Spurn (23 page)

“I know what you
’re saying is right.” She looked wistful ... or just sad.

Why did I have a
strange feeling that she was hiding something from me?

“I already feel like I
’m losing myself to Sammy. I worry that if we take that last step I won’t even know who I am anymore.”

“What does Samuel say?”

She laughed without humor. “He wants to wait for a mating ceremony. On First World, even for those who aren’t ‘true mates’, they still hold this ceremonial ritual. It’s not a contract; it can be dissolved; but Sammy says that rarely happens. Unlike on Earth, they’re all pretty loyal to their families.”

“I
would guess they break this bond in the rare events they find their true mates?”

She nodded. “Yes
, that seems to be one of the only reasons. And it’s understood and socially accepted.”

I
stopped her just before we reached the downstairs room. I leaned in and spoke quietly. “Are you okay, Lucy? Has something happened? Don’t you want to be mated to Samuel?”

It was clear that she hadn’t expected my question.
A few tears sprinkled the blue of her eyes.

“
Abbs, I don’t know what to do. I’m not sure what’s going on with Sammy. Our connection was so immediate and all encompassing that I never questioned him when he said we were destined mates. I figured I wouldn’t know, being from Earth.” She sighed. “But now I’m having some doubts. Things just aren’t adding up.” The last part was said so quietly I almost missed it, even though I was standing right next to her.

My mouth
fell open. I spoke wordlessly, unable to coherently respond.

“I don’t
... understand.” Yeah, that was kind of what I was thinking.

They had been inseparable since the moment we
’d rescued them from Earth.

“Never mind, Abbs
. I’m probably being silly, and Sammy and I’ve had a few arguments lately, so I’m emotional.”

I hugged her
, hating to hear the desolate nature of her tone.

“You don’t have to jump in without any thought. We know better than that
, Luce. Think about back home; we didn’t trust anyone.”

She pulled away
. “But he’s your brother. We have no reason not to trust him.”

“Lucy
,” I said aghast, “that’s one of the stupidest things you’ve ever said. We don’t know him and he was held captive for a year. He’s damaged; that’s been established.”

“I know him
, though, and he’s a good person. He’s made me happier than I ever thought I would be.”

I stared at her before shrugging. “Well, just let me know if you need my help. I
’m always here.”

I dropped it because I could see she
was done with this discussion that night. But it was going to be revisited later. Something was up, and I was going to figure it out.

“I’m going to die, Abby.” Her words took me by surprise, and I couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped
me.

“What?”
My immediate thoughts were dark.

Lucy smiled at me. “Calm down
. I don’t mean today, but I do have a shelf-life, unlike the rest of you. Sammy said there’s some type of procedure here which can kickstart my cells’ ability to regenerate, thereby halting the aging.”

Finally we were addressing one of my primary concerns
: Lucy’s mortality.

“But it has risks, Abbs, and sometimes I think I’d prefer a hundred years with everyone, than die during this medical procedure because my body rejects it.”

“I’ll speak with Dad and Brace; maybe Walkers know of something less risky.”

Lucy shrugged. “Honestly, Sammy and I have been arguing about it so much, let’s just wait and worry about this once we
’ve put those Seventine back in their cage. We may all die anyway, so no need to stress.”

I shook my head. “Only you would think
there was no need to stress about our demise.”

“The dead don’t worry
; that’s reserved for the living,” was her final reply.

I guess she had a point; there would be plenty of time after all of this saving-the-world to figure it out
. If we lived that long, of course.

Without another word we stepped away from the stairs and crossed the hall into the front room
, which should be re-named ‘the meeting room’.

Josian
stood in front of the large windows. It was still very dark outside, but my Walker vision could see out to the crashing waves. Lallielle was curled up in a single-seat chair. Brace, Lucas (who just seemed to appear at important moments), Francesca and Samuel were squished into the long white couch, leaving two other chairs.

My face broke out in a huge smile
when I saw Quarn filling one of them. I ran over to my old guardian. I hadn’t seen him in forever. He’d told us that he was going away to catch up with family and old acquaintances. I wasn’t sure if that was the entire story.

“Quarn!” I exclaimed as he stood to hug me. “I
’ve missed you.”

I don’t know at what point our bond
had formed so strongly, but he was such a dear person to me.

“I’ve missed you too
,
miqueriona
.” The rumble of his familiar accent flooded me with joy. I pulled back to look at him properly.

It amazed me that he was the only person who actively used
the old language. No one else spoke like him.

“Ralph
... you look great.” Lucy came from behind to hug him too.

“I have missed your unique sense of humor, Lucy Laurel
,” Quarn said drily.

“You
do look good. Relaxed. Where have you been? What did you do?” I interrupted, peppering him with questions.

He just smiled that grin
, the one that said he wasn’t going to tell me anything I didn’t need to know.

“You
’re so annoying.” I gave him a gentle shove. “Keep your secrets, old man.”

I followed
Lucy over to the last chair, squishing in next to her. Josian straightened from where he’d been slumped against the sill.

“I’m sorry to drag you all from sleep.” He hesitat
ed over the last word.

I couldn’t quite meet his bronze eyes
. At least he didn’t sound too angry.

“But I have received some urgent news. We must act on this immediately.”

The window behind him opened. Josian spun around, and the rest of us watched dumfounded as a naked Talina stepped inside. Her long emerald hair covered most of her as she dripped water all over the ground.

“Sorry I’m late. I heard
you all and figured something had happened,” she said carelessly.

“Guess the question of whether they look the same
as us under their wraps has just been answered,” Lucy stated in a deadpan voice, breaking the tension.

M
ost of those in the room attempted to hide their grins.

Lallielle jumped up and dashed from the room. She was back in a moment with a white, corded robe
, which she draped over Talina’s lithe frame.

“I don’t want you to catch a chill, sweetie
,” she said in a kind tone.

Talina looked confused as she threaded her arms through the sleeves. “I’m not sure what a chill is, but thank you for the covers.”

She moved then, sitting on the floor between
Lucy and me. Josian shut the window, preventing more rain from pouring in, before turning back.

“
I have invited some of my brothers here to guard the house.”

We were definitely unprepared for the
flood of tall redhaired Walkers that drifted in through the open doorway, as though they’d just been waiting for an introduction.

I had never seen so many shades of red in my life,
ranging from the brightest forest fire to dark auburn. Their heights started at low six feet tall all the way up to almost seven feet. Suddenly the room felt very small and crowded.

“I won’t introduce them
individually. You’ll never remember their names,” Josian continued.

Ten. I counted ten Walkers in addition to
him. Brace had stood the moment they entered the room and was now behind my chair. I looked up at him. He was glaring at each of the Walkers. One by one he locked them in his stare. I sighed.

“
Are you going to pee on me, Brace?” I could practically see the challenge he was issuing to the other men in the room, marking his territory.

“I don’t know why I would do that, but if it helps these Walkers keep their hands to themselves
, I will gladly comply.” He never looked down, but a small smile softened his features.

“Brothers
,” Josian said, distracting everyone from whatever man-game they were playing. “Take note of Brace. He is an Abernath, and my daughter’s mate. He will destroy any one of you that looks sideways at Aribella.”

His
blunt words did nothing except increase the interest I could see their array of dazzling eyes.

What’
s their fascination?

I couldn’t help the thought, and as usual Brace picked it up.

Half-Walkers are myth in our world; you have your marks on display, and are uncommonly beautiful. You are like our version of a unicorn.

I groaned softly. Great, just what I need
ed, to be some type of Walker fantasy creature.

“Aribella and Talina are both halflings. They must be protected at all costs
,” Josian said.

I
spoke up.

“I have to leave, Dad. You know I can’t stay around here
. I have to gather the other half-Walkers.”

He nodded. “Yes
, you will be gathering them, but at all times you will have at least one of my brothers as a guard. I might not be able to accompany you, but they will.”

“But Franc
esca said – ”

“I do not care. This is non-negotiable.” His features were strained.

I’d never seen him so rattled.

“What’s happened, Josian?” Brace said, with some impatience.

There was a
n uncomfortable pause. I almost stood to demand answers, but he finally spoke.

“They have found the bodies of two Walkers.
Dead. And their essence was wiped clean. They no longer exist.”

The room was silent.

“That’s not possible,” I finally stuttered out.

Walkers could not
completely die. That’s what Josian had said.

“I don’t know what to tell you, baby girl.
The release of the Seventine is bringing about changes that have never been spoken of. We have no choice now but to adapt.”

The next few days I had a tall redhaired Walker up my butt at all times. I’d started having extra long showers just to get some alone time. One positive had emerged from all the worry and lack of privacy. Josian was grudgingly allowing Brace to stay with me at night.

He seemed to understand that Brace would not
be away from me when danger was close. We still had a Walker stationed outside the door. But since Josian had warned me that they had even better hearing than I did, I was pretty sure it was just to deter any untoward activities.

Apparently
, he didn’t approve of his daughter fooling around in his house, and so far Brace was complying, limiting us to some heavy-duty make-out sessions. I went to sleep most nights hot and bothered, and woke the same way.

First World had reached what I thought was the
equivalent of spring. The rain had stopped, and the land bloomed in shades of green and multi-hued flowers. Technically, I wasn’t allowed to roam or explore, but the few times I managed to escape with Lucy I fell more in love with the natural beauty here.

Lucy
still wouldn’t talk to me about her other issues with Samuel, and her subdued personality was starting to worry me. But with so many events in the works, there wasn’t much time for our personal lives, especially since the vast majority of my time was spent with Josian and Brace.

They were
trying to help Talina and I harness our Walker powers, though both found the limitations and unknown of our half-nature frustrating.

“I need a breather
,” I said to Brace, flopping into the soft sand.

Early
that morning he’d started me forming energy balls to blast an old crate. Hours later I still hadn’t improved.

“You have five minutes, Red.”

Brace was either an ass or a dictator – probably both – but I could tell I was learning from a highly trained expert, so I couldn’t whine too much.

We watched as Josian guided Talina
. They stood calf-deep in the water.

“Great job
, Talli,” he said with a smile, “you are finally learning to stay in control of the power, and not let it control you.”

Talina gave a rare grin, just
the corners of her mouth lifting. “Yes, I didn’t black out this time.”

She
was creating whirlpools and sending them off into different directions.

“Anticipating the energy allows me to fight against the corruptive nature of it
,” she said, shooting off another few geysers.

“You must never underestimate power
. Like anything, it can be addictive. Always respect it, and fight to stay true, and you’ll always be in charge. The moment the power controls you, it’s too late.”

“Alright, your rest time is up, Red
.” Brace jumped effortlessly to his feet. “We need to figure out if you can take back control.”

“What do you mean?” I said
, pulling myself up. I was definitely feeling the backlash of too much energy release.

“I think your
powers are testing you, making you work for each and every skill. You must show it who is in charge.”

I figured he was referring to the fact
that every time I tried to blast the crate my energy fizzled out halfway.

“It scares me
,” I admitted, forming the golden sphere in my hand.

Unlike Brace’s two
-color ball, mine was pure shining gold.

The power always s
eemed to be outside my control, doing exactly what it wanted, and I was afraid to explore too deeply. It felt as if something was down there that I could not handle.

“It’s like wolves
. If you don’t step up and be the pack leader, the rest will never follow or respect you. Take your power, Abbs; be the alpha.”

I nodded
, determination flooding me. I gathered the wisps, and shaped my sphere. As usual, the energy tried to escape. When I refused to let it, it started to form something else, but again I held concentration, determined to be in control. It still took me numerous attempts, but finally the last one held long enough to explode the wooden crate.

Brace, who was standing
with his arms crossed, watching intently, gave me a nod of approval.

“
Much better, but you have to keep working on it. Don’t let the fear dictate your life. Your energy will control you, and a Walker who loses control is dangerous.”

Maybe that was what I feared
: losing control to the power.

Later that night, I lay wrapped in Brace’s arms, his warm voice washing over me. He was all business when it came to training, but in bed he was different. It amazed me how he could be so varied, compartmentalizing and staying in control.

“Now that you
’ve found your family, and discovered who you are, tell me another thing that you always wished to have but still don’t.”

He’
d been quizzing me on all aspects of my life, dissecting each answer. The way his mind worked was beyond anything I was capable of following. I’d never felt stupid, and I still didn’t, but he certainly had me thinking in entirely new directions. I guess it never hurts to broaden my knowledge.

“You mean besides Bear Grylls personally escorting me around New York?” I joked, wincing as Brace playfully
tightened his arms. “Kidding, kidding.”

Brace had not seemed that impressed when we sat through a few
Man vs Wild
episodes. Apparently, there was nothing exceptional about this man’s abilities. Of course not, if you’re a Walker.

“I guess
I’ve always wanted a pet. A puppy or kitten. As a child, reading about the love and loyalty pets showed their owners, I craved a relationship like that.”

All children loved animals, but when I was six
, and learned how rare they were, it had really hit me hard. I was pretty sure I cried for a week.

“Animals are not pets on First World
. They don’t have owners; they have friends and companions.”

“I like that
,” I said, smiling. “Animals are smart and beautiful. Many humans treated them abysmally, and I never understood how they could.”

“They wouldn’t have done that in my presence. Most animals I’ve known are far superior to any humanoids, no matter what year or world.” He softly
stroked my arm, lulling me to sleep and sending shivers throughout my entire body.

I
eventually fell asleep listening to Brace describe the animals he had known throughout the years. They varied depending on which planet and time he was occupying at the time, but I could tell he loved each and every one of them.

The days blended into each other, training and exploring, and being followed around by the red Walker gang. That morning
after a restless night’s sleep, I opened my eyes slowly; it felt really early. I wondered what had woken me. I gasped as a strong arm reached around, pulling me back into a warm embrace.

It was still a shock to wake next to Brace. For someone
who had always slept alone, I figured that it would feel smothering. Instead, I fell asleep at night snuggled into his broad chest, and woke each morning in his arms. It was pure heaven. Brace could go from asleep to alert in a matter of seconds, but I liked those first few moments when he was soft and drowsy. And no matter what position we were in when we went to sleep he always ended up curled around me.

Protective.

I wasn’t sure if he was aware he did this or if some type of mate instinct guided him. Whatever the reason I was starting to think I’d never sleep again without his warmth surrounding me. The possessive way he held me, the sound of his breathing so calming whenever sleep was elusive. I was starting to think I could not live without him. I wiggled against him, wanting to be closer. He groaned into my hair.

“What have I told you about trying to kill me this early in the morning
?”

His throaty words washed over me
. I could feel his desire, and it brought out the worst kind of temptress in me. But I always pulled back. Despite my need, I wasn’t ready to lose my big V with my father’s Walkers outside the door.

“So
did you find out anything in your clan?” I said.

The day before, h
e’d disappeared, and hadn’t been back by the time I went to bed. He must have slipped in during the night. He shook his head, burying his face into my red curls.

“No, everyone just seems to be
distressed and preparing for the worst. But no one has any answers. Even my father seemed unusually upset.” His voice was low and muffled, thick with sleep.

I shivered.
He was so close that every breath tickled the back of my neck.

“Any of the reds hit on you while I was gone?”
His voice was carefully calm, for once.

“If you
’re referring to them making polite conversation with me, then yes, red one, four and nine were on duty yesterday and they all spoke with me.”

I was slowly learning their names, but until then we
had to make do with numbers.

“I think four is the worst. He stares like you’re the last moonstale rock in the galaxy.”

I laughed. But I knew it was a miracle that no fighting had broken out yet. I think it was by Josian’s pure will alone that we weren’t living in a war zone. In my opinion Walkers had an over-abundance of testosterone and apparently didn’t tolerate their mates around other unmated Walkers unless some type of ceremony had been performed. Something Brace and I hadn’t had time for. Our ‘mythical merging’ hadn’t convinced the reds to keep their flirting to themselves, so we needed to do this binding ceremony soon, before Brace started killing them off.

“We don’t like our mates around any other Walker males.
Period. We know what they’re thinking, and it drives our protective instincts crazy.” He was so much better at picking up my thoughts.

I only got
his on occasion. I ignored his chauvinistic male comment to ask a more pertinent question.

“What exactly is this Walker mating ceremony?”

He chuckled into my neck. I shivered as his breath fanned my skin.

“We journey to the birthplace of Walkers. There
, we’re mated before seven witnesses.” He paused briefly, playing with the curls along my cheek. I waited for the rest.

“
There are certain words exchanged and a blood ritual.”

My stomach jumped. I still hated blood, and anything involving blood generally involved pain.

“But don’t worry. It’s not the right time now, no matter how badly my inner Walker is demanding that we claim you.”

That wasn’t the first time I’d heard Walkers refer to themselves as having an inner demon they needed to placate.

“What changes after the ceremony? How will everyone know we’re mated?”

“You can see auras
, Abbs, and although that’s not a common Walker ability, after the mating ceremony anyone will be able to see our entwined aura. It’s the first thing unmated male Walkers search for when meeting females of our kind.”

“But I already see the gold
surrounding us.”

“That’s from the merging
. Gold is a sacred color, a powerful merge, but the others can’t see this until we’re officially bound. The color of the merge and binding will intertwine.”

I wondered
whether our other color would be the same pink that surrounded my parents. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation of my hair being gently dragged through Brace’s fingers. I decided to stress about my loss of independence later. Of course, he picked up that errant thought.

“You and I couldn’t be more tied to each other, Red. This just makes it official for everyone else.”

He made a good point. But still I wasn’t always rational, and strong independent women did not tie themselves for life to one man. It was supposedly going to be a very long life and, despite my growing feelings, I’d only known him in the flesh for a matter of weeks.

“Stop thinking of yourself as human. You
’re not human, Abby, and your body knows this. It’s just over-thinking that causes to you to doubt such strong feelings.”

“I know
... but it’s easy to say something and another –”

He cut me off by pressing his lips to mine
, silencing my doubts, at least for the moment. I opened my mouth, wanting more, never having enough of his taste, scent and presence. He slept in a shirt and a pair of soft dark-blue shorts. I think the shirt was to help with the no-sex rule. But I still had plenty of access under the thin cotton.

T
hings were just starting to get very hot. His breathing was heavy as I moaned into his mouth. My hands moved of their own accord, under the edge of his shirt so I could trail lower along his stomach, following the soft hair. I’d just decided that I didn’t care about listening Walker guards when a fissure of energy split the room.