by Dale Mayer
Celeste sighed and stared around the small cabin. “We’re going to have to deal with it at some time you know.”
“There is lots we have to deal with,” Genesis said, putting her tablet away. She opened her arms, speaking normally. “I’m taking Connor back to the Center. He’s been very good standing watch, but he has work to do, as well.”
The girls hugged and Genesis walked out first, Connor behind her.
Tori asked, her voice gentle, “Do you want me to stay with you?”
Celeste smiled. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m fine. I need to stay and acclimatize. Lots of news to understand, too.”
“Take your time. And remember to let the healing pool help with that as well.”
“Right.” She had forgotten about that level of healing. It worked wonders on confusion, too.
“Will you come back tomorrow?” she asked.
“I will. And I’m warning you. Genesis won’t be happy until you’re safe in the Center with us. There’s nothing like being back together again.”
“I know,” Celeste whispered. “But I have to deal with Matt there.”
Tori’s smile blossomed. “Enjoy it. Making up is hard, but the end result is so worth it.”
“Only if the result is the one you want,” Celeste said quietly.
She watched from the doorway as her sisters hopped into the hovercraft. How life had changed. A year ago, neither had ever been in something so fancy. Now they were living at the Center, working on preserving their heritage. Had partners they’d started out with and lost, but now regained.
And her? She felt out of sync. Lost. Left behind. As if she’d returned too late to make the grade—again. She bowed her head, then turned and closed the door, replacing the locks and putting up the shield around the cabin. She might be back. But there’s no way she was back.
Not yet.
At this rate, maybe never.
As she turned to retrace her steps to the healing pool, she stopped and stared. The room had filled with animals. Spirit animals of all shapes and sizes stood between her and the pool. Why? Puzzled, she slowed her progress and said, “Hello, my friends. What can I do for you?”
The response was a garbled mess of sounds. But the overwhelming answer came in the form of a phrase bouncing through her head. Fix it.
“Fix what?”
The forest.
“Are you all from the forest?” They weren’t flesh and blood, they were spirits.
That is our home.
“But…”
That is our home, a beautiful deer repeated. We need to go back to our home.
“And how can I help you do that?”
Remove the blocks.
Blocks? What blocks?
But even though she’d only thought the words, the answer came anyway.
Your blocks. Your pain. Your fear. Your anger. You denied yourself the full use of the woods and only took the energy you needed, but you didn’t give back. Even knowing you shouldn’t be doing what you were doing… In so doing, you denied yourself the right to the forest. You denied us our right to the forest. You are us. We are you.
Fix it, said a chorus of spirit voices.
And the room cleared as they all disappeared.
*
“She stayed?” Why was Matt not surprised? Not happy about it, but not surprised, either. He figured she’d do anything to avoid him. He’d hoped knowing that her sisters were here she’d come and stay with them. It would be that much easier to keep everyone safe. It would take time, but proximity would help at least to the point of being polite. Being friendly would come later. He wanted so much more, too.
“Her leg hasn’t healed enough,” Tori said. Her gaze had flitted to Devon standing at the window, and back again.
Matt nodded. “I’d hoped it wasn’t that bad.”
“It isn’t,” Tori said. “At least not because of Storm’s incision. Still, the rocks had been there long enough to cause trouble. She could need a day or two yet.”
At the term ‘incision’, Devon snorted. “Is that what you call it?” He turned to stare out the window.
“Celeste admitted that she’d asked Storm if there was anything he could do to fix her leg, then to please do it,” Tori said.
Devon spun to stare at her. “What?”
“She’d been talking to him just before he acted.” Genesis shrugged. “You had nothing to do with it. When an energy worker gives another the right to do something…”
“Surely she didn’t mean for him to bite her, though,” Devon protested.
“Maybe not, but Storm did a job that needed doing. Celeste had to have known on some level that it was going to be out of her hands,” Tori said. “At least she was at the healing pool, and it was fast and clean.”
Devon walked over and leaned down, kissed Tori firmly on her lips, and walked out, whistling.
Matt laughed. “Thanks for that; he’s been feeling guilty as hell since it happened.”
A knock on the doorframe caught Matt’s attention.
Matt motioned Scott inside. “Have you news?”
“Maybe and maybe not. I’m sure Devon told you there were no rocks left at Grandfather’s place. Storm was doing the tracking, but I want to go to the woods where Tori found the one in the water. There might be others in that same area.”
“Good idea. Take Devon and Storm again. Maybe they will be able to find something this time.”
“I’m going with them,” Connor interjected. “Kona has been wanting to get out and do a bit of hunting, himself.” He followed Scott out, leaving Matt and the two women behind.
Matt stared at the sisters to whom he’d become so close. He wanted to ask about Celeste, but didn’t know how.
Thankfully, Genesis took the first step. “She’s not ready to deal with you, yet.”
“Too much to absorb, too much healing to happen on a lot of levels yet,” Tori said. “Give her time.”
He nodded. “Right. I’d hoped…”
“Keep that thought,” Genesis said. “But it might take a bit.”
But how long? He’d hoped she’d have forgiven by now but instead, she wasn’t even ready to see him.
Chapter 7
She needed to exercise her leg, and walking in the small cottage wasn’t enough. She’d been in the pools for hours and felt wonderfully strong. She really wanted to go to the caves and see what her sisters had been talking about. Only, the trip was likely to be long. Although there were plenty of pools along the way. They’d be easily accessible, and if she were smart, she’d stop by the string of healing pools on the way there and then again on the way back, so she could heal enough to continue. She glanced around the small cabin. Lord, she loved this place. She wandered into her bedroom, still stunned to think that Granny had owned all the land around for miles. When her sisters said it could get ugly in the courts, they weren’t kidding.
Yet, what did any of it matter to the three girls? They still had no money. There was no way they could sell off the land. But owning it all made them gatekeepers. A responsibility they’d take seriously and hand down to future generations. Only, it didn’t change the fact that she could stay here for a few days, but after that she’d need a job. Her sisters couldn’t be expected to keep handing over food, and that hovercraft didn’t come cheap.
No, she’d been independent for a long time; now that she was back home, that wasn’t any different. But a getting a job also meant needing a place to live. Had Genesis kept her apartment in town? She knew it was small, but if it had been big enough for Genesis, then it would be big enough for her. Particularly as she might be able to live rent-free until she got back on her feet.
She opened her bedroom closet and dressed quickly.
Then she straightened to look in the mirror on the back of the door, and gasped.
Her jeans needed a belt to stay up, and her generous bosom had disappeared somewhere in the last year. Her collarbone showed above the neckline of her T-shirt, and her c
heekbones…hollow. She winced. Connor was right. She’d lost more weight than she’d expected.
Turning back to the closet, she rummaged around looking for a belt. She found a thin scarf instead. She threaded that through her belt loops and tied it up lightly in the front. There was also a chill to the air. Likely a side effect of the weight loss. Her old sweater had dropped to the floor. She loved that thing. It had lost its shape a long time ago, and had pulled threads peeking out in various places, but she tugged it on and laughed as it hung loose. “Scarecrow, it is.”
Wandering out to the kitchen, she grabbed up the two muffins still on the table from breakfast, and tucked them into a small bag.
She turned to the empty cabin and called out, “Who is coming with me?”
Instantly the air filled with animal cries.
Silky muttered at her from the table. She reached down and gave him lift back to her shoulder. As Minkel ran at her side, and Smurg flew overhead, she set off to the back entrance of the caves.
Two other spirit pets raced ahead. There were more here than anywhere else. That was okay. She could remember most of their names. Henkel was the huge rabbit-looking thing with the spines down his back. Rogan was the buck walking at her side. He was souls-old, as in his energy faded in and out every few moments. She had to wonder at the eventual end to them, too. Did they die? Not that it was possible, as energy never died. It just changed form.
So what form would Rogan go to next? Or would he just fade to the point of becoming one with the world around him? As in, go back to the woods he came from.
Above, going from tree branch to tree branch, was a Tistor. They reminded her of the old pictures she’d seen of squirrels from Earth, only bigger. And meaner. They could hunt all kinds of smaller animals, only, of course, as a spirit animal, there was no hunting required. A part she found very satisfying.
They approached the cave entrance in good time.
She took a good look around to make sure she was alone, then slipped inside. This was one of Granny’s many entrances. As far as she knew, no one else used it. There were footsteps in the dirt, but those were likely from her sisters—and their men. According to what they’d told her, there’d been some horrific things going on down here. From black rocks, to cold-blooded murder. She couldn’t take it all in. Her life when she’d lived her before had been peaceful. Calm. Boring, in fact. Now, since she’d left, the place had come apart at the seams. Who even knew that murder could take place down here? These were healing caves. Healing pools. No such thing should be possible.
She walked down into the tunnels below, studying the energy of the area. Granny had been big on each of the sisters learning the others’ specialties so they could do some of the same work on their own. She’d always warned them that just because they’d been born together that didn’t mean they’d always be together. She’d been right, there. Look at what the last year had brought them.
Pain, loss. Loneliness.
But her mind quickly supplied, strength, independence and a new perspective.
Right. Like that was a fair trade.
The string of pools were laid out before her in a cascading string of pearls. Truly beautiful. She went down to the one she’d always been in before, and dipped her leg in it. The injured muscles had started throbbing as soon as she’d started down the path, but not enough to cause her to want to go home again. The water felt good, but didn’t appear to help much. She hobbled to the pool below. Same thing. Then she tried the pool below that. In fact, she had to go down four more pools to find one that helped her leg.
How weird was that?
After resting until she felt as good as new, Celeste got up, slipped her socks and shoes back on, and climbed up to the main walkway. She kept going until she came to the pool where Granny had worn a spot down on the rocks after sitting in the same place for a century. She couldn’t help herself, she dropped down and sat in the same place. Instantly, it was like she could feel her granny right there beside her. Tears came to her eyes. Damn, she missed her.
As she sat there, she realized she’d really come to say goodbye. She’d never had a chance to grieve before. She’d stuffed it all deep down inside, and had avoided looking at it over the last year. Now, in her cabin, walking the same pathways they’d taken with her so many times before, and sitting here, it was as if she never really had to say goodbye, either.
She was still connected to that special woman inside.
Strange. Exciting. Satisfying. Maybe like the spirit animals, Granny had just faded into nothing and become one with everything.
They’d all known the moment she’d died. No one had quite understood what had happened, or when or where. They’d found her clothing that she’d been wearing, as she’d only ever worn the one outfit, and it had been at the deepest pool Granny could go. The clothing had been faded and weathered, and it had been left there off to the side, where Granny had likely placed it. But she’d never returned to the pool and never returned home.
In fact, she’d never been seen again.
They knew she was dead, even if they had no proof.
They’d made a memorial for her and never told anyone.
What could they say? That she was missing? That wouldn’t have been the truth, and neither would it have helped anyone. Granny had disappeared, but she’d come so damn close so many times over the last decade that they knew it would happen like that eventually. Celeste had come into the healing pools about a month earlier and found Granny’s energy fading in and out. She’d known what that meant at the time, but hadn’t been ready to lose her.
She’d told Granny that, too.
Granny had smiled and said that fate had its own timeframe and it didn’t matter if she was ready or not. Granny’s time would come soon enough, and the girls would know. That she wasn’t to worry. That Granny would be fine, and she’d keep a watch over them.
But they hadn’t really believed her.
Especially not when the rest of their lives had fallen into disarray at the same time. It was like Granny had been the glue, and with her gone, everything had fallen apart.
Only now, she had to wonder. Granny hadn’t really been the glue, but she’d been the comfort in their lives. With that gone, the women had to rely on each other and themselves. The problem was, when it came to that, they hadn’t known how, and they’d splintered. Now they were at a stage of re-gluing themselves back together—to each other—to the men they’d lost. To the world around them.
Celeste had been the worst. She’d been the glue for the animals, and she’d let them down too. Suddenly unable to handle the heavy emotions flooding her, she jumped to her feet, and ran to the next series of pools. Where she came face-to-face with a jumble of heavy equipment off to the one side. Shock and outrage hit her. Even though she’d been told about it happening, still it was horrific to see the damage done. It shouldn’t be allowed to have such destructive energy here. This was what her sisters were fighting for. And so much more.
Feeling like she had to continue even though she was starting to hurt again, she felt compelled to see all the changes, all the damage. She walked through the caves and pathways to other pools, other entrances. Finding visual proof of the foreign energy. The negative energy. The evil energy. She came out on one of the smaller entrances on the far side of the tunnels. There was so much pain here. So much negativity that didn’t belong.
She stepped out into the sunshine and found herself in the woods. The same corner she’d drawn on for her needs.
The black dying trees, the scorched earth, the brittle greenery.
Her throat closed up in pain; her breath—a prisoner inside.
No wonder the animals were upset.
Dear God, what had they done?
*
Matt stared at Darbo. “Where is she?”
He understood she’d been walking for several hours. For someone who was supposed to have an injured leg, she’d covered a lot of miles. He didn’t know whether to chee
r her on because she was doing so well, or to be pissed off because she was doing too much. He wanted to go to her, but it wasn’t the time. He wasn’t welcome.
She’s in the dead forest, Darbo whispered.
Matt sat back and winced. That wasn’t going to be easy on her. That area had been the hardest hit. And the underground pools in there had sustained the most damage. Genesis and Tori had both focused on healing that area, hoping that the healing would then help raise the energy levels of the other pools and forests, but it was slow, hard work.
She’s crying. Darbo reached out a paw to stroke Matt’s cheek.
Damn. Of course she was crying.
He looked outside and sighed. The clouds above looked to be ready to dump rain on anyone unfortunate enough to be caught outside. He wasn’t sure any of them had correlated the weather to their emotions, but he had. More secrets that he hadn’t shared with them.
They weren’t going to be pleased with him when it came time to tell them, either.
He stood, hating the pent-up energy raging inside, the anger at Celeste for walking away from what they had. They could have worked it out. Should have worked it all out. And if she’d not just lost Granny, likely they would have done just that. But now…he had no idea. And he needed to stay close. She was in danger, and had no idea.
Until they got to the bottom of this land deal in the courts, and whatever was still yanking their chains, she shouldn’t be alone.
Resolute, he stared out the window and studied the weather. She was going to get caught out there on her own, and be too weak to safely get back.
Knowing he was looking for an excuse to go to her, even if she hated him for it, he also couldn’t ignore the feeling that she wasn’t safe. Hell, Connor and Devon never left the other two women alone, either. Unless they were in the Center, the sisters were escorted everywhere. It was common sense.
Then this was Celeste—and she didn’t know the meaning of the word.
So he’d have to be that responsible person, instead. And if she didn’t like it, then too bad. Better she be angry at him for trying to keep her alive than for him to worry about her reaction and have her die because he didn’t want to piss her off.
