Daylight, a Timeless Series Novel (48 page)

We stopped before the lake. The sun danced off the surface, and the mountains
’ reflection was perfectly etched on the smooth shell. The rugged mountains shot straight up from the base of the water, and the dense forest ran to the rocky shore before pouring out at the edge of the valley.

Steam poured from my mouth with each breath I took. It was cool, but not cold. Soon the sun would rise further and warm the field and rocks. Soon the birds would
emerge and chirp their merry songs. Soon, I’d be forced to make a choice, although I’d have rather drowned myself in the cold glacier lake before betraying those I loved.

I closed my eyes and tried to think of happier days. Days that I’d spend with Callon and Daniel, days I laughed and smiled.
Days where I felt love.

A silky caress ran across my neck. From under my lashes I watched as Marcus placed a single red poppy below my nose. I inhaled, the sweet scent tickling my senses. He pulled it away and broke the stem off. Stepping closer, he brushed my hair behind my ear and put the flower in my hair. He leaned
in and placed a kiss on my cheek.

“Happy Birthday, Cheyenne.”

Chapter 26

I sat in the sunshine,
in the middle of my private garden. My fingers traced the handwritten words over the yellowed paper. They were my mother’s words, her journaling, pouring out her soul, and I’d found them. She’d seen the progression, the long slow journey into madness her father made, before she had come to the conclusion that there was no other way out.

But what puzzled me the most
was that she knew she’d leave this burden to her children…to me. Why did she say she wasn’t strong enough? What did she mean by those words? Her last sentences kept running through my mind.

“
They will be strong, and they will know what needs to be done when the time comes. They will see, like I did, that there is only one way to defeat…they will be stronger than I ever was.”

What would I see? I just wanted to know, wanted it spelled out so I’d make no mistake…the one way to defeat him. It
had been a week, and I still wasn’t any closer to deciphering her hidden message.

“Cheyenne?”

I jumped and quickly crumpled the thick papers in my lap. I hadn’t heard Colt approach. I glanced over my shoulder. He stood behind me. My jaw tensed, and I curled my legs into my chest. I could run, but he’d catch me and torment me even more. I was tired of running and hiding from him. It was time for him to see he had no effect on me any longer.

He sat beside me, but I refused to make eye contact. If I saw his hatred
or his mixed emotions one more time…

“You should hate me,” his voice was low and full of emotions. “I deserve every o
unce of bitterness you feel in your heart towards me.”

Oh no, he wasn’t going to try and play me for the fool again. I stood and walked towards the gate
, knowing it was locked. He followed.

“I don’t blame you for turning your back on me, for running away. But you have to know
, everything I’ve done, it was for you.”

“So the hatred, the condemning, vile spewing words
, were all for me?” I said through clenched teeth. “You’re too kind, Colt. How can I ever thank you?”

I stopped in front of the gate,
focusing my attention on the corner, trying to block him out.

“That day, the day you thought I died…I did. Marcus may have brought me back to life, but I died on the inside
, knowing what I’d have to put you through.”

“It
would have been better if he’d never brought you back!” I hissed.

He stilled.
“I deserve that,” he murmured. “What I’ve done, what I’ve said, I’m sorry.”

I lowered my head, staring at the black rusty hinges. They were old, just like this conversation was getting old. I was tired of having my heart ripped to shreds and then glued back together. The old Cheyenne was gone. I
tried to slip past him when I saw what he was holding in his hands. My throat tightened and I pressed back up against the gate. Why did he have the other half of his bracelet?

His fingers uncurled
, revealing a crumpled piece of paper. Carefully he smoothed it out. It was my note…the note I’d left him at the cabin.

You’re my one and only true light, Colt. You’re my sunshine, my hope and my love. A part of me died with you upon that hillside, and I shall never be whole again.

You stole my heart from the very first moment, and it’ll always be yours to have.

I love you, Colt O’Shea. I choose you. I wish with all my heart that you’d come back to me.

~C

“I’ve never been without this, Cheyenne. I’ve kept it on me from the moment I found it,” he whispered.

Words played in my mind, the words he’d spoken when he’d given me the bracelets.

If they were together, it would always light my way—if we were together, he’d always light my way
.

He made to slide the bracelet on my wrist, but I pushed him away.

“No,” I muttered. “You don’t get to ask for my forgiveness. You don’t get any more second chances, Colt. I don’t even know who you are any more.”

“You know who I am, Cheyenne
. I’ve just had to hide it from everyone, especially for your sake.”

“What do you mean by that?”

He gave no reply.

I pushed past
, but his fingers laced around my arm. His hold was gentle but firm. I looked up into remorse-filled eyes. “This is not how I wanted you to find me, not how I wanted to see you again. But I had to do something, something so I wouldn’t have to see you suffer so much.”

“Your words, Colt,
” I tried to explain the hurt he made me feel. “You can’t ever take them back.”

“I never meant a word I said.”

I shook my head, my mind whirling around all that he’d just said. I had no idea what was true…was this another lie?

His fingers cupped my cheek, his thumb stroking it.

“I’m sorry.”

I pushed him away
, and he released me. I stood still for a moment staring at him, searching for the truth.

“I almost killed you,” I whispered
. “And you wouldn’t have stopped me.”

I turned and hurried toward the metal entry door.
Jahlem stood beside it. He didn’t bother to hide his concern as he opened it and pulled me inside. He stopped me from running up the stairs and drew me into a hug. I wanted to run away screaming, but instead I allowed his comfort.

Why was Colt
telling me this? Why was he playing with my heartstrings again? And why was I susceptible to it? I didn’t know whether to be angry or overjoyed at the possibility the real Colt had returned. But my thoughts turned dark. He’d tried to harm me. He helped bring me here…who was the man in the garden?

Jahlem didn’t say a word as he held me
. Eventually I drew back. I followed him up the dark, winding, narrow staircase and went straight to my room. Darrien opened my door, but not before he and Jahlem exchanged glances.

I headed for my terrace and then halted as I saw Colt standing in the garden
, staring up at me. Darrien pulled me inside and closed the terrace doors. He then pointed towards my sitting area, and I took a seat in the black velvet chair. I curled my legs under me and stared at the gray marble flooring. When was this nightmare ever going to end? My thoughts were becoming so jumbled.

I had no idea how much time had passed while I sat there thinking about what just transpired when Darrien slipped what looked like crumpled journal papers on the arm of the chair.

I looked up.

His hazel eyes softened. “I found them recently and thought they might be helpful for you.” He hesitated. “I know you’ve been carrying the others with you since you found them.”

I should have been upset that I’d been so careless with the other papers, but Jahlem and Darrien were here for me, no one else. If they hadn’t seen them, they might not have known what they meant to me.

“Thank you.”

I shuffled the few pages, glancing over them when Jahlem cleared his throat.

“We’ll leave you
alone, Cheyenne,” he said, “but we won’t leave you vulnerable. We’ll be just outside the door. All you need do is call our names, and we’ll come.”

I nodded and watched them
leave my room. I headed towards the bed and spread the papers out, focusing my attention on the dates to get them in some sort of order.

The papers weren’t as yellowed as the first ones I’d found, but it appeared they’d been ripped from a journal as well. Some of the writing was crisp and clean, while others seemed to be scribbled, wearily written.

October 22

It’s been a long time since I’ve last
made an entry. So much has transpired, both good and bad. It’s been a long journey to get where I am today. A long, lonely, tiresome and heartbreaking journey that has taken years.

I’ve not
written my thoughts for the fear of exposing myself, my heart and all the sorrows I’ve had to endure. All the failures I’ve made and the failures yet to come. But if I don’t come to terms with them, then I’ll never be able to move on, and I must move on.

My father is gone. He was murdered at the hand
s of Makhi and Marcus in revenge for my departure. But I know in my heart, he was long gone before Makhi and Marcus ever finalized it with death.

My father dabbled with the magic too much. He
was too eager to please Makhi, to find his favor, and he succumbed to the powers within the rings. I’d begged him to stop, begged him to come with me, but it was too late.

I blamed myself for his death, but in the end it was never in my hands to control. He made the choice and lost himself in the process.

February 14

Again it has been too long since I’ve poured out my heart. But today is different, because I have hope, which has been nonexistent for such a long time I thought I’d never feel it again.

I’ve met him. The man I’ve been searching for, for so long.

He rejected me at first. Knew my power of persuasion and thought I’d use it on him. It’s taken months, many long months to finally win over his trust and the trust of other clan members. But where I had thought I might fail again, a surprising twist occurred. Along with his trust, he’
s given me his heart as well.

June 21

Today’s the day and I’ve never felt like this before, happiness, fulfillment…love. It’s like my heart might explode and crumple to the floor in pieces if anything were to happen to him. The alliance that we’re creating is so much more than I thought it could ever be…because in return I gained the one thing I never thought I’d have, true love.

December 25

Again it’s been too long, too many long years of fighting and I’m exhausted.

We’re alone, in hiding
, as we have been for the last seven months. We’re hiding because of you. Our hearts are already breaking at what we know we have to do—what your future will be. And the risk I’m taking writing down these words for you to see.

You need to live. You need to live and fight for us, for the Timeless race.

I was never strong enough to do what needed to be done, but you, my child, you will have your father’s powers. You will be stronger than those before you. You will understand what needs to be done when the time comes.

It’s your strength, your love and your determination in the end that will defeat him. You will be hurt
. You will be judged by those around you. You will face obstacles that break my heart, knowing the burden you will bear alone. It’s only you—it’s only your powers—that will bring down what magic has raised.

Keep you
r allies close, and your enemies closer.

This is your destiny, my
child, your destiny alone.

Tears poured down my cheeks. I’d been with them while she wrote this. It would have been my first and last Christmas with them.
Their first and last words to me—ever. I pressed the papers to my chest, desperately trying to draw strength from her words, but they only brought me sorrow.

It was
my
strength,
my
love and determination that would defeat Marcus. But how? I knew there’d be obstacles; I’d tripped over every single one of them. The burden I bore weighed heavily on my shoulders regardless of the fact that I’d tried to share it with Callon…
my powers
.

I dropped the papers to the bed again and scrambled to find the last entry.

This was my destiny, my destiny alone
. The words jumped from the page.

I couldn’t share this burden with Callon by marrying him
. I couldn’t share it with Colt either. It was by my powers…by keeping my enemy closer.

My hand flew to my mouth, and I couldn’t catch my breath. I knew what she was asking, what she wanted me to do!

“No!” I hissed. “No!”

I leapt from the bed, the papers flew to the floor
, and I dashed for the bedroom door, swinging it open.

“Cheyenne?” Darrien tensed and tried to grab me as I ran down the hall. “Cheyenne!”

Thundering footsteps followed behind me as I leapt down the stairs, taking two at a time. Marcus ran out of the sitting room and tried to stop me but I slipped through his arms and dashed out the entry doors onto the terrace. I stopped for a moment, my chest heaving. I looked back. Marcus was nearing, his arms stretched out to show he wouldn’t hurt me.

Darrien and Jahlem were panicked as they slowly made an approach.

I sprinted off the terrace, knowing they were directly behind me. My feet slipped on the gravel as I tore down the path. The front gate was open, and I bolted past the Trackers and Tresezes, but they didn’t try and stop me. I found the narrow path leading to the lake and followed it. I slowed as I came to the water’s edge.