The Gathering (37 page)

My Dearest Elian,

I hope that you can forgive my behavior of the last few days, as I have not been myself.
 
I suppose I have been spending so much time with Scott Forrester because my true feelings frighten me so.
 
If you can forgive me, please meet me by the southern stables after breakfast, so that I can tell you in person how I really feel.

                                                                       
With Love,

                                                                                               
Sara

Elian grinned and folded the letter and put it back in the envelope.
 
He pushed his black hair out of his face and stepped out of the kitchen as the front door opened.
 
Albion walked in, startled to see Elian before him.

"Good morning, Brother.
 
You were up early.
 
How are you today?"

"Fine,” Albion said.
 

He dropped his gaze and thrust his hands in his pockets.
 

"Did you already eat breakfast?
 
Maybe we could go together?"
 
Elian asked.

"I'm not hungry."

Elian sighed.
 
He had tried to get his brother to talk to him, to trust him, but to no avail.
 
Albion continued to retreat further and further inside his head.
 
Elian put his hand on his brother's shoulder and when he did, Albion flinched as if he’d been hit.

"Sara Stark has asked to meet with me after breakfast, but maybe we could do something later?"

Albion looked up at him with distrust and shrugged.

"Sara Stark?"

Elian smiled.

"Yes, I found this note on the counter when I woke up.
 
Did you not place it there?"

Albion shook his head.

"I thought she was with Scott Forrester now."

Elian smiled and shrugged, removing his hand.
 
He was glad to have engaged Albion in a conversation.

"According to the note, she was only with him because she could not face her true feelings for me."

Albion frowned.

"Where are you supposed to meet her?"

"The southern stables…after breakfast."

Albion nodded.

"Don't you think it's a little strange that she might go to all this trouble?"

Elian shrugged.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Brother."

"Nothing."

Albion walked towards his bedroom.
 
Elian called after him.

"Perhaps this afternoon we can do something?"

Albion reached his room and turned to look at his brother while reaching for the doorknob.

"Perhaps, Elian."

He then opened the door, entered the room and closed the door behind him.
 
Elian found himself smiling again as he walked into his room.
 
Albion had spoken to him and almost agreed to spend time with him and on top of that, Sara Stark had finally come to her senses.
 

48

Alia sat on the bench on her balcony, watching the woods below.
 
She sipped her coffee and tried to process everything she had seen in the last few days, the possessions, the odd creatures below in the woods, the tunnel in the wall and the birds.
 
Alia had thought about the abundance of the ravens and falcons that had been flying around.
 
She knew that ravens lived anywhere, but they weren't normally as far south as the Fail.
 
The same went for falcons.
 
Hawks were still in abundance, but falcons and ravens were rare.

The night before, Alia, Sean, Janeen, Vivian, Beverly Watson and Duncan Worley all went to the opening in the wall.
 
Duncan had pulled the original blueprints of the village from the library.
 
There had been no tunnel or gate in them.
 
Beverly and Alia moved slowly though the tunnel to the gate and realized that there was magic afoot in every inch, and that the magic was dark.

When they came out, Alia ordered Duncan and his staff to seal the tunnel before morning.
 
Janeen and Vivian were to run interference, while Alia and Beverly tried to work out a spell to prohibit the tunnel from reappearing.
 
Sean had gone back to let Myron know what was going on.

Somehow they had managed to seal the tunnel and bind the work all before daybreak.
 
The strange developments were beginning to worry Alia.
 
There was something evil in the village that was behind all of these strange happenings, but she still had no idea where it was coming from.
 

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts.

"Enter."

Kaley entered the room.
 
Alia smiled at the sight of her and waved her over to the balcony.

"Good morning, Baby.
 
You want some coffee?"

Kaley smiled and nodded.
 
She walked over, kissed her mother and took her mug as she sat down.

"What's up?"

Kaley looked up from her mug and shrugged as she sipped the hot, bitter brew.
 
Alia raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"C'mon, Kale, what is it?"

"Can't I just visit my mom for breakfast?"

Alia nodded.

"Sure you can, but you don't, not unless you want to talk to me in private.
 
So tell me, what's on your mind, Baby Girl?"

Alia took her mug and gently blew at the hot liquid before sipping.

"Ian Turner and I are getting married."

Alia continued sipping and nodded.

"I said I'm getting married."

Alia again nodded and put the mug down.

"Yeah, I heard you.
 
When was this decided?"

Kaley looked around nervously and took a deep breath.

"Well, we were talking last night about all kinds of things and about all the things that have been going on and we realized we didn't want to be away from each other and that anything could happen at any time, so we decided."

"Did you decide when?"

Kaley shook her head and sipped her coffee again.

"Uh, huh.
 
Have you talked to Alisha?"

Again Kaley shook her head.
 
Alia took a deep breath and felt the tears well up in her eyes.

"So you'll be leaving for St. Paul's in seven days?"

Kaley put the mug down and looked at her mother and slowly nodded her head, as Alia began to nod with her.

Alia stood up and Kaley rushed into her mother's arms.
 

"I knew this day was coming, but I didn't know it would be here so soon."

"Are you angry?"

"Oh, no, Sweetie!
 
It's just a ‘mom’ thing.
 
To me, you'll always be a little girl…my little girl, but now you're a woman.
 
I have to let you go to live your life.
 
But you're your father's daughter and I knew you'd end up at St. Paul's."

Kaley smiled and walked around to the ledge of the balcony.

"He asked me and I couldn't say no.
 
He didn't get on one knee or anything, but I don't care."

Alia smiled.

"Did I ever tell you about when your dad proposed?"

Kaley shook her head and smiled.

"We were at a beach party in Santa Monica.
 
It was the middle of summer. We were both going to USC and he was going to graduate the next year, so that summer was a big blow out.
 
All day long he had avoided me and then he got drunk with his fraternity brothers and I was so pissed at him, so I started flirting with this guy Parish.
 
Your dad, being drunk, picked a fight with Parish, who promptly beat snot out of him."

Kaley cocked her head to one side and furrowed her brow.

"I think there's a reason why you never told me this story."

Alia began to laugh.

"Mmm, well, as I cleaned him up, your dad and I proceeded to argue about what a jerk he was and then he reached into his pocket, pulled out a tiny box and threw it at me.
 
It hit me in the face, but before I could
lay
into him again, he yelled at me 'I've just been trying to work up the nerve to give you that, but you don't care anyway so screw it!'
  
So I pick up the box and open it and inside was this little diamond ring.
 
I remember at that moment all I could think about was how much I loved him, so I took the ring out of the box and slipped it on my finger and then turned around and told him to ask me already."

"So he asked you?"

"No, he was throwing up in the sink."

"What?"

"Yeah, but a few minutes later he asked and I said yes and the rest is history.
 
It wasn't moonlight and roses, but it was mine and we had a glorious life together for as long as it lasted."

Kaley looked down at her coffee and frowned.
 
Alia looked over at her and touched her knee.

"What's wrong?"

"I've been so selfish.
 
We've all been so selfish."

Alia shook her head.

"What are you talking about, Kaley?"

"I never realized before this moment everything you lost.
 
I knew I lost my dad but you lost your husband.
 
If it were Ian, I don't…"

"Stop.
 
There's no point in dwelling on what might happen.
 
As my grandmother used to say 'There's no sense getting a stomach ache before you eat the stew.'
 
You lost your father and that's a horrible thing.
 
When my dad died, I was lost, Kale.
 
He was my hero.
 
He was one of the three most important men in my life."

"Who's the third?"

"What?"