Read Online Unnaturals by Dean J. Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dean J. Anderson
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not sure how her mother would react. `Um, Renee and I bumped into them today.'
`Bumped?' Eleanor's voice pitched upwards and Nikki held the phone away from her ear, ready. The tirade didn't come. Just the even sound of breathing. She frowned. This was not expected.
`Mother?'
`What was he like?'
`Sorry?' Nikki nearly fell off the couch in surprise.
`Mason. What was he like?'
`I'm sorry,' Nikki sat up, and took a breath, `I just told you we met Butcher, the one human everyone of our kind hates, and you want to know what he was like?'
`You're alive. That says everything to me, daughter. You met the man, not the monster.'
`Kind of. We sensed something unusual lurking around on the island and went to find it. The entire Douglas family arrived just as we did. He was pissed off to see us, to say the least, and Renee found out she wasn't a match for him. Not even close.'
`Yet you survived.'
`Yes. Gaia intervened.' Her mother went quiet again. `She broke all the rules. Pulled us all back through time to when the Douglas family was attacked in the UK, at the funeral. It's from her Mason draws his strength. Her intervention saved them all.'
`What else did she show you?'
`Ruth, Mason's wife, spoke for her, like an oracle. Gaia has warned of a war, one that will affect all those who live here in her world. A treaty was made between us and the Douglas family.'
`A treaty was made, brokered by Gaia? Will Mason honour it?'
Nikki smiled. `Ruth believes in it, so Mason will too. She has Gaia's touch and voice, one that Mason listens to. It is Ruth who will hold the treaty true until he feels the full touch of Gaia.'
`Daughter, you speak as if⦠Where is your sister?'
`Having a swim.' Nikki rubbed her forehead, the day's events settling on her. `She needed to calm down.'
`Why?'
`Mason is immune to her curse.'
`Oh.'
Nikki let the information soak in.
It was a lot for Eleanor to accept.
`You're staying, then? On the island? Yes, of course you are.'
`There's a lot we have to understand about today and I'd have no chance of getting Renee to leave anyway. And with Gaia revealing her hand today of all days, we have to stay.'
`The Bloodells that are coming, it was Mason who warned you, wasn't it?'
`Someone called Max, from the Douglas Fund, called him earlier today. I believe the Fund is coming here in force, Mother. To deal with any Bloodells.'
Silence filled the phone and Nikki swallowed, uncomfortable with it. `Mother? Why are you so quiet? What's going on?'
`Are you alone?'
`Yes, and none can hear our conversation,' Nikki said, letting her natural defence energies thicken.
`Wait a moment.'
Nikki frowned at the sound of the phone being put down. The hair on her arms stiffened at the sound of her mother's energy crackling in it.
`We are protected now. None must hear this.'
`Hear what?'
`The truth of our past. About the day my father was slain.'
`He died fighting Agnes off? He killed herâ'
`No. She was too strong, more powerful than any other Bloodells priestess has ever been. Almost immortal.'
`Then how? What happened?' Nikki lay down on the couch; the sense of a great change coming grew in her. This story had been legendary among her kind. But it was a lie?
`Father had felt her presence in the great forest not far from our home one morning. We ran. We did not know why he was so frightened, or understand why Agnes wanted to hurt us. Only that our father had never been afraid of anyone before.'
`Wasn't Grandfather the strongest Darkells Magi? That's how he killed Agnes?'
`He was, but Agnes had taken blood, making her stronger. But it was the dark energy she wanted â Bemeon's energy, the Bloodells' god. And he blessed her with it, more than any other ever has.
`Bemeon saw how strong she was and knew Agnes could break the seals to let him come here, to cross him over.'
`Then how?'
`Agnes surprised us in the forest. She teleported using Bemeon's energy. Father died not even seeing her or knowing that
`Bumped?' Eleanor's voice pitched upwards and Nikki held the phone away from her ear, ready. The tirade didn't come. Just the even sound of breathing. She frowned. This was not expected.
`Mother?'
`What was he like?'
`Sorry?' Nikki nearly fell off the couch in surprise.
`Mason. What was he like?'
`I'm sorry,' Nikki sat up, and took a breath, `I just told you we met Butcher, the one human everyone of our kind hates, and you want to know what he was like?'
`You're alive. That says everything to me, daughter. You met the man, not the monster.'
`Kind of. We sensed something unusual lurking around on the island and went to find it. The entire Douglas family arrived just as we did. He was pissed off to see us, to say the least, and Renee found out she wasn't a match for him. Not even close.'
`Yet you survived.'
`Yes. Gaia intervened.' Her mother went quiet again. `She broke all the rules. Pulled us all back through time to when the Douglas family was attacked in the UK, at the funeral. It's from her Mason draws his strength. Her intervention saved them all.'
`What else did she show you?'
`Ruth, Mason's wife, spoke for her, like an oracle. Gaia has warned of a war, one that will affect all those who live here in her world. A treaty was made between us and the Douglas family.'
`A treaty was made, brokered by Gaia? Will Mason honour it?'
Nikki smiled. `Ruth believes in it, so Mason will too. She has Gaia's touch and voice, one that Mason listens to. It is Ruth who will hold the treaty true until he feels the full touch of Gaia.'
`Daughter, you speak as if⦠Where is your sister?'
`Having a swim.' Nikki rubbed her forehead, the day's events settling on her. `She needed to calm down.'
`Why?'
`Mason is immune to her curse.'
`Oh.'
Nikki let the information soak in.
It was a lot for Eleanor to accept.
`You're staying, then? On the island? Yes, of course you are.'
`There's a lot we have to understand about today and I'd have no chance of getting Renee to leave anyway. And with Gaia revealing her hand today of all days, we have to stay.'
`The Bloodells that are coming, it was Mason who warned you, wasn't it?'
`Someone called Max, from the Douglas Fund, called him earlier today. I believe the Fund is coming here in force, Mother. To deal with any Bloodells.'
Silence filled the phone and Nikki swallowed, uncomfortable with it. `Mother? Why are you so quiet? What's going on?'
`Are you alone?'
`Yes, and none can hear our conversation,' Nikki said, letting her natural defence energies thicken.
`Wait a moment.'
Nikki frowned at the sound of the phone being put down. The hair on her arms stiffened at the sound of her mother's energy crackling in it.
`We are protected now. None must hear this.'
`Hear what?'
`The truth of our past. About the day my father was slain.'
`He died fighting Agnes off? He killed herâ'
`No. She was too strong, more powerful than any other Bloodells priestess has ever been. Almost immortal.'
`Then how? What happened?' Nikki lay down on the couch; the sense of a great change coming grew in her. This story had been legendary among her kind. But it was a lie?
`Father had felt her presence in the great forest not far from our home one morning. We ran. We did not know why he was so frightened, or understand why Agnes wanted to hurt us. Only that our father had never been afraid of anyone before.'
`Wasn't Grandfather the strongest Darkells Magi? That's how he killed Agnes?'
`He was, but Agnes had taken blood, making her stronger. But it was the dark energy she wanted â Bemeon's energy, the Bloodells' god. And he blessed her with it, more than any other ever has.
`Bemeon saw how strong she was and knew Agnes could break the seals to let him come here, to cross him over.'
`Then how?'
`Agnes surprised us in the forest. She teleported using Bemeon's energy. Father died not even seeing her or knowing that
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