“What’s wrong?” Reagan asked.
Jessica didn’t respond.
Reagan cleared her throat and asked again.
“There’s something strange on these blank pages,” she said as she continued to rub the paper. “It’s a different texture.” She closed her eyes. “I feel the strangest energy coming off of it.”
“Reagan and I experienced a similar sensation when we both touched it before. Do you mind passing it back for a second?” Winona asked.
As the diary made its way back to Winona, having gone around the entire circle. Reagan felt electricity in the room like nothing she’d ever experienced; the hairs on the back of her neck spiked.
Winona opened to the first blank page and placed her hand on the paper, palm down. “I feel it. Something’s different. What was it Cecilia said?”
“‘If those with angel blood read the diary together, more will be revealed,’” Nana said, quoting the exact words from earlier.
Winona’s forehead wrinkled as her eyebrows drew together. “I want to try something. Could everyone scoot closer and lay a hand on the book?”
Everyone but Sasha did as Winona suggested.
“Now, let’s say together the last line written. It says, ‘The angel sword is the only way to victory.’ Repeat after me,” Winona said.
Each voice echoed the line in unison.
As the words were repeated, faint words appeared on the next page.
“Let’s close our eyes and focus,” Nana said.
With eyes closed, Reagan repeated the last line and imagined the words of the prophecy. Her fingers began to sting, but not with pain. It was more like touching something warm that was getting hotter, but not yet hot enough to make her pull away.
“It’s working,” Winona said.
Reagan opened her eyes. Writing had appeared on the page.
Winona read. “The angel of wisdom will lead the way, visible only to those with angel blood. For protection, the angel sword resides near the oldest church in Colorado. It was moved there years ago in anticipation of your proximity. Carry this diary with you. More words will be revealed as you get closer, but only if touched by all. When you most need it, the angel of wisdom will guide you the rest of the way.” She turned the page. No more words appeared.
Everyone pulled their hands back.
Reagan laid hers in her lap.
Sasha, who had remained in the corner of the room, spoke up. “This is really going to help us. But it’s going to take some planning. From what I understand, and correct me if I’m wrong, all of you will need to go on the journey to find the sword.”
A sudden heaviness settled on Reagan’s chest. She tried to calm her nerves and take in shallow breaths to ease the panic welling up inside her. She knew Sasha was right. “Papa’s not going to be happy about this. It’s too risky.” Reagan had to stop for a moment to take in some air before continuing. “We’d be so vulnerable to attack. Nana, Mom, and Aunt Sarah aren’t fighters. If Rafe found us, the war would be over before it could begin.”
Nana laid her hand on Reagan’s leg. “Dear, I know this is scary. But we have to have faith. I truly believe Cecilia wouldn’t lead us to our doom.”
Faith. That word again. Reagan didn’t doubt she was integral to defeating Rafe, and she fully believed she must do what was necessary to defeat him. But it was another leap entirely to put everyone’s lives in danger and trust the angels to come through. Why couldn’t those creatures, along with God, just put an end to Rafe?
“It must be done.”
Reagan nodded at the words permeating her mind. At first, she thought the voice was Nana’s. But something was off.
“Cecilia just spoke to me,” Nana said. “She said—”
“It must be done,” Reagan and Winona said almost in unison, their words only slightly off. Winona finished the last syllable a second after Reagan.
Empowered by four simple words, Reagan stood. “I think it’s time to talk to Papa. Anyone happen to know the oldest church in Colorado?”
A chorus of “No” consumed the room.
“I’ll head to the command center to talk to him and access the computers. We’ll come up with a plan. But first, I know he’ll want to visit Lucent. There are a lot of details to figure out.”
“I’ll go with you,” Madeleine said.
Sasha echoed the same words, and then added, “Jessica, you should come with us, too.”
Each of the women made their way to the door.
“I’ll stay here with everyone else. Come tell us once you know more,” Winona said.
Reagan looked back and nodded. When she did, she noticed her mom was leaning her head on Aunt Sarah’s shoulder. Reagan could only imagine what was going through her mother’s mind. She’d never seen any of them in wolf form, much less a battle scene. Catching Winona’s gaze, Reagan tilted her head in her mom’s direction. Winona nodded. Reagan sensed the visions were holding her mom back from reaching her full potential and made a mental note to pull her aside and ask her about it.
“You coming?” Jessica asked, drawing Reagan’s attention back to the task at hand.
Conflicted between embracing warrior mode and wanting to be just a seventeen-year-old girl, Reagan hesitated. She missed the days where her toughest decisions were choosing an outfit or what movie to go to. Nobody asked her if she wanted to shoulder the responsibility of war, of so many people’s lives. She knew she must push forward, but her feet felt rooted to the ground, as if she were stuck in quicksand. If Rafe could see her, he’d laugh. That thought spurred her toward the door.
“We’ll come back as soon as we can,” she said as they entered the hallway.
They walked in silence toward the command center. As they neared the entrance, Reagan saw Rowan. She wished she could run to him and sink into his strength. Something on her face must have conveyed that, because Rowan walked toward her.
“Can we talk for a second?” he asked when he was within a few feet.
Reagan only wished they had more time. She turned to her waiting friends. “I’m right behind you. Wait to talk to Papa until I’m there, okay? Let him know I’ll be just a minute.”
They nodded and continued.
As soon as they were out of sight, Reagan reached her hand out to Rowan. He took it and pulled her to him. She slipped her arms around his back.
“What happened?” he asked, his lips only inches from her ear.
Without relaxing her grip, she said, “You’ll hear the details soon enough. I just—”
“Shhhh. I’m here. Whatever you need.”
She breathed out and relaxed into him a bit more before straightening her body and trying to compose herself. His hand was still firmly in her grasp. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
Relinquishing the last bit of contact, Reagan stepped back and headed into the command center with Rowan right beside her.
“There you are,” Papa said. “How did everything go?”
“You aren’t going to like it,” Reagan said. “I know I don’t.”
“That’s not the best lead in,” he said.
“The diary is clear. To find the sword, all of us must go.” Reagan hesitated. She could already see the concern on his face. Try as she might, she couldn’t find the energy to continue.
“Are you suggesting that Jackie, Sarah, and Susie need to go?” Papa asked as he began his characteristic pacing. “Let me get this straight. I’m supposed to find a way to protect not only you, Winona, and Jessica, but all of them?”
Reagan bristled at the omission of Madeleine’s name. He clearly didn’t think she needed protection, but almost everyone else needed him to look after them—Reagan included. She’d heard so much about faith in the previous two days, yet she didn’t think Papa had any in her. It wasn’t the first time she’d had those feelings.
“Yes. We—” Reagan placed as much emphasis on the word as she could “—must find a way get to the sword and stay safe.”
“I don’t like it,” Papa said.
“I think I mentioned that possibility first thing,” Reagan said, knowing her voice betrayed her hurt and frustration.
“Why don’t we focus on tomorrow?” While Rowan’s face wrinkled with concern, his soft tone helped soothe her. “We need to take care of the Lucent situation first.”
Wanting to keep an air of seriousness, Reagan ignored the desire to wrap herself around Rowan and kiss him until she forgot everything else. She appreciated him redirecting the conversation, at least for a while longer.
“We’ll leave around ten tomorrow night. I’ll contact Lucent tomorrow and let him know where to meet. I don’t want to give him too much time to consider his options,” Papa said.
“How do you know he’ll even meet with us? He must suspect why we’re coming,” Jessica said.
Reagan remembered a time when she asked more questions. With every passing day, she’d become more in tune with what had to be done and less focused on the why. Still, she didn’t mind being armed with more information.
“We’ve been on the same side of things in the past. He helped us the night Rafe went after you and your brother,” Papa said, placing a hand on Reagan’s shoulder. “Without his support, we might have lost the war in one fell swoop. We might have lost you.”
He made eye contact with Reagan on the last word and didn’t break it until Jessica spoke.
“I have no doubt we’ll convince Lucent. Rafe has been trying to ensure Lucent’s loyalty for a while, and he’s always refused. The only thing Rafe accomplished was pulling a few vampire bottom feeders to his side.”
Reagan thought back to the day her brother begged her to save Jessica. When Sam talked about her, Reagan knew she couldn’t say no. It was a huge risk, but so much good had come of it. Knowing Rafe’s attempts with Lucent had failed was a huge relief. He must have some aversion to Hell opening up, or he would’ve already made a deal with the Devil.
“Once we nail this down, we need to be ready to move on finding the sword. Madeleine, I want you, Sasha, and Ricardo to train Sarah and Susie in some maneuvering and weaponry tomorrow. I can’t have them out in the trenches without some basic skills. Ask Jackie if she’d like to attend. I don’t worry as much about her holding her own.”
Madeleine nodded, and Reagan couldn’t help but notice the sense of pride in Papa’s voice when he spoke of his wife. If only Reagan could hear the same trust when he spoke of her.
“What about me?” Reagan asked.
“We’ll have some strategy meetings in the morning, and then I want you, Winona, and Jessica to work with Jackie. I know Winona won’t be with us tomorrow night, but she’ll be crucial in finding the sword. Come to think of it, Madeleine, you should work in some time with Jackie, too.”
Everyone nodded.
“Okay, let’s all get some sleep, and—”
“What role will I play?” Sam’s voice commanded the room.
Papa turned to his grandson. “Sam, I’m not sure I should have you with us tomorrow night. I don’t want you making mistakes because Jessica’s there.”
“Are you kidding me!” There was no question in Sam’s statement, only anger. “Rowan is always on a mission with Reagan, and I know all the women we care about will be involved soon.”
Sam had been frustrated with their grandfather’s plans before, but had never so openly attacked him or his authority. Her brother was standing with his shoulders back and his gaze locked on Papa. Sam was clearly not backing down.
“I understand, and you’re right. We all make decisions based on protecting those we love.” Papa turned to Ricardo. “He’ll be on your team tomorrow night.”
When Ricardo nodded, Sam’s shoulders eased back into a normal position, and his fingers unclenched.
“All right. Let’s all get some rest. We all know our roles for tomorrow, right?” Papa asked.
Everyone gave clear indication they did and filed out of the room.
Jessica and Sam were hand in hand.
“Meet me in my room.” Rowan sent the words so only Reagan could hear.
She nodded. “I’m going to check in with the crew back in my room first.” Although she wasn’t sure who was still gathered there, she wanted to stop by.
It only took fifteen minutes to reach her room and update Winona and Nana, the only two still hanging out. Winona had started bunking with Cheveyo—he’d been suffering with one ailment after other, and she was worried—and Nana was with Papa, so Reagan had ended up with her own room. Most of the time she wished for company, but not having a roommate did make it easier to come and go without having to answer to someone. Like that night, for example.
She waited for a few minutes after her company left to head out into the hallway, not wanting to be too obvious. To avoid walking past most of her family’s rooms, she took an alternate route through the library and less used hallways. She’d have to pass Ricardo’s room—he bunked by himself since Sasha moved in with Madeleine to keep her company—and Madeleine’s, but they’d understand.
On autopilot to a well-known destination, Reagan thought about the next few days. They’d have to face Lucent, someone she was quite intrigued—and apprehensive—to meet after all the stories she’d heard. What caused her the most concern was the idea of everyone she loved going for the sword. Like Papa conveyed earlier, she knew Nana could hold her own. But Mom and Aunt Sarah were wildcards. Reagan was afraid she’d be so concerned with keeping them safe she’d lose her edge.
Soft voices drew her mind back to the present, and Reagan turned her ear toward the sound. As she got closer, Winona’s voice stood out. Then Ricardo’s voice floated by. Finally, they came into view. Reagan couldn’t help but notice how close they stood to each other in a rarely-used section of the cave; an area she passed every day with little regard. Although partially hidden by the shadows, their voices had given them away.
“Hi, you two. What’re you doing?” Reagan asked.
Winona stepped back. “Oh, I was just… well…”
“She was asking if she could attend the training session tomorrow with your mom and aunt.” Ricardo jumped in.
Considering the possibilities, Reagan lowered her chin first to her right shoulder and then to her left while narrowing her eyes at the two people before her. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she’d get details from Winona later, especially since she had yet to meet Reagan’s gaze. Guilt oozed from her sister’s body.
“Okay,” Reagan said.
“Where are you going?” Ricardo asked. There was a gleam in his eye and a smirk on his face.
“I’m heading to see Rowan.” She turned to walk away, but couldn’t help one last statement. “I have nothing to hide.” Even though she was dying to, she didn’t look back to see their reactions. A huge smile crept onto her face. Winona deserved someone to lean on, and she couldn’t do much better than Ricardo.
When Reagan turned into Rowan’s room and saw his face, her smile widened.
“What are you smiling about?” He pushed his feet against the floor to catapult his wheeled chair halfway across the small room.
In her mind, she locked eyes with him, crept closer, put one leg and then another on either side of him, and then lowered herself down.
“Okay, now I really have to ask what you’re smiling about. You look like a cat who’s been watching a canary in a birdcage.”
Reagan shook off the images in her mind as he stood and crossed the room.
“I’ve missed you.” He lowered his lips to hers.
Time stopped. When the kiss deepened, she pulled back slightly and pressed her forehead to where her lips had just been. As much as she’d love to give in to her feelings, she’d been down that road before. Sex didn’t mean commitment or a better relationship. They’d only known each other a few months, although it seemed much longer. She swore the next time she gave into temptation it would be forever. With ever fiber in her being, she knew Rowan was her forever, but Rafe threa
tened any hope for a future.
“You know how much I care about you, but I—”
Rowan put a finger to her swollen lips. “It’ll be even better when our minds and hearts are clear and Rafe is gone. Until then, know that I love you, and I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe. Without you, my sweet Tala, I couldn’t survive.”
If he hadn’t been holding her close, she would’ve melted into the floor. She never doubted how he felt, but hearing it was another thing entirely.
“I love you, too.”
“Training starts in five!”
Thanks to Madeleine’s voice booming down the hallway, Reagan bolted upright in bed. Still heavy with sleep, she pulled the pillow out from behind her head and placed it on top.
“Reagan?”
Sighing, she gave up and uncovered her head again. After a few blinks, her mom’s face came into view.
“Late night?” she asked.
“Not really, but I finally slept really well. How about you?” Reagan maneuvered herself into a sitting position with her legs thrown over one side of the bed. She patted the mattress, and her mother sat. Reagan couldn’t help but notice the lines on her mother’s face and the dark circles under her eyes.
“I’ve been having horrible dreams. There’s nothing but light, but I feel an intense sadness. Then, I see your face, and you start screaming. Each night the details get a little clearer, but that’s all I’ve made out so far.” Her hands were trembling. “I’ve never had dreams like this. Your father said I woke up screaming, and I was covered in sweat.”
It all started to make sense. “Mom, are you afraid?” Reagan reached for her mom’s hands. “I know how hard you fought to keep Sam and me from this life, from these powers. Now, you’re seeing terrifying images of what we must face. But you know we believe in you. You can do this. We need you to do this.”
Straightening from her hunched position, she moved one hand to wipe the moisture creeping into the corner of her eye. “I know. You’re right. I’m terrified.”
Tala Prophecy: The Complete Series Page 38
