Time Spirit - Golden Blood Part 20

Ignoring her father's instructions, Gemma crouched down next to her sister for a breather. Dom followed her action with a flurry of protests that she tuned out. Taking her time, she took a few swigs of water before standing. She wasn't sure how long they had been out in the searing heat, but it felt like forever. Dom was right; they shouldn't linger. Besides, she didn't want Harrison to worry. Five minutes of waiting was about his limit.

"Come on, Rubylicious." Pulling on Ruby's arm, she straightened her sister up and followed her brother over the next rise and down into another canyon.

They climbed and hiked as quickly as they could, but it was slow going. From what she could tell from the sun, it took them another two hours to make it through the canyon. They had looked in every cave and creva.s.se, scouring the ground for any hiker tracks, but had come up empty handed. The man obviously hadn't come through this way.

"Mom and Dad mustn't be having much luck either." Dom paused at the beginning of a narrow trail that would lead them up and out of the canyon. His doubt in their mission was starting to show.

"Where were we supposed to meet them?" Gemma said.

"Not far from here. The top of this ridge."

"If they haven't found him either, do we just give up?"

Dom shot her a lopsided grin. "Can you imagine Dad settling for that?"

All three sighed in unison before beginning their climb.

"This guy better be important," Ruby grumbled.

"I'm sure he is." Gemma flicked the comment over her shoulder, trying to ignore the niggling doubt that sometimes surfaced. Since Ruby's retrieval of the necklace there had been no more trips like it. She needed to get over it. Her father was the most selfless man she knew!

"If we take much longer Harrison's going to have to send a search party to the bathroom!"

Gemma chuckled. "It's okay. He knows what it's like when I cross the line. Lucky he's so patient, huh?"

Gemma's grin faded as she turned to look at her sister. Ruby had stopped dead in her tracks. Her expression was one of muted horror.

"What?" Gemma's breath caught in her throat and her eyes grew large. "Ruby, I mean..."

Her sister's horror was morphing into a malignant fury. The look in her eyes was terrifying. Gemma searched the rocks below her for inspiration, but was coming up blank.

"I..."

Her heart began to hammer.

What do I say? How the h.e.l.l do I get out of this?

For once her father's timing was perfect. Her muscles turned to dust, saving her from the shocking moment... only to face it in the next century.

St. Augustine, Florida 2011AD Gemma pulled on her clothes and scampered out of the stall. Texting a brief, "I'm fine," to her mother, she scurried out of the bathroom. Dom appeared just as she rushed past the boy's toilets.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." Gemma's laughter sounded pathetic. She turned to beam him a smile, but kept walking backwards.

"What's up?" His brows puckered.

"Nothing. Its just Harrison's waiting for me." She pointed behind her. "And I don't want to keep him waiting for me, because you know... no one likes to wait... too... long."

Like a skittish pony, she pranced away from her confused brother, hoping to make it to the safety of her bike before the freight train of truth caught up with her.

The door to freedom was in sight when Ruby's voice snagged her.

"Gemma! Gemma, stop! I want to talk to you!"

Gemma kept her legs moving. Ruby would have told Dom the second she got out of the bathroom. She didn't know if she could handle both of them. One little slip...

You stupid idiot!

"Gemma, running away is not going to stop this conversation from happening!"

Her sister had every reason to be irate. The empty school corridor echoed with annoyance. The hands of doom were no longer ticking they were chiming with finality. Running wasn't going to change anything now.

Slowing to a stop she ran her fingers through her hair and grabbed two handfuls at the nape of her neck. Stepping backwards, she leaned against the green metal lockers and waited.

She kept her eyes downcast as the twins approached. She could hear Ruby's nostrils flaring and didn't even want to guess what Dominic was doing. He probably had his arms folded over his chest and his eyes would be narrowed... She stole a quick glance.

Yep, super narrowed.

"You know how I made that little quip about Harrison?" Ruby's voice was strained.

Gemma cringed.

"What did you mean when you said 'It's okay. He knows what it's like when I cross over?' What did you mean, Gemma?"

The exhaustion from returning was a weight she didn't need. She hoped it would abate quickly in order to have the strength for this conversation. She hadn't meant to say it! She was tired! The words had just slipped out! She's been distracted by thoughts of the necklaces! And then it had just happened.

The only thing she was grateful for was the fact her parents hadn't been within earshot.

"Does your boyfriend know what we are?"

Gemma ignored Dom's question and kept her eyes on the floor.

"Does he know?!" Ruby slammed Gemma back into the lockers.

"Yes."

She found the courage to lift her gaze and was met with a mix of emotion. Their eyes were swimming with disbelief and boldly outlined with a deep hue of betrayal.

"All this time you've been spending with him." Ruby shook her head. "I should've known you'd let it slip. You've always been such a c.r.a.ppy liar!"

"I'm sorry. I really am, but I didn't have a choice."

Ruby snorted with disgust.

"He saw me leaving! What was I supposed to say?"

The silence in the hall was shattered by a booming laugh.

"He saw you leave?" Dom's shoulders shook. "Did he see you come back?"

She shot him a droll look.

"That must have been embarra.s.sing." He guffawed.

"Shut up, Dominic." Ruby cut him off; the ice in her voice was enough to freeze Gemma's insides. "How could you let this happen? He's just some stupid guy and you betray us all because of him?"

"He's not just some guy, Ruby. And besides, you were the one who told me to go for it!"

"I told you to go on a couple of dates and make out a little, not fall in love with him and gossip about our family secrets."

"It's not like that. He just wants to understand who I am."

Ruby leaned in, her perfect finger waving inches from Gemma's nose. "He has no right to understand you. He's not one of us, Gemma. How could you be so stupid? This relationship was doomed from the start. You must know that!"

Of course I know it, but...

"You have to end it. Now." Ruby lifted Gemma's chin forcing her eyes to meet hers.

"I can't." Her eyes began to fill as her two-month utopia shattered.

"You don't have a choice. If Mom and Dad find out they're going to kill you and then they'll probably kill him."

The first tears descended.

"Please don't tell them. Ruby, please."

The gentle, yet firm hand of Dom lowered Ruby's arm to her side.

"We're not going to say anything. That's your responsibility. We just want you to be careful. You're playing with fire here, slim. If he let's anything slip..."

"He won't! He knows how important this is to our family. He would never betray us... ever."

"I'm guessing that's what Decimus said too." Ruby scorched Gemma with a black look before walking away.

Gemma felt as though she'd been punched in the gut.

"Don't worry, she'll get over it." Dom squeezed her shoulder.

"She's never looked at me that way before."

"She looks at me that way all the time... and she's still my best friend."

A smile wavered over Gemma's lips.

"I'll see if I can talk her 'round for ya."

She looked up at her brother, surprised. "So you don't hate me then?"

He chuckled. "Hate you? Gem, that is an impossibility."

Reaching to her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around her brother and clung. He gave her a fierce hug back before abruptly dropping her to the floor.

"I better go find her."

"I'm sorry I let you guys down."

He shrugged his shoulders. "You never asked for this life. Out of all of us, you've been the one who struggled with it the most. I'm glad you've found someone who makes you happy."

"Thanks, Dom."

His eyes swam with a reality she did not want to recognize. "He's a good guy, Gem. Don't string him along. I may be more calm about this than Rube, but she's right... you're going to have to end it eventually."

Dom's solid footsteps echoed off the corridor walls. Gemma waited until he was out of sight before burying her face in her hands and letting the tears flow unchecked.

It took her a good ten minutes to compose herself and the only thing that dragged her away from those metal lockers was the fact that Harrison was waiting for her.

Pulling herself tall, she walked towards the sunshine, wiping the last tear from her face.

Harrison was leaning against the seat of her Ducati. His long legs were stretched in front of him and crossed at the ankles. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his faded jeans. In spite of his patient posture, his face was marked with worry. He knew she could sometimes be late when she crossed over, but she had taken much longer than usual.

What's the point of trying to hide this? He's going to read you the second he looks into your eyes.

It didn't even take that long; he saw her approaching and jumped from the seat, racing to her side.

"Gem! What is it?"

She shook her head, tears clogging her throat.

"Here." Harrison led her to the nearest bench. "Sit down."

Squatting down in front of her, he brushed the hair back from her face.

"Gem, look at me. Gemma. Look at me."

She flicked her tear stained eyes towards him before squeezing them shut.

"What's wrong? Talk to me."

She brushed another tear aside and swallowed.

"What are we doing, Harrison? This is never going to work."

"What are you talking about?"

"You. Me. Us!"