A Destiny Revealed (22 page)

“What do you want?” she asked the other vampire.

Nala’s eyebrow lifted at her dismissive tone. “I know that
you have contacted the oracle.
Twice.”

“And?”
Dalia crossed her arms over
her chest, hoping her face was blank.

“And I know you're supposed to meet with her. I want the amulet
she wears, and I want the one named Bakari.”

Dalia snorted. “That sounds like
a
YP not a MP.”

Nala frowned, staring at Dalia as though she was offended.
“What does that mean?”

“It means that it’s your problem not my problem.”

“You will help me.” It was not a question.

"Are you daft, lady?”

Nala frowned again and reached into her purse and pulled out
her cell phone.
Dalia watched, tense, as she searched through
it.
Nala tossed the phone to Dalia, and leaned back, waiting on her
reaction. Hands shaking, Dalia caught the phone and stared at the screen. It
was a video file. Dalia pressed play and watched with mounting dread as the
video showed her mother sitting on her front porch. Standing at the corner of
her mother’s house was a vicious looking Ajo with madness in his eyes. 
Dalia swallowed her panic and forced her eyes up to meet Nala’s.

“I have someone watching your brother and his kids
also,
they caught up with them as they left your apartment.”
Smug pleasure suffused her face. “I think you'll do what I tell you.”

“You can’t watch them twenty four seven.” Her worse
nightmare was starting all over again. Someone was using her family to get to
her.

“Neither can you, dear.” Nala stood and grabbed her purse.
“Keep the phone. You'll use it to call me once you are inside the oracle’s
house. My men will do the rest.” Nala slammed the door as she left.

Dalia dropped her head to her knees as panic filled her. She
had no choice. She knew what would happen to her family if Nala made good on
her threat. She couldn't risk it.

Chapter 21

           
ZAHRA SAT AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, staring at her father-in-law pacing the room.

“Ajo are dangerous, Zahra, you can't let your guard down for
even a second,” he lectured.

 She nodded impatiently. She'd been getting this
lecture for the past hour and frankly she was tired of it. Still pissed about
the way Bakari handled Bron, his added lecture did nothing towards appeasing
her. Her husband stood at her side, his hand on her shoulder, with Aren sitting
next to her, preparing for the meeting with Dalia.

"Do not, mi ôkàn."
Fynn warned, blocking
their conversation from the Ijoye.

Zahra sighed.
"I wasn’t going to say anything."

"Please",
Aren scoffed,
"you’re
practically chomping at the bit. Allow him his lecture, Zahry. What can it
hurt?"

Zahra sighed again and tuned out her father in law. This
meeting was too important to get distracted. The tribe needed Dalia. Her cell
phone rang at her side and she jumped. “Dalia?”

“Yeah, princess, I’m ready.”

“She's ready,” Zahra told the room. “Remember she's not like
other Ajo, Bakari, so don't treat her like crazy person.” When he nodded she
used her power to link with Dalia and teleport her into the room. Zahra sat up
straight as Dalia popped into the room. She was beautiful in her simple jeans
and tank top. Dalia’s eyes were defiant as she took a seat across from Zahra.

“You can tell your merry men to relax,
princessa
. I'm
only here to ask you a couple of questions.”

God that woman's mouth.

Aren coughed to cover his laugh.
"She’s worse than
you, Zahry."

Zahra shook her head and smiled. “I'm glad you came to see
me. You've seen the goddess, and I wondered when you would call.” With
everything that happened she wondered if Dalia would call at all. “You still
have questions?”

“Have you been trying to contact my family?” Dalia's eyes
were hard.

 Zahra looked surprised. “How do you mean contact?”

“There have been some strange things happening to my family.
I want to know if you're behind them.”

 Zahra studied her a moment trying to figure out how to
answer the question. “If your family descended from the original Aje tribe,
then when I gained my powers, anything passed down through your family may have
been unlocked, that could be the source of the strange happenings.” She
searched through the threads connecting her with the tribe and tried to think
of
who
Dalia's family could be.

A spark of interest lit Dalia’s eyes. “Is that true for all
the descendants?”

At Zahra’s nod, she seemed to relax slightly. “Are you
trying to contact all the descendants?”

Zahra’s eyes darted to Bakari and she wondered how much he
would let her say.

“Only those we need." Those needed for the upcoming
struggles.
“Warriors, shaman, and anyone helpful to the
basíkùlú
.”

“Warriors?”
Dalia inquired, perking
up.

Zahra used the barest trace of her power to find out what
Dalia was searching for. She caught faint traces before Dalia slammed down a
barrier, but it was enough.

“That’s not nice, princess.” Suspicion narrowed her eyes.

"Are you feeling the same thing?"
Aren
asked her.

Zahra nodded. “Fynn, can you and Bakari leave so I can speak
with Dalia alone? Aren will be here with me.” From the images and fears she pulled
from Dalia, she didn’t want the other two in the room.

“Like hell,” Bakari growled.

Fynn simply scoffed.

The urgency mixed with fear from Dalia, scared her and sped
up her heart. She'd caught glimpses of some kind of evil stalking Dalia’s
family but the barrier came up before she could get anything other than that.

“I'm only asking as courtesy, guys.” Zahra used her eyes to
plead with her husband.         
“I’m not leaving you in here alone with an Ajo,” Bakari snarled.

Dalia flinched at his tone.

Fed up, Zahra teleported the two of them
from the kitchen and into the training room before they could say another word.
The banging on the walls started a moment later and Aren stared at her
wide-eyed.

“They’re locked in.” She looked at Dalia. “I don’t think
it'll last long, so hurry and explain.”

“Explain?” Dalia started to stand.

“Why didn’t you tell me your family was in trouble?” Zahra
snapped. Her head pounded at the amount of power she used to lock her husband
in the other room.

“Why would you care about my family?” Dalia raised her chin.

“Damn it, Dalia, they're a part of this tribe also. Do you
think I would let something happen to them?” Zahra grit her teeth as Bakari's
power slammed against hers.

“How was I supposed to know? You guys haven’t exactly rolled
out the red carpet for me.” Dalia crossed her arms over her chest.

“That doesn't mean we'd allow something to happen to
innocent people.” Aren's gaze darted between Dalia and the door. “What're you
still hiding?”

“I don’t have to tell you anything.” 

“Little girl, you’re still young in your powers. No amount
of blocking will keep me from finding out what’s inside your head. If you want
me to stay out then just answer the questions.” Aren pointed at Dalia.

“Maybe I should just leave,” Dalia said.

“Dalia, I take the oracle’s safety very seriously.” Aren
growled. “I feel a threat from you and I want to know why. We can do this the
easy way or the hard way–”

His words were cut off as Bron rushed into the room. His
roar was loud as he grabbed Aren from the chair and pinned him against the
cabinets.

“You will not lay a hand on my mate.” Menace threaded his
words.

“Stand down, Bron,” Zahra ordered. She rubbed a hand across
her head. The whole situation was getting out of hand.

Ignoring her, Bron roared inches from Aren’s face. The
warriors stared each other down, each refusing to submit.

“I will threaten whomever I have to, to keep the oracle
safe.” Aren shoved Bron away from him.

“I said stand down,” Zahra ordered again. She shoved power
at the two men.

Dalia gasped. The two men dropped their heads and Bron
released Aren.

“We don't have time for this.” Sweat beaded along her
forehead as she fought to maintain the power she expended.

Bron was breathing hard, struggling to control himself.

“I should go.” Dalia tried to stand.

Zahra whirled around to face her. “Sit.” She ordered Dalia.

Dalia sat back in the chair.

“You,” she pointed to Bron, “over there now, and do not
move.”

Bron moved to Dalia’s side of the table and they all breathed
a sigh of relieve when Zahra pulled back her power. Zahra braced her hands on
the table to catch her breath. The sounds of pounding grew louder.

“Talk now, Dalia. I can't hold them in there for much
longer.”

“A vampire named Nala is having my family followed. She
threatened to hurt them if I didn’t tell her where you were.” Dalia rushed out.

“Why?” Aren gathered his dreadlocks back into some semblance
of order.

A tight black t-shirt replaced his torn shirt right before
her eyes; Dalia was awed by how easy they wielded magic. “I’m supposed to tell
her where the oracle and the one named Bakari are.”

Zahra looked at Aren and Dalia could tell they were talking
to each other. She jumped when she felt another rise in power. Bakari and Fynn
came into the room both wearing identical expressions. Their brows were bunched
in anger, their mouths set in a straight line. Dalia was impressed with the
oracle as she watched the woman stay calm in the face of their anger.

“If you ever do that-” Bakari started. The growl from his
son cut off the rest of his words.

“You will watch your tone with my mate.” Fynn bared his
teeth.

Dalia squirmed at the icy look Bakari gave Zahra.

“I don't care whose mate she is, if she can't mind her own
safety then I will return her favor and lock her up,” he snarled.

Zahra scoffed. “I’m a grown ass woman.”

“Then act like it.” Bakari snapped. “You know your
importance to this tribe. Stop putting yourself in needless danger.”

“I'm not flippant with my safety Bakari. I've been taking care
of myself long before you knew who I was. I don’t need you cosseting me.” Zahra
put her hands on her hip. “Aren was still in the room, I was in no immediate
danger.”

“You didn't have to force us out.” The anger left Fynn's
face.

“You wouldn't leave when I asked you, Fynn. How was I
supposed to get any answers from her with your father staring daggers, and you
hovering?” Zahra threw her hands up.

“Anything she has to say, I should hear,” Bakari said.

Zahra balled her fists. “I would've told you.”

“I shouldn’t have been sent from the room,” Bakari growled.

“Well, you pissed me off, and I'm the oracle. I shouldn't
have to argue with you over every damn thing.”

“Enough.” Fynn slashed a hand in the air between the two of
them. “It’s obvious you two will disagree on this. She's an important part of
this tribe, Ijoye, and should be given a lot more respect than we've shown her.
Zahra, baby, we'll try not to smother you, but you must also talk to us. We
can't know your intentions if you don't tell us.”

He turned to Dalia and she noticed how handsome he was. His
brown skin was flawless. His eyes so dark they looked black, all accented by
his strong high cheekbones, and proud chin. His hair was braided down in neat
cornrows, which only added to strength of his face. He wore power like a
comfortable shirt. It hung on his shoulders with a confidence that somehow
comforted Dalia. It would be easy to follow this man wherever he led.

 “Dalia, I apologize for our behavior. Everyone sit and
we'll discuss this like adults.”

Dalia moved her chair slightly as Bron sat next to her. His
closeness was playing havoc with her already shattered nerves. She took a deep
breath and his scent surrounded her, calling her to his arms. She caught
herself swaying towards him and straightened in her chair. Zahra quickly
explained to her husband and the Ijoye what Dalia had told her.

“Dalia, I'll send someone to check on your family, for now
it'll be better if you stay here. The house is warded so no one can track you
here. It will give us some time to figure this out.” Zahra looked tired.

Yeah right she would stay here. “I can take care of myself.”

Zahra’s eyes held respect and compassion as she looked at
Dalia. “I'm well aware of that, Dalia, but you'll stay here nonetheless.”
Zahra’s tone warned that she wouldn't hear anything else on the subject.

“I'm not one of your boys, princess, you can’t order me
around.” She couldn't stay here knowing her family was in danger. “Besides,
your father-in-law will probably murder me in my sleep.”

Fynn held up his hand as a growl rumbled Bron’s chest. “You
have my word nothing will happen to you while you are under this roof, Dalia.
Bron is important to me. I won't allow anyone to harm his mate.” Fynn’s eyes
were serious and his voice rang with sincerity.

“I'll show you to your room,” Bron grabbed her arm.

Dalia snatched her arm back quickly, tingling where his
fingers touched. “I haven't agreed to anything.”

“If you're here we can focus our efforts on your family,
Dalia. We can't afford to lose you,” Zahra stood, ending further argument.
“We'll leave you and Bron to talk.”

Fynn put his arm around his
wife,
he nuzzled her neck speaking softly to her before leading her from the room.
She felt a twinge of envy at the obvious love between the two of them.

Bron stood tense next to Dalia until they were left alone.
He clenched his hands against his side. She stood next to him, her chin high,
caution keeping her from reaching for him.