Empath (Book 1 of the Empath Trilogy) (9 page)

Henry strode inside to stand in front of the large window at the front of the room.  James stood a few feet to his left, nearest the door.  The Andrews resumed their previous positions on the loveseats.  Not certain what to do, I hovered next to Stephen’s end of the loveseat, putting as much distance as politely possible between myself and the vampires.  It didn’t matter that Henry was just a librarian.  He didn’t look like one right now, I didn’t know if he would ever look like
just
anything again. 

Henry looked at each member of the family, nodding slightly at them individually.  Lastly, he looked briefly at me and nodded deliberately, almost a bow.  Not knowing what to do, I bobbed my head back, still holding his chocolate eyes with mine.

Troy spoke first.  “Claire has come tonight to visit with our family.  I am sure she is finding her visit enormously educational.  Isn’t that right, Claire?  You can speak freely in front of her.”  He looked at me then, “Yes?”

Again, my assent was silent, eyes drifting between Henry and Troy, relieved when no one mentioned my “gift.”

“As you know, James has certain,” he paused, “connections in the area.  This evening, one of these connections has come to him with some news.  The rumors of another coven moving into our territory are true.  They are believed to be former military and of a most violent disposition.”  Henry paused and looked at Stephen.  “We are uncertain of their intentions; we merely know they are coming to this area and have been rather flamboyant with their hunting in the past.”

Hunting; was that what they called it when they killed people?  I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.  It was hard to picture Henry or this handsome James sucking the life out of some poor human.  Someone like me, I thought.  I felt sick and my eyes went to the floor.

“Claire, why don’t you sit down?”  Henry was looking at me. 

Stephen twisted his neck back to where I was standing.  “Claire you look a little green.”  He was worried.

It took a couple of swallows and I licked my lips to speak.  It didn’t work.  I just shook my head and stumbled over to sit next to Stephen on the arm of the couch.

Henry continued, “We prefer not to have any issues in this area that might bring unwanted attention to our own local population.  I have come to ask your clan to help us in our efforts to dissuade them from entering our area and continue moving beyond our boundaries.  Stephen, would you be willing to assist us?”

Though I didn’t know what talents the other members of his family might have, I could see how Stephen’s lie detector trick or ability to insert thoughts into people’s heads could help to influence the unwanted visitors to stay away.  So, the vampires here in this area were quiet about their, er, hunting.  That was good.  I wasn’t sure how good, but I did consider it a good thing that they wanted to avoid a bloodbath.  Or whatever it was the other group did that was considered “flamboyant.”  My imagination was working overtime on that one and my hands had begun to tremble. 

While I was thinking, I realized my eyes kept wandering back to James.  His face, his body; was it really the conversation that was making it so hard to breathe and focus?  Dressed in black trousers and a white dress shirt with the neck open and sleeves rolled up to show nicely muscled forearms, and black dress shoes with a high polish, he looked irresistible from head to toe.  Only it wasn’t something so obvious that was pulling at me; it was something else, something I’d never felt before but it was making it hard to function.  Not that it mattered, the drooling, staring, shaking mess I’d turned into was undoubtedly impressing all of them. 

It was during my hormonal internal monologue that I vaguely heard Henry and Troy discussing the minutia of how to go about handling the crisis at their door.  I realized with not a minor amount of embarrassment what had drawn my attention back to the conversation.  Troy had said James’ name. 

Henry was answering, “Yes Troy, I agree that it might not be necessary, however, we need to know that if it becomes necessary, we will be able to rely upon your clan as we have before.”  He looked at James.  “Please James, if you could advise Troy of what you shared with me in the car?”

They rang doorbells
and
drove cars?  How terribly mundane that seemed for such notoriously scary, otherworldly beings.  Maybe there were some other things I had wrong.  Maybe the books and movies had painted a gorier picture of these creatures than was deserved. 

Again, in my own head, I was shocked back to the conversation when I heard a deep, silky voice come from Henry’s guest.  More than his physical presence, his voice tugged at my being and I heard myself gasp.  Clearing my throat, I tried to mask my reaction.

“My informant has alerted me that the coven is moving up from Chicago and will be here in about a week.  Their story is that they are searching for a missing member of their coven and that they will be looking in Milwaukee.  He guesses it will take some time before they turn toward us.  We may have a few weeks if they have any trouble.  That population is more scattered than our own, but they will be upon us roughly before the end of November, regardless.” 

I wondered if he could see me staring at him; I was utterly captivated.  It was as if his entire being changed as he spoke and his voice went straight through to the center of my being.  In the same way I could hear my mother’s specific tone in a crowd, I knew that I would be able to find his as well without question.   

With a jolt, I realized that I heard Troy saying my name.  “We were speaking to Claire tonight, initiating her into the clan, so to speak, in preparation of training her.”

Then I became very aware of each person then looking curiously at me.  At first, I had to stare very hard at the stitching on my brown trainers, until I realized that they were all waiting for something.  I looked up, for the first time, meeting James’ eyes head on as they looked directly at me.  Something in me shifted, that tugging from within and that connection I had felt clicked and I was completely and utterly entranced.  His eyes, as he beheld the human in the room, reminded me exactly of the ocean when I had seen it in California during a winter storm.  It had been grey and foreboding.  James’ eyes now appeared equally severe, but I felt them drawing me, regardless.  I was afraid I would not be able to speak with him here; it was hard enough to breathe somewhat regularly.  Fortunately, Stephen seemed to notice.  He cleared his throat and, that failing to get my attention, decided to speak for me. 

“Henry, James, please excuse Claire.  She’s had a lot thrown at her tonight.  She had no idea any of us existed a few hours ago.”  His tone grew severe, “James, could you tone down the Glamour a bit?  You don’t need it here and it’s unfair to use on her.  She’s human and as you can see, she can’t even function.”

James broke eye contact with me and smiled in embarrassment, which only served to make him all the more enticing.  He slid his hands in his pockets and flicked his eyes up at Stephen.  “I am sorry for any disruption I’ve caused, however, I am not using Glamour.”  He looked back up at me.  He was trying to hide a smile, but I thought I had seen something else flash behind his eyes. 

Stephen glanced from me to James.  He was seeing something in our faces that disturbed him.  I heard a new, harsher undercurrent in his voice when he demanded my attention, “Claire, look at me.”

I did as he asked and reluctantly broke away again from James to look at Stephen.  When I did, the connection I’d felt faded and my cheeks heated up as I realized I’d been staring and everyone had noticed.  Even the object of my fascination had noticed my blatantly pitiful ogling.  Great, I was blushing and staring.  What was I some silly little schoolgirl with a crush?  Actually, yes, yes I was.  How mortifying. 

Stephen considered me for a moment longer and shook his head, tossing aside an unwanted thought.  It made his hair go all moppish again and I thought even though I now knew he was a mountain lion, I still loved that he looked like a little brother.  I smiled.  He smiled back sarcastically, “Glad you are still with us.”  Jerk.  “Claire, if it is all right with you, I would like to share with these two what exactly your gift is and how it might be of use to us in a situation such as this one.”

Again, I had to look at my shoes, my self-doubt rising exponentially while I compared myself to these supernatural heavyweights.  “Um, I’m not sure it would be helpful at all.  Like I told you, I wouldn’t consider it much use.  It’s never helped me.” 

“Let us decide, hmm?” He said not unkindly.

“I guess.  Stephen, could I get a drink of water or something?”  I needed to get out of the room while they talked about me, and my stupid
gift.

“Sure, glasses are to the right of the sink.  Help yourself to anything in there.”

Jumping up, I wobbled on my feet for a stride before steadying myself.  ‘Way to look like an idiot,’ I thought to myself.  As I walked to the kitchen to get a drink, I heard Stephen begin, “Henry, you know what I can do.”

Henry sounded like he was not surprised by this information, he must be aware of all of the clan’s abilities.  “Yes Stephen.  It has been very helpful in our assessing of situations in the past and I hope that you will help us with it again very soon.”

There was a pause, presumably some nodding then Stephen continued.  “I’m sure you’re aware of Claire’s paranormal sensitivity.”

“Yes, I felt it when I met her.”

He’d known?
  Of course he had.  I felt like the last one to get the answer to a problem.

“Claire is an empath as well.  She also has a talent I haven’t seen in a long time and one I think would be greatly beneficial when added to our current arsenal.” 

He paused and I was frozen in place listening, wondering what he knew about my abilities that I didn’t.  Not for a long time?  He’d known others with this capability?  Maybe he could help me shield all of it, or even shut it down.  I dared to hope for normalcy in my life while I stood in the kitchen of my werecat friend who was talking to vampires.  Normalcy.  Right.  Perspective.

Stephen continued, “She can channel.”

No one said anything.  I was dying to see how that little tidbit was being received.  Did he think that was good? 

“How well does she channel?  Have you tested the distance to which she can reach?” 

Wandering back in, sipping my water from a glass, I refused to look up at them.  I just walked right in and sat on the arm of the loveseat again.  It was so quiet.  I imagined them all looking at me like a puzzle, deciding if they wanted to take the time to figure it out to see if it was worth it.  Even if they could use my abilities, I couldn’t let go of the idea that they were amusing themselves with me.  Holding my breath, I waited to hear which way my future would go.

“Claire, could you help me to explain or even show our friends what you can do?”  Stephen prodded gently, knowing I was in a fragile place.

Without looking up, I mumbled, “Everything I know about it is accidental.  I feel what others around me feel, the closer they are, the clearer I feel them.  If I touch them, I can channel them.  That’s it.  It really isn’t a gift or anything.  More like a curse.”  Speaking it aloud, admitting all of it burned but I had to be honest and put my own opinion on things out there whether they cared to consider them or not; this was all beginning to feel like I wasn’t going to have a say in it soon anyway.

That alluring voice spoke again, going directly to the same spot where he’d gotten into my head from the start and I let my eyes be drawn to where he stood frowning at me.  “I hear what you’re saying Stephen, but she is raw.  Do we have time to develop her ability before we would need it?  Stephen, can your clan work with her?  It seems you two are, ah, close.”  He had obviously mistaken Stephen’s protective attitude as jealousy.  Great.  Like it mattered; it wasn’t going to happen between an average looking human and a gorgeous vampire.  That I knew.

Hearing Stephen laugh out loud, I looked up at him, slighted.  “Yes, I can help her with her sensing, but you know I have never worked with channeling.  That is kind of your forte.  And you know better than that.”  He wiggled a finger between us, smirking, “Claire and I are just friends.” 

Even though we had just discussed it and just that very night I had dreaded it, hearing Stephen laugh at the thought that we were dating stung.  I was tired of being talked about like I wasn’t in the room.  “You don’t have to jump all over that one Stephen; I’m not
that
bad.”  I tried to keep the bitterness out of my voice.