Ignited (11 page)

I almost came undone, but I steeled myself against the emotions. Gabe would join us if I asked him to, but I wouldn’t ask. I might feel less alone if he was around to share the burden, but I would be using him and his feelings for me. I hadn’t fallen far enough to do that to him. Suddenly, I was overcome by how much I’d missed him. It shouldn’t have been so difficult to hear his voice again after all these months, but I hadn’t known how we would slip back into the easy friendship we’d shared before everything had gone to hell. I had to get off the phone before I weakened.

“I’m okay, Gabe. I’m a survivor, remember?” Before he could answer, I added, “I should go. If Lottie finds me on her phone, she’s going to lose it. You know how she is.”

The forced humor in my voice fell flat. I said good-bye, and Gabe echoed me without argument. Perhaps he had finally remembered that he wasn’t supposed to care about me anymore. And who knew? After all this time, he probably didn’t love me anymore. Everyone moved on.

It was hours before I realized that Gabe had no idea Asher had broken up with me. Relief sighed through me. His pity might have put me over the edge.

C
HAPTER
E
IGHT

O
ne morning, about a week after we’d returned to San Francisco, I poured myself a cup of coffee in a travel mug and slipped out of the house on quiet feet with my phone in my coat pocket. I’d left a note, but I’m not sure it would have mattered.

Somewhere between Chicago and San Francisco, I’d discovered a well of anger. My life had gone to hell in the last months. I had been dumped by a man who had promised me the world, and then walked away when that world wasn’t what he wanted after all. My sister hated me for not saving our mother, and she snarled at me, acting like she was the only one who had suffered a loss. Sometimes, I wanted to lash out at both of them, and the urge had almost become uncontrollable. That’s why I’d suggested scouting on my own this last week. I hadn’t wanted to cause more pain when they both looked edgy and brittle. The others had only put up a temporary resistance to my idea. Rather, Asher had argued for all of a day, but I hadn’t backed down. They had hurt me, and I needed some distance from them so that I could lick my wounds.

I covered the couple of blocks to the beach in minutes. All my life, I’d lived near some body of water, and I wondered how people got by without an ocean to remind them how small they were.

At the water’s edge, I sat on the sand, propping my elbows on my bent knees. I sipped my coffee and let the roar of the water and the soft sunrise work their magic. A few surfers in full body suits straddled their boards, riding the gentle lift and fall of the swells. They called out to each other every once in a while, though the words weren’t intelligible. Burnished rose-gold light brushed everything, and the tightness in my chest eased a bit. I propped my sunglasses on my head and closed my eyes to soak up the rays, pretending they were warm like the light.

“Hello, Lottie,” I said, not looking around. I eased my mental walls up to protect her.

I slid my sunglasses back over my eyes to avoid the migraine the light could cause. She dropped into the sand a few feet away, always careful to keep her distance. For once, she’d abandoned her heels and wore running shoes like me. She couldn’t feel the cold like I could, but her angled face had colored a ruddy red from it just the same.

“How did you know I was there?” she asked.

I tossed her a small smile. “You always are. Asher asked you to follow me. Again.”

I’d suspected that I hadn’t really been patrolling on my own. I’d sensed her presence more than once, though Lottie had done a good job of remaining hidden.

“You knew,” she accused.

The laces on my shoes gave when I untied them, and I took them off to shake the sand out. “He gave up the argument too easily. He knew I wouldn’t cave so he went around me.”

Lottie kicked off her own shoes and shook them out, too, gazing at the grains in disgust. She hadn’t felt them. “You guys are so mental. He sends me after you and he watches over Lucy. Why don’t you do us all a favor and watch over each other?”

“You know why,” I said, observing her. “It’s the same reason you’re practically sitting in Nevada.” Mortality terrified Lottie, and she wanted nothing to do with my healing powers.

She flushed and didn’t say anything.

“Can I ask you something?” I prodded.

Her eyes flashed annoyance, but she nodded.

“Why are you here, Lottie? In San Francisco, I mean.”

It had bothered me when she had returned with us. She’d been very clear on her decision to stay away from me.

She lifted a pile of sand in her hand and let it sift through her fingers. I did the same, savoring the silky feel of it falling away. The brine of the ocean filled my nostrils, coating my soul with memories of sand castles and ice cream. So many of my favorite moments could be revisited when I experienced certain sensations, but that wouldn’t happen for Lottie. I could help her senses return, but she rejected the idea.

She wiped her hands on her designer jeans and considered her words. “My brothers. I would do anything for them. They’re the only family I have left, so if they need me here, then here is where I’ll be.”

I respected her choice, one that I’d made before. “I get that, but you have to know what you’re risking.” I waved a hand between us. “You should stay away.”

Lottie made a face. “Okay, Mom.” I must have looked stricken because she winced and muttered, “Sorry.”

The wind tossed her neat sleek bob into a mess of brunette waves, and I remembered a photo I’d seen of her in Asher’s island house. She’d looked like a 1920s gangster moll. Even at this time in the morning, she wore her trademark red lipstick. I couldn’t help asking, “Were you a flapper?”

Her mouth quirked in a mysterious smile that gave nothing away. “I’m not a stranger to the Charleston.” She gave me a sly sideways look as she put her shoes back on. “Does this mean we’re sharing now? Because I’ve been dying to ask you when you decided to go Bono. I like the sunnies, but you never take them off anymore.”

I snorted and rubbed my chest when that set off a new ache. My powers were returning a little more each day, but I hadn’t been able to heal myself yet. I’d come out to the beach to try. Her eyes fell to my hand, and I dropped it to my side. My ringing phone saved me from answering.

“Hello,” I said.

“Remy, it’s Erin. We need to meet.”

Erin wouldn’t share her news over the phone. She insisted we meet in person, and I suggested Muir Woods. The woods consisted of six miles of trails with multiple loops and access points that would be too much ground for our enemy to cover in case this turned out to be a trap. Plus, it was always full of tourists and locals, and an attack in the open would be too conspicuous.

I drove the truck to the woods, while Lottie, Asher, and Lucy followed in the Mercedes. As we drove over the orange-red Golden Gate Bridge, I was reminded of my grandfather’s promise to take me to Muir Woods once. Instead, he’d taken me to Melinda’s house and tricked me into healing her. It was the last time I’d believed in him. Now, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was behind this call from Erin.

The windy drive through the hills to Muir Woods ended at a crowded parking lot. I found a spot near the entrance and shut off the truck’s ancient engine. I hopped out, pocketing the keys in my jacket and fingering the handle of the knife I’d hidden there. I’d dressed warmly in jeans, hiking boots, a scarf, a thick navy blue sweater, and a black waist-length jacket. The Mercedes approached, and the others drove by. They would find a parking spot and follow me into the woods at a distance with Lucy and Asher acting like any couple on a date, while Lottie scouted the hiking trails. As they passed, Lucy’s gaze flicked to mine. Worry sparked in her eyes for just a second and was gone.

After Lottie and I had returned from the beach and shared the news of the meeting with Asher and Lucy, there hadn’t been a lot of time for discussion. We’d only had a couple of hours to gather our things and make the drive across the bay. Asher had looked like he wanted to suggest we skip the meeting, but I’d stared him down. He could come with or stay behind, but I was going as long as there was a chance Erin knew something about my father. Lucy agreed with me. With Lottie acting as a neutral party, two were pitted against one, though my alliance with Lucy was shaky at best.

I walked toward the entrance with a bounce in my step. I shouldn’t have been so happy to be walking into danger, but I was. Anything—even walking into a trap—had to be better than feeling cornered in a house with the others. Other girls could wear ratty sweats and holey T-shirts, eat Ben & Jerry’s, listen to crappy breakup music, and cry to their friends when their boyfriends trampled on their hearts. I had to continue to live with him, watching him comfort my sister and making her smile. It didn’t help that I’d asked him to do it.

After buying my ticket and a map, I entered the park, glancing around with curiosity. The main canyon floor had been designed to be accessible to everyone with various semi-flat loops that people could wander on. Thousands of redwoods, the tallest type of tree in the world, stretched high into the sky. Fog clung to the treetops, blocking out most of the sunlight, and I was able to remove my sunglasses. Asphalt paths and boardwalks curved around the centuries-old giant trees, one hollowed trunk large enough for people to walk inside. Green ferns and moss sprouted from the damp red-brown earth, clinging to tree trunks and branches. Birds chirped. Children laughed and ran down the path. The Redwood Creek trickled nearby. Hikers called to each other on the trails that spoked off into the hills. It would have been idyllic on any other day.

I strolled through the park, letting my mental walls down to sense any Protectors who might be near. The hair rose on the back of my neck as I felt something, but I couldn’t pinpoint any threat. My footsteps echoed on the winding boardwalk, and my eyes scanned from side to side. Ten minutes later, I spotted Erin waiting for me near the bridge at Cathedral Grove as we’d discussed. The spot was far enough into the park to be secluded, but not so far that others wouldn’t be around. Nobody appeared to be lurking in the foliage.

“Erin,” I called when I was a few feet away.

She started and swung toward me on the path, her features locked in momentary panic until she recognized me. “Remy!”

Erin leaned against the fence that bordered the trail, and I followed her lead. She’d dressed warmly, too, bundled up in clothes similar to mine. Her eyes flitted about, never seeming to land on any object for long.

“Were you followed?” I asked.

She shook her head, her blond ponytail swinging behind her. “No. They think I’m over at Delia’s.” She focused on me again and her mouth opened in surprise. “Wow. You look awful.”

“I have a cold,” I lied. I’d been feeling better today, but then I usually did at the start of the day before I’d tired myself out. By the evening, I would be fading and forced to rest whether I wanted to or not.

“Are you sure?” Before I could step back, she touched my hand. I jerked away, but too late. Her eyes widened with horror and sympathy. “Remy, it’s bad. You could die if you don’t see to that.”

Apparently, I could hide my injuries from the Protectors I lived with, but not this Healer. I smiled to reassure her. “I’m working on it.”

Her brow wrinkled. “I’d help you if I could, but I don’t have your power. I can’t heal things this serious.”

I tugged on her ponytail. “Don’t worry. I need a little time to rest up and I’ll be able to heal myself.” Before she could question me more about the injuries, I asked, “You said you had news?”

I gestured for us to move, and we strolled along the path. A whisper of someone’s energy floated in the air, and my head shot up. Anyone could have hidden on the hillside with all the foliage. We’d counted on the huge number of pedestrians walking the paths to keep them at bay. A flash of light caught my eye as I studied the hill above us, and I recognized the hair. Lottie tracked through the woods, keeping pace with us. That was who I’d sensed.

Beside me, Erin didn’t seem to notice my unease. Her brown eyes shone with excitement. “It’s your dad. I don’t think he’s in California.”

My legs jolted to a stop, unable to carry me forward. “Are you sure?” My hands fisted so that I wouldn’t reach for Erin.

Her head bobbed in an excited nod. Over her shoulder, I glimpsed Asher and Lucy approaching from the opposite direction. They played their part, holding hands as they explored the woods. They stood a mere fifteen feet away. I met Asher’s eyes and he tensed when he saw my face. He raised a brow.

“Where—”

My question cut off when two things happened: Lottie whistled a warning from her lookout and two men approached from behind Asher and Lucy. The boardwalk clattered behind me, and I threw a glance over my shoulder and saw another man approaching. All three of them gave off Protector vibes as they boxed us in. It was a trap.

Asher and I snapped into motion, working in unison. We whipped Lucy and Erin about so they stood between our backs, as we faced the oncoming threat from either side. We’d never be able to take out three of them with Asher’s weaker powers and my rotten health. Where was Lottie?

The tall thirty-something man in front of me had the same thought. “Where’s the other one?” he snapped to his friends. His cultured British accent made him sound like he should be in a smoking jacket drinking cognac between seducing women like some second-rate James Bond. Black hair formed a deep V at his forehead where the hairline retreated at the temples. Dark whiskers shadowed his thin face, and dark blue eyes offset a narrow nose.

“Didn’t see anyone else,” one of the others answered in a Cockney accent. In the brief glance I sent his way, I noticed he had a big birthmark on his forehead. His shorter partner wore a newsboy cap and shiny loafers. In fact, they were all dressed for a business luncheon, not a walk in the woods.