Spiral (Spiral Series) (20 page)

I had laughed to Jar ruefully several times about getting worked up over a girl I hadn’t seen in years, when there were lots of girls right in front of my face I couldn’t have cared less about.

“I doubt it,” I said dryly.

Eric glowered at me. He hated it when I didn’t listen to him as if he was Unicorn’s gift to the world.

“Whatever you say. I just hope you have a plan for what you’re going to do if Visioners attack you tonight or if her powers don’t show up. All that pining after someone and she doesn’t turn out to exist, or she does exist and everyone and her mother wants her dead,” Eric said smugly. “It’s a lose lose situation where she’s concerned, my friend.”

We are not friends.

“
Besides, it doesn’t make sense that a trouble-maker like you can protect her.”

Again I answered him only in my mind, because I didn’t want to have an overt fight with my Watchful: I can protect her, I said to him in my imagination, precisely because I was a trouble-maker.

I wasn’t really worried about what Eric had suggested the Visioners might do. They wouldn’t dare attack a member of the Silves so openly, and Natalie was a member, at least for now. Why they were daring to trail Natalie, when they had agreed to leave her alone until she came of age and fully understood what it meant to be hele, was another matter.

“I need to make a phone call,” I said, and Eric nodded and left. I was much happier when he was gone.

As I thought it over in the quiet of my room I decided I wanted to talk to an Elder, and my aunt was obviously the best choice. She would know what to do. Ever since my mom’s death I had always called on her when I had a problem.

Eleanor answered on the first ring. “What’s wrong?” she demanded, I was surprised by the clear panic in her voice.

“Nothing,” I said. “I just wanted to check in. I’ve met her a few times, and I see her at school. One of her friends invited me to her birthday party tonight, so I’m going.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, then Eleanor said, “How are you feeling?” She was still breathing hard, and her worry had been replaced by something else, but I couldn’t place it.

“I’m fine.”

Really, I was better than fine. I was the happiest I had been in years. “Looking forward to this evening.”

My aunt must have heard the relief in my voice, because she said dryly, “Well, don’t scare the girl.”

I stiffened. “I would never.”

“Sometimes what we expect or would like from an interaction is not how it ends up going,” said Eleanor cautiously.

“I just need to be near her. I need to know she’s safe.” I would never have admitted anything like that to anyone but my aunt.

“Have you seen any Visioners?” Eleanor asked.

Always to the point, Eleanor would want to know exactly what kind of danger Natalie was in. I didn’t want to admit it, but if the events of the past couple of days were any indication, Natalie was in more danger than anyone had understood.

“I did see one,” I said, “but it’s gone now.”

“They are not gone,” said Eleanor. “More are arriving in Blueberry every day. You have to be careful. And watchful.”

“Can’t you send more help?” I asked. I hated asking for help, because I wanted to be able to protect Natalie on my own, but I knew that was foolish.

“No,” said Eleanor. “Right now the Visioners don’t know how much we know. If more Watchfuls or unicorns start showing up in Blueberry, it will tip them off. They might get skittish, and who knows what they’d do then.”

“You don’t think they’d seriously hurt Natalie?” I asked quickly. I couldn’t stand that idea. I could stand the idea that she didn’t remember me - although I didn’t like it - and I could stand the idea that she might be angry when she found out her real history. But I just didn’t want her to be in pain. And without really having planned it, I didn’t want to tell my aunt just yet about the incident on the lake.

“They can try to hurt her,” said Eleanor, “but it would take more effort than they’re willing to put in in Blueberry.

I had to smile at how pleased she sounded.

“You still won’t let me tell her?” I asked with frustration. It was an old argument with us. I still thought Natalie should be told who she was and that there were people out there who wanted her powers - or wanted her dead.

“Not until graduation!” Eleanor said, repeating what she always said like a broken record. “That was the agreement.”

A weight settled over my shoulders. “You did a bang up job taking away her memory.”

“We had to,” Eleanor said. “There was no other choice. Luckily, her Watchful says that seeing you hasn’t triggered any memories.”

“What does her Watchful know?” I asked.

Although Watchfuls were necessary to unicorns, they were also irritating. Something about it felt too much like being babysat, and I had always had a special dislike for the idea of Natalie’s Watchful.

“Her Watchful has been with her for years and has kept her alive through everything,” my aunt reminded me sternly. Then, after a pause, she said, “Call me tomorrow? I’m done trying to talk you out of doing something foolish. It’s a fool’s errand.”

I had to smile. There was the aunt I knew and loved. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” I promised. “Hopefully with news of Natalie’s new hele.”

“Good enough,” said my aunt. She sounded tired and more than ready to get off the phone, but I stopped her.

“Aunt Eleanor . . .” I started, but then I paused. I wasn’t sure how to ask what I wanted to know.

“Yes?”

“Um, if anything was wrong, you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?”

“What are you talking about? What could be wrong?” she demanded. Even though her words suggested that I was crazy, her tone said that I might be on to something. And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.

“So, everything there is fine?”

“Of course,” she snapped. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

With that she hung up the phone. I stared out the window at nothing for long minutes. Maybe Gretchen had been on to something. Maybe the wild ramblings of the most annoying person on the planet were not so wild. Maybe there was more going on than anyone was willing to tell me.

And maybe I did have to choose whom to trust. But then again it wasn’t even a choice. I already knew.

Natalie.

A fission of warmth spread through me, but for once it wasn’t because I was going to see Jackson. It was because Pierce was coming
. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was looking forward to weeding with him at Mrs. Tiger’s. Even that sentence sounded ridiculous in my head, but I didn’t care.

Jill and Maxie had gone home to change, and
I was lying on my bed in my room, reading to pass the time. It was hard to focus on my book when so much was going on, but I was trying.

My dad
was
be in for a shock when a guy showed up that I hadn’t known since I was little, but my dad always took everything in stride. I hoped he understood. Maxie liked
Pierce, of course,
but she liked every cute guy, and Jill was willing to tolerate him, which was the best I could hope for from Jill at this point.

I sighed, trying to ease the tension that had been building in my shoulders and neck. I rolled from left to right on my pillows, but
I
couldn’t get comfortable. My birthday was always upsetting. I knew that tonight when I went
to
sleep there would be the Snake Man with the dead eyes waiting for me
,
and I was dreading it. It didn’t matter how much fun I had at dinner. Misery waited to welcome me when I closed my eyes.

My friends
’
suggestion that the nightmares might stop this year
had been
wrong. I didn’t want to tell them how bad it was getting, but it was becoming unbearable.

The trouble was
,
it felt so real. Like the time last week
when
I had
gotten
yelled at in class for not switching off my phone
,
or the time
when
I lost my dad’s wallet
, i
t felt like it was
really
happening.

I wanted to talk to Jackson, because he was the only one who knew about everything, but with him MIA these days I
had been
entirely on my own.

Anger at Jackson for ditching me was a hot si
e
ve in my mind. I just needed to graduate and get away from here, then maybe everything would be okay.

“Nat, your friends are here,” my dad called, interrupting my thoughts. I tumbled off of my bed and raced downstairs. Jill and Maxie had come back together, with Jill wearing a long black skirt
,
a tank top,
and her combat boots
. Maxie looked the exact opposite in short jeans and a cute sweater.

“Hey,” said Maxie, giving me a hug as she came in. She was carrying a present wrapped in yellow paper. “Where should I put this?”

I directed her to a side table in the kitchen.
C
los
ing
the door behind them
once they were inside, I
caught a whiff of the fresh spring air just starting to mix with the twilight. The vivid colors, of trees
just turned green against
the pink and blue sky
,
made me think of hills and running, but I wasn’t sure why.

“Maxie and I went in
together
on your present this year,” said Jill, explaining why she didn’t have one
as we all went
into the living room.

“Hey,” said Andrew
,
joining us just as we started to settle in
. His blond hair was still wet from
the
shower
,
and
his
white t-shirt
, tucked into a pair of jeans,
showed off his well-muscled upper body. “How are you?”
he asked Maxie and Jill with a dazzling smile.

“Good,” my friends chorused. Maxie was eyeing him appreciatively while Jill looked bored.

“So, I hope you don’t mind,” said Andrew, grabbing a seat on the couch
,
“but Casey is coming over.”

Jill scowled as I gave a sharp intake of breath. Maxie blinked her surprise at me.

“Oh
,
really?” I tried to sound casual, but I could hear my heart beating in my ears. Our dunking in the lake at Casey’s hands was still fresh in my mind.

“Yeah,” said Andrew, looking back and forth between us. “I hope
it’s okay
. He asked if I wanted to go to the movies, but I told him about dinner he said it sounded like fun. He’s a cool guy.”