Lark (31 page)

I stop by Starbucks for a Mocha Frappuccino. As I sip on it, I decide that nothing will complement its creamy yumminess more than one of my favorite chocolate-coated granola bars.

As soon as I get in the house, I head to the kitchen to grab one before leaving for Álfheimr.  Mom and Paul are already sitting at the table eating breakfast and reading the paper together.  Paul reaches out and squeezes Mom’s hand gently, causing her to look up at him and smile lovingly. They are obviously very much in love with each other, but now that I know my dad, a piece of my heart breaks because he is pretty great too.  I wonder what would have happened if Alberico would have told Mom everything? If she actually had a choice, who would she have chosen? How does one choose between two great men? I decide that maybe she was lucky that she never had the choice to make, after all.  She is blissfully happy now and that’s all that matters. 

             
“Mornin’,” I greet them as I head over to the pantry.

             
“Mornin’ sweetheart. Where did you venture off to this morning?”  Mom asks me before taking a sip of her coffee.

             
“Needed some caffeine,” I say as I hold up the clear plastic cup. I take a big bite of my granola bar and join Mom and Paul at the table.  “I’m going to the movies with Hannah tonight and I’ll probably sleep over at her house if that’s okay?”

             
“That’s fine with me,” Mom said.

“What movie are you going to see?” Paul asked.

“I don’t know yet. I told Hannah it was her choice.” I get up and throw away the empty cup and the plastic wrapper from my granola bar. “I’m on my way now to meet Jacoby at the library.”

“Jacoby?”

Mom isn’t a fan of Jacoby’s. I don’t think she has anything against him personally, she’s just a big fan of Grey’s so she doesn’t really understand why I’ve been spending so much time with another boy.

“Yes, Mom, I told you, I’m tutoring him.” It was the easiest explanation I could come up with for why I’ve been spending so much time with him at the library.

“What ever happened between you and Grey? He was such a perfect gentleman.”

“I told you, Grey and I are just friends. Jacoby and I are just friends for that matter.” I tell her, completely exasperated by this conversation.

“Will you be back before dinner?” She changes the subject.

“Yeah, we’ll probably grab some lunch after we finish studying then I’ll be home for the rest of the afternoon. Hannah and I aren’t me
eting up until seven-ish.”

             
“Sure, I don’t mind.”

             
“Okay, cool. Thanks, Mom. I’ll see you later.” I hug her good-bye. I do this every time I’m about to leave now, just in case. “I love you.”

             
“Love you too, honey.”

             
Then I hug Paul too.

             
“See you later, kiddo.” He smiles kindly, his eyes twinkling with affection.

             
I drive over to the library and park near the back like I’ve done every day for the last month. Nobody ever parks back here so it’s always deserted which makes it the perfect location. I scan the parking log and make sure nobody is around before locking my car door and transporting to Álfheimr.

             
Once the room has stopped spinning, I check the clock in my room and realize that Alberico is probably at breakfast. My mouth is already watering at the thought despite the fact that I just inhaled a granola bar and a Mocha Frappuccino. Nothing could keep me from enjoying an elfish breakfast though. Elves do breakfast up right. Well, really any meal but I am especially fond of breakfast. I’m actually surprised I haven’t gained at least twenty pounds since I’ve been freely enjoying all the deliciousness.

Before I make my way down, I decide on a wardrobe change.
Alberico will undoubtedly be surrounded by his council and other important elves, so I should probably look the part of a princess. I enter my massive closet and browse through the endless rows of flowy dresses, finally deciding on a pale yellow dress with long sleeves that flare out at the wrists. The bodice is laced and ties at the neckline. I don't really know what to do with my hair, but since I will likely be doing some training later anyway, I pull it to the side and braid it. I notice that Freya has a vase of freshly cut yellow roses on my bedside table so I pick a few buds and slip them in my long braid. Once I deem myself presentable enough, I take a deep breath and head down the hall.

I literally run into Grey.

              I seem to do that a lot.

             
But at least this time I didn't land flat on my back.

             
“Hey, I was hoping I'd run in to you,” I tell him.

             
“You were?” he seems surprised and I detect a hint of amusement in his indigo eyes.

             
“Yes, well, not quite so literally,” I tease him, earning a small smile in return. “I wanted to talk to you.”

             
“Does anybody know you are here yet?” he asks as he looks around.

             
“No, I just got here.”

             
“Where's Jacoby?”

             
“I'm guessing he is still sleeping.” Jacoby likes to sleep in whenever possible and on the days he doesn’t get to sleep in, he naps. The boy sleeps all the time. I left him a message when I was driving around earlier letting him know where I would be in case he came to check on me like he is supposed to when it was his turn to 'play babysitter' as he likes to call it.

             
“He doesn't know where you are?” he says sternly.

             
“
I
know where I am and that’s all that matters.”

             
“Why are you being so difficult?” he exhales, exasperated over my stubbornness.

             
“You're one to talk,” I snap, and immediately the guilt washes over me. “Sorry. I actually came here to try to make things better between us.”

             
At that his eyes soften and he reaches for my hand.

             
“Mia,” he whispers. “I'm sorry. It's not your fault. I should have kept my feelings in check. I need to do a better job at keeping them under control. It's just so much harder than I ever dreamed possible.”

             
He pulls me closer to him and rests his chin on the top of my head for a minute. Or maybe an hour. I don't know how long we stand there, but eventually he pulls away. “I should go.”

             
Without another word, he turns and walks away from me. I think about following him for a second but force myself to continue down the hall to meet my father for breakfast.

             
It's amazing how different he is when it’s just the two of us versus when other people are around. But I suppose he has always been like that. He is all sweet and attentive when it’s just us, but as soon as somebody else enters the room he becomes distant and impassive towards me. It's frustrating. And so different from Jacoby. Jacoby is constant. He is the kind of guy who would kiss you in the middle of a busy street and not feel remotely embarrassed by the public display of affection.

             
I am suddenly not in the mood for breakfast after all, so I make my way back to my room. I'll just spend a few minutes on the balcony, soaking up the fresh air before I go see my father.

             
Lately, it seems that I have been drawn to the outdoors, especially during the day. It's almost like I am addicted to it. When I have been indoors for too long I start to feel on edge, but once I step outside I feel calm and more at peace. The fresh air and sun are a source of comfort and energy for me now. I've always been more inclined to stay indoors. I never really was the outdoorsy type, until now. I idly wonder if perhaps this has something to do with discovering the truth behind my heritage or the blessing of the Sun goddess?

             
“Daydreaming about me, Lark?” I turn to see Jacoby leaning casually against the door frame. I guess he got my note.

             
“Ha. Don't you wish.”

             
“Actually, I do,” he smiles.

             
“I'm surprised you’re up this early.”

             
“You and me both,” he laughs. “
Are you sure you don't want me to come with you tonight
?” He reverts to speaking in my head since there are probably elves close enough to hear us.
“It would make me feel better if I knew you were safe.”

             
“Jacoby, please! You promised! I want to spend some time with my best friend. It's just one night.”

             
“
Fine!”
he relents, but I know he really doesn't want to.

             
“Come on. Let's go see Alberico.” I drag him behind me.

             
Fortunately, Alberico doesn't have any new updates for us. The plan remains the same: attack the Dökkálfar next Saturday. As nervous as I am about the upcoming battle, I’m relieved that I will be able to head home early today.

             
“You seem like you are in a hurry to leave today.” Alberico notes. “Do you have big plans tonight?”

             
I look at Jacoby before I respond, “Nope, not really.”

             
“Okay, well I will see you tomorrow.”

             
“See you.” I turn around just as the door opens, and I run smack into the heavy frame. “Ow!”

             
Alberico and Jacoby immediately rush to my side, looking me over as Finnegan enters and frantically starts apologizing. But not to me.

             
“I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt her,” he says, his eyes crazed with panic.

             
“Shouldn’t you be apologizing to my daughter?” Alberico states calmly, giving Finnegan a pointed look.

             
“My apologies, Mia,” he says, bowing before me, but when he looks up to meet my eyes, the look is anything but apologetic.  I am taken aback by his obvious disdain at having to bow before me. I know that he has never been openly friendly with me like his wife, Isobel, has. I hadn’t really given it much thought up until this point since most of the elves are wary around me because of the prophecy, but this is different. He really seems to have a genuine hatred towards me.

             
“It’s okay. It was an accident.” I reply as Jacoby places his hand underneath my arm.

             
“C’mon Lark, we need to get going,” he says as he ushers me out the door. “See you tomorrow, Your Majesty.”

             
“Bye, Dad.”

             
“Good night to you both.” Alberico smiles distractedly, then a perplexed expression crosses his face as he eyes Finnegan.

***

              As expected, Hannah decides we are going to watch the latest book-to-movie adaptation. Though predictable, it was exactly which movie I would have chosen for the night. We are a little obsessed. Any time we see a preview for a movie that we think we might enjoy, we immediately go to Amazon.com to see if there was a book first. Then we devour the book right before the movie comes out. It’s sort of our thing. This movie is based on a series of books about vampires and it’s the last installment. We’ve been waiting to see it though so we could avoid the insane crowds and actually get good seats.

             
As we stand in line at the concession stand waiting to get our snacks, I get a weird feeling that someone is watching me. I casually look over my shoulder, but there is only an elderly couple standing behind me. My eyes wander around the red-carpeted lobby but nobody seems out of the ordinary. I’m supposed to be forgetting about the supernatural element in my life and enjoying a normal Saturday night with my normal best friend and yet I still can’t seem to really escape my reality. I try to shake the weird feeling I’m getting and just concentrate on the mundane task of choosing which overpriced candy I’m going to indulge in tonight.

             
I end up getting nachos and a small coke while Hannah gets a large popcorn with extra buttery topping, a box of Sour Patch Kids and a large cherry slushy.

             
“So are you going to tell me what is going on between you and that Jacoby guy?” She whispers during the previews.

             
“What do you mean?”

             
“What do I mean? I mean, don’t tell Seth or anything, but that boy is freakin’ hot!”

             
I laugh at her absurdity. 

             
“But I don’t understand, whatever happened between you and Grey?”