Read Online The Gifted Ones: A Reader by Maria Elizabeth Romana - Free Book Online

throwing a warm orange glow across the landscape. A short distance in front of them was the side of a classic nineteenth century farmhouse. It was white and spacious, but not extraordinarily large, and decorated with vines and trellises, arched entrances, and scalloped trim. Tall brick chimneys flanked the sides, and porches wrapped around the circumference. A collection of outbuildings, clustered behind the house, completed the panorama.
    Ellie shook her head. This pastoral view was quite the contrast to the space-age private jet that had brought them here, and the super-secret hidden runway they had landed on. What else did this day have in store? She still knew little about what had happened the night before, or why it had resulted in them flying all over the country today and finally coming to rest here in…well, she really didn’t know where they were. After the third or fourth time she had asked, Grace had finally shut her down with a promise that all would be revealed when they finally reached their destination.
    Since it appeared they were now there, Ellie caught up to Grace and tugged on her sleeve. “Aunt Grace, where are we? What is this place? And how long are we staying?”
    Angel, who was in front of them, spun around and started walking backwards. “We’re in western North Carolina, near the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s a bit rustic for us city gals, but it grows on ya.”
    “Wait, what? We’re in North Carolina? We were in the air for eight hours, made three stops, and only traveled a hundred miles? I could have biked here faster.”
    Joe laughed. “Probably so, Ellie, probably so. We were just being cautious. We wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be tracked or followed.”
    “Tracked? Followed? Seriously? By who?”
    “Whom,” Grace corrected.
    Ellie stopped abruptly. “Who, whom! Who cares? Aunt Grace, what is all this? Why all the James Bond stuff? Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?”
    Before anyone could respond, a voice called out to them from the farmhouse porch. The sound was high-pitched and creaky, yet sternly commanding, “Well, there you are! I was wondering if you’d ever get here. Come on now, let’s get you inside.”
    Ellie forgot her questions momentarily, and, like the others, dutifully followed orders. The woman who had called to them was older, sixty-something by Ellie’s guess, and doing as the woman requested did not appear optional. She was tall, bony, and long-limbed. Her hair was a mixture of black and gray, pulled back in a severe bun that emphasized the sharp angles of her jawline. A simple gray dress, fitted at the waist and high of neck, was a perfect match for her very sensible, laced-up shoes. Ellie imagined this woman would make a good army sergeant, or perhaps, prison matron.
    “Ah, Grace, it’s good to see you again, dear.” The woman grabbed Grace roughly and gave her a brief, efficient hug, which Grace only half-heartedly returned.
    “Elmyra. How are you?”
    “Oh, come now, dear, you can do better than…” The woman’s voice trailed off as she turned her attention to Ellie. She sucked in her breath and let out a low whistle. “Oh, my, my, my. Elodie Eggleston.” The older woman reached out and grasped Ellie by the shoulders. “The spitting image. The spitting image, I tell you.” Her voice cracked slightly, and she blinked back a few tears. Then the old woman yanked Ellie into her bony chest and squeezed tightly.
    Ellie winced, eking out a response, “Um, hi, nice to meet you, Miss…”
    The woman pushed her back away, still gripping her by the shoulders. “Oh, call me Granny, honey. Everyone does.” She glanced quickly at Grace, then added, “Well, almost everyone.”
    Ellie thought she heard a chuckle coming from Uncle Joe, but then he cleared his throat and motioned everyone toward the door. “C’mon, folks, let’s get inside and get everyone organized.”
    As Joe pulled open the screen door, a commotion inside once again