The Deep Dark Stone Path

Chapter 32 - *James*

Sam and I go back to Dalilah's house. It is empty. I go upstairs and everyone is in Mr. Daniels room. I listen through the cracked open door.

"Listen kids this is important. Before I met your mama I loved a woman here. My family and I moved away and I married your mama. I never knew until today that the woman was pregnant with my baby. I wrote her a month or so ago telling her I was moving back and we planned to get back together. Her abusive husband found out and beat her to death. She had two kids, her husbands son and mine. Her oldest son died years ago. My son, the younger one, is still alive. James is my son."

All the kids gasp. Damian says, "I thought Dalilah was dating James!" I peek through the door and see her start to cry and she walks toward the door and opens it before I can move. Everyone looks at me, now knowing that I was listening. Dalilah's steps past me and goes to her room.

"Kids go play in your rooms. I need to talk to James." Everyone leaves. Audrey hugs me on the way out. I shut the door. "Dalilah came home and talked to me about what you guys found out today. You know that I didn't know you were my son until today, right?" I nod my head.

"Dalilah and I discussed your relationship and she told me she understands and in a while she will get over it, just give her time. But you can still live here and you can call me dad, if you want. This will take some adjustments, but I am willing to try if you are."

"I would love that, dad." I say and I run over there and hug him. He cries and hugs me tight. "You look just like your mother you know?" He says to me. I nod my head as tears begin to fall. We talk about my mom and my life for an hour or so and then he says, "Do you want to change your last name to Daniels or keep yours? I am fine with either one."

"I have Terrys last name. I want to change it to yours." He nods and smiles. "We will go shopping this afternoon and get you clothes, I have to take the other kids to get school stuff anyways." He hugs me and then heads downstairs.

I go to my room and Sam is sitting in human form on my bed. "I  getting clothes today so you can come with me and I'll pick out some for you." He smiles and scratches his ear.

*Dalilah*----
I cried myself to sleep. "Dalilah." I hear a woman calling me. "Come to me, dear." I am on the deep dark stone path in my nightgown. A heavy wind blows my long hair around and my feet feel like ice on the black stones. "Tell me what kinds of stones these are?" I shout to whoever is out there. "Elven blood will reveal what the black cloak conceals." She gave me a riddle. "Who are you?" I hear her laugh and then a beautiful Latina woman appears in a long purple dress. Her short black hair blows wildly in the wind. "I am your friend, my dear. Come to me." Then she disappears and I hear her humming. Then she shouts, "You will soon be mine!"

I wake up at three in the morning, drenched in sweat. I hurry to my veranda and see two ghosts standing at the edge of the woods staring at me. Then they point at me and they scream, "She's coming! Get rid of the necklace! She's coming!" Then they are gone.

I sneak into James room and wake up Sam. He follows me to my room. He changes into his human form and covers his private parts. I blush and hand him some shorts. "What's up, Dalilah?" It takes me a while to realize he is talking because I am checking him out. I never really took a good look at him until now.

He is very muscular and his skin is a light brown. His shoulder length black hair shows his Indian heritage. I snap back to reality and tell him about my dream. "What do you think the riddle means?" He asks me. I bite my lip and shrug. "What is Elven blood anyways?" I question.

He thinks for a moment before he says, "My mother used to tell me stories about Elves when I was a pup. Not like Christmas elves, but mythical elves. They were beautiful mythical creatures with supernatural powers. But witches killed them off too. Witches killed off all the other mythical creatures to the point where they almost killed all the witches from how bad they wanted power."

I take this in and then grab my computer. I type in What is Elven blood? And the computer says the pure blood of the Elves in mythology. "How do you know someone is an Elf?" I ask. He replies with, "You have to taste their blood. It tastes like ice, I've been told."

Sam leans over my shoulder to look at the computer and he is so close I can smell him. He smells like the woods. I turn to face him. I put my hands on his shoulders and feel his breath quicken.

"Dalilah, don't do this unless you actually feel something for me." He looks me in the eyes. "I do. Every time we touch I feel sparks. I have been ignoring it because of James. I like you I really do." He hovers for a moment before he presses his lips to mine.