“There’s no time.”
Reagan shook her head, at first slow and then with more urgency. “No, Nana, you’re going to be okay.” Knowing Nana would hear anything Reagan communicated, but wanting to see if she and Winona together could do something, Reagan laid a hand on Nana’s chest and hoped her sister would get the signal to do the same. She did. Reagan closed her eyes and the girls transferred their energy into Nana.
“No,” she said aloud as she pushed her granddaughters’ hands away. She drew them together, wrapping them within her own.
“I love you. Please tell Susie and Sarah I love them, too. I will see you all again soon, as I sit next to my mother’s side. My power will still be with you, as will my heart.”
Nana then looked toward Papa, and Reagan could hear the words. “I love you. I always have. I always will.”
Then, Nana looked at the heavens and moved her lips.
Reagan couldn’t make out the mumblings. As she saw Nana struggle for her next breath, a rush of sensation—not quite pain, but not euphoria, either—filled Reagan. She threw her head back as a blinding white light took over her vision and closed down on her.
Darkness gave way to dim light. Reagan tried to focus, but her head was pounding. She forced her mind to remember where she was. Nana’s face came into focus, and Reagan forced her eyes open, even against the pain, and sat straight up.
“Shhhh.”
Reagan turned toward the sound. Mom.
“Where am I? Where’s Nana?”
“Sweetie, Nana didn’t make it.”
Memories came in clips.
Nana was hurt by Donovan.
Sam rushed in to help.
Winona, Papa, and Reagan huddled around a hurt Nana before Papa left to rejoin the fight.
Feeling her slipping away.
“No,” Reagan said, repeating the word and shaking her head. “It can’t be. We all just found each other.” Her voice cracked, and her lips struggled to form each word as her entire being shattered into a million pieces.
Mom smoothed the hair back from her daughter’s forehead. “I know. I can’t believe she’s gone. I lost so many years because I was…” Sobs took over, and Reagan could see the anguish on her mother’s face. Her red eyes, tear-stained cheeks, and deep frown lines portrayed her sadness. Once she settled down, she continued. “Dad buried her in a special place; somewhere they’d talked about. From what I’ve been told, he scooped her up and ran. Once he was back, he told us what he’d done. I know he needed closure, but I would’ve liked to have said goodbye.”
The news took Reagan’s breath away, knowing she couldn’t say goodbye either. Nana’s life had been in Reagan’s hands. Why hadn’t Cecilia warned them? She had to have known. Reagan’s heart seized. Nana couldn’t be dead. Was it just another bad dream?
“I didn’t even tell her I loved her. I thought she’d be okay. This can’t be happening.” Although nothing would ease the pain, Reagan needed touch; she pulled her mom close, and they stayed like that until a voice broke the moment.
“How’re my girls doing?” Dad asked as he walked in.
Reagan closed her eyes and took in the words before she pulled away. He’d said my girls. My. Such a sweet word. One she’d been waiting months to hear, ruined by the sadness suffocating her.
“Papa?” He must be devastated. Then, she realized Nana’s two other grandchildren were missing. “Where are Winona and Sam?”
“Sam’s in with Winona; she just woke up a few minutes ago. Jessica and Cheveyo are in there, too, and I just left. I’ve been going back and forth,” Mom answered.
“There’s someone who’s been pacing the hallways since you came back,” Dad said, moving aside to reveal Rowan.
He crossed the room and put his arms around Reagan. Tears gushed forth again as she sank into his embrace.
Her breathing calmed as numbness took over. “There were so many of them. How did we make it out?” Reagan knew she and Winona weren’t any help and could only imagine how ineffective Papa had been once he heard Nana’s last words.
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Rowan asked.
“There’s a better way. Take me to Winona. Sam and Jessica will be there, too. I need to see it. With Winona, we’ll get a stronger connection. If we all hold hands, I’ll get the best view of everything, since you were all in different areas of the field.”
Rowan looked first to Reagan’s father and then her mother. Both nodded. “Okay,” Rowan said, extending his hand.
Reagan took it and tried to stand. Her wobbly legs couldn’t quite support her, so Rowan scooped her up. She let her head fall onto his shoulder and whispered, “Can you ask someone to check on Papa?” She knew the depth of her pain, and still, she could only imagine what he must be going through.
“Actually, I just saw him. He’s been barking orders and planning,” Rowan said. “He’s trying not to show everyone how much pain he’s in. At the end of the day, he still has to be the leader.”
Those words crushed Reagan, knowing the poor man couldn’t mourn. It might ease the pain in the moment, but he couldn’t escape it forever. Plus, it was a reminder that she’d still have to face Rafe, which meant getting back to training and planning. How? She wasn’t sure.
“Did anyone else get hurt?” she asked.
Rowan stiffened.
“Did we lose anyone else?” Reagan pushed for clarity.
He shook his head as they arrived at their destination. They didn’t have to go far, since Winona’s room was only a few doors away. Realizing they must be in the new cave, she wondered how long she’d been out.
“Why didn’t you put us in a room together?” Reagan asked.
“Not sure. I think, in the craziness of getting back here, we put you where we could. It depended on who had you.”
Rounding the corner, Reagan saw Cheveyo lying in the bed next to Winona’s. She was sitting up with her knees pulled to her chest, and they were chatting.
Jessica and Sam were talking in the other corner of the room.
“Reagan,” Winona said when she saw her sister. “Are you okay?”
“Sad, but physically okay. You?”
“The same.”
“Do you remember much after…” Reagan paused to think. How could she describe what happened so the other people in the room would understand? “That bright white light and strange feeling.” It was so much more than strange; it was an odd mixture of pain, calm, and a rush.
“No, not until I woke up here.”
“I have an idea,” she said, took her sister’s hand, turned to Jessica and Sam, and asked if they’d join. “Rowan?” He came over, and they formed a circle. “I want to see through everyone’s eyes what happened.”
“May I join in?” Cheveyo asked.
“Of course,” Reagan said, breaking her one hand away from Jessica and reached over to include Cheveyo “Close your eyes and think back to the battle.”
As if the theater light had just dimmed and the projector had been turned on, the events began to replay. Except the movie was being filmed by an artistic director, one who was shooting from various angles and hopping back and forth. It created a jarring effect, but it allowed for many perspectives.
When Winona, Nana, Jessica, and Reagan had started chanting, she remembered seeing light building around them. To see it from across the field, from what she assumed was Rowan’s point of view, was amazing. It seemed like some really cool special effect. Then, she saw Papa attacked by Donovan and Nana break the chain. Reagan could see the pain on Papa’s face—the tenseness in his jaw severe—as the shield dropped and Nana raced toward Donovan. Papa’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open, and then she heard his anguished cry. “No!”
Reagan remembered the next few minutes, although she got a new perspective from Rowan’s point of view. They were more outnumbered than she thought. Rowan raced away from Donovan to help Ricardo with a group of five. He had blood gushing from his shoulder.
Someone in the group
must’ve focused on Nana. Since they didn’t have Papa’s perspective, Reagan assumed she was seeing things from Jessica’s point of view. With the new viewpoint, Reagan relived a scene she wished could be eradicated from her brain.
One forever etched in her memory.
She saw herself and Winona huddled over Nana. Then, a light spread, much like it had before when they were forming the shield. A sound, like a clap of thunder, shook the area, and the light exploded outward, creating a wave of energy that plowed down everything in its path. It reminded her of the movie scenes involving a huge explosion that blew actors into the air, except there was no fire.
One by one, the demon wolves fell to the ground, lifeless. All of her pack, although stumbling and clearly affected, got back on their feet. Somehow the light destroyed only the demon wolves.
Reagan let her hand fall, trying to process everything she’d just seen. She and Winona locked eyes.
“She gave us her power and pushed it outward as well. She saved us all,” Winona said.
It made sense. Nana knew it was the only way. She’d sacrificed herself. If only Reagan would’ve jumped on that damn motorcycle and gotten them to safety. She assumed that was how her mom and dad escaped.
“It’s all my fault. I had a chance to get us out of there, but I’d never—”
“Don’t you understand?” Rowan asked. “They would have come for you. Donovan knew who you were; he wasn’t going to let you ride off into the sunset. Without Nana, we might have all died out there.”
“I’m the one who could have stopped this. If I would’ve just figured out my visions earlier…” Mom said, her eyes glazed over.
“Do not tarnish what Jackie did,” Cheveyo said. His voice didn’t hold the authority it used to, his words barely loud enough to be audible. “She trusted His will. Now, you must do the same.”
Reagan remembered Nana’s last words. “I will see you all again soon, as I sit next to my mother’s side. My power will still be with you, as will my heart.”
Mom’s sobs brought Reagan back to the moment. Wanting to offer some comfort, she shared the words with the room. Like Dyani, Cecilia, and Amelia had done, Nana knew her power would flow into her own blood. That’s why she made sure Winona and Reagan were nearby. If only Aunt Sarah and Mom had been there, they would’ve shared in the absorption of energy.
“Hello, am I interrupting?” Papa asked from the hallway.
Reagan ran into his arms, nearly knocking him down. He steadied himself but didn’t break the connection. “Just the person I wanted to see. Actually, you and Winona. Glad you’re both doing better. I need you to come with me. Rowan, too.”
Cocking her head toward Rowan, she searched his face for any clue as to where they were heading. She came up empty. He walked toward them along with Winona.
“Would you mind staying with Father?” Winona asked Jessica, who nodded.
Once they were in the hallway, Reagan broke the silence. “How are you?”
“There are no words.” His shoulders fell forward. With only a second’s hesitation, he straightened back into his military stance. “But I will not let her death be for nothing. I think we might hold the key we need to defeating Rafe.”
“And what’s that?” Reagan asked. She already knew about the sword. What more could there be?
“Not a what. A who. His son.”
Reagan came to an abrupt stop. “What do you mean his son?” She wasn’t going one more step without some explanation. Anger was the only emotion strong enough to take over, and it felt good to let it rule. Where sadness was heavy, anger felt powerful.
“We were able to take Donovan captive,” Rowan said.
What were they thinking? Couldn’t Donovan lead Rafe to them? Instead of letting the questions build up inside, she asked the most obvious first. “Isn’t it dangerous to have him here? Can’t he communicate with Rafe?”
“Cheveyo’s blocking that,” Papa said.
“Cheveyo? The man who can barely sit up in bed?” Reagan asked.
“We also checked him for any tags. He’s clean,” Rowan added.
She whirled on him. “Papa’s not thinking straight right now. But you, you should’ve known better than to bring him here.”
Rowan flinched.
“It wasn’t his idea,” Papa said. “I’m hoping you and Winona can read his thoughts and see if you can find any clues to help us defeat Rafe.”
She hated to admit it, but Papa’s plan was beginning to make some sense. Still, the thought of crawling inside a madman’s head made her shudder. “Maybe Jessica can help us? It’ll be less draining on the two of us, and she’ll be more prepared for what she’ll see there. She might even be able to pick up on clues Winona and I would probably miss.”
Papa seemed to consider her idea for a moment, and then he faced Rowan. “Why don’t you go get her? Ask Susie and Steve to stay with Cheveyo until someone returns. Actually, if you could grab Sarah on your way, she should be with him, too.”
With a nod, Rowan went back to the room.
“Okay, let’s go see how our prisoner is doing.” Papa said.
Winona and Reagan followed his lead. Not wanting to add any more drama to his life, she reached out to Winona privately. “Are you okay with this?”
“I wouldn’t have brought him here, especially since I don’t know how long Father can keep up the spell. But, now that we have him, we can’t just let him go.”
She was right, and she’d gone back to calling Cheveyo Father in the previous few weeks.
They came to dual metal doors, which looked like they’d open to an elevator; except, instead of a button next to them, there was a keypad. Reagan’s mind registered the change in scenery—stone walls to metal doors—but didn’t bother trying to figure it out. So much about the cave setups amazed her.
Papa punched in a few numbers, and the doors slid open, revealing a dark tunnel. When they stepped inside, the doors closed behind them and dim lights turned on at their feet, like those on an airplane leading to the exits. Nothing about the scene was comforting.
After several feet, the area opened up into a ten-by-ten space. On each side were metal doors. Papa went to his right, and the girls followed.
All Reagan could see inside was darkness.
Then, Papa plugged in more numbers into another keyboard. In the inky black, Reagan hadn’t noticed the contraption. When the doors clicked open, a light turned on, and Donovan came into view. He was secured to the back wall by chains, separate ones for each of his extremities.
“Ah, now the games begin.” He snickered. “Why did you bring me these two beautiful playthings?”
“Make that three,” Jessica said.
Reagan hadn’t heard her friend enter or Rowan, who stood with her.
“Sister. Even better.” His smile chilled Reagan to the bone.
“I thought I should be here, too.” Madeleine made a grand entrance, a scowl fixed on her exotic face, her hair billowing around her shoulders.
Just another reminder that Papa valued almost everyone on his team above his own granddaughter. Madeleine and Rowan clearly had the code to get into the prison. Maybe Ricardo and Sasha would join them next. Miffed, Reagan returned her attention to the task.
Papa produced a key from his pocket and disengaged the lock, pulling the chains away and opening the door. “These ladies would like to ask you some questions.”
“Who says I’m going to answer?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. They aren’t exactly going to ask,” Papa said. A smirk spread across his face, and his eyes were narrowed and fixated on Donovan. She could see Papa was relishing the moment, a small moment of revenge on the man who killed the love of his life. “They have a better way of getting what they want from you.”
Donovan’s eyes brushed up and down Reagan’s body, and his gaze made her sick. “I’m sure they do.”
In his face, she saw the man who killed her grandmother. In two steps, Reagan covered the distance between t
hem and punched him in the face.
His head jerked back, hitting the cave wall behind him.
She pulled back to do it again, but Rowan caught her arm. “This isn’t going to make you feel better. Information will.”
Knowing he was right, although the punch did feel amazing, she reached out and squeezed Donovan’s arm, hoping the pressure would leave a memorable bruise. Then, she invited Jessica and Winona do the same. Before they joined, Reagan felt an odd sensation, like a headache. A force pressed into her, threatening to take over. Once the other two ladies engaged, it went away, replaced by darkness.
“He’s blocking us,” Jessica communicated.
Of course, Reagan thought. So far, they’d only seen visions others offered; they hadn’t forced someone to show them something. She let her hand drop.
“Not as easy as you thought, is it?” Donovan sneered, turning his gaze to Jessica. “You, of all people, should know how hard it is to force yourself on me. Poor mother always tried, and all it did was make me stronger.”
Clenching both fists, Reagan narrowed her eyes at him. He was trying to get in her head. “Come on, ladies, let’s talk outside.” She wanted to pummel him until there was nothing left but a bloody pile of bones and innards. Her insides lit on fire, and she was sure he could see the loathing emanating from her eyes. Tearing her gaze away, refusing to look at him again, she turned to leave.
“Running away already, little girls? I wouldn’t take long. My father will figure out where I am.”
She stopped, digging her fingernails into her palms, her arms shaking. With every ounce of willpower she had, she took a deep breath, stood taller, and placed one foot toward the door. As she did, she heard a crack and whipped her head around.
Donovan’s face was turned at an odd angle, resting against the back wall, but this time, blood dripped from his nose. He licked it off. “Nice shot, sister.”
Rowan had an arm extended in front of Jessica.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a very long time.” Her words came out in a low rumble with an underlying growl. “Ladies.” She left the cell.
Convening outside, Papa slammed the gate closed behind them.
Tala Prophecy: The Complete Series Page 46
