Awakening: A Timeless Series Novel, Book Four (8 page)

BOOK: Awakening: A Timeless Series Novel, Book Four
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It couldn’t help but bring my thoughts back to Callon.

“Have you heard from him?” I asked quietly and twisted my Servak ring on my index finger. I knew Skylar and Clayton were going to search, like he’d said earlier, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he knew anything else.

“No.”

My chest tightened, and I lowered my lids. It shouldn’t have been this way. I shouldn’t have broken his heart like I had, but what was I to do when the truth lay before me?

“Have you
been using your powers outside of these outbursts, Cheyenne?”

Colt and I turned. Dex was standing in the doorway. He stepped inside, continuing. “Outside of what you did for Nakari?”

“Once,” I replied. Colt squeezed my fingers.

“When?”

I looked at Colt, his gaze steady.

“On my hike earlier.”

“Was it large or small?” Dex asked.

I hesitated a moment. Should I tell him about my vision in the meadow? If anyone could help me figure out the meaning, it’d be Dex. But then again
, they’d told me not to try and regain the Consilador’s powers. So was that what happened? Had I actually made a connection with Marcus?

“Small, but...”

He rubbed his whiskered chin and stepped closer.

“But what?”

I looked up at Colt’s reassuring eyes. Once I brought this out to Dex, I was sure others would have their opinion as well.

“I had a vision the other day, the day I was out in the meadow, right before Lilly came to me.”

He stilled, waiting for me to go on.

“It was odd. I was sitting there in the meadow
, and then in the next moment I was in what appeared to be memories.”

“What did these memories look like?” he asked.

“They were figures, misty figures using their powers.”

I held back the part
where I’d heard Marcus’s voice. I wasn’t sure if that had been real or a figment of my imagination.

Dex studied me for a few moments more and then shook his head.

“I don’t understand it. For all my knowledge from Timeless powers to medical treatments, this shouldn’t happen.”

He’d completely overlooked my vision.

He began pacing again. “If I had access to the O’Shea library and if Callon were…” he trailed off.

He didn’t need to finish his sentence. I
knew exactly what he wanted to say.

“If Callon were here he’d
know…if Callon were here the clans wouldn’t be divided.” I stood, pulling away from Colt as they stared at me. “If Callon were here, he’d make everything right, and if Callon were here, I’d be banished.”

I made for the door. Callon wasn’t here because of me. I was the cause of all these problems. I was their greatest failure
, and I was staring them in the face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 5

 

The drizzle soon turned to a steady rain, and I
was drenched. A shiver escaped me, and I wrapped my arms tighter around my chest.

It was my fault; I shouldn’t have left my shed. I should have just kept my mouth shut and my feelings to myself. They would have
eventually left, leaving me to have my own pity party. But I had to say something—what if Dex knew something that would help me figure out my powers?

I
hadn’t wandered that far. I was sitting under a large pine just at the edge of the meadow. I could see Colt and Daniel’s figures in the doorway. They were waiting for me to come back. A part of me wanted to, but the other part of me was unsure of my new powers.

Dex had no explanation;
obviously he’d never encountered anything like it. And he’d completely ignored my revelation about my vision. Leave it to me to have all the dangerous and difficult transformations. I was a ticking time bomb, and this time it wasn’t because I couldn’t control my anger. This time it was because I couldn’t control all this power running through my veins. I hadn’t hurt anyone yet, but if this kept up, the odds increased in its favor.

A flash of red appeared in the meadow,
only to reappear a few feet away. Nakari’s icy green eyes locked on mine for the first time since Callon’s departure.

“Dex wants you back,” she said
coolly. It was clear she didn’t want to come, but had to. She looked away, fiddling with the hem of her jacket.

I didn’t move. She stepped closer, annoyed.

I picked up a small twig and began playing with it between my fingers. She rolled her eyes. It was clear she wasn’t going to leave until I returned with her.

“Go away, Nakari.” I stood, but lowered my head to clear the branches, and headed towards the forest.

She jumped in front of me, and I stared her down.


I really don’t think you want to do this.” I gave her warning. I didn’t want to hurt her if I had another episode.


I don’t want to do this,” she replied.

“Then go.” I shooed her with my
hands.

“I won’t leave until you come back.” She crossed her arms.

“Come back and hurt someone, Nakari? It’s best if I stay away.” I crossed my arms as well. I could be stubborn too. “What do you care, anyway? You think I’m a worthless—”

She cut me off. “You’re not worthless, Cheyenne
. Just selfish.”

I should have reminded her
of my selfish act when I removed her bands. Surely I had only been thinking of myself and what I could benefit from her powers…like her ability to jump, which was why she was now in front of me, demanding I return.

“Well then, leave me to my selfish ways.” I stepped past her, but this time she didn’t follow. I glanced back; she remained still, watching me walk away
. No, letting me depart.

It was odd. The rage I’d felt towards her when I’d woken from my nightmare weeks ago had all but disappeared. Granted
, we didn’t like each other, but the only other time I’d felt such hatred towards her was in Ireland after I thought she’d kissed Callon…and awoken the beast. This anger, it was different somehow, and vanished just as quickly. I shook it off. I didn’t need to concentrate on Nakari right now, not when bigger threats were on the horizon.

The rain dissipated, and glimpses of the sun began to peek through
the clouds. Soon the rain would turn to snow, and the bitter chill of winter wouldn’t allow me to escape like this, at least not for long periods of time. The shed would be cold, even with the stove…I’d have to find a new place. One where they’d just leave me be till we—I—could figure out how to end this. I just needed more time and resources, but I might not have that option.

Marcus hadn’t hunted me down yet,
and Dex and Brogan had confirmed that he didn’t seem to be trying all that hard, but chances were he would come after us soon. But when? Would he wait it out over the winter, causing us to believe he didn’t need me anymore? Or would he come before the bitter cold set in and wipe them out?

I wasn’t prepared to fight him yet. I wasn’t even allowed to use my new powers for fear of becoming a signal
, so I had no idea what I could do. But if I left now, it might save their lives. Then again, he’d hunted down both my adoptive parents and my birth parents and killed them even though I wasn’t with them. He’d hunted them because they’d done him wrong, and the way Marcus saw it, every one of my family members had done him wrong. I just had to end this before he got the opportunity to end it for
us
.

I followed a small creek unti
l I crested a ridge, and the trees opened up to a clearing. It was filled with a sea of purple and pink wildflowers that ran down to the edge of a deep blue river. The wildflowers acted as the perfect backdrop to the majestic mountains shooting straight up from the earth behind them. The mountains were rugged and jagged, traces of fresh snow sat in steep crevasses, and tuffs of grey clouds lingered near the peaks.

This would have been someplace Colt would have found and brought me to. He would have wanted to share this simple beauty with me. For the first time since marrying Marcus, I felt warmth, real warmth spread through me.

I followed a narrow animal trail towards the crystal blue water. I lowered my hands and opened my palms, allowing the delicate stems to glide over them with their silky softness. The fragrance began to linger in the surrounding air, drifting higher and filling my senses. I inhaled and let my mind wander to happier memories.

A small smile traced my lips as I imagined my mom dancing through the flowers. She’d twirl and make small ballerina leaps
, causing my dad and me to laugh at her foolishness. She’d pick a flower and place it in her hair…and if Colt were here he’d have made a crown of flowers for me. He’d have placed it on my head and called me his princess…

But all this was just a memory now, and it needed to be pushed back, put into its proper place, because that wasn’t my life now. Everything had changed the moment I found out I was Timeless.

I stopped in my tracks. Directly in front of me in the marshy grass of the slow moving river was a moose. It raised its head and glanced at me before it returned to its grazing. A snort left him as he moved to find juicier grass. I took the trail leading to the left to avoid the moose. We could both share the lake without bothering one another.

I
stepped out onto the rocky soil, staring into the water, the sun reflecting off the surface. I used to be like that. I used to be my family’s hope. I hated the burden set upon me, but now I understood. How funny that it took everything I’d gone through to get to this point. All the failures, all the burdens, all the weight I carried on my shoulders...it was real. I was the Timeless race’s hope, and now they didn’t see it. They saw me as a threat.

My mind wandered back to my mom,
to Sahara’s journals. Had there been more clues in her writing telling me what I needed to do? Had I missed something? Were there other pages of her journal in her room? Or had Marcus found them and destroyed them? Did he know what I was up to? Did he know my mother’s thoughts and plans?

I
picked up a rock and skipped it across the rippled surface, watching it hop and skip till it came to a stop and sank. I’d hopped and skipped through life…and now I was about to sink. I had no clue what I was doing.

I
brushed a stray lock away from my eyes and decided it was best I headed back. It wouldn’t be long before the sun would be setting over the mountains and darkness would fall upon me. Regardless of my family not understanding, I didn’t need to cause them worry, especially Lilly. I looked up and made note of my location so I could return.

I
followed the trail through the wildflowers back to the forest’s edge. Soon the wildflowers would wither and die as the first frost came, and I wanted to remember it like it was, fresh and vibrant. I knew that, like these flowers, I too would fade away and become a distant memory if I managed to sacrifice myself to restore the powers Marcus had stolen.

A cool breeze whistled through the trees. Once the sun went down, the night chill would come
, and my clothes were still damp from the rain earlier. It would take me a while to get back. A warm shower, as warm as the old water heater would allow, would be welcomed. No doubt Daniel and Colt would be hovering nearby. They meant well, but there was nothing they could do for me.

A large yawn escaped me
, and I sighed. I needed sleep too. As each day passed, it was becoming harder and harder to resist. This was by far the longest I’d gone, and it hadn’t been easy. Even as a Timeless, I required more sleep than the others, who could sometimes go for a week at a time. I’d seen Colt’s concerned stares; he’d seen the dark circles under my eyes, but with sleep came nightmares. I couldn’t handle the visions of my family dying, or the emotions it stirred inside me.

As it was,
it seemed as though only Daniel, Colt, and Maes had concerns. They had been the ones that had woken me. The others likely thought I was getting what I deserved, that it was Marcus tormenting me…and they were probably right.

But how? How
could Marcus come to me in my dreams, let alone send a vision? We were hundreds of miles apart; surely he couldn’t reach that far? No, I shook my head. This was all my wild imagination taking over. These were my fears manifesting themselves. The fears I had of losing everyone, nothing more.

A branch snapped in the distance
, and I stilled. My gaze roamed the ever-darkening forest, searching for the cause. I flexed my fingers, ready for just about anything. It was probably just a deer or elk. I’d seen plenty wandering around, and it was rut season. I certainly didn’t want to run into the moose in the dark.

I continued on. The forest
was growing gloomier by the moment, and I rubbed my arms. The night chill was setting in, and I picked up my pace. I could picture Lilly pacing before the enormous fireplace, the worry in her blue eyes. She’d blame herself that I’d run off, thinking that she should have been there for me. And Colt, he was probably already out searching for me.

A flash of white caught my eye, but it wasn’t the white from a deer’s tail or a rabbit
. This was the white from something I knew too well. At the same moment, the scar on my back began to ache. Tresezes were here.

Low growls began to emerge from the forest, but I
couldn’t see them. The cloud cover had returned, and there was no moonlight to show me their location. I’d have to wait till they snarled and showed their teeth.

I
took slow, deliberate steps forward. I inched closer to a fallen tree that had wedged itself upright against another. I needed the advantage of higher ground.

I heard the sound of m
ovement on the right, then on my left. They were stalking me, most likely trying to circle me. I just had to make it to the log first before they blocked my path, and then I’d know what I was dealing with…how odd Marcus had waited so long before sending them. I was surprised they hadn’t made any moves earlier, unless they’d been watching our camp without our knowledge. No, Maes would have known. He was out scouting all the time. These had to be new arrivals, and they’d found their target—me.

I took off in a sprint towards the log when the sickening smell reaching my nose. Tresez reek of rotting flesh, and I didn’t need
them to be close to smell it.

Sharp claws sliced into the back of my jacket,
grazing my skin, just as snarling fangs lunged towards my leg. I tumbled to the ground, barely missing a large pine as the Tresezes came to a stop, circling me. I looked up; Marcus had sent three massive ones, unless more waited in the shadows. Coal black eyes stared me down as razor-sharp teeth snapped the air around me.

I was flat on my belly, my hands pressed into the cold forest floor. I needed to be standing to battle them. I crawled to my knees, my fingers tingling with the power that ran through me. There was no way I
could fight these creatures off without the aid of my powers. Despite Maes’s order, I had to use them or die…and dying wasn’t an option. Dying meant Marcus would receive all my powers—it wasn’t going to happen.

Without warning
, the Tresez to my left reared up on its hind legs and crashed its paws into my back. A choked scream left my lips as the air escaped me. Instant pain shot up my left arm. I looked back to see it rearing up once more, and scrambled away before it landed another blow.

Within a second, fangs sunk into my left shoulder, tearing at the flesh. I rolled over
, ignoring the pain, and clawed at its black eyes, releasing a small pulse of power. The creature yelped and jumped back.

I
’d done it with one hand, whereas in the past I always had to have both! I didn’t have time to enjoy the small victory though.

I
struggled to my feet, my left arm dangling at my side. I couldn’t even move it. The three beasts were circling me again. Raw adrenaline consumed me, and I swung my right arm at the closest beast. A blue light grew in the palm of my hand, and I released the surge of power. The Tresez was crushed against a pine, and lay there without even a whimper. It was still, lifeless on the ground. A small stream of smoke rose from its head, and the smell of burnt hair lingered.

BOOK: Awakening: A Timeless Series Novel, Book Four
4.92Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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