Tala Prophecy: The Complete Series

by Tia Silverthorne Bach

  “Lucent, I have been sent to speak with you on the highest authority,” the angel said. There was something both melodic and commanding about the angel’s voice. It was both a whisper and a command.

  Mercy. Cecilia said mercy would guide them. Without a moment of doubt, Reagan knew it was the angel of mercy. Warmth spread through her, and her body relaxed for the first time in hours.

  Lucent stood his ground. “And whose authority is that?”

  “The One who first breathed life into you. We know evil tried to claim you, but it is still in your power to save your soul.”

  With an extended hand, the angel moved closer.

  Lucent took the hand and fell to one knee. Behind him, the other vampires fell to theirs.

  “Live a life worthy of eternity, and it shall be yours,” the angel said.

  Reagan swore she saw a tear roll down Lucent’s cheek as the winged savior faded.

  As the dust settled, silence filled the air.

  Then, Lucent and his crew stood. “Jed, you have my word that my clan, and those that follow us, won’t interfere. But know that there are many of my kind who go their own way, and some who’ve already sworn allegiance to Rafe.”

  “Thank you,” Papa said.

  Lucent nodded and made his way to Jessica. As he neared, she grimaced, clearly in pain. “Rafe wasn’t happy to lose you. I sense a conflict not unlike my own in you. Use it as a path to light.”

  As if time was turned off and then instantly back on, the vampires were gone.

  Everything happened so fast. Reagan wished the angel had stayed for a while so she could ask questions. More than anything, she felt perplexed. With a single promise, it had changed the course of events. Why couldn’t the angels help more? Why were Reagan and her family and friends being left to fend off evil by themselves? Then, guilt hit. She’d seen an angel, a sight few would ever behold. Faith should be her first reaction, not questions. Even Lucent had managed that.

  Papa’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Let’s go home.”

  Reagan had never been so happy to see cold, stone walls. Before the pack went their separate ways, Papa suggested they gather the next morning for a quick meeting in the library. Catching her on her way to bed, Rowan pulled Reagan into a secluded spot for a lingering goodnight kiss followed by soothing words.

  Feeling lightheaded but stronger, she slowly pulled away from her love, knowing she needed to check in with her mom and dad, Aunt Sarah, and Winona, knowing Papa would see Nana. Reagan reviewed the night’s events with them, and then shared details about the early morning meeting.

  Tossing and turning most of the night, she was relieved when Winona’s voice sounded through the room. “Are you awake?”

  “Have been for a while,” Reagan said, sitting up.

  “Cheveyo had a rough night. I’m not sure how he’s doing. He’s already heading to the library, but I wanted to stop by and get you.”

  “Thanks. Last night was… surreal.”

  “Can you show me?” Winona asked, hands extended.

  Reagan grasped them and shared.

  “Oh, wow. It’s all making so much more sense now. Given this, and everything Cecilia’s said, I think the angel of wisdom will guide us to the angel sword. ‘Wisdom will lead the way.’ Her words.”

  In the middle of the night, the same thought had occurred to Reagan.

  Winona shrugged. “Guess we should get to the meeting.”

  They arrived just as Papa was beginning to speak. “Lucent seems to be neutralized, maybe even an ally. Now, we must find the weapon we need to destroy Rafe.”

  He gave a few more details and assigned tasks, dismissing all but the main team. Once they were alone, he asked Reagan to elaborate. But first, she had a question. “Why didn’t you tell everyone else about the angel of mercy?”

  “They’re on a need to know basis,” Papa said.

  Putting aside his possible trust issues, Reagan summarized the evening’s events for everyone. Cheveyo and Nana asked for a visual, and Reagan and Winona joined hands with them. Everything amplified when the sisters joined their powers, images became crisper, and their power didn’t drain as quickly.

  When Nana pulled away, there were tears in her eyes. “So beautiful.” She wiped at her tears and then turned to Jessica. “How are you feeling today?”

  Reagan felt bad; she meant to check in on Jessica that morning.

  “The closer we got to him, the more it hurt. It was a deep ache. It seemed to lessen when the angel was there,” Jessica said. “I don’t remember feeling that kind of pain near Rafe and my brother.”

  “I’m sure you were desensitized by being around them so much,” Nana said.

  “Or, Amélie was helping.” Madeleine suggested.

  Both made sense to Reagan.

  Papa paced. “Lucent was a victory, but only a small one. We need to find that sword. From what I’ve been told, that means taking all of you with us on the next mission. We’ve never gone in such a group, so it’ll be tricky.”

  “Reagan and I think we’ll have another angel on our side; this time, it’ll be wisdom,” Winona said.

  “My concern is how quickly the directions will be revealed, especially since you all need to be touching the book for it to work. Plus, several will have to travel by car.”

  “I spent some time on the Internet last night, and I found the oldest church in Colorado. It’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Conejos, near the New Mexico border,” Winona said.

  “Conejos means rabbit in Spanish,” Ricardo said.

  It seemed a random observation, and Reagan cast him a confused glare.

  “Just saying.” He shrugged.

  Papa rolled his eyes. “So, back to planning. We’ll travel mostly during the day, and we’ll need a couple of hours to get there. I think a few more days of training and organizing are in order, so we’ll leave this time next week. I’ll have my team procure a small van as well.”

  There was so much to think about. Most of the crew could go by foot, except for her parents, Aunt Sarah, and Nana. Reagan wondered if Cheveyo would come along. She’d have to ask Winona later.

  “Steve, I think you should drive the van. Sam, you and Jessica will go in that group. Just in case we’re separated, I want some, um…”

  “Stronger fighters, werewolves, or was there another word you were looking for?” Nana asked.

  “I need to keep everyone safe or it’s over before we start,” Papa said.

  Tension filled the room.

  Reagan made a mental note to pull Nana aside and see if something was going on between her and Papa. Another question had been nagging at Reagan through most of the night. “Once we find the sword, what will we do until Winona and I turn eighteen? Do we even have to wait?”

  Papa looked at Cheveyo. “Your thoughts? I’m a soldier. My gut says we go after Rafe once we have the sword.”

  “The prophecy seems clear about the girls being eighteen, but I believe our destiny is predetermined, although our path is not.”

  Now it was Reagan’s turn to roll her eyes, frustrated at Cheveyo’s continued lack of clarity. She decided to fight fire with fire. “True wisdom is shared, not cloaked.” As much as she tried to produce a serious, focused stare at him, the edge of her lip curled into a half smile.

  Papa grinned. “Let’s focus on finding the sword. Then, we can discuss where to go from there. Madeleine, how are your sword skills?”

  “A little rusty; it’s not my weapon of choice. Ricardo, however, is a regular Zorro,” Madeleine said.

  “We’ll need some of those training sessions to focus on using a sword, especially for Winona and Reagan.”

  Madeleine and Ricardo nodded.

  “Okay, the ladies should head to training while the rest of us finish figuring out the details for this expedition,” Papa said.

  Nana was the first to stand and make her way out of the room.

  Reagan looked at Papa. He shrugged his shoulders, an
d she could see sadness in his eyes. Nana seemed a bit short with him. Wanting to get to the bottom of whatever was going on, she raced after Nana.

  “Hey,” Reagan said when she caught up. “What’s up with you and Papa?”

  Without slowing down or looking in her direction, Nana answered, “Nothing.”

  Reagan knew all too well how to use one-word phrases to distract people who were prying into personal business, but she wasn’t about to let it stop her. “Something’s making you sad. Tell me about it. Maybe I can help.”

  Slowing to a stop, Nana looked to each side of her. “Okay, it’s silly, though.”

  “Would you want me to say something was silly if it was bothering me?” Reagan gave her best parent scolding face.

  “No, no I wouldn’t. Tomorrow is our sixtieth wedding anniversary. I’m sure he doesn’t even remember, and who could blame him with everything we have going on. Still, we’ve missed so many anniversaries that I just…” Nana looked at her feet. “See, it’s silly.”

  “What’d I say about that word?” Reagan put her arm around Nana. “I think sixty years deserves a night on the town. Let me handle it. I know we’re in the middle of a war zone, but that’s all the more reason to appreciate what we have in this moment. God only knows how this will turn out.” As Reagan had many times recently, she winced at the maturity in her words.

  Nana winked. “No pun intended, of course.”

  “Of course. Just trust me, okay?”

  “Trust you with what?” Susie asked, strolling up to her mom and daughter.

  “Did you know tomorrow is Nana and Papa’s sixtieth wedding anniversary?” Reagan asked.

  “Oh, my. I hadn’t thought about that date in a long time, but of course.”

  “Well, I have some ideas…” Before Reagan could finish, the rest of the women and Ricardo walked up.

  As the sword training started, she told everyone about the big occasion, and ideas were tossed around.

  Nana blushed at a few of them.

  In the end, Sasha jumped at the opportunity to go dress shopping, and Reagan planned to grab Rowan to work with Papa. But only after a few hours of sword play.

  After getting used to the weight in her hands, she was surprised how natural it felt to swing a sword. She and Winona worked with Ricardo with bigger swords while the rest of the group worked with daggers and small swords. With each swing of the weapon, Reagan remembered one of her favorite movies. When she was younger, her mom made both of her kids watch The Princess Bride for a family movie night. They’d grumbled, but by the end, they were all professing their love.

  Reagan and Sam would reenact the film in their backyard. Although she knew she should play the role of Buttercup, she made Sam take turns with her so they could each pretend to be The Dread Pirate Roberts.

  When Ricardo finally called a break for a late lunch, Reagan’s arm was tired. She knew it would be sore the next day.

  “I’m going to find Rowan and fill him in about tomorrow night,” Reagan whispered to Ricardo as they were putting their weapons away. He nodded, and she ran off.

  Halfway to the cafeteria, she ran into Rowan in the hallway. Maybe it was the love in the air, or the memories of the sweet romance from The Princess Bride, but something came over her, and she flung herself at him, kissing him hard and long. She knew a couple people passed, but she didn’t care.

  “What was that for? Not that I’m complaining,” Rowan said when she pulled away, a gorgeous grin spread across his face.

  “One, I missed you. Two, we don’t do that enough with everything going on. And I’m a believer in epic love; the kind that transcends what life throws at it.”

  “Okay, who are you, and what have you done with my girlfriend?” He grabbed her shoulders and pretended to look around frantically.

  Pulling away, she threw a punch at his shoulder. As he feigned being hurt, she continued. “I just found out that tomorrow is Nana and Papa’s sixtieth anniversary. They deserve a night. She doesn’t think Papa remembers. Can you convince him to whisk her away for a date? I know it’s not the best timing, but…”

  “To Hell with timing. They deserve it. I’ll get Ricardo and a few others to go with me to keep them safe. I’m on it,” he said, and turned to go. Before he made it three steps, he turned back around and covered the distance between them. Another hungry kiss followed.

  She stared at his retreating form. A touch on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two so, well, public,” Reagan’s mom said.

  Reagan blushed. “I know I’ve made mistakes before, but I love him.”

  “We’ve all made mistakes. You’re certainly entitled to yours. But I’m so proud of the woman you’re becoming.”

  Emotions swirled around, and Reagan fought them off. In just a few days, everyone she cared about would be heading into unknown territory. Thoughts of the possible repercussions terrified her. “Thanks. Truly. Let’s grab some lunch. I’m starving.”

  That night, Reagan fell into bed with aching arms and a full heart. Everything was set for Nana and Papa’s short getaway, and Reagan had even stolen a few more kisses from Rowan. On her way to her room to turn in for the night, she caught Ricardo and Winona in an embrace. Even in chaos and fear, love found a way. It warmed Reagan’s heart.

  Morning came too quickly, and with it, more training and planning sessions. Until lunchtime, the ladies worked on hand-to-hand combat and swords. Because the trainees were divided by skill level, Reagan didn’t get to spend much time with her mom, her aunt, or Nana. After lunch, they all met in the library to work on harnessing their powers.

  Mom still struggled to figure hers out, as did Madeleine, so they worked on amping the ones they knew through touch. As scared as Reagan was for them to all go out in the field, it might be the safest. They were stronger together.

  Sasha came into the training session sometime late afternoon holding a garment bag. “I’ve got a special delivery for Jackie.” There was a gleam in her eye.

  Nana walked over, unzipped the bag, and pulled out the evening’s attire. She ran her fingers down the gold material. “This dress wasn’t meant to be on an old lady like me.”

  “You are not an old lady. You’re beautiful, and amazing, and blessed to have a man who only has eyes for you,” Aunt Sarah said.

  “Come on,” Sasha said. “I’ll help you get ready.” She took Nana by the arm and pulled her to the hallway.

  “I’ll go find Papa and make sure he’s ready to meet you back in the library in an hour,” Reagan shouted after them.

  Knowing he was most likely in the command center, she headed there. Her instincts proved true. Inside the room, his normal team surrounded him. Nobody seemed to notice her presence until she cleared her throat.

  “Reagan, sorry, we didn’t hear you come in,” Papa said.

  “We’re wolves. Shouldn’t you sense me coming?” Reagan teased.

  He chuckled. “My granddaughter, ever the comedienne.” He pointed to a few items on a piece of paper spread out in front of him.

  “I’d ask you how plans are coming along, but we’ll have plenty of time to catch up on that tomorrow. I believe you have somewhere to be tonight,” Reagan said.

  “Indeed I do. Gentlemen, keep working on the points we’ve gone over. I’ll be back tomorrow morning. If you need anything, contact me.”

  “Actually, contact me.” Rowan scribbled a number down on a sheet in front of them. “I can get word to Jed if it’s absolutely necessary.”

  Papa didn’t challenge the new instructions and made his way out of the room.

  Reagan followed. “So, where are you taking her?”

  “Trust me. She’ll love it.”

  “She thought you forgot, you know,” she said as they walked.

  “Rowan told me. I hate that. I’ve celebrated this day each year, even though we couldn’t be together. Although, in the past, I drank myself into oblivion. I allowed myself a se
lfish moment of grieving everything I’d lost,” he said.

  “Tonight, you’ll get a chance to make up for it and be grateful for all you have now.” Reagan gave him a hug just outside his room. “Nana is getting ready and will meet you in the library in about forty-five minutes.”

  He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for this.”

  Unable to find words, she nodded. Walking toward the library, the image of Nana and Papa’s wedding picture filled Reagan’s mind. She’d seen it when she visited Nana in Georgia a few months before, although it seemed a lifetime ago. When Reagan asked about the photo, among many she was curious about as she tried to piece together the past her mother had denied herself and her family, Nana had picked it up and caressed the front of it before handing it over. Neither Papa nor Nana would’ve imagined an anniversary celebration in their future.

  Reagan could never escape the irony of Rafe. He threatened her existence and the fate of the world, yet he’d reunited her family and brought Rowan into her life.

  Each moment brought her closer to her amazing new family, yet each day increased the possibility of losing them. Shaking off her thoughts, and determined to enjoy the evening, she continued down the hall and into the library. Most of her family was there, but Nana hadn’t arrived yet.

  “Where’s Nana?” Reagan asked.

  “I’ll go check,” Aunt Sarah said.

  Before she made it two steps, Sasha entered the room. Her beaming smile lit up the room as she slightly bowed and moved her arms toward the entrance.

  Nana walked in, and Reagan’s mouth dropped. Gold shimmered from her grandmother’s neck to just below her knee, bringing out the underlying red still left in her hair, which was swept up in a classic chignon.

  Reagan felt like she’d been transported back in time to a fifties’ movie set.