Search (The Empire Chronicles #2) (10 page)

“Take the picture out and flip it over.”

I did as she said. My hands shook slightly as I flipped over the paper.
Mine?

The one word jumped off the page at me. So he knew. Robert knew about me all this time. Or did he just find out? Maybe he was doing research too.

“What do you want from me?” The question was pointed, but it was also necessary.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I generally don’t make that sort of statement, but I’m at a loss.”

“I need to find my sister. After that, I don’t know what I should do.”

“You will always have a place here. You’re important to The Society, to our family.”

I nodded. “I might go out for a walk.”

“By yourself?”

“Would that be okay?”

“You know I’m going to have someone follow you, don’t you? Only for your protection.”

“Of course.” I stood up and set aside the album. I needed air, and if being followed kept me safe long enough to find Vera, I was all about it.

“Try harder. You need to be able to control your emotions.” Hailey pushed me to my limits as she tried to provoke me for the third time that night. We were down by the levee, in a spot that was surprisingly devoid of people.

“I can control them when you’re not in my face all the time.” I stepped back, exhausted from trying to keep myself calm. Between confronting Jared and spending far too much time with Georgina, my nerves were frayed before Hailey and I started.

“The point is to make you uncomfortable. You seem really good at staying in control. I mean, you completely kept it together in front of Jared.” She gave me a sympathetic look. “But, you had time to prepare for that. You won’t always know an emotional or frightening experience is coming.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I picked up my water bottle and took a swig. “Why can’t being a Pteron come with cool side effects instead of the transforming without warning thing?”

“Because flying and super strength isn’t cool?”

“Would it be so bad to also get perfect skin and bodies?”

She laughed. “I like this side of you.”

“What side?” I set aside my empty bottle.

“This funny one. You hide it around Allie.”

“No, I don’t.” I crossed my arms.

“Yes, you do. You’re not brave enough to show her who you really are.”

“What?” I stepped toward her. “How can you say that?” I felt my anger boiling.

“Just like you’re afraid to face your feelings for Toby because you feel so guilty and messed up over things with Jared.”

“That’s not true!” My back pricked. I had to rein the anger in. I took slow and deep breaths.

Hailey laughed again. “Nice.”

“Did you say all of that just to provoke me?”

“Of course. Why else would I have?” She pulled out her hair tie, letting her long red hair tumble down her back. “Have you had enough for tonight? We need to get ready.”

“Do you think Allie’s excited?” I scooped up my hotel key. It’s all Hailey let me bring with me.

“Yes, although she won’t admit it.”

“She’ll have fun tonight.”

“That she will.” Hailey grinned before leading the way back toward where her car was parked.

The general purpose of a bachelorette party is to celebrate the end of the single life of the bride-to-be. As friends, you’re supposed to help her have her last hurrah before married life begins. It’s kind of a different feeling when the bride and groom-to-be are already bound together by something impossible to break. Add in the fact that Allie was marrying my newly discovered brother, and was the ex-girlfriend of the guy I liked, and it was an interesting experience to say the least.

Hailey had put together what amounted to a bar crawl in a surprisingly short amount of time. After a quick shower and some dinner, I was heading out for a night on the town with Allie, Hailey, and the rest of their group.

Normally, I’d have been nervous about attending a party like that, but I’d gotten to know Hailey so well the past few days that I wasn’t too worried. The theme of the event was “Allie and Levi’s early days.” Essentially, we were going to all the bars the two of them had hung out at when they first started dating, but this time Allie was going to do it wearing a veil.

We made a stop at the Maple Leaf, where Hailey embarrassed Allie by having the band dedicate a song to her. Allie wasn’t the type of girl to blush, but she turned bright red. You’d think that being a queen would make you used to attention, but it was obviously not her comfort zone. She’d much rather just be enjoying the atmosphere. I’m pretty sure that’s why Hailey did it. It was all about pushing Allie out of her usual element that night.

“Where to next?” Jess asked excitedly. She’d flown down from New York that afternoon and quickly signed up to be the designated driver. She said something about cutting down on her alcohol consumption when she wasn’t with her fiancé.

“Pat O’s on the River.” Hailey grinned. “Levi took Allie out there at least a few times last summer.”

Allie smiled. “I have some good memories. One involves Levi ignoring a waitress that was blatantly flirting with him.”

“Wait. You mean you’re admitting to being jealous?” Anne, one of Allie’s college friends, asked with mock surprise.

“I wasn’t jealous, just glad he was paying attention to me.”

“And you tried to pretend you didn’t like him…” Jess teased.

“Hey, sometimes we aren’t ready to accept we’ve fallen in love.”

“Aww.” Jess popped up on her toes. “I can’t believe my love cynic best friend is finally getting married.”

“Come on, leave her alone.” Tiffany, Anne’s blonde haired roommate, jumped in. She was much quieter than the openly boy crazy Anne.

“Aren’t we supposed to be on our way downtown?” Michelle, the last member of our little party, headed toward the door. I didn’t know what to make of her. She seemed uncomfortable, but also relieved to be invited. There was so much about The Society I didn’t know, but by the way she kissed up to me, she was power hungry, and from a few whispered words I caught between Allie and Hailey, she was also the Pteron Bryant had been in love with.

“We’re going.” Hailey winked at me. I wasn’t positive what the wink was for, but I think it was her way of making me feel included.

It was a beautiful night for drinks outside. The rooftop deck was the perfect place to kick back and relax. After an hour of dancing, sitting at a high top table to talk was a nice change of pace. I glanced around at the faces of the girls with me. Part of me wondered how I’d even ended up there. A few weeks earlier, I was the girl struggling to save up money for college. I hardly ever went out, and I spent almost every night working. Now I was down in New Orleans at a bachelorette party, hanging out with a bunch of girls I’d just met. I smiled, thinking about this more positive aspect of the change.

Hailey elbowed me. “Who are you daydreaming about?”

“No one.” I actually hadn’t been thinking about any guys.

“Likely story.”

“It’s true.” I sipped my cosmo. I normally would have already switched to water, but alcohol didn’t affect me in quite the same way anymore. “I was just thinking about how much my life has changed.”

“Oh, come on. Nothing’s changed for you.” Allie laughed.

“What do you mean?” Jess stared at me blankly. She was the only one in the group with no clue about Pterons. Hailey had warned me to be quiet about it.

“It’s just that I never expected to be down in New Orleans.” That didn’t cover half of it, but everyone else would know what I meant.

“Oh, cool.” Jess glanced at her phone. “I’m going to use the restroom real quick.”

“Don’t you mean you’re going to call Emmett?” Allie raised an eyebrow.

Jess laughed. “Maybe.” She walked away.

“Have you talked to Jared?” Tiffany asked quietly.

“Oh. You heard about that?” I wanted to hide my face.

“I’m sorry. I was just on a tirade about how much I wanted to kick him in the nuts and it slipped out.” Allie gave me an apologetic smile.

“It’s fine. I just wish I had better judgment.” I looked into my glass. My tryst with Jared wasn’t something I was particularly proud of.

“Your judgment is just fine.” Hailey patted my arm. “And you did well facing him. I’m proud.”

I laughed. “If I made you proud, then nothing else matters.”

That got everyone laughing just as Jess walked back.

“I know where our next stop should be.” She grinned.

“Oh no.” Panic was clear on Allie’s face.

“Wait. Where are we going?” If Allie was nervous about it, it couldn’t be good.

“The Cat’s Meow. It’s where Allie and Levi first met. Well, unless you count them checking each other out at the hotel.” Jess was so bubbly. I guess being newly engaged herself, she liked talking about people falling in love.

“I didn’t check him out!” Allie glared at her.

“Oh, come on. You don’t have to defend your ogling now. You’re marrying the guy.” Anne laughed.

Allie took the final sip of her drink. “Good point.”

“We’ll have to sing
Girl’s Just Want to Have Fun
, like we did last time.” Jess beamed.

Allie groaned. “No way. Once was enough to last a lifetime.”

“Wait. It’s a karaoke bar?” There wasn’t a chance I was getting in on that activity.

“A tourist’s dream.” Hailey laughed. “But it’s on our list. It’s an important place in Allie and Levi’s history.”

“I’m totally fine with us going, I’m just not singing.” Allie set aside her glass. “Is everyone ready?”

“Sure.” I stood up. “Let’s continue this adventure.”

Allie suddenly teared up.

“Did I say something wrong?” I could have sworn the tears started right after my joke.

“No.” She wiped her eyes. “I’m just ridiculously emotional right now. Levi said something kind of like that the night he really let me in.”

Hailey put a hand on her arm. “I’m pretty sure that’s normal. You’re getting married. That messes with your emotions big time.”

I gave Allie an encouraging smile. “Hailey’s right. It’s okay to feel that way.” I assumed Allie was referring to the night she found out he was a Pteron. I wondered why her college friends knew the truth, but Jess didn’t. I figured Allie’s bachelorette party wasn’t the place to ask.

We moved the car and headed over to Bourbon Street. The crowd was heavy, and we stuck close together as we made our way down the middle of the street.

We made a quick stop at Tropical Isle. The claim to fame of the bar was hand grenade drinks that were sweet and served in tall green plastic glasses that looked like their namesake. We probably would have stayed there awhile if Jess hadn’t pulled us out. She was really into the whole karaoke thing. Slightly buzzed, we made our way down to the Cat’s Meow.

Jess rushed up to put our name on the list to sing while the rest of us took a seat at a table. When the other girls went to get drinks, I was left alone at the table with Allie. She seemed upset again, and although I’d have normally left it alone, I felt like I had to say something. “Are you crying?”

She smiled sheepishly. “Maybe a little.”

“Is it nerves, nostalgia?”

“Both. Neither.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I know what that feels like.”

“How are you doing?” She seemed hesitant to ask.

“I’m doing all right. It’s been a little overwhelming…”

“I can only imagine. If there’s anything I can do, you know I’m here. I’ve tried to stay back and give you time with Hailey.”

“Oh no. You don’t need to do that. You’re about to get married, and Hailey’s your best friend.”

“It’s fine. I think you’re good for her too. I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m ditching her.”

“Why? I mean, it’s not like you’ve really been single for a while.”

She sipped her pink colored drink. “It’s just the symbolism I guess.”

When our name was called, we discovered that Jess had written us in as “Allie and her maids.” Who would have thought Jess had that kind of sense of humor? We made our way up to the stage. Normally, I’d have been humiliated, but I realized everyone in the bar was more drunk than I was, and I was with a big group. I stayed toward the back and tried to enjoy myself. I don’t have the worst voice in the world, but it isn’t something to write home about. I doubt anyone cared though. The only people watching were guys, and they weren’t concerned with our voices. Before long, the song was over and we returned to our seat.

“I’m going to go on record to say that’s never happening again.” Allie laughed.

“Sure, sure. You’ll be back to do it on your tenth anniversary.” Anne hugged Allie. “Ah, I can’t believe you’re getting married.”

“Me either.”

The night swirled by in a series of drinks, bad karaoke, and jokes, and before I knew it I was tipsy and having too good of a time. I excused myself and walked out onto the outdoor patio. The second I was alone, I pulled out my phone and called Toby.

He answered on the first ring. “Hey, Casey. What’s up?”

“Hi there!” My words slurred together as I held the phone to my head. I’d had more to drink than usual. “Not much. Just thinking of you.”

“Thinking of me, huh?” He sounded amused.

“Yes. I’ve been thinking about you all night. Well, and last night.” The last few shots had run off with my filter.

“Oh? Two nights in a row, huh?”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too. I’m hoping you’ll come see me soon.”

“You want me to?” I practically purred the words. I was losing it, and I wasn’t sure how much of it was alcohol and how much was the sexy tone of his voice.

“Yes. Of course.”

“Do you have any info?”

“Yes, but that’s not why I want to see you.”

“You want me.”

He laughed. “Yeah… something like that.”

“Who are you talking to, Casey?” Tiffany startled me so much I nearly dropped my phone.

“Gotta go.” I quickly hung up. “Hey.”

“Hey… who was that?” She eyed me suspiciously.

“Oh. My friend.”

“Does this friend have a name? I mean, you were thinking about him tonight, and last night.”

I laughed nervously. “Oh. You heard that much.”

“Yeah.” She leaned in. “It’s Toby, isn’t it?”