by KB Anne
“No, Webster.”
He stopped cutting and looked up at me. “Webster, where’s Webster?”
“Webster, New York. It’s near Rochester and Lake Ontario. He moved up to Webster with his aunt in the summer. We had a class together, but we didn’t talk or anything. A week or so ago, I got into some trouble, and he saved me.”
The knife paused in the air. Ben turned to look at me again. “What sort of trouble?”
Before I could answer, Christian walked into the room and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “Are you flirting with my girlfriend the second I’m sleeping?”
I never thought of myself as Christian’s girlfriend, but I suppose I was. I liked the sound of that—Christian’s girlfriend.
Ben snorted as he turns on the front burner. A low steady blue and orange flame kissed the bottom of the frying pan. Within seconds, the oil sizzled. “From what I hear you were out all afternoon.”
“Just a bit.” Christian released me and stretched his arms. His fingertips just grazed the ceiling. I gazed at him in amazement. I never realized how tall he was.
“Feeling better?”
He kissed the top of my head. “With you around, I feel like a million bucks. Where’s Coda?”
“Coda ran home to change. He’ll be back to eat. I’m making wild onions and eggs with fried hominy.”
He rushed over to peek over Ben’s shoulder. “Are you serious? That’s my favorite. I haven’t had that since my last visit.”
Ben swept the spring onions into the frying pan. “I figured. You can’t get our specialties just anywhere. Plus, it’s spring so the wild onions are fresh. Starr tells me you moved up to Webster last summer.”
Christian returned to my side. Smiling, he pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. “Yup. Aunt B wanted me to live with her. She thought I needed a change of scenery.” My ear tingled all over as his fingers skimmed the top of it. He smiled down at me. “She was right.”
I could have stared into his eyes all night and listened to them talk, but they needed time to catch up without me around. “Hey Ben, could I hop in the shower before the food’s ready?”
“Sure, you’ll find towels in the linen closet,” he said.
The sweet aroma of his cooking followed me down the hallway. My mouth watered at the smell as I imagined what Christian’s favorite food tasted like.
I couldn’t wait to take a hot shower and escape from my troubles for a little while, although I knew all too well, that trouble had a tendency to find me.
Chapter Thirty-Five
On my way back to the kitchen after my shower, I stopped because I heard raised voices.
“Christian, calm down,” Ben said quietly as if he was trying to keep the family dog from waking up the rest of the house. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wondered if a girl you just met is worth all this trouble.”
“She is worth all this and more,” Christian said, sounding loud and angry. He didn’t care who heard their conversation. “Do you know what I was like after my parents died?”
Before Ben can respond, Christian continued. “I wore black, all black, every single day. I didn’t go outside. I hung out by myself in dark coffee shops. I avoided contact with most people. I didn’t play soccer, basketball, or baseball no matter how often the coaches begged me to play. I didn’t do anything. Starr saved me.” The passion in his voice brought tears to my eyes.
“What do you mean she saved you?” Ben sounded bitter and mad. “You were nearly beaten to death a few days ago because of her.”
I grimaced clutching my stomach. I felt like someone just punched me.
“She did save me. Ben, I wasn’t me. I was slowly dying piece by piece every day. My parents’ death destroyed me. When I heard what happened to Starr, I had to find her. I felt myself again. I feel myself again, but even better, and it’s because of her. She makes me happy.”
“You could have called us. We would have come to see you,” Ben said, his words thick with emotion. A stray tear ran down my cheek, and I swiped it away. Cousins, brothers really, shouldn’t fight because of me.
“I cut off everything and everyone. I didn’t want any other reminders of my past. I’m sorry buddy, but that included you too. And for the record, what happened to me the other night had nothing to do with Starr.”
I could imagine the “yeah, right” look coming from Ben.
“Seriously, dude. They didn’t ask one thing about Starr. I don’t know why they kidnapped me, but Starr saved my life.”
I took a deep breath and decided to enter the kitchen. “What did I do?”
With spatula in hand, Ben swallowed back whatever he was about to say. Christian pulled me into his lap. “Saved my life the other day.”
I kissed him on the cheek. “Only returning the favor.”
“I was just telling Ben about the other night and just remembered something.” He picked a piece of fuzz off my shirt, not that he needed an excuse to touch me, but I liked the attention.
“What’s that?”
“The guy who interrogated me was mid-fifties, military air, tall and hardcore. I assume he’s your General?”
“Sounds like him,” I whispered. I thought I might throw up. Christian just confirmed my worst fear: that he was beaten by the General.
“He didn’t ask me one thing about you. He only said I could get blamed for your death.”
Anger exploded through me. Flickering rifled through my body, and I fought to control it. Christian’s embrace suddenly felt too restrictive.
“How could you get blamed for something you had nothing to do with?” I hissed at him.
He winced angling away from me. “Hey, I’m innocent. The General implied he had the power to make things look any way he wanted whether I did it or not. He asked me who I was working for, but he didn’t ask one thing about you. I don’t even think he knew you and I were together.”
I chewed the corner of my lip in grim disbelief. “How can that be possible? What would he want with you? Something doesn’t add up.”
Before Christian could reply, Coda walked in dressed in a football jersey and baggy jeans, much different than the blue scrubs I’ve gotten used to seeing him in.
“You’re just in time for dinner,” Ben said.
Coda stood up tall and put his hands on his jersey and held it like a dinner jacket. “My timing has always been impeccable.” He leaned in to me and in true Coda fashion whispered, “Watch me disappear before cleanup.”
“Oh, you’re cleaning up tonight. I cooked, Christian’s clearly out, and Starr is my guest. You, buddy, are cleanup crew,” Ben says as he puts plates and utensils out for everyone.
“Well, if I have to clean,” he snapped, “dinner better be good.” He shoved a napkin into the collar of the jersey as a bib.
“And if it isn’t?” Ben tightened his fist and leered at Coda. There was something primal, almost animal-like in the power he manifested in that stare.
“Oh nothing. You’re such a great cook. I’ll be happy to clean up.” He batted his eyes at Ben. We all burst out laughing. With Coda around, every moment was filled with laughter.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Ben, this is amazing!” Christian said between mouthfuls.
I took a bite and waited for the onion, hominy, egg blend to reach my taste buds, but nothing happened. No kick, no spice, no knock your socks off flavor. The dish reminded me of down home style cooking or as my mom called it, feel good food.
My poor mom and dad. I couldn’t imagine what they must have been going through, but at least they were safe. As long as I didn’t contact them and kept my distance, the General and the Organization gained nothing by involving them.
Not another word was spoken during the meal. The guys were too busy stuffing their faces to bother talking. In no time at all, Christian pushed away from the table and folded his hands behind his head, looking content. “Ah man, that was awesome! I’m stuffed.”
“Definitely outdid
yourself, Ben!” Coda copied Christian’s pose.
“Yeah Ben, I really liked it.” I stood up and started clearing the table.
“Don’t even think about it,” Ben said to me. “Coda’s got this.”
Coda continued to sit in a food coma, acting like he didn’t hear anything. It was convincing until Ben knocked him on the side of his head.
“Ah man!” he rubbed the side of his jaw. We started cracking up again.
“Hey man, you eat, you clean,” Ben reminded him. “Why don’t you two go outside? We’ll come out when we’re finished.”
Christian grabbed my hand and led me out the backdoor. In the yard, there was a table with chairs, a hammock, and a few lounge chairs, and a small clay chiminea—exactly like most of my friends’ backyards. I headed over to one of the lounge chairs in the yard. I shook my head in disbelief. The Cherokee were just like everyone else.
“No, this way,” he said, pointing to the hammock. I grabbed a chair to drag it over with me. “Nah-uh, you’re with me.”
He stretched across the hammock. Then he patted the spot next to him. I had never spent a second of my life in a hammock. I tried to hop into it as gracefully as he did, but I was all elbows and knees. I landed on his side in a disastrous attempt to avoid hurting him. He yelped in pain and I tried to get up, but he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back down.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m hurting you,” I cried, struggling to sit back up. “I’ll go sit in the lounge chair.”
“You just caught me by surprise. No big deal. You’re not leaving my side,” he replied in a strong, low voice leaving no room for argument.
I cozied up close to him and looked at the sky. A dark shade of purple blanketed the night. A crescent moon hung low on the eastern horizon. It was the first time I had ever paid much attention to the night sky, any sky for that matter. Christian opened my eyes to new worlds I never knew existed but leave it to me to never be content for long.
“So I was thinking,” I started to say.
“You’re not trying to get rid of me are you? Do I need to start kissing you again?”
“No,” I giggled. “I would prefer to keep you safe, but clearly, that didn’t work. No, I was wondering why the Organization picked you up.”
“The General thought it was odd that I disappeared days after you went missing. Then when I rented horses from the ranch, he thought it was more than coincidence. He thinks I’m working for somebody. I can’t believe I used a credit card—that was so stupid!” He hit his fist into his head. “I used cash for everything except for the horses…and that freaking ranch had to be a front for the Organization. What are the chances of that?”
Great job Starr—way to upset him.
“Christian, it’s not your fault. Please, don’t take the blame. It’s my fault, all my fault.” I tried to pull his hands down from his face, but he was like a wall I couldn’t penetrate. After a few minutes of inner struggle, he dropped his hands. “He kept asking me who I worked for, and he brought up my parents…” He sat up, looking to me for an answer. “What do my parents have to do with anything?”
I shrugged, and he dropped back down on the hammock.
He buried his head in my hair. “Thank god, he didn’t know you were with me or they would have left someone at the barn. If anything happened to you…”
“Was it that bad?” I feared the answer with all my heart. His body stiffened for an instant before releasing. He pulled away from my hair and set his head back on the hammock without saying a word.
It was worse.
Why the hell did the General beat the crap out of Christian and what do his parents have to do with anything? It didn’t make any sense. I hated puzzles I couldn’t solve. Was it possible our lives were more entwined than we realized? Our lives pulled down the same path unbeknownst to each other. Could he be fae too? He was otherworldly gorgeous and supernaturally fast and strong, so maybe, but I wasn’t sure how I would broach that subject.
The screen door banged shut. I could hear Coda and Ben jabbering back and forth. I jumped up, happy for the distraction because I couldn’t let my mind wander down a path I wasn’t ready to follow. A path I couldn’t follow until I knew Christian was safe because that was all that mattered right now.
Christian sat up too and swung his legs over the side of the hammock. I snuggled up to him again. Coda and Ben pulled up lounge chairs, and we chatted the night away. The laughter made us forget what happened. It made us forget who was after us. Unfortunately for me, my life never stayed normal and as much as I tried to control every aspect of it, my life rarely went according to plan. For the moment, I filed my worries away and pretended to be just a run-of-the-mill, happy-go-lucky teenager without a care in the world. What a lovely fantasy.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Bright sunshine warmed my face. Even though we were up until the wee hours of the morning, I wasn’t the least bit sleepy. The corners of my lips turned into a smile.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” Christian sang next to me. His excitement was contagious.
“Good morning,” I replied. “How are you feeling today?”
“Fantastic!” He smiled. “I’m good as new.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “How ‘bout I make breakfast for everyone?”
“How about we make breakfast for Ben, although I’m not sure if he has any blueberry muffin mix,” he teased.
Rather than fighting with him, insisting that he should stay in bed, I followed him into the kitchen. Sometimes it just wasn’t worth it to argue a stubborn person—I of all people knew that.
In the kitchen, we rummaged through the cupboards on the hunt for pancake ingredients. I tried not to make a sound, but whenever I found an egg…, the oil…, the flour…, the baking soda…, Christian happy danced—he clapped his hands together and jumped up and down. His body was covered with bruises, cuts, and whip marks, but somehow he could act like a total cornball—totally hilarious. So much for being quiet.
Ben shuffled into the kitchen. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned.
“Did we wake you?” Christian asked with a sheepish grin.
“Little hard to sleep with you two making such a racket,” he grumbled. He reminded me of a bear coming out of hibernation a month early—hungry and dangerous.
“We’re making you breakfast.” I held up the bowl of batter, as we batted our eyelashes at him, doing our best to disarm him with good intention.
He grinned. “Well, let’s dig in. By the way, I have to work today, but I’m off tomorrow. Maybe we can do something.”
Christian swallowed his mouthful of pancakes. “What day is it anyway?”
“Dude, it’s Wednesday. You need to join the land of the living.”
“Oh, I’m ready to do more than join the living,” Christian grinned, winking at me.
Ben choked on his pancakes. “Gross, man.”
I barely heard the banter. My mind was stuck on Thursday. Thursday, I was supposed to do something on Thursday…Oh my god. I almost forgot—I told Jude I’d meet him on Thursday. If Ben’s off, maybe I could meet him after all.
“Sounds great! I’m going to take Starr up to the falls today.”
Ben and I looked over at him in surprise. Ben asked the question that was on my mind. “Are you up to it?”
Another forkful of pancake hovered inches from his mouth. “I feel great. How many times do I have to tell the two of you? I haven’t been up to the falls for over two years. It’s an easy hike, really more like a walk, and it’s less than a mile.”
Tall, lean Christian exemplified physical fitness and health except for the bruises and whip marks across his arms and face although his injuries looked a lot better than they did yesterday. He must be a super-fast healer—just add that to his already long list of attributes. His eyes sparkled with excitement. There was no way either one of us could say “no” to him. “Alright,” we replied together, making us a
ll laugh.
Ben wiped off his plate and put it in the dishwasher. “I’m off to work. Tomorrow night’s the story telling and council meeting. Christian, you can talk to Chief Michell then.”
“What…,” I asked but didn’t get to finish my thought because I got a mouthful of Christian. When he finally pulled away, I couldn’t even remember what I was going to ask him. I sat back in my chair trying to catch my breath. “What was that for?”
“A good morning kiss.”
“If that’s a good morning kiss, I wonder what a good afternoon one is like.”
“You’ll just have to wait and find out, won’t you? Now come on, let’s get our shoes on. You are going to love the falls.” He threw me my sneakers. “Hurry!”
I shook my head in disbelief, as I slipped on my shoes. Just days ago the General beat and tortured him within inches of his life, and now, I couldn’t keep up with him.
He rushed me out the door the second my laces were tied and pulled me down the street. Robins and swallows sang an early morning greeting for us. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. An absolutely perfect day, but the wheels in my brain never took a holiday.
“So, I was thinking…,” I began to say.
“Do I have to kiss you again? It is about time for your mid-morning kiss.” He leaned over.
“No!” I laughed, pulling away. “I was thinking maybe I could meet Jude tomorrow.”
He stopped and looked at me. “Aren’t you happy here? Don’t you want to stay a little longer?”
There was sadness in his eyes. Sadness I caused.
“No, it’s great. I want to stay for a while, especially so you can get some rest.” He scoffed at me as if the concept of rest was beneath him. “But Jude is our only link to the Organization. He’s our only chance to find out who is after me.” And you, I added mentally, knowing it would have no impact on him.
