Without standing around to talk about it, Amy said, “They found us. We’re leaving.”
Raven didn’t wait around to hear the rest of the conversation. She hurried to the coat closet near the door and grabbed the duffel bags. “Claire, can you get these?”
Claire normally would have fussed, but she and Raven had grown closer from Raven’s confession. With a nod, Claire grabbed the two bags and headed for the garage.
Within three minutes, the house was locked up tight and the Gray family was on the road.
Chapter 4
~~ Claire ~~
Claire punched her pillow and tried to ignore her seatbelt as she leaned against the window. They were on 101 heading south like hundreds of other summer vacationers, except it was the middle of the night and all of those people were asleep in hotels, motels, or camping grounds. Her mom drove past Seaside and Lincoln City, finally stopping in Bandon, Oregon. It was a relief to finally get out of the car, even if no one was talking about anything important.
Once they settled into the motel room, squashed into a single room for all five of them, with a cot for Mindy, Claire finally breached the taboo topic of all things past and said, “So are you going to tell us who’s chasing us or are we going to spend our lives looking over our shoulder for someone who might be right in front of us?”
They had been driving for hours and it was the dead of night. “Can’t we talk about it tomorrow?” Jade asked.
“What if they find us in the middle of the night?” Claire suddenly wondered if she was the only one in the family who didn’t know what was going on. Jade didn’t seem a bit curious. Mom obviously knew. Raven remembered the guy who attacked Dad, so she must have some idea, and Mindy wouldn’t care if she was kidnapped by monsters as long as Jade and Pebbles were nearby.
“Can I give you the short version?” Mom asked. She really did look worn down.
Claire sat on the edge of the bed she would share with Mindy. She said, “I just want to know what’s going on.”
“Girls, come sit down.” Amy, matron of the Gray clan, made sure the motel door was locked, then checked that the windows were closed. They were.
Piling on a single bed, Jade, Raven, Claire and Mindy surrounded her, Mindy and Claire closest with Raven next to Claire and Jade next to Mindy. Claire wondered if the story would ever start, when Amy finally sighed and said, “Our family holds an ancient power, taken from the Keepers of the Gate or the Death Keepers. One of their strongest, a man with the special gift of Time, had corrupted his power. Our ancestor stripped him of his gifts and locked him out of space and time forever.”
“So what does that have to do with us?” Claire asked.
“The power is gifted from generation to generation, with one member of the family holding the gift until it can be passed down. We have many enemies, the Keepers and the Shadow Wraiths chief among them. Your father was murdered by a Keeper, but we are in danger from the wraiths as well,” Amy said.
Claire was surprised when Jade asked, “Mom, who has the power now?”
Amy hesitated before answering, “I do, but you must never speak of it with anyone, not even your most trustworthy friend. We’ve talked enough. You girls get changed into your p.j.’s and we’ll sleep.”
The sisters didn’t hear the lie in their mother’s words, for it was a lie. Amy couldn’t tell her girls the truth that one of the sisters held the Keepers’ power over the universe, or that one of them would be hunted for the rest of their lives.
The next morning, Amy asked Claire to help Mindy with breakfast. Claire grumbled, “Can’t Jade?”
“Claire snuck out.” Mindy said, a glint in her eye that told Claire she sometimes knew more than she was letting out.
Claire pinched Mindy and lied, “Did not. We were so crowded, Mom would have known if I’d gone out.”
“Ow!” Mindy started the young kid siren wail, the kind that starts with a low cry and ends in a high pitched scream.
Claire had snuck out for a brief few minutes that morning before everyone else was awake. Water helped her with the sneak part. It really was crowded with five people in the room, and she was feeling a little claustrophobic.
“Claire!” Amy’s tone was sharp and biting.
“I didn’t sneak out!” Claire threw up her arms. “You always take her side.”
“You pinched her.” Jade said, and then cuddled Mindy until she quit crying, “It’s okay. I’ll make you breakfast.”
Claire hated Mindy. She hated Jade. They always worked against her. Jade pretended to be so good, but she pinched Claire twice last week when Mom wasn’t home. That’s where she got the idea from. It wasn’t like Jade was innocent. And Mindy always got her way. Claire couldn’t do anything, but Mindy just needed to start whining, and everyone just jumped and gave her whatever she wanted.
All through breakfast, Claire listened to Jade help Mindy with ever-increasing annoyance. Little tattletale.
When Mom announced they were going to the beach, Claire grudgingly put on her coat. Were she to study her own emotions, she would realize that beneath the jealousy and anger was a core of hurt and the feeling that she was an unnecessary part of the family. She didn’t look that deeply. Claire fumed in the back of the van. She hated her family.
Hated them.
As Amy pulled into the parking lot of the beach, she said, “Be careful and don’t get too close to the water. The ocean is dangerous.”
Claire could be fairly certain that Mom was not talking to her about the ocean. Water was her element after all. She was still angry with Mindy and Jade and just wanted to get out of the car and up the beach and put some distance between herself and them.
They were just about to start up the beach trail when Amy’s phone rang. She groaned. Jade said, “It’s okay, Mom. I’ll keep an eye on them.”
“Thanks. It’s Tess. You girls go on ahead.”
Claire raced up the beach path, eager to see the ocean and put some distance between herself and Mindy. She could feel Water tugging on her, nudging her to play. It was a relief to have Water.
When she came over the rise, she tore off her shoes, leaving them beside a log. There was a giant rock five times taller than a person sticking up a quarter mile down the beach. Claire realized that if she could get behind that rock, she could hide long enough to become water and join the ocean.
She sprinted, hoping to reach the giant rock before Jade came up the walk behind her. Claire laughed as she reached her goal. Looking over her shoulder, she realized her sisters had not even appeared at the head of the path yet. Jade would be moving slowly because she had Mindy. Raven wouldn’t care much what Claire did.
Ducking behind the rock, Claire found a little nook where no one could see her. She let her form become fluid and let herself flow into the little rivulet that joined the ocean. As she turned into Water, her shorts, tank top, and underwear were left behind. Claire realized that Water could help her carry them until she was ready to return to shore. Gathering them up as a moveable puddle, she pulled them close as she moved further out into the water.
She could hear Jade calling to her from the beach. Claire felt no fear in the ocean. It would be silly when she loved Water so much, and Water loved her, too. Jade’s voice grated on her nerves. The idea of her yelling for Claire like she was some kind of parent drove Claire crazy. She watched with Water’s senses as Jade and Mindy moved closer to the beach, Jade still yelling her fool head off.
They were still on dry sand, but there was a stream of water pushed up from the tide running along the beach. Jade and Mindy were just about to jump across. Claire giggled and told Water what she had in mind. Water laughed, too. That would be a fun prank.
Both Claire and Water had capricious natures that didn’t always think through an action. What’s more, Claire was still feeling bitter toward Mindy and Jade from the morning. The idea sounded like a great idea.
For a moment, Claire felt like she was riding on a surfboard. She was in
the air hundreds of feet and then falling, falling, and tumbling. It was so much fun. She had no idea she could do that. Claire became disoriented as she tumbled in the water.
It wasn’t until the waves had calmed down that she heard the screams.
~~ Amy ~~
Amy’s best friend in Wildwood Springs was Tess Baker. She was the only person in the world that Amy trusted beside her family with keys to the house and shop. Tess was the kind of friend of whom you could ask a big favor and trust she would say yes, which was good because Amy had asked her to watch the shop for a few weeks until she could sell out.
She gave her permission to hire someone on a temporary basis to cover things. Tess might be a stay-at-home Mom, but she had a life, too. Amy didn’t want to take advantage.
Relieved that at least one of her problems was resolved, Amy said, “Hey, Tess. Thanks so much.”
“You’re welcome.” Knowing Amy was with her girls, Tess was brief and to the point. She asked, “Did you need me to place a stock order? I know you do that on Mondays.”
“If you could, Tess, I don’t know how long this will be. I just wanted you to know how much I value your friendship, if I don’t make it back to Wildwood,” Amy didn’t know how to tell Tess what was going on. They might have been good friends, but Amy didn’t share the secrets of her life, not even with best friends.
“Of course you’ll make it back. Is this about Bertha’s sister dying?” Tess asked, “If Bertha wants to sell out, maybe you can buy the place.”
Tess was way off the mark, but Amy didn’t correct her. She said, “I think Bertha’s going to sell, so we’re searching for a new place. Tess, I think someone in Wildwood means to harm me and the girls. If anyone asks, please tell them I’m on vacation and don’t say where.”
Laughing Tess teased, “You haven’t actually told me where you are. It’s okay. Just have fun and tell me about it when you get home.”
Amy had spun lie after lie. She felt regret, remorse that Tess would never know the real story behind Amy’s life. Amy’s story to anyone in Wildwood Springs was that her husband worked in sales in Seattle, and she left him. It had been an ugly divorce, and she was keeping her distance.
Poor Lawrence. He had been the best of husbands, and Amy felt terrible for vilifying him. But in the end, she had to protect her girls.
She was just finishing up with Tess when she heard the screaming.
~~ Jade ~~
Jade yelled for Claire to wait from the path, but then Mindy tugged on her hand and pointed to a sea gull soaring above their heads. Claire was way too stubborn for her own good and never listened. By the time they climbed the hill, Claire was out of sight. Jade scanned the beach, and felt a twinge of fear when she didn’t see her sister anywhere.
They might have been followed by whoever it was that scared her Mom so badly. Jade held Mindy’s hand tight, hoping Claire wasn’t pulling a stupid prank on them. In her loudest voice, she yelled, “Claire!”
Raven was a few steps behind. She said, “I’m sure Claire’s fine. This is a big playground for her.”
Thinking of Claire in the ocean, Jade felt her fear grow to panic. “She’ll drown.” She looked down, “Mindy, can you run?”
Together Jade and Mindy ran down the slope to the beach. Every few seconds Jade called out for Claire, getting increasingly angry and frightened when no one answered.
Jade held Mindy’s hand so tightly, Mindy said, “Jade, hurt.”
Jade looked down, “I’m sorry, Cricket. I’m scared. I don’t want you to run into the water.”
Mindy pointed to the crashing waves. Jade said, “That’s right. Just keep holding my hand. We have to find Claire.”
Noticing the tall rocks, Jade thought that maybe her sister was joking around and hiding behind them. At twelve, Claire could still be a brat sometimes. There was a small tidal stream flowing along the beach, small enough that she and Mindy could jump over it. She leaned down to Mindy and pointed to the water, “Hey, want to jump across the ocean?”
Mindy giggled, “Yes.”
They had just made the leap when Jade heard a strange slurping sound. In a single glance, she could see that the water had pulled back into a wall. While she watched the wall released and a wall of water three times her height came crashing down on top of them.
Jade screamed and felt Mindy’s hand being torn away. She took a gasp of air, and then she was in a deluge, swept along the beach in a freak wave. The water was over her head. She tried to swim as she was tossed in the water. It seemed to last forever. When the water finally receded, she was a mile down the beach, soaked and covered in sand. Her skin felt raw where she’d scraped against the rocks.
Spitting out salt water, Jade finally caught her breath. As she turned in a slow circle looking for Mindy, she realized that she had lost her second sister. “Mindy!” Her voice rose hysterically. She remembered the moment the water tore Mindy from her grip.
Raven was running down the beach. Jade coughed and staggered toward her, “Have you seen Mindy? Where is she?”
Jade kept turning in circles looking for her little sister. Claire rose out of the water, fully dressed. Claire’s gift was water. Seeing Claire’s smirk Jade screamed, “It was you! You did this. Where is Mindy? Where?”
Claire looked frightened. She ran to Jade, “I didn’t mean it. It was supposed to be a splash, just to get you wet. She will be okay.”
In a fit of anger, Jade pushed her sister so hard she fell to the ground, “Don’t talk to me ever again. If you hurt her, I will never forgive you.”
Raven reached out to Air, using the gulls to scan the beach. There was a lump in the wet sand back a half mile. She started running.
Seeing Raven sprinting into the receding water, Jade followed, feeling sick to her stomach. She loved Mindy, more than life itself. Raven was frantically digging. It wasn’t until Jade saw the bright yellow of Mindy’s sweatshirt that she actually believed the lump in the sand could be her sister.
The digging went on a lifetime, too. Raven and Jade both frantically dug Mindy out and then Claire joined them, terror in her eyes as she realized what she had done.
Claire called on water to push the sand away. Jade shook her, “Haven’t you done enough?”
Raven grabbed Jade, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Stop! She’s trying to help. Let her help.”
The water pushed away the sand. Beneath it was the pale face of a little girl, her face peaceful, her eyes closed.
She drew Mindy into her arms, “Cricket? Say something. Please?”
Jade felt sick. Her little sister looked like a statue.
Chapter 5
~~ Amy ~~
When Amy heard her girls’ screaming, she thought Lawrence’s killer had found them. She sped up the hill, cursing the sand as her feet sank into it, holding her back from a true run. From the top of the beach, she could see a crowd gathering below. Someone was hurt.
Amy ran down the embankment. As she grew closer, she heard the girls. Jade was telling Mindy that everything would be okay. Mindy was coughing. Raven was explained to a couple that a freak wave hit, and that she and her sisters had barely survived.
“Mama!” Mindy was in Jade’s arms now, but seeing Amy lifted her hands. At seven, she was young for her age in both temperament and size. Onlookers thought her to be a four or five year old.
“What happened?”
Jade and Raven both started talking at once. By the time Mindy was in the van and buckled in, Amy had the complete story except for Claire’s role in it. Mindy was still coughing. Amy drove her to the hospital.
Claire was unusually quiet. Normally she’d be throwing a fit about leaving the ocean. Staring out the window, Jade thought about saying something to relieve the tension, but then she thought about how close they came to losing Mindy. She turned away from Claire.
It was a small hospital. Anyone requiring anything more than stitches or a bed pan was life-flighted or ambulanced out. Other than the cough an
d being covered in sand, Mindy seemed fine. A bit more clingy and less trustful of Claire, but fine nonetheless.
The doctor wanted to keep Mindy for a few hours and run some tests. Amy agreed. Jade was still angry and wouldn’t talk to Claire. Raven was caught in the middle. Amy took the girls back to the motel and ordered pizza. As soon as it was paid for, she returned to the hospital.
~~ Claire ~~
Claire sat at the table in the motel room. She watched while Jade flipped on the television and grabbed a slice of pizza. She had never felt more hated in all her life. She couldn’t stand the silence, “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Jade threw the remote on the bed, “You almost killed Mindy. Do you really want to ask me to say something to you right now? Because right now, I think you’re a spoiled piece of garbage brat, and I wish you weren’t my sister.”
Raven grabbed the remote and shut off the television which was blaring out some infomercial anyway. She sat on the bed between her sisters and said to Jade, “That’s harsh. You don’t mean it.”
“Did you miss the whole drown me and Mindy deal? Or were you in on it too? Maybe you thought you’d have a little fun with the sisters who didn’t get any super powers from Grandaddy Universe.” Jade’s hands were clenched into fists, and Claire wondered for a minute if she was going to leap over the table and start punching her.
Claire hurt deeply, but she didn’t cry like Raven or Mindy or even Jade. Her sorrow was dry. She’d spent all of her Water power at the ocean. She said, “Raven didn’t do anything. I was just going to play a little joke, but there was so much water and it got away from me.”
Jade opened her mouth to speak, but Raven cut in, “Jade, whatever you’re going to say, don’t. I can see you’re still mad, so let’s just table this discussion until Mindy’s better and we can discuss it logically.”
A Time To Kill (Elemental Rage Book 1) Page 4
