“You really think she’s the real deal?” Josh asked.
“I don’t know. At the time I was only trying to be there for Alec. Had I known the Vital he was looking for was also my Vital, I would have insisted on staying.” He gave me a warm smile before continuing. “That’s why I’ve reached out to her again. I think it’s worth looking into. Dot and Charlie’s Bond has been building since birth. It’s as strong as it can get. If she’s legit, she might be able to lead us straight to him.”
Dot was leaning forward and listening intently to everything. For the first time in months, her wide eyes had hope in them.
“Or she might lead us straight into a trap,” Lucian added. The hope drained right out of Dot’s face. “I appreciate the out-of-the-box thinking and the initiative, but this might not be worth the risk.”
“Which is why I’m not doing it as an official part of Melior Group operations. At this stage it’s just talking to some old shady friends. They may not even be able to find her. And if they do, what’s the harm in just speaking with her?”
“All right, but this is strictly intel-only at this stage. The minute you need to use Melior Group resources to verify anything, you come straight to me. We’ll need to be as by-the-book on this as possible.”
“Yes, sir.” Tyler’s easy tone suggested what Lucian was saying went without saying.
Ethan stood to clean up the mess he’d made while cooking lunch. With a resigned sigh, Dot went to help him. Tyler planted his hands on the table as if to get up, but an idea was forming in my mind, and I had more questions.
“Ty?”
He paused at the sound of my new nickname for him. I was trying not to use it too much—it felt too intimate when he was trying so hard to keep me at arm’s length—but it slipped through sometimes. “What’s the litmus test?”
“I’ve been thinking about that too. We would need to verify she can indeed detect a Bond, and then we would need some way to test how accurate the locating portion of the ability is. We have no idea where Charlie is, so we’d need to know she can track him to potentially the other side of the world. Unfortunately, so much of the psychic-like stuff can be faked, and with today’s technology, it’s possible to find almost anyone if you know enough about them.”
“But wouldn’t you be able to tell if she was lying?” Surely Tyler’s ability would provide all the information we needed, especially with extra Light from me.
He smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, no. I couldn’t pick anything up from her, not even a hint. And when Alec lost his shit and stormed out, several other people in the room doubled over in pain, but she didn’t even flinch. Lighthunters are immune to all other abilities. Josh’s research suggests the same.”
“A double-blind test would be ideal, then.” I was thinking out loud.
“Yes.” He smiled in that way he always did when I understood a complex issue. “Having her try to track someone she doesn’t know and who doesn’t know they’re being tracked would be ideal, but it’s impossible. There are too many variables we couldn’t control. And Lucian’s profile is too public. With enough research she could find some of the Vitals he knows in other parts of the world. That’s the other problem. Vitals are so precious in our circles and Variants are so proud when they’re located that you’d be hard pressed to find one who hasn’t been interviewed by local media or bragged about on social media.”
“Right.” But we did have a Vital like that. I was a Vital like that. I was about 99.8 percent sure the idea I had brewing would not be received well by my overprotective Bond, so I quickly asked another question to prevent Tyler’s ability from raising a red flag. “So how might this lead into a trap?”
Lucian answered this time. “The circle of people we can truly trust is dwindling. The tensions between the Human Empowerment Network and Variant Valor are increasing by the day, which means the tensions between humans and Variants are too. People do crazy things when they’re scared. We have to consider the possibility that whoever is behind this might plant someone to pretend to be a Lighthunter and lead us into a trap to weaken Melior Group’s combative forces.”
It sounded pretty paranoid—planting people to pretend to be other people and setting elaborate traps. But then, he was the director of an international security agency, so what the hell did I know?
“I’ve got to get back to work.” Tyler sighed, finally standing from the table and stretching his arms over his head.
“Let’s do some training,” Josh suggested. “Focus on something productive. I think I might have this flying thing down soon.” He flashed me a playful smile and tugged on my hand as he got up.
As everyone dispersed, I excused myself to the bathroom, telling Josh and Ethan I would meet them upstairs.
On my way there, I came face-to-face with the last person I wanted to see. For someone who hated me so much, he certainly popped up an awful lot.
Alec was leaning on the elaborate end of the banister at the bottom of the stairs. He straightened as I approached, his ice-blue eyes looking right at me.
“What?” I demanded with a juvenile eye-roll.
He scowled. “I want to make sure you’re not getting any stupid ideas with this Lighthunter shit. It’s not going to happen.”
“Don’t call me stupid, you asshole.”
“I wasn’t calling you stupid,” he ground out between clenched teeth, looking as if it took all his self-control not to yell the words in my face. Then he sighed, and his tense shoulders slumped. “I’m just trying to protect you,” he said softly to my feet.
But I was over his attitude. “Are you? Well, that’s hard to believe, because the only person who’s really hurt me since I came to Bradford Hills is you.”
His head snapped up. So much confusion crossed his face that for a split second I questioned if I’d hallucinated the shitty way he’d treated me and all the awful things he’d done and said.
“What are you . . . Is this about Dana? Just because you happen to own my fucking soul doesn’t mean you get to dictate who I sleep with.” His voice was hard, defensive.
“You think I’m jealous? Get over yourself.” I crossed my arms and scoffed. I was jealous, but I wasn’t ready to admit that to even myself, let alone him. “This isn’t about what disgusting things you do with some slut.”
“Then what the fuck is it about?” He raised his voice a little, his eyes bugging out as he leaned into me.
“You told me you hate me, you dumbass!” I replied before I could think, my voice rising to meet his.
“What . . .” Confusion clouded his face once again. The idea that I’d been feeling like shit about something so insignificant to him he didn’t even remember it just turned the knife, but it was out now, so I might as well complete the humiliation.
“None of the shitty things you’ve done and said before and since that night even come close.” The temptation to look down was strong, but I forced myself to keep eye contact. It may have been petty, but I wanted him to see the hurt in my eyes so he might feel some of it along with me. “You and I might not like that the Light has tethered us to each other, but it has, and I’m as powerless to do anything about it as you are. Do you have any idea how much it hurt to hear one of my Bond members tell me he hates me?”
Tears began to well in my eyes, and I only just managed to get the words out without my voice breaking. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing the tears spill over.
“Fuck!” I yelled up to the ceiling and brushed past him, storming up the stairs.
“Fuck!” I heard him yell behind me and then the sound of a door slamming.
Six
The sunlight filtering through the treetops jittered across the pages of the book in my lap, and I leaned my head back against the thick trunk of the oak tree. The leaves were changing, yellows and oranges dancing with the greens in the soft breeze. It would soon be too cold to sit outside, so Dot, Zara, and I were making the most of the warm October day.
We w
ere supposed to be studying. One month in, we all had assignments and reading to work on, so we’d laid out a big picnic blanket in a quiet part of Bradford Hills’ grounds. The spot was away from most of the academic buildings—it hadn’t seen any violence on the day of the invasion; it was not soaked in the blood of the fallen.
We’d hoped the sunshine and fresh air would be motivating. And it was for about an hour, but I smashed through my chemistry homework and abandoned the textbook for another heavy old book from a dusty part of one of the campus’s three libraries. My unwavering hunt for information about why I’d glowed had been reduced to a tome containing Eastern European folktales.
Next to me, Zara sat with her legs crossed, her elbows resting on her knees, her face in her phone. She’d been the first one to give up any semblance of study.
Dot was sprawled out on her belly facing us, still kind of reading her biology textbook, but her eyes were drawn more and more to Squiggles. The ferret was having the time of her life, chasing squirrels and darting in and out of piles of dead autumnal foliage.
I set my book aside and reached into Dot’s tote for snacks, finding myself rewarded with the telltale crinkle of a chip bag. I opened it and set it in the middle, grabbing a handful for myself.
“Good idea,” Dot mumbled before stuffing some into her mouth.
Zara barely spared us a glance before returning her attention to her screen.
“Who have you been talking to, Zee?” Apparently food had perked Dot up, and she was ready to break the comfortable silence.
“No one” was Zara’s distracted reply.
Dot and I shared a look, a devious smile pulling at her delicate features. I was positive she was thinking the same thing: Zara was seeing someone.
I’d noticed her face in her phone more and more, her fingers flying over the screen. At first I thought she was just using technology to distract herself, but every time I asked her about it, she became cagey, hiding the phone away and changing the topic.
“No one?” Dot’s voice was dangerously innocent. I narrowed my eyes at her in warning. Zara had been a bit more distant, but she’d also been quicker to anger than ever, snapping at little things and taking her frustration out on inanimate objects. It wasn’t a good idea to push her.
Apparently Dot had a different opinion. She pushed herself up and nearly snatched the phone out of Zara’s grip, but Zara pulled it back out of her reach.
“What the fuck?” she snapped, as predicted. “I said it was no one. Respect my fucking privacy.”
A few people walking on a nearby track turned to look in our direction. Dot sat up, her eyes wide, her hands held out in front of her. “Sorry. Geez.” She frowned at Zara and sat back on her heels, watching her warily.
“Let’s all just take a deep breath.” I channeled Beth, trying to defuse the situation as Zara breathed heavily through her anger and Dot remained silent.
I could understand why Dot had done it. After moving to Bradford Hills, Zara and Beth had both barged into my life in the most unassuming yet forceful way—invading my personal space, borrowing my clothes, reading my messages, entering my room without preamble. Dot had been just as quick to insert herself into my private business. It wasn’t a stretch to assume that before their falling out, Dot and Zara had had the same easy closeness that allowed them to touch each other’s stuff without asking.
But I could also understand Zara’s reaction. None of us liked to be startled anymore.
My eyes drifted to a Melior Group guard walking past, clearly on patrol.
Zara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Sorry,” she said softly. I knew it wasn’t easy for her to say, and I was glad when Dot immediately accepted her apology.
I reached for the bag of chips, and the loud crinkle helped break the uncomfortable mood.
Zara left her phone sitting on the picnic blanket between us, and I caught a glimpse of the time as I leaned back.
“Shit.” I swallowed my bite of chips as I hurried to gather my books. “I’m going to be late for my session with Ty.”
“Have you noticed how she calls him Ty?” Dot whispered conspiratorially to Zara, a grin spreading over her face.
“Mmhmm.” Zara nodded, eyebrows raised, a smile pulling at her own mouth. “No one calls him that. How sickeningly fucking adorable.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t have time to come up with a witty retort. With a heavy pile of books in my arms, because I’d stupidly forgotten to bring a bag, I rushed off, only letting my smile through after I’d turned away. I was glad they weren’t holding on to the earlier tension, even if it had been broken at my expense.
The admin building was a good ten minutes from our quiet picnic spot. I set a steady pace, hefting the books onto my hip.
I wasn’t the only distracted one lately. Tyler had been as attentive as always during our tutoring sessions and training, but in the moments between, when our conversation would have turned naturally to more casual topics, he seemed more reserved. Our conversation didn’t flow as easily. He didn’t smile as warmly. He didn’t even look at me with quite as much affection in his eyes.
I tried to tell myself he was withdrawn because of all the things everyone was dealing with—the invasion, the deaths, the search for Charlie—but the insecure girl-with-a-crush part of me couldn’t help worrying that it had something to do with me.
“Need a hand with those?” The appearance of a black-clad man at my side startled me.
“Holy Copernicus!” My hand flew to my chest, and one of my books slipped and thudded to the ground. “Kyo, you scared the crap out of me!”
“Sorry, kitten.” He chuckled, picking up the fallen book and taking a few more off my hands while I caught my breath. “It becomes second nature to move silently after a while. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Kitten? Really? That’s happening? We’re making that a thing?” I gave him a withering look.
“I like it.” He shrugged, breaking into a grin.
I sighed. “OK, whatever. You did save my life, so I guess I’ll let it slide.”
“Yes, yes, I did! Where you off to?”
“I have a meeting with Tyler,” I answered, resuming my walk.
“I’m headed that way too. You know, it’s funny, with all this extra Melior Group presence, he’s had to pull back on his Bradford Hills duties, but he still hasn’t canceled any of his sessions with you.”
“What happened that night? The night you saved me?” I deflected like a pro.
“Uh, what?” He looked a little taken aback, his eyes searching my face, but thankfully he didn’t press the issue.
“I mean, I know the plane crashed. I was there. But I still don’t really know what caused it or even why you guys were able to get there so fast.”
“Right.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, most likely calculating how much I already knew, how much I’d learned from my close proximity to the guys through my relationship with Ethan. But he had a precarious line to walk. He was bound by my least favorite word: classified.
“I’ve tried asking Alec about it, but for the longest time he refused to even accept my thanks, and he’s just so frustrating to talk to.” I frowned at the ground.
“Yeah, he can be hard to get close to. A lot of people are intimidated by him, so he’s developed a shell.”
Kyo was looking straight ahead, his brows furrowed. He’d nailed Alec and one of his many, many issues perfectly. He had to be pretty close to him—not an easy feat to achieve. I was equally happy Alec had support in his team members and frustrated he was capable of opening up to people outside his family—just not me.
“Yeah, I learned that the hard way.” My baffling feelings about Alec weren’t going to derail this conversation. We were nearly at the admin building’s front entrance, and Kyo seemed to genuinely like me. I might actually have a chance of getting some info out of him. “My mother died in that crash.”
His gaze flew to mine. “I’m so sorry. I had n
o idea.”
“It’s OK.” I smiled reassuringly. “I just want to know what happened, you know? I still feel like I have no closure.”
I was being more open about this with Kyo than I had been with most people. He was just super easy to talk to; it was probably a massive advantage in intelligence gathering situations.
“I can understand that. And I’d like to help as much as I can, but some things are . . .”
“Classified,” I finished for him, with a tight smile. We’d reached the bottom of the steps leading up to the admin building. Several black-clad and suited-up people nodded to Kyo in greeting as they passed. “I hate that word,” I mumbled, taking my books back. “Thanks for your help.”
“I’ll tell you what, kitten.” His bright smile had me turning back to him, pausing with one foot on the steps. I was going to be late for Tyler, but he was probably still wrapped up in some important meeting that was going over time anyway.
“How about an exchange of intel?” Kyo leaned forward, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
I narrowed my eyes. What information could I possibly have that a Melior Group special agent couldn’t get? “I’m listening.”
“I’ll tell you all I can without breaking the classification and losing my job.”
“And in exchange?”
“You tell me some things about your friend Dot.”
He smiled wide, not even a little embarrassed. I laughed; he might just be the kind of guy she needed.
“Deal.” We shook hands, and then I hurried on my way.
Upstairs, I passed several people in the hallway outside Tyler’s office. Melior Group people and Bradford Hills staff all ignored me as they filed out.
Vital Found (The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy Book 2) Page 7