The Gathering (58 page)

Scott tugged on Sara's hand again.

"C'mon."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Scott looked at her with a quizzical look and shook his head.

"It means c'mon."

"No, the other thing."

"What other thing?

"The other thing you said in my head"

"I didn't say anything else."

"Yeah, I know, you…"

"No, I didn't think anything else either.
 
I told you to c'mon and then I was thinking about sausage.
 
Did you hear something about sausage?"

Sara shook her head as she allowed Scott to lead her through the door of the hall, stopping only for moment to turn and again look at the raven.

It was gone and she went inside.

79

Larry, Aaron, Sean, Duncan and Jeb were sitting at Donavan’s Pub.
 
Jeb and Duncan kept staring at the ravens that were perched all around them.
 
Larry leaned over and looked also.

“It's a little creepy,” he said.

Jeb looked him.

“Too Hitchcock for me.”

Sean and Duncan laughed.
 
Aaron looked over at Sean as he lifted his ale.

“What’s up with you?”

Sean raised his eyebrows and swallowed.

“What’d’ you mean?”

Larry looked at him and shrugged.

“He’s right…there’s something different about you today.”

Sean smiled and shrugged.

“Just another day…”

Duncan set down his ale and smiled.

“Unless you just didn’t get enough sleep last night…”

Sean raised his eyebrows and folded his arms in front of him.

 
“What are you driving at, Worley?”

Duncan laughed and shrugged.
 
Jeb looked at Larry and Aaron and shook his head.

“I hate it when I don’t get the joke.”

They all laughed and were continuing to drink, when Alia, Janeen and Connie walked in to the pub.
 
Alia looked over at them and smiled as Sean followed her with his gaze.
 
He finally broke away and smiled as he drank again.

All the other men watched this and then looked over at Alia, who was blushing.
 
They looked from Alia to Sean and back.
 
Janeen was also looking, and rolled her eyes.
 
She then nodded at the men.
 
The three looked at her quizzically as she dropped her shoulders and made a waving motion with her hands towards Alia and Sean and then Larry’s mouth dropped open.

“NO!”

Aaron did double take and grabbed Sean’s arm.

“Really?”

Duncan laughed as Jeb sat there with a confused look on his face.
 
Janeen threw up her arms and sat down next to Connie.
 
Sean put his ale down.

“Really what?”

Aaron smiled and sat back.

“Yeah, they did it.”

“Did what?
 
Who?”
 
Jeb asked.

He looked around the table and even Sean couldn’t help but laugh.
 
They were so engrossed with their assault on Sean, no one noticed Alia had approached until she sat down.

“So what are we talking about over here?”

Sean looked over quickly and regained his composure.

“Nothing.”

Jeb shook his head.

“You got that right.”

That sent all the men laughing again.
 
Alia looked around and smiled, then took Jeb’s hand.

“I think what the other gentlemen have figured out, all be it with Janeen's help, Jeb, is that Sean and I finally got together last night.”

Jeb looked at her and then Sean, who continued to smile.

“Got togeth…HOLY SHIT!!!!
 
You did it?
 
You finally told her?!?!”

Sean laughed and nodded.

“Well, she told me actually."

Grant and Ellen Turner walked up to the crowd.

"What's going on, Folks?"

They started to sit down when Aaron looked at them.

"They finally told each other how they feel… about each other."

Ellen jumped up and screamed, causing the entire pub to look.
 
She ran over and hugged Alia as Grant smiled and sat down.
 
He grabbed an ale and lifted it to Sean.

"Took you long enough."

Alia looked at them and leaned in.

"Please don’t tell anyone else…we haven't talked to the kids yet.
 
I don’t want them to learn about it from someone else, ok?"

They all laughed and nodded.
 

80

"C'mon, let's go get some ice cream or something."

Lisa shook her head and sat cross-legged on the edge of her bed.
 
She stared out the balcony doors and into the street below.
 
Brandon folded his arms in front of him.
 
He tried to appear annoyed, but his stomach was doing flips.

"C'mon."

"Leave me alone."

"Are you still mad at me ‘cause I wouldn't listen to your stupid dream?"

Lisa's face tightened a little and she looked over at her twin.

"It's not stupid!!
 
Something is coming and it's big, but no one listens to me ‘cause I'm small.
 
Something bad is coming, Brandon.
 
I thought you'd believe me!"

She turned away from him and started to cry.
 
She brought her knees up to hide her face as her long, auburn hair fell forward and she wrapped her arms around her legs.
 
Brandon dropped his arms and his shoulders as he walked over to Lisa's bed.
 
He climbed up and patted her shoulder.

"C'mon, Lise, don't cry...I'm sorry."

Her sobbing began to subside and she looked over at him.
 
He reached into his pocket and took out a hankie and offered it to her.

"Thanks."

She blew her nose quietly and wiped her eyes.
 

"Sorry," she said.

Brandon shrugged.

"Me too.
 
I'm sorry I didn't listen to you.
 
I do believe you, but you really didn't say anything, just that something bad is coming.
 
What kind of bad?"

Lisa shrugged and bit her bottom lip as she allowed her breathing to shudder from the residing tears.

"Just like the dreams we've all been having, but this one was like Amanda's.
 
Everyone kept disappearing and I was alone and it was dark.
 
Then when I could see again, everyone was dead."

Brandon's mouth had dropped open and the flips in his stomach were now knots.
 

"Everyone?"

Lisa nodded and wrapped her arms around her knees again and stared out the door.

"I believe you, Lise."

Lisa looked at her brother and smiled slightly.
 
Brandon was looking out on the street as well.
 

"We have to find Coeli."

Lisa shook her head.

"Why?"

"’Cause, she'll believe us and then they'll believe her."

"You really think she will?"

Brandon nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, Shay always believes us."

"But then what happens, I mean after Coeli gets Mom to believe her, what then?"

Brandon shrugged.

"I don't know, I'm ten.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think it will stop your dream from happening?”

Lisa shrugged.
 
Brandon stood up and put his hands on his hips.

“Ok, let’s go.”

Lisa wiped her face and climbed off the bed.
 
They walked to the door, and Lisa reached out and took her brother’s arm.

“Brandon?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

Brandon smiled and shrugged.

“I’m not doing anything.”

Lisa smiled and they set off to find Coeli.
 

81

Thomas Blaylock had gathered thirty of his men along with Brollen and Father Leon.
 
They now stood in the courtyard of the black castle.
 
Father Leon was staring at the entrance.
 

The broken body of Monsignor Klaus was now hanging from the gate in a mock crucifixion.
 
His face was twisted in horror and bits of his flesh had been ripped away by the falcons.
 
Leon shuddered as he watched a young falcon tear at the monsignor's shoulder.

Leon looked away, but immediately stiffened as Blaylock put his arm around the priest's shoulders.

"Beautiful sight isn't it?"

Blaylock smiled as he stared wistfully at the corpse.
 
Father Leon let a tear slide down his cheek.
 
Blaylock laughed and slapped Father Leon on the back.