Discovered (The Shalean Moon) Read online

  Then she looked closely at his face and realized he wasn’t joking.

  ‘Believe it Rach.’

  Oh great! One more reason not to like it up here; a mind reading hottie … Ahh!

  “So, I can hear you, or whatever you call it? Can you hear me?’ Brios nodded with a smile, and Rach felt her face go red. “Oh shit.”

  Brios laughed out loud at that. Rach felt like hitting him. What if there was something in it? Did that mean she had to not think anything even slightly dodgy? She waited for some smart-ass comment to fill her mind, but nothing did.

  “So, er, you don’t sense everything I say then?” She really wanted to know the answer to that.

  To her relief, Brios shook his head.

  “Rach I would never do that, it goes against our creed.”

  “Creed?”

  To her disappointment, Brios looked at his watch and groaned. “Look we’ve got to get back to school. Rach, there’s so much I need to ask, to tell you about … to explain. We need to meet up somehow. You tell me how and when, and I’ll be there.”

  Once again, Rach knew she was going to really defy her dad. In a great big going against everything he’d said way. It was not a nice feeling, but she knew she had to. “Okay, what’s your mobile number?”

  Brios laughed out loud. A deep sexy laugh that set her toes curling.

  “C’mon, Rach. Why do you need that, when you can project to me?”

  “What?”

  “Project; what do you think you’ve been doing ever since we met? Not consciously, but time and time again. If you just try to do it without worrying about it, I’ll get the thought and I’ll answer.”

  ‘Okay?’

  She got that loud and clear.

  ‘Yup, very okay … So what next? Did you hear, sense or … whatever that?’

  ‘Sure did, so next? Back to school.’

  ***

  How was she supposed to concentrate on math when there was so much to think about? It was as well she was good at the subject and ahead of the class.

  Leira was eager for news.

  “What’s going on?” she asked Rach as they were changing for gym.

  Into another horrible color clash, Rach thought resignedly, why couldn’t we just wear boring beige? At least I wouldn’t look like a jalapeno pepper then.

  “Loads—I’ll tell you at lunch when we’re by ourselves,” she added quickly as they went into the gym hall and saw a scowling Struan staring at them.

  “Why is he such a creepy little caterpillar? He keeps staring at me and glaring. What have I ever done to him?” she muttered, as Leira burst out laughing; which made Struan scowl even more. She blushed. “Well apart from that!”

  “Tell you later,” Leira whispered out of the side of her mouth as the gym teacher clapped his hands for attention.

  Normally, Rach would have enjoyed a game of Pirates. Being tall and athletic, she could scramble up the ladders and ropes and never touch the floor and drown, or be tagged and caught by the pirate and have to sit out; but, the fourth time Struan deliberately pushed her and tried to knock her off the equipment she was seeing red. When she was riled her temper definitely matched her hair, and boy was she riled.

  ‘Keep calm. He’s trying to cause trouble.’

  Huh? That isn’t Brios—that sounds like Leira. Holy cow, can she do this projecting thing as well?

  ‘Of course, I, too am Sha… oh shoot, sorry.’

  ‘What?’ There were no more thoughts. Instead, she received a shove from a menacing looking Struan.

  She’d had enough. Before they moved, she hadn’t been County Under-sixteen Gym Champion for nothing. She twisted and dug her fingers under his arm; then grabbed his leg and put all her weight on top of him. With a howl of pain—well she admitted to herself, her knee was in a delicate position—he fell to the mats under the wall ladders and she fell on top of him. It was really difficult not to smirk.

  “Out!” came from the teacher. Sniggers ran around the room. It seemed like Struan wasn’t the most popular person in this class.

  “Sir, I didn’t touch the floor, he did,” Rach pointed out. She could sense Leira’s amusement loud and clear.

  “True, fine Rach, you’re still in the game. Struan sit out, and don’t argue, I saw what happened.”

  She thought he might disagree, but he didn’t; although his malevolence came through loud and clear.

  ‘Little bitch, I’ll make you pay.’

  What the heck, now I can hear him as well? What is all this stuff?

  She might have stopped him this time; but, she didn’t need any powers to know she’d made an enemy there.

  Rach was impatient for lunch. She’d thought over everything that had happened and knew she needed to talk to Leira and Brios; not to mention avoid Struan Scott. He was mean and sneaky. Whatever he had against her, she’d just made it ten times worse.

  “Well?” Leira all but dragged her to a quiet spot in the school grounds. “What’s going on between you and my brother?”

  “What? Nothing, for goodness sake; I’m fifteen, he’s what—seventeen? I’m no one’s jail bait. We just want to be friends—that’s all.” That’s all she was admitting to anyway. “But my dad’s forbidden it, and won’t give me a proper reason. He went all weird when he heard your last name and I don’t know why. He just went on and on about how we don’t know him—Brios, I mean. Heck, anyone you meet you don’t know at first. Uh, that sounds wrong; but, you know what I’m saying?” Leira nodded, and Rach continued, “How on earth did he meet my mum for goodness sake?”

  “Yeah, how did he meet your mum?” Leira’s tone was curious.

  Rach laughed. “On holiday in Scotland would you believe? On his first day, he met her at a concert. He was up here for three weeks, and she left with him. She was Scottish, moved to England as a teenager, and came back up here to go to Uni.”

  ‘That’s interesting.’

  Brios! “Get out of my head,” Rach muttered and heard a laugh.

  Leira was looking at her curiously. “What?”

  Rach shook her head and picked at a loose thread on her hated sweatshirt. Maybe if she pulled enough of them the horrible thing would unravel and be un-wearable.

  She realized Leira was patiently waiting for an answer.

  “ Oh nothing … I was just muttering.”

  “You can switch him off you know.”

  Now it was Rach’s turn to stare. “Pardon?”

  “Brios. You can block him.”

  Ri-i-ight, nobody told me I’d moved into the Twilight Zone.

  ***

  Oh boy, am I ever de-e-e-e-ep in the manure!

  “Sorry?”

  ‘Stay calm Rach, and lie,’ Brios’s voice broke into her head reassuringly.

  She had never really lied to her dad before, not over something important anyway; but, there was always a first time. Unfortunately her dad could read her well.

  Does he have this stupid projecting thing as well?

  ‘Just blame me. Whatever he says, say it was my entire fault.’

  ‘What?? Never in a million years! All this silliness is my dad’s fault, no one else’s.’

  “Rachael Marie Connor, you defied me.” He looked mad.

  “Um…” She didn’t really know what to say.

  “Didn’t you?”

  She sighed. Caught.

  “Yes, but . . .”

  She had no chance to justify herself.

  “But nothing, you promised me.” Well, no, she thought, I didn’t actually say those words.

  But she knew she’d inferred it.

  “How …?”

  “Did I know?” he finished. “I received a nasty, anonymous phone call when I got home saying you’d skipped a class to go off with that boy. How do you think that made me feel? I trusted you Rach, and you let me down.”

  There was only one thing she could say.

  “Sorry, Dad.”

  He looked at her, and the look in his eyes m
ade her want to cry.

  “Sorry isn’t enough. I’ve spoken to your head teacher. There’s only three days of school left before the holidays. He says you needn’t attend the last one. So I’m arranging to have that day off work, and I’m taking you to stay with Meg for a few weeks. Then we’re off to Australia to see your grandparents.”

  “It’s winter there.” What a stupid thing to say, Rach—very adult.

  “So we’ll take our coats. We’re going Rach, no arguments.”

  She just stared at her dad until he turned away. She needed to speak to Brios.

  Now, it’s time to see if this projecting stuff really works!

  CHAPTER SIX

  “Why today?” Brios remembered the quote from one of Shakespeare’s plays about something being rotten in the state of Denmark. He didn’t know about Denmark, but there was definitely something rotten in the Sept of Shalea.

  He’d been home from school for less than an hour when his dad had said he needed to speak to him about something important. He had taken him into his study to talk.

  Listening intently, he looked at his dad’s face to see if there was anything to be learned from his expression; there wasn’t. He couldn’t understand why he was being told he had to go and do his next level of training now, only three days before school broke up for the summer holidays.

  He stared at his dad who looked steadily back. There was no sensing; no projecting between them. That was unusual as well.

  ‘Brios! Can you hear me? Oh G . . .’

  ‘Rach? Rach?’

  Nothing.

  “What’s going on Dad? Who’s blocking my senses?”

  “It’s time Bri, are you ready?” His dad wouldn’t look him in the eye, so he was definitely not happy about whatever it was that was happening either.

  “Well?”

  Brios didn’t feel that he was ready; but, he knew if he wanted to fight this blocking, or whatever it was and sort out the fact that something fishy was going on then he’d better show willing. He nodded his head.

  “It is time,” he replied in the manner he knew would be expected of him. “I accept my responsibility.”

  Even if the timing does suck.

  “Come.”

  He could tell his dad was relieved that he hadn’t argued. He knew there was no point; this was dad with his Patriarch cap on. He couldn’t even ask him to look after Rach for him; he knew he hadn’t any right to ask that—not yet.

  His dad dipped his head, and then touched him on his shoulder. Brios followed him out of the house. He noticed that his mum and Leira were nowhere to be seen. His mum would be wherever the council was meeting; he could only hope that somehow Leira realized what was happening and told Rach. He’d bet almost anything that the fact she’d turned up and had Shalean blood in her had something to do with his training being brought forward.

  The 4x4 they’d all laughed about when his dad bought it—and now knew they couldn’t do without in the winter—was waiting in the drive.

  “You go in the back please; I’m going to blindfold you. Do you agree to this?”

  He nodded; there was nothing else he could do. They both knew that the blindfold wouldn’t mean anything. In theory, it was supposed to stop him from knowing where he was being taken. In practice, he had an unusual gift; and he rather thought the elders of the council didn’t know about it.

  He took a deep breath, and checked exactly which way the car was facing before getting into the back seat. He waited for his dad to slip the mask over his head.

  “Okay?”

  He nodded again. “Fine.”

  “You are unsighted?”

  Formal or what?

  “I am.”

  The car door slammed and he heard footsteps as his dad walked to the driver’s door. Then the sounds Brios connected to the driver’s door being opened, and his dad getting into the car; and then shutting his door and starting the engine.

  “Seatbelt,” Brios said automatically. He heard his dad chuckle, and then the click of the belt as it fastened.

  The car set off and he mapped the journey in his mind. He had discovered this specific gift by chance when, after falling asleep in the car on the way to the south of England, he’d woken up and knew where they were and how far they had driven. All he needed to do was let his mind relax, and it worked.

  He counted off the minutes, and felt his mind absorb the twists and turns. They stopped once and Brios heard another person get into the car. He knew without a doubt that it was Fergus Black. The geography fit and Fergus was his dad’s second in command. Brios was almost enjoying himself now. He had a realistic attitude: what will be, will be.

  Don’t fight what can’t be changed, until the time is right. Then go for it hard and fast, he told himself. When that time comes I’ll be ready.

  After thirty minutes or so the car stopped. Brios had to fight to keep his face straight as his door was opened and he was helped out. He took a deep breath. His sense hadn’t let him down. He was back outside his own house; they had just driven around in a circle. No wonder his mum hadn’t got in the car with them. He guessed that meant the blindfold would stay on for a while. This was a new experience for him, and he didn’t need his Shalean sense to know he was being treated with honor and suspicion; a strange combination.

  His dad took his arm and told him to hold on and relax. There really wasn’t much else he could do, especially as he wasn’t supposed to know where he was. Briefly, he wondered where Leira had gone. Surely she wouldn’t be around? There was no way she’d be permitted to see what went on; it would only be the elders and him.

  It was frustrating to know the council had blocked his sense of projection. He was really worried about Rach. There was definitely something wrong with her. Knowing that she needed protecting troubled him, but until he had something to work on he’d just have to put her to one side of his mind. The more powers he received, the more he could do to protect her. But there was nothing he could do now, so no point in worrying. He needed to focus on whatever was about to happen to him.

  As they moved inside, he wondered if his mum knew what the big storeroom behind her studio was used for. He had never realized it was used for Shalea, but he couldn’t imagine that she, as Matriarch, would be in the dark. Knowing his mum, she’d probably suggested it. It would be a good way for her to always keep tabs on what was going on.

  She was almost as powerful as his dad was. When they shifted and led the Sept at Shalea she ran with his dad at the head; their strides and their spots perfectly matched. If and when he took a partner, it would be his mum who would be the instructor, helping them with regards to the role. Idly, he wondered who would do the instructing if his partner turned out to be male, not that he thought that would happen. He was as sure as he could be that eventually Rach would be that partner. He was also just as sure that it wouldn’t matter what sex his partner was; he or she would be accepted and guided in their role. This was something his friend Andy had to come to terms with.

  In theory, the Sept had no preference as to whom you decided would be your partner so long as you both accepted each other for what you were. In practice, though, he knew there would be some older members who wouldn’t be comfortable with an obvious display of gay love; even though they would not disapprove of the partnership. That was something else that needed addressing when the time came. His dad had warned him about needing tact and determination when situations changed, and he knew he’d have to work at the tact bit. The determination was no problem.

  Now, Brios understood what Andy meant when he said he knew he was gay, but he wasn’t ready to announce it; or, as he told Brios one day after school, he wasn’t quite ready to try his chances with the partner he wanted in case he was knocked back. Something Brios now found he could understand. It didn’t matter what sex your partner was, the same problems and feelings were there.

  They came to a stop. A door was opened, and he was taken into the big room that as far as he knew was always
empty. He felt hands at the back of his head as the blindfold was removed. It was just as well the room was shadowy; he blinked his eyes and thought the sight in front of him would have been enough to send even the strongest person screaming if it had been fully lit! Talk about stereotypical settings, this one was top of the list. There were candles, capes, and an ornate table. The top was covered with a deep gold colored cloth. He had no idea what was under the cover, but suspected it was important to the Sept. Next to the table was a large high-legged chair where his dad sat, and other lower chairs were grouped around it, all with occupants. He stared and felt his heart beat faster.

  “You may look and accept that this is where you move up a level.”

  “Do you agree?”

  There were perhaps ten or eleven people in front of him, both sexes about evenly represented, the light so dim he could recognize no one.

  “I do.”

  “Then take the oath and be prepared, for once you have so sworn we will proceed, and you will accept your role.”

  His dad stood and removed the cloth and handed it carefully to another elder before lifting the articles it had concealed. He walked towards him, one hand holding a candle, the other a large ornate claw.

  ***

  ‘Rach, can you sense this?’

  ‘Leira, what’s happening? Oh my God, dad is sending me away. He found out about me meeting Brios and he’s hopping mad. What’s going on, what is all this stuff? Brios didn’t have time to tell me much, and I can’t get hold of him.’

  ‘He’s been sent away. I don’t know much, but it’s all to do with his powers and … oh shoot—gotta go.’

  ‘Leira? Leira?’

  Rach stood in her bedroom and frowned. One minute she’d been having a mind conversation with her friend, and the next minute—nothing. Worried, and not knowing what to do about it she looked in the mirror and plaited her hair. As she tied an elastic hair-bobble around the end of her long braid, she was relieved to be out of her uniform and into jeans and a hoodie. One last check in the mirror and…

  Rach opened her mouth to scream but, only a croak came out. She swallowed, grabbed the glass of water from beside the bed and took a big mouthful.