He nodded, but the look on his face made Julia wonder what he was really thinking about.
“I missed you,” she said, playfully bumping his shoulder.
His eyes lit up. “I missed you too.”
They walked up the ancient porch and entered the front room. The home was really something of a mansion, but it was far too old to be considered luxurious. It had a strange smell, red walls, and only makeshift furniture.
“There you are,” Lancer said when she came into sight.
“And, Terrence, I’m so glad to see you arrived safely.”
Julia still held Terrence’s hand, and she could have sworn Lancer’s eyes flickered to their intertwined fingers.
“Thank you, sir. And I can’t tell you how happy I am that everyone is all right after the bomb.” Terrence always sounded so serious around Lancer.
“Thank you, Terrence. I appreciate the concern. We were lucky. Uh, Julia, I need your help with dinner.”
Julia let go of Terrence’s hand and gave him a departing wave.
“Terrence, feel free to get settled in. There are plenty of guest bedrooms upstairs.”
He nodded politely, watching Julia as she walked away.
“Thank you.”
The sun didn’t set until well into the evening, and as it did, all of the Soldier Union members gathered once again around the dinner table. There were seven of them total, including Julia, who sat next to her father.
The New York home was at least ten thousand square feet.
It was an estate that Lancer rented out from an elderly couple who had gotten too old to take care of the large home and never-ending yard.
There were several spacious rooms that looked as if they had been elegant and lavish at one time. Now, however, the cracked floors, dust-coated furniture, and noisy air condi-tioners seemed beyond repair.
Julia didn’t hate the house, but she did think all of the artwork was unnecessarily creepy. All of the dark photographs and paintings were eerie, most of them depicting angry and severe-looking women from many decades ago.
As she sat down, Julia couldn’t help but stare at the huge hole in the wall left over from the explosion.
She was about to show Terrence, but one of the other soldiers kept asking him questions about Lockham. Julia quietly ate the vegetable and lasagna she helped make and listened to Terrence’s answers.
After waiting a half hour without getting in a word, she cleared her plate and decided to go to bed. Maybe tomorrow she and Terrence would get some time to catch up alone.
She left the dining area and was about to climb the creaky stairs when she heard Terrence down the hall.
“Now if you wouldn’t mind, gentlemen,” he said, “I’m quite exhausted. I hope you don’t care that I excuse myself.
It’s been a long day.”
The other soldiers mumbled their consent, and Julia heard Terrence’s footsteps come up behind her. He appeared in the dark and reached for her hand, following her as she walked upstairs.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Julia said to him outside of her doorway. “I always get so nervous when I hear about all of your missions.”
“You shouldn’t be worrying about me,” he replied, leaning against the wall. “I’m always fine. It’s you I worry about. You were feet away from a bomb exploding yesterday.”
“Yeah, but last year you were attacked by Guild members.”
He raised his eyebrows. “That’s true.”
“So maybe I should be your bodyguard.” She locked onto his blue eyes. “I could keep you safe, you know, because in werecat form, I’m faster and stronger than you.”
He laughed. “Do we need to have another match outside?
Because if I’m not mistaken, my jaguar pinned down your white tiger.”
“I let you win,” she said. “I just didn’t want you to feel bad about losing.”
“I see. We’ll just have to race again then.”
She moved in closer to him, but after hearing voices echo up from the bottom of the stairs, she quickly pulled away. “I better go to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He held onto her outstretched hand for a moment before saying, “Sweet dreams.”
As much as Julia would have loved to have a good night’s sleep, she found it impossible. That night, she tossed and turned on the noisy mattress, feeling hot and uncomfortable.
Once again she heard Caleb’s voice in her dream. Usually by the time she woke up, it was gone—but tonight she could still hear him. She turned on her antique lamplight and listened.
Either she was crazy, or Caleb really was talking nearby.
She stumbled toward the door, tired, and it opened with a loud screech. Down the black hallway, a voice drifted, deep and smooth, singing a sad melody. A single beam of light pierced the blackness from the furthest room.
Julia ran a hand through her matted night hair and walked toward the voice.
She tried to be silent, but her eyes were still blurry, and the old house was an obstacle course of creaky noises. When she stepped on a particularly noisy floorboard, Caleb’s singing ceased.
“Hello?”
Julia swallowed and opened his door.
Caleb’s face looked pale in the moonlight that shone in from his window, and his eyes were open wide. He stood by the massive window, and Julia noticed his clothes, letters, and Soldier Union belongings placed around the room.
“I’m sorry,” he said in his familiar, deep voice. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Julia laughed somewhat nervously. “I’m not angry. I’m happy to see you.” She walked over to him and hugged him.
He embraced her back, but it was stiff and hesitant.
As she pulled away, she glanced at his luggage. “When did you get here? It feels like I’ve been waiting all summer for you guys to arrive.”
Caleb cleared his throat. “We just came in an hour ago. I was trying to be quiet, but obviously I failed.”
Julia shook her head. “No, I couldn’t sleep anyway. I was happy to hear you singing.” When Caleb didn’t respond, she added, “You have a nice voice.”
A hint of a smile spread across his face. “That was a song my mom used to sing to me when I was little. It’s just been stuck in my head lately.”
There was a noise in the hallway, and both went silent for a moment.
“Can I hear it again?” Julia whispered.
Caleb looked at her, caution evident in his green eyes.
“You want me to sing to you?”
“Well, my mother never sang to me, and I don’t know if you’ve ever heard my dad sing—but it’s not pretty.” She laughed. “Please?”
He nodded and turned back to the window. The moonlight made his pale skin look like stone against his dark hair.
“In the cliffs of Ossai, a man braved the ocean dear.
A maiden called out, her voice crystal clear, with a face more heavenly than any other.
Her voice echoed sweet, but struck him with terror, for she took the mighty captain prisoner.”
Julia felt her eyes fighting to shut. Maybe his singing would actually help her get a good night’s rest.
“Thanks,” she muttered. She had never heard that Ossain song before. The tune was soft and solemn, but Caleb sang it beautifully.
“My mom would sing it to me and say, ‘Someday you’ll sing this song to your own children,’ ” he said. “I haven’t thought about that for a while, but every time I sing it, it transports me back in time.”
Julia nodded. “I hope you do pass it down to your family.”
He looked at her, startled, for a moment. A miserable expression took over his features.
“Caleb,” Julia said, “what is it?”
He shook his head and regained his calm composure.
“Nothing. Sorry, I think I just got a little tired. I’ll let you go back to sleep, and I promise, I’ll be quiet.”
“Oh,” she answered. “Yes, I should go back to bed too.
Good night, Caleb. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Julia tiptoed back down the hallway, Caleb’s song replaying in her head: “Her voice echoed sweet, but struck him with terror, for she took the mighty captain prisoner.”
She wondered if maybe she dreamed about Caleb so much because things had never been resolved between them.
Maybe that was her mind’s way of working things out. Both she and Caleb were in relationships with other people, but she still felt a small part of Caleb loved Julia as more than a friend.
She tried to quietly shut her noisy door but left it open an inch. Peering down the hall, she saw another room light on; someone else had overheard their conversation. Julia’s father was standing in his doorway, a disapproving look on his face.
* * *
CHAPTER TWO
Julia’s antique bedroom had no curtains, so she never overslept. She washed off in her white porcelain tub that had been turned into a shower and got ready for the day.
Liam, Caleb’s father and one of her favorite people in the world, greeted her downstairs.
“It’s been a while,” he said, hugging her. “How’s the shapeshifting empress doing?”
“Is that my new nickname?” she asked. “Because I really wouldn’t mind being called that.”
As they walked into the dining area, Julia noticed that the older soldiers from yesterday’s meeting were gone.
Terrence was already in the kitchen helping make breakfast. He always managed to look good with everything he did.
Even when he was flipping french toast, he looked charming.
“Good morning,” he said, giving Julia a small kiss on the cheek.
She smiled at him before glancing over her shoulder.
Caleb was on the floor fixing the wobbly leg on the dining table, and Lancer was going over notes with Liam. She was relieved at first that no one had seen their kiss, but then wondered why. They were dating, after all.
During breakfast, Lancer, Liam, Caleb, and Terrence heartily conversed about one of the sports teams in Ossai.
The sport, Rumee, did not sound like something Julia ever wanted to play.
“Crosby’s definitely got the upper hand this year. His speed can’t be beat,” Terrence exclaimed.
Liam took a swig of his orange juice, shaking his head.
“He couldn’t even overthrow Rileyne Neelson!”
Caleb laughed. “Rileyne Neelson … I’d almost forgotten about the little guy. How has he ever managed to stay in Rumee for so long?”
Once they were done eating, and Julia was even more clueless about the grisly sport, Liam made a comment about getting started with the day’s meetings. She stood up with her plate and noticed Lancer following her into the old kitchen.
“Julia, can you help me finish these dishes?” he asked, filling up the sink.
She was already heading for the back door but quickly wheeled around. Throughout the summer, she was asked to leave the dining room once the Soldier Union meetings started.
“Eh, sure.”
Terrence entered the kitchen and began piling dishes into the sink, but Lancer held up a hand. “Terrence, why don’t you and Caleb go ahead and start briefing Liam on the security updates? This won’t take long.”
He nodded and left through the kitchen’s swinging door.
Julia scrubbed the porcelain dishes that came with the house. They were delicate and thin with flowery, ruffled edges, and she absolutely despised them. She liked Lockham’s large, hearty plates.
Lancer began putting away the breakfast ingredients.
“Did you have a hard time falling asleep last night?” he asked.
She shrugged and continued with the dishes. “I usually do here.”
“I see.” He took the delicate plate from Julia and tucked it away in the cupboard. “I heard you and Caleb talking.”
“Dad,” Julia began firmly, “I just had a hard time falling asleep in this old, creepy house and—”
Lancer held up his hands. “I’m not mad at you,” he said.
“I was merely making a comment.”
She continued to feverishly scrub the dishes. “I can tell it bothered you, though,” she muttered. “That much I can read.”
Sierra, Julia’s best friend, always told Julia she was so easy to read. Like father, like daughter, Julia thought.
“I know this might sound strange—well, I’m sure nothing sounds strange to you anymore,” Lancer said, “but I’m worried about Caleb.”
She stopped cleaning the plates and turned around.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
Lancer looked hesitant. “I don’t want him to get his hopes up.”
Julia raised an eyebrow. “Hopes up for what?” She stared at her father, but he didn’t answer. Suddenly she understood.
“You mean you don’t want him to date me?”
He shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t mind at all if you dated him.”
“Wait, so you don’t like Terrence?”
“Julia,” Lancer said, “you’re twisting my words.” He paused. “I just don’t want you to string Caleb along.”
“String him along?” she scoffed. “We’re friends. That’s it.
We’ve already discussed that many times. It’s something he knows very well. Besides, he has a werecat girlfriend who he seems very content with. And,” she continued, “I think it’s weird for you to even talk to me about this kind of stuff.”
Lancer nodded slowly and began putting away the dishes.
“Well, I’m sorry if it’s strange for you, but I am your father, and I’m allowed to give my opinion.”
“Yes, you are,” she said, turning back to the soapy water.
“But you said you would start trusting me.”
“And I will,” Lancer replied. “I just thought I’d tell you that Caleb no longer has a girlfriend.”
Julia fumbled with the dish in her hand. “What?”
He shrugged. “Liam informed me that Caleb ended their relationship at the beginning of the summer.”
The room suddenly became much too hot and stuffy. Julia tried to look calm, as if this wasn’t earth-shattering news, but she knew her face gave her away.
Caleb’s girlfriend, Camil a, was a monster in her opinion—
and not just because she was a vicious, growling werecat.
Camil a seemed to have a personal battle with Julia. The worst part of al was that she always tried to cover it up, acting like they were actual y great friends. Camil a had always bragged about her and Caleb’s relationship and competed with Julia constantly when it came to who was the quickest shapeshifter.
“Camilla wasn’t a very nice person,” Julia said bluntly.
“And not every relationship ends in marriage. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.”
“Yes, that is true,” Lancer agreed. “However, I have a feeling it might have something to do with you.”
Shaking slightly, Julia reached up to the highest shelf to place the last piece of china. “You have no way of knowing what he was thinking, and—” The combination of water and dish soap made Julia’s fingers slick. Before she could stable herself, the plate had slipped from her hands.
It hit the ground hard, smashing loudly as tiny shards flew around the warped floor.
“Dad,” Julia said angrily. “I don’t think this kind of stuff is any of yours or Liam’s business!”
Her father looked at the plate and opened his mouth to say something but didn’t reply.
Seconds later, Liam appeared with a ratty broom and dustpan in hand. “I thought I heard something break,” he said, carefully looking from Lancer to Julia.
Julia glared at the ground as if it were the floor’s fault she’d dropped the plate. “Yeah, it was me. I’ll clean it.” She reached for the broom, but Liam clung to it.
“No, it’s quite all right,” he offered. “I’ll get this. You’ve already finished all the dishes.”
She sighed, grateful to g
et away from the tension of the conversation, and left through the back kitchen door.
Running out into the large grassy field, she closed her eyes and willed herself to shapeshift. Her body blurred and changed from human form into her white tiger werecat. It was an easy way to express anger, running laps in werecat form, and she knew she wouldn’t have the opportunity once she was back at Lockham. It was forbidden to shapeshift outside of transformation class.
After running several aggressive werecat laps, Julia changed back into human form and tumbled down next to a muddy pond on the property. Catching her breath, she rested on a smooth boulder and contemplated Lancer’s words. She hated Camilla, so naturally she should have been happy about the news. But the problem was she didn’t feel relief.
Something in her stomach made her feel uneasy. She didn’t have anything to do with their relationship, so why was Lancer trying to make her feel guilty? He was way too concerned about her dating life.
Last year Julia had been honest with him—admitting that she and Terrence were in a relationship. Didn’t he know now that he could trust her?
After an hour or so, Julia slowly made her way back to the old, decaying house. She tiptoed past the Soldier Union meeting and upstairs to her room. Upon her windowsill lay an array of classic novels that she had been relishing over the summer. When she was on the third chapter of The Count of Monte Cristo, a thought struck her.
When she was in Caleb’s room the previous evening, she had seen a pile of envelopes on the floor. Initially she hadn’t thought much of it; his belongings were everywhere.
Now she wondered about the letters. Were any of them from Camilla? If she could know the truth about Camilla and Caleb’s breakup, then she wouldn’t be as tormented.
Julia heard the soldiers talking downstairs and knew if she was quick, she’d be able to sneak into Caleb’s room.
Biting her bottom lip, Julia sprinted lightly down the hall and into Caleb’s bedroom. Her heart beat madly as she scanned the room, looking for any envelopes. His room had been cleaned up slightly, and the letters weren’t in the previous spot.
She realized with disappointment the letters weren’t on the nightstand, floor, or windowsill. The only place left was his luggage bag. Feeling guilty, Julia kneeled next to the dark blue duffel bag and unzipped the top.
The Siren's Secret Page 2