Edgewood Series: Books 1 - 3 (55 page)

Now, I wasn’t sure if I should tell Russ that I knew that the Praetorian Guard wanted him to work as an undercover spy for them. If I did tell him, he’d know I was using my astral projecting to snoop around and watch him, which I didn’t want. Maybe I’d keep what I’d seen to myself. I could have secrets too.

When Mr. Specter said good-night I retreated back to my room. I could have projected to Russ then, but I didn’t. The timing didn’t seem right. Mr. Specter had mentioned the possibility of an apocalypse, which made anything I wanted to talk about seem trivial by comparison.

My room here in the convent was tiny but felt secure, even if the hook and eye lock was a bit of a joke, like the latches they had on the latrines at Girl Scout Camp. I liked the lamp next to my bed, some kind of salt crystal the size of my head with a bulb under it. It smelled good and gave off a nice yellow glow—too low to read by, but too bright for a night light. A good light for thinking about the day’s events and what I hoped for the future, both mine and the history of the world.

I was just about to shut out the light and go to sleep when I heard a faint knock at my door. When I opened the door a crack, I saw Russ standing out in the darkened hallway.

“I know it’s late,” he whispered, “but—”

Before he could say anymore, I opened the door and motioned for him to come in. I was in my pajamas—v-necked t-shirt and fleece bottoms; he was still dressed from the day except for his feet, which were bare. He sat on the edge of my bed and I put a finger to my mouth. “We have to be really quiet,” I said, so softly I was nearly mouthing the words.

“You don’t seem surprised to see me,” Russ said, raising one eyebrow.

“After today, nothing surprises me.” I sat down next to him—right next to him. I wasn’t planning on getting so close, but it felt right.

“You look really cute. You shouldn’t cover yourself up all the time.” He gestured to my t-shirt, and I glanced down to see it was far more revealing than I’d realized. When I looked up, his face flushed red and I could feel his rush of embarrassment. It was so adorable, I could have exploded.

There’s something amazing about having a guy you’re crazy about come to your bedroom late at night. A guy who feels shy and sheepish, but even so, he’s getting pulled to you, and he can’t stay away, in fact. I knew he just had an intense conversation with Mr. Specter, and was probably having trouble wrapping his brain around the enormity of the task at hand, so who did he come to see in his time of need? Not Mallory. I repeat, not Mallory. Not Mallory with her perfect body and her flawless skin and her unbelievably thick ponytail, but me. Nadia. Just me.

“Did you want to talk about something?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Russ said, looking relieved. “I was wondering…”

His short pause was turning into a long pause. “Yes?” I prompted.

“I was wondering—are you mad about something?” He’d been looking down at his hands, but now he raised his head to look straight at me. “Because I saw you when you projected into my room a few minutes ago, but you didn’t come forward. You heard me talking to Mr. Specter didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“But you just suddenly left. Are we okay?”

I got up on my knees so that our faces aligned, then put my hands on his shoulders. Our foreheads touched. I couldn’t believe I was being so bold, but he didn’t pull away. A ghost of a smile came across his lips. I said, “Yes, we’re okay.”

He nodded slightly. “Good.” And then he pulled me toward him and his lips went to mine. Right then, I experienced a revelation—in an instant I saw that my entire life had led up to this kiss. Everything that happened since I was born had laid the groundwork for me to be here now. I was meant to be in this room with Russ, just the two of us together, his mouth pressed softly against mine. There was none of the awkwardness I’d worried about ahead of time. Our DNA was encoded to do this; he was made for me. I wrapped my arms around him, and he pressed closer, both of us experimenting with all the ways two people can join lips.

He pulled apart for a second, than brushed my hair off my face. “Oh Nadia,” he whispered, and just hearing him speak my name made my heart sing. No one had ever said those syllables in that way, each syllable infused with love.

I smiled and leaned back in to kiss him again, thinking I never wanted this to end, that we could do this for an eternity and it would be time well spent, when there was a rapping at my door. I stiffened and Russ leapt to his feet, a guilty expression on his face.

“Nadia?” Another sharp knock. “Are you okay?” It was Mrs. Whitehouse.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, trying to keep my voice low and steady. I wiped the back of my hand against my mouth as if removing evidence.

“Can I come in?”

Frantically, I waved an arm at Russ telling him to get into the bathroom, but he must have had the same idea because he was already on his way. “Okay, just a minute.” I went to the door and jiggled the hook, pretending I was unlatching it. I held the door open about a foot, and I blocked the opening with my body.

She craned her neck trying to see around me. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine, thanks. Just about to go to sleep.” I fingered my top to draw attention to the fact that I was wearing my pajamas.

“I heard noises coming from your room. I thought maybe you were sick.”

“Me? No, I’m not sick.” My heart pounded. If she asked to come in and checked the bathroom, there’d be no hiding Russ. He was six feet tall with broad shoulders, and the bathroom was the size of a linen closet. It wasn’t like he could stand behind the door.

She didn’t move and neither did I. We were having some sort of weird standoff. Mrs. Whitehouse said. “Is something troubling you, Nadia? Would you like to talk?”

“No troubles,” I said lightly. “Everything’s fine.”

“Because I know it must be hard being away from home and your mom and I wanted to let you know I’m totally willing to step into that role if you want some advice or need to vent or something.”

“I appreciate knowing that,” I said. “I mean, I’ll keep that in mind, in case I need some advice. Or to vent about something.”

“I really understand how it is for teenagers today, working in a high school and all. You wouldn’t believe what some of the girls tell me. Boy troubles, arguments with parents, the works. Hoo boy, I’ve heard it all.”

“I’m sure you have. You’re a good listener.” Lamest conversation ever.

“A lot of these kids really look up to me. Even after they graduate, we stay in touch through Facebook and what have you. One girl is taking care of my cats for me right now.”

“I would love to talk more with you tomorrow,” I said, feigning a yawn. “But I just took some Advil PM and I think it’s kicking in now, so I better go to bed.” A look of concern crossed her face. “Are you in pain?”

“Just a headache,” I said. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, then.” She reached through the opening and patted my shoulder. “I just wanted to let you know I’m here for you. Mallory too,” she added. “But especially you. In case you need someone to confide in.”

“That means a lot to me,” I said and then in a fit of brilliance added, “I hope when this trip is over that we stay in touch. I would really like that.”

She brightened. “I would like that too, Nadia. I think we could be very good friends.”

“Good-night, Mrs. Whitehouse.”

“See you in the morning, dear.”

I closed the door and leaned back against it in relief, listening to her footsteps clomping down the hall. Russ peered around the doorframe before coming out of the bathroom. “You have got to be kidding,” he mouthed, coming up to give me a hug.

“That was close,” I whispered.

“Too close,” he agreed.

“I thought she’d never leave.” I put a finger to my lips and opened the door as quietly as I could, then stuck my head out to look. The hallway was empty. I crooked one finger in the direction of his room. “The coast is clear. You should probably go.” The words contradicted my true feelings; I didn’t want him to leave.

He gave me one last lingering look and came in for a quick brush of his lips against mine, before disappearing through the door and into the darkness.

Russ

When I finally climbed under the covers to go to sleep, I’d hoped that Nadia would astral project to me again so we could prolong the evening, but no such luck. I stared at the ceiling and replayed my visit to her room over and over again—the way she grabbed my shoulders and leaned toward me, giving me the perfect lead in to kiss her. And then when we came together—wow, it was incredible. I tried to imagine what would have happened if Mrs. Whitehouse hadn’t interrupted. Up until that point it had been perfect.

This had been the longest day of my life, but at least it had a happy ending.

I mulled over my conversation with Mr. Specter. Much as I liked the guy, I’d decided he was certifiably insane. Who asks a high school junior to save the world? I mean, really. He wanted me to join the Associates, ditch all my friends, and report back to his group. There was no way that could end up well for me.

Besides, there was nothing in the world that could keep me away from Nadia, now that we’d found each other.

And so, as I melted into sleep, I made a decision. When I spoke to Mr. Specter tomorrow, I would tell him no thanks. They would have to find someone else to slide into the role of super secret double agent. Russ Becker had other plans.

Nadia

When he was kissing me, I didn’t even think about my face, not even once. For the first time, in a long time, I wasn’t self-conscious about my scars at all. And the best part was Russ didn’t seem to notice them either.

So that’s what it feels like, I thought, to be normal and in love. It was somehow exactly as I dreamed it would be and better all at the same time. I could still feel his hand brushing my hair to one side and the sound of his voice saying my name like he’d discovered something wonderful. I could replay the memory in my mind over and over again for the rest of my life and never grow tired of thinking about it.

Astral projecting to him wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying now that I’d actually touched him. Earlier I’d imagined that our spiritual connection had been the ultimate experience two people could have, but I’d been wrong.

I went to the window and pulled the curtain back, just to see what was out there. Without the pollution of city lights, it was easier to see the stars and the moon. My second story window looked down over a courtyard. I could just make out what looked like planting beds along the perimeter and a fountain in the center. Tomorrow I would get to see this up close when Mr. Specter let us explore the house and the grounds. Just as I was about to turn away, I saw movement down below, someone walking quickly across the courtyard holding a flashlight to guide them.

Mr. Specter. He must have crept out of his room very quietly, or I would have heard his door open and close. I watched as the spot of light aimed at the ground traveled across the courtyard. Where was he going at this hour? Weird, especially because he’d made such a big deal out of everyone staying in their room and how he himself needed down time. So typical to get rid of the kids so the adults could do what they wanted. I was having trouble trusting him now that I knew he was asking Russ to distance himself from the rest of us, and put himself in danger for the sake of the Praetorian Guard. His apocalypse story seemed pretty melodramatic to me.

I kept my eyes on the light until I couldn’t see it anymore. Letting the curtain drop, I sat on the bed and hugged my knees. How I’d love to be the so-called fly on the wall and follow him to see where he was going and what he was doing. Wouldn’t that be something? And then I remembered that I had something even better than being a fly. I clicked off my lamp and lay back on the bed, willing myself to relax. It was a form of meditation for me. It took a few minutes, but eventually I was able to loosen my muscles and remove the clutter from my brain. All my energy focused on one thought:
Take me to Mr. Specter
.

And
whoosh
, I was taken to a sort of sitting room, listening to a conversation between Professor Neverman, who’d traded in his bathrobe for actual clothing, and Mr. Specter, in his usual attire, a backpack at his feet. They each sat in an upholstered wing chair on either side of a lit fireplace, sipping from tea cups. A lamp on a round table next to the professor provided the only other light. “And what did you tell them was the point of this whole trip?” Professor Neverman asked.

“They think we’re looking for a man named David Hofstetter.”

“But you’re not?” The professor raised his eyebrows.

“No, he’s been dead for years. But it was a good excuse to take Russ Becker away from home base and test him to see how he’d do out in the field. It’s also a good opportunity to influence his friends at the same time,” Mr. Specter said.

“And it’s the last trip for you,” Professor Neverman said, shaking his head.

“All good things must come to an end.”

“But who would have thought it would have ended like this?” Professor Neverman mused, lifting the cup to his lips. “Except for you, of course. Mr. Sees-the-Future.” Mr. Specter said nothing, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. The professor continued, “You knew all along didn’t you? All of this, everything.”

“Well, not everything,” Mr. Specter said, the words carefully spoken. “But a lot of it.”

“So you knew that I would get cancer, that you’d have to commit Praetorian Guard suicide, even that someday there’d be a Russ Becker who’d come along to save the day.” He leaned forward in his chair. “Tell me how the story ends, old friend. I know you were set on keeping it to yourself, but there’s no harm in telling me now. I won’t be here to see it. Or will I? How much time do I have left? You can tell me.”

“Not much, I’m afraid.” Mr. Specter looked pained. “A few weeks maybe? At the end it will go quickly.”