by Chris Cannon
“The Sinclairs would not approve,” Derek said.
“They won’t hear about it,” her dad said.
“Okay, then,” Derek sat on the couch next to Bryn. Her mom sat on the far side, and her dad brought a kitchen chair into the living room.
“How are things going in Sanctuary?” Bryn asked.
“We’re turning one of the cabins into a yoga studio,” her mom said. “The interior walls had fallen down and no one wanted to go through the work to replace them, so I asked to use the space.”
“You’re making sure it’s safe, right?” Bryn said. “I’d hate to lose you in some sort of cabin collapse.”
“We’re reinforcing the walls and making sure it’s sound,” her dad said.
“My uncle works construction,” Derek said. “If you need any extra manpower he could probably find some volunteers.”
“Thank you,” her dad said. “We might take you up on that.”
For the next hour, Bryn relaxed and enjoyed her parents’ and Derek’s company. It was funny how easily he fit in with her family, in a way Jaxon never would. When his cell vibrated, Derek checked the screen and sighed. “They’re waiting for us at the front gate. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. McKenna, for making me feel welcome. I’ll wait outside while Bryn says her goodbyes.”
“It was nice meeting you,” her mom said.
“Good to know you’re looking out for Bryn,” her dad said.
Derek nodded and headed out the front door.
“If you wanted to trade that blond kid in for this guy,” her dad said, “I wouldn’t mind.”
Bryn sighed. “In another life, maybe.” She hugged her dad and her mom. “I’m glad you liked the ornaments.”
Stinging sleet hit Bryn in the face when she walked out the door. “This sucks,” Bryn said.
They hurried down the road to the main gate where her grandmother’s SUV waited. They signed out and hustled into the car. As soon as the car door opened, Bryn was hit with the smell of Fonzoli’s pizza. She inhaled deeply as she took her seat. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Four pepperoni calzones. Two for your grandfather and two for you.”
“Yum.” Her stomach growled. “I don’t suppose I could eat one on the drive back.”
“No,” her grandmother said. “Tell me about your visit.”
Bryn told her grandmother about the ornaments, leaving out any mention of Derek.
Her grandmother shifted the takeout bag around on the seat next to her. “Do your parents need anything?”
“Not that I can think of. Mom is opening a yoga studio. She might need some yoga equipment, but she didn’t mention it.”
“I can’t imagine living in one of those ancient cabins,” her grandmother said. “But she’s happy, isn’t she?”
“Not that you want to hear this, but the only thing she’s ever really needed to make her happy was my dad.”
“I’m beginning to understand that.” She smoothed her hand down the front of her coat. “The next time you speak to her mother, tell her the Women’s League will fund whatever she needs for the Yoga Center.”
“Thank you. I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear that.” Bryn sat still even though she felt like bouncing in her seat. Had she finally convinced her grandmother to make some sort of peace with the situation? That would be a major victory.
…
The next afternoon, Bryn found herself staring at a sea of furniture in a set of connected rooms on the third floor of her grandmother’s wing. Beds, dressers, armoires, and nightstands were packed tightly together, next to sets of dining room tables and buffets. Couches and wing-backed chairs lined the far wall. Bryn turned in a circle, taking in the dozens of beds and tables that could’ve stocked a furniture store.
“Where did all of this come from?”
Her grandmother walked over and ran her fingers along the edge of an antique dining chair. “These have been passed down through our family. While you’re free to purchase new furniture, I hope you’ll find some furniture for your guest bedrooms and sitting rooms.”
Her grandmother held a stack of blue Post-its out to Bryn. “Wander around. When you see something you like, put a Post-it on it. Derek can move the furniture around if you want to see how different pieces work together.”
“One of my many skills,” Derek said in a voice only Bryn could hear.
She smiled but didn’t comment. “Where will you be while I’m browsing for furniture?”
Her grandmother smiled. “Ephram and I are going out to lunch.”
“Have fun.”
After her grandmother exited the room. Bryn turned to Derek. “Any suggestions on where I should start?”
“Not with the blue and green paisley couch in the corner,” Derek said.
“Agreed.” She walked over to a gray suede couch with a matching wing-backed chair. “This is nice.” She tagged it with a Post-it. “Do you think anyone would notice if we shipped a few pieces to my parents’ cabin?”
“I don’t think any of this would fit in their cabin,” Derek said. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” Bryn walked over to an end table with a white and gray marble top.
“You grew up like a Red…middle class…same couch for most of your life…right?”
“Yes.”
“How do you go from that to this?” he asked.
He wasn’t being judgmental. He just seemed curious. She put a Post-it on the table. “When I thought my parents had died, my grandparents took me in. They didn’t have to do that. So even though their way of life seems extravagant and sometimes strange, I’ve adjusted.”
“Better than going from rich to middle class, I guess.”
“Not according to my mother,” Bryn said.
“It’s pretty impressive that she gave up all this for your dad.”
“True love trumps everything.”
“I guess.” Derek pointed at a bedroom set across the way. “Is it me, or does the headboard of that bed look like a duck?”
Bryn walked toward the piece of furniture in question. “I think it’s supposed to be a swan.” She grinned at him. “Better than a duck bed, but it’s still strange.”
“No Post-it?” Derek asked.
“Nope.” She smiled at him. He was so easy to talk to when they were alone. “You know all about my strange life. I don’t know anything about you. Tell me your story.”
His smile faltered. “It’s not a happy story. My girlfriend, Ana, was fatally injured during the attack on campus.”
Well hell. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “You couldn’t have known.”
Bryn sat on the swan bed. “I’d ask how you’re coping, but that is probably a stupid question.”
Derek sat beside her. “Ana and I had been friends since we were little kids. It’s like my life is off-balance now. Like I’m not sure of my place in the world.”
“Oh.” What else could she say?
Derek sighed. “I probably shouldn’t have shared.”
“No. It’s okay. You can tell me things. I won’t tell anyone else.”
“I know you won’t.” He turned and met her gaze. There was an emotion in his eyes she couldn’t quite interpret. Was he sad or nervous? All of a sudden, the situation seemed too intimate. Not that she didn’t trust him, but she probably shouldn’t be sitting on a bed having deep conversations with a handsome guy who wasn’t her future husband.
She stood. “If I don’t use up half this stack of Post-its my grandmother will probably be insulted.”
“Are you sure you want to pass up this fabulous duck bed?” Derek asked patting the mattress.
“I’ll try to live without it.”
“That’s a shame.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
The rest of Christmas break passed by in a flash. She and Jaxon spent some time together but for the most part it was Bryn and the two Derek’s. Not that there really were two Derek’s, but there was the Derek who talk
ed to her and joked with her like a friend and maybe even flirted with her a tiny bit, and the Derek who was all business. If Jaxon ever found out about the first Derek he would not be pleased.
They decided to continue the tradition of a Welcome Back to School party which they’d started last year. Unfortunately, that meant Bryn and Jaxon were stuck playing hosts again. She was surprised at how touchy-feely he was being when they were in public. As they greeted students, he kept his arm around her shoulders or around her waist. Not that she minded, but she wondered if he had an ulterior motive.
When the last group of students filtered, in, she said, “I declare that it’s snack time.”
“Unfortunately, I believe it’s time to mingle and make useless small talk.”
“Nope. My stomach says food first, then useless social chatter.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “And you know how unreasonable I can be when I’m hungry.”
“Point taken,” he said. “Let’s visit the buffet.”
He stuck close to her as they filled their plates with cheese, crackers, and fruit. When she turned to head over to the table where Clint and Ivy sat, he turned in the opposite direction where his friends were seated.
“Meet back up for useless social chatter in fifteen minutes?” she said.
He paused. “Maybe I should come with you.”
“I appreciate the thought, but I’ll be less than a hundred feet away,” she said. “And my shadow is around here somewhere.” She figured it was best if she didn’t give Derek’s identity away, in case someone was listening.
“I’m painfully aware of that fact,” he said. “I’ll come find you in fifteen.”
Bryn joined her friends and noticed Ivy wasn’t wearing her bracelet. “Did you forget your jewelry tonight?” she asked.
“No, the clasp on the bracelet Clint gave me broke, so it’s at the jewelers being fixed,” Ivy said, like that was the truth rather than the story they’d come up with to throw any Silvers off her trail.
“That’s a bummer.”
“It wasn’t the most expensive bracelet in the world,” Clint said. “It’s not like I have access to Bryn’s grandma’s jewelry vault.”
“No one has jewelry like my grandmother,” Bryn said. “We should sneak in there one day and play dress up.”
“So, half of our senior year is over, and we have half to go,” Clint said, changing the topic.
“It’s funny. Finishing your senior year in the human world means you’ll either get a job or go to a different school for college. It’s weird to me that I’ll be here for college, too.”
“Our way makes more sense,” Clint said. “You can take pre-college courses that lead right into your major, like your Medic classes.”
“True.” Bryn looked around. “That reminds me, I haven’t seen Janelle yet.”
“Maybe she decided not to attend, because honestly, if this wasn’t your thing, I’d be in my room eating pizza in my PJ’s,” Ivy said.
“I understand.” Bryn checked the time. “Jaxon will be over here any minute to sweep me away for exciting small talk.”
“You’re such a lucky girl,” Ivy said.
Bryn checked the table where she expected Jaxon to be. He wasn’t there. A strange uneasy feeling tiptoed down her spine, giving her goose bumps. “You don’t think history could be repeating itself, do you?”
“Let’s go see.” Clint stood.
Bryn made a beeline for Quentin. “Excuse me, not to be rude, but how long has Jaxon been gone this time?”
Quentin narrowed his eyes. “Let’s take a walk and see if he needs our assistance.”
The four of them headed for the restrooms. Clint and Quentin went in and came right back out. “No blood, but no Jaxon either.”
Derek came stalking down the hall. “Bryn what’s wrong?”
“We’ve lost Jaxon,” she said. “This is where he was ambushed before.”
“I saw him head out the dining hall doors a few minutes ago.”
“He better not be using himself as bait,” Bryn said.
“What do you mean?” Derek asked.
“He has something the Silvers want,” Bryn said.
Derek pulled out his cell phone and made a call. “We should stay here. Other guards have been alerted.”
Yeah, that didn’t work for her. “Do you plan to physically restrain me?” Bryn asked. “Because that’s the only way I’m not going to look for him.”
“If it were my choice, yes,” Derek said. “But it’s my job to follow you. So let’s go.”
“Did he say he was going anywhere?” Bryn asked Quentin.
“No. He just excused himself,” Quentin said. “I thought he was going to meet you. Maybe I should return to our table in case he comes back. He could just be running an errand.”
“True. If he shows up go to a guard and have them call me,” Derek said.
Quentin returned to his table while Bryn, Clint, Ivy, and Derek casually walked toward the front door. Bryn’s heart rate ratcheted up a notch as worse-case scenarios played out in her brain.
When they made it down the steps of the dining hall Bryn wasn’t sure where to go. “No sign of him. Did any other guards see him?” Bryn asked.
“No one reported seeing him after he exited the building.”
“Let’s check the Blue dorm and the library.” Bryn shifted. “Derek and I will fly up to my terrace. Clint, Ivy why don’t you check the library?”
“Got it,” Clint said. He and Ivy shifted and took off.
Bryn launched herself into the sky and powered past the treetops. She landed on her terrace in a stumble step because she didn’t have time to gauge a graceful landing. Her terrace window was wide open. That was wrong.
Derek landed beside her.
“I didn’t leave that window up.”
Derek stepped in front of her and entered the hallway. She followed, a ball of fire ready in one hand and ice in the other.
Her bedroom door was open, and her room was trashed. Someone had searched through all her things, tossing clothes and shoes all over the floor. The door to the spare bedroom was open. The mattress was pushed off the bed and the drawers pulled from the dresser.
“What were they looking for?” Derek asked.
“I don’t know.” In the living room, they found the same thing. “Whatever it was I didn’t have it.” She headed out her door to the hallway and ran to Jaxon’s room. She knocked and of course he didn’t answer.
“Step aside,” Derek said. He rammed the door with his shoulder twice, and it splintered down the middle. One more hit and there was a hole big enough for Bryn to climb through. Jaxon’s apartment had suffered the same fate. After a quick check to make sure he wasn’t in any of the rooms, Bryn turned in a circle and threw her arms up in the air. “Now what?”
Jaxon’s phone rang. “That can’t be good.” She picked up the receiver.
Derek came and put his ear next to the phone so he could hear, too.
“Hello, Bryn. This is Adden.”
“Do you have Jaxon?”
“I do. Your friends Clint and Ivy popped by, too. You should come join us.”
Derek stepped away and dialed his phone. Hopefully, he was calling for reinforcements.
“I’m hosting a party right now,” Bryn said. “Maybe I could stop by another time.”
Adden laughed. “Come now. There’s something you should see.”
“I’ve never been fond of surprises. Why don’t you tell me what it is?”
“If you’re not here in five minutes, I’ll drain the life from your friends.”
Bryn slammed the phone down. “We need to move.”
“Other guards have been alerted. They’re converging on the library. We’re staying here.”
“If a psychotic asshat didn’t plan on draining the life from my friends, that might work for me.” Bryn headed for the terrace window.
“We’re supposed to stay here,” Derek objected.
“No. You’r
e supposed to follow me.” Bryn threw open the window, climbed out, and shifted. He could follow her or not, but he couldn’t keep her from going to her friends. She dove off the terrace, aiming for the library. Derek joined her. They landed on the front steps, shifted back, and entered the building.
Miss Enid stood at her desk. “It seems we’ve been here before,” she said. “Adden is waiting for you in the vaults.”
“Why? I can’t open them any more.”
“We’ve kept them open by stationing guards inside,” Miss Enid said.
“Bad idea,” Bryn growled as she hurried past Miss Enid into the room with the trap door in the floor. She descended the narrow staircase, knowing Derek would follow.
At the landing she saw the doors to the main room were open. Adden stood there with Jaxon, Ivy, and Clint. He was holding her elemental sword. And that annoyed the crap out of her.
“I want my sword back,” she said.
“Then you shouldn’t have given it to me.” He gloated. “Oh, that’s right, you expected me to die. Sorry to disappoint you.”
Jerk. She turned to Jaxon. “What happened to meeting for small talk?”
“Sorry.” Jaxon shrugged. “I stepped out for some air, and Adden suggested I join him in the vaults. He’s such a sparkling conversationalist, I couldn’t refuse.”
Right. She doubted Adden snuck up on Jaxon. This had to be some sort of plan. A plan he’d neglected to tell her about.
“So many jokes,” Adden said. “So little control over your fate.”
“What do you want?” Derek asked.
“Finally, someone who gets straight to the point,” Adden said. “I want the other artifacts. They’re down here somewhere and you’re going to help me find them.”
“What do you want with us?” Bryn asked.
“I required Jaxon’s cuff links.” Adden held up his arm to show he had the cuff links in place on his sleeve ends. “Plus you’re my insurance policy and my bargaining chips. There’s only one way out of these vaults. I’m not going to strand myself without a get-out-of-jail-free card.” Adden pointed at Clint and Ivy. “These two are worthless to me, so if either of you tries anything I’ll drain them in front of you.”
“That’s just rude,” Clint muttered.