Keeper's Knowledge (Balancer's Soul cycle) (12 page)

Jack looked up as she said “Didn’t you hear what I said
, Father
. Connor.
M
ade
.
I
t!”

Jack looked over at his son
.
Connor
grabbed the bottom of
his
shirt and showed him
the
mail clad abdominals. “Since we control Metal, it would be a good idea to keep some on hand.”

“That’s wise.” Jillian said with honesty.

Suddenly Kara stepped closer to get a look at
the intricate
chain mail.
Connor
saw from the corner of
his
eye that Sarah covered
hers
back up. In a curious voice
his little
sister asked “Can I test its durability?”

“What do you have in mind?”
He
asked
but already had an idea
of her motives
.

“This.” Kara stood up straig
ht and her pupils
began to glow. He
looked down to see
the
fingernails in her right hand become claws. “I’ll be gentle.” She said as her pupils stopped glowing. The problem
lay in the fact
that his
sister doesn’t k
now the meaning of gentle, but he
allowed her to try.

First
,
she brought forward her sharp clawed index finger and ran it along
his
belly. Then her strength increased and the metal started clicking as her
razor sharpened
nail touched the links
. She looked up and smiled dangerously
.
Connor
knew what she was going to do jus
t a moment before she reacted. He
took a
measured
step back
,
to get
his flesh
out of her territory, but allo
wed the metal to remain. L
ess than a quarter of an inch
separated such distance
. She reached back and swung her claws at
his
middle and raked them with her inhuman speed and strength.
T
he metal shift
ed
for just a moment and then
it
returned to normal.

With the arc of her swing
came to an end
he
stepped back in.
S
he looked at her
handiwork. “You did a perfect job as usual, Brother. Not even a single scratch on any link.”

“What? You actually had doubts that
I would make something inferior?
” The
look on her face said she did. He
had to calm
his
voice down. “Would you think that I would jeopardize my welfare?...
Sarah’s?...Or you’re your unborn niece
’s
? Kara look at me…
I’m not mad at you…
Don’t worry about trying your test. I made the mail designed to resist piercing
and slashing
attacks. I used my axe
as a test
and it didn’t do any damage.”

“Really?” She asked back to her chipper voice.
He simply
nodded.

He
looked at everyone watching
the
siblings with a curious smile.

A minute later Connor
looked back at Jack. “
Have you decided?”

Jack looked at the entire group as each one of
them
were staring him down; even Jillian. He sighed “Alright…
We’ll tag along with the
unknown
pair.” He s
miled
genuinely. “Mark,” H
is gaze shifted to
the oldest among them
.
“please accept my apology for my rude behavior. I’m sorry.”

Mark walked up to Jack and he rested his hand on his shoulders. “I
accept.” Mark turned back to everyone
. “I think we better get going soon or else we’ll get stuck in the nosebleed section
s
.”
Connor
didn’t
understand
what he meant, but
he
wanted to get a move on as well.
Showing up late isn’t in his
nature.

Jack grabbed Haunt
and both bags as Jillian wrestled with her belt and finally succeeded in sliding the dagger into position at her hip.

Connor
opened the bed of
his
truck and snow slid down the backside like a miniature avalanche
. Jack put both bags and his weapon in. Mark also grab
bed
both of their bags and tossed it inside as well.
Sarah took her bag off and placed it in
,
as did Connor
.

Just before clos
ing
the bed cover
,
the truck’s weight slightly shifted down on th
e passenger side of the truck. Connor
shut it and laughed inwardly as it was Kara getting into the back seat with Mark.
A Changer’s weight sure is something.

Wit
h everyone loaded in the truck Connor
star
t
ed the silent engine and backed out. Just before
they
left
everyone
saw
Jenny wa
ving goodbye and everyone returned the gesture
.

About thirty minutes in
to
the
awkwardly silent
truck r
ide Sarah
felt someone pulling themselves forward by grabbing
her
seat.
She
looked to
the
left and
found her m
other looking directly at
her
with a playful grin
and
mischievous
gleam in her eyes
. “How’s my grandchild doing?”

Nothing on the radio
had been worth listening to
and Sarah
could hear the truck’s tires running over the snow covered road.
Her f
ather and Mark were still tense about the arrangements so no one had initiated a pleasant conversation until
her m
other did.
The inside of the cabin
finally
grew
warm and
she could finally open the
cloak
that
already
proved to be
a
warm
lifesaver.

Sarah
said “Not m
uch has changed since you saw her
three
days
ago, Mother.
We all know how long things will take for the development.
”

Her grin widened. “I’m just so glad
that
I can finally be a grandmother.”

“Speak for yourself.”
Jack
said playfully
and then finally chuckled
.

“Say
,
have you thought of a name
yet
? It has to be something extremely pretty.
She has to be.
” There was no helping
Jillian
when she gets like this.

“Honestly Mother, I haven’t a clue.”

“Come on… How about Rose
, Jeanne
… or Alexandra…or…or…”

Connor bluntly
announced
“Pearl.”

Sarah’s
mother became a
s
statue
sque
as
her f
ather.
They both
suddenly
forgot how to breathe, blink or even
look in a different direction. Sarah
entered both of their minds and found that their thoughts were stunned speechless.
Even with the truck going down the road they didn’t budge
or bounce
.

Kara asked “Why Pearl?”

“Because that was Sarah’s oldest sister’s name.” He glanced at his sister in the mirror
,
looking over
Jillian’s
back,
and then to
Sarah
before looking back at the road. His voice turned compassionate. “Pearl was killed in an avalanche one hundred years before Sarah was born. I thought that it was not only a beautiful name, but would be an honor to her memory. Is that alright with you Jillian? She was your daughter
after all
.”

A moment later both of
her
parents began breathing.
Sarah’s
mother’s eyes finally went into focus as she tu
r
ned her head. Her voice
quivered
along with her bottom lip
as she asked “You would name your child after mine?” Connor nodded slowly
. “That will be the greatest honor you can give to my dau…”
Jillian
’s voice failed her as she hugged Connor’s neck.
Sarah
could actually see a tear stream
from her
mother’s
cheek.

Connor let his
emotional mother
-in-law
hug him.
Sarah
felt him entering
her
mind.
“I never asked you, but do you like my idea?”

“Of course.”
She
thought
to
her
self,
Pearl…Pearl…Pearl…Pearl…
Sarah
looked at Connor as he
allowed
her
get used to saying the name.
“It is a perfect name for her. You are my Knight. I am your Princess.”
She
looked down as
she
touched her
belly.
“And you will be our little treasure.”

It all seemed right.

Connor glanced at
her
for a moment and smiled.
“It
’s settled. Pearl May it is then.”

Sarah
stole a glance at
her f
ather and
almost
wished
she
ha
dn’t. His eyes were squeezed tight and a few tear drops escaped
down his cheek
. His lips were pressed together and quivering.
She
ha
s
never in
her whole
life seen
her
father show that unique expression. It
i
s one
she
will never forget
either
.

About forty five minutes later
they
finally reached
the next
destination.
They
pulled into
Jack’s
garage.
The parking lot
lay
currently
empty
since
it
i
s everyone’s day off.
Jack
stepped out of the truck and entered the
security
code to the gate to
allow them
to enter. Connor pulled in and parked the tuck.
Jack
said that this will be the safest place to keep the truck since the front gate is shut and locked every night. The walls and parking lot are all under surveillance and is constantly monitored by private security.

Sarah
hesitantly opened
her
door because
she
kne
w
that
she is
going to be cold for a long trip while
they
make
their
way north
towards the meeting
. The door opened and she
was correct about the cold.

Relentless cold assaulted everyone equally.

Both Kara and Mark landed on the ground easily d
espite their
enormous
weight advantage. Sarah
locked and
shut
her
door
as did Mark.
She
followed the two Changers to the back of the truck
and waited for a moment
. Connor held the lid open as everyone grabbed their
individual
packs.
Her f
ather grabbed theirs and they
both
put them on under
neath
their
new
cloaks. Mark and Kara each grabbed their packs and sniffed it. T
hey realized they had the other
s and traded
them back
with
private
smiles.
Jack
grabbed
Haunt just as
Connor reached in and grabbed Sarah’s
bag for
her
.
She
quickly slid it on
her
back
and clasped the clip between her
breasts.
She
then closed
the front of her
cloak with both hands
to at least keep
and trap
some warmth
her body made
from escaping
.