The Changeling's Source (Evedon Legacy Book 1)

by Sarah Lynn Gardner

  Arguing floated to me from Daniel’s room. Mom and Daniel must be fighting again. It was far softer than the explosion earlier this year, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t get worse.

  I wanted to stop it before Nathaniel and Oops woke. Oops crying last time had sent Mom over the edge.

  I hurried down the stairs and knocked on Daniel’s door.

  Their conversation abruptly ended, and a few seconds later, Daniel opened the door, dressed in a gray T and flannel bottoms. He pushed on his glasses to straighten them. “I’m sorry. Did you hear us?”

  I glanced behind him, through his office into his bedroom. Dressed in comfortable clothes, Mom was lying on his bed, arm thrown over her eyes.

  “No, I, well yes.” I stalled. My enthusiasm to tell Daniel about what I had discovered had stalled. “I remembered I never told you earlier. I’m going on a date tomorrow with my lit partner.” Give Daniel the chance to be in charge. “I mean, he asked if he could take me on a date.”

  Mom sat up, looking in my direction, brows raised.

  “Is that all right?”

  “With your lit partner?” Daniel asked.

  “It’s not wise to mix your love life with work,” Mom said.

  I so wanted to roll my eyes at her, but she wasn’t close enough to get the effect.

  “We did,” Daniel said.

  Wait—when had Daniel and Mom worked together?

  Daniel rubbed his temple. “I never talked to you about watching Oops. Tomorrow’s Nathaniel’s visit with his mother, and the Tanners can’t watch her.”

  Disappointment dropped into my stomach.

  “Never mind. I’ll find someone.” Daniel smiled. “What time?”

  “At five,” I said.

  “I might be able to be home,” Mom said.

  “Well, we know how good your promises are,” Daniel said.

  Mom visibly bit back a comment.

  “What are you planning on doing?” Daniel asked me.

  “I don’t know yet,” I said. “Don’t worry. His mom has all these really strict rules. We’ll be fine.”

  “Don’t kiss anyone on a first date,” Mom said.

  Wow. Great advice, Mom.

  Mischief entered Daniel’s eyes, and I could tell he was trying hard not to give her a snappy retort. “Why don’t you get back to bed, so you aren’t tired tomorrow night,” Daniel said. “I promise we’re done arguing.”

  I nodded, then retreated up the stairs. Daniel had never worked in healthcare. I was almost sure of it. So when had they worked together? They’d met when we were neighbors, living in that crappy apartment after Dad died.

  Nathaniel waited in the hall. “Oops is having a hard time sleeping. Do you want to sleep by her? I’m not quite the same.”

  I nodded, feeling bad they’d both woken up to Mom and Daniel.

  Going into her room, I rested by her, and she snuggled right into my side.

  The dark source from earlier still lurked under my skin, and I could sense an influx from her. Drawing hers out of her, I gathered it into my hands and stared at my palms.

  Soon, her breathing stilled. Once I was sure she was asleep, I rose and headed into the hall.

  I really wanted to see what I could do with what I had learned earlier.

  The light glowed from under Nathaniel’s door. Curious, I quickly opened the door.

  Back turned to me, Nathaniel sat in the middle of the floor, large headphones covering his ears, as he played Zelda. I was pretty sure Daniel had strict rules for Nathaniel about not playing games in the middle of the night, especially when there was school the next day. Quickly, I walked over and pulled the headphones off.

  He snapped his attention around. There were tear streaks down his cheeks, and his eyes were red.

  “Are you crying?” I asked, taken off guard.

  “No, of course not.” Nathaniel rose, turned off the game, then rolled onto his bed and pulled the covers over his head. “Go away.”

  Nathaniel was always so happy and carefree during the day. Finding him alone crying at night made me realize I wasn’t alone in having challenges. Guilt turned in my stomach. I wore my darkness on my sleeve—it was usually obvious when I was in a bad mood.

  “I said go away.”

  Holden had only ever cried in secret, but rarely did he really want to be left alone when I found him. He wouldn’t talk about whatever it was that bugged him, so instead I’d distract him. Being present seemed to be enough for him.

  “Can I show you something?” I asked. I crossed over to the bookshelf and took down some of Holden’s action figures, then lined them up on the desk.

  I really wanted to experiment with my source. “Remember how we told you about demons being real.”

  “Are you one?”

  I smothered a snort. “No, I’m something called a changeling alva. Oops is one too. Come here.”

  With a groan, Nathaniel came over.

  Concentrating on the source in my hands, I directed a little bit of it into my forefinger and thumb, then created a smaller ball of the dark source between them. I could sense it there, but I couldn’t see it.

  “What are you doing?” Nathaniel grumbled.

  Aiming for the figure of Batman, I flicked my thumb and forefinger. A second later, Batman exploded.

  Nathaniel’s mouth dropped open.

  So did mine.

  I grabbed Nathaniel’s wrist. “Don’t you dare tell anyone about that. All right?”

  “Yeah, okay, but—what just happened?”

  I spent a few minutes telling him the basics about changelings and demons, not going into too many details about pure alvs, because I didn’t want to get him into trouble somehow.

  We spent five minutes, lining up the action figures, then me destroying them at a distance.

  It was pretty cool.

  Holden was going to flip—just a little—but then I found, when we pieced them back together, I could recreate them into something even better.

  By the time I decided to go to bed, I’d realized how much time I’d wasted the last couple of years having a bad attitude about Nathaniel living with us and taking over Holden’s room.

  “I’m sorry, Nathaniel,” I said, before heading out of the room.

  He assembled the figures where they belonged on the shelf. “About what?”

  “I’m finally recognizing how awful I’ve been.”

  “Awful?” Nathaniel smirked. “That doesn’t even begin to describe how horrible you were.”

  “Hey.”

  “I’m teasing.”

  “There’s always truth when people tease.”

  He pointed at me. “True.” Then rolled onto his bed. Putting his hands behind his head, he smiled and closed his eyes. “Now, I have the coolest big sis in the world.”

  “Don’t tell anyone. I mean it—I could get into a lot of trouble.”

  “I won’t.” He rolled onto his side then pulled his blanket over him. “Good night.”

  Back in bed, I stared at my hands, thinking over the fifteen minutes I’d spent with Nathaniel. Fifteen minutes of having a good experience with someone—someone who looked up to me.

  I’d wasted so much time. Not just with him. I’d...I’d wasted it with Daniel, too.

  Maybe Holden had been right a couple years ago. Give him a chance. That was always his mantra with me.

  I sighed. He wasn’t my dad. He never would be. But, he cared about me.

  I bet he’d go to the end of the world and back for me, too.

  What type of person treats someone like that as if they were a doormat? Wow, I’d really been a horrible, selfish brat. Nathaniel was right. I wasn’t being hard enough on myself.

  16. Almost Jealous

  Friday after school, Jack brought me home to save me from a rainstorm. He ended up sticking around to watch Oops in case Daniel wasn’t back from taking Nathaniel to see his mom, because Oops didn’t want to go over to the Haggerty’s house.

  Hurrying down the
stairs with two different tops in hand, I stepped into the music room and held up the shirts. One was a light blue tunic I hoped would bring out my eyes while the other was a white, long-sleeve blouse with a lace overlay that was maybe too fancy. “What do you think?”

  Jack swivelled around from playing the piano. “That I’m a boy, and you need a girl to give you that type of advice.”

  “Yeah, but you’re all I have.”

  “And me!” Oops bounded in from the family room. “Don’t you have anything that’s pink?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “That’s what you should wear! I’ll find it for you.” She shot up the stairs. “Pink is the color of princesses everywhere.”

  “She has a point,” Jack said.

  I collapsed onto the sofa with the shirts on either side of me. “What am I doing, Jack?”

  “Going on a date.”

  Resting my head against the cushions, I closed my eyes. The last and only date I’d ever been on had been a complete disaster.

  My stomach felt like a wash rag twisted way too many times to the point of having holes and tatters and tears. This was likely going to end worse than Mom and Daniel’s non-dates. “Can you go instead?”

  “No. I like girls.” The cushion of the couch sank as he sat by me. “Why are you so nervous?”

  “I’ve never been on a date before with someone I really like.”

  “And?”

  “And what?” I looked at him.

  “What else are you concerned about?”

  I sat up and pulled the curtains aside of the window, looking to Sam’s house. She was outside with her sister and mother decorating their yard for Halloween with gravestones, a trio of dancing ghosts, pumpkins, hay bales, and scarecrows.

  In math, then lit, Asher’s thoughts had seemed elsewhere, and I finally pulled it out of him that he didn’t want to go with the group tonight for the haunted house. David had planned it weeks before, and he’d set it up so each of them would be paired off blindly.

  “I don’t want to pair off with any of the girls coming along,” Asher had whispered to me. “Is it going to bug you when I leave your house to cross the street to pick up Samantha? David asked if I would, since I lived closer.”

  Of course it would bug me. Asher was going from his date with me to pretty much a date with Sam, all in one night.

  “I thought I could get out of it when I asked you, but my mom wouldn’t let me.”

  “I’m worried about Samantha.” I pulled the curtain into place. “The fact that she’ll see me go out with Asher.”

  “Stop worrying about her,” Jack said.

  My shoulders tensed. “Did you know Asher is going on a group date with her and a bunch of my old friends right after being here? How am I supposed to feel about that?”

  “Hopefully, he’ll realize what a great girl you are compared to all of them.”

  My brows rose. I was worried Asher would think the opposite. Fall for Sam or Layla or— “Why would he plan a date with me right before a group one with them? I’m going to be sick all night thinking he had more fun with them than me.”

  “This one.” Oops came scampering down the stairs and paused in the arched opening between the front entrance and the music room.

  She held up a predominantly pale pink long sleeve T but with a thick gray stripe and white shoulders. Grandma Evedon had sent it to me last year for Christmas, and I’d yet to wear the top. It was far more casual than I’d wanted.

  “What about this?” Oops held it up to her chin, lifting one of the sleeves and doing a fashion spin.

  “That looks perfect,” Jack said with a huge grin.

  Oops lit up.

  Now I felt obligated to wear it. “Sure, Tiger.” Gathering the other two, I rose and took her suggestion, then hurried back to my room.

  Putting the long sleeve T on calmed me down. It lowered my expectations for what would happen with Asher.

  “Can’t believe I’m doing this.” My heart pounded as I looked closer at my reflection in the long mirror on the closet door. Taking out the braids I’d worn all day so my hair would be curly, I sprayed it with hairspray to tame the frizz, changed out the stud earrings I routinely wore for a pair of silver ones that dangled, pencilled on eyeliner, freshened up my mascara, and put on a fresh coat of lip gloss.

  I still felt like I was going to throw up. Sam was undoubtedly doing herself up tonight in an effort to steal Asher’s heart.

  Why did we have to be fighting for the same guy?

  Slipping my feet into a pair of navy Keds, I returned downstairs where Jack was giving Oops a lesson on the piano.

  “Daniel’s been looking for someone to teach her.” I sat down on the couch.

  As Oops pecked away at Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jack faced me.

  “Is this too casual?” I asked.

  “Again, you’re asking the wrong person. The last date I went on with Lydia, I wore gym shorts, a white tank, and flip flops.”

  I huffed.“Why’d you two break up anyway? You were the golden couple. I thought for sure you’d be married out of high school.”

  “We wanted different things.”

  “What?” I frowned. That sounded too simple. “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. We both changed a lot last year.” He shrugged, then clenched his jaw. There was added emotion to his eyes, almost tears.

  “You still like her,” I whispered.

  Oops finished the song and looked up at Jack with a huge grin. “I did it.”

  “That was beautiful.” He held up his hand for a high five, and she slapped it pretty hard. “Do you want lessons?” He glanced nervously at me.

  She nodded enthusiastically.

  “They don’t come cheap, and you have to practice a lot.”

  “I will!”

  Holden used to sit with Oops on his lap, playing the piano. The memory made me a little teary-eyed. He would have been the one teaching her had he gone to the local university like he’d wanted.

  Jack held up a fist for Oops to bump.

  The garage door echoed, and Daniel’s SUV pulled up the drive.

  I sat on edge, a new worry coming over me. Last time Nathaniel came home from seeing his mom, he threw a weekend-long tantrum that drove me crazy. This time, I found I was actually worried about him, why he acted like that.

  “Daddy’s back!” Oops eased off the bench and dashed into the hall toward the kitchen. They’d made it home in time for my date with Asher. I looked at Jack.

  “Thanks for sticking around.”

  “No problem.” Jack stood, heading for the door. “It was fun thinking about what it would have been like having a younger sister. I’m going to sneak off now, though, before Asher arrives and gets the wrong idea about how you also double booked.”

  I laughed.

  He grinned. “You look good, and I’m almost jealous.”

  Almost jealous?

  “Jack!” I grabbed the pillow from the sofa and threw it at him, then jumped up, coming after him. “You said—”

  He grabbed it, laughing. “Relax, princess. I only tease.” There was an impish glint to his auburn eyes.

  This raw, low anger glowed in my chest, because I didn’t want a jealous best friend. Even if I wasn’t Jack’s best friend, I was starting to realize Jack was becoming mine again. “Don’t tease me like that.” I grabbed the pillow from him.

  “Hey.” He clung on to it. “Look at me.”

  I looked him in his coal-burning eyes.

  “I do think you’re beautiful.” He shook his head. “But it’s in the same way I see my favorite sisters. And I got jealous several times for their attention when they dated good-for-nothing guys. Like when Rosalind dated Holden.”

  He let me take the pillow, and I slammed him with it again. “Get out,” I said.

  “You’re in my memory almost as far back as my sisters, Tara. The way I feel about you is pretty much the same.”

  “So when you say you’re je
alous—”

  “I mean if Asher messes with you, he’s probably going to feel my fist. But I don’t think he will. Hence my almost-jealousy.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Wait until Nathaniel dates a girl you don’t like.” Jack winked at me. “It’ll make more sense.” He smiled. “I like us being friends.” He waved to indicate the room. “I liked you awkwardly asking me what you should wear, like you might have Holden if he was here.”

  I wrapped my arms around the pillow and leaned against the wall. Frowning, I tried to sift through what he had said. He’s jealous of Asher in the way he was his sister dating a boy. I guess I could kind of understand that. Holden dated a girl, though briefly, his senior year that I had hated. Luckily, Jack’s sister, Rosalind, had briefly distracted him. I’d been excited about them going out. “Jack—I’m sorry.”

  “I’m going to go now and hope you don’t hate me still on Monday.” He set a hand on the door.

  “I don’t hate you,” I said. “You aren’t my brother, so when you make comments like that, I-I’ve had a hard time trusting people this year. And having a friend who’s secretly jealous I’m dating another guy—”

  “I know,” Jack said. “Trust me when I say I don’t want to kiss you, and I don’t want to hold your hand. But I am up for hugs if you ever want one. And if an idiot boy tries to date you that I don’t like, you’re probably going to hear about it.”

  I finally smiled. “Sounds perfect. The fact that you’ve known Asher for a while and haven’t said much against him. That’s been a big part of my being willing to trust him.”

  “You can drive the dagger of hate into my chest if it all ends up going south.” Jack opened the door. “My bets are it’s not, and seven years from now, I’m going to be your maid of honor.”

  My cheeks burned hot. “Jack!” I tossed the pillow at him, then nudged him out the door.

  “I’m teasing. Again”

  “I don’t like being teased.” I trailed him out to his car and gave his shoulder a gentle shove. “Now get out of here.”

  The garage was still open, and Daniel’s SUV clicked from the heat of just being driven. Daniel was usually so good about closing the door right away.

  Jack got in, and I shut his door for him. Seeing his unsettled expression as he turned the key in the ignition, I knocked on his window, and he lowered it.