Chapter 8
Tiara was sitting on the window seat looking out as the stars started appearing one by one. Twilight was slowly turning into night and her powers were calling to her… powers she was trying to ignore for fear that the dream she’d had was a premonition of warning.
The window offered a view of the beautiful back yard filled with gardens and a water fountain whose soothing noise was slowly putting her in a very relaxed state.
The problem she was facing at the moment was that there was no one to talk to. Back at PIT, someone had always been available but here all she had were demons and Nighthawk… neither one seemed keen on talking at the moment.
Carley’s face suddenly appeared upside down in front of hers. “Miss me?”
Tiara slapped both of her hands over her mouth to stifle the startled scream and promptly fell off the window seat onto the floor.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Carley announced with a giggle and drifted right side up into the bedroom. “Is everything all right?”
Tiara dropped her hands and rose to her feet. “Don’t do that,” she hissed trying to hide her grin, happy there was finally someone to talk to.
“I just wanted to keep you updated on what was going on,” Carley said after Tiara regained her place on the window seat.
“Like what?” Tiara asked curiously.
“I went back to the castle.” She saw Tiara’s eyes widen in fear and quickly explained, “They don’t know I’ve been with you for the last couple days. I think everyone were so worried about your safety that my brother was the only one who really noticed I was even missing.” She shrugged making light of it, “He even accused me of finding a ghost boyfriend and having a fling… which is probably impossible.”
“I bet Guy was crazy with worry,” Tiara frowned thinking about it.
“They’re all crazy with worry… but not about me,” Carley pointed out.
“Worried about me?” Tiara gave Carley a look that said she didn’t believe that for a minute… then her shoulders slumped, “Oh, I understand. Now that they know who my father is, they’re probably worried I’ll turn out just like him. Have they already created a team to hunt me? Is Zachary in charge of it?”
That last question alone almost broke Carley’s heart, “Yes, Zachary is in charge of the team hunting you. It’s your team Tiara… everyone including my brother. But sweetie, they’re hunting you so they can ask you to come back to the castle with them.”
“No,” Tiara breathed feeling the fears her mother had instilled within her. “I can’t do that. They are right to think I’m dangerous. I can’t even control my power and they know that by the mess I made of the last two graveyards. I almost got the team killed… everyone including your brother. It’s a wonder you don’t hate me too.”
“You’re wrong about us. I love you and we both know Jason, Guy and Zachary feel the same way. If you want to stay here, then it’s up to you. There is no order to capture you… only to ask you to come back where you belong, but the decision is yours.” Carley said sadly.
“PIT needs you. You should be the one who goes back to them instead of hanging out here with a bunch of demons,” Tiara said with a small smile to soften the words. “Now that they can see you, you can watch their backs for them and help keep them safe.”
“I always watch out for the people I love,” Carley winked letting Tiara know she was still a part of that team. Not wanting to push her friend so far that she pushed her away, she decided to go with plan B. “And speaking of people I love… I can’t stay long because Guy is already mad at me for disappearing on him.”
“I can imagine,” Tiara smiled remembering the way Guy had tricked her into bringing Carley back in the first place.
“On the way here, I stopped off at that graveyard for a quick look around. Between PIT and all the shifters coming in to help, it looks like all the Skitters have been hunted down and killed.” Carley said and then slowly turned around to leave, giving Tiara enough time to stop her.
“What about the souls?” Tiara asked hopefully.
Carley turned around and shook her head sadly, “They’re all still wandering around… poor things. They can’t find their way home.”
Tears immediately rose in Tiara’s eyes but she blinked them back waiting on Carley to make it through the wall. Once her friend had vanished from sight, Tiara turned her attention back to the window and what lay beyond it.
“I have to go back and send those souls home,” she whispered. “If I don’t, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”
Nighthawk stood invisible in a corner of the bedroom, hearing every word spoken between them. A frown marred his features at the thought of the innocent one returning to such a hellish place. But if that was what she wished… he would follow her and keep her safe.
*****
Jason and Zachary walked carefully through the graveyard, searching for any clue of where Tiara had been taken. All evidence of their battle with the demons had been erased and in certain places, large areas of gray dust were slowly drifting off in the wind.
“Do you think this is what’s left of the Skitters?” Jason asked.
“A good possibility,” Zachary nodded. “There’s one member of PIT that can actually break down the molecular structure of anything living or dead until there’s nothing left but molecules. It’s a slow process but within days, even the dust will be gone.”
Jason smirked when they passed by one of the dust piles, “Someone decided to have a bit of fun with them.”
Zachary looked back and arched an eyebrow when he saw the huge smiley face that had been finger carved into it. “Whatever,” he grumbled and kept moving.
“Damn, when did you turn into such a hard ass?” Jason frowned wondering how to cheer him up.
Zachary heard Jason moving around behind him but didn’t look back… the man was being loud enough to wake the dead. He wondered how Jason got away with working for the Rangers without constantly being attacked by animals. Suddenly, he was covered in a mass of brightly colored leaves and kicked lightly on the rump.
Jason snickered when Zachary stumbled forward a few steps before turning around to glare at him. The two of them eyed each other for a moment before a sinister-looking smirk appeared on Zachary’s face. Jason backed up a step when the air around him started to get really warm.
The leaves around him began to rustle and Jason looked down to see them moving. When he looked back up it was like looking at Zachary in the distance on a really hot day. His image was wavering slightly and Jason could feel a hot updraft on his face.
Jason threw his arms up in front of his face when the leaves suddenly started blowing toward him accompanied by the blast of hot air. When it finally died down, he lowered his arms and stared at the leaves piled up around him almost to his waist.
“Oh ha-ha,” Jason drawled and stomped his way out of the mountain of multi-colored foliage.
“You started it,” Zachary said with a shrug.
Jason kicked at a pile of leaves next to his feet sending them toward Zachary.
Zachary clenched his eyes shut when they drifted over his face and he couldn’t stop the small smile that appeared.
“HA!” Jason yelled and pointed a finger at him. “I made you smile.”
Shaking his head, Zachary brushed the few leaves out of his hair and started walking again.
“I see dead people,” Jason suddenly whispered in his ear and plastered himself to Zachary’s back.
“Will you stop it?” Zachary demanded without even attempting to look at Jason because if he did, he’d start laughing. “We’re here for a reason.”
Jason stepped away from Zachary and started to take in the expressions of the ghosts drifting around them. It looked like they were searching for something. His eyes widened when he noticed one of the ghosts walk right through another one.
“You’d think a ghost would be able to feel another ghost.” Jason made a face then shook his head, “Scratch that, I don’t think I want to see them touching… or doing things that would make baby ghosts.”
Zachary turned his head and looked at Jason as if he were a complete idiot, then laughed when Jason looked behind him as if checking to see who Zachary was giving that look to.
Jason heard Zachary stop walking and glanced over at him. Zachary was next to a perfectly round circle that had been dug into the grass revealing the dirt beneath it. Jason shivered remembering being in the center of that circle just a couple days before. A tombstone that sat against the opposite edge of it had been carved away with grooves etched into the stone as though someone had taken a chisel to it.
Zachary felt his moment of amusement fade as he stared out at the circle. He remembered the event like it had only happened a moment ago… a grim reminder of just how powerful and dangerous Tiara's power really was.
Her necromancy was no real danger to anyone else, but to her it could be catastrophic. Questions plagued his mind as to the various outcomes that could have taken place on this very spot. What if he hadn't been there to drag her out of that swirling mess? His hands balled into tight fists wondering what would happen if he wasn’t there the next time her hunger struck.
Jason remained silent when he saw the expression on Zachary’s face. He didn’t think he’d ever seen any man look like that, not even when he worked for the rangers and had to deliver the occasional bad news to the worried husband about their missing wife. Zachary was grieving for Tiara as though she were dead.
“What do you feel now?” Zachary asked softly.
Jason furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean, what do I feel?”
“The ring allows you to feel her emotions, right? What do you feel?” Zachary asked again, this time his voice having an impatient edge to it.
Jason swallowed and took a moment to really concentrate on the ring. When he had tried to do this earlier, he hadn't expected for the emotions to come so quickly. To tell the truth… it had wigged him out when it suddenly happened. This time he was ready for it.
His own feelings vanished as hers surfaced within him. He held on to it for a moment before his own emotions rushed back in to fill him up.
“Sadness… I think she’s lonely and very afraid. But I also sense calmness in her, so I don’t think she’s afraid of her surroundings. If she was in danger right now, then the ring would let me know… or at least it did the last time.”
Zachary took a deep breath and looked away from him, “She’s afraid of us coming for her.” They both fell silent for a moment.
“Her mom really messed her up from what Storm said earlier,” Jason mused. “I didn’t know Tiara’s mother, but if I came across someone teaching their kid to be afraid of something they had no reason to fear, I’d start questioning the mother’s ability to rear a child in the first place. Hell, I’d probably find a way to get the kid away from them so they could be taught right.”
Zachary glanced over at Jason in surprise. Could that be as simple as Storm said it was? Or did Tiara leave with that demon in order to be taught what Myra had been too ignorant to teach her? Zachary mentally shook his head. No, Tiara had planned on leaving anyway.
The bottom line was that Tiara didn’t trust her team to accept her as she was… and she hadn’t trusted him to protect her. Storm was right about this being Myra’s fault.
Something soft and white appeared out of the corner of Jason’s eyes and he looked down, smiling when he saw the same little boy that had led him to Tiara in the mausoleum.
“Hey kid,” Jason said softly and kneeled down on one knee in front of him. “You doing okay?”
The apparition gave him a saddened expression and looked away.
“Did you happen to see the pretty lady I was with the other night, the one you led me to?” Jason asked.
The boy perked up for a moment and his face scrunched up in thought before his sad expression returned and he shook his head.
“Damn,” Jason hissed then his head whipped up when the boy moved away from him. “No, no, you’re okay kid… I’m just upset because I can’t find her either.”
The little boy nodded but quickly moved across the graveyard away from them.
“I knew this was a waste of time,” Jason exclaimed. “She hasn’t been here and probably won’t come back.” He glanced back at Zachary, “I’m getting out of here, you coming?”
Zachary shook his head. “You go. I want to stay for a while.”
Jason could tell by the way Zachary was standing that he wanted to be left alone. The worst part was he couldn’t blame the guy. He could see how much Zachary loved Tiara and it bothered him. Why was it that women couldn’t see those who cared for them the most were the ones right in front of them?
*****
“I want to go back to the graveyard where Nile made such a mess,” Tiara announced as she entered the study.
Craven barely showed a hint of emotion as he turned from the window to gaze at Tiara. “I admire your courage little one, but you cannot lay that graveyard to rest in one night. It is too vast and not a playground.”
Tiara stared at him in determination and folded her arms over her chest. “I know that,” she said with the same lack of emotion. She couldn’t get what Carley had said to her out of her head. She also needed to prove to herself that the dream she had was only a nightmare created by her own fears.
“Then I will choose a safer location,” Craven approached her so fast that he smiled when she quickly inhaled having not seen his movement before he reached out and softly palmed her cheek.
“There is more than one reason why I want to go back to that graveyard,” Tiara raised her eyes to meet his.
“And why is that?” Craven asked locking his silvery-blue gaze on hers.
“When I first arrived there that night and called the souls to me, so many came to me at once and so fast I was overwhelmed by them in the span of a few seconds.” Tiara said.
“Explain,” Craven ordered.
“Have you ever seen a tornado?” Tiara made a face, “If it hadn’t been for my team, I would have been drug under by the souls in a matter of minutes. That’s why I was so weak when you showed up. The first thing I need you to teach me is to control how much power I send out and I can’t truly learn to do that in a small graveyard.”
“You will not be safe until you learn this,” Craven agreed having felt what she’d just described many times. “And your other reasons for choosing Hollywood Cemetery?”
“There were so many hunters there that night killing the demons, they’ll have finished with the graveyard and turned to other things by now. They have no reason to return. After you have taught me to control the amount of power I’m using, then you can leave me there with Nighthawk and let me practice.”
“You will protect her in my absence?” Craven asked as he lowered his hand from Tiara’s cheek.
Tiara blinked when Nighthawk suddenly appeared right beside her. Had he been standing there the whole time?
“I have chosen to protect Tiara as a true Night Walker,” Nighthawk said firmly.
A slow smile caressed Craven’s lips hearing the real implications behind the Indian’s words. When the Indian had first shown up, he’d sensed the power of the Night Walker within him and let him stay… but the Indian had not offered his protection nor did Craven need it.
“So be it,” he whispered liking the fact Tiara was the one who was chosen.
Tiara frowned in confusion and glanced from Nighthawk back to Craven, “What’s a Night Walker?”
“It is what Deth tried to give you by creating the ring your young friend is wearing. Night Walkers are so rare that he was right in thinking you would never come across one on your own… much less be chosen by one.” Craven informed her. “The ring is flawed compared to the real thing.”
Tiara’s eyes widened and she slowly turned her gaze to Nighthawk not knowing what to say.
“It is a rare gift to be chosen by a Night Walker,” Craven said as his fingers ghosted down her jaw and the side of her neck. “Use this gift wisely.” He finished with his lips so close to hers she could feel them brush against hers.
The action startled her and she felt the kiss he placed on her forehead before he stepped back. She was even more rattled when Craven gave Nighthawk a slight nod then left the study, closing the door behind him with a soft click. Looking down at the floor she thought over Craven’s parting words and didn’t like the way they sounded.
“Nighthawk, what does this mean?” she whispered. “I don’t want control of another person… I’m not like that.” She glanced up at him wanting him to believe her.
‘That is good, because you will never control me,’ he whispered into her mind wanting her to know the truth. ‘A Night Walker stands beside their necromancer. Not in front of and not behind. I will know what you need before you do and you will trust my judgment above all others, including your own.’
Tiara swallowed and took a step back from his heavy-handed words. “I don’t want to control you… but that doesn’t mean I want to be controlled.” She raised her chin in defiance.
‘Then we already understand each other,’ Nighthawk stared down into her emerald eyes seeing the golden flecks in her irises shatter as she suddenly smiled up at him.
“I’m not going to even pretend to know why you would choose me,” she shook her head feeling better about the mess she’d gotten herself into. “But I’m not crazy enough to turn it down.”
‘You could not have turned me down even if you had wanted to. It’s not up to you whether I protect you or not. I have chosen and this cannot be undone.’
Tiara cocked an eyebrow wondering if there was a personality somewhere in that expressionless demeanor. “Is there anything else I should know?”
‘Many things,’ Nighthawk replied, ‘for your own safety, even if you cannot see me, do not use your voice to talk to me as you have been doing.’
‘Never?’ Tiara asked following his example but thinking it was an odd request… or command. With him she would have a hard time telling the difference.
‘Nor do you have to look at me in order to talk to me. Not even the ghosts need to hear our secrets. This is your first lesson.’
Tiara nodded and looked away from him, ‘Lesson? I hope you have more than one up your sleeve.’
‘I can teach you everything Craven can and more.’
“What?” Tiara’s gaze swung back to his. How could he teach her more than Craven when Craven was family?
Nighthawk gave her a hard look, ‘Your first lesson needs more practice.’
Tiara wanted to cross her eyes at him but didn’t have the nerve. Glancing toward the door just to prove that she mentally could do it she asked, ‘Is Craven coming back?’
‘No, he will be waiting on you in the graveyard,’ Nighthawk responded after a moment.
‘Then I guess we should go too.’ She couldn’t think of anything else to say. Tiara walked toward the door and smiled softly when Nighthawk opened it for her.
Once they were gone, the bookshelf next to the window began to waver a bit and Carley came into sight. She quickly moved through the large house and followed the pair outside. Neither one seemed to be aware of her presence so she kept her distance as they made their way back to the cemetery.
