After the Ending

by Lindsey Fairleigh

  Jason looked at me with an odd expression on his face, like he’d just solved a complex puzzle. “Huh,” he grunted. “I thought it was just something to do with your grandma. Since she was Irish and all that…”

  “You didn’t know your sister has a tattoo?” I scoffed.

  He shook his head. “We’re not exactly close…we haven’t been for a long time.”

  Yet again, I mentally noted how similar Zoe and Jason were, and they didn’t even know it—they barely knew each other. I also thought again about how Zoe was going to react to finding out about me and Jason. She’d known about the first kiss…but things had progressed way beyond that. Will she be confused? Happy? Disbelieving? Worried? Jealous? Pissed? Disgusted? I was unsure about the rules for getting romantically involved with friends’ siblings. Sometimes, when we were younger, my infatuation with her brother would really irritate her. How’s she going to feel about it now?

  Seeing my frown, Jason asked, “What is it?”

  “Nothing important,” I told him, forcing away my frown. “You have a second chance now, you know, to get to know her.”

  “Yeah. If we could figure out where the hell she is.” The frustration in his voice amped up my own worries—we’d been camping in the same spot, a mile or two east of Salida, for two days, unsure of Zoe’s exact location. Cell phones, landlines, and Internet were non-options—all routes of communication were completely and utterly dead. On top of that, trying to use my telepathy to find her mind had proven akin to searching for a needle in a haystack, except each piece of hay weighed a hundred pounds and shuffling through even a handful left me exhausted.

  I chewed on one side of my lower lip for a few seconds, and then took a deep breath. “I have an idea…but you’re not gonna like it.”

  “What?” he asked flatly. Good old Jason, not one to pussyfoot around uncomfortable issues.

  “Well, if I could talk to MG, I could ask him where she is. He’s the only person I know who can definitely find her. But…”

  “But you need me to let him in.” He didn’t sound happy.

  “Jason—”

  “I don’t like it. I don’t like him being in your head. I don’t like him being somewhere I can’t protect you.”

  “He’s not gonna hurt me.”

  Jason grumbled, “I don’t know if I can even make myself turn it off, not if I really don’t want to.”

  “Don’t you want to find Zo?”

  His sideways look told me he thought the question was ridiculous—not even worthy of an answer. Jason and Zoe may not have been close, but he’d always been protective of his little sister.

  “Well then, he’s our only shot, aside from combing every square inch inside and around Colorado Springs. You should want to stop blocking him so I can talk to him. He can find her for us…I know he can.” My voice was tight, reflecting the edge I was teetering on with Jason and his jealousy and protectiveness.

  With a deep, angry sigh, he growled, “Fine.” Relief relaxed my shoulders and loosened my grip on his hand.

  Later on, when the full, golden moon glowed near the horizon and nocturnal predators sang their eerie, lonely melodies, Jason and I lay entangled in our joined sleeping bags, panting and completely satisfied. Over the past two months, the mountain sounds had transformed from disturbing to comforting—they currently mingled with our heavy breathing to create a peaceful, hypnotizing lullaby.

  “Mmm…,” Jason rumbled softly. His body still covered mine, slick with sweat despite the cold, and I basked in the warmth the moonlight illuminated in his eyes.

  “‘Mmm’ is right,” I purred.

  After a slow, lingering kiss—one that made me wonder if he was starting round two—Jason said, “If you’re going to talk to this guy, we should probably call it a night.”

  A few minutes later, I was clothed in sweats and falling asleep in the safety of Jason’s arms.

  “Are you sure this’ll work?” I mumbled, momentarily shaking off the lure of sleep.

  “Yes, Red, I’m sure. As soon as I can control it, I won’t block the bastard at all.” For some unknown reason, Jason always lost complete control of his Ability after we had sex—nulling every nearby Ability for a good fifteen minutes. Teasing him about it amused me to no end.

  “Hmmm…” I snuggled against him happily and succumbed to unconsciousness.

  I was sunbathing on my favorite stretch of Northern California beach. I’d been dreaming of something else—something that worried me. I thought maybe I’d been swimming, looking for something under violent swells of frigid ocean water. I was also sure that I was still dreaming, and confusion overwhelmed me as I thought about dreaming while I was dreaming.

  Suddenly, my confusion cleared. MG.

  It had been so long since I’d seen him—since I’d experienced the odd feeling of sleeping awareness—that it hadn’t made sense at first.

  Where is he?

  “Dani,” his smooth voice intoned as a long shadow suddenly shielded me from the sun. “Long time, no see.”

  I stood and faced him, allowing a small smile. I really was glad to see him. “Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. I’m back with my people, and one of them can sort of block other people’s Abilities. I think you guessed that before…you were right. Yay for you…” My words sounded lame—even to me.

  “Right,” he said dryly. “I tried to get through. Can’t your friend control his Ability at all?”

  “He’s getting better at it. Stronger.”

  “So has the wall that’s been keeping me out,” MG retorted.

  I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t really tell him that my boyfriend was blocking him on purpose and that, until tonight, I hadn’t asked him to stop. I just hadn’t thought…

  “It’s nice to see you,” I said sincerely.

  MG sighed dramatically and then grinned. “You too, Dani.”

  “So…how’ve you been?”

  He glowered for no apparent reason. “I’ve been better.”

  My eyebrows rose of their own accord. “Okaaaay…Um, MG?”

  “Yep?”

  “I was wondering if I could ask you a big-ish favor.”

  “Which would be…?”

  “I’m looking for someone. We just reached Colorado Springs, and we’re trying to meet up with a friend…we don’t know exactly where she is.” Or if she even made it, I thought sullenly.

  “And what exactly do you want me to do?”

  “Well, you can find pretty much anyone’s dreams, right? Something about finding them based on the type and strength of their Ability?” I asked hopefully.

  “Er…yes.”

  “The person we’re looking for is Zoe, the girl you saw in the badminton dream. You know, gorgeous with long, black hair and super blue eyes?”

  “Yeah, I remember.”

  “Well, she can feel people’s emotions and sometimes see their thoughts, or maybe their memories. And she should be near Colorado Springs. Do you think…could you look for her dreams and ask her where she is? You’re our only hope.” I added the last bit hoping the damsel in distress thing would ping his macho side and persuade him to help.

  MG chuckled, and I held my breath. “Oh, little Dani, you are so adorable sometimes.”

  I just smiled, unsure of how to react.

  “I’ll do it,” he finally said. “Give me a moment…” Abruptly, he disappeared, and with him the dream faded around me.

  For what felt equally like minutes, hours, days, and years, I floated from dream to dream, from ocean to forest to desert, completely unaware of myself. Only when he returned did I become aware of my wanderings.

  Sitting across from me at Grams’s kitchen table, MG said, “Found her.”

  “Found her?” I asked, still shaking off the remnants of my mind’s subconscious. I’d been in a desert—digging a hole, but the sand kept slipping down the sides, negating my efforts.

  “Your friend. Zoe. Who you asked me to find,” he reminded me.

&nb
sp; As always happened in his presence, clarity returned, and I remembered the conversation we’d had earlier. “That was fast…or slow. I’m not really sure actually.”

  MG nodded. “Don’t worry about it. That’s normal. It took a couple hours…not too long.”

  “Oh? So where is she? She’s okay, right?”

  “Yeah, she’s fine…with some other people, I guess. She said they came with her from Fort Knox.”

  “Really? Good!” The last time I’d heard from Zoe, she hadn’t been sure about her companions’ intentions. It was a relief to know she wasn’t alone.

  “Right,” he said dryly. “They’re southwest of Colorado Springs—in a valley on the outskirts of the San Isabel National Forest, just north of Cañon City,” he informed me.

  “San Isabel National Forest…Cañon City…Got it. I can’t believe you found her! I mean, I knew you could…but…thank you! You’re the best ever!” I squealed, unabashedly excited at the nearness of my reunion with Zoe. I gave MG a quick, enthusiastic hug and was surprised to find him looking decidedly forlorn when I pulled away. “Um…Are you okay?”

  “What? Yeah, it’s nothing,” he said, brushing off my concern.

  “If you say so. Do you know what time it is?”

  “Almost six.”

  Tapping my mouth with my pointer finger, I pondered sleeping another hour but thought better of it. “Would you mind waking me up?”

  “Sure…see you later.” He sounded so despondent that I didn’t have the heart to tell him Jason wasn’t likely to extend the nullifying reprieve for another night.

  “Right. Bye. And thanks!” I smiled as MG and the familiar surroundings of Grams’s kitchen faded around me.

  “Oh!” I exclaimed, sitting up suddenly in the tent. “That was abrupt.”

  “Mhhmff?” Jason asked incoherently.

  “Wake up, Jason,” I said, poking his shoulder.

  “Arrghhmph,” he groaned and rolled away from me. The sun had yet to crest the horizon, which meant Jason was nearly impossible to wake.

  “I said, ‘Wake up’,” I sang softly as I curled my body around his backside. I kissed the side of his neck just under his jaw bone and repeated the command.

  “Mmmm…,” Jason murmured as he turned over and slipped his hand under my t-shirt.

  I giggled, thinking his reaction was so completely Jason, and tried to ignore the yearning ache elicited by just that small touch. Softly, I said, “I know where she is.”

  The hand slowly moving up my side stilled, and Jason’s eyelids opened, revealing his stunning, if sleepy, gaze. “What?”

  “I know where Zo is. It’s sort of far, but I think we can get to her today.”

  49

  ZOE

  Gathering more firewood in preparation for what would be a long, fun-filled night of laughing, drinking, and catching up, I lugged it to the fire pit Jake and Harper had created in a clearing of trees. It was close enough to the barn that we never had to leave our “home” unattended—our supply of food, weapons, and booze was very important to us—but far enough to not disturb Sarah during her many naps.

  Dropping the wood at my feet, I busied myself with the unnecessary task of sorting through it. I’d been antsy with anticipation and excitement all day, every minute passing as fast as a two-legged turtle climbing up a hill…against the wind. But finally, the day was coming to an end, and according to the information I’d received from MG when he’d entered my dream the previous night, Dani’s entire group should arrive by sunset. I couldn’t stand still.

  “Hey, Zoe,” Sarah chirped, making me jump. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, the anticipation’s just killing me, that’s all,” I said with a quick laugh. “I can’t believe this is finally happening, you know?”

  Sarah smiled and nodded, but I could feel her eyes on me as I continued working. Forcing myself to stop, I looked up at her. “Are you okay?” I asked, although I already knew the answer—I could feel her anxiety every time she rubbed her swollen belly.

  “Umm, yeah, I’m just worried about this little guy.” She pointed to her belly. “What if it’s a mutant or something? It’s huge.”

  Noticing her belly had grown a bit larger, I suddenly felt scared for her. I moved closer and wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her the way a mother might. “I know it’s scary, but I just have a feeling everything’ll be okay.” At least, I hoped it would. “Maybe someone in Dani’s group can help us figure all this out.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” she said with little conviction.

  “We’re all here to help you, Sarah.” She nodded again, and even though I felt her body sag slightly with relief, I knew she wondered how things would change once Dani arrived. “And I’m not going anywhere,” I reassured her. Well, at least I don’t think I am.

  She brightened at my words and offered to help me get dinner started. Jake was carefully cleaning the day’s catch at the makeshift fish cleaning station—a metal door resting on top of two saw horses. Harper and Biggs were hunched over the fire pit, arranging kindling into a teepee shape in an attempt to start the evening’s fire. Like clockwork, Sanchez was jotting notes as she sat on a hay bale beside the fire pit, cooling off from her final workout of the day.

  “How many military personnel did you say are coming, Zoe?” she asked without looking up.

  “I think there are five, but I don’t know for sure. Why, are you already putting everyone to work?” I teased, but she just shook her head and continued writing. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that woman’s never been laid,” I said under my breath, and beside me, Sarah giggled.

  We were gathering lemon pepper, salt, and other seasonings for the food when Cooper suddenly growled. I jumped and glanced over at him—his posture was rigid and he was staring into the trees at the edge of the pasture. His tail drooped momentarily before picking up in a half-hearted wag.

  Looking up from his freshly filleted fish, Jake peered out at the woods.

  I grinned. “I think they’re here!”

  A deep, relentless barking grew louder as a large German Shepherd emerged from the tree line. Jack! I stepped forward, following Cooper as he trotted toward the other excited dog.

  “Wait,” Jake said, gently grabbing my arm. “What if—”

  “It’s D’s dog,” I said, pulling out of his grasp to continue on toward the tree line.

  Jake and Sarah followed me, and I could hear the others coming up behind us. We watched the two dogs yip and sniff as they circled one another curiously.

  Suddenly, Jake stopped short, and I turned to him. Confusion wrinkled his brow as his eyes darted around us. Unprovoked, he said, “Ummm, what? This is Jake.” He looked over at me, amused. “Someone’s looking for you.”

  From behind me, I heard Sanchez say coolly, “I’m definitely not Zoe,” and I smiled as I realized Dani was talking in their minds. She must be getting closer!

  “Zo? Is that you?” Dani inquired. Turning back toward the woods in excitement, I searched for her in the trees. “D! Where are you guys!?”

  “Holy crap! Almost there…maybe like…in a few…um…oh, I think I see…” Everyone watched me as I swiveled around, my smile so big I no doubt looked ludicrous. “…a break in the trees…Jack says… wait…I SEE YOU!!!”

  At that moment, a small herd of horses and goats broke through the dense pines beyond the dogs. My eyes instantly fixed on Dani’s bright, auburn hair as her Paint horse galloped closer, ahead of the rest. “D!” I yelled, running to her. She was immediately accompanied by a large, dark-haired man sitting atop a chestnut horse much larger than Dani’s mount. Jason. He looks…different.

  “ZO!” Dani called.

  Momentarily forgetting about my group, I jumped up and down in uncontrollable excitement as the horses stopped mere feet from me. I watched Jason jump out of his saddle and reach for Dani just as she began to sway atop her horse. She swung her leg over to dismount, and Jason readied himself below her.

  “No
you don’t, Red.” Gripping Dani’s hips, my brother eased her descent. I could feel his concern diminish the moment her feet safely touched the ground. Wow, protective much? Jason dwarfed my petite friend, making her appear more fragile than I knew she was.

  Dani slipped out of his grasp and ran to me, shrieking and giggling. “Zo!”

  “D!” I screeched and grabbed her hands. Frantically, we hopped in a circle until she suddenly paused and flung herself into my arms. Feeling her body tremble and her mind fill with overwhelming happiness and relief, I hugged her as tightly as I could. When I heard her heaving sobs, I pulled away, unable to resist smiling as I soaked up her quintessentially-Dani reaction. Losing control of my own emotions, I let tears slide down my cheeks.

  “You’re making me cry!” I whined and tugged her closer again. “I’m so happy to see you,” I said. “I can’t believe you’re finally here.”

  A quiet, unintelligible response squeaked out of her, and I suddenly realized everyone was watching our soggy reunion. The rest of Dani’s group had dismounted and were making their way toward us.

  My eyes fell on Jason, standing behind Dani. Shock blanketed his face as he stared at something behind me.

  “Jason?” Sanchez’s voice was filled with awe.

  Feeling Dani stiffen, I let go. Curious, we simultaneously turned to watch Sanchez approach. Her eyes were locked on my brother, narrowed in disbelief, showing a vulnerability I rarely saw in her. Moving quickly, she threw her arms around him, muttering words I couldn’t discern.

  The dream of them at the bar…it was a memory!

  Jason looked pleasantly surprised and returned the hug loosely. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Dani take a hesitant step toward them. When Jason looked at my best friend, his face grew blank, and he gently pulled away from Sanchez.

  I was confused, wondering what exactly was going on between Dani and my brother…but only for a moment. Dani’s memories invaded my mind, and I saw Jason heatedly gazing up at her while kissing her bare hip. “Oh. Fuck.” I couldn’t stop the words from escaping.