The Darkness

Chapter 13: Coming to terms

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

COMING TO TERMS

JULI POV

Gabe and I were watching Mel talk to the girl when I felt it. Felt the soul leave Jared's body. I screamed as I watched everyone non twin turn to look at us. I felt blood seep through my shirt as I gasped for air. The screaming stopped as I reached out and grabbed Gabe's hand. Alex ran his down his face as the children sobbed quietly in the background. Mel started to speak but I raised my hand to silence her as Gabe spoke up. 

"Let's go find him." Nodding I took a deep breath and looked at Mel. 

"Stay here. We'll be back." With that we left Gabe and I in the lead.

**********

We found him in the park, his body broken. I sobbed and reached for him but Gabe pulled me back as Alex lifted him up. Then I saw Gabe's face go blank and he stumbled back several steps. I stared as his eyes cleared and he started to scream. 

"Raven!" We gasped as he used a force field to push us back ten feet. I struck out but hit his force field instead of air. He wouldn't look me in the eyes as Raven appeared in front of him. My heart stuttered but I didn't make a sound as his eyes passed over me and the others. He looked back at Gabe as he spoke again. 

"I choose you." What...no...not... 

"No, Gabe don't do this we'll beat him I swear." My heart dropped as he reached out and grabbed Raven's hand then they were gone. My scream of agony was the only thing to be heard.

..................

We headed back to the pub stopping few feet from the door. I looked at Ana as sorrow washed over me. 

"Let me prepare them. Just wait here." I opened the door and walked in to see they had already sent the kids upstairs. I looked at Max as I felt him probing my mind but didn't say anything. I wrapped my arms around myself as I struggled to hold it together.  

"I..." I realized I shaking so hard my teeth were knocking together. Hissing I straightened and met Mel's eye. 

"We have to go home. We need to regroup somewhere safe." Mel protested but I hadn't said everything yet had I? 

"But why?" I stuck my hand out the door and waved at Ana to come in as I spoke. 

"Jared is dead." Mel gasped as Alex walked in with his body and laid him on the floor. She rushed over and dropped to her knees. 

"No wake up. Wake up" She struck his body in the chest as blue tears slid down her cheeks. I felt Max glance at me but I was too numb to feel anything right now. Finally he walked over and grabbed Mel, pulling her into his arms as she sobbed into his chest. He stoked her hair as he took in the blank expression on my face. 

"Where's Gabe, Juli?" I looked at the floor as tears slid down my face. 

"He isn't one of us anymore. We have to go." Nia put her hand on my arm. 

"Will and I will stay with the children. They shouldn't be left alone." I nodded as Bubu spoke up. 

"I'll come back and help Nia after I get you settled in." I nodded again my mind a complete blank. How was I going to tell Mom and Dad? 

"Fine. Let's go." With that I ported out to the island.

**********

I told the others that I should be the one to tell Mom. We appeared in the living room where Mom and Dad were watching TV. Mom looked up from the TV to stare at me. 

"Juli, honey." She struggled to stand as Max grabbed my hand but I pushed him away. He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me against him as Dad rushed forward. He looked Dad in the eye and I knew he was showing him what happened. I sobbed as my eyes started to roll back in my head and I slumped against Max.

..........

I awoke to a hand on my forehead but I pushed it away and sat up. We were still in the living room and everyone was there. I stood as Jules looked at my pale face. 

"Juli." It was his family that had done this to us. I realized I was hyperventilating as I started to pace. 

"I have bad news." I noticed my voice sounded dead but I didn't look up from my pacing. "Demons killed Jared and ripped his heart from his chest." Max grasped my shoulders to stop my pacing and I looked down at his body. He shook me but I didn't look at him. 

"Juli, stop it." I hit him knocking him to the floor as I advanced toward him. 

"Why should I? They took him from us and now they got my fucking brother. He chose them Max and I'll have to kill him. Will you do it for me? NO! I'll do it myself. Shit." I ran my hand through my hair then walked out the door past Max as Mom burst into tears. I rushed to the beach, Mom's sobs echoing in my ears.

LUKE

I watched my daughter fall apart and rush out the door. Glancing at Jules he nodded and stepped forward to grab Leslie as I went after Juli. I rushed towards the beach knowing that's where she would go. I got there to see her fall to her knees in the sand. She wrapped her arms around herself as she rocked back and forth. I covered the space between them and knelt down beside her. I placed my hands on her shoulders as she looked up at me. Then I was falling into her eyes, seeing what she was thinking.  

I felt rage boil within me as I realized she was thinking of what Raven had done to her. But now she was wishing he hadn't stopped, that he had finished her off. Pulling out of her thoughts I slapped her lightly across the face. Her eyes flared with life as she gave me her mother's look. Then electricity was coursing through my body and I went flying into the water. Sputtering I came up for air as Juli stood glaring from the beach her hands on her hips. She was definitely her mother's daughter. I raised my hands in surrender as I walked out of the water towards her. 

"Okay maybe I didn't think that through but at least I got a look instead of that self-pity crap." She started to speak but it was my turn to glare. "Dammit Juli your Mom's in there hugging your real father and I'm not wallowing...a lot." Her eyes continued to stare into mine and my resolve shattered. She looked broken and lost, something I'd hoped she would never be.  

Reaching her I leaned forward as I placed both hands on either side of her head as I kissed her on the forehead. It was then she crumpled. My heart constricted in pain as she threw her arms around me and sobbed against my chest. I rubbed her head as she spoke. 

"Daddy I lost them. I didn't protect them. I can't be Mom." I pushed her back so she would look at me. 

"Julianna your Mom couldn't save everyone either. You know about some of our past lives but not all of them." She looked up as I took a deep breathe. "Your Mom is usually the one who got us killed. I think she knows but we don't talk about it. I can live with being the bad guy but your Mom can't. I take the fall because I love her and I know she couldn't handle it if she knew she had let me down." 

"You never told her?" 

"I was going to once because I thought she would want to know but then Jules died and then Matt. It nearly killed her when they died because she said she was supposed to have protected them. Sweetie, I'll tell you exactly what I told her. We're human, we make mistakes and we can't choose how others run their lives. I love your brother but he makes his own decisions, not you or me. He knew the consequences when he said yes to Raven." She looked at me as she realized I knew what had happened in London. She started to say something but one glance at her thoughts had me throwing up my hands. 

"No, no. Do not tell me you're an adult. I absolutely want you to talk to your mother about that." She laughed. 

"Okay Daddy I guess I'll go talk to her then." I nodded as she ported out.  

"Luke?" I looked up expecting Jules but getting Gabe. He was dressed in black and oddly it seemed to suit him. I watched warily as he sat in the sand beside me. 

"What's up Gabe?" He reached out as I braced for a fight but he put a book in my hand. I looked down at the cover as he spoke. 

"Read it and remember." As I read the title a vision came to me and boy was that a surprise ending. The title was...