Trinity - Defying Destiny (15 page)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

We had stayed by the fire all night. Garth had spoken more about his time with my mother. I could hear the sadness in his voice and the joy. He spoke of her so lovingly and proud, even though he was not happy with the outcome. Jason had moved closer to me, putting his arm around my body for comfort and closeness. I wasn’t upset in any way. I never knew her, but I mourned what we could have had. Through Garth’s stories, I found him to actually be very comical with a funny sense of humour. It was a side I had not yet been given the opportunity to see, not that I have had much time to really get to know him. He came across as stone cold in his manner and very serious; yet, hearing his booming laugh from across the fire, let me know that he was perhaps just as much like me as I ever thought.

I had fallen asleep in Jason’s arms and didn’t awake to my own screams again. I did dream of those dead eyes, but I fought back. Telling them it was their own fault, they gave me no choice and that they had intended on either killing or capturing me anyways. It was as Garth had described, either me or them.

We awoke to the smell of rabbits cooking over the fire and three blood bags set beside me. I downed two in one sitting and drank the last after we ate. The place had been so beautiful and surreal. I had told Jason and Garth I would like to come back one day when everything was as back to normal as it could be and just take in the scenery and the power that I still felt vibrating through the ground.

We ran the rest of the way back and had made it to the hotel before sundown. I told Nikkee and Sky what had happened. Small slow flowing tears running down my face, but I was more in control with it all. They hugged me and made me feel their loving embraces until I felt I had had enough. I was waiting for an, ‘I told you so,’ from Lachlan, but it didn’t seem to come or at least not yet.

Vex called the airport, secured a flight for us in the morning, and then we were off flying back to Brisbane. Lachlan managed to secure more blood and bring it aboard our flight. Customs seemed ok with it and I figured out why. One of them was a vampire, which worked in our favour, and I think more so in mine.

I felt good the whole way home and chatted between everyone like it was a normal day, which it was if you took away the impending death of our friends and everyone finding out that monsters exist.

Mr. and Mrs. Jane were happy to greet us all. I looked around at the odd mix that stood in their living room. Vex and Garth on alert, taking in every detail. Lachlan and Nikkee were looking back and forth from her parents to Jason. Sky smirking along with me and Jason his usual self, quite sexy and drool worthy.

We went out the back to Nikkee and my house while Sky stayed with Mrs. Jane to help with dinner. It was going to house everyone, well nearly everyone.

“I will be back later, but I may miss dinner,” Jason said to me near the front door.

I eyed him with slight suspicion, wondering what could be so urgent the he might not spend dinner with his parents.  The parents who had been going out of their mind with worry. We had been gone a week and a half. I had apologized to Nikkee for worrying them so much, but she had said that Garth had kept in contact via a satellite phone. I didn’t even realise he had one.

“Ok,” was all I said, he didn’t need my permission or anything and I needed to put my insecurities aside.

He gave me a lopsided smile; his eyes sparkled and started to grow greener the longer he looked at me.

He sighed, bent his head down, touching his lips to mine briefly, letting go of my hand, and walking off towards the back gate that lead to the front.

I stood there, waited until I heard the roar of his car, and then the noise drifted off into the distance. I smiled down at my feet. I felt like my whole body was going to burst when I was around him and I felt as though I had been holding my breath for over a week having him so close to me because I was afraid I would combust. Now I felt like a giddy schoolgirl that wanted to grin so big for hours, jump up and down on my tiptoes, and do a small dance. At first I thought it was all the blood that I had drunk that was making me feel that way, but I knew as I looked upon Jason’s sexy green eyes that he was a drug I was addicted to.

I flopped down on the couch next to Nikkee.

“Where’s Jason?” she asked.

I put my feet up on the coffee table to slouch back only to take them back off as Lachlan came over to set the drinks down.

“I don’t know, he just said he had something to do,” I said as a matter of fact.

She raised an eyebrow, “What does he need to do?”

“I have no idea,” I said with a shrug.

I reached out and grabbed the glass filled with tomato juice. I took a long sip and my eyes brightened at once.

“What’s this drink?” I asked Lachlan who had sat down across from us on the other sofa.

“A Bloody Mary, literally,” he smirked.

I took another sip along with Nikkee. I could now taste the blood, tomato juice and a hint of vodka.

“Where do you think the name came from?” he was laughing hysterically.

“Did Mary make these for you back in the day?” I asked with sarcasm.

“One of many,” he winked.

I turned to Nikkee smirking, but she was still drinking and didn’t stop until she emptied it.

“Hmmm,” came Lachlan’s voice while he looked at Nikkee.

“What?” she asked.

“I think you need a new way to feed,” he said.

I hadn’t finished my first glass and decided I had better catch up if I didn’t want to have Nikkee be the only drunk one.

I picked my drink back up with more interest knowing it had blood in there.

“You and Nikkee have a different smell to ours,” he said out of nowhere when he brought another round over.

A frown came across my forehead, “I am not sure I follow, Nikkee doesn’t smell different to me,” not meaning to but I automatically leaned closer and sniffed, eyes blazing as I closed them to take in her scent.

“Ah,” I said. It was there, but I had not noticed.

It’s not as if the smell was bad, it was just a smell. The wolves had what some might say was a clean puppy smell, but it was so faint, and mixed with aftershave that made it actually appealing. Like Jason’s.

I grinned wide and then blushed as I realized everyone was watching me.

“Really? A puppy?” Garth said with a twisted look.

“Stop that,” I said with a smirk adding, “Well, I can see what you mean, perhaps I never noticed because we were always together as a group.”

“It’s possible,” Garth said still grinning.

“Sooooo. She could be just like me then?” I asked.

“I don’t think so Trinity. You see, you only came into full power once your wolf came and you realized you were already who you were. Nikkee,” Lachlan gestured a hand towards her, “but you bit her and then fed her your blood. That is what a vampire would do. So I am guessing if you had just bit her and not fed her your blood she may have been a werewolf. I don’t see her eyes ablaze ready to evaporate anyone in her path like yours do, so I don’t think she will be exactly like you but she carries the same scent” he told us.

My hand went up to my eyes, “What? Do they look that bad?” I asked feeling self-conscious.

A hand touched my leg and I knew it was Nikkee’s. “They are freaky as hell Trinity, but awesome at the same time. Your eyes have always kind of been like that thinking back,” she held up a hand to stop my protest. “Not like they are now of course, but when you were either really excited or scared they just always seemed to be deeper or brighter than normal. It’s just now they seem like a torch and only the mood you are already in lets us know whether it’s bad or good,” she finished smiling.

“Are they that bad?” I asked sheepishly.

“No,” Nikkee said with a warm smile, then added, “but, if I were on the wrong side of you then I would be crapping myself. Like Chelsi,” she finished smirking.

“Speaking of, where is Chelsi?” I asked.

“Don’t know. Mum and dad said they didn’t see her leave,” Nikkee told me.

I sat back in my chair and tried not to think about it. Nerves and suspicion ran through me. Was that where Jason had gone?

I snuck a sideways look to Nikkee who seemed to realize that same question running through my mind.

Garth, Vex and Lachlan started talking among themselves. While I couldn’t shake the sick feeling in my stomach, I tried to push it aside. I trusted Jason. He has shown me nothing but kindness, lust and reassurance that it was only me that he wants.

I didn’t like feeling unreasonable and questioning that he might be going to see her. If he was, why was I so concerned? My slight insecurities had me thinking that he perhaps did still deep down have feelings for her even though his own for me were strong. They had history and we didn’t, or did we? Perhaps they were just friends even though Chelsi wanted it to be more, maybe Jason was genuinely deep down just caring for someone he had created to save her life. I couldn’t begrudge him that, as I was willing to risk my own life to save Steven and Ally, even though I had not known them long.

“If Jason turned Chelsi, why is she not an Alpha?” I asked.

I gave myself away by asking, they all knew what was on my mind even if they were blocked.

“She was,” Garth answered.

“Was?” I pressed.

“She challenged Jason when… well anyways, she lost. She tried to form her own clan but was overthrown before it really began. Some people are born leaders some aren’t. Jason has never lost a battle and I don’t think he will.”

I wanted to ask what he was going to say after “when” but something else jumped in my head.

I stood up abruptly, “I am going to try and speak with Carra,” as I announced this all eyes went straight to me again. “I should have done it sooner. We need help and sitting around like this is not doing much,” I muttered with a slight angry tone. I knew it wasn’t them I was angry at. It was more at myself. I shouldn’t have taken so long to speak with her and with Chesli’s name fresh on my mind, I couldn’t help but still feel annoyed that she even attempted to challenge Jason.

I walked off down the hall feeling all eyes on me when Nikkee called out, “What about dinner?”

I stopped, speaking with my back to them as I didn’t want them to see my eyes ablaze, “I will come if I am finished in time,” with that, I kept walking towards my room.

I closed the door softly when I really wanted to slam it. So much weight was sitting on my shoulders and I didn’t know how to shift it. I really hoped Carra would be able to help.

Chapter Thirty

I closed my eyes and clasped my hands around the necklace charm. I thought only of the beautiful woman in a light white and blue gown, with the same eyes as my own, blond hair, soft lines and edges upon her smooth face. Her look always made me feel safe and loved, her eyes had sheer love radiating out of them every time she looked upon me. There was nothing mean or sinister in her looks or gaze, but when she looked at me with pride I always felt as though that would be the same look my own mother would show me.

Again, I found myself in the forest of Paro, which I now knew to be where I was, only this time in a different spot. I looked up to Wisdom Rock until my eyes reached the sky, then I looked back down and upon the beauty of Carra.

She smiled at me and gestured a hand towards the ground for us to sit. Clearly, she knew this would be a long conversation.

I sat on the ground and crossed my legs, picking up a twig I started snapping it into small pieces.

Carra let out a half laugh as if I amused her and I looked up to her grinning face.

“Your father used to do that all the time,” she said still smiling.

“He still does,” I told her thinking back to when we were sitting on the ground together, snapping them into small pieces in silence.

“It’s kind of soothing,” I added. “It helps me sort through the questions and thoughts in my head.”

“He used to tell me the same thing.”

I smiled at her.

“I seem to be more like him than I thought. When I first learned the news that he was my father, I couldn’t see it. Every idea I had of him was not good. In fact, I hated him,” I confessed.

“What for, child?” she asked as a small frown creased her forehead.

I looked back down and picked up another twig. “Well, turning Jason for one. Then I couldn’t help shake the feeling that he did not protect my mother like he promised he would. Also for leaving me in that place to live with that cow and never letting me know I was not alone,” I finished, feeling relief getting it off my chest.

“Hmm. I see. And what about now?” she asked in a kind voice.

“I don’t know all of it, but I don’t blame him so much for my mother’s death. If I am like her, stubbornness runs in the family and if I had my mind set on being changed to stay with Jason forever, I guess I would do the same.” I sucked in another breath and continued, “I don’t quite understand his logic in leaving me, to protect me, I mean that didn’t work out too well; but, I am not a parent to understand these things. As for Jason, that still rather bothers me, but I no longer hate him for it. I am slowly getting to know him and I am enjoying it. It’s just painful knowing the entire world could, well you know,” I finished and looked up to her caring face.

“I do. I often wonder why I could not see the destruction of my own family, until it was too late,” her face turned sad as she thought back. “It is why I let my fate come. The pain of losing something so dear to me was too much to bear,” she finished with a tear rolling down her face and then added, “Had I known this was my fate,” she spread her hands out, ”I would have maybe changed it. Here I sit and wait, watching things unfold that I could have possibly prevented.”

I just looked at her. I could see the anguish in her eyes. No peace, no rest, but constantly watching those she loves suffer and die.

“It is perhaps my own hell that I live in. Yet I find solace and love here as well. I met my bloodline and I hold them against my bosom to catch their tears, but they never stay or come and go as you do,” she said giving me a small smile.

“Why is that?” I asked.

She made a small movement of her head like a shrug. “Could be that you are so much more than the others. The magic that radiates out of you reminds me very much of Sherra,” she paused as if searching for words, “You see magic is not a thing, nor is it a power as such, it’s an energy that one exhibits; if they know about it and embrace it then it turns into power. Over many years, it has been distorted and changed like those tales of vampires and werewolves. Some with too much power can let it overwhelm them. Those with good intentions and those who hold the candle of humanity close to their heart can do well. I think you have more magic than you think or know. You have already used it, have you not?” she asked.

I thought of the base of Wisdom Rock where I had unintentionally set a protection barrier or apparently it had been intentional. “That was an accident. I only did it to merely calm myself to be able to sleep,” I pointed out.

“Is not all magic a pure accident to start with? Do you think Sherra could just use hers from the moment she was born? Energy needs to be felt, learned and tamed. Did you not feel it at the throne of old bones?” she asked one eyebrow rising. She already knew the answer.

“Yes, it was like electricity running through me,” I confessed.

She gave a slight nod appraising my knowledge. “Your blood line was held together and bound by the magic seed Sherra infused. Times have all been different, but all my beloved children have in some way held that energy within them. Some too scared to acknowledge it, especially when witches were being burned at the stake or hung. Others just thought they were going mad. A few have embraced it, but did not push it further. You, however, will need to learn all you can to survive, Trinity,” she said with a hint of sadness finishing.

I shook my head, I was getting side-tracked. “Your journal, it was not here,” I pointed out.

She looked up to the rock and then smiled down upon me, “I know.”

I frowned, “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t tell you to look here, I told you to go back to where it all began,” she said not losing her soft tone.

I frowned harder concentrating on snapping the stick into bigger pieces, “What? The forest that Marie took me to?”

She gave a nod, but then held up a hand, “It was there. It has since been taken.”

“Where?” I asked, feeling impatient.

She smiled saying, “Not far, you need to go back to the club. Take Sab, he will help guide the way from there.”

I started to feel angry. “Why then, did you lead me here?” I motioned my hands to Wisdom Rock. “I felt that I had to come alone, make the journey without aid, as a result, I killed someone again and have wasted time in doing so,” my cheeks were starting to feel warm as the heat from my anger spread up.

“You did need to make this journey alone. I know what you had to go through was unkind, but it was something to prepare you also. The dangers are more upon the surface and you now have a clear vision of the enemy you face. Also, you were able to bond in privacy.”

“So all this was to teach me a lesson?” I asked sarcastically.

“Are not all things a lesson?” she asked just smiling.

“Why didn’t you warn me?” I asked quietly.

“In truth child, I did not know of the outcome until it presented itself. Like with the others, I only know when I am shown. I only knew that it was a battle you had to someday face. You will have many souls on your conscience. Some bad, some not your fault, but you will, as you are, will always feel the responsibility for it,” she told me.

“Can I change things?” I asked.

“No, and yes. It will be up to you how you define your own destiny, but be warned, your heart will burn with every decision you choose to defy.”