Igniting Spirit (Gathering Water Book 3) (10 page)

The drive to Luke’s was silent. He was dozing in the passenger seat, and since Derek sat in the bed of the truck — looking just as dignified as ever despite the fact he was sitting on a rusty toolbox — I just sat and thought about what had happened.

A knot that had been in my chest slowly started to unwind. Cash was
healed
. Maybe he wasn’t out of the woods yet, but now that his body and spirit were healed, I had utter confidence that he’d wake up. It was just a matter of when.

When we got to Luke’s house, he was still mostly asleep. Derek and I had to carry his enormous frame into his house and tuck him into bed. Luckily, we both had super-human strength.

You know, because of the “not being human” thing. Or, at least 100% human in my case.

I left a note for him on the door before we left, telling him to get his butt back in bed, knowing he would just ignore it.

Derek and I started the trek back to my house. He didn’t say anything, and at first I was glad. It was a cool evening, the wind was biting, and the ground was a little wet beneath my still bare feet, but the sky was clear as the sun set to our left. The view of the sound on my back patio would be killer right now, sunset was always beautiful on the water. When we reached the halfway point home, and still nothing had been said, I finally stopped.

“You said that you would stand by me. What will happen next?” I asked.

“I already called Etta and Richard to come before Alexander spoke with me and explained. They should be here in two days time. But that is a good thing because I can bring this situation to their attention. If Kaylus knows of a way to open the gate we must put our combined efforts into stopping him.”

“You know that it’s more than just him, right? Or Cash, even. The Clades aren’t all evil any more than the Elfennol are.”

“It is a hard thing to believe, and I won’t say that I trust these Clades you have befriended. I also realize that at this time, we should put our differences behind us and prevent the destruction of this world. After that, I don’t know what will happen.” My father looked worried, more worried than I had ever seen him.

“But you trust me? And you trust Alexander?”

His expression flashed quickly to anger, then disappeared. “I would trust Alexander more if he hadn’t kept such secrets from me.”

“What else could he do?” I asked quietly.

“I don’t know what I would have done if he’d told me before, and now I’ll never know. I’m much younger than most of the people I lead, Della. I understand these times a great deal more. I may not trust the Clades, but I would have kept an open mind if only
someone
would have confided in me about the topic. But no one did.” His voice didn’t get louder, but I knew he was angry.

He was talking about me.

Derek started walking again in the direction of the house, and I jogged a few paces to catch up with him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I can tell you everything now.” I wanted to tell him everything,
had
wanted to since the beginning. I looked up at him, hoping he wasn’t too mad.

He nodded his head and sighed. “I’d like that.”

I looked forward, then took a deep breath and began. “I met Ezra that first day you made me go to the island and relax. I didn’t know he was a Clade then, just thought he was another half-Dunamis like me, and it was clear he was uncomfortable talking about himself, so I thought he was just sneaking away. I didn’t want to get him into trouble.” I had the bad habit of rambling when I was anxious.

“And you just coincidentally ran into him?” He kept most of the disbelief out of his voice, but I could tell it was an effort.

“Not exactly. I
did
stumble into a restaurant run by a Dunamis by accident. She’s Vodun, and is basically a surrogate mother to Ezra. She could hear the Loa talk about me, I guess. He came into the restaurant right when I was trying to leave — I wasn’t sure I could trust her. But when Ezra came in, I knew he was Ethnos and just assumed he wasn’t Clade because all the Clades I had seen at that point were Kaylus’ people, and their energy is all tainted. His was clean so I figured I could mostly trust him.” I paused to gauge his reaction, then continued since all his face showed from my vantage point was an interest in the story. “It’s not like I told them who I was. We still never figured out if the one Elfennol who was working with Kaylus had other Elfennol partners. But they could tell I could use the elements in some way, and when she guessed I was a water-wielder from California I didn’t correct her.” I remembered that conversation well, because she had referred to my family, the Deare and Neales, as “high and mighty,” and I got a hoot out of hearing that.

“When did you and he discover the truth about each other?”

“I think he knew early on, but I didn’t find out until the last Sunday before the party you threw me. Kaylus came, but Ezra convinced him to let me go.” I bit my lip and hoped Derek wouldn’t find that too suspicious, or think me too gullible.

“How did he manage that? How do you know he isn’t in league with him even now?” He didn’t sound like he was accusing Ezra of that, just curious as to how
I
knew.

“Ezra has his own reasons for not following Kaylus.”

“What reasons are those?” my father asked, earnestly. “I understand you trust him. Give me the same opportunity to do so. I can see that you are close.”

I realized then that Alexander hadn’t told my dad that Ezra was Kaylus’ son. That he’d kept his Death ability secret. But I didn’t want to keep any more secrets— not from anyone. However, this was Ezra’s secret to share.

“Dad,” I used the familial term, hoping to appease him a little. “That’s a question you have to ask him. I think you should know, I really do, but it’s not my secret to tell.”

He’d find out soon in any case, as my family at least knew the truth about Ezra’s abilities, if not who his father was. Then I wondered — would Derek even have the same fear of the Thanatos ability that the Clades seemed to? If they’d purged all of those who held the ability and the knowledge of all things associated with their own downfall, could the younger among the Elfennol even know why they can’t go back to their own realm? The true reason, not just because the world is dead, but because it is full of creatures of
nothing.

I didn’t know which would be better.

We reached my house, and Derek still had not responded, so I kept sharing. “He came to warn us when Kaylus’ men came. He tried to get me to come with him before they got to me, because he knew they wouldn’t do what the Elders had asked of them. The Elders wanted to speak to me, but I wanted to talk to my family first, explain what I knew —”

“So, you were planning to tell me?”

“Of course! It didn’t sit right with me, about the Clades, and I can’t be the person that just ignores the bad stuff anymore. Not if I can do something about it.” Most of my life had been so out of my control, and some of the things that had happened were so awful that I’d just tried to ignore — or forget — what I couldn’t change. I didn’t even believe I
could
change them, so I didn’t even try. But growing up is full of hard lessons, and I’d learned we all have a choice in things; that we all have control over our lives, even when life got a little uncontrollable. You either fight or you give up — and I was sick of giving up.

“Why didn’t you come to me when Cash was injured?”

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to help him. I spent enough time among the Elfennol to realize that what had happened to Cash was outside your realm of knowledge. Because you fear knowledge for the power it gives people.” They’d been proud of the fact they’d purged the knowledge behind Spirit Gathering, so how could I have expected them to know what to do?

“Power can be corrupted,” he sounded defensive.

“Yes, but how can we fight against that corruption when the bad guy knows more than we do? How can we apply that knowledge for good instead of focusing on how it’s possible to be used for bad?”

He didn’t say anything, but I wasn’t sure if it was because he knew I was right, or because he didn’t want to argue with me.

“You should have sent word to me somehow. You should have trusted that I would have understood what you needed to do instead of letting me think you were taken or killed. I am your father, Della. Does that mean nothing to you?”

He sounded angry. Not that he was shouting or anything, but his words were overly enunciated and his voice was a fraction deeper than it typically was, and threaded through the anger was hurt. I’d hurt him by not trusting him.

“I —” I wanted to defend myself, but no words came. I could say that I didn’t think he would understand, but that was already clear, just as it was clear he was hurt by that. Anything I said to defend myself would just dig the hole I was in a little deeper. So, I said the only thing there was to say. “I’m sorry. It does mean something to me, but I guess I didn’t trust that it meant as much to you. I’m still getting the hang of the whole ‘family’ thing.”

Derek pulled me into a hug and rested his chin against the top of my head. “It means more to me — that you are my daughter — than you will ever know, Della. More than the people I lead, because it was clear from the first time I met you that you are the future of our people. You are our hope and our strength. I wasn’t there for the first eighteen years of your life, but I will make it up to you by putting your needs first for the rest of mine. Trust that I will do that for no other reason than you are my daughter, and I love you.”

His words didn’t make me cry, but only because I swallowed the choked up feeling before allowing myself to succumb to it. We pulled away from each other, and I was struck by how different my life was than I’d imagined it to be just a year ago. The most shocking part wasn’t that I was part of a family full of impossible abilities, or that my father wasn’t even human — it wasn’t that I’d fought, had my life threatened, and had killed in the last year.

The most unbelievable part was that I had found my home, and it wasn’t in the newly restored house that my mother left for me when she died. It was in the people who loved me, and that I loved in return. It was that I had a place in this world, and was valued, and held preciously.

A year ago, that was unimaginable. A year ago, that was an impossibility. A year ago, I was but a whisper of who I was becoming. Maybe that was the biggest difference. Not that I was loved, but how love had transformed me. I wasn’t broken anymore, wasn’t lost, wasn’t frozen to the world. I was on my way to becoming the person I was meant to be.

Journal,

Why doesn’t anyone believe me when I say I
AM
taking my life seriously? So, I like to play around a bit. And yeah, I’m a waitress. But that doesn’t mean I’m irresponsible. I just enjoy life. I like meeting people, and like the chaos of working in the restaurant. Is that really so bad? I don’t want to travel, my mom left me the Deare house and a ton of furniture to go in it, so I don’t need money for that. Dad just told me again that I’m not living up to my potential. He hardly looks at me anymore, and I don’t know why. We were so close when I was little, before mom died. He’s not like this with Connor. I don’t know what I did to make him hate me so much.

Maybe I should go back to school anyway. Anything to take that sad look out of his eyes when he looks at me. I like my life the way it is. I’m happy with who I am.

He just doesn’t understand me. Sometimes it feels like no one does. Hah, would you like some cheese with that whine, Gabs? Ugh, I even annoy myself sometimes. Who cares if he doesn’t understand. I understand, and that’s all that should matter.

*****

I felt the ring on my thumb heat up and looked down to see that it had changed to yellow. Ezra was asking if they could interrupt. It was then that I remembered Ezra, Ian, and Lena were waiting nearby. I saw their silhouettes inside the Jeep parked in my driveway.

I walked over and tapped the glass on the drivers side where Ezra was sitting. I crooked a finger at him, then proceeded up the stairs to my front door. Derek followed me up, but waited by the door while I went inside. He pulled Ezra to the side and asked if they could talk. Once Lena and Ian were all the way in the house, I stood in the doorway, unsure of whether Ezra should be alone for this conversation. He caught my eye and nodded, so I started to shut the door to give the two of them some privacy.

“Della,” my dad said before the door closed all the way.

“What’s up?” I asked, wondering if
he
wanted me to sit in on the conversation.

“You have a guest inside already. Don’t be alarmed.” Then he turned his attention back to Ezra.

It was kinda annoying that he just went and invited people into my home without my knowledge, but it took too much effort to hold onto my indignation, especially when the realization that Ezra was sitting outside talking privately to my father hit. The nerves I felt at the idea had nothing to do with the conversation they were likely having about Kaylus being Ezra’s father, or his Thanatos abilities, but with the fact that my dad was alone with the guy I’d been smooching on.

Then I smiled, because worrying about something so normal made me more happy than it made me nervous.

I went over to my couch and plopped down, throwing my feet onto the old milk cartons that were currently being used as a coffee table. I refused to be concerned with Ian and Lena, or whoever else was lurking in the other part of my house. I just wanted to relax and decompress for a few minutes before something else happened.

“Are you not going to say ‘hello?’” a man’s voice asked from the hallway leading to the bedrooms. I jumped up immediately, but not because I was scared.

“Alexander! What are you doing here?”

“Lord Derek thought it best if I stay here with you until the rest of the Council comes.”

“Why? I mean I’m glad, but why? Don’t you have more important things to do, like help Derek find out what the other Elfennol were saying about my brief disappearance and sudden reappearance?” I blabbered.

He took a few steps forward. “Because I requested it. You must be surrounded by people whose loyalty to you is not questionable. Laurel should also be here soon.”

“Oh.” I didn’t ask why it was so important, because it seemed there was an overabundance of answers to that. I was just thankful he was there, and that he wasn’t being punished somewhere for hiding things from Derek.

I sat back down, and put my feet back up. It occurred to me that I should probably change out of the scrubs I was still wearing, but they were absurdly comfy — like pajamas — so I kept them on and flipped the TV to Food Network.

“Why don’t you guys sit down,” I told the three Ethnos in the room when their silent standing began to unnerve me. They all did, Lena choosing our one armchair, and Ian and Alexander on the couch with me.

“Go on, put your feet up.” I told them all, moving my feet over so there’d be more room on the pillow topped crates. Ian was the only one who did so, while Alexander and Lena stayed upright — I was sure Alexander just wanted to be prepared in the mostly-unlikely possibility that we were attacked. Lena, though, seemed unsettled to be around Derek’s number two guy. She jumped up when the front door opened and Derek and Ezra both walked through.

I thought of the story that Ian had told Ezra and me and realized she was afraid of the Elfennol — and who could blame her? What had happened to her was one of the most appalling things I’d ever heard. But, if we were going to work together she would need to find a way to overcome that fear. I had a feeling a lot of people on both sides would need to find a way to overcome their fear — and their hatred.

Ian and Alexander both stood as well, and I reluctantly joined them. I studied Ezra and Derek’s faces — and both were void of emotion. Ezra’s aura, though, was flickering wildly and I knew he was upset. I hoped it wasn’t because my dad was acting like a jerk.

“Della, we should make a plan for when the rest of the Council comes here.” Something about the way my father said that made a touch of nerves swirl around my belly.

“Here? Alexander said ‘here,’ too. You mean they’ll be going to the base, correct?” I walked around the couch to stand in front of him.

“That was the plan when they were just coming to vote on going to war to get you back. Unfortunately, none of the Clades would be able to attend if we held it on Elfennol grounds. Until a decision is made, it would be a betrayal to bring them to the base.” Derek looked apologetic. “They will not know for sure why the plans have changed, but they will have heard rumors. It is best we hold this meeting on neutral ground. I will discuss with Dux Neale where the best location would be.”

By this time Ian, Alexander, and Lena had all gathered around. It would have been much easier to sit at the dining room table, but that was in another room and it never occurred to me to move.

“What will happen if they don’t agree to work with the Clades to find Kaylus?”

“Don’t worry, Della. They will see reason. And if they don’t, you can be assured that you will have all the support you need. The Leoht are bound to you, my daughter, as Duxa — to say nothing of the loyalty they feel towards you as their Epiklayra.”

I remembered then that my father, when he became the Leoht Council member, had bound his house with the Deare line. We had a direct alliance with each other that stood apart from their loyalty to the rest of the Elfennol. My father was saying that he would exile himself, and his entire house, for me if the rest of the council refused to be logical.

It was a big deal.

The rest of the people in the room were quiet. I don’t know if the Clades had heard about my father binding his house to the Deare line, but they seemed to be at a loss for words so I just assumed they knew.

“That’s comforting.” There was nothing else I could say. If I acted too shocked, or humbled, then he might think I didn’t trust him to stand by me. And since we’d just hashed that whole issue out before coming inside, I wasn’t in the mood to relive it. It had been a little too emotional, and emotional isn’t my thing. Well, it didn’t used to be my thing.

Ezra and I had scooted closer and closer to each other, something I hadn’t even realized we were doing until my shoulder bumped into his arm and our aura’s got all sticky with each other again. I felt the tension in my back ease  I felt his do the same.

“What is this?” Derek looked between us again.

“What is what?” I straightened my back again. He said he knew we were
close
. I didn’t know why I was going to have to explain touching someone I was close to.

“We’ve noticed it every time they’ve been in contact. At the hospital they were able to strengthen each other’s abilities through it,” Lena said, voice strong and without a hint of the fear I’d sensed in her earlier.

Derek looked at Alexander. “Did you know about this?” He didn’t sound angry, just curious.

“Yes, my Lord. It did not occur to me to mention it considering the other things we needed to discuss first. It seemed unimportant.”

“Keep touching.” Derek’s brows furrowed, and Ezra and I looked at each other. Was that what had happened when we were working on Cash together? When we touched while using our abilities it felt like my entire world had been magnified. Where we were both struggling before — me with the Shield and Ezra with Gathering Death — we’d been able to finish our side of things pretty much instantly.

“It’s very interesting. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I wonder if it has happened before. You said their abilities expanded when they were touching?” Derek asked Lena, who just nodded her head.

He looked like a mad scientist, especially once he started to walk around us. “What happens when you stop touching? Show me.”

Ezra and I inched away from each other, but I could feel that our aura’s were still connected, as they always were before we got too far for them to reach. Derek had us inch further and further away until my aura snapped back from his.

“How unusual. How often have you two used your abilities while connected in this way?”

“Only at the hospital when we were assisting in the healing. It was accidental.” Ezra answered for us when I didn’t say anything.

“I’ve Shielded before while we’ve been touching. I’m almost always Shielding though.”

“Hmm,” was all Derek said in response. “I’d really like to talk to the two of you more about this. Until we get the chance to understand what is happening, I’d ask that you refrain from using your more physical abilities while touching. I wonder if we have anything written of this, or if it is a side effect of your human or Ethnos halves. Ezra, with permission, perhaps I will get started on the project we discussed earlier. Sometime after the Council comes, of course. The next several days will be busy with preparations.”

I looked quickly at Ezra, wondering what project he and my father could have discussed and how it pertained to our sticky auras. I held my tongue though, because I knew I’d be able to ask him soon.

“I must leave now, Della. You are going to the hospital first thing in the morning, I assume?” Derek asked.

I nodded my head.

“Would you like me to meet you there? I know this must be difficult.”

“No, that’s okay. I’m sure there are a lot of things you need to do before Etta and Richard get here. When is that, again? I can’t remember if you actually said a day.”

“They should be here in two days.”

“That’s really soon.” Nerves clogged my brain for a second. “Yeah, you just worry about how we’re going to spin this so they don’t bury their heads in the sand. Let me know if you need anything from me.”

“No, your place is by your cousin until he is well again. I wish the council meeting could be pushed back, but Kaylus is likely becoming more desperate by the minute, since he’s been rousted out from his hiding place. Which means he is also more dangerous. Immediate action is necessary.” He sounded regretful that there was something else going on in my life that would take me away from other things that were important to me. But I was fine with it. I wanted to be there for Cash, but I also wanted to make sure this world wasn’t destroyed by an army of
Nothing
, so he would actually be able to have a life.

“I wish I’d gotten the hang of talking through the gems! But I guess if Alexander is staying he can relay any messages between us?” There had been so much to learn during my time with the Elfennol, and I’d put that at the bottom of the list. Not that I regretted that decision. My time with them had many hours of combat training with my body and abilities. Those things were more likely to save my life in a fight, and that’s what I was most concerned about, considering how many times I found myself in one.

“I am staying, Della.”

We said goodbye to my father, and I made the other Ethnos in the room take a seat,while Iwent to go make some popcorn for a lack of anything better to do. It was still early, the sun had barely set, and I had nothing to really do until the following morning.

“Are you two staying, as well?” I asked Ian and Lena, handing them each a tupperware container full of popcorn.

“Yes, if you do not mind. With Kaylus out there, I think it best that we stay close to you,” Lena said, while Ian was slack jawed watching Alton Brown replace a chef’s fresh fruit with a jar full of candy. I wondered how often he’d been among humans, and if he’d ever seen a television before.

I really missed TV during my months with the Elfennol.

I scooched on the sofa between Ezra and Alexander, shoved a few kernels in my mouth, then fell asleep so suddenly, I wasn’t even sure I’d swallowed my bite or if it had fallen out and onto Ezra’s shirt.