Enduring Light (6 page)

I pulled energy from the fields. There was a surprising amount in the tall grains. The telltale heat seeped through me, and I knew my magic was working. Picturing a thick fog radiating out from where we stood, I worked to push it out far enough that it enclosed the entire village. I tried to make it impenetrable, the kind of fog that even Rudolf couldn’t find his way through. I momentarily lost concentration as I pictured the reindeer and had to steady myself and start over. Thankfully, none of the guys bothered me. Finally, I opened my eyes.

Liam was grinning. “Nice.”

“Well done.” Calvin spun me around to face him. “As always.”

“Why were you laughing?” Henry asked.

I smiled. “Rudolf.”

“Who is he?” Calvin asked.

Liam laughed. “Don’t worry, man. He’s not more competition.”

Henry looked at us. “I still do not understand.”

“Hey,” I said, “you had a Christmas in Charleston; you should know, Henry.”

He stared at me blankly.

“He’s a reindeer,” I started to explain, “a flying reindeer with a shiny red nose that led Santa through the foggy night to save Christmas…” Then I realized it was pointless. I’d have to explain Santa next.

Calvin smiled slightly. “So it is an animal?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, you can explain more another time.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” I turned to examine the village. It seemed pretty typical for a small town in Energo: modest homes and stores, all surrounded by farmland. We were in the center of town. The cobblestone streets reminded me of downtown Charleston.

“Which house was Ruth’s?” All I knew was that the family currently living in the house had left one room untouched for her. I still thought it was funny that she’d leave the scroll in her childhood home. Maybe she thought the small village was the last place someone would look for such an important item. People would probably assume it was in Bellgard somewhere. We only knew about its location because Percy had entrusted the information to Tomas. The more I thought about it, though, the more I figured she had to have a bigger reason. Maybe she somehow knew the Essence retrieving the scroll wouldn’t be able to get into Bellgard.

“Samantha said it had a thatched roof.” Henry seemed proud of himself for remembering that detail.

“They
all
have thatched roofs,” Liam stated flatly.

I laughed. “Real helpful.”

“Hey. At least I asked.”

I patted Henry on the back, and he grinned. I loved how normal our friendship had become—he really was like the little brother I never had.

“Okay, so what do we do? Start checking all of the houses?” Liam asked.

“Sounds reasonable.” I started walking up the front steps of the first house.

Calvin continued down the small road. “Or we could just go into the one that says Winthrop.” Calvin waited in front of a house three down from where I stood.

“What?” I hurried over to him. Sure enough, a plaque beside the
 
front door listed my mom’s maiden name. “That’s probably a good place to start.”

Henry walked up to the door and tried the knob. “It’s not locked.”

Calvin gestured for me to stay back while Henry and Liam checked inside the house. I understood the protectiveness, but it got old sometimes. They came out a few minutes later and gave the all-clear. I walked inside with Calvin. The downstairs was all one big room, reminding me of Calvin’s childhood home.

Goosebumps covered my skin as I looked at the half-eaten food on the table. “That table is still set for dinner.” Whatever happened had occurred suddenly. I prayed that the rest of the townspeople were still alive.

Calvin said, “They may have all run for it.”

I sighed. “I’m going to pretend I believe that.” Even though I hadn’t seen the girl, I could still picture her. I walked out of the living area and headed to the stairs. “I assume Ruth’s room would be upstairs.”

“Let me go first.” Calvin slipped past me on the stairs, stopping to squeeze my hand. “The house is clear, but you can never be too safe.”

I nodded and followed him up to the second floor. We saw two open doors. Through one, I saw a room that held a crib, and my chest clenched.

Calvin put an arm around me. “We are doing this to keep our people safe.” He moved to the closed door and tried to turn the knob, but it wouldn’t budge. “Stand back. I will have to break it down.

I put a hand on his arm. “Before you do that, let me try.”

“Okay.”

“You’re not going to try to stop me?”

“Opening locked doors is something I think an Essence would be good at.”

I smiled. “We’ll see.” I put a hand on the knob, closed my eyes, and concentrated. I pictured the knob turning, felt a little bit of heat, and then the wooden door opened slightly. The moderation exercises my mom had put me through were paying off. A month before, I would have used up all my energy and ended up pulling the door off its hinges.

“Nicely done.” Calvin surprisingly didn’t move to walk in first. “I have a feeling this is also a job made especially for you.”

“Will you wait for me here?”

“Of course. I will not move.”

“Good.” I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. I’d gotten much more confident about showing him affection.

He put a hand on my back, pulling me closer. I knew he wanted the kiss to go a lot further, but I had work to do. “Not now.”

He released me reluctantly. “Tonight.”

I pushed open the door.

“Umm, this can’t be right.” The room was empty—absolutely and completely empty. Not a single piece of furniture remained. The only evidence of anything having been there were slight indentations in the floor. “We’re too late. Someone must have gotten here first.”

“It is okay, my love. We will find another way.” Calvin came in, and his comforting arms moved around my waist.

“Can I have a minute alone in here?” I needed to clear my head.

“Sure… should I wait in the hall?”

“Yes, please.”

“Call me if you need me.” He disappeared through the doorway, closing the door behind him.

I closed my eyes and thought of Ruth. “Please tell me this wasn’t all for nothing. Please tell me there’s something here.”

There is something here
.
 

My heart about stopped. The answering voice was not my own.

Chapter Seven

Kevin

I needed a cold shower, but a Coke was the only thing cold I was getting. Things with Samantha had just gotten good when Talen interrupted us. The timing was highly suspicious.

“Our flight leaves late tonight. You all need to get some sleep because we will need to be fully alert.” Monty took a bite of pizza.

I’d been right that the food supply in the house was low, but Monty still had a bunch of frozen pizzas. He was addicted to them, and I didn’t mind it. Frozen pizza was heads above what we’d been eating with the Resistance. I watched as Samantha took a tentative bite of her slice. She’d opted for the vegetable pie. Monty must have bought it for Charlotte, who wasn’t the biggest pepperoni fan.

“Has anyone actually talked to my dad yet?” I refilled my glass of soda. Yet another thing I’d missed while in Energo. “Does he even know we’re coming?”

“You’re not seriously asking that question, are you?” Monty grabbed a second slice from the baking sheet.

“I take it you’ve called.”

“Of course I’ve called. He’s picking us up at the airport.”

“Dad? He’s taking time off work to pick us up?”

Monty gave me a frustrated look. “This is his work.”

“Yeah, you keep saying that, but I’m not sure I’ll really believe it until I see him.”

Monty leaned back in his chair. “You won’t have to wait long. Eat up and go to sleep.”

Talen laughed.

I glanced at him. “What?”

“You are a grown man, yet you allow your uncle to speak to you like an infant. And you are a Guardian?”

I pushed back my chair. “Are you looking to start a fight?”

Samantha put a hand on my arm. “Let it go. He is only trying to rile you up.”

“Oh, I realize that, but I have nervous energy I wouldn’t mind—”

The doorbell rang. Monty and I looked at each other. Who the hell would be ringing our doorbell?

“Should I answer it?” I asked.

Monty shook his head. “Let’s wait and see if they go away.”

The bell rang over and over. I’d never noticed how annoying the tone of it was.

“I do not think they are going away.” Samantha looked pensive for a moment. “Maybe I should get it? I will say you are away from home.”

Monty nodded. “That might be best. We’ll be just out of sight, in case this is trouble.”

Samantha nodded. There was something so cool about a girl who never let things scare her. Monty and I squeezed in behind the door before she opened it. Talen had waited in the kitchen. Way to offer protection.

“Who are you?” Charlotte’s friend Rachel asked.

“I am a friend of the Wint… um… Calloways.”

I was surprised Samantha even remembered my last name, since no one used it in Energo.

“Oh… is Henry home?”

Samantha didn’t skip a beat. “Henry? No. He is with Charlotte.”

“Where did they go? They’ve been out of school for weeks.” Rachel sounded breathless, as if she’d been running. Maybe she had been. There was really no other reason for her to be in our neighborhood. Either that or she was stalking the house. Considering how into Henry she was, maybe that wasn’t too far off.

“Visiting family.”

“In Europe? Are you from there, too? You talk like Henry.”

I had to force down a laugh. We’d been worried the “Europe cover” wouldn’t work for Henry, but no one seemed to question it. I guessed the alternative possibility, that he was from another world, was too out there for anyone to believe.

“Yes, Henry and I are from the same place.”

Man, Samantha was pretty good at being evasive. I’d have to remember that.

“Is Monty with them? And what about Kevin? The police are involved now. They think they were kidnapped or something.”

“Monty and Kevin are visiting elsewhere,”
Samantha replied calmly.

“Oh. Well, do you know when everyone’s coming back? I need to talk to Henry.”

“I am sorry, but did you mention who you were?”

“Rachel. I’m Henry’s girlfriend.”

“Oh, I have heard of you.”

“You have?” The excitement in Rachel’s voice was comical. At least the girl was as crazy for him as he was for her. The stalking-the-house theory was sounding more and more likely.

“Yes. He cares for you.”

“Can you tell him I miss him? I really miss him.”

Samantha stepped closer to the doorway. “Are you crying?”

“Yeah. It’s been hard. I thought I lost my best friend and boyfriend all at once.”

“They miss you as well. I will make sure they know you came by. And you will see them again soon.” Samantha’s voice held a conviction that seemed intense, even for her. She really believed we had a chance, and that made me believe it. “Take care now.”

“Bye.” Rachel sounded sad, but at least she knew Henry hadn’t just left her.

Samantha closed the door and locked it before turning to look at us. “How did I do?”

“Perfect.” I smiled. “Of course.”

“I feel sorry for that girl. I do hope Henry comes back for her. I have seen the love he has for her. They need to unite.”

Wow. I’d never heard Samantha talk about uniting before. Did she have more interest in that sort of stuff than I thought?

Monty headed back into the kitchen. “I’m sure he will. He’s an admirable kid. Plus his mother would have his hide if he didn’t.”

Samantha walked toward the stairs. “I think I am going to get some sleep.”

I wanted to follow, but I figured that wouldn’t go over well. Instead, I helped Monty with the minimal dishes. Afterward, I flipped through an old
Sports Illustrated
. Bored, I decided I might as well go to bed, too.

“Kevin, come in here,” Monty called from the den.

I stopped halfway up the stairs. “What is it?”

“It’s not good.”

I ran back down, jumping over the last couple of steps, and went into the den. Monty gestured to the TV. ESPN was on.

Authorities are calling foul play in the disappearance of UNC forward Kevin Calloway and his family. After weeks of extensive investigation, the trail is still cold. Teammates of Calloway have their own theories.

I groaned as the camera moved to my roommate Marcus.
“Kevin was into some strange shit. I don’t know what was real and what was fantasy, but there may be some Lord of the Ring types involved.”

“Lord of The Ring types?” the reporter asked skeptically.

“Yeah, old fashioned clothes and everything. They even talked all funny. They were probably really after his sister, though. She’s the princess.”

“And now back to Drew in the studio.”

The screen went black for a second before returning to sports scores.

Monty let out a deep breath. “This is bad.”

“You think? It was bad enough that the cops here were looking. I should have assumed they’d be involved in Chapel Hill, too.” It wasn’t every day that a starting player from a major ACC team went missing. I caught a few scores, and it didn’t look as though my team was doing well. I wondered if I’d ever play basketball again.
 
“What do we do?”

Monty shut off the TV. “Lay low. Don’t talk to anyone you don’t have to tomorrow. We let Samantha and Talen have all the conversations. No one is looking for them.”

I nodded. “I guess that’s the only thing we can do. Do you think anyone’s waiting for us with Dad? And wait. What about IDs? Won’t our names flag the system at the airport?”

“We’re covered. We had to get identification for Samantha and Talen, so I got us some fake IDs.”

“You did all this in less than a day?”

“No. I had someone do it earlier.”

“Someone?”

“Sometimes it’s better not to ask questions, Kevin.” Monty was acting really weird.

During the weeks we were at the caves, he’d made several trips without telling us where he was going. Mom said that was just the way he was, but he had never been like that back home. Maybe his evasiveness was just nerves. I knew I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the trip.

“Okay,” I said. “On that note, I’m going to bed for a few hours.”

“Do that. I’m going to keep first watch. I’ll wake you up so I can sleep next.”

 
“Sounds good.” I headed upstairs. Instead of stopping on the second floor by my room, I went to the third and listened outside of Charlotte’s room. I heard a few notes of music and knocked a few times before slowly opening the door. Samantha looked up when I walked in.

“You trying out the cello?”

“No, I mean…it just reminded me of something.”
 

“Are you really into music?” I had no ability when it came to music, but both Charlotte and Monty loved it.

“No. I just wanted to hear it. It’s like I’ve heard someone play one before.”

“Oh.”

“This is going to sound crazy, but I feel like I have been here before. I just walked out on the balcony that overlooks the garden, and I swear it is like I have seen the view.”

“That doesn’t sound crazy. Do you feel that with anything else?”

“I am going to go to bed.” Samantha carefully set down the instrument before hurrying me out the door. “See you in a few hours. Rest well.” She shut the door in my face before I could respond.

After what I’d seen in Energo, I no longer believed in coincidences. Samantha’s case of déjà vu held some significance, but I couldn’t figure it out. I walked down to my room and flopped on my bed. I forced every thought out of my head so I could get some much-needed sleep. I’d have hours to worry about it on our trip.