by Eris Kelli
Chapter Seventeen
The sounds I heard at first started off low and were garbled, but they were steadily growing louder. When my eyes did open, it was to see giant werewolves in the throes of a battle. Brea was holding my head in her lap, but her attention was on the fight.
I wanted to ask what was going on, but I was barely strong enough to keep my eyes open. Seraph emerged from somewhere behind me, and I watched her march out into the battle. The werewolves towered above her and they did not see her as she maneuvered between them toward the center.
She’s going to be torn apart. What is she doing?
Brea’s arms around me squeezed tight and she was speaking furiously in the language I had heard Madric use. My eyes were beyond heavy, and I struggled to keep them open. There was blood on the floor. Who did it belong to?
The earth shook beneath me. The werewolves fell to the floor, shrinking into their human forms. Seraph stood in the center of them, and her hands were raised in fists. Her eyes were like fire and the expression on her face no less intense. My eyelids closed like curtains.
When I woke up next, I was wearing the clothes I had arrived in and was in a gigantic bed. It was as if I were sleeping on a cloud or giant marshmallows.
I had not forgotten what I had seen the last time I was awake, a battle.
Sun was filtering in through the gauzy curtains, and my heart sped up further. Quickly rolling off the bed, I pulled the door open. Duncan was leaning against the wall across from my door and stood up when he saw me. “Good morning.”
“I was supposed to be home by one thirty. What time is it?”
“The exact time is.” He checked his cell phone. “Five forty-three.”
I covered my mouth with my hand. “I’m four hours late! Where is Nicholas? I have to go home now.”
“Your grandmother has been informed by Tony that you are with us.”
“What?”
How could they do that? How would I ever go back to my old life if they were outing me?
I still must have been drained from the night before because I didn’t have the tears that I expected to fill the rims of my eyes. “Where is Nicholas?”
“He is in solitary.” He looked up and down the hall. “If you wish to go back to the sanctuary to speak with your grandmother and gather some of your belongings you are permitted to do so.”
“Give me the keys. I’ll drive myself home.” He handed them over, and I dashed down the hallway. I didn’t know if I was going the right way but Duncan didn’t stop me, so I hoped that meant I was headed the right way.
Why is Nicholas in solitary?
I found a staircase and went down it taking two stairs at a time.
The house was ginormous, and everything looked the same to me. Everyone who lived in this place must have been in bed because there was no one around. Duncan hadn’t followed me, so I couldn’t ask him how to get out. I was considering climbing out a window when a woman entered the long hallway I was standing in. “Excuse me.”
She looked directly at me, and it freaked me out how much she looked like me. But her hair was an Auburn hue and much longer than mine.
It was the shape of her face, and she had the exact same nose as mine. We didn’t have equivalent ideas about modesty. She was wearing a bib that looked as though it were made from gold coins and a low rise black transparent skirt that had matching gold coins at the belt line. As she came closer I could see my same green eyes in this woman’s face.
I look like everyone here.
“Lost?” She asked.
“Where is the front door?”
“I’ll walk you.” She started walking, and I followed until she paused by a mirror. “Your hair is just like mine at your age.” I glanced in the mirror and gasped. That deep red stripe that had shown up overnight now covered my head. I was a redhead. “Are you upset?”
Upset?
I wanted to throw up and scream. If this was anything like the stripe, then it couldn’t be altered. I wouldn’t be able to bleach it anymore or dye it any other color. Grandma Sidney was going to think I was a completely different person than I was when I left.
“The gypsy ceremony cleansed away the gaje impurities.” I looked at her and caught her studying my expression. “You will find many things are different now that you are full gypsy.” I realized that I didn’t recognize her from the celebration last night.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Zorrin.” That name didn’t mean anything to me and didn’t resemble any of the names I had, including my gypsy names. I shrugged figuring it was pointless trying to figure out which one of these women was the one that sold me.
“So, it’s this way to the front door?” I pointed down the corridor we had stopped at. She nodded and began leading me again.
“Will you be coming back?”
“Yes, I still don’t know how to get rid of the Siths.” I folded my arms and continued to follow her.
“You should know there are a large number of gypsies who do not believe you belong. It is important that you be cautious if you do elect to return.”
“Will do.” I rolled my eyes wondering what wasn’t dangerous. There were Siths all over the sanctuary. If I was trying to stay in a safe place I’d be better off with the gypsies. When we took the next turn, I spotted the front door. “I’ve got it from here. Thank you.” I jogged over to it, pulled it open and went through it.
It didn’t occur to me that I had not paid attention last night to where we were until I started Johnny’s truck. I pulled out anyway and just as I was turning onto the street the back windshield shattered. The truck swerved when I screamed, and I floored the pedal not knowing if I was being shot at or what.
The truck roared, and I drove over a few bushes before I got control of the truck again. I got my breathing steady several blocks away, and I was surrounded by regular people in their cars on their way to work.
I looked out the back window to see if I could see anything or anyone following me. Then I saw the rock on the floor behind the passenger seat. Someone wrote; don’t come back, in black marker.
Seriously?
I found Interstate Five and quickly maneuvered onto it heading north. At least, I would be able to find my way home. Traffic was solid, and I was at a standstill trying to remember what Duncan had said exactly.
What was it they told Sidney?
Tony should have known better. In fact, I knew he did. No doubt he had been following orders from Seraph.
When the passenger door opened I screamed and pulled the keys from the ignition to gouge the intruder, but it was Toryn. “Are you insane?”
“Thought you could use some company since Nicholas is detained.” He winked at me when my mouth gaped open at him. “You look hot as a redhead.” He didn’t say it like some random guy hitting on me. He said it like he was seriously in awe of me.
I stuck the key back in the ignition and turned it. I pulled forward the two feet the line had moved. “Experiencing some road rage?” He was looking at the glass on the floor and the hole in the back window.
“More like gypsy rage,” I said. He picked up the rock.
“A little gift from Brynn.” Toryn put it in his pants pocket. “Johnny is going to be really furious.” At the moment, I didn’t care if Johnny was going to be mad. He was a freaking liar just like the rest of them. At last traffic started moving, and I merged into the fast moving lanes.
“Duncan said you were worried about your grandma?”
“Well, no one asked me if I wanted her knowing I was a gypsy. I didn’t.” He nodded and was not offended like I expected him to be. “She’s always been good to me. I don’t want to lose her.”
“You shouldn’t have to.”
He was sweet, but he had no idea what he was talking about. I changed the subject. “Last night I woke up, and I saw werewolves fighting.”
He grinned almost with pride. “Yes, you did. Just a little disagreeme
nt is all.”
“A disagreement that landed Nicholas in solitary?”
“It sure did.” Toryn’s smile grew even bigger. “Seraph was very angry.” He shook his head looking out the front window.
I sighed remembering how angry Nicholas had been that I had danced with Toryn. He was going to love that I took him back to the sanctuary with me. From Toryn’s happy mood, it was clear he was an enemy of Nicholas, and I had him riding with me. “So what’s the deal with you and Nicholas, anyway?”
“I don’t hate him.” His smile faded away into a serious expression. “He’s my best friend.”
“Well, you’re the worst best friend ever if you are happy he’s in trouble.” He laughed but didn’t offer an explanation.
When I turned onto the road that would take us up the mountain to Grandma Sidney’s house, he reminded me that I was only back to pick up the things I needed. I didn’t answer him because as far as I was concerned I wasn’t leaving unless Sidney told me that I had to.
I parked Johnny’s truck and dropped onto the dusty earth. Tony and Johnny were outside and approached me right away. I waited for them because I wanted to yell at them away from the house so that Grandma Sidney would not be disturbed or involved any further. Tony got to me first, and he had the nerve to smile.
“You are a loathsome piece of crap, Tony. You’ve been fooling my grandma all this time?” I looked at Johnny when he joined us. “You too, you jerk. How could you do this to her?” I pointed off toward the house.
“Do what? Work for her? Protect her?”
“Lie.”
Johnny said, “We never said we weren’t gypsies.”
I glared at Johnny and turned my gaze to Tony. “What did you tell her?”
“I told her that you went to meet your birth mother and that she is a gypsy. I told her that you decided to learn a little about her lifestyle by staying with her for the remainder of the summer and would return before school.” He sighed heavily. “She understands.”
“What about the Siths?”
“There was no reason to frighten her.”
I remembered him telling me that he didn’t like to lie to Sidney when I had said I wanted to wait to tell her about that freak Ivan. He was so full of it. They didn’t say anything to Toryn but I didn’t miss the way both looked at him like he was rotten fruit.
Johnny cleared his throat loudly, and I looked up and saw Grandma Sidney marching toward us. She pushed right past Tony and Johnny and came to stand in front of me. Her mouth was a straight line, and I could see the strain on her face. “You missed your curfew.”
“I’m sorry.” Tears were running down my face. She wiped them away and then embraced me. I hugged her back wanting so much to tell her everything that had happened the night before, but I couldn’t. If I did she would have to know that I wasn’t really her granddaughter.
“Get out of here,” she said to Tony and Johnny, and they went to the first barn. Toryn did not follow them but took one of Grandma Sidney’s hands.
“Thank you so much for raising her. You’ve done a wonderful job.” He was smiling so bright that Grandma Sidney couldn’t quite keep the scowl on her face. Toryn followed after the other two, but I didn’t watch him go any further than past the outer gate.
“Every time I turn around you’ve got a new boy. That’s good. He’s a gypsy?”
“Yes, but he just came along for the ride.”
“Nicholas is too?” Sidney put a hand on the back of her neck. “You met your birth mother?” I could feel her apprehension more than I ever had before.
“I’m not sure, but I did become a gypsy.” I grabbed her hand. “I can’t explain it all. Are you angry?” Sidney shook her head. “I’m supposed to go learn the gypsy way of life. I won’t if you don’t want me too. You are my family.”
She massaged her temples. “I think you should go.”
“You do?” She nodded and kissed my cheek. “Grandma Sidney? Will you come with me?” She rubbed my back, and I knew she was going to say no for sure.
“I can’t do that.”
“It’s not safe here.”
“Yeah, Tony mentioned I couldn’t be walking around by myself anymore.” Her eyebrows drew together. “Wish he would have mentioned he was spying for your mom a lot sooner.” I knew Grandma Sidney had been battling a crush on Tony.
“Sorry, Grandma.”
“No, don’t be. Who could blame her? I want an address to this place before you go.”
I glanced back toward the barn. “Tony has it, I’m sure.”
“Are these gypsies good to you?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer that one. “Good enough. Their culture is very different.”
“They made you dye your hair to match your roots?” I wrinkled my nose and tucked my hair behind my ear. “You go get your things.”
I don’t know if Toryn had been listening the whole time or not, but he came out of the barn just then, heading toward my house. He fell into step with me. Toryn came with me all the way into my bedroom.
“Nicholas has been in here?” His voice was louder than usual.
“Yes.”
“Are you in love with him?”
Everyone asked me questions like this, and I always avoided answering. “Why does that matter to you? You don’t know me.”
“It matters more than anything.”
Well crap. I didn’t expect him to get so serious.
“I like him,” I answered, and he sighed noisily. “I don’t even know you. Why are you taking this so hard? You don’t know me either.”
“I have been forbidden to tell you the details. I encourage you to ask Nicholas about my role in your life. Only he can enlighten you.” He shrugged. “Well, anyone but me can tell you, but it’s Nicholas’ right.”
I rolled my eyes. “How can you remember what is forbidden and what isn’t? It seems like everything is forbidden. I thought gypsies were all about having a good time and getting money.”
“I knew this would all be strange to you. The clan has been awaiting your return since you were given away, but you never knew we existed.” He was flipping through the same photo album Nicholas had been so interested in. The way he drank in each picture stopped me from protesting. I had not unpacked from being at my parent’s house yet so I added a few things to the bag and took my pillowcase too. “How will my Grandma Sidney be kept safe?”
“Your mother surrounded the inner sanctuary with iron. Siths cannot pass across iron. Johnny and Tony want to stay and protect her anyway.”
I turned toward him with my luggage and pillow in hand. “Are they werewolves too?” He shook his head. “We’ll be taking shifts.” There was nothing more I could do to protect Sidney at this point. If I played along then we got protection, if I didn’t we’d lose it.
