’s dad.

  CHAPTER 3

  Without another word, we’re on our feet and running. With Claire and me keeping everyone invisible, we make our way around the lake and through the forest. Tony stays behind, wiping away our tracks in the snow. My dad guides us in the direction of the second safe house. We don’t stop running until after a few hours have passed. We all take turns carrying Sebastian and doing our best to keep him warm. Needing to take a break, we stop behind a large grouping of evergreens. We listen intently for several minutes to verify that we weren’t followed. Everyone takes the time to catch their breaths. A few of us take sips of water to make sure we stay hydrated.

  I shiver as the sweat turns icy on my forehead. Tony throws his arm around me to lend me his warmth. My lungs feel like they have been cut up and down by the icy intakes of air I breathed during our quick escape. It takes only a few seconds and my healing ability for me to heal whatever parts of me are weary. I put my hand on my dad’s shoulder and focus my healing on him. Alec and Tony catch on and do the same for the others.

  With Sebastian being carried most of the way, he seems to be fine but I put my hands on him anyway. He giggles a little. “That feel funny, Wello.”

  Although my stomach is still filled with the dread of seeing Alec’s dad back in the picture, I manage to muster up a smile for my brother. I turn my attention to Tony and my dad, who are talking about the safe house.

  “How much further do you think we have to go?” he asks my dad.

  “I would guess we can be there within a few hours,” my dad answers.

  “Do you think the soldiers found that safe house?” Connor asks.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t had any visions about it.” He turns to look at me. “Have you, Willow?”

  I blush and look down. I’ve had a vision, but not about the safe house. I look back at my dad and hope that he just assumes that my rosy cheeks are from the cold air hitting them. “I had a vision, back in the cabin. I didn’t see anything about the safe house. I do know though that you were all safe. You weren’t with us in the vision, but Tony had told me that you were all safe.” I meet Tony’s eyes and see him looking at me inquisitively. I do my best not to think of the details of that particular vision.

  “I don’t get why my dad was there at the cabin though,” Alec speaks up. His eyes are filled with emotions that I can’t fully comprehend. I couldn’t imagine knowing that someone in my family was playing on the dark side’s team. Marya rubs his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

  Tony answers Alec, even though it wasn’t really a question. “Blake was in cahoots with Zack. He wanted to get a hold of Willow’s powers just as much as Zack did. It would be outlandish for us to presume that he would simply give up hunting Willow just because Zack was removed from the equation.”

  Alec doesn’t look happy about Tony’s answer but he doesn’t respond either.

  “There were a lot of people working with Zack. I’m sure your father isn’t the only one leading this mission to hunt me down. There were dozens of other bidders in the room who saw what
a single dose of my blood could do,” I tell Alec. “I’m so sorry, Alec... about your dad.”

  This time he does little to hide the emotions running amuck in his navy eyes. “He’s not my dad. He’s simply the man who fathered me. He ceased being my dad long ago. I really should feel betrayed or hurt or confused at my father’s involvement in this mess, but I’m not. I mean, I’m mad as hell, but I can’t say that I’m surprised.” His eyes turn fierce. He’s still staring at me when he says, “I will stop him.” His determination resonates from his face.

  My mouth stays open, but no words come out. What does one say to that? I can’t imagine the position that Alec is in right now. I can feel the anger, betrayal, and pain casting off him in waves. His inner-strength and his demand for justice are equally as strong. I have to force myself to close off my empathic abilities.

  “We should probably get moving again,” my dad intercedes.

  We nod our heads and quietly head out again.

  After a few more hours of walking, we reach a large clearing more than a hundred yards in length. It isn’t until we see the clearing that we realize that the snow is still coming down just as powerfully as before. We were protected for the most part under the covering of the trees.

  We use our invisibility as we step out into the clearing. I look from my left to the right and notice it isn’t a normal clearing in the woods—it’s a road. I wonder where it leads.

  The invisibility does little for the trail we are making in the snow though. Tony’s been doing his best to cover our tracks, but it isn’t perfect. We walk through snow that has accumulated to be over twelve inches, if not more. We have to pick up our feet to walk through it. It seems to take forever before we are back under the covering of the forest again. Being out in the open and exposed in this eerie weather, with more than one party of hunters after us, is nerve wracking.

  “We’re almost there,” my dad whispers.

  We keep our invisibility up as we start ascending a large slope.

  “This is the safest way. The road back there will take us close to the safe house but I don’t want to chance the exposure. We will have to climb a little ways,” he tells me.

  “No problem,” I tell him.

  We reach the point that we have to start using our hands to climb. Tony throws Sebastian on this back and says, “Hang on, little man.” Sabby giggles as Tony makes a choking sound and says, “Whoa! Not that tight.”

  The climb isn’t hard. The snow for the most part made it a little easier since it packs around where our shoes step in and provides a sort of foothold for us.

  Tony offers me his hand when I make it to the top. I accept it and he pulls me swiftly onto flat ground. He takes the opportunity to pull me close into his chest and kiss the bridge of my nose. His lips are cold but the gesture warms me nonetheless.

  I smile when I see Connor and Alec helping their girlfriends up the last part too. It’s very chivalrous. I suddenly find myself feeling sad for my dad. Or am I feeling the sadness coming from my dad? I’m not sure which. The knots form in my chest as I see the forlorn look on his face. If I miss my mom this much, how much more does the man who loved her with all his heart miss her? What would I do if I lost Tony? I have no idea how my father has kept moving through this.

  “Because he loves you and your brother,” Tony answers my own personal questions. “I’m sorry. I know I don’t need to listen in on every thought you have. It’s hard though. I’m still getting used to these abilities and when I feel you hurting, I have to try to help you.”

  I look into his warm, forest-green eyes. “I know. I’m sorry that I got upset with you earlier. The gift that we have is so special and I took it for granted. I love you.”

  “I love you too,” Tony says aloud.

  “I wuv you too, Wello,” Sabby adds.

  We both look down at him with grins on our faces. This little boy is the light in all of our darkness. “I love you too, Sabby. I think Daddy needs a hug. What do you think?”

  Sabby puts his little finger up to his chin and smiles really big. “I think yes!” He giggles, runs over, and attacks my dad with a bear hug.

  My dad grunts but then smiles big. “Be gentle with your old man, Sabby.”

  “Oh, sawwy.” He loosens his grip.

  My dad places a kiss on top of his curls.

  “We’ll take care of him,” I whisper to the wind, in case my mom can hear me. I hope she knows that we’ll do everything in our power to make sure my dad isn’t lonely.

  “Are we ready to move?” Alec asks, breaking my thoughts. He’s standing there with his arm around a seriously shivering Marya.

  “Yes, it’s only a little ways from here,” my dad says.

  He takes the lead and we head diagonally back towards where I assume the road would have led us. We stop and use our invisibility when we get nearby, taking it as a good sign that we can still use our powers. It means that the military isn’t nearby. Or at least, that they aren’t using whatever device they used to shut our powers down previously.

  We stop just within the tree line, which opens to a snow-covered driveway, leading to a large, two-story log cabin. In front of the doorway is an engraved wooden sign, labeling it the Hideaway Bed and Breakfast. The large front porch spans the entire length of its front. Rocking chairs, heavy with the snow that drifted in with the wind, line the porch.

  There is no sign of life around the cabin. Inside the windows, no lights glow. I look to my dad. “Do you think they left?” I whisper.

  “I don’t know. Perhaps.” My dad looks confused. “This place was so well hidden though. I’m surprised they would have moved out so soon.”

  A sinking feeling fills my gut. That, or someone forced them to move out. The memory of the covered trucks carting away Erik’s people, Lee, and the others comes flooding back. “We need to check inside.”

  Without an answer, we step out of the trees and make our way to the cabin door. Tony, Alec, and my dad have their guns out. I pull mine out as well, just in case. The door is sitting partially open. Some snow has made its way into the entryway. Tony takes the lead and opens the door the rest of the way. The first room is filled with large, leather furniture that all faces the huge fireplace with a cobblestone hearth. There are a few cups and plates strung about on the end tables and coffee tables. We walk past them into the formal-dining room. Three long, wooden tables are covered in a disarray of plates half-filled with breakfast foods. I take a closer peek at the food. It’s not moldy and there are no flies flying about, so it must be pretty fresh. A few chairs are lying on their backs on the ground.

  “What happened in here?” Marya asks, mimicking the question in all of our minds.

  Connor doesn’t wait for us to clear the rest of the first floor before he starts calling out, “Lillie! Mom, Dad!” His concern and worry is so thick it envelopes the entire space. Claire stays by his side while he runs from room to room. It’s hard to see him like this. Connor is usually so carefree and goofy. I hadn’t even thought about his family being here.

  Tony and I make our way up the stairs together. I continue to pray that everyone is okay—that everyone is safe. We start searching the individual rooms but come up empty. We pass room after room that was left in utter disarray. There definitely was a struggle in this place, but perhaps not a violent one. Thankfully, we’ve found no signs of blood and no lifeless bodies.

  “Lillie!” Connor yells out as he runs up the stairs. His face is twisted with worry and his breathing is heavy.

  Claire looks just as worried. Her eyes dart from Connor to me. She’s never seen him like this before either—like he’s coming unglued. “It’s going to be okay, Connor.”

  He shakes his head as he searches every inch of this floor. “No, no it’s not! She was my responsibility. I’m her brother!”

  “Maybe she’s with your parents. Maybe they got away,” Claire says assuredly. She tries to put her hand on his back but he whirls around to face her.

  �
�Did you see those chairs? The food? These people didn’t get away, Claire.” His eyes are filling with tears.

  My heart nearly splits in two at seeing him so anguished. I focus my empathic abilities on him like I’ve seen Erik do. I think calm and peaceful thoughts. Soon his body relaxes and his shoulders fall a tad.

  Claire, who saw the change, looks over at me. She mouths, “Thank you.”

  I nod my head. We start looking through the remainder of the rooms. When we’ve searched the final one, we realize that the place is in fact empty. I look over at Connor, who is at the far end of the hall, and my gut wrenches. Claire pulls him into her arms.

  The fear and worry is so thick that I think about turning it off, but don’t. For some reason, I feel like I owe it to Connor to feel his emotions with him. The fear is almost overwhelming, to the point that my heart actually speeds up like it would if I were scared. It’s almost like he’s terrified. Is that a normal emotion in a situation like this? Something feels off about it. “They’ll be okay,” I call to Connor, attempting to comfort him.

  He doesn’t answer me and I realize it’s because he’s crying. Claire is rubbing his back as she holds on to him. I make my way across the hallway towards them and halfway down, the emotions flip. The terrified sensation switches—there is still a note of fear but in a fear of the unknown kind of way. Not in a, my life is in danger way.

  Tony is at my side and when I look into his black eyes, I can see that he felt the change too. We both stare at each other a bit perplexed. I turn around and start walking away from Connor, towards the last room again. The feeling of terror increases the closer and closer I get to the end of the hall.

  Tony catches on even before I do. “It’s okay. You’re safe. We’re not going to hurt you,” he calls out to nobody in particular.

  I hold my breath as I realize his conclusion. Someone is hiding. Someone is very, very scared and hiding from us. I follow Tony’s lead. “It’s okay. I promise that you’re safe. You can come out and we will take care of you.” The feelings change from terror to confusion, to hope and then to mistrust.