The Unseen (The Lost Keepers Book 2)

by AR Colbert

  “Well, why wait?” I struggled to keep my volume at a reasonable level. He knew exactly how to get under my skin, and whatever glamour he was using to keep me calm earlier had vanished now. “You’ve literally got me in the palm of your hands. You know I can’t swim. Drop me. Let me sink. You’ll see once again that I have no powers, and all those people standing at the rail will be happy to lock you up like the scum that you are.”

  “Such harsh words.” He tsked. “Besides, I don’t like an audience.”

  “Ha. You know, I’m starting to believe you can’t actually do anything you say you will, anyway. I. Have. No. Powers. And as a mortal, I don’t have to be afraid of you. You can’t hurt me without ruining your own life. And both of your attempts to coax out my nonexistent powers so far have failed. I think you’re just a lot of talk.” I didn’t know why I felt the urge to goad him. He just made me so angry! And I might have been physically powerless against him, but I wanted him to know he didn’t have the upper hand. I really didn’t have to be afraid of him. Not yet, anyway. Not until I knew for sure whether or not I was fractured.

  “I’m just a lot of talk, huh?” He quirked a dark eyebrow.

  I nodded. “You can’t do anything to me.” My voice was softer now, almost husky sounding from the saltwater.

  He pulled me closer, a feat I didn’t know was possible with how much we already touched under the water. He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. You’re right. But I don’t think you know what you want.”

  My stomach flipped, and I felt my heart pulsing, its strong pounding rhythm betraying my cool exterior. Tate noticed. He had to have noticed.

  My skin buzzed with anticipation. He released one arm from my waist and brought his hand to my face, using the soft pad of his thumb to wipe a spot under my left eye. “Your makeup is running.”

  “Oh.” It was all I could manage. My words disappeared, stifled by the lump in my throat. What brought about this change? Why the shift in his demeanor?

  His gaze lingered on my eye. It happened frequently. People often couldn’t help but stare at the stark contrast of blue and the giant slice of brown in my iris. But most people didn’t look like Tate. And the expression on his face almost seemed to have a hint of… longing.

  He shook his head. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Your eyes are just so striking. I don’t mean to stare, but you really are enchanting. I might be all talk, but I meant that at the gallery, and I mean it now. You’re quite fun to admire.”

  We had just about reached the ladder that would take us back up to the deck of Gayla’s boat. He leaned back with a thrust of his legs to propel us toward the ladder, then he took hold with his free hand, the other still holding me snugly against him.

  “You’re not so bad, yourself.” I felt braver now that we were so close to safety again. Just another minute and my feet would be back on solid ground. Though strangely, I wasn’t in a hurry to get out of Tate’s arms.

  He leaned down until our foreheads were touching, and everything else disappeared from my sight. I didn’t care who might have been watching from the deck above. I didn’t care about anything but hearing whatever it was Tate said next.

  “I’m glad you’re safe.”

  “Me, too. Thank you for rescuing me.”

  “Would it be alright if I—”

  His eyes flashed down to my lips, and my breath caught in my throat. “Yes.” I barely whispered my response as I tilted my head up to meet his lips. I paused for just a moment, exposed in the cool evening air, waiting to kiss my hero. My rescuer. My angel. But his lips never came.

  I opened my eyes and found Tate grinning mischievously down at me.

  “You might be careful next time you want to trash talk my powers. I always get what I want.”

  I scowled. I’d been glamoured. Again. I was such a fool. Reaching over his shoulder, I took hold of the bottom rung of the ladder and pulled myself up and out of his arms. Then, just for good measure, I turned back to face Tate.

  “I hate you,” I grumbled. With my left hand on top of his head, I shoved with all my weight, pushing his beautiful face under the water. Then I made my way up toward the deck, never turning to look back at him.

  It might have been childish, but boy it felt good.

  CHAPTER 12

  Sean, Dom, and Gayla all waited for me at the top of the ladder. Sean reached out to help me back onto the boat, casting a wary glance over my shoulder at Tate below.

  “I’m so sorry,” he mumbled. “I really had no idea he was here.”

  “I know. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

  Dom shot me a knowing look, but thankfully she kept her mouth shut. I was already mortified by what had transpired with Tate. I didn’t want to relive it now. Or ever.

  “Do you still have the tablet?” Gayla whispered. “Dom told us everything that happened with Rossel. I can’t believe he would do that to you. But don’t worry. He can’t play dumb with me.”

  “I do.” I pulled my clutch from its spot, still tucked safely under the strap of my dress. A steady stream of water dripped from the corner as I extended my arm toward her. She didn’t hesitate to take it and tuck it under her own arm, probably ruining the very expensive dress she wore.

  “I’ll keep it safe while you get dried off.” She glanced nervously behind me as well, which meant Tate had finally made it aboard. I turned to see him grinning deviously as he passed me on his way towards the Miles brothers. He gave his head a little shake, sending water droplets flying towards me, and when he stopped his hair was perfectly tousled—like the model of a surfboard ad campaign.

  “Ooh, he is hot.” Gayla stared open mouthed as Tate passed us by.

  “Yeah, it’s too bad he only wants me for my soul.”

  Dom frowned. “Come on. Let’s get you back upstairs. I’m sure Gayla has something you can change into.”

  Sean stepped by my side as we moved through the crowd. He turned his body in an attempt to shield me somewhat from the onlookers, but I knew they were staring. I was sure I’d made quite a spectacle of myself. Gayla’s dad would probably never let me on his yacht again. And honestly, I was okay with that.

  “First things first, when we get back to the city, we’re getting you a YMCA membership,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “Because you need swim lessons.”

  Gayla chimed in. “I’ve never known an Atlantean who couldn’t swim. I thought it just came naturally to you all.”

  I shrugged. Maybe it did. Maybe Tate was right and I wasn’t Atlantean. But I wouldn’t let my mind go there now. “I’m beginning to think nothing comes naturally for me.”

  Gayla frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I know. It’s just been a long day.”

  We reached the elevator inside the small bar area and waited patiently for the doors to open. All was silent except for the drip, drip, drip of salt water from the tattered hem of my dress.

  “Well, I’ve decided I want to help. There are just too many weird things surrounding you and this tablet for me to ignore. My curiosity has gotten the best of me, I guess.”

  “Me, too,” Dom said as we all stepped onto the elevator. “I understand better now where you were coming from. And what happened to your mom isn’t right. We’ll help you find her.”

  “Really?” The elevator closed behind me.

  “Really,” Gayla said. “First thing tomorrow I’m going to look for a bigger apartment in the city. I don’t know where you were planning to stay before, but you can move in with Dom and me. We’ll get a spot really close to campus.”

  “Oh, well I’m—”

  “Nope.” Gayla shook her head. “It’s all on me. Really. You’re going to need some extra friends to help keep you safe from that sexy golden-eyed devil, and I wouldn’t dare trust anyone else.”

  I laughed as the reality hit me. Gayla wanted to get closer to Tate. I would
n’t argue with her tonight. She seemed pretty set on the idea. But unless she wanted to live near NYU and take a cab to Columbia each day, she was sadly mistaken on my roommate situation.

  I felt Dom’s dark eyes on me as the elevator opened again on the third floor. A party still raged on beyond the doors in front of us, and Gayla paused for a moment, still fighting her cravings most likely, before moving toward her room. I gave Dom a quiet shake of my head. It was going to take a while to get used to this whole mind reading thing.

  Dom seemed to understand, and she didn’t say anything about NYU or apartments or anything else. Sean agreed to keep guard outside the door as Gayla dragged me into her oversized closet in search of something dry to wear. Within minutes, I emerged in some of Gayla’s workout gear. My makeup was a mess and my hair hung in straggly wet lines around me. I didn’t want to get dressed up again. I’d had enough partying for the night. Some comfy running shorts and a baggy racerback were all I needed.

  “I’ll call you when we get to the city on Monday. We can all go apartment hunting together.”

  Dom winked at me as Gayla continued gabbing on about showing me her favorite coffee shops and boutiques near campus. Dom was much more fun as a co-conspirator than she had been as my enemy earlier in the day. We continued forward, me barefoot with Millie’s wet heels tucked under my arm. It was a wonder they hadn’t gotten lost in the bay.

  “Ready?” I asked as we joined up with Sean again at the elevator. He waited patiently, holding my still damp clutch and the tablet inside.

  “Yep, let’s get out of here.”

  “Thank you again for coming tonight.” Gayla wrapped her arms around me, then turned and did the same to Sean, adding a kiss on the cheek for him as well.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at the ground when she pulled away, redness creeping obviously up into his fair skinned cheeks. Gayla just smiled.

  “Things always did get more exciting when we were together,” she said. He looked up and some unspoken understanding passed between the two of them. I looked to Dom who just raised her brows and shook her head in response.

  Well, okay then.

  “You really can stay if you want,” I said to him as the elevator door shut and we began our descent to the bottom floor. “I’m sure Gayla would be pleased if you did.”

  He shot me a disapproving look. “Nah. The party scene isn’t really my thing.”

  “Understood.” I agreed. It wasn’t my scene either. And selfishly, I was glad Sean offered to drive me home. I’d never had to call an Uber before, and the stories from the girls back home made me nervous. Just a little though. I knew now that there were worse monsters in New York than rogue Uber drivers.

  All eyes were on me in my workout gear and bare feet as we made our way back through the glitzy ballroom on the first floor of the yacht. The pianist still poured his soul into the melodies coming from the corner, and I’d never stood out so much in my life. But I didn’t care.

  My eyes scanned the room for Tate. There was no tingle, no buzz, and no sign of those charming golden eyes anywhere. I didn’t even see the Miles brothers anymore. Perhaps they’d all gone home or found some other celebrity party. Good. We were better off without them.

  Sean paused before we left the cabin, gesturing toward the bathroom door. “Are you good here for just a sec?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  He handed me the clutch, and I smoothed out my hot pink shorts, trying my best to look inconspicuous as I swayed to the classical music. A hand on my arm startled me so much I almost dropped my bag and the tablet. I looked up to find Rossel’s pitch black gaze glued to the clutch in my hand.

  He knew.

  He knew, but he didn’t reach for it. After a moment, he moved his dark stare up to meet my own. “Are you leaving?” he asked. His voice was cold and flat.

  “Yes.” I tucked the clutch back under my arm, certain now that he wasn’t after it. Maybe it was useless to him now that the life was gone from it.

  “Good. Don’t come back.”

  He certainly didn’t have to worry about that. I’d had quite enough of this boat. “I won’t.”

  “And stay away from Gayla.”

  That one I couldn’t agree to. “Why?”

  “I don’t want her getting too attached to you.” He frowned.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “I think you know.”

  He was wrong. I had no clue what he was talking about, but I didn’t like the tone of his voice. The bathroom door swung open again beside us.

  “Everly?” Sean stepped out, patting his hands dry on his pants. “Was that Rossel?”

  I turned back to find my white haired friend missing again. It was amazing how quickly that man could disappear.

  “It was.”

  “Are you okay? What did he want?” Sean snapped his eyes to the clutch under my arm, relief apparent in his eyes once he saw it was safe.

  “Nothing,” I said. “Let’s get home. We’ve got a mystery to solve.”

  To be continued…

  Order Episode 3: The Apothecary, now! Or sign up for AR Colbert’s newsletter and be the first to know when each new episode is released.

  A DEEPER LOOK

  Scylla and Charybdis: In Greek mythology, Scylla is the daughter of the sea gods, a once beautiful water nymph turned monster like her many sisters. She is described as having six heads atop long necks, with mouths full of sharp teeth. She sat on one side of the strait of water separating modern day Sicily and the southern tip of Italy. Any ships that sailed too closely would have six men snatched off the boat—one in each of Scylla’s mouths.

  Charybdis sat on the other side of the strait. She was said to be a minor goddess of the tides. Some believe she was once beautiful, turned into a monster by Zeus. Others believe she was born a monster. In the ancient stories, she created a giant, deadly whirlpool three times a day. Any ships that sailed too closely would be dragged below the depths of the sea, never to return.

  Ambrosia: You’ve probably heard of ambrosia—the food/drink of the gods. Many believe it provided them with immortality. Others suggest it might have just been honey. In the world of the Keepers, it is a special ingredient that grows only in Olympus, high above the earth’s surface. It does not provide immortality, but it offers some healing powers and a feeling of pure bliss upon consumption. This feeling might cause humans to believe they are immortal, and they will stop at nothing to obtain the high that it provides once again. While not quite as addictive for Keepers, it can still be dangerous when consumed in excess.

  ABOUT THE SERIES

  The Lost Keepers is an ongoing series following the adventures of Everly Gordon and the powerful beings in her world. Each installment is a fun-sized short novel, similar to an hour long episode of your favorite TV show. The installments are released rapidly - one month apart (or faster!) so you never have to wait long for the next book.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  AR Colbert is a wife, mother of two, and life-long daydreamer from central Oklahoma. She believes in the magic of a good story and would love nothing more than to spend the rest of her days getting lost in books. Her other hobbies include baking, cheering on the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and obsessively scrolling through Zillow. You can follow her online on Goodreads, Facebook, or Bookbub to learn about new releases.

  Other books by AR Colbert:

  The Ember Society Series

  From the Dust

  From the Earth

  From the Embers

  From the Flames

 

 

 
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