Cataclysm (Alternate Earth Series, Book One) (16 page)

Brand holds his hand out to Xavier, who immediately shakes it. “We owe you a lot. Thank you.”

“Just doing my part for the revolution,” Xavier jokes. Xavier lets go of Brand’s hand and says, “I’ll do my best to get things ready, but don’t expect a miracle. I might need more time.”

“I know you’ll do what you can manage,” Brand replies.

Xavier and Noel phase away, and we return to the mine.

After we get back, Brand sits down with JoJo and makes a list of supplies she needs to make the talismans for the Watchers here and a new suit for me. I know it won’t take her long to make the items, especially with all of us helping her do some of the work that doesn’t require much skill. The stitching and molding is something she will have to do by hand because that’s how her talent works, but we can at least help with some of the grunt work of cutting things out for her.

While we wait for some of Desmond’s people to fetch the supplies for us, I notice Tristan, who is now fully-clothed with some borrowed items, watching Sophia with wary eyes. I walk over and sit down with him on his cot.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Jered told me Sophia is actually my father in this reality,” he tells me. “I’m having a hard time reconciling that fact. It’s hard to imagine him as a woman.”

I don’t know much about Tristan’s father, Rolph, but from what little I was told, he didn’t give Tristan much love or respect. He used him like a tool in his Watcher arsenal, forcing him to perform despicable tasks that were damaging to his soul. I’ve never asked Tristan what acts of barbarism his father made him carry out in the past. It really isn’t any of my business. But I do know that the Watchers of our world often make their children hunt down and attack innocent people for sport. I can’t imagine someone as sweet-tempered as Tristan being forced to do such a horrible thing.

“Do you want to talk to her?” I ask.

“Yes and no,” Tristan admits, with an uneasy sigh. “Honestly, I’m not even sure I know what to say to her.”

With the furtive glances Sophia is giving Tristan, I can only assume she desperately wants to talk to him, too.

“Maybe you should just let her do all the talking,” I suggest. “It’s obvious she wants to know more about you. Perhaps if you talk with her, you might be able to understand your own father a little better. From what I’ve seen so far, she seems to care a great deal about her daughter, Logan. You might be able to see a side to your father through her that you haven’t seen in our reality.”

“I felt sorry for her when Logan decided to stay with her sister, instead of escaping with her. But, Logan did seem torn between wanting to go with Sophia and staying.”

“When I told Sophia that you were her child in our reality, she did what was necessary, and got you out of there,” I remind Tristan. “I think you owe her at least a little bit of your time to speak with her. It isn’t going to hurt anything. Maybe it will even help you in some way. As I said, she does have your father’s soul inside her. She might be able to give you some insight into how to approach your dad when you go back home, if that’s something you want to do.”

“I’ve thought about it,” Tristan admits. “What I really want to do is get my brother away from him.”

My head tilts of its own accord. “I didn’t realize you had a brother,” I admit.

Tristan nods. “Yes. He’s a little younger than I am. My father is one of the few Watchers who had more than one child with a human. Most of them were so traumatized by the birth of their first child that they never wanted to go through it again. My father wasn’t one of them. I guess he wanted a backup in case anything ever happened to me.”

Such a thought is disconcerting, to say the least. That a father would actually think about the death of his own child and plan ahead for it is demented.

“Not all of the werewolves are bad, you know,” Tristan says. “I think a lot of them would do what I did if they had somewhere safe to go.”

“Well, maybe you can do something to help the others when you go back,” I suggest. “Maybe you’re the one who is supposed to help them break the bonds they share with their fathers and start to live normal lives, where they can find a way to atone for the sins they’ve committed.”

“Jered has encouraged me to ask God for forgiveness,” Tristan tells me. “I understand the fact that He will forgive me if I’m truly repentant, but I don’t feel worthy enough to do such a thing yet. I need to do something significant before I can go to Him.”

I place a comforting hand on Tristan’s back. “I understand. I think you should think through what you want to do and how you want to go about doing it. You know Mason and I will help you in any way we can. All you have to do is tell us what needs to be done.”

“Thanks, Jess,” Tristan says, with a wan smile. “I’ll let you know after I figure it out.”

Tristan looks over at Sophia, who is still peering at him expectantly.

“I guess I should go talk to her,” he says. “I think you’re right. Maybe she can give me a different perspective on my father. I wonder why he chose to be a woman in this reality. It seems strange. My father’s always been so manly. I can’t imagine him as a woman, acting all soft and nurturing.”

I let out a small laugh. “Well, there’s only one way to find out. Go talk to her.”

Tristan nods and stands from the cot. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” I tell him. “But I don’t think you’ll need it. She wants to get to know you just as much as you want to know her; it’s obvious from the way she’s looking at you.”

Tristan walks over to where Sophia is sitting on her own cot, and asks if he can sit down with her. Sophia smiles up at Tristan, pleased that he’s finally come to speak with her. They soon fall into what appears to be an easy conversation with one another, and I even see Tristan smile at one point. I know then that, whatever it is Sophia tells him, he will use the information to his advantage when we go back home. I didn’t know Tristan had a younger brother, and I sincerely hope he finds a way to save him from their father’s clutches.

Family, no matter how screwed up it might be, is always important.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Mason volunteers to help in the kitchens to cook supper for our band of refugees. I’ve never been a good cook, so I leave that part up to the experts. With my extra time, I decide to find out how my friends are doing and if there is anything they need from me. I start out with Leah, the youngest of our group.

I find her standing by a section of the wooden rail near the underground lake, peering out across it, as if contemplating the meaning of life.

“A penny for your thoughts,” I tell her as I come to stand next to her.

Leah looks over and smiles at me. “I’m not sure they’re worth that much, Jess.”

“Of course they are,” I say, resting my forearms on top of the railing, mimicking her position. “What’s up, Leah? You’re looking very contemplative.”

Leah sighs and looks straight down into the water. I can tell she needs a moment to collect her thoughts before putting them into words.

“When I lived in this reality, I always knew deep down that I didn’t belong here,” she starts out. “After you took me back to where I did belong, it was like everything in my life suddenly clicked into place. I was given a loving family. I was able to go to school like a normal girl. I even managed to find an
amazing
boyfriend.”

“Why do I feel there’s a ‘but’ coming in here somewhere?”

“
But
,” Leah says, glancing at me with a guilty smile, “now that I’m back…well…I’m a little confused, Jess.”

“I don’t suppose this happens to have something to do with Josh and his newfound interest in you as a member of the opposite sex.”

“It does,” Leah groans, hiding her face behind her hands, as if the admission is causing her a great deal of embarrassment. “What’s wrong with me, Jess? You know how much I love Joshua. I don’t understand why my feelings are so torn, now that Josh seems to like me.”

“You’re only human, Leah,” I tell her, giving her the out she seems to need. “You had a crush on Josh for a long time while you were here. Now he’s finally seeing you the way you always wanted him to back then. It’s natural to be flattered and possibly even a little tempted to see just how deep his affections run. But you need to decide what it is you want, and how much you’re willing to give up in order to have it.”

Leah lowers her hands from her face and turns her head to look at me.

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“Let’s say, hypothetically-speaking of course, that you decide this Josh is the one you want to be with. Would you be willing to stay in this reality with him if God allowed it? Or do you think he cares enough for you to travel back with us? I don’t think he would want to come to our reality and have to start his life all over again, even if God let him.”

“I didn’t think about it like that,” Leah says. “No, I wouldn’t want to stay. My family isn’t here. I couldn’t bear not being with Remy, Mama Lynn, Faison, you...everyone!”

“Then I think you have your answer, Leah. And be careful what you do here. I love you, but I won’t lie for you. If you think you can have a fling with Josh and not have Joshua find out, think again, little sis. Cheating is cheating, no matter what dimension of space you’re in.”

“I admit, I have been thinking about kissing him, just to see if I can sense a real difference between him and Joshua.”

“You know that isn’t right,” I say, slightly disappointed in her answer, but keeping in mind how young she is.

“Yes,” Leah replies, hanging her head in shame. “I know it isn’t right. It’s just so weird, Jess. When I lived here, all I wanted was for him to notice me and kiss me. Now that he’s finally showing interest, I can’t act on it. It just doesn’t seem quite fair.”

“Life isn’t always fair, Leah. And it’s these little tests of our moral character that can get you into trouble if you fail them. But you won’t fail in this situation. I’ve seen the love you share with our Joshua. He adores you. He loves you. And he’s the one you will be going home to. I know you will have a beautiful future with him because the two of you fit so perfectly together. You can’t deny how happy he makes you feel because I see it on your face every time the two of you are around one another. I see it on your face right now because you’re thinking about him. That’s true love, Leah. Don’t throw it all away on a ‘what if’.”

“You’re right,” Leah says, taking her arms off the railing to stand up straight.

I do the same and we face one another.

“You’re the best big sister a girl could ask for,” Leah says, giving me a tight hug.

“And you’re a smart girl for taking my advice,” I reply, hugging her in return.

I walk Leah back to the great chamber, and see that Jered and some of the others are carrying out ready-made dishes on carts to all the people waiting to be fed. Not wanting to be a leech, I decide to help them pass the food out to everyone.

As Jered and I are walking side-by-side, pushing carts with premade plates on them from the kitchen to the people in the great chamber, I ask, “So, earlier today, why did you and Sophia phase back into Brand’s living quarters at the same time? If it’s none of my business, just say so. I don’t necessarily need to know all the sordid details.”

Jered stops in midstride, forcing me to stop and turn to look back at him.

“The things that go on in that mind of yours, Jess,” Jered says, shaking his head at me. “We were definitely not ‘getting matches’ if that’s what you’re insinuating.”

Apparently, pretty much all of our friends know about ‘getting matches’ now. I really need to talk to Mason about changing our code words. We’ve obviously become way too predictable.

“If you must know,” he says, resuming our walk down the tunnel, “she wanted to talk about Tristan and how different she is in our reality as a man. She wanted to know the reason Tristan broke his bond with her counterpart in our world.”

“Did you tell her everything that happened?”

“I saw no reason to withhold the information from her. It’s not a secret to anyone. Why shouldn’t she know what an ass she turned out to be in the Origin?”

“How did she handle the news?”

“She seemed to take it well, as far as I could tell. I think she just wants to get to know Tristan better while he’s here.”

“Did she tell you much about her life?”

“Yes, she told me a little bit about her past. She said she left Robert after he had a child with Will’s wife, Peyton.”

“I heard a little bit about that also,” I say. “Apparently, Will orchestrated the copulation, because he wanted a Watcher child who could fly. Sounded a bit sick and calculated to me, but whatever floats his boat, I guess.”

“Yes, it does seem a bit bizarre,” Jered agrees.

My talk with Jered ends when we reach the great chamber and set out in different directions to deliver the meals on the carts we have.

Eventually, we get everyone fed, but, by that time, I feel too tired to eat anything myself.

As I stand just inside the tunnel entrance leading from the great chamber to the kitchens, I hear a friendly voice say, “You should really try to eat something, Jess.”

I look to my right and see Gabe leaning against the tunnel wall, watching me.

“You’re not my father,” I tell him with a smile, letting him know I’m playing.

“No, I’m not,” he agrees with a grin. “But I am your friend, and I don’t want to see you waste away to nothing. You’ve lost enough weight the past few years. You don’t need to lose any more, especially if you’re going to have another baby.”

“And, with that, you just gained my full attention,” I say, standing up straighter. “Have you seen something in a vision?”

“Give me your hand,” Gabe tells me.

I do so without hesitation.

Gabe clasps my hand between both of his and closes his eyes. I see him begin to smile, and hope flares brightly in my heart at the implication.

“I do see another little one coming into your life,” he confirms. Gabe opens one eye to peek at my reaction before asking, “Do you want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“Of course I do!” I say, showing my complete impatience in such matters. “I’m not like Faison. I can’t wait that long.”

“It will be a boy,” Gabe says. “And I see him entering your future not too long from now. Actually, you might even already be carrying him. The details are a little fuzzy. I can’t be sure.”

I close the distance between us and give Gabe a tight hug around the neck.

“You don’t know how happy you just made me,” I tell him, openly sobbing with pure joy.

I feel Gabe’s arms go around my waist.

“I think I have a hint of it,” he says, squeezing me affectionately. “I felt like you might need some good news today, with everything that’s been going on.”

I pull away and take a step back from Gabe so I can look him in the eyes.

“That’s the understatement of the century,” I tell him. “I needed to know my future will be moving forward. I needed a little hope. You know how long Mason and I have been trying to have baby number three. To know he’s on his way is such a relief, Gabe. You just don’t know.”

A melancholy smile spreads Gabe’s lips, making me think he knows exactly how I feel. The expression reminds me to ask him a question.

“Earlier, when we were in Brand’s quarters, you gave JoJo one of those sad smiles of yours. Why is that?”

Gabe shakes his head. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

I narrow my eyes on Gabe. “Don’t lie, Gabe. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Gabe’s eyes falter as he averts his gaze away from me and to the floor for a second.

“There has been something bothering me,” he reluctantly admits.

“Tell me.”

Gabe looks back up at me and says, “You’re not the only one I’ve seen with a baby in her arms.”

It takes me a minute, but I soon realize who he’s talking about. “Is JoJo pregnant?”

“I think so,” Gabe says. “I’m not positive, though. I’ve seen a number of visions with her caring for a little boy at various stages in his life…but for some reason I never see myself with them. It bothers me.”

“Could you be seeing the visions through your own eyes?” I suggest, looking for a reasonable explanation. “Have you ever seen yourself in a vision that you were a part of?”

Gabe considers my words for a moment.

“Only if it’s a vision where all the vessels are present,” he says, considering the difference.

“Maybe you’re not meant to see your own future,” I say, hoping I’m right. “If you know too much, you might alter what’s supposed to happen.”

“You could be right,” Gabe agrees, but I still hear doubt in his voice. “Jess, if something ever happens to me…”

“Nothing is going to happen to you,” I interrupt him. “I will get you back home, Gabe Kinlan. I promise you.”

Gabe shakes his head. “Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep, Jess. We don’t know what’s going to happen here. None of our fates are set in stone. You know my visions don’t work that way. Something unforeseen could happen to alter them. So, if something ever happens to me, in this reality or in our own, I want you to promise me that you’ll look after JoJo and my son.”

“You’ll be there to take care of them yourself,” I tell Gabe. “But if it will make you feel better, I will always watch over them.”

“Thanks,” Gabe says as a look of relief relaxes his furrowed brow.

“
Non
!” we hear a very irate little French woman say. “I said it had to be white!”

Gabe and I leave our spots in the tunnel to find out what has JoJo in such a tizzy. When we reach her, we see that Brand is standing in front of her with a large plastic bag that seems to be filled with the supplies JoJo asked for. I notice him holding a bolt of leather in one hand that’s a maroon color.

“She is supposed to be wearing white!” JoJo says in exasperation, sounding on the verge of tears. “Not red,
pour l’amour de Dieu
!”

“I’m sorry,” Brand says, looking uncertain about how to handle the situation. “We weren’t able to find any white leather for you to work with. Honestly, I felt lucky to find any leather at all.”

“JoJo,” I say, coming up to her and touching her arm, “maroon is fine for now. When we get back home, you can make me another white one. I don’t think beggars can be choosers here. We’ll just have to deal with what we’re given.”

JoJo sighs and seems to calm down, making me wonder if perhaps she is already pregnant, and the outburst was just a hormonal reaction. Normally, JoJo is happy and even-tempered.

“My apologies,” JoJo says to Brand, coming back to her senses. “I do not know what is wrong with me. I have been rather touchy lately. Truly, I am sorry. Everything you’ve brought will do.
Merci beaucoup
, Brand.”

“Nina should be here shortly with a sewing machine,” Brand tells her, looking relieved that JoJo isn’t upset anymore. “We thought we would just set you up in the chapel area over there,” he says, pointing to the altar at one end of the chamber. “I don’t think it will upset God if we set it up as your work space.”

“I will need to work through the night,” JoJo says, looking around at the other people in the space. “The noise might bother those here.”