With that, Broni went to her room. After she had readied for bed, she sat in a chair by the window searching the sky for any trace of Zerina.
She felt his presence before she felt his hand on her shoulder. Placing her hand over his, she looked up into her father’s compassionate gaze.
“I would make him love you if I could.”
“I know.”
Her father sat down next to her, placing his arm over her shoulders, and Broni lay her head on his shoulder. “Will you answer a question for me?” Broni asked.
“If I can.”
“Is he capable of loving another?”
“No. That’s why I can’t influence him toward you.”
“So he will always be in pain from losing his wife?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.” Her father ran his hand through her hair, soothing her as only a father could.
Broni nodded her head. Her father had told her what she had already known, only Deena was capable of making Rhys happy. He loved her with the same single-minded determination he had fought wars over.
They sat in silence, her father offering what comfort he could. He had witnessed many great love stories and just as many that were unrequited. Broni hoped when he learned of her decision, that he most of all, would understand.
Chapter 19
Broni knelt before Chronos.
“I will not grant your request, Broni. The last time was not successful, why would sending you back in time again work?”
“Because this time you will send me to Rhys’s home. I won’t try to warn him this time. I will save them myself.”
“Broni, you ask too much of me. Both of us would be punished by Mother.”
“Yes, but she would get over her anger with you, and I am willing to accept my punishment. Please, Father, I am begging you.” Broni, who never cried or begged, was asking for what she would not ask for herself. If she succeeded, Rhys would be reunited with his family, and Broni would be left powerless on Earth once again. Mother’s punishment would be inventive and painful.
Broni felt Chronos’s will slipping. She was one of his favorites and she’d exploited the fact she was like a granddaughter to him. Broni saw the weakening in Chronos’s face and knew she had won. Getting to her feet, she reached out and gave him a quick hug.
She then braced herself for the travel backwards in time. If she had taken herself back in time, she would have had no form or substance. With Chronos’s help, she would be human again. Hopefully, this time she would be able to give Rhys his family back, but by doing so, she would break Mother’s law. Yet, if it was discovered, she was willing to pay the penalty.
A gust of wind opened the door and Mother walked into the room, her face a mask of fury. Immediately, Broni fell back to her knees.
“Thank you, Chronos, but Broni will no longer need your aid.” Mother’s sharp words had Chronos nodding his head helplessly as his wife glared at him, showing her displeasure.
“Yes, well, I am glad that is settled,” he said, disappearing before Mother could give voice to the recriminations Broni knew were headed his way for what he had been about to do.
Left alone with Mother, Broni didn’t know how to react. She jumped when her mother appeared by her side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, staring down at her in disappointment. Broni swallowed hard, refusing to regret the choice she had made.
“You put yourself in danger of punishment when you tried to interfere by warning him that his wife and children were in danger. Going against my wishes once was bad enough, yet you’ve decided to court my anger by attempting to go back and do it again?” Mother’s harsh words drew her attention away from her mother.
“I can explain.”
“Don’t bother. There are no explanations that will excuse your behavior. I heard it all. You were going to face a murderer on your own without any powers, thinking you would save them for a man who does not care for you, who has repeatedly used you?”
Mother waved her hand angrily in the air and Broni found herself in Mother’s castle with the irate woman sitting regally on her throne.
It was never a good sign when Mother was sitting on her throne. Broni fell to her knees, showing respect. She was determined not to beg for leniency, especially when she saw none in Mother’s eyes. Her fury was palpable in the room. Mother’s temper was well known even by the humans. To witness it first hand, however, was a terrifying sight.
“Rise, Broni.”
Broni stood to her feet, keeping her head lowered.
“I’m very disappointed in you. You deliberately went against the rules of your kind, and when you didn’t succeed, you tried to come between me and my husband by getting him to go against my wishes.”
Broni had no excuses; she was guilty. She heard Mother get to her feet, coming to stand in front of her.
“What am I supposed to do? Look at me,” Mother snapped.
Broni lifted her head.
“I cannot make an exception for you. “ Her tone softened.
“I don’t expect you to.”
“You don’t intend to defend yourself?” Mother’s surprise was evident.
“No. I’m guilty. I let my heart guide me even when I knew it was wrong. I’m sorry I let you and my mother down.”
“Very well. Then I will tell you your punishment.” Mother sighed, going back to her throne. “The battle on Earth worsens, and I have need of your skills there. However, you will not have the advantage of your powers. There you will stay until my anger has subsided or you meet your death. Pray, Broni, that the latter doesn’t come first, or you will never see your family or the man you’ve sacrificed it all for again.”
Broni nodded in acceptance.
“No!” Broni heard her mother’s scream echo throughout the room.
“Be quiet, Fate. It’s only because of my friendship with you that I’m even giving her a chance.”
Pain surged through Broni’s body, and without even being given a chance to say goodbye to her mother, she was plunged back to Earth.
Broni found herself in a muddy cornfield where her thin white top and pants were soaked in moments in the pouring rain. She trudged through the maze of dried corn stalks, her bare feet sinking in the mud, slowing her progress. Thankfully, it was daylight outside, but it took her a long time before she finally stumbled out onto a patch of grass not far from an abandoned farmhouse.
Exhausted, she walked to the porch. The door had been broken down, so she cautiously went inside the dark house, which had been ransacked. Most of the furniture and contents had been destroyed.
The silence told her the house was empty as she searched throughout the rooms, ignoring the stench of the dead men lying on the floor. Broni stepped over a dead body, forcing herself to continue to the bedroom.
This room was in better shape than the others. Broni found a dresser with clothes, and picking out what she needed, she carried her pilfered items to the bathroom she had passed in the hall.
She turned on the water faucet, grateful when the water ran clear. Taking off her dirty clothes, she showered and then dressed in the clean clothes she had found. Her body was shivering; it would take several days on Earth for her to acclimate to being there again.
In another room, she searched the closet, finding a pair of old boots that were too large. She stuffed a pair of socks inside then laced them up tightly. They didn’t feel comfortable, but they were much better than going barefoot. She had also found an old jacket in the closet. Wrinkling her nose at the stale odor, she put it on, too cold to be picky.
It was beginning to get dark and she wasn’t anxious to spend the night in a house with dead bodies, therefore she searched through the kitchen for what food she could find but found none.
Seeing a door that led to what she was sure was a basement, she opened it carefully, the pitch blackness she found intimidating. Turning back to the kitchen, she searched through several drawers before she found a tiny flashlight that had been overlooked by the looters.
It was small, yet it did provide some light.
Once she’d crept down the stairs, she discovered the basement hadn’t been touched. The occupants of the home had been well prepared, too. Broni swallowed the lump in her throat, sad for the men who lay dead upstairs from trying to defend the home she was now looting herself.
She had never been in this part of time, and she had no idea what she would find when she left the old farmhouse.
Locating an old backpack, she stuffed items into it she thought would be useful. When it was full, she turned back to the steps, going back upstairs to the kitchen.
She stood there for several minutes, not knowing what to do or where to go next as she forced back tears. She was to blame for the predicament she was in; no one else. When she had been torn from her sisters in the Hallway of Death and come through the portal, she had been just as frightened. But she had survived those five years on Earth; she could do it again. There hadn’t been a war between the Drearien then, but she had survived, and she would survive now. However, she had to find a weapon to defend herself, or she wouldn’t last long.
Tying a dishcloth around her face to mute the scent, she searched through the remaining rooms.
She was turning away from the last bedroom where she had found the clothes when a strong feeling she didn’t question had her stepping back inside. She searched fruitlessly and was again about to leave the room when a sudden thought struck her. She immediately looked upwards toward the ceiling.
Broni scooted a chair over. Climbing on it, she nudged at a ceiling tile before removing it. She then stood on the tips of her toes, looking inside. Grasping the flashlight, she shined it inside the dark space and saw a large object wrapped in a blanket. She cautiously tugged it toward her, pulling it out of the ceiling, then jumped down from the chair, peeling back the blanket and gasping at what she’d uncovered.
The large sword she was staring at was her own. She was sure her mother or aunt was responsible for it being there and guiding her to its hiding space.
“Mom and Destiny, stop or you will anger Mother. I won’t have you punished because of mistakes I’ve made.”
Broni tied the sword around her waist, folding the blanket up to take with her. It wasn’t going to help much during the chill of the night in the open, but it was better than nothing.
Broni closed the door behind her as she left the house, pausing, trying to debate the best path to take. The cities wouldn’t be safe, so her only chance of survival would be to find survivors that had banded together; if there were any left. She wasn’t even sure how far in the future Mother had placed her.
Broni started walking into the woods, thinking it was safer to stay away from the roads. She walked for several miles before her aching feet forced her to stop, and she sat down, exhausted, next to a tree.
At least before on Earth she had been treated kindly by strangers offering her help and places to stay. Now there was nowhere to turn. For the first time in her life, she felt alone and frightened.
Broni wrapped the blanket around her and closed her eyes, wondering if it would have been smarter to have spent the night in the farmhouse basement, shuddering at the thought. Broni didn’t believe the dead bodies in the house would have been conducive to a good night’s sleep.
A rustle from the bushes had her sitting up against the tree as a large wolf appeared. The wolf padded forward and Broni trembled, her hand going for her sword.
The wolf stared at her with baleful eyes. Ignoring the sword, it disdainfully sat down by her side and laid his head on her lap. Broni carefully reached out, rubbing the fur on the wolf’s head before gliding her hand downward, stroking the silky fur. The wolf stretched out beside her, enjoying her petting him.
When she reached out to scratch his exposed belly, a strong wind blew, and Broni caught the faint scent of her aunt. The wolf’s mouth opened almost as if he was laughing.
Broni covered herself with the blanket, leaning back against the tree, while the wolf snuggled to her side, a buffer against the cold.
* * *
In the morning, Broni woke stiffly, rising herself to her feet slowly. She brushed her hair back, pulling it away from her face while the wolf sat watching her.
“Are you hungry?” Broni dug in her backpack, pulling out beef jerky and giving a piece to the wolf. When they finished, she divided a bottle of water between them. She then packed their trash back in her backpack before sliding the straps around her shoulders.
“What do you think?” Broni pointed to two different directions. “Which way should we go?”
She started to walk down the hill they were on, but the wolf grabbed the bottom of her shirt, tugging her in the other direction. It would be harder going uphill, however they wouldn’t be as out in the open as the path she’d chosen.
“You’re right. We can see anyone before they see us.” Broni pulled her sword from the backpack, and began walking, keeping an eye out for other people.
They walked for several miles that day, stopping three times for short rests. Broni wanted to make as much progress as she could before dark.
The wolf walked by her side, and several times, Broni found her hand patting his head for comfort when she felt her spirits sagging. The nights were the worst; damp and cold. Without the wolf, Broni knew she would have suffered hypothermia.
On the third day, Broni was on the brink of exhaustion.
“We need to find a place where I can rest a couple of days.” Broni had found herself talking to the wolf more and more.
It was almost dark, so she began walking toward a cluster of trees, but the wolf took her hand in his mouth, tugging her onward.
“I’m tired.” Broni’s voice sounded faint to her own ears. She cleared her throat to clear the weak emotions that were assailing her.
The wolf was persistent, however. So, she allowed him to lead her along until he stopped suddenly, taking Broni by surprise as she looked down the hillside, seeing a familiar sight.
The Dark Highwaymen’s clubhouse.
Chapter 20
Broni watched the clubhouse before approaching. She knew Adam and some of the other bikers had survived, but little else. This part of the future was unknown to her; the city didn’t look the same, many of the large buildings and streets were empty or burned into shells of the majestic structures they once had been.
The few people that were out seemed to travel in groups, savaging the empty buildings for what items they could find. Broni saw several bikers come and go from the clubhouse, yet she didn’t recognize them. There had been so many of them that came and went, she wasn’t sure if they had been there or not during her stay.
She was debating what to do next when the wolf pushed his muzzle against her, urging her forward toward the clubhouse.
“I take it you think I should go inside?” Broni looked down at the wolf.
She took several steps down the hill before she realized her companion wasn’t following, so she walked back up the hill.
“Thank you.” Broni dropped to her knees, burying her face in his dark fur and hugging him tightly. Gradually, she gathered herself, getting to her feet, and with a last look, she turned. She made her way carefully down the hill with her stomach in her throat.
Going to the locked gate, she used her sword to bang on it. The door to the clubhouse slowly opened and she released her breath in relief. This man, she recognized.
Skid came forward, unlocking the gate to let her inside.
“We wondered what happened to you.” The curious young biker looked her over.
“Is Adam…?” Broni asked before entering.
“He’s still in charge. Barely. Tank’s back; are you sure you want to go back inside?”
Broni nodded her head reluctantly. There wasn’t much of a choice—the woods for another night or Tank.
Skid led her inside where the clubroom was a mess; the broken furniture was piled in a corner against the wall, what table and chairs were left were filled with bike
rs. There were some she recognized and many she didn’t. Adam was standing at the bar, talking to Jace and Mason.
“Well, fuck me. Look who came back.” Tank’s loud voice had the members staring at her in the doorway.
As Tank got to his feet with an evil grin on his face, she had no doubt he had been one of the few Drearien that had survived the God’s influence, returning to normal. Broni clarified her thought; she didn’t think Tank had ever been normal.
“Give me that fucking sword.” He started to reach out to take it from her.
Broni gave him a cold glare. “The only way you’re getting my sword is if I shove it up your ass,” she threatened.
Tank’s face filled with fury as his hand went to the revolver tucked in his pants.
“That’s enough, Tank,” Adam ordered. Broni thought for a moment Tank would ignore Adam until he stepped sideways, letting her pass.
Adam’s eyes surveyed her as she walked to his side. “What are you doing back?” His expression stated he clearly wasn’t happy to see her again. She couldn’t blame him, either; Tank became an even worse asshole around her.
Broni told him the truth. “I had nowhere else to go.”
“Where’s Rhys?” Adam’s hard expression showed no sympathy for her predicament.
“He’s moved on,” she answered him the only way she could.
“That works for me,” Tank said. “That means she’s club property again.”
“No, it means she goes to that last high bid, which was mine.” Broni heard a chair slam as Tank and the others moved away toward the pool table.
Broni’s hand tightened on her sword.
“Relax, Broni. Do you want a place to stay or try to make it on the outside?” Adam questioned.
“I won’t be touched.” Broni’s hand tightened on her sword.
Adam’s mouth twisted in a wry smile. “I haven’t resorted to raping a woman.”
“As long as we have that straight.”
Adam turned to the counter. “Abby, get her something to eat.”