Unnaturals (33 page)

`Cold?'

Wilson tensed. He couldn't see it but there was danger. Close by.

`Run!' he said. It was closer, moving in the shadows of the trees.

He could feel it, creeping towards him.

`Wil?'

He stepped back, reaching for her. `Why didn't you run?'

`It's everywhere,' she whispered, taking his hand.

Wilson glanced back; fingers of darkness crept out of the shadows behind them.

Surrounded.

`Get ready to move,' he whispered. A tendril slithered towards him though the sunlight. It hadn't yet gone up into the trees. He figured that was a way out.

`Where?'

`Up. Go!' Wilson propelled himself upwards, a high tree branch his target. Lilly was beside him as its smoothness brushed his fingers.

`It's gone,' Lilly said, clinging to the tree, looking down.

He spun around, looking for it, and spasmed as a huge black wave crashed into him. Cold slapped him down and Lilly's scream rung loud in his ears.

Silence.

 

Ruth rubbed her feet on the rug.

`Getting cool in here,' she said, watching Nikki at the mirror.

`Must be you. Does this look right? I mean, does it work?' Nikki adjusted her blouse.

`It's fine. You're being paranoid. It's only been a day.'

Nikki ran her hand down her stomach. `I can feel the child, Ruth. Soon I will show. All I need is for Renee to see that and things will get ugly.'

`You'll have to tell her soon anyway.' Ruth tucked her legs under her against the cold. `It's not like we can hide it for too long. Besides, I think you're wrong about Renee.'

Nikki slipped on her shoes. `You don't know Renee. She doesn't handle jealousy well and she will be jealous. What about Mason? You think he will be calm about it?'

`Not at first. But he will accept the, our child.' Ruth reached for her jacket. `Are you sure it's not getting chilly?'

Nikki enveloped her in her arms, her warming touch making Ruth tingle in delight. `Either way, it going to take them time to accept what we did.'

`You smell good,' Ruth whispered. `More than usual.'

`Thanks, I think.' Nikki stepped back. `You're freezing?'

`Yeah,' Ruth shivered. `I guess—'

The mirror rippled behind Nikki. Inky black filled the wall.

Air crackled. Breath rushed from her lungs and cold crashed down on her. Nikki fell into her arms and the darkness smothered them.

Silence.

 

Renee crawled out of the ute.

Heat slapped her. She fell onto cool, lush grass. Noise! Noise assaulted her. Insects and birds seemed so loud. Over them, two heartbeats boomed, one steady, the other thrumming.

Hers. Hot air filled her lungs, banishing the icy cold she'd brought with her.

`Mistress?'

She rolled onto her back, glad to hear a friendly voice. `Syrus. What the hell happened?' Relentless sunshine bathed her face.

`I am not sure, but I think Sire... folded the Paths.'

She pulled herself up, struggling with what Syrus had said.

Balance slowly came back to her. She let go of the ute, turning to scan the trees, taking in the jagged mountains and lush forest. A huge cave yawned at her in the closest peak, inviting her in. Huntress shifted in her. She felt an urge to howl her Song. Mark her territory.

`Mistress, are you unharmed?'

`Yes,' she said, swallowing the desire to Sing. `So you're saying Mason teleported us here?'

`Our co-ordinates indicate we're in Queensland. On the coast, near the tropics.'

`Near his home.' She turned again to scan the hills behind her and saw it seemingly filled by a huge shed. Then she saw the brick and concrete turrets rising above it. `Of course. He said he wanted to go home.'

The bird and insect sounds ceased.

Silence. She froze. Cold brushed her. The world rippled. `Shit!'

Ruth and Nikki appeared on the grass before her.

`Christ!'

Wilson thumped onto the ute's hard tonneau cover. Lilly landed on top of him, wailing.

`Most unusual,' Syrus rumbled behind her.

`Nothing about him is usual,' she muttered, glancing at Mason still slack-jawed and unconscious.

`Shit and fuck almighty!' Ruth cursed, moving off Nikki. `What the hell was that?'

`Dad,' Wilson moaned, with Lilly lying on top of him. `Crazy crap happens when he is around.'

`Everyone okay?' Renee stood beside Syrus, still unsure of her legs. Nikki vomited hard onto the grass as Ruth rolled her over. `Everyone okay other than Nikki?'

`Clear.' Wilson rolled off the back off the ute with Lilly in his arms, his legs giving away as they both fell onto the grass.

`Careful, Wil, it takes a bit to get your balance,' Renee said, watching as he disentangled himself from Lilly. And what was
she
doing with him anyway?

`So that
was
Dad, then. It was his black stuff came looking for us.'

`Black stuff,' Ruth muttered, holding Nikki in her arms as she stood, unsteady. `Frightened the shit out of me. Looked like the hand of death.'

`At least you got to see it,' Renee said, surprised at how fast Ruth had recovered from the jump. Faster than any of them. `One minute I'm driving back to the house, the next,' She spread her arms out at the forest, `we're here.'

`We're home.' Wilson let Lilly go, as she recovered her balance, and looked around. `Did he teleport us?'

`The ancients called it folding the Paths,' Renee said, taking a deep breath. `Even Mother cannot do it. Shit, she'll be going nuts with worry about now.'

`A phone,' Nikki muttered, clinging to Ruth, her face hidden under the mass of her hair. `We need to call her before she reacts.'

`Reacts?' Ruth frowned.

Renee moved. She knew what Nikki meant. `If Mother thinks we've been taken by the Bloodells, all hell will break loose. Literally.'

`Right.' Wilson strode off up the hill with Lilly following. `I'll disarm the house. You get everyone inside.'

Renee pulled Mason out of the ute. `We need to pull Syrus out of this rut and get him up to the house too.'

`You call your ute
Syrus
?' Wilson said, flashing a grin just like Mason's at her.

Renee grinned back. She couldn't help it. `Yeah, yeah,
he
said the same thing.' She jiggled Mason, trying to balance his weight. `Do you want to hurry?'

`Just go unlock the house, will you?' Ruth snapped.

Wilson jogged off up towards the house with his new shadow.

Warning bells sounded. Renee looked at Ruth fussing over Nikki. Something was up with them. Nikki had changed; overnight. And she had never seen her so ill.

`Nikki?' Renee said, noticing Ruth tense. `Are you okay?'

`Dunno. Never been teleported before,' she muttered, not looking up. `Feel like my head is going to split open.'

`Let's go,' Ruth said with a nod. `It's stinking hot out here and Wil should have the house open by now.'

Renee lifted Mason's arm over her shoulder, shouldering his weight while Ruth managed Nikki in her arms. Ruth was smaller, but Renee saw that size didn't matter. And there was still that tension. `Have I done something wrong?'

`What?' Ruth had begun to walk carefully towards the house.

Renee trailed along, struggling under Mason's weight and wondering how sick Nikki really was to put up with being treated so carefully. Nikki hated being thought fragile.

Mason dragged her down. He was so damn heavy.

`Something's changed between us.' Renee shouldered Mason's weight and kept walking. Ruth didn't stop. She was more concerned about Nikki than Mason. `What's going on?'

`I just want to get Nikki inside. Out of this heat.'

`Uh-huh,' Renee muttered, tempted to let Huntress out a little to see what Ruth was hiding. It had to be big if she wasn't giving Mason or Wilson a thought.

`I can hear you.'

Renee nearly slammed into Ruth. She had stopped and now stood above her on the hillside. Eyes dark.

`Whatever this thing is, it connects us,' Ruth said. `Every question you have, I can hear. The effect was muffled back at the mansion but here, and so close, I hear you.'

`
You can hear me like this
?'

`Yes.'
Ruth raised an eyebrow. `
This is what you and Mason have all the time?
'

`
Yes.
' Colour burned in her face. Why did she feel so guilty about it? So ashamed? So angry? It was her gift to be shared with her Hunter.

`
I don't like having you in my head. I guess it's the same for you.'
Ruth adjusted Nikki in her arms. `
So let's keep it quiet, then. No yelling questions in our heads. Can we do that
?'

`
Yes. It will take time, but we can do that.
'

`Good,' Ruth said aloud, half-turning. `Just so you know, Mason is the strongest man I have ever met. He's been places I will never want to see. I love him but you have that connection with him. If you were freaking, I'd be freaking out.

`As for Wil,' she turned and walked towards the house, `he's strong, like Mason. I lost my sweet little boy a year ago. Now he's finding his own way. If he needed me he'd say so.'

Renee followed. Silent. What Ruth had said didn't feel like a rebuke, but it had unsettled her.

`Nikki's sick, Renee.' Ruth stopped at the edge of the manicured lawns and faced her. `She didn't want to say anything but the teleport was hard on her.'

`Sick?' Alarm surged. `She's never been sick before.'

`No,' Ruth said, flicking hair off her face. `She thinks it was from having Darla enter her on the island. Her magic is also affected.'

`Darla came to Mason today,' Renee said controlling her urge to touch Nikki, to be sure she was unhurt. `He's the same. Sick. The teleport thing must have made them both worse.'

`Darla came?' Ruth went white.

`He didn't say anything, but it was hard on him.'

`Oi!' Wilson hollered from the back veranda. `It's open. Get in here.'

Ruth smiled. `Subtle, isn't he?'

`But correct.' Renee lugged Mason up.

`Take him up to our room.' Ruth moved off quickly and Renee followed. Cool air greeted her as Wilson held the door open. Ruth dashed inside with Nikki but Renee faltered.

`This is your home,' she said as Wilson waited.

`Guess it's yours now as well.' Wilson held the door with a soft smile. `Dad brought all us here, to be together. Mum doesn't see it yet, but I think this is Dad's way of saying he's accepted this. He wants us all to be family.'

Renee blinked, surprised by his words.

`Don't look so surprised,' he said, winking. `Dad can be weird sometimes.' He pursed his lips. `He tends to use actions more than words. Sometimes it's subtle. Sometimes it isn't.'

`You're so sure of this?'

`Sure, he's my father. There are some things that we don't have to say to understand each other.' Wilson grinned and nudged her shoulder. `Since he's busy drooling on your shoulder, it's my place to welcome you here.'

Truth rang in his words.

She felt the tension fade as Wilson put his hand on her shoulder. `Come in. His room is upstairs at the front of the house. Mum has taken Nikki to the room beside it. There's a phone in there, so she can call Eleanor.'

Renee stepped into the house, into a new life she hadn't realised she desired so much.

 

Wilson leant against the railing, scanning the view from his vantage on the deck. His good mood had vanished as soon as Renee had told him what had happened at Bondi. He had come up to clear his head, leaving the tension that rasped between his mother and Renee. Lilly was resting so he took the moment to call Sally. He needed to hold her again, hear her voice. Everything had become complicated. Worst of all the Bloodells had come. He had to make sure Sally was safe. He pressed her number on his speed dial.

`Wilson!' Sally's fear and excitement rang clear. `Where are you? What's happened? The men here with us have gone all serious. They want me to leave the island.'

`We're fine, Sal,' he said, biting his lip. Max's men would have reacted to the news of the attack at Bondi. `We're back home. When can you get back to the mainland?'

`We're getting ready to leave now. Mum is worried as well. What's happening?'

`Nothing, really. I just want you with me. Can you stay?'

`Hang on.' Sally's phone rustled and he could hear her talking. He hoped she'd come. `Mum wants to know how your mum and dad are. Are they back, too?'

`Tell her we're all here.' He winced, knowing the next problem would be explaining Lilly.

`If you meet me at the harbour, Mum says its fine. The security men here will take her home.' Sally sounded breathless. The thrum of motors grew louder. She was on the beach. `We're getting on the boat now. See you soon.'

She hung up. He rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. He wanted her here but it would be complicated.

Ruth joined him on the deck. `You okay?'

`Not really.' He crossed his arms. `Sally's coming over. I want her here, but,' he shrugged, conflicted. `Everything is just too weird now and the Bloodells are here, Mum. It's going to get complicated.'

`Maybe it's time she knew it all, then.' Her hand ran across the back of his neck. `She deserves to know sometime. Sally's been there for you and I think she will surprise you.'

`I wanted to protect her from all this.' He frowned, holding his arms in tight. `When I'm with her everything feels normal.'

`What about Lilly? How does she make you feel?'

He glanced at his mother. `Lilly's different. She's like us. We're just friends anyway.'

`Uh-huh,' Ruth pulled him round to face her. He dreaded what she was going to say. `Wil, don't lie to yourself. Or to Sally. She will know, or find out, and it will hurt her very much. Maybe too much. Be open. Stop shielding her. Sally already knows you keep things from her and she doesn't need to wonder about Lilly. If you're going to include her as part of this family, you have to be honest with her.'

He sighed, unable to argue. `Sally's on her way over. Can you drive me in to get her?'

`I can,' Renee stepped out of the house. `Nikki is shaky and Mason's still sleeping. I can't help them, but Ruth can. Besides, if you're going to bring Sally here it might be best to meet us one at a time.' She wet her lips and Wilson felt her apprehension. There was definitely something going on between her and his mother.