Part 26 (1/2)
”I'm a doctor.”
”You know what I mean.”
”Don't worry about it, Sam.” Libby patted his arm.
The ringing in her ears was definitely going away, but her headache throbbed and pounded. She wanted to quit smiling and go home where she could shut out the world for a few minutes. She pulled on her sweater and caught up her purse. Tyson could catch up with her later if he wanted.
She cried for no reason at all on the way back to her house. Elle came out as she parked the car and put her arms around Libby.
”Are you all right?”
”I don't know,” Libby answered honestly. ”For the first time in my life, I'm really afraid. Why would anyone want Ty dead? Whoever it is seems to be escalating their behavior. If it's the same person who shot Jonas, there's a good chance they're going to step out of a doorway and just shoot Ty down. Why, Elle? Even Harry doesn't have a good enough reason in my opinion.”
”That's because you don't know how to hate, Libby,” Elle said gently. ”You aren't a violent person and you don't understand that kind of reasoning.”
”Is it Harry, Elle?” Libby clung to her youngest sister. ”Is Harry trying to kill Tyson?”
”I wish I knew. We don't want to lose you and I see danger surrounding you. All of us do, yet we can't pinpoint it. Even Jackson feels it, Libby. You have to be more careful.”
”How do I do that? I don't know why or how or when. None of this makes any sense. Part of me thinks someone is out to kill Tyson, but there's another part that won't be quiet. And it's telling me in a very loud voice, that someone wants me dead.”
Elle paused before opening the door. ”If you feel that, Libby, you can't ignore it. Even if everyone around you is telling you something different. You have to believe in your gifts, all of them.”
”What gifts? I can heal. The rest of you have all these interesting things you can do. Have you ever seen me levitate anything?”
”No, but you call and send the wind. You reach out and I can find you. And obviously you have a major warning system. Don't discount it because you can't figure out what's happening.”
”I know I shouldn't ask you, Elle, but does Tyson feel towards me even half of what I feel about him?”
Elle shoved open the door. She had a very strict policy of privacy towards others. Reading thoughts and emotions without wanting to do so was a tiring and voyeuristic experience, one she didn't care for. All of her sisters were aware of her rules. ”I wouldn't ever allow you to marry the wrong man. Tyson Derrick loves you so much that when I think about it too much I cry.”
Libby hugged her again. ”I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I'm so confused right now.”
”And embarra.s.sed by the tabloid,” Elle added. ”Don't let that affect your relations.h.i.+p.”
Libby covered her face. ”It was so horrible. I can't get the idea out of my head that someone was watching us the entire time. Tyson was so good to me. So caring of how I felt, and it seemed so perfect and right and some stranger took it away from us.”
Joley looked up from her guitar. ”Don't do that, Libby. Don't let someone turn something beautiful into something ugly. You didn't do anything wrong. You love Tyson. You're meant to be together. Everyone knows it. Let it go.”
”I called Mom and she was upset for us, but she said the same thing,” Libby admitted. ”In all honesty, Joley, it makes it worse that everyone thinks it's you and not me. I feel so guilty on top of feeling utterly humiliated.”
”What did Mom say?”
”She said you were a wonderful sister and I should cherish you. She was proud of both of us and she knew it would be difficult for both of us.”
Joley blinked and bent her head over the guitar so that the riot of black hair fell around her, hiding her expression. ”Well, I am wonderful. We all know that.” Her voice sounded a little choked.
Elle leaned over the back of Joley's chair to watch her fingers flash over the strings of the perfectly tuned instrument. ”It's always fascinated me how talented you are musically.”
”Not how wonderful?” Joley teased.
”That, too. I tried to play the guitar. I practiced for an entire summer.”
Joley swiveled around in her chair. ”Really?”
Elle nodded. ”It brought you such peace. I could feel it radiating out of you, so much happiness even when you were a bit melancholy and I thought it might do the same for me, maybe all of us.” She laughed. ”I was more annoyed than joyful. I couldn't play the thing to save my life.”
Libby burst out laughing. ”Elle, you're so good at everything. You couldn't play the guitar?”
”Stop laughing, Hagatha,” Elle said. ”It's not funny. All the guitar did was buzz at me. I'm the queen of mosquito noises.”
Joley shook her head. ”You could learn, Elle. I'll teach you if you want.”
”Guitars despise me. They are not my friends. I'm quite happy to listen to you play. Let's go out on the deck and look at the moon and you can play for us. I love it when we do that.”
Joley reached out suddenly to touch her younger sister. Elle drew back quickly, but Libby saw Joley wince from the contact. Joley glanced at Libby, entreaty in her eyes. Libby smiled at them both. ”What a great idea. Who else is here? Joley, why don't you get the others while Elle and I make sure we have enough chairs.” As she spoke she casually circled Elle's shoulders with her arm and felt the well of warm, healing energy burst free. It moved through her body and into Elle's.
”It's a full moon tonight, isn't it?” Joley asked as she stepped over to the stairs to call her other sisters down.
”Yes,” Libby said. ”Well, almost full. And very little fog. A little cool and windy, but it's beautiful.”
They sat together for an hour, simply listening to the surf below and the cry of the birds as they sought refuge for the night. Peace seeped into Libby, a small bit at a time. The Drake home was a sanctuary for them, a place to retreat and revitalize.
”I feel Hannah,” Elle said suddenly. She closed her eyes and put her hand on Joley's shoulder, amplifying the connection. ”She's standing by an open window looking towards us and she's crying.”
”Is it Jonas?” Sarah asked.
Elle shook her head. ”No, she's just feeling alone without us, and Jonas isn't a very good patient. He's been particularly difficult and taking it out on her.”
Libby stepped out to the railing facing the sea, her sisters behind her. At once she felt the power of the Drake women flowing around her. It was often that way, particularly in the evenings, watching a sunset or in the moonlight. Energy leapt between them and crackled in the air. Joley picked out a soft melody on her guitar, accompanying the cras.h.i.+ng waves. The ocean appeared wild, the serenity gone, waves slamming hard against the cliffs and spraying high into the air.
Sarah stepped to the railing and lifted her arms to the sky. Light from the moon spilled down on her fingertips as she wove the beams into fine nets connecting each of her sisters. She whispered softly, the rhythm following Joley's guitar riff and the rhythm of the sea. Kate stepped up beside her sister, shoulder to shoulder, and lifted her arms. The wind answered, surrounding the women, a soft, gentle breeze completely at odds with the power of the ocean beneath them.
Joley began to sing. A song of nature, of unity, of strength and power weaving a bond so tight none could break it. Although her voice was soft and melodious, the clarity rang above the cras.h.i.+ng boom of the waves. The wind increased, catching the notes and taking them up towards the stars.
Abigail joined in to harmonize the chorus, the purity of her voice carried on the wind to the water below and the sea creatures answered, rising to perform an acrobatic ballet, leaping, spinning and somersaulting in unison.
Libby turned south, toward a city miles away where Hannah stood alone in a hospital room keeping vigil over Jonas. Libby lifted her arms to the wind, adding her power and healing energy to the gathering strength.
Elle was last. She stood close to Joley, lifting her face so that the moon bathed her in light, so that the beams from Sarah's fingers seemed to surround her. Power glittered like small sparkling gems over their heads. She turned, facing in Hannah's direction, feeling with her mind, a conduit of power, reaching for Hannah, knowing Hannah was reaching back. She waited until the connection grew strong, until the wind increased, whipping at them and Joley's fingers flashed over the guitar drawing out such a melody of power and energy that it fed the wind, fed the intensity until small charges of lightning sizzled across the sky.
Elle joined their minds, heightening the strength and love as they all poured their emotions into the collective universal pool. She threw her arms forward, commanding the wind, and it raced away, out of the ocean, carrying the message to their absent sister.
The music softened. Joley's voice faded away to a last haunting note. They stood waiting beneath the bright moon. And it came back to them. A soft feminine voice on the wind, whispering love and thanks. Libby blew a kiss out over the sea and smiled at her sisters. ”I needed you all. Evidently so did Hannah.”
”Me, too,” Elle added.