by Wilson, Maer
“The last stop was on a barren, red desert. The sun was the wrong color and beat down mercilessly. It was like walking into an oven. Someone had put up a cloth shelter, and it gave some shade. But, god, that sun was searing, blazing hot and definitely not Earth's. A few minutes after we got there, the portal winked out. Pretty much crushed my hope that I'd get out that way. The Light One shoved me to the ground under the shelter.
“I was worried sick about what might be happening back here. I tried to question the Light One, but the bastard completely ignored me. So, I stood up. Boy, did he pay attention then.” Thulu shook his head. “That thing was fast. I mean lightning fast. He was standing over me with his hand around my throat before I could blink. I honestly thought he was going to kill me. I froze, and he eventually let me go. I sat back down very slowly and carefully. As soon as I did, he completely lost interest again. I was there six, maybe seven hours. It seemed like days in that heat, though. He gave me some water when I asked, so at least I knew he wasn't deaf.” I could feel his body shake and wondered if it was shock or fear, before I realized it was barely contained fury.
“Finally, Gabriel showed up. He opened a portal and said, 'The woman made a promise. You will see to it she keeps it.' He just picked me up and carried me back through the portals and threw me through the last one.
. I landed here in the backyard.”
We were all quiet for a few moments. I was thankful that Thulu was safe and squeezed his hand tightly.
Thulu looked around the room. “Tonight this family has seen first-hand why these creatures need to be fought. The Light Ones are dangerous to our world, to our lives and to our way of life. My wife and I will fight them. We'll do everything we can to prevent them from invading our home.” His voice was firm. “And Gabriel will pay for what he has done to our family.”
I looked up and saw a man I'd never seen before inside my Thulu's eyes. His anger was implacable, his boyish charm nowhere to be seen. As we looked steadily at each other, I realized the night had changed us both. We'd finally grown up, and that fact saddened me. Even more though, for the first time, I saw what a truly dangerous man my husband could be. And that made me glad.
Sleep was hard to come by for most of us that night. Some got in little naps, but the shock, pain and grief were almost a physical entity, preventing much more than that. All of our guests left, expressing their condolences. Aela said she was leaving a guard on the house.
Jones and Stuart remained behind. Jones took me aside to tell me he was sorry for not protecting the property.
“It never occurred to me that he would come here. I have no idea how he found that girl he killed, either, La Fi. I am so sorry this has happened. I feel I have let you all down.”
I looked at Jones in shock. “This wasn't your fault. I never thought about asking you to put up wards. None of us did. The only blame here belongs to Gabriel.”
“He will pay for this. I promise you that.”
I smiled stiffly. “On that we are in perfect agreement.”
I moved away to interpret messages between our dead and the rest of the family. It took a long time, but I was thankful for the distraction.
Reo tried to talk to Lynda-Jean, but she refused to answer him, continuing her stare into nothing. Nana Fae went over to her and finally snapped her out of her trance. Lynda-Jean glared at her, looked around until she met my eyes and said quite clearly, “It's all your fault.”
I didn't bother to answer her, but Reo did. “Oh really? La Fi isn't the one who betrayed us to Gabriel. You did that all on your own.”
Those members of our family in the room looked around at Reo's voice. Thulu looked at Lynda-Jean as she moved in front of me.
“You corrupted my son. The angel promised to make me happy and remove you and save Carter before it was too late.”
“You knew Carter can see the dead.” I made it a statement.
She shook her head in denial. “No, not for sure, not until Gabriel showed up and said he could. All I had to do was give him some information about your evil abilities.”
“Your lie cost us dearly, but it cost you too, Lynda-Jean.” Thulu looked at her, his face a mask betraying no emotions.
She pointed at me. “Her fault! All she had to do was say she'd help. She didn't have to argue with him.”
“Help him? You idiot! His kind will feed on us. They're like drug addicts, and we'll be their newest drug of choice. We're trying to stop them, not help them.” Venom dripped from my voice.
She shrugged, “But you agreed in the end, didn't you? So don't get all high and mighty with me, you bitch.”
I laughed and shook my head. No way was I going to tell her I lied. I just looked at her in utter contempt and disgust.
“Get out. Go on through the portal. I hope it takes you to hell, if there is one.”
“I'll leave when I'm good and ready. My son is here, and I intend to look after him.”
Thulu had been following the conversation and spoke up, “You made Ally and Brent his guardians in the event something happened to you, remember? Carter is with the living and will be well taken care of. But my wife is right. You need to move on. Your presence is not welcome in this family.”
I wondered if we were going to have to resort to firmer methods to get her to leave, but she just stared around and popped out. I had a nasty feeling it wasn't going to be the last we saw of her. I never realized how much she hated me. It was a strange feeling to be hated, and not one I liked. Mostly, I'd written her attitude off to being drunk, but I realized it went much deeper.
Reo filled in the family on her part of the conversation, and I was patted and hugged and reassured that none of it had been my fault. I accepted their support with as much grace as I could muster, but I desperately needed sleep. Everyone else did too, and some of them left for their own homes.
Jones offered to drive us home, and we gratefully accepted. We made our own goodbyes as I retrieved my purse. Reo joined us as we went off with Jones and Stuart. Sinking into the rear seat of the limo, I fell asleep before we'd gone more than a few blocks. I only surfaced long enough to drag myself into the house, drop clothes on the floor and collapse in our bed.
Chapter 34
The next morning I actually woke up before Thulu. I smiled, fully intending to gloat over it before I remembered the night before. The smile died on my lips. I quietly slipped out of bed and got clean clothes from our bureau and closet. The hole in my chest opened up once again. Closing the door to the bathroom softly, so I wouldn't wake Thulu, I took a shower and washed my hair. The water poured over me, washing away the cobwebs in my brain, if nothing else.
A look in the mirror was a shock ,and I stopped with the comb partway to my wet hair. Dark purple bruises were under my eyes, my eyelids were outlined in bright red and very puffy. I looked pretty much like I felt.
Thulu was still asleep when I came out. He was so still, I went over to check his breathing. I watched his chest rise and fall and resisted the urge to smooth his hair back. I let him sleep and went downstairs to brew up his coffee and have my morning soda. I found my purse on the floor by the front door, got out my tablet and went back to the kitchen.
I called for Parker and Jenna and they came instantly, which made me think they had been close by. They were both subdued, even Sophie, and I tried to summon a smile for them.
“I didn't tell her what happened, just that you were sad,” Parker said quietly.
“You saw?”
He nodded. “I brought Jenna here and told her to stay here and guard the house.” He reached over and mussed her hair.
She gave me her sweet smile. “I helped, Mama Fi,” she said with pride.
“You did a great job, Jen. Thank you.”
Parker went on, “I got back in time to see that angel kill that one girl. I could see your family jumbled together against the wall and that some of them had died. I knew you would need help, so I asked the pixie girl to get backup. She disappeared and
that creepy angel left.” He paused for a moment. “I couldn’t do anything to help you. I wanted to, but I couldn’t.” He was visibly upset.
“Oh sweetie, getting Ceil to help was the best thing you could have done. She must have been the one who got the elves. They were there almost immediately. I'm sure you saved more than one life last night. That was very quick thinking, my friend.”
He nodded and settled in mid-air. The three of them simply floated, quietly keeping me company. I wanted to hug them all.
Thulu came in, hair damp from his shower, wearing shorts and a T shirt. We looked at each other, but didn't speak. We didn't need to. Thulu had the same bruised look I did. He got his coffee, thanked me for making it and slid into the booth. He gave a wave to the kids.
“We should call Jones and find out what –” I paused, looked at Jenna, “what he found out.” I pulled out my phone only to see I hadn't charged it. I plugged it in and put it on the counter. Thulu pulled his from his pocket and handed it to me.
The phone barely rang once before I heard Jones's deep voice. “Yes, La Fi?” I was too burned out to even grit my teeth. I told him I was putting him on speaker.
“We wondered about –” I looked over at Jenna, “ – your patient.”
“He's awake, doesn’t remember anything since Chicago. His wife has filled him in on the move and the accident. Another day or so will make little difference.”
“Wow, Jones, that doesn’t sound like you.”
He shrugged. “You and Thulu can work when your minds are clearer.”
“I want to continue,” said Thulu, the resolve I saw in his eyes last night echoed in his voice. “There isn't much we can do for anyone else, right now, but we can do what we do best. Getting rid of that bastard will be our gift to our family.”
“As you wish. Stuart will pick you up in an hour. Will you invite Reo to come along?” Usually we would have driven, but we both appreciated the offer. We were still in shock, and that disconnected feeling was probably not a good thing to have while driving. Besides, we’d left our SUV at Thulu’s parents’ house.
We agreed, thanked Jones and I hung up, handing Thulu the phone. He made the call while I popped bread in the toaster. Reo said he'd be there in time to catch a ride with Stuart.
Thulu and I made a simple breakfast of toast and jam before changing for the trip to the hospital. I was trying hard to make my mind function, but my thoughts were not very organized. Reo had let himself in and was in the kitchen when we came back downstairs. He looked like he'd had very little sleep and was dressed in jeans and a dark shirt. He gave us a group hug, and the three of us stood there together for a long time. No words, just his normal love and support. I appreciated our best friend more than ever.
When Stuart arrived, we asked the kids to please stay at the house. Thulu locked up, and the four of us left for the hospital.
Once we arrived at the Masons' hospital room, I was surprised to see Sloane, the elf who had helped my family, standing with Jones outside their door. I said hi to both of them, turned to Sloane and thanked him for his help the night before. He graciously nodded.
Sloane was not golden like Aurelia and Belus. His hair was a blue-black curtain that looked like it belonged in a hair commercial – long, shiny and sleek. His large eyes were a blue so deep, they looked indigo, and his skin was very pale. He wasn't as tall as the other elves either; nor as slender. He was a few inches taller than Jones and had a solid build, without seeming muscular.
“I wish I could help you emotionally, but it's important to tamper with the mind as little as possible,” said Sloane. “I can ease your shock a bit if you'd like me to. Not completely, but enough for you both to function better.”
I looked at the others, confused.
Jones looked concerned. “Well, La Fi, you all three look rather bad, but you and Thulu look particularly awful.”
“Yeah, I guess looking like a zombie probably won't be very reassuring to Matt.” Thulu and I exchanged a look, and he turned to Sloane.
“Yes, anything you can do would be appreciated.”
Sloane took Thulu's hand for a moment. I could see the circles disappear from beneath his eyes. Thulu took a deep breath and blew out a sigh of relief. He nodded to me.
Sloane took my hands. I felt a warm glow move from my fingertips throughout my whole body. The numbness immediately went away, and I felt a current of energy. “Wow,” seemed an inadequate response, but it was the best I could come up with at the time.
Sloane turned to Reo and repeated the process. Jones looked at us each carefully, opened the door and led us in. The room was unchanged from before, except now the two patients were awake. Carolyn was sitting in a chair beside her husband, rather than in her own bed.
She looked slightly better than I had only a few moments before. I looked at Sloane, who only looked back noncommittally.
Jones introduced me and Thulu to the two of them. Carolyn was dressed in pajamas and a robe. She nodded in acknowledgment, but there was a wounded look to her bright blue eyes. The same eyes Jenna had.
My heart went out to her. Maybe it was my own recent losses, but knowing that this woman would never hold her little Jenna, or laugh with her or watch her grow up tore into me in a way that threatened my professional calmness.
For the first time, the fact I'd never have a child of my own tore at me, and I felt a kinship with Carolyn as tears sprang to my eyes. I moved behind Thulu as I tried to gain control of my emotions. I felt a steadying hand on my own and looked up to see Sloane. My emotions steadied and a peacefulness came over me. I nodded at him, and he let go.
I took a deep, steadying breath and put on a smile that didn't fool Thulu. He gave me an odd look, but said nothing.
“I know you!” Matt's voice distracted me. He was dressed in a typical hospital gown, but there were only a couple of monitors connected to him. He was looking from Reo to me to Sloane and back again. “Hey, you're an elf!”
Sloane gave a dip of his head in acknowledgment
Reo nodded. “Yes, Matt, Fi and I were here a couple of days ago and Sloane was here with me yesterday. We've been trying to break your coma.” I noticed he didn't add anything else.
Matt seemed confused. “But I thought I dreamed you guys.” He shook his head to clear the cobwebs.
Carolyn patted his hand. “No, these two were here yesterday.”
“The mind plays tricks in a coma, Matt. The important thing is that you're awake.” Reo gave him an encouraging smile. “I understand there are some memory issues. What's the last thing you remember, Mr. Thomas?” Reo deliberately used their alias.
“My name is Mason,” he corrected automatically. Carolyn gave him a sharp look, and he made a bad attempt to cover, “I mean –”
Jones interrupted him. “It's all right, Matt, we know you are really Matt and Carolyn Mason and that you're in some kind of trouble. Please, let us help you.”
Carolyn, of course remembered everything up to just before she was kidnapped. From there her memory was the false car accident planted by Jones. The couple exchanged a look. Matt still seemed fuzzy, and it was Carolyn who said, “Why should we trust complete strangers? We don't know you.”
Jones answered with his usual charm, which was annoying me again. “If I wished you harm, I would not have moved you to this private facility and arranged for the two of you to have the excellent care you have.”
Yeah, right, I thought. Maybe Jones felt my displeasure because he moved to block my view of Carolyn, with his back to me. Well, that didn't fly with me, and I simply adjusted, but was careful to keep my face pleasant.
Carolyn thought about that for a moment, looking around at all of us, ending with her husband. She slowly nodded.
Jones continued, “Please let us help you. Tell us what you need, and we will do our best.”
“Besides,” I added, determined to be a part of this, “haven't you heard that when you save someone's life you're responsible for them?” I smil
ed encouragingly, and she responded with a shaky smile of her own, maybe because I was the only other female.
She and Matt exchanged a long silent look before he nodded. Carolyn told us the story we already knew from Jones: the job for Grant Corp, finding the dagger, Matt hiding it and Paul Adams' death. She brought to life the fear they lived in and how Matt had moved with lightning speed to cash in all their money, get new identities and get them out of town.
Thulu interrupted to ask gently, “Just like that? You got new identities and ran? Why not just take the dagger to the cops?”
Carolyn looked thoughtful. “Grant Corp has become the city's darling the last couple of years. Matt tried to tell the cops Paul's death wasn't an accident, but no one believed him. So there sure wasn't any reason to think we'd be safe. Besides, something just felt – off about the whole thing. Matt said we needed to go. That was enough for me. We were pretty much running on instinct at the time.”
I couldn't imagine picking up and running like that. I tried to put myself in her place. It had to be disorienting.
Matt spoke up. “I wish I remembered all this. The last thing was a phone call from the site.”
Carolyn gave his hand a squeeze and picked up where she'd left off. “We found an apartment here and opened new accounts in the name of Thomas. We passed off a cover story that we moved to Boston. Matt sold his business to a competitor. He was quite clever and flew back to Chicago only long enough to sign the papers and cash the check.” She looked at Matt with pride. “He didn't want a paper trail to connect him to San Francisco. He was very careful covering his tracks. He even set up multiple accounts and handled almost everything through agents, traveling to different locations.”
I was impressed and decided Matt might not be weak as I'd originally thought.
Carolyn said they were settling in and had decided to take a drive to see the countryside outside the city. She paused, apologized and said things were a bit fuzzy after that, probably due to the accident.
