Dissever (Unbinding Fate Book One) (6 page)

“Yeah,
sure.
When I was taking my daily
stroll
down the coast checking out the real estate I noticed it seemed out of place.”

Addy raised her eyebrows at him. “Good thing you’re
around to keep the shoreline safe from rogue real estate.”

“It’s too late to be nice now,” he said, pointing to
his t-shirt and boots. “You’ve already insulted my beach attire.”

“You didn’t strike me as the overly sensitive type—I
thought you could take my constructive criticism.” Addy tipped her head to the
side. “My mistake.”

Tanner stepped a little closer to her and put his
hands in his pockets. “The day before yesterday I started feeling strange—almost
sick, but like I was being pulled. The next thing I knew I was driving here.”

 “So you’ve been hanging out here for the last two
days?” Addy glanced at their tropical surroundings and then back at Tanner’s
anywhere
but the beach outfit
. “Doing
what
—just creeping around?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Wow, it sounds so much worse when
you say it like that.”

“Sorry.”

“I didn’t stay because I
wanted
to. Leaving hurts—like
my guts are being pulled out.”

“Oh.” She shifted her eyes to meet his. “Do you live
around here?”

“About ten minutes away. But in case you couldn’t tell,
I’m not really a
sand and surf
kinda guy.” He looked around and shook
his head. “I never come here—the beach sucks.”

Addy tapped her index finger on her bottom lip,
choosing her words carefully before she spoke. “If you don’t come to the beach,
then what makes you think our house wasn’t here before?”

“Because last night a crazy blue glowing started and I
watched
it take shape in that spot.” He told her as he gestured at the
estate. “I tried to leave after that, but the farther away I got, the worse the
pain was.”

When Akori rematerialized they got a pulling feeling
that led them to Fate. Tanner’s hands were in his pockets, but Addy wanted to
see if he had blue symbols on them—she was beginning to think he was an Akori
and didn’t know it.

Addy wrinkled her brow at him. “What you’re saying is you’re
being pulled here by some weird feeling that gets
worse
if you try to
leave?”

“Yeah, basically,” Tanner said, meeting her eyes, “and
don’t judge me, girl from the magic house.”

Addy just started asking him random questions to make
conversation. He told her he was twenty-two, and in a rock band—which didn’t exactly
come as a total shocker.

They moved over and sat on some large rocks near the
bushes, partially hidden from her group of friends who’d migrated back to the
fire. Sitting only a few feet away from him, she could clearly see Tanner
didn’t have any blue symbols on his hands. That meant her Akori theory was out.

After a few minutes they ended up talking about all
kinds of things like music, movies, and video games. She actually had to remind
herself she was supposed to be trying to figure out what was up with him—not finding
out what his favorite movie quote was.

Talking to Tanner was easy, like when she met Kim. He
was funny and smart and up close he wasn’t scary at all. He still wore ripped jeans,
black boots, and a black t-shirt. He wasn’t much taller than her, four inches
at the most. She could see tattoos on his arms peeking out from his sleeves, but
couldn’t tell what they were. If you overlooked the fact he really needed a
shave and something done with his long and scraggly dark hair, he was pretty
good looking.

“So after talking to you for awhile my working theory
is that you’re from some kind of supernatural cult,” he said, with a hint of a
smile. “Am I getting close?”

“Maybe—I’ve got some grape flavored drinks back at my
place.” She cut her eyes at him. “Thirsty?”

 “I’m good, but
thanks.
” Tanner put his hands
on his stomach. “My insides already feel like I drank poison punch.”

Addy shrugged her shoulders. “Suit yourself.”

Tanner ran his hand across his forehead and leaned
forward with his elbows on his knees. “Seriously though, what’s the deal—who the
hell are you guys?”

In the distance, two figures approaching them caught
her eye. Gage and Matt started calling up to her.

 Feeling panicked, but grateful they’d saved her from
answering Tanner’s questions, she instantly decided she didn’t want them to see
him.

“You gotta
go,
” she whispered.

Tanner looked between her and the approaching guys. “Only
if you come back tomorrow night,” he said, making no effort to get up. “You
gotta tell me what’s going on, girlie.”

Addy didn’t
know
what was going on—that was the
problem. She really wanted to find out though and quickly nodded her head at
him.

“Fine, but go before Gage and Matt see you. And
please
don’t be stalking around making yourself obvious—they’re looking for you.”

The guys covered the ground between them quickly and
within seconds Matt was standing over Addy.

“Were you just talking to yourself?” he asked, eyeing
the area around her.

She glanced where Tanner had been sitting, feeling
relieved he’d made a fast get away. “I think you’re drunk, Mattie.”

 “I’m not yet, but Malcolm just refilled the cooler,
so I plan to be soon.”

Gage stood a few feet behind Matt with his arms
crossed. He seemed tense, which made her wonder if he’d seen Tanner.

“We’ve been looking
all over
for you,” Gage
said.

“No worries, I was just working on my
observation skills
.”
She snickered at him, and he rolled his eyes.

She stood up and started to make her way back through
the grass. The fire was starting to burn itself out and wasn’t as bright.

“Dang!” The dry grass under her feet hurt a lot more going
down than it had on her way up.   

Without warning, Matt snatched her up and tossed her
over his shoulder. Addy squealed and gripped his shirt to steady herself. “C’mon,
put me down Mattie!”

 He ignored her and a minute later dumped her off by
the fire next to Kim, who was snapping pictures of everyone. Gage sat down
beside her, which was really unusual. They’d already spoken more in the last couple
of hours than they had in the last few years.

Kim stuck the camera in their faces, telling them to
smile.

Gage bumped her shoulder with his. “So do you know
what else happened when we lived here before?”

Addy pasted a smile on her face for the camera and
shrugged her shoulders. “Hmm… What?”

He tipped his head sideways toward her, grinning for Kim’s
picture. “It’s where we met.”

Chapter 5

Even though Addy had a killer headache, she knew there
was no cancelling her practice with Bernard, especially since it was her own
fault for drinking. Headache or not, Bernard’s combat lessons would be a good
distraction. Her mind had been racing since meeting Tanner.

 “Bye Moose,” she said to the cat and scratched his
head.

Addy grabbed her gym bag and started to head out. When
she opened her door she found a note stuck to her screen. She unfolded it,
surprised to see who left it.

Tonight, same place.

-T

Tanner. When she told Kim about him on the way home
from the beach the night before, she made Addy promise not to meet him. Addy
didn’t tell her about his strange pulling feeling. She figured that would set
Kim off and she’d end up telling Matt about him.

Tanner was becoming more and more intriguing. After
getting the note, Addy didn’t think it was possible to pass up meeting with
him. She was curious to know how he knew where she lived. He seemed harmless
and just wanted answers, which she wanted too. If she stayed away from him neither
one of them would get what they wanted.

As much as she hated being the girl who hid things
from her friends and family, like the ones in the books and movies she wanted
to kick for never sharing important information, it couldn’t be helped. She
dropped his note on the table by her door and headed out.

They trained in the ballroom of the main house that
had been converted into a makeshift gymnasium. It’s not as if they had use for
a ballroom anyway, but Addy always thought it was strange learning hand-to-hand
combat moves surrounded by beautiful paintings, with sparkling crystal
chandeliers hanging from the thirty-foot ceilings.

In school, Stubbs told the kids that the ballroom was
built to hold the Reunion Ball. It was a spectacular event held whenever Eva
and Andrew came home to Tremain. The Akori would converge on the estate from around
the world to attend. Stubbs talked about it as if he’d actually attended once
or twice.

The celebrations stopped when a group of humans who
were obsessed with controlling the Akori’s powers attacked the ball. From what
Stubbs described, it was a slaughter. The Akori, two Akori actually, Andrew and
Eva, killed all the human attackers. He couldn’t—
or wouldn’t
tell them
how they did it, but apparently being the most powerful Akori came with more
than just lame event shifting power.

Checking the time, Addy stopped in the dining room and
grabbed a bagel and a cup of coffee, then made her way to practice. When she opened
the doors to the ballroom, Gage was the only one there.

“Hey.” Addy greeted him and looked around. She dropped
her bag, then sat on the mat farthest from him and began her stretching
routine. “Where’s Bernard?”

“Fate called for him when he and I finished our practice.
He told me to stay and work with you,” Gage said as he finished lining up the
remaining mats.

“That’s strange—are you sure he didn’t want
me
to train
you
?” she asked, trying not to smile.

He came over and began stretching alongside her. “You’re
really funny this morning for a girl running on four hours of sleep with a
hangover.”

“Right,” she said, pressing her hand to her temple. “I
should’ve known better than to try to keep up with Matt where drinking’s
concerned.”

For the second day in a row she found herself alone
with Gage. She’d tried to stay mad about what he’d said to her on their way
down to the beach, but it really wasn’t worth all the effort it was taking.

 At first they just practiced taking easy shots at
each other and blocking. It was pretty basic stuff they could both do in their
sleep.

“So what were you doing up in the bushes last night
when Matt and I found you?” Gage asked between jabs at her.

She quickly countered with a kick at his ribs that he
easily blocked.

“Just getting away, thinking.”

He smirked at her. “You run off and think in the bushes
often?”

”Every chance I get,” she said, swinging her foot around
from the other side so fast he couldn’t get his forearm up to block its contact
with his ribs.

He retreated only long enough to get his balance, and
then shot back with a blow to her midsection that she tried to block too late. She
responded with a fast kick, but he knocked it aside.

“Your kicks are becoming predictable,” he said,
dodging her foot.

She knew he was just trying to get her mad so she
ignored him.

Gage put his hands up. Moving closer to her, he leaned
down. “You don’t have to hide anything. Besides, I know you were up to
something.” He suddenly hooked his arm securely under hers and rolled her face
first on the mat. “Pay attention,” he said, giving her ponytail a little tug.

His plan to get her mad was working. She reared back,
catching him in the face with her head. It stunned him enough for her to slip
out from under him and jump to her feet. He swept her legs out from under her,
but she was able to catch him with a hard hit to the side of his head on her
way down to the mat.

Hurrying to get up, she didn’t realize how close she
was to the edge of the mat and slipped, knocking her already hurting head on
the marble floor. She quickly shook it off and got to her feet.

“You caught me, I was meeting a guy.” She tried to kick
him, but wasn’t fast enough, and he skillfully blocked her. “You and Matt
aren’t the only ones who shop the locals.”

He grabbed her from behind, holding her arms at her
chest. “We all learned that a few months back at the ski lodge—
remember?”

The night Matt and Kim’s date got in the fight, Gage
was the one who called Addy out of her date’s room at the lodge to deal with
Kim, while he dragged Matt out of there. She wasn’t actually doing anything
with the guy other than listening to how awesome he thought he was on a
snowboard. The call to get Kim under control was more like a rescue than an
interruption.

Twisting in his arms, she dug the heel of her foot
into his knee and he released her.

Gage quickly recovered and tried to flip her to the
mat again, but Addy was ready for him. She used his weight against him and
flipped him over her body. He landed on his back with a thud.

She smiled at him, sticking her tongue out.

He pointed at her and grinned. “That was a nice move,”
he said, laughing as he jumped to his feet.

There was no more talking. Back and forth, they
knocked each other down, blocked, and counter attacked.

Sweeping her feet out from under her again, Gage pinned
Addy down on her back. He sat on top of her, easily holding her hands down above
her head. He was out of breath and soaked with sweat.

“You give up yet?” he asked, smiling down at her.

Addy shifted under his weight. “No way.”

Gage smiled, tipping his head back. “Of course you
don’t—what was I thinking?”

She could barely breathe and was completely dizzy. It
was hard to think straight.

“Hey, you’re bleeding.” He frowned and leaned down
close to see where the blood was coming from. His breath on her neck made her
shiver even though she wasn’t even close to cold.