“I agree,” Peter says.
He's been very touchy-feely and I'm loving it. It's like now that we have a plan and the end is in sight, he has more confidence that this can be fixed. The only thing we have to do is figure out if we are going to Di, or if we wait for her to come to us. I'm all for finding her and getting it done, but Helena seems reluctant and she's the one who holds the keys to the castle, so we're not going to push her.
I'm so afraid she's going to back out, because really, she has no reason to help us. Rasha and Kamir are nowhere to be found, but that doesn't surprise me. They don't seem like they'd be interested in seeing how the American teenager functions, and Helena said they were going home soon anyway. I'm still surprised that they came all this way to bring us Helena.
I catch Jamie's eye across the parking lot. There is a dazed look on his face, as if he's been hit over the head with something. I've never seen that look on his face before, so I'm instantly freaking out. God, I hope it's not something with Cassie or the baby. Maybe now isn't a good time to drop any secrets on him.
“Hey, James. What's up?”
“Not a whole lot. Shouldn't you be in school?” he says to Viktor and Peter.
“They have a teacher's workshop day, so they came with us,” I say, thinking on my feet. “And this is their cousin, Helena. She's just visiting.” At least we can introduce her and not pretend that she is something we are trying to hide.
“Hey, it's nice to meet you,” Helena says, sticking out her hand. Jamie looks at it, still dazed, and it takes him a second to shake it. Peter, Viktor and Helena all share a look that I don't understand. It's almost too quick, but I catch it. Peter squeezes my hand to tell me something. Dude, I can't read your mind.
“Nice to meet you, too. Whereabouts are you from?”
“New York, too.”
Tex and Helena have obviously made up another backstory. I am going to have to start writing these things down so I can keep track. One of these days I'm going to forget and then I'll be in trouble. Tex and I have discussed telling Jamie again, but with Helena around and the other stuff going on, it doesn’t feel like the right week. Really, we are putting it off and making excuses. Neither of us can imagine how he's going to react.
“You okay, Jamie?” I say.
“Yeah, I just... had an interesting weekend.”
“Did you do anything fun? I texted you a couple of times. I thought we could do a Miller's date with all of us soon.” I fight the urge to wave my hand in front of his face.
“Yeah, sorry. I was just... busy.” I stare at him, but he won't look at me. There's an uncomfortable silence as he tugs on his ear.
“What's her name?” Helena says.
“What?” Jamie looks at her as if she hasn't been standing there the whole time.
“What's her name? I know that look. You met a girl. Or maybe a guy? No judgment here.” She points to herself.
“How did you —” Jamie says.
“I'm not as dumb as I look,” Helena says.
“Did you meet someone?” I ask.
His face goes red — a rare occurrence. “Um, yeah. I did.”
“No way, really?” Tex squeals and claps her hands. “It's about time! Your standards are too freaking high. Who is it?”
“Her name is Brooke. She's not from around here.” That's it?
“Oh no, you don't get off that easy,” Tex says, poking his arm.
“We should get going. We're going to show Helena around town. See you at lunch?” Viktor says.
Peter gracefully makes his exit after giving me a kiss. Viktor says good-bye to Tex, and Helena calls out that she'll see us later.
“Speak. Now,” Tex says, sticking her finger in Jamie's face.
He shrugs and shifts his bag on his shoulder. “I don't know what you want me to say. She was by the side of the road with a broken car and I helped her. We started talking, and I don't know.”
“So that's where you were on Friday. You work fast, Jamie,” Tex says, raising her eyebrows up and down suggestively.
“It's not like that, Tex. She's... I can't really describe her.”
“Well, we have to meet her. Like right now.”
“She's... not here. She's with her family.”
“Did she move here?”
“Sort of. It's really complicated.”
“It doesn't sound good, Jamie,” I say. I'm getting red flags right and left.
“You don't know her,” he says defensively. What is his deal? It's like this girl has him under a spell.
“Can we get to know her? Why don't you invite her to come with us to Miller's? Then we can do it as a group thing.”
“I don't know. She's not really into fried food.”
What kind of girl is she? God, I hope she's not one of those girls who cares about every single calorie she puts in her mouth. Jamie wouldn't fall like this for a girl like that. No way.
“Then she can get a salad,” I say.
“I don't think so,” he says, tugging his ear again. I'm getting another huge red flag. My women's intuition is tingling.
“Why don't you want us to meet her?” I say, touching his arm. It's nearly time for us to go to class, but I don't really care if we're late. This is far more important.
“Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you're going to attack her?” The sarcasm drips from Jamie's voice. Why is he being like this?
“We won't attack her. Tex will be nice, right?” I say, glaring at her. She gives me a wide-eyed innocent look.
“Who, me? I can be nice.”
The bell rings, ending our discussion.
“Look, we'll talk later, okay? We just want to meet the girl that has you looking like you've been hit over the head,” I say, hugging his side. He sighs and puts his arm around me, and I get a strange smell. It's kind of sweet and reminds me of green apples. It's not a human smell. I take another whiff as he lets me go. No, I must have imagined it.
“I'll see you later,” he says, giving me a weird look. I think we need to talk just the two of us. Tex has a tendency to be more demanding than gentle when it comes to information.
“Text me,” I call after him.
“Are you chewing gum?” Tex asks me.
“No, why?”
“Something smells like apples.” She looks around as if a person in an apple costume is going to jump out at us from behind a car and explain the smell.
“Yeah, I smelled that, too. Huh.”
Tex shrugs and starts walking toward school, but I'm not as dismissive of the smell. I'm beginning to understand why Jamie doesn't want us to meet his new girl, and I'm wondering if he knows she's not human. Tex skips inside the building, but I make a detour. I know Peter will be waiting on the other side of the building.
“Is it someone you know?” I say even before I come around the corner. He's alone and looks unconcerned, but that doesn't mean anything. Peter never looks concerned about anything.
“It is someone new. I do not think he is in danger, since she hasn't hurt him. Helena will search. She should not be hard to find. She is new; that is why her smell is so strong.”
“Tell her to be careful.” I feel bad that Peter and Viktor are stuck babysitting Tex and me, but I'm glad they're not going into the unknown. I give him a quick kiss and rush to class.
I'm beyond late for class, and Mr. Galakis gives me the hairy eyeball when I walk in, but quickly puts it behind a mask of a smile. People are staring at me, and it takes a second for me to realize it's because everyone knows about Mom's diagnosis. How could I forget about that? Oh, right the whole Di/Helena thing had kind of put it out of my mind.
I sit down, wishing everyone would keep their eyeballs to themselves.
“Okay, everyone, get started on the problems on the board. When you're done, put your papers up here, take out your books and work on section twelve.” Everyone stops looking at me and a collective groan rolls through the room. The problems swim in front of my eyes. I really wish Peter was he
re. He'd explain them in a way that makes sense.
Mr. Galakis gets up from his desk and makes a beeline for mine. Oh, crap.
“Can I talk to you for a second, Ava?” Awesome. He has that pity face on. I've seen it before when Mom was first diagnosed, only this time it is magnified, so it is even more pitiful. Ugh.
“I just wanted to say that I heard about your mother, and I'm very sorry. I know you've been having a hard time lately and I wanted you to know that if you need more time, or an extension on you assignments, all you need to do is ask. If you don't feel up to taking the final, we can come up with some sort of project that can stand in for your grade. How does that sound?”
Okay, on the one hand, I don’t want to be treated differently than everyone else. It felt wrong, like a handout. On the other hand, there is no way I am going to be able to study as hard for the final as it would require to get even a decent grade. Decisions, decisions.
“You don't have to decide right now. Think about it and let me know by the end of the week.”
I nod my head and we go back inside. A hiss of whispering ceases. Just what I need. I go back to my desk, and an image of lighting the entire classroom on fire blooms in the back of my mind. I dwell on it for a moment before starting the problems on the board.
It's the same in my next class. My teacher pulls me aside with the pity face and gives me the same spiel. I tell her I'll think about it and smile sweetly. God, I'm going to get out of all my finals. They must have had some sort of meeting about me, because they all say relatively the same thing. By the time lunch rolls around, I'm exhausted and worried and stressed and ready to bite the next person who looks at me like they're sad for me.
Most of the people with that face don't even know me. Some of them say they are sorry to hear, blah, blah, blah. They don't care, really. That sounds bitchy and ungrateful, but it's true. There are only a few people on the planet that really feel for me, and they're already in my life.
I meet Peter and Viktor by my car and see Jamie jogging to his truck as if he's in a huge hurry. Hmm...
“Hey,” I say, pointing to Jamie. “Wonder where he's going.”
“I think it's time for a little recon trip,” Tex says, as we watch Jamie pull out. “Get in, quick, quick!” We all hop in my car, and I slam out of the parking space. I'm no racecar driver, but when you live on the back roads in Maine, you gain certain driving skills. Like being able to drive sixty on a winding back road without crashing.
“Go, go, go!” Tex screams from the backseat. I can't really go fast since we're in the school zone, but as soon as we pass the flashing yellow light, I hit the gas.
“Which way did he go?”
“That way,” Peter says, pointing. “I can hear his truck easily.” It's true. If I really listen, I can hear it.
“Good thinking,” I say, patting his arm.
“Hurry up!” Tex screams as if this is some kind of movie where we're chasing the bad guys.
“Tex, calm down. This isn't a movie, we're not in Italy and Jamie is not a drug dealer we're trying to track down.”
“We could pretend it was,” she says, pouting. I start humming the music from Mission: Impossible under my breath. Tex joins in as we swerve right and left onto more and more rural roads that are filled with larger and holier potholes.
“Where the hell is he going?” At this rate, we're never going to make it back in time, but neither is he.
We're basically in the middle of nowhere when Jamie’s truck stops. Just trees. His truck is tucked into a little pull off that hunters probably use during turkey season. I pull in behind him. No use trying to hide.
As soon as we get out of the car, Helena pops out from behind the trees.
“Found him,” she says with a dimpled grin.
“Yeah, so did we,” I say, pointing to his truck.
“He reeks of her. I've been staying downwind so she can't smell me, but I can smell her. She's new. Just about two weeks old, I'd guess.”
“What does she want with him?” I ask.
Helena smiles.
“What does any girl want with an attractive nice boy?” she says.
“Blood?” I say. She laughs.
“I've been listening to them. Come on,” she says, walking into the woods. I'm freaked out, but Peter takes my hand and sends me soothing vibes so it's tamped down.
“Don't worry, Ava.” God, that's all I do nowadays. I have a lot of things to worry about.
Peter picks me up and Viktor takes Tex on his back so we can move faster than our clumsy human pace. I really hate how I hold Peter back. I wish I could run side by side with him, but that isn't going to happen right now. Making the decision about immortality isn't something to be taken lightly, and I'm not going to do it right now. Not until things are settled with Di.
A hissing sound reaches my ears as we make our way into a little clearing with a giant stump in the middle of it. I see Jamie with a girl about my height with brown hair, wearing a tank top and shorts and crouching in front of him, as if to attack.
She looks pissed.
“He's mine,” she says through gritted teeth. Her voice sounds even younger than she probably is.
“Not really, he's ours,” Tex says as she slides of Viktor's back. “We had him first.”
“Who are you?” she growls. Jamie meets my eyes for half a second before he looks away.
Tex smiles sweetly. “I'm Tex, and this is Ava, and we're Jamie's best friends. Who the hell are you?”
“Brooke.” Aha. So this is Brooke. What are the freaking chances that Jamie would run into a noctalis? Like a bazillion to one, that's what.
“I knew it!” Tex shrieks right in my ear. She really needs to learn to control her volume.
Jamie looks at us, terrified. “Tex, Ava. I can explain.” He doesn't ask us why we followed him, or how we knew where he was.
“What have you told him?” I ask Brooke.
She raises her chin and meets his eyes for a second. “He knows everything.”
The bottom drops out of my stomach. “Everything?”
“Brooke is...” Jamie starts to say. Like we don't know. We should have told him, but she got to him first.
“A noctalis,” Tex and I say at the same time. “So are they,” Tex says, jabbing her thumb at Peter, Viktor and Helena, collectively.
“What?” Only Jamie looks shocked. “They are?”
“You didn't notice?” Tex says.
He shakes his head. “I just thought they were... I don't know. Weird.”
I snort. Understatement, Jamie.
“Try not human. So I guess you know about everything then,” Tex says.
“Why didn't you tell me?” I say. His fists bunch up and I see a flash of anger, and something else. Betrayal. “I can't believe you wouldn't tell me, Ava. You, of all people.”
“I'm sorry. I just didn't know how to say it.” God, I'm going to cry again. Stupid tears.
“You didn't even try. And you, too?” He glares at Tex. For once she doesn't have a snappy response and has the sense to look guilty.
“It just kind of happened,” she says.
“So you told Tex, but not me. I can't believe you, Ava.” Everyone's attention is focused on the three humans.
“I'm sorry,” I say, tears spilling over my face. Jamie and I have never had a fight like this. Never. The clearing is silent, and no one wants to break it.
“Just tell me one thing,” Jamie says, “have you given him your blood?”
“Yes,” I say, because I'm not lying.
“He Claimed her. That one, too,” Brooke says. Thanks.
“Claimed? What does that mean?” Jamie says, looking around for an answer.
“It's complicated,” I say. “I don't have enough time to explain it now. We need to get back to school.”
“You can go, I'm staying here,” Jamie says, looking at Brooke. I see that face again. The one that looks like he's been bonked on the head. He's got it bad. Just what we
need. Another immortal.
“Why don't you go back to school while Brooke and I have a little chat?”
“I'm not leaving her,” Jamie says, moving to stand in front of Brooke. As if he can protect her. That's what Jamie does. He's a protector.
“Don't worry, sweet boy. I'm not going to hurt her. I just want to get to know her. It's not often we find a parentless child.” Helena's tone is no longer that of a cute teen girl. She's the grown immortal, taking charge.
“I don't want to talk to you,” Brooke says. She's getting defensive and things are going to escalate.
“I'm staying with her.”
I glance at Tex, and we both realize that we owe him.
“We'll tell everyone that you went home sick.” He looks like he's going to say something, but then he doesn't. The cold look in his eyes is enough to break my heart.
“I'm sorry,” I say as Peter scoops me up in his arms for the run back to my car.
Jamie doesn't answer.
I cry all the way back to school.
Fifteen
Brooke
It was her. The girl I'd been looking for. Black hair, big green eyes. I knew the moment I saw her that this was the girl. The one I'd come to find. Jamie was right. Ivan was right. She was the kind of pretty that took a second to see. It wasn't obvious. She clung to the noctalis holding her, even after he set her down on her feet. Her voice was different than I thought, deeper than her small size suggested. This was the voice he'd fallen for. This was the girl I'd come to find.
Now that I'd found her, what was I going to do?
They had two other noctali with them, one who also had a Claimed, and one who didn't. I wasn't going to trust them farther than I could throw them.
His friends told me that he belonged to them. That he was theirs. Well, he was mine now. They didn't feel the way about him that I did. I could tell that once upon a time, he had loved this girl, Ava, but he had given up long ago. His heart was free and I had taken it. He was mine.
They finally backed down and left me with the other noctalis. Helena. The ancient one. I could smell that she had been immortal for a long time. It was an old smell of wisdom, time and dust.
The Noctalis Chronicles Complete Set Page 65