Coming up with a plan to sneak around and sabotage his new friends just felt wrong. Even though they were doing it for all the right reasons, he still felt guilty about it.
After finishing their dessert and taking a quick shower, they dressed and sent a text message to both Joe and Brea to meet them in secret in the field at eleven that night. Colt made a point to request that neither let anyone else know about the meeting, except for their significant others, who were welcome to tag along for the discussion.
Tara had suggested these couples since she was sure they would be more willing to help.
In the short time they’d been in Georgia, the weather had gone from sweltering heat to rain to almost full-blown chilly fall.
They walked through the muddy field, which used to be planted with tall grain but had in the past few days been plowed. Thankfully, they had brought flashlights to light their way and had worn thick jackets to keep out the chill in the night.
They waited almost ten minutes before Joe appeared quickly with Liz in his arms. By the time he set her down, Brea shimmered next to them, holding onto Ethan’s arm.
Everyone was dressed warmly, holding their own flashlights.
“Want to tell us why we’re having a private party?” Joe asked, glancing around.
Colt stepped forward. “Tara and I were thinking—”
Tara touched his shoulder, and he stood back and motioned for her to explain.
“There are some sacrifices we aren’t willing to make. I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen. I was shoved into a foster facility and forgotten. We won’t let that happen to Reed or Harper or to your unborn child.” She motioned to Brea. “We think you both would agree,” Tara said, looking at Joe and Brea.
All four of the others nodded in agreement.
“How do we do this?” Brea asked.
“It’s going to be tricky, but when things begin,” Tara said, “you two will have to coordinate. Brea, I know that you’re six months pregnant, which is why, once you’ve grabbed the others, you and Ethan shouldn’t return either.”
“Um,” Liz said, getting everyone’s attention, then looking towards Joe and biting her bottom lip. “I was going to tell you… I just found out yesterday…” Before she said anything further, Joe let out a whooping sound and grabbed his wife up in his arms.
“We’re having a baby?” he asked.
Liz laughed and nodded. “We’ve been trying,” she added happily.
“Congratulations,” Tara said cheerfully.
“What’s in the water around here?” Colt joked as he shook the other two men’s hands.
“This leaves just Joleen and Mason,” Tara said looking around the group.
“Okay, so all the more reason for the two of you to do your jobs quickly and take off. We doubt any of them will allow us to trick them into not coming…” Colt waited a heartbeat.
“Agreed,” everyone said in unison.
“How do we get them away from what’s going to happen?” he asked.
“Do we know where? I mean, most likely it’s going to be the silo, but are we sure?” Ethan asked, looking towards Tara.
Tara bit her bottom lip and looked at him. “The silo,” she confirmed, but Colt could see the lie in her eyes.
He could tell she doubted that there would be any real benefit to having Joleen and Mason there if they were the only ones who could help. It might just be better to not have any of them show up at all. But if not the silo, then where?
“Okay, so we all meet up there at…” Joe asked. “What time?”
“When the full moon rises,” Tara answered.
Brea pulled out her phone and, after a moment, answered. “Eight fifty-one tomorrow night,” she told them.
“So, at eight thirty, we’ll meet there. If I take both Mike and Jacob, Brea can grab Xtina and Jess. We’ll take them back to Xtina and Mike’s place. They won’t have enough time to make it back to the silo before the showdown,” Joe suggested.
“Good plan,” Colt said, taking Tara’s hand. “We’ll expect you to stay away. It’s our wish,” he said motioning to Tara.
“I need your word that you won’t try to help. No matter what happens or where things go down.” Tara stepped forward. “It matters.”
The four of them glanced at one another briefly, then nodded in unison. At that moment, a soft green light radiated from Tara and surrounded them.
“Your word is your bond,” she said softly as the light dissipated into the night sky.
“Cool,” Joe said. “I could have used that power when I signed the new contract on the house we’re building,” he joked.
Everyone chuckled.
“We are sorry to take you away from your homes at such a late hour,” Tara said. “Thank you for coming.”
Just as quickly as they’d arrived, the four of them left again, leaving Tara and Colt standing in the field alone.
“Why did you lie to them?” he asked, glancing down at her. “They made a pact not to help so why tell them to meet at the silo?”
“It’s for their own good.” She looked up at the stars. “All of them. Even though they made the pact, something tells me they would try to reach us, and I just couldn’t take that chance. I wouldn’t let them. It’s too important.”
“I thought we agreed we wouldn’t be doing this alone.”
Tara was silent for a moment, then she turned towards him. “We won’t be.” She turned away from him. “Hello, Selene. Sister, why don’t you come forward?”
Colt braced and turned towards the darkness where Tara faced.
He shined his flashlight towards the space, only to have it wink out, leaving them in darkness.
“Light won’t penetrate darkness,” a warm rich voice laced with southern charm said. “And I am the goddess of darkness.”
The woman that stepped forward was nothing like he’d imagined Tara’s sister to be. She was easily as beautiful as Tara. Her long raven hair lay in intricate braids over each shoulder, and her dark eyes watched them closely.
She was dressed in all black: a pair of pants, a leather jacket, and hiking boots.
“You’re Tara,” she said, stopping a foot from them. “I’ve seen you.”
“You have?” Tara asked. “This is my first time seeing you.” Tara tilted her head, then surprised them both by walking over and wrapping her arms around Selene. “I’ve always wanted a sister,” she said softly.
Selene glanced at him, her eyes going wide as if wondering what was going on. He shrugged and smiled at her.
“I’m Colt,” he said, holding out his hand when Tara released her and stepped back.
Selene glanced down at his hand. “Trust me, you do not want me to touch you.”
“Okay,” he said easily, dropping his hand. Her dark eyes narrowed slightly at that. “When did you get into town?” he asked her.
“A few minutes before your friends left. Nice tricks, by the way,” Selene said. “Speedster and…”
“Teleportation,” Tara added.
“You?” Colt asked.
Selene’s eyes moved to him again. “Something like that.”
Tara was quiet and when Selene’s gaze landed on her again, she asked, “You’ve seen me?”
“For about ten years,” Selene answered. “The first time you were wearing a ruined prom dress and standing in the rain, crying.”
Tara gasped slightly. “The day I arrived.”
“Arrived?” Selene asked.
“It’s a long story.” Tara sighed. “One for a later time.”
Selene nodded. “I… couldn’t get to you.” She frowned and looked down at her hands. “I wanted to help, but…” She shook her head. “I couldn’t.”
“It’s okay.” Tara took Selene’s hand in her own. Colt noticed the woman jumped slightly at the touch.
Xtina acted the same way around people, and he wondered if she might have a similar situation.
“Are you hungry?” Tara asked.
“No, I’m fine.” Selene glanced up at the moon. “I guess the party is tomorrow, huh?”
“Yeah.” Tara nodded. “What do you know?”
Selene glanced around. “Got any place a little… warmer we can talk?”
“We’ve got a hotel room. Where are you staying?” Colt asked Selene.
“A hotel is good. I’ll see about getting a room for myself,” Selene answered.
“Do you have a car?” Colt asked as they started walking back through the field towards his truck.
“It’s back in town,” Selene answered.
“How did you get here then?” Tara asked, curious. “Not that it’s out of the norm. You did see our other friends. It’s just…” She shrugged. “Curiosity,” Tara said as they all climbed into the truck.
“Flew,” Selene said easily.
“I can fly too,” Tara said a little eagerly.
“You can?” Selene asked.
He drove them back to the hotel while the sisters compared skills. Normally, the entire situation would have been laughable, but he knew it warmed Tara’s heart to have someone else like her.
Selene, like Tara, had strength and flight abilities, but had never lit up like Tara had. Instead, she had speed and, according to her, couldn’t be cut, shot, or injured in any way. The little trick about light was something she had a difficult time explaining. Apparently, she could fold darkness around her.
“You’ve never been hurt?” Tara asked as he parked at the hotel.
“Never,” Selene said. “I’ll go check in.”
“We’re in room one-eleven. If you want to knock on our door after, we can talk more,” Tara said as they climbed out of the truck. Then she walked over and wrapped her arms around Selene again. “I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to have you here.”
He saw a look of sadness and fear cross Selene’s eyes for a brief moment.
“I wish it was under better circumstances,” Selene added.
Tara nodded, and then Selene disappeared into the hotel’s front office.
“I hate to say it, but it needs to be said. Are you sure we can trust her?” Colt asked once they were in their room.
“There’s no doubt in my mind. When she appeared in the field, I just… knew.” Tara shrugged. “I didn’t know she was coming,” she added with a frown. “I felt something building, like I’ve felt for a while, but when she arrived, it just made sense.” Tara sat down on the edge of the bed. “It’s like all of the pieces are falling in place. As if it was fate.”
“Hey.” He knelt before her, taking her hands in his. “We’ll get through this. I don’t believe everything is written in stone.”
Her eyes searched his. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” he assured her. “I’m not going anywhere.” He pulled her into his arms just as a knock sounded at their door.