BOUND (#1 in The Crystor Series)

by C.K. Bryant

Chapter Twenty One

  The following day, Kira got up early and spent the morning moving her desk into the living room and placing some of her personal items around the house so the space didn’t seem so bare. She’d just grabbed her backpack and was on the way out the door for school when Lydia’s thoughts slipped into her head.

  Kira. Octavion found out and he’s not happy. He’s coming. I’m so sorry.

  Kira’s heart leapt into her throat, but before she could react, the door flew open and Octavion stormed in with Lydia not far behind.

  “What have you done?” he roared, as he came at her.

  Kira’s first instinct was to cower, but her newfound courage took over and she stood her ground, meeting his stance with her head held high.

  “Get out!” she yelled, pointing to the door. “You have no right to come in here and talk to me like that.”

  For just an instant, his expression changed, as if he reconsidered his angry approach. But then he took a step back and began shouting again. “You have put us all in danger. What were you thinking?”

  “Octavion. Stop it!” Lydia forced her way between them.

  “Stay out of this.” He pushed her aside, but she came back with fury in her eyes.

  “Octavion! Knock it off!” Lydia doubled her fist and tried to hit him, but he caught her hand.

  As he turned to face her, he tightened his grip and pushed her halfway to the ground. “I said, stay out of this!”

  Kira hit him—hard—right in the stomach. Her hand bounced off, but it got his attention. He let go of Lydia and went after Kira. When he grabbed the front of her shirt in his hand, she was ready to fight. She took hold of his vest and twisted it in her fist.

  “Go ahead, hit me,” she said.

  Octavion’s face instantly softened and he released her, stepping back. Kira was surprised to see shame and embarrassment in his eyes.

  “I would never hit you. I am angry because of the situation you have put us in.” He held out his hand toward Lydia and grabbed a newspaper out of her hand. He shoved it in Kira’s face. “Explain yourself.”

  Right there on the front page of the local newspaper, a picture of Kira holding a little white dog looked back at her. The caption read: “Mystery Girl Saves Toddler’s Puppy.” If that wasn’t bad enough, it happened to catch a little heart pendant suspended in midair dangling below her right wrist.

  Kira leaned against her desk. “It happened so fast. I didn’t think . . .”

  “You are right,” Octavion said. “You did not think.”

  Lydia plopped onto the couch and folded her arms. “You should have told her about the Crystor. You can’t blame her for that.”

  He shot his sister a glare.

  Kira looked closer at the picture. “Look, as bad as this is, you can’t see my face. You can only see the back of my head. The picture is focused on the little girl and her dog.” She waited for a response. When she didn’t get one, she continued, “Besides, if they knew who I was, it wouldn’t say ‘Mystery Girl,’ right?”

  “She has a point,” Lydia said.

  Octavion grabbed the paper out of Kira’s hand, took another look, and tossed it on the floor. “This better not come back on us.”

  Whew. That was fun. Lydia thought.

  Not so much. Kira expected Octavion to make another rude comment, but his attention had shifted to something behind her. She tried to follow his line of sight, but the only thing he could be looking at was a group of pictures she’d just tacked to the far wall. “What are you looking at?”

  Octavion crossed the room and ripped the photo from under the tack.

  “Hey, stop messing with my stuff.”

  He looked closer at the picture, then turned it so Kira could see. “What is this?”

  Feeling like she needed to lighten the atmosphere, Kira answered very slowly. “It is a pho-to-graph.”

  He raised one brow, and she could tell he was trying not to smile. He walked closer and held it up to her face. “Is this you?”

  Kira leaned back a few inches so her eyes could focus. The photo was of her at an archery tournament her sophomore year in high school—a side view of her pulling back her bow. “Yeah, why?”

  Lydia stood and tried to get a better look. “You’re an archer?”

  “What’s the big deal? Archery was one of the most popular clubs—until they dropped it.”

  “Do you still have your bow?” Octavion asked.

  “Yeah, it’s in my closet. Why?” One minute he wanted to rip her face off, and the next, he wanted her to relive her glory days. This guy needed some serious therapy.

  “Get it.” He ordered, but then changed his tone. “Please.”

  Kira hesitated before going to her closet. It took her a few minutes to dig through the mess, but she finally found the bow against the back wall. “It needs to be restrung, but it’s still in good shape,” she said as she handed it to him.

  He’s like a kid with a new toy, she thought so only Lydia could hear.

  Lydia grinned. “We’re gonna be late for school.”

  Octavion glanced briefly at both girls and then dismissed them with a wave of his hand.