Prologue 22 страница

“Dad-” I cut in and jerked my hand away but he didn’t stop.

“-something like this yet. You’ve barely graduated high school and now you’re supposed to be someone’s soul mate? I don’t fully understand all of what ya’ll are telling me, and I know that there’s still things I haven’t heard yet but-”

“Dad-”

“-I understand enough about relationships to know that you can’t just base it on feelings and pressure-”

“You’re not listening to me, ” I blurted loudly and he finally stopped his plight. “It’s not about whether you think I’m a freak or gullible or naï ve or even if I’m ready. I love him, daddy. ”

He slumped in defeat and slid to kneel on the floor in front of the couch.

“I always knew you were serious when you called me daddy, ” he admitted and I went to the floor too, on my knees. He looked at me. “So, this is it? You’re leaving me, ” he phrased it as a statement, not a question, like he knew my answer already.

“No, that’s why I wanted to tell you. It’s really rare for humans to imprint with Aces. They don’t have to deal with this very often but they were willing to risk telling you, for my sake, so that I could keep you. You understand? I can’t be without Caleb without it hurting me, and even if I could I wouldn’t want to. But I want to be with you too. ”

He took a deep breath.

“It’s not fair. It’s not fair that I have to just take a backseat and watch someone else have you. ”

I laughed softly.

“That’s what happens, dad. Did you think I’d never leave home? Never move out? Never go to college? Never get married? ”

He cracked the first small smile.

“Yes. Yes I did think that. ”

Peter chuckled behind dad and it was like my dad realized then that we weren’t alone. He looked over at Caleb for a long time. Then he smiled again and so did I reading his mind.

“It’s mostly my fault, but my daughter hasn’t been happy in a very long time, until now. I saw it but... ” He shook his head. “I didn’t want to believe it was over a boy. I can’t deny that as much as I might not like how young she is, that she’s happy with you. ”

Caleb nodded and looked down at our still intertwined hands.

“I’m sorry. I never wanted to take her away from you. I just want her to be happy. ”

“I know. ” Dad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he turned a forced smile on Peter. “So. Your whole family has these... abilities? You all get married for life? Everyone? ”
“Yes, ” Peter answered, “but, like I said, Caleb and Maggie are the first to imprint in a very long time and Maggie’s gift is rare and coveted. I’m not sure what it all means, I won’t lie, but it’s something good. ”

My dad looked back to me and blew a long breath.

“College now? ”

“Well, ” Peter interrupted. “First things first. We need to make sure that the echoling is actually going to stop. That Marcus will stop. ”

“But I thought you said you took care of it? ” dad asked.

“We did but we can’t just call the police like humans can when we have a problem. The only way to truly take care of it is to kill him. I... will if I have to, but I’d rather not resort to that unless it comes to it. ”

Dad looked scandalized but kept his composure. In his mind he was wondering if he could ask someone to do that. Kill someone. Take a life. For me.

“Ok. What do we have to do? ” dad asked with a new resolve.

“Well... I think if Caleb and Maggie get out of town for while it would be best while I monitor the Watson’s. The further away from the echoling she is, the less chance he has of reaching her. ”

“But I thought you said if they slept-” Dad choked on the word and cleared his throat. “Slept together-were together at night, that he couldn’t harm her. ”

“He can’t but he’s already tried a kidnap attempt here at your house once before. ”

“What! ”

“It’s alright. Maggie handled it, but I think it’s just best if we send them away for a while. ”

“Maggie handled it? What does that mean? ” my dad said and looked between us all.

“My family has many gifts, Jim. Maggie will attain many herself. Self defense being one of them. She fought the two of them off until Caleb was able to get to her. ”

“What? Get to her? ”

“Yes. ”

“You saved her... twice? ” Dad said and looked at Caleb with an awe I only hoped I would see and I felt my eyes water.

“It’s was only fair, ” Caleb said and winked at me. “She saved me first. ”

“I can’t believe this. ” Dad scrubbed his face with his hands and then fiddled with the top button of his shirt. “All this time I resented you two spending so much time together and you were saving her... I really wish you had told me then, Maggie, at the beginning. ”

“I didn’t have my ability then, dad. You never would have believed me. ”

“You’re right. ” He laughed sadly. “I wouldn’t have. Where are we sending these two? ” my father conceded gruffly.

“Somewhere out west, ” Peter suggested.

“Arizona, ” I blurted.
I peeked back at Caleb and saw a grateful little smile. He knew I wanted to go there because Caleb wanted to go to school there. He’d never been and I wanted him to see it. He spoke to me and I could feel the love attached to the words in warmth and tingles.

I love you.

I know. I love you, too.

“Arizona, huh? ” Dad tried to process everything. Me in Arizona, anywhere really, with my soul mate and not him and every scenario brought bad outcomes and pregnancies and shotguns or Vegas weddings. I couldn’t help but laugh. He looked up at me and twisted his lips. “I forgot about your ability already, ” he muttered.

“Dad. ” I pulled from Caleb and went to hug dad around his neck. “I’m not going to do anything stupid. ” I pulled back to sit on my heels and look at him. “I know this isn’t ideal but it wouldn’t matter if I’d met Caleb now or at thirty. It would be the same for me, but, even with that, I know what I’m ready for and not ready for. ”

“You were always so smart, ” he chuckled then took a shuddering breath. “Look at me. If you run off and get married in some justice of the peace’s office or make me a grandpa before I’m gray, I will not forgive you. ”

Everyone laughed again and I felt like bursting with happy tears.

“Deal, dad. ”

“Deal. ”

He hugged me tightly and then stood, pulling me with him and although in his mind he believed everything we’d said, he was still wrapping his thoughts around it all. He was ready for bed, to be alone and think.

“Ok. ” He looked between Caleb and I. “You knew, from the very beginning, from the first time you brought him here, that you were... were-” He sighed and gripped his neck. “Imprinted? ” he finally got out and I nodded. He nodded back. “Ok. No more sneaking. No more lying. No more secrets. ”

“Yeah, dad, ” I said as Caleb said, “Yes, sir. ”

“Now, uh... How about you two sleep on the sofa tonight. I may be coming to terms with all this but I’m still your father. ”

“Ok, dad. That’s fine, ” I said amused. I turned to Peter and reached up to hug him. “Thank you for coming for me. ” He hugged me tightly, just like my own father had.

You’re family now and we love you. Wouldn’t have it any other way.

I smiled through tears but held them back from falling to my cheeks. Caleb said goodbye to his father and then while dad and Peter were saying theirs, Caleb laced his fingers through mine. I looked at him and he was watching me with a smile.

Are you happy?

Yes. Thank you for this. He took it better than I thought. I know my dad’s a little nuts but, he’ll keep your secret-Our secret, I corrected

He put his forehead to mine and rubbed my arm from elbow to wrist.

I know he will. I just want to you to be happy. Whatever that is.

You. Me. Alone. Arizona.

He laughed out loud and started to frame my face with his hands but looked over to see our fathers watching, not hearing our internal interlude. He smiled bashfully at me and turned to wave at his father as he left.

“Ok, kids, ” dad said and rubbed his hands together. “I’m going to bed. ” He hesitated. “I’ll come check on you guys later, ” he said hurriedly and I heard his thoughts.

“Dad. I promise you we will be fine. We’ll sleep on the couch, nothing else, and won’t runaway into the sunset before you can get up. ”

He laughed ruggedly.

“Ok. Ok. ” He hugged me. “Night, baby girl. ” And he said it like he always had. Not like I was a freak or different. Like I was his daughter and always would be, no matter what. Then he shook Caleb’s hand. “Night, son. Thanks again and uh... I’m sorry, for what I said to you before-”

“No need, sir, it’s forgotten. Good night. ”

Dad left and I could have collapsed right there. It was like it all hit me at once and I sat down swiftly on the couch.

“I need a shower, ” I muttered and yawned.

“Not tonight. Sleep first. ”

“Wait, ” I stopped him and held his cheek in my hand. “Your face. Marcus punched you. ”

“Barely, ” he scoffed. “It’ll be fine, ” he assured.

“Let me heal you. ”

“You’ve been through enough tonight-” But I just closed my eyes, put my hand on his jaw and focused, hearing him sigh in defeat.

I wasn’t sure what I was doing or how to but somehow my body knew just what to do. My body felt suddenly heavy as if I was weighed down and then my hand... I could feel me drawing it out of him, like a magnet. The pain, the blood, the bruises. It all went in me and then through me. And then it was over. I opened my eyes to see his jaw was no longer pink.

I smiled in triumph.

“Happy now, doctor, ” he smirked.

“Yes. ”

He pulled the afghan off the recliner and I didn’t have the strength to argue as he laid me down, then slid down beside me and pulled the blanket over us, wrapping his arms around me and tucking my head under his chin. My body practically sighed.

Sleep, Maggie. No worries tonight.

No worries. Ok. Thanks for coming for me.

I’ll always come for you. I’ll always find you, I told you. You’re everything now, Maggie. I love you so much.

He squeezed me as he spoke to me in my mind and I felt that he hadn’t really gotten to relax and just feel his relief of my being found yet. He was shaking with the release of it all now, finally taking his turn to relax.

I leaned back and reached up to press my lips to his. His happiness and relief coursed through me. When I closed my eyes I saw the energy ribbons bouncing around us but when I opened them, nothing was there. He kissed me back gently and caressed my cheek with his fingers, pushing my hair behind my ear. Raking his fingers through it.

I missed this, I told him as he continued to kiss away all my troubles.

Me too. Me more, I think.

I laughed against his lips. He gave me one last kiss on my lips, then on my forehead.

Sleep, sweetheart. They’ll be plenty of time for that later.

I love you.

I love you.

So it turned out, Arizona was not where we were headed. Apparently there was an uncle I still hadn’t met who had a vacation beach house in California. Ugh. Just the thought of being in the same state that my mom had fled to made me want to hurl.

We’d been woken up the next morning by Peter. He came over early. He and my dad had all the details worked out before we even got up. I apparently needed the sleep because we slept on that couch soundly until 11: 00 in the morning.

I remember feeling warm and absolutely content. My body zinged with energy and happiness as I slowly came out of sleep. I opened my eyes to see Peter over me with a smile as he shook Caleb gently. I could see Caleb and I hadn’t moved an inch during the night, awaking in exactly the same position as we’d fallen asleep in.

Caleb opened his eyes then and looked at me first. The smile that crept to his cheeks was illuminating. Then he saw his dad and his expression went back to neutral.

“Oh. Hey, dad, ” Caleb muttered.

Peter looked amused.

“Oh. It’s good to see you too, son. ” He leaned up and nodded his head to the kitchen. “Come on you two. We’ve got a lot to talk about. ”

He made his way that direction, I heard his thoughts about the beach house and our flight leaving that night as he left. I looked back at Caleb.

“Did you sleep well? ” I asked.

“You know I did the best. It’s impossible to sleep without you now. ”

I nodded and pushed the thoughts of the fitful and painful sleep I’d had at the Watson’s away. He pulled my face back up with a finger under my chin.

“Don’t think about that anymore. That’s all behind us. ” He kissed my forehead. “Now. Go take a shower and I’ll see what these two clowns want, ” he joked. “I’ll grab a shower down here if your dad doesn’t mind. ”

“Ok. ”

I didn’t need any more convincing. He helped me up and I ran upstairs. I was shocked at the amount of energy I had. I felt like a completely different person.

As much as I wanted to just sit in the shower for hours, I knew they were waiting for me so I hurried through a hot one and went to get dressed in my room. As I took my towel off in front of my mirror I did a double take.

That was not me. I looked like a woman. I remembered after the ascension how Caleb had subtle changes to him that I’d noticed but I hadn’t seen myself then at all nor since then. I had no idea what I had looked like yesterday, all matted and dirty but today, clean and brushed, I barely recognized myself.

My cheek bones were slightly more defined. My hair was shiny and a little longer. My upper arms were still soft but I could see the muscles more clearly. I felt stronger. My stomach and legs were a little slimmer and the, uh, womanly parts of me were-well- more womanly.

I leaned closer to the mirror and examined my face. My eyelashes were longer and fuller. My face was completely clear. My complexion tan and glowing, making my freckles stand out more, but for some reason it looked good on me. My green eyes looked like sea weed swirls with dark and light.

I wondered why my dad hadn’t noticed the changes last night. Maybe the changes weren’t as noticeable as I thought. I do see myself everyday, I would notice them more than someone else. I shrugged, knowing it was all caused by the ascension, I just didn’t know why, so I didn’t worry about it right then.

I put on a jean skirt and my coral tank. I had no idea what we were doing today, so I just put on something comfortable. I slid on my silver hoop earrings-my charm bracelet had been taken from me at the Watson’s along with my phone. I missed it already. I put on a long necklace dad had given me a couple years ago for Christmas. It was a jumble of charms on the end: a heart, a cross, a circle swirl, a quarter moon, a dangle of gems. I’d always loved it but had stopped wearing it this past year because I was so angry with him.

I padded my way barefoot down the stairs and stopped by the kitchen door. I could her them talking, about me. Caleb must have taken a quick shower.

“So, sleeping with you not only keeps her safe from someone hurting her in her dreams, you anchor her or whatever, but also makes her physically feel good in the morning? ”

“Yeah. We both do. We energize each other, with... skin contact, we heal each other, ” I could tell Caleb was uncomfortable by his tone but didn’t know if dad could sense it or not.

“Huh. ” My dad got a thought and I almost burst in to stop him but waited. “Wait. Did you heal Maggie already? Did they hurt her and you healed her before you brought her home? ”

“Um. Well, ” Caleb started but Peter stepped in to elaborate.

“When someone touches her-any of our woman-who means them harm, it leaves an offense mark, an almost burned looking handprint wherever they touch them. Maggie’s skin also shocks them, kind of, to warm them that they don’t have the right to harm her. It hurts them to touch her, even through clothes. The significant can remove the mark when they touch once they are ascended. The marks, they don’t harm her just make her very tired, they drain her energy. When we found Maggie, she had quite a few of these handprints on her and Caleb did heal her. That’s one reason we are so worried about the echoling. See, he can hurt her in her dreams. She can receive an echo, an offense mark or other injury that occurs in a dream. My grandmother healed her of some of these injuries before. ”

“Gah. I can’t believe all this was going on the whole time right behind my back and I never thought to be suspicious. So this guy is after Maggie because of you? ” dad asked but his tone was easy, he wasn’t accusing, just asking.

“Well, in a sense, yes, and I’m sorry about that. See, they would have gone after anyone in our clan who imprinted in this day because it hasn’t happened in so long. It just happened that Maggie was it. ”

“So, Maggie has met your grandmother? ”

“Maggie’s met the whole family, ” Caleb explained softly. “I brought her over the day after our imprint to explain everything to her. To let her see my family so she wouldn’t be afraid and ask any questions she had. ”

“Huh. ”

I heard a tongue clicking.

“Well, ” my dad continued. “I’d love to meet them too. ”

“I was hoping you’d say that, ” Peter said. “I explained to them last night that we told you everything and they are anxious to meet you. ”

“Really? Ready to string me up by my ankles? ”

Peter guffawed. The one he did when he was truly enjoying himself, his thoughts confirming it.

“Ah, no. My family is very... affectionate. They love Maggie and can’t wait to meet you. I told them I’d try to talk you into coming over for lunch before we send these two off tonight. ”

“Sounds good, ” dad said but he was freaking out.

His thoughts were scared.

A house full of people with abilities. Hmmm. And Maggie has met them all. All these things she was keeping from me. But it’s not like I deserved to know. I was barely a father two weeks ago. Now she’s growing up too fast. Way, way too fast. She’s leaving me. Starting tonight.

I decided to make my entrance. I came slowly around the door frame and saw three sets of eyes widen and three mouths drop.

Twenty Eight

At first I thought I’d left my tank top upstairs but with a quick look I saw that I was dressed.

Their thoughts all hit me at once. Peter had seen the ascension changes before on others but none as drastic as this. He smiled, knowing why I looked different and looked proudly on me.

Caleb was in awe. In his mind I saw that he always thought I was gorgeous but now I just seemed confidant and a finished masterpiece. He hadn’t been able to really see the extent of the changes because I’d been disheveled when he rescued me and the dream was rushed and crazy. I looked at him too and saw his differences as well, though his were more subtle. He had never been more handsome. He’d showered and changed clothes and I could see his tan arms flex as he shoved his hands into his jean pockets. I bit my lip at how good he looked.

Then he looked me over, head to toe and started thinking about my legs and arms and plenty else. I blushed from my neck to my cheeks at the things he wanted to do and turned from him before it was obvious what Caleb was thinking to everyone else.

My dad was devastated and I’d been so wrapped up in the other thoughts to see it. To him, my life had been sped forward, years taken from, and he was looking at someone who was no longer a teenage girl, unsure and fragile and needy. I was someone who was grown up and called home to dad on holidays and birthdays. Someone who didn’t ask permission because she didn’t need to anymore, she was sure of her future and taking the reigns away from him completely; someone who didn’t need nor want a father anymore.

I stepped to stand in front of him.

“Dad. Never. That’ll never be me. ” I looked down at myself and shrugged. “This is just the ascension and just my looks. I’m still me, I haven’t changed. ”

“But you have, ” he said softly and cupped my face with his hard callused hands. “You grew up while I was being an idiot. ” He smiled. “You’re beautiful, inside and out. I’m so sorry if I ever made you doubt that. ”

I nodded, taking a deep breath. I was about to ruin the mascara I’d just put on if he didn’t quit it. He released me and put on arm around my shoulder. He kissed my temple and started to explain what was in store for me.

They told me about the beach house and the flight. I didn’t bother to tell them I knew all about it because I could read their thoughts. Caleb smirked at me from over the counter, reading me. He knew I was just letting out fathers seem like they were controlling and handling everything for us. They needed it so I didn’t stop them.

“Now, I’ll get you another cell phone this afternoon and you better keep it on you at all times, ” dad explained again and I nodded. He looked at Peter. “Now, who did you get to go and watch out for them? ”

“I have a few to ask at lunch today. ”

“We don’t need a chaperone, dad, ” I insisted.

“I’ll be the judge of that. ”

My comeback was interrupted by the doorbell. Everyone looked around. We weren’t expecting anyone but I heard thoughts of an anxious person who was worried. Then the door opened and I heard shouting.

“Dad! Dad, are you home? ”

“Bish! ” I yelled and took off towards the voice.

I turned the corner and my brother looked exactly as I remembered, big, beefy, tan, dark haired and smiling in confusion.

“Bish! Oh my goodness! ”

“Maggie? I thought-” He grabbed me as I jumped to him and held me off the floor against him. “Dad called and said you’d been kidnapped. ” He put me down but didn’t release his bear grip on me. “Was this some sick joke just to get me to come home? ”

“I wish, ” dad said from behind me and grabbed Bish in a hug. “It’s good to see, son. Wow. I didn’t think you could get any bigger, ” he mused and Bish smiled bashfully.

“Well, you know. ” Bish rubbed his upper arm. He was always naï ve about how nice looking he was. He was a very muscley guy, always had been. “I do a lot of lifting at work, boxes of supplies and stuff. ” Then he remembered why he was here. “What the hell, dad? I thought you said-”

“She was kidnapped. ” Dad pulled me to him. “We just got her back last night Haven’t even had time to tell the police yet. ”

“What happened? ” Bish asked and looked at me. He turned his head and squinted. He pulled me from dad and looked closely at me with his hand on my shoulders. “Have I been gone that long? You’re so... ”

He was thinking how stunning I looked. How grown up and different I was.

Holy crap, what happened? How could I have missed so much? She looks more like mom than ever. Man, she was always pretty but she’s just so... beautiful.

He had also noticed the two men standing behind us but hadn’t acknowledged them yet, on purpose. He suspected they had something to do with all this and he’d have to hurt someone. He suddenly felt very extra protective of me and wondered if I had run away with that boy and was discovered or something and that’s why dad thought I’d been kidnapped. He mentally took a deep breath to calm himself for what I was about to tell him.

Then, since his thoughts seemed to be streaming to me, everything else did too. All his errant thoughts, his loaded memories, his past thoughts came flooding to me like a landslide. His mind was clean and sincere with a barrier of guarded reluctance but his memories were anything but.

I saw a flash of him as a kid, hiding in a blackened closet, a yellow light peeking under the doorway while yelling and banging on the door was all around him as he held the knob tightly pulled to with all his ten year old might.

Another glimpse of a man who seemed to tower over him, literally. He looked like a giant with shadows across his face and his eyes seemed to almost glow red as the man drew his hand back swiftly to slap him.

Then, a kid being pulled away from a raggedy house while a woman covered her face and cried. The kid, a teenager, was dirty and his lip was bloody. When he looked back, there was a man beside the lady, if you could call him a man. He was broader than any normal man with arms like a cartoon wrestler and he looked strangely satisfied, his grin too wide like a clown, as the officers placed the kid, Bish, none to gently into the back of the squad car, lights blaring for all to see the criminal. Bish’s thoughts were only for the woman with the monster’s arms around her and how he hadn’t gotten there fast enough to stop the last beating. And now, his foster mom didn’t have him there to save her anymore.

I realized then that this was Bish’s perception. His memories were distorted but as real as anything I’d ever felt. This is what his child mind was filled with. Pictures and flashes of monsters of every kind and variety, human monsters. This was what his childhood was like.

I pulled desperately out of his mind and threw my focus to Caleb instead to block Bish altogether, with my hand covering my mouth to hold in the scream. Caleb was fighting to hold himself in check as well, so as not to run to me.

“Oh, Bish, ” I sighed as goose bumps ran down my arms.

“What’s the matter? ” Bish asked and bent to see my face as I held tight to his arms for support. “You look a little green, Mags. ”

What is going on with you?

I heard Bish in my mind but forced it shut. Caleb was watching me with wary eyes, seeing what I had seen through me and his legs twitched, seconds from making their way across the room to rescue me with his calming touch.

I’m ok. It just surprised me, that’s all. I’m ok.

He didn’t look convinced but nodded slightly where only I could see.

“I’m fine. And I grew up is all. ” I punch Bish playfully in the stomach and tried to keep my own self in check with a plastered on little smiled. “If you hadn’t run off to New York, you’d have noticed how different I looked wasn’t so drastic. ”

He ignored my dig and pressed on.

“What happened, Mags? ” His glance flickered to Caleb and Peter. He did not look happy. “Someone better tell me what’s going on. ”

“Oh. Sorry, Bish, ” Dad said and stepped forward. “I forgot. This is Peter and Caleb Jacobson. This is my son, Bish. He’s been interning in New York. ”

“Nice to meet you, Bish, ” Peter said and shook his hand.

“Likewise, ” Bish muttered snidely.

“Bish, ” I protested.

“They apparently have something to do with this. That’s why you’re just now introducing them when they’ve been standing back there the whole time. ” He went to stand ominously in front of Caleb. “So what is it? What do you have to do with Maggie disappearing? ”

Caleb was tall but Bish still had about two inches on him and though Caleb was plenty big in the chest and arms, bigger than most guys I knew, Bish was the biggest guy I personally knew. And he was pissed.