The Truth about Broken Trees (Light Keeper Series Book 3)

by Kelly Hall

  I answered it and realized that the phone had a faint glow, but not enough to see much beyond it. “Owen?” I shouted into the phone.

  “I’m right here.” His breathing grew heavy as he ran, and the splashing in the background muffled his voice.

  “Hurry, please,” I begged. Listening to his movements, his pace quickened.

  “I’m ha-halfway to the t-trail already. The water m-makes me fast, remember?” He stuttered in the cold and every now and then his teeth would click.

  Not fast enough. I felt the darkness smother me, taunting me to call the Light, but that wouldn’t be smart with Kevin in charge. Owen shuffled through the thick trail and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the boards atop the well made a scraping noise as they were being pushed back.

  “I’m alm-most done.” His feet started to shuffle once again. “I’m on m-my w-way.” Just as he stopped talking, the ‘Cuda came up the road and the lights shone into the shack as it pulled into the clearing.

  Talon charged through the door moments later, soaking wet and looking like he wanted to rip someone’s head off. “Where is he?” he barked.

  Hunter hurried in behind him, shaking out his hair. He placed an arm on Talon’s shoulder to restrain him.

  I gnashed my teeth. “He should be back any minute, he went to the well.”

  “In this?” asked Hunter, as Talon approached and gave me a once over. When I showed him the bruises on my chest he gasped.

  “Damn it! What are you doing out here?” he yelled. He sounded so much like his dad when he got angry. He looked like him too, his hardened glare fixed on me, meeting my eyes directly, boring holes into my soul.

  On the phone, Owen gave me a warning that he approached so I wouldn’t be afraid. His feet sloshed through the puddles outside and turn to thuds on the wooden porch.

  “It’s m-me,” he said, as he came through the door, closing his phone.

  “Owen!” I let his name burst from my lips in a breath of relief as he rushed to my side. Wet and freezing, he stripped off his drenched shirt and I gave him his dry one and his coat, watching his chin quiver and his teeth click. “You’re soaked!” I rubbed his arms.

  “H-here.” He opened my flask and gave me a drink. “Slow, L-Lily,” Tears stung my eyes, but took the bottle to my lips and threw it back.

  “Here.” I offered the Water back to Owen. Talon stood with his arms crossed and Hunter leaned on the back of the chair staring down at us. Neither said anything.

  “N-no, you n-need it m-more. I d-don’t think the Water helps with fr-frostbite” He pulled his arms around himself and shivered. “S-sorry we woke you,” he regarded Hunter and Talon.

  Talon snapped to attention, throwing his arms up over his head. “Sorry you woke us. Is that all you have to say for yourself? Unbelievable!” he yelled.

  “Don’t blame him, it was my fault. I got him to come with me.” My warm tears cooled on my cheeks.

  “What the hell are you doing out here with him? It’s freezing. It’s raining! Have you lost your mind?” Talon directed his rant to me now.

  “Lay off,” a now thawing Owen managed to say in my defense. “It wasn’t raining when we left the house.”

  “I want every detail of what in the hell it is you’re doing out here.” Talon looked at me accusingly.

  I knew I had to say something. “The other night I had a close call with Mom,” I explained. “The Light appeared without warning and she saw it reflecting down the hall. Holly and I had to lie our way out of it. Luckily, she never really saw what it was. Holly made me take some Water so I’d have better control.” I paused to take another sip from Owen’s bottle.

  “But you don’t have total control.” Owen turned to look at his brother. “A spirit does and he’s trying to take more. He wants to steal her Light.”

  “He? It’s a guy?” Hunter frowned.

  “Yes.” Owen nodded.

  “Why didn’t you get me to go with you?” Talon asked, staring me straight in the eyes.

  “It just kind of happened and you were mad at me.” I lifted my shoulder averting my eyes as I winced from the movement.

  “So was Owen.” He threw out his hands.

  “We made up.” Owen smirked.

  Talon glared at me accusingly. “You’re hiding something.”

  “Jealous,” Owen taunted.

  Talon stared right through him. “You don’t want to cross me right now. Not after sneaking around with my girlfriend. It’s probably all your fault she’s hurt. You’re lucky I haven’t ...”

  “She’s not your girlfriend, you dumped her, remember?” Owen bowed up.

  Talon looked as if someone had slapped him. As if he’d forgotten we’d broken up.

  Talon’s angry tone lessened. “There’s more to this and I want to know every detail, Lily.”

  Owen got up in his face. “You want to know? I’ll tell you whose fault this is.”

  “No! Owen don’t,” I begged, tears springing to my eyes again.

  “Kevin Hilliard. He’s the spirit.” Owen’s anger seemed to fade the minute he said it and he looked at me apologetically. “Sorry Lily. He needs to know.”

  Talon grew pale. His face squished up in pain as he backed down from Owen, as if he still blamed himself for Kevin.

  After a moment of quiet, I spoke. “I’m sorry I came out here. I just wanted to try and find out what I could about their real dad. I needed to see if LeAnn would cause more trouble for Granny.”

  “Lily, are you sure it’s Kevin?” Hunter asked.

  “It’s him. I’m positive. I can’t believe you told them,” I snapped at Owen.

  He didn’t apologize.

  “Did you find anything?” Hunter asked, trying to stay on track.

  “I saw a house. I don’t know where it is but it looked old and sort of run down, but still I think someone might live there. Kevin interfered before I found out more.”

  “We’ll have to think on this. I’m not sure what it means. Maybe it’s my mom’s house? But Kevin?” Hunter shrugged.

  “Are you feeling better?” Owen asked. “We should get you home.”

  “Yes. I’ll be fine.” With the pain almost completely gone, the bruising had started to fade. For some reason, bruises always took longer to fade than anything, as if the healing happened from the inside out, but in a couple of hours they would be gone too.

  Talon took my hand, mainly so Owen couldn’t, and led me out of the shack. His hand gripped mine hard as he dragged me along through the rain. We waited on the porch as Hunter ran for the car, and just as he got there, lightning flashed, revealing a Shadow that stood between us and the car.

  “What the ...? Did you just see that?” Owen asked. Talon and I nodded, both speechless. They can see it, not just me. Hunter started the car and turned on the lights illuminating the Shadow person.

  The dark figure stood there, appearing as a black mass, no visible features, only a shadow as thick as heavy smoke.

  Hunter must have seen it too. The car revved and lunged forward trying to hit it, but the Shadow dispersed and reappeared beside the car.

  I clung to both Owen and Talon. “What is that?” asked Owen.

  “Shadow,” Talon whispered. “Lily, call the Light!”

  He didn’t have to tell me twice. As soon as I summoned it, the figure disappeared. It all happened so fast that my glow barely had time to brighten.

  We darted off the porch through the rain and into the car. Hunter threw it in reverse then peeled forward fishtailing through the mud onto Bragg Road and sped towards home.

  Chapter Eight

  Soaking wet, I pushed the hair off my face and wiped my eyes. The heater felt nice. Getting in the car I hadn’t noticed that Talon ended up in the front. I sat back in the seat with my head on Owen’s shoulder, wrapped in his coat.

  “Holly didn’t come?” I’d figured for some reason that she may have been waiting in the car.

  “She’s got to work tomorrow aft
er school, so I didn’t wake her,” Hunter said.

  “Okay, since no one else wants to, I’ll ask. What the hell was that thing back there?” Owen gave me a look that would make Granny proud.

  “A Shadow,” I answered. “Just like the ones I’ve seen in the dark since I was a child only better formed, like a person. I can’t believe you could all see it, too, so I don’t know if it was the same.”

  “What is it doing here?” Owen narrowed his eyes. “Do you think it’s Kevin? He was threatening you in your visions.”

  “It’s possible I guess, most things are these days. He said he had ways to get to me,” I added. “He’s not going to stop.”

  Talon stayed quiet; probably still angry.

  “Kevin started as a Shadow in my first vision and then he manifested. At first he appeared bashed and bleeding, but then he seemed perfectly healed, just ghostly. Do you think he’s going to steal my Light?”

  “He should be afraid of it, unless he’s something more powerful than just a Shadow,” Talon said. “But you saw the way it took off.” He had a point. Whatever it had been, my Light had scared it away like always, but I couldn’t believe the guys had seen it. It gave me a sense of relief that they did though, so I didn’t have to go through it alone. But why had they? Had the rain and lightning helped that spirit manifest just enough for the guys to see it too or could there be something more sinister going on?

  ***

  The next day Talon ignored me through lunch and Owen spent most of the hour talking to a few friends from the football team. He didn’t even come to the table until he saw French making his way over.

  “Hey, Lily.” French’s deep voice raised my head. He came alone this time, no Dodie covering his back or Meagan running her mouth. Talon looked up and raised a brow.

  “French,” I responded. His proposition had totally slipped my mind with everything going on and I didn’t need a scene at school, especially since I’d failed to mention it to Talon.

  “So, um, have you thought it over?” he asked.

  Before I could answer, Owen had made his way to the table and stood between us. “Now’s not a good time, French. We’ll get with you later.”

  Because it was dangerous, we didn’t want to talk about anything pertaining to the Light or my abilities at school.

  “I’m talking to Lily, Riley,” French sneered.

  “And I’m talking to you. Not now.” Owen bowed his chest forward and took a step closer. “Later.”

  Talon stood to back him up.

  “Fine! Later,” French growled.

  As soon as French left, Hunter pulled Owen down in an empty chair. “More secrets?” He furrowed his brow.

  Owen motioned for him to back off. “No, it’s just a minor problem. I’ll tell you all later.”

  “You’ll tell me later, too, I hope.” Talon glared at me. The bell rang and with nothing better between us, Talon walked me to class in silence.

  ***

  The day had heated up nicely, making the ride home much more peaceful than lunch had been. I lowered my window and let the fresh air hit me. My hair blew around until I tied it back, missing a few stray strands that whipped my face.

  Talon smiled at me for the first time that day. “You look like you feel better.”

  “I do.” I glanced down at my bruise-free chest. It had been that way for hours.

  “I don’t like you going anywhere at night without me, Lily. It’s not that I don’t trust you ... well, I don’t trust Owen,” he admitted. “But it’s just that anything can happen, and I can’t depend on him taking care of you. Even though we are broken up, you’re my responsibility.”

  “Be fair. Even you can’t take care of me in my visions, Talon.”

  “Okay, so I’ll just be honest. I hate him, and I don’t want you alone with him.”

  “You don’t hate him. I saw you stand up to French with him. You had his back. If you hated him, you wouldn’t have bothered.” I slipped off my seatbelt and slid over closer, taking the lap belt in the middle, the one I’d always used before we’d broken up.

  Talon’s lip drew in a line as he tried not to smile, but as usual, his eyes gave him away. “No, I just didn’t want French to kick his ass again. If anyone gets that honor, it’s me.”

  “You wouldn’t. You know it would hurt me.” I glanced up at his eyes while he stared intently ahead. He put his arm around me, keeping the other firmly on the wheel. “Promise me you won’t ever try to hurt him.”

  Talon smiled as he turned onto Bragg Road.

  “Fine, I won’t try to hurt him.” He chuckled. He narrowed his eyes and I leaned up to kiss his cheek. He turned at the last minute and brushed his lips against mine, but kept his eyes ahead on the road.

  His smile turned to panic as suddenly a truck came out of nowhere and cut right in front of us like a big white blur. Talon swerved and barely missed it. It honked and kept on moving down the rain-packed road. I sat back in my seat, my heart beating faster; if not from the kiss, then the close call.

  “Son of a ...” he exclaimed. “Where’d they come from?” He looked back. The truck must have pulled out from the mouth of a trail and didn’t expect us to be there.

  Startled, we didn’t kiss again for the rest of the drive.

  ***

  Before I knew it, the evening passed and it was time for bed. Though still exhausted from the night before, my mind kept me awake for a while, reeling with thoughts of the Shadows and my recent visions.

  Sleep finally found me, but something woke me up around four a.m. I opened my eyes, not quite sure what had happened, so I lay still till it sounded again.

  The sounds of crying, a muffled whimper, and Talon’s bed springs all came from across the hall. At one point something banged so loud I thought it might wake Holly, the deep sleeper. After another wail I got to my feet and tiptoed around her to his room.

  It surprised me to see him standing in the middle of the room blocking the light from the window where the Riley’s security light shined in. I almost spoke, but suddenly I heard the cries again, only this time from behind me. My heart fell to my feet.

  Talon lay in his bed.

  I jumped and nearly screamed, but the Shadow disappeared. I turned on the lamp and knelt at Talon’s side. He breathed heavily, tormented by nightmares.

  “Talon?” I put my hand on his forehead. Sweat ran down his face. He rose with a start, and once he saw me he relaxed and sunk back into the bed as he let out a long breath.

  “Hey, you okay?” I asked. In a daze, he turned and swung his legs over the edge, sitting in front of me. “You’re burning up.” I went and got a wet washcloth from the bathroom and a bottle of water. Kneeling in front of him again I wiped his forehead. “Was it another nightmare?” I whispered. He nodded. “Talon, someone was here. I saw another Shadow. You need to tell me what these dreams are about.”

  The he cleared his throat. “It was him. I thought I’d lost you.”

  “Who?”

  “Kevin,” he whispered the name.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I promised. Seeing his shirt soaked with sweat, I reached to his waist and pulled it up and over his head. “You need to cool down. We’ll worry about that later.”

  “It’s a Shadow person.” He’d seen it.

  “Yeah, it is. Just like the ones I see in the darkness, except this one had a much more defined outline like the one at the shack. It’s stronger, but I’m not sure where it’s getting the power.” He had seen that one, too, and so had Owen and Hunter. The others seemed to see them when they were more defined, not in the inky, smoky state that they had always appeared to me, up till now. I looked at him curiously and yawned. I didn’t want to leave him and by the look on his face, he didn’t want to be left alone either.

  “Stay here with me?” He pulled the covers back, inviting me in.

  I turned off the lamp and quickly crawled in next to him, hoping we wouldn’t see any more Shadows. The outdoor light lit Talon’s r
oom enough to keep me comfortable. Talon held me, snuggling close, not like he had before, but like a child who wanted to feel safe. I know I did. I lay there, still thinking about the inky shadows and something Hunter had told me months before. Just because I can’t see them, doesn’t mean that they aren’t there. I tucked in closer to Talon and drifted to sleep.

  ***

  The rest of the week went by fast, and after school on Friday I walked over with Holly to help her and Granny bake cookies.

  Owen met me outside on the way over. “Hey. I came to ask a favor.” Holly walked on, giving me a warning glare. “I think I found my dad,” he whispered, when Holly walked out of earshot.

  “What? How?” I didn’t know whether to be excited or not. The subject of their dad had been snuffed and buried as far as I knew.

  “Hunter found the registry of our dad’s funeral in Granny’s trunk. The first night of his visitation, a man named Ray Chandler came to pay his respects. My mom went the same night and signed just below him like they could have been together. Granny said she hadn’t gone to the funeral, but she obviously came to the visitation. This guy she went with could be our dad. And get this, Hunter’s middle name is Ray.” I thought of the scrawny blonde, Owen’s mother, and the way she’d said “Hunter Ray,” not with the loving voice of a mother but more like a foul and vicious predator.

  “What are you going to do? What’s the favor?”

  “I need to use Talon’s computer and look up all county listings for the name and then see if I can figure out where he lives. I found three possibilities in the phone book. I thought maybe I could narrow it down a lot better online.”

  “So why not look him up on your own computer?” Hunter had a nice computer in his room, better than Talon’s and much faster.

  “Hunter. I’m not real sure how he feels about finding our dad. We found the registry by accident and he didn’t look too happy knowing he might be named after the father who abandoned us. I tried to talk to him more about it and he thought it best to let it go for now. And because Granny might find out what I’m doing. I don’t want to hurt her and I sure as hell don’t need another lecture.”