The Legacy of Kilkenny (21 page)

“I
dunno
Abe, your friend Pru always looks at me like I’m retarded or something.
 
You said they’ll want to eat, who else are you bringing?”
 
Her voice sounding like she quit crying.

“I was thinking Oakley would probably want to come.
 
Why don’t you bring your friend, what’s his name?”
 
I keep staring at my laptop monitor with the ‘vampire’ definition by Wikipedia pulled up.

“Oh, yeah we got to
talkin
’ about his car and I forgot to tell you how yummy he is.
 
His name is Arien and I can’t pronounce his last name, something like Bitch knee.”
 
She giggled when she said his name.

“Did you just say his last name is Bitch Knee?
 
What kind of name is that?”
 
I grab some paper and pen to write down his name so I can tell Pru about our conversation.

“It is something like that.
 
I’m not sure how you say it, but his accent is so thick, sometimes I can’t understand what he is saying.
 
It doesn’t matter… anyway, he is so beautiful I don’t care what his last name is.
 
You should see his eyes, oh I just love his eyes! They are almost mesmerizing when he is looking at me.
 
I think he likes me, I’m not sure but he seems to be into me.”
 
Her words were coming faster and faster.
 
“Mom will totally freak out when she meets him.
 
He wants to take me on a weekend trip to New Orleans, he said he has some family there and we’ll go out and party like I’ve never partied before.”

“What?
 
You’re not really considering going out of town with a guy you just met are you?
 
Before you answer that, I want to meet him.
 
We’ll be there by 7.
 
So, where do you want to eat?
 
I’m craving Olive Garden, I’ll meet you there?”
 
I start pacing back and forth on the phone with her, I have to talk to Pru and Oak soon, they will def want to see Allie.

“Okay, I’ll meet you there, but you better be on good behavior.
 
I don’t need another dad, I have one, so I don’t want you grilling him to death.
 
I have to see if he even wants to go out tonight.
 
I need to nap so, even if he doesn’t go, I’ll meet you at OG.
 
I love you and
don’t
tell mom about him.
 
Promise?”

“Promise.”
 
I might not tell mom but the Pack will definitely want to know about him.

I started thinking about it and was wondering if I should even take them with me.
 
It may be easier to go talk to her and check him out alone.
 
Not having a bunch of wolves up my butt will be a nice change.
 
Ditching them was more the issue.
 
I sent a text to Pru.
 
“I’m going to go out 4 a while, I will c u at
schl
2mrrw” Text messages are so impersonal but I didn’t want to talk to her, she would know I’m lying.

PRU

Josie and I were going through my dream journals trying to find any link to vampires. I didn’t think I’d dreamt of any soul-sucking, life-snatching, blood fanatics.
 
We went back as far as two years and only found one recurring dream that could remotely be affiliated with a vamp clan.
 
I’d had several dreams about Mardi Gras and the man with the eyes.
 
I
do
remember his eyes, they were so golden not in a yellow way, more hazel.
 
The man was always in a black designer suit with a heavily-starched white shirt.
 
Because I was having a hard time recalling the dream in detail, Josie suggested we cast a circle and meditate together to see if I could pull some of the memory to the surface.
 
We gathered her crystals, candles, incense, and my mom.
 
Although shifters don’t typically practice witchcraft, we aren’t opposed to its use.
 
All of us were so in touch with the earth, we thrived off of it.
 

We went into the basement and folded up the cushioned pads off of the floor so we could set up shop.
 
Although our circle is imaginary it is still as powerful as a drawn one…we visualize it on the ground, we place a candle and quartz crystal in four points, each to represent the four elements: earth, wind, fire, and water.
 

“We are casting a circle; those that enter the Circle will enter with complete love and utmost trust.” Josie announced.

I light the candle that represents the East and say:

“
To the East, I call unto you,

Powers of wisdom brought forth by Air,

I ask that you watch over us within our circle

Let all that enter do so in complete love and utmost trust.

I bow my head holding the candle straight in front of me and set it down on the ground.

My mom lit a candle and said:

“To the South, I call unto you

The power of will brought forth by Fire,

I ask that you watch over us within our circle

Let all that enter do so in complete love and utmost trust.

She bowed her head holding the candle out in front of her and set it on the ground.

I took my place at the next corner.

“To the West, I call to you

Power of emotion guided by Water,

I ask that you watch over us within our circle

Let all that enter do so in complete love and utmost trust.

I bowed my head, holding the candle straight out in front of me then placed it on the ground.

Josie lights the final candle and says:

“
I call unto the North

The power of strength, guided by Mother Earth

I ask that you watch over us within our circle

Let all that enter do so in complete love and utmost trust.

The Circle has been cast.
 
Prudence how do you enter?”

“I enter with complete love and utmost trust,”
 
I say.

Josie nods her head and I take one step forward stepping over the imaginary circle.

“Dolly, How do you enter?”
 
Josie says to my mom.

“I enter with complete love and utmost trust.”
 

Josie nodded and my mom stepped over the circle and the three of us held hands while Josie said a silent prayer.
 
I never bothered asking her who she was praying to, I figured if she wanted me to know, she would say it so a wolf can hear it.
 
Once she is finished praying she tells us to focus on the journal entries and
wills
my guidance to see the truth.
 
We stood there for what seemed a lifetime and my arms were tired from holding their hands.
 
All of the sudden Josie collapses to the floor.

“What’s wrong!
 
Wake up Josie!
 
Mom, do something!” I dropped to the floor trying to feel for a pulse, none.
 
“She doesn’t have a pulse!
 
Oakley!
 
Call 9 1
1
.
 
I’m going to start CPR!”
 

I couldn’t believe what was happening. We all took CPR training from the Red Cross in order to be able to help anyone that may have heart failure, but I never expected I’d really have to use it.
 
Our instincts had kicked in, leaving little to guess work.
 
My mom was most beautiful when she was under pressure, the concentration on her face and her ability to know exactly what to do made her an amazing second-in-command.

“Mom, where is the
athame
?
 
We have to cut the circle before anyone comes in here.”

As quickly as Josie had collapsed, she opened her eyes and sat up.

“Abel.
 
He must be guided, he is on the wrong path.
 
Pru, you have to be careful, the Pack has never been up against such power.
 
Dolly, oh my beautiful sweet Dolly.
 
I’m so sorry.
 
Hand me the
atheme
.”
 
She held her hand out to my mom.

My mom put her hand on Josie’s shoulder and another hand out to help her stand.
 
“What did you see?” Her face was covered in terror. Mom held fast to her command but Josie continued to evade the question.

“I can’t, it’s against the rules.
 
I have to go.
 
I love you both.
 
Pru, sometimes what looks like the right way, is wrong, keep that in mind.
 
Dolly, you’re my friend; remember
that
no matter what happens.
 
I have to go.
 
Pru, you know how to reach me.”
 
She leaned over and cut the imaginary line and ran out the door.

Oakley was coming in the gym, “Whoa, what’s the hurry
Jos
?
 
Wait up!” He ran after her.

My heart was shattering in a million pieces. I couldn’t help but feel unexplained dread.
 
Watching Oakley run out the door chasing after her was killing me slowly.
 
I ran up to my room to forget the look on his face when he saw her running away.

I sat on my bedroom floor
criss
-cross applesauce, rocking back and forth.
 
I kept asking over and over:
 
what have I done wrong, both with Abel and Oak
.
 
Maybe it’d be better if I
did
get involved with Abel, maybe if I just get involved with him I’d be able to save him from making mistakes.
 
Maybe I could get Oakley to realize what he is giving up, I could be the next Alpha’s mate.
 
Ew
, I forgot, I’d have to mate with Abel.
 

I grabbed some paper out of my printer and started making a list of all of the reasons to be with Abel and not to be with him, number one on that list
Oakley
.
 

I could smell my mom at my door.
 
“Come in mom.” I said before she had a chance to knock.

“That was a little intense huh?
 
Have you figured out what she meant?”
 
Mom asked as she crossed the room pulling back my curtain and looking out the window.

 
“Yeah, it was intense.
 
You’re the mom! You’re supposed to know what that was about.”
 
I leaned back against the wall, thinking how a
normal
life would be so much easier.
 
“Did you call 9 1
1
back?”

“I did, but an officer came anyway to check in with us to make sure everything was okay.
 
He just left; it was that Officer Griffith, the one Parker had issues with last year.”

“Who didn’t have issues with Parker?
 
Have you even heard from him?”
 
I brushed the hair off of her face and tucked it behind her ear, again thinking about how beautiful she is.

“No, I haven’t but your dad got a message from him letting him know he didn’t go rogue and he’ll be back.”

“Whatever.
 
You know as well as I do he’s just trying to keep from being hunted.
 
I don’t trust him.
 
Did you know he was going to Abe’s every night?”
 
I lit some incense to help clear my head.

She let go of the curtain letting it fall back into place.
 
“Pru, I don’t know what’s going on with Parker but he’s one of our best, and if he says he’s okay and hasn’t gone rogue, I
have
to believe him.
 
If I don’t believe my Pack members, who
do
I trust?
 
Listen Prudence, I
know
how you feel about Oakley and I know that is why you’re in here sulking, but you can’t
force
it with him.
 
If you’re meant to be together it will happen.
 
We don’t want to see you hurt, trust the
life path
, I do.”