Elina listens to Hunter singing quietly to the baby, and knows what has to happen. “Isn’t it amazing, Hunter, how things work out? All this time I thought my brother was lost you were protecting him.”
Looking up at Elina he smiles softly, “He was my gift. We wanted a child for so long, but it did not happen. Then Polly called and said there was a baby boy who needed a family. It was perfect timing.”
“God’s timing is always perfect, and I am about to ask you to do it again Hunter. This changes everything. Finding Alex and Varena, now the baby, they have to be protected in case the Covenant fails.”
“What are you saying?” Hunter asks.
Moving closer to him she says, softer, “I am asking you to take them somewhere and protect them. You are capable of doing it. You have done it all this time with Alex.”
In shock he looks at her, “You know my responsibility is to hunt and destroy the Kalona. I am Gunskaliski, Elina. I am honor bound to do my duty.”
Shaking her head in disagreement, she drops to her knees beside the rocker, “I disagree, Hunter. It is what is expected of you, but I believe God is pushing you in another direction. Look at her. You are a gifted medicine man and only you can protect them from the Kalona. He will try to kill Alex or force him to use his gift in unimaginable ways. Only you can protect him from that if I fail.”
He begins to wonder as he looks at her. With the child in his arms he glances at Varena and says, “Where will I take them?”
“I don’t want to know, and I don’t think anyone else should either. Keep them safe, and I will find you when the time is right. I can get money and make sure you have a vehicle that is not registered in your name.” Elina starts pacing and ticks off items, “ID’s, bank accounts, cash only, driver license. I will take care of everything and do this right. No one else can know but the four of you, I will need a few days to get everything together.” Pausing, she looks at Hunter, “How can I thank you for taking care of him?”
He smiles at her, “He is still my son. You will need to talk to him. He can be stubborn and I worry that he will not listen.”
With a determined look in her eye that he has seen mirrored in her brother, she says, “Oh, he will listen to me.”
After he watches her leave, Hunter wonders if this will work out. It feels right. He will give it to God and trust in his judgment. He smiles and softly shushes the baby. Watching over Varena, he thinks of all the times she has protected others. It is her turn now.
Twenty_One
Jake feels the rush of the air against his face. Holding tight to Elsbeth’s hand, he leads them into the woods behind Lucas’s house.
“That was awesome!” Elsbeth exclaims.
“Ronnie said it would take more energy to port two of us, but with the energy from the stone, I feel fine,” Jake tells her.
“Are you okay?” After her assurance, they begin walking through the trees toward the back of Lucas’s ranch style house.
“Let’s do this quietly, okay. I am not sure what’s going on so you stay behind me until I call you, Elsbeth.”
“Okay Jake, I am with you.” Elsbeth whispers back. She follows him around to the front of the house, she pauses when he gestures for her to wait in the trees. As she watches her brother move up to the house, Elsbeth decides to stay close in case he needs her. Jumping at the sound of the wind in the trees, Elsbeth wonders again, why she insisted on coming with him.
Jake scans the front of the house. It is closed up, all the windows are shut, and everything looks in order. He looks at the mailbox and notices it is overflowing with mail. It even has a bag full of mail hanging on the outside. That means he is either gone or something is off. Unsettled, Jake pools his power, and creeps toward the house. When he reaches for the door knob he notices that the door is cracked open. Shielding his body as he had been trained to do, he slowly pushes the door open with his foot.
“Lucas, Its Cap” he calls out. “Are you home?” the smell hits him and Jake stops. He knows the smell of death. It lives and breathes inside a soldier’s soul. It can’t be washed away, only time can cleanse it.
Outside Elsbeth sees the shadows out of the corner of her eyes as they descend on the house. She begins to shake with rage. Creating a shield like Elina taught her, she reaches for Jakes mind yelling at him, “THEY FOUND US JAKE, GET OUT!”
Elsbeth squats on the ground, and says a quick prayer for protection, then moves toward the front of the house at a run. She is not a Keeper, only a Watcher sent to guide and protect, but she will not abandon her brother. The shield she is holding protects her from the Shadows, but it seems Jake’s is not holding. How else would they know how to find them? Elsbeth creeps around to the front door and swallows her fear, hoping Jake is okay. The door is propped open, and poking her head through she steps back as the stench hits her.
“Jake, where are you? We have to go?” stepping into the small living room, she sees her brother on his knees with his head in his hands.
“Jake, are you okay?” she says rushing to
