The Awakening (28 page)

“And if you haven’t then it isn’t too late.” Will was smiling. His eyes were calm and kind, but she didn’t trust him. “You shouldn’t hurt Andrew like that, Carmen. He doesn’t understand.”

“Does he have any idea what’s going on here, Will?”

Will sighed. “Ah, Carmen. Andrew knows less than you do. One day he will know it all. But not today. In fact, my dear, if we can sort this out then he need never know, because if you and I can come to some sort of agreement we can avert all this damage and nastiness. We can cleanse the past and have a bright future together.”

Carmen let Will take her hand as they walked down the passage to the clear air outside in the courtyard. The dogs surveyed the scene, nodded to each other and Alaska moved closer to AA while Zanzibar followed Carmen and Will outside. They understood all that was at stake here.

Carmen smiled indulgently at Will, patted his old hand. This was the moment for control, for careful consideration. This was the ultimate test of her developing cunning. She must outplay Will if she was to fulfil her destiny. She felt the danger and threat humming in the air between them. “What can you offer me, then?”

He snorted, half laughing to himself. “You’re not the girl you were. Victor’s nearly home. But if you haven’t slept with him you’re still vulnerable. You can still be tempted back to our camp. True we can’t offer you all that Victor can. But his gifts are twin edged swords. I can offer you a mortal life of wealth, extreme comfort, prestige, respect and, once married to my idiot son and in the White House, you too can have any man, or woman, if you like that sort of thing. All I want is grandchildren. A boy, preferably to go on and run the country as we now do. You have no idea how good life could be with us, Carmen.” He smiled fondly at her. “Forget today. Forget this stupidity with Andrew. I should have come to fetch you back myself. I knew he wasn’t up to it. Easier to threaten and bluster. He’s not a patient boy.”

“But you are my enemy, Will,” Carmen’s smile was full of sunshine. Her body was open and warm towards the old man. “You care only for your own ends, not for mine.”

Will sighed. “It’s true. I care about my own ends. And I don’t want you to take up your calling. I want you to come to us. I want you neutralised. I know what you will become and I know you will work against us.” He laughed. “You have no choice. It’s your destiny. So, I know you understand that I have to try and win you over.”

“You must know that you can’t succeed.”

“While I have you in my keeping and Victor is yet to penetrate your being I have a chance. And I intend to win. Please be clear, Carmen. I would prefer you came home with us willingly but I will use force if I must.”

Carmen nodded. “Of course you will. And Josh and his men still wait out the front, don’t they? Your tentacles reaching everywhere.”

“We understand each other, then.” Will retook her hand. “No more flashing talons. Good girl. Now come with me and we’ll go back to the house and settle you in there until the wedding. Elizabeth is preparing rooms for you.”

Carmen marvelled at his composure, his naked confidence in her capitulation. She sensed Will’s powers were nothing compared to hers or Victor’s but he had immense personal charm and clearly had been quite a womaniser in his day. Better than AA she guessed. She wondered how it would have been had she met Will and not Andrew.

Zanzibar escorted Will and Carmen back to the kitchen, both dogs ready to move on the slightest signal. They stood completely still at the kitchen door. Carmen sniffed the air and smiled broadly. It was all over. She released her arm from Will’s hold and extended a set of sharp claws, ready for the next few minutes.

In the kitchen Victor was holding Andrew in a vice like grip, Victor’s bear paw and claws poised perilously close to Andrew throat. Alaska stood alert at Victor’s side “At last, Will. I thought you were never coming back inside.”

“Victor.” Will tried to smile. “Long time, no see.”

“You look as well as ever,” Victor smiled, the morning light flashing off his powerful claws edging closer to Andrew’s flesh.

“Whereas you’re looking splendid, Victor.” Will looked at Carmen. “And I know why. Just in time though, I guess.”

Victor nodded. “In time for me, Will but not for you. Not this time. Now enough of the pleasantries: to business.”

“Mine for yours, I take it?”

“Indeed, Will. I will return Andrew to you in exchange for you calling off your vermin outside.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Dad!” Andrew pleaded. “He’s going to hurt me. Properly.”

Will snorted. “Oh, please Andrew. Show sone dignity.”

“There you go, AA. Even your father thinks you’re a waste of time.” Victor let one talon cut Andrew’s skin. Blood began to seep from the wound. He flinched but did not make a sound.

“Stalemate, Victor?”

Victor shook his head. “No, Will. We’re out of here one way or another. You must realise you can’t stop us. By all means, call in your cronies from out there. By the time they’re here you’ll be dead and so will Andrew. It will be over before you know it. And we’ll just vanish. It’s what we do. You remember that?”

Will’s face darkened. At last he seemed defeated. “Yes, without a trace. You, this wretched girl and those killer wolves. I won’t even see you go.”

Victor tightened his grip on Andrew. There was no doubt in AA’s mind that Victor could crush him in one effortless squeeze. “Come on, Dad. Let’s leave it. She’s not worth it.”

Will laughed bitterly. “You stupid boy. That’s just the point. She is worth it. I’d rather lose you than her. She’s the key to our future, not you.”

“Don’t be too dismissive of the boy, Will. How can he be expected to know?”

“But that’s it, isn’t it Victor? He should have known. He should have been able to work out who she was. It was just an accident he came across her,” Will sighed. “At least you knew her again as soon as you met.”

“As did you, old man.”

Andrew looked from one old man to the other. And realised they were playing a different game to him. He was outclassed on every front.

“He’ll never make it, Victor,” Will shrugged. “So go ahead, do your worst. I’ll say he was attacked by some passing stranger. Josh will swallow it. He swallows everything else.”

Victor smiled. “I’ve been looking forward to this for quite some time. Say good-bye, Andrew.” Victor pushed the razor sharp tips of his claws into Andrew’s throat, released the pressure a tad and felt Andrew’s breath crowd into his throat. His body stiffened as he waited for the coup de grace.

Nothing moved for the longest moment. The dogs were as still as stone. Will watched and waited. Carmen felt her heart slow and her skin creep. She saw the world race by and knew this was actually a fair judgement on a small and useless life. She trusted Victor to be fair. She knew that Will should stop this. She inhaled the wisdom of the ancients, of the stars: yes, this was a test. If she let Victor kill Andrew she would be haunted by this forever and she and Victor would be doomed. If she let him live then he would forever be her enemy. Saving him would mean indebtedness and embarrassment for the idiocy of the moment. Andrew would always hate her. She breathed again: such was life. She had to live with herself first and last: always. She didn’t look to Victor for any message. She closed her mind to him. The dogs nudged her hands. Choose, they said.

“Let him go, Victor.”

“He will always be your enemy, Carmen.”

“At least I’ll know him. Victor.”

“Is it because you love him?” Victor’s claws were digging in slowly.

“No. It’s because I love you. Let him go.”

Victor retracted his talons, released his bear like grip and Andrew fell like a doll to the floor. He groaned in pain and fought for breath.

“Take him away, Will,” Carmen said. “Get out of my house.”

Andrew gasped for breath as his father tried to haul him to his feet. Victor picked him up and threw him into Will’s arms. “Carmen.. I… Carmen, please…”

“Just go, Andrew. Forget it all.” Carmen turned to Victor. “I am.” His arms closed around her and the dogs escorted the two men to the door sinking their fangs into their calves as they left, leaving both men with lifelong scars.

Victor’s helicopter was moving quickly away from New York, over the roads and fields, heading towards the mountains and the forests, into the heart of Victor’s land near his cabin. They’d gathered together some necessary items of clothing and food, bundled the dogs in and left the city as soon as they’d left Carmen’s basement.

“We need some air,” Victor suggested.

“You need to tell me everything now,” Carmen said. “Before anything else goes pear shaped.”

“Well, it wasn’t me who was resistant to lessons,” Victor quipped.

Carmen scowled. “There’s no point in telling me off now.”

“We’re going the cabin to finish the instruction. By the time you leave again you will know all you need to know. You will be the Warrior Goddess.”

“Assuming I want to be.”

Victor laughed, as Carmen knew he would. “I thought you made your decision perfectly clear back there in the basement.”

“You know I did.” She smiled. It seemed so easy now, so natural to be here with Victor instead of in the bosom of the Adams family preparing for weddings and babies. Looking at Victor she found it hard to believe that she was ever in love with Andrew. How could she have been so blind?

“We all make mistakes, Sweetheart.” Victor patted her leg, seeing inside her head.

“How can I save the universe if I can barely save myself?”

“It’s a fair question. But soon you will know all you need to know. You will understand the greatness of your quest and the importance of our meeting.”

Carmen laughed. “There you go again. All that vague, enigmatic speak that just bamboozles me.”

“Okay. You already know you can communicate with animals, your dogs and wild beasts alike, especially creatures of the Ice, but other beasts as well will come to you. You can see things without being there – you have visions. Your dreams are true. You can seethe future and the present.”

“But why not the past?”

Victor shook his head. “I’m not sure. It may be due to some trauma. It should come with time. You should be able to see everything, always. You can always look into men’s hearts. You must trust your instincts more. They are terribly underdeveloped at the moment.”

“I was so wrong about AA and Will. Why was that, Victor? Why didn’t I know AA was using me?”

“Because he has his own gifts and he used your weakness against you. But you had glimpses – you just dismissed the worries, put them down to silliness, misplaced anxiety. But they were right. You have to learn to trust yourself. You have immense ability, amazing powers once you fully awaken.”

“Weakness?”

Victor smiled. “Look out there, at all that immense beauty. That’s your domain. All that. The lessons you have learnt with Andrew, in finding me, will stand you in good stead the rest of your life. We all have weaknesses. It is the human in us. And it does us good to always remember that. Your weakness is love. Your need of someone to love you, unconditionally, fully, wholly. As Ursula did and your adopted father. Once they were gone your neediness was naked and palpable for all the world to see. AA knew that. He took advantage of that.” Victor took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “I can fill your need. I can stop up your weakness. I can make you strong. Forever.”

“And what about AA? What happens there?”

“His powers are limited. They are all to do with sex and power. He understands women, but not enough to stay out of trouble. You will easily best him when you next meet.”

“And we will. I know.”

“You’ve seen it?”

She nodded. “Clear as day. He will outstrip his father.”

“As you will outstrip your mother. Look, we’re here.”

Carmen smiled. “It is good to be back. That was the best weekend of my life.”

Victor leant across to kiss her cheek. “This will be better.”

She laughed. “I can’t wait.”

The water in the lake was refreshing this late spring afternoon. Carmen dived into the water, the dogs and Victor splashing in after her. It was blissful to be back in the clean, clear air. The fish swam around them, welcoming them home. The birds sang and Carmen saw the wolves moving through the trees in a distant and silent salute. They were pleased she was back. She felt their joy as she swam in the deep blue waters of the lake with Victor staying by her side. As he stretched out she saw him shift his shape and change into the bear, his paws stretching out in front of him over and over again, effortlessly, as if he was born to the water. He winked at her and seemed to nod, you too. She closed her eyes, as she often did when she swam, and this time lengthened her stroke, stretching her arms to their limit and as she did she felt the power within her change, grow, thicken almost. She felt the water moving around her differently. She opened her eyes and saw the world through blue bear eyes. She was the white bear, following her lover across the lake. She looked behind to where Alaska and Zanzibar frolicked and swore they winked at her.

“Yes,” Victor called to her. “Be yourself. Be the she-bear. The great white bear. Swim along with me.”