The Watcher

by Heather Kindt

  Apparently, he was smarter than Jonas thought. “We need to get Laney away from that woman.”

  “Right now, we have to help him.” Jonas pointed at Nick. “Then you can go and play the hero.”

  Taking the knife, William rushed over to Nick’s bindings and sawed through them. He lowered him slowly down to the ground. Jonas revived him with the rag. Lover Boy had a similar reaction, until he saw William cutting his ropes. They fell away, and the Watcher stuck the knife beneath his coat, turning toward the door.

  “We need a plan.” He grabbed William’s arm. “The Wanderer will do anything to get what she wants. I’m pretty sure she wants Delaney to suffer before she kills her.”

  “What do you mean, we?” William ripped his arm free from Jonas. “When have you ever done anything to benefit Laney—or me for that matter?” His face flushed red with anger. “The only thing in your heart is malice.”

  “Not to mention the fact that you killed Jason.” Nick pierced Jonas with his eyes. “We don’t have plans with murderers.”

  “And while we sit here and discuss how moral I am, your girlfriend is out there—potentially dying a slow death.”

  The Wanderer moved closer to Laney. She’d have to run if the woman got too close because her mere size was intimidating. Had enough time passed for Jonas to free Nick and William?

  “Now we can do this the nice way, or we can do this my way. Which will it be, Delaney?” The Wanderer took another step forward. “If you hand over the ring now, we’ll have plenty of time to go play the game in the barn.”

  “I’m not playing your game.” Laney took one step backward. She had to distract this woman, but her heart wanted to race back to the barn. “You’re sick.”

  “No, you’re the sick one.” The Wanderer didn’t move this time. “It was your brother’s idea.” She placed her finger to her lips, the red, pointed nail camouflaged by her lipstick. “For the sake of the game, which one would you choose… just out of curiosity?”

  “I’m not choosing. I told you I’m not playing.” Laney clasped the Ender ring in her pocket.

  “It’s such a conundrum.” The Wanderer held up one of her palms. “Nicholas—the man you fell for this year while William was absent and the one who helped you through some extremely traumatic situations. That kiss at Manor Hill was a little too passionate for you not to have felt something.” She held out her other palm. “Or will it be your one true love, William? The man you dreamed of all your life, or at least you thought you did. Robert thought I was the woman of his dreams.”

  “You don’t even know what love is because you were created to be demented. I’m not playing, witch.” A small movement behind the Wanderer caught Laney’s eye. A branch bent slightly, then another. She bit her lip, knowing she was no longer alone. But was it Jonas?

  The Wanderer rushed at Laney, attempting to overtake the smaller woman. Laney’s foot hit a root, and she stumbled backward. She landed on her backside, and her tailbone sent a shock through her body. The Wanderer’s forward momentum slammed Laney’s upper body to the ground. She almost had the wind knocked out of her.

  “I’m not playing anymore.” The Wanderer growled, rifling through Laney’s pocket. Removing the Ender ring, she placed it on her finger.

  The Wanderer’s weight lifted off of her, and the woman’s body hurled through the air to the field beside them.

  William. She’d never been so relieved to see his face.

  He crouched down to hold her. “Are you okay?”

  “Just a little dizzy.” She basked in his warmth and in the fact that he was living and breathing in her arms and not hanging from the Wanderer’s death web. “Is Nick okay?”

  “He’s fine.” William ran his hand down the side of her hair and let it rest on the side of her face.

  “She has the ring.”

  “What ring?” William dropped his hand.

  “The Ender ring. She has all four. She’s going to kill all of us. She’s going to kill all the Weavers.”

  Chapter 21

  Jonas and Nick clambered out of the forest with shovels in hand. Laney rushed over to embrace Nick, who seemed alert after being ensnared in the spider’s web. The discoloration she thought were bruises ended up being shadows.

  The Wanderer scrambled to her feet and rushed across the field. She tripped over rocks several times in her high-heeled boots.

  “We have to stop her. She has your ring, Jonas.”

  William took off and closed the distance in no time.

  The other three chased after him, ready to confront the Wanderer. If all four of them worked together, they could overpower her. At the edge of the field, she stopped beside a large, flat stone. She unclasped the two necklaces and placed them beside the two rings. All four glowed in what could only be described by Laney as a natural energy warming her inside. She removed her own pendant, and it emitted light as if it were calling out to the other stones.

  “You’re too late.” Her wicked smile sent chills down Laney’s spine. “There’s nothing any of you can do to stop me.”

  They stood about a hundred feet away as the cracks in the Watcher pendant welded together, healed from the damage caused by a broken love.

  “Who should I start with first, Delaney? The Golden Recluse? Your grandfather?”

  “I’m not Robert.” Laney grasped at words that might be magical enough to stop the Wanderer. “He hurt you, but I won’t do that to William. I could never hurt him or the people he loves.” She reached forward and took hold of his hand.

  “Every one of you has the potential for evil. It’s embodied in the characters you create. Like I said, Jonas was a good boy until I placed him in your book.”

  Jonas’s eyes shot up at the Wanderer, then to Laney. “What do you mean you placed me in her book?”

  The Wanderer raised an eyebrow at Laney before continuing. Apparently, she intended on hanging out all the dirty laundry tonight. “You mean Delaney hasn’t told you?”

  “Told me what?” Jonas stepped toward the Wanderer. He held his shovel out in front of him like he was ready to stab her with it. “What do you mean placed me in her book?”

  “I raised you, my dear boy. You were so inquisitive. Wanting to learn to read at such a young age. And you were kind, too.” The Wanderer stared off into some distant past. “Always helping around the house.” She directed an accusing finger at Laney. “And she made you into a monster.”

  Laney stared at Jonas, every nerve on edge, afraid of his reaction. Even in the dark, she could see a large vein pop out on the right side of his forehead. This was too much for him to take. It was too much for anyone to take.

  “If you drink this…” The Wanderer removed a vial from her cloak. “You will know the truth.”

  “You expect me to drink your poison?” Spit flew from Jonas’s mouth. His face was red, even in the moonlight. “Right now, I’m not sure who to trust.”

  The Wanderer held out the Gate Keeper ring in her gloved hand. “One touch of this ring, and I will leave this wretched world.” She moved closer to Jonas. “Then, your chance at the truth will be gone.”

  He set his eyes on his feet before letting out a deep breathe. “What do you think I should do, Delaney?”

  The question startled her. This feeling of trust from him was new. If he drank from the vial and recovered his memories, he’d remember the Wanderer as his mother. He was too young to know his real mother. But, she’d only known he was her brother for less than a couple of hours. Would she lose him already? “You need to make this decision for yourself. But it won’t give you the full truth.”

  “Will you help me find the whole truth?” He changed before her eyes. Vulnerability filled his voice as he lowered it to a whisper.

  “I need to find it, too.” Laney wasn’t sure if the Wanderer’s version of the truth was real. She had to find out the truth from her parents.

  “Give me the drink.” He held out his hand and clasped the vial before downing it. He s
at on the grass and let the liquid take its effect.

  William let go of Laney’s hand and crouched beside the Ender, placing his hand on his back. The Wanderer watched and waited. Nick kept his distance.

  After five minutes passed, Jonas raised his eyes to the Wanderer. His face wrinkled in anguish. Maybe he was going to cry. “Mother?”

  William leaped back as the Wanderer rushed to Jonas’s side, enveloping him in her arms.

  Tears, which were more than likely fake, formed in the corners of her eyes. “I never

  wanted to give you up. Please forgive me.”

  “Are you going to tell him what really happened?” Key elements were omitted, and Laney wanted Jonas to be aware of the full truth.

  “He knows I’m his mother. His memories are back.” She ran her hand through his hair. “Anything you say will be lies to take him away from me.”

  “I told you I’d help you discover the truth, Jonas. The real truth is in memories too early for you to remember. I’m not sure how long it will take, but I’ll help you.” Laney reached out her hand. “Come with us.”

  Jonas placed his head in his hands. “No. I’m going with my mother.”

  Laney let out a breath of frustration. They’d broken through with him, and now he’d be lost again. If he really was her brother, she wasn’t going to let that happen.

  “You belong here in Massachusetts. Your family’s right there in your home.” William pointed to the house across the meadow. “How can you leave them?”

  “They’re not my true family, William. Don’t you see? My memories are back. The earliest memory is with my mother. She taught me everything.” He took the Wanderer’s hand in his own.

  Nick lifted his shovel. “Well, I hate to break-up this happy reunion, but we can’t let the two of you leave if you intend to kill people.” He charged in the direction of the Wanderer.

  The shovel swept across the place where the Wanderer and Jonas sat, swung like a baseball bat, but a bright flash of light lit up the landscape. Laney’s brother and the Ender ring were gone.

  Nick went flying through the air with the force of his swing. He landed with a loud thud. He stood up, stunned. “Where are they?”

  “Gone.” William picked up the shovel and flung it across the field. “Thanks to you.”

  “What do you mean?” Nick pushed his glasses back in the correct position.

  “The Wanderer had a Gate Keeper ring.” Laney’s heart was broken. She began to believe in her brother’s redemption. Now, she had no idea where to find them, except that the Wanderer would start with the Recluse and her grandfather.

  But having William and Nick fighting didn’t help save anyone. Slowing down and thinking it through was their best option at the moment. The Wanderer clung to the game as much as Jonas. They had to go back home to follow her trail of clues.

  “I’m sorry.” Nick hung his head, his good-spirited nature gone.

  “It’s not your fault.” She flashed a weak smile in his direction. “But I’m not sure what we do now that the Gate Keeper is dead. How are we going to get back?”

  “With this.” William pulled a purple ring from his pocket. “Couldn’t let a perfect Gate between the worlds go to waste.”

  The moment Laney saw the ring, she lunged for William’s arm. “But why are you still…”

  “Here?” William finished her sentence, his mouth upturned at the ironclad death grip she had on his bicep. “One of the parties has to be willing, either the Gate Keeper or the one going through the gate.” He rolled the ring around in his palm with his eyes on Nick. “I’m not ready to leave my home until we find a new Gate Keeper.”

  The key in the center of the gem glistened in the moonlight, a beautiful sight to Laney’s eyes. “Is that Silas’s ring?”

  He nodded. “Nick? Will you do us the honor?”

  “Me?” Nick’s hands were jammed in his coat pocket. He leaned forward and eyed the ring in William’s hand. “Why can’t you do it?”

  “I’m not sure how it works, but I’m pretty sure there has to be two people, or creatures involved. I’m still not sure how the Wanderer does it.” William’s eyes were full of wonder, like a child with a new toy. “If you’re wearing it, we can all go together.”

  “But… does that mean I have to stay here?” Nick removed the ring he got from Brian from his pocket. The blue jewel glistened in the moonlight. He closed his fingers around it.

  “For now. We need a way to get back here. This world can’t go without a Gate Keeper. We’ll come back for you soon.” William glanced at Laney.

  “No.” Laney moved closer to Nick and placed a hand over his palm. There had to be another way. The choice between William and Nick still raw in her heart, she had to decide between the Weavers and Nick—worst of all, between her brother and Nick. “You don’t have to do this. We’ll figure it out.”

  Nick gave Laney the Weaver ring. He reached out and took the Gate Keeper ring from William’s hand. His brows furrowed as he stared down at the ring, and the deep-purple glow illuminated his palm. “Maybe it’s my destiny.” Determination filled his eyes. “I’ve been trying to figure out my role in this crazy world. For some reason, I was drawn to you, but maybe it was for reasons we didn’t understand at the time. Being here, I’ve felt like an outsider. Now, I can be part of the club. I’m going to stay… at least for now.”

  “We can’t just leave you here.” Laney looked to William for help, but he stared down at the ground. “We can’t just leave him here.”

  William crouched and dug through Laney’s backpack. He took out a piece of paper and a pen. “I’m going to write down the directions to my house. Give this paper to my sister, Sarah. She and my dad will let you stay with them until we return.” He scrawled directions and a note in his flowery script and turned to Laney. “If he truly wants to do this, I think we have to allow him to.”

  “Thanks.” Nick glanced over the paper. “You two better get going. They’ve got a head start.” He held out his ringed hand, parallel to the ground. “Is this how I do it?”

  Tears formed in Laney’s eyes, watching his awkward stance. He was doing this for her—because he loved her. It was almost too much, not knowing when she’d see him again. But the sense of urgency for the road ahead with William pushed her forward. The Wanderer was bent on destroying Laney’s world in a sick act of revenge, and it was up to her to stop it from happening.

  “You’re the one with the calling. You can do it any way you want.” She yearned to hug him and let him know she’d come back for him.

  “Are you ready?” William wrapped an arm around her waist and reached out to touch Nick’s hand.

  The brilliant light vibrated around them before everything went black.

  Chapter 22

  Laney lifted her eyelids. Where was she? A standard white, popcorn ceiling illuminated by a dim lamp stretched out above her. Didn’t book jumping only take place in the middle of the forest? No, it was tied to the Gate Keeper.

  “And they lived happily ever after.” Brian. She was home.

  The fog still clouded her brain from the passage. The Gate Keeper stood over her, his arms crossed against his chest. She lay in the center of a room next to a card table and a folding metal chair. A shabby, brown sofa pushed against the wall was bookended by small tables covered with dirty dishes. William was still unconscious.

  “What is this place?” Laney rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust. She propped herself up on her hands.

  “This is my bachelor pad.” He bent down and handed her a glass of water. “Moved out of the cave under the castle. I didn’t want to creep Missy out. Not much, but it’s home.”

  “How close are we to campus?” She stood up and limped as she crossed the room to peer through the blinds. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  “Wait… I know the place isn’t fancy, but you don’t have to be rude.” He raised an eyebrow at her as he flopped down on the couch. A cloud of dust drifted through the lampligh
t.

  “We’re all in trouble.” She set her gaze on William. “Well, maybe not the two of you, but she’s going to kill all the Weavers.”

  “Who? The Wanderer? How?” Brian grabbed her glass from her hand and splashed the remainder of the water on William’s face.

  “Hey!” William shot straight up, his eyes wide. He glanced around the room. “Where are we?”

  Brian crouched down next to William, the glass still in his hand. “Laney says you’ve got urgent business. No sleeping.”

  Footprints tracked in and out of the small fishing shack. The town was blanketed in snow and shrouded by an eerie silence. The dock creaked beneath Jonas’s weight, and the Wanderer whipped around to glare at him. He shrugged.

  He stared at her back as she continued toward the shack. He was still working through his feelings. This was the woman he knew more than anyone—his mother. But something nagged at him—for some reason it didn’t sit right with him to leave Delaney.

  “It’s time to unleash their worst nightmares.” The Wanderer removed the Gate Keeper ring from her cloak and placed it on her finger. Maybe the whole codex thing enabled her to control the power of all the rings. “Grab as many as you can. All I have to do is touch them and poof—it’s off to the book world.”

  “Trapped forever.” Jonas entertained the idea of a world without the filthy Weavers.

  “No, my dear boy. Dead forever.” She held the Weaver necklace in her hand. “We’ll write their endings.”

  Jonas produced his best evil character grin, but his heart twisted inside. “I want to write Delaney’s ending.”

  “You know your mommy wouldn’t leave you out of the fun part. I’ve always wanted to write a horror story.” She slipped in the backdoor of the shack; Jonas close behind.

  He reveled in the thought of punishing one or two of the Weavers that held him captive, although it was for a short time. They’d treated him like an animal, caged with the Gate Keeper.