"I'll call you in a couple," he said. With one last smirk directed at Daryl, he was out the door, taking the tension with him.
Will took a step back and gave Depogare a look. "Your brother is a piece of work," he said, and his tone came out as though it was somehow Daryl's fault.
Daryl shot Will a look in return, and before he could bite back a retort, Ethan cleared his throat once again. "Will, Daryl," he said in his firm, soft-spoken voice. "Please, take a seat. Our meeting is not yet over."
As the two obeyed the dean's command, Sophie asked, "What did you find out about Brielle?"
It had been weighing on her heavily, wondering what Brielle's role was in this whole mess, hoping it wasn't nefarious.
"Ah, Ms. Rivera," Ethan said. "Let's start there."
2
To be honest, Daryl Depogare could give a shit about Brielle Rivera. Perhaps that was a bit blunt and uncaring; he knew it was. But Daryl didn't like caring about much in the first place, and only had the capacity to stretch those compassion muscles so far. All he cared about was getting Jane back. He hadn't even started preparing his spring semester lesson plan—it was probably a good thing classes were canceled until further notice. His thoughts, his focus, was on doing everything in his power to find Jane. And though he hated that he had to call in his brother to do it for him, the fact that Marvin guaranteed Jane back in three days relieved him of a fraction of the stress he had been feeling since they left her.
She was alive—he was certain of it. There was no question in his mind that she was somewhere, her heart still beating. Just because his sweeps provided no results didn't mean she wasn't alive. Just because she hadn't visited his dreams the way she had when she was there, with him, didn't mean she wasn't alive. She could be unconscious. She could be in a state where her brain wasn't transmuting energy waves that he could pick up. Anything was possible. She had taught him that.
As Ethan continued to speak of his conversation with Brielle, Daryl's mind took him back to the first and only time he and Jane kissed. It was the one memory that haunted him more than the others, for even though he had touched her and traced her body with his fingertips, he didn't remember it as vividly as he thought he had. It was already slipping away from him, just like she had.
When they broke apart, he chided her. Lectured her. Made her feel stupid for her feelings. And he hated himself for it. She had left, promising never to bother him again with it, and that was the catalyst that started everything—her near-fatal attack, Sophie's kidnapping, finding Sophie, realizing Calvin's betrayal, escaping with their lives while leaving Jane behind ...
That kissed changed his life and ruined hers. He didn't deserve her. Though, maybe he could redeem himself. Maybe if he found her ...
Daryl couldn't think about what would happen after getting her back. All that mattered right here, right now, was that Marvin was more successful than he was, and Jane would be recovered in good health. He needed her safe and breathing. He needed her here with him.
Depogare was not the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. Before Ethan found him, he was living with Marvin, keeping his brother out of trouble and making money by working for him. It wasn’t something he was proud of, and he didn’t need the money—being alive for centuries pretty much guaranteed that he had a bountiful savings account—but Daryl needed to challenge himself, needed to test out these unique abilities he possessed. And the only person who truly understood that was his brother.
Marvin was always pushing Daryl, always making fun of him and insulting him. One of his favorite things to tease him about was the lack of women in Daryl’s life. Daryl wasn’t the type to date, though every man had desires and Daryl knew a few women he didn’t mind relieving him of said desires. But it was nothing serious, and nothing to write home about. The women in Atlanta were sweet and quiet, and Daryl appreciated the fact that most tended to mind their own business—save for the small town’s gossips, of course. The women Marvin constantly threw at him were worn and tired, and Daryl was afraid to touch them lest he catch something contagious. As such, Marvin would question his sexuality and ridicule his chosen isolation, but Daryl didn’t particularly care. At least he was keeping an eye on Marvin, keeping his brother out of trouble.
Until Ethan met him and offered him the position of professor at a new academy for peculiars.
Marvin hated him for leaving, Daryl knew, but Daryl wasn’t going to allow himself to rot in Atlanta for the rest of his long life. If Marvin wanted to, that was his choice. But Daryl wanted more.
He was still alone—still by choice—and he was completely okay with dedicating his life to teaching. He learned much more about peculiars under Ethan’s tutelage than he had learned his entire life, and he was able to craft experiments that taught him more about himself. Once he found out that others possessed his traits, things changed.
Jane Cabot changed everything, and he wasn’t certain how he felt about that. Feelings he had never felt before started creeping up and taking over every part of his body: his mind, his physical body, his heart. There was nothing left that belonged to solely him. She left her fingerprints everywhere, like a wine glass with condensation. Like a tattoo he couldn’t remove. He needed her. She made him come alive. Made him think things and feel things and believe things he originally felt were impossible. She changed him. And for some reason he still could not wrap his mind around, she loved him. She wanted to be with him. She had kissed him of her own freewill. She was braver than he ever hoped to be, and he couldn’t imagine life without her. He needed her back in his life, needed to know that she was safe and no one could hurt her again.
Once he was certain of that, then he would allow himself the opportunity to contemplate what came next for them. Whether he had that right or not.
"... she healed Jane, not Dr. Kessler."
Daryl's ears pricked and his eyes shot up. "What?" he asked. "I saw him remove his gloves to touch her. I saw him ..." He let his voice trail off. Maybe he saw only what he wanted to see. Brielle had been the one that kicked him out, after all. Perhaps Kessler was preparing Jane for Brielle.
"Ms. Rivera told me herself that she was the one to heal Jane, which makes her a sanator," Ethan said. His hands were folded on the surface of the desk and he looked at the three peculiars in front of him with a steady look. "Which means, depending on the state Marvin finds her in, Brielle can attempt to heal her."
"We don't even know if she recovered from her first attack," Will pointed out. "Even if she didn't die—"
"She didn't," Depogare insisted.
"Even if she didn't, she might be incapacitated," Will continued, glaring at Daryl from the corner of his eyes. "It might be why Depogare hasn't been able to reach her."
"Let's say we do get her back," Sophie chimed in. At Depogare's warning look, she amended, "Which we will, what then? You heard the general. He has her face plastered across national television. How do we make sure she doesn't get taken again?"
"Especially with that reward looming over her head," Will added. He glanced at Ethan's door almost as though he was afraid someone would overhear their conversation. "I don't trust anyone outside of this room. Just because Jane is a peculiar doesn't mean our kind will automatically protect her. Money is money."
"I agree," Ethan said with a nod of his head. "Can I be frank with the three of you?" He paused, and only resumed once all three occupants gave some indication in the affirmative. "I don't know what the general has planned. I didn't think he would reveal our entire species to the world the way he did. You were right, Miss Harper. I was wrong." Ethan didn't seem pained by the admission, just honest. And maybe a little ... confused. "This is why I've instructed the students to remain home. I'm almost certain sometime in the immediate future, our school will become a target of something, and I want to ensure the safety of the students, the faculty, and the ground. The few students that are here will be flown home personally by Jared and me."
"What do you think is going to
happen?" Sophie asked.
"I don't know, Miss Harper," Ethan replied honestly, "but my gut tells me it's not good. What we need to do right now is come up with a plan should the academy get infiltrated, whether it be the military or the general public or even by other peculiars."
"I'm staying here until Marvin brings us Jane," Daryl said firmly.
"From there, you and Jared could fly us somewhere remote," Sophie suggested. "Somewhere no one can find us, where no one will recognize Jane."
"I have a cabin—"
"They'll know," Depogare stated, interrupting Will. "It's under your name, isn't it? And if the good general knows about peculiars, he knows about everything else. We need to go somewhere remote, somewhere no one can find us. Where we have access to our basic needs without running the risk of being recognized."
"Depending on Jane's state, we might need a nearby hospital or a discreet physician," Will pointed out.
"Or we just take Brielle with us," Sophie suggested.
"Only if she volunteers," Ethan said. "She has family, too. A mom and a step-father are probably worried sick."
"We need a place we can meet up should we get separated," Depogare said. "A safe house no one has ties to."
Everyone was silent for a moment as they thought. Daryl's mind was racing, almost too loud to make out anything of substance.
Finally, Sophie spoke up, "Tahoe."
"Tahoe?" Daryl asked, with doubt.
"It's close, but remote," Sophie explained. "It's not tourist season but no one's going to question a group of people renting out a cabin in the middle of winter. The people are friendly but keep to themselves, and there's access to things like cable, wifi, food, and supplies should we need it. It'll be cold, maybe even with snow, so we'd need to prepare for that. But it's quiet."
Ethan nodded once. "I like it," he agreed. Will put his hand on Sophie's knee, and Daryl made a grunt of agreement. "Tahoe it is, then." He stood and rubbed his hands together. "Now, all that's left to do is wait for Marvin to retrieve Jane. From there, we can set everything in motion."
3
Once the meeting with Ethan concluded, Sophie, Will, and Daryl stood up to leave the dean's office and head their separate ways. Before Sophie got to the door, however, Ethan stopped her.
"Miss Harper," Ethan said, sliding back into his chair. His eyes—normally so crisp and clear—looked tired and dreary. If anyone needed a break from all of this, it was him. Sometimes, she forgot what he did for the school. "A word?"
Sophie glanced at Will, who had a questioning look on his face. She shrugged at his silent question, and he shifted his eyes to the door before resting them on her once more. She nodded. He would wait for her outside. The two hadn't been together very long, but they already could communicate with just their facial inflections. The thought warmed her. She liked knowing somebody that intimately. She had been with Jason for a couple of months and didn't have that with him. Though, to be fair, she probably shouldn't compare relationships. Just because Jason and Will were both shifters didn't mean they were the same in personality, intelligence, and even relationships. It wouldn't be fair to have expectations of one just because it was normal for the other.
She smirked to herself. She was getting the hang of this relationship thing.
"Please." He gestured at the middle chair directly in front of him. It was the same seat she had used in their meeting. "Have a seat."
Sophie did as he told her to do, her thoughts sorting themselves to try and figure out just what Ethan needed to talk to her about. Her heart practically leapt in her throat when she realized he might be talking to her about her relationship with Will. The two of them had been careful, and they were never affectionate in public. However, Ethan was probably the smartest person she knew in all areas of life. She had no doubt he had the ability to pick up on everything, including silent communications and lingering looks. She wondered if he had spoken to Will about this already. Certainly, he would have told her, wouldn't he? He would have warned her about this discussion so she could prepare for it.
How much did he know about them, anyway? Sophie searched her brain until it pinched from the pressure, trying to figure out if the two of them had slipped up at any point. They were spending more time together than what was required, but students might write that off. He was training her anyway, personally. It should be expected that they would be spending time together.
What if Jason was behind it? He had suspected something was going on when Sophie told him she was spending the holidays with Will. Maybe she shouldn't have told him in the first place. Now that she thought about it, she could understand Jason's frustration at being left during the holidays for an instructor. And the moment she came home, she practically dumped him. Jason was smart; it didn't take a genius to figure out that something happened between her and Will while she was away. Guilt gnawed at her stomach. She hadn't handled the break up well. She hadn't been considerate or caring; she only thought about her feelings instead of taking Jason's into consideration.
I need to fix this, she realized.
When Ethan was done talking to her, she would go talk to Jason, apologize for everything—if he would hear her out, of course. She didn't deserve it in the least, but she wanted to try.
"This has been an eventful few months for you, hasn't it?" Ethan asked. Now, he didn't bother to hide his exhaustion. His shoulders slumped forward, his head tilted down.
Sophie snorted, feeling the tension that had built up inside of her start to ease. It was one of Ethan's superpowers—making people feel comfortable no matter what.
"You could say that," she said with a smile. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."
A genuine smile touched Ethan's lips. "I'm glad to hear that," she told him. "You're settling in, making friends ...?"
Sophie nodded. "I feel like this is my home," she told him, though she wasn't certain why. He hadn't asked, but she felt compelled to tell him. "I haven't felt that way in a really long time."
"Good." Ethan drummed his fingers on the surface of his desk. "Miss Harper, I wanted to talk to you alone today because I have an opportunity I want to present to you. Besides the fact that you're an incredibly rare peculiar and could give our community knowledge we may otherwise have never be able to get, you are a strong young woman with the ability to make any individual feel special and important no matter how small they feel. Just because we only know of two existing physicals doesn't mean there aren't any out there, and should we find them, it would behoove us to have someone on-hand with such knowledge. Now, Will is an excellent trainer, but if we recruit any more physicals, it would be better to have an actual physical teach them about what they are."
Sophie nodded, trying to keep her brow from furrowing. Ethan wasn't making any sense. It almost sounded as though he was offering—
"I've created a position for you, Sophie," Ethan said, interrupting her thoughts. "With the academy. I want you to be a junior recruiter, assisting Will with anything he may need. You'll have a roof over your head, you'll have an endless supply of food, and you'll be compensated biweekly, a generous salary with full benefits, including a retirement plan should you ever decide you need one."
Sophie's mouth dropped open. That was not what she expected. He was offering her ... a job? She shook her head, her red hair falling into her face. She was expecting to be reprimanded about an inappropriate relationship with her trainer, not offered a possible career. To be honest, she had no idea what to feel. Right now, she didn't quite feel anything, really.
"I know it's a lot to take in, especially with everything going on right now," Ethan continued. "Please take your time in considering it. Don't feel you need to answer until June. I just wanted to extend the offer so you had time to figure out what you wanted to do after you graduated. If you have any questions at all, feel free to come to me directly."
"I-thank you." Sophie stood, still flustered, still slightly confused. She curled her hair behind her ear and forced her
self to look Ethan in the eyes. "I'll definitely think— Did you tell Will about this? I mean, I don't care or anything, I just—“
“Miss Harper?” Ethan said with a smile. “I did not. But feel free to tell him. It might be good to pick his brain about the position, talk to him about his experience with it all.”
Sophie nodded, and without another word, left.
There weren't any students lurking about, so Sophie was almost tempted to hold Will's hand just because she could. She needed something to distract herself from her thoughts because despite Ethan's suggestion to talk to Will about the job offer, she wanted to sort it out for herself first. Plus, she had to deal with Jason.
"Everything okay, kid?" Will asked as they walked down the stairs and out of the main building. "You're uncharacteristically quiet."
"Yeah, Ethan just needed to speak to me about something," she murmured, hoping Will wouldn't push her to divulge more. She chanced a glance at him from the corner of her eye and saw that while he remained quiet, his eyes flashed with what appeared to be hurt, which was uncharacteristic for Will. But just as soon as it appeared, it vanished, and his face smoothed over to its natural hard mask.
"Have anything planned right now?" he asked. There was tension in his voice, causing the subject change to feel a little forced, but Sophie went with it out of respect for him.
"Honestly? I'm going back to my room to try and take a nap. I'm exhausted." The lie slipped off her tongue easier than she expected. "You?"
"Gotta take care of a couple of things for Ethan." He paused. "Want to meet up for dinner?"
Sophie smiled, nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I would."
The elevator ride up to her floor wasn't awkward, and Sophie reached out and held Will's hand of her own accord. He squeezed hers in return, and they remained silent the entire ride up. This was bliss. This was happiness.
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