WeavingDestinyebook (10 page)

"But what about the frog?" Malini asked.

"Are you sure it was really dead? Maybe it was just like hibernating and when you melted the plastic it got a good breath of air and revived," Dane said.

"I guess." Malini shrugged.

Jacob rubbed her hand between his own. "The only other explanation is that you raised the dead." He gave a breathy chuckle as he said it but a chill ran up her spine.

"Don't say that, Jacob. It's wrong. No one can raise the dead."

"What if you're a Healer?" Jacob asked. The word rolled out of his mouth like a multi-legged alien life form that the two of them wanted to pretend wasn't wriggling on the table between their cokes.

"Is that a bad thing?" Dane asked. "Healer sounds like a good thing."

Malini shook her head. "Healers are very rare, Dane. There can only be one or two on the earth at any one time. Plus, Dr. Silva tested me for that. One of our first meetings, she sliced my shoulder with a kitchen knife. It bled like you wouldn't believe. She said it ruled out my being a Healer."

"Yeah. She tried something similar with me." Jacob lowered his hand from his head and pressed his palm into the table. "You need to talk to Dr. Silva. She'll be able to tell you what this means."

"Until then, avoid dead frogs," Dane said.

Jacob grinned.

"You guys, you're acting like this is no big deal!" she said.

Jacob's face turned serious. "It is a big deal. But we've always known you were a Soulkeeper. And now
you
know. You may not fully understand what your gift is, but at least you know for sure that you've got one."

Dane folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat. "One more person to protect me."

The look on his face broke Malini's heart. She knew that look, that vulnerability. Even with what happened, she felt it too. Like their destiny was not their own since the day they'd learned about the Watchers. She felt like a pawn in some massive chess game and she didn't even know what piece she was yet.

She reached across the table and laid her hand on Dane's arm. "You can take care of yourself, Dane. You may not be a Soulkeeper, but you are one tough dude and you make up the difference in heart."

It was Jacob's turn to roll his eyes and stare out the window. But Dane was quick to show he appreciated the sentiment. "Thanks,
Malini
. I needed to hear that."

His voice held a twinge of belligerence, a tangle of things unsaid that left all of them silent and looking in opposite directions.

Malini attempted to rescue the conversation. "So, what's this big news you were trying to tell me at lunch, anyway?"

Jacob leaned into the table, bracing himself on his elbows and looking from side to side. Malini and Dane checked over their shoulders and leaned in as well.

"There's a Watcher in Paris, again," Jacob said.

Dane paled. "Who? Where?"

"We don't know but we think it's influenced Katrina. When I came home last night there was a knife sunk into my bed."

Malini's hand went to her heart. "What?"

"She's been acting really odd. We don't actually know if she wielded the knife but Dr. Silva sensed Watcher all over her. It's definitely close."

"Dr. Silva came over?  What about the Laudners?"

"She had Mara stop time so that we could investigate."

"You mean, so that Mara could investigate—"

"No, we held hands and everything else stopped but us."

Malini squelched a tide of jealousy that rose from the pit of her stomach. Dr. Silva and Lillian were undoubtedly part of the handholding. She was sure it wasn't romantic. "So, what did you find?"

"We couldn't tell for sure if Katrina tried to kill me or if it was the Watcher. All we know for sure is that a Watcher has come to Paris, Katrina is influenced, and they've targeted me."

Malini swallowed hard. "What did Dr. Silva say we should do about that?"

"We're going to wait and watch Katrina. Eventually she'll have to lead us to it."

"You'll have to stay with me, then. We can't have her stabbing you in your sleep," Malini said.

"The Watchers know who I am, Malini. The fact that they tried to stab me means it's me they're after. I can't lead them to you."

Malini squeezed Jacob's hand and turned in the booth to face him full on. "That's a chance I'm willing to take."

He pulled away from her, pressing his back against the window. "It's not one I'm willing to take. I was the one who killed Mordechai. I'm the one they want. They don't know who you are Malini, and we intend to keep it that way."

"We?"

"Dr. Silva and Gideon are going to take turns keeping watch over you until we kill this thing."

"And where will you be? Hey...where did you stay last night?"

"I stayed at Dr. Silva's."

"With Mara."

"Yes with Mara. Dr. Silva's house is enchanted. A Watcher can't enter without being invited. I'll be safe there.

"Safe? Who's going to keep you safe from Mara? "

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that she's had trouble keeping her hands off of you, is all."

"Malini, we talked about this. I'm not interested in Mara."

 Dane whistled loudly through his teeth. "Stop fighting you two. Malini, everyone at this table knows that Jacob is in love with you. For Christ's sake he just about took my head off for suggesting I take you to prom."

Malini straightened in her seat and looked down at the table.

"Yeah, and lets not pretend any of us are going to get our way against Dr. Silva and Gideon. If they say you need protection, you get protection." Jacob added.

"And to be perfectly honest, if they were asking, I'd take some protection too. Let's all remember what we're dealing with here." Dane pulled the sleeve of his shirt up, revealing the scar where the bone had ripped through skin, a reminder of the beating he'd taken from the Watcher who'd influenced him—Auriel. "She's still out there somewhere, maybe closer than we think. And I'm not exactly on her list of BFFs."

Malini covered her face with her hands. Jacob's arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. With a deep breath, she calmed her nerves and lowered her hands to the table.

"You're right. We all need to make sacrifices. This is bigger than all of us," she murmured. She stood and turned for the door.

"Malini?"

"It's almost six. I've got to go, Jacob. I'm not even supposed to be here."

With both of them staring after her, she left, feeling drained of everything but her will to get beyond this. She stomped to her car and slipped behind the wheel but didn't start the engine. Instead, she allowed the tinted windows to shield her from the outside world and permitted herself to feel what she couldn't in front of Jacob and Dane.

The tears came then. A few slipping down her cheeks before growing into face-drenching sobs. There was a hole inside of her. The binding that held her together had cracked and the stuff she'd always counted on to pull herself together was leaking into her blood stream. Fizz...pop...bang. She could feel her chemistry changing.

"Tell me what I'm supposed to do," she screamed to heaven. It wasn't a prayer. It was a tantrum. Her fists hit the steering wheel in a rage that seemed to blossom from the inside out. "What am I supposed to be?" The question bounced off the windshield. "What's the big secret?" Her fists pounded hard enough to leave a bruise. "If you want me for your team of Soulkeepers, bring me on, but stop messing with my life!"

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against her fists on the steering wheel. When that position became uncomfortable, she leaned back and allowed her eyes to wander down the row of main street businesses. They settled on the sign for Laudner's Flowers and Gifts.

In her rearview mirror she saw Jacob and Dane emerge from McNaulty's. She wiped her eyes, worried they'd want to talk again when they saw her car was still there. But they didn't turn toward her. Dane walked in the direction of Westcott's grocery and Jacob crossed the street toward his uncle's shop.

"Where are you going, Jacob? We don't work today?" Malini said to herself, then remembered. "Paycheck."

She wiped her face off with a Kleenex from her glove compartment. Maybe if she hurried she could catch up with Jacob and get hers too. It was a perfect excuse to explain why she was running late to her father.

Chapter 13

Breakthrough

Jacob entered Laudner's Flowers and Gifts wanting nothing more than to grab his paycheck and get out of there. He was worried about Malini and needed to talk to Dr. Silva about what was going on.

"Mom? John?" he called toward the back room. Odd, there was no one at the front counter. Usually when the door opened and the bell chimed, someone came running. Jacob walked past the display of tulips, and the cooler of cut arrangements. Whoever was working today must be preoccupied. He pushed open the swinging door to the back room.

What he saw behind the door made him stop so fast his sneakers squeaked against the marble. A chill prickled his spine. On the stainless steel worktable, his mom was unconscious, bound and gagged.

"Mom!" Jacob rushed forward but he didn't make it to her. A knife stabbed into his left shoulder from behind. He screamed and turned toward his attacker, tearing himself free from the blade. Blood soaked his shirt and drip-dripped to the carved stone floor. He reached out with his power and called the water to him. There was plenty. It exploded out of the vases and ran to his right hand, just in time to shield him from his attacker's next blow.

The knife careened off the disc of ice that formed in front of him. "Katrina! Stop! What are you doing?" he yelled, as her face came into view behind the knife.

"I'm killing you, Jacob," she said. Her voice sounded raspy and her face was so pale she looked like a walking corpse. "Now hold still so I can finish the job." She dove forward but Jacob transformed the shield into a blade and swept her arm up, deflecting the blow.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You killed Mordechai. Did you think you'd get away with it forever? The Dark Star is coming and when he does, there will be one less Soulkeeper to get in the way."

She stabbed at his stomach. He brought his good arm down to block her thrust. His left shoulder protested. The blood loss made him woozy and sweat broke out on his upper lip. He forced himself to remain standing.

He circled left, toward his mom. Was she even still alive? "Katrina, this isn't you. You're not a killer. You're being influenced by a Watcher, a fallen angel. Once you stop taking whatever it's feeding you, you're going to regret this."

Her mouth twisted into a sneer and a hollow laugh bubbled up her throat. "Stupid Horseman. Everyone's a killer. It's just a matter of what's worth killing for."

She pounced, sweeping his weapon above his head. Her body slammed into him. He rolled backwards, meaning to somersault onto his feet, but she clung to his body and rolled with him. Searing pain blasted through his torso when he hit the marble. Katrina's knife was at his throat. The black blade pressed under his Adam's apple, sharp, cold.

Katrina brought her face closer to his, until their noses almost touched. "The knife is obsidian, Horseman. You do know what happens to a Soulkeeper killed with an obsidian knife?"

"No. What?"

"No Heaven. No Hell. Obsidian kills you and your soul."

Jacob didn't have time to consider the possibility. The door chimed. Katrina's head snapped up and Jacob smashed the heel of his hand into her nose as hard as he could. Even in his weakened state, the force should have incapacitated her, but it did nothing more than temporarily dislodge the knife from his neck. The small shift in power was enough. He punched the hilt and the blade skidded across the floor. Wedged beneath her, he grabbed her wrists and yelled "GET OUT! WHOEVER YOU ARE – RUN!"

Katrina broke free. Her hands shot down around his throat, choking the words off. He pulled at her wrists but she was so strong, stronger than she should have been, and he was tired. Tired enough to give in to the darkness that was pressing in all around him. There was blood everywhere. He was bleeding out. He was dying.

Glass shattered against Katrina's temple, and water, blessed water washed over Jacob's face.

"GET OFF OF HIM!" he heard Malini yell.

Jacob tried to force Katrina back but he was pinned under her. Worse, her hand shot out and grabbed Malini by the ankle, yanking her off balance. He expected her to tumble backwards, but instead, she folded forward, screaming, and caught her weight on Katrina's shoulders.

Malini's scream morphed into howl of pain. Katrina joined in with equal intensity. From the place where Malini's palms met the bare skin inside Katrina's collar, smoke billowed. The smell of burning flesh filled the room. For a moment, the two stared at each other, as if the skin contact was torture. Then, Katrina's body fell forward breaking the contact.

Oily black bubbled up from her back. It dripped from her spine and to the floor, twisting into a humanoid shape, until finally solidifying into a boy with a pierced nose and black spiky hair. The leathery black wings that extended from its back left no room for error. It was a Watcher and it had been inside Katrina.

"You!" it hissed and backed away. Its shoulders were torched. Black scaly flesh hung in flaps from the muscle. The illusion of the boy flickered in and out, revealing the scaly black skin of the Watcher underneath.

Katrina rolled to her side. "Cord?" she mumbled. She passed out.

Jacob tried to move. He tried to call the water to his aid, but he was too weak. His whole body was icy cold. He'd lost too much blood.

Malini was in shock. Her hands were charred, covered in black and red blisters. She fell to her knees on the stone floor. The thing in front of her was squinting, searching her face like it was memorizing every feature. Circling one hand in the air in front of her, the Watcher captured her image inside a ring of magic. It glowed purple in the air before collapsing into his hand.

"Until we meet again, Healer," it said. And then it folded into a ripple and disappeared.