“Your mother filled me in on what happened, and we need to look closely at this. You can obviously utilize large portions of energy when you need, and then other times there is no response.” He looked thoughtful. “It may just be about training and development, or possibly it’s your half-sides warring with each other.”
“Talina!” The words were screamed along the beach, and we all spun around.
Brace moved protectively to my side.
Gladriel was fifty feet from us, closer to the water edge. Where had she popped up from? Her wraps were black, emerald hair blowing free in a long stream behind her.
“There you are, daughter. I have a little surprise for you,” she said.
I could clearly see her haughty smirk. She turned away from us to face the tree line to her left. Two men stepped out from the rows. I clenched my fists. One was my stalker-Walker, and the other ... I was pretty sure was Walker too. He was tall, with pitch-black hair, so black there seemed to be no other color or depth. His face was arrogant – big surprise – and his striding walk confident. Their faces were eerily similar, although their hair color was different.
“Oh, shit,” I blurted.
Josian laughed. “You’re lucky your mother isn’t here to hear that.”
I snorted. “I don’t know, something tells me she might have said something similar.”
“I have no comment on that, baby girl.”
The men paused on either side of Gladriel. The three just stood there staring at us.
“Do not make the first move,” Josian muttered from the side of his mouth.
I was about to question his reasoning, but the slight movement of his face warned me to stay quiet.
It took fifteen minutes for us to find the limit of Gladriel’s patience.
“Talina, you have asked me repeatedly about your father,” she shouted again.
I noticed that as soon as she spoke twin looks of anger crossed the two Walker faces. They’d been playing the same dominance game as Josian, and were not happy to be on the losing end.
“Come and meet your father, Talina.” She gestured up to the black-haired Walker. “Apparently, he, like your friends, has a great need for the special half.”
Between the lisping and sarcasm, her words were almost indecipherable. But we got the main idea. Talina faltered for a moment. I laid my hand on her cool arm. I really didn’t want her to go over there.
“Can it be true?” she said, her tone shaky.
“Well, he is Walker,” Brace said, “and I’m pretty sure he is of our clan.”
“Do not step away from us, Talina.” Josian’s voice was low and serious. “I will protect you, but I need you to stay close to my side.” He glared down at me. “You too, baby girl. Lucy told me how you like to run off and play hero.” His warning was clear: no one was to play hero today.
He turned from us to boom along the beach. “Identify yourselves and state your business.”
Gladriel’s group shifted uncomfortably as Josian’s power bled from him.
The blond one stepped forward. “I am Traktin of Doreen, and I wish to officially challenge you, Josian of Doreen, for possession of the redhaired half that you have protected at your side.”
Josian groaned low then. I turned questioning eyes in his direction, but he was still focused down the beach.
“I am Almastore of Abernath.” The black-haired man stepped forward. His hair was shorter than I had originally thought. “And I wish to claim my daughter. She is Walker, and belongs with her clan.”
“Give me a moment to confer with my associates, and I will respond to each claim.” Josian’s expression remained impassive, but I could almost see his cells vibrating.
I wasn’t sure why.
He gathered us closer, his voice low and serious.
“I am sorry, both of you, but here is a crash course in Walker politics.”
He looked at us, and I had no doubt something serious had just occurred. The waves of fury flowing from both Josian and Brace attested to that.
“Our female Walkers are rare, and in the last few millennia the unmated females have become almost non-existent.” He put an arm around me, pulling me close. “If you have not been through the mating ceremony, any Walker can challenge for the right to mate with you.”
I snorted then, pulling out from under his grip. “Are you kidding me? What, are women like possessions you just trade around?”
Talina nodded, but instead of showing anger like mine, her face was pale and drawn.
He shook his head vehemently. “No, you don’t understand. We are a very old race, and we value our rare precious women like no other.”
Brace sighed then, drawing our attention. “We have darkness inside. It grows as the years pass by. Loneliness is an emotion that destroys the best of us. Many of the very old Walkers are desperate to find their mates.” He paused. “Desperate enough to either misjudge or not care that you are not their true mates, and now the Doreen has challenged Josian.”
“Which means what exactly?” I demanded.
“It is an official challenge; if I do not accept then he will take you. If I accept and fail, he will take you. If I win, he will be dead,” Josian said it all in a matter-of-fact way.