“Yes, thank you, Andreas,” I whisper. “You’re nice. I thought you hated me.”
Andreas smiles. “How could I hate you when my best friend is crazy about you? He would kick my ass for it. ”
I smile through my tears.
“Don’t worry about Sam,” Andreas says softly. He strokes my cheek and saunters back to the couch.
I think about Sam’s relaxed attitude today, but also about the distance he so carefully tried to keep. He didn’t touch me once, didn’t even go into his own bedroom while I was there. All this time he knew what was at stake. And this evening, during a game, everything got out of hand after all. Was it my fault? Did he know that I longed for him and didn’t really want to play that stupid game?
I taste the salt of my tears on my lips and bury my head in my hands. “What did I do to him?”
“You’re not at fault, Laurel,” Olivia says. “And neither is Sam. He wanted to protect you—that’s what he does, what his brain tells him to do. But he started to get feelings for you, and slowly we saw him transform from a protector into someone with a human weakness.”
Baffled, I shake my head. “A human weakness?”
Olivia flushes and seems embarrassed. “Well, uh, we’re trained not to get emotionally involved with, you know, humans. We don’t do falling in love.”
“Oh…” I croak and wonder how you train for something like that.
Don chuckles. “We’re still working on our flaws.”
“Sam crossed a line when he fell for you,” Olivia says softly, and this time my cheeks flush. “There can never be a future for you two.”
“My future is with Adrian,” I whisper.
“None of us knew you were the chosen one,” Don continues, “but this is our world, Laurel. We have to do as we’re told.”
“And if you don’t listen, then you’ll be mercilessly punished or they’ll leave you in the shadow realm for the rest of your life, disabled and soulless, surrounded by three nights without a ray of sunshine,” I recite Sam’s words that he spoke on my birthday like a gloomy poem. I repeated that sentence in my head over and over again so that it rolls off my lips effortlessly.
Dumbfounded they stare at me and I shrug. “That’s what Sam claims.”
“Romantic bastard,” Andreas chuckles. “Was that before or after he kissed you?”
Olivia shoots Andreas an angry look, but his remark makes me smile. “He said that when he came by on my birthday. There were no lips involved.”
Don’s head jerks up. “Sam went to your birthday party?”
“Yeah. It’s the night I told him I knew who he was. I think he tried to scare me off.”
Don nods. “And yet here you are. He did a terrific job.”
“You don’t scare me. I told Sam the same. Adrian scares me.”
“I know he does,” Don says. “But you’ll get through this, Laurel, okay? Sam cares a great deal about you. We won’t let you, or him, down.”
From the steps of the deck I look at the dark contours of the pine forest. Storm has draped his body weight across my thighs. I stare at his sturdy head and he softly howls when I stroke his rugged topcoat. I push my nose into his fur and sniff at his wonderful musky scent. It used to disgust me, but now it comforts me.
If nine months ago anyone had told me that I would ever pet a wolf, I would have laughed in his face. I wonder what I would have done if anyone had told me I would fall in love with a demigod. There probably isn’t an appropriate response to something as unorthodox as that—unless it involves dropping to the floor, openmouthed. And yet here I am, sitting with a saddened wolf howling in my lap, waiting for that one incredible guy, that one demigod, who turned my world upside down.
And then there he is, standing right in front of me. I have no idea how long I’ve been sitting outside, but the soft orange sky tells me it’s almost morning.
Storm gets up off my lap and trots toward his master. Sam scratches the timid animal behind its ear. He seems perplexed to see me here. “Why are you sitting out here in the cold?”
I take in the sight of him: worn jeans, boots, gray shirt, leather jacket, woolen beanie… As tough as he looks, as strong as he might be—no matter how divine—he is still a mortal, and it breaks my heart when I think about the confusing life he must have had as a little boy. And despite everything, he worries over something as trivial as a low temperature! My eyes fill with tears.
“I know how you got those lashes. They told me. He did this,” I say softly and stare at my intertwined fingers. It’s too painful to look at his face.
He drops down and sits on the deck. “They’re nothing,” he says quietly.
“How could you say that? I know what is hidden under his house, Sam! You have to let me go before it’s too late. Before he hurts you again or the Keepers lock you away there.”
Sam wraps his arms around me and gently pushes my head into the space between his neck and shoulder. He smells warm, familiar. “I love you, Laurel,” he says while stroking the back of my head.
I squeeze my eyes shut. I am too afraid to say the words back.
Sam buries his nose in my hair. “We have to go inside. I need to talk to all of you.”
I lift my head. “The sentence… is it bad?” I ask with baited breath.
He presses his lips against my temple. “Yes,” he mumbles.
Sam is pacing the room, just like I had done hours before. His glance also slides down to the game, and he drags his hands through his hair in frustration. Then he forcefully kicks the board and all the cards and game pieces fly through the air.
I sit next to Olivia on the couch and jump at his sudden movement. Olivia reaches for my hand. Andreas is sitting on the edge of the dining table and Don is standing next to the fireplace with his hands in his pockets. We are all waiting for Sam to start talking.
Suddenly he stands still and he levels a stare at his friends. His hand grips the back of his neck. “They are going to use mind control on me.”
It remains awfully silent after his short announcement. Olivia squeezes my hand tight. I don’t think she’s aware of it. I badly want to ask Sam to explain it to me, but I’m not sure if I can handle his answer.
“Filemon?” Don asks, frowning. “Really?”
Sam nods, and Andreas doesn’t hold back in his bad language.
I still don’t understand. What does Filemon have to do with all this? And then I remember the conversation we had about the small guy in question. Filemon can make people and gods fall in love. I pull my hand out of Olivia’s and cover my mouth, eyes fixed on the floor. Filemon is going to make Sam fall in love with Philene?
“When?” someone asks.
“A couple of days, three at most,” Sam answers. “I already spoke to Filemon. He gives me some respite.”
Andreas bares his teeth. “You saved his sorry little ass! If that punk gets into your head, he’s mine.”
“Andreas, let it go,” Sam says. “His hands are tied, just like mine.”
“What’s going to happen?” I ask carefully.
Sam catches my eye and then turns away. I look at Olivia.
“They are going to make Sam forget his feelings for you. He will… he will no longer be a hindrance to Adrian.”
Sam steps into the hallway.
“Where are you going?” Andreas shouts after him.
“Taking care of something I should’ve done a long time ago.”
“I didn’t ask you what you were going to do, I asked you where you are going. Do you want me to come with you?”
“Ou!” Sam calls, and Andreas throws his hands in the air as if he’s given up on his friend. Sam glances my way. “I have three days to make this right. I only need two.” He turns to Andreas. “I want you to look after Laurel and keep an eye on every move Adrian makes outside of his house.” With a wh
irling movement he stands in front of me and sinks down. His whole being burns with intensity. “For now you’re safe with Olivia, Andreas, and Don. Listen to them. I made you a promise yesterday. Do you remember?”
“I remember.”
“I’m going to fulfill that promise. Adrian will never be able to get to you. Do you trust me?”
“I do,” I whisper.
He leans over and kisses me hard and long. He rises abruptly. “If I’m not back within forty-eight hours, you’ll find me where the sun rises.”
Andreas arches a brow. “Japan?”
In a flash Sam is gone.
Andreas shifts his attention to Don and Olivia. “Why does that kid always have to be so cryptic in his descriptions? He makes us solve a riddle first whenever he goes missing… I swear, he gets a kick out of playing with his life, or maybe he just likes annoying us.” He looks up at the ceiling. “Where the sun rises…” His head shoots back down. “Holy hell, he’s on his way to the east! He can go about his damn business, but not without me.”
Andreas scampers to the door, but before he can rush out, Don stands in front of him. “Let him do this on his own.”
“Stand back, Don! You know just as damn well as me where he’s going. He needs all of us, and we still won’t be enough.”
“Exactly, so he doesn’t need the extra muscle, he just needs intellect, and he sure as hell has enough of that by himself.”
“Does he? If you ask me, he just had a mental breakdown and it will come down to muscular strength. Liv? You’re more connected with him so you decide.”
Olivia takes her time before answering, which tells me something very serious is going on. Is he going back into that cave of Adrian’s again?
“This is Sam’s battle, Andreas,” she finally answers. “So let him fight it. If he needed our help, he would’ve asked for it. He wants us here with Laurel. He needs to know she’ll be save.”
“I think you’re all out of your minds,” Andreas mutters under his breath.
“What is Sam going to do?” I ask anxiously.
“Ouden!” is the snappy answer—in threefold. I take it that means it’s none of my business.
38
laurel
Friday. It’s early in the morning when I find myself in Olivia’s car. I have absolutely no clue where we’re going, although she has lent me a woolen sweater and a knitted beanie, so I am expecting low temperatures.
As we’re driving, I think about the awful punishment hanging over Sam’s head like a dark cloud. Filemon is going to use his gift to make Sam fall in love with Philene—to make him fall out of love with me, so that he can no longer frustrate a marriage between myself and Adrian.
I feel a hand on mine.
“Everything will be fine, Laurel.”
“Sam is going to hate me…” I shake my head. “I don’t see how things will be okay ever again.”
“He’s not going to hate you, he just won’t like you as much as he does now.”
I fall back into my seat. “They would’ve been better off using Filemon to make me fall in love with Adrian, because I’m not even considering sharing my life with him.”
“Of course you aren’t.” She squeezes my hand. “Laurel, whatever is going to happen in a few days, you’ll find a way to deal with it, I’m sure. You are a very brave girl.”
I let my head fall to the side and stare out of the window. There is hardly any motor traffic. The villages have disappeared out of the landscape. “Where are we, by the way?”
“According to some, this is where civilization ends,” Olivia informs me.
“You don’t say,” I say cynically as the increasingly rough terrain passes by. I wonder if I’ll get to see Sam. We barely said a decent goodbye, but maybe there is just nothing to say anymore. Our relationship was doomed from the start. He knew it and now I know it too, and I don’t even know if I’ll ever see him again.
In this capacity.
In love with me.
“Do I get to see Sam, before he… you know?” I ask, turning my head in Olivia’s direction.
“You will see each other shortly.”
I calm down somewhat.
The always calm and collected Olivia looks sideways, nervously. “Laurel, I want to tell you something about what Sam has done. I don’t have all the details, and he will explain later, but…”
“What has he done?”
Olivia sighs. “You do understand that Sam won’t be there for you anymore to protect you, don’t you? Like I said, he won’t hate you, but he won’t be concerned about you either.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. “I understand.”
“And you also understand what will happen when he—or we—can no longer protect you?”
“Yes. With you guys out of the way, Adrian will have a free hand. It will be a matter time before I’ll succumb. And then we’ll have a child that will help you defeat the Titans so mankind will live happily ever after.” I almost gag at my own words and I press my hand to my belly.
“That’s right. So the past few days—while Sam still cares for you—he has been seeking a solution to keep you out of Adrian’s hands. It was kind of a stretch and he had to act in the utmost secrecy.”
“But what if Adrian or the Keepers find out? I don’t want him in any danger, no matter what he thinks of me. I will always care for him.”
Olivia smiles softly. “Well, that’s the whole idea. Everything will look like a natural process. No one will find out.”
“What process? Olivia, what has he done?”
She looks at me. “Sam has found you a new life.”
At first I don’t know how to react, not totally sure if I heard it right. “I don’t know what that means… a new life?”
“Sweetie, you’ll have to prepare to leave. You will have a new life in a place where Adrian will never dare to look for you. A place where you’re out of his reach.”
My eyes widen. “Stop the car, Olivia. Right now!” I yell, pulling the door handle in a fit of near-panic. “Let me out or I will jump. I’m not joking.”
The door flies open and the cold air takes my breath. The sight of the asphalt makes me nauseous, but not as nauseous as Olivia’s daunting words. Heavy-handedly she pulls me back, leans over, and closes the door.
“Stop that, Laurel! You’re now part of our world, try to deal with it like an adult. I know how hard all of this is for you, but we’re on your side.”
“Olivia, you’re kidnapping me! I have to see Martin, he’ll be worried sick if I don’t come back.”
“Silly girl. You’ll go home later. Like I said, it’s a natural process, you have a few days to prep. I’ll take you away myself this Monday.”
“A few days of prepping? Forty-eight hours to pack my stuff and say goodbye to my family? What am I supposed to say? Hey guys, we had a lot of fun, but I’m taking off now… You think Martin will let me go that easy, without asking questions?”
“Calm down, Laurel. Sam will explain it to you later.”
I sink back into the seat and think about everything Olivia has said—and realize once again that I don’t have any control over my own life. Sam has taken over for his grandfather.
After four and a half hours and a lot of begging, I am finally allowed to use the restroom and get some coffee at a roadside restaurant. I stretch my legs and try to control my revulsion. A new life…
“Get in the car, Laurel, we need to be on our way.”
“You mean there’s more road? I thought we had reached the end of the world by now,” I mutter to myself.
Olivia races out of the parking lot, and I see her getting more nervous with each passing minute.
“Are you okay? I mean, I’m the one getting a new life, but if you’re going to be this worried, then I’ll freak out even more.”
“It’s the place. We’re not supposed to come here.”
“Says who?” I ask, turning my head.
“Everyone who matters. This is Titan territory. We don’t set foot on the east side and they don’t set foot on the west side. That’s how we keep the balance.”
“And we just disturbed that balance,” I notice with a clear mind thanks to the caffeine. “It just keeps getting better. Why don’t you just drop me off at the Archeron Mansion, now that we’re apparently on a suicide mission?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, just shut up, will you? You make me nervous. And I am never nervous.”
I look at the hyper-focused girl next to me. I have to make sure I stay on her good side, because soon she might be the only lifeline I have to my familiar and comfortable life.
It’s early afternoon by the time we arrive at a little port. Aside from a couple of brightly colored homes on poles, a whale museum, and a souvenir shop, there’s not much to see. I feel like I’m in the most desolate spot of the island.
“Do I have to live here?”
“I know about as much as you do. Please, have a little more patience, Laurel. I’m going to buy us tickets for the boat.”
I look up in surprise. “Boat?”
“We are taking a whale watching trip.”
“Just what I need,” I mumble, wondering if Sam will be on that boat.
Olivia comes out of the building a little while later and we walk toward the waiting boat. It’s crowded with tourists and I am relieved to be among normal human beings under these circumstances. Not that they can do anything for me, but I guess I can always scream if need be.
I follow Olivia through the lower deck and something tells me that this won’t be a regular whale watching trip, so I don’t have to look for a spot near the window.
Olivia pushes me toward the stairs. “We have to be upstairs.”
It’s starting to rain, and as most tourists are flowing back inside, the upper deck empties out.
“Wait here,” Olivia says. “And hold on to the railing,” she says strictly as if I’m some little, naughty kid. I nod like a good girl and clench my fingers around the railing.
House of Guardians Page 39