Igniting Spirit (Gathering Water Book 3) (9 page)

“I’ll go grab you some food, Clara,” was all Dove said once he was finished healing his sister’s arm, before walking out of the room in a huff.

“Don’t worry about him. He’ll see it soon,” Clara said softly while she watched her brother rush out.

The sympathy I’d been feeling for Dove just a moment earlier vanished. There were bigger fish to fry than hurt feelings, and I refused to worry about him while Cash was still not awake.

“Did it work?” Ellis asked, pushing her way to my side by Clara.

“Yes. Yeah, we did it, Ellis. But it was really bad. His aura is in place, but I don’t know how long it’ll take for him to wake up.”

“He will wake up though, right?” Connor asked, stumbling his way over, exhausted from giving so much energy for his son. Toby and Luke, in the same poor state, stayed seated.

Clara avoided his gaze. “I don’t know. It was so bad. He might have retreated so far inside himself that he wouldn’t know how to come out of it.”

“What can we do?” my Uncle Connor asked again, holding his wife next to him.

“Nothing. This is Cash’s battle, now.” Clara’s eyes flicked over to Cash.

I think we all realized at the same time that she was still sitting on the floor, so we gave her enough space to stand back up. She wavered on her feet a bit before being steadied by her own parents.

Steven looked at Uncle Connor. “We need to get Clara home. Let us know if you need anything. I’ll come by again in the morning.”

“Your family has done more than enough, old friend.”

“Thank you Clara. Go and get some rest, now,” Ellis looked close to tears with gratitude, even though we weren’t quite out of the water, yet.

We watched as they left, then I made myself busy walking around the room and collecting all the things they had brought to put back into their bag. I was grateful for something to do rather than worry about Cash some more. The ash and blood scattered on the floor would be next.

Journal,

I’m over at Connor and Ellis’ right now babysitting the Cashanator so they can go have a date night. Being an aunt is the best. All the fun and none of the mess. And my nephew is certainly a mess. I adore him. He’s just now really starting to talk and the things he says are the best. Today he asked where my baby was. I laughed and told him I didn’t have one, so he climbed in my lap and told me that he could be my baby. It was adorable. Being around him keeps me so busy, I don’t have time to think about last weekend.

He’s taking a nap right now and I’m tempted to curl up beside him and take one too. But I should probably clean all the jam off the TV set before my brother comes home. He wouldn’t understand the art behind toast painting, and I’m still not sure how that turned into toast-tossing. Cash is already using his abilities. It will be fun to watch him grow up and see the type of person he’ll be one day. I’m sure he’ll always be a handful, though. I wish Ellis hadn’t had so much trouble with her pregnancy. It makes me sad to know she can’t have another child, especially knowing how much she wanted a big family. I think Cash would make an excellent brother. Plus, I’m afraid he’s getting a little spoiled being an only child. That’s okay, though.

I’ve thought about being a surrogate for them, but I don’t think I’m cut out for it. Connor and Ellis seem really content with Cash. If they start pining for a second, maybe I’ll put a little more thought into it. Or maybe I’ll settle down one day and give Cash a baby cousin to play with. I don’t know, I can’t really imagine myself being a mother.

*****

I’d barely collected the last of the Balints’ things and placed them by the door when Dove came back to the room holding a bag of Subway he’d gotten from the cafeteria.

“Your mom and dad just left to take Clara home,” I told him since I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“I know, they called,” he was peering past me and further into the room, scowling, and I didn’t need to turn around to see he was looking at Ezra. “I was just coming in to grab our stuff and see if you guys needed anything.”

“You aren’t staying?” I felt disappointment and relief, and I wasn’t sure which showed in my voice, since his eyes jerked back to mine, glinting their signature copper in the hospital light.

I crossed my arms in front of me, unsettled by the eye contact.

“I don’t think so. I’ll give you guys some time and bring back some breakfast in the morning. Maybe Cash will be awake by then.” He turned to leave, not even bothering to say goodbye to Ellis and Connor, who were sitting next to Cash and talking to him — probably trying to draw him out of where he’d gone inside himself.

I found myself walking out after him, holding a hand up to Ezra to keep him from following and appreciating the fact that he listened. It had occurred to me that all the Dunamis on the island should be made aware of what was happening, and all of the possible implications.

“Dove, wait.”

“What is it, Della?” He looked tired. Tired of being around me, and that hurt because we’d been friends. I hoped we were still friends.

“Tell your parents that I’d like to speak with them soon. There’s a situation… you should be there too, of course. And Clara. But it’s something really important.”

“Is it why you came here with a room full of Clades, and one who has the exact same power that infected Cash? A type of power that I’ve never even heard of before? How can you even trust them?” His voice was uncharacteristically hard.

“Don’t be a prick, Dove. Yes, it’s why I came here with them. And Ezra saved Cash in there, if you didn’t notice, something neither of us could have done. But it’s a lot more than that, so if you’d unwad your panties for a minute, you’d know —”

Dove chuckled, hushing me immediately because it was not what I expected of him at that moment. “Unwad my panties?” he asked, then stopped smiling and brushed a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, you’re right. I know you better than to assume the worst. You wouldn’t bring people here that were a risk, not with Cash. I’ll forgive your falling in love with another guy a week after shooting me down, if you can forgive me for acting like a douche-nozzle about it.”

I opened my mouth, words of denial thick on my tongue. “It’s not like that — I’m not —”

“Not yet maybe, but it’s heading that way — and what’s worse, is that you’re going to let it.” He looked sad then, because I had refused us that “someday” possibility. Giving up Dove meant giving up on a lifelong dream for normalcy. I had changed — had become aware of who I really was — and broken things off, knowing with my whole heart that our time together was temporary.

And it didn’t feel that way with Ezra. Ezra felt like forever; he felt like the other half I never knew I was missing.

If it wasn’t love-love yet, I could at least admit that it was heading that way. And that I would let it, and hold onto it, and fight against anything that threatened it.

Something which I’d been unwilling to do for Dove.

“I’ll give them the message. And Della, I’ll try to be happy for you, okay?” This time when he turned to leave, I let him.

When I walked back into the room, Ezra was talking quietly to Toby, Luke, and Connor, the former two sitting down and looking weak. I worried for a minute, then realized that if a fight was going to break out between them all, it would have already done so. Ian was sitting on the couch lining one wall, resting his eyes it looked like, and Lena had returned to her stance by the door. I walked up to Cash’s bed and took a seat next to Ellis.

“He’ll wake up soon,” I said firmly, making myself believe the words.

“Yes, of course he will,” was her response, but she turned in her chair to look at me. “Della, dear, are you okay?”

“I will be.” I nodded my head at the figure on the bed, making it clear that I would be fine once he was awake.

She nodded her head in understanding. “Thank you Della, for bringing him the help he needed. I know it must have been difficult for you. I want you to know that I trust you and know you did the right thing — that you know what you’re doing. I’ll support you, and help Connor understand if he has trouble. Okay?”

Her nose was red and her eyes puffy from crying.

“Okay, Aunt Ellis,” I said softly, not knowing where this was coming from. Of course I was glad to hear it, but it was a little much.

“I just... the last thing I said to him was fussing about him not wearing a tie to Thanksgiving. I’m not going to let anything else happen to my children without their knowing that I’m proud of them, that I trust them to live right… and… and that I love them no matter what.” She sobbed on the last bit.

Tears welled in my eyes then because Cash was an only child, and that meant she was including me as one of her children. I reached forward and gave her a hug over the sides of the chairs more genuine than any I’d given before. “Oh, Aunt Ellis. I love you, too. And Cash knows all that. He’ll be infuriating you with his wardrobe choices in no time. Plus, you still get to yell at him about the tattoo!”

She pulled away and dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “Yes, well, I noticed you have a matching one on your arm, as well.”

“You can yell at us together, once he wakes up.” I gave her a small smile, which she returned.

“I look forward to it.”

We both laughed, just a little, but it was enough to loosen some of the tension that had been sitting in my gut since I brought Cash into the hospital.

“Della, will you come here, please?” Uncle Connor asked, and since all I had to do at the time was wait for Cash’s eyes to open, I stood up and walked over to the men in the room.

“Ezra has just filled us in on what has transpired in the past day. Is there anything you want to add?” I knew he was wondering if he could trust Ezra at his word, but didn’t know how to say it without offending me.

“I’m sure he covered everything, I was mostly out of it on and off the entire time, but if you have any questions I can try to answer them.” It was true. Even the stuff I was awake for I hardly understood.

“How is your father going to react when he finds out you’re basically the ruler of the Clades,” Connor asked the question I most wanted to know the answer to, as well.

“I’ll ask for a moment alone with my daughter.”

I must have been more tired than I thought, because I hadn’t noticed my father’s arrival and I should have.

“Derek, did Alexander talk to you yet?” I’d recently started to occasionally call him “dad” instead of by his name. But informal didn’t feel right, not when he entered the room with the air of a ruler and half a dozen Elfennol standing outside, who I could sense now that I was paying attention.

Ian stood up and came to stand at my back next to Lena, who had come close when my father had entered the room. Ezra was beside me, and I had to keep myself from leaning into him, because I was afraid of this moment. Not afraid of Derek, but afraid that the end of the conversation would be the end of my relationship with him. I’d just gotten to know my father, had just grown to love him, and I didn’t want that to end just because I saw the Clades were more than we had thought they were. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye!

“Yes, Alexander told me everything he was meant to.” His mouth formed a small frown, and I wondered where Alexander was right then. “I still wish to speak with you, though. If I am going to stand by you, I want to know what you’re standing for.”

I lunged forward and hugged him. It was my day for hugs, apparently. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around me too, playing the “awkward huggee” part that was usually my role, before sighing and tugging me in more tightly before letting go and taking a step back.

I looked at Connor and Ellis, at Luke and Toby, and finally at Cash. I didn’t want to leave, but I knew Derek deserved answers. Luckily, Aunt Ellis knew me well enough to know what my hesitation was about, and provided me with an excellent excuse to leave.

“Della, I want Cash to wake up in his own clothes. Would you mind running to the house and grabbing some things for him? You can bring them in the morning, after you’ve had a good night’s sleep.”

I didn’t think it necessary to stay away the whole night, but she looked so determined behind her sadness, that I could only nod my head in agreement.

“Take your time, Della. And thank you all for your help. Please, let me know if there is anything I can do in return.” My Uncle had turned into Dux Neale again, looking at Ian and Ezra especially.

“I’m certain there will be many opportunities in the very near future to repay the debt, Dux,” Lena said, shaking his hand briskly before Ian did the same.

Luke pushed himself to standing. “I think it’s about time I head back, as well.”

I went over to Cash while Luke said his awkward goodbyes. “You’d better wake up, Cash,” I said, leaning down so I could speak softly enough that no one would hear. I tried to put the easy banter I usually used with my cousin into my demand, but all I heard was desperation from my voice. I said a quick goodbye to Connor, Ellis, and Toby. Holding my great-uncle’s arm to keep him steady,  I led the group of Ethnos — both Elfennol and Clade — out the hospital doors and into the parking lot. “Can you drive, Luke?”

“I probably shouldn’t. I feel weak as a kitten.” He sounded that way, too.

“I’ll take you home. Where’s your truck?”

Luke nodded his head a few rows down from where I’d parked, and we made our way to his vehicle. The Clades and Derek and his men followed us. Once we reached the truck, I looked at the small crowd.

“Can any of you guys drive? A car?”

“I can,” Ezra said. He was the only one who answered, so I tossed him the spare set of Cash’s keys I’d gotten from Uncle Connor before we left.

“Will you drive the Jeep back to my house, please? The door is probably unlocked, but if not, feel free to break in.”

I thought of my house key which was probably in Cash’s hospital room somewhere. The key was a family heirloom I’d worn around my neck on a silver chain, and I’d used the chain to try and slow the blood from Cash’s leg when he was injured. I usually wore it constantly, and my neck felt naked without it.

Derek made a coughing noise in his throat.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I think it best if your friends stay outside for now. I placed guards around your home. They were ordered not to do anything unless someone tries to enter, so they should be fine waiting outside.”

I fought not to be too annoyed by that.

“You wish Ian and me to wait for you there, as well?” Lena asked.

I nodded my head. “Please, at least until I get back and we have a chance to speak. After that you can go somewhere else if you’d like.” I didn’t know how the conversation with my father was going to go, but I wanted them to be there and help strategize either way.

Speaking of talking to dear ‘ole dad. “Derek, would you like to ride with us?” I figured the walk home from Luke’s house would provide the perfect opportunity to talk alone.

“Of course.” He turned to his own men, none of whom I recognized, and dismissed them before helping me load Luke into the cab of his truck.

I gave a swift nod to Ezra, directing him to the Jeep and home. He held my gaze for a minute, and I mouthed “be safe” before I jumped behind the driver’s seat of Luke’s old monster and turned the engine on.