The Gathering (45 page)

Elena smiled.

"You should not worry so much, Larry.
 
It means nothing.
 
He needs someone to blame so he blames what he does not understand."

She reached over and took a glass and handed him the liquor.

"Here, you drink this, it will calm you."

Everyone nodded as Sean remained at the window and Myron looked over at Alia.

"C'mon, Myron.
 
Have a drink.
 
Sean?"

The anger on his face remained unflinching.
 
Alia sighed.

"Sean!"

He turned and looked at her and then resigned himself to the impotence he felt at not being able to defend his or Alia's honor.
 
He walked slowly over to the table.
 
Alia handed him a glass and smiled.

"Let it go.
 
He's not worth it."

Sean looked at Alia, scowled and crossed his arms.

"He accused me of raping you.
 
He accused Elena of helping me by drugging you.
 
He's a crazy fuck and he needs to get his ass beaten."

The rest of the men nodded, but took their glasses and remained silent as Alia quickly drank down the whiskey in her glass.

"As much as I would love to see that, it's not going to happen.
 
At least not now, we have more important things to worry about other than the ravings of a loon, ok?"

 
Sean took the glass, swallowed and then poured another.

"You still should have let me kick his ass."

The other men smiled and looked away as Alia sighed and shook her head.
 
Beverly moved forward and placed her glass beside the decanter.

"If you don't mind, Dear."

Alia started to pour as she looked at Sean, who threw back the second shot.
 
She wished that Stephan Merganser's accusation had been true.
 
She wished that she and Sean were lovers.
 
She would have gladly taken the blame.
 
She looked back at Beverly's glass and then refilled her own.
 
She handed the glass to Beverly.

"You know, Darlin, I don't think that President Merganser is quite himself.
 
Those accusations were not his."

Sean looked at Bev.

"How can you say that, Bev?
 
He's been obsessed with Alia for years.
 
He spewed that filth right in front of you."

"Oh, yes, I did hear him say it, but I believe that a little bird has been putting those thoughts in his head.
 
A little bird with a penchant for magic.
 
A little bird that knows about President Merganser's affection for our Alia.
 
I can't be sure, so any identification may have to wait, but I have a good idea who it is."

Alia moved forward.

"Who, Bev?"

"Later, Alia, I'll tell you later.
 
We've set a few things in motion, but I want to be certain before I run off at the mouth."

Elena smiled and took Beverly's free hand.

"Miss Beverly is right.
 
We shall know for certain very soon."

Alia sighed and nodded.
 
She watched the amber liquid in her glass move in an orbit around the bottom.
 
Then she lifted it to her lips.
 
Sean stared at her and sighed as she downed her drink again.

Finally, Aaron put his glass down and poured another shot.

"Well, maybe it wasn't his idea, but Merganser is certainly in a state.
 
I bet he doesn’t know whether to scratch his watch or wind his ass.
 
I'm surprised he didn't piss himself when Sean charged at him.
 
Good thing Myron here was able to grab him."

They all looked at Aaron and started to laugh, as Myron slapped Aaron on the shoulder and threw back his shot, breathing heavily as he set his glass down.
 
Sean looked back at Alia who was going for another drink.
 
He walked over and before she could put it to her lips, he took it and drank it.
 
She watched him and tried to pour another, but Sean put his hand over her glass and gently pressed the decanter back down and corked it.

"We still have work to do.
 
You can get drunk later if you want…on me."

Alia nodded and rubbed her forehead.
 
She was so tired.
 
The Gathering was supposed to be a time to relax, her time to unwind from six months of stress and now there was more stress than ever.
 
Grant Turner stepped forward and gently took her arm.

"We have to get back to work, Al."

She looked at him and smiled.
 
They all started to walk out of the hall to the communications room.
 
Grant started grinning to himself.
 
Larry looked at him.

"What?"

Grant shook his head.

"I was just thinking about Merganser.
 
What a knob!
 
I thought his head was gonna explode when Alia told him point blank that she was never going to marry him.
 
It was great!"

Alia smiled and Sean looked at her and then looked straight ahead smiling.

"Yeah, that was good."

The three presidents walked ahead of the Queen of Lia Fail and her Captain, knowing exactly what Sean Lantry meant.

56

The Stark children sat around the kitchen table.
 
They didn't speak and they barely looked at one another.
 
Amanda put her sandwich in her mouth and looked around, but feeling the heaviness of the room opted not to speak either.

Alia walked into the room and was taken aback as she felt the silence.
 
She looked over at Gloria, who shrugged and continued to watch the food on the stove.
 
Alia walked over to the children and sat down next to Rebecca, who looked up at her with wide, red eyes.

"What's going on, Guys?"

The children all looked at one another, except Amanda, who also shrugged and took another bite of her sandwich.
 
Alisha crossed her arms and leaned back.

"It's about St. Viviana's.
 
Is it true?"

Alia looked at Alisha, touched the top of Rebecca's head and gently caressed her cheek, then she nodded.

"Yes, it's true."

Kaley and Sara covered their mouths and began to quietly cry, as the other girls followed suit, except for Alisha.
 
She furrowed her brow and nodded.
 
Rebecca wrapped her arms around her mother.

"Why, Mommy?
 
Why?"

Alia shook her head, fighting back her own tears.

"I don't know, Baby, but we're going to find out."

Suddenly Rebecca pulled back and looked at her mother with giant, terrified eyes.

"It can't happen here, can it, Mommy? Can it?"

The other children looked at Alia.
 
She sighed and looked at Amanda, Lisa and Brandon, who just looked at their older siblings and finished their food.

"Are you three done?"

They nodded and Alia smiled.

"Ok, then, why don't you go upstairs?"

Amanda slid off her seat and took Lisa's hand.
 
They moved out of the room, followed by Brandon.

"We aren't babies you know," he said.

"I know, Sweetie."

The three youngest children left and Alia stood up and looked at her remaining eight.

"I'm not going to lie to you.
 
It looks as though St. Viviana's let them in and then the…'soldiers' attacked…"

"Horde."

Chris looked at his mother.

"Black Horde."

Alia looked back at him.

"How…?"

"Dreams.
 
I've seen them in my dreams."

Coeli looked over and nodded.

"Me too."

Alisha, Tanner and Sara also nodded their heads.
 
Alia sighed and looked at Kaley.

"What about you, Babe?
 
You having dreams too?"

Kaley smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, but not about that Horde and what they did.
 
I've been having dreams about a man without a face and a man with eyes the color of blue ice.
 
They're evil."

Rebecca looked at her mother.

"I've been having dreams about falcons and ravens.
 
They're always fighting.
 
I want the ravens to win, but sometimes they don't."

Alia nodded.
 
Brian looked at them.

"Me too…ravens and falcons.
 
The army too.
 
I can't always get back to sleep."

Alia stroked the top of Brian's head and he hugged her.
 
She rocked him slightly and looked at the others.
 

"Well, it seems that we’re all having some pretty serious nightmares, huh?"

Coeli wiped the tears from her face.

"I've had dreams about other things too."

"Like what, Baby?"

"I think they're unicorns and I think they're in the forest."

Alia smiled and tilted her head as she looked at Sara, who also smiled.
 
Sara looked at Coeli.

"Yeah, they're unicorns and they're in the forest."

Sara told them what had happened earlier that morning.
 
Alisha looked at her mother, obviously upset.

"When were you going to tell us?"

"I didn't have any definitive plans, Lish.
 
I've been a little busy.
 
Unicorns, dreams, a killer army, your wedding, Kaley's wedding… I’ve been busy."

The other kids looked over at Kaley.
 
Chris and Tanner smiled.

"Congrats, Sis!
 
He finally did it, huh?"

Alisha frowned and looked at Kaley, who deflated and then looked at Alia.

"Thanks."

Alisha threw up her arms.