Wolf Sirens Night Fall: What Rises Must Fall (Wolf Sirens #3) (30 page)

But after they
left, I worried about what they might say to each other alone on
the way to the cabin. C.J didn’t know them and I knew she was
anxious to find out about my history with them. C.J had to call her
olds first to confirm she was alive and well and not another victim
of Shade’s growing missing persons list. They were livid but she
remained calm and explained she was safer where she was because of
the impending floods and they were powerless to act. We were all
supposed to stay put as a high level flood warning had been issued.
But I worried we were already out of our depth.

In the car C.J
asked him what she was curious to know. “How does it feel?” She was
nervous to be alone with him. Her heart pounded and her hands were
a little shaky, but she pretended he didn’t scare her.

“What?” He
glanced at her, with a perplexed squint.

“To be a
wolf?”

“Um, it hurts
to phase but then it’s completely surreal - we don’t have weakness
or illness. I guess it would be different if we weren’t immortal,”
he admitted.

“Do you like
it?”

“Ahh, yeah,
it’s nice. A little scary at times, but mostly it’s good.” He
scratched his head. “It’s strange though, it’s like when time
doesn’t matter that somehow it makes everything matter more…if
there was an expiry on my life everything would taste better and be
funnier – you know?” He chucked for a second. He had to try and
find the appreciation of life that mortality brought with ease.

C.J knew that
the rivers ran deep with him and she couldn’t really relate to
anything he had described so she replied with the only thing that
had struck a cord with her. “How is it scary?”

“When Lila
shows up for instance.” His lip curled. The serious Jackson
disappeared for the moment.

“Ha, ha,” she
laughed. She wondered why she didn’t scare him.

“And when you
know you will have to watch your family get weak and old,” he said
more quietly.

“You love them
still?”

“Yes, of
course.” His brow gave away a twitch.

“Sorry, I just
wasn’t sure.”

“It’s the age
old question, are we monsters or are we men. In fact we feel more,
I think. Emotions are all we feel and all we have,” he sighed.
“Because we don’t feel physical aches and pains unless they’re
extreme or we really overdo it. But even then it’s not like when we
were human,” he muttered almost to himself his fingers splayed on
the steering wheel as if to emphasise his point. He knew he could
hardly remember it though, what it was like to be tired and
sore.

“I thought you
said it hurt?” she offered. Thinking it must be nice to be forever
in your prime and not ever suffer.

“It does, to
phase, but it only lasts a second.” Eventually it was a feeling you
just got used to.

“It must be
cool to never age. Would you change it if you could? Be normal
again.”

“Me, no. I
think it was destiny. I mean, like all humans, we suffer for the
path we have chosen at times. Life is life,” he shrugged.

“Chosen?”

“Well that’s it
isn’t it? Did we choose it or did it choose us?”

C.J thought
about how she was impressed with how eloquently Jackson expressed
himself. “Who changed you?” She finally asked.

“You don’t
know?” He glanced at her.

She shook her
head steadily.

“Reid, though
it was meant to be Sky.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm, I saw too
much one night and they had no choice. It’s my own fault, I’m a
snoop,” he chuckled a little.

“Is that your
talent or something?”

“What, no, I
mean not that I know of...”

“We didn’t see
you follow us to Tisane’s.”

He smiled.
“Hey, well I didn’t have a gift - so maybe – who knows. Hey kid,
how’d you find Lila?”

C.J didn’t like
being called kid, especially because he was barely older than her,
but she was beginning to like Jackson so she let it slide. It was
better than ‘doll face’.

“I was looking
for Tisane actually. She saw what I could do and she told
Lila.”

“And what was
that? What could you do?” He scratched his encroaching stubble.

“Oh, I’m
strong,” she clarified giving him a smile. The goddess had given
her strength.

“What!” A grin
broke across his otherwise boyish face.

“Yeah I am.”
She shrugged, smirking back shyly.

“Show me.”

“With
what?”

“I don’t know,
flex or something?”

“Oh no, you
can’t see it, it just sort of happens.” She looked at him and he
frowned. “I can, you know, bend things, lift things, that sort of
stuff. I’ll break something for you, when we stop,” she added.

“When we get to
Sam's place you can give us a demo.” He smiled.

“Okay.” She was
silent. Thinking maybe Lila wanted to keep her power under wraps.
“Jackson?”

“Yeah?”

She was more
serious for a moment. “Don’t tell Lila I told you about it.”

“Sure.” He
squinted. “Hey, how old are you anyway?”

“Sixteen,” she
admitted. She was only a few months off her birthday, so it seemed
truthful enough.

“Don’t take
this the wrong way but you look younger.” He smiled back.

“Do I?” she
stifled a smirk as his smile became infectious.

They drove
along toward the cabin Jackson flicked on the radio. C.J saw him
differently than she had before.

After a few
moments Jackson asked, “What do you think of this Tisane
character?”

“Um, in what
way?”

“I mean, do you
trust her?” He was being cautious.

“I only trust
Lila,” C.J said softly to the window.

He
shrugged.

She clarified
turning to him. “I mean, yeah I do, I guess.”

“You guess?” he
said with a squint.

“That’s
right.”

“Don’t you
think you should trust her one hundred percent before you lay down
your life for her principles?”

“She seemed to
convince you,” she quipped. “Actually I am giving my life to the
huntress.” She shook her head. “Tisane is a pacifist.” Though she
was one caught up in war.

Tisane and I
looked at each other across the table. I was concerned. “Do you
think it was a wise move to send her out with him?” I asked with an
unsteady breath.

“You can’t keep
her behind you at all times.” Tisane advised.

“I’m worried
he’ll get into her head.” I complained as she sat a slice of the
orange cake in front of me.

Tisane caught
my eye. “She’s going to have to find her feet and form her own
opinions and now’s as good a time as any.” She gave a delicate
smile. “Eat.”

“You’d tell me
if it wasn’t wise, if you saw anything,” I pressed.

“Of course. How
was it at Sam’s cabin? Was there anything that alarmed you?”

“No, I had a
feeling we would be followed - I guess I should have listened.” I
gave a breathy laugh that faded before it made a sound.

“You did the
right thing. Your intuition guided him here,” she assured me.

“Yes, it was
good he heard you, I suppose. I can’t believe we’ll be attacking
soon.” I glanced out the window. “Will you come?”

“Ask me when
the time comes,” she advised distantly, shifting in her seat.

I contemplated
this and rubbed my brow. “They’ll be back in an hour. If there’s
anything you need to tell me, please do it now.” I wanted to be
clear.

“What makes you
think there is anything?”

“Intuition,” I
said sullenly.

Tisane arched a
brow and I smirked wryly. “I did a reading when you were on your
way here.” She scratched her ear. “There will be a betrayal.”

“I knew it.”
Though I wished it wasn’t true.

She paused and
then her thin whispery voice recalled the things she had planned to
tell me. “The tower again, signifying the outcome of the battle, a
reversal of all the work done so far. Death. There’s not a lot
else. I’ve had to consult the books - on your part, a strength
card. You’ll need to harness inner power to overcome the beast.
Also, that is Caroline’s card.” I looked at the card. A woman sat
on a chair stroking a lion. “Most importantly perhaps is the
Chariot. You must let go of emotion and concentrate on your goal
now,” she urged with a hardness settling over her soft
features.

“Anything
else?”

“The hanged
man,” she replied solemnly.

“Is that Cres
or-”

“Lila you need
to do what you need to do.” Her face pinched with concern.

“Cres did what
she needed to do,” I said sadly.

“Yes, and she
killed Paws. I and many others prayed for that.” We had prayed for
that.

“And now they
have her, and I can’t help but think, why didn’t she see them
coming, them taking her brother, and stop it?”

“Sometimes it’s
the closest things that we can’t see.” Her eyes twinkled with
emotion. “Eat your cake, you need your strength.”

I ignored my
plate. “Do you think she’s alive?”

“I pulled the
ten of swords, so right now, yes, she’s alive, but I’m not the be
all and end all Lila. I'm a guide and a beacon for the spirited
that wish to use me.”

I crinkled my
brow. “What does that mean? ‘Ten of swords’?” I picked up the fork
and ate concentrating on her answer.

“The worst,
devastating loss. Zeus’s lightning strikes a little girl, another
holds her in her arms. It’s about the acceptance of fate.” I
glanced over the image as the cake sat in my mouth. A child cradled
another under a starry universe. She held a dying girl, bleeding in
her arms.

“Is this Cres?”
I touched the card.

“What do you
think?”

“It looks like
Lily? Have you seen her?” I tried to swallow the food.

She shook her
head. “You don’t trust her spirit, Lila,” she reminded me, “but the
spirits are always around, even if I can’t see her right now.”
Tisane trusted her.

“Seems silly
doesn’t it? When I need her, she vanishes. It would just be
something, you know?” I laughed weakly under my breath. “You know
we’re gonna try and take her out.” I clarified squinting with
discomfort. “Narine.”

“Yes.” Tisane
sagaciously accepted her sister’s fate.

I had to ask,
“You won’t stop us?”

“No,” she
confirmed with a blink and a small shake of her head, “of course
not.”

“Do you think
she will become a spirit?” I poked the fork into the icing.

“No. If she is
as bad as we think, she’ll go through the left door and be recycled
into the universe,” Tisane confided. “It’s cream cheese and lemon.”
She referred to the cake.

“What if she
haunts us?” I worried Lily was nearby like ghost.

She rubbed the
bridge of her curved nose and closed her eyes. “She knows what is
coming. It is her fate now.” Tisane sipped her mug. I scooped up
some icing and tasted it.

“Tisane, do we
all know what’s coming?” I thought aloud.

“Cresida did,”
she confirmed in a distant voice. “We do in our souls, but right
now we are too emotionally attached to the outcome to see it
clearly.”

I pressed my
lips together. “If I want to live, will I survive?”

She tried to
smile but it was sad. “As much as you can. There is something to
having a will to survive.” She sat down the mug, took my right hand
in hers and turned up the palm. “Your life line is very strong,”
she urged. “I know you’ll go in, no matter what, anyway. It’s fate,
a definite marker in time,” she admitted, gently assuring me. But I
wasn’t certain.

“Doesn’t that
make it easier for you to define the outcome?”

“Somewhat, but
I’m too close now. The cards are subject to interpretation,” she
offered and she blinked heavily as she sighed.

“Will I live?”
my voice was devoid of emotion.

“Do you really
want to know?” she challenged.

My passive tone
suddenly broken, I implored her, “I won’t do it if I’ll lose,
there’s other ways.” Though, I couldn’t think of any right then as
I implored her for a reason.

“No, it has to
be done,” she reflected in a lower tone now. She patted my hand.
“You know you’ll go in whether I say to or not.” She pressed her
lips together “For Cres,” she nodded slightly. “You will live, go.
Save her,” she encouraged.

I assumed it
was fated, then. “Will you come?”

“Yes. I’ll help
you. I will go with you to the gate. And I will help you always,
however I can,” she assured me with a nod, she looked at the cake
in front of me.

I turned my
face away. Tisane had a different way of fighting; she was
different kind of weapon herself. “It feels strange doesn’t it?” I
glanced out the window at the sky. The set of my face fell and I
answered in a despondent tone. “Knowing that after tonight,
everything will change, like we are walking into a storm.” Dark
clouds were looming in as it began to rain, heavy droplets
splattered on the roof. I felt a shiver.

“It’s a
terrible feeling,” Tisane said introspectively. The vast
realization that the battle was close swelled between us, like a
heavy silence. “Sometimes we just have to weather the storms.” Her
analogy wasn’t lost on me.

I thought about
the betrayal and Jackson and Angele. Right now my priority was
Cres, I would have sold my soul to get her out, and Tisane knew
that.

Reid and
Jackson rode the dirt bike and four-wheeler over to Tisane’s from
Sam’s house. Angele and C.J took Tisane’s car, showing them the
way. No one was having any luck contacting Giny who had gone home
from Sam’s cabin after a call from her mother. I wouldn’t have been
surprised if she’d chickened out. I put down the receiver. Maybe I
was glad. This was no war for humans. Jackson had kept an eye on
Angele and there was no way she had made any contact with the Cult
pack. But who knew if he could be trusted. Though, even if she
turned on us when we were there it would be too late. We would be
in there fighting already and then it was no holds barred.