"Did you find the answers you were looking for?"
Killian wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he turned to face the woman who had spoken. She looked almost the same as the last time he'd seen her, only this time, her dark hair had been cut shorter and was now colored a bright shade of red. She'd changed into a pair of leather-effect pants and a soft white sweater, but underneath it all, Killian could still feel that ripple of power oozing from her.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
She said nothing as she took another step out of the shadows and into the light.
"What are you?" Killian tried again.
"You don't need to fear me, Killian Jones. I wish you no harm."
"That's not what I asked."
She didn't bother looking around as she crossed the busy street. Killian stood and watched dumbfounded as the cars traveling up and down the road seemed to slow to just the right speed to let her pass, before speeding back up again.
The closer she got, the more Killian could feel that unbridled power, barely contained by her small form. The air around him seemed to become charged by it, and for a moment, he worried that the guy exiting the building a few feet down would trigger an implosion when he sparked up one of the cigarettes he was pulling from his pocket.
Before he knew it, the red-head was standing right in front of him, so close that if Killian leaned forward, he'd probably knock her over.
"You already know who I am, Killian Jones. What you need to ask yourself is if you're ready to remember why."
"What does that even mean?" he whispered.
The stranger offered him a small smile The kind that he thought was supposed to be soft and reassuring, but it looked like she'd never had practice using it before. Her expression distracted him for a brief moment, and it gave her just enough time to raise her right hand and fit it over the space where his heart was beating strongly.
A wave of crippling emotion filled him suddenly. Pain and fear mixed with warmth and love. It was too much for his brain to process and far too much for his body to handle. There was a blinding light pressing at his eyes and Killian felt his knees buckle under the onslaught.
The rush of emotion was gone as quickly as it had come, and when Killian blinked his eyes open again, so was she.
He drove aimlessly for hours after that. Reverend Martin's words seemed to be playing on a loop as his mind searched for another way to explain them – any other way!
He assumed the mystery woman was connected to them. That she knew what had happened the night Reverend Martin spoke of. But the more Killian tried to force himself to remember her, the less he seemed to recall about her. Was her hair a bright red or a darker shade? Had it always been that color? How much longer had it been the last time he'd seen her?
He was starting to wonder if his brother had been right, and whether he had hallucinated the entire encounter when an idea struck him. He swung the Chevelle around suddenly, making an illegal U-turn as he headed straight for the motel, breaking every speed limit along the way.
Why hadn't he thought about it sooner? If this thing was as big as he thought it was, his father would have gone to the only other person he trusted for help. The only person he'd ever introduced both of his children to.
Liam met him outside their motel room, his brow furrowed with his concern. "Killian, what the hell happened? You've been gone for hours. I was just about to start calling around the local police stations to try and find you."
"Pack your shit, Liam. We're leaving."
"What? Why? What did Reverend Martin tell you? Do you know where Dad is?"
"Not exactly," Killian hedged. "But I think I might know someone who does."
Liam's brow creased with confusion as he watched his brother push his way into their room and begin throwing everything he owned back into a duffle bag.
"Are you gonna tell me what happened today?"
"Not until I've spoken to Granny."
"Granny?" Liam hadn't heard that name in years. "What's Granny got to do with all of this?"
"I don't know. But if Dad was in trouble, he'd have gone to Granny's. Now, are you coming or do you want me to leave you here?" Killian demanded.
Liam huffed at the sky for a moment as he considered his options. He needed to be back at school soon to take his exams. A trip to Granny's could end up being another unnecessary delay that would push him one step closer to failing. But whatever Reverend Martin had told his brother had clearly gotten under Killian's skin. There was no way Liam would be able to talk him out of the drive to Delaware any time soon, and he really didn't want to end up stranded in another state with only his dangerously-low savings to get him home.
"Fine! I'll come with you but then I'm going home, Killian. I can't keep doing this with you. I have a life back there. I have exams to take and a girlfriend waiting for me. You'll have to do the rest of this alone."
"Suit yourself," Killian said, barging his way past his brother with his bag slung over his shoulder. "I'll be in the car."
Liam watched as Killian made his over to the Chevelle before he finally headed back into the room to pack up his own meager belongings. After dropping off the keys at reception and leaving a small tip for the maid, Liam threw his bag into the back seat of the car before sliding down into the passenger's side.
"I suppose it's a waste of time asking if you want me to drive?"
"Yep," was all Killian said, before he cranked up the music and put the car into drive.
The Jones brothers left town that evening doing thirty over the speed limit, with AC/DC blasting from their speakers.
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
For those of you who don't know, I'm going through some difficult times personally at the moment both with my health and in my private life, so I'm afraid updates will remain sporadic for the time being because I just don't have the time or energy to dedicate to my fandom life right now.