Soul Remembered (Soul Series Book 2)

by Laura Winter

  “What?” I looked around and realized sunlight was streaming through the window. “Oh.”

  Nate kept his eyes closed and breathed deep. “Were you up all night in the library?”

  “Yeah, I guess I was. But it’s fine because Finnley was on to something,” I said, plopping down to wait for Nate to fully wake up.

  He sat up and stretched. “House, you better start locking her in the bedroom at night.” Nate waited for House to agree with him before continuing. “What did you figure out?”

  “Finnley thought there was a power beacon that could identify people with powers or locate other power sources. It acted as a signaling device for other power signatures. Finnley was trying to make one at the school the night the Cold Soul interfered. Other than that, nothing has worked.” I tried to stifle a yawn but Nate saw it. Now that I was sitting in bed, I was starting to realize how tired I was.

  “If Finnley didn’t get it to work, why are you so excited?” he asked, frowning.

  “Because we don’t have to get it to work,” I replied, smiling.

  Nate shook his head. “C, once again, I’m not following. Just spit out your idea.”

  “We don’t have to make a beacon, we just have to steal Jackson’s.”

  He looked at me and rolled his eyes. “You need to get some sleep. When you wake up, you’ll realize how ridiculous that idea is. Breaking into The Imperium full of who knows how many people with powers to steal a beacon from a guy who already doesn’t like you and knows how to dampen your powers? That’s not going to go well.”

  My shoulders sunk as I lost my excitement. “When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound like as good of an idea as I thought it would.”

  “I know. And I know this because I got a full night of sleep,” he said, wrapping his arms around me to pull me back down in bed. “I’m not letting go until you fall asleep. I can’t have you sneaking back into the library for more crazy ideas.”

  27

  Nate

  Clara was still a little upset that her idea didn’t sound as good as she thought it would. The idea wasn’t really the problem. Finding a beacon was a great plan, but stealing some unknown looking item from the middle of The Imperium protected by people who already didn’t like us was the issue. It was no surprise that our parents didn’t like the plan either.

  I plopped down on the couch in the living room. “I don’t understand why we need to find the beacon anyway. We already know what powers Luci has.”

  Clara frowned at me while she paced back and forth. “Aren’t you curious to see if it can help us figure out our powers?”

  “That is a good point,” my dad chimed in, shrugging.

  Ellie and my mom snapped their heads to glare at him. “Tom!”

  “What?” He shook his head. “I’m not advocating we steal this thing. But we wanted to know why these two are special, and a beacon could be the answer.”

  Clara finally stopped pacing and sat next to me on the couch, sighing. “Finnley couldn’t figure out how to make one so our only option is the one Jackson has. Unless we happen to run across a beacon while strolling along in the woods.”

  “We don’t even know if a beacon is possible. Jackson could have a different method of tracking people. This is just Finnley’s theory,” Ellie commented, holding her hands up defensively as Clara gave her the side eye. “It’s a good theory, but it’s still just a theory.”

  My mom shook her head. “Look, you two are supposed to be going back to normal lives. Let Jackson run his Imperium and you focus on college. In the grand scheme of things, this really isn’t important.”

  I set my hand on Clara’s back as she folded her arms, disappointed. “C, we wanted to distance ourselves from all of this. We can let Jackson continue whatever he wants to do and we are free to do our own thing.”

  “What’s he even doing with that place? Shouldn’t we be concerned?” Clara asked, looking around to a lot of apathetic faces.

  “Look,” I said, pulling her closer. “He’s an ass, but it just looked like he was running something similar to The Complex. He’s been doing this for some time, and it’s not really our job to interfere anyway.”

  Ellie leaned forward. “Keep in mind, his family has been running that place since the Original Complex. His grandfather was just a teen when all that happened, but clearly was able to build that place and a family. I’m sure there’s mostly similarities between his place and ours. All we did was protect our people and train them to be responsible with their abilities.”

  I heard Clara growl in the back of my head. Every reminder that her dad and Aidan had gone against The Complex and messed with her made The Complex that much more incompetent in her mind. And if we were trying to convince her that Jackson wasn’t a threat, comparing the Imperium to The Complex wasn’t the best idea.

  “It’s fine, C. We just need to get away and not think about this for a bit. You need a break from powers and Complexes and beating people up,” I said, kissing the top of her head.

  “I’d stop beating people up if they stopped pissing me off,” Clara grumbled.

  * * *

  We spent another day roasting in the heat. Luci invited us to her sister’s track meet so we could get out of the house. I don’t know why they held these things in the middle of the day here. At least four kids had already dropped out of their events because of heat exhaustion.

  Luci and Glitch held hands in the seats below us. I have no idea how they weren’t dying sitting that close. Clara and I were dripping and had given up holding hands.

  “Riley’s down there,” Luci said, sticking out her arm to point to a girl that looked like a smaller version of herself. Riley smiled and waved as Luci beamed and waved back.

  “She’s never had a cheering section before,” Luci’s dad said, smiling as he walked up and sat down next to her.

  “Hey Mr. Adler,” Glitch said, reaching around Luci to shake his hand. He nodded up toward us. “These are my best friends, Nate and Clara.”

  “Ah, yes,” he said, turning around to shake our hands. “The engaged couple. I’ve heard lots about you. And Clara, thank you for taking Luci dress shopping the other day. She couldn’t stop talking about prom and I don’t know a thing about that stuff.”

  Clara laughed. “She was a life saver from the moms. I didn’t think I’d get out of there alive.”

  Mr. Adler patted Luci on the shoulder. “Well, I appreciate all you’ve done to include her. I already like you a lot more than those volleyball girls. What do you call that mean girl again?”

  “Queen Bitch,” Luci said, trying to hide her smile.

  Mr. Adler shook his head. “Don’t let your sister hear that. She’s only eleven and she already has a mouth.”

  “Yeah, C and Riley would really get along,” Glitch laughed, turning around to wink at Clara.

  “Hey, dad. We were talking about getting away for a long weekend before things start to get crazy again for college. Does Grams still have that lakeside cabin?” Luci looked at her dad, giving a pretty convincing face. He just narrowed his eyes.

  “Four teenagers, two of which are engaged and the other one dating my daughter, are wanting to go to the lake for a weekend of unsupervised activities?”

  I could actually see Glitch’s neck turn red from embarrassment, not just the sun. At least Luci’s dad was just as awkward about his word choice as my dad. Unsupervised activities reminded me about my overnight guest rules. I was slightly distracted as I thought about that first night with Clara.

  “Come on, dad. You know me. Perfect grades, never in trouble, always responsible, and getting all of college paid for…” She clasped her hands together. “Please?”

  Mr. Adler thought about it for a second before caving to his daughter’s pleading. “Don’t make me regret this.”

  Luci cheered and hugged her dad while Glitch kept his eyes trained forward. I felt Clara laughing in my head.

  How does it feel to not be the embarrassed one?
Clara asked, elbowing my side.

  Amazing. I elbowed her in return. This is just what you need.

  A weekend of unsupervised activities? I could see her grin out of the corner of my eye.

  A vacation. I replied, shaking my head. Why does your mind always go there?

  You went there too. I saw what you pictured when he said that. Clara looked up at me and winked.

  28

  Clara

  I hadn’t really understood why my mom and Nate’s parents were okay with letting four teenagers drive three hours away to spend a weekend together in a lake cabin. That is, I hadn’t understood until I overheard their thoughts. Nate’s parents were just thankful he was going to be distanced from the crap we had gone through over the last few months. My mom was relieved that I’d be forced to spend a weekend away from research and the library. I hadn’t had much luck recently since House had started locking me in the bedroom at night. I don’t remember him being strong enough to fight against my power, but maybe he was doing it for a good reason.

  We piled back into the car after picking up the groceries just ten minutes away from the cabin. Nate drove, but never let his free hand out of my grip. He kept running his fingers over my ring, and I could feel his heart skip a beat through his touch. Every once in a while, he would look up in the rear view mirror to smile at his best friend and Luci, who were cuddled up together in the back seat. It was really hard to resist blurting out what they were both thinking about each other but not saying out loud. Luci was trying to get the courage to say it first, and Glitch was trying hard to find the perfect time to say he loved her. And they were both waiting for Nate and I to run away so they’d have the chance to share a moment together.

  The lakeside cottage was gorgeous, tucked between trees about thirty feet from the edge of the water. Luci found the hide-a-key and opened up the front doors to a beautiful stone interior. The open living room stood between us and the back porch, all which led to the dock along the water’s edge.

  “Dibs on the master bedroom!” Luci shouted, running up the stairs while dragging Glitch behind her as he struggled to hold onto their bags.

  Nate and I laughed and took the groceries into the kitchen. I was getting excited that Nate was going to show off his cooking skills again. The last time he had cooked I wasn’t in a good enough mood to eat. I was hoping to learn a few things too. I had no idea what any of the kitchen things did. House spoiled me, but also ensured I would never learn any skills to survive on my own. As I finished putting the last of the items in the fridge, I heard Glitch and Luci come running down the stairs.

  “Meet us in the lake, slowpokes!” Glitch shouted as they ran through the living room and out the back doors.

  Apparently everyone got the memo to wear their bathing suits under their clothes except me. Nate waited in the bedroom while I carried my bag into the bathroom. I hadn’t packed a suit, partly because I wasn’t expecting to spend time in the water but mostly because I didn’t actually own a suit. I was afraid of being that exposed. It was one thing to be alone with Nate, but this was new territory for me.

  I unzipped my bag, preparing to just put on a different t-shirt with my jean shorts, but sitting on top was a beautiful high-necked two piece suit. The white and purple flowers complemented my hair perfectly, but I felt more offended than anything else. I don’t know if it was my mom or House that had put it in my bag, but they should have known that I wouldn’t want to wear it.

  But for a short moment, I wondered what it would feel like to not worry. I put the suit on, staring in the mirror as I tugged at the key necklace still tied around my neck. The moment I took that off, my scars would be visible for everyone to see. I didn’t really care about my arm anymore, but I still refused to see my stomach. It was the permanent reminder that I had stabbed myself and died.

  I took a deep breath, but couldn’t get the strength to take it off. I slid the key around and let it hang down my back so I could look at myself, free of any marks and reminders of my past. I sighed and threw my jean shorts back on with a white t-shirt over the suit before twisting my necklace back in front of my chest.

  Nate frowned as I walked out. He was sitting on the bed in just his suit, his key sitting on the bed. He stood up in front of me as I picked up his right arm, his blue scar visible, and traced the mark with my fingers. As I reached his palm, his fingers wrapped around mine.

  “It’s just the four of us. We all know about it, and we all understand,” he said, brushing his other fingers over my forearm.

  “I’m not used to this. I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet…” I did my best to avoid looking at him. I didn’t want to see his concern.

  “You don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for, I just wanted you to know. At least go sit on the dock and be outside. You’ve been cooped up inside and need the fresh air,” he said, lifting my chin so he could kiss me.

  I could have stayed there for hours, and I wanted to, but it was just because I was delaying having to explain myself to Luci. Nate walked slowly with me as we made our way down the dock. Glitch and Luci were taking turns jumping off the edge and trying to catch a ball they would throw at each other. Nate timed it perfectly as he ran up and jumped in front of Glitch to steal the pass from Luci. They both crashed into the water, sending a splash up on the dock as I got closer to the edge.

  “You aren’t coming in?” Luci asked, frowning at me as the boys came up from underwater, laughing. I picked up my key and held it up for her to see, hoping that would be enough of an explanation. She looked sad as she realized what I was avoiding. “Sorry, I should have thought of that.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I shrugged, sitting down and letting my feet hang in the water. “I’ll keep plenty busy watching you guys.”

  I smiled and kicked water at Nate and Glitch who had started wrestling and splashing each other. They all swam around, relaxing and having fun. It did feel strange to be left out, and my body ached to get out of the heat and cool off in the water.

  I hated myself for feeling a pang of jealousy as I watched Luci get out of the water to go jump off the rocks. Her yellow suit made her look ten times tanner than she already was, and she definitely looked much better in a suit than I did. Volleyball had kept her in great shape, and I know she still ran with her sister and worked out. She had even considered trying out for the volleyball team when we got to college.

  I pictured myself in the mirror and groaned to myself. It was clear all I did was eat junk food and sit inside the library for days at a time. How wonderful would it be to just run around in a suit and not be worried about my body or the scars I was trying to hide?

  Nate’s arms reached up next to me as he pushed out of the water and onto the deck. He spun around and sat on the edge with me.

  “Whatcha thinking about?” he asked, leaning back to grab a towel to dry off.

  “Girl stuff,” I shrugged, keeping my eyes out over the water. It was calming just to look out and watch the glimmer of sunlight on the surface. It had been a long time since I had truly sat with the silence in my head. It would have been better without my annoying thoughts.

  “You know,” he said, nudging me, “you and only you are my type.”

  I scrunched my nose. “So you heard me?” I wrung my hands together, regretting not keeping my thoughts closed off.

  “Scars or not, you are beautiful and you are mine,” he said, picking up my necklace in his palm. “I haven’t seen you take this thing off in months, but I understand. Just know I don’t care about them, and I wish you wouldn’t either.”

  He tried to hold my hands, but I yanked them away. “It’s not about caring. It’s about what they mean,” I replied, offended that he would think I cared only about their appearance. He knew damn well what I was hiding from.

  Nate looked hurt that I had pulled away from him. “That’s not what I meant, C. Do you know what those scars represent?”

  “Yes. That I gave into the Cold Soul voic
es and that I died,” I spat. I went to press up from the dock and leave, but Nate’s arm shot up and held my left hand.

  “No, this one,” he started, tracing his fingers along the invisible raised bumps on my arm, “this one represents our connection. How much I love you, and how much I never want to leave your side or let you hurt ever again.” I felt my heart sink as he pulled me back down to sit in front of him. His hand rested over my stomach. “And this one. This one isn’t about death, it’s about surviving. Every day, you fight and you live. It represents your strength, because against all odds, you still stand here today. And I am so lucky I get to stand with you.”

  My mind went blank as I stared at him. The blue eyes that should have been green were soft and kind. Those were the eyes of someone who risked everything to get me here today. How was he always right, always saving me from myself? It didn’t matter now; he was here to help me even when I didn’t know what I needed. He was doing exactly what I asked him to do. I asked him to be patient with me, while I was breaking my promise to let him help. I took a deep breath.