Shadows of Green & Gold: A contemporary young adult fantasy suspense (Green and Gold, book 2)

by Jo Holloway

“Oh, I know. I’m still going to visit your dad after this. But now I can tell him all about how well his amazing daughter did and how proud we are.”

  A lump formed in her throat, and it was Cara’s turn to squeeze her mom in a hug. Her dad, Jordan, had been gone for over twelve years now, but her mom still visited his grave every Saturday, rain or shine. They almost never talked about it.

  “Say hi to him for me,” she whispered into her mom’s shoulder.

  She wasn’t sure if her mom heard her, but the hug got a little tighter. She broke away and ran to rejoin the rest of the team.

  CHAPTER 4

  Nice Summer

  THE BUS RIDE BACK HAD been full of goodbyes for the seniors who had run their last race for Scovell Academy. With the weight of change on her, Cara hustled across campus. She couldn’t wait for the familiar company of her friends and the comfort of her dog.

  “Hi, Jenner,” she said when Jory opened the door and her dog jumped up on her. Jenyx had clearly taken a backseat to let the dog have his excitement. “Was he good?”

  “Of course.” Jory stepped aside to let her in. “So, how was it? Did you do it?”

  She broke into a grin to match his. “Yep, by seventeen seconds!”

  He roared and picked her up in a bear hug before she could finish. Wes smiled up at her from his bed, where a textbook lay open across his knees. Jory set her down again.

  “That’s amazing! Knew you could do it, Ran-some.” His grin was ludicrous.

  She snorted. “That is so terrible. Did you come up with it all on your own, Jor?”

  Wes closed his eyes for a second, and she caught the small shake of his head. He was trying not to laugh at his friend too.

  “I thought it was good,” Jory mumbled.

  Wes sighed. “I told him not to.”

  Cara gave Jory’s arm a playful punch. “Seriously, Sunshine, maybe nicknames aren’t your thing. That might be the best one yet, but you still can’t use it.”

  His fake pout was gone. “Why not? Did your uncle take that one too?”

  “No. Kids at my old school.” She frowned at the memory.

  “I didn’t think you were a runner back then,” Jory said.

  “Only from the jerks and their spitballs—” She stopped talking.

  Crap.

  She never really talked about her life before Scovell Academy aside from family stuff. The teasing and loneliness she’d endured at her old school was still just under the surface, and she hadn’t meant to let it slip out now. It wasn’t something she felt like talking about. Wes looked up at her, and Jory fell silent, his grin vanishing.

  Double crap. It didn’t look like they were going to let her comment slide if she stayed. They’d be all nice about it, and she couldn’t stand their pity. It was enough to know they were on her side now. She didn’t want to ruin that feeling by reopening old wounds.

  “Thanks again for looking after Jenner last night and today. I owe you guys one.” Old doubts chased her toward the door.

  “You don’t have to go . . .” Jory’s voice followed her as she closed the door and hustled down the hall with Jenner trailing behind.

  THE LAST TWO WEEKS of classes and exams flew by. A night off for girls’ night at the Treehouse with Cassidy and the others had been exactly what Cara needed to re-focus. She’d even convinced Delaney to go with her and take a break from studying. Now that exams were over, she felt good about them, but not about leaving. She glanced around the naked dorm room with a jolt of sadness.

  Her packed bags sat in a pile on the floor. Resting on top, her new prized possession gazed back at her. Delaney had gifted her with a painting of Jenner, and it was breathtaking. Her roommate’s unmistakable technique was highly stylized, but Jenner’s face still jumped off the two-foot square canvas at her. Every line was undoubtedly him. She could almost feel the soft fur on his ears by staring at the stark, interwoven shapes.

  “It’s been two weeks, and I still haven’t found words for how beautiful this is, D. I wish I had something to give you in return. I feel terrible.”

  “You did. Remember?” Delaney sat on her bare mattress with her hands clasped.

  Cara scoffed. “I can’t believe you thought you had to ask. I never considered not being roommates again next year. Of course I would have requested you. Jenner and I wouldn’t want to room with anyone but you.” She bent down to peer at Marcus through the cage door of his cat carrier. “And you, Marcus.”

  “Thanks.” Delaney’s shy smile crept across her face while she stared at her hands. “I still wanted you to have something from me to take home for the summer.”

  Cara laughed. “I assume this final project got you whatever grade is better than perfect. Because if it didn’t, I’ll go track down your art teacher and take care of it.” She shot Delaney a toothy growl with her fists balled up, and got a laugh in return. “Oh, and you’re still welcome to my final project if you have any use for a mug with a collapsed rim.”

  She’d been lucky to get a passing grade for her project thanks to Wes’s help. The rim had sagged after all, but their teacher decided she had been trying to make a small creamer jug and the sag was centered enough to be the lip for pouring. It was nowhere near good enough to give to Delaney, but she kept threatening her roommate with it.

  “I guess we should start carrying this stuff up to the road.” Delaney sighed beside her.

  “Yeah, guess so. I’ll leave the painting for last, I think,” Cara said, placing it on her bed, “to keep it safe.” Delaney nodded at her with bright eyes, and Cara hugged her. “I’m going to text you so many times you’ll be begging for a new roommate in the fall. Promise.”

  “Deal.” Delaney smiled.

  “Hey, guys, need a hand?” Jory grinned at them from their doorway. A whole pack of people filled the hall behind him.

  It didn’t look like she and Delaney would need multiple trips. Wes and Jory had brought reinforcements in the form of Wes’s entire family.

  “Your stuff is done already?” Cara asked them.

  Wes’s older brother, Mak, pushed by Jory and strode into the room. “Yep, all packed. We’re just waiting for Kaiah’s graduation ceremony to start now.”

  The rest of his family crowded in behind him, packing the small dorm room. Only their sister was missing—off somewhere getting ready for graduation with the rest of the senior class.

  Cara had met Mak a bunch of times when he’d stopped in to see Wes, and Kaiah a few times, too, when Wes’s sister crossed paths with them around school. They were both more than a little intimidating. She gazed up at Mak standing in her room. If Wes was growing as fast as he was because he was going to be as tall as his older brother, he still had a long way to go. Kaiah, with her long raven hair and beautiful skin, always evoked a twinge of envy in Cara, and she wished she were able to hear her Valedictorian speech later tonight.

  “Cool painting,” Mak said with a nod toward the bed, grabbing Cara’s two large duffle bags and slinging them over his shoulders.

  Not to be outdone, Jory rushed over and grabbed a couple of Delaney’s bags. After the two of them shuffled out the door, bumping each other on the way, there was a little more room. Wes paused to finish introductions.

  “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Vanneau,” Cara said while Delaney looked down at her shoes.

  Cara bent to pick up her huge bag of bedding, straining at the extra weight from all the last-minute stuff she’d crammed in. Wes stepped up and took it from her. He hoisted it easily onto his shoulder and circled around his family to follow his brother and Jory out the door. She watched him leave, impressed. His dad loaded up some bags, and even his grandmother picked up a smaller bag with a smile. Finally, only Wes’s mom was left in the room with them.

  “Please call me Elena,” she said. “I’m glad to meet you too, Cara. Wesley told us he had a new friend, but it’s difficult to imagine anyone breaking into the little duo he and Jory have had going on for so long. You’ll ha
ve to tell me your secret.” Her smile looked exactly like Wes’s.

  Cara moved in to shake her hand, but Elena pulled her in for a hug. Soft warmth and the smell of nutmeg made Cara breathe deeply just to catch the scent. She was surprised how friendly and welcoming Wes’s family was. She’d expected them to take a while to warm up to her, the same way Wes had.

  “Looks like my boys got most of it already.” Elena picked up Cara’s backpack.

  Only the painting was left. Delaney had Marcus in his cat carrier and the smaller foxglove painting to take with her. Cara took one last look around the dorm room, made sure Jenner was following her, and closed the door behind them all.

  Outside, she tried hard not to giggle as Wes’s grandmother swore repeatedly at the rocks in her sandals from the gravel path. Elena chuckled beside her.

  “Don’t mind Nana,” Elena said. “So, Cara, Wesley tells me you’re on the running team?”

  “Oh, yeah, cross country and track. Not the top team, just the second-level one. We call it the yellow team.”

  “That’s still a big accomplishment for your freshman year.”

  “Well, Wes would know. He made the archery team in his first year too.”

  “No surprise with all the bow-hunting their dad does with them. All three of our kids are pretty good shots, but Wesley was a natural from the start.”

  “Actually, I was telling Jory the other day, it seems crazy that he’s the one out of us who isn’t on a team. He seems like the most natural athlete of all of us. I still don’t know why he quit football.”

  “I don’t either, but if our Jory’s not talking about it, then you can bet money it has something to do with Wesley. Or maybe you now,” Elena said thoughtfully.

  Cara fought her surprise that Elena thought Jory would have the same loyalty to her already, but she really seemed to know him. She recalled Elena her using the words “my boys” back in the room, and realized she had included Jory.

  Nana swore loudly again. Cara and Elena both snorted and arrived laughing together at the parking lot.

  “Nana! Don’t swear in front of Wolfie’s friends,” Mak joked.

  “When you’re as old as me, you can tell me when to swear,” Nana shot back.

  Cara’s eyebrows rose at the quick comeback and at Wes’s brother’s nickname for him. That was a new one.

  Delaney took Marcus and went in search of her parents’ car. The parking lot and meadow had fallen into a state of barely organized chaos as everyone’s families arrived to pick them up. Cara sidled up to Wes and Jory, who were leaning against an SUV.

  “Wolfie?” she asked.

  “My brother’s not very original,” Wes replied.

  “Still. See, Jory? Nicknames that stick. It sort of sounds like Wesley . . . I assume it has a story to it . . .” She paused, remembering the wolf she had once seen on the playground at school. What if this nickname came from some similar experience where Wes had seen something and then been teased about it?

  “It does.” Jory grinned. “From his stuffed animal.” He gave her a wink and nudged her arm with his elbow.

  “Which I haven’t had since I was a little kid,” Wes grumbled. “Be glad you don’t have brothers.”

  Cara breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, glancing back and forth between the two of them. Where were Jory’s parents, though? She had been looking forward to meeting them for the first time too.

  “Jory, wh—”

  Wes stepped on her foot and interrupted. “When’s your mom getting here, Cara?”

  “Huh? Oh, um, any minute.” She followed his lead and let it go.

  Sure enough, she spotted her mom’s car pulling into the meadow a minute later. They picked up her stuff again. There were so many of them that Cara was left with nothing to carry this time. Soon, the introductions began again with Cara’s mom.

  Sandra’s eyes widened at the large group gathered around her daughter. “Wow, you guys must have brought a small fleet with you.”

  “Well, three adults, and four kids with all their stuff, so yeah, two big SUVs packed to the roofs. Oh, and a cat Jory somehow picked up along the way.” Elena shook her head.

  “Four kids! My goodness,” said Sandra.

  “Counting Jory, yes.” Elena’s tone left no doubt that she did count Jory.

  It finally dawned on Cara that he was catching a ride with them. His parents weren’t coming. Again. He rarely talked about them and had stayed at school for most of the holidays. The only times he went home were at Christmas and spring break, and she wasn’t sure who he had left with those times either.

  “I’m not sure what I’d do even with three kids.” Sandra gave Elena a broad smile between mothers.

  “It’s a good thing they can fend for themselves now, and thank goodness for scholarships,” Elena replied with a low laugh.

  Seeing that their moms were content to chat a while, Cara walked back over to the boys at the SUVs. Wes gave her another warning look, but it wasn’t necessary.

  “Where is Thomas?” she asked Jory instead.

  “In there.” He pointed to the admin building. “Staying in the air conditioning until after the ceremony.”

  “How did he take to his new carrier?”

  Jory showed her the long scratch on his forearm in response.

  “Ouch.” She cringed.

  “He didn’t mean to.”

  “Coming, Cara?” her mom called.

  She waved a hand to show she heard. “Say congratulations to Kaiah for me, and message me later. I’ll see you guys soon.”

  “Definitely.”

  “Yep.”

  She ran over to hug Delaney goodbye for the summer, and then climbed into the car and checked that the painting was safely stowed on the backseat next to the real Jenner. When she turned back to wave to Wes and Jory, they each raised a hand in response. Seeing them like that, her polar opposite two best friends casually leaning side by side against the big SUV, she couldn’t help smiling.

  If only we could enjoy a nice summer.

  She had friends to make plans with for the first time. But her stomach twisted. Stormyx was missing, and they had no idea when the kidnapper would strike next—not to mention what they’d do about it.

  CHAPTER 5

  Need to Know

  IT HAD ONLY BEEN ONE weekend of summer so far, but the house was too quiet. Cara had forgotten. At first, she’d reveled in the alone time and the silence. She’d spent hours those first few days reading out in the backyard, or curling up in the beanbag chair in her room. But her room felt so empty with only one bed and her sparse decorations. Fortunately, it meant Delaney’s portrait of Jenner now had a place of honor on the wall across from her bed, so it was the first and last thing she saw every day. She had already messaged Delaney three times to say how amazing it was.

  She was glad to hear the front door close on Monday evening, letting her know her mom was home. She skipped down the stairs.

  “Hi, Mom. How was work?”

  “Work was . . . something.” Sandra had a distant look on her face.

  “What happened?”

  “I’m not sure. I heard shouting this afternoon, and then Lydia stormed by my office when I was getting up to see what was going on. She didn’t stop to explain. She just left in the middle of the day. Mr. Jackson said she was ranting about a client of ours who shouldn’t be taking a deal for the chemical spill on their land. It’s a really good deal too. I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately.” Sandra was still shaking her head as she climbed the steps from the entryway and made her way to the kitchen, where she pulled out a frozen pizza and turned on the oven.

  Half an hour later, they sat down to eat. Sandra smiled at her from across the small kitchen table, composed again. “I heard from Josh. He’ll be here for almost two weeks this month.”

  “What? That’s awesome. Why for so long? He never gets to visit for so long.”

  Cara’s face lit up at the news. Her uncle was by far her favori
te adult, and she couldn’t wait to see him again. He’d visited for a few days at Christmas, but she hadn’t seen him since. When she’d received a text from him to say he was coming in July, she’d been excited, but she had no idea it was going to be more than the usual few days.

  “His aid organization has that huge fundraiser gala in town, so he volunteered to help set things up so he could spend some time with us—with you mostly, I think.” Her mom beamed at her.

  It was the best news she could have gotten. Aside from being a surrogate father, he was also the only grown-up Pyxsee she knew. Plus, she could use a little company around the quiet house.

  “When?”

  “Two weeks from Thursday,” Sandra replied, chuckling at Cara’s bouncing glee. “So, what are you doing until then? Did you think more about volunteering? You never got around to it last summer.”

  “Not sure. I’ll think about it.” Cara sank back into her chair.

  “That’s all I ask.” Sandra gave her a “mom” smile, and Cara rolled her eyes. “So what about Wes and Jory? I thought you would have made plans to meet up by now. Didn’t they invite you?”

  “Yeah, they did. I’ve been messaging with them. Maybe I’ll go later this week. It was just nice to have some alone time first.”

  She took a big bite of her pizza. The truth was, she was trying to give them time to hang out like they always used to. Between Jory’s strange ideas about her and Wes, and Elena’s comment about her being the first to break into their duo, she wanted to give them some space before being a trio again. She was close to breaking down, though. Only three days, but she missed her friends.

  Of course, she had Jenner, and Jenyx, for company. The next morning, they went over to the park to talk to the elders—three Pyx who had been in the Portland area for longer than any others. The first time Cara had seen them, they had all been using squirrel pyxides, but after one of them was taken last fall, they had made some new selections.

  “We knew Stormyx was gone, yes.” The deep voice booming in her mind came from the only one of them still using a squirrel pyxis, and the contrast between voice and body made Cara snicker.