Luke chuckled as his eyes gleamed a caramel color. His inner wolf was always just below the surface. “You’ll give our eye in the sky a completely new meaning.”
“Eagle-eye Susannah. I like the ring it has.” Jasper clapped Jet’s back. “Don’t you agree?”
Jet and Mica laughed as Amber rolled her eyes.
Similar to me, Amber had a small build. She and Susannah were the only people in the group I could look at from eye level. When she caught me watching her, she shook her head and mouthed, Some things never change.
Amber had moved on from the brief relationship she and Jasper had experienced when our memories had been erased, and she’d also moved on from her short stint with Edgar.
Despite the romantic fling Amber and Edgar had shared when Edgar first joined our group—a fling that hadn’t worked out—neither held a grudge against the other. If anything, they were fast friends.
Di and Flint shared a weighted look.
“Fine,” Di finally replied. “We’ll go down there without a plan.”
“Do you want to change into your eagle form in the apartment?” Edgar asked Susannah. “We could hide you under a blanket and bring you back to the car. Maybe one of us could drive you to the country so you can start flying.”
Susannah twirled a long lock of dark hair around her finger and cocked her head. “Maybe I could borrow someone’s bike instead? I’ll ride to the edge of town and stash my clothes and the bike in the ditch before I transform.”
“Sure, that works.” I was about to retrieve my bicycle from our apartment when Jet handed Susannah his car keys. “How about you practice your driving skills? It’s not too long of a drive, and we’re all here if you go in the ditch or hit a light pole. We can pick you up in another car.” His lips lifted in a teasing smile.
Susannah’s eyes brightened in excitement as she snatched the keys from his hand. “Your new Mustang? Even better!”
Luke chuckled and tousled Susannah’s hair. His large hand practically swallowed her small head. “Our little girl is growing up.”
Edgar and Raven both laughed.
Susannah ducked out from under his hand, but I still caught her amused smile.
Luke crossed his arms, his massive forearms settling against his chest. He was the largest among us by far.
“Just stay safe, okay, Susannah?” Raven stuffed his hands into his jean pockets and gave her a worried look. I figured Raven, Di, and Flint had inherited their worrying natures from their parents. They were the only full-blooded siblings among us.
“He’s right, love.” Edgar nudged her playfully. “Try not to hit anybody.” With a shaved head and chocolate-colored skin, Edgar still looked exactly as he had when we’d first met him, unlike Susannah, who had changed drastically. She was now a healthy, vibrant young woman, no longer the silent, emaciated waif she’d been when we first met. But similar to me, she was new to driving. We were both still learning.
We all waited for Susannah to drive away. She did pretty well backing out, although Jet’s breath hissed when she came within six inches of rubbing another car’s bumper. The horrified look on Jet’s face was priceless. Both Mica and I laughed as he muttered under his breath that this might have been a mistake.
However, Susannah quickly put the car into drive and drove off. She only hit the curb once on her way out of the parking lot.
“Please tell me this was a good idea,” Jet muttered.
Jasper slung an arm around his brother’s shoulders. Since they were identical twins, telling them apart was hard for most people. “Don’t worry, bro. Your insurance won’t rise too much if you have a claim on your vehicle. And better your car than mine.”
Jet slugged him off as Susannah disappeared from view.
I threaded my fingers through Flint’s and tugged him toward campus. “Let’s all get going while the weather’s cooperating. It will give a few of us a chance to work off some steam.”
Jet snickered as Flint’s cloud grew around him. Flint’s scowl hadn’t lessened since we’d emerged from our vehicles.
Once again, I deftly flicked my cloud around me. Because of Flint’s unique ability, his cloud was stronger than most, so it affected me more than other people’s clouds. He and Luke were similar in that aspect since their strength and speed were so immense. Even though the increased energy could be annoying at times, Flint and Luke were definitely handy to have around when I needed to form large, powerful energy balls at a second’s notice.
Shaking my head, I brushed closer to Flint as his unique scent flooded my senses: spice, wood, and tangerines. I’d know his scent anywhere.
Our feet tapped on the sidewalk as the nine of us headed toward campus.
Twenty minutes later, the environmental buildings came into view. I paused as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a text from Grace.
Want to meet for dinner tonight and then go to the library to study?
I chewed my lip. At times like this, I hated that Grace didn’t know about my family’s history or our powers.
Flint flashed me a questioning look. I showed him the text from Grace.
He shrugged. “You can meet her if you want. It’s not like you’ll miss much with this crew once we’re done for the day.”
He nodded toward Mica and the twins.
They were currently in a staring match since we had paused on the sidewalk. Jet’s eyes were watering, while Mica was grinning. Given that her ability was enhanced eyesight, I didn’t know why he tried. Her eyes naturally coated themselves with moisture even if she didn’t blink.
“Dammit!” Jet muttered and blinked furiously. “Someday, I’ll beat you.”
Mica laughed. “Not likely.”
Flint cocked an eyebrow. “See what I mean?”
I bit my cheek to keep from laughing and replied to Grace. Sure. Do you want to try that new Thai restaurant?
Isn’t that place expensive?
Don’t be silly. It’s on me.
She replied with an eye-rolling emoji. I’m going to owe you thousands of dollars by the time we get jobs.
I replied with several kissy-face emojis.
“Lena?” Di crossed her arms. “Are you ready to have a look around for this guy that you were insistent we try to find?”
I stuffed my phone back in my pocket. “Sorry. Yeah, let’s get going.”
~ ~ ~
We spent the next two hours wandering around campus. Everybody familiarized themselves with the buildings and layout, but I never saw anybody with a black cloud. I kept my vision in its altered state, but the most threatening cloud I saw was a dark-gray one surrounding an older woman. She emerged from a campus building carrying a bundle of books. I’d seen her in the library before. She was on the staff.
“How much longer are we going to do this?” Amber tapped her foot on the sidewalk before sneezing loudly. “We’ve done enough circles around campus I’m pretty sure we’re all familiar with it.”
“Yeah, Lena. This is getting a little boring, and I’m hungry.” Mica slapped a hand over her stomach when it rumbled.
I sighed. For the last hour, I’d pushed everyone to keep going even though they had all voiced that they felt comfortable with the campus layout. “Sorry. I was hoping I’d find him again so you could all get a good look at him. Maybe we’ll have better luck tomorrow.”
Luke pulled out his phone. “I’m going to check in with Jacinda to make sure she’s okay.” He walked several yards away from the group so he could have his conversation in private.
“Pizza?” Jet asked. “There is some killer pizza at a restaurant not too far from our house. Does that sound good for everyone?”
“I’m always up for a good slice of pepperoni.” Edgar waggled his eyebrows.
“Sorry, guys,” I said. “I promised my best friend I’d meet her for dinner tonight and then do some studying. Catch up with you all later?”
Everyone murmured a reply and began walking back to our apartment.
/> Only Flint stayed behind. “I’ll walk you to the restaurant.”
I cocked my head and leaned up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “I’ll be fine. You can join everyone else.”
His eyebrows bunched together. “I’ll walk you.”
His tone left no room for argument. Rolling my eyes, I threaded my fingers through his as we began heading in the direction of the Thai restaurant.
But my thoughts quickly turned to what we’d been doing that afternoon. Somewhere nearby was that black-clouded man, and I’d be damned if I wouldn’t find him again.
CHAPTER FIVE
I dug into my huge plate of pad thai and sighed in bliss when the peanut flavor coated my tongue.
“This econ test is going to be the death of me.” Grace grumbled from across our booth. She waved a list of everything she needed to know for her final exam. Steam rolled up from her bowl of red curry. She dipped her spoon into it and took another bite. “I barely got a B on the midterm. Remind me again why I thought this would be a good elective to take? I just want this semester to be over.”
I nodded sympathetically and sucked a noodle into my mouth. “It’s almost done. Just get through your final, and then you can say goodbye to econ forever.”
Her blue eyes twinkled. “Can you believe we only have two years left after this? We’ll be halfway through college!”
A laugh bubbled out of my lips as I reached for my soda.
Since our booth in the Thai restaurant butted up to a window, the setting sun blazed onto our table. Outside, other students and passersby strolled along.
“It is hard to believe. Who would have thought—” My reply was cut short when a wave of raw, hungry energy hit me. Grace was too preoccupied to notice. She was busy dabbing a dot of curry from her shirt.
I swiveled my head around and searched for the source of the energy just as I flicked the switch in the back of my mind. The world turned into a sea of clouds as the din from the restaurant filled my ears.
I gasped when a black cloud appeared around a man just outside the restaurant. He stood near the curb, leaning against a large SUV parked in the street.
“Lena?”
A faint part of my mind registered that Grace had finished cleaning her shirt and was trying to get my attention, but my gaze stayed on the man.
He wore a hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and sturdy boots. Since his head was dipped down while he stared at his cell phone, I couldn’t see his face. It didn’t help that he wore a baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, but that didn’t matter. His cloud had the same energy as the one I’d seen the other day. I could feel it.
It’s him!
I knew he was the man I’d seen on campus. I was as sure of that as I was that the sky was blue and the earth was round. The man looked and felt exactly the same—same muscular stocky build. Same dark hair.
Same cloud.
And if there was one thing I knew with every fiber of my being it was that clouds didn’t lie.
The ugly black cloud pulsed around him, twisting and rising around his shoulders. He was going to hurt someone, and soon, or—at the very least—he was planning to. My mouth went dry as I reached frantically for my phone.
“Lena! Earth to Lena!” Grace’s yell finally pulled me back to our surroundings.
“What?” I met her gaze just long enough to acknowledge her before I whipped my head back in the direction of the man as I continued to frantically search for my phone.
He lifted his head, but I still couldn’t see his face clearly since he was turned. His gaze had trained on the door of the restaurant.
“I asked if you’re almost done. We should get going to the library. I’m stuffed.” She rifled around in her purse before pulling out a pack of chewing gum. She held out a piece to me. “Do you want one?”
The bell on the restaurant door jingled.
A woman stepped onto the sidewalk from the Thai restaurant. She was carrying a bag of takeout. A phone was pressed to her ear as she laughed at something the person on the other end of the line was saying.
“Um . . . Hello, Lena . . . Gum?”
A small smile spread across the man’s face. He took a step toward her.
The woman walked down the sidewalk. One hand carried the takeout while the other held her phone. She had no idea she was being followed.
My heart pounded in my chest. He’s going to follow her home!
They passed by the window next to our booth. The woman appeared around my age with long brown hair and full lips. I felt certain she was the same woman the man had been following on campus. Who knows how many days he’s been following her.
When I turned my wide eyes to the man again, I groaned in frustration. He’d pulled the hoodie up on his sweatshirt. Between that, the low cap, and how he kept his face turned, I still wasn’t able to see him clearly.
“Lena? Are you suddenly deaf?” Grace’s inquisitive eyes narrowed.
“I have to go!” I dug around in my purse again for my phone and groaned in frustration when I couldn’t find it. Really, Lena? Of all the times you have to lose something, it has to be now?
“What do you mean you ‘have to go’?” Grace cocked her head. She snapped her gum and blew a bubble.
“I’m so sorry, Grace, but I’m not going to make it to the library. I’ll explain later.” I pulled three twenty-dollar bills from my wallet and threw them on the table, more than enough for our meal and a tip, but I didn’t have time to wait for the bill. “I’ll call you later. Promise!”
With that, I dashed out of the booth and ran to the front door.
“Lena! What the heck?” Grace’s voice followed but, I didn’t stop.
A blast of cool evening air hit my cheeks when I flew through the door. I turned in the direction the man and young woman had been walking.
Crap!
They were already at the end of the block. The woman turned the corner, and the man followed. He was walking ten feet behind her.
I took off at a run. A group of young men and women yelled after me when I pushed through their group. I was in too much of a hurry to yell an apology over my shoulder.
Damn purse! Where’s my phone!
I was still rummaging around in my bag as I sprinted to the corner. I didn’t have any luck finding it, so slung my bag over my shoulder and stopped trying. If only I had telepathy like Jet and Jasper, then I could have mentally called somebody in my family to help me. But I had no time. I couldn’t stop now if I wanted to catch up to the man and save the woman.
The street the woman had turned onto wasn’t as busy as the one by the restaurant. Only a few people were ahead of me. I slowed to a jog since the dark-clouded man and woman were within eyeshot again. The last thing I wanted to do was alert him to my presence.
Skipping over a puddle in the sidewalk, I tried to keep my footsteps quiet. When I was within twenty feet of the man, I slowed to a walk.
A buzzing vibration filled my jacket pocket. With a roll of my eyes, I pulled out my cell phone, which had apparently been stored in the front pocket of my spring coat. Now I remember leaving it here.
Grace’s picture flashed on the screen.
Even though I felt guilty about how I had abruptly left our dinner, I pushed the Ignore button before flipping my phone to silent. I didn’t want anything to alert the dark-clouded man to my presence. I’ll call Grace later and explain.
Ahead, the woman stopped at a crosswalk. The light was red, and a steady stream of traffic drove by. She was still on her cell phone, chatting away, completely oblivious to the two people pursuing her.
The dark-clouded man stopped as well and leaned against a building. He shifted his weight lazily to one leg and propped an ankle over his other foot. Pulling out his phone, he pretended to be typing in a text as he stood there.
Considering I could see that his phone was not lit up, I knew it was all a ruse. It only solidified that he was truly stalking this girl.
I slipped behind a potted plant so I wouldn
’t draw attention to myself and hastily texted Flint.
I found him. He walked by the Thai restaurant where Grace and I were eating. I’m following him right now. He’s currently pursuing the same girl I saw the other day.
Within two seconds of sending the text, an incoming call lit up my screen. Flint’s dashingly handsome face filled it. His chestnut hair was mussed, and his dark eyes twinkled. It was one of my favorite pictures of him, which was why I used it as his contact pic in my phone.
I already knew he wasn’t happy even though I didn’t answer his call.
Glancing up from where I was hiding, I was relieved to see that the woman and dark-clouded man hadn’t moved. She was still talking on her phone while waiting for the light.
I typed in another text. I can’t talk now. I don’t want to alert him to me.
Peeking up again, I tried to see what street I was on, but the street sign was too far away. Groaning in frustration, I typed in another text.
I’m going to keep following them. I know he’s going to hurt her. Sorry, I know you’re worried, but I can’t stop. I’ll stay safe. Promise. xo
I had no doubt Flint was pulling his hair out. He hated when I did this kind of stuff, but I couldn’t wait for my family to arrive and help. And I wasn’t stupid. I would stay safe and not do anything that would put me in harm’s way, but I also couldn’t stand by if I could prevent the dark-clouded man from attacking this woman.
The light turned green, and the crosswalk sign flashed white. The girl started crossing as her take-out food swung from her arm.
The dark-clouded man pushed away from the building and tucked his phone back into his pocket.
I waited a few seconds before following, but I must not have been as quiet as I thought.
The man glanced over his shoulder in my direction.
I hastily kneeled and pretended to be tying my shoelace. Making sure to keep my face pointed downward, I peeked up briefly to see what he was doing.
He had turned back around and was pursuing the woman again.
Crap. That was close. I really needed to be better at not drawing attention to myself.
The Complete Lost Children Series Page 81