Enjoy.

Chapter 55 - Frosty Predicament, Bozeman Christmas (Samson Conrad POV) Pt. 6

"How are you not freaking out about this?!" Rafael - Luca's best friend - continues raging. "Who is Robert Delaney? Did - was - is he-" his tone actually lowers, "involved?" He asks stressing certain words as though trying to convey a message secret in nature.

"God, man, I'm sorry though - I mean geez, your whole family," Rafael moans regretfully.

"Did he say Lennon was identified?" Fatima asks her head tilted to the side as she observed Luca. "Who is that?" Rafael asks. More like demands. Yet he doesn't actually wait for Luca to respond before he hassles Luca more information.

"Luca is - was Imogen with Lennon?" I cannot help but sigh once again. Rafael seemed like he knew just about everything Luca knew. Rafael was to Luca what Taylor had been to me, except the truer version. With no doubt in my mind, I knew if we asked Taylor who Robert Delaney was, she'd not only answer, but she'd probably do it speaking in tongues.

I thought for sure Luca would answer his friend, so I waited but after ten seconds of heavy silence on Luca's part and heavy breathing on Rafael, Luca ended the call.

Rubbing his face, I stare at Luca, unsure. It was strange, I felt as though we had bonded, gotten closer to one another in such a short time, but in moments like this, I still glanced over at Imogen to see how she would handle this knowing Luca and Rhys the best.

"Why did you hang up?" Fatima demands.

"We can trust him," Luca says with a tone that reads like relief but also apprehension. "That's a good thing," Fatima comments shrugging her shoulders and arching a thick brow.

Luca does not quite jump for joy, that's clear to see. "Right?" Fatima presses.

"I'm half an Angel. I have a soul of my own and Rhys, Imogen has Seraphima, we were sent here for a reason which, as you've pointed out many times, we still have yet to succeed."

"The Elders are cold, heartless animals," Luca was truly spot on after everything we had put together in a short time. Saying the Elders were humans felt wrong somehow. It's as though they lacked all morals and there was not a sign of any humanity - goodness - left inside them.

We all had our beasts inside of us, but the Elders had long ago gave up on trying to live peacefully, instead only letting the demons inside rule.

Yet what I never could wrap my mind around was the fact that all the Elders had turned. How could they all work together? I always had a hard time putting that piece together. They behave ruthlessly where shifters of any kind were involved, being shady. Not as deplorable as we now knew but even now that only made me wonder how they worked so well.

What was their method of leadership like?

How does a group that all seek power at any costs not slit one another's throat to get that ascendency? Who out of all the Elders was the most dominant? There had to be one.

"That girl said that if my parents and all the others were with the Elders they would have been better off dead," Luca's voice shakes, "Lennon, Imogen, and Rafael are all I have left. Right now, he's safe. Asking him to get involved-"

"You already involved him, so get back on the phone and tell him to bring the book," Fatima spits with a bit of fire, crossing her arms against her chest. "I'm not wrong about what's going to happen. You've already led Rafael into the danger; the least you could do is protect him. Dmitri," Fatima swallows shaking her head when her bottom lip begins to wobble.

Imogen goes to the fridge, pulling a chilled bottle of water and pushing it towards Luca.

"He left me locked on a mountain, and while it kept me safe and I'm pretty sure I was the one to refuse going outdoors at first... he could have helped me so I wouldn't be - I wouldn't be this way-" she waves at herself with both hands.

I'm shaking my head before she even finishes, "No, there is nothing wrong with how you are now," I jump right in. "I know you feel that way, and I'd never ever say you cannot feel that way, but I - Fatima, there's nothing wrong about who you are. And it's not like you're not dipping your feet in all the things that could be making you cower in the corner, heck, ten minutes ago you wanted to ride me," I blurt out as Luca spits his water, fanning - spraying - the counter, a few drops making its way onto my left hand.

But I'm on a mission, ignoring Luca coughing up a lung, and Imogen snickering. "In just a few short months, you - you went from never being outside to going to school. You did that on your own. You ran into a burning building for my sister that," I shudder now at the totally possible outcome that both she and Talia could have perished.

"God you even moved into a house filled with strangers and you survived that and I cannot even begin to imagine how much of a struggle that must have been for you. And now... you're saving my family and I all over again." I pause letting Fatima truly grasp the depths of her accomplishments. "How can there be something - anything - wrong with you when you've saved me twice?" Words, thoughts and emotions all want to be released, feverishly circling my mind.

Gnawing her bottom lip, eyes narrowed at me, though I still wish I knew what she was thinking, I take a step towards Fatima. "You told me," this is say lower, meant for her, but aware that Luca and Imogen would still hear. "You were alone, and I hate that, but with what we know, how special you are Fatima," I sigh heavily. "I wish there had been a way for you to have it all. To be protected from all the Cynthia and Elders of the world, to have Dmitri setting you up as he had, and for you to have been outside, living."

"I wish that all for you," I whisper, "but, I look at our obstacles now, and I'm so grateful that Dmitri protected you the way he did. I hate it and I'm appreciative of it."

"You might feel as though you're somehow lesser than everyone else, but I find you special, not because you're important and potentially powerful, but because you're brave."

God there were so many things I wanted to say to her, to convince her but at the same time, a greater part of me knew that asking someone to write off their feelings wasn't right. I could only give her my opinion and hope that maybe if she heard my views it would shine a new light on an old feeling.

Deciding I should stop speaking now, I turn back to Luca who had turned a nice shade of red in the face as he wiped his sprayed water on the concrete up with a towel.

"As for you," I snort, "She's right. You told him so much already, why stop now? If the Elders... did you know that they can read minds? I mean we - my dad - never said if it can work on humans-" I stop instantly as two conflicting thoughts entered my mind.

I know that when our den left Bend that grandma Mary did a spell, not so much just making our home invisible but shaking up the memories of those that live in Bend. While we attended school functions, those in our den never actually took school pictures. Even as well known as we had become, we still kept things private.

Grandma Mary's spell hid our home, made the memories of those left in Bend slightly blurred. It should have blurred Devin's and Taylor's, Nick as well. It was supposed to work on everyone in Bend. What went wrong?

"What?" Luca asks. Blinking I focus on him. "What what?"

"You said your grandmother was supposed to do a spell to hide memories?" he asks unsure.

I said that aloud?

Lips pressed together thinly, I nod. "Maybe it... it didn't work?" I know I've ignored Luca's query.

I'm ready to go on a tangent but I rein myself in. "Call him - Rafael - back, he's probably having heart palpitations because you just hung up no explanations."

My grandmothers' spell shelved for now Luca gets Rafael back on the phone with only one ring, he answers. "What the hell is wrong with you Luca?" he roars.

"Look Raf," Luca says exhausted. "I need you to pack up your stuff, what you can take in your truck alone. Quit your job, leave no loose ends-"

"Slow. Down," Rafael grits. "Look Raffy it's not safe. I left with Imogen and I'm asking for you to trust me and do as I say. Pack up. Quit your job. Before you do though, I need one favor," Luca says softly at the end.

Rafael clicks his tongue, but says nothing otherwise.

"Do you remember be telling you about the book my dad bought-"

"The old one in his office?"

Again we sighed in relief. At least it wasn't destroyed in the house fire.

"Yeah, that one. I need you to go to my dads office and get the book and leave."

"What about cameras?" that brought us up short. Holding up one finger to Luca, I jog back to the screening room and grab another burner phone calling my father and explaining the situation to Aunt Angela. Hoping she could somehow infiltrate the network and turn off the cameras.

Getting as much information to her I walk back to the kitchen where Luca was waiting, talking to Raf about what the rumor mill was saying at the hospital.

With cooperation with Angela and Rafael, the perfect plan and backup plan is developed, and we pray that it is executed and goes well.

.

.

.

Javier Rosario POV

Then. "Why does Jules always get to pick?" my little sister asked, stomping her foot too.

With light brown hair, nearly yellow, mommy calls it dark blonde, Jules sticks her tongue out at Taylor, "because I'm older and the bestest."

"Jules, don't goad your sister," dad snapped at Jules as she stuck her pink little tongue out at a fuming Taylor. "It's not fair, daddy!" Blinking away the drowsiness, dad doesn't catch my fluttering eyes.

"Keep your voice down Taylor, Javi is taking a nap," my mother called form somewhere behind the sofa I was laying on.

"Mommy it's not fair, I wanted to go skating, daddy promised," Taylor continued begging, as clinks from the kitchen continued. "Jules got to pick last time," she adds, "Then-"

"Then it was Devin, and it should be Javi's turn but he's sick, so now Jules gets to pick," my mom - Shannon said.

"So she gets double turns, that's not fair!" Taylor cries. Pulled from consciousness as her voice rose, I open my eyes a bit more, "I get to choose because I've cleaned my room, and did all my homework, and because Devin wants to go to the zoo too," Jules says.

"Jules go brush your teeth," mom chuckles, ignoring Taylor's ire. Sighing, I still pass for sleeping, and curl inward, facing the coffee table. I hear nothing for a while but footsteps, letting me keep my eyes closed. I linger no longer fighting the sleep, aware of movement around me.

More heavy footsteps climb the steps behind me, dad's I think. They have a distinct sound as his iron toed boots tap the wooden floors.

"Hey Shannon, sweetheart, where are those blue shirts we just bought?" my dad questions downstairs to mom. He's not exactly shouting but it's enough to pull me closer to consciousness. Mom doesn't make a sound to answer; instead I hear feet on the rug, then a tiny clink on the glass of the coffee table.

"Eat your cereal Tay," mom says but it's coming from behind me and soon I hear taps on the stairs. Blurry eyed, my lids feel heavy but I push them open, squinting. Mommy and daddy say that I sleep with my eyes sort of open; I look like that now, a thick blanket covering me, parts of my head too.

I feel like I can control nothing, but then making the effort, I drag my vision to directly into our kitchen. Taylor in my line of sight goes underneath the kitchen sink, taking out the box with the skull on it and dips her hand into the box. Lids getting heavy I close them, snuggling down into my pillow.

.

.

.

Now. I jackhammer up into a seated position, my heart racing in my chest cavity - hurting as though someone was pulling my heart out with his or her bare hands. A scream gets lost in my throat as I gasp, searching the area, looking straight ahead as even awake, bits and pieces of my memory replay in my head.

Truths long hidden are now right at the front of my minds eye.

Jules got to pick the zoo adventure she had that day with dad and Devin, but it was the last activity she ever picked.

.

.

.

__________

© 2016 roxann_season All Rights Reserved