Adventures of Alexis Davenport Series

by West, Shay

  “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

  “Nothing we can’t handle,” Jenn said.

  “Look, if you’re in trouble—”

  Alex held up her hand as she backed toward the door. “Everything’s okay. Please, just stay out of it.”

  Chandon took a couple of steps toward her, eyes pleading. “You can trust me.”

  Alex merely shook her head and shoved Jenn out the door.

  “What are we going to do?” Jenn whispered fiercely.

  “The new guy in school is the least of my worries right now,” Alex said as she glanced back, making sure Chandon wasn’t following them.

  The girls made their way to Jenn’s car. As they drove to the hotel where Sean and Gavin were staying, Alex wished she had more news about her uncle. The last she heard he was still in the brig and the investigators on the base were analyzing the evidence. Alex knew who had really done the killing. She couldn’t believe Max Poder was powerful enough to pull off framing a man for murder. The evidence would prove her uncle’s innocence and he would be out, hopefully within a few weeks.

  “Does it seem weird to you that someone in the military would even dare to murder a person and then try to frame someone else? Seems like it would be impossible to pull off,” Alex said.

  “If Poder is a super high ranking official, then he may have ways. Still, you’re right about it seeming impossible,” Jenn said.

  “He had enough power to frame someone for murder and get away with it. I must be crazy thinking I can stand up against this guy. Maybe I should just let him do whatever he wants and hope another Traveler takes care of things,” Alex said.

  “Maybe Gavin will have some ideas,” Jenn said as she pulled into the parking lot of the hotel.

  Alex practically ran into the hotel, eager to see the faces of two people who had the power and knowledge to help her in her fight against Lane Stygian and his Master, Max Poder.

  But she had to be careful. People would begin asking questions if they saw her hanging out with two strange men with Scottish accents. She wished there was some way to come up with an excuse that her mom would believe so she didn’t have to hide. Plenty of people knew her from working at her aunt’s store. If someone saw her with Gavin and Sean and told her mom...Alex shook her head. She would have to cross that bridge when she came to it. There was more at stake here than the possibility of getting grounded.

  Gavin and Sean were sitting at a table in the foyer of the hotel. They both jumped up when they saw Alex. Gavin grabbed her in a grandfatherly hug that made Alex feel as though everything was going to be okay. Sean simply shook her hand.

  Alex filled the men in on the call she received from Max Poder.

  Gavin put his hands over his face. “This certainly changes things.”

  “Is there any way to stop myself from going?” Alex asked.

  Gavin shook his head. “Sean has tried, believe me. Once Stygian goes back in time, you will be compelled to go to the nearest mirror or reflective surface.”

  “What if I was somewhere where there wasn’t a reflective surface? Like Antarctica or the Sahara Desert or something?” Alex asked desperately.

  Sean sighed. “I have tried it all. When I first learned I was a Traveler, I locked myself in a room with no mirrors and no windows. Gavin was so angry.” He looked at his Master sheepishly. “Anyway, when the urge came, I simply left the room and went into one with a window and ended up traveling anyway.”

  Alex nodded miserably. She had felt fear during her other trips back in time but this one was different. Poder had her in a corner. Her stomach knotted and bile rose in her throat.

  “If I can’t stop myself from Traveling, then what do I do? Poder will know if I stop Stygian and then he’ll kill my uncle. I can’t let that happen.”

  Gavin took her hand. “There’s more at stake here than one man’s life, Alex.”

  Alex jerked her hand away. “How can you say that? Haven’t I done enough? Isn’t it time for someone else to take over and save the damn world?”

  Alex barely noticed her voice was getting louder. Jenn’s kick under the table brought her back to her senses.

  “Why can’t Sean go in my place? Stygian won’t be expecting a guy.” She looked at the pair of men hopefully.

  “It doesn’t work that way. It’s only blind luck that the pair of you were in Egypt at the same time. Sean has his own destiny and his own time periods to visit,” Gavin said.

  “It’s not fair,” Alex said miserably.

  “You’ve had a terrible burden placed on your shoulders. But if you fail in your duty, the whole world could suffer. Your uncle is a soldier and understands about putting the needs of the greater good above your own.”

  Alex sighed. “Looks like I don’t have choice, do I? No matter what I chose to do, I don’t think I’ll come back from this one,” she whispered as tears fell down her cheeks.

  “Don’t say that! You’ve beaten that bastard every time. You’ll do it again,” Jenn said as she rubbed Alex’s back.

  “Jennifer is right. There’s no reason to think he will beat you this time,” Gavin said.

  “All he has to do is come here and kill me. He doesn’t have to lure me back in time. Besides, that doesn’t change the fact that my uncle will die if I stop Stygian,” Alex said.

  “There is still a chance Stygian will come here for you. Especially if he fails in his task to change the past in Germany,” Gavin said.

  “That’s not very reassuring.”

  “I’m sorry but at this point, reassuring won’t keep you alive. Sean and I are here until this thing is settled. You can count on that.”

  “Thanks. I’m glad you guys are here. I just wish I knew when Stygian was planning on traveling. Waiting for him to make the first move is driving me crazy.”

  “I have a feeling it will be soon. Maybe even tonight. Is there any way Jennifer can stay with you for the next couple days?”

  “Not until the weekend and that’s two days away.”

  “What about you staying home from school then? It would be best to have you travel in a controlled environment like your home rather than in a public place where someone may see you.”

  “I think I can manage to play sick for a couple days.”

  “Excellent. It’s the best we can do. If you succeed in stopping Stygian, we will figure out what to do at that point. It might mean getting you and your mom out of the country for awhile.”

  “Leave the country? Mom would never go for it.”

  “We will have to convince her. Stygian won’t stop until you are dead and to do that he will kill anyone in his way. He’s already killed many Travelers and their Masters. The world can’t lose someone of your special talents.”

  “I need to try to get a message to my uncle,” Alex said.

  “That may be difficult. He won’t be allowed outside phone calls until he has been cleared of the charges.”

  “Great. So he’s in danger and there’s no way to tell him,” Alex said as she flopped back in her chair.

  “Why can’t she travel into someone on her uncle’s base?” Jenn asked.

  “Unless a woman could gain access to your uncle in his cell, it wouldn’t do any good. And might put another person in danger,” Gavin said.

  “Yeah, I already got someone killed. And probably my uncle,” Alex said.

  “Sorry, Alex, guess I didn’t think—”

  “It’s okay, Jenn. Just don’t want to have to make a decision that will mean my uncle dies, even if it is to save the world.”

  “I wish things were different,” Gavin said.

  “We should get going, Alex. I have to babysit this afternoon,” Jenn said after checking her watch.

  “Keep us in the loop. Have Jennifer stay with you this weekend,” Gavin said.

  “I will watch out for her. I won’t let her near any mirrors or windows without me being right by her side,” Jenn said.

  Gavin smiled and squeezed her shoulder. “A
lex is lucky to have a friend like you. Keep her safe.”

  The girls left the hotel. Each step they took away from Sean and Gavin, the more afraid Alex became. She wished she was eighteen and lived on her own. She could have Sean and Gavin stay at her apartment, she wouldn’t have to worry about school, and she wouldn’t have to worry about her mom finding out that she had been meeting with two strange men.

  “I’ll talk to my mom about staying at your house this weekend. Say we have some project due or rehearsing or something,” Jenn said.

  “I’ll ask mom tonight too. I hope I don’t travel until you’re there. I am going to be scared out of my mind when I get near a mirror until then,” Alex said.

  “Try not to think about. School will keep you busy until then.”

  Alex said goodbye and waved to Jenn as she pulled out of the driveway. Her mom wasn’t home from the store yet, so Alex went to her room and got started on her homework. It was difficult to focus. The house was too quiet and her imagination was just too active for her to concentrate. Her bladder twinged and Alex bit her lip. The doorway into the bathroom took on a sinister air. What if the reflection in the mirror changes? Alex knew there would be no way to stop if Stygian decided to travel back in time. But she wanted to avoid mirrors all the same.

  When her bladder couldn’t be ignored, Alex forced herself to enter her bathroom. She kept her eyes glued to the floor and didn’t turn on the light. When she was done she raced from the bathroom and jumped on her bed, breaking out into hysterical giggles.

  Get a grip, Alex!

  She needed to think clearly. Her mom would be home any minute and she needed to work on her acting skills. If she was going to play sick for the next few days, she would have to be convincing. Alex thought her mom would believe her. She rarely missed school so there wouldn’t be any reason for her mom to doubt her story.

  When she heard the key in the door, she snuggled under the covers, covered her laptop, and turned away from the door. She could hear her mom walk down the hallway and into her own room.

  “Alex! Are you home?”

  She stayed quiet, feigning sleep. She ignored the soft knocking at her door. After a few minutes she heard the knob open. The light from the hallway spilled across her carpet. Soft footsteps came closer to her bed.

  “Alex? Are you okay, honey?”

  Alex groaned and rolled over. “Hey, Mom. Just don’t feel good.”

  Her mom put a hand to her head. “You don’t feel hot. Is it your stomach or more like a cold?”

  “My stomach. I felt tired all day. I threw up a couple of times when I got home. Maybe it was just something I ate at the cafeteria.”

  “There’s something going around. Several customers have kids out sick. Maybe you should stay home tomorrow. No sense in spreading your germs around. Do feel up to some soup?”

  Alex was starving but she had to keep up the act. “Not right now. Maybe later?”

  “Okay. I’ll check on you in a bit.”

  As soon as the door closed, Alex grabbed her laptop from under the blankets. She sent an email to Gavin telling him she would be home tomorrow. Jenn was on Facebook so she filled her in. When Jenn sent a message asking if it was okay that she spend the night, Alex told her that it would have to wait another day. Her mom would say no if Alex asked now.

  --I’ll ask after I’m “better”

  --My mom said it was fine. Want me to come by tomorrow?

  --I’ll be okay. If you get caught, we’re both in trouble

  --I just hate leaving you alone

  --If I’m gonna travel, I’d rather be here than at school

  --I hear ya

  The girls chatted for a few more minutes. Alex didn’t want to spend too much time on the computer. If her mom came in and caught her, Alex wouldn’t be able to play the sick card.

  As Alex lay in bed, watching the moonlight creating shapes on her carpet, she tried to form a plan of action, something to make her feel as though she was in control of her life. She hadn’t been in control of much of anything since her father left, and that had been just prior to her freshman year. Being forced to travel through time at the whim of a mad man was almost too much to bear. Her stomach clenched and Alex laughed at the irony that her fear and anxiety were causing her to be truly sick.

  To calm her nerves, Alex thought about Chandon and the look in his eyes as she left him standing in the hallway. As tempting as it was to spill her guts about her secret, she knew she couldn’t tell him about traveling back in time. He would probably never believe her in the first place but even if he did, Alex didn’t want to put him in danger. She felt bad enough knowing that Jenn’s life and those of her mother and even her aunt were in danger from Stygian and Poder. Not to mention that her uncle would die if she managed to stop Stygian at his game.

  I just want all this to be over.

  CHAPTER 29

  ALEX SNUGGLED under the blankets, putting on her best sick face in case her mom came in to check on her before she left for work. When she heard the garage door open, she jumped out of bed, trotted down the hall to the living room, and peeked through the decorative glass window next to the door. She just barely caught the back end of the Blazer as it sped down the street.

  After a quick breakfast, Alex sent a text to Jenn to let her know that all was well and that she hadn’t traveled back to World War II Germany yet.

  --Chandon asked about you

  --What did you tell him?

  --That you were sick. Don’t think he believed me

  --Leave the notebook in your backpack. Can’t have him seeing it

  --Until you go back in time again, I have nothing to write about anyway

  Alex promised to stay away from mirrors, even though she knew it wouldn’t do any good. If Stygian decided to go back in time, she would soon follow. But she didn’t want Jenn to worry.

  None of her friends were on Facebook so she wasted some time on various other websites. Driven by boredom, she went out to the living room to watch television. Alex flipped through channels, finally stopping on a show about puppies and kittens.

  She jumped when her phone vibrated on the end table. It was from Jenn. Alex sent her a message back, assuring her that all was still well. While she had her phone out, Alex sent a quick email to Gavin to let him know that she hadn’t traveled as of yet.

  Alex tried to focus on the program on TV but couldn’t sit still. She tingled with nervous energy. She also thought part of her problem was boredom. Unlike many students her age, she actually enjoyed school. She couldn’t imagine staying at home all day long watching TV.

  Even though she wasn’t really hungry, Alex thought making lunch would kill some time. It was too cold to eat outside so she took her plate back into the living room to watch more TV. The hands on the clock crawled along as she flicked through more channels. Nothing held her interest. She supposed it was because most things seemed pretty boring in comparison to what she was dealing with in real life.

  She grabbed her laptop from her room and came back into the living room, propping the computer on her lap with her feet up on the coffee table. She hoped someone remotely interesting would be on Facebook. Alex needed distraction.

  Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a friend request awaiting her response.

  Chandon Rose.

  When they had met the first time, Chandon didn’t give his last name. Alex thought it was dreamy, sounding like something from a romance novel. She hesitated with her finger hovering over the accept button. The last time they had spoken, he had overheard her and Jen talking and had nearly learned about her secret. He knew Alex was in danger but didn’t know any details. Alex didn’t want him to question her about it and yet she wanted a deeper look into his life.

  With a deep breath, she accepted the request and prepared herself for the barrage of questions she was sure would come. Alex went to his profile to see if she could learn more about the mysterious new boy at Grand Junction High.

  He
had just moved to town from Oregon, he liked much of the same music she did, was a fan of tough guy movies, didn’t seem to like any books as far as she could see, came from a rather large family, and didn’t appear to be very happy to be moved his senior year of high school.

  A chat window opened from Chandon.

  --Noticed you weren’t here today

  Alex put her hands over her mouth to cover her giggles. She knew she should be worried that he was keeping tabs on her but all she could feel was thrilled and flattered that he noticed she wasn’t at school.

  --Not feeling so hot

  --Is that really it? Or are you avoiding me?

  --Why would I avoid you?

  --Because I was butting in where I didn’t belong

  Alex closed her eyes against a wash of emotions flooding through her. She had hurt his feelings. But it had been for his own good. She fought the urge to tell him everything. Alex didn’t know where the strong yearning to tell this strange boy about the danger she faced came from. She knew he would put his arms around her and promise to protect her. And more than anything, she needed that.

  --I really am sick. Ask Jenn

  --I did.

  Alex didn’t know what else to type into the chat box. He seemed so short and angry, although it was nearly impossible to tell from words on a screen what someone was feeling.

  A chat box from Jenn popped up and Alex spent the next few minutes chatting with her about Chandon. Jenn thought it was quite adorable that the new boy in school was taken with Alex after seeing her only once.

  --I bet he asks you out

  Alex bit her bottom lip. –That would be so awesome

  --You could always ask him ya know

  --Not even

  --I gotta run. Class starting in a few

  Alex wished she was in school rather than being stuck at home. She sighed in disappointment when she noticed that Chandon hadn’t typed anything else in the chat box. She sent a quick email to Gavin to let him know that she was still okay.

  She heard the familiar popping sound that occurred when someone had sent her a chat message on Facebook. With shaking hands, she opened the tab with her Facebook profile and nearly squealed when she saw that Chandon had sent her a new message.