Taking Flight (Teen Paranormal Romance Series) (The Caged Series Book 3)

by Kellie McAllen

  “No way. We might not get another chance. We need to see what else is here.” Jaxson started rummaging through the drawers of Anders’ desk, looking for anything else interesting, but the drawers contained mostly office supplies.

  “What was that?” A rattle caught my ear, a sound that couldn’t have come from any of the items in the drawer Jaxson had just opened. I pushed him out of the way and explored the drawer with my fingers. Sure enough, there was a panel separating the drawer into two sections. Not exactly a secret compartment, but there was a keyhole.

  “Have you seen any keys in here?”

  Jaxson shook his head. “Just a spare to the Camaro.” His eyes twinkled mischievously. He’d already stolen the car once. Technically, Anders had given him permission to take it, but he was also under mind control at the time.

  I rolled my eyes and grabbed the keys from him, throwing them back in the drawer. “No more joy rides.”

  I really wanted to get into that compartment, but without the key I was out of luck. Anders probably carried it on his key ring, but he was gone for the day.

  “We might have to come back later, but let’s focus on what we’ve got for now.”

  Jaxson closed the desk drawers, and we both looked around to make sure we hadn’t left any evidence of our exploration. When we were satisfied, I shut off the lights and pulled the tape from the camera, making sure we kept our backs to it.

  I rapped on the door to let Phoenix know we were ready to come out. He opened the door, and Jaxson and I slipped out into the empty hallway, releasing tight breaths, our bodies visibly relaxing as the stress slowly dissipated.

  Phoenix’s eyes lit up and he looked us up and down like our bodies would bear evidence of our adventure. “Did you find anything?”

  13

  Paroled. If we understood Anders’ document correctly, my father had been released from prison two years ago. And he’d never once tried to contact me.

  I felt a tightness around my chest, a thick band squeezing me, and a heaviness that pressed against my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. Tears sprung from the corners of my eyes and dripped down my cheeks, but I ignored them as I tried to pull in a breath. The air rattled through my teeth and wheezed into the tiny space left in my chest.

  I knew my father was a drunk, and later a murderer; was it such a surprise that he was also a liar?

  I tried to remember the man I knew as my father, the memories gray — old and fuzzy. He wore black jeans, the color faded to cigarette ash, the material soft with age. I remembered hiding behind them. He smelled like cigarette smoke and alcohol, and sometimes engine grease and stale sweat. His face was lean and sober, like mine, and his unruly, bronze hair was gelled into place, the long strands stiff and defined.

  I remembered the feel of his hands and beard, both rough and scratchy, and the way he’d rub the top of my head with his fingers.

  I remembered him saying he loved me.

  When did he stop? And why?

  I closed my eyes and tried to go back to that night, tried to remember what happened, but it was a memory I’d long ago repressed. The terrifying details were buried under a deep layer, and I dug through it, trying to understand what I’d hidden from myself.

  My father was lying on the couch, the same lumpy, plaid one that still sat in our living room. The TV was blaring with the sounds of an action movie — cursing, loud gunshots, the screech of tires and revving car engines.

  I sat on the floor playing with my Barbies. Their hair was knotted, and I was trying to smooth it. My fingers worked through the strands, catching on the tangles.

  My father stubbed out his cigarette and reached for the pack in his shirt pocket, but it was empty. He crumpled it up, tossing it on the coffee table. His arm reached out to shuffle through the clutter, looking for another pack, and he knocked over a couple empty beer bottles.

  “Lexie! Go get me a beer!” His voice was husky and cracked.

  I dropped my doll and scurried to the kitchen, pulling hard on the long fridge handle till the suction popped and the door swung open. But the fridge was mostly empty.

  “No beer, Daddy,” I said, plunking back down on the floor and picking up my doll.

  “Argh! Dammit, Jade! I told you to pick some shit up on your way home yesterday,” he yelled towards the back of the house.

  “Mommy’s not here, Daddy. It’s girls’ night.” I didn’t understand why she never let me go with her; I was a girl, too.

  He looked at me and blinked in confusion, then his lip curled into a sneer. “Shit.”

  He lunged off the couch, grunting, and patted his pockets for his keys. “Come on, kiddo. We’re going to the store. Get in the truck.”

  I picked up my dolls and followed him, wincing when the winter air cut through my thin shirtsleeves. I wanted to go back for my jacket, but Daddy had already started the pickup. I opened the door and climbed in, struggling to reach the high seat.

  He shifted into reverse as I was pulling the door shut, and I hurried to buckle my seatbelt. The minimart was only a few minutes away, but Daddy’s driving scared me.

  I followed him in to the convenience store and down the aisle towards the coolers, my fingers trailing longingly across the row of candy bars. “Daddy, can I have some candy?”

  He turned back to look at me, and his gruff face softened. “Sure, kiddo.”

  I picked through the candy bars, choosing and discarding one after another, trying to make up my mind. When I glanced up, I noticed the attendant frowning at me. I settled on the bar in my hand and went to find my father.

  He had six-packs of beer under his arms and was heading towards the check out. He dropped the beer on the counter and pointed to the cigarettes behind the cashier. “Carton of Marlboros.”

  Tension crackled between them like electricity, and the man eyed us warily before turning to retrieve the cigarettes. My father reached to pull his wallet from his back pocket but came up empty.

  “Shit. Musta left it on the table.”

  My father looked at the man then looked at me, slowly, thinking. He picked me up and set me on the counter. “Lexie, I forgot my money. Do you think you could ask this nice man to give me the beer and cigs for free? And your candy.”

  “Yeah, right.” The attendant snorted and grabbed the merchandise, pulling it away from my father.

  My hand reached out and touched his, and a spark of energy flashed between us. “Give that to my daddy, please.” My eight-year-old voice soft and squeaky.

  With a dazed look on his face, the clerk laid the beer and cigarettes back down and pushed them towards my dad, and he wasted no time setting me on the ground and grabbing the goods off the counter.

  “Thank you, baby.”

  The words roused the attendant from his spell, and he blinked and shook his head in confusion.

  My father hustled us towards the door, his long legs behind me pushing me forward as the clerk rounded the end of the counter and came out from behind it.

  “Hey, get back here!” he shouted, rushing towards us, pulling a gun from the back of his pants.

  He reached for my father, grabbing him by the shirt, and my father turned towards him, swinging his arm backwards, and knocking the man in the chest with his elbow.

  The man stumbled backwards, but caught himself, and rage distorted his face as he lurched towards my father again, the gun pointed straight at him.

  My father dropped the beer and leapt on the man, grabbing for his gun hand.

  The chocolate candy bar squished between my fingers as I clenched my hands in fear, my tiny body shaking as I watched the men fighting.

  “Lexus! Tell him to drop the gun!” My father’s demanding voice stirred me to action, and I rushed towards him and yelped out a command to the attendant, my hands grasping at his legs, sending a bolt of electricity through both of us.

  The gun clattered to the floor, and my father swooped down to grab it, swinging it up towards the attendant.

  Suddenly the roa
ring boom of a gunshot pierced the air, followed by a gasp, and the sound of their tussling immediately silenced. Blood poured from a wound in the cashier’s head, and he slumped to the ground, and my father jumped up, grabbing his six-packs and cigarettes and rushing towards the exit.

  I jerked back into reality with a gasp, my fingers clutching at my legs, my short nails digging into my thighs. “It was my fault!” I cried, my face twisted with guilt and sorrow.

  The twins rushed to my side, their hands reaching to comfort me — one on my back, one on my leg, another cradling my head.

  “What was your fault, Lexus?”

  My voice cracking and trembling, I told them the story. Their mouths fell open and their grip on me tightened as I reached the ending.

  “Your dad knew you were a Catalyst, and he knew you could control Conduits against their will, even back then. You were stronger than him,” Phoenix said, shaking his head in disbelief.

  Griffin rubbed his face with his hands. “He was using you.”

  Now that the vault was opened, I searched my memories for any other incidences, and a few of them came to me. My breath hitched, and I choked, and my eyes filled with hot tears as I realized I’d been my father’s accomplice. He’d cheated, lied, stolen, and even murdered, and I had helped him.

  Griffin’s arms grabbed my shoulders, stilling my shaking body. “Lexus, it wasn’t your fault. You can’t blame yourself. You were just a little kid, doing what your father told you to. You didn’t know any better.”

  I knew what he said was true, but that didn’t stop the guilt from washing over me, threatening to drown me in wave after wave of regret.

  The only thing that distracted me from it was a sudden realization. “Then why didn’t he come back after he was paroled? Even if he didn’t… care about me… wouldn’t he have still been interested in using me?” My stomach rolled at the thought of it.

  “Maybe he had a change of heart? Decided he didn’t want to involve you in that anymore,” Griffin suggested.

  I desperately wanted to believe that, but could it really be true? Could a person have such a drastic turnaround? There was only one way to know for sure, but could I handle that?

  My fingers traced the address next to his name. The town was only a few hours from here. Was I brave enough to face him?

  “You want to go find him, don’t you?” Phoenix smirked at me, a twinkle lighting up his eyes.

  Griffin pinched his brows and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Lexus. This man is a criminal. Even if he has changed, he’s still dangerous. Who knows what he might do if he gets his hands on you.”

  “But what if he can help us? He’s the only Special we know outside the school. What if he has information that can help us find your parents?”

  A look of anguish crossed Griffin’s face, and I knew he was torn between warring desires — protect me, or find his family.

  Anders’ file had deepened the mystery behind the twins’ missing parents. The code suggested they had the same status as Jaxson’s parents, who were presumably still alive since he’d spoken to them just a few months ago. But the code also labeled them as POW — did that mean they were prisoners somewhere? Why? And who was holding them captive? Was it Anders, or was he just privy to the information? Unless Griffin discovered more information hidden in the files of Anders’ computer, I didn’t know what else to do to uncover the truth. There was no way we could talk to Anders without raising suspicions.

  “Even if we wanted to go find him, how would we? Anders isn’t just going to let us leave without a good reason,” Griffin said.

  Phoenix wiggled his eyebrows and smirked. “We could always use Jaxson’s method. Do a little mind control, steal the Camaro.”

  Griffin rolled his eyes at him. “Like that turned out well.”

  Phoenix just shrugged. “When’s the next holiday? Maybe we could do it then. ”

  “Thanksgiving is still a month away. I don’t really want to wait that long if we don’t have to,” I said.

  We stared at the floor, trying to think of an idea for several minutes.

  I suddenly popped up, struck by inspiration. “Wait a minute. Isn’t Becca’s birthday coming up next week?”

  Phoenix looked at me with amazement. “How the heck do you know that?”

  I shrugged. “She told me.”

  “She talks, like, every waking moment of the day. How can you possibly remember everything she tells you?” Phoenix asked, rolling his eyes.

  I rolled my eyes back at him, and Griffin stifled a laugh with his hand. I don’t think I’d ever done that before. “Birthdays are kind of important, you know. And this is a big one for her — her tenth, right? I’m sure the Lewises are planning something special, and Anders would understand if we wanted to go home for a few days to celebrate it.”

  “You’re freakin’ brilliant, Wren.” Phoenix jumped up and grabbed me, pulling me to my feet.

  14

  It turned out that Linda Lewis had been planning a party for her daughter’s tenth birthday — an all-day event at an indoor waterpark for Becca and five of her besties. I couldn’t even imagine having that many friends, let alone inviting them all to an expensive resort to celebrate a birthday. I could only recall a few of my own birthdays that even got remembered.

  Linda offered to come pick us up, but Anders insisted on driving us to her instead. I assumed he didn’t want a Normal coming anywhere near the academy, just in case she saw something suspicious. The boys played a two-person video game together on their phones, and I immersed myself in an audiobook as an excuse to avoid talking to Anders on the drive. The twins seemed happy and carefree, but my stomach twisted in tight knots that rolled and heaved the closer we got.

  Anders knocked on the door when we arrived, and Linda opened it with eager eyes, a bright smile, and arms wide open.

  “Griffin! Lexus! Phoenix!” She hugged us each in turn, pressing us into her soft, round body. She smelled like cake frosting, and a pink smear of it decorated her cheek.

  “My turn, my turn, my turn!” A hyper Becca danced behind her, her short, blonde pigtails bobbing.

  She grabbed ahold of Griffin’s leg as soon as Linda let him go, and he tried to shake her off, bouncing her up and down. As soon as I was done hugging Linda, Becca released Griffin and raced to me, and I wrapped my arms around her. She squeezed me until Phoenix was free, then launched herself up into the air towards him. He caught her and swung her around, her legs flying out behind her.

  “I missed you so much! I’m so glad you came for my party!”

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, pipsqueak,” Phoenix said, giving her his heartbreaker smile. She swooned a little, and I didn’t blame her. That smile made me go weak in the knees pretty often, too.

  “What is all this ruckus going on out here?” Stan joked, coming into the foyer to greet us. He gave the boys a pat on the back and me a side hug.

  Anders didn’t linger, just said his goodbyes and promised to come for us on Sunday evening. I breathed a sigh of relief, happy to get away from him for a little while. I wasn’t sure I could trust him anymore.

  “Mommy’s making cupcakes! Do you want one? They’re strawberry cake, with strawberry frosting, and they’re all pink with purple sprinkles!” Becca grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the kitchen.

  “Yay, cake!” Phoenix grabbed for one of the treats and started peeling off the paper.

  “Is it okay if we have one? Do you have enough?” Griffin asked, and Linda chuckled.

  “Of course, sweetheart. Have all you want. I made tons of them.” Linda waved her hand around the kitchen; every inch of counter space was covered with them.

  Griffin picked one up and held it out to me, and I nodded eagerly. I never passed up an opportunity to eat anything Linda had made.

  “So tell us all about your new school,” Linda said, leaning on the counter, chin propped up on her hands.

  We bumbled our way through a vague de
scription, careful to avoid mentioning anything about Catalysts, Conduits, or anything else out of the realm of the ordinary. There wasn’t much left to talk about. Eventually, they let us escape to our rooms after Phoenix made a show of yawning.

  I plopped my bag on the floor and looked around the room that had only been mine for a few short weeks before I transferred to the academy. I felt guilty that Linda had spent so much money redecorating it for me, but she seemed thrilled to do it.

  I stretched out on the wide, double bed, rubbing my arms and legs against the satiny, pastel comforter, and let the stress dissolve around me. My eyes closed for a moment, and the next thing I knew it was an hour later, and two, identical, warm, male bodies were snuggled up on either side of me, softly snoring.

  I quickly glanced at the door, relieved to see that it was closed. Hopefully locked. I doubted that Linda would appreciate seeing us like this.

  A knock on the door jolted me and woke the boys, and they scrambled to hide before Becca came barging in. “Lexus! Will you help me decide which outfit to wear tomorrow?”

  I grinned, amused that she wanted fashion advice from me of all people. “Sure, Becca. Show me what you’re thinking about.” I followed her out, winking at the boys as they peeked out from the closet.

  Becca led me into her bedroom, a pink and purple princess room complete with a canopy bed and ruffled, lace bedding.

  “I like both of these.” Becca held up a thin, long, white sweater with pink leggings and a chunkier, short, purple sweater with a flouncy, plaid skirt. On her bed lay a swimsuit covered in iridescent, rainbow ruffles.

  “Well, they’re both really cute, but this one might look funny if you wear your swimsuit under it.” I pointed to the first outfit.

  Becca’s eyes got wide, and she nodded. “You’re right. I didn’t think about that. Thank you, Lexus!” She tossed herself towards me, and I hugged her. I’d forgotten how much I missed her.

  “I like your swimsuit, Becca. This is really pretty.” I fingered the shiny material.