The Gathering (51 page)

Alisha stopped and crossed her arms.

"What exactly does that have to do with my dilemma?"

Vance rolled his eyes.

"Because you're upset that Kaley is going to St. Paul's.
 
You need to understand that this is her life.
 
She loves Ian and he loves her.
 
You know, like you and me. She's making a sacrifice to be with the man she loves.
 
Just like my mother left everyone and everything she loved to be with the man who loved her, Kaley is doing the same thing, only she's not gonna be disinherited by doing so.
 
Get it?"

Alisha looked at the ground and nodded.

"Yeah."

Vance put out his hand and Alisha took it.

"So your mom never spoke to her father again?"

Vance smiled.

"Of course she did.
 
The old man was a softy and she was daddy's little girl.
 
He came around and dad and he became really great buddies.
 
From what I remember, he was a great guy.
 
My mom just likes to be dramatic."

Alisha smiled and they walked on through the village.

65

After speaking to the Merganser boys and filling Sean and Myron in on the new information, Alia had taken the children out to meet Ferage and his family.
 
While they had been in the clearing, Sean and Myron had taken Rona and Darla into custody.

The jail was near the soldier's barracks in the central area of the village.
 
It had four cells with traditional metal bars, making it reminiscent of old west jails.
 
Rona stared out the window of her cell, looking at the sky.
 
Darla frowned as she sat on the bench in her cell with her hands under her thighs.

Rona turned away from the window and looked at Darla.

"What's the matter, D?
 
Losing faith in your old pal?"

"I’m not going down with you, Rona.
 
I won't!"

Rona leaned against the wall with her arms folded in front of her.

"You’re an accomplice, Stupid!
 
You are in it up to your fat little neck."

Darla turned to Rona.

"What are you talking about?
 
I did one glamour.
 
I didn't attack anyone.
 
You did that.
 
And I'm not fat!!"

Rona smiled and then mockingly put her hands on either side of her face.

"What?
 
I never did that… you did that, Darla.
 
You don't remember, huh?
 
Well, I guess it'll be your word against mine."

Darla shook her head and wrapped her hand around her thumb, wringing it faster and faster.
 
Rona just smiled.

"If you still want out of here, then just keep your mouth shut."

"How are you gonna get out of here?
 
There are soldiers everywhere, steel bars…everyone knows we're here."

Rona smiled and walked towards Darla's cell.

"I've called his messengers.
 
When they arrive, I'll send word that we've been found out.
 
He'll send Tommy and then we’re out of here.
 
Besides, we have to get that bitch out to San Bernie before the full moon."

Darla was about to ask another question when they heard the door open and footsteps coming.
 
Rona pointed at Darla.

"Think before you speak, D."

Darla just looked at Rona as the door to the cell room opened.
 
Myron Chambers walked through the door and stood before them, followed by a guard with two trays of food.
 
The guard slid one tray into Rona's cell and the other into Darla's cell, then turned and left.
 
Myron watched both of them and he could feel his old police skills rise to the surface.
 
He hadn't been in an interrogating room in some time, but he felt that Darla was at her breaking point.
 
He just continued to stare at her.
 

She moved forward and took her tray and began to eat, feeling Myron's gaze on her, but she also felt Rona's eyes, like little knives being plunged into her back.
 
She wanted to tell Myron what happened, but she heard that voice in her head.
 
She knew they wouldn't believe her.
 
Rona was right; it was her word against Rona's.
 
She continued to eat in silence.

Myron felt the tide change.
 
He sighed and looked at Rona, who was now smiling.
 
That in turn, caused Myron to smile.

"I wouldn't get too happy, if I was you, Rona.
 
From what I know, I bet we get an execution."

She turned at him with a smile.

"We don't have executions, Cop."

"No, we haven't
had
an execution.
 
They're on the books, you know, it's just that no one has ever committed a crime that warranted it before.
 
Lucky you, you're the first."

Rona's smile turned to a frown as Myron walked over and out the door.
 
As he closed the door, Rona threw her tray at him.

“Condescending, son of a bitch!
 
You’re why everyone hated LAPD!”

She looked over at Darla.

"I see we thought better about telling the truth.
 
Good move."

Darla looked down at her food and quietly began to cry.

66

Sam and Coeli walked silently through the streets of the village.
 
Sam could feel that something was weighing heavily on her.
 
He looked around and guided them towards the southern rampart.
 
Coeli looked up.

"Where are we going?"

Sam pointed to the top of the wall.

"There…I want to look out over the valley."

They climbed the stone steps to the top of the wall and walked along the path until Sam stopped and leaned against the barrier.
 
He sighed and looked at her.

She was smiling as she stared down at the forest.
 
Sam looked over in the same direction and saw Schepta staring at them.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Yeah…her name is Schepta."

Sam scowled and looked at Coeli.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Coeli looked down at her fingers and shrugged.

"My mom said we couldn't say anything to anyone.
 
The ghost guy that you were talking about earlier…the one from your dreams… he wants to kill Schepta and her family.
 
I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't."

She looked up at Sam, who was still frowning, and felt herself well up.

"Are you mad at me?"

Sam turned and looked at her.
 
He could see that she was about to cry.
 
He took her hand and held the slender fingers to his mouth.
 
They were cold as he kissed them.

"No, I'm not mad.
 
I just wish you could have told me."

He let her fingers go and took off his jacket and put it around her.
 
She fell into his chest and grabbed him around the waist.

"I'm sorry."

He smiled and held her.

"I know, Shay, it's ok."

She looked up at him.

"I've been wanting to talk to you."

Sam raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"Something besides unicorns?"

She smiled.

"Yeah… about us."

"You're not dumping me after four days are you?"

She shook her head and laughed.

"No."

"Good."

She bit her bottom lip.

"I want…I want you to spend the night with me."

Sam looked at her dumbfounded.

"What?"

"I want us to move to that level.
 
Spend the night with me."

Sam chuckled to himself and held her close.

"I think about that a lot, Shay, but this isn't something we have to rush into.
 
I'm not going anywhere.
 
I think we should wait."

"I'm ready, Sam."

"I'm sure you are, but this is a big deal, Shay…for both of us."

"I know…but…"

Sam held up his hand.

"Let's drop it for now, ok?
 
We have plenty of time."

Coeli smiled and nodded, but she knew that they didn't have time.
 
From her dreams, the ones she hadn't told anyone, she knew that for her, there wasn't time and she wanted to know what it was to make love.
 
She wanted Sam to be that man and she wanted it to be on her terms.

They stared off into the dusky sky and Coeli decided, for the moment, she could afford to wait.

67

After finding out the truth behind Stephan's outburst, Alia and Bev had gone to Justin Roberts and then they confronted Stephan.
 
Stephan broke down after hearing about Rona's glamour and her attempts to infect the village with the imps.

Stephan sat in the chair in the main room of his quarters, his hands covering his face.

"I'm so sorry, Alia.
 
I thought the Lord wanted me to save you from this life of heathenism.
 
I was so sure my dreams were from the Lord."

Alia sat in front of Stephan and gently pulled his hands from his face.
 
He turned from her and wouldn't look at her.
 
Justin came around his friend and placed an arm around his shoulders.