“It’s fine—I’ll be fine. I just miss them sometimes, you know? But I’m getting used to being apart from them. And I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time for me to visit them when all this blows over.”
Just then my cell phone vibrated. I looked at the incoming text: “GOT IT. TMRW. SAME PLACE. SAME TIME. BRING THE KID — J”
“It’s them.” I showed Quinn the text.
“The Bloodhounds did it!” he exclaimed in disbelief.
A huge grin spread across my face. “Without your blood, the Servants can’t perform the ceremony on the eighteenth.”
“So, that’s it? We don’t need to hide out?” Quinn almost sounded disappointed.
“I don’t want to take any chances, so I think we should stick with the original plan.”
Quinn wrapped his arms around me, and pulled me to him. “You just want to keep me all to yourself for the next week, don’t you?”
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.” I did revel in the thought of being alone with him for the next eight days. I kissed him and suddenly felt my stomach turn. I pulled away and almost gagged.
“Wow, I’ve never had that effect on you before,” he half-joked in concern.
“It’s not you.” My stomach churned violently again. It took everything I had not to get sick right there and then. “It’s the food. I—I’ll be right back.”
13. laundry day
Early the next morning, Quinn knocked on the door to his bedroom and opened it to find me sitting in bed, reading the last of the magazines I’d grabbed off the family room coffee table when I returned from the Falls last night.
“When did you get back?” he asked.
“An hour or so after I left. You were already asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Feel better?”
“Yes. Much.”
“Well, considering your reaction to last night’s dinner, I thought we’d go into town this morning before anyone else got up. That way we can escape the big family breakfast.”
“I’m in,” I said, shuddering as I remembered how sick I was last night. I jumped out of bed and morphed into jeans and a white t-shirt. “Let’s go.”
Quinn laughed. “Just give me a couple of minutes to get ready.”
I frowned slightly.
“We’ll be in the car before you know it, I swear.”
*
I exhaled slowly in relief as we pulled out of the driveway.
“Had enough family time, have we?” he teased.
“You know, the longer we’re here, the bigger the risk of exposing who and what I am.”
“I’ll make sure your secret is safe.”
“By running out the door to avoid breakfast? What are we going to do for lunch? And dinner? And what about Tommy? Give him enough time and he’ll figure it out.” I took another breath and sighed. “Quinn, maybe I should leave a little early so you can spend the day with your family. I can go help Dylan and Minerva.”
“Relax, I have a plan,” Quinn responded calmly. “I left a note saying we’re going to go visit some friends. We’ll both come back this afternoon, spend time with my family, and then head out of town before dinner.”
“Your parents aren’t going to like that.”
“I’ll just tell them we don’t have much time left to travel together and promise I’ll be back at the end of next week to spend a few more days with them. As long as I’m coming back home, my parents won’t mind.”
I studied Quinn’s face carefully.
“Trust me, Evie, with Mary there my Mom won’t even notice we’re gone.”
“Okay, we’ll try it your way.”
*
Dylan was waiting for us outside the same local café where we’d run into Ruben.
“Hey, Dylan. What’s up with—” Before I finished my question, however, I could tell something was definitely on his mind.
“Something’s happened,” he said numbly.
“What?” Quinn asked in concern.
“The Journal—it’s gone,” he admitted remorsefully. “It was in the Falls, just where I left it, and now—now it’s not.”
“What?!?” I glanced back and forth between Dylan and Quinn. “But I thought—Quinn said you took it to the new place,” I whispered, fully aware that someone—anyone—could be eavesdropping on our every word.
“I was going to,” Dylan whispered back. “But I’ve been spacing out my visits there to reduce the risk of being followed. I’ve been stashing things in the Falls in between trips, but when I went up there this morning to get the rest of the stuff, it was totally trashed.”
“Trashed?” Quinn asked in shock.
“I knew something was wrong the minute I arrived. The cairn had been knocked over, and the stones were scattered about like someone had stumbled over them. And when I saw the cave—” Dylan shook his head. “It looks like a tornado swept through it.”
I cringed. It was horrible to think the portal, the closest thing Quinn and I had to a home together, had been vandalized. One glance at Quinn and I knew he was thinking the same thing. I took his hand in mine and squeezed it gently.
“I’m sorry,” Dylan continued. “I should’ve known better. It’s just … man, I really thought the Falls was safe.”
“This is definitely not good,” Quinn announced.
“Where’s Minerva? Is she all right?” I asked.
“Yeah, she’s back at the house watching over things.”
“So, what do you think happened?” I asked in a hushed tone. “I was just up there last night after dinner and everything looked fine.”
“What time was that?” Dylan asked
“I’m not sure exactly—some time between ten-and eleven-thirty.”
“So that means those demon bastards hit the place and took the Journal within the last six Mora hours,” Dylan stated.
“Six Earth hours,” I explained quietly to Quinn without him even asking. I turned to Dylan. “And you’re sure it was them?” I whispered. “You found traces?”
“Now that you mention it—no,” Dylan replied, looking a little perplexed. “I just assumed it was them.”
“That’s weird. I would think the smell would saturate the place for days considering the mess you described,” I paused to think of what or who else could’ve been the thief. “Tell me, was anything else taken besides the Journal?”
“I can’t be sure, but I don’t think so.”
“So, what do we do now?” Quinn asked, dumbfounded.
“I don’t know.” I felt helpless. The rug had just been pulled out from underneath us. The only information I had on the Servants—on the ritual—was gone.
“K.C., I really am sorry. I thought I was being careful.”
“It’s not your fault,” I told him. “I was the last one up there. I probably led the thief straight to the front door.”
“We can find the Journal,” Dylan offered repentantly.
“Let’s worry about it later,” I stated. “Right now, we just need to make sure we all survive the next eight days.”
“Agreed,” Dylan said.
*
We returned to the Harrisons’ in the early afternoon, after we knew lunch would be over. I tried to take my mind off of what had happened at the Falls and the missing Journal by watching Mary crawl around in the grass. Quinn’s dad was taking a million pictures of her while Tommy and Sam cheered her on. Eventually, Quinn and I made our way into the kitchen and greeted Quinn’s mom, who was emptying the dishwasher.
“Hey, Mom,” Quinn kissed her on the cheek and gave her the bouquet of flowers we’d picked up at the local market.
“Hi, sweetheart.” Maggie’s tone was off. She cast a glance at Quinn, then at me, and then at him again. I could tell she wanted to speak to Quinn—alone.
“Um, I’m just going to go upstairs and freshen up a bit,” I said.
“Okay. I’ll be up soon,” Quinn replied nonchalantly, completely oblivious to his mother’s mood.
Huh, Maggie must’ve done some of Quinn’s laundry while we were out. That was nice of her. Suddenly, Maggie’s concerned expression flashed before my eyes, and I felt like every last breath was sucked out of my body all at once. Oh crap!
Please be there. Please be there. Please be there. I frantically chanted in my head. I leaped over to Quinn’s dresser, yanked open the top shelf, and tore through the clean, folded clothes placed within earlier today. It wasn’t there. It was gone. Quinn’s grandmother’s ring was gone. No! Please—not this. Please.
“Oh shit,” I whispered in horror, instantly feeling sick to my stomach.
“You can say that again,” Minerva replied quietly as she phased in barely enough for me to see her.
“You saw her find the ring?”
“You should’ve seen her face.”
“Shit!” I whispered in a panic. “What am I going to do?”
“Nothing,” Minerva answered frankly. “This one is all on Quinn.”
“Great. Just what he needs right now.”
“Well, he did say he wanted to know what his family thought about the two of you.”
“I don’t think this is what he had in mind. Holy crap, what do you think she’s saying to him?”
“There’s only one way to find out.” Minerva’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“I’m not sure I want to know.” The very idea of her lecturing Quinn about what a huge mistake he was making by asking me to marry him was enough to make me dizzy with dread—but hearing her say the words would be a whole other nightmare.
“You may not want to know, but you need to know—for your sake and Quinn’s.”
I knew Minerva was right. As much as I feared hearing what was happening downstairs, I didn’t want to be in the dark about Maggie’s thoughts on our engagement.
“Let’s go,” I said, sighing.
We phased out of view and hovered invisibly by the entrance of the kitchen. I wanted to be able to see the expression on Maggie’s face when she asked him why he had the ring. I could sense Dylan close by. I knew there was no way he’d miss this. Great.
“Must you two really leave today?” Maggie asked Quinn, standing across the kitchen island from him. “I’ve hardly gotten to spend any time with you—to catch up on what’s going on in your life.”
“Evie and I want to check out a few more places while we still have time to travel together this summer, but, don’t worry, I’ll be back in a week or so.”
“Will Evie be joining you when you return?” The tone in Maggie’s voice was laced with more than just innocent curiosity. Quinn shifted in his seat, sensing the difference as well.
“I doubt it—not that she doesn’t want to,” he added guardedly. “She’s really enjoyed meeting you all. It’s just she’s got a bunch of stuff to do in the next couple of weeks.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I’ve barely gotten to know her.”
“Well, with Evie, what you see is pretty much what you get.”
“Still, when a young man looks at a woman and begins to think about the future, about commitment, a family of his own—well, it’d just be nice for a mother to know a little bit more about her.”
“Where are you going with this? Evie and I—” Quinn stopped short when he saw his mom pull his grandmother’s ring out of her pocket and place it on the countertop. His jaw dropped a little and his face paled.
Crap.
“I was putting some of your clothes away and found this in your top dresser drawer. When did you plan on asking her?” she asked cautiously.
“I—well, umm,” Quinn was scrambling for something to say. I felt so bad for him at that moment. I wanted to rescue him, but I couldn’t.
She sighed. “Quinn, is Evie the girl you mentioned to me when you were home over winter break? The one you were dating?”
“No. I was with Evie before her, but then something happened—something that prevented us from being together for a while. That’s when I met the other girl.”
“And now?”
“And now Evie and I are back together.”
“And will there be something else to prevent you two from being together again?”
“Mom, you’re asking me to predict the future.”
“What are you two going to do when you go abroad?”
“She’s coming with me.”
“Is Evie in the same program you’re in?”
“No.”
His mom frowned. “Quinn, is she even still in school?”
He shook his head briefly. “Evie was offered a job opportunity she couldn’t refuse.”
“In London,” his mother said skeptically.
“Actually, it requires her to travel all over the place, but her home base can be with me in London.”
“Sounds almost too good to be true.”
“It’s a tough job.”
“What will she be doing?”
“I don’t know all of the details, but it has to do with foreign affairs. Evie has the chance to deal with some globally influential individuals in high places.”
I had to give Quinn credit; he was walking the truth tightrope very well.
“Wow. She must be a natural with languages then.”
“I can’t even tell you how many languages she’s speaks—probably all of them,” he replied, chucking a little uneasily.
“And what happens when it’s time for you to come back home? Will Evie be in a position to follow you then?”
“I hope so.”
“So, why not wait and see if that’s the case before you rush into anything?”
“Mom, I know this might seem out of the blue to you, and that’s my fault for not telling you about Evie sooner. But you have to trust me on this one. I know what I’m doing. Evie’s the one I love—the one I’ll always love. I didn’t realize that last winter when you and I talked, but I’ve realized it since then. And asking her to marry me is the best way to let her know that—to show her I don’t want to be apart from her ever again.”
“And she feels the same way? She loves you and wants to be with you always?”
“Yes—well, I mean, I hope she still does after meeting all of you,” he joked.
“Quinny, can you be serious please?”
“Mom—”
“It’s just that you’re both so young. You have your entire futures ahead of you.” His mom sighed heavily, looked down at the ring and then at Quinn.
“You and dad were this age when he asked you to get married.”
“That was different. Times were different back then. It was expected that you get married early. Now, you can wait until you’re truly ready for this level of commitment.”
“Mom, I am ready. Evie’s the one.”
“But—”
“Mom,” Quinn cut her off. “She already said ‘yes.’”
Oh crap. He said it. He told her. I almost phased on the spot I was so taken aback. I even heard Minerva gasp slightly.
“Well,” Maggie said, putting her hand on her chest.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hide this from you. I just wanted to wait for the right time to tell you, but you beat me to it.”
“And—you’re sure about this.” She looked as though she needed time to catch her breath.
“I’ve never been more sure about anything. I want Evie in my life for as long as I can have her.”
Maggie studied his face carefully, probing for some hint of doubt in his eyes. Quinn looked as confident and certain as ever.
“How can it be that my baby is ready to get married?” She took a deep breath and exhaled as she handed him back the ring. She smiled as tears welled up in her eyes, but I couldn’t tell if they were tears of joy or sadness. �
��Boy, I must be getting old.”
“No,” Quinn responded. “I’m the one who’s getting older.” He smiled at his mom and hugged her.
“Yes, I guess you are.” She hugged him back. “You know, after this past winter, a part of me was a little worried that you wouldn’t find love—that you would push it away. But I have to say,” she continued, “watching you with Evie last night—I’ve never seen you look at someone that way or act the way you do around her. I can tell you love her—I can see it in your eyes. So I suppose I should be grateful she opened the door to your heart. I only hope she appreciates just how amazing you are.”
“She’s the one who’s amazing, Mom. You’ll see.”
“Well, she seems like a very sweet girl—smart, beautiful, from a good family.” She took a deep breath and exhaled, clapping her hands together as to make her final decision about all of this. “So if you’re happy, then I’m happy for you.” She smiled. “But, can you please do me one favor and wait until you graduate to get married? That way your father and I can get used to the idea—oh, your father,” she gasped, shaking her head. “We’re going to have to break the news to him gently.”
“Better serve it to him with scotch.”
“The good stuff!” She chuckled and kissed her son on the forehead. “My baby boy is all grown up.” Tears welled up in her eyes again.
I sighed silently in relief. She might not have been thrilled with the idea, but she wasn’t mad either. And she wasn’t trying to talk Quinn out of marrying me. Her reaction was the best I could hope for under the circumstances. After all, she hardly knew me—but I could change that. It was the least I could do after Quinn just dropped our engagement bombshell on her. She needed to know I loved her son as much as he loved me—that I did appreciate how amazing he was. And I wanted to give her that peace of mind. The way I figured, the Council Tribunal could either accept what I said or erase this entire conversation from her memory. I checked to make sure no one was around before materializing.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” I said as I rounded the corner into the kitchen.
“No, not at all,” Maggie replied as she quickly dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “In fact, why don’t you join us,” she suggested cheerfully.
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