This opened up twenty thousand more questions. “So you move around, change parents every, what, fifty years?”
He motioned with his hand in a give or take gesture, flashing a wide smile. “I’ve done different things that will take days to tell you so I was wondering; can we spread out the questions over, say, the next week? It is the holidays and we’ll have lots of time.”
I was far away in Neverland with the Lost Boys. “Do you feel Jonathan in you?”
He chuckled, but not before his eyes watered a little. “I have old memories beneath the new ones I formed growing up in Morocco and beyond. They have faded slightly, but I – feel his profound grief over loosing Sarah, his regret for not saving her. I feel his inadequacies in that regard. I know that can never happen again, and it won’t. But more than that, do you have any idea how long 280 years, 5 months, 3 days, and…” He glanced at an imaginary watch on his wrist…”45 minutes is?”
There was a knock at the door, and I lost my chance to respond. Stuart rose to answer while I threw water on my face and rinsed my mouth out with mouthwash. Moments later he reappeared in the doorway.
It’s…your Mum, he sent.
“Mom?” I wasn’t sure if I should hug her or shake her hand or slug her until her usually stone face melted, just enough to cue a cautious embrace.
“Hello, Layla. Stuart.” Stuart hugged Liz without reservation, planting a kiss on each cheek. “Oh, okay,” she blushed. Stuart thawed her a bit, one of his many talents before she shifted back to business mode. “Your Dad is here too. We have much to discuss.”
It was then I realized Christmas was just days away. “Oh! Are you two here for the holidays?” I was confused, because it wasn’t in her nature surrender to holiday cheer.
Her forest green eyes flashed, a tiny grin fighting to escape. “Yes. The Fairchild’s opened their house to us. I hope that’s okay.” She didn’t wait for a response. “Let’s go see everyone, shall we?”
The Fairchild’s mentioned there would be company on Christmas Eve and to expect a full house for food and festivities, but I just assumed they referred to their friends. Since then, the holidays hadn’t crossed my mind until now. And I had not done one ounce of anything resembling shopping. Maybe Sienna would go with me.
Dad and Stuart’s current dad, Colin, were in the kitchen sipping beer. Everyone gathered around the dining room table. I think the meeting style seating arrangement was subtle manipulation on Liz’s part, indicating there was business attached to the visit. So of course, she started speaking first. “Layla, much has been revealed to you but so much remains unanswered.”
I scowled, holding up one hand for her to stop. “PLEASE stop talking in riddles, please, I beg you.”
“Of course,” she smiled graciously attempting to mask our history of friction in front of the Fairchild’s. “This is complicated and difficult to know where to begin.”
“How about a summary then the back story,” I suggested dryly.
She exhaled sharply. “I am a Clear, but your dad is not a Guardian. At one time, I thought Colin was perhaps my Guardian. For some reason, not every Clear has a Guardian.” They exchanged warm smiles and Liz continued. “Colin and I did not…fall in love. Well, let me clarify. Colin fell in love with Natasha then I met Sam. I did love Colin at one time. That is no secret to anyone.” Her eyes shifted down briefly, as if to recall lost feelings.
“Correction. No secret to anyone except me,” I quickly retorted. “Every last person in this room knows more about my life than I do, and you’re all guilty of harboring secrets. Even you, Fairchild.” A lame attempt at anger toward him crashed and burned immediately when he flashed a sympathetic smile and shrugged.
“Yes,” Liz continued, “We have been secretive and I apologize. The element of self discovery was critical when revealing the truth, in order for you to move forward without cynicism.” Our eyes met and she let me read her. Would you have listened to me?
I looked down, and Liz sipped her coffee. “Shall I start with my personal story Layla? And my decision to become a neuroscience researcher?”
“I don’t really care at this point.” The undertones of sarcasm in my voice drew a nudge in the ribs from Stuart, sitting next to me. Be nice, he sent.
Liz continued. “You and I had the same night visions. The woman – Sarah. The burning. Witchcraft. All of it. I think she worked hard to deliver the truth, and used us both as conduits. But the person she really needed to reach was you. And her memories are somewhere in you, so that’s why it all seemed real and familiar.”
Hot tears were forming and that made me frustrated she had power to elicit emotions from me. “Thanks for helping me cope.”
Her eyes pinned me. “You think I’m cold, but I’m not. Obsessed perhaps. I couldn’t tell you because we decided to let everything unfold in order to get answers to the visions – what they meant. I saw you coming here. My only goal in life has been to protect you.”
“It’s true, “Dad interjected, nodding.
“Then why did you not want me to come here?” I threw eye daggers at her, pretending I was incapable of forgiveness in any capacity.
“I did want you to come, and I knew you had to come. My resistance spawned from a basic maternal instinct to protect you at all costs. Hard to believe, I know.”
Stuart shot a quick glance my direction. Don’t say anything. Just listen.
“Did you know about the letter?” I asked.
“No, but I knew about our family history on Colonsay and knew Abbey lived there, so when your Dad told me about the letter it was no surprise.”
“She mentioned your gift in the letter – Sarah. She knew about you too.”
“Did she now?” Mom contemplated from a scientific point of view. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re learning your history.
“History?”
Everyone nodded in concurrence with Mom. They all seemed so buddy, buddy it made my stomach flip over.
Natasha interjected. “You and Stuart are special.”
I couldn’t look at Liz any longer, so my head whipped to face Stuart’s current mom. “How do you know? Are you a Clear, Natasha?”
Her warm smile caused a pang of guilt for behaving like a contentious child. “No. But – I’ll explain later. Nothing about me is important at this point.” She continued smiling, revealing perfect straight white teeth against bronze skin. “Stuart and you are destined for great things. You are the hope for mankind as we fight against evil – the Bane.”
“Okay, stop! Time freaking out! Do you know how ridiculous you all sound? Destiny? Fighting evil? Just stop! My head can’t take anymore truth, if that’s what you call it.” There was loud buzzing in my head.
As I stood up so did everyone else. “I need air.”
“I’ll go with you, love.”
“No! Alone!” I pivoted on my heel, marching toward the door, Stuart following behind me.
I said alone.
No can do. Jasper…
Oh, whatever.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
After a stroll around the block, he convinced me to go back inside and hear everyone out. The second his arm was around me in the frigid air, the first snow crunching under our shoes, my body responded to him with warmth and calm – engulfed in the bubble of Stuart.
You are super good at this Guardian stuff, Fairchild. I forget why I was angry every time you touch me. Not fair.
In kind he kissed me before opening the door to the house, where we were met with raucous laughter. To my delight Patrice and Henry and Sienna magically appeared. Patrice playfully shook her finger at us. “I knew there was something special about you two! They told us everything.”
“Gee thanks, Mum.” Sienna poked her lip out but Henry was quick to embrace his daughter, planting a kiss on top of her head. I walked to Sienna, and gave her a hug.
“We’ve always know you were special, young lady,” Henry said to Sienna.
Liz broke up the party. “Would anyo
ne mind terribly if I had a few minutes with my daughter?”
Uh oh, I thought, rolling my eyes.
She read my expression, not a difficult feat. “Honestly, Layla. We’re just talking.”
We retreated upstairs closing the door to the guest bedroom. “So, should we do this verbally or non-verbally?” For some reason I just couldn’t corral my mouth.
“First, can you for once cut the sarcasm? And I can’t read you well – not yet anyway. You’ve been blocked to me most of your life.”
“You mean we should be able to talk silently but I won’t let you in?” I could barely contain a grin.
“Yes. That seems to be correct,” she said, “and not being able to read you well in general has caused me all kinds of problems I was not expecting to have.” She seemed exasperated thinking about the shortcomings between us. “I thought I could track what was going on by reading you during the course of your life, but you’ve been totally shut off to me. You are very talented my dear.”
“I’ve always been able to block at will,” I replied with some smugness, winning a battle with her I didn’t realize we were engaged in. I had intentionally locked her out of my head without knowing. “But if you couldn’t read me, how did you know so much? And why didn’t I know you were…like me? A Clear. Why in the hell didn’t you tell me?” I was beyond pissed; the anger rose again and flushed heat to my skins’ surface.
She spent more than an hour trying to fill in blanks, pouring out everything she could think of while fielding my questions.
She worked with Colin incognito for a private non-profit company, owned and funded by Clears like herself who probed the inner-workings of the Bane-Clear-Guardian world. She had lied to me about where she worked, saying her employment was with a local research institute in Portland. Conducting experiments on brain function was just a small part of what happened behind the walls of StoneWall, LLC – named after the two primary partners Liz Stone and Jerry Wall. The play on their two adjoined names was pure coincidence but seemed to signify something impermeable.
Most days were spent tracking Bane activity, which ended up explaining Jasper Branson. Branson is like a head Bane in the UK. She knew about our date because a conversation was ‘overheard’ via wiretaps with his son Andre about taking me to The Promenade – Jasper helping with arrangements. When Andre relayed to Jasper he thought I was reading him after the ‘incident,’ Jasper got paranoid and searched everywhere, locating the mics StoneWall had spent large amounts of time and money infiltrating the Branson mansion. Jasper realized I was a Clear, and while Andre was too inexperienced to recognize the attraction, Jasper was not and started pursuing me. He tied my last name to Mom. My one date with Andre threatened the entire espionage ring leading to discovery of the taps, and Jasper was beyond enraged.
I told her about the incident in the parked car and Stuart’s rescue. She was very grateful for Stuart’s intervention, but realized my lack of experience and knowledge about this strange underworld exposed me to the Bane. I told her about my responses to Andre’s thoughts, the notes, and the sedan which she absorbed with analytic silence. “Yep, that did it,” she had said.
She knew Stuart and I would meet, but was worried we may not connect, in part due to my stubbornness, and in part due to her own experience not totally connecting with Colin. She worried the changes in my life would be too much too fast, and our inexperience would put us in danger.
“Who sent the Celtic knot charm?” I had asked.
“Colin. It was symbolic, a sign. In retrospect our clues to you were shoddy, disorganized. Anyway, now you know about yours and Stuart’s…immortality.”
“Know about in theory. Still not believing,” I mused.
“You will,” she smirked, “In time.”
“How did you know my headaches would end?” I asked.
She smiled. “I didn’t for sure, but it stood to reason you were under extreme stress and once you knew the truth they would subside.”
I laughed. “So not necessarily a Clear issue.”
She returned a smile. “Not everything is. Just spoken from experience of a life-long headache sufferer.”
We talked about why she was distant, how I felt rejected by her growing up, unlovable.
I know. I’m sorry. Take all the time you need to forgive me. It was for the greater good. Please try to understand.
I cried, she cried. It was pathetic, but necessary. When my tears stopped, I asked her if Bane were immortal.
She explained Bane were not immortal, but are growing in numbers as more join the force. Brutal dictators like Stalin and Saddam made it to the top while others are stopped, sometimes-through acts of violence and war. But now there is a movement of Bane Radicals whose goal is to kill Clears and overthrow governments. They will torture, maim and murder to achieve their goals.
“There must be others like us,” I reasoned.
“Some, not many, and not as powerful. We are trying to find everyone. Hopefully, you’ll meet them eventually.”
I let that one go for now. “So – why do they want to kill Clears?”
“Because Layla…Clears are here to prevent Bane from executing their agenda.”
“Which is?”
“The destruction of goodness.” Her response was matter-of-fact.
Mine was panic. “So Jasper wants me dead. I’m a threat?”
Her voice lowered to haunting. “Oh, you are more than that. And it’s not just him who desires your blood. There are many, many others.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Somehow I saw beyond the danger, and Liz became a person to me. She became Mom, not in a traditional sense, but she was my unique version.
Not that she ditched her ‘business’ demeanor often, but her dedication and passion to the cause was unwavering, inspiring even, and I finally understood Dad’s comment on the way to the airport about our shared drive in life. Of course, we also shared gifts of vision, something I was beginning to view as more of a burden.
And then there was Dad. My heart pounded with hurt thinking he was second pick. But according to Liz – Mom, he was never a runner-up to Colin, as they met years later at Stanford. Mom had met Colin when her father was stationed in London on a military assignment when she was eighteen. Colin had already attached himself hopelessly to Natasha, who was no competition for any woman. As Mom said, “Looking at her now you can only imagine her as a young girl. Hell, I would have fallen for her!”
Colin managed the European division of StoneWall, and responsible for the Branson project. That totally explained Stuart’s passionate plea to not go out with Andre, since he probably had first hand information from the taps. Most StoneWall employees, including Jerry Wall, had no Clear abilities, just passion for the cause.
“So tell me again. You always knew about Stuart?” I asked.
Her eyes locked on mine. “Yes. The Clears are a small community. Stuart needed a family here to appear normal, and to be accessible when you arrived. I helped him connect with Colin and Natasha, who by coincidence is related to Stuart. Well, maybe not a coincidence, who knows.”
“So, you knew we would likely meet someday?” I was trying to catch on, but it wasn’t easy.
She nodded. “Yes, and when you were compelled to come here I thought it might be too soon but couldn’t stop you. It was fate, and planted in your mind that it was time to leave home.”
“Andre was attracted, possessive of me, but didn’t know why.”
“Yes. Unfortunately, Bane are extremely attracted – physically and otherwise – to Clears. We’re not sure why yet and are experimenting with evolutionary and genetic theories but no concrete conclusions yet. Were you attracted to Andre, Layla?”
I remembered the email talking about the Bane attraction, and Mom admitted to sending it. Satisfied, I answered her question. “Well, sure, you know, he was cute, charming, confident, rich. But something about him seemed, forbidden,” I laughed, adding “Especially with everyone telling me to walk a
way.”
Mom nodded, remembering the strange call she placed forbidding me to date Andre. “That must have been confusing for you. Layla…are we starting to be – okay?” The lines around her eyes softened.
We’re getting there – Mom. By the way Abbey is a bean sidhe.
Nonsense. They don’t exist. She winked, her wry smile telling me she believed otherwise.
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Downstairs there was a giant food spread and lively conversation. Stuart asked me how our talk went, how I was doing. “Talk was fine. Not sure how I’m doing. Definitely numb.” There were many unanswered questions I couldn’t cultivate into words. Instead, I contemplated everyone in the room.
Maybe I was luckier than I realized.
After the meal coffee was poured and candles lit as we settled into contentment. Dad harbored a serious expression of concern, his brows tugged together as he stared at the table. Mom told me upstairs that Guardians could only read Clears, no one else. It was part of the protective component they were studying, the ability to sense when Clears were in danger, to exchange words in situations where speaking was not possible. She was frothing at the mouth to run tests on Stuart and me.
I answered her about hell freezing over.
Dad was clearly worried, thinking …she’s too young for all this…
I gave him a reassuring smile then shifted in my seat, deciding there was no longer motivation to hold back. “Everyone, I have an announcement. No. More. Damn. Secrets. We talk about everything openly. Now. Always. Do not keep anything from me ever again.” In turn my eyes rested for a moment on everyone at the table, except Sienna who I simply acknowledged by saying, “You’re excluded. You hold nothing in.” She giggled. With everyone else I was firm. “Understand?”
My family and friends humbly nodded, agreeing to my terms for moving forward. “Good. Now, where do we go from here? Can I even go to school any more?”
Colin answered. “Yes, most definitely. We will be providing additional security at the school however; you can’t leave Stuart’s side I’m afraid.” He smiled to let us know he was in on his own joke.
Vision Page 9
