Hailey pulled it out of her bag, stood, and walked it over to Georgina.
Georgina took it gently and turned it over in her hands. “I hate this thing. I hate everything about it.”
“But we need to get into it. We need to know.” I already knew exactly what we’d find, but that didn’t change anything. What lay inside might be the only way to fix things.
“I’m well aware of that, but I’d hoped this day would never come.”
“Where’s the key?” Hailey slipped her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “I’m sorry about all of this, but we need the key.”
Georgina sat back in the chair and set the book down in her lap. “Your uncle has it.”
“My uncle?” Hailey’s eyes widened.
“Yes. Your Uncle Jim in Baton Rouge.”
So Jim was the keeper of the key? “Why did you give it to him?”
“He was the last one anyone would expect me to give it to.” She smiled.
“Wise.” Eloise slid to the edge of the chair.
“And you trusted him enough?” Hailey returned to her spot next to me, sitting so close we were touching.
“Yes. He knows the importance of it. He knows so much more than he has ever been given credit for.” Jim would have loved to hear her say that.
“So that’s where we need to go.” Hailey put a hand on my leg. “Now.”
“Yes.” I covered her hand with mine. At least she wanted my physical touch again.
“Not you.” Georgina shook a finger at me.
“Why not?” Was this because of the fire? Had she lost her trust in me?
“You have another job to do.”
“We’d prefer to stay together.” Hailey wrapped her hand around mine.
Georgina’s expression didn’t change. “I’m afraid we don’t have time for preferences.”
She knew far more than she was letting on. I decided to call her out on it. “You read the prophecy.”
She nodded. “Yes. But that doesn’t mean I know how it ends.”
“No one does.” It was impossible to know much of anything pertaining to what was to come.
“You must keep that child safe.”
“Child? Daisy and Owen’s?” Hailey asked with alarm.
“Yes,” Georgina replied. “But he’s going to need help to do that.”
“Who?” Cade asked. “Preferably someone who isn’t missing.”
“You mean Violet. Don’t you?” There was no reason to draw out the conversation further than it needed to go.
“No way.” Hailey shook her head. “We can’t trust her.”
“We can’t trust anyone,” I reminded her.
She tugged on her hand ever so slightly, as if to pull it from me, but she stopped. Perhaps changing her mind. “You’re right. But be careful.”
“I will. Violet understands what’s at stake.” I didn’t want to get involved with her either, but it was the best option.
“I still can’t believe you didn’t know.” Hailey looked to Georgina. “About the hotel.”
Georgina rose to her feet. “Who would have told me?”
“I guess no one.” Hailey stood up while still clutching my hand. I got up too. “I’m glad you are okay. What are you going to do?”
Georgina straightened her buttoned shirt. “I am going to do my part.”
“Your part?” I asked carefully.
“Yes. You don’t expect me to send the rest of you on dangerous missions and not hold myself to the same standard?”
“Well...” Cade trailed off.
“I have unfinished business to attend to.” She held out the book to Hailey.
Hailey put the book back in her bag. “What happens when I find the key? I’m the one who has never seen this book.”
“You might not have, but my mother has. That means you’ll know what to do.” It was still hard to wrap my head around what had happened in the maze. Hailey was a Lightness. Parts of that weren’t good, but it did have its benefits.
“Your mother?” Georgina looked between us. “What else haven’t you told me?”
“Oh. Hailey’s part Lightness now.” Cade grinned. “Forgot that little detail.”
“Little detail?” Georgina clutched her pearl necklace.
“Sorry. There is just so much going on.” Hailey squeezed my hand. “Far too much.”
“What are you going to do when you find Owen?” Hailey turned around. “Bring them to me?”
“The less we share now the better.” Georgina frowned. “In case any of us are captured.”
“This is seriously messed up.” Cade shook his head. “But then again I’m not surprised the slightest. Everything involving you is, Hailey.”
Hailey glared at him. “What about our world isn’t messed up?”
“Nothing. And I’ll go with you.” Cade quickly offered. “I’m already in this mess.”
“That might be a good idea.” Georgina nodded. “She can use the backup.”
“I will go with them too.” Eloise walked over to stand beside us.
“And me.” Glendale padded over to Hailey.
“No. You come with me, Glendale.” Georgina looked down at him.
“With you?” Glendale’s eyes narrowed to the tiniest slits.
“Yes. This is where our journeys cross paths.”
“All right. You seem to be the boss of all of this so I’ll go along with this.” He walked in a circle around Hailey before slipping down onto her feet.
Hailey let him sit there. “But then Wyatt’s all alone.”
“I’ll be fine. I’d rather you have the support.” Even though I wished I were the one going with her.
“But you are going to Owen. That’s the most important.”
“And we need that book if we’re going to protect them.” If she asked me to come with her I would. I hoped it didn’t come down to it.
“I don’t want to leave you.” Hailey looked deep into my eyes.
“Me neither. Let’s try to make this fast. It’s getting dark so we should be good to go soon. But first, we need a few minutes alone.”
5
Hailey
“I’m not so sure this is a good idea.” I was beyond not so sure, but I attempted to be less dramatic. Wyatt already thought I was losing it. We’d walked outside to a courtyard. We weren’t all that far away from everyone else, but I was willing to take any semblance of privacy we could get before saying goodbye again.
“I know it’s not a good idea.” He put his hands on my hips, sending waves of awareness through me. No matter what was going on, we were connected in a deep way I still didn’t fully understand.
“Then why did you agree?” I looked up at the darkening sky. It would be dark enough to leave soon.
“Why did you agree?” He made small circles with his thumb.
I fought the urge to close my eyes and enjoy the sensation of his fingers. “For the same reasons you did.”
“We need to figure this out. I know I told you to have faith, but that doesn’t mean we can be reckless.”
“I know.”
“And you’ll have Cade and Eloise with you. You’ll be protected. I know I said you can’t trust anyone—and you can’t— but I do truly think they are on our side. Well, at least your side.”
“But you’re going to be alone.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“And don’t say you’re used to be being alone. You’re part of a brotherhood.”
“That doesn’t mean I haven’t been alone a lot. I’ll be fine.” He gave a small smile which I’m sure was supposed to be reassuring. But nothing was going to alleviate all my worries.
I put my hands on either side of his face. “I don’t want to say goodbye. I am sick and tired of saying goodbye to the people I love.”
“Then remember we are doing this so you don’t have to anymore. We’re doing this to bring everyone back. Allie. Levi. Owen and Daisy. They shouldn’t have to hide.”
“I love
you.”
“I love you too, Hailey. I love you more than anything and more than that too. Don’t doubt that.”
“I’m not.” I’d already decided whatever Glendale was hinting at couldn’t be that bad. I trusted Wyatt. I wouldn’t let my trust waver. Plus I was a Lightness now. Jesalyn had shown me so much. “I promise.”
“If you need me, I will be there.” I could feel his words.
“Same to you.”
He brushed his lips against mine. “We will reunite soon, and then we can finally have our time together. No more running around. No more chaos.”
“You actually believe that’s going to happen?” Every time I’d believed things were about to settle down something else happened. It was an endless parade of emergencies.
“It needs to happen.” His lips crushed into mine as his arms wound around my waist. My hands twisted in his hair as I eagerly allowed him access to my mouth. I needed him. I needed his taste, his heat. Everything. He deepened the kiss and tightened his hold on me. Need surged through me, and all I wanted to do was forget our missions and disappear with him.
Cade cleared his throat, and I reluctantly broke away from Wyatt. “Uh. Sorry to interrupt, but we need to go.”
“You are not sorry to interrupt.” My lips were swollen from the kiss. My heart rate was still up, and I knew it would take a moment for my breathing to return to normal.
“Okay. Maybe not entirely, but I do feel a small amount of remorse. That should count for something, right?”
“It should count for you really having my back in this.” I trusted Cade as much as it was safe to trust him, but that didn’t mean I thought he’d put himself on the line for me if he didn’t have to.
“Same can be said for you.”
“Are you admitting you might really need my help?” I had a hard time believing that.
“Yes.” He nodded. “Unequivocally. I’ve already expressed my desire to live.”
“Yet you are willing to come with me.” And he had to know that equaled danger. If self-preservation was his goal he’d have been better off running the other way—even if he’d been the one to bring me into the mess in the first place. I was sure Veronica would have found a way to pull me in herself with or without his help.
“I’m more likely to live if we find that key, right? Plus, I’d prefer if you lived too.”
“Really? That’s so sweet.” I rolled my eyes. “Whatever your reasons, let’s make it through this alive.”
“Cade,” Wyatt addressed his with a stern look. “Don’t let anything happen to her.”
“Are you suggesting she needs to be taken care of?” Cade looked between us as if waiting for me to have a reaction.
“No. But having someone watch your back is useful.”
“And I’ll be watching too.” Eloise walked out. “Of course. That is my job after all.”
“Having two is even better.”
“Great. My back is being watched. Still, wish yours was too.” I was worried about him, and I wasn’t going to hide it.
“I’m going to be fine.” He wore a faint smile. He was amused by my concern.
“I know.” He’d lived a long time before meeting me. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t worry.
He kissed me on the forehead. “I will see you very soon.” He released his long black wings and took off into the night.
“Are we ready too?” I looked at Eloise and Cade.
They each nodded.
“Good. We just need to find Georgina to let her know we’re leaving.”
“I know where you are going.” Georgina stepped out onto the patio. “And I found you. Save yourself some time.”
“This is going to work.” I was saying it for myself rather than her.
“I’m well aware.”
“We will get them back.” My hands balled into fists at my sides. I was angry. The whole situation was unfair. But life wasn’t about fairness.
“You don’t have to convince me. Stay positive.” She nodded toward my hands. “If you don’t relax enough to stay on task we’ll all be in trouble.”
“I know. I can do this.”
“Good. You have no choice.” She turned and walked back inside.
And that was the old Georgina I knew.
* * *
***
“By the way, you don’t have to thank me.” Cade flew beside me as we made the short flight to Baton Rouge.
“Thank you?” I enjoyed the rush of the wind on my wings.
“For coming with you.” Cade held Eloise in his arms. He’d insisted so she wouldn’t slow us down. I’d have thought she’d have preferred to have me hold her, but she seemed perfectly happy with Cade. I didn’t mind. It was more enjoyable to fly without holding anyone.
“Oh yeah. Really going to thank you for that.”
“You wanted the company.”
“I have Eloise.” I smiled at the pixie whose role in this I still didn’t quite understand, but whose company I had really grown to enjoy.
“Yes. She has me. She wouldn’t be facing this alone.” Eloise closed her eyes. She seemed perfectly content as we soared through the night.
“Yes, but I offer skills your pixie doesn’t. Face it. You’re glad to have me.”
“I’m glad you’re still so humble.” In truth, I really didn’t mind his attitude. It was consistent, and sometimes we all needed something we could count on.
He laughed. “Humility is overrated.”
“My Uncle Jim…” I started. “Well, just know he is a bit different.”
Eloise opened her eyes. “I am fine with different.”
“There’s a reason he lives by himself. His house is pretty crazy too.”
“Got it.” Cade Looked off at something in the distance.
“And he might hate you.”
Cade’s attention snapped back to me. “Why?”
“Just because. You represent the establishment.”
“No, I don’t,” Cade grunted. “That’s ridiculous.”
“You do.”
“I was an enemy of the royal family for years. I’m the opposite of the establishment.”
“But you became an enemy.”
“Whatever you say.” He looked away.
“So follow my lead.” With so much at stake I didn’t need Cade setting Jim off.
“You do realize he might not be there.”
“Of course I realize that.” But I was trying to stay optimistic. So far the only people for sure missing were ones who were at, or might have been at, The Society headquarters when the crazy Pteron showed up. That was the last place Uncle Jim would have been. He’d been cast out when he didn’t agree with what the royal family declared. He’d left during Robert’s, Levi’s Dad, reign, but I still couldn’t imagine him going back.
“Do you? Because the way you’re talking you definitely expect to find him waiting there.”
“I don’t expect anything. I’m just being optimistic and preparing for whatever situation we find.”
“By the way, you’ll see Wyatt again.” Cade’s voice was softer now. There might have even been a little bit of concern there.
“I’m not worried about that right now.”
“Yes you are,” Cade pressed.
“Stop it. Eloise, a little help here.” She was really good at easing tension.
“You do seem rather stressed...” Eloise trailed off.
“Rather stressed?” That wasn’t the kind of input I’d been looking for. “Don’t you think I should be stressed? Considering everything going on right about now?”
“Yes... but I sense it has something to do with Wyatt.”
“It has nothing to do with Wyatt.” And I needed to stop thinking about him. I couldn’t handle concern about him with everything else I had to worry about.
“I doubt what he’s hiding is that bad.” Cade flew close by my side. “All guys have secrets; his is probably nothing.”
“I realize that. Things are fin
e with us. You witnessed that yourself.” And I wasn’t embarrassed. Everyone already knew we were together.
“Just because you’re still physically connecting with him doesn’t mean you aren’t annoyed.” Cade bumped wings with me.
I sped up to get away from him.
“Physically connecting,” Eloise jumped in. “That’s a nice way to describe it, Cade. Far less crude than I’ve grown to expect from you.”
“Things are fine between Wyatt and me. The only issue is that we’re apart right now. Got it?” I called over my shoulder.
“Sure.” Cade caught up.
“Am I annoyed he hid something from me?” I snapped. “Yes. Of course. He shouldn’t have. But that’s life.”
“It’s not like you’ve told him everything.” Cade wasn’t going to drop the conversation, was he?
“I have.”
“Everything?” Cade’s voice lilted. “No offense, Hailey, but your past isn’t as squeaky clean as you’d like to pretend.”
“I never said it was.” I was beginning to think Cade was just trying to rile me up. But why he would want to was beyond me. I needed to stay clear headed.
“Does he know about your vigilante days?”
I slowed. “How do you know about that?” Very few people knew what I’d spent my nights doing in my teen and college years. I went after the scum who hurt the innocent. I didn’t kill them, but I made sure they faced a justice they deserved.
“Everyone knew... but no one was idiot enough to stop you. And I get it. You were helping those we knew were weak. That is a good thing, but it’s still a secret.”
“If everyone knew about it, then Wyatt must too. It isn’t something kept from him.” There. I’d proved Cade wrong.
“Everyone meaning in our circle. Not in his. We may all be part of the same circle now, but we certainly haven’t always been.”
Cade was right. Wyatt and I had been in different worlds until relatively recently. “I wish I knew why Glendale said it. He brought it up for a reason.”
“He was trying to upset you.” Eloise stretched her arms out. “That demon likes to cause mischief.”
Taken: The Pteron Chronicles Page 4