Well, six months in a prison cell and a whole load of anger and bitterness.
Josie was right. The negative emotions were tearing her apart, but she couldn’t seem to stop the guilt that ate at her soul. She just wanted him back, wanted to be able to tell him she loved him, and she was trying, and...
That was what she’d do if she had a time machine. She would go back and tell Sam that she loved him.
Hell, maybe she could go back and save him. Return to before it had all gone to crap. Rescue him. Bring him to safety.
Except there was no safety. The world was about to end, and she could guarantee that Sam wouldn’t run away to Australia if he knew. No, he’d want to save the world and no doubt, he’d die all over again.
All the same, once the idea had come to her, she couldn’t seem to shift it.
Finally, she slept and dreamed of stealing a time machine, of going back in time and saving her brother.
Chapter 7
It was dark by the time they arrived at their destination. The sky was clear and full of stars. Kane landed the helicopter on the lawns in front of the huge house. Light spilled out from a multitude of windows; the place must be full. He switched off the engine and sat waiting for the blades to slow. Or maybe putting off the moment he would have to meet the others.
The original tribe was all back in residence, though from what he understood, they lived in cottages around the estate rather than in the main house. Which meant that Kane could put off meeting his parents for another night.
He wasn’t looking forward to the reunion, and he knew that was purely down to guilt. He hadn’t seen them since he was four years old, when he’d run away so he wouldn’t have to leave Africa with the rest of them. He’d always known he was different from his parents.
Most of his people were passive, non-aggressive, probably the result of inbreeding; there had presumably always been only a small number of them at the start. But occasionally, someone different was born, someone more aggressive, less passive. And they became Guardians. Kane had known, even at the age of four, that Africa was where he belonged. He’d wanted to guard the secret—and eventually help make the mission a reality.
So, he’d stayed behind when almost everyone else had left.
His parents had believed him dead. He’d been out in the world for over a century—he’d left Uganda when he was seventeen—and he knew where they were. He could have gone to see them, let them know he was alive, but he hadn’t.
And he wasn’t sure why.
Maybe he hadn’t wanted the ties. The responsibility. He’d always been happiest when alone.
Tomorrow, he would see them. And apparently, he had a sister, Janelle. A brother and now a sister. He was developing quite a large family.
According to Jake, who had already met Janelle, she wasn’t too fond of Kane. And she hadn’t even laid eyes on him yet. How to make friends and influence people. Jake had also said that Janelle reminded him a lot of Kaitlin. Great.
“Are we moving or are we staying here all night?” Kaitlin asked from behind him. “The way you’re sitting there staring into space, anyone would think you wanted to be here even less than I do.” When he didn’t answer, she continued, “Worried about meeting Mummy and Daddy? Afraid they might be harboring a little resentment over the little fact that you allowed them tobelieve you were dead for a hundred and fifty years? I’m sure they’ll get over it once they meet you.”
Why did he think she didn’t mean that in a nice way? Like they’d realize they were better off without him? No doubt, she was right. He sighed and unbuckled his harness. As he was jumping out, he caught a movement from the house. It looked like the welcoming committee was on its way.
It was strange, or maybe not so strange, but in the past, he’d never worried about being judged. Now he was feeling...apprehensive? But then, it wasn’t as though they could hide their opinions of him. Still, for the first time in his life, he cared about what others might think.
Kaitlin was already on the ground, but he opened the door and helped Josie out, handing her down. She appeared a little apprehensive as well. Kaitlin on the other hand was expressionless. She liked people to believe she was unfeeling. The truth was she felt too much.
The welcoming committee consisted of Jake and Christa—though luckily, Christa’s father was absent—Sadie and Ethan, and Rose and her gun-runner boyfriend, Dave Madsen. Or ex-gun-runner. Dave was now working for the Conclave.
There was also a woman at the back, who he didn’t recognize. She had the striking coloring of the Kindred, and she was looking straight at him.
“Hey, brother.”The words whispered in his mind. This must be Janelle, the sister he’d never met—she’d been born after his parents left Uganda. So much for putting off the family reunions until tomorrow.“Not a chance,”she said.
Josie pulled free of him—he hadn’t even realized he still had hold of her—and hurried to meet her sister. They hugged, Josie burying her head in Sadie’s shoulder.
“Aw,” Kaitlin murmured from beside him. “Almost makes it worth being here.”
“Almost, but not quite,” he muttered in reply.
She flashed him a glance and a grin. “Come on, chin up.”
She stepped away from him, and he reluctantly followed. The Kindred had always been close—something he’d never known. Though maybe he had, as a young child before his parents had left. But he couldn’t remember. The Guardians had never shown any signs of affection. In all the years he’d been in Africa, he didn’t think Jonas had ever hugged him.
