“It is okay, but sometimes you have to appreciate what you have.”
“I know. I just felt like Charlotte needed him.” I needed him too, but not the same way my sister did. I was older when Mom disappeared, and basketball kept me busy enough that I got through it.
Samantha stepped around a twisted set of tree roots, brushing against me in the process. “Have you always been so protective of Charlotte?”
“Yes. I’m not sure how much of it comes from being a Guardian and how much comes from being her brother.”
She smiled. “Probably a little of both.”
“How old were you when your parents died?” I usually steered clear of the subject, but it also seemed like something I should know.
“Young enough that I do not remember them.” She sped up, letting me know the conversation was over.
“Hey, wait up.”
“Sorry. It is not something I want to discuss.”
“Got it.” I searched for a safe conversation topic. “Are you excited to see where I come from?”
She finally slowed. “I want to find the Onyx. If in the process I get to learn more about you, that is fine too.”
“Why is it so hard for you to admit you like me?”
“I have made my feelings crystal clear.” She ran a finger over her bottom lip as if she was remembering one of our kisses.
“You can make them clear again anytime.”
“And you say you do not have a one-track mind?”
I shrugged. “Watching you touch your lips did it. It’s not my fault.”
“A real man takes responsibility for his thoughts and actions.”
I laughed. “A real man? How many real men have you kissed?”
She hurried ahead again.
Damn it. “I was joking, Samantha.”
“I do not care. I want to get there.”
I hustled to catch up with her. I had no idea what made me say such stupid things around her.
“None,” she whispered just as we entered the garden.
I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut, for a change. Thankfully, she was ahead of me and didn’t see the grin on my face.
Chapter Four
Liam
Watching Calvin with his arms around Charlotte on that damn horse nearly killed me, though it wasn’t the first time I’d seen him touch her—not by a long shot. Calvin used every chance he had to touch her. Charlotte hated the public affection. I couldn’t believe he didn’t realize it—or if he did, he didn’t care.
I tried not to let it bother me, but it was a losing battle. I didn’t care what bond connected them, Charlotte didn’t belong with Calvin. He barely knew her. He couldn’t possibly care about her the way I did.
I replayed all of the chances I’d wasted over and over in my head. She hadn’t given me much time when she came back to Charleston, but what she did give me, I threw away. What would have happened if I’d manned up earlier and told her how I felt? Would she have felt the need to explore if she’d known my feelings?
I fell back a little after we cleared the fern grotto. Riding alongside them was torture. I didn’t need to see the way she leaned back against his chest, or the way he rested his hand on her leg. I think I preferred the long shapeless dresses. Those pants were worse—they had the same effect as her tight jeans.
At least riding a horse came naturally to me. I guessed it was a side effect of being a Guardian. I still found it hard to believe that Charlotte kissing me at thirteen had caused me to become one, but that also explained a lot. I’d never been horrible at sports, but that year, I was the star forward on the basketball team. My mom couldn’t believe how tall I grew over one summer. No one in my family had ever reached six feet. I wondered if the whole Guardian thing was part of why I liked Charlotte so much, but it couldn’t be. I’d fallen for her before that night—I just hadn’t realized it. Also, not every Guardian wanted her. James liked to pretend he did, but it was just a game, and Henry saw her as a sister.
We rode across the open plains. I cleared my head by looking up at the cloudless blue sky. I knew we had a lot to tackle before we could relax, but I wasn’t a glass-half-empty kind of guy. That was why I wasn’t willing to give up on Charlotte. If we were meant to be together, and I knew we were, it would happen.
Calvin slowed to match my horse’s speed. “We are getting close to the river. We will stop there.”
I nodded, watching the way the gold highlights in Charlotte’s hair glistened in the sun. I’d never had it so bad for a girl. A year before, I thought Kevin was my biggest obstacle—little did I know. “Sounds good.”
When we reached the bank, I dismounted, leaving my horse to graze with the others while we ate. Charlotte’s mom had packed sandwiches. She’d done a good job, considering how limited our supplies were.
“Is this peanut butter?” Charlotte asked.
Henry took a large swig of water from his canteen. “Close. It is from a different nut, though.”
“Oh.” Charlotte studied her sandwich, pulling the bread apart a little. “This is jelly, right?”
Calvin laughed. “Yes. It is jelly.”
She pouted. “Hey, it doesn’t hurt to know what you’re eating.”
Calvin ran a hand through some of the hair that had come loose from her makeshift bun. He had barely touched his lunch. He was too busy fawning over her. “Would your mother ever give you something dangerous?”
“No. But she grew up on Energo food. We probably have different ideas of what tastes good.”
I took a large bite. “It’s good, Char.”
“Good.” She smiled at me before taking a small bite. At least she trusted my judgment.
“Oh, it is good because Liam says so, huh?” Henry laughed.
Charlotte grinned. “You’re from here, too. I needed an unbiased opinion.”
“Henry, is the food where she is from any better?” Calvin asked.
Henry stuffed the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. “They have different things, but it is pretty much the same, except they will fry anything in oil.”
Calvin nodded. “I will remember that.”
Charlotte played with some grass. “Do you think you’ll ever come back to my home?”
“I would come visit your former home.”
She leaned back on her elbows. “Former home?”
“You cannot mean to return there after all of this. You know you belong in Energo.”
She looked pensive, staring up at the sky. “It’s still home.”
Calvin stiffened but didn’t say anything. Smart man.
“So what’s the plan? Do you really think the scroll is just sitting there at Ruth’s house?” I asked. Nothing was ever simple when it came to Energo.
“Probably not. I’m guessing she hid it somewhere.” Charlotte sounded nonchalant, but I knew she wasn’t that calm.
Calvin figured it out too. “We will find it. She left it knowing someone would need it one day. I am sure you will know where to look.”
She closed her eyes, soaking up the sun. “You make it sound like magic.”
“Not magic—just you.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. I fought the urge to look away.
She opened her eyes and glanced at me as if checking to make sure I wasn’t upset. She’d obviously picked up on my feelings. The question was what she would do with that knowledge.
Calvin stood up. “We should probably go. It is going to be nightfall soon.”
“Do you think we’ll make it to Smidtle tonight?” I remembered the name of Ruth’s village from the maps of Energo I’d spent hours poring over. I had been at a disadvantage last time when I had no idea where I was, so I’d wanted to be prepared. Smidtle was supposed to be pretty small and mostly agricultural. That described most towns in Energo.
Calvin held out a hand to help Charlotte to her feet. “If we move. I would rather not camp out on the prairie tonight unless we absolutely have to.”
“Then let’s do this.�
�� I walked over to my horse and mounted.
Chapter Five
Samantha
My heart nearly beat out of my chest as I waited for Kevin to push open the gate. It was an old gate—wrought iron with ivy growing all over it, but I could tell that whoever made it had used great care.
Kevin glanced behind him. “You all right?”
I nodded. “Fine.”
“Well, welcome to Charleston.” He held open the gate.
The first thing I noticed on the other side was the darkness. I knew there was a time difference between our worlds, but I did not quite believe it until we arrived.
“How was your trip?” Monty stood up from where he waited on a stone bench by some sort of fountain. From the looks of it, the fountain had not been turned on in some time.
Kevin greeted his uncle with a pat on the shoulder. “We didn’t run into any trouble.” He headed toward the large house.
“Is this really a private home?” I asked as I waited for Kevin to unlock the door. Made from various types of stone and wood, the house was nearly as ornate as the castle at Bellgard.
“Yeah. It’s a little much, but I’ve always loved this place. You’ll have to see the view of the water.”
I nodded absently as I followed him inside.
He pointed to the right. “The kitchen is over here. I doubt there’s anything edible left in the fridge, but there’s probably some snacks in the pantry.”
“Okay.”
Monty came in behind us. “Charlotte’s room is ready for Samantha if she wants to get settled.”
I liked him. At first, I had been skeptical of his duty to his home since he had fled Energo at such a young age, but it did not take long for me to realize that concern was unnecessary. “Thank you. Is it upstairs?”
“All the way on the third floor.” Kevin gave his uncle a look I did not quite understand.
Monty gave Kevin a strange look in return. “It’s where she’ll be most comfortable.”
Feeling left out of some communication, I said, “I think I will go find it.”
“I can show you,” Kevin quickly offered.
“No. I can find it.” Whatever was going on with those men, I had no desire to be a part of it.
I walked up two flights of stairs and stopped in a narrow hallway. An open door lay in front of me, with a closed one across the hall. Directly behind me was a long row of doors that I assumed led to a balcony. I walked into the open room.
The first thing I noticed was the beautiful wooden instrument in the corner. Kevin had mentioned Charlotte was musical, but I had no idea what a cello was. I’d never seen anything quite like it and had to admire it before exploring the rest of the room. A strange image flashed through my mind, but it went so fast I could not quite grasp it. I shook it off and moved on.
A light blue blanket covered a bed large enough for at least two or three people. Why a young girl would need a bed so big I did not understand, but it certainly fit with the enormous size of the house.
I set my pack down beside the bed and took a closer look at a number of pictures lining a white desk. The one similarity between most of the pictures was Liam. I did not envy Charlotte’s position. It was clear she was in love with two men. Being in love with one was hard enough.
I had finally accepted that truth after the battle at Cason Caves. My fear for Kevin’s life went beyond the care for a companion. Of course, we had also kissed on many occasions, but I had the impression that casual kissing was commonplace in his world. I had so many more important concerns, but figuring out how to deal with my feelings for Kevin was paramount to concentrating on the others.
A light knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. “Samantha?” Kevin stood in the doorway. “Is the room okay? I’m glad Monty cleaned it up. Charlotte never leaves it this neat.”
I smiled. “It is perfect for the night—or rather day. She was lucky to have such a fancy place to sleep.”
“You’ll have to tell her that when you see her.”
“Maybe I will.” I looked past him into the hallway. “Is the offer to show me the view still available?”
“Of the water? Sure.” He took a step back so I could pass.
I did not wait for him to open the door to the outside. I got to it first. I was used to doing things on my own, and if things were ever to become more with us, he needed to understand that.
I walked to the railing. “Breathtaking.”
I could not imagine having such a beautiful view, especially not in a modern city. Kevin had grown up with so much more than I had. I wondered if that was an obstacle that would keep us apart. In Energo, people from different classes rarely united. From what I understood, I had come from a respectable family, but I had grown up an orphan raised by exiles.
“It is, isn’t it? I missed this place when we were up in Alaska.” He had a far-off look in his eyes.
I stared back out at the water. “It is never easy to leave home.” I definitely understood that sentiment at the moment. Of course I had been to other nations before, but the lost world was something different entirely.
Kevin joined me at the railing. “I know this wasn’t easy for you, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” I looked up at his slightly sun-kissed face. He lacked the rugged good looks more typical of men of the Resistance. Instead, he was more classically handsome. He may have had Energo blood in him, but to me, he was exotic. Maybe that was what made it all the harder to resist him. I reached up and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. “I would not mind it if you kissed me.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “You wouldn’t?”
“No.” I refused to look away. He was so frustrating sometimes. Why did he need to hesitate when I made my desires known? Was it just to make me more uncomfortable?
“Good.” He leaned in, brushing his lips against mine.
I didn’t bother to suppress my moan of pleasure. The gentle kiss changed, and I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck as his hands moved to my hips. I had no other experience for comparison, but I doubted many could kiss the way Kevin did. It awakened a side in me I had not realized I had. My entire life had been dedicated to defeating Blake so we could take back Energo, and until Kevin, I had never made room for anything else. His hands moved lower, and I took in a harsh breath.
“Oh, sorry.”
I stepped away from Kevin as soon as I heard the voice.
“Talen? What do you want?” Kevin made his annoyance at the Arco, a man who could turn into an arctic wolf, abundantly clear.
“Sorry to interrupt…whatever it is I interrupted, but we need to talk strategy. We cannot go into this unprepared.”
“He is right.” I smoothed out my shirt, hoping to hide any evidence of what we had been up to. “We should go back inside.”
Kevin wore a disappointed look but followed me. A voice in the back of my head told me I should be grateful for the interruption. A much louder voice told the first voice to quiet down.
Chapter Six
Charlotte
“You are so funny.” Calvin settled his hand on my hip as we rode our horse across the prairie.
“Why am I funny?” Without seeing his face, I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not.
“You take nearly everything in stride, yet you are bothered by eating different foods.”
“I’m not bothered by it. I just like to know what I’m putting in my body.”
“I happen to care about your body, too.” He leaned forward to whisper, “But I still find humor in your reaction.”
A thrill ran through me when he talked about my body, and I decided to run with it. “Glad to know you care about my body.”
His hand tightened on my hip. “Despite everything we are facing, it is your body, and your face, that I cannot get out of my mind.”
I knew his words were genuine. He’d been hinting about his expectations for several days. Since we were back together and out from
under the watchful eye of my mom, he assumed I was finally ready to sleep with him. It was a reasonable assumption, considering in the eyes of Energo, we were married. The question was whether or not I was ready. I was pretty sure of the answer.
Henry sped up and matched pace with us. “Something is wrong.”
Calvin adjusted the reins in his hand. “I was thinking the same thing. We should see people by now.”
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