The Fate of Destiny (Fates #1) (18 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Just before dawn, Devon set down the quill she was using to write and stretched her arms in the air. Hours had gone by since Audrinne's visit, and she had spent the time working on Destinies.

The drive and desire to write was as strong as it had ever been; she could no more deny herself the work than she could stop breathing. Standing up, she bent side to side to get the kinks out of her spine and snatched up Farris' Destiny.

Surely by now Rowley had taken care of the thorn in her side.

There on the page were the details, magically filled in since the last time she looked, about the close call with the wild dogs.

Devon scowled and slapped the sheets of paper down.

If she didn't know better, she would have thought Merwen was countering every action with one of her own. Merwen, the current Fate of Destiny, couldn't know of Devon's actions to get rid of Farris, however. Merwen didn't have the power of ESP, couldn't read Devon's mind. What Devon was attempting had never been done before, as far as Devon knew, in the history of the Fates.

There was no reason for Merwen to expect foul play of this magnitude.

It was Devon's ace in the hole.

Irritated that it was taking so long to get rid of the girl, Devon left her desk and headed across the room to a carved bookcase situated between two tables. Ancient tomes filled each shelf, the spines ranging in color and design. They smelled as old as they looked. On a middle shelf was an array of bottles and bags filled with various non-perishable items that might be needed for a ritual.

Devon bypassed all that for a book on the highest shelf. One with a turquoise spine and a leather cover faded with use. It felt heavy in her hands and was quite large. The same set of runes marked in black around the base of the pedestal lined the perimeter of the front cover.

Taking the book back to her desk, she plopped down in the chair and cracked the tome open. The yellowed pages, some with warped and fraying edges, were thicker than typical, modern paper and almost felt like a thin layer of pliable skin.

Each page was filled with diagrams and handwriting and symbols. There were rituals to invoke lesser Gods, to over ride Destinies and to change almost every aspect of how Fate in general worked. Most of these were only to be used in utter emergencies, Audrinne had informed her, not in day to day Destinies.

Devon spent hours upon hours reading each book, memorizing the easier skills should she ever need them.

But there were more complicated rituals, too. Ways to call upon forces that lurked in the world that most humans never knew existed. Devon had been cautioned, extensively, about these rites.

Audrinne had expressed the dire consequences that might occur if some of those forces were ever unleashed on humanity.

Unleashed...period.

Creatures so frightening that Devon had nightmares for a week.

She didn't need that today. Nothing so devastating and scary.

What she needed was something that could slink in and slink out of Farris' life without anyone being the wiser.

If Rowley failed, if the Weavers of Chaos could not complete the challenge she'd set before them, then she
would
turn to this. It shouldn't be difficult to release whatever she chose into the wild and then contain them when they were through.

Which
one, though? What was the best way of dealing with Farris Landry that would pose the least risk to the town of Newcastle and its citizens?

Devon flipped through the dusty pages, looking for a clue. Every now and then she glanced through the subterranean room to make sure Audrinne hadn't crept up behind her.

She could only imagine what kind of trouble she would get into if Audrinne caught her in the act.

. . .

“
She's out for blood,” Emerson whispered to Theron once they were in the other room. “The thing that infuriates me is that I don't know how to get a hold of Devon—or Audrinne for that matter—without going to Driscoll first.”

“
Yeah, and you better be
sure
that what you're accusing Devon of is the truth, or it could backlash on you bad.” Theron rubbed the back of his neck with a hand.

Emerson glanced through the dark living area, and though he couldn't see much, there was enough moonlight to discern that the girls weren't nearby.

“
I know Devon is involved. She had
something
to do with this tonight. The question is—who did she get to help her if it wasn't you or I? She doesn't know
every Weaver, not by a long shot, and more than half wouldn't want to risk Driscoll's fury if the plans went too far awry.”

“
What I want to know is
why
Farris? I mean, I've never seen Audrinne take such a personal interest in a Destiny before. Not that I know everything about how it all works.” Theron ignored the bleeding
scrapes on his arm and checked the lock on the window they stood next to.

“
Same here. If they go out and get personally involved in certain people's fate...well I've never heard of it.” Emerson found a wooden dowel in the sill to jam vertically between the window and the window frame. That would help keep anyone trying to get in, out. At least for a while.

They moved into the next room and secured that window, too. Emerson scanned the landscape beyond the window for signs of the wild dogs. So far he couldn't see or hear them, but didn't think for a minute that the dogs had disappeared.

“
Maybe you should tell her,” Theron said.

“
Tell who what?”

“
Farris. That you think someone's out to hurt her.”

Emerson stopped and turned back to Theron on his way out of the room. “Are you crazy?”

“
Not the last time I checked.” Theron shrugged his shoulders. “At least
she
wouldn't think she's crazy, like she probably does right now.”

“
There is no way I can tell her. Then she'll want to know how I know, and I
can't
tell her what I am. What
we
are. She wouldn't believe it and it's against the rules. Driscoll really would have my head.” Emerson, disturbed by the idea of Farris finding out he was a Weaver—that he was responsible for some of the terror she'd experienced—led Theron into the kitchen and double checked all the locks. He could hear the girls coming this way from the direction of the stairs.

“
She seems cool. Like the type of girl who can keep a secret.”

“
Theron...”

“
I'm just saying, man. You should think about it. You'll take it harder if she really does die,” Theron pointed out.

Emerson scowled and lowered his voice even more. The girls were closer.

“
What makes you think that?”

“
I'm not blind. I see the way you look at her.”

“
I look at a lot of girls.”

“
Not like that you don't. And you sure don't step up to protect them from something like Chaos.”

Emerson thinned his lips. Theron knew him too well.

“
I can't tell her.”

“
You should think about it. Harder.”

“
Would
you
tell a girl about you? I don't think so,” Emerson said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

“
I might if I didn't want her to die.”

“
Hey guys. We found eight candles and three flashlights.” Beelah, followed by Farris, interrupted their conversation.

Emerson glared at Theron, a clear warning, then faced the girls. Each held a squat candle in a glass holder. The flame cast their features into half light, half shadow.

“
Good job. Why don't we put one in each room downstairs?” Emerson took two flashlights from Bee and handed one to Theron.

Theron accepted it and turned it on.

“
What about up there?” Bee asked, pointing toward the stairs leading to the second floor.

“
I don't think we need them. If you girls try and get some rest, I wouldn't suggest you stay up there. Stay down here in the living room closer to us.” Emerson didn't turn his flashlight on. Right now, he didn't need it.

Beelah set her candle on the kitchen table. “I don't think I could sleep after all that.”

“
Me either. What if they come back? And where did they go? Why is it so quiet all of a sudden?” Farris asked. One arm hugged around her middle, the other held the candle high enough to see by.

“
I don't know where they went. I don't think they're gone, though. We can't risk leaving here until daybreak,” Emerson said.

As if to prove his point, a menacing howl split the night beyond the windows.

Farris and Bee huddled close together.

“
Are they going to try and smash in the windows?” Bee asked, face ashen, brows pinched together.

“
I doubt it. C'mon though. Let's go back into the living room. There is only about an hour or so left until the sun comes up.” Emerson herded the girls out of the kitchen into the living room.

Although they denied being able to sleep, Farris and Beelah both went out like proverbial lights after ten minutes of sitting on the couch.

Emerson and Theron each took half of the downstairs to patrol while they waited for sunrise.

Chapter Fourteen

Devon paced around the Altar of Chaos with the Book of Chaos open between her hands. For an hour she had perused a list of predators not of the natural world. She had also read the warnings. None of the rituals or summonings came without a price.

Especially the summonings. Some of the warnings were so severe, so scary, that by the time dawn broke the horizon, Devon wasn't sure she had the nerve to actually follow through with her plan to call them forth to help her. Control of nether beasts was tenuous and risky at best.

If Rowley failed, however, she had little choice but to act. Today was the last full day to end Farris Landry's life. Tomorrow, on her birthday, Fate would step in and take the girl and there would be nothing Devon could do after that.

Gnawing her lip, she pondered. Contemplated. Tried to figure out which route would be the best. The least deadly.

What she really wanted, was to be in Newcastle. She wanted to be close to the action, to get a better idea of the general area. It might help her decide what to do if the time came for her to take things to the next level. Closing the book, she crossed the room and set it back on the shelf she'd taken it from.

A moment later she stepped through the center of a rippling mirror, on her way to Oklahoma.

. . .

“
Are you
sure
they're gone?” Farris asked. She stood next to Beelah near the front door while Emerson peered outside. The sun was still low on the horizon, throwing golden rays at a slant across the landscape.

“
I don't see anything. The front of the house is clear, at least. We can make it to the truck or the Charger.” He glanced back at the girls, at Theron. “What do you think? We've got to get into town and let the Sheriff know there's a wild pack on the loose. If they get to another farm and kids are playing outside--”

“
Okay, check one more time, then we'll make a run for it.” Farris could have used a shower and a change of clothes. None of them wanted to risk another attack on the way to the loft so she endured the dirty uniform and messy hair.

Emerson scanned the driveway again. “It's clear. I'll hold the door. Make sure you have your keys out and
run.”

Beelah whimpered. She huddled right behind Farris.

“
We're ready,” Farris said.

Emerson shoved the screen door open and blocked it with his body, leaving the way unhindered for the girls to dash to the truck.

Farris, ignoring all her aches and pains, darted past him. She expected to hear a snarl any second, to feel the snap of teeth on her ankle. Behind her, panting in fear, Beelah raced after her. They fled down the stairs toward the truck, arms pumping.

Knowing the door to the Chevy was already unlocked, she yanked it open and hopped inside. Beelah fell into the passenger seat a second later. Theron was right behind them, diving over Beelah's lap and the seat into the back.

Emerson appeared at the driver's door. “Move over, Farris. Move, I'm driving.”

She jammed the keys into the ignition and scooted to the middle of the bench seat. Emerson climbed in and slammed the door shut.

Out of breath from the short run, Farris looked around the perimeter of the truck. No dogs rushed from the farmland or the trees. The pack seemed to be gone.

Starting the engine, Emerson put the truck in gear and spun the tires when he tromped the gas. Fishtailing onto the road, he sped away from the farmhouse.

“
What are we going to tell the Sheriff?” Beelah asked. Her eyes were wide, fingers fidgeting in her lap.

“
Exactly what happened. There is a rabid pack of dogs loose out here,” Emerson said.