I could tell he wanted to believe me, but years of self-blame were hard to deny.
“But who’s going to look out for you, Lexus?”
“I can look out for myself, Phoenix. I’m… strong enough to make it on my own. I want to be strong enough. I need to be.”
His face melted at my words, and he stroked my hair as he gazed at me. “I know you are, Lexus. You’re so strong, you don’t need anybody. But please don’t get so independent that you forget about me, because I still need you.”
I shook my head. “Never, Phoenix. I need you, and I love you, and that is never going to change.”
He crushed his lips to mine, his kiss hard and demanding, sealing our bond so we’d never forget just what we meant to each other. I kissed him back just as fervently, letting my lips and tongue demonstrate all my feelings instead of putting them into words.
His hands roved my body, igniting a path, every trail leading back to my center. His touch burned, and I followed his lead, transferring the fire back to him as I explored every inch of his body.
When the intensity threatened to overtake me, I tore my lips away just enough so I could speak. “You’re an amazing person, Phoenix. You’re so fun and strong and committed. I never meant anyone as passionate as you. I’m so lucky to have some of that passion directed towards me.”
Phoenix rested his forehead against mine, breathing hard, his hands still cradling my hips. “You’re the strong one, Lexus. I can’t believe how strong you are, sometimes. I would totally cave under all the pressure that you go through without a word of complaint.”
“That’s because of you, Phoenix. Don’t you see that?” I smiled at him. “You and your brother. You two made me realize who I really am. You made me a better me, and you helped me accept myself for who I am.”
“Nah, Lexus. That’s what you do for me. We really are good together, aren’t we?”
I nodded, biting my lip, trying to stem the tears that wouldn’t stop running down my cheeks. I ran a hand through his messy, dark hair and tugged on his faded, Guns N’ Roses tee shirt.
“I’m going to miss you so much, Phoenix. No one else can make me laugh like you do. No one else makes me feel so protected. Please promise me you’ll never lose those things that makes you so special to me.”
Before he had a chance to respond, there was a light knock on the door, and it cracked open. “Can I come in?” Griffin asked.
“Yeah,” I said, my voice rough with the intensity of my emotion. Phoenix and I still had our hands around each other, but we slowly dropped them and pulled apart when Griffin came in.
“I’ll let Griffin have a chance to say goodbye. I’m too worked up to focus on packing right now, anyway.”
I nodded, and Phoenix slipped out of the room, leaving me alone with Griffin. He moved closer to me, his head hanging, finally looking up into my eyes when we were close enough to touch.
“I don’t know what to say, Lexus. I can’t believe I’m doing this. I promised myself I’d always be there for you.”
I reached out and laid a hand on his chest. “That’s not something you can promise, Griffin. You never know what life will require of you. All you can do is do your best when you have the chance. And you’ve always done that. Ever since the day you met me, you’ve done everything in your power to take care of me, and you’ve done a great job. Plus, you’ve taught me how to take care of myself. I’m going to be okay, Griffin. But now it’s time for you to take care of a few other people — your parents, your brother… and yourself.”
He shook his head and took my hand, running his fingers over mine. “I’ll never quit feeling responsible for you, Lexus. Please don’t leave me in the dark. I want to know what’s going on with you. Promise you’ll call me every day, or as often as you can. I don’t want this to be the end of us.”
“You’ll always be a part of my life, Griffin, even if we never see each other again, you’ll always be in my memories.”
His face crumpled at my words, and he pulled me into his arms. “Lexus, don’t talk like that! I don’t even want to think about never being with you again. This isn’t the last time we’ll see each other, I swear to it. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure we’re together again.”
I wanted to promise him that I’d come to him as soon as I found my mother, but who knew where my path would lead from here? More than anything, I wanted to be with the twins again, but I was used to life not giving me what I wanted. Instead, I let him know how I felt about him with my hands and lips.
My hands reached to stroke his face, the chiseled features soft with grief and vulnerability right now. My fingers threaded through his dark locks, pushing them away from his grey eyes. Normally sparkling like crystals, today they were more like storm clouds and fog.
His lips sought mine, and they touched, gentle and tender. Soft caresses that meant just as much as the passionate ones I’d shared with Phoenix but were uniquely Griffin. His fingertips rested lightly on my neck, holding me close, a gossamer restraint. When he moved them down around my waist, the barest touch overwhelmed me, and I shuddered with need.
He continued to stroke me with feather-light fingers as his lips sipped from mine, and I wanted to pull him down onto the bed for one last memory, but I knew that would only make it harder for us to part, so instead I slowly extricated myself from his embrace.
My chest heaved as I tried to settle my breathing. Finally, I had the strength to say my last goodbye. “I love you, Griffin, and I always will.”
“I love you, too, Lexus,” he whispered, and I slipped out of the room.
8
“What do you want from me now, losers?” I goaded when I opened my door and saw Griffin and Phoenix looking like somebody tortured their puppy.
“Can we come in?” Griffin ran a hand through his hair, messing up the normally-perfect strands, and scrunched up his face, and I knew right away it was killing him to be here. His cheeks were gaunt and his eyes hollow, probably from all the stress of the last few days.
I opened the door, stepped back, and ushered them in with my hand. Phoenix made himself at home, sitting backwards on my desk chair, and Griffin hovered in the corner like he was afraid to touch anything for fear of contamination, but his eyes couldn’t resist wandering over the black and silver designs I’d painted all over my walls. I flopped down on my bed and stretched out, putting my hands behind my head.
“We need to talk to you about Lexus,” Phoenix said when Griffin had flapped his trap a couple times but hadn’t made any sound.
“We need to ask you a favor,” Griffin finally said, his mouth curled up like he was sucking on poisoned candy.
“Why should I do anything for you two?” I retorted, which was kind of stupid because they had a laundry list of reasons I owed them, but what can I say, I’m naturally obnoxious.
Phoenix opened his mouth to fire them at me, but Griffin intercepted, playing the good cop. “Because it’s not really for us, it’s for Lexus.”
I grinned at the fact that they suspected I was into Lexus, but they were willing to put up with that as long as I did whatever it was they wanted.
“I’m listening,” I prodded.
“We want you to look after Lexus for us. Make sure no one bullies her or takes advantage of her, especially with the council interrogating everyone.”
I shrugged. “Sure, why not? I’d be happy to take care of your girlfriend if you two aren’t man enough to handle things.”
That flipped Phoenix’s switch, and he swung a leg over the back of the chair and jumped up, stomping over to the bed with clenched fists. “We can handle it just fine, asswipe. We just need somebody to watch after her when we’re not around.”
I sat up so it wouldn’t feel so much like he was hovering over me. “What, you two planning a trip to Disneyland now that we’ve won the Super Bowl?”
Phoenix started to talk, but Griffin glared at him and flashed his eyeballs towards me, trying to warn Phoenix to shut u
p.
“It’s just a precaution, okay? We just want to make sure someone is around when — if we aren’t.”
I stood up and leaned my arm on the dresser, putting my face right next to his. “When would that be? You don’t have a car; it’s not like you can leave whenever you feel like it. And the council is gonna keep everyone on lockdown till they get the whole story, and probably for a while after that.”
Griffin grimaced and worked his jaw, trying to come up with a plausible answer. I decided to spare him any more agony and, at the same time, rub it in a little bit that Lexus had confided in me.
I rolled my eyes and grinned. “Chillax, Lexus already told me you and your parents are taking off before the council gets here.”
Their mouths fell open, and they gaped at me and then at each other. Then they both started talking — begging, threatening, and demanding that I keep their secret.
I held my hands up, interrupted them. “Quit whining you two; you sound like yappy, little chihuahuas. I’m not gonna rat you out.”
“I don’t blame your parents for wanting to get the heck out of Dodge before the shit hits the fan, and I get that you feel like you need to go with them. I’d probably make the same decision.”
They gawked at me like I was a monster that had transmogrified into an actual human being right before their eyes, and I had to needle them a little bit for it.
“I take it you two took second place to Lexus’ mother, and she told you she wasn’t gonna go with you.”
“It wasn’t an easy choice for any of us, but we all have to do what we think is right.” Griffin said with a look that told me he still wasn’t sure about that.
I sighed and scraped a hand through my hair, pushing the long, black strands away from my face. “Look, Lexus is special. We all know that. You don’t have to worry about her. I’ll make sure she’s okay.” I tried to keep the emotion out of my voice, but some of it slipped through, anyway.
Griffin gulped and looked at Phoenix who winced like someone was twisting his nipples. “You like her, don’t you?”
I shrugged and tried to act blasé about it. “She’s all right,” I said, and immediately regretted it. I didn’t want to make it sound like I thought Lexus was just like any other girl. She was different, and that was what made me go crazy about her even when I should be put off by her little quirks and her annoying tendency to outshine me in everything she did.
Phoenix snorted and rolled his eyes at me. “Just don’t get any stupid ideas, Jaxson. She’s with us.”
I couldn’t resist playing devil’s advocate. “What if she decides she wants to be with me instead, once you two aren’t around?”
They both looked pained, and I knew I’d hit a nerve. I decided to throw them a bone.
“Hey, don’t freak out. I’m not into stealing girls.” I slugged Phoenix on the shoulder and curled my lips in a devilish grin. “But I’m not opposed to sharing.”
9
A rap on my door woke me up the next morning, but my smile immediately fell when I realized whoever it was wasn’t one of the twins. They were gone, and I had no idea when or if I would ever see them again. I didn’t even know where they were going.
I opened the door, and Jaxson was leaned up against my doorframe, his blue topaz eyes intense. They took a slow route up and down my pajama-clad body. “Hey Lex, the council is here and wants to interview everyone. Mr. Thorn sent me to get you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling exposed even though I was fully-covered. Sometimes, I felt like Jaxson could see right through me.
“Okay, let me get changed, and I’ll be down in a minute.”
Jaxson didn’t move out of the doorway, so I turned around and grabbed some clothes from my closet then squeezed past him, heading to the bathroom. I took a few minutes longer than usual, trying to calm my anxiety by making sure my hair and makeup looked neat. It didn’t really sooth my nerves, but when I was satisfied with my appearance, I hustled out of the bathroom and smacked into Jaxson. Why was he waiting for me?
He grinned down at me. “Took you long enough. I didn’t peg you for one of those girls who takes forever to get ready.”
I frowned at him. What was that supposed to mean? That I didn’t look like I put any effort into my appearance? He looked stricken as soon as he saw my reaction.
“Sorry, I don’t think that came out right. I just meant that you don’t need to work that hard at looking good. It just comes natural for you.”
My face softened a little at the awkward compliment. “I’m just nervous, I guess,” I whispered. “What do you know about the council?”
“I guess they’re kind of like the Volturi from Twilight, but not quite as violent. If a decision needs to be made about what’s best for the Specials community, they make it, and they function as a disciplinary authority, as well. If one of our kind is behaving inappropriately, they get called in to handle it.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Twilight, huh?”
He smirked and shrugged. “I thought it was an example you could relate to.”
I elbowed him, grinning. “Maybe.”
“So, do you know any of the people on the council?”
“No, I never really had any reason to meet them. I’ve been hidden away here at Magna Virtus most of my life. I’ve been pretty sheltered.” He frowned, I could hear a touch of regret in his voice, and I wondered if Jaxson would stay here now that everything was different. For some reason, the thought of him leaving made me unreasonably sad. Was I just emotional because the twins were gone, or were my feelings for Jaxson really that strong?
I felt a little tingle as my shoulder brushed his arm, and I realized I’d subconsciously closed the distance between our bodies. Jaxson glanced at me, questions in his eyes, but I dropped my gaze and scooted over so there was a couple inches between us.
I dropped my pajamas off at my room, and we headed down the back staircase, closest to the library. Part of me wanted to go the long way, past the twins room, but I knew seeing the empty space would only make the pain of their absence worse.
The council had cordoned off the library for our meeting, and people were milling around, chattering. There were five people I’d never seen before, presumably the council members, but the rest I recognized — the Specials teachers — Mr. Thorn, Mr. Henry, Mrs. Stein, and Mrs. Marks, along with Jaxson’s parents and three more of Anders’ prisoners. I felt a sudden pang of guilt that I hadn’t even taken the time to find out all their names yet, but that feeling was quickly swallowed up by a greater ache when I thought about who was missing.
Sunlight poured through the large windows, warming the space and making the room seem bright and cheerful compared to last night, but the mood was tense.
A medium-sized, average-looking, older man with gray hair and a slight paunch, who would otherwise seem unmemorable, cleared his throat and began to speak, exuding an air of importance his looks belied.
“If everyone would take a seat, please.” He waved his hand around to indicate the group of tables, and the others quieted and found their places. Jaxson and I sank down at a table in the back.
“For those who don’t know me, my name is Randall Winslow, and I am the senior council member for the central region.” He put his hands on his hips, pushing out his slightly-rounded belly.
“These are my fellow council members…” He rattled off a list of names I immediately forgot.
“We’ve been called here to investigate allegations against the leader of this school, Mr. Anders Grant, who, I’ve been told, disappeared yesterday with a Conduit named Renee Morgan. These allegations are serious and highly concerning, and it is our desire to uncover the truth about what happened here so that we can respond appropriately. To that end, we want to individually interview everyone who played a part in this event so we can come up with a comprehensive timeline of events. Now, is everyone present who was involved in this situation?”
Whispers rose from the group as the other
s looked around and noticed the absent faces.
“Are we missing someone?” Mr. Winslow followed their gaze, eventually landing on Mr. Thorn, the teacher who looked like the most likely to be in charge.
Mr. Thorn cleared his throat and glanced once more around the room before answering. “The Eastons are missing, sir. John and Stacy and their sons Phoenix and Griffin.”
Mr. Winslow peered over his glasses at him. “Have they been notified that their presence is requested in this meeting?”
Mr. Thorn gulped. “No one can find them, sir. They seem to have vacated the premises.”
Murmurs amongst the group intensified, and Mr. Winslow’s face flushed red with anger. “Weren’t they informed that the council was coming and expected to interview them?”
“Yes, sir, they were.” Mr. Thorn’s face turned pink, and he stuck a finger under his collar and yanked on it.
“Well, then why aren’t they here? And how exactly did they manage to leave? Did someone here provide transportation off the property?”
“No sir, we believe they stole Mr. Grant’s vehicle either late last night or early this morning.”
Mr. Winslow slammed a fist down on the table. “This is unacceptable! We need to track them down ASAP. Where would they have gone?”
“I don’t really know, sir.”
Mr. Winslow pointed a finger at another council member. “Albert, find out everything you can about this Easton family — where they’re from, who their family is, how long they were held captive, what resources they might have available to them. I want to know everything about them, and I want them found — NOW.”
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