by R G Peterson
Seeing Grace’s growing agitation, the boys joined her by the door.
“What’s going on?” AJ asked.
“I don’t know. There’s been a flurry of activity in Nick’s room but I can’t…”
The air was pierced by GG’s shriek. Grace started toward the door, but was held back by Anthony.
“Grace, there’s nothing you can do. They won’t let you in anyway. Let’s wait for Henry and GG to come back.”
Grace’s head dropped to her chest and tears began to stream from her eyes again. She turned into Anthony and he held her in a very comforting embrace. Anthony looked over her head and caught Terry’s eyes and gave a slight shake of his head.
Anthony and AJ watched as the medical staff left Nick’s room. Although it was difficult to see their expressions, they did catch an occasional shake of someone’s head as they exited. A minute later they heard GG cry out once more.
Chapter 12
“It’s very, very important that we keep this to ourselves”
Grace had her head buried in Anthony’s chest when Maddy joined the others in the lounge. Anthony tapped Grace on her shoulder. When she looked up, he nodded toward Maddy. She pivoted and saw Maddy looking at her bewildered.
“What’s goin’ on?” Maddy asked to no one in particular.
“Whadaya mean what’s going on?” AJ asked. “We saw everyone rush into Nick’s room and then they came and got GG and Henry. Then we heard GG scream. Twice. That’s what’s going on.”
Maddy broke into a wide grin and stepped into hug Grace.
“He’s goin’ ta be fine. What yeh saw and heard were people tryin’ ta figure out how o boy so badly burned and on the edge o’ dyin’ one minute, saw his body seem ta fix itself before their very eyes.”
“But GG?” Terry asked.
“Oh that. She was so gob smacked at Nick lookin’ so grand.”
“And her second scream?” AJ asked.
“That would be when I came out from hidin’ under the bed. I kinda shook her.”
“You hid under the bed?” Terry said with a laugh.
“Yeah, after I had softly placed the thin layer o’ the potion all over our fella…”
AJ gave her a raised eyebrow.
“Not there. Don’ be daft. As I was sayin’, after I placed it on his body and face, he got this very beatific look ‘bout him. So I was goin’ ta sneak out ta tell yeh, but then the nurse danced in. So I scampered under the bed. I lay there and watched all the nurses and doctors scurry in and out o’ the room. Each one o wee bit more surprised by Nicholas’ miraculous healin’ than the next. They all left ta give GG and Henry some time ta themself with Nick. That’s when I came out from under the bed and startled poor GG half ta death.
“When GG came ‘bout, she came over and squeezed me half ta death. She wanted ta know if I was the one who saved her Nicholas. I told her it was all o’ the Clan. That I was just the lass who applied the dressing. She hugged me again and mentioned yeh were all waitin’ in the lounge.”
Maddy turned her attention to Grace and smiled. The next thing Maddy knew she was being lifted off her feet and swung round and round.
“Hey, lay off. I’m gettin’ dizzy.”
“Sorry. So he’s okay?”
“Better than that. Most all o’ his skin is already whole. What wee bit o’ scarrin’ left can be fixed when he gets home. Here,” she offered the remaining potion to Grace who shook her head.
“You keep it. You can show Nick how to apply the rest of it when he gets home. Ooh, ooh! Did they say when he could leave here?”
“The doctor said if all goes well, it could be the weekend.”
Grace lifted her up again and squeezed her, then gently placed her back on the floor before turning serious once more.
She addressed the boys, “Okay, Anthony, Terry, you mind taking Ligeia back to Greece. Make sure she tells Thanatos that we were the ones who figured out that she was going to make the wrong potion. That way she won’t get into trouble. We may need her help again in the future. It’s very, very important that we keep this to ourselves. We don’t tell anyone outside of the Clan what happened. And we don’t speak about it if anyone else is nearby. We don’t want it getting back to Thanatos.”
Grace got an angry look about her and began to shake her head, “That monster! We’ve all got to stay alert. Now that Terry is The One, I believe Thanatos would like to separate him from our group and I think he’ll do anything to make sure that happens.”
“What’re yeh goin’ ta do?”
“You and AJ go back to Nick’s and clean up. I’m staying here. I’m going to be the first person Nick sees when he wakes up.”
Chapter 13
“How would yeh like ta be in his shoes?”
They held a homecoming party for Nick on Saturday. The six teens – Miriam joined them – waited for Nick in his living room. GG had brought him a pair of sweats to wear, as parts of his body hadn’t healed completely and were sensitive to anything tight. Nick walked in with his legs slightly bowed, causing AJ to laugh, despite knowing better.
Maddy shot him a disgusted look. “That ain’ funny. How would yeh like ta be in his shoes?”
AJ cringed at the thought. “Sorry, it’s just that it kinda caught me by surprise.”
Nick smiled and said, “I guess it does look kinda funny, but…” He took another step and grimaced. “It’s still a little raw down there. I guess Maddy decided not to remove the towel. Thankfully when they dragged me into the shower the one I was wearing at the time didn’t come off or I’d be in a world of hurt right now.”
GG blushed and grabbed Henry by the arm. “We’ll just go into the kitchen and let you young people be. Would anybody like anything to eat or drink?”
“Sure, GG. Whatever you’ve got would be great,” AJ blurted.
GG smiled and walked Henry into the kitchen.
“Yeh know we have some more o’ the potion left, I’d be glad ta apply it for yeh.” Everyone laughed with the exception of AJ who feigned jealousy. Soon he was laughing as hard as everyone else, relieved at Nick being healthy once more.
“Thanks, but I think I can handle it myself,” Nick said through his laughter.
“So Grace tells us it was Terry’s old posse that did this to you,” Miriam said.
“Yeah, I never saw them coming. I was so upset over my goalie play I didn’t see or hear a thing. Before I knew it, they’d grabbed me by my arms and legs and were carrying me into the shower room. I yanked my arm free from, I think it was Tim…I’m not really sure, because it’s all a bit fuzzy up here.” He pointed to his head before continuing, “Then Aaron, or maybe that was Tim, seemed to lose his grip and the last thing I remember is falling backward. That’s it ‘til I woke up in the hospital Tuesday night.”
He smiled at Grace who had indeed been the first person he saw when they brought him out of his coma.
Terry, his face a mass of fury, said, “We need to teach those guys a lesson. Each and every one of them. They need to suffer.”
The cold, calculating way he said it made the others freeze.
Grace said, “I don’t think revenge is the answer.”
Terry shot her a disdainful look, which made Grace shrink away from him. He looked so much like his adoptive father that Grace had flashbacks to when Warrington had threatened her, Nick and AJ.
Maddy spoke up, “I already thought o’ that, but I’ve noticed the four o’ them seemed ta be under constant watch by one o’ Bourbon’s squad. We wouldn’ get far.”
All eyes had turned to Maddy, surprised.
“What? In this case Terrence is right. We can’ just let it go. We just have ta wait for o better time, that’s all.”
To break the tension that had grown in the room, AJ, as he looked at Maddy in a whole new light, one he found both appealing and scary at the same time, said “Wow, that’s got to be strange, losing a whole two days of your life.”
“Yeah, that’s a really weird feeli
ng,” Nick said in reply.
AJ gave him a quizzical stare. Nick returned it in kind. A second later, Nick got a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Seeing it Grace asked, “What is it, Nick?”
“Ah, probably nothing. More than likely just a dream.”
The others all sat forward and stared at him.
“Yeah?” AJ said.
GG returned with some cookies and seven glasses of milk and placed them on the coffee table. “There’s plenty more, so don’t be bashful.”
AJ swiped four cookies off the tray. GG smiled and tousled his hair.
“Thanks, GG. This is great,” he said as he covered his mouth to avoid spraying her with bits of cookie crumbs.
“I’ll be in the kitchen if you want anything else.”
She swept away the locks covering Nick’s forehead and gave it a kiss before returning to the kitchen. Once GG left, the six of them turned to Nick in anticipation.
“I’m sure it’s nothing, really.”
“Tell us anyway,” Miriam said.
“Okay, but remember I was out of it, totally and completely.” He paused to gather his thoughts and how he wanted to tell them what he experienced. A few seconds later he said, “I seem to remember laying there and I heard this voice. It told me to hang in there and not give up and to stay strong and to stay that way for GG and Grandpa Henry. The voice also said that help would soon be on the way. And…” Nick stopped unsure of expressing the next part.
“And?” everyone but Grace asked at once.
Nick shrugged his shoulders to suggest it was all in his imagination. “The voice said I was loved.”
Grace blushed and looked away.
Anthony caught her expression and asked, “What is it?”
She gave her head a quick, short shake, refusing to answer.
The gesture wasn’t lost on Nick. Before he gave it much thought, he blurted out, “That was you.” He realized the implications of what he said and looked away.
Maddy reached over and grabbed Grace’s hand. “It’s fine. We all love him.” She paused and smiled, “Not nearly as much as yeh, but we do.”
Everyone laughed and the discomfort of the moment was lifted.
“There’s one other thing,” Nick mumbled, unsure whether he should bring it up.
“Go on,” Maddy encouraged him.
“Well…I kinda…you know…ah heck. I kinda had an out of body experience. There was this bright light.” He stopped to see if anyone was giving him creepy eyes, before going on. “And I was drawn to it. It felt so…warm? Caring? Forgiving? I don’t know how to describe it.”
“Loving?” Miriam offered.
Nick blushed, “Yeah, I guess you could say that. Anyway, I didn’t so much hear as felt someone saying to me that I had to go back. That my time here wasn’t up. That there were things for me to do…accomplish? But not just me.” He stopped and looked at each one for a second. “For us.”
“All of us?” Grace asked.
“Yeah. At least that’s what I felt…um, sensed. It was like whatever or whoever was talking to me knew that we’d need to stick together. That we were…are…that we make one another much stronger.” Nick shook his head slowly as he added, “I sensed that if for some reason, the link between us breaks, we won’t succeed in our…mission? Quest? Journey? All of that and more, I guess. I’m not really sure how to describe it. It was almost as if I felt we all had a bigger purpose…as a group. And it wasn’t just me or Terry or Grace or…or… It was all of us…together. Like if we all stick together we’ll come out okay but if we don’t…” Nick shook his head not being able to fathom what would happen if they didn’t.
“You know this is going to sound even weirder, but earlier today I got the feeling that we’re all together for some reason. That everything that’s happened already was part of a plan of something bigger than any of us. And that everything that’s happened was…that it had to happen. Like, our mother and father’s deaths. And Warrington and Slate dying. Or Terry and I being separated at birth. Even Grace falling through the ice and AJ not doing too good in school. And Maddy coming here from Ireland and Terry from Minnesota. And Miriam’s mom being a part of the Inner Sanctum. You know, all of it, everything. I guess what I’m trying to say is that there isn’t just the One Spoken of in the Prophecy, it’s all of us…together. We each have a part. But we have to stick together.”
“To survive, you must survive.” Terry said in an awe-induced voice.
For a minute no one looked at anyone else.
AJ shattered the silence when he shouted out, “GG, can we get some more cookies, please?”
Chapter 14
“The perfect birthday gift for Grace”
Nick dressed in his best clothes as he prepared himself for Grace’s Monday night birthday celebration. January 11, 2016 being her sixteenth birthday.
Nick grudgingly missed the game on Saturday, staying at home and resting after reapplying the potion to the private area of his body Maddy hadn’t covered while he was in the coma. He had unsuccessfully lobbied his grandparents to attend and sit in the stands. His grandparents would have none of it. Well, GG would have none of it. She insisted he stay home and rest, telling him it was either the game or the party; he couldn’t go to both.
He stayed in his room playing computer games trying to take his mind off missing his first game since he began playing hockey in high school. But his heart wasn’t in it. He had grown so used to being able to see what would happen next that when he lost his powers and reverted to his precognition-ability days, he lost most games before making it past the first level.
Sitting at his desk, his thoughts drifted back to his search for the perfect gift for Grace. He had been determined to get her a Mayan artifact of Kukulcan to add to Grace’s Native American/Mayan collection. He recalled how for months he would jump out of bed and do a Google search before going downstairs for breakfast. One day he found it, the perfect gift. But it cost $350. He would need GG’s financial assistance. He vaulted down the stairs taking three at a time and ran into the kitchen.
“Grandma, I found it.”
“Found what dear?” she answered, not turning away from the stove where she was flipping pancakes.
“The perfect birthday gift for Grace.”
“That’s nice, dear.”
“But I need your help.”
“How much extra do you need?”
“$300.”
She placed the spatula on the side of the griddle and slowly turned around wiping her hands on her apron. “That’s a lot of money, dear.”
“Yeah, I know. But I’ll pay you back, I promise. Every penny.”
Nick’s hopes soared as he watched GG consider his request, but they were soon dashed when she began shaking her head.
“What exactly is it that you want to get her?”
“It’s an old Mayan artifact. A small statue of Kukulcan. The Plumed Serpent God of the Mayans. I’ve heard her talk ‘bout him a lot. It’d be a great piece to add to her collection.”
Nick spoke so fast GG motioned for him to slow down. “I understand you’re excited. She is the sweetest girl in the world, but Nick, that is quite a lot of money for a statue. How big is it anyway?”
Nick, realizing GG equated size with price, hesitated. “It’s about three inches high.” He rushed to add, “But it’s the genuine thing.”
“I don’t know, Nick.”
“Come up to my room, I’ll show it to you.”
After removing the pancakes from the griddle and following Nick back upstairs, GG sat at Nick’s desk and studied the statue on his computer screen. It showed a dark skinned man with a plumed headdress. The caption gave the height as 76 mm.
Nick’s hopes sank even further when he read GG’s expression.
She raised her head and looked at Nick. “I’m sorry, dear. It’s really nice, but like I said, that’s an awful lot of money, even if it is for Grace. There has to be something else.”
&nb
sp; Seeing the hurt on Nick’s face she turned back to the computer and hit the down arrow a couple of times, pausing at different items that caught her attention.
“That one looks nice. Oh there! How about that one? And it’s in your price range of $50.”
But none of the items GG pointed out matched Nick’s high hopes for finding the perfect present. The more they surfed the site the lower Nick’s spirit sank.
GG sensing Nick’s mood swing said, “Honey, she’ll love anything you get her.”
“But Grandma, I’ve heard her talk so much about the Plumed Serpent god, Kukulcan, that I really wanted to find it for her, especially on her sixteenth birthday.”
“I know dear, but that’s a lot of money for a trinket.”
“But it’s not…”
Nick knew he was fighting a losing battle. He sensed she wanted to help, but felt the cost was too great. He also suspected the only way she could do so was to keep it a secret from Grandpa Henry, something she had never done in their forty-seven years of marriage.
“Okay, Grandma. Thanks.”
The look on Nick’s face broke GG’s heart. She turned her attention back to the screen as Nick reached past her and hit the down arrow once more.
“How about that thing there?” GG asked, excited.
The page had stopped at an artifact of Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent god of the Aztec’s. The miniature statue was about the same size as the original, but looked like it had been painted over. It was much more colorful than the other. The feathers surrounding the black face were gold, nine on each side. The crown they descended from was red. His golden hands were perched above his knees and held a brown staff. The idol had a small gold medallion on his forehead and a necklace with three large jewels.
