TherianPromise (23 page)

“And I can’t believe how much things have changed in so
short a time.”

“Do
I
seem different?” Carissa sounded hurt.

“You didn’t until you turned into a… What the hell was that
thing? I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard of a black tiger before.”

“Nothing about Carissa is ordinary and I think her cat is
beautiful,” Erin objected.

“So do I. That’s not what I meant. I’m just having a hard
time believing that was her. With Kyle and the others it’s easier to accept,
but I grew up with Carissa. I remember her losing teeth and agonizing over her
first pimple.”

Carissa relaxed, even managed to smile. “It gets easier.
Before long it’ll all seem common.”

Ava shook her head. “I hope not. I never want to lose that
sense of awe. You guys are amazing.”

Erin moved from her chair and joined them on the couch. “You
are amazing too. Never doubt that for a minute. The blood that flows through
Carissa’s veins also flows through yours.”

“That’s not what’s bothering me.” Even as the words passed
her lips they sounded hollow. “If the ancients accept me, I’ll likely go
through with the blood ritual. If they don’t…I think I’m okay with that too.”

“You’re afraid.” Carissa challenged her with a look. “It’s
understandable, but that’s what this is. Good old-fashioned fear. You’ve always
avoided change like the plague. You’re comforted by routines.”

Carissa was half right. She was definitely a creature of
habit, but she wasn’t afraid of becoming an Omni Prime. She was afraid of being
left behind. Being surrounded by power and people with extraordinary abilities
left her feeling useless.

“Which part of your new situation upsets you most?” Erin
pivoted toward Ava, her gaze filled with compassion.

Rather than toss out a random concern, Ava took a moment to
analyze each element of the conflict, trying to prioritize their effect on her
life. Then she realized the answer was in her reaction to the question. “I’m
analytical. If I can’t weigh one thing against another and set priorities, I
feel helpless. This situation isn’t only filled with variables, but many of
those variables haven’t even been defined yet.”

Carissa shook her head. “You’re making this much too
complicated. You need to trust yourself and the people around you and just
enjoy the ride.”

“That’s your natural reaction to the challenge,” Erin said.
“Your sister’s mind doesn’t work that way. In fact, I’d like to speak with Ava
for a few minutes alone.”

“You’re dismissing me?” Carissa sounded shocked.

“More or less.” It was impossible to remain angry when Erin
turned up the warmth in her smile.

Carissa huffed then pushed to her feet with a sigh. “Fine.
I’ll go supervise the men.”

Ava waited until Carissa closed the door behind her before
she spoke again. “She means well.”

“I know she does. She loves you very much, but you’re not
Carissa. Your circumstances might be similar to hers, but you have different
coping mechanisms. She relies on instinct while you prefer information.” Erin
turned nearly sideways, bending her knee against the sofa’s cushion. “What else
would you like to know?”

“There’s so much I still don’t understand. I’m not sure
where to start.”

“Start at the top. What thought won’t leave your mind?”

Kyle’s images flared within her mind, but she quickly hid
her smile. Kyle definitely bothered her, but it wasn’t the sort of bother that
his mother could help her resolve. Carissa’s image slowly eclipsed Kyle’s and
Ava felt a jolt of shame.

“Go on. Tell me what you’re thinking. I’m here to help, not
judge.”

Ava looked at her new friend with narrowed eyes. “Are you
the clan counselor or something?”

“At times. Maintaining an accurate history requires me to be
more observant than most. Besides, I’m older than dirt.” She laughed. “Age
brings with it wisdom, if we’re willing to learn.”

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Ava looked inward as she shared
her thoughts. “I know Carissa wasn’t in control of a lot of what happened to
her, but I can’t help feeling like she…”

“Stole your thunder?”

“I’m not even sure I want what she has.”

Erin’s brow arched and her eyes gleamed. “We’re being honest
here.”

“All right. Who doesn’t want to learn that they’re special?
That their ancestors were unique and powerful. Carissa has embraced our
heritage with open arms while I’m too afraid to even think about it.”

Those perceptive eyes narrowed again. “Is that really what
you’re afraid of?”

“Now that the ancients have Carissa, I’m afraid they won’t
need me.” Something inside Ava released and she exhaled as tingles crept over
her arms. How had Erin known she was internalizing this fear? Was she just
perceptive as she claimed or did her Therian nature allow her to see what
others could not? “Wow. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest. You
should charge money for this.”

Erin wrapped her arm around Ava and squeezed her shoulder.
“I don’t want your money, but I might be able to answer your question. Would
that help you relax?”

“What do you mean? I thought I needed to be in the vault to
determine if the ancients would accept me.”

“There are three tests used to determine if a potential Omni
Prime is found worthy by the ancients. Two require you to be in the vault, but
one can be conducted here. The test is not complicated and it can’t be faked.”

“All right. What do I have to do?”

“As you know, I’m the current Historian. I was taught the
ancient language so I can make official entries in the sacred journals. Well, I
keep a personal journal as well and once I realized many of my thoughts and
observations could be potentially dangerous if read by the wrong person, I
started using the ancient language for my personal journal as well.”

“You want me to read your diary?” Ava smiled.

“Not for content, obviously. If the ancients empower you to
read the language, it’s almost assured that you’ll pass the other tests.”

“And if they don’t, I’m probably out of luck?”

“The energy in the vault is far more concentrated, so don’t
lose hope if this doesn’t work.”

“But if it does, I’ll have one less thing to worry about.”

“Exactly.”

Ava scooted to the edge of the couch and nodded. “I want to
try. It would be really nice to know one way or the other.”

Erin took Ava by the hand and led her to the only bedroom on
the main level. Though smaller than the rooms upstairs, it was cozy and warm.
Erin sat on the edge of the bed then patted the space beside her. “Have a seat.
You need to be relaxed and open to their teaching.”

As Ava sat down, Erin reached into the overnight bag beside
the bed and pulled out a leather-bound journal. She handed the book to Erin
then sat beside her. “Open it across your lap then run your fingertips over the
page. If you don’t feel anything at first, close your eyes and empty your
mind.”

Each line was written in a flowing script, not as decorative
as calligraphy, but more stylized than cursive. “Carissa can read this?” Her
uncertainty came rushing back and she sighed.

Erin touched Ava’s forearm, drawing her attention to Erin’s
face. “I’m going to tell you something that I never mentioned to Carissa. Sam
Collins was a gentle soul. Osric manipulated and used him, but Sam loved
Willona with all his heart and she had grown to love him. If Sam had survived,
I honestly think Willona wouldn’t have run.”

“What does that have to do with Carissa being able to read
the ancient language?”

“You both received potential power from your mother. And
though Osric’s basic character is corrupt, his bloodline is old and powerful.
Sam’s bloodline, on the other hand, had been diluted and tainted so many times
he was barely able to shift.”

Ava stared at Erin, desperately trying to unravel her
convoluted comments.

“Carissa told you about Sam, didn’t she?”

“She said Osric convinced Sam to participate in Mother’s
definition, but…” Understanding shot through Ava in a sudden jolt. She gasped
and pressed a hand over her heart. “The wolf-shifter was Carissa’s father? How
is that even possible?”

Erin laughed, the sound soft and infectious. “Cats do it all
the time, my dear.”

“Then we’re not really twins. In fact, we’re only half
sisters.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to derail your concentration. I
only meant to explain that Carissa is the one I wasn’t sure the ancients would
accept. You have been infused with power from both your mother and father. I
will be shocked if this doesn’t work.”

Pausing to rub her eyes, Ava took a moment to absorb this
new information. It didn’t really change anything. She still loved Carissa and
always would. But another layer of deception had been peeled off her life. Was
anything her mother told her true?

“Maybe we should try this after dinner. I’ve obviously upset
you.” Erin reached for the book, but Ava blocked her hand.

“I’m not upset. I’m just adjusting my thinking—again.”

“All right. But remember, if this doesn’t work, it’s not a
definitive fail. This is more of a prescreening than one of the official
tests.”

Ava smiled. “Each time you prepare me for failure, I’m more
convinced you think I can’t do it.”

Erin pressed her lips together, pulled an imaginary zipper
across the seam then motioned toward the book.

Import hung in the air like static electricity. If the
stories were true, this is what Ava had been born to do, what her ancestors had
done for generations. She would not doubt herself or think about Carissa. Or
their mother. The past could not be changed. She needed to focus on the future.

Ava closed her eyes and took a deep breath, releasing all
the details while she exhaled. Then with her mind clear and accessible, Ava
slowly opened her eyes.

The book rested on Ava’s thighs, black ink contrasting
sharply with stark white pages. She ran her fingertips over the first line, her
gaze following the motion of her hand. Should she…

Before the speculative thought could fully form, her
fingertips began to tingle. Rather than analyze the sensation, she let instinct
guide her and pressed her palm against the page. Warm currents flowed up her
arm and swirled through her chest. Her heartbeat sped, but her lungs felt
heavy.

She pressed her other hand against the opposite page and
closed her eyes. Tingles became prickles and warmth turned to heat. She opened
her mind and surrendered to the sensations, thrilled by her body’s immediate
reaction.

Lines of script scrolled through her mind, but the words
were still unreadable to her.
Show me. Please allow me to understand.
She didn’t know if she was supposed to interact with the spirits directly or if
she should remain silent and still, but they were here. She could sense them
and feel her body reacting to their presence.

Her eyes burned and she pressed her lids tighter as tears
escaped the corners of her eyes. The lines of script in her mind slowly
blurred, becoming shapeless blobs before reforming in crisp, clear English.
“‘Osric has thrown down the gauntlet, dared us to react. His selfish abuse has
already set us back by decades. We cannot allow his challenge to go
unanswered.’”

Erin’s happy cry echoed in the distance, but the connection
sank deeper into Ava’s mind. Ava raised her hands to her head and moaned. The
journal’s weight was lifted from her legs and Ava fell back onto the bed.

“Ava? Are you all right.”

The fear in Erin’s tone sent a shiver through Ava. She
hadn’t been afraid until she heard Erin’s voice. She tried to speak, to
reassure the other woman, but she couldn’t move, could barely think beyond the
roaring in her head.

Images swirled, disconnected and dizzying. The harder she
fought the current the more disconcerting the sensations became. She bobbed and
rocked, twisted and soared with no control, no specific destination. Like the
steady pull of a vacuum, the trance drew her deeper and deeper into its power.

The mattress dipped as someone sat down beside her. Then
warm fingers brushed her hair back from her face. “We’re here, sunshine. If you
need our help, let me feel your fear.”

Kyle. Her protector, her lover, her…mate? The thought wasn’t
nearly as upsetting as it had been the first time the possibility popped into
her mind. But he was afraid for her, as was his mother. She needed to let them
know she was all right.

But was she all right? She was paralyzed and helpless, yet
she felt no threat, no menace within the tranquility.

Locating her link with Kyle, she sent him a pulse of calm,
curiosity.
Not sure what’s happening, but I don’t think I’m in danger.

She wasn’t sure if the thought had reached his mind until he
said, “She’s not afraid, but she’s not sure what this is either.”

As if in response to their exchange, the pulling sensation
increased, rushing her toward a looming void. She struggled against the hold,
frightened for the first time.

She plunged into darkness like a tunnel in the middle of a
roller coaster. Then she burst out the other side and sensations bombarded her
consciousness. Fear and delight, excitement and dread, all compressed into one
overwhelming moment.

Hovering above the scene, disembodied yet connected, she
watched what was happening to the other Ava. She could feel what her other self
felt, yet she saw the events from outside her body.

Her other self sat on the edge of a highly carved pedestal
table, the wood darkened as if by age. All the chairs had been stacked off to
one side and six people stood around the oval table. To her right stood Kyle,
his handsome features stern while excitement burned in his gaze. Payne stood at
her left, his strange golden eyes glowing. No one moved. No one spoke. And
tension increased with each frantic heartbeat.