“I can’t tell you why, but I will be here for a bit.” His voice was more serious than I had ever heard it as we stood in the darkness that enshrouded us.
“Okay,” I said slowly, slightly confused.
“I need to be near you at all times, something might be coming and I don’t want you to be—” he broke off as though realizing he had said too much. “Lead the way.”
At first I didn’t know what he meant and then comprehension dawned on me. He wanted to stay in my house. Was he crazy? How could he think that?
I shook my head quickly, “I can’t do that.”
“You’re going to have to,” there was no hint of a compromise in his tone.
“Why?” I asked and he didn’t answer me. With a heavy sigh I moved forward into the dim light of the outside lamp and swallowed hard.
“Let me do the talking, okay?” I said and turned to him when we reached the side door. He didn’t even acknowledge I had spoken, so I turned back to the door and twisted the handle.
Nerves gripped my stomach as I stepped into the house and began to take off my coat, but I paused when I glanced back and saw him stepping inside right behind me. He closed the door and when I turned to look at my family they were all frozen, staring at Zale.
“Umm,” my voice was shaky and nerves gripped my stomach. “This is Zale.” Nobody moved or said anything; I glanced at Zale and saw he still projected his warrior intensity. Always a good first impression.
“That’s my Dad, my twin brother’s Derek and Sean, and that’s my step-mom Jillian.” I pointed to each of them as I spoke and saw their faces were still frozen in surprise. I knew I owed them an explanation and tried to think of what to say.
“He’s a friend of mine,” I tried to explain and I noticed Zale snapped out of his glare to look at me.
“Well hi,” Jillian said, flustered. “We were just sitting down for dinner, would you like some stew?” Zale looked at her but didn’t say anything. I asked him softly and he shook his head slightly, it was barely noticeable.
“No, he already ate.” I said, improvising. Jillian raised her eyebrows; obviously wondering why a friend would come over to someone’s house this late at night, if not to eat. “He’ll just sit with us.”
Acting normal, I went over to the coat hanger and finished shrugging out of my coat. I hung my sweatshirt next to it and kicked off my boots. Zale had followed me like a silent shadow and I almost bumped into him when I turned around. His eyes were roving over the entire interior of the house. He was uncomfortable, I could see it in his gaze, and his jaw was fixed sharper than ever.
“You can hang up your jacket if you want, and your boots can go over there next to mine.” I pointed, but he made no move to do either task. “You can leave the jacket on but take the boots off. Jillian will have to clean up the melted snow later.”
He made no sign of agreeing with me, but bent over to untie the worn brown boots. He unzipped his jacket and my eyes widened in disbelief. Around his waist he had a thick belt that held at least eight different size daggers. In an instant I realized what sort of person I had just agreed to bring into the house.
He unclipped the belt and placed it on a hook; he then pulled off his jacket. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt that left his biceps bare and I stared at them while he placed his jacket on the hook over his belt. His arms were huge, much bigger than Morven’s and even Tunder’s. How had they gotten so big? For a moment, the image of his weak, bloodied arm in the Hyvar dungeon flashed in my mind.
I was still staring when he slipped out of his boots and placed them beneath his jacket. He straightened and looked at me. I couldn’t believe his body was that big. Patrick had always been muscular and athletic, but the size of Zale’s arms doubled Patrick’s. He gazed back at me trying to figure out why I was staring. I yanked my eyes away and headed to the kitchen table, where more eyes followed my every move. Zale paced behind me in his bare feet.
I motioned for him to sit beside me and he pulled the chair back and sat looking entirely out of place. Without a word, everyone started to eat their dinner and the clinks of spoons in bowls and the slurping of stew filled the room.
“How was work?” Dad asked, trying to keep his voice level.
“The usual,” I said and realized I couldn’t have said anything less ironic.
“That’s good.” Dad said and bobbed his head.
I glanced up at Sean and saw him staring at Zale as though he was scared of him. I tilted my head to look at Zale, he was gazing intently at Jillian, as though trying to figure something out. I nudged him with my foot, but he didn’t seem to notice.
We ate in silence and every now and then I flicked my eyes over to the warrior. He was obviously taking his time with making conclusions about my family. After he had made Jillian so uncomfortable, she couldn’t eat, he had started to stare at Derek. Then he moved to Sean and he was now staring at Dad.
I looked back down at my still full bowl of stew and heaved a sigh, “That’s it.” My voice broke the deep silence; and I put my spoon down. “Zale’s going to be staying with us for a bit, and I don’t know him very well but he needs somewhere to be.”
Everyone looked at me and waited, Jillian was frozen with a spoonful of stew halfway to her mouth.
“Why is he staying with us?” Dad asked while ignoring the man who was still looking him over.
“To protect her.” Zale said and Jillian’s spoon fell from her hand. Broth splattered the table. His voice seemed deeper and more powerful in the confines of the little kitchen
“She’s in danger?” Derek recovered first, his protective side showing quickly.
“What kind of danger?” Sean added right after his twin.
“Nothing I can say here,” the warrior’s tone was final. “But I’ll be around here for a bit.”
“Does this have to do with that Morven guy?”
“Dad,” I chastised him before he could say anything more, “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?” Dad bristled. The reminder of the merfolk world was not something he wanted again. “I have a right to know, you’re my daughter.”
“If you want to know then ask me,” Zale’s tone was biting. “She doesn’t know anything.”
That seemed to surprise my father. “Fine then, what sort of danger is she in and who wants to hurt her?”
“I can’t tell you who, but someone wants her dead.” He confirmed and my eyes widened. I heard Jillian gasp.
“Why?” She asked, her hand to her mouth. “What could she have done?”
“It’s not about what she’s done, but what she could do.” Zale looked at my step-mother without any pity.
“Are you going to tell us how you know this? Or what we can do to keep her safe?” There was urgency in Sean’s voice.
Zale’s eyes flicked over him, “I’m here that’s all the protection she’ll ever need.”
Derek looked as though he didn’t believe that, and opened his mouth to protest, but then thought better of it.
“So let me get this straight,” Dad said. “You’re here to protect Lissie from the person who’s trying to kill her. And you won’t tell us who this person is or why they want to kill her?”
Zale nodded. “Telling you those things won’t keep her safe. Only I can do that.”
“And what about the rest of my family?” Dad asked. “Will they be in danger?”
Zale fixed him with his full gaze, “They only want her. They won’t touch your family. I won’t let that happen.”
“Really?” Derek looked annoyed.
“Yes, really.” He confirmed, still blunt, “As long as I am here, they won’t come.” He folded his arms and the sight was incredible. His muscles bulged against his thick chest. It grew quiet again and I secretly wondered about his blades.
“We don’t have a guest room,” Jillian said softly, “but you can sleep on the couch.” Zale shrugged as though it didn’t matter.
“Right,” Jillian mumbled to herself, and then “Li
ssie, why don’t you take him upstairs. I got some extra toothbrushes yesterday, and they are under the sink. Towels are in the cabinet, if he wants to take a shower. I’ll get his bed ready.” She pushed away from the table and started to clear the dishes. My disgruntled father and brothers followed her example and I stood up to leave.
“Aren’t you going to finish?” Zale looked at my barely touched bowl of stew.
“No, I’m not really hungry.” Jillian caught my eye and motioned for me to leave it. I smiled in thanks and headed toward the stairs.
“Are you coming?” I asked turning back around to look at Zale, who was still at the table. He stood and followed me, and I wondered how my life had gotten so twisted, so fast.
Later that night, as I was lying in my bed thinking about the warrior below, I tried to figure him out. He seemed to have a mind of his own and yet he followed the orders of Morven. But why would he be here protecting me? Surely, it was Morven who wanted me dead.
I bit my lip and let the same thoughts that had been running through my mind since Zale headed downstairs, fill my head again. I was so confused, I wanted to be near him, just to see Patrick’s face, but at the same time it frightened me, and hurt me even more. To remember who Patrick had been and to see what he was now, made me so sad I almost wished he was dead. The memory of Patrick’s anger when Tunder and Shaylee had told us their concerns was all too vivid in my mind. His fear of becoming a mindless monster had been enough to worry me then, to see what he had now become made me wish there was something I could do to help him, but I knew there was nothing.
Sighing heavily, I rolled onto my side and my bracelet shimmered in the light for a moment. An unconscious smile crept across my face and the memory of the real Patrick fluttered behind my eye lids. With his face in mind, I settled myself deeper under the warm covers of my bed and fell into a peaceful sleep.
11. Outing
“Lissie,” a small whispering voice invaded my sleep. At first I thought I was just hearing things but then it came again, “Lissie.” This time it was more insistent.
I groaned and opened my eyes thinking I needed to lock my door before I went to bed, that way I could keep out little intruders. I was expecting to see Justin’s cheeky face but was surprised to see Caitlin and Sara. They both had wide eyes.
“Are you awake?” Why did everyone always ask that question after they had just woken someone up?
“Yes, what?” I raised my head slightly, but didn’t bother to sit up. It was too warm and toasty under the covers.
Caitlin’s eyes got all jumpy, “There’s a big man downstairs. He was sitting on the couch when we came down to eat breakfast.”
Zale. I sat up quickly, and my stomach lurched. Somehow, I had forgotten he was downstairs. Not to mention the younger kids weren’t awake when he showed up last night. I would have to talk to Jillian about making sure the girls didn’t talk about him at school today.
“Yeah, I know.” I said, wondering how I should proceed. “Let’s go downstairs.” I hated the way my nerves felt pinched, all curious and uncertain.
The girls hurried out of my room and ran to the stairs. Sara stopped at the top and waited for me to catch up; her sister was already at the bottom.
“That’s him,” she pointed and I could see she was a little afraid of him. For good reason.
Everything about him exuded power. He was sitting upright on the couch, the sheets and blankets folded neatly beside him. I wondered if he had slept at all. He was still wearing the same clothes that he had on yesterday and the mask of the warrior was in place, even though no one was in the room. Behind him, the rest of the kids were at the kitchen table. The contrast between the two rooms was almost comical.
Moving quickly, I came down the stairs and entered the kitchen behind Sara. Jillian was in her usual hurry making school lunches for her three oldest children. She looked up when she saw me and silently beckoned me over.
“He hasn’t spoken all morning,” she whispered. “I tried talking to him but gave up after a while. I don’t know if he’s hungry. You can try talking to him, but good luck with that.” She shrugged her shoulders and continued to throw sandwiches together.
“Okay, I’ll ask.” I said, feeling guilty. “Look he just showed up last night, otherwise I would have let you guys know he was coming.” Jillian nodded her head, I was forgiven easily. “I know he doesn’t talk much but he is here to keep me, well, all of us, safe.”
My step-mother set her peanut butter-covered knife down on the counter. “But that’s what I don’t understand, how can someone want to kill you? What did you do?” Her whispers grew slightly louder and I waited until the commotion at the table picked back up again.
I looked down at my hands. “It’s more like what I wouldn’t do.” I bit my lip, unsure of how to tell her.”
“That doesn’t make any sense, but alright,” she said and gave an exasperated sigh. “But you had better be careful, okay?”
“Okay,” I said, still feeling helpless. “And thanks for being so good with all of this.”
“Sure, now get going. He makes me uncomfortable just sitting there staring at the wall.” I turned to leave, but she added, “I’ll be gone all day today. I have a bunch of errands to run. Will he be around while you work tonight?”
“Probably not, but I’m not sure.” I shrugged and made a mental note to tell him to stay out of the house as much as possible. Unhappy people made Jillian uncomfortable, not to mention someone who said there was a death wish on her step-daughter’s head.
Jillian nodded again and I left the counter and headed toward the living room. My heart was thundering in my chest and I felt like a child. Unsure of what to say, I tried to understand what was coursing through me. Maybe I was nervous because I never approached him; he was always the one to show up as if out of nowhere.
“Good morning,” I said, trying to be as casual as possible. His eyes gained focus once more and turned toward me. “Are you hungry?”
He looked away and again said nothing.
“Did you forget how to talk over night?” I asked and folded my arms over my chest, and I knew I looked like a snooty teenager but didn’t care. He pulled his eyes back over to mine and stood slowly. With his long stride, he came toward me and stopped when I didn’t move. He looked at me curiously. I was gawking at his size again; it was incredible. My head came up to his shoulder just as it had when I stood next to Patrick, but his body was so much larger. I felt tiny and weak next to him, as though he could overpower me in a split-second.
“Well?” His deep voice reached my ears. “Are we going to eat?”
I blinked for a second and snapped out of my thoughts. “Yeah,” I said and turned around to go into the kitchen. He followed behind me making the softest of footsteps.
When we stepped into the kitchen, I noticed Aaron, Caitlin, and Sara all froze for a moment. They stared at Zale as if they had never seen a human being before, but he didn’t seem to notice.
I led him over to the pantry and grabbed a box of cereal. “What kind do you want?”
He looked bewildered, “That.” He motioned toward the box in my hand and I shrugged.
“You can sit down. I’ll get yours for you.” He turned around without a thank you and took a seat next to Aaron. He looked even bigger than usual sitting next to my scrawny little brother.
A few moments later I had our cereal ready and handed a bowl to him. He took it with a look of caution I found amusing. He waited for me to take a bite before he even looked at his. I waited for him to pick up his spoon, but he didn’t. His serious façade was always in place, though action and movement took place around him, he was a silent anchor. Aaron, Caitlin and Sara started throwing cereal at each other until I stopped them, and he never made note of it. Even as they pushed back from the table and rushed to the door responding to the honk of the bus outside, and as Jillian kissed them all goodbye, all of it passed by him without recognition.
When Jillian stepped ba
ck in after watching them make it to the bus stop, she left to take a shower. “Oh,” she stopped on her way to her bedroom, “I’m taking the little ones with me when I go shopping.” I gave her a thumbs-up because my mouth was full.
A moment later she called, “Lissie?”
“Yeah?” I said around the mouthful of cereal.
“Sean brought his truck over earlier incase you wanted to use it today. His keys are on the counter.” Her voice was loud in the now quiet house.
“Okay, thanks.” I yelled back, loud enough for her to hear. We were definitely going to go for a drive, or at least I was. It’d been too long since I’d driven a car and I wondered if my license was still in my wallet upstairs. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zale still wasn’t eating his cereal and was inspecting it as though unsure of what to do with it.
“If you don’t like it you don’t have to eat it,” I noted, a little worried about what he would want to eat. I had nightmarish mental images of the Hyven eating raw bloodied meat in my mind, but I knew better. They had fed me nicely on delicious food, food that probably didn’t consist of store brand cereal.
“What is it exactly?” Zale was again looking at the contents of his bowl as though it could jump out and eat him. I bit my lip to keep from laughing; somehow I didn’t think laughter would go over too well.
“It’s just like bread in a different form I guess, and some milk,” I said and he looked skeptical. “Have you even tried it yet?” His spoon was bone dry.
He picked up his spoon tentatively and dipped it into the wheat cereal. He stalled for time by stirring it a moment and then took a large spoonful. With a sigh, he shoved the cereal into his mouth, and chewed rather loudly for a moment, but then put his spoon back in for more. I guessed that meant he liked it and I decided not to ask.
We ate in silence until I excused myself to go and change. Zale didn’t seem to care; he was on his fourth bowl of cereal by then, and I wondered how long it had been since he’d eaten.
I took a quick shower and threw on some jeans and a long sleeve shirt, pulled my hair back into a low bun, grabbed my wallet, and bounded down the stairs. I reached the kitchen and my eyes widened, Zale was still eating. He had every box of cereal out on the table, apparently trying them all. I suppressed a laugh and went to check the boxes.
Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2) Page 11