by Gloria Craw
Rapid subject changes weren’t unusual for Lillian. I’d learned to adjust. “I’ll throw you a party,” I replied.
“Who would come? And anyway, I won’t be here in March.”
“Are you going on a trip to celebrate?”
“I’m moving…to Ystad.”
I blinked. She’d never mentioned moving before.
“You’re moving?” I asked to clarify.
“To Ystad,” she repeated. “It’s in Sweden. I’m closing the store before I go.”
I took a deep steadying breath. I’d never thought about Lillian leaving. She was probably the closest thing I had to dewing family. I hated the idea that she might move.
“Did you just pick that place off a map?” I asked, keeping my voice as even as I could.
“I was born in Ystad. It’s where I spent some of my happiest days. I want to feel the wind coming off the sea and listen to the sound of the gulls in the air. I want to go back to where I started…in the time I have left.”
I gulped as I considered what she was really saying. “In the time you have left?” I asked.
“I could die any time now.”
I shook my head and huffed. “You don’t look sick.”
“I’m old,” she replied. “Aging for us isn’t what it is for humans. Our hair goes gray, and we get wrinkled, but the rest of us doesn’t gradually slow to a stop. It’s a sudden thing. One day we’re here, the next we’re not. Maybe it’s a blessing…maybe it a curse. I’m not sure. All I know is that I want to go home before it happens.”
My mind was whirling. “When are you leaving?”
“In February. I’ll start an inventory clearance sale after the first of the year. I should have all the loose ends tied up quickly.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do without you and the Shadow Box,” I said.
“You won’t be around much longer, either. You’ll graduate from high school in the spring. Then I assume you’ll go to college and from there, someplace the McKyes can’t find you. At that point, I think you should go to the Thanes.”
Spencer and Katherine hadn’t said so officially, but I figured if I asked, they’d take me in after college. The problem was, I didn’t know if I wanted to live with them.
Lillian watched me for a moment. “You’re not sure about a future with them in it, are you?” she asked.
“I’m not.”
“I may be able to help clarify a few things for you,” she said.
I knew what she was offering. As a reader she could join a human mind to see emotions. I was dewing, but having been raised human, my mind was susceptible to her joining, too.
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt,” I replied.
There was a slight jolt of energy when her mind joined mine. The feeling as she worked, I equated with putting Legos together. She found thoughts and feelings that matched and clicked them together.
“You’re uneasy, and it’s not just about the trip to Colorado,” she said. “You’re conflicted. Probably over Ian.” When I didn’t deny it, she continued. “You’re happy when you think about him, but you feel grief, too. You know he’s in love with you, but you’re scared of loving him back. You think…no, you’re sure loving him back will cause you pain. You believe he’ll likeness with someone else and you don’t want to see it when it happens.”
The pressure of our mental connection eased as she let me go. “Does that help?”
“Yes,” I replied softly.
“When you’ve lived as long as I have, you learn some things,” she said. “One is that you can be sure of only one thing: death. The situation between you and Ian may work out different than you believe.”
I knew it wouldn’t, but I appreciated that she cared enough to say so.
“If you want, you can come stay with me in Ystad,” she continued. “As long as I’m still breathing, you will have a place to stay.”
It was an enormous show of trust and affection for Lillian to open her home to me. Tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. Lillian wouldn’t like that show of emotion. “Thank you,” I said. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”
She sipped her tea. “I think I do. I also think you’d be better off with the Thanes.”
Chapter Seven
There was a surprise waiting for me at my car. He was dressed in a gray Henley, dark jeans, and his usual Converse.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” I asked.
“You’ve been spending too much time with Lillian,” Ian replied. “‘Good morning, Ian. How are you? You look like a god.’ That’s how polite people greet each other.”
I laughed. “Okay, good morning, Ian. You look like a god.”
“Better,” he replied.
I leaned against the side of my car. “So, why are you here?”
“To say good-bye and tell you good luck. We may not see much of each other much for the next few days.”
I felt a twinge of separation anxiety, which came as a surprise. We’d been together almost every day since school started. I hadn’t realized how important his presence was to me.
“You okay?” he asked. “You’ve gone a little pale.”
“I’m just not looking forward to sleeping on some stranger’s couch for a week.”
“Theron is a good guy…well, in most ways.”
“Uh…I don’t like how that sounds.”
“He’s been going through kind of a rough time,” Ian replied, shuffling his feet.
“What type of rough time?”
“He…broke some important rules. He’s serving a year’s isolation and suspension because of it. Isolation means he can’t travel more than a hundred miles from his primary residence. Suspension means he has limited access to technology.”
“So, it’s punishment. It’s like getting sent to dewing jail.”
Ian nodded. “He’s our age but incredible with computers. He graduated from MIT when he was fifteen. A couple months ago, he hacked into some federal databases and got caught by one of our own. If he’d been found out by humans, it would have put a lot of attention on him, and consequently on us. That’s a big no-no.”
Exasperated, I sucked in a breath. “I can’t believe it. Your parents are sending me to stay with a criminal.”
“Theron didn’t hurt anyone. I think he only hacked the Feds because it was a challenge, and it kept him busy. My mom calls him a restless soul. Trust me. He’s harmless.”
“For his sake, I hope you’re right. Because if not, I’m going to punch him in the throat and then go after your dad and do the same thing.”
Ian’s eyes twinkled. “You’re cute when you’re trying to be scary.”
“I am scary. I put an end to the biggest evil we’ve—”
I stopped talking because Ian had stepped in front of me and slid his hand behind my neck. I knew what he was going to do. I also knew I should turn away, but I didn’t. I let him move closer, I didn’t look away when his eyes lingered on my lips, and I didn’t tell him to stop when his lips touched mine. Instead, I moved even nearer until there was no space between us. I reached up and ran my fingers through the golden-blond hair that curled up at his shirt collar.
Part of me was disappointed in myself. I’d given in. The other part of me didn’t give a crap and wanted the kiss to last forever.
He moved his hand from behind my neck and held mine. When the V marks in our palms touched, a jolt of energy shot through me. I jumped back like I’d been scalded. “What happened?” I asked, looking at my hand.
“I kissed you. I thought you knew what that was, but I can define the word for you if want.”
“I don’t want you to define it, because that was more than a kiss and you know it.” I touched my lips, which were still tingling.
He wrapped his fingers around mine and moved them. “Don’t wipe our kiss away,” he said.
“We shouldn’t have done that.”
“I disagree. I think it’s exactly what we should have done.”
>
I dropped my gaze so he wouldn’t see the sadness in my eyes. “It makes things confusing and complicated.”
I left out the part about being heartbreaking, too.
He let out a long breath. “There’s more to it than that, Alison. There’s something you’re not telling me. Why don’t you just spill it, so we can talk things through?”
The answer was that if I told him, it would hurt and could destroy our friendship.
I moved around and opened my car door.
“Okay,” he said, his shoulders slumping a bit. “I suppose it’s time for you to run away like you usually do. Have a safe trip. Tell Theron I said hi. I’ll call you tomorrow morning.”
I closed the door and started my engine. I couldn’t leave him like that, though. After rolling down my window, I said, “I’m sorry, Ian.”
He smiled a little. “You’ll tell me eventually. Like everything else with you, it’s just a matter of time.
Chapter Eight
It was six o’clock when my plane touched down at the airport, and I was exhausted. The flight that should have taken me a few hours took six instead. Halfway through, we had to land because of mechanical trouble. My fellow passengers and I sat around a dirty airport while it got worked on.
After breathing recirculated air and sitting on seats with who-knows-what spilled on them, I wanted to shower, change my clothes, and go sleep somewhere. Walking through the poorly lit jet way, I rubbed my dry eyes and hoped I’d find Theron quickly.
The moment I stepped off the escalator on the first floor, I felt a weak dewing vibration. It was so slow that I had to pay close attention to narrow down who it was coming from.
The lucky guy was leaning against a wall by the luggage carousel. He was making a fist and letting it go over and over again. When he turned slightly, I got a good look at his face. A passing impression that I’d seen him before ghosted through my mind.
I started walking his way, and he made a fist again. He was good-looking, tall with broad shoulders that practically screamed muscles. His hair was brown and cut short. Darkish eyes framed by thick lashes and a brooding, impatient expression added to the appeal. To sum it up, he was the tall, dark, and dangerous type.
Stopping at his side, I asked, “Are you expecting someone?”
His eyes traveled from my face to my feet and back up again. Then he stepped away from the wall. “Hello, coz,” he drawled.
I didn’t have cousins. Feeling a little sick at the idea that I’d approached a Truss, I backed away.
“Sorry,” I said. “I thought you were someone else.”
He grabbed my elbow before I got too far. Then he turned his hand over so I could see the faint V mark on his palm. “You got the right guy. I’m Theron Falco, your babysitter for the week.”
I narrowed my eyes to look as menacing as possible. “I don’t need a baby—”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re going to tell me you don’t need a babysitter and that you’re capable of taking care of yourself, but it’s not true. If things take a turn and you get yourself in trouble, I’ve been ordered to put my neck on the line for you.”
“Consider yourself unordered,” I growled before heading toward the luggage carousel to find my suitcase.
“So, you’re Grace Laurel’s kid?” he asked, following me.
“That’s what I’ve been told.”
“Isn’t it interesting that everyone knows your mother’s name, but they don’t know a thing about your father? It’s like he never existed.”
I couldn’t believe it. I’d know this guy for less than a minute and he was talking about my father in a way I found offensive.
“Do you know his name?” he taunted.
“Of course I do.”
“What is it?”
When I didn’t answer, he asked again. “What was his name?’
If I hadn’t been so irritated I would have kept my mouth shut, but I wasn’t in my right mind. “His name was Saul,” I hissed. “And don’t say another word about him.”
I glared at him. He was angry, too, though I couldn’t understand why. He was the one who’d been rude to me.
Gradually, he relaxed. “I didn’t think the Thanes would tell you. To dewing like them he was insignificant.”
I stood stock-still, unsure if I should hit him for his second rude remark.
“Do you want me to get your bag?” he asked.
What I wanted was to knee him between the legs, plant my elbow in his spine, and watch him writhe on the floor in pain, but I started going through luggage looking for my suitcase instead.
“What does it look like?”
“It’s ugly. The ugliest one you’ve ever seen.”
I spotted it and waded through a sea of suitcases to get it. It didn’t have wheels, so I had to lug it over the larger items like car seats, golf bags, and skis.
“You look different than I expected,” he commented.
“What did you expect? A three-headed serpent?”
“I thought you’d look more like your dad. He was in and out of my life when I was a kid.”
I turned to him. “What?”
He flicked his fingers. “I knew him. I used to call him Uncle Saul. But now isn’t the time to discuss it.”
“Why not?”
“For one, we’re standing in a public airport. For another I just decided I don’t want to discuss it.”
So that’s how things were going to work between us. If Theron was going to be a plain-speaking jerk, I was going to unleash the demons of mockery and scorn on him.
Squaring my jaw and lifting one eyebrow, I said, “You’re ninety percent asshole, aren’t you?”
He put a hand to his heart. “That hurts. I’m ninety-eight percent asshole.”
I found my snowboard and then settled a glare of hate on him.
He was unfazed. “Listen, I want to get out of here,” he said. “We can do that faster if I carry something. Do you want to let me help or not?”
“What I would like is someplace else to stay for the week,” I muttered. Then in a louder voice, I said, “I got it.”
“Suit yourself,” he replied, walking ahead, “But I only ask once. Don’t expect me to slow down while you schlep your stuff. You can find the car by yourself.”
I would have flipped him off if my hands hadn’t been full with my things.
Chapter Nine
The lights of the city faded in the rearview mirror as we drove away from the airport. Leaning my head against the cool glass of the car window, I looked at the sky. Bright moonlight lit the snowflakes that floated like pieces of cotton through the air.
“I forgot how beautiful falling snow is,” I said quietly.
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “Until it turns to slush, and all the cars driving the interstate end up in a ditch.”
Twenty minutes together and I already knew I was going to loath every moment I had to spend with this guy. “It’s still pretty,” I muttered.
“What exactly about snow makes it pretty?”
“It’s white, it floats through the air, and every piece is different.”
“You just described a fly ball and bird poop,” he replied.
Great. I’d be living with a jerk who thought snow was like bird poop. Charming. “Do you think puppies are ugly, too?” I asked.
“It depends on the breed.”
I stared at his profile. His features were nice, but his skin looked green from the console lights. He reminded me of an ogre. I didn’t want to share a roof with a ninety-eight percent asshole ogre.
“Is there anywhere else I can stay?” I asked.
“Nope.”
I let my head flop back against the headrest and sighed. “I don’t know what you have against me. You obviously don’t want to ‘babysit’ me. That should probably hurt my feelings, but it doesn’t because I don’t like you. I don’t like anything about this situation. I’d rather be at home with my friends, watching ridiculous horror movies
and eating my mother’s vegan pizza with fake cheese. Unfortunately, that’s not an option.”
He was quiet for a moment, and then I thought I heard him chuckle. “Fake cheese?” he asked.
“It’s made with coconut oil instead of milk. It doesn’t taste bad, but it feels like wax in your mouth. It’s terrible. You should try some.”
“Maybe I will,” he replied as if he liked the idea.
I folded my arms across my chest and concentrated on the falling snow.
“Okay,” he said. “I admit we got off on the wrong foot.”
“It wasn’t me that got off on the wrong foot. It was you. Aside from the fact that you insulted me and then my father ten seconds after I met you, you know my entire clan was murdered. Calling me coz was just…cruel.”
His brow furrowed, and he shook his head. “That’s Spencer for you. Never tell the whole truth when half will do.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He didn’t tell you your father was Falco.”
“That’s because he was a Laurel. His name and dates are in the genealogy volume.”
“Right, but your father was adopted into the Laurel clan after he likenessed with your mother. That’s how it works with us. When a pair are from different clans, they choose one and swear loyalty to it. Your parents chose the Laurels, but he was originally a Falco like me.”
I looked at him in disbelief. Not disbelief of what he’d said. He had no reason to lie about it. It was incredulity that I might really have living relatives.
“I did exaggerate a little,” he admitted. “I’m not your cousin. Not your first cousin, anyway. Your dad’s sister was my uncle’s aunt or something like that.”
I felt a wary sense of hope. “I have an aunt?”
“Uh…not anymore. She and your grandparents…passed away.”
“Of course they did,” I huffed as my rising hopes collapsed. I hadn’t known about my father’s family for more than two seconds, and they’d been taken from me, too. “Destiny wouldn’t have it any other way,” I whispered softly.
Theron glanced at me and then started to drum the steering wheel. He seemed a little ashamed. Maybe he’d figured out how awful some of the things he’d said to me were.
