Adele caught her granddaughter’s horrified look and giggled a little. Thinking that your Grandfathers brother was the love of your life no matter what age he appeared to be would have been quite a shock to the system for her. “It’s not as twisted as your mind is making it. James is not Damian’s brother by blood.”
“What? How?” Ally answered shocked by newest the revelation.
Adele began to relate the story from long ago. “When James was young, he was taken in by Damian’s parents and they loved him as their own, so much that they gave him their name. The Carlisle name is a strong ancient bloodline in the immortals. Everyone looked to them for guidance and direction. As a people, we have never had an official ruler among us. There hadn’t been a need for it but if there had been the Carlisle’s would have ruled.”
Wanting more information Ally pressed her Gran forward. “What happened to his parents?”
Adele shrugged, “Nobody really knows. He was but a babe when they found him abandoned on their land with nothing but the blanket he was wrapped in and the basket that carried him containing a prophecy.”
“What prophecy?” Ally asked with a suspicion that it was her prophecy. Really how many would there be, she thought to herself.
Knowing that James had never known his parents made her think about her own parents. Even though she had been unfortunate enough to lose hers when she was young, Ally had at least been old enough to remember them and know without a doubt that they loved her. James didn’t even have that.
Adele smiled knowingly, “Your prophecy sweetie. There was a note written on the back of it that James was destined to be the prophecy girl’s soulmate. That’s how we knew that you two were destined.”
Ally felt a cold shiver run through her body, involuntarily, upon hearing that statement. There was so much that she didn’t know about James and she was beginning to think that this was only the beginning. Something then occurred to her that for some reason she had never thought to ask before, “How did you know I was the prophecy girl?”
“The eclipsed moon birthmark on your lower back and the circumstances under which you were born.”
Ally nodded, still running the thought over in her mind, while considering the information before her. It appeared that everyone was right. She really was the prophecy girl and James, it seemed, had known his destiny had been with her his whole life.
“Ally, stop analysing. It is what it is,” Adele said, as she placed her hand lovingly on Ally’s. “You asked if Jonathon knew. He did know I was with child when I met him and he loved Vivian as if she were his own. He loved you too sweetheart.”
“Did mum know?” Ally asked, suddenly concerned how her mum would have taken the news if she was still alive or if she had already found out before she passed away.
“She worked it out as she got older and she was told about the immortals. Vivian was a full immortal and knowing Jonathon wasn’t, she put it together.”
Ally was shocked, “Wow, she was ok with it all?”
“At first no, but she understood that Jonathon knew and that he loved her regardless of who her father was.”
Ally rested her head in her hands and absorbed the knowledge she had been given. Then the thought hit her. Why had she been given this information in dreams and who was the one sending it to her?
“You mentioned before I fell asleep, the land and the past immortals wanting to speak to me and listen…well I did and this is what I get a dream about the past battle,” she stopped to put it together. “So why this? What does this mean that relates to me? James already knows about the vampires drinking immortal blood. He knows his brother was…well anyway you know all this so why send it to me?”
“The ancient immortals don’t do anything lightly. There is a reason for it, the reason might just remain elusive for a while. You don’t really get fast answers from them,” Adele laughed.
“Are these ancients still living?” Ally asked.
“No, they have all decided to move on to the next plane for one reason or another but their power lies in the earth still, and they are aware of what goes on here. They knew this day was coming so they have waited and watched for you and now the messages begin.”
“Well not begin exactly,” Ally said shyly. She had never told anyone about her dreams before they hadn’t seemed important at the time but maybe they were after all.
Chapter Fifteen
ADELE COCKED HER HEAD TO THE side, “What do you mean well not exactly?”
Ally looked down at her feet as if she was five and had done something naughty. The image made Adele smile. “Alessandra…”
Ally had the feeling that she had done something wrong by not telling Adele about the dreams but they hadn’t seemed all that important at the time.
“I have been having dreams for a while but it was nothing spectacular like this one. It was just about this place, the country, the wilderness and the untamed beauty, almost like some lonely planet documentary to be honest, but I woke up and knew that this place was my home, my destiny and my love. I feel a love for this land like it is a piece of me. I just had no idea that it was Scotland or that it was messages being sent to me,” Ally said with a shrug.
Adele smiled at her. “You weren’t to know sweetie. Have you told James any of this yet?”
“No I was on my way to find him when I saw you,” Ally said thinking about James again as an abandoned baby. How could someone do that, at least leave him at a doorstep she thought. What if no one had found him what would have become of him, her and the prophecy?
She sighed and leaned back into the couch. No matter what she did, thoughts of James would not leave her alone. She couldn’t escape him.
Ally looked over to her grandmother and asked, “Has he always been this way?”
“What way?” Adele asked with a slight hint of confusion on her face.
“He knows what he wants and won’t let anything stand in the way. It’s irritating because it directed at me and I’m so unsure of everything at the moment but I can’t help but admire and respect him for it. I wish I could be a bit more like that.”
“Alessandra, my dear girl, you have far too little faith in yourself and you clearly don’t see what others see.” She lovingly looked at her, “You have a will of iron just as strong as James’s. And you will have to forgive me when I say that I will very much enjoy watching this unfold.” Her laugh could light up the darkest mood. It had magical quality to it.
“You’re lucky I love you gran or else I might have to box your ears for that comment.”
Adele laughed even harder, “Oh my dear let an old woman have her fun.”
Ally rolled her eyes and said, “That’s another about thing James, he is gorgeous, and there is no denying that. It’s so intimidating. What could he want with me? He could have any woman anywhere.”
Adele smiled knowingly. “Oh Ally! He only seems that way because he is an immortal. It’s an advantage we have over the rest of the population. When you are an immortal you aren’t human and you have that unearthly beauty. You will understand when you have the conversion and you become a full immortal.”
“Conversion?” Ally had heard that word thrown about a few times but no one had actually explained to her what it was or how it happened as yet.
“That’s a story for another day but it’s nothing to worry about.” Adele continued before Ally could interrupt. “Now why don’t you go see that handsome devil and tell him about the dream I think he would be very interested to hear about it.”
“Yeah,” Ally replied lost in her own thoughts about this ‘conversion’ business. She wandered out of the lounge and off to find James, thinking the study would be the best place to start.
Walking through the mansion to find him she couldn’t help but revel in the beauty of this house. On any other house the neutral might seem bland but this house burned with emotion and love. She could feel it calling to her.
“Is there anything in this country that doesn’
t call to me?” she laughed softly to herself.
Sophie came walking towards her. “Hello Alessandra. Are you feeling better?”
“Oh hi Sophie, please call me Ally and yes I am thank you.” She hesitated then asked if she knew where James was to be found. It was going to quicker than searching the house top to bottom.
“Yes he is in his study. Go up the stairs, to the first level, then just down the hall to the door on the left.”
“Thank you Sophie.”
“My pleasure,” Sophie hesitated a moment. “One word of advice if I may? Don’t let him bully you. He is just far to use to getting his own way.” It was said with a mothers love and Ally didn’t fight the giggle that escaped, agreeing that she wouldn’t let him bully her.
Sophie seemed reassured that James wouldn’t be able to throw his weight around with Ally and continued on to where she was going.
Ally went up one flight of stairs then headed down the hall and stopped outside the door on her left. Her hand reached for the handle but she stopped.
Inside, James had been pulled out of his thoughts as something had disturbed him. It took a minute to locate the source, he realised it was Ally standing outside the door hesitating. James would know her energy anywhere. Debating for a moment whether to tell her to come in or not, he decided she had to do this on her own. Coming to find him of her own free will was a step in the right direction.
James knew she felt the connection running between them. Her actions and even her words said she did but she was fighting it with all she had. He could understand she was terrified of what she felt, so he would try to be patient with her but it was very hard for him. James needed her in every way like he needed the air he breathed. She was a part of him and he was a part of her.
He respected Ally for the strength she was showing even though it was interfering with his well laid plans.
Getting up from his chair in front of the fire and grabbing his glass, James strode over to the sideboard where he helped himself to another whisky from the decanter whilst anxiously waiting for her to make the decision.
James could sense her internal debating; it was bouncing of her in waves.
Finally, he heard a knock on the door.
“Come in,” he said trying not letting her know that he had been aware of her presence.
“Hi James,” she said as she slipped inside the door and closed it behind her.
James noted the closed door but said nothing. What was she here for? Not that he minded but he was intrigued.
“Hello Alessandra. How are you feeling?”
Ally was touched by the amount of genuine concern that she heard in his voice and that she could see in his eyes. “Better thank you.”
“Glad to hear it.” He smiled at her and she almost melted on the spot.
“I had a dream and I wanted to talk to you about it.”
James raised an eyebrow in question. “What kind of dream? I don’t suppose I was in it.”
Her eyes rolled involuntarily. “You were in it but not the way you are hoping.”
He gave a carefree laugh, “How terribly disappointing.”
“James!” she almost walked out in frustration.
“My apologies, tell me about your dream,” He said as he was raising the glass to his lips.
“It was about Damian,” she stated.
His glass stopped just before it reached his lips.
Ally had definitely caught his attention then.
He sat there looking at her like she had two heads. What was it about this Damian guy that seemed to get such a reaction she wondered? James appeared to be shocked into silence, something that she didn’t think would ever have been possible, so she decided to take advantage and continued, “Gran had much the same reaction as you. She told me he was your brother.”
“Yes he is or rather was my brother. He was lost to us fifty years ago.” James eyes were swollen with unshed tears and sorrow as her gran’s had been.
Lost in his own memories she let him have a moment. And in doing so she gave herself a moment to study him and soak him up without him noticing.
He really was something else. She felt the instant need to cower away from him to go back to her comfortable place and hide. Pretend that none of this was happening but she couldn’t and she knew that now. However admitting that to herself was one thing, admitting it to James was another.
Ally needed time to absorb the immense amount of information she had been given and the fact that her life had been irrevocably changed by the events of yesterday.
Was that really only yesterday she thought and laughed softly at the thought. It seemed so distant like it happened a million years ago.
Her soft laugh had brought him back to reality and he was staring at her as if he could see into her very soul. Those sparkling emerald eyes were drawing her in. Ally felt the drowning sensation begin as she found herself caught in those eyes. Everything about him was so intense, right down to his gaze.
How will I ever survive this? She wondered.
“I came here to discuss my dream so stop looking at me like that. It’s distracting,” she chided him gently.
“I was just admiring the most beautiful creature I ever beheld. You can’t blame a man for that,” James said with a devastating smile.
“What am I supposed to say to that?” She said losing the battle to his natural charm.
“Thank you springs to mind. It was a compliment after all.” Amusement was written boldly across his features.
“You said you wouldn’t push, James,” Ally reminded him.
“No I said the decision would be yours but I also said that I wouldn’t hesitate to push the scales in my favour.”
“A mere technicality.”
“Perhaps,” he took a sip of whisky looking at her over the rim of the glass. “Is it working?”
“No.”
“You say that but I don’t believe you,” He stated full of confidence.
“You’re wrong.” But inside she knew he was right.
“Stubborn woman of mine,” he said with a loving smile. “You will come to my way of thinking soon enough lass.”
“Oh for the love of…” Frustration was beginning to take hold as he drew the conversation away from the dream.
“The dream, James.” Ally said as patiently as she could manage.
This seemed to bring him back to reality.
“Yes your right. I’m sorry. Now the dream concerning Damian, tell me about it.” James appeared to be open and she had his full attention back onto the dream so she relayed the information to him.
The same thing happened again as it did with her Grandmother. Ally could see he was lost in thought, sadness and a sense of pride that she hadn’t seen in Adele, but each person would have a different way of seeing things.
“So what do you think?” Ally asked once she had finished.
“About the dream or why you had it?” he asked with a seriousness she hadn’t seen before. He wasn’t flirting or charming her but he gave off the feeling he would take care of things. It made her feel safe and it was very appealing.
“Well about both.”
“As for why you had this dream I don’t know. The ancients do things for a reason but sometimes it takes a while for that reason to be apparent to us.”
She laughed.
“Did I say something amusing Ally?” James stared at her with confusion.
“Not really. It’s just that Gran said the same thing to me.”
“Adele knows about the dream?” His eyes were full of concern.
“Yes she does and I know about Damian being her soulmate.”
He put his drink down on the occasional table beside him and went over to stoke the fire. “I imagine it was painful for her to relive that night.”
He was full of empathy another part that she hadn’t seen before now. So far he had been playing the part of the gorgeous but eternal playboy. Perhaps Gran was right and there was more to him that sh
e thought.
“It was but she is holding up fine. I had no idea that she had a soulmate or that he was my mother’s father and in turn my grandfather. It was surprising to say the least.”
“I can imagine.” As James drifted off in his mind, something must have occurred to him for his eyes flew to her with what appeared to be horror. “Did Adele explain the relationship between my brother and I?”
She smiled widely, realizing that she may not have been aware of his adoption so to speak. “Yes she told me. Not until after I began thinking that you were a close blood relation though.”
James laughed at the image of Ally in his mind as she found out that she was Damian’s granddaughter and in turn, her soulmate would have been her great uncle. “I’m glad she told you.”
“Me too,” she smiled back.
“What about you though, finding out that Damian was your Grandfather must have been a shock. Are you alright?”
“Surprised, shocked and everything in between but I will be fine,” She replied.
He smiled a genuine smile. James didn’t appear to be trying to flirt or draw her in but just comforting.
Ally had to admit it was nice. He wandered back over to the sofa beside the fire and sat down next to her. He drew his hand in hers and turned to look at her.
She was caught up in the haze of desire that his touch brought. Ally looked into his eyes.
“I know you have had your life turned upside down again and I just wanted to tell you that I think you are handling it remarkably well.”
“Thank you.” Her smile touched him to the core.
“I had a wonderful idea,” he said still rubbing his thumb gently against her hand.
“This sounds dangerous,” she laughed.
A joke he thought, that is a good start. “I wanted to take you riding around the area this week. The mountain range is spectacular and there are some ruins not far from here that I think you will find interesting. I thought it might be nice way to forget about all the hard stuff for a day and just enjoy ourselves.”
She was astonished. It sounded wonderful!
Immortal Prophecy (The Immortal Prophecy Saga) Page 15
