Centaur Redemption (Touched Series) (2 page)

“We
do
have to do this.  Not just for us, but for all of the Lost Herd who has lived with the fear of discovery.  It’s time we all got our lives back.”

Daniel offered sheepishly, “I could go with you.”

Forcing the smile off my lips, “Take care of your feet and stay out of the jungle.  We’ll be back in a few days.”  I turned my attention to Jessica, who was leaning against a tree a few feet away, purposely avoiding eye contact with me.  “Take care of him, okay?”

Jessica’s eyes opened wide.  Maybe she thought she had blended in with the scenery?  I expected her to say she’d take care of him.  The two had been inseparable since South Dakota.  Since his jungle stunt yesterday when we found him bleeding, she’d been by his side, not letting anyone else take care of him, so her words nearly knocked my legs out from under me.  “I’m catching a flight home today.”

My eyes darted between Daniel and Jessica.  Daniel’s expression was just as surprised as mine.  Not giving him a chance to say anything stupid, I asked, “What?!  Why would you go back to South Dakota?”

Jessica’s voice was unsteady, “Mom’s going to find me.  When she does, it’ll just be worse.  If I go home now, she’ll be furious, but my punishment won’t be as bad if I go back on my own.”

“Jessica, just give us a couple days to deal with the Centaur Council.  When it’s over, we’ll come back and we’ll all help you plan your next move.”  I looked around at my family circled around us and saw nothing but agreement for my offer.

Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she shook her head, “No.  The longer I wait, the worse it’ll be.  Besides, she’s vindictive.  If she finds me here with Daniel,. . .”  her voice trailed off.

Daniel took a step in Jessica’s direction; the pain in his feet registered the fire he was still feeling as he took in a quick rush of air and held it.  Jessica held up her hand, motioning for him to stay where he was.  “No.  This has been fun.”  Jessica looked to each of my family members encircling her, “I’m grateful to each and every one of you.  I’ll never forget your kindness or your acceptance.”  Jessica’s eyes settled on Daniel, “But I’ve got too much to lose if I stay here.”  Jessica attempted to dart into the house, but Gretchen, my stepmom, of all people, held out her hand and stopped her.

Gretchen’s voice was kind, genuine, everything a matriarch was supposed to be.  “Child, she cannot find you here.  Even if she traced you to Las Vegas, the plane you four brought to Cancun is untraceable.  The flight records have been erased; I saw to that myself.  You are too far away for her to find you with her clairvoyant powers.  No Centauride, not even the Chairman herself, could find you at this distance.  You’re safe here; you have my word.”

Jessica’s voice shook.  “If she finds me, you know what she’ll do to me.  You know what she’ll do to Daniel.”  The tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes released.  Jessica’s words were barely more than a whisper,   “I have to go back.”

Gretchen dropped Jessica’s gaze, turned away from her,  and looked out into the surf.  Following her focus, I looked out into the water, too.  What did she see?  Maybe a boat?  Maybe a hundred boats?  I had set the enforcer free, and he could have mounted a whole landing party by now.  My eyes were no help.  If stealth attackers were positioning a raid, they had to have been behind an enormous wave forming just off the coast.  I couldn’t be sure of the height, but it looked as tall as a two story building coming straight at the beach.

I glanced at the others:  everyone’s eyes were fixed toward the ocean.  We all must have been looking at the same wave, transfixed by the approach of the strange wall of water.  When the wave’s crest hit its apex, it didn’t roll down and crash into the surf like it was supposed to.  The sand didn’t swallow it.  Where it should have folded over on itself – it didn’t.  The wave looked almost like it was on wheels and was driving itself off the ocean and directly at us.

Drake's arms grabbed me.  We turned to run as my brothers tried shoving us toward the house, but Gretchen held up a hand with one word of warning, "Stay."

Mouths hung open and eyes widened as the wall of water crossed the hard-packed sand, rolled over the soft sand to where we stood and encircled us in a fortress of water.  It looked like we were inside a giant cylinder.  I eased closer to Drake, who had been only inches away, unsure what to make of this water prison suddenly surrounding us.

Gretchen’s voice changed from before, no longer kind or sweet, but powerful and unyielding, “Do you doubt that I am a powerful Centauride and the Matriarch of this family?”

Gretchen was doing this?  What sort of demonstration was this?  I pressed my hand onto the watery wall.  It had the wetness of water, but it was as much of a wall as if it had been built with a layer of bricks. 

Jessica shook her head.  I looked around, and although Gretchen was addressing Jessica, all eyes were agreeing that she was indeed the Matriarch of the Strayer herd.  “I can command objects to do my bidding, and when one of my family is in danger, I am able to do impossible things – but know that with all the strength I possess, I cannot offer my family protection halfway around the world.  If I as matriarch cannot protect my family, I can assure you, your mother’s powers of locating you will also not work on the other side of the earth.  Stay hidden here until we return for you.” 

The wall of water fell into the ground around us, absorbing instantly into the lush grass. 

Jessica didn’t argue.  She didn’t utter a sound.  Gretchen’s demonstration had made it very clear that she and Daniel would be able to stay safely tucked away while we left for South Africa.  The way Daniel looked at Jessica, I could tell he was all for a little one-on-one time with her.  Having grown up with him and seen him smitten with women many times before, I had to admit that the way he looked at Jessica was different.  But Jessica was in a whole different league from every other woman he’d been interested in. 

Every now and again he’d run across a lady who would catch his attention, but none ever seemed to hold his interest for very long.  After his stunt yesterday, I’d purposely looked at his future.  It was a skill I still needed to practice, but I saw two clear futures for him.  I wondered what would happen with either scenario between him and Jessica. 

One future showed him tiring of her like he did every other woman he’d ever met.  If he moved on, I was sure Jessica would take it badly – every Centauride I’d met had almost no experience “dating.”  All the Centaurides seemed to go right from meeting a Centaur straight to betrothal.  “Badly” meant her return to South Dakota and a miserable life, more miserable than she could have imagined.

The second future I could see was even worse.  If Daniel continued following Jessica around like a love-struck puppy and she rejected him for a pureblooded Centaur – he’d be crushed.  If his actions yesterday in the jungle were any indication, her rejection would cut him deeper than mine ever had.  I prayed that this future didn’t come to fruition, because, as far as I could see, he’d never recover from her rejection.

I desperately hoped a third future for Daniel would present itself, but sadly, no matter how hard I tried, I didn’t see a happily-ever-after for Jessica and Daniel.

Jessica gave Gretchen a hug.  I was sure the two were exchanging thoughts because when Jessica let go of Gretchen, her eyes went instantly to Daniel.  She nodded to Gretchen and smiled brightly.

I didn’t want to intrude into what Jessica and Gretchen had discussed, but I very much wanted to know what Gretchen had said to change Jessica’s mind about staying.  Before I could wonder aloud or ask the question telepathically, Drake placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed, giving me a final reminder, “It’s time to go.”

(Camille Nash – Cancun, Mexico)

I smiled at Drake.  He was right – it was time to go.  The last week had been beyond words.  Drake and I were married and had honeymooned in the most beautiful place I had ever seen.  Both our families surprised us with the help of Bianca.  It was the first time since I’d first met them in Charleston that I was able to spend any quality time with them.  When we had first met, I was thrilled to have so many brothers who openly welcomed me as a long-lost sister.  Now, having spent the last week with them, playing beach volleyball, body surfing, eating every meal together, all I could think was how full my life had become in a short period of time.

Mom had sheltered me from my Centaur family since birth.  She did the best that she could with what she knew.  Growing up as Zandra’s daughter had instilled in her nothing but fear and a healthy desire to escape Centaur society.  If I had lived her life, I probably would have made the same choices. 

I wish she could have known Gretchen and Will while she was alive – well, maybe not, given that Will had seduced Mom.  But if she could have met a normal Centaur couple, and had a chance to feel the love they freely shared with their children, they may have been able to restore her belief that our race was good.  Mom might have wanted to rejoin the Centaur society rather than staying hidden in the seclusion she created for herself and me. 

I had learned so much about our kind.  I liked the idea that when this life is over, we all meet again in the pasture.  There are so many things I want Mom to know.  More than anything I want her to know I found happiness right here on earth – true happiness. 

I had stumbled into love with a man who would sacrifice anything for me, who would risk everything he held dear for true love, and who believed the sun really did rise and set on my shoulders.  Beyond the joy of Drake in my life, other loves presented themselves that I had never anticipated, either:  the love of a stepmother who had more than enough room in her heart to make space for me without conditions, the endless hours of laughter my brothers inserted into my life, and the knowledge that I had a father who had never abandoned me. 

If all these blessings I had been given were suddenly taken away, I could go to the pasture knowing without a doubt that my life had been full.  I would know that I would be missed, that my Centaur family truly loved me.  In return, I was prepared to go to the end of the earth to save each one of them.

Drake had been listening to my thoughts when he answered, “
South Africa isn’t the end of the earth, but you can see it from there.  Don’t get any crazy ideas; you’re not going to the pasture any time soon.  We have far too much living still to do.
”  Drake’s hand gently rested on the small of my back.  I loved that feeling, the gentle reminder that he was at my side.

The large iron gates at the front of the property opened wide to allow four black SUVs entry.  They drove up the driveway and pulled to a stop in front of the house.  Not one of the drivers so much as flinched.  Each driver remained in his vehicle and kept his eyes trained on the windshield in front of him.  The SUVs looked like Will had borrowed them from the US Embassy or some foreign dignitary.  The windows were tinted dark, and I was sure that the shiny black paint was covering armored doors. 

Jessica sauntered up to Daniel, grasped his hand and pulled his arm over her shoulder.  Loud enough so that we could all hear her, she said, “C’mon.  Let’s get you inside and off your feet.” 

Daniel shuffled along beside her as they slowly walked back toward the house.  He had eyes only for her, but in typical Daniel-fashion, he wagged his eyebrows like a comic strip character at me.  In an innocent schoolboy voice he asked Jessica, “What could we possibly do to pass the time on this big empty estate?”  Kudos to Jessica for continuing to help him into the house and not shoving him face-first into the dirt for the innuendo. 

Just as they passed me on their trek to the house, I said, “Hey, Daniel?”  He turned his head back towards me when I reminded him, “You’d better be a boy scout while we’re gone.”  He held up two fingers, gave me his sly smile, and leaned his head on Jessica’s shoulder.

I didn’t wait for Drake or Will to prod me; I climbed into the first SUV, taking a seat in the third row.  Despite Drake’s height, he found a way to wedge himself in beside me.  Gage, Bianca and Katherine sat in the second row while Brent took the passenger seat up front, next to the driver. 

Katherine reached out to close the door and announced, “This door weighs a ton!”

In the blink of an eye, Brent opened his door, was out of his seat, and standing outside Katherine’s door.  I would have had to been deaf to miss the sweetness in his voice, “Sit back, I’ll get it.”  Brent closed her door with a solid thud.  Confirmed, we were definitely in an armored SUV. 

My nervousness began to return as the SUV inched away from the house.  Bianca must have sensed it because she turned around in her seat so she was facing Drake and me.  “There’s a huge advantage to taking a family plane.”

That was another perk of being a Centaur:  it seemed like every family had access to private jets, but rather than calling them that, everyone just referred to them as “family planes.”  Let’s see, no security like commercial airports, seating to watch movies in fat recliners, and a full-blown kitchen instead of pretzels.  Any of these was an obvious advantage over commercial air travel, but I decided to see what she had up her sleeve now.  “Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“The fact that we’re on our own schedule.  We’ve been cooped up on the estate for over a week.  I never got to take you to my favorite place here.”  She looked at her watch, “Let’s make a pit stop for lunch.”