Telesa - The Covenant Keeper (54 page)

Each of the others nodded slowly. All except for Sarona, who merely shrugged dismissively. Nafanua turned back to us. Daniel had risen to his feet and now stood beside me. I longed to see if his eyes were those of the boy I loved – or of a stranger now that he knew the truth about me and my family. But I didn’t dare take my eyes off the women who confronted us. I steeled myself for Nafanua’s decision.

“You and this boy will leave now. It will take me a few hours to prepare the antidote for the Professor. You will return at eight o’clock tonight for it. But listen well, Leila. We do not offer you this second chance lightly. When you return to us, you must be fully committed to our sisterhood. You will cut all ties to your old family and embrace your new one. You will pack your things, you will bid farewell to your uncle and aunt. You will take your leave of this boy, put an end to this relationship, and never see him again. Do you understand?”

I nodded dumbly. What else could I do? I turned to leave but Daniel’s voice stopped me. “Wait” he said tersely. He took a step forward and his question for Nafanua was challenging. “All that seems a pretty steep price to pay for some medicine that may or may not work.”

Nafanua’s reply was light-hearted but there were daggers in her words. “You misunderstand me boy – Leila isn’t just paying for an antidote, she’s buying your life. And the lives of everyone in your family. The lives of her aunt and uncle. You see, Leila knows that we will kill anyone who opposes us. We’ve done it before and have no problems with doing it again.” She shook her head and waved us on our way with a careless hand. “Oh no, luckily for you, Leila’s just made a very good bargain.”

With that, Nafanua turned and walked with the other
telesa
back up the steps, with Daniel staring after them. I tugged on his arm, desperate to get out of there. “Come on. Let’s go.”

There were no words between us as he helped me into the passenger seat, as I tried not to show how much every movement hurt me. He must have known though, because he drove slowly back down the Aleisa mountain road, carefully avoiding all the potholes and bumps, giving me pensive looks every so often. I stared out the side window, unseeing of the scenery, my thoughts a shattered mess, Nafanua’s directives stampeding through my head.
You will cut all ties with your family … end this relationship … say goodbye to this boy and never see him again. We will kill anyone who opposes us …

I was so lost in thought that the abrupt halt of the Wrangler had me startled. I looked around. Daniel had pulled over in a sheltered dip in the winding road; we were nowhere near town. “What? Why are we stopping? We’re not home yet?”

He turned the car off and took a deep breath before facing me. There was no warmth in his face. “First things first, are you alright? Should I take you to the hospital?”

I shook my head, not trusting my emotions enough to voice them.

“Are you sure?” His voice was tight and angry. “Dammit Leila! I need to know that I can trust you and, right now, I don’t even know if you’re telling me the truth about how badly hurt you are. Don’t lie to me. I’m sick of all the secrets. How bad are you?”

I shrank back against his fury. This was a Daniel I wasn’t used to seeing. It was with a small voice that I replied, “I hurt. All over. Like I got trampled in a rugby ruck. I’m going to be black and blue everywhere tomorrow when the bruises start showing. But nothing’s broken. And it’s nothing that a doctor or a hospital can fix. And that’s the truth. I deserve this hurt anyway, I’ve made such a mess of things, people are dying because of me, people’s lives are in danger because of me, I deserve all the yelling and the anger that you’ve got to give me.”

I turned away as I fought to contain the tears. Crying wouldn’t help anyone now. But in the next instant, Daniel had bridged the gaping distance between us and was enfolding me in his arms. His voice broke as he soothed me and held me, “I didn’t mean to shout at you. Shh, I’m sorry, here I am yelling at you and you’re in pain.”

His every touch had me cringing and wincing. He backed away in confusion. “What is it? What’s wrong? You’re not afraid of me are you?! I wasn’t angry with you, I’m just so frustrated and confused…”

“No, it’s not you. It’s me – I want you to hug me, but it hurts. Ow!” I groaned as he jumped back away from me at my words. There was nothing but tenderness in his gaze as he leaned forward and held my face in his hands.

“I’m sorry. I won’t touch you anymore. I’ll just touch the one part of you that isn’t bruised …” and with that, his lips met mine in a single delicate and fragile kiss that left me longing for more.

But too quickly he moved away back to his side of the Wrangler, placing both hands on the steering wheel. “Leila, before we go any further, before we try and figure out how we’re going to deal with your psychotic mother and her sisters, I want you to tell me EVERYTHING.”

I gulped. “Everything?”

His eyes were stern. “Yes, everything. Start from the beginning. And don’t leave anything out. You owe me that much after today.”

Glumly, I nodded. I couldn’t argue with that. And slowly, haltingly, I proceeded to tell him everything. How the heat flashes had started and then just kept worsening. The pool he already knew about. I told him about the nightmares I would have about Nafanua, even before I had ever met her. How it had felt to meet her that first time and realize I already knew her. I skimmed over the night we had first kissed and my fire had erupted since he had been there too, but at that part of the story, he reached forward and took my hand in his, raising it to his lips. “A night I will never forget …” he said with his crooked smile. Encouraged, I continued and as I recited my training, my time with Nafanua, her explanation of what
telesa
were and what their function was, her instructions that it would be too dangerous for me to love anyone, and my decision to end our friendship so I wouldn’t hurt him – his eyes darkened and his hand tightened on mine. I told him about being afraid of Nafanua but unsure of who else to trust, who else to turn to for answers and help with the truly frightening changes taking place in my body. My tension eased as I got to the part about the volcano and the night I had met Jason, our friendship and how I had accidentally revealed my powers to him. How I had then confided in him and he had embarked on his quest to try and help me. First by understanding my powers and testing their limitations. Finally, I came to the part about Nafanua and the
telesa
punishing the village, killing people, and burning their homes, which had led to our angry confrontation and my return to Matile and Tuala.

It felt good to get it all out, to finally have all my secrets and fears out in the open. To know that at last nothing parted Daniel and I. When I was done, Daniel’s face was thoughtful as he stared out the window, but, thankfully, his grip on my hand had not loosened and I clung gratefully to that assurance that yes, he was still with me and on my side. Then after what seemed an eternity, he turned to me with a soft smile.

“Thank you. For finally telling me the truth. I’m still mad at you for keeping so much stuff from me for so long – and I’m going to make you pay me back big-time for that one!” An almost sly smile at that, betrayed his teasing intentions and he leaned forward to capture my lips again. This time, the heat that flared between us was enough to send ripples of red energy fizzling through the cab and Daniel had to duck as sparks glanced off the side of his face, “Ouch!” Quickly, I backed away, deep breathing to calm my pulse and assert control before I blew us both up.

“Sorry, sorry! Are you okay? I didn’t mean to do that, you just always make me want to explode.” I winced at the double meaning in the words, and he laughed the golden laugh that always made my world lighten.

“Yeah, I tend to have that effect on girls everywhere.” Laughter aside, he turned serious again. “I’m fine, I’ve had worse welding. Leila, I don’t want you going back to those women. You know you can’t. They’re just going to use you and your powers. Make you do stuff you don’t want to.”

“But I have to. You heard them, not only is Jason going to die, but they’re going to go after my family next. And you. And your grandmother. I don’t have any other choice.” I shook my head. “No Daniel, there’s nothing else we can do.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Look, let’s take this one step at a time. The most important thing right now, is saving your friend. We can worry about the other stuff later. Let’s go. We don’t have much time. They said he’s got 48 hours left.” He started the Wrangler and reversed, efficient urgency in his every move.

“Where are we going?” I longed to find hope, some kind of escape route from this nightmare, but I didn’t see any other way out.

“My house.”

I was still confused. “Why?”

“Your mother’s not the only person who knows how to heal people with plants. We’re going to see my grandmother, ask her if she can help us.”

That’s his brilliant plan?! The woman hates me!
“Umm, I don’t think that’s a good idea, I don’t think that’s going to work.”

But Daniel’s resolve was unshakeable as he sped down the mountain road, driving like Michael Andretti on crack. “Of course it will. Grandmother will know what antidote your friend needs and then you won’t have to give in to those psycho bitches.” He winced at me, “Sorry, I know one of them is your mother. Grandmother might be able to buy us some time to figure out what to do next.”

I gave up arguing because I could see he was convinced his grandmother was my lifeline. I didn’t want to remind him that she had warned him to stay away from me because I would just bring him heartache. Pain. Trouble. I groaned and shut my eyes as I faced the truth of her prediction. Because here we were. Faced with heartache, pain, and trouble. The old woman had been right and I dreaded her reaction when Daniel asked her for help. Could this day get any worse? Remembering the coldness of her reception that long-ago day in her garden – I knew it could.

Chapter Seventeen

If I could have my way, we would have driven forever. Away from here to the furthest reaches of the Mojave Desert. Or to the coldest wastelands of Siberia. Anywhere, just so long as we were together and out of reach of even the memory of
telesa
. But too soon, we were pulling into the driveway and parking beside the familiar weatherworn welding shop. Daniel’s movements were brisk and authoritative as he helped me out of the jeep and walked us into the house. He left me in the kitchen and went in search of his grandmother. “Mama? Where are you? Mama?” Still sore from the earlier encounter with Sarona, I gingerly sat down at the kitchen table and tried to steel myself for what I was sure would not be an easy meeting.

I didn’t have long to wait. I could hear Daniel’s voice as he greeted his grandmother, and the next minute they walked into the kitchen. Clearly the old lady had been working in her garden as she came in still wearing muddy boots and with a laufala hat secured to her head with a colorful scarf. She looked worried and barely nodded at me as she made her way to the sink and hurriedly washed her hands, still talking to Daniel over her shoulder. “What is it son? What’s wrong? Are you in trouble? Tell me.”

Daniel’s voice was patient and reassuring. “I’m alright, Mama. Please, just sit down so that Leila and I can explain. Please.”

Unwillingly, Salamasina sat down, choosing the seat furthest from mine. I gave her a weak smile, which she ignored. Daniel sat beside me and took my hand in his underneath the table. I had never been so grateful to feel his hand in mine, and I clung to it gratefully as Salamasina turned glaring eyes at me. “What’s going on? Why is she here?”

Daniel and I looked at each other; unsure which of us would speak first or where in this saga we should start. He was about to begin when suddenly, a look of horrified realization came over his grandmother’s face and she stood and launched into a fury of words – all in Samoan. Angry words tripping over each other and all directed at Daniel. I was lost. Bewildered, I looked from her to Daniel, and was even more confused when Daniel whooped gleefully and started laughing, shaking his head. “No, no, Mama. You’ve got it all wrong. It’s nothing like that. Mama!”

Now both Salamasina and I were baffled as Daniel fought to contain his laughter. He reached over to give his grandmother a warm hug, which she accepted unwillingly, still speaking a hundred words a minute, none of which I could understand.

“Umm Daniel, what’s your grandmother saying? What is it?” I hated to interrupt them, but I was worried that if she got any angrier, she would self-destruct.

Daniel laughed some more. “Mama thinks that we have come to tell her that you’re pregnant. And she’s angry with me and telling me off for being a disobedient son, a foolish boy who has not treated you with enough respect.”

I was horrified. Waves of shame battered me. “Ohmigosh. No!” I appealed to her with frantic earnestness, “No, I’m not. It’s not possible. Me and Daniel, we’re not … umm … we haven’t …” my voice petered away as I wished I could just rip the earth open with a quake and sink into oblivion.

Taking pity on my awkwardness, Daniel stopped laughing and spoke to Salamasina with calm sincerity. “Mama, I swear, that’s not it. I wouldn’t do that. Me and Leila, we love each other, but I would never go against what you and Papa have taught me.” It was as if the two of them were alone in the room as he shrugged and said simply, “Leila is my life. Her happiness means everything to me. I would never take her virtue from her.”

There was silence. I stared at the floor, rendered speechless by the fervour of Daniel’s declaration. I had never heard of abstinence being equated with ‘virtue’ and respect before and the unexpected sweetness of its expression pierced me like nothing else. Suddenly, it hit me. There was so much more for me to learn of this boy who I loved, so much more for me to discover. And the thought that I may not have the chance to – because of my mother and her sisterhood of
telesa
– yanked the breath right out of my chest. Daniel was right. We could not give in to the
telesa
. Not without a fight. My eyes pricked with unshed tears as I looked up and smiled weakly at Daniel and Salamasina. The old woman spoke first and her tone was somewhat mollified.