by Jo Schneider
“Good idea,” Kamau said. He released her hand and Lys quickly strode into the bathroom before she could think too much about Kamau, magic, her parents, or Mr. Mason.
The solitude rattled her resolve. The smell kept the trip short. As she washed her hands, Lys noticed her eyes. They still swirled gold—beautiful really. She stared at herself in the mirror, wondering absently why she never felt the need to go after her own eyes. But that’s not what she wanted to dwell on. She had to get out of here and find someone who could really help her.
But could anyone do that? If she was a magic user, what would happen to her? Did anyone besides Mr. Mason and the guys trying to kill them know about magic? Surely someone had to. A secret society maybe, or ancient guardians? Brady probably had a few ideas.
The gold in her irises mesmerized her for a moment before she shook her head and grabbed a paper towel. Too much thinking.
Out in the hall, Lys found herself alone. Her stomach constricted at the thought that Kamau left her, but she took a deep breath and decided it didn’t matter. She’d be leaving him in a little while. Why prolong the agony?
She walked back toward the phone and found Kamau browsing the shelves. He gave her a smile when he saw her. Unable to stop them, her lips curled into a grin as well. Heartened, she turned and picked up the phone. With the age of the cell phone, Lys could honestly say she’d only used a pay phone one other time in her life, and that had been on a dare. However, she did remember that to get an operator all you had to do was dial 0. She pressed the button and waited.
Silence filled the receiver, and Lys wondered if she’d done it wrong. Her hand hovered over the flap to hang up, but just before she pressed it, a woman’s voice came on the line.
“Hello, may I help you?”
“Yes,” Lys said, and she could hear the excitement in her own voice. “I’d like to make a collect call please.”
“What is the number you are trying to reach?”
Lys recited the number and waited. As she did so, her thoughts turned to magic. Could it be true? And if so, why would people be trying to kill her?
A hand landed on her shoulder.
She spun around, heart racing, hoping the guys from the alley didn’t follow her.
Kamau stood, watching the television in the corner. Following his gaze, Lys felt her jaw fall open.
She couldn’t hear the commentator over the hum of the coolers and the music from the radio, but she could clearly see Mark’s face on the screen.
“What?” Lys asked.
Kamau held up a hand. He seemed to be listening. “They say he is a dangerous criminal. He is reportedly armed and suspected to be involved in a kidnapping,” Kamau whispered.
The picture on the screen changed from Mark’s face, to Lys’s face. She groaned. Was it her year book picture? No, they’d used one that had been taken when she went to Sea World. She was soaked—they’d been sitting in the splash zone.
“Oh, no!” Lys whispered, the implications cutting through her mortification. “What are they saying?”
Kamau kept watching. “That you disappeared from a private camp. Mark is supposed to be a counselor, and they are saying he forced you to go with him.” Kamau looked down at her, an amused smile on his lips. “What were you doing in that picture?”
“Don’t ask,” she grumbled. She heard the phone start to ring in her ear. Her parents would take the call, and then she could explain.
After two rings a familiar voice answered. “FBI, can I ask who is calling?” Lys’s blood ran cold.
The operator started off on the collect call spiel. Lys slammed the phone down into the cradle and stepped back like it might bite her.
“Was that Doyle?” Kamau asked.
Lys nodded. “He must be at my parent’s house.”
Kamau’s still-silvery eyes swiveled back to the television. Then he glanced at the clerk, who was now watching them intently.
“He’s looking right at us,” Lys said through clenched teeth, shifting to the side so Kamau’s body hid her. “We have to get out of here. If Doyle’s at my parent’s house, and I’m on the news, the police will be looking for us. I wonder if they know Doyle just wants to kill me.” And what was he doing at her parent’s house? Posing as FBI?
Kamau put a hand on her shoulder. “Look, I think I can get us out of here, but I’ll need to get close to the clerk, and I’ll need his undivided attention.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can use my magic on him,” Kamau said, glancing over her head at the clerk. “But we’ll need to hurry, and we need to be convincing.”
“But . . .”
“What do you like to eat?”
“What are you talking about?”
Kamau glanced back at the clerk. “If we buy something we’ll seem more normal. I can work better with that.”
“We don’t have any money!”
A twenty dollar bill appeared in Kamau’s hand. “I picked it up in the alley. Now grab something to eat. Then you’re going to have to play along.”
Lys let Kamau guide her to the nearest shelf where she grabbed a bag of pretzels. Kamau took two candy bars and a box of gummy worms.
“What do you mean play along?” Lys asked. She caught the clerk watching them again. He still held his phone in his hand.
“I have an idea that might work.”
“What?” Lys asked.
“We will pretend to be, uh, together. If he believes we are a couple traveling through town I can get him to forget about his interest in you.”
“Forget?” Lys asked.
Kamau studied her face. “I know you do not believe wholly in magic, but I do. It exists. Can you trust me?”
“Sure,” Lys said, not quite understanding if she meant it.
Kamau wrapped his arm around her, twisting her to face him, and pulled her very close. He handed her the candy. “Help me dump this stuff on the counter, but stay facing me. Pretend we’re together.”
“What?” Lys hissed. Her face was buried in his shoulder, the rest of her pressed right up against him.
“You’re going to have to act a little more interested than that,” Kamau whispered in her ear.
Oh, he meant that together.
Before she could react, Kamau had them moving. Lys tried to keep her feet in synch with his, mirroring his steps so they wouldn’t tread on one another. Just before they got to the counter, Kamau leaned down and kissed her ear. “Giggle,” he whispered.
Well that wasn’t hard. The brush of his lips on her ears tickled. Not to mention the fluttery feeling blossoming in her stomach.
“Dump the stuff,” Kamau said softly.
A small squeak escaped as Lys felt her back side collide with the counter. Without turning, Lys shoved the candy and pretzels at the clerk. Kamau’s now free hand went around her shoulders. Trying to look convincing, Lys returned the favor, her hand having to stretch to get around his neck. She never realized just how tall he was.
“How you guys doing?” the clerk asked, curiosity in his voice. Lys heard the beeping sound as he scanned their items.
“Good,” Kamau said as he stroked Lys’s hair. Lys could practically hear the sneer in his voice. Like he knew he was about to get lucky. For a moment Lys thought about pushing him away. What kind of girl did he think she was! But then she remembered they had a plan, and that Kamau could somehow influence people. She berated herself for not asking him what his supposed sense was. Touch, like Brady, or sight like her? If she could use magic, she’d bet she used sight.
“Where you guys from?” the clerk asked.
“San Francisco,” Kamau said. “Road trip.” As if that explained everything.
“You traveling alone?”
“Yeah, just the two of us,” Kamau said. “All alone. On a road trip.”
“Where are you headed?”
Lys heard the clerk ask the question, but Kamau’s hand slid up her back. To both her horror and her delight, Kamau’s face came t
oward hers. She met his eyes. They were so dark, so intense, and so locked on her that Lys was helpless to resist the kiss that he gently planted on her lips.
Electricity exploded within her. Everything else in the world melted away, leaving her here, alone with him. Lys felt her lips respond. She slid her hand up into his hair, grabbing hold, afraid he would pull away. His lips parted; she allowed hers to do the same. One breath of his scent and Lys’s mind whirled. Her stomach turned into butterflies. This was better than satisfying the Need. She could feel like this forever and be happy about it.
Their lips separated for a moment, coming up for air. Ready to go in again, Lys dug her fingernails into Kamau’s neck—she felt him pull her closer, if that was possible. Their lips met again, and Lys felt herself melting into Kamau. The world could end now, she was happy.
“That’ll be $8.73,” the clerk said in a bored voice. “You want a bag for this stuff?”
The spell broke. Kamau drew back. Lys tried to hold him close, but he pulled free.
Lys reluctantly withdrew her hands. Kamau took a tiny step back—Lys felt like they were parted by the Grand Canyon. The spike of bliss suddenly fell away, leaving Lys feeling rejected and unfulfilled. She reminded herself that this was only an act. They were trying to get out and back to the others. It meant nothing.
Kamau handed the money to the cashier over Lys’s shoulder.
“Sorry,” Kamau said to the man, “what were you saying?”
The question must have been rhetorical. To Lys’s relief (and satisfaction) Kamau stepped in close again, but not quite as close as before. His fingers traced a path down both sides of her face. When his hands reached her shoulders, he leaned down and kissed her neck. His lips lingered—she could feel his breath in her hair. Lys melted. None of the boys she’d gone out with before had made her feel like this.
“Oh, nothing,” the clerk said, handing Kamau the change. “Wait, I asked you where you were headed.”
“Denver,” Kamau said. “We are going to Denver. Just a young couple in love.”
The cashier snorted. “Yeah, whatever.”
Lys listened in amazement. Even she could feel the pull of Kamau’s voice. She almost believed that they were going to Denver.
Kamau kissed her one more time before slowly pulling away.
“Thanks, man,” Kamau said in a casual tone. He retrieved the bag. “Come on, baby. Let’s go.”
Kamau turned, catching Lys with an arm and leading her away from the counter. The radio went off behind them, and the news announcer’s voice filled the station.
“If you have any information regarding this man, or if you have seen this girl, please call the number below on your screen.”
“Oh, no,” Lys whispered. She tried to walk faster.
“Don’t draw his attention,” Kamau said, holding her back. “Just walk.”
The news announcer went on. “Police are looking for help from everyone. They ask you be alert to strangers in the area.”
Ten more steps to the door. Lys found herself counting down. Seven, five, three . . .
“Hey, guys,” the clerk said.
They stopped three steps from freedom.
Chapter 17
Kamau handed the bag to Lys. “Yeah?” he asked, turning his head back around.
“Do you want your receipt?”
Lys’s heart pounded against her ribs.
“Oh,” Kamau disentangled himself from Lys and walked back to the counter. “Thanks.”
Lys didn’t move. She didn’t even dare breathe. She heard Kamau’s footsteps coming toward her. When he arrived, he put his arm around her shoulders. They took one step forward.
The news announcer was still going. “The girl’s name is Lysandra Blake. She’s just sixteen years old from California.”
“Oh, and guys,” the clerk said.
Kamau squeezed her shoulder.
“Next time, wear shoes,” the clerk said.
Lys glanced up at the doorway—now just an arm’s length away. Sure enough, a sign that said “Shoes Required” hung next to the door.
“Sorry, man,” Kamau said. Lys almost jumped out of skin when Kamau’s hand wandered to her rear and gave it a squeeze. “You know how it is.”
“Sure.” He did not sound convinced. “Hey, can your girl please turn around for me?”
“You trying to hit on my girl?” Kamau demanded. Suddenly he seemed like a force to be reckoned with.
“No, man, we’ve just got this Amber Alert, and I’m a concerned citizen, okay?”
“A concerned citizen?” Kamau asked. “Okay, that’s very good of you. I’m grateful for your vigilance. You saw the girl when she came in. She’s nobody.”
Nobody! Lys was still trying to figure out if she should be mad about the butt squeeze. Now she was nobody?
“Well I didn’t get a good look—”
Kamau actually interrupted the guy. “Sure you did. Just as she walked in. She looks a little like the girl on TV, but this isn’t her. Not quite.”
“I don’t know,” the clerk said, his voice hesitant.
Lys stood stone still. She only took a breath because she felt herself getting dizzy. Would this guy fall for it?
Kamau went on. “And next time we’ll be sure to read the signs more carefully before we come in.” He paused. “Thank you for the receipt.”
“Sure, whatever,” the guy said. Maybe back to texting on his phone. “Just remember next time. Socks don’t count.”
The news announcer’s voice disappeared, replaced by a sports caster. “It’s been a wild day today for college football.”
“Let’s go!” Lys whispered the moment they cleared the doors.
“Just keep walking.” Kamau’s hand moved up to her back. He kept a firm hold around her as they moved through the gas pumps. It had to be the longest, slowest walk of Lys’s life. She expected the cashier to run out after them. Or he could be calling the police.
“We need to get out of here,” she said, twisting out of his arm when they finally reached the sidewalk.
“I apologize,” he said, releasing her and taking a step away. “I hope I did not offend you.”
“Uh.” Lys had more hormones rushing through her than she knew what to do with. “No, no offense.” A tiny part of her wanted to smack him for squeezing her butt—the other part of her wanted to go back to kissing right away. What did she want? Lys didn’t know. She didn’t look at him.
“I did offend you.”
“No!” Lys said. She changed the subject. “What are we going to do?” She wasn’t sure which she should worry about more, her face on the news or Doyle answering her parent’s phone.
“We should get back to the others,” Kamau said, steering Lys along the sidewalk to put some distance between them and the gas station.
Lys stopped. “But I’m not going back.”
Kamau stopped as well, looking down at her. “Lys, if Doyle is with your parents then you can’t go home.”
“I could just go to the police.” As soon as she said it, she knew the idea wouldn’t work. So she tried another approach. “Or I can call the FBI and ask them . . .” She shook her head. The words “I want to go home” echoed through her mind, but Lys knew that it wasn’t possible.
“Come back with me,” Kamau said. “Mark can help us get to Mason, and if he said he could help you, maybe he can.”
The smooth sound of his voice coupled with his hands on her shoulders and the concerned look in his eyes stopped her panic.
Wait, the sound of his voice? “You’re a sound user,” she said.
“I didn’t think you really believed in the magic,” Kamau said.
She didn’t let him dissuade her. “You just used magic on that guy!” She pointed her finger back the way they had come.
“Yes,” he said.
“Did you just try to use your magic on me?” For some reason this infuriated her. Had she been manipulated from the moment she first met Mr. Mason?
“No.” Kamau shook his head. “I did not.”
“Have you ever used your magic on me?”
Kamau nodded. “Only when you broke. I tried to help you.”
“Help me?” Lys stuttered.
“Yes.”
At that moment, when their eyes met, and the butterflies in her stomach overpowered everything else, Lys knew she was in trouble. After running from a ghost (or whatever that had been in the basement of the hospital) and then escaping from prison together, she found it hard not to at least like the guy. But he always took time to make sure she was okay. His smile turned his otherwise polite face into something she could get used to looking at every day. And he was brave. She’d always been a fan of the knight in shining armor. She couldn’t deny the desire to let him hold her forever.
Forever? Or just because the last few days had proven to be the most terrifying of her life? The sound of Doyle’s voice on the phone echoed in her ears. She couldn’t go to her parents for help.
She pulled her eyes away from Kamau’s. “I guess we should get back to the others.”
“You’ll come?” he asked. “I won’t force you.”
Lys laughed a bitter laugh. “As you so aptly pointed out, I don’t have anywhere else to go at the moment.”
“I did not mean to make you—” Kamau started.
Lys interrupted, holding up a hand. “Don’t worry, I don’t feel coerced.” She smiled, lowered her hand, and reached for his.
Kamau’s lips stretched into a broad grin as their fingers intertwined. “Good.”
They walked back toward the alley, but Kamau turned into a small security entrance for the building. He led her through a hallway to a supply closet and then through a crawl space where his wide shoulders touched both sides. When they emerged, Lys found herself down the other hall leading from the old ballroom.
“Did they tell you how to get out?” Lys asked.
“Peter did,” Kamau said. “After they found you missing. How did you get out?” He dusted off the knees of his scrubs as he stood.
Lys pointed. “There’s a loose panel.”
Before she could show him, Brady’s voice filled the hallway. “You’re back!” he said, bounding toward them. “We were starting to get worried. Mark was ready to send out a rescue party.”