Seer (The Seeker Series Book 3) (20 page)

“Okay. Point taken.” She hugged me back. “Now get out there and enjoy your party! You haven’t been here for your birthday in years! I wanted to do something special. You deserve it, Ally.” She hugged me again and shoved me out of the kitchen.

***

Later, after most of the guests had left, I headed to the family room to collect empty cups. I stumbled upon Mina and Rémy arguing. I am ashamed to admit I ducked back behind the entryway to listen.

“I don’t owe you any sort of explanation, Rémy!”

“Really, Mina? And you are dating this man, this Alex? What do you know about him?”

“I know everything I need to know! He is handsome and kind to me. I like spending time with him.”

“Do you love him?”

“Love him? What are you talking about? We have only been going out for a few weeks!” I had never heard Mina sound so angry; she was usually so soft-spoken.

“Are you sleeping with him?”

“This conversation is over! You can go to hell, Rémy!”

“So, it’s not serious then?”

“I didn’t say that. It’s truly none of your business, you know. You have no say in the matter. You don’t own me.”

He cursed in French and I heard him start to walk away. I realized too late that I had no good escape route, so I just stood there, looking guilty. He stopped when he saw me. “Maybe you can talk some sense into her. Or do you applaud what she is doing?”

“I, uh, I…”

He threw his hands in the air and walked away, still muttering in French.

***

The rest of the guests finally cleared out around midnight and the three of us girls finished cleaning up the kitchen. Mina slammed cabinets and put the dishes away with much more force than necessary.

“
What is going on with her
?” Tara mouthed silently to me.

“
Rémy,”
I mouthed back. I set my dishtowel down with a sigh and walked over to Mina, took the stack of plates out of her hand, and led her to sit at the table. “Hey, talk to us. I overheard your fight with Rémy earlier.”

She stared at the table briefly before dropping her head to her arms and screaming. “He makes me so angry! He doesn’t want me, but no one else can have me, either! What a hypocrite! He goes out all the time!”

“He’s a pig, what can I say?” Tara offered. I gave her the look that said she wasn’t helping. “Besides, he does want you. He just doesn’t think he should.”

“Why? Because of the stupid prophecy? Nobody knows what it really means! Ugh! I’m so sick of living my life in accordance with that fucking prophecy!”

“Tell us how you really feel, Mina,” I said sarcastically.

“I’m sorry,” she said, somewhat calmer. “That was uncalled for.”

“No.” I shook my head. “It was definitely called for.”

“But I don’t understand why he’s letting it get in the way,” Tara said. “I mean, you haven’t let it come between you and Jack.”

“No, but I’ve been with Jack since before the prophecy. I think Rémy feels much more bound by it for some reason. He really tried to make a romance happen between us that first summer, tried to go along with what his grandmother wanted. But even he couldn’t deny how awkward our kiss felt. I take it there’s no awkwardness when he kisses you, Mina?”

“No. Awkward is certainly not how I would describe it.”

“What about Alex?” I asked. “Where does he figure in all of this? He’s a nice guy and I’d hate to see him get hurt.”

She dropped her head back to her hands. “I don’t know. He
is
a nice guy and I like him. But…”

“He’s not ‘the one’?” Tara asked.

“No. I don’t think so. Can we finish cleaning this up in the morning?”

“Sure,” Tara and I said in unison.

Mina nodded. “Goodnight.” She left the kitchen and went to bed quietly, just as she did everything else in her life. I wondered if I would ever really know her.

***

The
day before Kate and Phillipe left, my presence was requested/required at a private luncheon with Kate. I dreaded going because I knew a private tête-à-tête with her meant I would hear some stuff I didn’t want to hear. I was right, but she lured me in and disarmed me with high tea, complete with scones and Devonshire clotted cream at the St. James Tea Room. It was a sneaky, sadistic grandmother-type trick and I totally fell for it.

“Would you like another cup of oolong, Ally?”

“Thanks, Kate. This is great. I’ve heard about this place, but I’ve never been,” I said as I looked around the tearoom, admiring the frilly, fussy decor. It was a total chick place; I could just imagine Jack cringing if I ever brought him here. It felt a little bit like I was on the set of
Downton Abbey
. Grams would adore it and I began to make plans to bring her here for her birthday.

“I’m so glad you like it. Ally, I wanted to have a chance to talk to you privately before I left.”

Oh, great. I knew it. The vast amounts of tea and scones in my stomach started churning. I had always put my stress in my stomach; lately this meant my stomach was constantly upset. “Sure, Kate. What did you want to talk about?”

“Ally, we need to talk about your future.”

Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap. “Okay,” I said it more as a question.

“My dear, I feel you are, well, floundering a bit. I think it’s time for action.”

“Action? What do you want me to do? I don’t have a lot of spare time, you know, between college and work.”

“I’m concerned with your lack of training opportunities here. I’m glad you and Rémy and Mina are together, but I feel that, as the next Oracle, you should be spending a lot more time with me.” She poured herself more tea as she spoke, then skewered me with her laser-like stare over the rim of her tea cup.

“So, you and Phillipe are going to stay here in Albuquerque for a while?” I asked hopefully.

“No, dear. That’s not possible, I’m afraid.”

I shook my head as I tried to keep the food I was stupid enough to eat down in my stomach where it belonged. “No, Kate. I can’t go back to traveling to Europe every few months. I can’t do it!”

“I don’t want that, either.” She patted my hand and then sat back in her pink armchair. “That’s why I think you should move to France. I’ve made arrangements for you to spend next year studying at the university in Rouen. It will be a wonderful opportunity for you.”

What? No friggin’ way! “Kate.” I tried my best to stay calm. “I appreciate the thought, but I have no intention of moving to France for a year. My life is here. My family is here.”

“What about Rémy? His family and his life are in France. Is he to be forever uprooted because you are not willing to compromise?”

Holy shit! How long had she been keeping that in? “Kate, I’m so sorry. I feel terrible about that, but I don’t want—”

“It’s not just that, Ally. You, Mina, and Rémy are bonded in some way, but I need to spend time with you all in order to understand why. I have been having more visions, much like yours, that make me think this situation is moving toward a crisis of some sort. We need to stay together.”

I excused myself to go the bathroom, where I threw up the beautiful cream tea I had consumed. It was certainly not anywhere near beautiful the second time around, but I immediately felt about a thousand percent better.

“God, Kate. This is a lot to lay on me,” I said when I returned to the table. “What does Rémy have to say about this?”

“He will do whatever you want. He is utterly devoted to protecting you. He will, however, be finished with graduate school in the spring and be ready to take on the reins of our business.” Rémy had explained his family business was a fairly vast import/export empire, hence his international business degree.

“Okay, Kate. I get it. I really do, but I need some time to think about all this. Please?”

“Of course. Why don’t we finish our tea and speak of other, more pleasant things?”

I sipped a little tea to get the awful taste out of my mouth, but refused to eat anything else. I wondered if the ache in my stomach was a permanent addition.

CHAPTER TEN

“
My
master through his art foresees the danger

That you, his friend, are in, and sends me forth,—”

—Shakespeare,
The Tempest
2.1

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when I got the call from Fionnuala. It was, after all, too much to hope that she hadn’t heard of her sister’s visit to the U.S. She informed me she and Caoimhe would be arriving in Albuquerque the following week and that they would be staying with me. I argued that Rémy had a spare bedroom, but she said they weren’t comfortable staying with a bachelor. So, Mina emptied a few drawers for them and moved into my room for the week. I might as well have gone to Europe over the break for all the time I was spending with the various Seers in my life. Argh! Jack, usually so laid back and easygoing, actually expressed his irritation over all the out-of-town visitors.

“Jesus, Ally! We haven’t been able to spend any time together! Can’t you tell them no?” He kissed my neck as he said it, so I had to re-focus my thoughts before answering him.

“Jack, you know that renders me speechless and witless.” I reluctantly pulled myself out of his arms and sat on the opposite side of the sofa. He pulled my feet into his lap, pulled off my socks, and started rubbing them. Just one of the many reasons I loved this man with my whole heart. “I tried, I really did, but you can’t argue with Fionnuala. She is a force of nature. I swear I won’t let her take all my time, though. She’s Rémy’s aunt, so he can take sight-seeing duty.” I hadn’t told Jack that Kate was lobbying for me to move to France for a year; I had no intention of actually doing it so I didn’t think it was worth upsetting him. I could hardly wait to see what Fionnuala and Caoimhe had in mind for me. “I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you.” I pulled my feet away and crawled over to him. “Let me make it up to you,” I whispered against his lips. He gladly took me up on my offer, pulling me into his arms and kissing me senseless. He pushed me down into the couch cushions and moved his hand up under my shirt to caress my back—he never let himself go too far, more’s the pity. I was thinking how nice it was to have my own house where we could do this, uninterrupted by parental units, when we were interrupted by my roommate and her boyfriend walking in and plopping down on the love seat across from us.

“Get a room, you two,” Tara said. Mat just grinned at his cousin and winked at me.

“We have a room,” I groused, not letting Jack pull away from me. “It’s called
my
living room. Go away.”

Jack kissed me quickly and sat up, smoothing my shirt down in the back. “Great timing, as usual, Mat. Why aren’t you at the apartment, kissing your girlfriend on our couch?”

“Because I’m having a hard time stopping at just kissing, to be honest. I thought it was a good idea to come over here and watch a movie. Looks like we’re just in time, huh,
primo
?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Jack muttered. I didn’t fully understand the pact that the two cousins had made to not push Tara and me into a more physical relationship, but they both felt we were still too young, at least compared to them. I was already 19 and Tara would be in a few months, but Jack was nearly 21 and Mat had just turned 22. It was very sweet, but Tara and I were both starting to get frustrated, in more ways than one!

“So, is Trina throwing you a big birthday bash for your twenty-first, Jack?” Tara had obviously been reminded of the age difference, as well.

He shrugged and sighed. “Probably. She never listens when I tell her I would prefer a quiet family dinner.”

“But you get so many more presents when you have a big party!” My extroverted best friend could never understand how someone would prefer a small group gathering.

“I don’t need any presents. I’ve got everything I need right here.” He kissed the top of my hair. Tara and Mat made gagging sounds, but I pulled him down for a well-deserved kiss.

“So, I guess that means I can return the gas cap I got you for the ‘Stang,” said Mat with a smirk. Jack’s had been stolen a few weeks before in the UNM parking lot.

Jack threw a pillow at him. “Well, I guess I can put up with a party. I really want that gas cap.”

***

Fionnuala and Caoimhe arrived a week later, sweeping in majestically and declaring their intention to spend every spare moment with Mina and me. Over my cold, dead body! I knew they were just trying to make sure they got equal time with us; there was truly no useful purpose to the visit, except the invitation they issued for Mina and me to spend a semester in Ireland. I noticed the invitation did not seem to include Rémy. We spent several afternoons with them before I foisted them off on my grandmother, who was only too glad to entertain them, taking them to see whatever it was old ladies liked. Imagine my surprise when I came in late from work one evening to find them gathered around the kitchen table, downing shots of tequila and laughing uproariously.

“No, no! The blond’s was much bigger! I swear it was!” Fionnuala exclaimed.

“No way! The one with the tribal tattoo had a much bigger—”

“Grams!” I interrupted, seemingly in the nick of time. “What are you all doing?”

“We are just enjoying a wee nip before I head home.” She spoke very precisely, intent on correctly pronouncing her words; I had no intention of letting her drive anywhere tonight.

“So, where did you all go this evening?” God only knew when Grams was in control of the agenda.

“Oh, your grandmother took us to one of those Indian casinos and we saw the loveliest show: Thunder from somewhere or other…” She fumbled and drank another shot.

“From Down Under?” They all nodded and giggled. Good God! My grandmother had taken Rémy’s aunt and her friend to see a male strip review. “Well, I’m sure that was educational,” I quipped. “And it’s ‘Native American,’ Fionnuala. Please don’t say ‘Indian’ in public, especially around here.” I confiscated their half-full bottle of Patrón Silver.

“It
was
educational! You have no idea, Ally!” Caoimhe piped up. “All the dancers were slick and hairless like a bunch of greased-up infants! I wonder how they do that?”

“Lots and lots of waxing, most likely,” I said, taking their shot glasses. Where did those come from? We didn’t have any.

“They looked more like naked mole-rats,” Fionnuala added. They all laughed drunkenly.

“Okay, ladies. It’s time for bed. Let’s go.” I pulled Fionnuala and Caoimhe up and started hauling them to Mina’s bedroom. “Oh, no, you don’t.” I propped them against the wall and zipped over to pry my grandmother’s car keys out of her hand. “I’m certainly not letting you get behind the wheel in your condition. You taught me better than that.” I pocketed her keys and finished helping my Irish guests to their room, where I laid each on the bed, removed their shoes, and covered them with a quilt.

I tucked Grams in on my couch while she protested that she certainly wasn’t drunk, but was maybe the slightest bit tipsy and would just take a short nap. Yeah, like an eight-hour nap.

I was pouring coffee the next morning when Jack let himself in, slipped his arms around me from behind, and nuzzled my ear. “Is that your Grams asleep on the couch?” he asked and then spied the tequila on the counter next to the shot glasses. He looked at me with raised eyebrows. “Did I miss a drinking party last night?”

“Yes, and so did I, apparently.” I handed him a cup of coffee and told him how my grandmother had taken my two senior citizen guests to see the male strippers. He choked on his coffee.

“Wow. She is nothing like my grandmother.”

“You should be grateful for that,” I said.

“Oh, I am. Believe me. God, I guess her asking me if I carried a condom on our first date was mild compared to this, huh?”

I laughed in agreement and sipped my own coffee, then leaned against the counter, thinking. “Did you?” The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop them.

“Did I what?” He looked at me, confused.

“Did you carry a condom on our first date? Do you now?”

He just stared at me like I had grown another head.

“I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. Sorry.” I concentrated on drinking my coffee.

He sighed and put his cup down on the table, then walked over to me, took the cup out of my hand, and set it on the counter next to me. “Look at me, Ally.” He lifted my chin with his finger. “It is absolutely your business. Since the very first day in English class, when I dragged you to the bathroom after you had that vision, it’s been your business and only your business.” He kissed me tenderly. “And yes. I have carried a condom in my wallet since I was fourteen.”

“Fourteen?” I squeaked.

“Shh.” He kissed me again. “I was an idiot. I did a lot of stupid things back then, Ally. The smartest thing I ever did was ask you out.”

“Did you ask me out? I don’t remember it like that.”

“Oh, and how exactly do you remember it, Ms. Moran?”

“I remember you backing me up against your car and kissing the crap out of me.”

“Is that right? Kind of like this?” We didn’t speak for several minutes as he ravaged my mouth.

“So, you still do?” I asked when he pulled back.

He rested his forehead against mine. “You’re not gonna let this go, are you, babe? Why? What’s going on? This isn’t about my past, is it? You’ve really never had a problem with it. What’s up?”

“I just…we’ve been going out for more than two years, Jack. Why don’t you want to, um, well, you know—take our relationship farther?”

“Maybe because you can’t bring yourself to say it yet.” He took the sting out of his words by pushing my hair behind my ear, which he knows I love. “Ally, sweetheart, I want to make love with you more than I can possibly say, and yes, I carry a condom just in case there comes a time when I absolutely cannot resist you one second longer. But,” he forestalled me as I opened my mouth to speak, “I hope I can resist for a little longer. Ally, it’s not just about the physical pleasure with us, although I’m positive that will be phenomenal. It’s about the commitment. When we take that step, I need it to be always and forever. I know that’s incredibly old-fashioned—”

“Archaic, actually,” I inserted.

“But I need to be able to hold you all night long and wake up next to you the next morning. Every morning. We aren’t ready for that quite yet. Almost, but not yet.” He looked into my eyes. “Can you understand that? Can you be patient for just a little longer?”

I melted at the pleading look in his eyes. “Of course, Jack. I guess I just needed to know that it’s as hard for you as it is for me.”

“That’s an appropriate choice of word, querida. More than you know.”

“What? What word—oh. Sorry,” I whispered.

He laughed and hugged me. “Oh, Ally. I absolutely adore you.” He kissed me again, thoroughly. “Please trust me on this. I never want us to feel guilty about anything we do together. I want it to be pure joy.”

What could I possibly say to that? I don’t know what I had ever done to deserve this incredible man, but I knew a good thing when I saw it. “I absolutely trust you, Jack. About everything.” This time I kissed him.

This was, of course, when Grams decided to stumble into the kitchen, groaning and clutching her head.

***

I
guess I shouldn’t have been surprised on the first day of the spring semester to find Michael in my Feminist Literature class. We were both English majors, and were bound to run into each other in upper level classes like this. I had finished all my core classes finally, and was able to concentrate on education courses this semester, with room left for one lit class. Of course, the education building was all the way across campus from the humanities building, so I would get plenty of exercise.

“Hey, Ally, how was your break? What else are you taking this semester? Can we still get together before class for coffee?” He finally stopped for a breath.

“Um, hi, Michael. I’m not sure which question to answer first. Break was good, I guess. Busy. I worked a lot. I’m taking mostly education courses and yes, we can still meet in the SUB for coffee. How did I do?”

He ducked his head, embarrassed. “Sorry. I got a little carried away, I guess. I’m just glad to see you. I missed you.”

Awww, how…awkward. He looked so hopeful. Great. This was all I needed: he still carried a torch for me. I needed to nip this in the bud quickly. “Thanks, Michael. So, what did you do over the break? I spent a lot of time with my boyfriend.” I watched his face fall. Jeez, way to go, Ally! Hit him over the head with it, why don’t you?

“Oh. Same one? Or a new guy?”

“Same one. Jack.” I bit my lip, feeling sorry for him. He was a really nice guy, just kind of awkward. “So what did you do? Any new ladies in your life?” I teased.

“Yeah, right.” He grimaced. “Like that’s gonna happen. No, I mostly just played video games. Hung out. Played D & D some.”