Seeker (Shadows) (14 page)

SIXTEEN

Kara

Wind keeps me up most of the night and knowing I’m sleeping about a foot away from Ocean keeps me up for the rest of it. The boat rocks and pulls against the lines they have t
ied to the shore and the anchors they set before going to bed. All night I worry we’ll come undone with Ocean and I locked in this tiny room.

When light b
egins to stream around the small curtains, I roll toward Ocean to see his eyes already on me.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Are you?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” I admit as I let the way he’s looking at me wash through me.

“Me either.” He reaches out and runs his fingers over the back of my hand sending waves through me. Small touches, huge waves. Right now I’m wondering what it would feel like to crash into him.

“There’s more here than just our energy.” His eyes are steady on mine, and I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s being so open. It’s just that I’m not sure I know how to be.

“I don’t know how to tell.”
Mostly because it overwhelms everything else.

A knock at our door jerks me to sitting.

“We’re sitting down for breakfast. You two wanna come up?” I recognize Micah’s voice.

“Uh… Yeah. Sure,” Ocean answers as he slowly moves to sitting.

“Thanks,” I say.

“Please don’t break the trust,
” Micah calls through the door. And our lock clicks, and then I hear her step back up into the main area of the boat.

I slide off the bed and reach for the door. But maybe this is too easy. Maybe they’re going to hurt us, or…

“Kara?” Ocean lightly takes my hand, sending my heart into a crazy rhythm.

I turn to face him.

“Everything’s going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that.” I shake my head. “My whole life I’ve been taught to act and react like nothing will be okay. That’s how to stay on top. How to stay safe. How to get the job done.”

Sadness lines his mouth and the edges of his eyes. “I hope I can change your mind.”

“Not likely.” I pull open the door and tense up, waiting for what they might have in store for us today.

“There you two are.” Landon gives me a small smile as I reach the top of the few steps.

I’m not sure what to say or do right now, and I end up standing and staring at this ridiculous attempt at normal. They’re all on the bench seat around the indoor table, but Dean’s protectively holding Addison and she’s looking at me like she wishes I’d melt into th
e floor. Landon still won’t even glance at Ocean, and Micah’s rubbing his shoulder. She looks at us, but not really. Not at my eyes, just our direction.

There’s so much tension in the room it’s hard to move.

The wind and rain pounds onto the windows and I can barely see the shore, even though I know the beach is close on all sides.

“Thank you,” Ocean says. “For letting us come up.”

“Like you said.” Landon stares at a chart on the table. “We have things to discuss.”

Ten minutes in, and all we’ve covered is that I don’t trust the shadows and Landon does, and that Ocean just stumbled onto the doorstep of The Middle Men last month. They already know about where our talents came from, but we still have very different ideas about what the shadows are.
I don’t get a chance to defend The Middle Men because no one attacks them. All we can talk about is shadows.

“There isn’t a wrong or right side here,” Ocean’s trying to explain over his bowl of Rice Krispies.

Addison’s whole face goes red. “Really? Then why is my dad being held?”

Ocean glances toward me, I’m sure wanting me to field this one.

“Anything that could jeopardize the shadows gaining freedom is dangerous,” I say wondering why they don’t get this yet. “He’s being treated well. We’re not some evil empire, we just work on the down-low.”

“So.” Addison folds her arms. “The shadows are to blame for my dad being held?”

I need to focus on the shadows, and why they’re to blame. “The shadows will try to tell you whatever they can to convince you to help them, but all you will do is release them into the world. They’re a bitter, angry and calculating group of…whatever they are now. They are no longer people and haven’t been for a long time. It’s not safe.”

“But they don’t have bodies to come back to,” Landon presses.

He’s been half-convinced already, I can tell. I was right when we were back in Nassau—we should have taken them all by force when we had the chance. It’ll be trickier on the boat, but they’ve let us out already with no restraints, so I’ll just have to time it right and hope backup gets here fast once I call for them.

“Exactly right,” I say. “No restraints of human bodies, but they’ll have the powers we all know exist, and a lot of hatred built up over the years. They are not harmless.” I almost stand up to show them the
massive scar on my leg, but don’t. We have more time to convince them now because the storm has us stopped.

Ocean squeezes my hand under the table, stopping my heart for a second, but I know he’s trying to help, not keep me from talking.

They’re all glancing between each other.

“What do you see?” I ask Micah.

She shakes her head.

“Really?” I hold up my wrists. “I’m telling you everything. This is from you.”

“And this is from you.” Landon points at his nose with a smirk, which is a little purplish on one side.

“And this.” Addison points to her cheek, which has a few scratches from the street.

“And this.” Dean stands up and starts to unbutton his pants, making me cringe and throwing the group into a round of laughter. I wonder if I’m as strange of a straight-laced phenomenon here as I am at home.

I keep waiting for something big to happen between Landon and Ocean, but no one’s brought it up since yesterday. It’s weird because I’m their prisoner, technically, but it’s not like Ocean and I could go anywhere, and our best chances of keeping them from letting the shadows loose is to stay here.

“You’re doing good,” Ocean whispers in my ear.

And instead of it being condescending like
I might have taken it a day or two ago, I let the compliment sit.

“So.” Addison points between us with her spoon. “Are you two…?”

“No,” I sputter.

“Ri
iight.” Landon chuckles as he shakes his head. “Don’t need Micah’s gift for that one.”

Ocean glances at Landon again who holds his gaze just for a moment, before his smile leaves and he drops his head to face the table again.

I’m just trying not to be embarrassed. The last thing I need right now is a…boyfriend. Ridiculous.

“I need this storm to clear up. I might go crazy.” Landon blows out and Micah’s lips pull into a thin line of worry.

Right. Landon just realized he has a brother. He might have a few questions for his parents, which can’t be answered yet.

Wait. Now I’m wondering why Senator Michaels isn’t down here somewhere. How did that never come up?

“Your watch. You left on the tape.” Landon points to my wrist.

“Trust,” Ocean says with a little t
oo much intent, and Landon nods.

“So. Kara. You’re convinced that if we try to help the shadows, they’ll come to earth and reign some kind of terror on mankind, is that right?” Landon asks with a tone that’s almost, but not quite mocking. Maybe he’s just trying to hold that in.

“No.” I shake my head. “Probably just those of us with gifts. Maybe everyone. I got burned by one once. I can’t imagine what it would feel like if they actually got loose.” I shudder at the memory and am also surprised I let it get out. The smell of my own skin burning still makes my stomach seize up.

“Where?” Micah sits forward a little.

Everyone’s eyes are on me, and I’m not sure I want to be the weirdo who won’t show. I’m the one who brought it up, of course they’d want to see.

I stand and pull up my dress and then my spandex to show the massive scarring from mid-thigh almost to my hip. My skin is warped and looks a bit like melted candle wax with welted red lines.
The memory of being burned is sharp, but the details are too fuzzy to hold on to.

“Wow.” Dean nods in appreciation. “That’s insane.”

“So they
are
dangerous.” Addison scoots closer to Dean again sliding her arm more tightly through his.

“But I’ve been there.” Landon shakes his head. “It doesn’t make sense.” His eyes flash to mine. “Are you sure it was one of them?”

I snort before getting my reaction under control. “Positive. I was ten and on assignment with my parents. Shadows often swarm when we’re too close to each other, or when we close in on a subject.”
Or when we’re trying to stop a group from setting them free…

“Wait.” Addison’s eyes are hard on me now. “What do you mean a subject?
All you do is track people down?”

I widen my eyes at her and lean forward, every nerve on edge because of what she so obviously thinks of me without ever having been to The Middle Men or seeing all that we do or how we work. Addison doesn’t scare me. No one here scares me. Not like the shadows do.

“Yes. I’m a Seeker. You know a lot of people look forward to their ages and talents developing to the point that they can be used for assignments. A lot of people were fighting for the job I’m doing right now. But most people who work for The Middle Men do other jobs, too.” And I clamp my mouth shut because I’m not ready to talk about what we do for businessmen and world leaders. And definitely not whatever Mom has going on—only somewhat separate from the rest of the organization. At least not until we have the group in custody or have them on my side.

“So.” Landon raises his arms and his rests his eyes hard on Ocean. “How do you like your new assignment?”

Ocean holds both hands in the air in a surrendering gesture. “My mom kept me pretty sheltered. I’ve never been around people who have these…abilities. I’m just glad to have company.”

Micah’s nodding, sympathy stretched across her face. “Me, too. Well, my mom didn’t keep me sheltered because she didn’t know what I could do, but I felt alone for a long time.” She almost chokes on her words and I wonder if being around people is as awkward for her as it is for me.

Stop, Kara. They’re subjects. People to be studied and brought in and probably stopped if they continue on the course of action they’ve been working toward.

Landon’s staring out the window again.

“I’m going back in.” He stands up.

Micah leaps to her feet. “Landon. No.”

“I’m just…” He pauses. “I felt so strongly they needed our help when I was there, but after the scar and our conversation...” His brow furrows up the way Ocean’s does when he’s thinking hard. So much alike that I can’t believe I didn’t see it right away.

“But what if we can’t trust them,” Micah pleads. “And if you start asking questions they’ll hurt you.”

“Not going to happen.” He shakes his head.

“I don’t know…” Dean says.

Both Ocean and I sit silent, waiting to see how this will play out, but Micah seems more desperate every second.

“Dammit Landon! Don’t be so careless.” Micah shoves him. “I love you. You do not get to throw yourself back into their world. I get to have some say.”

Landon’s head tilts to the side as he watches Micah breathing. The rest of us sit silent, and I suddenly feel like I’m intruding on something between them.

“
You want some say?” He smiles. “Marry me.”

Micah gasps, and I wonder if I want to tie Landon up to keep him from crossing over
to the shadows or disappear back into my room.

SEVENTEEN

Micah

All the air leaves my body before I get a hold of myself again. “You’re being ridiculous. This is not a time to be ridiculous.”

“I love you.” He takes my hands in his making it all feel way too real. “That’s not going to change. What are you afraid of?”

“Of losing you.” I’m weak from feeling so much. With the arrival of the new people and how mixed up Landon’s felt…

“Marry me.” His voice is calm but persistent. And I keep waiting for a smirk or a tease or something to tell me that I can just blow him off with a joke, but it doesn’t come.

“I… Landon we’re barely out of high school.”

“I didn’t say it had to happen tomorrow. I just want to know that it’ll happen.” He pulls my hand until I’m forced to step closer, and then a hand rests on my waist.

I turn away. “No more games, Landon.” Even though I know he’s not playing games at all.

“I love you. I promise I’ll come back. And sometime after I do...” He gestures loosely in front of himself. “You and I are going to get married. And I wouldn’t miss that for anything. I’ll be back.”

“You’re impossible.” But a part of me is leaping and thrilled that it would even cross his mind to attach himself to my brand of crazy.