The Gathering (53 page)

Sean nodded as Alia picked up Amanda and they walked to the stairs.
 
Sara and Scott came in as Alia ascended and they walked over to Sean.

"What happened to Amanda?"

Sean shrugged.

"Not sure.
 
I think she had a bad dream.
 
She kept telling your mom that she didn't want her to leave.
 
I don't know."

Sean rubbed the back of his neck as he watched the flames in the fireplace dance.
 
Sara sat on the ottoman next to Sean’s chair.
 
He turned and looked at her when she touched his knee.

"How are you?
 
No one seems to ask you that."

Sean smiled and touched her cheek.

"I'm fine, Kid.
 
What are you two doing back here so early?"

Scott smiled.

"Someone spilled ale on herself and needs to change."

Sara looked at Sean, who was now smiling at her.
 
She then smiled sweetly and looked at her dress.

"Yes, someone did spill the ale, but the one who was drenched with the ale did not spill it, but that apparently doesn’t matter.
 
I reek of ale and now I'm going to change.
 
Excuse me."

Scott raised his eyebrow at her as she walked past him, still trying to appear irritated.
 
He laughed, which caused Sean to laugh with him.
 
Sara rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs.

When Sara reached the top, she could hear Amanda crying.
 
She walked towards her room and she stopped to listen at the door.

"Amanda, please tell me what you dreamt about, Honey.
 
Please tell Mommy."

Amanda's sobs were now trailed by the hyperventilating that follows a long hard cry.
 
Alia grabbed a handkerchief and made Amanda blow.
 

"I was dreaming about all of us,” Amanda said.
 
“It was dark and I couldn't find you.
 
I saw Alisha and I ran to her and then she was gone.
 
I found Coeli and then she was gone, too.
 
Then I saw Tanner and Chris and they moved away from each other and then I followed Tanner and he was gone.
 
Everyone was gone, Mommy, everyone.
 
I found you and I ran to you and you disappeared.
 
You just disappeared!"

Amanda started to cry again and Alia held her.

"It was just a dream, Baby.
 
It's ok.
 
We're all here."

Sara's shoulders slouched as she leaned against the door.

"What exactly could be worth eavesdropping on a six year-old?"

Sara smiled as Alisha walked up behind her.

"You should make an appearance, Amanda had a bad dream and in it you disappeared on her.
 
She's freaking out."

Alisha frowned.

"Poor baby."

She knocked on the door and walked in.

Sara watched as Alisha took Amanda into her arms and rocked her.
 
Over and over, she told Amanda that it would all be all right.
 
Alia smiled as she watched Alisha comfort her sister.
 
Soon Amanda fell asleep and they laid her in her bed and put out the lamp.

Alia closed the door behind them and kissed her daughters on the cheek.
 
As Alia walked back downstairs, Sara felt the urge to grab Alisha, so she did.
 
She pulled her into an embrace and held her there and Alisha held her back.
 
As they parted, Sara looked at her sister and felt an overwhelming sadness.

"I love you, Lish."

Alisha smiled.

"I love you too, Care Bear.
 
Go get changed, Scott's waiting."

Sara nodded and walked to her room.
 
She couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.

70

The dance floors were full and the young people of the Gathering were trying to wipe away the grim news of the day.
 
Elian Merganser was dancing with Tanya Hogar, Tanner with Chelsea, Sam with Coeli, and so forth.
 
Bill Nyland was watching the festivities from a distance.
 
He was watching Alisha Stark and the long-haired man who had cut in on their dancing at the last Gathering and he couldn't remember why he thought he loved her.
 
It all seemed so unimportant to him now.
 

Alisha turned and looked at Bill.
 
She felt for him.
 
The horrors of what he and the others had seen.
 
They had all been changed and she could see it in their eyes.
 
She asked Vance to wait there and she walked over to Bill.

"Bill?"

He looked up and smiled at her.

"Hello, Alisha."

"How are you?"

"Tired."

Alisha smiled.

"I meant how are you?"

Bill nodded and sighed.

"Yeah, I know.
 
I'm still tired.
 
I can't sleep.
 
I just see all of it…their faces… over and over.
 
I can't sleep."

Alisha felt her eyes well up and she reached over and took Bill's hand.
 
He smiled at her.

"I hear you're getting married."

She nodded.

"To Vance Worley, in a few days."

Bill nodded.
 

"That's good."

Alisha squeezed his hand and he kissed the back of it.

"How about a dance for old times’ sake?"

She nodded and they took to the floor.
 
Vance sat back and watched them.
 
As he watched, his mother sat down next to him.

"Hello, My Son."

He took her hand and kissed it.

"Hello, Mama.
 
How are you tonight?"

"Fine.
 
I just came over to tell you to be grateful for every moment, Vance.
 
Every moment."

Vance turned and looked at Maggie.
 
The lights from the lamps danced against her face and the wisdom of her life was reflected in her eyes.
 
They were sad.

"You're being kind of cryptic, Mom."

"I know.
 
I love you, Boy."

Vance laughed and hugged his mother.

"I love you, too."

She then stood up and walked out to the dance floor, embraced Alisha and walked towards the castle. When Alisha had finished dancing with Bill, she kissed his cheek and walked back over towards Vance.

"That was weird.
 
Your mom told me to make every moment count and then she told me she loved me and walked away.
 
What did she tell you?"

Vance shrugged.

"Same thing.
 
Maybe she's getting senile."

"She's forty-five, Vance."

He shrugged again and laughed as he swept Alisha into his arms and on to the dance floor.
 
Maggie had stopped to watch and as she did, she let her tears fall.
 
She could not stop the inevitable and for that, her heart was breaking.

71

As the evening grew later, people dispersed back to their dwellings.
 
Coeli convinced Sam that she needed to show him something she had in her room, so they went back to the castle and walked in.

Sam stopped on the landing.

"Are you sure this can't wait 'til morning, Shay?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, now be quiet and come on."

They moved quietly to the back of the castle.
 
Coeli held Sam's hand while she led him up the stairs to the third floor and then down the hall to her room.
 
She ushered him inside and closed the door, locking it behind her.

The moonlight shined through the open balcony as the orange glow from the fireplace warmed the room.
 
The cool night air made Coeli's skin prickle.

"Ok, what's the deal, Shay?
 
What's so important?"

Coeli moved closer to the fireplace.
 
Taking a poker she stirred the orange and white embers then placed a few pieces of wood on top of them, which quickly caught fire.
 
Sam folded his arms in front of him and raised his eyebrows.

"C'mon, spill it."

Coeli put the poker back and looked over at him, her eyes glassy and bright.

"I know you think we should wait, Sam, but I don't want to."

Sam sighed and let his head roll back, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, then throwing them up in frustration.

"I thought we had already decided to wait.
 
There's no rush, Shay."

Coeli shook her head and walked over to him.

"But there is, can't you see it?
 
It's just that…well, I don’t want anyone else…I want to make sure it's you, Sam.
 
Can't you understand that?"

Sam took her face in his hands and lightly kissed her.

"Despite what's going on with all of this weirdness, there's still plenty of time and I'm not going anywhere."

A tear rolled down Coeli's face as she remembered the dream.
 
She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him towards her.
 
With the softness of her lips and that heady sent of jasmine, Sam felt the passion well up in him and he fought it, pushing away from her and stepping out onto the balcony, covering his mouth with his hand.
 
He stood in the cool night air trying to regain his composure.

Coeli bit her bottom lip as she undid the ties of her dress and allowed it to fall to her feet, along with the rest of her clothes.
 
Her stomach was in knots as she pulled the stick from her hair and let the mass of black curls fall to her waist.
 
She walked silently to Sam and stood behind him.
 
Her breathing was getting faster as she moved her hands to his back and let them hover just above his shirt.
 
Finally, she laid them gently on his back.