Winter's Warrior: Mark of the Monarch (Winter's Saga 4) (27 page)

“Now that you mention it, yes.  Brilliant, Alik!”  Margo smiled for the first time since they came home.

“I hate to be a kill-joy, but that doesn’t mean he’s taken the family to the Northeast area.  He could just be from that region and falling back into a comfortable pattern of speech.  He could have them en route anywhere in the world.”  Theo’s mind was racing with worry over all the children, but especially his fragile son, Cole.

“He’s right,
Mom.”  Alik nodded solemnly.  “Maybe I can track him.”

“Track him?  How?”  Theo asked.

Alik shrugged, “I haven’t worked out all the details, but I may be able to use my evolved gift, somehow.”

Chapter 41
  Something So Beautiful

Danny pushed out of Alik’s lap and looked up into his eyes carefully before climbing into Alik’s arms and studying his eyes for himself.  His two perpetually sticky little hands were holding either side of Alik’s face, as though insisting he return the stare.  At first, Alik just sighed deeply, wondering if Danny was tired or hungry.  Eventually Alik stared back and saw his reflection in Danny’s big, soft blue eyes.

“What is it big man?”  Alik asked in a hushed tone.

Danny stared even more intently as though he were desperate to say something.

Instead, he wrapped his arms around Alik’s thick neck and offered him a toddler
-sized hug so big his little arms shook.

“Wow, Danny.  What did I do to deserve that special hug?” Alik finally managed to say, though the little guy was making it difficult to breathe.

Danny put his right hand up to his mouth fingers wide.  That was his sign for Meg because of how many kisses she would press into his slowly fattening cheeks.

“Meg is not here.  Something happened and she had to go away for a while,” he answered carefully.

Danny pointed to his teeth, his sign for Maze as he was fascinated with the coyote’s sharp canines.

“Maze is not here either.  He went with Meg.”

Danny’s face fell.  Next to Alik, Meg and Maze were his favorites in the whole house—probably because they played with him. 

“Listen Danny, I’m going to have to go away for a while
.”

Danny’s face immediately snapped up and
he looked at him with wide, scared eyes.  “It’s okay little brother.  You’ll stay here with Mom and…”  Alik looked up at Theo wondering what he should be called to Danny. 

“Dad,” Theo offered with a sincere smile.

Alik nodded approvingly.  “That’s right.  You’ll stay here with Mom and Dad and Farrow.”

“Um, sorry to interrupt, Alik, but I’m coming with you.”

Alik looked over his left shoulder to see Farrow standing with her arms crossed over her chest.  Her brows were raised above those wide, beautifully-shaped eyes daring him to contradict her decision.

“Yes, well, apparently Farrow’s coming with me to keep me company.”

Danny buried himself into Alik’s wide chest.  His face mushed against the white T-shirt he had on.

“I would love to have your company, too, but kiddo, I’ve got to get Meg and Maze—the others, too.  I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can.  I will
—promise!”

He offered a huge hug, but when he pulled back, Danny’s eyes were glistening wet.  “Don’t be sad, little brother.  Farrow and I are just going for a few days, and we’ll bring everyone home.”

“I know I’m not as cool as Alik, but I’ll play with you,” Margo offered softly, not wanting to force herself on him.

“You know Danny, it was
Mom who taught me how to play with toys when I was exactly your age.”  Danny looked over at Margo and tipped his head to the side.

“Know what else?  I didn’t want to talk to anyone for a very long time after
Mom rescued me from the bad people who hurt me just like you don’t want to talk yet.  But you know who helped me feel safe enough to talk after a long time waiting?”  Alik nodded toward his mother and exchanged a tender look with the woman who meant the world to him.

“Mom is very nice, so nice that she taught me how to trust that not everyone was going to hurt me.  She never hurt me.  Not once.  All she did was play with me and read with me and when I was really scared after a bad dream or a storm, it was that sweet lady over there that made everything all right just because she was there and…”

“…and I will never leave you, Danny—just as I never left Alik.”  Margo smiled widely at her oldest son, thanking him silently for helping smooth the way for her to build a relationship with their newest family member. 

Alik hugged his little brother to him and crawled on his knees toward his mom as he spoke. “You know what else?  Mom needs your help.  See?  She has this new wheelchair and has to learn how to get around the house in it because her legs don’t work like yours.  Do you think you can be a big helper for
Mom?”

Margo nodded.  “I could really use your help Danny.” 
She smiled widely.  “And hey, after I get good at using this we could go for rides together.  You could sit right here,” Margo motioned to her lap, “and we will go zooming around the house.”

Theo raised his brow at this idea. “Now Margo, you know you’re going to have to take it easy.  Maybe
I
should be asking for Danny’s help to keep you from racing around the house in your wheelchair.”  He chuckled good-naturedly, gently touching Margo’s shoulder.

Danny looked thoughtfully at Margo and watched her warm brown eyes for a moment.  Margo knew he was sizing her up, so she stayed still and let him make up his mind about her.  Her soft bob cut had grown out considerably.  Today was a rare moment when her hair was let loose and hanging at her shoulders.  Her usually slim, athletic figure looked skinnier.  Dark circles under her eyes caught the attention of Dr. Andrews, and she wasn’t trying to hide how afraid she was for her other children.  Margo let herself be observed by the old-soul blue eyes belonging to her toddler.

Danny sighed heavily, obviously having decided.  He turned back to Alik and pressed a baby-wet kiss to his brother’s cheek before pushing off his lap and walking assuredly to Margo.  From the front pocket of his blue overalls he pulled out the jet he’d been given after his first flight ever.  The paint was already starting to look a little worn and chipped from so much play.  Danny held it up to his eyes as though imagining it to be huge and real in his hand then made it “fly” toward Margo’s lap where it landed safely.  Danny smiled up at Margo like she’d done a good job being the airport runway.

“You’re an excellent pilot, Danny,” Margo giggled at his innocent game, reminding her of Alik at this age.

“Do you have other toys?” Margo asked.  “I’ve been at the hospital since you came to live with us, so I haven’t even gotten to see your room.  Would you show me?”

Margo knew the family had given up the home office to turn it into Danny’s bedroom. 

Danny nodded happily and held out his hand for Margo to come see.

Margo chewed her lip a little, “Do you think you could help push me from behind, Danny?  I can’t get up and walk with you, so you’ll have to be patient and maybe help me wheel around?”

Margo’s eyes looked earnestly at the little boy who quickly nodded his curly head, leaving his jet on Margo’s runway/lap. 

Danny shuffled around Margo’s wheelchair and leveraged his little body against outstretched arms to push.  He couldn’t see over Margo’s head, so he kept looking around her sides to make sure he was pushing her toward his new room.  Margo was smiling widely as she helped roll her wheels.  “You’re such a great help, Danny!”  She was saying.  “I really appreciate you.  Oh, but wait a moment, please?” 

Danny stopped pushing.  Margo turned her wheelchair just enough to lock eyes with Alik.  She reached her hand out, beckoning him.  Three long strides and Alik was at his mother’s side, kneeling so he was looking at her eye-to-eye.

“I love you, Alik.   You too, sweet Farrow,” Margo
said with a smile at the strong-willed girl who reminded her of herself in her fiery determination.  “Be careful and go with God.  We’ll be waiting for your safe return.” 

Alik knew his mother wanted to say so much more, but was holding back so as not to scare Danny. 

“I will find them and bring them home.  I
will
have my family back together.” The look in Alik’s indigo eyes was fierce. 

“Remember your training, but above all, remember to pray for guidance and strength.”

Margo held her son’s hands and whispered, “Dear God, You’ve made these children to do Your will.  Guide them, and give them the strength they’ll need to overcome our enemies.  Let Your will be done, now and always.  Amen.”

The room murmured “amen” in response.  Alik leaned over and kissed his mother on the cheek, as he had done since he was a child.  He only lingered for a moment before turning back to Danny.  “Okay
, little man.  Be sure and show her your cool racecar track we put together last night.”  He winked at the excited look that brought out in Danny’s eyes and turned away.  His mind was already on the task in front of him.  Vaguely, he heard his mother’s playful voice say, “Okay Danny.  On the count of three you push and I’ll roll.  We’ve got a racetrack to go see!”

Cole thought he opened his eyes, but there was no way this wasn’t a wicked, although annoying realistic, dream.  He sat up gingerly, feeling like his recovery from the car accident had regressed to the way he felt the day after his skull bulleted through a windshield and introduced itself to asphalt. 

Nah, this has to be a drug induced dream,
he rationalized.

I mean, how the hell would I have gotten into a freakin’ medieval dungeon?  I didn’t piss off any kings that I know of,
he thought, rubbing his head.

Did I?

Nah.

This has
got
to be a bad dream. 

“Hey!” Cole yelled.

“Hey! Is anyone there?  I’d really like to wake the heck up, please!”  Cole started patting his face with his open palms, trying to force himself to wake up.

No one answered.  Only the stench of old mildew and something dead was there to keep the dream-walker company.

“This is seriously messed up,” Cole grumbled as he tried to stand on shaky legs.

“I have to use the restroom!” he yelled. 

The room echoed its response,
“room, oom, oom.”

Why do I have no shoes or belt in this nightmare?
He wondered.

This is some seriously strong drug Sloan gave me
. 
He scowled. 

“Sloan!  If I wet the bed because of this messed-up drug you gave me, guess who’s cleaning up the mess?”

Cole looked around the dimly lit room and this time, noticed a laptop sitting open not too far from where he was lying down earlier.  The screen had gone black so it wasn’t too surprising that he hadn’t noticed it before now. 

Besides,
he thought. 
This is all a stupid dream anyway.  That thing could have popped into the picture at any time.
  Cole sighed heavily and skulked to the computer.  Careful of his pounding head, he lowered himself to sit on the floor, ran his finger across the track pad and saw the monitor come to life. 

“Well, this is one weird dream that just keeps getting weirder,” he said to the monitor that had an image of a good-looking older guy smiling behind the “play” triangle. 

Cole shrugged to himself and double clicked. 

Theo watched Alik walk toward the kitchen pantry where the rack of keys had been installed.  His fingers went directly for the keys to the gun safe they kept in the parents’ bedroom.  Theo and Farrow followed him.

“What is your plan?” Theo finally asked once he was sure they were out of Danny’s earshot.

“I have to track them.  I’ll try to use my evolved gift of sight.  I’m not sure, but I think if I get in the SUV, I’ll be able to follow my veiled vision of the vans.  Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Theo was nodding.  “Okay, that sounds reasonable enough. Not that I ever believed in clairvoyant or retro-cognitive abilities before now, but heck I never believed in empaths or metahumans or Monarchs or evil scientists, for that matter.”  Theo was rubbing his head like it was itching to explode from the inside from overload.

“What about the nanoweapons?” Farrow asked, shoving the weapons Alik was handing her into a large duffel bag.

“I don’t know.  Seven feet is too far to ride in the same car, but
maybe we could use a plane.  We need to get them back here so we can figure out how to deactivate those nanoweapons.  I need Evan’s help with that.  He’s the mechanic in the family.  I just have this annoying ‘gift’ to see into the past.  What a dumb ass gift.” Alik mumbled to himself as he angrily shoved more ammunition into the duffel. 

“If I remember correctly Alik
, Meg thought her gift was pretty useless, too.  Look how much good she can do with it.  Give yourself time.  You don’t even know if this is the full extent of your evolved abilities, right?”  Theo tried to reassure the fifteen-year-old shoving weapons into a pack and slinging them over his shoulder.