Chapter 8
In This Together
(Mason)
A little unsure of why Evie is hugging me like she didn’t talk to me in the halls just an hour ago, I look over her head at Robin and Olivia. My curious expression does nothing to inspire an answer.
“What is going on?”
Robin’s head dips for some reason. Olivia folds her arms across her chest. Their reactions tell me I’m not going to like whatever they’re about to tell me.
“There’s some guy out front watching the house,” Olivia says calmly.
The tremble in her hands makes a liar out of her, though. She’s clearly pretty worried. Given the way she’s been freaking out about every little thing lately, that shouldn’t surprise me, but this feels different. She’s scared and doesn’t want to show it. That makes me worried.
“What do you mean ‘watching the house?’”
Robin’s voice makes a reappearance as she tells me about seeing the car when they got home and how he’s still sitting there watching the house. At some point during the explanation, Evie stops trying to strangle me, but keeps a hand on my arm to make sure she can hear anything I say. She stumbles when I dart away from her and head for the window. She stays close, though, and discretely touches my arm so she can hear me.
I don’t worry about anyone seeing me standing in front of the window where the curtains are pulled apart. My eyes zero in on the man sitting in his car with his eyes glued to the front of the house. Medium brown hair, average build, youngish but not too young, he’s completely nondescript. The perfect guy to act as a one-man surveillance team.
Spinning around, I spear Robin with a glare. “This guy is a Sentinel?”
“I don’t know. Maybe,” she says. “He might be here to watch me, though. Sometimes they check up on known Caretakers to see if they contact anyone else.”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing,” Evie snaps.
Robin’s eyes water. “I… It’s not… You were never part of our group. There’s no reason to think I would even know any Caretakers in this area. They can’t suspect …”
The usual life and vibrancy that follows Robin around breaks down. Her whole body deflates. Afraid she’ll collapse, I grab her arm and pull her against me. Her weight leans on me heavily as she turns her face into my chest. Caught off guard, I look to Olivia for help. The prickly nature of her stance doesn’t offer much and I figure it’s better to handle this myself.
Walking Robin over to the couch, I gently sit her down with me. “Robin,” I say quietly, “what is going on?”
“I’m so sorry,” she wails. “I should have known better. That’s why we move around so often, to protect the other Caretakers. I never should have talked to you guys at school. What was I thinking?”
Olivia and Evie look like they have a million questions buzzing around in their heads. I can tell that they’re both itching to lay into Robin after that admission. Neither one of them has been terribly keen on her from the start, though. Waving them off before they attack and run Robin off, I gently push Robin to look at me.
“Robin, I’m not following what you’re saying. Why weren’t you supposed to talk to us at school?”
“Because my family is marked!”
We all stare at her, not sure what she means. Our confused expressions make her eyes widen and I get the impression that if Olivia’s family were real Caretakers, they would know exactly what she is talking about.
“Eliana died,” Robin says, as if that should clue us in.
Trying to preserve our lie, I take a guess at what she’s telling us. “So, after Eliana died, it meant the Sentinels knew you and your family were Caretakers, right? And you aren’t supposed to talk to other Caretakers in case the Sentinels are keeping an eye on you?”
Robin nods. “I just got so excited to see another Aerling that I couldn’t resist.”
My eyes glance up to Olivia, and I am surprised to see the glint of anger in her expression. I grimace at the sight. I know Robin didn’t mean any harm, but Olivia is clearly seeing the implications. Robin may have just outed me to the Sentinels.
“You guys weren’t supposed to be here,” Robin says in her defense.
“What do you mean?” Olivia asks.
Shaking her head in confusion, Robin looks at Olivia. “We move every few years to keep the Sentinels from bothering us too much. We go where there are no other Caretakers, so even if the Sentinels follow us, there’s no chance of us leading them to anyone. There weren’t supposed to be any active Caretakers in the area. I don’t know how they got it wrong.”
I do. As far as whoever does the Caretaker organizing and assigning knows, my family, and me, died twelve years ago. There’s no way Robin’s family could have known I was still alive and living with Olivia’s family. When I glance back at Olivia to confirm that she has come to the same conclusion, I’m glad to see that her hostile stance has softened a bit.
“Olivia’s mom and dad may not have reported where they were,” I say in an effort to comfort Robin.
“But still, I should have known to walk away so I didn’t put you at risk.” Robin sniffs, her face splotchy and red from crying. “It’s just that it’s been so lonely on our own. I was so excited to meet you both. I didn’t think.”
As tears start welling in her eyes again, I slip my arm around her shoulders. It’s a strange sensation to have Robin turn into my shoulder as she cries. I’ve never had to comfort a crying girl before. Olivia almost never cries, and she’s usually so together that I rarely have to comfort her. It feels oddly natural to hold Robin, not romantic, but nice.
When Robin stops crying, I ask, “What’s going to happen if the Sentinels figure out I’m here?”
“You know what will happen,” Robin whispers. “They’ll take you. They’ll… kill you.”
Evie and Olivia both tense at her words and start forward as if attacking Robin is going to change anything. I wave them off, glaring at them until they back off.
“When the Sentinels came after Eliana,” I begin slowly, “did they try to hurt your family?”
Confused by the question, Robin sits up and cocks her head to one side. “No. Why would they? It’s just the Aerlings they’re after.”
“Did your family try to stop them?”
I know mine did. Maybe that wasn’t how it usually happens, though.
“We never got the chance,” Robin admits. “They came for Eliana at night. Everyone was asleep. We only woke up when she screamed, but by then it was too late.”
“What if …” I scrub my hand through my hair in frustration. I’m not sure how much I can say without rousing Robin’s suspicions. “What would the Sentinels do if they couldn’t find the Aerling they were looking for? Would they hurt the Caretakers?”
Robin shakes her head as if my question makes no sense. “I’ve never heard of that happening before. They would just wait and try to find the Aerling later.”
I don’t understand. What made my family so different? If I was the only thing the Sentinels wanted, why kill my entire family? Something isn’t fitting, but I have no idea what it is. Fear and confusion fill my mind. What if it happens again? Is there something about me that makes things different? I can feel my body rising toward panic, but I can’t stop it.
The feel of Olivia’s fingers slipping onto my shoulder and squeezing it lightly feel more like a warm embrace. Everything I am feeling takes a back seat to her touch. I want to reach up and take her hand, press it to my lips and pull her to me. Her voice breaking the silence scatters such thoughts.
“How do the Sentinels find Aerlings?”
Robin shrugs. “Short of someone betraying a family, they stalk families like mine, haunt places Aerlings have been known to be housed, watch for suspicious occurrences.”
“Like what?” Evie asks looking more than a little nervous. No doubt she’s thinking of the myriad of pranks we have pulled over the yea
rs that could definitely be categorized as suspicious.
“I’ve heard that they pay a lot of attention to claims of hauntings, rescues no one can explain, things that just don’t make sense. I’m sure that has gotten easier with everything people post on the internet these days.” Robin looks down at the ground. “They’ve been doing this for centuries. If you give them even a small chance to find you, they will.”
“How do they usually come after Aerlings?” I ask.
I want to believe that it will never happen, but I have to be realistic. We may have given them dozens of chances to figure out who I am. Robin showing up with a troop of Sentinels watching her probably hasn’t helped, either. I have to know what to expect.
Robin doesn’t seem overly fond of talking about this subject, but we all wait, refusing to let her get out of answering. Sighing, Robin starts talking.
“They operate like any other sicko trying to take a kid, wait until the right opportunity presents itself.” Robin swipes at another tear before continuing. “Getting them at night is fairly common. Or public places when one of the parents looks away for a second. Crowded areas, walking home from school, all the usual techniques.”
So it could be anywhere at any time. Great. That doesn’t help me know where to focus.
“It’s easier when the Aerlings are young,” Robin says quietly. “They can’t resist or put up much of a fight.”
“How old was Eliana?” Olivia asks.
Sniffing and batting at tears again, Robin says, “Seven.”
“So you’ve been moving around the country for ten years with these freaks following you?” Evie asks.
Robin nods. “I thought they had given up. No one in my family has seen anyone that looked like a Sentinel in years. I guess I just got too complacent. I wasn’t careful enough.”
“Robin, it’s not your fault,” I say. Olivia and Evie seem to disagree with me on that point, but I ignore them.
Somehow, I think this has more to do with my first family than it does with Robin. I want to ask Robin, see if she could find out more about the Caretakers I first lived with, but that would require telling her the reason behind the request, the truth. I may not think she’s in league with the Sentinels, but that doesn’t mean I trust her with my secrets.
Olivia fires out a few more questions about the Sentinels, but Robin doesn’t know enough to lend any more insight. She offers to ask her parents, but that only causes a round of silence. I can see the fear shining in Olivia’s eyes. I feel the fear as well, but the burning desire to know the truth tries to overwhelm it. Unable to determine the best course, I stay silent.
“My parents are going to be expecting me home soon,” Robin says.
“I’ll drive you home,” Olivia offers unexpectedly. When no one says anything, Olivia shrugs. “If they think we’re hiding something, we just have to prove them wrong. We’re just two friends hanging out. Nothing weird about that.”
Robin nods, a small smile tentatively turning her lips up. I feel bad knowing she wishes that were true, that Olivia was her friend. She may not want to hold her breath on that one. Olivia clearly blames her for the Sentinels’ presence. Someone putting her family in danger isn’t something Olivia will forgive easily.
When Robin stands and waits for Olivia to get her keys, her hands twist together, knuckles white. Knowing that Olivia will think I’m not taking this threat seriously keeps me from offering Robin any more comfort. I do, however, catch Olivia’s arm before she makes it past me. She looks up at me expectantly, almost daring me to say something to defend Robin.
“Be careful,” I say instead.
A flash of surprise lights on her face before mellowing into a warm smile. “I will. Keep an eye on Evie.”
“I won’t let anything happen to her.”
My promise brings Olivia’s arms around me in a quick hug. “I’ll be right back.”
She hustles Robin out the door and I watch them pretend to be natural and carefree as they walk to the Jeep. It’s not very convincing. Hopefully the guy in the car buys it. From here, it’s difficult to catch any facial expressions. Watching his head turn to follow the girls is easy enough. I expect him to take off after them, or maybe approach the house. He surprises me by driving away in the opposite direction.
I stay at the window with Evie parked on the couch, watching for more strange vehicles, until the familiar rumble of the Jeep rolls back into the driveway and shuts off. Olivia hustles up to the house and bursts through the door a few seconds later.
“Where’d the car go?” she demands.
I shrug. “Drove off in the opposite direction after you left. Maybe he really is just watching Robin.”
“We can’t assume that,” Olivia argues.
“Yeah, I don’t trust Robin,” Evie pipes in.
I know arguing with them won’t help. “Evie, don’t you have homework to do?” I ask after placing two fingers on her forearm.
Groaning and rolling her eyes, she starts for the stairs.
“Wait a minute,” Olivia says. Evie is all too happy to obey. She immediately puts a hand on my shoulder so as not to miss a single word.
Curious, I ask, “What’s wrong?”
“I think Robin’s whole family could see her Aerling. I think that’s how it’s supposed to work, not just one person like it is with me.” She turns and looks at me with a searching expression. “Can you remember? Did everyone in your first family see and hear you?”
Olivia knows how hard it is for me to think about my family. She wouldn’t ask me to dredge up those kinds of memories without a good reason. That is the only reason I try. Did they all see me? Hear me? I know my mom did. Flashes of my dad trying to teach me how to say the alphabet flicker through my mind, as do memories of my sister drawing on my face with a marker as I laughed at how it tickled me. I remember my older brother getting mad at me for taking his drumsticks without asking. He looked right at me as he lectured me.
It’s all just bits and fragments, but it’s enough. “Yeah, I think they could.”
Olivia sighs. “That’s what I thought. We have to be more careful around her. She’ll realize we’re lying if she figures out I’m the only one who can see you.”
Evie cringes. “I didn’t even think about that.”
“It’s alright,” Olivia says. “I’ll mention it to Mom and Dad, too, just in case she’s over again.”
The expression on her face as she says that makes it clear Olivia hopes that won’t happen again. Evie shares her opinion.
A few minutes later after Evie has disappeared upstairs to do her homework, I flop onto the couch feeling suddenly worn out. Olivia follows me, leaning her head against my shoulder. Neither one of us speaks for a while. I’m too lost in my own thoughts to attempt conversation.
What Robin said about how the Sentinels hunt keeps scratching at my mind, making me obsess over why my family had to die when hers didn’t.
“I would have gone with the Sentinels willingly if it meant my family wouldn’t be hurt,” I say quietly.
Olivia sits up and faces me solemnly. “I know you would have.”
“If it comes to that again …”
She doesn’t let me finish. Olivia’s hands grasp my face firmly. “I’m not letting anyone take you away from me.”
“I won’t let them hurt you just to save myself.”
My heart rate jumps up a few notches as Olivia’s hands slide down my neck to rest on my shoulders. My own hands come up to grip her arms. I barely stop myself from pulling her in, from kissing her until she understands how much I love her and that I would give up anything to make sure she is safe. The fierce seriousness in her eyes is the only thing that makes me hold back.
“Mason,” she says almost angrily, “whatever happens, we’re in this together. Do you understand me? If I ever hear you talk about leaving again, I’ll duct tape you to a chair. You aren’t going anywhere. I won’t let you.”
&nb
sp; Olivia’s forehead rests gently against mine. The temptation is almost too much to bear. My fingers tighten around her shoulders. I want to tell her that she’s right, that I’ll never leave and we’ll always be together. She wants me to say it. Her expression, her eyes beg me to speak the words. I almost give in to the delusion.
I don’t want to lie to her. Leaving Olivia is a crippling thought. Imagining my life without her breaks down my restraint and I pull her into my arms, squeezing her almost to the point of hurting her. Only one thought causes me more pain than leaving Olivia, and that is seeing her hurt. I want to tell her I’ll never leave, but if that’s what it takes to keep her safe, I’ll have no other choice.
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