The Truth about Broken Trees (Light Keeper Series Book 3)

by Kelly Hall

  “Talon’s mad at me, too.” I nervously chewed my lip.

  “Well, if it makes you feel better, I’m not mad at you. Go home, get some sleep. Things will be better in the morning.” He flashed his sympathetic big brother smile at me and shut the window.

  I thought about going home, crawling into my bed and giving up on the day, but something drew me into the darkness of Bragg Road, and soon I ended up halfway to the end of our little drive. The cold autumn wind blew past me and stirred the pine straw at my feet. Leaves brushed by my shoes as I stopped to take a look behind me. The darkness stretched down the road and the woods seemed alive with noisy nocturnals.

  I realized that the scene could have been taken right out of my last vision. Except this time, I knew exactly which way was which. I stood in the road and contemplated, and then I started walking.

  The darkness ahead didn’t end, and I knew it went on for miles before I would reach the shack. The last time I took this walk alone, it didn’t end well. I started to get nervous about the flashlight. What if my batteries ran out? I could call the Light, but it might be risky with Kevin out there somewhere waiting.

  My fear of the dark winning out, I turned back toward home, to the little row of red reflectors that marked the main drive. There stood a figure in the darkness beside them. I gasped and stepped back, nearly turning to run, but this shadow blocked me from my safest destination.

  “Sorry,” Owen said, stepping forward. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Owen.” Relief quenched the panic that had spread through me.

  I rushed to hug him, but he stepped away. “Don’t, Lily.” He waved me back. “There’s no wall between us now.” He stared at his feet as he kicked at the dirt anxiously. Unfairly, I had put him on the spot before.

  “I’m sorry Owen, I couldn’t tell you. Granny had me promise and ...”

  “And I know. Let’s just drop it, okay? I’ve heard enough excuses for one day.” His voice fell. He looked weary too. His eyes, still slightly puffy, appeared heavy. I gave him a nod of understanding.

  “So, still taking off on your own?” He motioned to the long stretch behind me and then raised a brow. “A normal person would have learned her lesson; so naturally, I didn’t trust you to go home to bed.” I took his teasing without a reply and started walking back toward the houses.

  “Giving up already?” With his chin tucked, he looked up at me. “Didn’t you have somewhere to go?”

  I shrugged. “Just blowing off some steam before heading back home, believe it or not.”

  “Let’s walk.” He held out his hand and closed the gap between us and I took it without hesitation. We walked about ten minutes before trying to make conversation, and then Owen broke the silence. “I’ll answer your question, Lily, if you answer one for me.”

  I swallowed hard realizing I didn’t want to be put on the spot any more than he did. “You don’t have to. I shouldn’t have asked you that before.” I didn’t think I’d be any happier with the answer.

  His brows pinched tight then furrowed as he chewed his lip. “At the time, yes, it seemed pretty cruel, but now, now I understand. Besides, I need to know something.” I was afraid of what he’d ask me so I took a deep breath and prepared for what he had to say.

  We glanced at each other, our eyes meeting just for a moment before I looked away. “I just want to know, if ... well, have you ever thought about how it would have been if you had chosen me? If I had ever been a choice? Like before?”

  I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. He waited on my answer and by the way his face fell I could tell I’d let him down. “Yes,” I answered. “I have thought about it.” His brows rose as if he wanted more details. I didn’t quite know what to say.

  “Well, was it good or bad?” He stared through me awaiting an answer.

  “It was ... awkward, Owen.” I looked away. I didn’t want to tell him I only thought it awkward because it really didn’t bother me so much.

  “Oh, I should have guessed, I ...”

  “Hey,” I interrupted. “Is it getting colder to you?” I felt goose bumps creep up my arm and my chin quivered. Owen shook his head.

  “Lily, I ...” He began to give me his answer.

  “No, Owen. Please don’t. Not right now.” He slouched, defeated, and we continued until we finally reached the shack.

  ***

  The warmth of the shack was nice compared to the cold, windy road. The daytime heating hadn’t left it completely, and though we’d found a nice escape from the chilling breeze, it was still drafty. I unzipped my coat and pushed off my hood, which had come in handy after the wind had suddenly picked up on the way.

  Owen took the chaise next to my chair and lay back. “If I fall asleep, just ignore the snoring.” I stifled a laugh as he finally admitted his snoring problem.

  “You might scare away my Light,” I teased. “Besides, I need you alert.”

  “You mean, you’re really gonna summon it?” He sat up and looked at me, his eyes filled with suspicion. “What’s so important?”

  “I’ve been trying to see if I can find out anything about your mom and your real dad.”

  “William Riley was my real dad as far as I’m concerned. Am I supposed to be curious about someone who hasn’t ever cared about me?”

  “Aren’t you just a little?”

  He shook his head while he thought about it. “Yeah, a little, I guess, but what does it matter? She’ll never tell me who he is. She’s nothing but trash, and even with all the money, which is pretty awesome, Granny won’t let us near it to try and make her an offer. Not that I’d pay her.”

  My chin trembled as I sighed. “Owen, I’m sorry. I wish I could have told you. I wanted to protect you.”

  “I know, but best it’s all out in the open. I don’t have to wonder about my mom and what she’s like. I guess that’s why I’m hesitant about my dad. What if he’s just as bad?” He put his head down and kicked at an empty chair.

  “There’s only one way to find out. I’ll help you find him. I’ll even be with you when you meet him, if you want. What does Hunter say about it?”

  “He’d like to meet him just once to ask him why, see if he even knew about us, and if he’s got any major medical issues we need to know about. Not that it matters, since we have the Water.” He threw his hands up. “I’d just like to know what he looks like. Who he is? What his name is?”

  “I’ll help you.” I put my hand on his knee.

  “I know you will,” he said softly. “You’re good to me, Lily. That’s why I love you. I’ve always loved you.” He could barely speak it, his voice cracking on the words. “You asked me about my limits. I want to be honest with you. Now that I know the wall is no longer there, I can’t help but want you more than ever. The only way I feel cheated is having missed out on a chance with you. But I’ll respect whatever you want.” He looked at the floor, afraid to look at me.

  “Owen.” I started to tell him that things were as they should be. That I wanted to be his friend, that I still loved him, but mostly as I did before, as family.

  “I know—awkward, right? Think of how awkward I feel. How I’ve felt this whole time.” His mouth turned down and he lay back on the noisy cushion.

  I hated seeing him upset. I wanted him to be happy. If I had to call the Light to help him I would. I’d even risk another encounter with Kevin Hilliard to try and find answers for him, but hopefully, he wouldn’t be a problem. I pulled out my flask and opened it.

  The chilly night air made it harder to drink the cold Water and I wondered for the first time if it could actually freeze. We’d have to experiment sometime. Since the flask needed a refill, I gave Owen the last sip. After returning it to my pocket, I held out my hand to summon the Light. Owen’s eyes widened as he watched me. His mouth hung open in amazement.

  The Light came to meet my hand and I peered at it, staring deep into its core, while my body lit from within and my hair sprang to life.


  I concentrated on LeAnn, Hunter, and Owen, and found myself standing in sunshine in front of an unfamiliar house.

  The old white shiplap structure had peeling paint, which probably contained lead, and black framed windows that someone had covered with foil from within. The stone pavers that led to the house were overgrown with weeds and grass, but I followed them up the path, up the creaking wooden steps to the small porch and a blue-framed screen door. Moths rested on the screen, waiting for the night, and didn’t move an inch when I opened it and peeked inside the lowest of three diamond-shaped windows.

  Other than a chair, and what could possibly be the end of a tattered sofa, nothing else was visible inside the dark house. Someone lived there, though it appeared no one was home.

  Suddenly I heard noises from inside and I backed away from the door. Then it stopped. I peeked in again to check it out.

  Feeling like the victim in a horror story, I reached for the door knob, as my inner voice screamed “Don’t’ go in there!” I should have listened to it because when I touched the knob it turned into a hand—a hand that grabbed mine. My scream ripped through the silence.

  Kevin Hilliard melted out of the door towards me, grasping my hand harder and harder until I thought it would break. I tried to break free, but he held me tight in his strong grip. He pushed me backwards down the steps and off the porch. “You miss me?”

  His slimy voice caused a chill to roll up my back. “I told you, you aren’t welcome here.” I winced as he twisted my arm backwards.

  “I told you that I’m going to take that Light. I want it. Like I want a lot of other things. Things you refused to give me before.” He stroked my hair with his free hand and kissed my neck. His lips felt cold as death. His tongue was cold as an icicle as it licked my flesh. Fighting to get away, I choked back bile, but couldn’t let him see me as weak.

  I struck him and surprisingly he let me go, throwing me to the ground once again. I looked up and quickly stood to my feet. “You are nothing. I’m not afraid of you. I won’t give you any power over me.” I put up a brave façade even though inside I was petrified.

  “I bet you wish I were dead!” He laughed wickedly. “Talon’s not as perfect as you make him out to be. He couldn’t even get killing me right.” He watched my expression closely, and his eyes brightened. “You don’t like me mentioning him, do you? Always so protective of one another, aren’t you? But where is he now? Did he find someone else to protect?”

  “You can’t get to him. You can’t even touch our world.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it. I have ways to get to what I want, and you really have no idea what’s possible in “our world” as you call it.”

  “I’ll find a way to stop you,” I threatened.

  “You?” He threw his head back and laughed. “You won’t even see me coming.” His eyes lit up and he gave another wicked, creepy laugh. Then he passed right through me, knocking me to the ground again.

  I lay there, silent, trying to catch my breath. My chest felt as though someone had dropped an anvil on it. It burned with heat as though something had burst deep within. I closed my eyes and concentrated, and when I opened them again I lay on the floor inside the shack. He’s coming. The words rang through my mind. Was this who the little old lady from my nightmare tried to warn me about? She’d said, “He’s coming.” Did she mean Kevin?

  Owen lay next to me, covering his eyes. “Owe ...” I coughed, trying to say his name. “Owen?” He rubbed his eyelids and then focused on me.

  “Lily, are you okay?” He squatted on the floor covering his eyes. “What was that flash of blue in the Light?” Owen rubbed his palms on his eyes and then helped me up. “Did you see it? The Light got brighter for a second, so bright I could feel the heat. I can barely see a thing.”

  “Just give your eyes time to adjust,” I whispered with a raspy voice, holding my chest.

  “You sound strange; are you hurt?” He sounded off too, anxious and helpless.

  “Maybe a little.” I took a deep breath and the pain shot across my chest. “Oh!” I winced. “I’m okay,” I lied.

  “Lily,” he said, leaning over me. He blinked a few times and then looked into my eyes. “What happened?”

  I had to tell him. The words spilled out of my mouth in a rush like water from a fountain. “It’s Kevin; he’s not going to stop. He said he’s got ways to get what he wants. That I’ll never see him coming.”

  “Kevin’s dead.” He blinked a few times as if trying to make sense of my rambling. “Wait, you saw him just now? He did this?” His face twisted. “What a bad idea. I’ve got to get you home.” As soon as the words left his mouth, as if to kick us while down, it started to rain.

  The drops fell hard on the rusted roof and before we could even comment on it, it got harder. “A very bad idea.”

  Breath from his warm mouth mixed with the cold. “Yeah, we’re screwed.” He opened his phone and checked the time. “It’s after two o’clock.”

  “Can’t you call Hunter?” I touched the tender mark on my chest which appeared more like a burn than a bruise.

  “I’ll try. I just hope he has his phone on. He usually turns it down at night.”

  “It’s getting colder by the minute,” I complained. Owen sat closer to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder to keep me warm.

  “I’m sorry.” I lay my head on his shoulder.

  “So am I. Hunter’s voice mail picked up. His volume’s down.” He looked into my eyes again and I could see the pain in them. “Lily? Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “No,” I whispered, tugging at the neck of my shirt. “It’s my chest.”

  “What?” He saw where I’d pulled my shirt down and took a look. “Oh, my gosh, Lily!” His eyes widened and then narrowed again as the anger built. “You could have been killed.”

  “I wasn’t, though. I’ll just take more Water and I’ll be fine.” I pulled out my empty flask and moaned. “We’ll have to refill.” My eyes closed tight as I realized the pain wouldn’t be gone any time soon at this rate. Owen fumed.

  “I should have made you save the last of it.” He bit his lip. “Sorry, Lily.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll survive until we can get back home. It’s not like we planned this.” Owen started to panic and I needed him calm, mostly because if he remained calm, then I would too.

  “Are you okay? Really? I mean, do you need a doctor?” He rocked nervously till I answered.

  “No, I’m really fine. It looks worse than it is,” I lied, starting to wonder if he’d broken my ribs. “I’m just sore. I don’t know why it takes so long to heal, but it’s a good thing I’d drunk some Water or no telling how bad it would be.” The Water in my system had shielded some of the blow and lessened it. If I hadn’t taken the Water, I probably would have died on impact. “We have school tomorrow,” I reminded him. I must have been in shock to even think it mattered. It’s strange the things that run through your mind at such times.

  “Let me try Hunter again.” He poked at his phone and after a second, he let out a groan. “Nope, it’s no use. Maybe Talon would come? You should be warm and safe, Lily. I’m so sorry. I should’ve let you go home when you wanted to. I should have never encouraged you to come out here.”

  “It’s not your fault. I came to your window, remember? Besides, you can’t control the weather.” I took a deep breath and winced. “As for Talon, I’d rather freeze to death than call him right now. I say we wait out the rain and then sneak back home, give the Water more time. We can set my phone alarm for an hour, get some sleep and by then, maybe it will have stopped and maybe I will be better.”

  “And suffer and freeze until then? The Water should be working. Something’s terribly wrong, Lily.” He gritted his teeth.

  “You can call Granny if you want.” I suggested, knowing all too well he’d rather freeze, too.

  “No, I’m calling Talon.” His eyes met mine directly, awaiting my protest. “He hates me anyway, and if I’m lu
cky, maybe he’ll throw a punch.” He pulled out his phone and dialed. I couldn’t let him do it. I needed to be the one to call Talon. I knew I had to do it or he’d be even more furious that I didn’t and he’d surely take it out on Owen.

  “No, let me.” I grabbed the phone away hearing it ring when it met my ear. Talon kept his phone on his nightstand so it shouldn’t take that long to answer. On the fifth ring, he did.

  “This had better be important, Riley.” He threatened pretty well for someone who’d been sleeping.

  “It’s me. Lily.” I didn’t wait for a response, “Could you come to the shack and get me? It’s raining and we’re stuck.”

  “What? You’re with Owen?” I could hear him shuffling around.

  “Yes, please, I need you to get Hunter and come get us in the car. Please, I’m hurt.”

  “What do you mean you’re hurt?” His voice was practically a growl. “Just stay there, we’re on our way!” The phone went dead.

  Owen stared at me and his eyes flashed as I moaned in pain. He stood to his feet, taking off his coat and one of his two shirts. “Here, take this and bundle up.”

  I could sense something in his voice; a hidden plan. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to get you more Water. You’re lying about the pain; I can tell it is bad.”

  “No!” He would freeze out there. The rain poured steady and he’d be soaked.

  “Yes, Lily. You know the well is not that far. I’ll be gone five minutes tops. I promise. Just wait for them to get here and don’t leave without me.”

  “There’s only one flashlight.” I’d have to send it with him, leaving me alone in the dark shack. It terrified me and I couldn’t chance calling the Light with Kevin running loose, especially with Owen leaving me alone. “No, please just wait with me.”

  “Lily, you’ll be fine. I have to go get the Water. My stash is low at home anyway; you’ll need plenty for those bruises. No telling what’s going on inside of you.” He pulled out his phone and poked at it till I heard mine ring in my pocket. “Here. I’ll talk to you while I’m gone, the whole time, and I’ll hurry. I’m going, Lily.” And before I could protest more, he ran out, leaving me in the dark, my phone still ringing.