Igniting Spirit (Gathering Water Book 3)

by Regan Claire

  “He’ll wake up soon,” I said firmly, making myself believe the words.

  “Yes, of course he will,” was her response, but she turned in her chair to look at me. “Della, dear, are you okay?”

  “I will be.” I nodded my head at the figure on the bed, making it clear that I would be fine once he was awake.

  She nodded her head in understanding. “Thank you Della, for bringing him the help he needed. I know it must have been difficult for you. I want you to know that I trust you and know you did the right thing — that you know what you’re doing. I’ll support you, and help Connor understand if he has trouble. Okay?”

  Her nose was red and her eyes puffy from crying.

  “Okay, Aunt Ellis,” I said softly, not knowing where this was coming from. Of course I was glad to hear it, but it was a little much.

  “I just... the last thing I said to him was fussing about him not wearing a tie to Thanksgiving. I’m not going to let anything else happen to my children without their knowing that I’m proud of them, that I trust them to live right… and… and that I love them no matter what.” She sobbed on the last bit.

  Tears welled in my eyes then because Cash was an only child, and that meant she was including me as one of her children. I reached forward and gave her a hug over the sides of the chairs more genuine than any I’d given before. “Oh, Aunt Ellis. I love you, too. And Cash knows all that. He’ll be infuriating you with his wardrobe choices in no time. Plus, you still get to yell at him about the tattoo!”

  She pulled away and dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “Yes, well, I noticed you have a matching one on your arm, as well.”

  “You can yell at us together, once he wakes up.” I gave her a small smile, which she returned.

  “I look forward to it.”

  We both laughed, just a little, but it was enough to loosen some of the tension that had been sitting in my gut since I brought Cash into the hospital.

  “Della, will you come here, please?” Uncle Connor asked, and since all I had to do at the time was wait for Cash’s eyes to open, I stood up and walked over to the men in the room.

  “Ezra has just filled us in on what has transpired in the past day. Is there anything you want to add?” I knew he was wondering if he could trust Ezra at his word, but didn’t know how to say it without offending me.

  “I’m sure he covered everything, I was mostly out of it on and off the entire time, but if you have any questions I can try to answer them.” It was true. Even the stuff I was awake for I hardly understood.

  “How is your father going to react when he finds out you’re basically the ruler of the Clades,” Connor asked the question I most wanted to know the answer to, as well.

  “I’ll ask for a moment alone with my daughter.”

  I must have been more tired than I thought, because I hadn’t noticed my father’s arrival and I should have.

  “Derek, did Alexander talk to you yet?” I’d recently started to occasionally call him “dad” instead of by his name. But informal didn’t feel right, not when he entered the room with the air of a ruler and half a dozen Elfennol standing outside, who I could sense now that I was paying attention.

  Ian stood up and came to stand at my back next to Lena, who had come close when my father had entered the room. Ezra was beside me, and I had to keep myself from leaning into him, because I was afraid of this moment. Not afraid of Derek, but afraid that the end of the conversation would be the end of my relationship with him. I’d just gotten to know my father, had just grown to love him, and I didn’t want that to end just because I saw the Clades were more than we had thought they were. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye!

  “Yes, Alexander told me everything he was meant to.” His mouth formed a small frown, and I wondered where Alexander was right then. “I still wish to speak with you, though. If I am going to stand by you, I want to know what you’re standing for.”

  I lunged forward and hugged him. It was my day for hugs, apparently. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around me too, playing the “awkward huggee” part that was usually my role, before sighing and tugging me in more tightly before letting go and taking a step back.

  I looked at Connor and Ellis, at Luke and Toby, and finally at Cash. I didn’t want to leave, but I knew Derek deserved answers. Luckily, Aunt Ellis knew me well enough to know what my hesitation was about, and provided me with an excellent excuse to leave.

  “Della, I want Cash to wake up in his own clothes. Would you mind running to the house and grabbing some things for him? You can bring them in the morning, after you’ve had a good night’s sleep.”

  I didn’t think it necessary to stay away the whole night, but she looked so determined behind her sadness, that I could only nod my head in agreement.

  “Take your time, Della. And thank you all for your help. Please, let me know if there is anything I can do in return.” My Uncle had turned into Dux Neale again, looking at Ian and Ezra especially.

  “I’m certain there will be many opportunities in the very near future to repay the debt, Dux,” Lena said, shaking his hand briskly before Ian did the same.

  Luke pushed himself to standing. “I think it’s about time I head back, as well.”

  I went over to Cash while Luke said his awkward goodbyes. “You’d better wake up, Cash,” I said, leaning down so I could speak softly enough that no one would hear. I tried to put the easy banter I usually used with my cousin into my demand, but all I heard was desperation from my voice. I said a quick goodbye to Connor, Ellis, and Toby. Holding my great-uncle’s arm to keep him steady, I led the group of Ethnos — both Elfennol and Clade — out the hospital doors and into the parking lot. “Can you drive, Luke?”

  “I probably shouldn’t. I feel weak as a kitten.” He sounded that way, too.

  “I’ll take you home. Where’s your truck?”

  Luke nodded his head a few rows down from where I’d parked, and we made our way to his vehicle. The Clades and Derek and his men followed us. Once we reached the truck, I looked at the small crowd.

  “Can any of you guys drive? A car?”

  “I can,” Ezra said. He was the only one who answered, so I tossed him the spare set of Cash’s keys I’d gotten from Uncle Connor before we left.

  “Will you drive the Jeep back to my house, please? The door is probably unlocked, but if not, feel free to break in.”

  I thought of my house key which was probably in Cash’s hospital room somewhere. The key was a family heirloom I’d worn around my neck on a silver chain, and I’d used the chain to try and slow the blood from Cash’s leg when he was injured. I usually wore it constantly, and my neck felt naked without it.

  Derek made a coughing noise in his throat.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “I think it best if your friends stay outside for now. I placed guards around your home. They were ordered not to do anything unless someone tries to enter, so they should be fine waiting outside.”

  I fought not to be too annoyed by that.

  “You wish Ian and me to wait for you there, as well?” Lena asked.

  I nodded my head. “Please, at least until I get back and we have a chance to speak. After that you can go somewhere else if you’d like.” I didn’t know how the conversation with my father was going to go, but I wanted them to be there and help strategize either way.

  Speaking of talking to dear ‘ole dad. “Derek, would you like to ride with us?” I figured the walk home from Luke’s house would provide the perfect opportunity to talk alone.

  “Of course.” He turned to his own men, none of whom I recognized, and dismissed them before helping me load Luke into the cab of his truck.

  I gave a swift nod to Ezra, directing him to the Jeep and home. He held my gaze for a minute, and I mouthed “be safe” before I jumped behind the driver’s seat of Luke’s old monster and turned the engine on.

  The drive to Luke’s was silent. He was dozing in the passenger seat, and since Derek sat in the bed o
f the truck — looking just as dignified as ever despite the fact he was sitting on a rusty toolbox — I just sat and thought about what had happened.

  A knot that had been in my chest slowly started to unwind. Cash was healed. Maybe he wasn’t out of the woods yet, but now that his body and spirit were healed, I had utter confidence that he’d wake up. It was just a matter of when.

  When we got to Luke’s house, he was still mostly asleep. Derek and I had to carry his enormous frame into his house and tuck him into bed. Luckily, we both had super-human strength.

  You know, because of the “not being human” thing. Or, at least 100% human in my case.

  I left a note for him on the door before we left, telling him to get his butt back in bed, knowing he would just ignore it.

  Derek and I started the trek back to my house. He didn’t say anything, and at first I was glad. It was a cool evening, the wind was biting, and the ground was a little wet beneath my still bare feet, but the sky was clear as the sun set to our left. The view of the sound on my back patio would be killer right now, sunset was always beautiful on the water. When we reached the halfway point home, and still nothing had been said, I finally stopped.

  “You said that you would stand by me. What will happen next?” I asked.

  “I already called Etta and Richard to come before Alexander spoke with me and explained. They should be here in two days time. But that is a good thing because I can bring this situation to their attention. If Kaylus knows of a way to open the gate we must put our combined efforts into stopping him.”

  “You know that it’s more than just him, right? Or Cash, even. The Clades aren’t all evil any more than the Elfennol are.”

  “It is a hard thing to believe, and I won’t say that I trust these Clades you have befriended. I also realize that at this time, we should put our differences behind us and prevent the destruction of this world. After that, I don’t know what will happen.” My father looked worried, more worried than I had ever seen him.

  “But you trust me? And you trust Alexander?”

  His expression flashed quickly to anger, then disappeared. “I would trust Alexander more if he hadn’t kept such secrets from me.”

  “What else could he do?” I asked quietly.

  “I don’t know what I would have done if he’d told me before, and now I’ll never know. I’m much younger than most of the people I lead, Della. I understand these times a great deal more. I may not trust the Clades, but I would have kept an open mind if only someone would have confided in me about the topic. But no one did.” His voice didn’t get louder, but I knew he was angry.

  He was talking about me.

  Derek started walking again in the direction of the house, and I jogged a few paces to catch up with him.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I can tell you everything now.” I wanted to tell him everything, had wanted to since the beginning. I looked up at him, hoping he wasn’t too mad.

  He nodded his head and sighed. “I’d like that.”

  I looked forward, then took a deep breath and began. “I met Ezra that first day you made me go to the island and relax. I didn’t know he was a Clade then, just thought he was another half-Dunamis like me, and it was clear he was uncomfortable talking about himself, so I thought he was just sneaking away. I didn’t want to get him into trouble.” I had the bad habit of rambling when I was anxious.

  “And you just coincidentally ran into him?” He kept most of the disbelief out of his voice, but I could tell it was an effort.

  “Not exactly. I did stumble into a restaurant run by a Dunamis by accident. She’s Vodun, and is basically a surrogate mother to Ezra. She could hear the Loa talk about me, I guess. He came into the restaurant right when I was trying to leave — I wasn’t sure I could trust her. But when Ezra came in, I knew he was Ethnos and just assumed he wasn’t Clade because all the Clades I had seen at that point were Kaylus’ people, and their energy is all tainted. His was clean so I figured I could mostly trust him.” I paused to gauge his reaction, then continued since all his face showed from my vantage point was an interest in the story. “It’s not like I told them who I was. We still never figured out if the one Elfennol who was working with Kaylus had other Elfennol partners. But they could tell I could use the elements in some way, and when she guessed I was a water-wielder from California I didn’t correct her.” I remembered that conversation well, because she had referred to my family, the Deare and Neales, as “high and mighty,” and I got a hoot out of hearing that.

  “When did you and he discover the truth about each other?”

  “I think he knew early on, but I didn’t find out until the last Sunday before the party you threw me. Kaylus came, but Ezra convinced him to let me go.” I bit my lip and hoped Derek wouldn’t find that too suspicious, or think me too gullible.

  “How did he manage that? How do you know he isn’t in league with him even now?” He didn’t sound like he was accusing Ezra of that, just curious as to how I knew.

  “Ezra has his own reasons for not following Kaylus.”

  “What reasons are those?” my father asked, earnestly. “I understand you trust him. Give me the same opportunity to do so. I can see that you are close.”

  I realized then that Alexander hadn’t told my dad that Ezra was Kaylus’ son. That he’d kept his Death ability secret. But I didn’t want to keep any more secrets— not from anyone. However, this was Ezra’s secret to share.

  “Dad,” I used the familial term, hoping to appease him a little. “That’s a question you have to ask him. I think you should know, I really do, but it’s not my secret to tell.”

  He’d find out soon in any case, as my family at least knew the truth about Ezra’s abilities, if not who his father was. Then I wondered — would Derek even have the same fear of the Thanatos ability that the Clades seemed to? If they’d purged all of those who held the ability and the knowledge of all things associated with their own downfall, could the younger among the Elfennol even know why they can’t go back to their own realm? The true reason, not just because the world is dead, but because it is full of creatures of nothing.

  I didn’t know which would be better.

  We reached my house, and Derek still had not responded, so I kept sharing. “He came to warn us when Kaylus’ men came. He tried to get me to come with him before they got to me, because he knew they wouldn’t do what the Elders had asked of them. The Elders wanted to speak to me, but I wanted to talk to my family first, explain what I knew —”

  “So, you were planning to tell me?”

  “Of course! It didn’t sit right with me, about the Clades, and I can’t be the person that just ignores the bad stuff anymore. Not if I can do something about it.” Most of my life had been so out of my control, and some of the things that had happened were so awful that I’d just tried to ignore — or forget — what I couldn’t change. I didn’t even believe I could change them, so I didn’t even try. But growing up is full of hard lessons, and I’d learned we all have a choice in things; that we all have control over our lives, even when life got a little uncontrollable. You either fight or you give up — and I was sick of giving up.

  “Why didn’t you come to me when Cash was injured?”

  “I knew you wouldn’t be able to help him. I spent enough time among the Elfennol to realize that what had happened to Cash was outside your realm of knowledge. Because you fear knowledge for the power it gives people.” They’d been proud of the fact they’d purged the knowledge behind Spirit Gathering, so how could I have expected them to know what to do?

  “Power can be corrupted,” he sounded defensive.

  “Yes, but how can we fight against that corruption when the bad guy knows more than we do? How can we apply that knowledge for good instead of focusing on how it’s possible to be used for bad?”

  He didn’t say anything, but I wasn’t sure if it was because he knew I was right, or because he didn’t want to argue with me.

 
; “You should have sent word to me somehow. You should have trusted that I would have understood what you needed to do instead of letting me think you were taken or killed. I am your father, Della. Does that mean nothing to you?”

  He sounded angry. Not that he was shouting or anything, but his words were overly enunciated and his voice was a fraction deeper than it typically was, and threaded through the anger was hurt. I’d hurt him by not trusting him.

  “I —” I wanted to defend myself, but no words came. I could say that I didn’t think he would understand, but that was already clear, just as it was clear he was hurt by that. Anything I said to defend myself would just dig the hole I was in a little deeper. So, I said the only thing there was to say. “I’m sorry. It does mean something to me, but I guess I didn’t trust that it meant as much to you. I’m still getting the hang of the whole ‘family’ thing.”

  Derek pulled me into a hug and rested his chin against the top of my head. “It means more to me — that you are my daughter — than you will ever know, Della. More than the people I lead, because it was clear from the first time I met you that you are the future of our people. You are our hope and our strength. I wasn’t there for the first eighteen years of your life, but I will make it up to you by putting your needs first for the rest of mine. Trust that I will do that for no other reason than you are my daughter, and I love you.”

  His words didn’t make me cry, but only because I swallowed the choked up feeling before allowing myself to succumb to it. We pulled away from each other, and I was struck by how different my life was than I’d imagined it to be just a year ago. The most shocking part wasn’t that I was part of a family full of impossible abilities, or that my father wasn’t even human — it wasn’t that I’d fought, had my life threatened, and had killed in the last year.