“I don’t appreciate being included in your Walker energy show, Aribella.” Her movements were stiff as she took a step away from me.
“Shouldn’t you have seen that coming? You know, being an all knowing soothsayer.” Sometimes smart comments just fall out of my mouth without my consent.
“Did you mean for us to see that, Aribella?” Lallielle interrupted Francesca’s tirade by moving to my side.
I shook my head.
“I have no idea what you all saw. The power seems to adapt to whatever is annoying me at the time.”
Lucy had slouched into Samuel’s arms; he rubbed her back in soothing circles.
“Your torture, Abbs. We got to relive your torture by Captain Insano Walker.”
I bit my lip, the memories a little too fresh. When I tasted blood I realized I’d clenched too hard. Setting my poor abused lip free, I looked for a distraction. Lucas was perched in the doorway, observing the room. Well, observing me, actually. I ignored the annoying tummy-jump; he was not the distraction I wanted.
“Sorry about that, Luce. Just remember, I’m half-Walker. I’m tougher than I look.” No point clueing her in to how agonizing and debilitating that torture was.
She laughed into Samuel’s shirt front. Before tipping her head back to face me.
“Don’t lie to me, Abigail. I know you, and I’ve never seen you like that. Those screams were pure anguish.”
I waved a hand to dismiss her worries. There was nothing she could do now, plus something she’d said reminded me of important information I was yet to share. My dismissal had fury flashing across Lucy features, but with a sigh she let me get away with it today.
“Dad, the Walker who kidnapped me, he said he was going to be the one to cleanse the worlds. He was starting with Spurn. I think that’s where we’ll find him.” I couldn’t let Walkers destroy their world; they deserved to be saved.
“He’s probably responsible for that dragon creature,” Lucy muttered, still looking annoyed.
I locked eyes with her, my emerald green and her baby blue clashing as we reached the same thought.
“Hell, yes. That makes sense. The Spurns can’t fight that thing. A few more of them roaming the waters and they’ll be wiped out.” I looked at Josian. “I have to go back now.”
“And this time I’ll be going with her, Francesca.” Josian glared at his sister-in-law.
She dropped her head into her hands, and even I could feel the worry bleeding out into the room. But as she lifted her face, the worry dispersed. She even smiled.
“You have gathered some Walkers, and I see that word of mouth is spreading as well. It should be okay for you to help them out this one time.” Her white eyes continued to dart around, something that happened when she was ‘seeing’ the future.
“What is the big problem with Dad helping on the planets?” I had to ask.
She was really adamant about it. “You must learn, grow and develop your abilities, Aribella. If Josian helps too much and shoulders the bulk of your responsibilities, you won’t be ready for the final battle.”
I gulped audibly. “Have you seen anything about this battle?” I asked.
All I really wanted to do was scream. Who do we lose? Who will I lose?
Francesca rubbed her arm absentmindedly. “I can’t tell anything yet. The future shifts and changes so rapidly. There are too many unanswered questions, too many choices that can change everything.” She focused on me again, the freaky eyes giving me cold shivers. “But one thing is clear: if your abilities are not developed, we lose.”
She coughed then, dropping to her knees, her head cradled in her arms.
“Go to Spurn now. You have to go ... Talina is in trouble.” Her panicked words echoed around. “Go to the land again.”
I turned to Josian. He already had a hand held out. I grabbed on.
“Everyone wait here. We’ll be right back,” he said as he opened a doorway.
Without hesitation we stepped through. In the last second Lucy yelled something at me. But I was gone before the words registered.
We arrived onto the golden beaches, right into the midst of chaos. Josian’s bronze eyes flicked around as he tried to discern the most immediate threat.
I ducked instinctively as a mass of blue-hair dived at me. He was followed by another Baroon, who sailed over my head, courtesy of a cranky seven-foot Walker. Josian continued to throw around the tiny Spurns as they dived and attacked us.
“Aribella, baby girl, what the hell is going on here?” He lazily deflected an Earon this time. “We seem to have walked into a world of angry little people.”
An emerald-haired woman had come quite close to landing a jab with one of their spears.
I spun around quickly, letting loose a roundhouse kick into the gut of a gray-haired – I couldn’t remember their clan names. He flew through the air, crashing into three yellow-hairs, name unknown too.
“Get off me, you dirty Gerk,” the yellow-haired snarled as he disentangled himself.