The Complete Lost Children Series

by Krista Street

  “We’ll be careful.”

  “Bring Flint with you.” Father gave me a stern look.

  “Okay, okay.”

  He gave my hand a squeeze before turning back to his computer. I turned around swiftly, the movement causing my curls to swish around my arms. I stopped short when my gaze met Susannah’s. She sat on the couch, staring at me.

  I tentatively smiled at her. She didn’t return it, but she didn’t look away either. Slowly, I approached the couch. When she didn’t tense or move back, I sat beside her.

  She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. Her gaze glued to something on the floor. Dark circles lined her eyes.

  “Do you need anything at the store?”

  She didn’t reply.

  I frowned as I realized Susannah wore the same baggy sweatpants and shirt she always wore. A few stains soiled the shirt, and the pant hems were darkened with dirt. I wondered if she’d ever washed them. I frowned further. Did she even know how to wash them?

  A flash of guilt ran through me that I hadn’t paid more attention. When Luke, Susannah and Edgar joined us, Father had bought all of them clothes, toiletry items, books and whatever else they’d requested. Luke and Edgar seemed to change their clothes every day, sometimes every other day, and neither had known how to use a washing machine, but both had asked to be taught. I smiled, remembering how fascinated Edgar had been as he bent down, watching the front loader wash and soak his clothes. He’d even volunteered to wash everyone’s clothes those first few days.

  But Susannah had shown little to no interest in anything. The only time she’d ever appeared happy was when she sat perched on the deck railing back in Arizona. Since we’d left, she’d barely said a word.

  I glanced over my shoulder to find Father watching us sadly. I knew he was as worried about Susannah as me.

  FLINT AND I stepped out of the hotel with sunglasses and hats in place. I grinned when the fresh air filled my nose. Energy from the bustling pedestrians swirled in the air. This was one thing I liked about cities. The people. I loved meeting new people and talking to others, but while that wasn’t possible now, it was invigorating to simply be around so many.

  I could tell Flint felt the complete opposite. He gracefully side stepped some guy who almost bumped into him. The guy’s nose was buried in his cell phone, seemingly oblivious to those around him as he walked down the sidewalk. Flint muttered something under his breath and pulled me close to his side, maneuvering us down the street through the steady flow of pedestrians.

  I knew I was supposed to be worried about Marcus, or thinking about tonight, but all I could do was smile and wrap my arm around Flint’s waist. The sky was cloudy and rain once again threatened to fall, but my smile grew even wider.

  When had we ever been able to do this? How often had we talked about living in the real world? About doing everyday normal things that everyone else took for granted? This was the first time we’d ever strolled down a busy city street together.

  “What are you smiling about?” he asked.

  “This. Us.”

  He squeezed my shoulders.

  “We’ve always talked about doing normal stuff like this but never have.”

  “Yeah . . . it was a common theme in our daydreams.”

  I grinned. “This is what normal couples do. Are you hungry?”

  He inched his head downward and pulled his sunglasses off just enough for me to see his questioning gaze. Between his dark eyes and masculine hands, he looked sexy as hell. A tingle of desire raced through me.

  “I thought we were buying a jacket,” he said.

  “We are, but we still haven’t had lunch and it’s after noon. Maybe we could get something to eat.”

  His mouth tightened.

  A brief surge of disappointment flowed through me. There was a reason Father had wanted Flint to accompany me, and it had nothing to do with the fact that we were together.

  “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, of course. We should buy the jacket and get back.” I bit my lip. At least the cut on it had healed. It didn’t sting anymore.

  I started looking for a shop that sold outerwear when I was pulled to the left. I stopped short.

  Glass windows revealed dining tables and chairs within. All of the tables were covered with white linen tablecloths. Wine glasses and pressed cloth napkins sat beside each one.

  I raised an eyebrow at Flint.

  He pulled open the door and grinned. “You only live once, right?”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The restaurant was French. I’d never had French food. Scents of freshly baked bread and herbs flowed through the air. A few other diners sat at tables, scrumptious looking bowls of soup and baked dishes in front of them.

  I switched my vision. Everyone in the restaurant had normal clouds. Any anxiety I had melted away as I switched my vision back to normal.

  The hostess greeted us warmly and showed us to our table. It was in the back, away from the window. Flint nodded in approval at the dim corner.

  Our chairs squeaked on the floor when we pulled them back. A candle glowed in the middle of the table, its flame flickering in a slight draft. It was oddly romantic.

  A brief sense of nervousness gnawed at me when we sat. Flint and I had never been on a date like this before. We’d gone to restaurants with the group, but never to one this cozy and certainly not just the two of us.

  “This is nice,” I said tentatively.

  Flint removed his sunglasses and hat.

  My eyes widened.

  He nodded toward the ceiling. “The first thing I checked when we entered was whether or not they had security cameras. There’s one by the front door and one behind the register, but that’s it. We’re too far away to be in either’s view.”

  Smiling, I took off my cap and threaded my fingers through my curls. They hung around me in messy rivulets. Flint reached across the table and brushed one behind my ear.

  “I love your hair.”

  A blush stained my cheeks. For some reason, I felt as if we were back at the cabin about to share our first kiss. Nerves exploded in me like fireworks on the Fourth of July. I took a deep breath and tried not to stare at how strong Flint’s hands looked clasped together, or the way the light glinted off his square jaw, dipping his face into shadows. His dark eyes, flecked with gold regarded me steadily. When he looked at me like that, I became a waterfall of warm honey, ready to coat myself right over him.

  Our waitress appeared and broke the spell. She smiled politely and held out the wine list. Luckily, Flint wasn’t a mess of hormones. He picked out a twenty-year-old Bordeaux which the waitress readily supplied. When she finally left, I sipped my wine and picked up the menu. Flint did the same, but he traced a finger along my forearm while reading his.

  It was almost as though he didn’t know he was doing it. I tried to concentrate on the feel of the menu. It was a single piece of paper delicately tied to a wood board. The wood felt smooth and firm under my grip, but no matter how hard I tried, Flint’s fingers demanded my attention. Shivers ran through me that had nothing to do with the draft flickering the candle.

  I cleared my throat, trying to dispel my heady desire. “What should we get?”

  Flint smiled. “Whatever you want. Who knows when we’ll be able to do this again.”

  Consequently, when the waitress returned, we ordered creamed lobster bisque and clams baked with tomato, white wine and garlic sauce served over a toasted baguette. Following that, we shared meals of beef tenderloin and frog legs sautéed in garlic and butter with a side of creamed spinach. For dessert, we gorged on crème brulée and a warm apple tart with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream.

  It was all incredibly delicious, even the frog legs which not surprisingly, tasted like chicken. By the time we finished, I was so full I could barely move.

  I’d also completely forgotten we were supposed to be shopping for a jacket. The looks Flint gave me
throughout the meal made me want to return to the hotel and wrap myself around him. Both of our hats and sunglasses sat forgotten beside us. We’d laughed and talked throughout the entire meal. I couldn’t remember the last time we’d been able to relax and enjoy each other like this. It had easily been weeks if not months.

  When the bill arrived, we paid with cash, put our glasses and hats back on and walked out the door. I shivered when the cool air hit me. This time it had nothing to do with desire. It was ridiculously cold compared to the cozy restaurant.

  A buzz sounded and Flint reached into his pocket. He scowled at the screen. “Conroy’s wondering where we are.” He typed a few letters in a text before putting it back in his pocket.

  Guilt made me pause. We’d been gone much longer than necessary. “What’d you say?”

  “That we were fine and would be back shortly.” He looped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a walk.

  “Should we go back?”

  “No, you still need a jacket.”

  I did, but if Father was worried, there may be a reason. “Did he say anything else?”

  Flint stopped and turned toward me. Someone grumbled and pushed past us. We’d stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

  “I don’t want you to worry, babe. Conroy’s fine and so is everyone else. We’ve taken all of the necessary precautions to avoid detection on the off chance Marcus’ men are around here. They most likely have no idea where we are, so I don’t want you thinking about it.”

  I smiled. “Okay.”

  Within minutes, that safe feeling that always swam through me in Flint’s presence worked its magic. We spent the next hour meandering into stores, trying things on, looking at various items, and basically acting like tourists. It was completely refreshing and a much needed stress reliever.

  On the way back, we picked up coffees at a café. I sipped a caramel latte while Flint drank a peppermint mocha. By the time we returned to the hotel, it was late afternoon and the sun was going down. We walked past the lobby. Our shopping bags brushed against our legs as we stepped into the elevator. An elated high coursed through me. It was easily the best afternoon I could remember in a very long time.

  “Jacinda’s going to be so jealous. She’s going to drool with envy when I tell her we spent the afternoon dining and shopping.”

  Flint chuckled. “I saw her eyeing the stores this morning when she looked out the window.”

  “Good thing Father never gave her a credit card.”

  We were both laughing when we walked into Di and Jacinda’s suite. My laughter died when I spotted Di. She paced the room, her manic movements back. When the door closed loudly behind us, she spun in our direction, her dark eyes glittering.

  “Where were you both?” she hissed.

  I took a step back, but Flint calmly dropped our shopping bags. “We bought Lena a jacket. She didn’t have one.”

  “And that took you four hours?” Di seethed. “Have you both forgotten why we’re here and what we’re doing tonight?”

  “On the contrary, I was very aware of that.” Flint’s voice grew deadly quiet. A glint shone in his eyes.

  They held eye contact for a few more moments. Their energy practically crackled in the air.

  Di finally took a deep breath and crossed her arms. Her shoulders relaxed. “You stayed safe?”

  “Yes.”

  She nodded curtly.

  The rest of the group sat in the living room, except for Father and Susannah. I didn’t see them anywhere.

  “What’d you buy?” Jacinda’s eyes sparkled as she assessed the bags. She sat beside Luke on the couch. A movie played on the large TV screen hanging on the wall. A romantic comedy from the looks of it.

  I pulled out our purchases. “Not too much.” I showed her the Gore-Tex jacket I’d picked out and then pulled out gloves and hats for everyone. I handed them around. “Just in case it’s cold tonight. I wasn’t sure how much everyone packed.”

  Jet and Jasper grinned. “Thanks, Lena.”

  Both of the dark haired, blue eyed twins stuffed their hair under the wool hats. All of the accessories were identical in color, either dark gray or black. They’d been practical picks since they wouldn’t be easily seen at night.

  Edgar and Luke also mumbled a thank you. Both looked surprised that they’d been included. “I know you’re not coming with us, Edgar, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t use this,” I explained.

  Edgar put the hat on his shaved head. “Ta, love. Me loaf of bread ‘ill be much warmer with it.” He left it on and turned his attention back to the movie.

  Amber giggled.

  Mica’s eyes brightened. “Anything for me in there?”

  I threw her matching gloves and a hat. There were only a few things left in the bag. I scanned the room. “Where’s Susannah?”

  “She went back to her room,” Jet said.

  “Alone?” I didn’t think any of us trusted Susannah to not bolt.

  Jacinda shook her head. “Father’s with her.”

  I got the room key from Edgar. He barely looked up when I asked. Surprisingly, everyone seemed engrossed in the movie. Normally, rom-coms were not popular in our group, but from the enchanted way Edgar and Luke watched it, I wondered how many movies they’d actually seen.

  I left the hotel suite and walked down a flight of stairs to the room Edgar and Susannah shared. Without knocking, I inserted the key. What I saw when I walked into the room made me stop mid-stride.

  Susannah and Father sat on the two beds, facing each other. Susannah’s eyes were closed. She looked to be deep in concentration, but what drew my attention wasn’t her tight expression, it was the feathers sprouted on the backs of her forearms. Deadly looking talons had grown on her bare feet and hands.

  I gasped.

  “Galena!” Father exclaimed.

  Susannah’s eyes flashed open. They were eagle eyes, pale yellow and huge. She let out a scream, making me wince. Father hurriedly said something to her, his voice so low and soft I couldn’t hear.

  Susannah seemed to calm. I watched, amazed, as her talons slowly disappeared, drawing back into her fingers before her nails once again looked human.

  It was one thing that perplexed me about Susannah’s change. When she was fully transformed, her hands were the tips of her wings, but when she was mid-change, they were talons, just like her feet. I had no idea why that was.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled, backing up. “I should have knocked. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “It’s all right, Galena. Come in and join us. I was just helping Susannah control her transformations better.”

  Susannah blinked a few times. The pale yellow irises disappeared and were replaced with human blue. She shook her head, as if not sure of her surroundings. Father murmured a few more quiet words. Her tensed shoulders relaxed even more.

  I approached the bed hesitantly. “Um, hi, Susannah.”

  She eyed me warily.

  I set the bag down. “I bought you something.”

  She crossed her arms around her middle and kept her gaze on the floor. Father leaned forward and said something else. I didn’t hear all of it, but I did catch my name a few times.

  As before, Susannah visibly relaxed under Father’s gentle tone.

  A part of me wondered if Susannah remembered Father from when he’d worked at O’Brien fifteen years ago. For the most part, each group that was experimented on worked solely with their researcher. Father had been ours while Susannah, Luke and Edgar’s had been Marcus. However, a few times, Marcus had done experiments with our group and Father had done things with theirs. Perhaps Susannah had some distant memory of Father, from before she’d been studied and drugged so maliciously. It would explain why she seemed so trusting of him.

  “Do you want to see it?”

  She merely stared at me with her bright cobalt eyes, but she didn’t look away. I took that as a good sign.

  I reached into the bag and pulled out a royal blue, cowl ne
ck sweater. The tags dangled from it. It was cashmere which meant Jacinda would approve. I also withdrew a few pairs of black leggings. I handed everything to her.

  “I thought you may like these.”

  Her gaze darted to Father. He nodded encouragingly. It didn’t escape my attention that she still wore the same dirty top and sweatpants from yesterday. Susannah tentatively took the clothes. Our fingers touched briefly during the exchange, making her jump.

  “Do you want to try it on?” I asked.

  Susannah fingered the material. Her midnight hair was loose and tumbled down her back in thick oily waves. Snarls streaked through it.

  “Susannah?” Father’s voice grew softer. “Would you like to go to the bathroom and change?”

  Susannah abruptly stood. The movement was so fast, I stepped back in surprise.

  She bolted past me and locked herself in the bathroom. I sat down on the bed with a sigh. “How’s she doing?”

  Father cocked his head, looking thoughtful. “She’s doing better. Although, she’s a long way from feeling comfortable around people. I’m afraid it won’t be quick, but she’s made some progress. She’s so in tune with her eagle that she resorts back to animalistic tendencies when she’s stressed or scared. We’ve been working on her gaining better control over her animal this afternoon. I’m hoping that control will foster her self-esteem, inevitably building her confidence.”

  “So you think it’s possible she’ll be able to live in the real world someday?”

  “That’s my hope. It will most likely take months, if not years, before she acts like a normal human, but I don’t think that’s an unrealistic goal.”

  I was about to ask something else when the bathroom door opened. Susannah emerged. Once again, her head bowed downward, but her shoulders were pulled back and she didn’t shrink in on herself like she usually did. When she reached Father’s side, she looked at him questioningly, ignoring me completely.

  “Do you like the new clothes?” he asked.

  Susannah nodded.

  “They look nice on you,” I said. The sweater fell mid-thigh and the black leggings seemed to be the right length.