by AR Colbert
The bird hopped on its feet and flapped a few feet into the air before landing again.
“Good. Now please don’t try to stop me again. I’ve really got to go.”
The owl responded with a long blink.
I stood, walking backwards away from the animal. “We’ll catch up again soon, I’m sure. You can show me whatever it was you wanted me to see next time.”
I sighed, shaking my head at how crazy I probably looked. But at this point, I’d determined the owl was as big a part of my posse as Sean or Gayla. Or maybe even more than that. We were friends, in a weird college student meets wild animal sort of way.
I spun back to the front and froze in place, shocked to see a shiny black coupe barreling straight toward me. My fight or flight had been all used up, and I could not get my body to react in any sort of reasonable way. My scream matched the pitch of the brakes squealing across the asphalt almost perfectly, and time seemed to slow down as the details all clicked into place.
An astonishingly handsome young man sat in the driver’s seat, his expression clear as the car sped toward me. Clayton Miles. He had what almost looked like a smirk on his face as our eyes locked onto each other.
Dark smoke billowed from behind the vehicle and a burnt rubber smell filled the air. My owl! He’d tried to warn me, and I didn’t listen. I’d have to bring him a dead mouse or something later as a reward for trying to save my life. Again.
The car was only a couple of feet away from me now. It was still slowing, but not enough. And it struck me how odd it was that I was able to think through all of this in less than a second. My body wouldn’t move, but my mind wouldn’t stop.
And just like that, time was restored to its usual frantic pace, and the car slammed into me. Its bumper bit into my thighs, knocking me down at the same time it finally came to a stop, shadowing only my feet as I laid on the ground.
“Ouch!” I slid backward and stood, brushing the dirt from myself. That was going to leave a heck of an ugly bruise later. My black and blue thighs would go great with the still bloody scratches running down my forearms. I was quite the beauty queen.
The driver’s side door swung open and Clayton dashed forward. “Everly, oh my goodness, I am so sorry!”
I took a step back. “It’s fine. Really. You barely got me.”
“I can’t believe I actually hit you. Are you okay?” He knelt and reached for my legs, but I moved back again. “We need to get you to a doctor. Without your powers, you’ll need medical attention to get healed up.” He raised his eyes to mine, as though he were silently looking for confirmation that I still did not have my powers.
“Clayton.” I put up both hands to stop him. “Seriously, I’m fine. I’ll see you around.”
I turned to walk away, but I only made it two steps before I was swooped up into his arms. “Nonsense,” he said. “I’m not a hit and run kind of guy. If you won’t let me take you to the hospital, then at least let me drive you home.”
“I’ll probably be safer walking,” I mumbled, leaning away from his chest. He gripped me tighter, pulling me against him in a way that made it impossible for me to ignore the way he smelled—like bourbon and vanilla, and something woodsy that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
He pulled open the passenger side door of his car and gently deposited me onto the tan leather seat. I yanked on the handle as soon as the door closed behind me, but it wouldn’t budge. Leaning across the console, I reached for the driver’s side door next, but Clayton was already there, tsking at my feeble efforts to bust free.
I had managed to escape a siren, a shifter, and some girl who could control the wind, but here I was run over and trapped by child-locks in a movie star’s car.
What a first day.
CHAPTER 7
Shifting my weight to one side, I tried to casually pull my phone from my back pocket, taking my time so as not to draw too much attention from Clayton. He was still babbling on about how I should really seek some medical attention, but I only half-listened.
Sean might still be waiting for me on the Low steps. If I could text him soon, he might be able to get over here and rescue me before Clayton got me too far away from campus. I really didn’t relish the idea of Clayton bringing me all the way home. I was sure he could find our address just fine on his own if he really wanted to, but I wasn’t going to offer it up to him. Dom was in class, and Gayla had probably left already too, which meant we’d be alone.
Nope. There was no way I was gonna let that happen.
Finally, I wrangled the device free and rested it by my leg, out of Clayton’s direct line of sight.
“Which way do I need to turn?” He looked in my direction and I did my best to put on an innocent face.
“Uhh, let’s see…” We were back on Broadway. I didn’t want to lead him to my apartment, so I figured my aunt Millie’s house was my next best bet. “Hang a right.”
With his attention back on the road, I tapped my now-cracked phone screen. Nothing. After several more taps and a solid effort to restart the device, it was clear: my phone was dead—probably destroyed when I fell on it after I got hit with the car. Freaking Clayton!
The sound of his turn signal at the next intersection brought my attention back to him. “Actually, you need to keep going a few more blocks,” I said, my heart rate increasing with each word. Where was he taking me now?
“You’re sure you’re not injured?”
I nodded, unsure how that was relevant to my question.
“Great. Because I want to make this up to you.” He veered the car off in a direction I’d yet to explore. “I was checking out some of the locations where we’ll be filming in Morningside Park, and I’d love to show you a really beautiful area over there. It can be like our own little secret getaway in the city.”
“Oh, I am really fine with just going back home. You don’t have to make it up to me at all.” I tapped my phone desperately, praying that it might miraculously start working again.
“I refuse to take no for an answer. It’ll be quick, I promise.” He flashed a bright smile and winked at me. Okay, so I could definitely see why so many other girls were smitten with him. He was undeniably good looking. But he still gave me the creeps ever since he showed up unannounced, supposedly searching the city for me.
I needed to remember that when my heart began to flutter against my will.
A few minutes later he whipped his car into a spot just a couple of blocks away from a stunning old cathedral. The locks clicked up, and for a second I considered making a run for it. Clayton watched me closely, almost as if he suspected what I was thinking. But my legs were sore, and he was probably fast and strong. Realistically, he’d catch me without any difficulty. Maybe if I played nice, I could get through this quickly and get back home before anyone even noticed I was missing. That seemed like my only viable option at this point.
I followed him across the street, where he led me to an open platform overlooking a gorgeous park full of steep rock faces and flush with trees down below. “Wow, this is…”
“Pretty incredible, right?” Clayton grinned and reached for my hand, which I quickly shoved into my pocket. We weren’t friends just because he showed me some trees. And we definitely weren’t in hand holding territory.
He pretended not to notice my coldness, and gestured toward a staircase to the right. “Come on, the spot I want to show you is down this way.”
My feet were heavy, reluctant to follow him down the winding staircase that would take us who knows where. Over my shoulder, way down the road, I could make out the gate that led onto campus. If I ran really hard…
“Clayton Miles! Oh my goodness!” A group of squealing Barnard students hurried across the street.
I turned in time to see his eyes narrow just a fraction for the briefest of seconds before he slapped on the smile he was famous for. The girls practically cooed as they skipped over to where he stood.
“Hello ladies.”
“We’
re so sorry to bombard you like this, but would you mind taking a picture with us? Just one?”
He glanced in my direction, and I gave a small nod. “Here, hand me your phones and I’ll take a few for you,” I said.
The girls were practically bouncing with delight as they handed over their devices. I snapped a picture, then another. And when I picked up the third phone, an idea struck me.
“Whoops,” I called out with a giggle. “I accidentally backed out of the camera. Hang on.” I fumbled around with the phone, doing my best to look technologically inept, when in reality I was tapping out a text as quickly as I could to Sean. Photographic memories definitely came in handy when recalling phone numbers.
SOS. Everly. Morningside Park with Clayton Miles. Come quick! Do not respond to this number.
I gave it just a second to send, then quickly deleted the message and said a silent prayer. “There we go.” I snapped the last picture and handed the phones back to the girls.
“Thanks,” Clayton said as I rejoined him near the stairs. “Sorry about that. It’s unavoidable sometimes.”
“No need to apologize.”
We began our way down the stairs, winding down to the park below. It was truly a lovely sight. If my legs weren’t so sore and I was with anyone else, I might have even enjoyed it. Especially once we reached the bottom and wound our way over to a pond with a rocky waterfall.
“Here.” Clayton grinned proudly. “I thought of you the moment I saw this the other day.”
“It’s lovely.”
I inhaled and closed my eyes. With the sound of the rushing water and the scent of the greenery around me, I could almost imagine I wasn’t standing in the middle of one of the most populous cities in the world.
Clayton’s touch jerked me back to my senses. He gently took my arm in his hands. “What happened?” he asked, eyeing the scratches.
“I, uh, had a little run-in with a feral cat.”
His jaw twitched, but if he suspected the Agarthian girls he didn’t say anything. “Hopefully those powers will come in for you soon. Then you won’t have to worry about cat scratches or bruises anymore.”
With a frown, he ran his fingers gingerly over my skin. For a moment, I almost forgot who I was standing with. Here in the park, with birds chirping and children playing in the background, Clayton seemed more innocent. More genuine. More human.
Perhaps I was being too harsh. Maybe he really was just looking for a friend. I wouldn’t allow myself to get too close, but maybe I could relax my defenses. Just a little. After all, if he wanted to hurt me he could have done it a hundred times over by now.
We walked through the park, commenting mostly on the things around us. We laughed as he nearly got hit in the head with a soccer ball. We admired a particularly colorful flower bed. And we grumbled together as we circled back around to the staircase that would lead us back up to Morningside Heights.
“Sooo many stairs,” I complained.
Clayton’s brows raised in the middle. “I forgot about your legs. You must be so sore. Here, let me help.” He scooped me into his arms again, only this time, I didn’t resist. I breathed in his smell and allowed myself to enjoy it. Just a little.
He began the ascent effortlessly. I wasn’t exactly light as a feather, but I remembered the Keepers were stronger than your average Joe. This was nothing for him, so I wouldn’t object.
We passed a woman carrying a tiny dog in her oversized bag. She grinned warmly at us, assuming we were a couple. Clayton hammed it up, of course. He pulled me closer and snuggled my cheek, much to the woman’s delight. She laughed and did a little clap before moving past.
“Laying it on a little thick, aren’t you?”
Clayton paused. “Oh, I don’t know. I kind of like the way you feel in my arms. Maybe I was doing it just as much for me as I was for her.” He pulled me close again with a crooked half grin.
This was what he was famous for. A charming smile and clever one-liners. He used them on many women before me. I shouldn’t have been so gullible to fall for the same tricks. But in that moment, with sunlight falling across him like glittering confetti through the filtered canopy of trees, he just seemed so… likable.
So when he brought his face down toward mine, I lifted my chin to meet him halfway. My eyes closed and I prepared for our lips to touch. What I did not expect, was for him to drop me as an owl torpedoed him from out of nowhere.
“Argh!” He waved an arm around his head. The owl flapped off into the trees again, and he turned to where I sat, shocked with my jaw hanging nearly to the ground.
“Was that an owl?”
My mind raced. I almost kissed Clayton Miles. On the lips! But my owl stopped me. Why?
“I doubt it,” I muttered, rising to my feet. “Seems unlikely that an owl would be right here in the middle of the afternoon in the city.” For some reason I felt like I should keep my friendship with the little bird a secret, at least from Clayton.
“Everly!” I turned toward the familiar voice and caught sight of Sean flying down the stairs like his feet were wheels. Finesse. So that’s what Sean’s powers looked like. “Are you alright?”
He’d barely broken a sweat, but I could tell from his breathing that he’d run a really long way.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just ready to get home.”
Sean turned and glared at Clayton—a clear warning that he better not have laid a hand on me.
Clayton’s expression hardened, but he made no attempt to stop me from leaving. “Thanks for coming with me, Everly. I enjoyed it. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”
The warmth in his tone made me want to believe him. But the coldness of Sean’s glare said it was best to keep going.
“And sorry again about earlier,” he added as Sean and I turned toward home.
“Don’t worry about it. See ya!” I called out.
“Sorry about what?” Sean asked under his breath, gaping at the scratches he just noticed adorning my arms.
“I’ll explain when we get home. It’s been a weird morning.”
CHAPTER 8
Sean refused to leave the apartment after I detailed my eventful morning for him. He couldn’t believe the Agarthian girls would be so bold as to attack me right there on campus. And over a boy who I didn’t even like! Probably. I mean, I didn’t think I liked him anyway.
He also thought the whole Clayton accidentally hit me with his car thing was a little suspect. And, it was. But he just seemed so genuine at the park. I didn’t know what to believe, anymore.
“Are you sure he wasn’t glamouring you?” Sean paced back and forth in our living room. We were just about to leave for my meeting at the Honey Pot with Professor Brossard, but he wanted to be sure he had the whole story straight in case we ran into any familiar faces while we were out.
“I’m pretty sure he wasn’t. Camille definitely did.” I pursed my lips at the memory of the Agarthian girl forcing me to retrieve her cat—or friend, or whatever. “But I didn’t get that feeling of losing control with Clayton. I had my wits about me the entire time.”
“Hmm.” Sean ran a hand through his hair. “I just can’t imagine what he wants with you.”
“Uh…” I put my hands on my hips. “Maybe he actually likes me.” My cheeks flushed at the thought. But would that really be so hard to imagine? And since when did I start arguing on behalf of Clayton Miles, anyway? “You know, some guys aren’t afraid to show a girl that they like her.” I shot him a knowing look, though I knew I was being unfair. He could never be with Abby, and it wasn’t right for me to tease him about it.
Sean pretended not to notice and shrugged, quickly changing the subject. “It just seems weird. But we can worry about that later. We’ve got to get going or you’ll be late for your meeting.”
Thankfully our conversation shifted to the tablet as we walked over to the coffee shop where I would be meeting with Professor Brossard. Sean seemed almost as excited as I felt. We might finally be on the prec
ipice of something huge. I knew Rossel had something to do with my mom going missing, and with the way his stone tablet called to me after her disappearance, I couldn’t shake the thought that it was connected somehow, too.
And we were finally about to discover what it said.
The Honey Pot was crowded for a Monday night. Students filled the place to the brim, gathered in small groups throughout the warm and welcoming shop.
“I’ll stay off to the side and catch up on my reading—classes just started and I’m already worried about falling behind. But I’m here if you need me for anything.” Sean patted my back before going up to the counter to order a drink.
The espresso-filled aroma of the shop had me jonesing for a hot cup of my own, but I didn’t want to waste any time in line. Not when I was this close to the truth. I scanned the room until my eyes settled on the oldest man in the place. Professor Brossard sat alone at a table near the back of the shop. His salt and pepper hair would lead me to believe he was probably in his late fifties, but as an Atlantean it probably meant he was actually in his 700s or 800s. What a bizarre thought.
Gripping the tablet inside my bag, I eagerly made a beeline back toward his table. A familiar chilly voice snagged my attention before I reached him, though. With a quick glance to my left, I found myself halted in place, as though the icy gold eyes staring back at me could actually freeze me in my tracks.
Osborne continued talking to the two shifty-looking students sitting opposite him, but his eyes were definitely locked onto me. Finally, after flashing a quick sneer in my direction, he turned back to the conversation at hand. I sucked in a deep breath, and finally got my feet to cooperate again.
“Everly!” Professor Brossard looked up and gave a small wave.
“Hi, Professor.” I slid into the seat across from him, still a little breathless and on edge from seeing Osborne. What was he doing here? Was there another fractured soul on campus? Other than me, of course—assuming that I was even fractured. Tate was already all over my case. Well, except when I actually needed him. Jerk.