Unforgiven (Wanderers #3) (3 page)

I tried to pull my hand away but she jerked it back
to her. I took that as a challenge. “We’ll see about that,” I said,
turning up the juice. I was not going to let this woman get me,
again.

Her grip was crushing. I thought she may even have
broken a few fingers. I didn’t care. I fought through the pain and
pushed harder. I pushed so hard I could feel the sweat dripping
down my forehead. “Ella,” Cameron said in a warning tone.

I heard a rumbling noise. Soon the floor started to
shake, rattling the walls, and picture frames that hung loosely.
“What the hell is going on?” Josef asked.

“Get back,” Caleb warned him and pushed Josef behind
him.

“Ella,” Cameron cautioned, but I didn’t listen. Cups
crashed to the ground shattering. Frames dropped from the wall
breaking glass. I pushed against her giving her everything I got.
There was an explosion of light. It was so powerful and so bright
it jerked me back. When my eyes adjusted I realized the bright
light was me. I was glowing.

“Damn Ella, don’t you have a dimmer switch or
something on that thing,” Josie complained, shielding her eyes with
her arm.

The grumpy old woman finally let go of my hand. The
look of shock on her face was enough to make me smile. That was
until I noticed my glow blast had knocked everyone else out, but
Josie, the woman, and me. I automatically healed my friends first
then moved onto Josef and Caleb who were lying on the floor. The
grouchy woman put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. “Relax,” I
said. “I’m not going to hurt them.” She reluctantly let go. I
placed a hand on each of them causing my glow to slowly diminish as
I healed them.

When their eyes opened, they both looked at me funny.
“Your hair,” Josef said. I looked over my shoulder at my friends
nervously. Cameron cleared her throat and casually pointed to the
left side of her hair. I needed no more conformation to know I had
another blue streak. I let out a sigh and stood up ready to tell my
friends let’s get the hell out of here when the old woman stopped
me. I towered over her tiny five foot four frame.

I squared my shoulders ready for her next attack.
Josie placed a kind hand on my shoulder. “Ella,” she said in a
voice letting me know I needed to back down.

“Gran,” Josef said, taking her hand and pulling her
back. “Enough of this. You know they are not a threat.” She made a
noise then shuffled her feet back to her chair. “Please, have a
seat. I apologize for my grandmother. She has a hard time trusting
people.”

“Clearly,” I said, rubbing my hand and narrowing my
eyes at her. She just smiled. “I think we should go.” I gestured
for my friends to hurry up and make a quick exit out of there
before we ended up taking the whole house down.

“Please, don’t go,” Josef begged.

“You’re the one my grandson talked about,” the old
woman said, making me stop in my tracks.

“Grandson?” Josie asked confused, looking at
Josef.

I looked over my shoulder and into the eyes of the
elderly woman. I knew exactly who she was talking about. “Tristan,”
I said breathlessly. Everything clicked in that moment. “You’re
Tristan’s grandmother. That’s why I recognized the garden.” She
eyed me suspiciously. “That’s why I am here, to find him. You know
don’t you. You know he’s still alive.”

She didn’t say yes, but I could see it in her eyes
that she believed. “My child, you have a very generous heart, a
little too generous. If you’re not careful with it, it will break.”
She smiled like she knew some big secret I didn’t. “Josef.” She
signaled for him to help her up. He did as she asked and walked her
in to the next room.

“Wait, where the hell are you going?” I said annoyed.
“What just happened?” I was so confused. First she knocks me on my
ass. Then challenges me to a powers duel – which I clearly won –
she mumbles some cryptic bullshit about me having a big heart and
then walks away? No. That was not acceptable.

I stomped after her only to have the Caleb stop me.
“It’s late,” he said.

“But I have so many questions,” I argued.

“I know, but they will have to wait until
tomorrow.”

I looked at my watch. “But it’s only eight
o’clock.”

Caleb grabbed my wrist. “Where did you get this?” he
asked, examining the watch.

“It’s Tristan’s, it was a gift.”

He rubbed his thumb over the watch and I swear he was
fighting back tears. “This was my dad’s watch,” he said softly.

“I’m sorry. I –”

“It’s okay,” he smiled. “You need it more than I do
right now,” he said, patting my hand. I shook my head not
understanding. “Come back tomorrow. We’ll have breakfast and
talk.”

“Oh um…” I looked to my friends on how to answer.

“I insist and so would Deidre,” he said kindly.
“Tomorrow morning I will help you with anything you need to help
find my grandson. I believe you were brought here for a reason,
that all of this was not just a coincidence.”

“Thank you,” I said at a loss for words.

“Tomorrow than.” He nodded and we headed for the
door. I waved goodbye and followed my friends out to the car.

“Hey, wait up a second!” Josef called, running up to
us. I stopped and turned around. “Um,” he blushed. “Are you guys
really going to come back for breakfast?” he asked hopeful.

“I, well…” I wasn’t sure.

“Don’t let my gran scare you off. She’s just stuck in
her old ways. I promise if you guys come back we’ll try to keep her
on her best behavior,” he smiled sweetly.

“I’ll have to let you know,” I said, not able to make
any promises. I knew I would be crazy not to come back. This was
Tristan’s family, but I had a bad feeling Deirdre wouldn’t be much
help.

“Well in case you decide to,” he pulled his phone
from his back pocket and handed it to me. “Give me your number and
then I can text you mine. You know in case you decide you need some
help.”

“Smooth, kid,” I heard Billy whisper. I turned back
to see Josie elbow him.

“Yeah, okay,” I said, ignoring them. I typed my
number in and handed back his phone.

“Great,” he smiled. “Hopefully I’ll see you
around.”

“Bye Josef.” I waved and hopped in the car.

“Looks like we got a little Tristan in training,”
Josie teased and Billy laughed.

“Shut up you guys,” I said as I sat back and buckled
myself in.

“Okay, so how crazy was all that? And what was up
with you and that old battleax? If this is any indication of how
the rest of the trip is going to go I need to stock up on some
aspirin,” Cameron said.

“Yeah Ella, what hell was that between you two?”
Josie asked, turning around in her seat.

“I have no idea, but I do know one thing. I’m going
to take this as a good sign.”

“How so?” Josie looked at me like I was nuts.

“First twenty minutes in Ireland and we run into
Tristan’s grandparents, if that’s not a sign then I don’t know what
is.”

Cameron squeezed my hand letting me know she agreed
with me while Josie sat back down in her seat the right way. We
found the nearest hotel and checked in for the night. We ordered
room service while Billy went down to the lobby to get some maps
and find some information on the surrounding area.

I was so beat from the flight and the power battle
that I could barely lift my hands to eat. I knew I shouldn’t have
tried to use that much power so soon, but hey, I was not going to
let that woman get me. Tristan’s grandmother or not. After I
finished my burger and fries, I joined Billy at the table where he
set up a little area of maps to look over. “So where do we
start?”

“I think we need to start with you getting some
rest,” Billy said, looking at me concerned.

“Billy, I’m fine.”

“Ella, you can fool Josie and Cameron, but you can’t
fool me.” I began to protest but he stopped me. “I know you’re weak
and feeling run down and after all that power you used tonight I’m
surprised you’re still standing.”

“I can hold my own.” I was tired of everyone thinking
I couldn’t handle myself.

“Look Ella,” Billy looked over his shoulder and
lowered his voice. “I didn’t tell Josie or Cameron, but I know
about your blood lust.”

“What are you talking about?” I said, pretending I
had no idea.

“I can see it in your eyes. I know it’s uncommon for
someone so young, but you’re different. We all knew that from the
beginning.”

“Gee, thanks for the warning.”

“You know what I mean. You need to drink Ella. All
this power you have is what is driving your need for blood. You’re
going to burn yourself out if you don’t feed.”

“No, I can’t. I won’t.”

“Ella, this is part of who you are. Whether you want
to accept it or not you are part vampire. You can’t deny your
nature.”

“Watch me,” I said, stomping off into the bathroom.
He was wrong. He didn’t know what he was talking about. I was
perfectly fine. I survived this long, which was proof I didn’t need
blood. I gripped the edge of the counter and took a few deep
breaths. I looked up at myself in the mirror and wished I hadn’t. I
looked deathly ill. My skin was ghostly white and the dark circles
under my eyes were even darker than before. My once silky hair was
now dry and matted. I turned on the faucet and splashed some cold
water on my face. I was rundown. I was weak and I was feeling the
need for blood, but I refused to believe it. I just suppressed the
urge hoping that it would pass. I took a breath and stepped out of
the bathroom.

“Everything okay?” Josie asked.

“Yeah. I’m just not feeling well. I think I just need
to lie down for a while.” I crawled on to the bed closest to the
bathroom. My stomach was starting to twist up and I had a feeling
it would be safer if I slept closer to the bathroom. I wasn’t ready
for this. All this power, the need to feed, and everything else
that came along with being a vampire. I just needed rest. I was
sure as long as I got some rest I would be fine. No need for
blood.

In the morning I received a text from Josef wondering
if we were going to come for breakfast. I hesitated before I
replied. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the morning with
that wretched woman, but I needed answers and this was the first
lead we got. I didn’t know what I should do so I asked Josie. “I
don’t know Ella? That’s up to you.”

“You’re a lot of help,” I mumbled. I replied back
saying yes we would come over for breakfast. “Where’s Billy?” I
asked Josie when I finished texting Josef.

“He went to go get supplies. He said he’d be back in
time for us to leave.” I nodded and made my way into the bathroom
to get cleaned up. I got in the shower and stood there for a few
minutes. I was feeling week – weaker than I did yesterday. I was
having a hard time just lifting my arms to wash my hair. I thought
back to what Billy had said to me last night. Was he right? Was
that why I was feeling so beat? I finished up and stepped out of
the shower wrapping a towel around myself.

I was in over my head. I had no idea what was
happening to me, my body, my mind. I learned so much but at the
same time so little. I had so much more to learn about what I was.
I looked at myself in the mirror. What happened to me? How did I
let this happen? I needed to get a grip.

Billy was right.

I could no longer deny who I was. If I was going to
find Tristan I needed all my strength and my sanity.

After I got dressed, I sat and waited with the girls
until Billy returned. We each packed a small bag of supplies and
headed down to the car. “Ella wait, I need you to help me with
something,” Billy said, giving me look. “You guys go ahead. We’ll
meet you down at the car.”

“Anything I can help with?” Josie asked.

“No. Be right down in a minute,” he said, giving her
a quick peck. She gave him a suspicious look, but left with
Cameron.

Billy waited a few minutes before he turned to me. He
reached into his backpack and handed me a bottle. “Here, drink
this.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s what you need,” he said.

I already knew what it was and knew I could no longer
argue with him or my body. When I didn’t take it right away he
thought I was resisting again. “Ella you have to take it it’s
–”

“I know,” I said, sighing. I took the bottle and
unscrewed the cap.

“Little sips,” he said after I took the first gulp.
“You need to take it gradually. If you do too much too soon you’ll
get sick.”

I nodded and started to slowly sip it. “Why is it
that I already have the blood lust?” I asked curious, hoping Billy
had the answers I needed.

He sunk down into a chair. “Honestly Ella, I don’t
know. My guess would be all the powers you possess. You’re the
first Wanderer ever to possess as many powers as you do. That’s
probably the reason you’re developing the desire for blood so
quickly. The stronger the vamp the more blood you’ll need. I
wouldn’t worry about it too much. I believe a lot of it stems from
all the power you’re using. That’s why you are weak. You’re not
letting your body regenerate itself.”

“Am I going to have to drink this every day?” I
asked.

“No. Just until you are well again and only if you
use a large amount of power otherwise you should be fine.”

“Thank you Billy,” I said, taking another small sip.
I was already feeling better.

“It’s not a problem.” He waved me off.

“Not just for this,” I held up the bottle. “I mean
for everything, for not giving up on me and well just…thank
you.”

“You’re welcome,” he smiled. “I know this can’t be
easy for you. Having all these powers and not knowing what’s
happening to your body, but I just want you to know I’ll help you
the best I can. I won’t leave you to be alone in this. I’ll do what
I can for as long as I can,” he said, squeezing my hand. I gave him
a thankful smile and took another sip. “Drink half of that now and
finish the other half later and you should be fine for the day. I
want you to continue to drink at least half a bottle a day for the
rest of the week or until you get all your strength back and then
you should be fine.”