by L. A. A. Law
My eyes shift between them and I know they must have talked about this while I was with Reginald. “I can understand your concern and I do realize that he is in a dark and doubtful place right now, but I know how guilty he feels about what David did to them, how much he loves them, and I know no matter what he would never do anything to hurt them. I believe that his helping them feel empowered will not only help them but will help him as well. He will feel that he is righting the wrong. I promise both of you that I will keep a careful eye on him, but I really believe that it would be best to give Reginald as many contacts to grab hold of as possible. Otherwise, you know what will come for him. He has impaired their side for millennia and they would love nothing more than to bring him down.”
Andrew turns to Gabriel. “She’s right and all he has ever done is help us and ensure the children were born safe. We can all ensure that the children do not become overwhelmed or learn things they shouldn’t.”
“I’ll go down and see if I can get him to come up. Maybe I can get a better read on him and continue the conversation you began.” With that, he’s gone.
Jacob and our friends are still sleeping. Andrew lifts the arm rest, drawing me into his side. “You should get some rest as well.”
I am absolutely wiped and the adrenaline has worn off. I place my head against Andrew’s cool chest and drew myself into his side. I hear him whisper something, but my mind cannot process anything more and I quickly drift to sleep.
Andrew kisses my ear softly. “Wake up beautiful, we’re home.”
As the plane descends, I wrap my arms around him tightly. “I love you.”
“I love you too. I can’t wait to get you home so that you will know that our family is fine and everything will be alright. Mia, do you remember your dreams, can you tell me about them?
“I don’t even remember dreaming. What did I do?”
“You were talking in your sleep about the children, but you were jumping all around. None of it made any sense.”
“It must have just been these last few days because really I don’t remember anything.”
The plane stops. “Why don’t we get Jacob up and go home. I’m sure that it will be better once we are there.”
“Don’t get him up. I’ll carry him. I’m sure that he is still exhausted.”
Driving home, everyone is still a little disoriented. Thankfully Jason came with a bus. “Nicole, Nicholas and Kayla would have come, but they crashed in their chairs waiting for the plane to arrive, so Catherine and I put them to bed. I hope you don’t mind. They haven’t slept at all since coming back.”
“Thank you. How are they doing really though?” Andrew inquires.
“Nicholas and Kayla seem to be running a little hotter than usual and their heart rate has increased slightly since coming home, but we don’t know if it is because of their anxiety over the situation or if they are going through any changes. Nicole seems to be doing better. She seemed to relax somewhat when she learned you boarded the plane, but I have to warn you, she saw the imposter Jacob destroyed and for a moment, she couldn’t differentiate the two. She was screaming out for him and then even tried to attack Lucas when he was taking him down, but we have been talking to her and I think that once she sees Jacob, she will be on the road to recovery. Mia, you should also know that Marlena has not changed back to whatever she looked like before she bit you. We have been keeping her away from everyone, but before that, when they were on the farm, Nicole was around her and Lucas said he could see the stress it was placing upon her.”
“Thanks Jason, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Andrew interjects. “Do we know any more about what is going on with her physically?” Reginald moves closer to the front of the bus so that he can hear our hushed conversation. “I can’t explain it but all the tests come back as if she is a normal twenty-five to thirty year old female. Her heart beat is normal, her blood is AB negative, her pulse rate is high, but that is probably because she doesn’t understand what is going on. We have performed MRIs and Cat Scans, tested for brain waive activity and it all comes back within normal range.”
“How can that be?”
“We don’t know. Even James is at a loss. He is redoing the tests and checking all the results, but he is amazed. Mia, I hate to ask this, but are you sure she is the one who bit you? Is it possible that she is a witch and was never a vampire?”
“I know what I heard. David called a woman Marlena over and instructed her to bite me, but I couldn’t see anything.”
“Mia, James wants to get your blood drawn as soon as possible, he is afraid that the more time that passes, the more diluted the results will be.”
I withdrew a small cooler pack from my purse and handed it to Reginald. Andrew’s eyes shoot to mine in surprise. “I had Damian draw some blood when he came to see me in the hospital. I knew you would be upset because I had already lost so much already, but I knew questions needed to be answered. I want us to be able to eliminate my involvement with it by having the closest counts possible. I don’t think that it was me or my blood, but I know it’s important to have the circumstances closest to the time period.”
Reginald places his hands around the cooling pack. “Thank you.”
“I hope that it leads you to a road with answers, but remember what we talked about. Even if it gives you some type of physical answers, the ones that you are truly looking for will never be answered from such contents and it would be best if you consider that he was destroyed the day of the ambush.”
“I will try to keep that in mind.”
We finally pull through the gates and despite knowing that we will be facing an uphill climb with the residual effects from this incident, my body relaxes for the first time, knowing that the children are safe here.
Eva comes up to me. “I’ll show Grant and his family the house and help them get settled so you can see the kids.”
The bus barely comes to a stop, Andrew picks up Jacob and we are flying up the residency stairs. “Dad, I’m awake, you can put me down.” He states groggily.
“Let’s get inside first.”
Chapter Nine - Facing The Werewolf Challenge
The door opens before I even touch the handle. Running into the children’s room, I can’t believe they are safely tucked in their beds. “Mom is that you?” Kayla rubs her eyes, jumps up and throws herself into my arms. “You’re here!”
“I’m here and so happy to see you.” I grip her closer to me. Nicholas and Nicole rise and run toward us as Jacob enters. We were all hugging as Andrew’s arms embrace our group. My family is truly here and no matter what, we will face whatever comes together. Shock grabs hold of me as I realize that in the midst of my joy, I feel the difference in temperature of Nicholas and Kayla. Jason was right. They are running hot, and not just a little. My stomach twinges. As happy as I am, I know without a doubt that they will be facing a change and we need to prepare them for that. They all begin talking at once. Nicole is grasping Jacob’s hand and staring into his eyes, finding her true connection to her brother. Someone’s stomach grumbles giving me a good idea to get us quickly back into our routine with a little flair. “Let’s go outside and make s’mores.”
“Really? You always say that midnight snacking is a bad thing.” Jacob eyes the clock.
Andrew laughs. “She may say that, but your mom was infamous around here when she first arrived for her midnight snacking.”
I laugh with him. “I think we can make an exception this once.” The children quickly throw on their shoes and sweaters before running down the stairs laughing and hugging each other before I can even gather the ingredients.
Joining Andrew and the children, I see a new and even stronger bond growing between them because of this experience in the way they are holding on to Jacob and he is whispering that he spoke to me about learning all they could so that something like this will never happen again. Relief at this revelation flares in Nicole’s eyes.
“I’m so glad that you
are o.k.” Nichole squeezes Jacob’s hand tighter. “I can’t tell you how awful it was knowing that they got you again. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe worrying.”
“I was afraid for you too. When they told me that you were with that crazy woman and someone who looked like me that could hurt you, I was so afraid that if he were to harm you, the last thing you would remember is me causing you pain.”
“But it wouldn’t be you.” She states trying to reassure him.
“I know, but still to have someone look like me hurting you, I couldn’t stand that.” By the time I reach them, they are locked in a bear hug as tears escape down their cheeks. Putting down the food, I hug them.
“It will be alright. You are both so brave and kept your head despite everything. I’m so proud of all of you.” I look at them. “I know how scared you were, but you did so well and you watched out for each other. You are all so grown up. I can’t believe how much you remembered and how well you followed directions to help us find you.”
“Mom, how did you come to us? Is that something that we can do?”
“I am not sure if you can do it, but I do know that we are going to ensure that we teach you all we can about your powers and abilities.”
“Jacob did tell us that and we know the rules. We promise that we won’t use them without your permission or ever in anger.” Nicholas states confidently.
“Mom, what happened to the others there? Could they still be coming for us? Why did they take us in the first place? Do they know about you and dad? Would they have taken us to hell?”
Taking a moment to figure out how to answer them, Lucas approaches us. “Would you mind if I joined you?”
“Why would we mind?” Kayla jumps up, hugging him.
Sitting down, his eyes glance to me and I know he wants to answer their question so I nod. “They didn’t come after you because of your mom and dad. They didn’t know anything about you, not really. They were very bad people who wanted me to suffer, not you. Their fight was with me, no one else. You know how your mom and dad have always tried to warn you about falling in with the wrong people when you enter the real world?”
“Yes, but you are married to aunt Catherine and have been here for a very long time, why would they want to hurt you?”
“A long time ago when I was human, I came in contact with those people and I didn’t think to look beyond the surface, the way your parents are trying to teach you. I married a woman in their family and agreed to have her change me, but then when I saw what they really were, I ran away and took one of the people that they were trying to hurt with me. They didn’t like what I did and they wanted to get revenge upon me by hurting you.”
“But we aren’t your children. I still don’t understand.”
“You’re right, but the people who grabbed you mistakenly thought that you were mine and they wanted to use you to hurt me. I’m sorry that you got mixed up in this whole mess because of the mistakes I made in the past.”
“It’s not your fault uncle Lucas.” Nicole rises and hugs him. “They were just very bad people. I’m glad that you got away from them.”
“I am too. I love it here and I love all of you very much.”
“Why don’t we start the fire and get these marshmallows roasted. The air always smells so nice when you make s’mores.”
After they gather the twigs and place them all on the wood, Andrew pulls a lighter from his pocket. “Wait, allow me.” I place my hands on the sticks and concentrate on the flames and heat I want to generate and the heat this world has to offer. As soon as I feel the sticks become hot, I remove my hands. A moment later, the children’s eyes are mesmerized by the little fire.
“How did you do that?” Nicole stares at me and her eyes widen.
“Let me show you.”
The shock on each of their faces is clear. Taking her hands, I cup them around the tip of a small branch. “Place your fingers on the tip and concentrate on the elements around you. Think about the sun and heat, lava and fire. As soon as you feel the branch getting hot, remove your hands.”
Closing her eyes, she concentrates for a long time. All of a sudden, her hands recoil quickly from the branch. A moment later I am holding a lit twig and Nicole is beaming from ear to ear. Andrew, Lucas and I hold the twigs so the others could try and their triumphant smiles light up the darkened night.
“I can’t believe you let us do that.” Nicholas laughs as he finishes his marshmallow. “That is so cool.”
“I figure it wouldn’t hurt to teach you that now. I know that you are all curious to understand your powers and you showed me how much you understand. I’m sure that as much as you think starting the fire was great, you also realize how dangerous it could be.”
“We do mom, don’t worry. We would never want to see anything happen to the forest or the people here. We know it is not something to play with, but thank you for showing us.” Jacob inches closer to me and places his hand on mine.
We stay there enjoying the night sky with the children resting against our legs until their eyes droop. As I tuck Nicholas in, he whispers groggily. “You’re not going to leave home tonight are you?”
Leaning down, I kiss his cheek and whisper. “I’ll be right in the next room.”
“O.K.”
“Sleep tight. I love you and you are safe at home.” He is unconscious before I even withdraw my lips from his ear.
Despite the exhaustive few days, I am no longer tired. Entering the kitchen, I make some coffee. When I came out, Andrew is not in the living room so I head back towards the children’s room. He is stroking Kayla’s temple gently. Hearing my approach, he turns. His features confirm my worst fears. Rising silently, we go into the living room. Knowing what we will face, I need to ask. “How much time do we have before the first full moon?”
“About ten days.”
“Is there anything we can do to stop it?”
“I don’t think so. I can smell the changes in their blood.”
“Is there any way for Cecil to get in touch with Amanda beforehand? Maybe the spell that allows them to control their conversion could help us.”
“She is already looking for Amanda. That’s why she stayed behind.”
“Did you know for sure before we came home?”
“No, but I thought it would be best to be prepared just in case.”
“Andrew, I know I said I trust Grant, but do you think we should ask Reginald if he knows anyone?”
“Mia, I think that your instincts about Grant are correct. I see a very bright aura around him.”
“I think I’m just afraid, that’s all.”
“I know. I’m afraid too, but Nicholas and Kayla are wonderful children. They will be able to handle this and we will help them.”
“But what if they can’t control the conversion? What are we going to do? Maybe I should take them to the cabin alone. It is too dangerous for you, Jacob, Nicole or even anyone in your family to be close to them. If they were to bite you...” The vision pops unbidden into my head as my heart races out of control. “Is there any possibility that because you can smell the changes in their blood, they are changing before the full moon?” I jump up, running into the archway. They are all asleep, but I can’t stop the fear that is overtaking me. If Nicholas and Kayla were to change now, they could kill Nicole and Jacob.
Andrew stops me before I take another step. “Mia, they are not going to change tonight.”
“How do you know?” You said this isn’t your realm.”
“Mia, you know what Grant told you about the first full moon. From everything we could decipher from our search, he was giving you the correct information.”
“What research are you talking about?”
“As soon as we realized the children were bitten, I gave Ryan the combination and instructed him to get the phone from the safe. He found information regarding first transformations and all of the information tells about it commencing on the first full moon after the initial bite.”<
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“Did he find out anything else?”
“He found an account from Reginald regarding his observations of a transformation. Although it was not an initial transformation, it appears that the process is fairly quick but, for younger werewolves, they may reemerge to their former self with no recollection of where they were or what occurred.”
“Grant did tell me that about his mother when she was first changed. She was not a natural born werewolf.”
I could see from Andrew’s eyes that there was something more. “What are you afraid to tell me?”
He hesitates. “I don’t want you to panic, but in Reginald’s account, the werewolf he was observing became violent and turned on him, despite befriending him in his human form.”
“I need to take them then and go. Andrew, you and the children can’t be around them!”
“Mia, you won’t be strong enough to contain them both on your own, werewolves are very powerful and very fast.”
My mind is reeling at the thought of what is coming. I force myself to control my breathing. I need to think. If they will be powerful and fast, the cabin is not far enough away. I have to get the children somewhere isolated, somewhere where they cannot harm anyone. “Andrew, Grant said they learned to control themselves, but did you find any information about how long that may take?”
“From Reginald’s account, he stayed with his friend for three cycles. By the time he left, he was no longer a target even after Samantha transformed.”
“Maybe I should take the children to Italy until they can learn to control the transformation. You could ask Antonio to leave for just a while.”
“No!” I hear the panic creeping into his voice. “I don’t want you, Nicholas and Kayla that far from Sanctuary and our family.” He gently strokes my back in an attempt to calm my raging heart. “It will be alright. I know it seems impossible at the moment, but everyone is still here and they will help us figure out the best way to help the children.”
