Daylight, a Timeless Series Novel (22 page)

I caught a
crackle in the distance, and then loud laughter. I looked up, and screamed as a large branch barreled towards us. Andre knocked me to the ground, and we watched it fly past.

“Koda!” Andre s
napped. “You idiot! We’re down here!”

I rose, brushing the mud from my sleeves.

“You couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, Koda!” Daniel’s voice echoed off the trees.

“Hold still and I’ll show you, you twig
!” Koda bellowed back.

Andre moved beside me. “They’re both morons.”

“Daniel’s gotten Koda a little worked up. Sorry for the missile,” Skylar said, emerging from the trees. His scraggly blond hair was matted to his head. “Did you two see anything?”

I glanced at Andre, still not sure if I should be mad at her for forcing me to talk with Nakari. “Nothing of importance,” I replied.

“Good. I don’t know about the two of you, but I’m looking forward to the soup Lilly’s making.”

I smiled as we began our track back. “So am I,” I replied.

Daniel suddenly jumped in front of us and my heart skipped a beat. No matter how long I’d know him, I’d never get used to his sudden appearances.

“Hey
, ladies!” Daniel said cheerfully.

Andre reached out and shoved him
aside. “Do you know how irritating it is to have you appear like that?”

“About as irritating as your whole ‘aura’ thingy,” Daniel snickered.

“Seriously, Daniel,” Skylar said, “are you sure you want to anger Andre? She’s got Maes’s ear now.” Skylar winked at me.

Andre turned on her heels, her wet hair hitting her cheek. Her brows pinched together and her jaw
tensed. “For the last time, I am
not
dating Maes!”

“Well, someone’s a bit testy when it comes to her lover,” Koda purred as he popped out from between t
wo large trees. His blue eyes locked onto Daniel, and an evil smirk grew on Daniel’s lips.

“You know she’s always wanted a puppy,” Daniel added.

“And this puppy is going to tear your throat out!” Maes growled.

I blinked. Where had he come from?

Daniel’s eyes widened as Maes shifted into his Tresez form. A moment later he was jumping through the forest, Maes hot on his tail.

Andre
rolled her eyes, running after them. “I can fight my own battles, you dog!” she hollered.

“
Told you she had Maes’s ear,” Skylar chuckled.

I couldn’t help but laugh with Koda and Skylar. It’d been too long since laughter had filled my heart
, and the fact someone else was getting teased for a change made it even better.

We finally crossed into the meadow by the lake
, and the manor came into view. What I wouldn’t have given for Daniel to appear and jump me inside quickly. Rain drenched my coat and scarf, and I started to shiver. I really needed to get a waterproof jacket like I’d had at home.

“We’re almost there,” Skylar said
, encouraging me.

“And Callon said dinner will be ready in about an hour,” Koda added.

“Good.” Then maybe the popsicle I was becoming would defrost. A hot shower would work wonders, though the water didn’t always heat up quick enough or last long enough. Another joy of living in an old manor.

It seemed like
an eternity before we came to the terrace steps. The lights from the sitting room gleamed brightly against the night sky. Everyone had gathered inside, awaiting our arrival.

A burst of warm air hit me as Koda opened the door
. Lilly was at my side within moments, helping me out of my wet jacket.

“Dear lord, she’s soaked to the bone!” Lilly cried. She instantly turned on Koda and Skylar. “What
’s wrong with the two of you? You should have been back hours ago!”

I snuck past her and smiled at Callon as I passed through the sitting room and into the hall. First on the list was a change of clothes, with multiple layers to give me warmth. I was serious
ly lacking in winter clothing, but since I was confined to these grounds, there was little I could do about it.

I trotted to my room, changed and
returned to the top of the stairs. I paused. The halls echoed with laughter, lots of laughter, including a deep, rich chortle that gave me goosebumps. I hadn’t thought Brogan could make such a sound. I hadn’t heard this sort of happiness for a long time. Rather, I hadn’t wanted to hear it, too consumed in my own misery.

Sighing,
I made my way down the stairs, halting inside the music area. Apparently the mock battle between Koda and Daniel hadn’t ended, and now Skylar was in on it.

“You got nothing on me, Skylar,” Daniel said slyly. He turned his head and a devious smile
rose on his lips. He landed beside me, and I startled. I knew what that smile meant.

“Hey now…”
was all I was able to get out before Daniel jumped us across the room. Koda lunged and I cringed, waiting for an impact that never came.

“You wouldn’t hurt Cheyenne now
, would you?” Daniel hid behind me.

Daniel twisted me to the right as Skylar moved closer.

“And you’d use a poor defenseless girl as a shield?” Skylar asked.

“I wouldn’t call Cheyenne defenseless,” Koda chimed in.

“Hey!” I grabbed Daniel’s hand, touching his knuckles, but something blocked me from taking his power. Daniel wagged his finger at me.

“Not this time, Cheyenne
. I need my powers, and you can’t have them.”

I glanced towards Callon
, and he shrugged, smiling. He was enjoying this.

“Don’t worry, Cheyenne,” Koda said
. He stealthily moved closer. “We won’t hurt you, just Daniel.”

“Good to know,” I replied as we landed near the dining room table. My damp hair clung to my lashes
, and I looked at the fire longingly. Within a second, we’d moved into the hall again. If this kept up, I was going to be sick.

“You’ve got nowhere to go now,” Koda rumbled.

“And you say you know me,” Daniel teased.

Suddenly
, I was in complete darkness, and the soft whisper of a breeze told me Daniel had disappeared. He’d left me.

“So much for getting warm,” I mumbled
. I stuck my hand out and moved towards what I thought was a wall. My left shoulder made contact with a large object. “Ouch!”

Where had Daniel jumped me? I fumbled around for a few moments
, until I found a door handle. The knob was cold as I twisted it and I stepped forward.

A shiver escaped me. This room was even colder
, and pitch black as well. I twisted to my right, pushing my fingers against the wall. There had to be a light switch someplace. Finally, I found it and flicked it on. Light flooded the room, and I flinched at the brightness.

I was in some sort of storage room.
Sheets covered paintings lining the left side of the wall. Boxes were stacked in organized sections circling around to the right, and old furniture had been placed behind some chests and crates. I’d found a treasure trove.

I glanced towards the door
. The hallway was dark. This must be what lay behind the metal studded doors just off the dining room. Apparently Daniel could jump me through walls if he knew what lay on the other side. I guess I wasn’t going to have to pester Callon after all.

Moving
further into the room, I ran my fingers over the sheet-covered frames. Might as well have a look while I was in here. I might not have the chance again. I paused in front of a frame larger and broader than me, then carefully lifted the sheet back. My eyes grew wide. A pair of icy blue eyes were staring at me.

Colt.

He had to have been about twelve or thirteen. He was dressed in what looked like black wool pants and had shiny black boots that ran up to his knees. A crisp white shirt stuck out from under his gray-buttoned vest and his blond hair was tied back with a black ribbon. He was much smaller, almost scraggly looking, with an awkward smile perched on his lips.

My fingers traced his outline.
What would he have been like as a teenager? Surely he’d have had awkward moments like the rest of us…like me.

I soaked in his picture for a few more moments before I carefully covered it
again and moved on. I studied the frames, deciding which to inspect next, when an oversized one with part of its sheet falling off caught my eye. It was buried behind some other paintings, so I worked on moving them aside before I could make enough room to pull away the sheet. It fell to the floor, and I stepped back.

It was
a life-sized painting of the male O’Shea’s—all of them. Callon, Colt, Daniel, and their father. I moved in closer to view the gold tag at the top.
Kieran
. So that was their father’s name.

It was easy to see where they’d gotten their
looks from. Kieran had black wavy locks, icy blue eyes and a frame that was just a tad bit larger than Colt’s. There was also a softness to his features that resembled Daniel’s.

Callon and Colt stood in the back,
wearing black wool suits, black vests with white shirts and red ties. Kieran sat in a chair, dressed much the same, and Daniel sat with his arm propped over his knee, staring out into some forgotten place. I moved in closer. His eyes, those dark blue eyes that had always relayed warmth to me were filled with sadness, loneliness. Why?

I looked up at Colt’s eyes
. Had the artist captured something in his eyes as well? Distance…he was looking at the artist, but seeing beyond. It was a far off gaze, searching for something on the horizon.

I moved over to Callon
. His shoulders were squared, his hand resting on the back of his father’s chair. His eyes revealed strength, determination, and confidence. He was the first in line, his father’s son, ready to stand in his father’s place when the time came, and he longed for it.

I reached out, wanting to trace his jawline, wanting to feel what he felt, but pulled away at the last moment. All his strength, determination and confidence were wavering now, most likely because of my actions and
things that had happened in his past. How could one live for so long, with so many changes, and yet still remain so loyal to a cause? I covered the portrait, knowing I’d probably never understand.

I sighed and turned around. Did I really want to explore this place? I could learn so much, but I’d probably only uncover more things to remind me of what was at stake here…the continuance of the Timeless race as they knew it now.

I stepped out of the small space and tripped on a piece of loose material. My hand caught the edge of a box and it toppled over. I froze as a familiar song began to play, and my eyes caught pink fabric poking out from a cardboard lid.

My heart ached
, and I forced myself to crawl forward. I lifted a shaking hand and pulled the brown lid away. I blinked back tears as I reached for the small pink and white box and closed the lid. The melody fell silent. I traced the small dents in the lid, and the tear in the material on the lower left corner.

My jewelry box.

I sucked in a breath. This had been a gift from my mom and dad when I was six. I’d been frantic after my parent’s death, searching the house for it. Colt had come to my home and found me panicked. He knew it was important to me.

“Cheyenne?” Callon’s voice echoed
down the hall. “Hey, what’s going on?”

I couldn’t reply.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” He moved beside me, his arm coming around.

I lifted the small pink box up.

“What’s this?”
Callon asked, studying it.

“My jewelry box
.” My voice shook. “It went missing after my parent’s death. I’d wanted it so badly then…”

“
You found it here?” He stroked my cheek.

I nodded.

He placed a tender kiss on my forehead, his hand coming to rest on mine. My thumb ran over the gold latch, and I delicately flipped it open. The familiar melody began to play again, and I stroked my Servak ring. I watched the small ballerina and my mind traveled back to when I’d received this gift from my mom.

The memory
was crystal clear, as if it were yesterday.

The warm wind blew my ball past the playground and into the grassy field. Children’s laughter and screams filled the air. I was happy
. It was my birthday, and I was now six years old. I chased after the ball, smiling as I ran, because I knew my parents would be here soon to help celebrate with my classmates. My mom was bringing cupcakes, and soon everyone would be singing to me.

I paused at the edge of the field
. A woman with long wavy brown hair was holding my ball.

“Is this yours
?” she asked.

I nodded.

“Cheyenne!” my teacher called out, and I turned to see her waving me back.

“Cheyenne…” the woman repeated. “That’s such a pretty name.” She moved closer and handed me the ball.