Sage drives a car.”
Mitch nodded weakly.
“Is it a little gold coupe?”
He swallowed, nodded again.
Liberty looked at Becky, first in shock that her daughter even knew how to drive, and then in terror when she made the connection of where they’d seen a little gold coupe earlier. “I have to go. Nathaniel and Gabriel are already there. That’s where I need to be, too.”
Mitch reached for her, his fingers grazed the sleeve of her robe. “Wait for me.”
Liberty whispered to Becky, “He’s confused. I’m sorry to leave you here, but I have to—”
“Wait,” he repeated himself, and then grimaced as he lifted up his arm. “Yours.”
Liberty frowned, then slowly comprehended what he meant. When he died she could take the band.
She remembered Chuneras. Remembered the message she delivered. The protection of the amulet was conditional. In order to ensure the life of their offspring, a full day mustn’t pass before it is bequeathed to another. How could she refuse? He only wanted to protect his son. Wherever he was.
She looked at his aura and it was expiring, swirls of dark gray, mingled with silky threads of white. He’d been such a strong man in life, she knew he’d be strong in death, whether he wanted to be or not. She had time to get Sage and come back.
The moment felt so utterly familiar, like this hour and minute had been waiting for her to catch up since before she’d been born. Her mother knew somehow, the visions of white auras. Everything had landed upright and in its place.
But Sarah hadn’t factored in a lost daughter, a found daughter, a daughter whose life may be in imminent danger. The draw of human life was no match for her maternal instincts. Life without Sage was no life at all.
She patted his hand. “I love you, Mitch, and I feel so blessed to have had not only Ellie choose me to take her place, but now you. I don’t have the words to thank you. But, I’ll be here.” She leaned down and pressed her lips to the hollow of his cold cheek.
He closed his eyes and she motioned to Becky to follow her to the doorway.
“I have to go. But he doesn’t have to know.” Liberty ignored the guilt of leaving Becky alone, with everything she’d just found out. And in Mitch’s final hour.
“You don’t have to explain to me.” Becky ushered her out. “Go. We’ll be here when you get back.”
“I’ll hurry,” Liberty said without looking back. “Thank you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Liberty left through the kennel, kept her wits long enough so she didn’t exit as a raging bull. No sense losing her head if she wanted a reunion.
Flipping the switch to extinguish the outside light, she stepped outside, taking stock of her surroundings. A quick visual search showed the absence of auras, and no human scent could be detected in the immediate vicinity. She listened. The only sounds came from nature. No vehicles were on Little Church Road, or Rimrock Hill.
Liberty followed the route Becky had, but she stayed far enough from the road to not get caught in any headlights. Nathaniel and Gabriel had taken the shorter route, but she couldn’t go through the woods if she wanted to keep a lookout for Sage’s car.
She made good time. By the time she reached the crossroads of Little Church and Athens Roads, she estimated only ten minutes had passed. She headed north up Athens and gauged it so she would come out approximately where she and Becky had sat in the truck during their stakeout.
Five minutes later she came out where she’d planned and peered up toward the Jenkins’ house. Sage’s car sat in the driveway. She reminded herself to stay calm, take stock, and not to make any stupid mistakes. She listened, looked for auras, and lifted her nose to the air. So far the area hadn’t raised an alarm, though she did catch a faint scent of Nathaniel. She figured he had probably exited the woods in the same area as well.
She crossed the road in a crouch and dropped to all fours in the field to the right of the house. She was still quite a distance away, but because the area was open, she decided it best to keep a low profile.
The path she chose would bring her out to the right of the property, between the house and barn. She was almost there when she sensed a dog, and then watched him emerge from a doghouse near the