Seer (The Seeker Series Book 3) (12 page)

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just make myself scarce when it gets messy, okay?”

I laughed. “Yeah, that’s okay. And I weigh more than 98 pounds, for your information.”

“Oh, a whole 99, huh?” he scoffed.

“Maybe.” I tried to sound offended, but couldn’t keep from laughing. “Come on. Let’s get coffee for everyone and head back upstairs. Maybe Mom’s done with her bath by now.”

Mom was in her bed, resting between contractions when we arrived with the coffee. “Mmm, that smells so good.”

“Sorry, hon, you only get ice chips,” Brian apologized. “Do you want us to take the coffee out of the room?”

“No, of course not. I want you all here,” she said sweetly, reaching for his hand.

Three hours later her sweetness was a thing of the past as she transitioned into the final stage of labor. She had eschewed heavy drugs, opting to have as natural birth as possible, and dealt with her pain by yelling at Brian and using some of the most colorful language I had ever heard my normally placid mother use. Jack relegated himself to the waiting room as her modesty flew out the window along with her social filters. Her contractions were nearly on top of each other before the doctor finally arrived and told her to start pushing. I hadn’t known how I would react when the time came for the baby to come, and I had certainly freaked out earlier when Brian called, but as soon as my mom started pushing, I positioned myself behind the doctor, watching as the baby’s head emerged from my mother’s body. It wasn’t gross or disgusting at all; it was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. Grams and Brian were on either side of her, holding her up and encouraging her to push.

“All right, Jen. Stop pushing for a minute.” The doctor suctioned the baby’s mouth and nose and rotated the head a bit. “Okay, Jen. This is it. One more big push.”

Mom made a sort of growling noise as she made her final push. The baby slithered out into the doctor’s hands. The nurse wrapped it in a blanket as the doctor cut the umbilical cord. The baby started crying. “Ally, what is it?”

“It’s a boy,” I said with tears running down my face. “I have a brother! He’s beautiful. Oh, my God, he’s so beautiful!” Minutes later, my mom held her new son while Brian, with the biggest grin I’ve ever seen on a man, hovered over both of them.

The doctor was still messing around with my mother’s nether regions and shortly said, “Okay, Jen. I need you to push again.”

“What’s happening? Is everything okay?” I asked, concerned.

“It’s fine. I’m just delivering the placenta. Push again, Jen.” Okay, this time—gross. I wish I hadn’t looked. That kind of thing will scar you for life. I moved around to gaze upon the adorable new baby rather than the red sludge that was being extracted from my mother’s body.

Grams and I stayed a little longer before we decided it was time to leave the new family alone for a while. Jack was asleep in the waiting room, sprawled in a chair, with his head resting against the wall. I sat next to him and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

“Oh, hey. Sorry. I fell asleep.” He sat up, rubbing his hands over his face. “What happened? Is it over? What is it?”

“It’s a boy! I have a little brother, Jack!”

“Aww, that’s great, Ally. Come here.” He pulled me in for a hug. “Congratulations. You’re going to be such a great big sister. I’m really happy for you. How is your mom doing?”

“She’s tired, but fine. She was cussing like a sailor, by the way. The whole childbirth thing seems rather unpleasant. I’m not sure I want to go through that. Is that a deal-breaker for you?” I was only half-kidding.

He chuckled and pulled me close again. “Nope. I don’t even want to think about kids yet. Plus, I’m sure we’ll get our fill of babysitting in the not-so-distant future.”

I took him in to see the baby for a few minutes and got my first chance to hold my new baby brother. He had been bathed and his warm little head smelled amazing. Jack even took a turn holding him and I must say, I liked seeing him hold a baby. It gave me warm, squishy feelings that I firmly tucked away for future reference. Far future reference.

“Have you decided on his name?” Jack asked.

“Elijah James Keller,” Brian replied. He held my mother’s hand and gazed at her with such visible love in his eyes I felt like an intruder. I was happy my mom finally found someone; it was impossible to stay angry with her about keeping my dad a secret. It was time to get over it and move on. As I watched my boyfriend hold my new brother, I realized I was lucky to have such a great dad in my life, no matter how late I met him. Jack wasn’t so lucky; although they weren’t estranged any more, their relationship was strained at best.

Jack passed little Elijah to me and I kissed his fuzzy head before placing him in my mother’s arms so she could nurse him. I bent down and kissed her cheek. “You did great, Mom. I love you.” She smiled up at me and I knew we were okay.

CHAPTER SIX

“
My charms crack not, my spirits obey, and time

Goes upright with his carriage.”

—Shakespeare,
The Tempest
3.3

1 Year Later

I wandered through the giant maze of a parking garage, frantic to find—what? I couldn’t remember, but I knew it was imperative that I find it. Life or death. What was it? Would I know it when I found it? As I rounded yet another aisle, pausing by a bright green Mazda 2 to gather my thoughts, I became aware of the distinct feeling of being watched. I could feel it on the back of my neck, as I had felt it so many times this past year. This time, finally, I caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure wearing a dark hoodie pulled up over his—her?—head. That had never happened. I always felt like I was being watched, but could never see anything or anyone who might be watching me. Too bad this was only a dream. It was strange that I realized it was a dream. On second thought, maybe it was more. I had a history of dreams being more than just imagination. The figure disappeared and I looked back down at the blue Ford Fiesta. Wait a minute…so, definitely a dream. I started searching again. I had to find…something. The drone of a helicopter hovering over the garage hummed louder. I couldn’t concentrate on anything but the sound, growing ever louder and invading my mind.

I woke to the sound of a lawnmower just under my bedroom window. It sounded nothing like the helicopter my wild imagination had conjured in my dream. I blew out a sigh of frustration. That damned dream again! I’d been having it for a week now, ever since I returned from my summer abroad. The two Seer groups, the Council and the Conseil, had really ramped up their ridiculous rivalry and insisted on Mina, Rémy, and me spending an entire month with each group. The three of us were heartily sick of the situation and secretly swore to each other that these little summer visits were at an end. Mina and Rémy would both be finished with their schooling at the end of this coming year, Mina finishing her associate’s degree in computer/web design and Rémy finishing his MBA. I would be starting my sophomore year at the university in a few days, having successfully completed my freshman year in May. We had enjoyed a relatively peaceful year: no crazy visions or dreams leading me to serial killers, rapists, or cold cases to be solved. It had been nice to be normal for a while. The only thing that occasionally disrupted my peace was that unmistakable feeling of being watched. I had stopped mentioning it to my friends for fear they would have me committed or something, and controlled my wild urge to whip my head around, looking for my unseen stalker. It worked with everyone except Rémy, who could read my thoughts, and Jack, who could read my heart.

At the thought of Jack’s name, I smiled and threw back the covers. It was, of course, he who was mowing my lawn. He did this regularly, showing up on a Saturday morning before he headed off to work in his uncle’s garage all day. He had keys to my house and garage, of course, and made use of them most often to do repairs and little chores unasked. I know—he’s a keeper. I threw on a short robe over my sleep shorts and cami, brushed my teeth, and splashed water on my face before heading out to the kitchen to make coffee. Once it started brewing, I looped my long, red hair into a messy ponytail and headed outside to see Jack. A gorgeous smile transformed his already handsome face when he noticed me standing on the edge of the patio. He turned the mower off and jogged over to pull me in his arms for a morning hug and thorough kiss. I was glad I had stopped to brush my teeth as his warm tongue swept inside my mouth and I forgot how to breathe for a moment. I was as susceptible to this man’s kisses as I had been when I was sixteen years old. At eighteen-and-a-half my stomach still flipped when he walked in the room. I reached my hands up around his neck, running them through the soft, black hair that was slightly longer than it had been when he had returned from boot camp. He had gone through a growth spurt in the last year and was now close to 6’ 1’’. He had filled out as well, much of it due to the hefty physical fitness requirements courtesy of the United States Army. It all added up to an incredibly hot boyfriend. I hadn’t grown as much as a centimeter, still topping the growth chart at 5’ 1”. I liked to think I had gotten slightly curvier, but that may have been wishful thinking.

“Good morning,” I breathed as we pulled apart.

“Mmm. It is now. I’m sorry I woke you up. I noticed your grass was long when I got back last night and thought I’d swing by and cut it on my way to work.”

“No problem. I have to be at work in a little while, anyway. Besides, you saved me from a bad dream.” I pulled his head down for another kiss.

“You want to tell me about it?” he asked after a minute.

“No.” I shook my head. “It wasn’t that bad. You don’t have to mow my lawn, you know. I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. It’s not part of the whole boyfriend deal. I’m happy with just your body.” I was kidding, since we still hadn’t slept together, but I enjoyed keeping him on his toes.

He laughed and pulled me in for a hug. “Someday, Ally, I am going to call you on all your bluffs.”

“Promises, promises. Coffee will be ready in a few minutes. I’m going to get some pancakes started since you refused my more carnal offer.” That earned me a swat on my rear end as I sauntered away.

“And I like mowing your lawn,” he called after me. “I get to see you first thing in the morning!”

“I can think of easier ways of making that happen!” was my parting shot before I retreated into the kitchen. We were in an interesting place where we weren’t quite ready to have a physical relationship, but were starting to see that it was inevitable and definitely on the horizon. I wasn’t positive about what held us back, but it had something to do with the unsettled nature of my…calling, for lack of a better word. If I was the Oracle, I wouldn’t have as much control over my life as I might wish and I was hesitant to embroil Jack too deeply. Yes, our love and commitment to each other was complete, but that still hung over our heads. That and Jack’s incredible sense of honor; he said he would never be able to leave once we had taken that final step, and living together was not an option for either of us. It was going to have to be marriage or nothing. It was the nothing I was afraid of.

I poured the second batch of pancakes onto the griddle, filling the kitchen with a delicious, homey smell—after I sprayed air freshener to cover the smell of the first batch that I burned—as he came in from the yard. He reached into the cabinet above the coffee maker to get himself a mug and settled at the kitchen table to enjoy his coffee. I loved that he was so comfortable in my house and looked forward to the day when we would share it.

“Hey, Jack.” Tara stumbled into the kitchen and headed straight for the coffee. “Thanks for mowing the lawn so early on a Saturday morning. I didn’t need that extra hour of sleep.” She ruffled his hair.

“No problem. Any time,” he answered, smoothing down his hair. “Maybe if you didn’t stay out all night with my cousin, this wouldn’t seem so early.”

She waved vaguely in his direction and headed back to her room with her coffee. She wasn’t much of a morning person.

I loaded a plate with a stack of pancakes and set it down in front of him before hugging him from behind. “Thanks for mowing my lawn. I’m so glad you’re back.” He had returned the day before from his summer army training and we had only spent a few hours together the night before because I could tell he was exhausted. “I hate that we get so little time together in the summer.”

“Me too. In fact, I’m pretty much done with it. Is there any way you can be home more next summer?” He pulled me around to sit on his lap and looked earnestly in my face.

I nodded and kissed him softly. “Yeah. Rémy, Mina, and I were talking about it. We’ve decided that next summer will be different. We’re sick of this ridiculous rivalry between the two Seer groups. It’s time we exert more control over our lives.”

At the mention of Rémy’s name, I noticed Jack’s jaw tighten. Sigh. They were getting along fairly well, but it still bothered Jack that Rémy and I were able to communicate so intimately in each other’s mind. It was time to try something I had been working on all summer. I took Jack’s face between my hands, leaned my forehead against his, and pushed my thoughts into his mind.
I love you, Jack. You are the only one for me, you know. Try not to be jealous of Rémy. It’s a brother-type thing. Nothing else.

He stared at me for a moment, unaware of what I was trying to do, then exclaimed, “Holy shit, Ally! Was that you? Did you do that on purpose?” I nodded slowly, unsure of whether he was happy or appalled. “Oh, my God! That’s amazing! Is that what it’s like with Rémy and Mina?”

“Sort of. It’s easier with them, because they’re Seers, I guess. But I’ve been practicing so I could do it with you.” I had never been very successful at the mental communication with non-Seers. I still wasn’t as talented as Rémy; it seemed to come as natural as breathing with him. “I don’t want this tension anymore between you and Rémy. I love him like a brother. You are the love of my life, Jack.” I leaned back in to kiss him.

“Ally, I can’t tell you what this means to me. Thank you,” he breathed as he kissed me back. “Okay, I’m done acting like such an ass to Rémy. I swear.” Jack’s pancakes got cold as we sealed his vow with more kisses.

“Oops, sorry,” Mina apologized, backing out of the kitchen. Sometimes having roommates was not convenient.

“Mina, come back,” I called as I hopped off Jack’s lap.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said softly as she returned to the kitchen to make tea for herself; she had never acquired a liking for coffee in the morning.

“No worries. It’s your home too,” I assured her. “You want some pancakes?”

“Yes, thanks. I also know that you two have missed each other this summer. You need time alone together.” She always understood Tara’s and my needs, making herself scarce when Mat or Jack was over. Often, we spent evenings with all six of us together, but she and Rémy had yet to declare themselves a couple, although it was obvious to the rest of us that they had feelings for each other. Tara and I had fixed her up on a couple blind dates, mostly to see if we could get a rise out of Rémy, but although he seemed tense and irritated, he never said anything about it. Neither did Mina. Another frustrating side effect of not knowing what in the hell the three of us were supposed to do or be.

“So, Jack, speaking of brothers…I’m going to be babysitting mine tonight. Would you care to join me?” I knew he adored my little brother, Elijah, and would jump at the chance to spend time with him. Jack loved kids and was so good with them.

“Definitely. I’ve missed that little guy this summer. I’ll bet he’s grown a bunch. I’ll come by after work. Should I stop and get a pizza or something?”

“How about you bring Megan? We can take them to the park or something and have a picnic dinner.”

“That sounds great. I’ll check with my sister and see if she can fit us into her busy social calendar. I gotta go, babe. I’ll see you tonight. Thanks for the breakfast,” he said as he put his empty plate in the dishwasher and leaned in to kiss me goodbye.

“Anytime.” I kissed him back briefly. “Thanks for mowing my lawn.” He left and I busied myself cleaning up the kitchen. “What?” I demanded of Mina, who watched me over the rim of her teacup.

She set her cup down carefully. “Nothing. I’m just wondering why you don’t marry him already.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Mina!” I threw the dishtowel on the counter in frustration. “Maybe because I’m only 18. Maybe because he hasn’t asked me. Maybe because I’m probably the fucking Oracle and I won’t be free to marry the man I want!” Neither of us said anything as the guilt over snapping at gentle Mina set in. “God, I’m sorry, Mina. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I shouldn’t have cussed at you, either. It’s just so…” I didn’t finish; there was really nothing to say. The strain of the summer apart had reared its ugly head again.

She got up and came over to hug me. “Don’t worry about it, Ally,” she said with her soft, Irish lilt. “I have heard that word before. I’ve even used it a time or two myself, when the provocation was great. Your provocation is great right now too. It’s not fucking fair what we’re all going through, is it?”

We both laughed and I hugged her back. She had become a great friend in the last year and I was so glad she was sharing the house with Tara and me. “No, it’s not. I’m so tired of it all, Mina. I just want to live my life. We have got to figure out what we’re supposed to do. I can’t take this much longer.”

“Me neither. Rémy feels the same way. We are so done with the Council and Conseil jerking us around like they’ve been doing for the past year.”

“That sounds great, but do you and Rémy have anything in mind? Any plans?”

“Not yet.” She shook her head and returned to her seat. “But give us time.”

***

I
decided to call Megan myself to see if she wanted to help Jack and me babysit my little brother. She was thrilled at the idea and a short conversation with Trina secured permission for her to come over. Megan would stay the night, something we did fairly regularly since last summer when I had taken care of her while Trina and Manny went to Jack’s graduation from boot camp. I had finally managed to convince my mother it was time for Elijah James to spend the night for the first time as well, and thought it would be nice for Megan to be there. She was never any problem, and would, in fact, be helpful. I arranged to pick her up on my way home from work. Elijah had weaned himself in the last few months and only needed a nighttime bottle of formula, so it was a great opportunity for Mom and Brian to have a short getaway. I knew they needed some couple time and I was happy to help out before school started next week. I texted Jack later that afternoon.