by Jo Holloway
“Have you not heard any other news, then?” Jenyx asked the others.
“No. Tolyx did mention he saw a figure watching him, but he’s exceedingly careful with Tolstoy now. He makes the little Pekinese run back to the door to bark as soon as something feels off. No one has gotten close.”
This voice still freaked Cara out the most. She was talking to a tree. The same big, stately fir tree she had walked past every day for many years, to and from her old school—a tree that now spoke to her. She shook her head, pondering the strange Pyx who preferred a pyxis that couldn’t see or move, because it was safer from whatever threat might be out there.
The third and final elder was the one who had been taken. She had personally returned him to this park at Christmas after rescuing him and the others, and now he was hiding somewhere high up in the tree in his new porcupine pyxis. Apparently he hardly ever came down, though the sharp quills should have been protection enough.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she pulled it out to check the message. Jenner raised his head to look at her.
“If that is your friends again, you should respond,” Jenyx said. “It would be nice to talk to Tomyx. He may have learned something in the past few days.”
“I will.” She started to walk slowly out of the park since the elders had nothing more to offer. “How about you tell me what the two of you are keeping secret first? It’s been a month, and you’ve still never told me what the Pyx in the deer wanted that day.”
“I am sorry, child. I cannot. I can only promise you will know if it ever becomes relevant to you.”
Jenner followed at her heels with his head low, affected by the dismayed Pyx.
Stop feeling bad. You need to know.
She swallowed her guilt. “I knew you were going to say that.” She sighed and bent over her phone to re-read all the messages from her group conversation with Wes and Jory since they’d left school.
(Wes V.) Kaiah’s speech went really well.
She says thanks for your congratulations.
(Jory M.) At home. Thomas is exploring his new kingdom.
She hadn’t bothered to reply to those first two since they had just seen each other at the time. Between unpacking and settling back in at home, the next messages had been late Saturday.
(Jory M.) Wes is coming over for movie night Sunday.
Cara, you in?
Plans with my mom, sorry.
The next one was from Sunday, when they were presumably together watching a movie.
(Jory M.) Tomorrow?
Don’t make me break out a nickname.
Lol. Find a good one and I’ll think about it!
(Jory M.) Oh I will.
Yesterday evening, Jory had tried again. She had to give it to him for his persistence. He wasn’t going to let it go, so she’d tried being more vague to put him off another day.
(Jory M.) Cara, what are you doing tomorrow?
How about a run instead of a movie?
Good idea.
(Jory M.) So?
I’ll get back to you.
(Jory M.) Are you avoiding us?
That message had come last night, but she hadn’t responded until this morning when she sent a brief reassuring message. Now Wes had replied.
Course not.
(Wes V.) You sure about that?
The twinge of guilt hit her again. If Wes had something to say about it, then it must be serious. She rolled her eyes and typed her response.
You guys do something today.
I’m in for tomorrow.
That was good. It would give them one more day if they wanted it, but they would stop thinking she was avoiding them. Besides, she could probably only hold out for one more day herself. She really wanted to see them. The flashing bubble on her screen told her someone was typing, so she waited until it popped up.
(Wes V.) You’re on my way. I’ll stop by at 10.
THE NEXT MORNING, SHE waited on her front step for Wes. She’d tried to pull her bike out, only to realize it had extremely flat tires, so she was on foot for today. That was okay. It would give her more time to talk to him, and she had questions.
“What do you think is up with him?” she asked Jenyx.
“In what way?”
“I mean, all the times he was off on his own over the last few months. And other stuff . . . It feels like he’s not telling us something.”
“I believe Wesley would say if you seek an answer, you must first ask a question.”
She stared for a moment. “Have you been in Thomas’s catnip? Because that does not sound like something Wes would say. At least, not like that.” She rubbed her hands across her knees. “Are you trying to say I should come right out and ask him?”
“I am.”
She grimaced. “How long have you been studying humans again?” She stood up and stretched, checking the road for signs of her friend. He should be here any minute. “I guess you’re probably right in this case. Um, could you do me a favor?”
“Of course. What do you need?”
“Can you go away and not listen for a bit?”
Wes was riding up the sidewalk, and she waved. “Like, now?” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
Jenner stood, trotted along the hedge, and vanished down the side yard.
Wes pulled up in front of the house. He had shed his more formal school look in favor of full summer mode, in shorts and a tank top. She was struck again with how his frame looked stretched and lean. Though still wiry, there were clear muscles defined now in his arms. Archery was obviously having an effect, but it didn’t explain his toned legs, or why he was barely out of breath when he’d already ridden over three miles from his house. Her stomach squirmed with nerves, but she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.
“Hey, ready to go?” Wes called, stepping off his bike.
“No. We’re not going anywhere,” she answered. She sat down on the grass and folded her arms, looking up into his confused face. “Not until we talk. Sit.”
“Um, okay.” He dropped his bike and crossed the lawn to sit beside her. “What’s up?”
“Exactly.”
Wes was silent. The confused look stayed on his face.
“I meant—that’s my question. What’s up?” Cara said.
“What?”
“I mean, the secrets. Look at you. What have you been doing? The growth spurt is one thing. I’ve seen how tall your brother is, but . . .” She waved a hand up and down in his direction.
“Oh. That.”
“Yeah, that.”
“I didn’t want to be left behind.”
“What do you mean?”
Wes sighed and plucked a few blades of grass to twine between his fingers. Cara watched him and waited.
“Back in November, when we ran after Tomyx—” He glanced at her, but she stayed quiet. “I hated that I couldn’t keep up. Jory was always the athletic one out of the two of us. It wasn’t my thing, and I never cared. But then it mattered, and you were there too . . .”
He let the blades of grass go into the breeze. A few blades floated toward Cara before coming to rest on the ground.
“I’m glad you are. I am. But seeing you and him, and not being able to be there when it counted . . .”
“You were there, Wes. What are you talking about? And you were definitely there for Jory at the mansion.”
He shrugged.
“So all the times you were off on your own after classes, did you actually have extra training with the archery team?” Cara asked.
He grimaced and shook his head. “I didn’t lie.” He turned to face her. “I was training. I just wanted to start running on my own first.”
Cara’s mouth opened in surprise. “You’ve been running?”
He nodded once.
“And you didn’t come running with us? What the hell?” She flicked her hand at him, smacking him on the shoulder.
“Well, I couldn’t run with you at first. You’d have lef
t me in the dust. I probably could now, though, if you ever want to.”
“Of course I do. Jory would too. Does he know?”
He shook his head again. “It’s no big deal, really.”
“Is that why you’re biking now instead of taking the bus?”
“Partly. It’s nice to be outside doing things.”
“How come we never saw you out on the trails at school?”
“I mostly ran the road—the hill. On purpose at first so I wouldn’t run into you, and then I sort of stuck with it. I didn’t mean to keep it a secret, but it turned into a whole thing. Plus, running sort of became the thing you and Jory do together.”
“Speaking of Jory.” Cara took a deep breath. This was the part she’d been avoiding. “I need you to explain to me why he thinks you and I should date.”
Her cheeks burned at the bluntness, but she set her jaw and turned to look directly at him. His wide eyes gleamed in the sun, showing the hundreds of flecks of gold amidst the rich brown. He obviously hadn’t expected that. He swore softly, looking away.
“What did he say?” Wes asked.
“He got all weird after you ran off to check the mansion when Stormy disappeared. I confronted him about that ridiculous wink which I totally saw by the way. But I have no idea why he thought it would be a good idea.” She took a deep breath and brushed a wandering ant off her ankle. “You didn’t say something to him, did you?” She couldn’t look at him.
“Is that what you think?” He leaned back on one hand, shifting so he could shield his eyes from the sun.
“No. Not really. You didn’t, then?”
“No.”
“So why does Jory think that?”
“He doesn’t. Not anymore.” He swore again and shook his head. “I knew he was being an idiot, but I didn’t know he said anything to you. Sorry.”
She had been expecting the awkwardness, but she hadn’t considered how awful it would feel to see Wes’s face look so conflicted. She didn’t get him to herself like this very often, and she didn’t want to make him any more uncomfortable. With a sigh, she stood and brushed off the bits of grass stuck to her legs and shorts.
“Okay. We agree Jory’s an idiot.” She smiled down at him and took a step back. “I still want to talk, but we can start walking now. We’re already going to be late.”
She gave him time to collect himself as he stood and walked over to pick up his bike. She called for Jenner, and they set out down her street.
“I’m sorry too, for what it’s worth,” she said.
“Why are you sorry?”
“I worry about Jory feeling left out since he can’t hear half the conversation when we talk with Jenyx and Tomyx. I might have been too focused on making sure he was good and I missed whatever was going on with you. I hate missing things.” Her lips pursed together.
“Well, that’s funny. I’m pretty sure Jory’s worried about you feeling left out since the two of us go back so far.”
“Which left no one worrying about you . . .” Her throat tightened, and she stopped talking.
They turned up the broad bike path. Wes pushed his bike between them. Tall, flowering bushes rose on either side of them, and a soft breeze whispered through the branches. Cara inhaled the sweet scent of the early summer blossoms wafting through the air.
She plucked one of the flowers and held it up to her face. “I remember seeing you and Jory together, before I knew you guys, and thinking you looked totally confident in your friendship with him, even when Jory was getting all popular and was surrounded by football guys all the time.”
“And the giggly girls,” Wes interrupted. “Don’t forget his adoring fans.”
“Right, of course, who could forget?” She shared a laugh with him. “See, none of that ever seemed to bother you.”
“I guess.”
“But it’s different now? With me?”
“No . . . Yes? Sort of. But not in a bad way. It took me a while to adjust with you. That’s all.”
“That’s why you never told us about running?” Cara checked his face, but he was staring down at his front tire and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“I guess.”
“So where did he come up with his idiotic plan if you didn’t say anything?” She picked petals off the flower, dropping them as she went.
“Not sure. He did hint at something a long time ago, and I guess I didn’t correct him.”
“Wes!”
“I know. I feel bad, but I didn’t think he was serious. It was a long time ago—January, I think. You two were getting . . . closer, and I wasn’t sure where that left me. I know Jory’s rep.”
“Oh my God. You two are the worst.” She threw her hands up, tossing the rest of the flower in the air. “We’re all friends. I’m a girl. Get over it.”
He stopped walking, and she had to turn back to look at him.
“You’re a girl?” he said, staring at her with his mouth open and a crinkle beside his eyes.
“Oh, shut up!” She smacked him in the arm again. “You’re not funny. And I still don’t understand what he thought he was doing.”
Wes laughed. “I think he’s got his head on straight now. We talked. Thank you, by the way, but you didn’t have to avoid us. He was worried about you.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She started pushing his bike forward for him.
“Sure, and I’m not a Pyxsee,” he replied, catching up.
“Oh, look who’s full of jokes today.” She let him take the bike back from her. “Hmm. It’s going to be really annoying if we can’t hide some things from each other, isn’t it, Wolfie?”
“Don’t start.” He groaned. “Mak is so annoying. Plus, I’ve been listening to Jory trying to come up with nicknames for you for the last three days.”
“Anything good?”
“What do you think?”
She chuckled. “Mak and the rest of your family seem really great, Wes. I always wanted a brother.” She smiled at him, but was surprised to see him looking serious again despite the lighthearted turn in their conversation. “What?”
“Speaking of family—there’s something else I should tell you before we get to Jory’s house.”
CHAPTER 6
Not Possible
THE HUGE HOME SHOULD have been impressive. The perfectly manicured lawn stretched across the wide property, and a faint smell of freshly cut grass lingered in the air. Gazing up at the sweeping arch over the entrance, though, Cara swallowed back bitterness.
She turned to look at Wes again. “They really never come home?”
“It’s just him and his gram here, and you won’t see her much. The last time I saw Jory’s parents in person was three Christmases ago. For the last two, they’ve flown him to wherever they are—Greece last year. They used to fly him to visit for a few weeks in the summer, but he refused to go last year. This year too.”
“Why?”
“He’d never say so, but it was because of me. He wouldn’t leave when I was learning about Pyx and being a Pyxsee. Now there’s Thomas and you and the abductions starting again. He won’t leave us.”
She caught Wes’s hand when he raised it to ring the bell. She needed a minute so Jory didn’t see her like this. Another long, deep breath of grass-scented air helped her rein in the tears threatening to spill over.
“I’m glad he has you and your family,” she whispered to Wes.
“And you,” he said.
“No, it’s different. You’ve been here for him since you were kids. Since . . . how long?”
“Before either of us remembers. My mom was his nanny. Didn’t we tell you?”
Cara shook her head, leaning against the cool, rough stucco. Wes studied her for a second. He took a step back from the door and leaned against the other side of the entryway.
“She used to bring me here with her every day. Mak and Kaiah too, although by the time I can remember anything, they were already in school and it was just
Jory and me. My mom tells this story of the first time she brought me.” He paused with a small smile. “As she tells it, Jory was a fussy kid, but the first time she brought me in with her, he stopped everything and stared at me. Says she never saw anything like it. He sat down and offered me some toy and was perfectly quiet the rest of the day. She says he recognized his true family. I know how it sounds . . . Mom gets a little whimsical in her storytelling.”
“I think it’s beautiful,” Cara said. Listening to Wes tell the story gave her the time she needed. She nodded once. “Okay, I’m ready now.”
They rang the doorbell.
The three of them hung out every day for the rest of the week, meeting up at Jory’s house to go for walks, watch movies, or chill in his backyard. Cara fixed her bike tires so she could bike over most days with Jenner trotting alongside.
She got used to Jory’s large, empty house after a few days. They had total freedom to do whatever they wanted, and the kitchen was always well stocked. She had noticed one ornate set of double doors they never used, and jokingly asked him if it was the East Wing. She’d been close.
“Those are Gram’s rooms,” Jory had replied. “She doesn’t come out much, but she’s there if I need anything.”
“I’m sorry. It must be lonely.”
“It’s not bad. Wes stays over a lot. He’s had his own room here for about three years now.”
It turned out he knew Wes was going to tell her about his absent parents. Of course he did—she should have known. He seemed grateful not to have to talk about it more than necessary. She couldn’t help giving him a huge hug that first day, though.
Tomyx hadn’t learned anything new yet, and they spent the end of the week wondering what else had been going on since Stormy’s disappearance. What hadn’t they heard about? What else could they do?
The three of them went for a run together on Friday, and Jory spent the whole time bugging Wes about his terrible technique after all his time running alone. He finally quit when she elbowed him off the curb and beat him in a sprint for the first time, laughing while she raised her arms in glory on his front lawn.