“Air would be best, given the impossible terrain,” Ian told him. “Do you still have access to those sorts of resources?”
“It will cost you, especially if you want them here by morning.”
Ian looked at Erin and she nodded. “This thing with Osric has gone on long enough. Make the call.”
“If that’s all you needed from me, you could have told me on the phone.” Payne smiled, his eyes shimmering like antique coins. “Am I distraction or deception?”
Ian returned the smile. “A little bit of both.”
Chapter Nine
Kyle decided to barbeque for dinner, which drew all the men out onto the deck. “There is something about cooking over an open flame that men can’t resist,” Erin said with a chuckle.
“Brings out their inner caveman.” Carissa laughed.
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it?” Ava wiggled her eyebrows and they all laughed some more.
“This feels so good!” Carissa wrapped her arm around Ava and squeezed. “I can’t believe how much I missed you.” They sat on the sofa in Jake’s living room, enjoying the brief break in activity as the men bonded over burgers. Erin sat in an armchair facing them, a large window at her side showcasing the majestic mountains and deep blue sky.
“And I can’t believe how much things have changed in so short a time.”
“Do I seem different?” Carissa sounded hurt.
“You didn’t until you turned into a… What the hell was that thing? I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard of a black tiger before.”
“Nothing about Carissa is ordinary and I think her cat is beautiful,” Erin objected.
“So do I. That’s not what I meant. I’m just having a hard time believing that was her. With Kyle and the others it’s easier to accept, but I grew up with Carissa. I remember her losing teeth and agonizing over her first pimple.”
Carissa relaxed, even managed to smile. “It gets easier. Before long it’ll all seem common.”
Ava shook her head. “I hope not. I never want to lose that sense of awe. You guys are amazing.”
Erin moved from her chair and joined them on the couch. “You are amazing too. Never doubt that for a minute. The blood that flows through Carissa’s veins also flows through yours.”
“That’s not what’s bothering me.” Even as the words passed her lips they sounded hollow. “If the ancients accept me, I’ll likely go through with the blood ritual. If they don’t…I think I’m okay with that too.”
“You’re afraid.” Carissa challenged her with a look. “It’s understandable, but that’s what this is. Good old-fashioned fear. You’ve always avoided change like the plague. You’re comforted by routines.”
Carissa was half right. She was definitely a creature of habit, but she wasn’t afraid of becoming an Omni Prime. She was afraid of being left behind. Being surrounded by power and people with extraordinary abilities left her feeling useless.
“Which part of your new situation upsets you most?” Erin pivoted toward Ava, her gaze filled with compassion.
Rather than toss out a random concern, Ava took a moment to analyze each element of the conflict, trying to prioritize their effect on her life. Then she realized the answer was in her reaction to the question. “I’m analytical. If I can’t weigh one thing against another and set priorities, I feel helpless. This situation isn’t only filled with variables, but many of those variables haven’t even been defined yet.”
Carissa shook her head. “You’re making this much too complicated. You need to trust yourself and the people around you and just enjoy the ride.”
“That’s your natural reaction to the challenge,” Erin said. “Your sister’s mind doesn’t work that way. In fact, I’d like to speak with Ava for a few minutes alone.”
“You’re dismissing me?” Carissa sounded shocked.
“More or less.” It was impossible to remain angry when Erin turned up the warmth in her smile.
Carissa huffed then pushed to her feet with a sigh. “Fine. I’ll go supervise the men.”
Ava waited until Carissa closed the door behind her before she spoke again. “She means well.”
“I know she does. She loves you very much, but you’re not Carissa. Your circumstances might be similar to hers, but you have different coping mechanisms. She relies on instinct while you prefer information.” Erin turned nearly sideways, bending her knee against the sofa’s cushion. “What else would you like to know?”
“There’s so much I still don’t understand. I’m not sure where to start.”
“Start at the top. What thought won’t leave your mind?”
Kyle’s images flared within her mind, but she quickly hid her smile. Kyle definitely bothered her, but it wasn’t the sort of bother that his mother could help her resolve. Carissa’s image slowly eclipsed Kyle’s and Ava felt a jolt of shame.
“Go on. Tell me what you’re thinking. I’m here to help, not judge.”
Ava looked at her new friend with narrowed eyes. “Are you the clan counselor or something?”
“At times. Maintaining an accurate history requires me to be more observant than most. Besides, I’m older than dirt.” She laughed. “Age brings with it wisdom, if we’re willing to learn.”
Heaving a frustrated sigh, Ava looked inward as she shared her thoughts. “I know Carissa wasn’t in control of a lot of what happened to her, but I can’t help feeling like she…”
“Stole your thunder?”
“I’m not even sure I want what she has.”
Erin’s brow arched and her eyes gleamed. “We’re being honest here.”
“All right. Who doesn’t want to learn that they’re special? That their ancestors were unique and powerful. Carissa has embraced our heritage with open arms while I’m too afraid to even think about it.”
Those perceptive eyes narrowed again. “Is that really what you’re afraid of?”
“Now that the ancients have Carissa, I’m afraid they won’t need me.” Something inside Ava released and she exhaled as tingles crept over her arms. How had Erin known she was internalizing this fear? Was she just perceptive as she claimed or did her Therian nature allow her to see what others could not? “Wow. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest. You should charge money for this.”
Erin wrapped her arm around Ava and squeezed her shoulder. “I don’t want your money, but I might be able to answer your question. Would that help you relax?”
“What do you mean? I thought I needed to be in the vault to determine if the ancients would accept me.”
“There are three tests used to determine if a potential Omni Prime is found worthy by the ancients. Two require you to be in the vault, but one can be conducted here. The test is not complicated and it can’t be faked.”
“All right. What do I have to do?”
“As you know, I’m the current Historian. I was taught the ancient language so I can make official entries in the sacred journals. Well, I keep a personal journal as well and once I realized many of my thoughts and observations could be potentially dangerous if read by the wrong person, I started using the ancient language for my personal journal as well.”
“You want me to read your diary?” Ava smiled.
“Not for content, obviously. If the ancients empower you to read the language, it’s almost assured that you’ll pass the other tests.”
“And if they don’t, I’m probably out of luck?”
“The energy in the vault is far more concentrated, so don’t lose hope if this doesn’t work.”
“But if it does, I’ll have one less thing to worry about.”
“Exactly.”
Ava scooted to the edge of the couch and nodded. “I want to try. It would be really nice to know one way or the other.”
Erin took Ava by the hand and led her to the only bedroom on the main level. Though smaller than the rooms upstairs, it was cozy and warm. Erin sat on the edge of the bed then patted the space beside her. “Have a
seat. You need to be relaxed and open to their teaching.”
As Ava sat down, Erin reached into the overnight bag beside the bed and pulled out a leather-bound journal. She handed the book to Erin then sat beside her. “Open it across your lap then run your fingertips over the page. If you don’t feel anything at first, close your eyes and empty your mind.”
Each line was written in a flowing script, not as decorative as calligraphy, but more stylized than cursive. “Carissa can read this?” Her uncertainty came rushing back and she sighed.
Erin touched Ava’s forearm, drawing her attention to Erin’s face. “I’m going to tell you something that I never mentioned to Carissa. Sam Collins was a gentle soul. Osric manipulated and used him, but Sam loved Willona with all his heart and she had grown to love him. If Sam had survived, I honestly think Willona wouldn’t have run.”
“What does that have to do with Carissa being able to read the ancient language?”
“You both received potential power from your mother. And though Osric’s basic character is corrupt, his bloodline is old and powerful. Sam’s bloodline, on the other hand, had been diluted and tainted so many times he was barely able to shift.”
Ava stared at Erin, desperately trying to unravel her convoluted comments.
“Carissa told you about Sam, didn’t she?”
“She said Osric convinced Sam to participate in Mother’s definition, but…” Understanding shot through Ava in a sudden jolt. She gasped and pressed a hand over her heart. “The wolf-shifter was Carissa’s father? How is that even possible?”
Erin laughed, the sound soft and infectious. “Cats do it all the time, my dear.”
“Then we’re not really twins. In fact, we’re only half sisters.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to derail your concentration. I only meant to explain that Carissa is the one I wasn’t sure the ancients would accept. You have been infused with power from both your mother and father. I will be shocked if this doesn’t work.”
Pausing to rub her eyes, Ava took a moment to absorb this new information. It didn’t really change anything. She still loved Carissa and always would. But another layer of deception had been peeled off her life. Was anything her mother told her true?
“Maybe we should try this after dinner. I’ve obviously upset you.” Erin reached for the book, but Ava blocked her hand.
“I’m not upset. I’m just adjusting my thinking—again.”
“All right. But remember, if this doesn’t work, it’s not a definitive fail. This is more of a prescreening than one of the official tests.”
Ava smiled. “Each time you prepare me for failure, I’m more convinced you think I can’t do it.”
Erin pressed her lips together, pulled an imaginary zipper across the seam then motioned toward the book.
Import hung in the air like static electricity. If the stories were true, this is what Ava had been born to do, what her ancestors had done for generations. She would not doubt herself or think about Carissa. Or their mother. The past could not be changed. She needed to focus on the future.
Ava closed her eyes and took a deep breath, releasing all the details while she exhaled. Then with her mind clear and accessible, Ava slowly opened her eyes.
The book rested on Ava’s thighs, black ink contrasting sharply with stark white pages. She ran her fingertips over the first line, her gaze following the motion of her hand. Should she…
Before the speculative thought could fully form, her fingertips began to tingle. Rather than analyze the sensation, she let instinct guide her and pressed her palm against the page. Warm currents flowed up her arm and swirled through her chest. Her heartbeat sped, but her lungs felt heavy.
She pressed her other hand against the opposite page and closed her eyes. Tingles became prickles and warmth turned to heat. She opened her mind and surrendered to the sensations, thrilled by her body’s immediate reaction.
Lines of script scrolled through her mind, but the words were still unreadable to her. Show me. Please allow me to understand. She didn’t know if she was supposed to interact with the spirits directly or if she should remain silent and still, but they were here. She could sense them and feel her body reacting to their presence.
Her eyes burned and she pressed her lids tighter as tears escaped the corners of her eyes. The lines of script in her mind slowly blurred, becoming shapeless blobs before reforming in crisp, clear English. “‘Osric has thrown down the gauntlet, dared us to react. His selfish abuse has already set us back by decades. We cannot allow his challenge to go unanswered.’”
Erin’s happy cry echoed in the distance, but the connection sank deeper into Ava’s mind. Ava raised her hands to her head and moaned. The journal’s weight was lifted from her legs and Ava fell back onto the bed.
“Ava? Are you all right.”
The fear in Erin’s tone sent a shiver through Ava. She hadn’t been afraid until she heard Erin’s voice. She tried to speak, to reassure the other woman, but she couldn’t move, could barely think beyond the roaring in her head.
Images swirled, disconnected and dizzying. The harder she fought the current the more disconcerting the sensations became. She bobbed and rocked, twisted and soared with no control, no specific destination. Like the steady pull of a vacuum, the trance drew her deeper and deeper into its power.
The mattress dipped as someone sat down beside her. Then warm fingers brushed her hair back from her face. “We’re here, sunshine. If you need our help, let me feel your fear.”
Kyle. Her protector, her lover, her…mate? The thought wasn’t nearly as upsetting as it had been the first time the possibility popped into her mind. But he was afraid for her, as was his mother. She needed to let them know she was all right.
But was she all right? She was paralyzed and helpless, yet she felt no threat, no menace within the tranquility.
Locating her link with Kyle, she sent him a pulse of calm, curiosity. Not sure what’s happening, but I don’t think I’m in danger.
She wasn’t sure if the thought had reached his mind until he said, “She’s not afraid, but she’s not sure what this is either.”
As if in response to their exchange, the pulling sensation increased, rushing her toward a looming void. She struggled against the hold, frightened for the first time.
She plunged into darkness like a tunnel in the middle of a roller coaster. Then she burst out the other side and sensations bombarded her consciousness. Fear and delight, excitement and dread, all compressed into one overwhelming moment.
Hovering above the scene, disembodied yet connected, she watched what was happening to the other Ava. She could feel what her other self felt, yet she saw the events from outside her body.
Her other self sat on the edge of a highly carved pedestal table, the wood darkened as if by age. All the chairs had been stacked off to one side and six people stood around the oval table. To her right stood Kyle, his handsome features stern while excitement burned in his gaze. Payne stood at her left, his strange golden eyes glowing. No one moved. No one spoke. And tension increased with each frantic heartbeat.
Ava looked at the other shifters, suddenly understanding what she was witnessing. Three men and a woman. They were strangers to her now, but she would know them well by the time this scene took place.
“Are you ready, my love?” Kyle asked her, his voice hushed and filled with love.
“Finally.” Her future self smiled. “I’m sorry this took so long.”
“No.” Kyle reached over and took her hand. “You were right to wait. Your certainty will make the bonding that much stronger. Besides, you’ll always be worth the wait.”
“Will you go first or last?”
“Last.” A slow, sexy smile parted his lips. “Once our bonding is complete, I won’t be able to hold back. I don’t particularly want an audience for what I have planned.”
“I wouldn’t mind.” Payne’s tone was surprisingly playful.
“Not in your wildest
dreams.” Kyle growled out a warning and Payne laughed.
“If you two are finished posturing, I’m ready to begin.”
Ava felt the suction reverse, drawing her back into the present. She quickly shifted her focus to the unfamiliar faces, doing her best to memorize their features.
The return trip was far less gentle. Her consciousness was hurtled back into her body and she arrived with a startled cry.
“Are you all right, love?” Now Kyle sounded scared.
Ava blinked until her eyes focused and then she smiled up at him. “I’m fine. The ancients just wanted to silence my doubts once and for all.”
“What happened? Where did you go?” Erin stood beside the bed, still looking rather worried.
With Kyle’s help, Ava sat and shook off the last of the muddle. She blew out a shaky breath then recalled the specifics of the vision. “I saw myself, sometime in the future, preparing for the blood ritual. I was sitting on an antique table with Kyle on one side and Payne on the other. There were four other people there, three men and a woman. I don’t know them now, but I will know them then.”
“Describe them,” Erin suggested. “Maybe we can tell you who they are.”
Ava shook her head. “I don’t think it’s supposed to happen like that. I’ll know them when I see them, and when I meet the last one, I’ll know it’s time for the ritual.”
Kyle looked at his mother then back at Ava, clearly confused by her explanation. “What were you two doing? Was this some sort of vision quest?”
“Ava has been distracted by all the unknowns in her life. We were trying to determine whether or not the ancients would accept her.” Erin held up her journal and Kyle nodded.
“Did it work?” He looked at Ava and asked, “Were you able to read the ancient language?”
“I think so.” She smiled at Erin, feeling hopeful for the first time in days. “Were the words I spoke correct?”
“Absolutely.” She opened the book and held it so Ava could see it. “Can you still read it?”
It was rather like looking through 3D glasses, but as soon as the image focused, Ava was able to read every word.
TherianPromise Page 18
