The Marradith Ryder Series: The Art of Shadows, Part 57

“So, whose baby is this?” Rafael asked. “I heard you say that she’s Justin’s niece.”

Rafael waited until he and Fiona were alone in the infirmary to pose his question. He was told that he would be able to go up to his own room in the Compound shortly, but his curiosity wouldn’t allow him to wait that long.

Fiona looked at him for a long moment before answering. “She is by marriage. This is Scott Ryder’s daughter by Keiko Yasuko. But she’s going to be mine. Or if you want, ours.”

Rafael raised an eyebrow. “Well that’s a big decision to make on your own.”

“Rafi. We weren’t even sure that you were going to recover.”

“Well did you even want me back, after the way we left things?” he snapped, and regretted it the moment the words left his mouth.

“Back to your old self already,” Fiona said, clutching the baby tighter.

Rafael shook his head. “Please, let’s not do this,” he cupped her cheek in his palm.  “You don’t know how happy I am to see you again. It’s just a shock. I know you have wanted a child for a long time now. I just hoped that we’d eventually have some of our own.”

“We still could,” Fiona said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But this child is here now, and she needs parents. Keiko is dead. No one is sure where Scott is. Nora’s got her hands full with Marradith and Danny. And there is no one to be trusted with Ciara. She is part vampire.”

“And part Lamia?” Rafael asked.

“I promised Nora years ago that I’d never bring it up. But Paul is not Scott’s father. So the child is almost completly vampire.”

Rafael sat back. “Okay. I wasn’t expecting that, but in retrospect,  it explains why Paul wanted to get married to Nora so quickly.”

“The baby is still a hybrid,” Fiona continued. “She won’t manifest until she is in her teens.”

Fiona carressed Ciara’s forehead with her thumb. The baby stirred but did not wake.

“On thing you should consider,” Fiona continued. ” We have been living with the Ryders for months now, like family. If we care for this child, it will solidify the bond between our family and theirs. That’s something you’ll need if you’re expecting mercy from Justin.”

Rafael nodded. He could see that Fiona had bonded with the child, and what she reminded him about Justin was true.  While Granthem tried to decide whether or not he would expose Rafael for having worked with Syd, the child would be a powerful reminder of how many ties and secrets existed behind the Ryders and the Castillos.

Beyond that, he was aware of the pain his wife had never recovered from -  how she regretted not raising her own son, Terrance.

Extending his arms, Rafael asked, “Can I hold her?”

***

Marradith was putting away her cell phone when there was a light tap on the door.

“Yes,” she said.

Danny peeked in. “Mind company?”

“No, come on in,” she said. He sat down on the floor, and she sat down beside him.

“How are you, Dan?” she asked. “You have been really quiet since David and I got here.”

“Okay,” he shrugged. Marradith could tell, by the way that he avoided her eyes, that this wasn’t the case.

“I think we’ll have fun here,” she said. “Harley’s coming. Probably will be here tommorow.”

Danny had always liked Harley, Marradith’s best friend from back home in Texas.  When he was younger, Marradith entertained the notion that her little brother had a crush on Harley. But as the years went on, he treated her like another sister.

“Yeah, that will be alright.”

“Okay. Spill. What’s up?” Marradith leaned forward slightly.

Danny looked around the room. Marradith was staying in a spare room that had been prepared just for her, and it was overly girlie; pink bedspread and curtains that were a lacy white.  Despite the fact that he hated the colors, the room was bright and cheerful, and without shadows. The lamp on the white bedside table cast a warm yellow glow over the room.

It felt safe.

“Okay. Remember a while back I told you how I used to see Shadow all the time? I mean, our great-grandmother.”

“Yes, of course I do. I thought you didn’t see her anymore after Leighton died.”

“I wasn’t quite honest about that. I saw her a few more times. The last was just after Mom left for the Compound in New Mexico.”

“What happened?” Marradith kept her voice even, but she felt a surge of panic.

“Shadow—Caroline—she told me that she had expected to move on after Leighton died, but that she hadn’t.  And that didn’t bother me so much. But it was something else that she said.”

“Yes?”

“She asked me to find out if Will and Justin disposed of Leighton’s body properly. She made it seem that the ritual wasn’t done correctly. She said I should ask Will.”

“Did you?”

“No. It didn’t feel right to me.  Plus no one was at the house but Will and Cord and Jenny, anyway. I think Will is dating Jenny , just so you know. But I wondered why she would say to go to Will. It seemed like something I should ask Justin or you about anyway.”

“What else?” Marradith said softly.

“You know about Lazarus, and how the dead are kind of… attracted to this place.  I have already seen some ghosts since I got here. But not Shadow. She seems to be gone. Those last few times, Marradith, it seemed like she was changing. Like she was beginning to look more like you.”

“Danny…” Marradith took a breath in. “What are you getting at?”

“I have been reading a lot about ghosts and spirits. But I think what I was seeing, at least the last few times, wasn’t really Shadow. I think she did move forward when Leighton died. I think that was something else entirely. Something evil. If she were really a ghost, why wouldn’t she be here?  How come I never saw her again?”

“Maybe you’re right, and it was something altogether different. I’m glad that you told me,” she said. But she didn’t tell him what she thought.

Maybe what Danny had seen was a demon.

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©2011 Lori Titus

Follow the author on Twitter as Loribeth215.

The Marradith Ryder Series: The Art of Shadows, Part 54

Jake Rubidoux was reed thin. He had round, dark brown eyes and cinnamon colored skin.  His hair was mostly black, but tinged with silver around his temples. He had an easy smile and a ready laugh. Danny always remembered his uncle as a good tempered man with many friends. Though he hadn’t seen Jake in several years, he felt as comfortable with him as if they parted yesterday.  He was waiting for Danny at the parking area outside the airport, leaning against his car with his arms crossed.

“Look at you son, you have grown,” Jake patted Danny on the back. “You’re sure you’re just ten?”

“Almost eleven,” Danny said coolly, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

“Uh huh,” Jake smiled and picked up his nephew’s suitcase. “I see you travel light. Your sister’s bags are already at my house, even though she won’t be here until this afternoon.”

“Yeah, that’s Marradith,” Danny grinned. “And once she’s here she won’t be able to find a thing. ”

***

They drove away from the airport and towards the long highway that would take them Lazarus.  Danny put on his ear buds, relasing in his seat. He had a new playlist of music he wanted to finish listening to, and had only made it through the first half on the plane.

“So Uncle Jake, what is there to do in Lazarus?”

Jake smiled. Oddly enough, something about his expression made Danny think of his Mom, though Nora’s smiles were rare.

“Depends on what you want to do.  We’ve got a pool at my house. Lots of space. We have horses. There’s a movie theater in town. There’s a mall in Roseville, which isn’t far.”

Danny nodded, though to him it sounded boring. He was glad that his cousins were away.  Jake had three sons,  and the younger two were close in age to Marradith. The oldest was already at college back East, and would be vacationing in Miami.  One son was at a camp for summer, while the youngest was away visiting his Mother’s side of the family.

Marradith would be around, but she always gave him room to do what he wanted, within reason.  Danny wasn’t sure yet about Uncle Jake. He’d never stayed at his Uncle’s for more than a few days, but he trusted that he wouldn’t go reporting things to his sister, Nora, if only to save himself the verbal assault he’d endure because of it.

With the music roaring in his ears, Danny sat back, and felt himself lulled by the motion of the car. Jake stared onto the road ahead, lowering the visor to shade his eyes from the intense sunlight.

***

Danny woke with a start.

The last chords of a song were dying away on his I-pod, leaving behind a breath of silence, and the singsong of wheels against pavement.

Danny recognized the area they were driving through. Mountains lay ahead, golden, dry vegetation lay alongside the gray stretch of highway.

The heat reflected off the road like a shimmer from a stovetop. Fascinated by the shimmer, Danny stared.

And then he blinked.

The shimmer of heat was shaping itself into form.

As they continued down the road, drawing closer, Danny could see more clearly.

A woman in long skirts and a bonnet walked up the highway, cars moving through her, unaware of her presence. Danny watched as she made her progress towards them.

“Uncle Jake….”

“Yes?” His Uncle said, thrumming his fingers against the wheel as he drove.

The woman didn’t stop until she reched their car, only the glass of the cars window seperating them.

Danny looked into her eyes and saw nothing but blackness. He screamed.

Jake pulled the car to the shoulder.

“What is it ?”

“That lady? You didn’t see her?”

Jake looked up the road. It laid empty before them.

Leaning over to pat his nephew’s shoulder, Jake sighed.

“A lot of people died on these old mountain roads. Trying to travel between towns over the mountain passes. There were more that died working the railroad. Some of their spirits are trapped here, traveling their last three or four miles over and over again. And you’re a medium, so you can see them. Don’t be afraid. What’s not flesh can’t hurt you. At least, not if you don’t let it.”

Jake gunned the engine and pulled back onto the highway, as if they’d been talking about sports or the weather.

When Danny caught his breath, he spoke again.

“No one has ever called me that before.”

“Well, if you prefer some other name for it. I don’t know what else one would call it.”

“Uncle Jake…”

“It’s okay.  There’s others like you, and a good many in our family. Your Mama and I talked about it. There may be a kind of education you can get here, that you won’t find anywhere else. We’ll help you.”

“I don’t want it,” Danny said.

“I’m sorry son, but you have no choice in it. You can master the gift, or you can let it control you. And you don’t want the latter to happen.”

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©2011 Lori Titus

Want to know about the origins of Lazarus and how the Rubidouxs are tied to the Ryder family? Lazarus is available on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Lazarus-Lori-Titus/dp/1453775722/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2