Immortal Prophecy (The Immortal Prophecy Saga) (20 page)

Adele couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. “Is it that shocking to discover I was young once too and had a soulmate like you do?”

“No it’s not that,” she paused not wanting to say the wrong thing. “I guess I just assumed that you hadn’t found yours or that grandpa was your soulmate.”

“Ally I loved your grandpa very much. He was a wonderful man, husband and father. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to share my life with but…he wasn’t Damian.”

“I suppose no-one could have been compared to that. If it is anything like the pull I feel for James and you weren’t fighting it. You embraced it.” Ally had a small understanding of how much pain it would have caused her Gran to lose her beloved soulmate, Damian. Her heart broke for her. “Oh gran, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s ok darling. What’s done is done but, as you can see the pain never left me.”

“When did this happen?” Ally asked wanting to know more about her grandmother’s past.

“It was about fifty years ago,” she said waiting for Alessandra to do the math.

“But mum was…” the truth hit her like a train. “Mum, she wasn’t…she was Damian’s daughter?”

Adele smiled softly to herself. “Yes she was.”

“Did he know?” Ally asked still shocked from the revelation. It wasn’t just her beloved deceased mother that would have been affected by this but her as well. Her grandfather wasn’t Jonathon. Damian was her Grandfather. That meant she was now destined to be with her late Grandfather’s brother.

Her face twisted in horror, she knew that it wasn’t as if James looked like an old man but in the human way of things that was a bit out there.

Adele caught her granddaughter’s horrified look and giggled a little. Thinking that your Grandfathers brother was the love of your life no matter what age he appeared to be would have been quite a shock to the system for her. “It’s not as twisted as your mind is making it. James is not Damian’s brother by blood.”

“What? How?” Ally answered shocked by newest the revelation.

Adele began to relate the story from long ago. “When James was young, he was taken in by Damian’s parents and they loved him as their own, so much that they gave him their name. The Carlisle name is a strong ancient bloodline in the immortals. Everyone looked to them for guidance and direction. As a people, we have never had an official ruler among us. There hadn’t been a need for it but if there had been the Carlisle’s would have ruled.”

Wanting more information Ally pressed her Gran forward. “What happened to his parents?”

Adele shrugged, “Nobody really knows. He was but a babe when they found him abandoned on their land with nothing but the blanket he was wrapped in and the basket that carried him containing a prophecy.”

“What prophecy?” Ally asked with a suspicion that it was her prophecy. Really how many would there be, she thought to herself.

Knowing that James had never known his parents made her think about her own parents. Even though she had been unfortunate enough to lose hers when she was young, Ally had at least been old enough to remember them and know without a doubt that they loved her. James didn’t even have that.

Adele smiled knowingly, “Your prophecy sweetie. There was a note written on the back of it that James was destined to be the prophecy girl’s soulmate. That’s how we knew that you two were destined.”

Ally felt a cold shiver run through her body, involuntarily, upon hearing that statement. There was so much that she didn’t know about James and she was beginning to think that this was only the beginning. Something then occurred to her that for some reason she had never thought to ask before, “How did you know I was the prophecy girl?”

“The eclipsed moon birthmark on your lower back and the circumstances under which you were born.”

Ally nodded, still running the thought over in her mind, while considering the information before her. It appeared that everyone was right. She really was the prophecy girl and James, it seemed, had known his destiny had been with her his whole life.

“Ally, stop analysing. It is what it is,” Adele said, as she placed her hand lovingly on Ally’s. “You asked if Jonathon knew. He did know I was with child when I met him and he loved Vivian as if she were his own. He loved you too sweetheart.”

“Did mum know?” Ally asked, suddenly concerned how her mum would have taken the news if she was still alive or if she had already found out before she passed away.

“She worked it out as she got older and she was told about the immortals. Vivian was a full immortal and knowing Jonathon wasn’t, she put it together.”

Ally was shocked, “Wow, she was ok with it all?”

“At first no, but she understood that Jonathon knew and that he loved her regardless of who her father was.”

Ally rested her head in her hands and absorbed the knowledge she had been given. Then the thought hit her. Why had she been given this information in dreams and who was the one sending it to her?

“You mentioned before I fell asleep, the land and the past immortals wanting to speak to me and listen…well I did and this is what I get a dream about the past battle,” she stopped to put it together. “So why this? What does this mean that relates to me? James already knows about the vampires drinking immortal blood. He knows his brother was…well anyway you know all this so why send it to me?”

“The ancient immortals don’t do anything lightly. There is a reason for it, the reason might just remain elusive for a while. You don’t really get fast answers from them,” Adele laughed.

“Are these ancients still living?” Ally asked.

“No, they have all decided to move on to the next plane for one reason or another but their power lies in the earth still, and they are aware of what goes on here. They knew this day was coming so they have waited and watched for you and now the messages begin.”

“Well not begin exactly,” Ally said shyly. She had never told anyone about her dreams before they hadn’t seemed important at the time but maybe they were after all.

Chapter Fifteen

A
DELE COCKED HER HEAD TO THE
side, “What do you mean well not exactly?”

Ally looked down at her feet as if she was five and had done something naughty. The image made Adele smile. “Alessandra…”

Ally had the feeling that she had done something wrong by not telling Adele about the dreams but they hadn’t seemed all that important at the time.

“I have been having dreams for a while but it was nothing spectacular like this one. It was just about this place, the country, the wilderness and the untamed beauty, almost like some lonely planet documentary to be honest, but I woke up and knew that this place was my home, my destiny and my love. I feel a love for this land like it is a piece of me. I just had no idea that it was Scotland or that it was messages being sent to me,” Ally said with a shrug.

Adele smiled at her. “You weren’t to know sweetie. Have you told James any of this yet?”

“No I was on my way to find him when I saw you,” Ally said thinking about James again as an abandoned baby. How could someone do that, at least leave him at a doorstep she thought. What if no one had found him what would have become of him, her and the prophecy?

She sighed and leaned back into the couch. No matter what she did, thoughts of James would not leave her alone. She couldn’t escape him.

Ally looked over to her grandmother and asked, “Has he always been this way?”

“What way?” Adele asked with a slight hint of confusion on her face.

“He knows what he wants and won’t let anything stand in the way. It’s irritating because it directed at me and I’m so unsure of everything at the moment but I can’t help but admire and respect him for it. I wish I could be a bit more like that.”

“Alessandra, my dear girl, you have far too little faith in yourself and you clearly don’t see what others see.” She lovingly looked at her, “You have a will of iron just as strong as James’s. And you will have to forgive me when I say that I will very much enjoy watching this unfold.” Her laugh could light up the darkest mood. It had magical quality to it.

“You’re lucky I love you gran or else I might have to box your ears for that comment.”

Adele laughed even harder, “Oh my dear let an old woman have her fun.”

Ally rolled her eyes and said, “That’s another about thing James, he is gorgeous, and there is no denying that. It’s so intimidating. What could he want with me? He could have any woman anywhere.”

Adele smiled knowingly. “Oh Ally! He only seems that way because he is an immortal. It’s an advantage we have over the rest of the population. When you are an immortal you aren’t human and you have that unearthly beauty. You will understand when you have the conversion and you become a full immortal.”

“Conversion?” Ally had heard that word thrown about a few times but no one had actually explained to her what it was or how it happened as yet.

“That’s a story for another day but it’s nothing to worry about.” Adele continued before Ally could interrupt. “Now why don’t you go see that handsome devil and tell him about the dream I think he would be very interested to hear about it.”

“Yeah,” Ally replied lost in her own thoughts about this ‘conversion’ business. She wandered out of the lounge and off to find James, thinking the study would be the best place to start.

Walking through the mansion to find him she couldn’t help but revel in the beauty of this house. On any other house the neutral might seem bland but this house burned with emotion and love. She could feel it calling to her.

“Is there anything in this country that doesn’t call to me?” she laughed softly to herself.

Sophie came walking towards her. “Hello Alessandra. Are you feeling better?”

“Oh hi Sophie, please call me Ally and yes I am thank you.” She hesitated then asked if she knew where James was to be found. It was going to quicker than searching the house top to bottom.

“Yes he is in his study. Go up the stairs, to the first level, then just down the hall to the door on the left.”

“Thank you Sophie.”

“My pleasure,” Sophie hesitated a moment. “One word of advice if I may? Don’t let him bully you. He is just far to use to getting his own way.” It was said with a mothers love and Ally didn’t fight the giggle that escaped, agreeing that she wouldn’t let him bully her.

Sophie seemed reassured that James wouldn’t be able to throw his weight around with Ally and continued on to where she was going.

Ally went up one flight of stairs then headed down the hall and stopped outside the door on her left. Her hand reached for the handle but she stopped.

Inside, James had been pulled out of his thoughts as something had disturbed him. It took a minute to locate the source, he realised it was Ally standing outside the door hesitating. James would know her energy anywhere. Debating for a moment whether to tell her to come in or not, he decided she had to do this on her own. Coming to find him of her own free will was a step in the right direction.

James knew she felt the connection running between them. Her actions and even her words said she did but she was fighting it with all she had. He could understand she was terrified of what she felt, so he would try to be patient with her but it was very hard for him. James needed her in every way like he needed the air he breathed. She was a part of him and he was a part of her.

He respected Ally for the strength she was showing even though it was interfering with his well laid plans.

Getting up from his chair in front of the fire and grabbing his glass, James strode over to the sideboard where he helped himself to another whisky from the decanter whilst anxiously waiting for her to make the decision.

James could sense her internal debating; it was bouncing of her in waves.

Finally, he heard a knock on the door.

“Come in,” he said trying not letting her know that he had been aware of her presence.

“Hi James,” she said as she slipped inside the door and closed it behind her.

James noted the closed door but said nothing. What was she here for? Not that he minded but he was intrigued.

“Hello Alessandra. How are you feeling?”

Ally was touched by the amount of genuine concern that she heard in his voice and that she could see in his eyes. “Better thank you.”

“Glad to hear it.” He smiled at her and she almost melted on the spot.

“I had a dream and I wanted to talk to you about it.”

James raised an eyebrow in question. “What kind of dream? I don’t suppose I was in it.”

Her eyes rolled involuntarily. “You were in it but not the way you are hoping.”

He gave a carefree laugh, “How terribly disappointing.”

“James!” she almost walked out in frustration.

“My apologies, tell me about your dream,” He said as he was raising the glass to his lips.

“It was about Damian,” she stated.

His glass stopped just before it reached his lips.

Ally had definitely caught his attention then.

He sat there looking at her like she had two heads. What was it about this Damian guy that seemed to get such a reaction she wondered? James appeared to be shocked into silence, something that she didn’t think would ever have been possible, so she decided to take advantage and continued, “Gran had much the same reaction as you. She told me he was your brother.”