Discovered (The Shalean Moon) (12 page)

“I love it here,” she said with satisfaction as the car came to a halt. “It smells of summer.”

“Even in winter?” her dad asked her in a humorous voice.

“Da-ad, you know what I mean.”

“Yup, right, let’s get you inside and in bed.”

“Da-ad.”

There was no way she was going to bed.

“Not bed. I’ll lie on the settee, but not bed.” If she got put into bed there was no way her dad would let her talk to Brios; and no way did she want him to see her Winnie the Pooh jammies.

Rach used her elbows to struggle up and try to look less like a piece of soggy spaghetti to show she was wide awake and well enough to stay downstairs with them. She realized that Brios was opening her door and carefully lifting her out—and her dad was letting him.

Wow, progress.

“No bed,” she said urgently. “Promise me, no bed.”

She heard her dad laugh.

“Ok, Ms. Tyrant. No bed—yet.” She was carried into the hallway of the cottage.

“Loo,” she said, and blushed. “Left hand door and I can manage.”

“Of course,” Brios said gravely, “shout when you’re ready.”

“Don’t stand just outside,” Rach demanded. There was no way she could pee if he was close enough to hear.

“I won’t, just holler or project.”

“Huh?”

“Think me.”

Oh, yeah, hmm.

“Er, sure.”

She heard him laugh as he moved away.

After washing her hands and laughing at herself as she checked her hair and used the eyeliner that always lived in her jeans pocket, she felt a lot better.

Okay.
She took a deep breath.
Time for more info.

She opened the door and looked out. There was no one in the hall, but she could hear voices coming from the kitchen, so she made her way carefully towards the door that was half open.

“… you have to tell her.”

That was Brios. She stood as quietly as she could to hear her dad’s answer.

“Rach? You should have called.” Brios had come into the hall.

“Oh, well.” She couldn’t say she was eavesdropping. “I, er, thought I’d see if I could manage.”

“Hmm.”

Busted
.

“Can you help me in please?” She let him help her into the kitchen. She had to admit, the help was welcome. Luckily, it was a big kitchen with a comfy sofa and she sat down gratefully, if not elegantly.

“So?” She looked at both of them expectantly. “What’s going on?”

There was silence.

Grr.
Rach ground her teeth.
Men!

“Look, tell me. I’m in it as deep as you two, so spill the beans. I’m a big girl.” She rolled her eyes and they both laughed. “Well almost.”

Her dad handed her a glass of juice.

“I’m sorry Rach, Brios has explained a lot of things to me; including about this Struan person. I’ve let you down.”

Eh? I must be hearing things.

“Pardon? Dad, are you in shock? You have never ever let me down. For Go… er, goodness sake.”

He smiled; a sad smile that gave her goose bumps. “Well, I didn’t tell you much about your mum, and I should have.”

Oh for goodness sake, wallowing or what?

“Dad,” Rach said firmly, “you told me what I needed to know when I asked. Don’t beat yourself up over it. We have done—and still are doing—fine. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.” She glared at Brios who held his hands up in a ‘who? Not me!’ gesture.

“So, how about stopping the ‘woe is me’ act, and tell me what you want me to know?”

Her dad laughed.

‘You look like a fierce hamster.’

Not the best compliment a boy had ever given her.

‘Oh gee, thank you. Do you get red-haired hamsters?’

‘No idea, I didn’t know you got red leopards, but it seems you do.’

‘Huh?
What on earth are you on about?’

‘Oh nothing, listen to your dad.’

“Right,” her dad was saying, “I guess that’s the best idea. Well …”

Brios groaned and fell to the floor.

‘Bri? Bri? Sense to me!’

He was just lying there, his eyes were closed, his color was still good, but he wasn’t moving.

“Dad?” Rach was frantic. “Dad? Dad, what’s wrong with him? Dad, you have to do something.” She was touching Brios’s cheek and rubbing his hand trying to get him to respond.

Horrified, she watched her dad check Brios over and then put him into the recovery position, just as she vaguely remembered Brios doing for her.

‘Bri? Can you sense this? Oh please, please sense it?’

Nothing—no flicker of an eyelid, no groan, no movement.

“Dad,” She was crying now, “is he alive?

Her dad looked worried.

“He’s alive, but I have no idea what’s happened. We’ll wait for a while, and then I’ll call a doctor.”

‘No doctor Rach, no doctor. I’m fine, just listen … I’ll sleep…be fine… Lis… Sept … pl…’

‘Bri? Bri?’

No response—nothing at all.

“Dad, he’s er tired.” It was all she could think of on short notice. Her dad just stared at her; she tried again.

“Um, he told me these things happen sometimes, and he just needs to rest, really. It just scared me because I’d forgotten he told me it sometimes happens. Um, like when he’s overtired.” Her dad was looking at her skeptically.

No wonder,
Rach thought,
liar, liar, pants on fire. Twice in one day, I’ll have a nose like Pinocchio if I’m not careful.

What if something terrible was going on and she was saying the wrong thing? She wished someone was there to help her. She thought of Leira.

‘Leira, if you can help me, please let me know. Brios has collapsed.’

‘Suddenly, like someone flipped a switch?’

‘Yeah, is he okay? Do I need to panic?’

‘Nope, it’s something that happens when too many people are projecting to him. Not us, but elders, rogues and such. It’s how his body keeps them out.’

‘Rogues? Oh, never mind, explain another time. What do I do?’

‘Let him sleep.’

Right; and what if it were to happen when he was driving or something? It was scary.

She didn’t project that—or she thought she hadn’t.

‘It doesn’t happen like that. It’s a way of keeping him, and now I guess you, safe.’

Rach decided she’d think about that later.

“Can you just put him on the bed, Dad, and let him sleep? I can get upstairs by myself. I think I’ll just go to bed.”

If someone from this Sept thingy contacts me, I want to be by myself, especially
now.

‘That’s good Rach. Thank you.’

She watched her dad take Brios upstairs to the guest bedroom and followed until she reached the landing.

“Good night Dad.” She heard his answer as she moved into her room and sat on her bed. She was sore, tired and worried; not the best combination to help her sleep.

She guessed she’d better try. She was too tired even to get into her P.J.’s; she figured it wouldn’t matter just this once if she kept her jeans on and just wrapped herself in her duvet. She’d shower in the morning. There was no negotiating on teeth cleaning—that was a necessity.

All the better to eat you my dear,
she said to herself as she put paste on her brush and began to cover her teeth with even strokes.

The clean minty taste refreshed her. She took one last look at herself in the mirror. A leopard grinned back at her.

C
HAPTER
E
LEVEN

Rach gasped as her heart leaped into her mouth. She turned around so fast her hair swung out and only just missed the leopard, which gave a warning growl.

Your fault, fur ball. Oops, maybe that’s not the best way to make friends and influence people—er, leopards. Shoot, what is it with all this creeping about?

‘You will come with me.’

Eh? No way, I don’t willingly go into nightmares.

‘No nightmare, it is your destiny. You are not safe here. You must come with us.’

How many hallucinations was she going to have for goodness sake? No matter, she wasn’t going to listen to a stupid voice.

‘Get lost.’

Oh sheesh, now I’m answering my imagination
.

She shook her head, making her hair fly all over the place.

There was a muted growl as the beast padded nearer. She fancied she could hear the click of its claws on the parquet flooring.

It better not scratch it! That flooring was only put down for her a few months ago. Oh for heaven’s sake, Rach, get real; there’s nothing here.
She stared in the mirror again.
Stupid mirror!

Rach spun round, expecting to see her bed and wardrobe, and nothing else.

Oh shi…oot, changed

It was still there. It wasn’t really scary looking—well, not really.

Ha, Rach, who are you trying to kid?

‘Daughter of Dorias, you are in danger. You must come with us.’

‘Nope.’

If ever a growl could show frustration, Rach thought, that one did. Now she was enjoying herself. She figured if dreams were interactive she might as well stick up for herself.

‘This is not a dream, this is your destiny. You will come with me; with us.’

‘I’ve heard that one before—nope.’

‘You will—I command it.’

‘Command away, it won’t do you any good.’

‘Come!’

‘I’m getting bored—nope.’

This was getting tedious.

What next?

She shut her eyes; she bet that when she opened them she’d just see her bedroom.

When she opened her eyes the leopard was still there; big, furry, with its spots bright and bold. Like a big version of the furry toy she’d had when she was a baby; the toy that was still on her bed at home.

‘Go with them.’

If only she could stuff her fingers in her ears and sing na, na, na, na, na like she did when she was a kid! But these voices were in her head, and she didn’t think it would work somehow.

‘It won’t. They are waiting.’

Now she was sure she must have hit her head. From what she could remember, that sounded like her mum.

‘It is me. Go with them. They won’t hurt you, I promise. It may seem as if that’s their intention, but believe me it isn’t. I took my future and ruined someone else’s. He needs to see I did the right thing. Only you can do it, Rach. Only you hold the answer. You need to go with them to put the past to rest and secure the future; their future, your future, and Brios’s future.’’

‘Mum?’

It couldn’t be her mum, her mum was dead. She told herself she was reading too much into this, but it didn’t stop her from still hoping to see if she sensed any more. There were so many things she’d like to say, to ask. Not in the least, what she was doing with the Rogues?

‘Not the Rogues. I’m in the wind, the earth, the sky. I’m watching over you Rach. Now is the time to let you know. You hold the key to peace and understanding, you hold the key…’

She waited, but that was it. Her mum was gone.

The leopard looked at her patiently. She wished she knew what was going on. Was it a he or a she? She wasn’t going to look down and check.

‘Er, thank you, but no. I think I’ll wait until I speak to my dad and Brios. Now, perhaps you could get out of my mind, room, dreams or whatever? Please?’

She felt something touch her on the shoulder; a hairy something.

Oh for heaven’s sake, not another hairy paw?

She looked.
Yup, bo—ring!

‘Look, give up. I’m not going anywhere. For all I know you might be in cahoots with that slimy Struan Scott. So bog off and let me get to bed.’

If growls show anger, but quietly—that was one angry growl. The leopard snarled and gave Rach a great view of its teeth—its big teeth. Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to antagonize it after all. But then this was a dream, and anything could happen in dreams— couldn’t it?

‘Grown up Shalean, this is no dream; this is reality.’

“Look,” Rach spoke patiently, her voice raised in the hope her dad or Brios might hear and come and see what was happening. She didn’t want to shout for them, and let this—whatever it was—know what she was doing, just in case she was really screwing up. However, she really hoped one of them would turn up.