“We might have imagined her, but we didn’t imagine this. It’s still here.”
Kayla’s tortured face gazed back at him. “Jaden, how is it we keep seeing things other people can’t? It’s as though we have a window into another world that’s invisible to everyone except us.”
Jaden had no words of consolation. He was equally disturbed. “Why don’t you come over and we’ll talk this through? It might shake something loose.”
Kayla gave a dazed nod. “See you in fifteen.”
And she signed off. Jaden stumbled to the maintenance bay on the roof, where he elevated the landing pads. His mind in a tailspin, he slumped to the concrete floor, slouching against the wall. What are we going to do?
The whine of Kayla’s ’pod and a glance at his PAL confirmed fifteen minutes had passed, with him still clueless about what to do next. Jaden rose to greet her, then groaned when he spotted his mother’s ’pod coming in behind Kayla’s. How are we going to talk if Mom’s home?
But events benefited them. His mother had brought fresh bread rolls home and invited Kayla to join them for lunch. Over lunch, his mother asked Jaden how his plans for the basement were coming along, and inspiration hit.
“Really well, actually. I was thinking about that medallion I found. I thought I might use its colors as a basis for the room’s décor. Although drawing the medallion on the wall as a focal point seems a little much. Are you aware of any more boxes that aren’t down there that may hold something similar?”
His mother paused mid-bite and laid down her bread roll, studying his face for so long Jaden wondered whether he would break down and confess everything.
But eventually she answered, taking care with her reply. “No, there’s nothing else like the medallion. I told you it was a unique object.”
Disappointed, Jaden wondered what they would do now. Glancing up, he found his mother’s gaze still on him. Her eyes were probing, like she was trying to work something out. And that little muscle just above her right eye twitched ever so slightly, a sure sign she was pondering what to do. He couldn’t figure out her expression, though. Is she hiding something? Then her face cleared like she’d decided.
“Your grandmother gave me the medallion. There may be other things that belong to her in the boxes we have in our storage locker.”
Jaden’s interest flared. From his mother’s scrutiny and the anxiety now clouding her eyes, his interest confirmed something. Jaden studied her in turn as her gaze flitted between him and Kayla. Is she assessing Kayla’s involvement? What does Mom know that she isn’t telling me?
Catching him staring, his mother forced her face into a neutral expression. Jaden wasn’t imagining things. She was definitely hiding something. Before he could quiz her, she rose and went to her purse on the counter.
His mother held out what she’d retrieved. “Here’s the keycard for the locker. Sorry, I just remembered there’s something I need to take care of. Kayla, will you please excuse me?”
“Sure, Mrs. Jameson. Is it anything we can help you with?”
“I wish it was, but sadly it isn’t. Thanks for your offer, though. Don’t worry about clearing the table when you’re done. I’ll do that when I get back. See you later.”
She headed upstairs, barely giving herself time to get out of earshot before Jaden heard her commanding a call on her CC. He stared after her thoughtfully. She might think she was escaping, but she would not get away that easily. His attention shifted to Kayla.
“What’s wrong?” Kayla asked.
“Something’s up with my mom. But let’s not get hung up on that. Let’s go see what’s in that storage locker.” Jaden’s sudden excitement drowned out all else.
Kayla’s eyes sparkled. “What are we waiting for?”
With the key gripped in Jaden’s hands, they made for Kayla’s ‘pod, and she directed it to the storage facility. Once they’d berthed, locating the locker didn’t take long.
Jaden ceremoniously pulled the key from his pocket. “Ready?”
Kayla grinned. “You bet.”
Two hours later, their smiles had faded, and desperation had returned. They had not left a single box unopened in the stuffy, sweltering unit. Sweat slicked their bodies, and Jaden wished they’d had the foresight to bring water.
“That’s the last one,” Kayla said. “I don’t think it’s here.”
“This is so unbelievably aggravating.” Jaden stressed each syllable in the last word to emphasize his annoyance. “Why was Zareh so vague? He could’ve given us more information if he’s expecting us to be his tools.”
“Yup, he could’ve. I feel like he’s making this purposefully difficult!” Kayla wiped a trickle of perspiration from her eye. “I feel like I’m swimming—it’s so humid in here.”
Still whining, they stacked the boxes again, setting things back where they’d found them.
“Okay, I give up.” Jaden tossed a box aside. “My arm’s killing me. It’s time to go home.”
“And make more plans?”
“No, I want to sulk!”
His grumpy countenance and irate tone must’ve been funny because Kayla surrendered to tired giggles. When he glared, she said, “You should see your face. It’s sourer than if you’d swallowed a whole lemon.”
Jaden crashed the last box on top of the pile. “I’m glad you find it amusing.”
“Ah, come on, Jaden. Lighten up.” She placed a soothing hand on his bare arm.
Her unexpected touch was electric enough to make Jaden stop what he was doing. Why do I have this reaction every time she gets close? From that first passing pat on his arm in his room when he’d been thankful she had taken her hand away before he’d done something drastic. To her cautiously taking his hand in the library. To her soft touch tingling on his skin as she cared for his wound. Through every other time up to this moment, his reaction had been consistent: shock at the initial contact, followed by a reluctance to give it up.
Jaden studied her hand, small and perfect: a creamy pearl against the darker skin of his forearm, bringing a world of sanctuary he hadn’t expected. He was glad she was there.
Lifting his head, Jaden found concern for him lining her pretty face. He wanted to rub the worry away. But he refrained. Going there would complicate matters. If only he could keep her out of whatever this was. But someone else had made that call a long time ago.
The best he could do now was protect her. She was more important to him than she knew. Surprising, considering the short time he’d known her. Placing his own hand over hers, he said, “How are we supposed to do this? There’s no one to ask and no one to help.”
“We’ll figure it out.” Kayla sounded infinitely more confident than she looked. “If we just take one step at a time, we’ll eventually make progress. So, this didn’t work out. Maybe what we try tomorrow will. Or the next day or the day after that. If what Zareh said is true, we can’t give up.”
Jaden smiled wearily. Much as he wanted Kayla out of this, he was glad he didn’t have to do it alone. “Zareh and his kind, whoever they are, chose well when they picked you as a seeker. You’re exactly the right partner for me in whatever this is.”
Kayla beamed, and Jaden felt like the sun had come out, like she had touched his very soul. He gazed at her, trying to read her expression. She held his hand for only a moment longer before sighing, withdrawing her hand, and turning away.
Losing contact stung Jaden with regret. But he was also acutely aware of her withdrawal, if her body language was anything to go by. Why did she do that? Did I offend her? Despondency crashed down on him again.
For a moment there, Jaden had dared to hope there might be something more between them. But that definitely wasn’t the case. And, he tried to convince himself, it was probably better that way. He should keep his distance from now on if he wanted to retain any semblance of sanity.
As if trying to fill the silence that had settled between them, Kayla said, “We should figure out that next step.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jaden and Kayla worked in silence, putting the boxes back where they belonged. With everything back in place, they left the relative gloom of the locker for the bright sunshine outside. Squinting against the glare, Jaden felt Kayla’s eyes on him as he locked the door. A shadow racing up the wall sent his nervous system into overdrive. No time to shout a warning.
Waving the key over the lock, Jaden snatched the door open and grabbed Kayla. He shoved her inside and plunged in after her. Both of them shuddered as sharp talons slashed the air where they had stood a second before.
“How did it find us here?” Kayla asked.
Clenching his jaw, Jaden flashed his medallion at her. Instinctively, they scuttled toward the very back of the room, distancing themselves from the predator as much as possible.
Jaden studied the metal-framed doorway. Despite the locker’s skimpy dimensions, Jaden couldn’t complain about its construction. Well built, it would protect them from forced entry by the talons. But the tail . . . that could get through. Why hadn’t he closed the door behind them?
He had no desire to repeat the experience they had suffered in the game store, and he doubted this room would be large enough to dodge the deadly stinger for long. As if responding to his wish, there was a loud smack as the Gaptor settled on the roof. Its tail swung down through the open doorway.
Kayla made a small, strangled sound.
It drew Jaden’s attention, and he noted her lack of color. Despite his earlier resolution, now was not the time to withhold support. Pressing Kayla against the rear wall, he flattened both of them against it, standing in front of her.
The tail hovered at the entrance for a moment, then inched closer. Jaden appraised the tail as it swung back and forth, probing the darkness. Mesmerized, he wondered whether it had a sense of smell because it traced a path over the exact boxes they had touched moments earlier, lingering there before following their route farther back into the room. The tail’s pincers clacked as they flexed and contracted, twitching when they probed the air. Bending itself around objects, the tail snaked closer. It’s time.
Leaping forward, Jaden heaved a stack of boxes onto the tail before jumping back. The tail snapped back, crackling in angry defiance—it hadn’t expected attack. The reprieve was brief, and the tail resumed its offensive, twisting toward them, albeit a little more warily this time.
Jaden doubted the boxes had harmed the beast. Its scaly exterior seemed not only resilient enough to tangle with an armored tank, but impregnable enough that the tank would probably come off worst. It was interesting, though, that the Gaptor was now a little unsure of itself. Almost as if it feared its prey could fight back.
The tail, now closer than before, cut his contemplations short. This time, there were no boxes to drop on it. He jumped when Kayla clutched his hand. Sensing her need for comfort, he squeezed her hand, hoping she understood he was there for her.
Pursing his lips, Jaden scanned the minute room. It might work. Feeling Kayla’s gaze on him, his eyes sought hers, and he pointed at the ceiling. Kayla frowned and raised her shoulders. Jaden jabbed his finger more forcefully toward the corner, and this time Kayla got it. Her eyes found the tiny, ineffectual air-conditioner, high in the back corner of the unit. She raised her eyebrows.
He nodded urgently. The tail’s clicks ratcheted up in volume.
“How do we get up there?” Kayla mouthed, not daring to speak in case the Gaptor could hear or understand them.
Jaden pointed at a box. Kayla shook her head. She thought he was joking, that he meant they should use the box to boost them. He rolled his eyes. How does she not understand? It was obvious the box couldn’t support their weight and wasn’t tall enough for the boost required. With an exasperated snort, Jaden mimicked opening the box.
Kayla stared at the box as though trying to remember its contents. Then her gaze skittered away, diverted by the snapping tail zooming toward them.
Jaden yanked her sideways. The tail lashed out and missed. Perceiving their movement, the Gaptor’s tail swerved toward them. Jaden shoved Kayla to the floor, covering her with his body, and the tail swished harmlessly over their heads.
Jaden slid off Kayla, pushing her forward and keeping her low, forcing her to leopard-crawl toward the box he’d indicated. He was just reaching to open it when a toneless clicking immobilized him.
Strident and insistent, it sounded like an old dial-tone phone which hadn’t quite made the connection. The tail froze. Kayla stared back at him, wide-eyed, equally confused.
The toneless clicking ticked faster, becoming more frenetic and adamant. Quivering, the repulsive tail hovered, then whipped past them and curled out the door.
Not wasting the unexpected opportunity, Jaden grabbed the box and spilled its contents. Kayla’s face didn’t clear until the outdated emergency fire ladder tumbled into view. Jaden nodded grimly. Scooping up the ladder, Jaden nudged Kayla to follow him as he retreated to the rear of the unit again.
Screee! The short, sharp sound was explosive. Kayla tensed beside him, pulse pounding in her neck as though each successive heartbeat crashed in her chest more painfully than the last. Anxiety pulled on every part of her face.
Not that he could blame her. She was probably also thinking the monster planned on ripping the roof off. He reached for her hand, gratified when she gave a tremulous smile. They held their position, still as statues, listening.
But they heard only silence. And more silence. And more silence, until it was loud enough to stifle them. The suffocating stillness settled over time itself, squashing each excruciating millisecond into an eternity. They crouched, edgy, waiting.
Abruptly, Kayla slumped back onto the floor, stretching her legs as she did. Alarmed, Jaden inhaled sharply, shaking his head violently. But she remained there, rubbing her legs. Then, to his annoyance, she made to stand up.
Kayla grimaced. “Pins and needles. I had to get off my feet. My legs were cramping from holding that position too long. Besides, I think it’s gone. That awful sound was probably its claws scraping on the roof as it launched itself into the air.”
Jaden rose in hesitant relief, moaning as tingling pain denoted bloodflow returning to his own limbs. “You really think it’s gone?”
“Only one way to find out.”
They crept to the door, peeking around the doorframe and looking up. No sign of a tail. Jaden poked his head out a little further. Still no sign of the predator. Glancing at Kayla and smiling wanly, he stalked out of the stuffy unit. Alert to his surroundings, he inspected the roof from a distance. No Gaptor.
“Yeah, it’s gone,” Jaden said.
Kayla emerged. “Why did it just leave like that? In the middle of its attack?”
“No clue. But I’m glad it did because I don’t know how we would’ve used that ladder, anyway. There was nothing to attach it to in there.”
“Now you tell me.”
“I didn’t want to say anything in there. We would’ve made it work if we had to.” Kayla rolled her eyes, and he laughed. “Seriously, though, we lucked out. Do you think that clicking noise had something to do with it leaving? Like some signal for the brute?”
Kayla laughed mirthlessly. “Right, like someone summoned that hound like a dog.” Her laughter faded when she saw he was serious. “You don’t honestly think . . .”
“Question is,” Jaden muttered, “who has the power to command a monster like that?”
Kayla looked frazzled again, and Jaden wished he hadn’t raised the question. There were too many variables, too many unknowns. Whatever the answers, he was sure of one thing: they needed to leave, and now, before the monster returned.
As if reading his mind, Kayla said, “Let’s go. We can work this out at your place. At least I’ll feel safer there.”
Nodding agreement, Jaden ran the keycard over the lock again. Without thinking, he grabbed Kayla’s hand as he led the way back to the ’pod, smiling when she latched onto his hand like a
leech.
So she feels the same way I do—more confident when we’re physically connected. Her reaction also confirmed that holding her hand was apparently acceptable, interpreted more as a gesture of consolation than anything else.
Well, I’ll take what I can get. Even though he’d decided it was better to stay away from her, he couldn’t shake the relentless, unseen force driving him toward her. This small amount of contact at least eased the strain.
The trip home was stressful, both of them scanning the skies for any sign of the Gaptor. Jaden didn’t release Kayla’s hand for even a second. Not that holding her hand would keep her safe. But he felt better knowing exactly where she was—right next to him. Only when they reached his home without incident did he finally relinquish his hold. They rushed into the house, bumping into Mrs. Jameson on the stairs.
“Well, hello,” she said with what sounded like forced cheer.
Although he was stressed and tired, Jaden saw her elevated concern when she spotted their ashen faces. But his senses were tingling. Something else was going on.
“Did you find what you were looking for in the locker?”
His mother sounded too casual. Before Jaden could stop her, Kayla shot him a quick, nervous glance. His mother’s jaw tensed, and he knew she hadn’t missed it either. Time to let this play out. “No. We went through all the boxes but found nothing Gran might’ve left.”
His mother’s shoulders sagged just the tiniest bit, like this was an opening she had been hoping for. “It’s possible your grandmother still has some boxes at her home. Why don’t you visit her? I know she’d love to see you, and you are on vacation.”
What game is Mom playing? Why does she want me to visit Gran? Do they have something to do with all this? Then he realized his Gran’s was exactly where they might find the map. It swept away all other thoughts. “Really? She took some boxes to her new place?”
“Jaden, if I didn’t know any better, I would say you were more interested in those boxes than visiting your grandmother.”
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