The Gathering (75 page)

Rona stood up and walked out of the kitchen, still smiling.
 
Anne watched her leave and then sat next to Albie.
 
She softly moved his hair from his face and smiled.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to catch up when you got here, Sweetheart, but now you have all my attention."

Albie pushed the plate away from him and turned to face his mother.
 
She looked at the plate.

"Are you not hungry, Darling?"

"No, Mother, I'm not."

Anne looked at her youngest son.
 
She was taken aback by the emotion on his face.

"I'm sure this is all a little confusing for you, Albie, but…"

"How could you stay here?
 
How could you stay here with these people, Mother?
 
There's a dead priest hanging from the gate.
 
They killed a unicorn… I didn't even know they existed, but there it is.
 
And they killed it.
 
They may have killed father and Elian, Mother.
 
Did you know that?
 
I want us to leave here… please."

His mother's face was different than he had remembered.
 
Before she had always been soft when she had dealt with him, but now there was something else behind her eyes.
 
It frightened him.
 
She took his hand and held it firmly as she smiled at him.

"Albie, Darling… we can't leave.
 
I don't want to leave.
 
This is my home and for reasons you couldn't possibly understand, I like it here."

"It's him.
 
That Master you introduced me to.
 
He's the reason you left.
 
He's the reason you stay."

Anne shifted in her seat.
 
She had forgotten how long it had been and how old Albie was now.

"Yes.
 
He is the reason that I stay.
 
The reason we are all alive.
 
He is powerful, Albie.
 
Very powerful.
 
You would do well to remember that, Son."

The tone in her voice made Albie look away from her.

"Why does he want Mrs. Stark, Mother?"

Anne tilted her head and cracked her neck.

"That's the Master's business, Albie.
 
Why do you care so much about Alia Stark?"

Albie shrugged his shoulders.

"No reason.
 
She's just always been really nice to me, that's all."

Anne glanced over at her son and knew that she was beginning to lose her hold on him.
 
She turned back to him and closed her eyes.
 
She traced a circle around the back of her hand, quietly whispering.
 
Albie tried to see what she was doing, then felt a little dizzy and sat down.
 
He couldn't remember what they had been talking about.
 
Anne spun around smiling.

"Do you still paint, Darling?"

Albie smiled, looked up and nodded.

"Oh, excellent, come with me.
 
In my room, I have an easel with paints and brushes.
 
Come and show me what you can do."

Albie smiled and they stood up and left the kitchen.
 
He had forgotten his guilt and felt safe with his mother.
 
He felt happy.

115

Rebecca and Rachel sat quietly eating their lunch.
 
Rachel looked up at her friend and sighed.
 
Rebecca looked up from her food and smiled.

"Yeah?"

"I… I just…"

"What, Rach?"

Rachel looked at her friend.
 
Her eyes began to well up and she looked down at her food.
 
Rebecca reached across the table and took Rachel's hand.

"What?"

"I feel horrible."

"Why?"

"Because my family is fine."

Rebecca shrugged.

"Why would you feel horrible about that?"

Tears slid down Rachel's face.

"Because… I … I …"

Rebecca squeezed her friend's arm.

"Because you were glad it happened to someone else?
 
Because you thank God that it didn't happen to you?"

Rachel burst out sobbing and nodded her head.
 
She covered her face with her hands as Rebecca stood up and walked to the other side of the table.
 
She sat next to Rachel and held her.

"It's ok, Rach.
 
I would've felt the same way if I was in your shoes."

"I'm not a good friend… or a good girlfriend.
 
I suck."

Rebecca laughed and pulled Rachel's hands from her face.

"You totally don't suck.
 
You're a little selfish sometimes, but you don't suck."

Rachel stopped crying and sniffled.

"I'm selfish?"

"Yeah."

The girls looked up to see Corey and David sit down next to them.
 
Corey smiled at Rachel and moved the hair away from her face and placed it behind her ear.
 
Then he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For being so selfish."

Rachel started to cry again.
 
Corey looked at David and shook his head.
 
David smiled and shrugged as he took Rebecca's hand.
 
Corey wrapped his arms around Rachel and held her against him as she cried.

"You're not selfish, Rach.
 
Crazy, but not selfish."

Rachel sat up and looked at him.

"I… I… I haven't been… there for… you."

Corey shrugged and sighed.

"Ok, maybe not, but you can now.
 
Besides, I've been kind of distracted by taking care of my mom."

"I'm sorry."

Corey smiled and wiped the tears from Rachel's face.

"Stop apologizing.
 
C'mere."

Rachel fell against him and he held her until she stopped crying.
 
Corey let her up and handed her a handkerchief.
 
She sucked in deep staggering breaths as she blew her nose and wiped the wetness from her cheeks.

David looked at Rebecca.

"I guess it's a family thing.
 
I haven't really been there for you either."

Rebecca smiled and leaned into David's chest.
 
He wrapped his arms around her and smiled.

"I'm ok… at least I think I'm ok," she said.

"Well, let me know if you're not."

"I think I'd like to stay here for a little while if you don't mind."

David shrugged.

"No, I don't mind."

Corey smiled and took Rachel's hand.

"C'mon, Rach, I'll get you an éclair."

"All you ever think about is your stomach."

They stood up and walked out of the Dining Hall, as David and Rebecca sat quietly, holding one another.
 
He gently rested his face against her hair and closed his eyes.
 
He prayed they would all be home soon.
 

116

The Horde guard dragged Coeli into the torture area, which was surrounded by cells, and handed her to Blaylock, who was sitting at a table eating an apple and smiling.
 
He took a bite and grabbed Coeli.

"Pretty, isn't she?"

The prisoners stared silently at Coeli.
 
From the back of a cell came a voice.

"Get your hands off her."

Coeli closed her eyes and looked away.
 
Blaylock looked down at Coeli and then back to the cell.

"Interesting… come out, come out, wherever you are…"

A hand appeared on the cell door as Sam looked out at Coeli.

"I said, get your hands off her!"

Coeli looked back and smiled, as tears began to slide down her cheeks.
 
Blaylock motioned to the Hordesmen.

"Get him out of there and hold him."

Coeli pulled against Blaylock's grip as the soldiers pulled Sam out of the cell.
 
Blaylock smiled and looked around.

"Anyone else?"

"Yeah, get your hands off her."

Blaylock looked behind him as Tanner pressed his face against the bars.
 
Blaylock smiled.

"Him, too."

Coeli shook her head as Tanner winked at her.
 
She turned back to see Sam.
 
He smiled at her.

"I love you."

She smiled.

"I love you."

"Ok, this one is the boyfriend… this one must be the brother.
 
Excellent!
 
Take them to the outer chamber and take her back to her cell."

Blaylock looked down at Coeli and then brought her close to his face and inhaled deeply.
 
She shuddered and tried to pull away from him and he laughed.
 
He shoved her to the Horde guard and walked out.

"Man, I can't wait to taste her."

Coeli yelled as they dragged her deeper into the halls of the castle.
 
The soldiers had taken Sam and Tanner and tied them to metal rings protruding from the stone walls of a separate and larger cell.
 
Then they ripped the shirts from their backs and left.

Sam looked over at Tanner.

"What the hell, Man?"

"No, shit.
 
How the hell did he know who we were?"

"Your tells, Gentlemen."

The deep voice oozed over them like cold slime.
 
Tanner wrenched his head around and saw several Horde guards dragging his mother into the cell and then throwing her to the floor.