Hmm not the best but we will go with it for now. I just wanted to thank everybody who has read Abby and voted for it in the Watty awards, thank you for your support. Sorry about this chapter, I think I got a little bit lost with this one X
*****
“Wait!” Marcus cried, grabbing tightly on to Abby’s arm before she could run off.
“Marcus” Abby said patiently “Please say your not about to tell me I can’t go and find my father”
“No, of course not, but you need to make sure this isn’t a trap first. He’s been gone six months Abby, you haven’t been able to connect mentally with both Julius and Jarrod and just like that he’s calling you to him?” Marcus shook his head “I just want you to be safe, I want us all to be safe.”
Abby looked guiltily at the ground.
“What?” Marcus asked.
“He told me not to come to him, he would come to us” Abby sighed.
Marcus sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Look, we have a lot going on here with our new guests, why don’t we meet Julius half way. We can tell everybody to pack up and be ready to move if they need to”
“Okay”
Marcus could see the frustration in Abby’s eyes as he reached out his hand to delicately trace the outline of her jaw with his finger. Her skin was soft and cold and sent shivers down his arm.
“He won’t get the best of us again Abby, I promise”
Abby knew that they all had a reason to hate The Creator now, he had taken part of their family and had made Abby what she was. The Creator’s army was growing faster than they could kill them, it was important they find away to stop them.
Abby lifted her hand to hold Marcus’s warm one and nodded. Abby sent a mental message to her father telling him they would meet him the following day away from camp. Julius immediately responded telling Abby that he would be there, it was a relief to Abby to hear the familiar voice in her mind, and she could both hear and feel the happiness in Julius’s voice that they would soon be reunited again.
“Come on, let’s check on the others, we’ll gather everyone and let them know the plan.” Marcus gently pulled Abby’s hand with a smile. Abby obliged and followed still holding Marcus’s hand, lapping up the comfort it brought her.
The pack were walking the perimeter, prowling like the predators they were. They silently nodded their agreement to join the meeting that Abby was holding in ten minutes. They found Jazz and Eddie sitting around the camp fire.
“You did a good job today” Marcus praised them.
“It’s not down to us that the Demons are stupid” Eddie replied.
Abby laughed “Well if it wasn’t for you two we would have to carry a handful of cats around with us and I don’t think they would be able to be as evasive as you are”
“Got a point” Jazz added.
“Meeting in ten” Marcus added.
The boys saluted their ascent. Marcus and Abby headed toward the tent where Selena was treating Dillon. Abby knew Selena would be heartened by the news that Julius had escaped. When they entered the tent Dillon was fast asleep and Selena sat quietly at his side. Abby motioned with her head and they all stepped outside.
“Is everything all right?” Selena asked.
Abby nodded “We have a meeting in a few minutes; I just wanted to let you know I have news.”
“Good I hope, we could do with some, how is Zane?”
“He’s fine I think, I’ve heard from Julius”
Selena’s eyes filled with hope at Abby’s words. Abby couldn’t stop the smile from filling her face.
“He’s on his way home”
Selena’s eyes misted over as she pulled Abby in to her. They clung to each other for a moment before composing themselves.
“Can Dillon be left?” Marcus asked.
Selena nodded “I think he will sleep for a while, he’s been through a lot”
“Do you know where Aiden is?” Abby asked.
Selena laughed “Where else would he be he’s with Eva”
Marcus rolled his eyes and groaned “Again”
Abby laughed and punched Marcus in the shoulder. “Leave them alone, there in love”
Since Eva and Aiden had been reunited they had been virtually inseparable, they spent each spare moment they could with each other. Abby found it sweet but the boys found it annoying and often teased Aiden. Eva had become quite close to Leah since they both had the same personalities and Eva had found it hard when Zack had been called home. Zack had been furious at the thought of leaving his sister behind but Magda had been adamant that Eva’s place was here and that Zack would eventually return.
“I’ll get them” Marcus said.
“Tell them to get Leah and Jacob too”
Marcus strode off to Aiden’s tent leaving Abby and Selena alone. They began walking back to the camp fire.
“So how are thing between you and Marcus?” Selena asked.
Abby could feel an underlying question behind what Selena asked. “What do you mean?” Abby asked.
“Abby, everyone can feel the chemistry between the two of you, and you do spend all your time together”
Abby stopped in her tracks and turned to Selena, anger burning in her eyes. “I would never betray Jarrod if that’s what you’re implying”
Selena held her hands up in defense. “That’s not what I’m saying and you know it. Abby we can’t help what we feel but what you’re doing is not fair on Marcus”
Abby wasn’t ready to talk about her relationship with Marcus yet, not to anyone. “Noted” They walked on in silence. When they arrived at their destination everyone was accounted for except Aiden, Eva and Magda and Calli.
A high pitch giggle interrupted the silence as both Aiden and Eva came into view, arms wrapped around each other’s waists. Marcus groaned.
“Will you give it a rest?”
The rest of the group laughed as they both took their places.
“What about Calli?” Leah asked.
“Leave her for now, she’s with Zane” Abby replied.
At the mention of Zane’s name Abby caught a few dark glances.
“Since were on the topic, I just wanted to thank you all for today, you did a great job. And since you’re all wondering I have changed Zane and despite whom his father is I trust him, he is family and I want you to treat him as part of this group.” Abby looked directly at Jacob on this point, his eyes remained flat and he simply nodded.
“Ok, I also have some other news, Julius contacted me he’s escaped and on his way here” Most of the group looked astounded at Abby’s news and she carried on. “Marcus and I have agreed that we should pack up, tomorrow I will go and meet Julius….”
“We” Marcus interrupted.
Abby sighed with frustration. “Fine, we will go and meet Julius, I want the rest of you to be packed and ready to move when we get back” A chorus of groans met with Abby’s statement, they were always on the move.
“Hey” Abby shouted to get their attention. “Now, we need to talk about what’s next. In case you haven’t noticed The Creator’s army is still growing, especially the skin walkers were not taking out enough of them. If were to weaken him we need to hit him harder than we have”
Voices rose as one as suggestions were thrown about. Abby suddenly lost focus, her eyes became blurry and the voices were drowned out. Her vision seemed to retract and then it became clear, Calli’s face appeared with a picture of concern on her face.
A hand roughly shook her Abby’s arm and her vision once more returned to the camp fire. Marcus stood before her. “Abby, Jesus. What the hell happened?”
Abby couldn’t find her voice and she swayed on the spot, she heard Marcus one last time before she blacked out. “Your eye’s changed color”
**
Calli entered the tent with trepidation; she wrung her hands together in a nervous gesture. It would be her first meeting with Zane in over six months and Calli was insure if it would be the same Zane she had last seen, they had all changed because of The Creator and the events that had followed.
Calli’s first glimpse of Zane was obscured by Magda hovering over the top half of his body. Calli stood frozen as Magda slowly stood and revealed Zane. Their eyes met and Calli felt immediate relief at the warmth that lit up Zane’s eyes.
“Calli” he whispered.
Calli moved forward slowly, her eyes never leaving Zane’s as she knelt by the side of his bed. Zane reached out his hand and cupped Calli’s face, Calli felt the heat seep through her skin. Zane’s touch was hotter than what it should have been, since Abby had changed Zane he shouldn’t have been emitting heat. “Are you okay?” Cali asked.
“I am now” Zane smiled.
Calli turned to Magda “Should he be this hot?”
Magda shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t know” came her curt reply.
“Calli, honestly I feel great, better than I have my whole life” Zane interrupted.
Cali rose and sat down beside Zane taking his hand in hers. “I missed you”
“At least someone did”
“Don’t be like that Zane; Abby was beside herself when you all went missing”
Zane sighed “I know”
“You do?” Calli asked surprised.
Zane nodded. “Yeah, it’s kinda weird but I just seem to know, it’s as if I can feel the pain she felt then, as if I was there with her”
“Oh, maybe it’s because you have her blood in you”
“Maybe”
Magda moved to the entrance of the tent to give them some privacy. Zane sat up and leaned forward, his forehead resting against Calli’s. Zane took a deep breath and inhaled her sweet scent. They sat in the same position for a while, soaking in each other’s presence. Finally they moved apart from one another, their heart rates racing as their lips touched.
Calli melted into Zane’s embrace, finally feeling whole again. Their kiss soon began to get heated until Zane abruptly pulled away from her.
“What’s wrong?” Calli asked.
Zane shook his head he felt as if someone was scrambling around in his mind, his vision became blurred and he caught a fleeting image in his mind of a fire, a group of people surrounded it but their faces were not clear. As quickly as it came it disappeared and Zane looked into Calli’s concerned face.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, that was erm interesting”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes Calli, I don’t know what happened, why?”
“Because your eyes are silver”
Calli’s words had barely left her mouth before a commotion broke through the tent and Marcus came rushing in carrying a limp Abby in his arms.