The Gathering (90 page)

"Hold on to the trunk, Thomas."

Blaylock nodded and closed his fist tighter around the handle.
 
Then the Shape grabbed Blaylock and stepped towards the portal, but stopped and looked at the young Hordesman.
 
He smiled.

"You should be running now."

Then he stepped into the portal and there was a great slamming sound as the three of them were sucked into the vortex.
 
The Hordesman closed his eyes and ducked, as the winds around him grew fierce and violent.
 
Then they subsided and he looked up.
 
The portal was closing, but before it did, a black round object flew from the darkness.
 
Again the Hordesman ducked as the black thing flew past him and hit the stone floor.

You should be running now.

The blood drained out of his face as he stumbled back and towards the main door.
 
He burst out into the darkness.

"RUN! RUN FOR COVER!!"

He ran for the trees.
 
Alia saw him and stopped.
 
What could he be running from?
 
She looked over at Grant.
 
She saw the flicker of understanding in his eyes and in that moment she too understood.

Then the bomb exploded.

135

"I can't believe she's gone."

Kaley held Coeli as she cried.
 
She had been so preoccupied with taking care of everyone else that she hadn't had much time to mourn Alisha.
 
She cried, too.

"It happened so quickly… she gave her life to protect Brandon and Lisa.
 
It's what she chose…"

Coeli sat up and wiped her face.

"She knew, didn't she?
 
She knew."

Kaley looked down at her hands and nodded.

"I think so."

Coeli nodded, too.

"I miss her."

"Me, too."

The girls smiled and looked at each other until they heard a sniffle.
 
Coeli turned to see the younger children in the doorway.
 
Coeli jumped off the bed and kneeled on the floor as they ran into her arms and the weight of them pushed her over.
 
She laughed as they all lay on top of her.

"We were really worried."

Brian sat up as he wiped his eyes.

"Yeah…"

Rebecca rolled over and rested her head against Coeli's shoulder.
 
Lisa lay on Rebecca and Brandon leaned against Brian, his head on his brother's arm, as Amanda curled up on Coeli's belly and chest and sucked her thumb.
 
Brian rubbed his nose as Brandon looked at her with big eyes.

"Is mom… is… is she ok?"

Coeli smiled, as she looked up at her little brothers.

"She was when we left.
 
I'm sure she still is… I'm sure they're all ok."

"And Tanner?"

Sara and Chris walked into the room.
 
He smiled at Coeli.
 
She handed Amanda to Rebecca as she stood up and grabbed Chris.

"They said you were dead… I… I…"

"I'm not dead."

She nodded and embraced her brother.
 
When she pulled back he was smiling, but his eyes were dark.

"Was Tanner ok when you left?"

Coeli nodded.

"They all said they'd be home soon."

Chris shrugged.

"Then they will be."

Kaley put her hands on her knees and stood up.

"Ok, having said that, I think it's time for young children to be in bed."

Brian looked at his eldest sister and crossed his arms.

"What do you consider young?"

She smiled at him.

"Ten and under."

"Awww, man."

Brandon stomped a foot as Lisa turned to hug her siblings.
 
Rebecca handed Amanda to Kaley.
 
Coeli walked over and kissed Amanda on the forehead and waited for Brandon to come and hug her.

"I'm glad you're home, Shay."

"Me, too."

She watched them go through the door and then turned back to her other brothers and sisters.
 
She smiled and walked out to the balcony.
 
She looked to the east.

136

Ellen Turner held her daughter against her and rocked her gently back and forth as she looked out the window of their room.

"You should have seen him.
 
He was amazing."

Ian sat watching his sister.

"I guess we all misjudged the Mergansers, huh?
 
I'm glad he was there.
 
I'm sorry I wasn't."

Ian looked down and Hannah looked over at him.
 
She walked over and knelt down beside him.

"You would have if you hadn't been ambushed, besides I'm glad you were here and safe.
 
Ian?"

Ian looked over at her and touched her cheek.

"Yeah?"

"How come nobody has talked about Chris?
 
Is he…?
 
Tanner wouldn't answer me when I asked how he was.
 
Is he…?"

Ian smiled, but before he could speak there was a knock on the door.
 
He got up, walked over to the door and opened it.

Ian moved aside and there stood Chris.

"Hannah!"

Hannah smiled brightly as she jumped up and ran into Chris’s arms.
 
He held her tightly, kissing the side of her head.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to get you."

She shook her head as she pulled back to look at him.

"I thought something had happened… "

He nodded and then she noticed that there was something different about him.
 
He explained.

"Something did happen… Rona stabbed me in the back with a poison blade… the same kind of poison that killed Alisha.
 
I almost died, too, but Elena and Beverly made some kind of antidote."

Hannah cocked her head.

"Alisha?"

She looked over at her mother and Ian.

"Alisha's dead?"

Ellen stood up and shook her head.

"With everything that's happened, we weren't sure we should tell you."

Hannah turned back to Chris, her eyes welling with tears.

"I'm so sorry."

Chris’s eyes began to tear, but he shook his head and held her close.

"I'm just glad you're back.
 
Now as soon as everyone else gets back home, we'll be fine, right?"

She nodded.

"I love you, Hannah."

She smiled.

"I love you, too, Chris."

She leaned up and kissed him.
 
It was true and yet she didn't feel the same as she had before.

“It'll be fine when they all come back.
 
Then it will be the same.”

Hannah smiled as she let go of Chris and walked over to the window.
 
She looked out over the village and watched Elian, Stephan and Albion walking towards Keystone House.
 
Albion looked up and saw her.
 
He smiled and waved.
 
She smiled and waved back.
 
She knew they were going to be great friends.

137

As the smoke began to clear, Alia lowered her arms and looked around her.
 
Through the haze she began to make out faces.
 
There was Connie and Todd.
 
Then she saw Jones, Grant and Larry.
 
Then she heard Sam, and then Tanner.
 

Her soldiers were standing up and dusting themselves off.
 
Vance?
 
Molly?
 
Quinn?
 
Myron?
 
Where were they?
 
She had tried to cast a protection spell only moments before the blast, but there hadn't been enough time.
 
She glanced around and saw some of her soldiers lying dead around her.

"Myron!
 
Molly!!"

Sam came towards her.

"Vance?
 
Quinn?
 
Where are you?"

"We're here!"

Alia and Sam turned to see Molly helping Quinn through the smoke and dirt.
 
Sam ran over to help them.
 
Quinn was covered in blood, but alive.
 
Molly let Sam take Quinn and held her arm.
 
It appeared to be broken and there was a long gash on her forehead that was still bleeding.
 
She looked pale.

"The blast knocked us into the trees.
 
We've got more wounded in there."

Alia turned to Connie.

"Connie, go take the able men and see what we can do for our wounded.
 
Tell Tanner to get over there and help."

"You got it."

Connie took several soldiers and ran off into the woods, hollering for Tanner to come with them.
 
Alia took Molly's hand and covered her forehead with her other hand, the familiar purple light coming from underneath.
 
Sam had set Quinn on the ground.
 
Todd had run over at this point and seen his partner.
 
He knelt down next to him, pale at the obviously serious injuries.