Willow

by Amy Richie

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Meeting Jed

  Carlie sat watching me while I tried to work things out. Ivy and I had been changed to lead one of Noreen's packs. The council had just made that plan a reality. Why would Andros want that? It didn't make any sense. Maybe it was time for me to talk to Gage about my worries. Surely he understood the council better than I did.

  "I probably shouldn't have told you all that," I said, with a guilty flush, to Carlie. My nail had started to bleed along the side.

  "So," she pursed her lips thoughtfully, "Ivy's a wolf too?"

  I closed my eyes in defeat. "Yeah."

  "And Bella?"

  "She changed us."

  "Was she training you to be the next leader for her pack? Why did she need two?"

  "Bella's too young to need a replacement yet," I told her with a scowl. "It takes a long time." I wasn't sure if I was convincing her or myself.

  "So what were you for?"

  "Noreen was trying to make an army of wolves to take the ancient city back from Andros."

  She smiled, but not in an amused sort of way. "My dad told me that, too."

  "He was right. Ivy and I were going to take over one of her packs but before we could be placed … " I hesitated to tell Carlie about Mikhaul.

  "Noreen was killed?"

  "Yes. Along with all the packs she created."

  "Except the boys here," her voice went quiet.

  "Yeah."

  "Did Andros kill them?"

  "No." My eyes narrowed sharply. Without meaning to, Carlie had a point. Andros didn't kill Noreen and her wolves. "Mikhaul killed them."

  "Who's that? A vampire?"

  "Another wolf. An old enemy of Noreen's."

  "Well," she swallowed thickly, "if this Mikhaul guy is strong enough to kill all those wolves he must be pretty strong, right?"

  That was a huge understatement. "Yeah." What was she getting at?

  "Maybe the council wants you to get rid of Mikhaul for them."

  I looked up quickly. "Noreen did create the boys."

  "So they would have reason not to like Mikhaul."

  My breathing hitched up dangerously. "Could they possibly think we could take on Mikhaul?"

  "Are the boys any good?"

  "They're the best," I whispered.

  "And there's four of them and only one of Mikhaul."

  "Six," I corrected automatically.

  "Six what?"

  "There's six boys - plus me - so we're seven."

  "Who … who are the others?"

  "But we can't kill him," I denied without answering her.

  "I don't know if you can or not, but Andros might want you to."

  My breath was still coming too quickly, followed closely by my heart rate. Was Carlie right? It made sense, but there was no way …

  "I have to go." I jumped up and almost fell over my own feet in my haste to get to the door.

  "Where are you going?"

  "I have to talk to Gage."

  "I'll come with you."

  "Um … " Was it safe to take her back to the cabin? Would the boys be there?

  "The boys will be at school," she said, as if she could read my mind as well as the boys.

  "Yeah. Ok, let's go." Gage would want to hear what she had to say. How had Carlie seen this so easily when I hadn't?

  With a small squeal she rushed to join me by the door. There was a moment of hesitation but I pushed it aside and followed Carlie back out to the car. She was still smiling wide when we pulled out of her driveway and traveled the short distance to the cabin.

  

  Gage was standing outside the cabin when we pulled up. He stood entirely too still with his face pulled into a deep frown. I couldn't tell if he was worried because he sensed my anxiety or angry because Carlie was with me.

  "He looks really mad," Carlie voiced my thoughts nervously.

  "He … he always looks like that."

  "Is it ok that I'm here?"

  Neither of us had made a move for our doors. "Yeah. I'm sure he'll be … ok with it." I couldn't tear my eyes away from Gage long enough to give her a reassuring smile. A small muscle was working rapidly next to his right eye.

  "Maybe you should go first," she suggested.

  "Coward." I heard her small chuckle but she still didn't touch her door handle. And Gage wasn't moving. Clearly I was going to have to make the first move.

  "Come on, let's just go up there. It's not like he's going to bite you or anything."

  "I hope not," she murmured.

  With a determined sharp breath, I opened my door and approached Gage. "Hey," I called with a half smile.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Nothing."

  "Why aren't you in school?"

  "Skipped."

  "Why?"

  "Steven was seen."

  His grey eyes shifted to a spot just behind me where I was sure Carlie was standing. I moved my shoulders uncomfortably. "By who?"

  "Everyone."

  "The whole school is talking about it," Carlie added.

  If it was even possible, his scowl deepened and grew darker. "Where is he?"

  "School."

  He jerked back a little, like he was expecting him to be in jail or something. "Then what are you two doing here?" He crossed his arms across his tight chest.

  "We were at Carlie's."

  "And?"

  "Just talking, Gage." I crossed my own arms to mimic his.

  "About Steven?"

  "About Andros."

  His arms dropped to his sides, his grey eyes finally widening a bit. He took a hold of my arm and pulled me towards the side of the cabin. "We need to talk," he hissed.

  "We can talk here," I hissed back; but I allowed him to drag me out of Carlie's sight.

  "What did you do?" he growled in a low voice.

  He let me go so abruptly that I stumbled and fell to one knee. He helped me back to my feet but I was sure I would have a bruise where his hand harshly circled my arm. "You told me to talk to her."

  "To find out what she knew."

  I looked down to my feet, shuffling them guiltily. "I've never … " How lame would it be to whine to Gage that I had never had a friend? That I didn't know how to talk to people? That I was socially handicapped?

  "I know that you're young." He was making an obvious attempt to calm himself down.

  "We just got to talking."

  "But you have to learn to control yourself," he continued as if I hadn't said anything.

  "She already knows … things anyway."

  "Willow, you can't have friends."

  "You sound like Bella."

  "You have to know the dangers." His voice was a little softer, but the scowl was still in place.

  "So does Carlie. Her and her dad are part of the Knights of Andros." I watched his face carefully, waiting for a flicker of recognition.

  He shook his head slowly. "I should have known."

  "So you've heard of them?"

  "They're not a threat," he assured me with a snarl.

  "Yeah, except for she knows all about us."

  "Not all … "

  "And so does her dad."

  "What did you tell her?"

  "Nothing." I denied his accusations but too quickly. His eyes narrowed again.

  "Did you tell her about our pack?"

  Our pack? "She already knew."

  "Willow."

  "Gage."

  We stood barely a few inches from each other, both glaring. "There's more," he said suddenly.

  "More what?" What was he talking about?

  "You're not worried about the Knights."

  "You just said I didn't need to be."

  "But you are worried about something."

  I sighed deeply. Gage didn't miss anything. "It's Mikhaul."

  His lips thinned to a white line. "How many times do I have to tell you, you don't have to worry about Mikhaul?"

  "I think the council wants us to kil
l him."

  He jerked back abruptly, but didn't fall like I did. "Why would you say that?"

  "Carlie figured it out, but it makes sense." He half turned away from me. "Think about it, Gage," I said quickly, "I was made to lead Noreen's pack. And the council hands me the most powerful pack she created. Why would they do that?"

  "They needed a leader."

  "Why keep them alive?"

  "It's … " but he didn't have a ready answer so I plowed ahead.

  "There has to be some reason that Andros wants us alive, otherwise he would have let Mikhaul get us a long time ago. And why hasn't Mikhaul killed us? What's stopping him?"

  "You think Mikhaul is afraid of Andros?"

  "Maybe not afraid … just hesitating."

  "I still don't think that Andros would think you guys could kill him."

  "Not yet, but you are here teaching us. We get stronger every day. Why else would he let us do that?"

  "You can't kill Mikhaul. I am not training you to kill him."

  "I'm not saying you are. At least not that you know of. But, Gage, you can never trust a vampire."

  He was silent for a long moment then he jerked his head around. "Rueben is here."

  "Already?"

  "With the other boys."

  "Carlie," I whispered.

  I rounded the corner just as Rueben and Rodney were getting out of the car. Steven, Colby, and Tyson got out of the backseat. I hurried to put myself between Carlie and the boys, trying to look like I hadn't meant to.

  "Are you guys early?" I asked.

  "You skipped," Steven shrugged.

  "What is she doing here?" Colby demanded.

  I looked around at Carlie. She was grinning like a girl who had just come face to face with her favorite movie star. "Hi," she gushed breathlessly to the boys.

  "Hey Carlie." Rueben was somewhere between cautious and excited himself.

  "Willow's just been telling me … " I groaned and walked back toward the cabin door. Maybe if I just snuck inside, no one would notice me. Colby's voice stopped me just outside the door. I turned abruptly back.

  "What has she been telling you?" he demanded angrily.

  Before I could tell Colby to take it easy Carlie squeaked, "Everything!" and rushed forward to put herself in the middle of the circle the boys had unconsciously formed. The circle they always formed when they felt threatened.

  Rueben was smiling at Carlie but the others were all looking at me. "I didn't … I mean we just … talked." I shook my head lamely. To be fair, I hadn't really told Carlie much more than she already knew and she didn't freak out once. Maybe it was ok for Carlie to know. It would be nice to have someone to talk to; besides, she had figured out what Andros wanted from us.

  "I didn't know about Tyson and Colby. She didn't give me your names," Carlie raved to the group at large, "just told me there were six of you."

  "She told you about Jed?" Colby's eyes widened.

  "Jed?" She looked momentarily confused. "He was killed by," her face cleared and then lost all color as she jumped to the wrong conclusion, "by you guys."

  Silence.

  Somewhere far away music was playing. It was a slow, depressing melody, probably from Carlie's house. Just behind me was a slow, steady breathing sound. Now that the boys were home Gage had taken his usual position of hovering just behind my right shoulder. Carlie's heart was racing. For once she was showing the proper reaction - fear - but for the wrong accidental death.

  It could have been anyone. That was the reality of the pack. We were young, accidents were too easy. They almost killed her. I was wrong to bring her here. I let out the deep breath that I had been holding. I had to make her go home.

  "The pack didn't kill Jed," said Gage, stepping forward, "and I'm not the sixth."

  "I am."