Chapter 7

I woke several hours later feeling slightly disoriented. The sunlight streamed through the nylon of the tent, so it was obviously morning. It had been a while since I was able to sleep that soundly. Oddly, the nightmares that had plagued my dreams for so long were absent. I sat up, slowly pushing the heavy sleeping bag off of me. The sun beating down on the tent made the interior of the tent toasty warm making the sleeping bag unnecessary. My friends were still dead to the world, so I quietly crawled out the narrow flap trying to avoid their legs on my way out.

The campsite was surprisingly quite as I looked toward the fire pit. Jaime, Kieran, Kim and Jenna were sitting around the blazing fire drinking what smelt like coffee. A breeze blew through the campsite chilling me through the material of my hoodie. I rubbed my arms vigorously, instantly missing the heat of the tent. The fire looked inviting and I yearned for its heat, but embarrassment over my outburst last night had me looking back at the tent.

"Krista, come on, pull up a log," Kim said, clearly sensing my dilemma.

"Yeah, come join us," Kieran said, warmly patting the spot beside her. "What's your poison, coffee or hot cocoa?" She asked, indicating the two different kettles on the metal grill that perched on the rocks over the fire.

"Um, coffee would be sublime," I said, grateful that they were trying to act normal.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, cradling my steaming cup of "liquid gold" between my hands.

"The Pauls are gathering firewood over there," Jaime said, laughing at the duo of their names.

"It's a good thing you're from different Bands or that would get very confusing," I said, trying to keep the mood light.

"I know right," Jenna said laughing. "The rest of the guys went out to scout the mountain and Haniel will be back by dusk."

"Did he say when you guys are going to go find Victor's lair?" I asked, casually studying the rich coffee in my mug.

"In a couple days. He wants the guys to map out escape routes down the mountain in case things go wrong. He has instructed each Protector to grab their Guide and separate from the group if it looks like Victor is defeating him," Kieran said in a scared voice.

I couldn't blame her. It seemed insane to even be contemplating a contingency plan. Was it even possible for Victor to defeat Haniel? A brief mental picture of Haniel's lifeless body thrown to the side of the mountain flashed through my head and my heart pinched just thinking about it. Haniel was my beacon of light, thinking of him being snuffed out was enough to make the hot coffee in my stomach swirl around uncomfortably.

"I guess that makes sense," Jenna piped in, seeing the delicate shade of green my face had taken on.

I nodded my consent. It was important that the Links use whatever means necessary to continue on.

"So, how are all the kids?" I asked, steering the conversation away from the painful path it had taken.

"They're growing quickly," Jaime said enthusiastically. "Here, I will show you some pictures on my phone before it officially dies."

I oohed and aahed over the pictures of the kids at different stages of play. Without knowing any of them personally, I could clearly pick out who was linked to whom. My heart ached at one picture that showed a darling brown haired, brown eyed boy perched on a swing. He was gazing toward the sky as if he was trying to understand the mystery it held.

"That's my Logan," Jaime said, quietly peering over my shoulder.

"What a cutie," I said in a choked voice. I felt a keen connection with him. We had both lost a very precious gift.

Not wanting to upset Jaime, I flipped to the next picture and smiled when I saw Timmy standing next to the most precious little girl I had ever seen. She looked about two and yet, her hair hung halfway down her back in great big ringlets. She and Timmy were holding hands and whoever took the picture caught them in mid-giggle so both their faces were lit up and their eyes shined with mirth. The picture reminded me of the cute black-and-white style that had been popular with greeting cards for a while.

Jaime laughed when she spied the picture too. "That's Reagan. As you can tell, they're two peas in a pod. They're never far from each other's side if they can help it and boy are they both mischievous," she said fondly.

"They're so cute," I said, still studying the picture.

"They are, and both are so good-natured except for their mischievous streaks of course. Like I said last night, Timmy still misses his parents, but it's almost like their bond is stronger. I've been exposed to this life and our connections my whole life and yet, their bond even surprises me. Even at only two years old, it seems to me and the others that Reagan already knows how to dissipate Timmy's pain. It's truly amazing," she said, swiping away a stray tear.

I finished scrolling through the pictures and finally handed the phone over to Jaime as the battery finally gave out. "Oops, sorry, I used the rest of your battery."

"That's okay, Paul bought me one of those cool portable chargers. I'm going to go try it out," she said, heading toward her tent.

"So, Krista, how's your mom? I didn't get a chance to ask you yesterday." Jenna asked.

"She's good," I said, trying to gloss over the turmoil I had left behind.

"Really?" Jenna asked in her uncanny way of knowing when she wasn't getting the whole truth.

"Okay, maybe not good, but she's adjusting. I called her last night like I promised which seemed to help. I had to lie to her to get here, but I've become quite proficient at that," I added sarcastically.

"I'm sorry it had to come to that Krista."

"Me too," I added, quietly studying the ground at my feet. Talking to Jenna was a lot like talking to Lynn. They both seemed to be able to get to the root of a situation without even trying.

"Krista, I know you hate talking about these new powers of yours, but I want you to know we are all extremely proud of the way you've handled yourself."

"Thanks," I mumbled, feeling ashamed of myself. Here I was, paranoid of being the subject of their gossip that I had kept them all at arm's length.

"I just don't want to let you guys down," I finally admitted. "I know my hybrid powers are insane, but I just don't want everyone to count on them." I said, expressing my greatest fear.

"Krista, we're not expecting you to protect all of us. We would never put that kind of pressure on you," Kieran broke in, reaching for my hand. "I will admit I'm selfish though. I don't want to lose you. I know it's cruel of me to say that since I didn't lose my link, but we all love you so much that your absence would probably be the biggest blow any of us have ever felt."

"How can that be? You guys have lost Links from your own bands," I asked warily.

"Their deaths were staggering to all of us, but you're our Gift," she added, holding up her hand as I tried to scoff. "Deny if you must, but it's true…."

Any further conversation was cut off as my friends staggered out of the tent joining us as the others returned from their scouting trip. Soon our small campsite was buzzing with activity as breakfast preparations began. I noticed for the first time that the netting that had surrounded our campsite was gone. I looked at Shawn questioningly.

"Haniel told us it would no longer be necessary. Victor won't employ them again now that you defeated them," he answered.

"Oh," I said, feeling pleased about my powers for once. "It'll be nice not to have to worry about icky bugs," I said, feeling myself flush slightly at Shawn's knowing look. "Okay, being a freaky hybrid has it perks," I admitted as he busted out laughing.

"Now you're talking. We'll have you admitting how cool you are in no time."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Smalls," I said, mocking his oversized build.

I giggled as he exaggerated his walk making himself appear even bulkier.

"Hey Krista, you want to go with me to the stream to get more water," John asked, carrying the two oversized jugs we had brought along.

"Sure," I said, jumping to my feet enthusiastically, happy to have a chance to chat with him.

The stream was about a half-a-mile up the mountain from our campsite and John and I hiked the distance in silence. Once we got to the small stream that was really nothing more than a trickle slowly making its way down to the base of the mountain, we sat on a downed log so we could talk.

"So, I'm guessing you're pretty freaked out about the whole 'Gift' thing," he said, shooting me a sideways glance.

I laughed at his statement. In our steady flow of texting, John now knew me like an open book and knew how much I detested all the attention I was getting lately. "Yeah, that's putting it mildly," I said, still laughing.

"You still discovering new music?" John asked, switching gears which was a specialty of his.

"Yep, with a lot of help from Lynn. She's really got great taste in music. I like most of the stuff she suggests, but sometimes she can give me something that's a little out there."

"Yeah, I can see that from the way she dresses."

"Yep, she's got her own style that's for sure," I said, unscrewing the lid off one of the jugs so I could dip it into the clear ice cold water.

"John can you hand me the other jug?" I asked, reaching my hand behind me expectantly.

"John?" I said, turning around to get his attention and discovered he was right behind me with his back to me. I gasped in pain when he took a step backward and stepped on my boot-encased toes.

"Ow," I complained, hoping around on one foot. "You stomped on my foot," I continued to gripe until I realized John's attention was focused on the shadowy forest to our left.

"What is it?" I asked, all humor gone.

"A black bear," John said, never taking his eyes off the woods.

"Are you sure?" I whispered as if that would keep it from noticing us.

"Positive. If you look close enough you can make out its massive shape just beyond the tree that seems tilted."

"Do you think it's a coincidence or is it a puppet of Victor's?" I asked, still whispering.

"Oh, it's a puppet for sure. Otherwise it wouldn't be stalking us like this. If it was seeking water it would have come lumbering out. Same goes if it was hungry."

"What's it waiting for then?"

"I don't know, maybe to see if we're going to run."

"Are you kidding me?" I asked not wanting to believe.

"I wish I were…" He started, only to be interrupted when the bear stepped into the narrow clearing.

The sheer size of it was staggering as it reared up on its hind legs and roared its displeasure.

"Krista, when he charges, just run. Don't look back. Get to the camp and prepare the others.

"You're insane, there's no way I'm leaving you."

"Krista, do as I say," he demanded in what I was sure was his dad voice.

I crossed my arms stubbornly. "No John, I'm not leaving you. I've already lost someone I care about by leaving."

"Krista, it's not your fault you were knocked unconscious. You can't keep blaming your…" John was cut off as the bear roared one last time before charging toward us.

Time seemed to stand still for me as I watched the beast lumbering toward us. Its hindquarters seemed to move in a blur as they propelled him across the small clearing. Its deadly teeth gleamed in the morning light as it jumped on John with one mighty leap.

John screamed at me to leave one last time as the bear used its huge paw to knock him to the ground. I watched in horror as blood began to bead up on John's face where the long claws had made contact.

John stumbled to his feet looking dazed from the blow. He struck the bear, aiming for the softer flesh of its belly. The bear roared its pain and displeasure. John moved closer and used his closed fist to hit the bear on his snout. This time the bear roared with such anger, I swear the ground shook. In retaliation, it struck John again. This time its massive claws scraped across John's chest, tearing effortlessly through his t-shirt. John staggered back and fell to his knees as blood began to gush from his chest wounds. I gasped as he slowly teetered backwards.

"No!" I shrieked as the bear clamored on top of John, pinning him to the ground. The bear turned its head in my direction. If I didn't know any better I would swear it understood what I had said. I focused intently, not sure if my powers would work on a bear the way they did on humans. As it turns out, the bear was a mom. I could clearly see her irritation at being awake and away from the two cubs she left behind. Seeing inside her was a surreal experience and I knew exactly how to direct her.

"Go back to your babies," I directed in a loud voice, trying to be as stern as I could to a gigantic black bear that could tear my head off.

She looked down at John one last time before loping off through the forest, relieved to have escaped the voice that had ordered her away from her babies. I could feel her anticipation to be home as the sound of her crashing through the forest quickly faded away.

I sank to my knees beside John as the blood continued to drench the ground beneath him. I pulled my hoodie off hastily and pressed it down on his chest, remembering another time not long ago when I was forced into a similar situation. He was deathly pale and his blood soaked through the heavy material of my jacket, running warmly over my fingers. I pressed down harder, trying to staunch the flow.

"Don't you die on me John," I ordered, using the same tone I had on the mother bear. I could hear movement in the trees and knew my friends were on their way. I could feel their turbulent emotions as they raced toward us. Kieran's panic was more prevalent as she raced ahead of the others using the speed The Light had given us to its fullest potential. She knew her Link was fighting for his life.

"Kieran's on her way," I told John, glancing away from his now ashen face.

The words had barely left my lips when Kieran burst through the trees looking disheveled with leaves and debris tangled throughout her wavy hair. She raced to my side and without pausing to think, she placed her hands over mine, trying to stop the blood that still seeped through my fingers.

"Krista?" She said, looking at me with glistening eyes.

"It's okay Kieran. I'm calling Haniel now," I said closing my eyes. I used every bit of concentration I could muster and called for our Archangel.

"How Krista? How can you call Haniel?" She asked, openly crying now.