“Of course I did. It’s not like we have a lot of time to waste before sunset.”
“Before… You’re going back tonight?”
He nodded. “It’s already a long time to be away from home. Mother tends to get a little worried having two of us completely out of reach.”
“Right.” It would have already been ten days in Thomas’ world. The thought of him leaving so soon after he had gotten here made Quinn sad. She was glad she had freed up her afternoon.
“So, what shall we do today, Princess Quinn?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I’m the royal one here, Prince Thomas.”
He shrugged. “You’re a princess in my mind. Where is that brother of mine, anyway?”
She turned around to watch the stream of students exiting the school. The flow was growing thinner and thinner. She was beginning to think that they had missed him when she finally saw his familiar coat, the purple collar of his sweater peeking out at the top.
“You don’t spend enough time in that place? You have to be the first one there and the last one out?” Thomas chided.
“It’s less noticeable. The less attention I draw to myself…”
“The fewer questions you have to answer. I know, I know.”
William gave Quinn a chagrined look. “There’s a reason they send me. I’m surprised my parents even allow Thomas to visit.”
She giggled. “Thomas is Thomas.” She looked back and forth between the brothers. Physically, they were incredibly alike, though Thomas’ dark, nearly black hair clung close to his scalp in tight waves, and William’s was straight. Although Thomas was almost two years younger than William, he was more muscular than his brother, and nearly as tall. They had the same deep gray eyes ringed with dark lashes. Thomas’ were nearly always twinkling with laughter; William’s were usually serious. Quinn knew, though, that when he was home and surrounded by the people he loved, that his eyes could sparkle, too.
“Yes.” William sighed. “Thomas will be Thomas.”
Thomas ruffled his brother’s hair. “You know you wouldn’t have it any other way.”
William rolled his eyes, but she knew how important his little brother was to him. During her time in their world, the two had been nearly inseparable.
“Where’s Zander?” William asked suddenly, an odd sound in his voice she didn’t quite understand.
“He works after school on Mondays, so he leaves early, before study hall.” If the day had been different, she might have been a bit disappointed in not seeing him after her last two classes, but today she was grateful there wouldn’t be more uncomfortable questions.
“Oh.” William’s expression was still off somehow – strained.
Quinn looked back at Thomas. “So, am I meeting you guys at your place, or…”
“You’re driving us.” Thomas grinned, tapping her car again.
“Me?”
“You have a car, and you know how to drive.”
“How did you get here?”
“I walked. But it’s cold, and besides, how often do I get to ride in a car? Please?”
* * *
William and Nathaniel lived in a small white bungalow in an older section of Bristlecone. The wraparound porch reminded her of the medical clinics in Eirentheos. She wondered which one had inspired the other.
Doctor Nathaniel Rose had been Quinn’s doctor for as long as she could remember, probably since she was born, but until her recent visit to Eirentheos, she had never seen him outside of his office, except in passing. Certainly, she had never been to his home. She felt strange as she followed William’s directions and pulled the Honda Pilot up next to the house on the narrow, brick driveway.
Nathaniel was waiting for them at the door. He helped Quinn remove her heavy coat in the entryway. “It’s lovely to see you again, Quinn.” His smile was wide and sincere. Doctor Rose had always been a rather quiet and reserved man, not unlike his nephew. She had always liked him, but she had only really just begun to get to know him.
“It’s nice to see you, too, Doctor Rose.”
“You can call me that if you’re ever in my office again, Quinn. When you come to dinner, please call me Nathaniel.”
“All, right … Nathaniel.”
“Good. And, welcome, please make yourself at home. Do you like burritos?”
She smiled. “Yes. They’re one of my favorites, actually.”
“When Thomas visits, he likes to eat food that he can’t get at home,” William said.
“He’s not the only one,” Nathaniel answered, somewhat facetiously.
“Indeed not,” William retorted, returning the look.
Quinn giggled. “I would miss Mexican food too, if I was away for a long time.”
For the next two hours, Quinn felt as if she was back in Eirentheos.
Although Nathaniel’s home was small and modest, unlike the castle where they lived in the other world, there was a distinctly Eirenthean quality to her surroundings. It might have been the way it was decorated – everything was simple and comfortable, but somehow elegant at the same time – but more likely it was the atmosphere and the company.
There was no television; the living room was lined with built-in bookshelves filled with books of every description. Quinn was certain that not all of the titles had come from Earth, though a large number of them had.
According to William, the main reason he and Nathaniel were here was to take advantage of knowledge in her world that was unavailable in theirs. The only nod to modern American life in the house was the long desk along one wall, which held two laptop computers, and the blinking lights of a wireless router.
Quinn, William, and Thomas sat in comfortable armchairs in front of a crackling fire, while Nathaniel worked in the kitchen, refusing all offers of help. Thomas and William filled her in on stories about their family, and shared special greetings from their mother and from Linnea.
When dinner was ready, they gathered around the table in the dining room, and Nathaniel asked the Maker for blessings over the meal. She enjoyed the casual banter between the brothers and their uncle. This was a side of William she never got to see at school. He was so relaxed and cheerful, even laughing several times. Her heart ached when she thought, again, how hard it must be for him to be away from his family all the time. She couldn’t imagine spending that much time apart from her mom, and Owen and Annie, from the whole life that she knew and loved.
Actually, as she sat there, she realized how much she missed their family, and wondered how much things had changed in the time she had already been gone.
All too soon, the afternoon ended. The sky outside was turning brilliant shades of orange and pink. Thomas looked out the window rather dejectedly. “I guess it’s time for me to go, if I’m going to make it to the gate before the sun sets.”
Quinn’s heart felt as heavy as his face looked. “Do you want a ride?”
“No, but thank you; it’s actually faster to walk from here, and it’s less conspicuous to go alone.” He cast a meaningful glance at William and Nathaniel. “It was lovely to see you, though Quinn. Please try and keep my brother out of trouble until the next time I see you.”
William rolled his eyes.
“If there is a next time,” she said.
“Of course there will be a next time! You didn’t think you were getting rid of me that easily did you, lovely Quinn?”
~ 6 ~
A Date
“WHERE IS ZANDER TAKING you tonight?” Megan asked as Quinn entered the kitchen.
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me.” She grabbed one of the freshly peeled potatoes from the pile next to the sink and began chopping it into small pieces, then throwing the pieces into the big pot of water on the stove. Megan continued peeling. “He just said it was something special, so I dressed up a bit.”
“Well, you look beautiful, sweetheart. I’m sure you’ll have fun.” Her mother scooped up a pile of the peelings and carried them over to the tras
hcan, planting a kiss on Quinn’s forehead as she passed.
Owen sat at the long counter stirring cake batter with a wooden spoon in a big, glass bowl. “That’s a pretty skirt, is it new?”
“Yes.” She twirled so that Owen and Annie could get the full effect of the long, flowing skirt. Last weekend, she and Abigail had gotten permission to drive up to Grand Junction, over an hour away, to go shopping at the mall there.
“Can I go with you, Quinn?” Annie asked. “I have a pretty skirt, too.”
Quinn laughed. “That’s for your birthday party next week.” She had picked up a sparkly purple tutu for Annie on her shopping trip. It had been intended as a surprise birthday present, but Annie had spied the bag as Quinn had tried to sneak it into the house. She’d worn it for part of every day since.
“It’s mine. I can wear it whenever I want.”
“That’s true, pumpkin,” Megan interrupted. “But you still can’t go with Quinn and Zander tonight.”
“But I want to! I want to go with Zander!”
“Maybe you can sometime soon,” Quinn said. “How about tomorrow we go out for hot chocolate, just you and me?”
“Mmm … I like hot chocolate.”
“So is it a deal?”
“Can Zander come too?”
Quinn shot an exasperated look at her mom, who smiled. “I’ll ask him.”
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it! I’ll get it!” Annie screeched, running toward the front door.
Quinn followed her. She waited patiently as Annie struggled, first with the dead bolt, which she opened successfully, and then with the small, rotating lock on the doorknob, which she still couldn’t manage by herself. Finally, she allowed Quinn to help.
“Did you get it this time, Annie?” Zander asked, stepping into the entryway.
“Almost,” she answered proudly.
“All right! Give me five.” Zander held out his hand, and she promptly smacked it as hard as she could. “That was a good one, kiddo.” Annie held up her arms, and Zander scooped her up.
“Hey gorgeous,” he said, kissing the top of Quinn’s head. “Are you ready?”
She nodded, wondering how he could still make her blush every time he did that. “I just have to grab my coat.” The familiar butterflies filled her stomach again as she appraised him. He was dressed more nicely than usual, too, wearing gray slacks and a blue sweater over a white-collared shirt. She could tell he had shaved just before coming.
Zander smiled as he carried Annie into the kitchen and set her in one of the tall chairs that flanked the island where Megan was now peeling carrots into the sink. “That smells fantastic.”
“Thanks, Zander,” she answered, smacking his hand away from the pile of carrots as he snatched one. “Aren’t you going to miss eating it? Your parents will be here in about an hour.” Lately, since Quinn and Zander had been together so much, their families had been spending more time together, too. They shared dinner at one house or the other at least twice a week now.
“Nah, it will be nice to be with Quinn without all of the munchkins hanging off of us the whole time.” He ruffled Annie’s hair as he spoke. Zander’s little sisters, Ashley and Sophia, were seven and four.
Megan chuckled. “I suppose that’s true. So where are you two off to tonight, anyway?”
“Café d’Italia.”
“Nice.” Megan raised her eyebrows. “What’s the occasion?”
“It’s our one-month anniversary.”
“Is it now?” Megan looked over at Quinn, who knew she had turned a fierce shade of red. Had it already been a month? She hadn’t realized. She wondered when he had started counting. She counted weeks backward in her mind. It had been almost exactly a month since the Valentine Dance.
A whole month. Was she supposed to do something special for Zander? Should she have gotten him something? What was the protocol for a one-month anniversary in high school? Abigail would have known what she should do. Quinn mentally kicked herself for not thinking to discuss something like this with her. Of course, apart from the shopping trip, lately she hadn’t been spending much time with Abigail who was always with Adam, and Quinn was usually with Zander
“Young love,” Megan said, smiling again. “What fun. You two have a good time tonight. Curfew still stands, though, even if it is your ‘one-month anniversary.’” She directed a firm look at Zander.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll have her home before eleven.”
In the end, Quinn’s worry was unnecessary, as it usually was with Zander. She had never been to Café d’Italia, which was a cute little restaurant in Powder Mountain, a ski town not too far from Bristlecone. It was the most romantic date that Zander had arranged so far, although he always seemed to be working to find ways to please her. Tonight, he held her hand as the host led them to a small table draped with a red-and-white checked cloth. He even pulled out the chair for her, helped her out of her coat, and asked the waiter to bring a Cherry Coke, Quinn’s favorite, before he seated himself.
In the last month, her relationship with Zander had blossomed. She couldn’t imagine having a nicer boyfriend. She enjoyed his company, and regretted the first two years of high school when the two of them had somehow drifted away from the friendship they had shared since they were toddlers.
They had become inseparable again during the last few weeks, spending most of their time together when neither of them was at work. They did their homework together most evenings, and Quinn had actually been getting the hang of trigonometry. Zander’s English grades had improved, as well.
Although she still wasn’t sure exactly how significant it was to celebrate a month-long relationship, it had certainly been a wonderful month. She had even managed to mostly push her memories of her trip to Eirentheos out of her mind.
She still saw William at school every day, of course, but over the last weeks they had talked to each other less and less. Most days now, they’d exchange a wave at some point during the day and that would be it. It wasn’t exactly the same level of non-contact they’d had before her time in his world – she didn’t feel like a stalker when she caught herself watching him study in the cafeteria, but it wasn’t much more.
~ 7 ~
An Invitation
AS ALWAYS, QUINN GLANCED up when she heard the whoosh of the library door while she was working on Thursday night. When she saw William’s familiar outline against the glass she paused briefly to wave. She had almost turned her attention back to the books she was checking in at the desk when she realized that William was not alone. Her head snapped back up.
Thomas had seen her before she saw him, and he was headed purposefully toward her, a huge grin on his face. “Hey, princess.”
Quinn’s smile was nearly as wide as his. “Thomas! What in the…”
“I told you I wouldn’t be away for too long. Face it. You’re stuck with me now.”
She rolled her eyes, catching William’s gaze in time to see him doing the same. William shrugged. “He just showed up here about an hour ago, now I can’t get rid of him.”
She giggled as Thomas punched his brother playfully on the shoulder. “You’ll die of boredom if I don’t start coming more often, Will. I keep trying to convince Mother and Father that you need me here once a week.”
William ignored him, looking around the library. “Where’s Zander?”
An odd feeling Quinn couldn’t quite explain washed over her at his question. Half irritation, half … something else. “He works on Thursday nights.” He didn’t on Tuesdays, though, and it was true that William had seen him here with her often. Zander usually volunteered his services for most of Quinn’s shift on Tuesday evenings, just so he could spend more time with her.
Even here in the library, she and William hadn’t talked much in the last weeks. On Tuesdays, Zander usually occupied her attention, and on Thursdays, they had drifted back to their old habits of her working, and him being absorbed in his research. There had been a fe
w times she’d almost gone over and talked to him, but she was never sure exactly what to say, and anyway, he always looked so engrossed in what he was doing that she didn’t think he’d notice anyway.
“So Zander isn’t coming tonight?” Thomas asked. “How unfortunate. I was hoping to meet the man who could capture the attention of the lovely Quinn.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And why are you here again, Thomas?”
“You’re going to hurt my feelings if you don’t start believing the truth – that I really would come all the way here just because I’ve missed you.”
Now she narrowed her eyes.
“But it does so happen that I have come this time for a particular reason.”
“And that is?”
“To see you.”
She sighed, exasperated with Thomas, but also thoroughly delighted, as she always was, by his irreverence. He was too charming for his own good.
“What’s the real reason?” She directed this question at William.
“That is the real reason.” Thomas intercepted her gaze. “But more specifically, I am here to extend an invitation for you to come back with us to Eirentheos this weekend. You can come with us tomorrow night, and then be back on Saturday evening.”
Her jaw nearly hit the counter. She glanced across the library at Sylvia, her boss, hoping that she hadn’t overheard any of her conversation. Fortunately, she seemed to be deeply engrossed in a distribution catalog, and didn’t appear to be paying attention to her at all.
“What? Why?”
“Simon is getting married, and you are officially invited to the wedding.”
“I am?”
“Of course you are. William was supposed to give you your invitation ages ago, but he keeps not doing it. So I came.”
She glanced over at William, who had turned several shades of purplish red. The hot lump that suddenly rose in her throat both puzzled and angered her. “You didn’t want me to come?”
A panicked expression took over William’s face. “It wasn’t that, Quinn. I just … didn’t think you would want to go.”
Roots of Insight (Dusk Gate Chronicles -- Book Two) Page 4