Bloodlines (12 page)

“Could you do it?” she asked him.

“We’ve tried but we didn’t get anywhere”

“Keira, can you do anything about this?” Jake asked.

“If you mean bring the cattle back to life, then the answer is, sadly no,” I said, shaking my head. “Have you checked that they are definitely dead?”

“Yes and they are.”

“Then I suggest you get out of here,” I said, looking at them all.

“And what are you going to do?” Lucian asked me.

“Follow the sulfur.”

“We’re coming with you.” Lily said.

We walked along the road for a few minutes following the smell, and then took a turn into the woods. It was eerie in there with a mist hovering over the small plants. It was so quiet and dark since the trees were blocking out a lot of the light. Lily was clinging to Jake and looked worried. We walked for ten minutes or so, all of us in silence in case we heard someone or something, then suddenly the smell disappeared.

“It’s gone,” I said, stopping. “Just like that – it’s gone.”

“How can it just go?” Lily asked.

I looked around the place. It was so quiet, too quiet, no sounds of birds or animals, no breeze making the leave brush together – just pure silence.

“I think we’ve been tricked,” I told them. “We need to get out of here.”

“What makes you think that?”

“A gut feeling and I trust my gut. We need to leave. Now!”

As we turned to go back to the car something rushed through the bushes. Lily jumped and Jake dragged her behind him, protecting her.

“What was it?” Jake whispered.

“I don’t know, but keep moving. Put Lily in the middle of us,” I told them.

As soon as we moved, it, whatever it was, moved again.

“Be ready for anything,” Lucian said, turning to look at me, but he was too late – my eyes had turned and I was already ready.

“Show yourself!” Jake shouted.

Nothing appeared.

“Keep moving! If it moves don’t stop walking,” I told them.

Once again as soon as we set off it moved, but this time we carried on walking. When we got within a few yards of the road, it jumped in front of us. Lily screamed her head off. I burst out laughing. All that panic and it was just a deer. Poor thing. When Lily screamed she nearly scared the poor creature to death and it ran off quickly. We all calmed down and headed for the car; even Lily was laughing now. When we got near the fields the laughter stopped. All the animals were back on their feet and walking around as though nothing had happened. We all looked at each other for a moment.

“What the hell is going on?” Jake said loudly and throwing his arms in the air.

“I told you – we’re being tricked,” I said.

“Why?”

“Who or whatever your grandfathers were talking about…well, maybe it’s here. Maybe it’s started.”

“It wants us to think we’re going crazy,” Lucian added. “It’s messing with us.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” I confirmed.

“Can we just get out of here?” Lily asked shaken.

“I think we should warn the others,” Jake said, pulling out his phone.

Lucian did the same and they called Tyler and Danny. They told them what had happened and to be on their guard. If they saw or felt anything they were to call us straight away.

“What are you doing now?” Jake asked Lucian.

“I was going to see if Keira wanted to do anything. How about you?”

“I’m going to show Lily around town like I said I would.”

“OK, but be on your guard and keep your phone close.”

“You too. See you later,” Jake said. He took Lily’s hand and led her to his car. A moment later they drove off.

“OK, we’re on our own now,” Lucian said. “How did you know it was a trick?”

“Like I said, gut feeling. There was just something niggling at me. I mean why would something attack the cattle – it’s a bit old-fashioned. Then we walk in the woods and it’s like a scene from a horror film – misty, silent, dark – it was all over the top.”

“You analyze everything, don’t you?”

“I do now that I’ve been told I’m needed to face something big and bad,” I told him. “Plus I trust my gut – it’s never got me in trouble.”

“I think from now on I’m going to trust your gut, too,” he smiled. “Any idea as to what may have caused it, between you and me of course?”

“I have no idea, but I doubt it’s a “What” I think it’s more like a “Who”.”

“What makes you think that?”

“If it was a demon or a creature, then surely it would want us dead, and it would have no problem attacking us itself. I can’t see something like that being scared of us, can you?”

“I guess you’re right. Shall we get out of here?” he said, motioning to the car.

He opened the door for me and shut it once I was in. He was such a gentleman. He got in and started the engine.

“Can I have you to myself a bit longer?” he asked.

“Yes, but can we go somewhere we can talk? There’s something I need to get off my chest.”

“I know the perfect place.”

Chapter 11

Bonding

We drove for about fifteen minutes, heading back in the direction of the town, but turned off down a country road. Then he parked and we walked for about five minutes. He still wouldn’t tell me where we were going. As we were walking I started to hear what sounded like waves crashing, then I noticed the sea.

“Here we are,” he smiled.

We were on top of a cliff overlooking the sea just a little further up from the harbor. I could see all the boats again, but at a much further distance, and some of the streets in the town. The view was beautiful. I stood there for a moment taking it all in.

“Is this quiet and out of the way enough for you?” he asked.

“It’s perfect.”

He sat down on the grass not too far from the edge of the cliff, so I went and sat in front of him.

“OK, first, do you remember the second day we met, once you knew who I was?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Remember when I started to say something about my dad and then stopped?”

“Yes, you said you wanted to make sure of something before you told us what you were going to say.”

“You have a good memory,” I told him.

“I just listen well.”

“Well, the thing is this,” I started, “I told you my dad went away the day after I got my power.”

“Yes.”

“I know at first he didn’t think I would get anything. He was waiting for a son, but to cut another long story short my mom was told she couldn’t have any more children, so he would only have me. When I was about eight, I started showing signs. If I got annoyed things would throw themselves of the table or the shelves. Sometimes the electrics would mess up too. That’s how he knew I would get them.”

“Who told you that?”

“My granddad, but you see this is what’s bugging me. About a week before my tenth birthday he made a will. A few weeks later he died. He was only thirty-four and had no health problems. He obviously had the power in him to keep himself safe and yet he still made one.”

“So you think he knew he was going to die?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes.” I said seriously. “Then when I was at my granddad’s I saw him sitting in his chair with a picture of my dad in his hands. He kept saying he would find them.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know. I was ten years old. I thought he meant a drunk driver or something.”

“And now you think it was something more?”

“Oh think about it. Thirty-four years old, his whole life ahead of him, suddenly he makes a will, leaving his daughter whom he now knows is going to get the power everything he had apart from the house and cars. They were left to my mom as well as the bit of money in their joint account. He dies in a car accident which he would have had no problem avoiding. My granddad saying he would find them. Doesn’t it all sound a little strange?”

“I admit it doesn’t sound normal,” Lucian said, deep in thought. “So what exactly are you thinking?”

“I think something killed him, something that may have something to do with what our granddads told us.”

“There were a lot of “Something’s” in that sentence,” he smiled.

“I know, but do you understand me?”

“I do, and I agree with you – the whole thing seems off.”

“I’m glad it’s not just me that thinks it,” I said, relieved. “There’s something else I want to try and find out.”

“OK.”

“Why my eyes go white.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re female.”

“I doubt it.”

“Keira, the thing with this power is you just never know.”

“And if the power was meant to be passed to the first-born son, then surely the bloodline should have stopped at my dad,” I said. “That would make more sense.”

“I understand what you’re saying and I really wish I had the answers for you.”

We both went quiet for a moment. Both of us were staring out at the sea.

“Do you still want to see where the supposed witches were hung and the new church,” he asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“We can go tomorrow if you like. It’s a bit late in the day to start heading there now.”

“That would be great, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, I like spending time with you.”

“Good,” I said with a smile.

“So come on then. Let’s have some light-hearted conversation for a change. Err, what do you look for in a guy?” he asked going slightly pink.

“Hmm, nice-looking, great personality, funny, caring, serious when needed, oh and someone with hair – I hate guys with really short cropped hair or none at all.”

“How about you, what do you look for in a girl?” I asked, smiling.

“I like girls who know their own mind, who don’t need everything done for them. I want her to have her own opinions on things but without forcing them on others. I’d like her to be easy on the eye, smaller than me; I don’t like girls who are taller. Long dark hair, big eyes, caring, lovable, fun to be with and who I can have a decent conversation with.”

“You don’t want much, do you?” I laughed.

“Do you fancy going for a few drinks tonight?”

“Yes, I would like that. Do you want it to be just us or can we invite Jake and Lily too?”

“Either way is fine by me, just as long as we can say it’s a date.”

“Then it’s a date,” I smiled.

We stayed on the cliff another half-hour or so. We watched the boats returning to the harbor and he pointed out a few shops and buildings he knew. When he looked at his watch it was 4 p.m. so we headed back to his place. I collected my car and told him Lily and I would meet him and Jake at
Rusty’s
at 8 p.m. When I was on my way back to the motel, I pulled over and called Lily to let her know what was going on. She was on her way back now too and got all giddy when I told her Lucian wanted it to be a date. I got giddy myself and told her I’d see her when she got back. For the rest of the journey I had a permanent smile on my face.

***

I had only been in the room for five minutes when Lily and Jake walked in. Both of them looked so happy and they were holding hands again.

“Hey,” they both said.

“Hey, you have a good afternoon?” I asked.

“Yes, thanks,” Lily said in a bubbly voice.

“How was your afternoon with Lucian?” Jake asked me.

“Very nice, thanks.”

“Good, I’m glad. Anyway, I’d best be off. I’ll see you later,” he said, walking to the door. He kissed Lily on the cheek and then left. She shut the door and then fell on to her bed in a dream-like state. I stood in the doorway smirking at her.

“Oh he is soooo nice,” she said.

“I’m glad you’re happy. He seems like a really nice guy.”

“I am happy. He said he’s opening his own music store in town and he’s asked me to run it with him. You know with me being experienced, so I said yes.”

“Sounds great, but where are you going to stay?”

“I never thought of that,” she said, the smile falling from her face.

“We’ve been here a week already tomorrow. We’ve only got tonight left in this room unless we pay for longer.”

“Then I’ll pay, I don’t care, I don’t want to go back to West Chester. I’ve never been happy there, not like I am here. And you can be yourself with people here,” she said in a panicked voice.

“Lily…”

“Don’t say it! I know what you’re going to say and I don’t want to hear it.”

I walked out of the room and sat down on the sofa. I pulled the deeds to the house out of my bag and read through them. Not only did I own the house, I also had eighty acres of land to go with it. They used to be in Evelyn and Michael’s name – as they had been handed down the names had been changed by magic accordingly. Michael had now changed them so my name was on them. All I would have to do is fix the place up. Money wasn’t a problem. I had more money than anyone could spend in ten lifetimes, never mind one. That was the joy of being born into a family with old money. I wanted to stay but I was worried that I was jumping into things too fast. Everyone else seemed eager for me to move there and stay close to them. I heard Lily move and I put the deeds back into my bag. She came and sat next to me and laid her head on my shoulder.

“Let’s have a good night tonight, OK,” she said. “I’ll tell him we’re leaving tomorrow and that we want a good send-off.”

“OK.”

We got up and made something to eat then started to get ready. We both looked really nice. I had a short black skirt on, with my knee-high boots, a nice red strappy top and my long leather coat on. I had my hair pulled up in a really high pony so that it fell down the sides of my face. Lily had a short blue dress on with her black strappy shoes, her knee-length blue velvet coat and her hair down which I straightened for her. We locked the place up and jumped in the car to go to
Rusty’s.

We parked around the side of the bar and walked in. Lucian and Jake were at the bar waiting for us. They looked so smart. Lucian wore jet-black jeans with his boots, a gorgeous red silk shirt and a black jacket. Jake had dark-blue jeans on with his black shoes and a blue shirt. All his hair was gelled and I think Lily fell in love when she looked at him. They both looked over at us with big smiles on their faces. We walked over and they ordered us both a drink, then we went and sat at one of the tables at the back of the bar. It was quite busy in there, but it was a Saturday so most people wouldn’t have to be up early the next day.