Spurn (26 page)

Josian grabbed
her clenched fist, opening it gently before kissing her knuckles. Their interaction at least worked to ease some of the strain in the room.

Lucy
and Samuel were sitting side by side tonight, but I could feel the chill between them. Something definitely wasn’t right there.

“So who are you going to call for the battle?”
I faced Josian.

I wasn’t
interested in small talk, and if I didn’t ask the question, no one would. Silence descended over the room. Josian smiled at me. I glared back. I’d already asked earlier, but everyone was too busy to speak with me.

“
I’ll call Brace and Grantham of Relli.”

My brow furrowed.

“He’s the leader of another Walker clan, and one of my very oldest friends. His people will stand with us tomorrow.”

“Do the
ass-hole power-hungry morons in the Abernath clan ...?” I glanced at Brace, who was sitting across the table from me. “No offence.”

A grin spread across his face. I almost forgot what I was going to say in the face of his blinding smile. Josian cleared his throat.
I tore my gaze from Brace, my face flushed and breathing slightly erratic.

“
Sorry, so the Abernaths, do they have any powerful allies?”

I should have ask
ed about the specifics of the seven clans of Walkers a long time before.

“The Abernaths have always considered themselves to be above the rest of the clans. For some reason our members are powerful, strong and ambitious. We have no ties to other clans,” Brace answered.

I hoped he was right.
I blew him a little kiss.

His hard features softened.

I liked that it was something that only happened around me.

You look way too sexy tonight, Red. What on First World possessed you to wear that top? I’ve stabbed myself in the chin five times instead of getting the food in my mouth.

He locked me in his gaze, something he was so talented at. I wiggled on my chair. His words caused physical responses that were far too inappropriate for the dinner table. I might just have to attempt the underwear plan tonight. I needed some relief from the hormones.

“Is there a reason for all the questions, Aribella?” Josian interrupted my
steamy thoughts. “I get the distinct impression you don’t believe we’re prepared.”

I shrugged
casually, all the while thanking whatever gods there were that no one else could read my mind.

“
I just think maybe all Walkers are a tad arrogant, and it doesn’t hurt to think of every possible scenario before just assuming you’re stronger and therefore will be the winner.” I swallowed as all eyes turned in my direction. “On Earth I often outsmarted much bigger and stronger men, even when I was outnumbered,” I smiled down the table at Quarn, “although I know on more than one occasion I had assistance. But my point is ... they never thought for one second I was a threat; they underestimated me.”

“You
’re Walker, baby girl. You’re the biggest threat they will ever meet.”

I
sighed. Josian was missing my point ... on purpose, I think.

“Just be careful tomorrow, father. Remember
Mom’s threat about the fist in your mouth.”

“Yes
, remember that, dear,” Lallielle said.

Josian flinched
.

“Can you explain the Walker clan
s and hierarchy to us?” The question came from Lucy.

Josian nodded. “This is long overdue information for Aribella
and Talina. There just never seems to be time to fit everything in.”

He wasn’t kidding.

“There are seven clans.
On paper we’re even in status, each descended from one of the seven original Walkers.”

“On paper
,” Brace reiterated, his tone sardonic.

Josian grinned. “Yes
. Unfortunately, as with all powerful, long-lived creatures, we tend to create our own drama and power plays.” He paused briefly. “So, in very basic form the seven clans are Abernath, Doreen, Relli, Kaos, Gai, Laos, and Whar.”

He said the names fast, flicking them off one by one.

“Dad! You’re going to have to slow down or write them out for us.” I sighed.

Lallielle stood and handed me a piece of paper. A
s usual, she’d thought ahead. I looked down at the stark white sheet. In my hand it had a smooth texture, more so than anything I’d felt on Earth. For a moment I wondered what they made their paper from, before shelving the random thoughts and forcing myself to focus.

Lucy leaned over my shoulder
to read the list out loud. Talina even moved closer so she could see the paper.

“
Abernath – (black tribal), Doreen – (red lace), Relli – (gray swirls), Kaos – (brown stripes), Gai – (white spots), Laos – (golden sunbeam), Whar – (indigo patterned).”

She stumbled over a few of the words but no one corrected her.

“I just gave a very brief idea of the colors and differences in their patterns.” Lallielle smiled. “None of the clans have marks that are the same.”

Josian kissed her on the cheek. “You
’re a genius, lady.”

“Golden sunbeams?” I asked
, wondering how that was a pattern.

“You
’ll understand when you see it.” Brace nudged me under the table.

It must have been the fiftieth time he’d done that t
hat night. I stomped down hard where his foot had been, but he was quick enough to move it in time.

“Kind of like a sun starting in their
center and then beams shooting off over their bodies.”

“They
sound amazing.” I glanced down at the list again, trying to picture each one.

“So
, I am an Abernath?” Talina sounded unsure, “and Que, the ultimate evil Walker, is my leader?”

Brace’s expression softened. “That
’s true, Talli, but since he cannot sense your energy, it’s in our best interest to keep that information from him.”

“Could he make me go with him? Like some type of leader mind
-control?” Talina’s eyes widened, fear flashing in their brown depths.

Brace snorted. “God, he would love that skill. No, Talli, your mind is yours to
manage alone.”

Josian interrupted then.

“Lalli has listed the
clans in the undefined order of power,” he said. “We have no real governing body. We basically self-govern our own clans. Order and control is carried out by the most powerful, the Princeps.”

I assumed that was like the
king or ruler, and apparently that was Brace’s father.

“Can I borrow that
writing tool?” I held out my hand to Lallielle.

She smiled and passed it down via Lucy.
I examined the instrument for a moment, before deciding to ignore the strangeness of this semi-transparent, miniature object. I just pressed the pointed end to the paper and a dark blue mark appeared. Excellent.

“Okay
, so who is the Princeps of each clan?”

I prepared to write.

Brace was the one who went through the list this time. I wrote as he spelled each name out for me. My scribble almost illegible compared to the lovely swirls of Lallielle’s script. This was my finished list.

Abernath – (black tribal) – Princeps: Que

Doreen – (red lace) – Princeps: Josian

Relli – (gray swirls) – Princeps: Grantham

Kaos – (latte stripes) – Princeps: Krahn

Gai – (white dots) – Princeps: Jedi

Laos – (golden sunbeam) – Princeps: Tatiana

Whar – (indigo patterned) – Princeps: Nos

I studied it carefully.

“Since you have clan two and three’s Princeps, technically you should be at an advantage.” I looked up. “So why would Que risk it then
? He must know something we don’t.”

“He believes that he
’s more powerful than all of the other Princeps combined,” Brace said, his voice was amused. “I’ve told him many times that his arrogance will be the end of him.”

“And we have clans one, two and three’s most powerful, baby girl.” Josian spoke softly. “Brace supersedes his father in power.
”

That
would make him ... the most powerful Walker in existence.

Brace chuckled. “That’
s not technically true. I’ve never been tested against Que.”

I stared into his perfect features.

“That’s really ... damn hot,” I blurted without thought.

The table erupted into laughter. Heat spread across my cheeks
, and I knew I was bright red. Lallielle and Josian refrained from laughing, but did sport large smiles.

I had
wonderful parents.

“Abby’s starting to sound like me. I think I like it
,” Lucy said as she continued to shovel the roast meat into her mouth. “A little sex-crazed is the way to be.”

I sank lower in my chair, trying to disappear.
Josian cleared his throat then, before taking a huge drink out of his silver urn.

You
’re lucky we’re in a room full of people, Abigail.

Brace’s eyes devour
ed me. He looked as if he was two seconds from caveman-styling me over his shoulder and departing the room.

More like two milliseconds.

Lucy leaned in close. “He’s eye-effing the crap out of you right now.”

I was thankful she managed to keep her tone low this time.

“You should hear what’s going on in my head,” I whispered back.

She patted my shoulder. “That’s my girl.”

I attempted to concentrate on my
meal, but I honestly tasted none of the flavors. I might as well have been eating the gunk that passed for food on Earth. Small beads of sweat ran down my temple, and it wasn’t overly warm in the house. I felt trapped, enclosed in this Walker situation. When I couldn’t take the food any longer, I stood.

“
I just need a few minutes,” I told the surprised faces, before I ran out the door.

The moment the fresh clean air hit my lungs I breathed in a few deep breaths.
Kicking my shoes off, I strode across the sand to the water’s edge, ignoring the urge to step out into the cooling water. I needed to start jogging again. Nothing else cleared my mind. Of course, I’d have to ditch my red Walker babysitters first.

“You should swim
,” Talina said, startling me. “It’s amazing how clear one’s mind is while diving through the waves.”

I
attempted a smile, which at best amounted to a painful grimace.

“I would love to
flee from my constant mental worry, but somehow I know it’s still going to be here when I return.”

“What will become of us, Abby?
Eventually someone is going to figure out how to stop this. Bad people will do anything to assure their plans are a success. If Que or someone else wants to free the Seventine, how can seven half-Walkers stand in their way?”

I knew right then she was thinking of Gladriel. Her
bitchiness hadn’t been a surprise, but her plan, especially the part including Raror, had been unexpected. I took her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. She let our skins touch for a few moments before pulling away. It was the first real contact she’d allowed since Raror’s death, and I was going to take it as a positive step. There was a semblance of calm in her eyes as she stared out into the darkness. I pushed my hair off my face. The wind was light but annoying.

“I wish I had some answers
,” I said. “I guess we just keep going with the plan, and hope that our luck holds out long enough.”

M
y words weren’t reassuring to either of us.

I couldn’t say how long Talina and I stood there, watching the play of lights over the ocean. Eventually the rest of my friends and family joined us. Brace stepped
in close. His presence, as always, blocked everything else. I moved back until I was pressed firmly against him, soaking in his warmth and comfort.

“You okay, Red?” I could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

Sometimes it amazed me that he could be unsure of me ... of us.

I
guess a lot of the time my random decisions were confusing to him. Walkers were slower but surer with their actions. I arched my head back, so I could stare up into his face. He lowered from the great height he existed at and kissed my lips ever so softly. I decided right then to stop some of the worry; I wasn’t ready to miss these moments right in front of me.

“I can’t believe I pushed you away in fear of losing you. I wouldn’t give up th
is time we’ve had for anything,” I whispered.

My
extended neck was starting to hurt but I couldn’t pull my eyes away.

“Don’t forget I was a lying
McLiar.” He grinned.

“Who could forget
every word that fell from your lying mouth?” Lucy piped up. She was sitting on the sand, Samuel next to her.

I snorted. “Privacy means nothing to you people
, does it?”

Eventually
, I couldn’t hold that pose any longer and had to straighten my neck. I plonked onto the sand, pulling Brace down to sit next to me, which lasted all of ten seconds. Reaching over, he picked me up and placed me squarely between his legs. As I sank into him, I had a brief thought that all of us as couples may be making Talina uncomfortable. But when I looked over she was being thoroughly entertained by Quarn. I squinted, noticing that he was spilling stories about my life in New York.

“...
covered head to toe in slime from the pond in the park, she’s running flat out trying to escape some Gangers ...”

I
t was definitely an Abby story. I groaned.

“Want me t
o shut him up?” Brace leaned in close to my ear. “Or provide some entertaining distractions?”

I smiled before shaking my head.

“Nah, I guess I can put up with embarrassing stories if they make her smile.”

“I’m certainly enjoying tales of your youth.”

Would I have time to learn any of the countless things Brace had seen and done?

“We have forever if that’s what you want
.”

“Let’s just get through tomorrow, and then we can worry about forever
,” I said, closing my eyes and resting against his warmth.

I must have fallen asleep on the beach, enclosed in Brace’s arms. When I woke early the next morning, I was a tad surprised to find myself snuggled into my soft bed. I was alone, but I could hear movement, and as I rolled over Brace walked out of my bathroom. I eye-devoured his huge expanses of exposed golden skin, lingering on the band of his sweat pants. He was heading out for a jog. I knew he ran when he was stressed, something I could relate to.

“
Do you want to come for a run with me, Red?”

I sat up, pushing my curls back from where they were trying to strangle me.

“Yes!” I said, excited. “Give me a minute to get ready.”

I didn’t care if we had to sneak out
. I’d been dying for a run.

I dashed through the bathroom
and brushed my teeth before throwing on some sweats and joggers.

I met him outside. Apparently he had cleared this with everyone, and we were on our own. The sun was just starting to rise in the dark purple of the sky. It was cool but already looked like a perfect First-World day. I felt like a kid whose Christmas was being held at Disneyland. We warmed up; it felt so good to stretch my tight muscles.

“Hope you can keep up with me, Red
,” Brace taunted as we took off along the path.

I ignored him, but my eyes flashed in challenge.
Our rules were that we had to stick to Angelisian. But the town was large enough that we would have a decent jog. I matched his pace for the first mile, running in silence. After that my muscles, which I had been neglecting, started to protest the exercise.

Gritting my teeth
, I pushed through. It seemed to take longer than usual, but finally I reached that magic place. Every person who runs knows what I’m talking about. It’s on the other side of the pain, where suddenly you’re in the zone and could run forever.

Brace slowed a little
, allowing me to step in front. Of course I didn’t know the town very well, but I just followed the path we’d been on. It seemed to be winding along the outsides of the buildings, between them and the shielded boundary. Looking over my shoulder, I saw something that brought me to a halt. Brace stopped next to me, his breathing even, just a few small beads of sweat at his temple, unlike myself, who had really started to puff.

“You let me pass so you could stare at my butt
.” I gave him a shove.

He didn’t even bother to deny it as a large grin crossed his face.
“Red, you have a truly spectacular ass. I’m only human, you know.”

I shoved him again, shaking my head. “You aren’t human, but clearly there isn’t that much difference between men on any planet.”

He shrugged as we started running again. I was still in front, and the entire time I could feel his eyes on me as we made it back to the house. I left Brace to shower downstairs; I didn’t trust either of us alone at the moment.

Back in my room
, I shed my clothes into the laundry chute before stepping in for a long hot shower.

Once I was clean
, I wandered aimlessly through the huge expanse of my wardrobe, wondering what one wore to a Walker battle. I decided to dress to impress. Sometimes clothes were as good as armor, and I needed to look more confident than I felt right now. The weather was neither hot nor cold yet, so I could get away with anything except deep summer or winter fashion.

I selected a fitted
dark purple silk shirt. The color complemented my ivory skin. It had three-quarter sleeves and was cut deep in the neckline, which gave the illusion of an impressive bust line. Yeah, okay, the padded bra helped with that also.

I teamed it with
my standard dark skinny jeans, finishing with my favorite selection: shoes. A pair of gorgeous black suede boots. They went over the jeans, and as I zipped them up they ended just above my knees. The best part was their impressive heel; it added a good three inches to my five foot ten height and yet felt as if I was walking on flats. I needed something I could move about in easily, but I wanted the height. Damn Walkers were too tall for their own good.

Stepping back into my bathroom
, I checked my reflection. I had no need for cosmetics anymore. My Walker genes gave me a sheen that could not be replicated. My lashes were darker than ever, giving the illusion of kohl lining. My hair was working for me, and looked even longer, falling past my mid-back in red flecked with black curls. The enlightenment had certainly helped speed up my morning preparations. I walked out, leaving the comfort of my room.

Everyone was gathered in the white room
, of course. It was the meeting place. As I stepped inside, all eyes turned in my direction. The reds were along one wall, their hair standing out starkly against the white. As usual, when we were all in the same room Brace was at my side in an instant. I was happy to see that my head just reached his shoulders. I wouldn’t feel quite so short today. His low growls started over my head as he guided me to the couch, his hand resting in the small of my back. He was sending out a warning to the other men. Ignoring their posturing, I sank into the free seat.

“You look hot, Abby
.” Lucy leaned over Samuel to speak with me. “I want that exact outfit, except I need it in short, not giant.”

I grinned. We’d had to have all of Lucy’s clothes tailored. She was tiny
on First World, and everyone was fascinated by her delicate stature – until she opened her mouth, of course. Then they were amazed that the outside didn’t even come close to matching her inner smart mouth.

“I
’ve decided that we will stage the battle in the hills behind Angelisian. They are secluded: I don’t want any innocents hurt.” Josian started without preamble. “Brace will send the message to Que and his people. We’ll leave immediately. I would ask any of you that don’t need to be at the battle to stay here.” He chuckled then, without humor. “But I know I’d be wasting my breath, so everyone get your things and wait for me outside.”

“W
hoa, that was lucky. I thought I might have to stow away in Abby’s handbag. But then I remembered the girl’s never carried one of those in her life,” Lucy said, falling into step next to me.

I was
too tall now; we couldn’t comfortably link arms.

We gathered out the f
ront. The reds’ numbers had doubled: there were twenty, each as diverse looking and god-like as the next. They were silent, and just stood there channeling statues.

“Look, Abbs, it’s the red wall of China.”

I stifled my laughter. Lucy’s comment nailed it; they did look like an impenetrable wall.

“What’s China?” Brace and Samuel
said together, stepping in front of us.

They
were attempting to block us from the reds’ scrutiny.

I waved a hand
. “Just a country on Earth. It had this massive stone wall that ran through it.”

“What was the point of this wall?” Samuel
said, with an actual expression of interest on his normally stoic features.

“Protection
,” Lucy said. “China was protecting its borders from the surrounding countries.”

“It’s gone
,” Josian said, standing near us.

“What?” I said
, shocked. “Where did it go?”
Did a hundred-year-old wall just get up and walk away?

“It was one of the tethers lost during the last release of the Seventine.”

“Is Earth the only world losing tethers?” I was having trouble picturing a four-thousand-mile structure just disappearing.

“No, Aribella, all of the worlds have suffered losses. Some significant, others smaller, but it
’s only going to keep escalating. Long before the last Seventine is released the worlds will rapidly lose their tethers.” Josian’s face echoed my own horror.

“We have to stop them. You have to kill Que
,” I whispered, knowing I was probably hurting Brace.

Que
was his father, after all.

“I can’t kill him
.” Josian words were terse and clipped. “What I did on Spurn can only happen if one Walker is immensely more powerful than another. It’s rare, since most of the less powerful never issue challenges, and the more powerful, for the most part, don’t absorb other Walkers. You never know when you could lose control of the influx of energy.”