Amaretto Flame (25 page)

“Sylvia, you're alright. Everything is
alright. You're only watching this. What is it? What do you see?”
Ivanna used the same tender voice with Sylvia that she had last
night.

“The Venator. They're here. They're coming
here.” Sylvia's voice was low and eerie.

“When, sweetheart?” Ivanna asked. “When are
they coming?”

There was a pause, and then Sylvia said,
“They're looking for Olivia. They're following her.” Fear covered
her face, and she whispered, “oh no. No.” She paused again and then
exhaled loudly, “They've spotted Olivia and Jackson. They're going
after them.”

I fought hard to keep a whimper from rising
in my throat, and I had been prepared for this 'vision.' Jackson
glanced at me with some unexplained emotion in his eyes, but I kept
my eyes on Sylvia, my face a mask of concern.

“OH,” Sylvia said loudly. “They're dead.” I
thought Ivanna was going to faint until Sylvia continued. “We've
killed the Venator. They're dead!” Sylvia actually smiled.

Ivanna clutched her hand to her chest and
said, “Do you see anything else, Sylvia?”

Sylvia let her eyes flutter open, putting her
hand to her throat and shaking her head. I watched as my family
slowly began looking back and forth at each other. The same twinkle
started to slowly enter each of their eyes. Sylvia had seen the
outcome of all of this, and we were going to be okay. Or so they
thought. I felt almost guilty about that. Almost.

“I guess that settles it,” I said, with a
small smile of my own. I knew without a doubt that even Ivanna
couldn't argue with me now.

Preparations began then, since there was no
use in delaying the inevitable any longer. We knew what we were
supposed to be doing; how we were going to fight the Venator. I was
restless. I was tired of the anxiety building in my chest, and I
just wanted to get it over with. The house became a flurry of
activity. The boys were still working on something in the back yard
and Ivanna, Charlotte, and Claire had taken over the kitchen to
cast protective spells and work magick.

I shut myself in the guest room, pretending
to be sleeping. I just had to think; to prepare myself for the task
ahead of me. In whispers, I reminded the Goddess of my offering to
her. That if she felt one of us owed our lives, to let it be me to
give mine up. I didn't want to die, but if it would secure the
lives of my family, I would.

My morbid thoughts must have triggered
something inside of me, because I had a strong desire to see
Everett. Back in Eagleton, Everett and I had been inseparable. We'd
been like two halves of a whole, and in the weeks I'd been in
Staves, I had missed that closeness terribly. At a time, I'd
thought that only Everett could truly understand what was inside of
my heart. Even as I moved to the door to find him, I wondered if
that were true.

To my surprise, Everett was on his way up the
stairs. “Livvy,” he said. “I was just coming to check on you.” He
smiled, and his blue eyes twinkled. “Look what I found.” He reached
down into the pocket of his jeans and produced a pair of dice. I
couldn't stop the grin that spread over my face. When Everett had
first come to Eagleton, he'd been traumatized, scared, and unsure
of who we could trust. He latched onto me immediately so we spent
hours together each day, running through the woods or playing silly
games.

One of the ways I had convinced him that his
magick wasn't something to be scared of was a game I made up using
dice. I could almost picture it; his childish, gap-toothed grin as
he watched me shake the dice in my hand and then toss them. At the
last minute, before they hit the floor, they stopped falling. With
the dice still spinning, their black dots flashing, I'd say, “Okay
Everett, what numbers am I thinking of?”

He'd call out the numbers, and more than half
the time, I let them fall to the numbers he'd chosen. “You were
right!” I'd say, clapping and laughing. Eventually I taught him to
do my little trick with the dice and he'd ask me what numbers he
was thinking of. Of course, he didn't let me win the way I did.
He'd even tell me in his earnest little voice that I needed to
practice, making me bite my lip to keep from laughing.

Now, in the hallway of Claire's house, I
snatched the dice from Everett's hand and went back into the room,
sitting on the floor. He shut the door and then joined me, and I
shook the dice and threw them. When they paused, spinning, I said,
“Call them, Everett.”

“Six and three,” he said. I looked at him and
smiled, unable to help myself. The dice fell to the numbers he'd
called.

“You were right,” I said, bringing a chuckle
from his lips. When I started to pick up the dice again, his hand
stopped mine.

“You know, I always knew you were a liar,” he
said with a smirk. I let my jaw drop.

“You did not!” I said, laughing.

“Maybe not at first, but I figured it out
pretty quickly,” he replied. “You only did it to keep me happy.”
His smile faded slowly and I could tell that he was remembering
those days as well. “Kids should have happiness, Livvy. Even kids
who are poor or sick or whatever...they should have some kind of
happiness to hold on to.”

Everett drew his brows together over his
eyes, which darkened slightly, like a storm moving into a blue sky.
“I didn't. I don't think I ever knew what it was to be happy until
Ivanna brought me to Eagleton and I had you.” He dropped his gaze
to the dice, still on the floor, and added, “I just...I thought you
should know that.”

“Don't,” I said, shaking my head. “Don't do
that, Everett. Everything is going to be fine. We're all going to
be fine.” I moved closer and threw my arms around his neck.

“I know,” I heard him whisper, as his arms
encircled me. I held on to him for a few heartbeats, this boy who
was so loyal and so quiet, this boy that I loved far greater than I
loved my own life. Then I remembered the guards and how I'd been
able to let Jackson heal me. An idea snaked into my mind, and I
immediately let my senses stretch out. I could hear Everett's heart
beating quickly, probably as thoughts of the upcoming fight filled
his mind. I could smell the subtle scent of soap clinging to his
skin. I could hear the shifting throughout the house as my family
moved about.

For a few moments, nothing was any different
than any other time I let my senses stretch out. Then, I felt it. I
felt Everett. The essence that was him, anyway. Instead of the
golden, warm light that I'd felt with Jackson, I felt something
that I can only describe as a breeze...or a whisper. It filled my
mind, bringing with it thoughts of the forest back in Eagleton,
lush and green. The wide open sky. The rush and joy of a close race
around a clearing in the forest.

“I love you, Livvy,” Everett said. I hadn't
been prepared for him to speak, and it was as if his voice invaded
my mind as well, blocking out the sensations I'd been experiencing.
I pulled back and smiled at him, letting my senses return to
normal.

“I love you too, Everett,” I said.

He jumped slightly as if he'd been startled.
His brow furrowed and I felt his body go tense. “You heard me,” he
said. I looked at him oddly for a moment and then realized what had
happened. Everett hadn't spoken out loud. He'd been using his power
to...send me good thoughts? Why hadn't he just said it out
loud?

I frowned. “Why did you do that?” I
asked.

He gave me the strangest look, as if he
thought I was going to be angry. “I...I don't know,” he
answered.

I couldn't believe it! Jackson being able to
heal me hadn't been a fluke. I really could drop these 'guards' or
whatever they were, and experience the magick of others. I laughed
out loud and said, “Do it again!” I grabbed his hand and opened
myself up again, stretching the senses back out and listening.
Everett's mouth turned up into a smile, and he shrugged as if to
say, “okay.”

I waited a few moments, letting myself
experience Everett's essence or signature, or whatever it was
called, and then I heard him again.

You love him, don't you, Olivia? Jackson.

The smile on my face faded as I gazed into
Everett's face. I started to move, to say something, and that's
when I experienced how truly awe-inspiring Everett's talent was. I
was unable to move, to speak, to even think, really. There were no
more sensations inside of my head, no thoughts other than his face
looking into mine and his voice speaking. I could hear the
individual threads that wound together to create that voice, high
and low, soft and rough. In some part of my subconscious mind, I
realized just how effective his power could be. It rendered the
victim completely useless, unable to do much more than listen.

I can see it in the way you look at him. If
I'm being fair, I can see it in the way he looks at you, as
well.

There was a pause as I attempted again to
move, to shake off what he was saying; what he thought he was
seeing when I looked at Jackson. Like I'd told Jackson himself, I
barely knew him. Still, I was paralyzed.

Be careful, Olivia. I just...I think you
should be careful.

Then, the feeling of being bound was gone,
and my senses were returned to normal. Even then, I found myself
quite unable to move. I wanted to say something to Everett. To tell
him he'd been wrong, that I didn't love Jackson, and that I was
doing everything I could think of to be careful. I hadn't been
prepared for the way his talent would work on me. The words that
Everett had put into my mind were words he wouldn't be afraid of
saying out loud to me. The
words
hadn't shaken me. It was
the feelings that had come with the words; a deep regret, a hint of
panic, a warning.

So we sat, looking at each other, the dice
still on the floor between us, until the door of the bedroom
opened. Charlotte chuckled, looking down at us.

“It's been a long time since I've seen you
two doing that,” she said, a sentimental look clouding her eyes.
Then she took a deep breath. “It's nearly time, Olivia.”

I nodded, the strange and eerie feeling
Everett had given me dissipating. It was replaced by something more
urgent, something real, something of my own. I glanced at the clock
on the bedroom wall and steeled myself. It was time for me to go
and meet the hunters.

I glanced back and forth between Everett and
Charlotte. “I'll be down in just a minute,” I said. When they left
me alone, I closed my eyes tightly and took several deep breaths.
You can do this. Now is not the time to feel fear.
I gave up
a silent prayer to the Goddess for strength, and then I walked
slowly down the stairs. As I turned into the hall that led to the
kitchen, Jackson stepped out of another doorway and put his arm
out, hand against the wall, blocking my path.

“I don't want you to do this,” he said in a
low voice. He was standing so close to me that I had to look up to
see his face. “I know you get a thrill from dangerous things, but
this isn't like The Drop or my four-wheeler. This is real.”

“I know how real this is,” I said, keeping my
voice low as well. “You have to trust that I can handle this,
Jackson. You have to believe in me.”

“I'm trying, but every part of me wants to
hold you down or lock you in a closet to keep you safe,” he
said.

“I'm a lot stronger than I look,” I said,
raising an eyebrow.

Anger flashed in Jackson's eyes and I took a
good look at his face, trying to burn it into my memory. The
angular jaw line, the curly sideburns, the warmth of his
eyes...Goddess, his eyes. He leaned down and put his mouth right
next to my ear, causing a flash of heat to run through that side of
my body.

“You have forty minutes from the time you
leave here,” he whispered. “If you're not back by then, I'm coming
after you.” His mouth lingered there, causing a variety of feelings
to shiver through me, and then he dropped his arm, no longer
blocking my way. He placed the keys to his jeep in my hand, and
then he turned away from me. I swallowed hard, and then made my way
to the kitchen.

“Olivia,” Perry said. “Everything is set up
in the back, where Jackson will be waiting for you.” The others
were in the kitchen, but no one was sitting. Charlotte was wringing
her hands and Ivanna had her arm around Sylvia. I looked into my
little sister's eyes. She and I were the only ones who knew that we
didn't already have the Venator beat. I could see the secret in her
face and I gave her a small smile. Perry continued.

“With any luck, the Venator will be following
you the way we've planned. You'll lead them into the backyard. When
you get here, call for Jackson as if you're trying to get help.
This will hopefully keep them together, and following you. Get to
him as fast as you can.” I nodded, listening closely to the
information and trying to store it away so I could use it
later.

“Jackson,” Perry said, looking behind me,
where he'd shuffled in and was standing at the doorway. “You know
your part of the plan. When Olivia reaches you, it's important that
you both try to stay where you're supposed to be. That's the only
place where we can keep you safe. As soon as the Venator are close
enough, I'll turn up the heat. Olivia will be able to feel it just
before the fire reaches you. She'll warn you, and you'll have to
act fast.” I glanced behind me at Jackson, who nodded, even though
he still looked angry.

“You won't be able to see us, but we'll be
close by and we'll have our eyes on you,” Ivanna said in a
reassuring way. I nodded again, waiting to see if anyone else
spoke.

There was a moment where everyone was
completely silent, and I looked around at the people in the
kitchen; at my people.

“Livvy,” Everett said, drawing my eyes to
him. He looked down at his shoes and then back up at me. “Come
back.”