Page 18 of The Gathering Storm

Rebecca opened her office door before he could finish reading the article and held her hands out to him. “Will, darling, thank you for stopping by on such short notice.”

He dropped the magazine onto the coffee table, surreptitiously eyeing his cousin as he stood. Dark circles colored the once-smooth skin under her eyes, now marred by fine lines, and her normally rigid posture wasn’t quite stick straight. In spite of that, her red business suit was pressed and neat, her fine blonde hair was tucked perfectly into place, and her hands were steady, as only a warrior’s of her experience could be.

He crossed the room and pecked a kiss to her cheek, and breathed in the faintest hint of jasmine perfume. “You look tired.”

Her laughter was soft and not quite full. “Work has consumed too much of my attention of late.”

“So Robert’s ok?”

A flash of concern flitted across her expression and was just as quickly tucked away. “As well as can be expected.”

“I dropped by his office yesterday afternoon.”

“Oh.” She waved a hand and stepped back, inviting him into her office. “He stayed home yesterday. Said he hasn’t been sleeping well.”

“Neither have you,” he said, and closed the doors behind himself. “What’s really going on?”

“Work,” she said firmly. “Can I get you something to drink? Some water, perhaps?”

He shook his head, but let her evasiveness go. “I’m fine. You said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes, dear. Have a seat.” She sank onto a settee situated on one side of the room and held a hand out to the chair beside it. “We have some new faces in town.”

Will sat and hooked one ankle across the opposite knee. “Yeah. A couple of different groups came in yesterday.”

“They’re likely the first of many. Word has gotten out. The Oracle has awakened. The Bones of the Just are being located, when they were lost for millennia.” She shrugged and clasped her hands in her lap. “Some believe the Prophecy of Light is on the verge of being fulfilled.”

Excitement gripped Will, crowding out the despondency of Sigrid’s rejection. “Holy shit.”

Rebecca laughed and relaxed into the settee. “Indeed.”

“Sorry,” he muttered. “It’s just, the Prophecy of Light was a myth until Maya and James translated it.”

“And yet, one by one its components are coming true.” She leaned forward and brushed her fingertips over his knee, her laughter lost to an earnest expression. “Tellowee could be the gathering place spoken of in the Prophecy.”

“The Bones of the Just,” he murmured. Three sets found, four more to go, and the Sisters’ remains would finally be gathered together in one place for the first time in who knew how long. “What do you want me to do?”

A sly smile lifted the corners of Rebecca’s mouth. “How do you know I want something?”

“You asked for a meeting.”

“Age has dulled my subtlety. I’m sorry, darling.”

He clasped her fingers in his and smiled. “Anything you need, I’m here. You know that.”

“And that’s exactly why I called you, that and because of The Omega.”

“The natural spot for newcomers to go.”

“Making you the perfect person to handle those newcomers.” She exhaled slowly and tightened her grip on his fingers. “I knew I could count on you to grasp the situation quickly. The influx of members of the People is likely to be slow for a while, but soon, it could overrun our ability to house and feed everyone. I need someone to coordinate our efforts, to secure safe housing and supplies.”

“You’re not talking about food,” he said slowly.

“There’s something coming, Will, something…” She sucked in a breath and visibly gathered her composure. “We must be prepared for every eventuality.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“I know, darling. Thank you.” She squeezed his fingers a final time and released his hand, then sat back and speared him with the regard of the battlefield commander she’d been for so long. “Now, we have food, weapons, and ammunition stored in the caves behind the IECS, in the oldest parts of the Archives.”

Will took out his cellphone and opened up the memo app, and jotted down the names of the people in charge of the IECS’s stores. In the back of his mind, worry lingered. Rebecca was holding back on him, hiding something important. He’d figure it out eventually, but in the meantime, it looked like his workload had just doubled, and at a time when he most needed the distraction.

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