I emitted a low guttural growl and kept moving to where he stood. Frederick’s brown eyes darted around the small room and a spark of understanding lit his face when he saw my shredded clothes. He knelt and tentatively held one hand to me. Unsure what to do, I licked his fingers. Frederick sat crossed-legged against the wall and patted the fur on my head.
“I didn’t really believe Erik when he told me,” he whispered.
I whimpered and dropped to my stomach, scooting closer to him. I looked over my shoulder, seeking out my reflection. A small, nearly black wolf with giant purple eyes stared back at me. I tried to cry, but it came out as a horrific whine.
“It’s okay, Tal. Just concentrate on changing back. You can do it. Just focus your energy,” he commanded.
I stared up at him sadly, unsure that I had the ability to comply.
“Come on, Talia,” he urged, collecting my small wolf body in his arms, no longer afraid I’d attack him.
I did as he ordered and focused my powers. After several tries, my body began to shake again and the painful sensation came back as my body morphed back to human. Soon, I was sobbing uncontrollably in Frederick’s arms and to top it off, I was naked.
Frederick was non-fazed as he rubbed my bare back. “It’s okay, Talia. You’re okay,” he soothed.
I cried harder. I wasn’t sure if I was reacting to the transformation or if all my bottled up emotions were finally breaking free. Either way, nothing staunched the fat tears pouring down my face and soaking through Frederick’s pajama pants.
“I’ll get your medicine. Erik said you had some drug that would prevent you from morphing. Where is it?” Frederick asked, running his hands along my tangled curls.
“NO,” I practically shouted sitting up. “I don’t want that.” Realizing I was fully exposed, I wrapped one arm across my chest and hastily wiped at my eyes.
Frederick gave me an appraising look and I wanted to melt into the carpet with utter humiliation at him seeing me sans clothing. His delicate face broke into a huge smile. “No offense, Talia, but you do nothing for me,” he said, working his way out of his shirt and handing it to me.
I gratefully slipped the soft fabric over my head. Frederick helped me to my feet, and my legs wobbled unsteadily.
“Come on, let’s go lay down,” he guided me back down the short hallway that led to the bedrooms. He bypassed mine and Alex’s and directed me to his. Frederick’s room wasn’t much bigger than the other one, but there was a huge bed with rumpled blue sheets. He held the covers back and gestured for me to climb in. He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.
“You should take the medicine, Talia,” he said softly. “When Morphers first begin to transform, they can’t control it. With everything going on, you don’t need to deal with this, too.”
“I don’t want their drugs. I can control it,” I urged.
Frederick looked doubtful, but didn’t argue further. Instead, he reached over and turned off the lamp next to the bed. Then he grabbed a pillow and stretched out in the small strip of beige carpeting between the bed and the wall.
“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” I mumbled. “You already saw me naked.”
Frederick gave a short laugh. “Yeah, and when Erik finds out, the least of my worries will be Toxic finding out I’m one of the Conductors of the Underground.”
I chocked on the tears running down my throat when I giggled. When I’d dated Donavon and he’d gotten jealous, I’d been furious. But Erik’s possessive nature thrilled me and the confidence in Frederick’s tone when he joked about Erik’s reaction made me feel as though I really would see him in the flesh again.
Sleep came easier now that changing into the wolf had sapped what little energy I’d had left.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Frederick sat at the kitchen table, his eyes wide with amusement as he listened to Alex explain about the time he’d spent in the Underground, when I stumbled in.
“Morning, Tals,” Alex called in a sing-song voice when he heard my footsteps.
“Good morning, sweetie,” I replied tiredly, ruffling his hair as I sat beside him. I was still wearing Frederick’s too-big t-shirt and a pair of long shorts he’d left on the bed for me.
Sun was already streaming through the glass panes in the living room and remnants of pancakes were pushed off to one side to make room for Alex’s coloring book. I searched the kitchen for a clock and when I found none, I asked Frederick, “What time is it?”
“Eight,” he answered.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” I demanded. “We need to get going.” I jumped to my feet and headed to the bedroom to pack.
Frederick had grabbed hold of my wrist before I made it more than a couple of steps. “Not yet, Talia,” he said quietly. Then Frederick gestured to the laundry room and got up from the table, indicating for me to follow.
“Will you be okay for a minute, Alex? Frederick wants to show me something outside,” I told the boy. Alex bobbed his blond head up and down, so I followed Frederick into the laundry room and through the door to the garage.
Sunlight seeped through the small space where the garage door and the concrete floor didn’t quite connect, bathing the room in shadows.
“What’s going on? Why aren’t we leaving?” I asked uneasily.
Frederick sighed and glanced nervously everywhere but at me. “There is somebody who wants to meet you,” he finally said.
“What? Who?” I exclaimed suspiciously.
“Earon Kelley,” Frederick answered quietly. “Erik’s father.”
“He’s here?” I stuttered.
“Yeah, he and Erik’s brothers, Edmond and Evan, were brought here a couple of days ago. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you, but he noticed the lights on in my house last night and left me a comm this morning. When I called him back, he asked to see you,” Frederick explained.
I had mixed feelings about meeting Erik’s father. Part of me was excited by the prospect. I thought that it might make me feel more connected to Erik. Yet another part of me dreaded facing him because the guilt over Erik’s capture weighed heavily on my mind and seeing his family might make me feel worse. Not that I didn’t deserve his blame. If it weren’t for me, Erik would never have gotten involved in this crazy plan. At the time, I hadn’t truly appreciated the impact my disappearance would have on Erik’s family. I’d been selfish. I’d needed Erik’s help, so I requested his involvement without processing all the consequences.
“Okay. When?” I finally asked.
“As soon as you’re ready,” Frederick answered.
“I’ll get dressed.” I turned and retreated into the safety of the house. Alex was still drawing at the table, so I told him Frederick would sit with him while I changed and packed. Alex didn’t so much as glance up from the alarmingly realistic image of Mac’s house at school he was creating.
I took my time making myself presentable. I composed a million different apologies, but none of them conveyed how truly sorry I was that I’d gotten Erik and his family mixed up in my problems.
When I reentered the living room, Frederick and Alex were no longer alone. An older man with black hair, graying at the temples, sat stiffly on Frederick’s couch. His tanned skin was heavily lined and his sapphire blue eyes were sad. Next to him were two replicas of Erik, but younger. The boys, Edmond and Evan, I assumed, appeared to be slightly younger than I was. They both had Erik’s lithe build and sharp cheekbones. One wore his dark brown hair in a short ponytail and his eyes were the same beautiful turquoise. The other had close cropped hair of the same color and his eyes matched his father’s. Unsurprisingly, they both shared Erik’s temper and the hatred and disgust radiating from their minds when they saw me made me recoil.
“Hello,” I said softly, directing my greeting towards Mr. Kelley since he seemed the friendliest of the trio.
“Alex, why don’t we go play out back?” Frederick suggested, grabbing Alex’s hand and leading him to a door at the back of the
kitchen.
I watched them go, dreading being left alone to face Erik’s family.
“Talia Lyons,” Earon Kelley declared, rising from the sofa.
The most I’d been hoping for was a curt nod or maybe a handshake if I were lucky. I received neither. Instead, Erik’s father wrapped me in a huge hug. Initially, I tensed at the physical contact, but quickly relaxed as his warmth and relief enveloped me.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Kelley,” I whispered, returning his embrace.
“For what, dear?” he asked, pulling back and taking in my appearance.
“For everything. For begging Erik to help me escape with Alex. For Erik getting caught. For you and your sons being forced to leave your home,” I rambled, moisture collecting in the corners of my eyes.
Mr. Kelley fixed me with his piercing eyes, and with the same intensity Erik brought to his every endeavor, said, “It’s not your fault, Talia. We knew this day would come. We’ve been planning for this day.”
He was being so kind, I hugged him again. Earon Kelley stroked my hair, just the way his son would have.
“Don’t sugarcoat it, Dad,” the longer haired boy snapped, jumping to his feet. “It is her fault. If Erik weren’t so infatuated with her, then he wouldn’t have been so careless and wouldn’t have gotten caught.”
When I chanced a glance in his direction, his eyes were blazing and he was poised to attack, his muscles tense and ready. Mr. Kelley must have realized the threat because he positioned himself between the two of us, blocking his son’s advance.
“Sit, Edmond,” he growled at his son. The one word held so much authority it reminded me of Erik’s take-charge demeanor during our escape and I nearly collapsed to the floor, feeling as though I should obey him, too. Edmond hesitated briefly before sinking back to the cushions next to his brother.
Mr. Kelley turned to face me, his face friendly once again. “My son cares a great deal for you, Talia, but that’s not why he did what he did. Olivia, my late wife, she and I always knew there was more to that school and Toxic than they let on. That’s why we worked so hard to hide our children. Erik knew that. He helped you because it was the right thing to do.”
“Did Erik tell you what we learned, about my seizures and everything?” I asked.
“A little, but we didn’t get much of a chance to talk before, well, before we got separated.” Mr. Kelley gestured to one of Frederick’s blue chairs and I tentatively sat down. He joined his sons on the couch. “Can you explain to me what you discovered?”
I took a deep breath to collect my thoughts and then launched in to the story that Anya had told us. I got a little tripped up when I relayed the details about the Talent Signatures since the science was still murky in my head. Erik’s father listened patiently, only interjecting questions when he needed clarification. I gave the most succinct answers I could manage. I tried to ignore Edmond, but he made it hard since he was projecting unpleasant images in my direction. I didn’t blame him. I would hate me, too.
When I finished my diatribe, the four of us sat in silence. I gazed out of the kitchen windows and saw Frederick racing around the backyard on all fours with Alex on his back. Alex laughed as Frederick bucked and neighed, pretending to be a horse. The scene made me smile and I was once again reminded why I’d done what I’d done.
“Frederick says you’re heading for Coalition territory. What do you plan on doing once you get there?” Mr. Kelley asked, breaking the silence.
“Finding Crane,” I replied slowly. I still had yet to verbalize my plan to another person.
“Why?” Mr. Kelley’s tone wasn’t accusatory, merely interested.
“The Coalition attacked a Medical Research Facility in Bethesda last week and several of his men were taken prisoner. I’m hoping to convince him to stage a rescue. I intend on trading my knowledge of the Agency in return for him getting Erik out, too.”
“What makes you think Ian Crane will agree?”
“I don’t know that he will,” I admitted. “But I can’t just leave Erik there, and Crane is the only person with the resources to help me.”
“What about his alleged intolerance of Talents?” Mr. Kelley pressed. He searched my face, gauging my reaction.
“I’m not sure I believe that anymore. The Agency has lied about so much, I’m willing to take the chance they lied about that, too.”
“How do you intend on finding Crane? His whereabouts are typically kept a secret,” Mr. Kelley commented.
I’d been pondering that very conundrum. The idea of showing up at the border and saying, “Take me to your leader,” was the best I’d come up with. If Frederick was right and Crane didn’t want me dead, I had nothing to lose.
In the back of my mind, another even more ridiculous idea was forming. Mac and Dr. Wythe had worked extremely hard to convince me Penny’s memories weren’t real. In light of everything I’d learned in the interim, I had no doubt those memories were very real. The cottage near the water was a place I knew, a place I had been – I could feel it. If I concentrated hard enough, I felt sure I could find that cottage. And when I did, I would find Crane.
“I have a couple of ideas,” I said evasively.
Mr. Kelley looked skeptical, but he didn’t push the issue. “And you want to take the boy with you?” he inquired instead.
“Yeah, Alex has been through so much. I need to keep him safe.”
“What if your plan doesn’t work, Talia? You might be able to save yourself, but he would just be a hindrance. Taking him at all will put him in danger,” he replied.
I had thought about that, too, but I didn’t have a choice. We’d come this far. I wasn’t stopping now. I would not let Mac have him. “Do you have a better suggestion?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
“Leave him with me. I think you might be embarking on a suicide mission, but much like Erik, trying to tell you not to do something is likely only going to encourage you. That being said, I think you stand a better chance alone. I will keep Alex safe,” Mr. Kelley promised.
“Like you did Erik?” I demanded, regretting my words immediately.
Edmond jumped to his feet again and started for me, snarling threateningly. Mr. Kelley put a firm hand up and his son froze.
“Every day, I live with the guilt of letting Erik surrender himself to Toxic. Once they killed my wife, I knew they wouldn’t hesitate to kill the rest of us and I was weak not to have put up more of a fight. I won’t make that mistake again. What they are doing to children, what they have done to you and Erik and god only knows how many others, is inexcusable. I don’t have the resources to help you rescue my son or stop Toxic, but if I can, I will protect the boy. It’s the least I can do,” he vowed. His determination was palpable and I believed him.
Earon Kelley was so distraught over what had happened to his wife and his eldest son, it was eating him up inside. For years, he’d felt like a failure, been helpless to rebel. Guarding Alex, who the Agency wanted so badly, would give him a purpose. He clung to that to help fight the depression over Erik’s capture. I empathized with him. I knew what it was like to look for any avenue of revenge you could find to avenge the atrocities in your life.
“Okay,” I whispered.
Mr. Kelley and I walked outside to find Frederick and Alex and explain the change of plan. Edmond and Evan remained glued to the sofa’s cushions, Edmund stewing in his own pot of hatred for me. Evan had remained silent through the entire exchange, but his brain patterns mirrored those of his brother. Neither thought that I was worthy of their older brother. I hated that I agreed.
Alex took the news as stoically as he’d taken all the other disturbances in his life. He didn’t shed a single tear and I admired his strength. I’d already refused other offers to guard Alex, but Erik’s father was different. I could trust him because Erik wouldn’t have sacrificed his life if I couldn’t.
Frederick suggested that we take the day to regroup and gather our strength before we made the journey to the borde
r. I hated wasting any more time, but I wasn’t ready to leave Alex just yet, anyway.
I spent the day playing with Alex while Frederick and Mr. Kelley talked. Edmond and Evan stayed in the background, the only indication of their presence was the angry snorts and death glares set off when we were around each other. I felt as though I should defend my actions, but Edmund was a brilliant projector and I knew that nothing I said would lessen the blame he attributed to me. Evan warmed slightly to me throughout the day, but friendship was not in our future.
When we all crowded around Frederick’s table for a dinner of bison steaks and potatoes, I thought about what an odd collection we made. Donavon’s son sat to my left, quietly chewing his food and affectionately leaning his head against my side. Henri’s boyfriend sat on my right, bridging the gap between me and Erik’s family. Erik’s father sat across the table observing me while I helped Alex cut his food. Erik’s brothers sat forlornly on either side of their father, staring at their plates and refusing to take part in any conversation in which I was involved.
After the dishes had been cleared, I tucked Alex into his twin bed and read him a story. Once he was asleep, I kissed him softly on the forehead.
“I will come back for you,” I whispered.
The peaceful look on his small face that was so much like his father’s told me that was one vow I had to keep.
Frederick had created a make-shift bed on the living room floor for Earon, Edmond, and Evan so they would be there when Alex woke. Frederick and I would be leaving before sunrise. The men were finalizing the plans for Alex’s care in my absence. I joined them and listened without comment. Shortly thereafter, Frederick and I excused ourselves for bed.
“Talia?” Mr. Kelley called, following our retreat down the short hallway. Frederick continued into his bedroom, giving us some privacy.
“Yeah?”
“I know what my son sees in you,” he said with a smile.
“You barely know me,” I commented, my voice catching.
“True, but you are so much like his mother. A little reckless, very stubborn, incredibly loyal. He’s lucky to have someone who cares so much,” Mr. Kelley said, getting a little choked up, too.
Hunted (Talented Saga # 3) Page 30
