The twin nodded and pulled on a sweatshirt. “Let’s rock and roll.”
Luke slipped his massive feet into a pair of outdoor-style loafers. In addition to that, he wore jeans and a T-shirt.
Flint was in similar attire. Since the two of them had such high metabolisms, they rarely grew cold. The two of them often wore shorts in the dead of winter.
Jet opened the door with a flourish. “Shall we?” He made a grand gesture with his arm toward the hallway.
Mica laughed as she, Jet, and Raven set out. Jasper followed and their voices carried from the hallway.
A cough sounded from the back bedroom. Poor Amber was buried under the guest bed’s thick comforter.
I cast a glance in her direction before sliding on my sneakers. Too bad Jacinda’s not here. She’d happily stay back and take care of her.
Thinking of my sister made me frown. According to Luke, Jacinda had experienced another sleepless night. Apparently, the baby had been kicking vigorously until the wee hours of the morning, which had been enough movement that Jacinda feared something was really wrong. She’d woken Father to do an ultrasound. Luckily, the ultrasound revealed only a very awake fetus and nothing more.
I could only hope that everything would turn out okay with the baby. Though I’d tried to remain optimistic, worry was starting to creep into my gut. Jacinda was convinced that something was wrong.
“Lena? You coming?” Flint stood in the doorway. From the sound of it, everyone else was already walking down the stairs to the parking lot.
“Yeah. Coming.”
We didn’t waste time getting to campus. After dropping Susannah off, the seven of us hightailed it back into town in two vehicles. Di drove one, and Flint the other.
Cool springtime wind whipped through the trees when we stepped onto the sidewalk on campus. A buzz emitted from my pocket. I knew who it was before I pulled my phone out.
Sure enough, a text from Grace appeared.
Where are you?
I grimaced. That sick feeling in my stomach returned.
“What is it?” Flint asked.
As Jasper, Mica, Flint, Di, Edgar, Luke, and I stood on the sidewalk, Di surveyed our surroundings. I tilted my phone’s screen toward Flint so he could read the text. “It’s Grace.”
“You didn’t tell her you were skipping class today?”
“I forgot to.”
I hastily typed in a reply while knowing I’d get an earful from her later. She hated when I ditched class. In a way, she was good for my GPA. I usually never skipped lectures because of her.
Decided to sleep in so not going to make it. See you later?
When a response didn’t immediately arrive, I shoved my phone back in my pocket. The guilty feeling in my stomach grew.
“All right, let’s split up.” Di’s long olive-toned fingers brushed her hair behind her ears. “Her first class is calculus. A few of us should go to that building to keep an eye on her, and the rest of us can stay outside. Try not to draw attention to yourselves.”
Mica’s eyebrows rose as she looked Luke up and down. “You do realize who we’re with, right?”
Luke grinned, his golden eyes flickering. “What are you saying? That I draw attention or something?”
Mica and I both laughed. Luke’s immense bulk always drew attention.
Di raised her voice. “As I was saying . . . let’s split up and try not to draw attention to ourselves.”
We were already getting looks from students walking by us. Since we were standing in the middle of the sidewalk, blocking traffic, that wasn’t surprising.
“Should we split up in groups of twos or go off alone?” I asked.
Edgar shrugged. “It’s the middle of the day. Probably just fine to spli’ up. We’ve all got our phones. If we need to get in contact with each other, we can.”
Flint glowered, and I could tell he was about to open his mouth, but Jasper said, “We won’t be far from one another. And if we all split up, we may be able to see more.”
Di nodded briskly. “All right. That sounds like a good plan. You’re all familiar with his description. Stocky build, with dark hair. If any of you sees a man meeting that description following Abigail, let the rest of us know immediately. If Luke gets close enough, he may be able to catch his scent. Edgar?” Di turned her gaze to the bald-headed man. “Are you willing to use your extra abilities to help track him down?”
Edgar grimaced and shoved his hands awkwardly into his pockets. Of the three lost children we’d rescued from O’Brien, Edgar was the most normal in the sense that he hated using his extra abilities. I’d never once seen him in his otter form, and I’d never known him to willingly use any of his powers—whatever those powers were.
“Uh . . .” He wouldn’t meet Di’s gaze.
For a long time, I hadn’t known why Edgar shied away from his powers, but then one night he’d confessed that he hated using them. It reminded him of what had been done to him as a child, and it also reminded him that he would never be a normal human.
Di crossed her arms and tapped her fingers on her forearm. “Well?”
Edgar pulled a hand from his pocket to rub his bald head. “If I have to, I will, but as you know, I prefer not to.”
I placed my hand on his arm and squeezed. “Hopefully, Luke can do the tracking aspect for us. You just keep an eye out.”
He gave me a grateful smile. “Deal.”
“Fine. We’ll leave the tracking to Luke.” Di turned my way. “Lena, it’s imperative you snap a picture of this man if you see him. You are the only one who will know it’s him even though we have a vague description of him. None of us can sense his cloud.”
I jutted my chin out. “I will.”
Everyone took off in opposite directions, but before I could, Flint leaned closer and pressed his lips against my temple. “Promise me you’re not going to do anything stupid.” Worry rolled off him like a storm rolling in from the sea.
“I promise to find you before I go chasing after him again, if that’s what you mean.” I squeezed his hand.
His worry remained. “I’ll have Luke track you if you take off on your own again.”
A hint of annoyance filled me even though I knew Flint’s overprotectiveness stemmed from love. “Why am I not surprised?”
He gave my hand a tight squeeze and growled, “Be good.”
My cheeks flushed as I balled my fists.
When I opened my mouth to give him a tart reply, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. That was condescending. It’s just . . .” He raked a hand through his hair. “Shit. Just . . . don’t go anywhere without me. Okay?”
I sighed heavily but managed a curt nod.
Flint stuffed his hands into his jean pockets and strolled away down the sidewalk. Despite our being on the brink of another argument, I paused to admire the view.
In a plain T-shirt, Flint’s shoulders stretched and moved with his movements, and his long legs and firm backside looked nice in his jeans.
Of course, as usual, I wasn’t the only one admiring the view. Several university students, mostly female, although there was a male as well, turned to watch Flint as he walked past them.
Also, as was the norm, Flint ignored them. I had no idea if he was conscious of the attention he drew, but he never paid it any mind. Even after all of these years, he still only had eyes for me.
Damn my overprotective, incredibly sexy, drives-me-crazy-at-times-but-I-still-can’t-live-without-him boyfriend! Why did he have to be so perfect in so many other ways? Even though he was driving me crazy at the moment with his overbearingness, my pulse still quickened at the sight of his strong physique.
Okay, Lena. Look away and get to work.
After all, I needed to concentrate. My job was the most important one this morning. Until I correctly identified the dark-clouded man, Luke would not be able to track him.
Once Flint disappeared from view, I settled on a bench just outside Abigail’s building. T
he campus grounds grew less busy by the second. The first class of the day had started, but a few wayward students were still racing to their buildings. All their clouds were white, ivory, or light gray.
Mica and Jasper opened the door to go inside Abigail’s building. They planned to join her class and sit in the back. At least we knew what she looked like, thanks to her driver’s license photo and her university picture. Only the dark-clouded man remained a mystery.
A few minutes passed before another buzz sounded in my pocket. I pulled out my phone to see a text from Flint.
You’re looking rather sexy sitting on that bench.
My head whipped around as I groaned. When I didn’t see Flint, I typed in a reply. You’re supposed to be watching for him, not me!
What can I say? My priorities are different.
I huffed and turned away so I could watch the remaining students mingling outside. Their clouds floated around them, and clouds bubbled above all of the plants too. Seeing clouds around every living life force was now so easy for me. That hadn’t always been the case. Two years ago, I’d struggled to see any clouds around plants and animals.
When I spotted Flint’s orange, blue, and pale green cloud, I wasn’t surprised to see that he hadn’t gone far. He stood behind a large tree about a hundred yards away. His shoulders and watchful eyes peered out from the side of the trunk.
Of course he didn’t go far. He may pretend to be giving me space to claim my independence, but he’s really not. He’s still spying on me.
Even though I could kiss him since he loved me so much, I also wanted to throttle him.
I was about to text again and remind him why we were here, when a pulsing feeling washed over me. My eyes widened. All thoughts of texting Flint vanished.
He was near.
The sensation was the same icky and oily feeling I’d felt from his cloud last evening outside the Thai restaurant. Keeping my vision in its altered eyesight, I scanned the buildings and grounds for him.
I didn’t see him.
I stood from the bench and tried to act casual as I strolled toward where I felt the cloud. After slipping on a pair of sunglasses, I hastily rang Di’s cell phone.
“Keep your eyes peeled,” I said. “He’s close.”
“Do you see him?”
“No. But I feel him.”
“I’ll let the others know. Keep looking.”
I pocketed my phone. In the distance, Flint straightened from his position behind the tree. From the tense way he stood, I guessed he knew something was up.
My gaze shifted left and right as I carried on down the sidewalk. Wind whistled through the trees as the sun continued to climb. But no matter which way I looked, I couldn’t see him. But I felt him.
So what does that mean?
He had to be hiding somewhere if I couldn’t see his cloud. If he were out in the open, his dark pulsing aura would appear readily even if it was in the distance.
A queasy feeling in my stomach grew. An image of confronting him last night on the sidewalk flashed through my mind. He’d seen my face. He knew what I looked like.
But I still didn’t know who he was.
I circled the building twice. The feeling of his cloud stayed, but it was always behind me, and it felt higher up. Is he watching from one of the buildings? Three times I twirled around, expecting to see him a few feet away, only to encounter an empty sidewalk. So what does that mean? That his energy is growing because he’s planning something?
My stomach churned. Another buzz sounded from my pocket. Di was calling again.
She didn’t bother with a greeting. “Any sign of him?”
“No, not yet.”
I shoved my phone into my pocket and retreated to the bench at the front of the building. Another twenty minutes of class time loomed. He must be out here waiting somewhere for her.
I reasoned that his strong energy again indicated an imminent attack. Although, right now, it was the strongest it had ever been. He’s definitely planning something!
The oily feeling repeatedly coated my skin. I paused and closed my eyes. I let the power from the dark-clouded man’s aura flow over me. After a few minutes, I frowned.
The strange thing was that something about the energy felt . . . familiar—almost as if it was a cloud I’d encountered before. But that doesn’t make sense. Nobody I know here has a black cloud.
Twenty minutes later, students poured out of the doors from all the campus buildings. Class had ended.
I stood from my bench when Mica and Jasper appeared at the top of the stairs from the building they’d been in. A dark-haired girl hopped down the steps in front of them. Abigail chatted with a friend who walked at her side. They innocently stepped onto the sidewalk and began walking toward their next class.
I eyed Mica and Jasper but stayed put since I still felt the dark-clouded man in this area. After pulling out my phone, I typed in a quick text to Jasper.
Follow Abigail. I’m going to stay here. It’s best if we split up more so he doesn’t see us all together.
Jasper pulled his phone from his pocket and showed it to Mica. The two of them took off down the sidewalk hand in hand. They never glanced my way.
After sending text messages to the rest of my family, I concentrated more on the evil energy still flowing through the springtime air.
How weird. He doesn’t seem to be following her.
I’d felt certain that once Abigail left the building, I would feel the energy shift and grow fainter as he took off after her, but that didn’t happen.
It stayed the same.
When foot traffic on the campus began to die down, I knew the next class had probably started.
I stood from the bench and began walking in the direction Abigail had gone. At first, the evil energy stayed behind me, but then it moved with me.
Whipping around, I scanned the grounds for him again. Still no sign of him. Is he on the freakin’ roof? What the hell?
With my heart pounding in my chest, I once again set out in the direction of Abigail’s next class. And with each step I took, a dawning realization filled me that something very unusual was happening.
The dark-clouded man was now following me.
~ ~ ~
We kept up our surveillance for the rest of the day. Every time Abigail left a class, went to grab a bite to eat, or met up with friends, we trailed in her wake. But as each hour passed, the fact that my initial suspicion was correct became more apparent. For whatever reason, the dark-clouded man’s energy no longer seemed focused on Abigail. Wherever I went, I felt him follow. The most frustrating aspect, however, was that I never saw him.
I knew that meant he had a thorough working knowledge of the campus grounds. Either he was moving from building to building and knew which doors to use, or he knew which outdoor objects were big enough to hide behind. And every time I moved casually in his direction, I always felt his energy retreat. Whatever he was doing to remain elusive only made my skin crawl more. The creep was a grade-A professional stalker. I shuddered at the thought.
Toward the end of the day, I debated how I wanted to approach the subject with my family. It was possible the dark-clouded man realized I was looking for him. It would explain why his attention had moved from Abigail to me.
I already dreaded that conversation with Flint. It wouldn’t be pretty, and I was fairly certain he’d throw me over his shoulder and haul me away to lock me inside our bedroom. He’d then probably stand watch outside, caveman-style.
The air had cooled when I found a spot on the lawn to sit and wait. The last class of the day had begun, so Abigail would most likely be heading home soon.
My muscles tensed, jarring my sore shoulders, as the energy in the air shifted again. His cloud grew stronger. I opened my eyes and whipped my head around.
I caught sight of a black cloud just as it disappeared behind a building. My breath stopped.
Go! This may be your only chance!
I pushed up and sp
rinted in his direction.
A part of me knew I should stop and pull out my phone. Luke or Di might have been on this side of the campus. They might have been able to see him before I could, and Flint would kill me for doing this again, but if he disappeared. . .
I wasn’t willing to take that chance.
Cool springtime air washed over my cheeks as I bolted. I reached the building in seconds and careened around the corner.
The black cloud disappeared around the building’s back corner thirty yards away.
No!
My footsteps pounded into the lawn as I ran full-speed to the back of the building. I came around the corner so quickly that I didn’t register the rising energy until it was too late. The evil power swelled outward from its occupant to wrap all around me.
I ran right into him.
Large meaty hands reached up to grip my shoulders. I shrieked just as a sly grin spread across the man’s face.
My eyes widened as I took in the stocky build, dark hair, and familiar leer.
I couldn’t believe who I was looking at. It was someone I had hoped to never see again.
Aaron, the psychopathic cowboy who had attacked me on Pete and Val’s ranch two years ago, stared down at me as he held onto my upper body.
“Lena. We meet again.”
CHAPTER TEN
I had to be dreaming. This couldn’t be happening. Aaron? Aaron is the dark-clouded man? But what are the chances?
His grip on me tightened, which forced me to snap back to the present.
“No!” I struggled against his grasp. “Let me go!”
Another energy pulsed into my back, a familiar one that always brought me comfort and that irresistible feeling of safety.
“You heard her. Let her go.” Flint’s voice was cold. It chilled me to my core.
“Why am I not surprised to see you here?” Aaron finally released me, and his arms fell to his sides.
I hastily stepped back. I was panting so heavily that I felt light-headed. Everything in me told me to blast Aaron with an energy ball, but I couldn’t do that in public. It was too risky.
Retribution: The Lost Children World Book 1 Page 8