Inheritance (The Dark Gifts) (31 page)

Jason shook his head.  “We have to get back to the road.  Besides Daniel said he’d find us, remember?”

“Maybe this is his way of making sure we find him.”  Sarah answered firmly.  “I’m going.  I didn’t come all the way out here and get eaten alive, just to go back to the hotel with nothing.”  Picking up her pace, she headed north through the trees.

After a brief look of frustration passed between the men, they both followed.  “We’re going to end up being stuck here all night,” Pete said.

“Yep, and nobody wanted to bring camping equipment.”  Jason answered.

“If I’m spending the night in this crazy ass woods, I’m doing it as a wolf.”

“Me too, brother.  Me too.”

Sarah, putting more and more distance between herself and the men, called over her shoulder, “Would you two girls quit whining and keep up?”

Pete looked at Jason and grinned.  “Oh, she did not go there.”

“Oh, yes she did.”  Jason concurred.

Both men broke into a fast jog, and before long, had left Sarah in the dust, running with all her might, trying to keep up.

***

Slowing her pace, Sarah followed the boys, looking for traces of their passing.  “Me and my big mouth.  I
just had to go get all uppity.”  For a moment, she stood still and listened for any sign of them.  The big dumb apes had probably got themselves lost.  She knew she was heading the right direction because the smell of smoke had become heavy in this part of the forest.  But where were the guys?  “Jason?” she yelled.

“Jason, you big dumb
idiot!  Quit fooling around.” Still moving forward, the uneasiness from earlier settled even deeper in her gut.  “Pete?  Aw come on guys.  I’m sorry I called you girls, okay?”

The forest around her remained eerily silent.  Even the bugs had stopped making noises.  Although she continued to move toward the smoke smell, her pace had slowed to the point that she almost tiptoed through the trees.  Every so often, in the distance she’d hear the snapping of a twig as if someone else walked the woods.  “This is not funny!  You guys are too old for hide and seek.”

Her body was jumping of its own accord now.  Any noise at all would send her whirling in a frenzied search for the point of resonation.  Finally having enough, she stopped and leaned against a tree to catch her breath.  After several deep long breaths, she came to her senses and smiled. 
Sometimes, I’m a total moron,
she chided herself.  Relaxing against the tree, she let her mind drift in search of the missing two.  Her senses stretched out encompassing the surrounding woods.  Several feet away a large snake hid under some brush.  Not far from him, and small rabbit sat quietly at the base of a tree.  A few feet further--.

Sarah’s eyes snapped open.  Searching for the stranger she saw in her mind, she scanned the surrounding area.  A blur in her peripheral vision drew her attention to the east.  Nothing.  Not a leaf rustled.  Everything remained quiet and undisturbed.  Turning her body in a tight circle, she peered through the darkening woods.  She felt him now.  Not just with her mind, but just the same as on the plane, her body reacted to his presence.  Whatever he was, he wasn’t human.  She was certain of that.  Without thinking, she prepared to fight.  Quickly sliding out of jeans and shoes, and pulling her sweat soaked tee-shirt over her head, she shifted.

In wolf form, her preternatural senses took over.  Her mind sought out Jason and Pete and found them up ahead in a clearing talking to a weathered old man.  Throwing back her head, she let out a monstrous howl.  Immediately the two men shifted and were running.

“What’s wrong?”
Jason bellowed.

“We’re coming,”
Pete yelled.

Sarah backed into an open area and slowly spun.  She could smell the stranger.  Every hair on her body stood at attention.  The usual sensation of power and control were nonexistent, in its place a feeling of danger ran the entire length of her body.  He was a distance away but still close enough to leave a sweet decaying scent.  “
It’s the stranger.  He’s followed us here.  He’s not human.”

Within seconds, the other two wolves skidded into the clearing to stand guard on each side of her.  Sniffing the air, they winced at the smell.  “
Do you know what he is?
”  Jason asked.

“Vampire,”
Pete growled.

To their left, a mist appeared.  It hovered for a few seconds, before solidifying into the withered old man.  The three wolves snarled.

“Oh shut yer traps.  I cain’t help iffin ya’ll don’t let me.”  The man walked over to where Sarah’s clothes lay in a heap, and bent to retrieve the pile.  “That un ain’t gonna bother us none, now I’m here.  Let’s head on back to camp and we can finish our chat.”  With that, he turned and headed north through the trees.

Glancing at Pete and Jason, Sarah ordered, “
Well you heard the man, let’s go.”

***

Human, and dressed, the three young people sat around Brogan’s campfire sipping a concoction he called coffee.  So strong and bitter it just barely resembled the brew they had grown to appreciate.  Still nervous from the encounter in the woods, Sarah picked and bit at her finger nails.  Leaving them unattended, Brogan went out to sweep the area around the encampment to be certain the stranger wasn’t in close proximity.

“So what were you talking about when I called you?” 

“We’d just arrived.  We barely had time to introduce ourselves.  I’m so sorry we left you back there.  I really thought you were right behind us,” Jason answered.

Pete placed a hand on her knee.  “You know I’d never have left you that far behind on purpose.  I was just wondering why you hadn’t come out of the trees yet, when I heard you call.”

Sarah’s head moved from side to side.  “It's not your fault, I shouldn’t have goaded you.  And I should have kept up.  I’m just glad you came as soon as you heard me.”

Jason dumped his coffee on the ground.  “I can’t drink this swill.  This is terrible!” Smiling, Sarah emptied her cup as well.  “It was nice of him to offer, but it is really awful.”

Standing to stretch, Pete asked, “So what are we doing here?  Daniel said he can help, but he never elaborated on how.”

“I’m sure he can help.  I know this--with the way he appeared out of thin air--I’d rather have him on my side than against me,” Sarah answered.

“Amen
, sister,” Jason agreed.
 
“We’re lucky we didn’t get a vampire on our trail before now.  And even luckier Brogan does exist and was here to scare him off.  What do you think he is?  A magician, or wizard maybe?”

The three looked at each other for a moment before answering in unison, “Wizard.”

Pete nodded, but the look on his face was doubtful.  “Has to make you wonder though.”

Raising her eyes to his face, Sarah asked, “Wonder what?”

“How big of a bad ass do you have to be to scare a vampire?”

Uncertainty flickered in the sibling’s eyes for a moment as they exchanged looks. 

Finally, Jason grinned and winked at Sarah.  “Don’t worry.  For once, we’re with the good guys.  Everything’s going to be fine now.”

“Well I don’t know if fine’s the word for it, and easier sure as fire don’t fit, but you’ll have purpose.  Safety in numbers, I always say.”  Somehow Brogan stood beside the fire.  No one had seen or heard him return.

“Dude, seriously, you have to stop doing that.”  Pete said.

Cocking his head to the side, the man chuckled, grabbed a short three legged stool, and moved to sit with them.  Barely looking at the boys, his eyes focused on Sarah.  “You’re new and nearly completely unique.  I’d bet you’ve realized this by now.  I don’t know how you slipped my radar girl, but I’m terribly glad to meet you.”

While he spoke, Sarah felt the mental intrusion in her mind.  His essence floated gently inside her.  A nudge here, a brief recall of a memory there.  Things that should have made her uncomfortable, but instead the entire time she was enveloped in peace and tranquility.  In seconds, he was finished probing, and she felt him withdraw.

“Did you see what you wanted?” she asked.

“Yes and no, and most of it is too sad,” he answered.  Reaching out, he took her small hand in his while gazing into her eyes.  “It's not fair.  None of it.  And weren’t none of it yer fault neither.  But life is never fair, and we do what we were destined to, regardless of what we want.  You’re in the right place now and at the right time too.”  Releasing her hand, he turned to Jason.  “Your turn, son.”  He said offering his hand.

Jason looked at the hand and back at Brogan.  “My turn for what?”

Smiling, Brogan shook his head.  “Chance of a lifetime, sonny.  You up for the challenge?”

His eyes did not waver as he accepted Brogan’s hand.  Upon contact, Jason’s thoughts raced through memories.  Vivid pictures formed in his mind.  His first turning, the pain, running through the woods, tackling deer and feasting on them.  Running the entire gambit of every forgotten memory of the times he’d transformed, Jason was terrified of what he’d see. 

Retrieving those things unremembered took a bit longer than Sarah’s reading, but like hers, it was soon over and Brogan leaned back with a sigh.  “Well, well.  Seems yer not the killer you thought, eh?”

Incredulous, Jason’s head moved from side to side.  “It’s just not there.  I know I killed those people.”

Crossing his arms across his chest, Brogan answered, “Nope.  Everything you saw is all that happened.  You’ve had someone working against you this entire time, son.”  Making a clicking noise with his mouth, he shook his head.  “You’ve got some powerful enemies, kids.  Mighty powerful.  But them what thinks they knows it all, don’t know near as much as they’d like.”

Pete’s face grew red as he stretched out his arm offering the man his hand.  “I guess it’s my turn.”

Letting out a short laugh, Brogan slapped his knee.  “Son, I don’t need to touch you to read you.  What you are is written all over yer face.  Yer so in love with this here girl, there ain’t nothing you wouldn’t do for her.  And since she’s a good girl,”  Brogan patted her knee, looking into her eyes, “and yer a very good girl.  Well, she’ll lead ya down the right path.”

Looking at her feet, she asked, “Brogan, what are we doing here.  Daniel told us we needed to come to you, and something about a council of immortals, but he really didn’t tell us what you’d want with us.  Just that we’d be safe here.”

“Oh that Daniel, he don’t never tell all as he should.  Always an enigma, wrapped in a secret, surrounded by a mystery with that one.”  Standing, he looked down on the three young people.  His face filled with compassion.  “Safe is not what ye’ll be with me children.  In fact, the work I have for you is anything but.  I can offer you a home, and a place to lay yer head.  I can teach you things ya’ll should have been taught when you were knee high to a grasshopper.  But most importantly, I can give you a purpose.  This curse you’ve been born with can be a blessing.  You three can be a big help in what’s to come.  And let me tell you, it ain’t pretty.”

Mind drifting to Shana, Sarah was uncertain she wanted to start a new life
without taking care of her debt to her parents. 

Noticing the change in her expression, Brogan said, “That woman is the least of your worries, Sarah.  She’ll get what’s coming to her.”

Although she nodded in agreement, she wasn’t sure she believed him.

Exhaling deeply, he returned to his seat.  “Well I guess it’s about time I get down to business.  There’s a war brewing children.  An unholy, unnatural war.  The vampires are fighting amongst themselves.  The Wendigo population has become enormous.  Demons are working hard to control all the supernatural races.  Many of them already have a foothold that will be hard to break.  Witches, Shape Shifters, and Jinn are already creating alliances.  Some on the side of good and others on the side of evil.  Werewolves, so far, have been left out of the mix, but it won’t be long until they too are brought in to this.”

Jason shifted in his seat.  “Not that I don’t believe you, but you realize this is pretty farfetched stuff, don’t you?”

Eyebrows drawing together, Brogan returned, “Farfetched?  Son, iffin you exist, and you do, then why is it so hard to believe that others exist?  That’s just a handful of creatures that are out there.  Now the elves, they won’t get involved in this mess, they’s above this type of behavior.  And the gnomes and other faerie creatures?  Well, they’s about the same disposition as the elves.  But I’m telling ya, they do exist.”

Stretching, Pete rubbed the side of his face.  “I don’t get it.  What’s the point?  What do they want?”

Pointing as he answered, Brogan said, “That right there is the ticket.  It all boils down to one thing:  humans.  Those that want to own, enslave, eat, and control humans, and those what don’t.

“But I’ve always heard elves were good and noble.  All the stories about them say they are wonderful beings.  Why wouldn’t they get involved?”  Sarah said.

“Elves and faerie creatures care about the earth, not what’s on it.  They pay no mind to humans, other than to stay off their radar.  They’ll not get involved in this, because they think it has nothing to do with them.”