I knew she was referring to the day I returned from Banya and used the Briolette to save her from dying, but I had a feeling it was a tender subject.
I shook my head. “That’s okay, Mom. You don’t have to say it.”
She smiled. “I’m just so relieved you’re okay. And Heather too,” Mom added, “She went through quite a scare last night.”
Somehow I knew that Heather’s dad was fine, but I still asked, “Is her dad going to be okay?”
Mom nodded. “He’ll be just fine. I spoke to her mother this morning, and they were getting ready to send him home from the hospital. His blood tests confirmed that he suffered a heart attack, but they couldn’t find any permanent damage. He was lucky; it could have been much worse.”
It was much worse. Nobody else would ever know it, but I knew. This wasn’t just some minor attack. His heart had stopped beating completely. And the power of the Water Briolette had brought it back to life.
The Water Briolette…where was it? Suddenly, the night before, the last few moments before I lost consciousness, flashed through my mind. It was gone. The most important possession I had in the world was gone. Voss had taken it, stolen it right from the palm of my hand, like taking candy from a powerless baby. Only, it wasn’t candy; it was the one thing in all existence that I was sure could keep me alive without the Healing Water. And without it, I felt naked, exposed, vulnerable.
I glanced down quickly at my Watermark. It still appeared clear like a diamond, just like it had since the day I arrived home. Hopefully that was a good sign. Hopefully, that meant it would be a while before my water system would drain to empty again. I hated that feeling more than anything in the world. It was even worse than being separated from Rayne.
But Agent Duke appeared to be fine, and I was pretty sure he had been shot the night before. That meant our security team still had some supply of Healing Water, so if anything happened to me, or to my mom, they should be able to fix it. At this point, I just had to keep moving forward and hope that everything would work out. There was nothing else I could do.
“I should probably go over to Heather’s house and check up on her,” I said to my mom.
She moved from the edge of the bed to stand. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to it? Maybe one of us should drive you over there.”
“No, don’t worry about it,” I said. “I feel fine. And Agent Duke will be following behind me just like he always does.”
“Okay,” Mom said. “Just, make sure you pull over right away if you don’t feel well.”
I gave her a small hug. “I will. I promise.” I was about to let go when a memory triggered in my mind. I pictured another hug I gave my mother, after I’d been shot in Voss’s penthouse, right before he dragged her away like a hostage to the roof.
When my mom pulled away from our embrace, I stumbled backward.
She reached out her hand to steady me. “Honey,” she said, “are you sure you’re okay?”
I dragged my hand through the top of my hair, inhaling a deep breath. “Actually, maybe I do need to take it easy today. I guess I could just call Heather later.”
Mom reached her arm around my shoulder. “Of course you can. If you’re not feeling well, you should rest.” She pulled me toward the bed. “Do you need to lie down?”
“Um, no that’s okay,” I said. I didn’t want to admit it, but physically, I felt fine. It was my returning fear of Voss that had me stumbling over my feet. “Maybe we could just hang out together today,” I suggested. “Here at the house.”
Mom smiled. “Sure, sweetie. Sounds like fun.”
***
I never did make a call to Heather later that day. Maybe it was my growing fear that Voss would return at any moment that kept me from attempting any sort of communication outside the house, or maybe it was simply the fear that Heather would turn me away because she hated my guts, but either way, I couldn’t bring myself to call her.
No matter how hard I tried to let my mind go free, the image of Voss’s face appeared relentlessly, dominating my thoughts. It ate away at me so completely that, later in the afternoon, I did something I never thought I would do. I told Orion about the Water Briolette. Now that the stone was lost, my priority was no longer to keep it a secret. Instead, I had to warn whoever was trying to catch Voss, explain to them what they were up against. With such a powerful object in his possession, Voss would be more than just a criminal or a tyrant, he would be invincible.
Without a hint of surprise, Orion said, “This must be the valuable object you were referring to in our earlier conversation regarding the Council.”
“Um, yeah,” I replied. I fidgeted with the bottom of my shirt. “Sorry I didn’t mention it sooner, I guess I just…”
Orion smiled casually. “No, no need to explain. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. Voss shouldn’t have been able to get that close to your school, let alone step inside. I assure you…I plan to have a few strong words with my men who were tracking him. This won’t happen again.”
I looked down. I wasn’t sure I believed him this time.
Orion continued. “Thank you for telling me about the Briolette. This bit of information will certainly help us in our pursuit. Now, I’m wondering if you could give me an idea of its size, so we understand the strength it might give Voss against our forces.”
I lifted my hand in front of me, picturing the stone in my grasp. “Maybe three inches long or so; two inches wide. It fit diagonally across the palm of my hand.” I took my finger and showed him, drawing an invisible tear shape over the skin along my palm.
Orion watched my finger intently, pausing a moment before saying, “You’re certain it was this large? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
I swallowed. “Yes, I’m sure.” Orion paused again, staring at my hand, deep in thought. I couldn’t hold back my concern as I continued. “With that stone, Voss is practically invincible. I’m not exaggerating. You have to believe me. I didn’t tell my father because he was already so upset, but when he found me up on the roof after Voss took me, I had just been shot. Voss basically killed me. There was something in his eyes; he seemed more deranged than ever before. But I didn’t die because I had the Briolette. It healed me before my father could reach me.”
Orion shook his head in disbelief. “Are you sure? Perhaps you just blacked out from fear when you saw his gun.”
“No,” I insisted. “I’m telling you, I didn’t imagine this. I heard the blast. I felt the impact. Voss was only, like, a foot away. There’s no way he missed.” My hand lifted to the side of my forehead. “He hit me right here; I can practically still feel it.”
Orion’s gaze followed my fingers to examine my head. “And you’re certain that Voss stole it?” he asked.
I stared intently back at him. “I’m one hundred percent positive.”
His eyes shifted nervously, as if the seriousness of the situation had finally settled in. Then his focus broke and he glanced back at me. “I’m very sorry,” he said. “I had no idea of the magnitude of this ordeal which you have been through. Thank you for telling me. I’ll make sure my men do everything they can to stop Voss from hurting you or anyone else again.”
I nodded quietly, wishing I felt sure he could make such a promise.
Then, a confident smile took over his face. “Try not to worry, Sadie. I have a feeling we’re going to catch Voss very soon. In fact, I’m almost sure of it.” He patted my shoulder and turned to walk away.
“Wait,” I said. I glanced over my shoulder and lowered my voice. “Can you do me a small favor?”
“What is it,” he asked.
“Can you maybe…not tell my mom that Voss was involved last night? I think she has enough to worry about right now.”
Orion nodded. “Of course.”
After Orion left me alone in the hallway, Agent Duke appeared from around the corner. Usually, he took his place discreetly, trying to blend into the background as much as possible, but this time he
made eye contact with me as soon as he entered.
With quiet concern, he asked, “Are you okay?” I wondered if he had been listening to my conversation with Orion about the Briolette and Voss.
I pushed out my usual smile. “Um, yeah. I’m fine. By the way, thanks for getting me home last night.”
Agent Duke nodded dutifully in response, but then his expression softened. He looked down as he said, “I…saw what you did for your friend’s father yesterday.” My head suddenly jerked up with worried eyes. He lifted his head to meet my gaze. “That was very brave of you, and…kind.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. I tried to shrug it off. “Well, anyone in my position would have done the same thing.”
Agent Duke took a small step closer as he replied, “Not everyone… You may not realize this, but you’re a lot like your father. You saved that man’s life last night, without hesitation, without any thought for how it would affect you.”
My body felt suddenly hot. I took a step back. “I don’t know what you mean. I just saw somebody that was hurt and tried to help him—that was it.” I wasn’t sure why I suddenly felt so uncomfortable, but I started to move away. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my room,” I said in haste. Then I shut the door behind me.
As soon as I was alone, I took a deep breath and went straight to my purple butterfly diary to send a message to Rayne.
Please tell me that you’re there. I really need to talk to you right now.
I waited impatiently until his message appeared.
I’M HERE. WHAT’S WRONG? I THOUGHT YOU SAID EVERYTHING WAS OKAY TODAY. AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE RELAXING AND WATCHING A MOVIE WITH YOUR MOM?
I wrote:
I was. The movie just ended a few minutes ago. But I miss you... A LOT!
There was a pause in the conversation. I wondered if one of the guards had come into the room, causing Rayne to hide his diary. While I waited, my thoughts couldn’t help but wander back to some of my worries. I had been sneaking little messages to Rayne all throughout the day while I spent time with my mom, but I never could bring myself to tell him I lost the Water Briolette the night before, or that Voss was the one who took it from me.
Finally, Rayne’s handwriting reappeared again on the page. As if almost reading my mind, he wrote:
SORRY, ONE OF THE GUARDS JUST CAME TO COLLECT OUR DINNER TRAYS. BY THE WAY… I MISS YOU TOO. EVEN MORE THAN A LOT...
Despite my frustrated mood, I felt the corners of my mouth curve upward. Rayne always knew how to make me smile. Before I could even reply, he wrote again, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.
IS EVERYTHING OKAY THERE? I DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT I’M SUDDENLY GETTING THIS FEELING LIKE SOMETHING IS WRONG.
Even from halfway across the universe, it seemed like Rayne could still feel my distress, just like he used to whenever I was in trouble. Even though I was worried about upsetting him, I was relieved at the idea of getting everything off my chest. Not only did I hate keeping things from Rayne, I just needed to hear him tell me everything would be okay. I wrote:
Actually, maybe there is something I need to tell you… I lost the Water Briolette.
When Rayne wrote back, he tried to soothe me.
SADIE, IT’S OKAY. YOU DON’T NEED THE BRIOLETTE. THERE ARE AGENTS ALL AROUND YOU WITH ACCESS TO HEALING WATER. THEY WON’T BE LIMITED TO HOW MUCH THEY CAN GET LIKE I WAS WHEN I WAS WORKING IN SECRET FOR YOUR FATHER. YOU’RE GOING TO BE FINE. JUST KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON YOUR WATERMARK AND TELL SOMEONE THE MINUTE IT STARTS TO FADE.
I appreciated his encouragement, but I knew Rayne was about to lose some of that confidence. I hesitated as I wrote:
So, try not to get upset, but I didn’t really lose the stone. It was stolen...by Voss.
It took a moment for Rayne to respond, like he went silent on the other end. But he finally replied with a landslide of words coming at me all at once.
I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING. TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED. DID HE HURT YOU AGAIN? DID HE SAY ANYTHING? WERE YOUR GUARDS QUICK TO RESPOND? DID THEY INCREASE YOUR SECURITY? ARE THEY GOING TO PULL YOU OUT OF SCHOOL?
I wasn’t surprised by Rayne’s response. I knew the news would upset him. I almost regretted telling him, but even if it caused him stress, I realized it was probably better that he knew the truth. I took a few minutes to explain everything to him in detail from the night before, as well as my conversations with Orion and Agent Duke this afternoon.
After a few minutes of worrying, Rayne was back to telling me everything would be okay, and I was more than happy to let him. I didn’t want to think about any of it anymore, not Voss, not the missing Briolette, not Rayne stuck in prison a billion light-years away.
I wrote:
I just want to imagine that everything is back to normal, that you’re talking to me from right across the street just like you used to.
WELL, THEN LET’S PRETEND I’M NOT A UNIVERSE AWAY. IF I WERE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM YOU, SITTING INSIDE MY HOUSE, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING RIGHT NOW?
I didn’t even have to think about it. I immediately wrote back:
I would be sprinting out of my house to come see you of course!
He wrote:
GOOD, BECAUSE I’M WAITING ANXIOUSLY FOR YOU TO ARRIVE AT MY DOORSTEP. IN FACT, I’M PICTURING MYSELF OPENING THE FRONT DOOR FOR YOU RIGHT NOW. AND I’M WEARING A HUGE GRIN BECAUSE I GET TO REMEMBER JUST HOW BEAUTIFUL YOU ARE. YOU’RE WEARING MY FAVORITE BLUE SWEATER, THE ONE THAT MATCHES YOUR EYES...
It was almost as if I could picture him standing there... his smooth skin, his inviting smile, the way he made me feel so alive and safe at the same time. Just the thought of him made my heart melt.
I drew a smiley face on the page next to his message, and wrote:
I’m grinning too, because it’s so nice to see your face. You don’t know how happy it makes me every time I see it. Now I’m reaching out my hand to hold yours. It’s like everything bad in the world is disappearing around us.
I could almost feel him near me as his next words appeared.
AND NOW I’M WRAPPING MY ARMS AROUND YOUR BACK TO PULL YOU CLOSER. THE ONLY THING I WANT, THE ONLY THING I CAN EVEN THINK ABOUT, IS HOLDING YOU TIGHTER AND KISSING YOU UNTIL I FORGET WHERE I AM.
Little tingles spread up my neck.
Now I’m kissing you back and wishing it would never end. It feels like, as long as we’re together, no one can ever hurt us.
Before I could read his next words, a knock tapped on my bedroom door, and my mom poked her head inside.
“Sweetie, time for dinner,” she said.
I pulled the diary closer into my lap and nodded. “Okay, just give me like, two more minutes and I’ll be right out.”
As soon as she agreed and the door was closed again, I hurried to read Rayne’s last message.
NOW I’M TRACING MY FINGER THROUGH YOUR HAIR, GENTLY BEHIND YOUR EAR, SO I CAN LEAN IN CLOSE AND WHISPER AGAIN AND AGAIN HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU.
I thought I could die now and be happy. Rayne made me feel like, like something I couldn’t explain in words. All I could say was:
And I will never grow tired of hearing it, as long as it comes from you.
Then, as much as I hated to do it, I had to say goodnight. By the time I finished dinner, Rayne’s lights would be out in his cell, and we would have to wait until tomorrow to live again through our words.
32. ORION MAKES A MOVE
Orion secured his gun in the holster under his suit jacket and turned to his team leader. “Keep the men in position,” Orion instructed. “Don’t move in until I give the signal.”
With twenty men watching his back, Orion entered the familiar warehouse with full confidence. When he exited the freight elevator on the sixth floor, he walked carefully into the large concrete room. Stark sunlight cut across the darkness in focused streams, coming in through the cracked checkered windows.
Voss emerged into the shadows from behind a pile of corroded debris. “You’re late,” he said dryly.
Orion conc
ealed a smug smile. “Yes, I had some business to attend to.”
Voss didn’t move, holding back a few yards away. “Do you have any news to report, or are you just here to show off that pretty, politician face of yours?”
Orion laughed once under his breath. “The Council is moving forward with the public hearing just as I planned. Hamlin should be out of our hair soon.” Orion paused, taking a step forward, his tone turning sinister. “And you, Mr. Hastings…do you have anything you’d like to share? Find anything interesting recently?” Then, without waiting for a response, Orion reached for his gun and sent three bullets straight through Voss’s chest.
Voss collapsed to the concrete. Orion reached the man’s body in less than a second, scouring every inch of him in search of the Briolette. When he couldn’t find it, he shoved Voss’s body over with irritation and searched his back.
The sound of Voss’s devilish laugh burned Orion’s ears, then a hard jab knocked across Orion’s face, sending him to the ground. He rolled to his back and reached for his gun, pointing it back in Voss’s direction.
Voss stood over him with a self-satisfied smirk. “You didn’t really think I was that stupid, did you? Go ahead…shoot me again. I can do this all day.”
“Where is it?” Orion demanded. “Where’s the stone?”
Ambrosia Shore (The Water Keepers, Book 3) Page 27