The blue in his eyes was almost silvery—reflecting the stars. He smiled at me, no sign of the frowning, brooding, tense asshole I’d first met. This was the real Alec. This was my Alec, my honey-voiced stranger who was a stranger no more.
This was the man I loved.
“I love you, Alec.” I looked right into those mesmerizing eyes as I told him.
He blinked, his eyes widening just a little, and then so many emotions passed over his face that I couldn’t have named them if I tried. There was surprise, for sure, happiness in the tentative curve of his lips, even relief in the way he sighed.
I hated that one. I hated that I’d waited this long to tell him, that I’d given him reason to doubt.
But I didn’t dwell on it, because the most dominant emotion of all, the one that shone most clearly from his eyes, was love.
“I love you, Evie.” There was that honey voice I lived to hear. And then he was kissing me.
Alec drew me up against his chest, making me lift onto my toes as I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on. I was never letting go again.
He kissed me deeply—as if we had all the time in the universe. As if the billions of stars shining down on us would just have to wait until we were done expressing our love.
The next morning, I slept in. Alec and I had thrown caution to the wind—or the light summer breeze, as it were—and made love under the stars.
Love! Because he loved me and I loved him and I’d told him. Finally!
We’d crawled back into bed in the wee hours of the morning and told each other again before falling asleep.
I woke up with a smile on my face, alone on the futons with bright sunlight streaming in.
Ethan was in the kitchen with Mr. Takata’s cousin, getting a lesson in traditional Japanese cookery. He looked even more giant in the small space but managed not to knock anything over. As he delivered a traditional breakfast of rice, miso soup, and grilled fish, Alec and Josh wandered into the main room.
“Morning!” Josh gave me a kiss on the top of my head and kept heading for the door. “We’re going for a run.”
I mumbled around a mouthful of food, gesturing for them to wait. I wanted to go for a run too.
Tyler plopped down next to me. “Just eat, baby. I’ll go with you later.”
I grumbled but kept eating.
Alec kissed the same spot Josh had. “We won’t be long. Love you.”
“Love you too!” I called after him, smiling like an idiot over my food as he walked out.
Tyler kissed me on the cheek softly and gave me a wide smile, but he didn’t comment.
I spent most of the day with Mr. Takata and his grandmother, asking all the questions I could think to ask. Her answers were rooted in myth and tradition. She couldn’t give me scientific explanations for how my glowing Light worked and why I had it, but she told me all the stories her mother and grandmother had told her.
She impressed upon me the significance of this “gift.” Through both her stories and her straightforward explanations, she told me what I was capable of—the immense amounts of Light I could channel; the remote transfers; the ability to draw from one Variant and give to another, temporarily giving them the other’s ability.
She also explained the responsibility that came with having this gift. She spoke candidly about her own experiences of draining the Light from a Variant, taking their ability and killing them in the process.
“There is a reason we have this ability,” she explained. “It would not be possible for us to do this if there was no purpose for it, but it must not be taken lightly. You have great power, Evelyn, but you must wield it wisely.”
Practically speaking, she didn’t give me any new information about what I could do. I’d experienced this all for myself, short of actually killing someone by draining them dry. But she confirmed many of my theories, and talking with someone who truly understood what I was going through was beyond satisfying.
She also told me the glow was a visual representation of my power, a beacon to draw people to my side.
I’d already seen evidence of that: the way Mr. Takata had devoted himself to me without even knowing me, the way strangers had come to my defense on countless occasions—when I was attacked at Bradford Hills, when I glowed the night of the formal evening in Manhattan, even when Rick had risked his life to warn me of the danger I was in from Davis’s plans. And that wasn’t even counting all the emails and private messages I’d received from Variants and Vitals all over the world.
Yes, the likelihood of a lot of those being fake was high, but I could feel in my gut that plenty of them were genuine too. That’s why I’d asked Charlie to wade through them to check which ones might be legit.
People were scared and were looking for a spark of light in the darkness. Maybe it was time they had something to turn to besides the twisted views of Variant Valor and the Human Empowerment Network.
After lunch we wandered into the town square and sat outside a charming traditional teahouse, sipping on sencha as we continued our chats. It wasn’t long, though, before we were interrupted by a buzz of excitement—kids rushing through the square, women chattering.
I frowned. “What’s going on?”
Mr. Takata sat up straighter, craning his neck to look around. “It seems there is another visitor approaching the village on the path.”
Alec and Tyler strode into the square, both of them clearly on alert.
Twenty-Five
“There’s someone approaching.” Alec told us what we already knew while Tyler simply extended his hand to me.
I took it and pushed Light to him reflexively. He turned toward the path to the village, not visible past the low buildings and winding lanes. His eyes lost focus, but instead of sharing what his ability was telling him, he just frowned and cocked his head to the side.
“Ty?” I tugged on his hand. “Who is it?”
He shrugged. “The most I can sense is that they’re not a threat.”
I scratched my head. Even with all that extra Light, Ty couldn’t tell who it was?
Before I had a chance to think about it too much, the person in question walked around the corner, solving the mystery of why Tyler’s ability seemed to be malfunctioning.
Nina was in linen shorts and a loose white shirt, stark against her dark skin. Her hair was once again cropped close to her scalp, and she carried only a large backpack, which no doubt contained several weapons and countless secrets.
“Nina?” Alec and I said at the same time. What was the statistical probability of us meeting up in such a remote place? Maybe she knew we were here? But if she’d found us, did that mean others could too?
When she was about halfway across the square, she spotted me.
“Evelyn?” She smiled and rushed over.
“Fancy meeting you here.” I laughed as we hugged. I’d missed her, and I held on for a long moment.
She greeted Tyler and Alec just as warmly and, to our surprise, seemed to know Mr. Takata’s grandmother very well. Her French accent was as thick as I remembered, but she spoke to the old woman in Japanese.
Nina pulled up a chair and joined us. “How have you all been? I have seen some things on the news, but I am taking most of it with a large dose of salt.”
“How have we been? Nina, how have you been? Seems you left a few things out the last time we met.” I folded my arms, jokingly scolding her but unable to wipe the smile off my face.
“And I see someone has filled you in on it?” She threw Mrs. Takata a look, to which the old lady just chuckled, no remorse on her face whatsoever. “There wasn’t exactly complete trust between us when we first met.” She eyed Alec, and he looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. He’d been a jerk to her.
“Sorry,” he mumbled and stole a sip of my tea. Mr. Takata motioned for the proprietor and ordered more tea for everyone.
“It is quite all right. You were being cautious. I understand. But I was also limited in what I was permit
ted to tell you at the time. There are some Lighthunters who have been pushing for us to remove ourselves from Variant society fully.” She sighed.
“What? Why?” Tyler questioned.
“It is complicated, but it seems that it is proving impossible regardless. That is why I have come here. You were going to be my next stop. You’ve saved me a flight to America. Thank you!”
“Nina, what’s going on?” I leaned forward.
“We are . . . I suppose you could say, investigating? The Lighthunters are visiting Vitals we know, the most powerful ones—even the few Vivids we are aware of. We are trying to get some understanding around what is happening with the Light.”
“What’s happening with the Light?” I asked. That sounded ominous.
“It is difficult to explain.” She sighed. “Remember how a Lighthunter’s connection to the Light is different? How we do not have the abilities or the access that Variants and Vitals have, but we do have a different—in some ways, a deeper—understanding?”
I nodded.
“Sometimes, I see the Bond connections. Like tendrils, tethering individuals together. Your Bond is much more settled, by the way.” She smiled. “No more tension. Whatever you’ve been doing, keep doing it.”
I looked between Alec and Tyler. Our commitment to be more honest and open had no doubt played a big part in that, but ultimately, I was convinced it was our love that had made us stronger.
“Please go on,” Mr. Takata prompted. He looked just as worried as Alec and Tyler.
“Right. Yes. Lighthunters have a sense of Bonds, connections. We can tell what state a Bond might be in. We can point people in the direction of their potential Variants or Vitals. We can track Bonded Variants and Vitals, like I did to help you find Charlie. How is he doing?”
“Really well. He was hurt badly in the rescue. A lot of people were, but we managed to get a healer to the hospital. He has some scarring from the burns. Lucian will probably have to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life though.”
“Oh no. I am so sorry.”
“We’re just happy he made it out alive.”
“Nina, please.” Alec’s knee bounced impatiently. “We’ll catch you up on everyone later. What’s happening with the Light?”
“Right! Sorry. Part of why we’re able to see individual connections is because we have a deeper link to the Light. It is like a constant presence—both in me and all around me. A tapestry or a mist hanging over everything. Most of the time it is just a part of how I experience the world, another sense, like sight or smell. But when I need to use it, I become more aware of it. Like when you’re looking for an item in a messy room, you use your sense of sight with more intention. When I am looking for a particular Variant, I am more acutely aware of my connection to the Light.
“On the other hand, sometimes it makes itself known to me. Like when a loud noise startles you, you are suddenly more aware of your sense of hearing. When something is significant, it’s hard to ignore—sitting here with you, for instance. Your access to the Light is immense, Evelyn, your threads to your Variants solid and strong. It is not something I can avoid noticing.” She sighed and threaded her fingers in front of her.
“The same is true when there is something not so positive in the Light. I can tell when there are . . . I believe you call them Lightwhores completing a transaction—selling their Light like it’s a cheap thing. The Light feels heavy, tainted, in these moments.
“Over the past few months, the Light has been feeling more and more . . . off. It is not a particular incident or location we can pinpoint. It is more like a general sense of it being tainted somehow, strained, tense. It has us all on edge. We have never experienced a sense of wrongness of this magnitude. We are worried—worried enough to set aside our internal politics and try to figure it out. That is why we are visiting some of the more powerful Vitals we know. We are hoping by being near you, studying the way the Light is behaving, we may get a clue as to what is happening.”
I shared a worried glance with Alec and Tyler. “Nina, it’s probably Davis—what he’s doing with his machines.”
It was bad enough he was causing political and social unrest all over the world. I hadn’t considered that his fucked-up experiments could have an impact on the very thing fueling Variant abilities, the very thing that made us what we were. He was rotting everything he touched.
“Yes.” She nodded solemnly. “That is what I and most of my fellow Lighthunters believe also, but we thought it prudent to rule out any other potential issues. Plus, visiting with the Vitals allows us to explain the precarious situation, to urge them not to support this lunatic in any way. Maybe even to fight.”
Alec perked up. “Fight? How?”
“We do not have all the answers, but we do feel strongly that he cannot be permitted to continue unresisted.”
“Agreed.” Tyler took a sip of his tea and crossed his legs. “But if fighting is even an option, and you have the kind of resources you seem to be hinting at, why haven’t you done anything yet?”
“It is complicated.” Nina sighed. “There is a reason we have managed to remain secret. We rarely get involved in any way that’s not discreet. I am hoping that will change very soon.”
Mr. Takata sat up even straighter, his expression serious. “Knowing what I know due to my work, and knowing what I know due to my connection to two Vivids, I can’t in good conscience sit by and do nothing. Regardless of what the Lighthunters decide to do, I am prepared to take whatever action is necessary to put a stop to this. I am at your service, Evelyn.”
“Thank you.” I smiled, still a little uncomfortable at the intensity of his devotion.
His grandmother patted his hand and smiled, the lines in her face deepening. He’d spoken in English, but she’d gleaned the gist of it.
“I don’t know what the answers are.” Alec took a sip of his own tea, scowling at the little cup as if he wished it were something stronger. “I’m not even sure what the right questions to ask are. But one thing I know for certain is we have to keep Evie safe.”
No one disagreed with him. Nina started to chat with Mr. Takata and his formidable mother in Japanese while Alec continued to scowl into his tea.
Tyler was leaning back against the wall of the teahouse, frowning, his unfocused gaze pointed at his feet.
I was just about to ask him where he’d gone when his shoulders tensed. The change in posture was barely discernible—something I wouldn’t have even noticed if I hadn’t been staring at him. His eyes remained unfocused but started to dart around, as if he were looking for something the rest of us couldn’t see.
I moved without thinking, my Light reacting to his body’s need for it. My hand covered his, and after only a few moments, he whipped his head up.
He flipped his hand so he could hold mine in a firm grip. “We need to leave. They found us.”
“What? How?” I demanded at the same time Alec shot to his feet with a growled, “Fuck.” He looked ready to throw me over his shoulder and just run down into the valley.
“We have about an hour until they reach us. They’ve been watching you since we met in New York.” Tyler nodded at Mr. Takata, and the older man frowned in confusion.
“It’s not possible. I’ve taken every precaution.”
“Your countermeasures were excellent, but some footage from the hotel lobby slipped through. It took them a while to put it together, but now we have a team of six, disguised as tourists, coming up the main path.” He pointed across the square.
“Are there any other ways in or out of the village?” Alec asked as everyone else got to their feet.
“No,” Tyler and Mr. Takata answered at the same time. The latter elaborated, “Climbing the peak of the mountains is too treacherous, and the descent into the valley can only be managed if you’re a goat.”
Alec cursed again, but Mrs. Takata cut in with a gentle touch to her grandson’s arm. She spoke in rapid Japanese, impossible for me to follow, but he
translated for us.
“There is a young man in the village with an invisibility gift. He does not have a Vital, but if you are willing to share your Light, Evelyn, he can hide you all.”
“But what about you? What about the village? These men are dangerous.” I took Mrs. Takata’s hand. Her skin was paper thin, her hand fragile, but her grip was strong. I’d only just met her, yet I’d already learned so much. Now I was about to leave just as I’d brought danger to her doorstep.
A heavy, twisted feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Destruction followed me everywhere I went.
“If they are claiming to be tourists, there should be no issues.” Mr. Takata waved his hand. “If they ask questions, well, I am simply here visiting my grandmother. And if they get violent, we are more than capable of defending ourselves.”
He was such a calm, pleasant man I sometimes forgot Mr. Takata was in the same line of work as Alec and Tyler. I nodded reluctantly.
“We have a way off the mountain, but then what?” Alec asked. “We can’t trust any of our Melior Group contacts on the ground here. Not anymore. What’s our next move?”
“You come with me.” Nina crossed her arms, nothing but determination on her face. “I can get you out and somewhere safe, and it may be just what we need to convince the rest of the Lighthunters to take action.”
Alec looked to Tyler. We had no other ideas, and it sounded good to me, but Alec was letting him make the final call.
Tyler propped his hands on his hips and sighed. “I can’t tell if what you’re proposing is safe—your immunity to my ability is irritating, to say the least—but I think it’s the best chance we have. The Lighthunters have managed to evade discovery by the entire world for hundreds of years. Can’t think of a better group of people to keep us hidden, keep Eve safe.”
He shrugged, and it was decided.
Nina nodded and turned to Mrs. Takata, expressing her disappointment that their visit had to be cut so short. In my broken Japanese, I expressed the same sentiment, giving the old lady a low bow. She pulled me into a hug and patted my cheeks.
Vivid Avowed (The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy Book 3) Page 29