Chapter Sixteen
Kevan stood staring at the picture of the last Christmas they had all spent together, smiling, looking so happy. Putting the picture face down, she rubbed her arms as a shiver of cold sliced through her body. She closed her eyes, sighing as Caleb wrapped her in his arms. The tears were right on the surface, threatening to overwhelm her if she let go of the tight control she had on her emotions.
“It’s all lies,” she whispered. “Our entire lives are nothing but lies.”
“You know that is not true Kevan,” Caleb told her.
“Do I, do I really, because for the moment, I don’t know what’s true or false; oh hell, it just doesn’t matter.” She pulled herself from his comforting arms and walked over to the window to stare through the glass, yet all she saw was the memory of when Caleb revealed the tattoo on her mother’s wrist, and what had happened with her father and uncle. “Our mother is a witch, and I don’t mean that in a bitchy way, most times, and our father is some kind of supernatural guardian. Are you sure I’m not having a nightmare?” Kevan wished it was a dream, but she knew it was all true.
“I could slap your ass,” he offered with a smile.
“The tradition is pinching,” Kevan informed him with a quick but weak smile.
“Pinching, sorry, that’s not nearly as much fun. Now a spanking. Well think of the possibilities!” He waggled his eyebrows at her, relaxing at her weak smile. Walking up behind her again, he wrapped his arms around her once more to try and give the comfort she needed, he wished that he could protect her from the hurt and anger that she was about to wade through.
“They are your parents and they love you,” he whispered into the back of her head. “I know that you’re upset right at the moment, you have every right to be, but don’t doubt their love. I could see it as plain as day in their eyes. You and your sisters mean everything to them.”
Suddenly it was all too much, and Kevan caved into the overwhelming drama of the last month. The tears started to flow, and she didn’t know if they would ever stop. Turning in Caleb’s arms, she buried her head into his shoulder and let him be strong for her. Caleb hated hearing her tears; they ripped at his heart, but it was good that she didn’t bottle up her emotions because that could cause all kinds of other problems. Raw untrained power mixed with unreleased emotion was deadly. Caleb held her until the sobs subsided and the tension left her body. He waited for her to speak.
“I know that they love me,” Kevan told him. “You’re right, that isn’t even an issue. What I’m having a hard time with was why lie to us? It’s not like we grew up in the dark. I mean, we’ve always known about the other races. I don’t understand, why not tell us all?”
Caleb smiled. “Not that I have any personal experience with this, but it’s one thing to tell your children that the other races really do exist; it’s gotta be something entirely different to say, hey guess what, your mother is a witch, and I’m a Sentinel. Considering how cynical humans are, I can’t say that I blame them. You live in a human world; maybe it was just easier on them, and you, that you grew up thinking that as abnormal as the world is, you were at least somewhat normal.”
“It would have been a hell of a lot easier to grow up knowing everything, than wonder why we were able to see all the races, and have to stay quiet about it!” Kevan told him.
“I don’t know Kevan, I wish I could give you the answers that you’re looking for, but I can’t, and you know who you have to ask.” Kevan stepped out of his arms.
“I know, but I’m not really sure that I am ready to hear their answers. I just need a bit more time to get my head around all of this.”
“That’s fine, but this isn’t just about you. Your sisters are dealing with this too, and as much as I don’t want to put more pressure on you, they are going to need you to be strong, and help them deal.” He stopped as they both looked up at the knock on the door to the study. “Who’s there?” Caleb asked, hoping that it wasn’t the parents.
“Kevan, let us in,” Kaitlyn shouted. “We need to talk.” Caleb didn’t wait for Kevan’s consent; he opened the door, ushering both Brennan and Kaitlyn into the room.
“You okay?” Kevan questioned her twin, and then turned to Brennan, and all she saw was concern and love. She walked over to her sisters, pulling them into a hug.
“I’m sorry; I’ve been acting like a spoiled brat, only thinking about how this was affecting me.”
“Why would today be any different than any other day?” Brennan stated, but her face was lit with a weak smile.
“You know, Brennan, sometimes you really are a bitch.” Kevan laughed, shaking her head.
“Right back at yah, sis,” Brennan shot back.
Then Kevan got serious. “How is everyone?” she questioned, suddenly worried about what her sisters and cousins were going through while she holed up, hiding. “I left without even checking on them.”
“They’re okay. We’ve all gone to our corners to lick our wounds, and try to make sense of the implosion that is suddenly our lives. One thing for sure, when our family decides to blow up, we do it in a spectacular way. Now we just need to figure out how the hell to clean up the shit that just hit the fan!”
“Gods, Kaitlyn, not the picture I really want in my head at the moment, thanks,” Kevan told her. “You’re sure that they are okay?”
“No, but they are as well as can be expected, considering what has happened,” Brennan chimed in. “But they are strong, and once they start processing this mess, they are going to have a whole bunch of questions. I know I certainly do.”
“I’d say that was an understatement.” Kevan informed them, “You know, for someone who was acting like such a bitch to the guys about everything, you’re being remarkably reasonable. Should I be worried?”
“Thanks, I love you too, Kevan,” Brennan groused.
“I know you Brennan; it’s like waiting for the other shoe to fall. You’re so calm, collected, and not ranting. Honestly, you’re scaring me with how reasonable you are being.”
“I’m not saying that it won’t happen, but right at the moment I’m pissed and I want answers. Me doing a Brennan, as you all call it, isn’t going to help. We need to talk to the P.U.’s and not let them off the hook until we know the whole truth.”
“I’m amazed, for once sis, we agree, but we need to wait until everyone is here. No more having a few of us making decisions that affect all of us.” Kevan looked at Brennan as she made her statement. “I’m really sorry for forcing you into something that I know you really didn’t want.”
“Thanks for that but ...,” Brennan’s voice dropped, “don’t tell anyone, but I’m kind of enjoying this whole thing.”
“I heard that,” Caleb told her.
“Shit!” Brennan muttered, as she looked over her shoulder at him. “Why the hell do you have to have such good hearing?”
“Just lucky, I guess,” he smirked.
“If you tell anyone, I will ...,” she threatened him.
“Your secret is safe with me,” Caleb told her, throwing his arms up in surrender.
Kevan shook her head, amazed at the sudden change in Brennan’s attitude, but glad that they all seemed to be back on the same page. “Well, I’m glad you seem to be okay with what happened, but from now on we make decisions together. Let’s face it, when the Cameron and Fletcher women work together, we are unstoppable.” Brennan put out her hand like they did when they were younger, followed by Kevan’s then Kaitlyn’s, and unexpectedly Caleb’s finished the stack. This started them laughing about nothing in particular.
“What?” he questioned.
“Oh, my dear man,” Kevan informed him as she wrapped her arms around him, “you’re a goof.” She looked back at Kaitlyn and Brennan. “What about Eve and the others?”
“I talked to everyone who wasn’t here,” Kaitlyn said. “How the heck did you think Brenn
an knew about what happened? Everyone will be here as soon as possible. Eve should be here within the hour as long as there isn’t an emergency.”
Kevan nodded, “Where are they?”
“Marcus escorted them to the patio,” Kaitlyn told her, then laughed. “I heard a comment about someone needing to have her mouth washed out with soap, and knowing where Brennan got her mouth from.” Kaitlyn covered her mouth as she tried to stop the laughter that bubbled over.
“She must have really been on a roll.” Brennan chuckled, “We all know what Mum’s like when she gets going.”
“She must have quite the mouth for her to have offended Marcus,” Caleb supplied. This sent them into peals of laughter, as they pictured the uptight Marcus listening to a foul mouthed, very prim and proper looking mother.
“And they are staying put?” Kevan questioned.
“Reluctantly, Mum tried to talk to us, but we told her that we weren’t ready to hear what she had to say yet,” Kaitlyn explained.
“Oh gods, I am surprised we didn’t hear an explosion,” Kevan laughed.
“She is staying surprisingly calm, potty mouth aside,” Kaitlyn admitted. “She’s pissed, but Dad is keeping her calm for the moment. I’m sure that won’t last for much longer.”
“How pissed?” Brennan couldn’t wait for the next round of Kevan vs. Mum.
“On a scale of one to ten, I’d say she’s about a 25,” Kaitlyn said, winking at Brennan. “Dad’s silent, but you can see he’s worried, not only for us, but for Mum too. He understands that we need some time. I’m glad he’s the calmer of the two of them.”
“Well, I know that they have a lot of explaining to do,” Kevan stated.
Caleb suddenly found himself stared down by the three women. “I don’t think I like those looks.”
“Relax big boy, all we want to know is background information,” Kaitlyn told him.
“I’ll tell you what I can. But this is more Joseph’s or Marcus’s forte.”
“But they aren’t here and you are, besides, I trust you to tell me the truth,” Kevan told him.
“Alright ladies, what do you want to know?” Caleb felt like he was opening Pandora’s Box.
“What is a Sentinel?” Kevan asked Caleb.
“We told you a Sentinel is a guardian.”
“I know you told us that, but why have we never heard of them before?” Kevan questioned. “Are they like you, a warrior?”
“Yes and no,” he told them.
“Okay, you’ve succeeded, I’m completely confused,” Kaitlyn told him. “How can it be yes and no?”
“You really should be asking your father these questions. It’s his story to tell, not mine.”
“What aren’t you telling us? Do you know them?” Kevan planted her hands on hips.
“No, gods no Kevan, but …” Caleb looked at her. “You know about the other races.”
“Obviously,” Brennan snapped at him.
“Brennan, this is not the time,” Kevan warned her.
“Sorry, reflex.”
“Caleb, please continue.”
“Well, there are many of the other races that have much longer life spans then normal humans.”
“Caleb, we know this. What does it have to do with what these Sentinels are?”
“Well, cairbare are considered immortal warriors, along with several other races. We have been around for a long, long time. One of those other races are the Sentinels. The difference is that we have interacted with humans over the years, but Sentinels only do so when they have an assignment, I guess is the best way to describe it. Most of the time they aren’t here, but they are when they are called upon to guard people that the powers-that-be consider important.”
“Important for what?” Kevan wanted to know.
“That’s just it; we never know what they are important for. Certain people, either Human or Others, suddenly have these Sentinels with them. The guards never state why they are called, or what the powers-that-be want their charges protected from, just that they need to be protected.”
“So why did Joseph act like it was strange to see them?” Kevan was sure that the sorcerer was alarmed.
“Well that’s the thing, usually Sentinels are sent in to protect their charges for a specific length of time. Once the need is fulfilled, they leave. We are amazed that they are still with them.” Caleb shrugged.
“Who?”
“You’re mother and aunt. I don’t know if your mom and aunt were in need of Sentinel protection, and for a Sentinel to marry and have a family is very odd. I don’t know if I have ever heard of it happening before,” Caleb told them. “Any other questions, you know who you have to ask.”
“Why did I know that you were going to say that?” Kevan stated, rubbing her face. “Okay, as soon as …” The knock at the door interrupted them. Caleb looked to Kevan, waiting for her to nod her okay.
“Hey you guys, let me in.”
Kevan released the breath she didn’t even realize that she was holding. “Come in, Eve!” she yelled out. Eve stepped through the door, concern written all over her face.
“What is going on?” she questioned them. “Why are Mum and Dad here?” Kevan looked to Brennan.
“You want to explain it to her?” she asked her.
Eve sat on the edge of the couch, attempting to process everything that Brennan, with occasional interruptions from Kaitlyn and Kevan, was getting her up to speed about what had happened.
“So if Dad and Uncle Gavin are these Sentinel things, does that mean that they aren’t our fathers?” Eve questioned. “If they are, does that mean we aren’t human?”
“Ladies, stop! You’re going to drive yourselves crazy with all the what if questions. As to your father, you all look a lot like him, so I would say that you are definitely his daughters. Now, the human thing, I don’t know. That is a question that you are going to have to ask your parents.” Caleb paced in front of them. “But on the chance of sounding like an indifferent bastard, who the hell cares? You’re all individuals, you are who you are, and that is all that matters.”
“Caleb?” He looked at Kevan who smiled at him.
“Yes?”
“You’re not an indifferent bastard, thank you for everything.”
“It is my pleasure, my dear.” Kevan smiled as she turned back to her sisters, and saw the look that Eve was giving her.
“What?” Kevan asked.
“What the hell happened to you?”
“Nothing!” Kevan didn’t like Dr. Eve’s scrutinizing look.
“Don’t tell me ‘nothing’! Kaitlyn said that you shot energy bolts from your hands at something? That’s not nothing, and since when can you shoot energy bolts?” Eve looked at Caleb. “Do you think that this is all to do with the ceremony?”
“Eve, I wish I could tell you, but I honestly don’t know. We do know that things aren’t what we thought that they would be that is for sure. We know that your parents, or at least your mother and aunt, are the ones that bound your powers. You’re the offspring of very powerful witches and Sentinels, which means that we have no idea what kinds of powers you are going to have. You know that you need to talk to your parents. They are the only ones that can answer these questions.”
“Son of a bitch, I’m still too angry, but I guess we had better talk to Mum and Dad,” Kevan informed them. “Now remember, we can’t give in when Mum and Aunt Brianne start doing their famous, ‘You’re going to shut and listen to me’ thing. We have to keep at them until they tell us what we need to know.” She looked at the determined faces of her sisters. “We’re in this together. No matter what happens, no matter what they tell us, we will face it together as we have with everything in our lives.” They all nodded their agreement.
Caleb pitied the witches.
Kaitlyn squared up and held her hand out for the door. “Well then, we had bette
r rock and roll. For sure Mum will have had time to come up with some lame explanation that has nothing to do with the truth. Shit, if we leave her stewing for much longer, she will start storming the house,” Kaitlyn declared. “Honestly, I’m not sure which scares me more.”