The Price of Knowing: A Powers of Influence Novel (The Powers of Influence Book 2) Read online

  The Price of Knowing

  Book II

  The Powers of Influence

  The Price of Knowing

  Printed in the U.S.A.

  First Printing August 2013

  ISBN-13: 978-1490916262

  ISBN-10:1490916261

  Cover Design by

  This book is protected by copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written consent of Added Touch Publications.

  Contents

  Prelude

  Chapter ~ 1

  Chapter ~ 2

  Chapter ~ 3

  Chapter ~ 4

  Chapter ~ 5

  Chapter ~ 6

  Chapter ~ 7

  Chapter ~ 8

  Chapter ~ 9

  Chapter ~ 10

  Chapter ~ 11

  Chapter ~ 12

  Chapter ~ 13

  Chapter ~ 14

  Chapter ~ 15

  Chapter ~ 16

  Chapter ~ 17

  Chapter ~ 18

  Chapter ~ 19

  Chapter ~20

  Chapter ~ 21

  Chapter ~ 22

  Chapter ~ 23

  Chapter ~ 24

  Chapter ~ 25

  Chapter ~ 26

  Chapter ~ 27

  Chapter ~ 28

  Chapter ~ 29

  Chapter ~ 30

  Chapter ~ 31

  Chapter ~ 32

  Epilogue

  For my children, nephews, nieces, and all those who struggle to find their feet. May you always see the light within yourself, even when it feels like the darkness completely surrounds you. For that light will help you find your way.

  “To be or not to be?' That is not the question. What is the question? The question is not one of being, but of becoming. 'To become more or not to become more' This is the question faced by each intelligence in our universe.”

  ― Truman G. Madsen, Eternal Man

  “Knowledge is power, and power is strength. Every soul is worthy of fighting for. Learn your weaknesses, rise above them, and find the strength within to fight for your soul.

  —C.B. Haight

  Prelude

  Virginia May 1732

  Considering her fragile cargo, Merilynn pushed the horse as hard as she dared down the well-beaten path. She knew there was little time. She also knew to hasten any more would defeat her purpose of protecting the infants. Suddenly, the wagon’s wheel bumped over a rock much too harshly, and she heard a whimper of protest from one of the two tiny infants. She gritted her teeth, worrying, knowing she could not afford to stop.

  Her instinct urged her to hurry faster, but Merilynn forced herself to pull back on the reigns. She did not want the jostling wagon to hurt the boys. Even worse, if her pursuers were close and the infants cried out too loudly, it would ruin everything.

  With her heart weighed down by the loss of her friend, she frantically worried about the future of these two small, innocent babes in her care. She reminded herself once more that her actions would keep them safe as she felt moisture gather in her eyes.

  Leaving Lyndell, the infants’ mother and one of her truest friends, behind to face the angry villagers only hours after she brought these precious twins into the world was indeed the hardest thing Merilynn had ever done. Her thoughts screamed at the injustice, and she fervently wished she could go back and save her friend from her coming fate. But her mind knew better, so she stayed the course set in motion months before.

  Lyndell herself had made this plan even as the babies grew within her. She knew the events would occur as they had. Lyndell’s gift of foresight had shown her that this would happen, and this forewarning is why Merilynn, trusting in her friend’s abilities, rushed with all haste to save Lyndell’s sons. Saving the babies was all that mattered.

  Finally, after far too much time, Merilynn spotted Rowena, the other woman in their treasured circle, near the small creek. I made it, she thought, looking over her shoulder to ensure no one pursued her.

  Rowena sat upon her bay mare as it pranced around in a circle. Upon hearing the coming wagon, the mare looked and acted as nervous as Rowena felt. Her nervousness ebbed slightly when she spotted Merilynn, the only friend left to her. She understood the feelings of foreboding she felt these last days.

  As soon as Merilynn reached the creek she drew back on the reigns, effectively halting her horse. Rowena dismounted and began to hurriedly unhook the wagon. Rowena also knew the urgency of their task and moved with clear purpose.

  “Lyndell will not be coming,” Merilynn said in a voice thick with the emotion. She leaped down from her seat on the wagon to join her friend.

  Offering no reply, Rowena concentrated on the task before her.

  After a moment of hushed silence, Merilynn narrowed her eyes. “You knew!” she accused.

  Always a champion for the weak, Merilynn was vivid and lively when happy, colorful and funny when the mood struck her, but most of all she was loyal and strong. She was also always quick to anger. Her moods often flashed through her like lighting—there one second and SNAP, gone the next.

  Whereas, Rowena was soft and timid, though brave in her own way. She was not as verbal as Merilynn. She was logical, almost as if she plotted out each thought before committing to it. She was the quiet, calm person of reason in their trio. As such, Rowena simply nodded, still choosing not to speak.

  “How could you not tell me? Why?” she sputtered. “We could have stopped this. It is not right. She should at least get to care for one of her sons. This is a pure injustice!”

  Rowena stopped before she began packing Merilynn’s mare with a saddle and let go of a weary, grief filled sigh. She tried to pull in the pain, but their sister was lost to them. The loss of such a cherished friend cut deep within her soul. Lyndell always held Rowena and Merilynn close to her. She had held them all together. But no more. The knot that kept them tightly bound had been loosened by death.

  Lyndell had been strong and stubborn, mature and loving. She was giving and forgiving. She was, and always would be, a part of a whole—their whole. Without her, they felt broken. After today we will be broken, she thought sadly. They were all so different…raised differently, taught differently, loved differently, and yet… the strength of their bond had been stronger than any sisterhood of blood or birth, and it had been stolen from them in one fell swoop of fate.

  As Rowena reflected on this tragedy, she looked at her friend with glistening tears and understanding in her eyes. Finally, in a soft tone she answered, “Things don’t always make sense. It is not for us to question the wisdom of a higher power. This course of events must be fated, which means we must see it through. There is little choice left to us.”

  Merilynn bristled at Rowena’s faith. She couldn’t understand it, and as much as she wanted to, she could not replicate it in her own heart. “How can you of all people believe that? You—who have suffered so greatly?”

  Rowena stood still and looked down at the trampled grass at her feet to compose her thoughts. With her red hair blowing softly in the light spring breeze and her sea green eyes full of sorrow, she looked deep into Merilynn‘s soft brown eyes. “Because I have to,” she whispered, choking on each syllable.

  “I did not mean to cut at your already bleeding heart. My heart is heavy and grieves at the loss of Lyndell,” Merilynn replied softly as guilt dampened the anger.

  “It is not only the loss of Lyndell that cuts you so deeply
. It is anger at the circumstance. I agree wholeheartedly that it should not be like this. We should not fear for our lives because of who we are by birth. There is no justice in it, but it simply is. No ranting or screaming, cursing or stomping will change what has happened when the sun rose this day. From this day forward all we can do is honor her sacrifice and keep our promise to protect the babes.”

  As if they understood, a soft, infant cry pulled them both from the current conversation and the overwhelming grief surrounding them. Rowena closed her eyes at the sound of it, and a fragile piece of her broke.

  Her thoughts flashed to the sound of her own infant’s cries. The ten-month old son she had ironically lost only days before to the fever, along with her husband, the only man likely to understand and embrace her gifts. The pain was so great within her. Her husband knew of this plan and had agreed to join her in her efforts before he had taken ill, but now she would be alone in this endeavor.

  Merilynn gently squeezed her shoulder, offering reassurance. “They need to be fed.”

  “I’ll see to it,” Rowena replied, barely above a whisper. Slowly, she walked over and scooped one of the tiny, squalling babies into her arms, and she looked into his abnormally golden eyes. She knew her earlier words to be true. Things did happen for a reason. For the first time in many days, Rowena smiled.

  She looked back to a busy Merilynn. “They are important,” she proclaimed. “As Lyndell foretold. You can feel it, can you not? I can feel it. What we do this day will change many lives.” Merilynn stopped working but did not face Rowena, who continued, “And she is not lost to us as you believe. We will forever have a piece of her right here with her sons. She would never leave us. Lyndell will forever and always be a part of our lives.” As she finished, Rowena looked down once more to the fussing, hungry baby who had already suffered so much. She would do anything to protect him, even if it meant her very life.

  Hearing the heartfelt proclamation went a long way to tempering Merilynn. Maybe these events that were meant to happen after all, Merilynn thought as she watched Rowena kiss the infant tenderly on his tiny brow. With the loss of her own son and loving husband, Rowena had become sad and broken. Here, Merilynn realized, was a chance for Rowena to heal.

  This realization filled her with love and optimism, and it was something she would forever remember. Seeing the hope and faith in her friend was something she knew must be passed on to any who could learn it, and she promised herself she would make sure to teach it to Lyndell’s son. Merilynn promised herself that even when her temper snapped, she would always strive to remember this lesson of love, forgiveness, and the odd circle of fate taught to her by the gentlest person she knew.

  Her lips turned up just a fraction. Even while grieving for one friend, she rejoiced for another. Clearing her throat, she interrupted Rowena’s ponderings by saying, “That child Lyndell named Jarrett, after her father. He is the eldest of the two. The other is Cade, named after the boy’s father.” Merilynn waited another heartbeat, not wanting to ruin the emotional moment for her friend. Though, after a time she knew she had to. “We must not tarry any longer. If they suspect, even in the smallest way, that the boys are alive, they will not be far behind.”

  Nodding her agreement, Rowena promptly nursed each child, changed their rags, and swaddled them once more. Meanwhile, Merilynn finished saddling her horse with the spare saddle she brought and burdened the horses even more with the supplies they would need.

  As the day-old infants slept, Rowena used a long piece of fabric to secure Cade, to Merilynn’s body for easier travel. Merilynn then helped Rowena do the same with Jarrett.

  Rowena’s heart warmed. The minute she laid eyes on him, Rowena forged an instant connection with the first of Lyndell’s twins. It seemed as if fate would have a hand in deciding which child would go with her. They did not discuss the matter of who would take which child, but Rowena knew deep in her heart that this was the right way of it.

  After finishing all of the necessary tasks, they looked at each other for another a short span of time. Neither of them wanted to be the first to speak as things came to an end.

  “Should we stay together, at least until you can find a wet nurse?” Rowena questioned, finally breaking the silence.

  “No, it is too risky. I am sure I can find somebody before this small supply runs out. Though I abhor it, I plan to purchase a slave to help. That would ensure secrecy, and I can give her a better life than most would.”

  Rowena nodded slowly. Neither of the two women wanted to part company yet. They knew it would very likely be the last time they would ever see each other. Merilynn’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and Rowena could feel the heaviness of despair weighing on her chest. Merilynn wiped at a rogue tear that escaped, and though Rowena swore she had shed all the tears her body could in this last week, more of them slipped past her guard.

  Suddenly, a peaceful breeze picked up, blowing toward them as it rolled across the spring grass at their feet. The green blades danced and swayed in the wind like waves on the water. The long hair on both women floated up softly with the cooler air currents and tickled their fair skin. The horses nickered and whinnied, then calmed, as the breeze floated over them.

  Both women felt warmth and comfort creep into their saddened souls. They both acutely felt the warm tingling sensation in direct contrast with the chill morning air. Closing their eyes, they absorbed the power of it, while praying silently that they could do the right things for these helpless babies unfairly left to their care.

  When the strange breeze abated, Merilynn whispered, “We best be on our way.”

  “I know,” Rowena replied equally reverently.

  They embraced one another as best they could considering the tiny, sleeping infants between them. Still whispering, Rowena said, “Blessed be, sister of my heart.”

  “Blessed be,” choked Merilynn.

  Minding their bundles, they slowly mounted their horses. With one last, longing look at each other, the tie binding them together fell away, and the two friends departed, each taking a different path toward destiny.

  Chapter 1

  He somehow knew he was dreaming, but he couldn’t make it stop. He was a boy again in Colonial Pennsylvania. He felt small and young. He had been ill for almost an entire week. Jarrett’s bones ached, and his skin burned with fever as chills wracked his body. Rowena kept tending to him fretfully, placing cool rags on his brow, only to change them right away due to his burning fever. In the beginning, Rowena tried to get him to eat, but his stomach revolted each time she presented him with any food. He could barely hold down anything as simple as water.

  No healer could be found, and no one near the small Pennsylvania settlement knew what plagued the small boy.

  After six terrible days and five restless nights of painful suffering and frantic worry, one bright full moon changed everything for them both.

  That night, as the moon rose to its peak taking the sun’s place in the cloudless sky, Jarrett’s young legs suddenly cracked. He released an ear-splitting scream that echoed through the still night. Incomprehensible pain ripped through him. Then he felt several sharp pops originate in his spine. With each agonizing jerk of his body, he could feel the bones realigning themselves one by one. Against all odds, Jarrett remained conscious throughout the entire harrowing event as his young body betrayed him.

  He would forever remember the excruciating shift of that first agonizing change. Sweat dripped from his pores, and he panted frantically through pain and panic. He thought he would surely die at any minute. Terror would have overtaken him if not for the pain that occupied his thoughts.

  Rowena surprised him by calmly slipping a thick wooden stick between his teeth to bite down on to cope with the searing pain. And bite he did.

  With quick, hurried breathing he grunted and growled past the wooden bit between his teeth. Suddenly, Jarrett’s jaw began to elongate. His teeth lengthened and sharpened into deadly weapons. He easily snapped t
he thick piece of wood that he held in the canine like jaw as if it was no more than a small, dry twig.

  His clothing tore free of his body as he shifted, and his ribcage snapped and moved. Thick black hair sprouted from his feverish skin until it covered the whole of his body. His young, human cries and grunts became animalistic yelps and growls.

  When it was finally and blessedly over, Jarrett stood before Rowena in their sparse home on four furry legs.

  Jarrett panted and whimpered in confusion, cowering like a whipped dog. His hands and feet had become padded paws. Skin was covered by a sleek black fur, and his frightened and confused mind felt foreign. Jarrett could feel instinctive, animal-like impulses. He wanted to run, to hunt, to howl. He no longer felt like Jarrett the twelve-year-old boy, he was an animal, a monster, a myth.

  His young, prepubescent mind fought against the animal urges as best he could. She tried to reassure him. Still able to hear Rowena and understand her every word, Jarrett tried to talk back, but instead, a whimpering yelp came from his muzzle.

  Rowena startled, back peddling away. Despite her knowledge that this day could eventually occur, centuries of fear and superstition were difficult to overcome in a single life-changing moment. She looked unsure and slightly afraid of the young, black wolf he’d become. Uncertainty of what to expect from him in this state kept her from rushing to him.

  She had no way of knowing if he could understand her or if he would abruptly become violent. When she looked carefully at his almond-shaped eyes, she could see him. His eyes were still the same golden eyes of the young boy she raised these past years. She kept her voice calm and continued to offer him soothing reassurance.

  Jarrett tipped his head and whined like a small lost puppy. His wolf’s ears could hear more than his human ears. Hearing things he had never before noticed, the cacophony of several different sounds frightened him even further. He could hear the crickets outside as if they were right next to him, and the rustle of trees as the wind blew through them was amplified.