Malevolence - Legacy Series Book Two (The Legacy Series) (19 page)

           
I looked at him, flabbergasted about everything and then it dawned on me.
 
“Let me guess, that is why you go to Tibet.
 
It is, isn’t it?”
 

           
“As a matter of fact, the final journey of training is handled by the monks.
 
Pru, I am serious about them staying with you until their death.
 
Not all of them are the kind of creatures you will want to keep around.
 
They are amazing fighters, but many are terrible friends.
 
Their oath can’t be stopped, so if they don’t die in the fight and you don’t want them, you will be the one to sever the oath.”

           
“You’re kidding me?
 
I have to kill them myself?
 
Someone that comes to help me, I pay them back by killing them?”
 
I asked trying hard not to whine.

           
“Yes,” he said.
 
He held his hand in front of him with his finger out.
 
A butterfly flitted by and circled around his hand before landing on the finger perch.
 
Quinney said a Gaelic prayer and put his hands on my upper arm.
 
As he pulled his hand away, I felt it, a little tickle and cool sensation on my arm.

           
“What did you do?
 
What was that you just said?”
 
I asked, rubbing my arm.

           
“I gave you a link to me.
 
With a touch of the butterfly you’ll be able to see me.
 
It won’t be a dream, and will happen as close to immediate as humanly possible.
 
I hear Dolly calling for you.
 
I’ll be in touch with you later.
 
Find out what you can at that museum, and try not to get yourself killed.
 
Remember what I told you about the sparrow.”
 
He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.

           
“Thank you.
 
Before I go, what do you mean about the butterfly?
 
I’m in Paris and I’m pretty sure there aren’t any arctic butterflies.”

           
He looked at me curious. “Why the one I gave you, silly girl.
 
Until we meet again, may the wind be at your back.”

           
In a blink of an eye, I was back in Paris.
 
Sitting straight forward, I pulled up my sleeve so I could look at my arm.
 
As I suspected, a lovely purple spotted admiral butterfly was tattooed on my arm.
 
I smiled to myself, excited about my new abilities.

           
Mom crossed the room to where I was perched on the edge of her bed.
 
“By the look on your face I am guessing you were successful.
 
Good, now maybe we can make sure everyone is ready.”
 
She sat down next to me putting her arm around me.
 
“Prudence, you know I’m here for you honey.
 
I know you’ve been through a lot, and there is a lot of stress on your shoulders.
 
You don’t have to do this.
 
I can send you back to the farm, no one will know and I can handle everything here.”
 
Her hand felt cool against my bare arm.

           
I turned my head to look at her.
 
“Mom, you realize that speech was nothing but wasted breath.
 
There isn’t anything you can do to make me leave you here alone.
 
I love you, and I love our pack and above all else, I love our freedom.
 
If the vampires expose themselves to the human race, it is only a matter of time before they find out about us.
 
I don’t want weres to be poked and prodded by scientists or hunted like game.
 
No, I can’t leave.
 
I
was
successful though, and it was enlightening to me,” I said.

           
“How so?”

           
“You know how there is all this talk about the Others?
 
I’ve always thought they were regular supernatural people.
 
I’ve never really put a lot of thought into them; until today.
 
I was given the ability to summon one if I need them.”

           
“You were unbound?”
 
Mom asked with an incredulous look on her face.

           
“You knew about that?
 
No one has ever told me that I had abilities that had been bound.
 
I’ve always believed I was only able to get messages in my dreams.
 
What other things can I do?”

           
“I don’t know, Pru.
 
You were really young and we didn’t have a lot of information to go on.
 
We always knew you were special, and your abilities would grow with you.
 
You were a very precocious girl, and we wanted to make sure you understood what you were doing before you did it.
 
For all we knew you’d have the entire pack bowing down to you every time they saw you.
 
Or better yet, have them biding your chores or whatever you found funny.
 
Don’t even begin to tell me that you would never do anything like that.
 
I know better.
 
You wouldn’t do it now, but a few years ago… you wouldn’t think twice about it.
 
Quinney and I had discussed unbinding you last year but he didn’t feel you were ready.
 
I guess something must have changed.”
 
She stood up, picking up her black faux fur coat and matching hat.
 
“The Others are real, and if you need them, call for them.”

           
“Do you also know that they stay with me until they die?
 
So if they are retched, I have to kill them.
 
Did you know that?”
 
I asked as I pulled on my hat and coat too.

           
“Send
em
to me, I’ll kill them.
 
I have some aggression issues to deal with lately.”
 
We both laughed at the thought.
 
“There’s more truth to that than you know.”

           
“I’ll trust you.
 
Okay, off to the Vampire Museum.
 
I hope they have that book, if they didn’t hide it from me.”

           
Gus was standing by the front door waiting on us.
 
The lines on his face showed how worried he was about the situation.
 
“Here we go again,” he said holding the door open for us.

           
“I think we should take public transportation again.
 
It helped us find Zany, we’ll see what other super’s are on the bus,” I said.

           
“Public transportation is good with me.
 
Chad, I want you to stay close and never let Pru out of your sight.”
 
Mom said.

           
Chad shook his head in agreement and I let out a sigh.
 
My mom had been overly worried about losing me after dad died.
 
I on the other hand, felt the same about her.

           
The long rectangular teal and white bus pulled up to the stop.
 
The doors opened with a swoosh and an elderly lady and a young boy got off. The bus driver, a portly man with a Russian style hat on his head asked us how many.
 
Six Euros he announced.
 
Chad handed him the money and we headed towards the back.
 
Gus and I noticed her at the same time.
 
Zany was in the second to last row, she peered up at us from her knitting project.
 
We took the two seats directly behind her.
 
Unlike the last time we rode on the transit, the bus was practically empty.

           
“Took you long enough,” she said.
 
“It’s been daunting riding this bus around for the last two days waiting on you.”

           
“There was always the telephone,” I said.

           
“Nothing is private on the
telly
.
 
I knew you wouldn’t leave Paris.
 
Where are you going today?
 
Somewhere where I’ll have to dispose of another demon to save you?”
 

           
“We’re going to the museum again.
 
I need to take a look at one of the books.
 
We have a three o’clock appointment,” I said.
 
“We had a run in the other night with a
baobhan
sith
.
 
Are you familiar with them?
 
Are there a lot of them in Paris?”

           
“Disgusting creatures.
 
Not that I find vampires appealing, but those in particular are especially vile.
 
They are extremely hard to kill, like a cockroach.
 
How did you manage to free yourself?”
 
Zany asked.
 
She set the knitting needles and yarn back into her
Twilight
tote.

           
I studied her face before answering.
 
I leaned forward and told her about Arien.

           
She clucked her tongue.
 
“He does like to be a part of the action.
 
I had heard that he and Pascale had a falling out.
 
Even though Pascale is his uncle he doesn’t cut him any slack.”
 
She laughed to herself.

           
“Have you heard that the vampires are planning on announcing to the world that they exist?”
 
I studied her face for any sign of lies.

           
She took in a deep breath before answering.
 
“I’ve heard that in the past, but that was a few years ago.
 
That won’t do anything but put negative focus on the entire super world.”

           
“Exactly.
 
It will be nothing but a big witch hunt.
 
No pun intended.
 
People will try to find out if others exist and will eventually out us all.
 
We have to stop him.
 
My question to you is, are you in or out.
 
We won’t tolerate a traitor.”

           
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, shaking it back and forth.
 
“I don’t know.
 
I wish I could give you a definitive answer but if I go with you, I’ll be marked.
 
If I don’t go with you, all of us could be in danger.
 
I will have to think about it.
 
I’ll find you, and not on the transit.
 
I saw what stop you got on at; if I can help, I’ll be in touch.”
 

           
“I understand, just so you know though, if you’re against us….you become a target for us too.
 
One more thing, do you know any of the rogue were’s in the area?”

           
She shook her head no and pulled a magazine out of her tote.
 
Ughh
.

 
Chapter 22.
 
Appointment

“The small men are cleverer than we are, so we will leave the decision to you.” The Crystal Ball ~ Grimm’s Household Tales