Sins ch 7
Max looked up in shock; the guys were standing on the stairway. They all looked incredibly pissed off. "Oh shit," said Max. Caleb walked forward towards her. "How do you know about this place?' he asked " who are you?" said Tyler. Max backed away because they were all surrounding her. She suddenly felt very scared. "Ah Gorman a little help here" said Max.
"Gorman, Gorman showed you this place?" said Caleb. He still sounded pissed "no actually your Father invited her here, now do be so kind and let the young lady have some breathing room" said Gorman. Caleb stepped back and Max extricated herself from the center of the circle. Moving towards Gorman and the door. Pogue stepped between her and the stairs. "You're not going any where, until we have answers" he said and grabbed her upper arm.
" You will get your answers Mr. Parry, please sit down gentlemen and lady. The covenant members moved towards the seats surrounding the circle. Pogue dragged her with him, until Gorman laid his hand on his arm, staying him from dragging her further.
"Please allow Miss Rhyde to take her seat." Said Gorman "only covenant members sit at the circle, you know the rules Gorman, or we thought you did" said Pogue. "Please humor an old man" he said and pointed to the one seat that had always remained empty. Pogue released her arm and she took the proffered seat. Pogue sat down next to her and glared at her.
"It appears I have a lot of explaining to do," said Gorman. Max shifted nervously under their stares."Ah where to start?" said Gorman "why not from why she gets to sit at the circle and use our book" said Reid. "Or use in the first place" said Tyler.
"Yes well I suppose that's a good as place as any," said Gorman "she can sit at the circle and use the book, and use in the first place because she is a member of this covenant" said Gorman. "Say what?" said Caleb "all the families are accounted for" said Pogue.
Pogue rose to his feet and bunched his fists. "Yes that they are, and no she is not from the Putman line so forget that reasoning," said Gorman. Pogue and Caleb both sat back down but remained looking hostile towards her. "If she is not from the Putnam line then whose line is she from?" said Tyler
He at least sounded calm, confused but calm. "Well that's easy she's from one of your bloodlines," said Gorman. They looked absolutely shocked and were looking at each other than her. "Did she tell you that?" said Reid. "No her father did" said Gorman "who, who is her father?' said Caleb
Gorman sighed "this isn't an easy thing to say lad so I'm glad your already seated" said Gorman. "You see one of your fathers wasn't exactly faithful in his vows, of marriage that is," said Gorman. Caleb wiped his hands through his hair "spit it out Gorman" said Caleb the others looked at Reid for a second "what!" said Reid. "That man was James Danvers and Miss Rhyde here is the product of that one night of passion," said Gorman.
Caleb put his head in his hands; the room was silent after that statement.
Everyone was watching Caleb. He put his head up slowly and ran his hands down his face to his chin. He was looking at Max intently and it was starting to make her nervous. She was biting her lower lip and looking like the proverbial deer in the headlights. "How long?" said Caleb. "How long for what?' asked Gorman. "How long have you known about her?' said Caleb. Gorman sighed "your father knew about her from when she was age three, he was keeping an eye on her" said Gorman
"Why? The power is supposed to pass from male to male not females," said Pogue. "Yes well there is one exception in the book," said Gorman. "Show me this exception," said Caleb. The book responded by flipping to the appropriate pages and moving towards him. Caleb read over the informantion."He thought she was this balance?" said Caleb. He handed the book towards Reid and Tyler.
They both read the passage and passed it on to Pogue who also read it and glanced at Max after doing so. She looked nervous and scared. The boys kept watching her; Caleb was staring at her openly. "Why did you take till now to show up?" he asked Max "I didn't know," she answered "nothing not even about your father?" said Tyler.
Caleb glanced at him and he shut up. "No, my mother used to throw his letters away, I thought he died years ago" she said softly. Caleb looked pained for a moment and then really sad.
"And when you started developing your powers, what then?" asked Pogue "I thought I was going crazy at first" she answered.
"And your mother, how did she deal with them" asked Reid. "I never really told her, I just did stuff in secret, I didn't want her to flip," she answered. "So you never really had anyone train you?" said Tyler. 'No why?' she said "when did they show up?' asked Tyler "oh at about twelve" she answered. Caleb had remained remarkably quiet during the whole conversation. Max spared a glance at him he was watching her still. "Tell me about her?' said Caleb "about who?" asked Max "your mother, I want to know" Caleb said.
"Well she used to be an exotic dancer, she stopped for awhile after she had me until she got her figure back that was" said Max 'then she worked until I was about fourteen and she got hurt on the job" said Max "how do you get hurt being an exotic dancer?" said Tyler.
"The roof collapsed above the stage, they said it was water damage" she said "but you feel responsible? Why?" said Caleb "I was mad at her for something stupid and she blew me off before she got on stage" said Max "things just kind of happen when I get mad" said Max.
"You don't use all that often do you?' said Tyler "no, not anymore" said Max "why not?' said Reid "it scares me I guess" she answered "your afraid you'll hurt someone?" said Pogue. She nodded, yes "well if what the book says is true, you need to learn" said Tyler "yeah I know a whole lot real fast" said Max.
"Tell me about you" said Caleb "where did you grow up, go to school, tell me everything" said Caleb. He still seemed like he was dazed slightly. Max sighed well here goes nothing " grew up all over, but mostly in California. My mom worked until I was about fourteen and I used to sit back stage with the girls until they went on" said Max "we lived actually she still lives in Compton, I went to school there" said Max. "You went to school in Compton?" said Pogue "and we scared you?" said Pogue. "I'm only one your four" said max in explanation. Pogue chuckled he had hit a nerve and he knew it.
"So I take it dad paid for you to come here," said Caleb."Yeah, I think he was trying for awhile now to do so but my mom just took the money he sent and blew it on stupid shit" she said. "He sent you money?" said Caleb. "Yeah that's the only thing that got through," said Max.
"Why did you need the money?' said Caleb. "My family's not exactly well off" she said " that's kinda why I took up pool sharking, didn't know we were getting money every so many months" said Max.
"Why did you go through it so fast?' asked Reid. "Mom, mostly she had a problem with weed and speed for awhile, plus expensive tastes on a food stamp budget," said Max.
Caleb looked sad for a moment then he stood up and walked forward. He walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her."Max will you do me a favor?' asked Caleb "yeah sure, what is it?" she asked "give me time to deal, with this, with you, with having a sister" he said. She touched his forehead and brushed back the hair hanging in his face. "Take as long as you need" she said. He put his arms around her "thank you" he whispered into her hair.