Statera - The Balanced One

Chapter Eighteen

(Zora)

Dahlia sat perfectly still and said nothing for a long moment.

"Are you OKAY, baby?" Owen asked, concerned.

Keitan and I exchanged a surprised look over the term of endearment, then glanced back at Dahlia.

Dahlia looked confused as she nodded. "But that isn't the story Noah told our babies and me. What you just told us explains—a lot. It gives this insane chain of events deeper reasoning. Senka's a victim of circumstance and has a motive for revenge."

We all knew Dahlia's assumption was probably correct.

"Yes, and the events I told you are what actually happened. Memories can't be changed—they don't lie. Nathaniel was our grandfather. The story Noah told you is Grandpa Nathaniel's version. Obviously, he twisted the truth, and it is entirely his fault that Senka lives an Afflicted existence. Rather than admit it and carry the blame—the shame, he fashioned a more desirable version of the story. After Senka turned, Nathaniel was the first to die. I am talking within a few weeks. Then as time progressed, she killed the rest of her original pack except for my father and my Aunt Renee, who my sister is named after. Senka had always been their favorite aunt, and they'd been the only ones who cared she was gone from the pack. It didn't matter to them what circumstance made her leave. They loved their aunt unconditionally and mourned her loss genuinely. Neither was old enough to have started their own family yet, so she spared the two youngest children and slaughtered everyone else."

Grandpa told his mate, cubs, and the rest of the pack his version of the story. In turn, Dad told Noah, Shannon, and Renee. Then when I was old enough to understand, Noah told me. Dad died before I was old enough to remember him; Shannon and Renee barely do. Noah was the only one of us with solid memories of Dad. Anything else Dad told him about our Great Aunt Senka died with him."

Silently reflecting on all that'd been said, I reached out to Keitan with my mind.

Do you think my gift of testimony or, even better, my ability of spirit speaking can help here? I mean, I don't know how to target a specific person. But my parents always find me. My parents were with him the night Noah died, so I believe they brought him to me so he could pass his last thoughts to me to give to his family.

Owen cleared his throat. "If you could please keep all conversations vocal, I would appreciate it."

I tore my gaze from Keitan to stare at Owen, who directed a pointed fatherly expression my way.

"Sorry, Owen," I mumbled.

"Your eyes glow blue when you talk to Keitan mentally, remember? It makes it obvious when you're excluding the rest of us," he replied, the slightest hint of irritation in his voice.

Eric regarded me with a blatant curiosity that made me squirm.

"I think that might work. I had a familiar bond with Noah when he was alive because we are brothers. The same may be true even though he's gone."

Owen grabbed Dahlia's hand and started for the door, stopping long enough to say, "We will leave you, kids, to it, whatever it is. Let us know what you discover."

I figured I'd better explain my testimony ability and spirit-speaking trait to Eric before we started.

"So testimony is an ability I can only access in my sleep. Those who reside on the plane of the dead can speak with me when I'm sleeping. Spirit speaking is opening myself enough to allow occupants from the plane of the dead to be temporarily pulled into the plane of the living. However, as soon as I close, they are returned to where they came from. I have to be honest; I do not have the slightest notion on how to specifically target one particular individual."