Suddenly, Robin stops and spins around to face me. “What if Hayden isn’t holding back his questions in order to be a good friend? What if he isn’t asking because he already knows more than he’s letting on? He just wants you to come out and admit it.”
“What?” I immediately want to throw such a stupid idea back in her face, but I force myself to stop and consider the possibility. What if Hayden does know something about what’s going on? What if he’s involved somehow?
I shake off such thoughts, not because I don’t want to admit Hayden might be playing me, but because it doesn’t fit together. “Why would he just be sitting around doing nothing if he knows what’s going on?”
Robin’s face scrunches a bit as she thinks. “There must be some reason. Maybe he knows Mason is gone and he’s hoping you’ll slip up and tell him where he is.”
“He does know Mason is gone. I told him.”
“What?” Robin demands.
I hold up my hands in an attempt to ward off her meltdown. Frankly, I’m offended she thinks I’m dumb enough to blab the truth about Mason. “He doesn’t know what Mason is, of course, but he knows I have a friend named Mason who came to visit, but had to leave again. He knows we have a complicated history.”
“Why would you tell him anything about Mason at all?” Robin practically screeches.
Not caring for her self-righteous attitude, I stand back up and face her. “Because being upset over a friend hurting you is a much better excuse for being found sitting alone in your car bawling than chipping a fingernail!” I breathe in slowly, trying to calm my anger.
I kick at the squashed fallen leaves that have been trampled by dozens of runners, bikes, and families out for a walk. “The fact is, Hayden found me that day, and even though he didn’t press me at the time, he knew I was hurting and he was concerned. I had to tell him something. I made up a story about Mason’s family being in the military and travelling around a lot so it explained why they didn’t visit very often and why our relationship was so difficult. I even told him that I might move away with Mason in a few weeks.”
“Why?” Robin asks. Her voice is softer than last time.
I smile faintly. “I don’t think it’s a secret that Hayden likes me.”
“Oh really?” Robin laughs. “The way he’s always touching you and trying to get you to spend time with him never clued me in.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled, “he’s not real subtle.”
Robin unfolds her arms and slowly walks over to me. “You care about him, too, and you didn’t want to just disappear on him.”
I nod. “I do care about him. He’s been a good friend to me lately.” Sighing, I press the heels of my hands against my forehead. “I know some of what you’re saying about Hayden makes sense, but I just can’t bring myself to doubt him. He’s a good person. I know he is.”
“Look,” Robin says as she starts walking again, “you can’t let that cloud your judgment. It’s weird that he had the Māori book, and even weirder that he gave it to you kinda out of the blue. He always seems to be around right when you need him, and he’s worked pretty hard to insinuate himself into your life. I know you don’t want to consider it, but Hayden may not be the Prince Charming you think he is.”
My nose crinkles as I try to consider everything she’s saying. I drag my feet through the leaves, letting the crackling sound distract me a little. Hayden has pushed me to let him in, but I truly believe it’s because of his feelings for me. I don’t think he’s faking the devotion I see in his eyes when he looks at me.
The book, I’m still on the fence about, but I do have to admit Hayden is always around when I need him. I ended up at the basketball park completely by chance, but he was there at just the right time all the same. The night Mason killed the Sentinel, Hayden delivered me right to the front door, yet he had been so upset at the idea of someone hurting me only minutes before. Hayden was there after I saw the Sentinel in the park, too.
I rub my forehead as I trying to work out how much of my interactions with Hayden are pure coincidence and how much could possibly be an elaborately orchestrated scheme. I want to scream as the details start swimming in my head, refusing to be labeled and categorized so I can make sense of everything.
Yanking Robin to a stop, I put my hands on my knees and take a moment to catch my breath. When I finally look up, Robin stares at me expectantly. I don’t keep her waiting.
“If Hayden is involved, what is he trying to accomplish?”
The simple answer I’m hoping for doesn’t come. Robin’s shoulders drop. “I don’t know.”
I shake my head in frustration. “There’s no way he’s a Sentinel, or Mason would already be dead. We’d know if he was a Caretaker because he’d be able to see Mason. Who else would want to get involved in all of this?”
Robin’s frustration makes her pace. “I don’t know, but something about Hayden’s involvement in all of this doesn’t fit.”
“Is it just the coincidences?” I ask. “Is there something else that makes your grandma think Hayden is a problem? She seemed strangely pleased when I told her who gave me the book, like she knew something else.”
Robin gnaws on her bottom lip. “I don’t know. She was weird about it when I told her about Hayden too, but I didn’t press her about it because I agreed.”
“What else could Hayden be?” I ask. “Why is he so tangled up in all of this?”
Perhaps her grandmother’s fascination has more to do with her mental state than anything else. It’s not impossible that she’s seeing conspiracy and intrigue where none exists. After all, that was her whole life prior to the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Robin starts walking again, still agitated about Hayden. “Just be careful around him, okay? Watch every word.”
“I will.”
“We can’t let anything stop Mason from going home,” Robin says.
While I fully agree with her, something about the tone of her voice makes me look over at her. The fiery light in her eyes strikes me as odd. I’ve come to know Robin much better over the last few weeks, and I know her expressions well enough to see that this isn’t determination. This is fear and desperation, and it is on the brink of boiling over.
I started out worrying about Hayden doing something to jeopardize Mason, but now fears about Robin begin to seep into my thoughts as well. How far will she go to make sure she gets what she wants?
I look over at her, but my face wrinkles in confusion when I don’t see only Robin. She is there with the trees behind her, but superimposed around her are flickering images of a room. A blue couch fades in and out to her left as a wall of pictures seems to slice several trees down the middle. I blink, trying to clear my vision, but I gasp when a ghost image of Mason walks right through Robin.
“Olivia?”
I hear Robin’s voice. It’s there floating through the scene of a living room. A little brunette girl scampers into the room excitedly. Her lips move, but her words are soundless to my ears. She jumps onto the couch and snuggles up next to Mason. I take a step forward, fascinated and aching to be so close to him, but as soon as I reach out, the image shatters.
Spinning, I search the trees for another glimpse, anything! I cry out as darkness presses in around me. The late afternoon sun is nearly blocked out as dark corners and hallways flit in front of my eyes. Panic fills my heart as I catch sight of bodies moving blindly in the darkness. Some run furiously while other stalk after them.
Mason scoops Molly into his arms and runs. Desperate to follow, I move through the darkness with no concern for myself. I stumble, falling before I can think to catch myself. The glint of something harsh and metallic falls through the air toward my chest. I throw my arms up just as a blinding flash of light burns everything away.
Breathing hard already, my lungs nearly explode as a pair of hands grab my shoulders. I lash out, but Robin’s voice cuts through my panic. “Olivia! What just happened? Are you okay?”
“Mason!” I cry out
.
“What?” Robin asks.
The details of what I just saw are about to start pouring out of my mouth, but something stops me. It isn’t a sound or sight. A thick, oppressive feeling slithers over my skin. It’s one I recognize, and it threatens to break me. Taking Robin’s hand, I let her pull me up. My silence, and no doubt strange expression, is enough to keep her quiet. I try not to look back when we start walking. I know he will be there watching. I know seeing him will only terrify me, but I can’t stop myself.
My eyes dart over my shoulder and I shudder at the sight of his scarred face watching me silently.
Chapter 18
Contingency Plans
(Olivia)
The burst of noise that erupts from my phone startles me so badly I gasp and drop the phone. Robin has it in her hands and is shoving it back into mine before I can even react. Mom and Evie watch with worried expressions. I mumble a quick thanks to Robin as my heart struggles to calm itself back down. I slide my shaking finger across the screen and press the phone to my ear.
“What’s wrong?” Mason demands.
The sound of his voice does wonders to rein in my runaway panic. “You felt something?”
“I don’t know what just happened, but I know it wasn’t good. That, and you sound like you just ran a mile to get to the phone.”
Forcing myself to breathe slowly, I try not to let everything spill out like a freight train on the loose. “The Sentinels are going to come for you soon. They’ll find you at a house with a blue couch and a bunch of pictures on one of the walls.”
Silence.
“Mason?”
I hear him sigh, a heavy sound that nearly breaks my heart. “They’ll come for me here, then.”
“The Parker’s house?” I demand. “You need to leave. Now!”
More silence.
“Mason? Mason,” I say, “please talk to me. You’re freaking me out. Are you going to leave?”
Mason breathes out slowly. “No.”
“What? Why not?”
Everyone’s eyes have been pinned on me since the second the phone rang, but now they are all on the edges of their seats, leaning forward eagerly as they listen to a one-sided conversation. Slowly, I set the phone down on the coffee table and put Mason on speaker. Only Robin will be able to hear him, but a glance from her to my mom and sister make a silent plea that she keeps them updated while I talk to Mason.
“Mason, why won’t you leave the Parkers?” I ask as calmly as I can manage.
“Where would I go?” he asks. “If I run, I’ll just be putting myself out in the open.”
“Go somewhere public. They won’t attack you in the middle of a crowd,” I argue.
I can hear Mason shifting, probably scrubbing his hands through his hair as he tries to think. “How long could that last? Eventually the crowds will go home.”
“But you can’t just stay there and wait for them to come!”
Frustration builds around me. Why is he being so stubborn about this? He can’t stay there! He just can’t. He has to run.
“I can’t leave the others,” Mason says quietly.
I’m not sure why he doesn’t mention Molly by name, but I know she is the real reason he won’t leave. My heart squeezes at the thought of him being separated from her, but he can’t make his decision solely based on Molly. “Mason, you’re going to have to leave them behind eventually. When you go home, they’ll have to stay here. The Parkers will take good care of them.”
“If I leave the Parkers’ house, the Sentinels will still come,” Mason says. “They may not find me, but they’ll find three other Aerlings they weren’t even looking for. They aren’t as powerful as I am. What if they can’t defend themselves? I can’t leave them here to be killed.”
How do I argue with him? The practical side of me says it’s a risk he has to take, because it’s more important that he return home as an Aerling god and end the war than it is for him to stay there and protect the Parkers. He barely knows Shane and Conner, but I’ve heard in his voice that he already cares about them deeply. And Molly. How could I ever tell him to abandon his sister? I wouldn’t be able to leave Evie behind no matter the consequences.
“I’m coming to you, then,” I say.
Such simple words, but the riot they inspire shocks me. While Mason is growling an unbending, “No,” Mom starts crying, Evie latches onto my arm, and Robin is suddenly hovering over me, practically yelling at me for being so stupid.
I step back from Robin, nearly tripping on Evie, and hold up my hands. “Stop freaking out, Robin! What is wrong with you?”
Her hands ball into fists as she glares at me. “Are you really that blind? You can’t go to Mason!”
“Why not?” I argue. “I’m somehow supposed to be able to protect him from the Sentinels. They can’t sense him as well if I’m around. It could make all the difference!”
“And you’d lead them right to him!” Robin screeches. “In fact, that’s probably what they’re hoping you’ll do. What if Mason is only in danger because that creepy Sentinel hanging around is scaring you into running off after Mason? He wants you to go find Mason! You can’t put him in danger like that, Olivia! He has to make it home!”
Speechless, I look around the room for some kind of help. I feel my fingers go cold when I don’t find any. It pains me to turn back to the phone, already knowing whose side Mason will take.
“Ollie, it’s too dangerous for you to come here,” he says quietly. I hear his breathing change, an edge of fear… or something else, creeping in. “No matter how much I want you here, you can’t come. You have to promise me you won’t come.”
I start shaking my head before he even finishes. “No. I won’t promise you that. I won’t just leave you there to die. I won’t.”
“I’m not going to die,” Mason argues. “The Parkers are ready to protect me.”
“For how long?” I throw my hands up in frustration. “You can’t stay locked in their basement forever. The Sentinels aren’t going to give up, Mason.”
A small chuckle whispers over the line. “It’s a panic room, actually, and it’s stocked for up to six months.” All hint of humor disappears from his voice quickly. He sighs. “I know how important it is that I go home, but fighting this war doesn’t start on my birthday. It starts now. I’m not letting the Sentinels have any more Aerlings.”
Again, I can’t argue with him, but I still refuse to promise him I won’t come. “I’ll know if you really need me,” I say.
“I know you will.” The smile in his voice wraps around me like a hug.
The understanding in his voice that I will come if I need to offers more comfort than I can express. There is so much of this that he has to do on his own, but not all of it. Feeling much calmer than I did a few minutes ago, I decide it’s time to get down to business. Robin is right that I can’t let my fear push me into rash decisions.
“We need to make contingency plans,” I say.
Hearing this, Robin seems to relax a bit. There is still a certain amount of edginess in her posture, but I’m sure we’re all feeling that right now.
“That’s probably a good idea,” Mason admits. “What did you have in mind?”
“Well, first off,” I say, “the phone you’re using, will you be able to take it with you if you have to run?”
Robin starts shaking her head before Mason says, “No.”
Adding to Mason’s answer, Robins says, “It’s the Parkers’ only way to contact other Caretakers. If Mason takes it, it could put them in danger.”
“I’ll find another phone,” Mason says. “That’s no problem.”
“Okay then, you need somewhere to run to if you have no other choice. Where will you be safest until I can come and get you?” I ask.
The grunt that slips from Mason’s lips at the mention of me coming after him is followed by silence. Robin’s hackles are up as well. I don’t apologize or back down. Who else has a built in GPS for Mason?
> “Somewhere public,” Mason finally grumbles. “A store, maybe, or a busy park if it’s during the day. I’m not really sure what’s around here, but it’s a pretty big city.”
“A diner or a grocery store,” Mom says. She didn’t hear Mason’s last response, but she seems confident in her suggestion. “A diner will have a few employees even late at night, and a grocery store will have people at the registers even if the rest of the store is empty. It doesn’t have to be a lot of people, just enough to make the Sentinels willing to wait for a little while, enough to buy Mason some time.”
I smile gently at my mom. I know this isn’t easy for her to think about, let alone help plan. She’s right, though. Mason only has to hold them off until I can get there.
“I’ll look for one of those,” Mason says.
When I relay his message, Mom smiles faintly.
I know Mason can’t stay on the phone indefinitely, but I don’t relish the thought of hanging up. I don’t know when the Sentinels will come for him. I saw the warning today, but I haven’t felt sick at all. That gives me hope that he has a little more time to plan and prepare. As I consider preparing, an image from the warning floats back into my thoughts.
“There was a flash of light,” I say.
“What?” Mason asks. “Right now?”
“No. At the end of the warning, the Sentinel had a knife, but before he could do anything with it there was a flash of light and then the warning disappeared.”
The room and phone alike are silent for several minutes. “What does that mean?” Mason finally asks.
“I don’t know, but it might be important.”
“Okay.” Mason says, “I’ll remember that. I’m sure you saw it for a reason.”
Everyone else seems to agree. I have no idea whether the light was the flash of car headlights, an explosion, or something else entirely, but it’s worth remembering.
The sudden change in Mason’s breathing from anxious to sad alerts me to the fact that our time has run out. I pick the phone up for some privacy and turn off the speaker phone. Mason must hear the change in the call, because he only speaks once the rest of the room is no longer listening in.
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