Seers (36 page)

“Toni, relax,” Patrick cut in quickly. “He’s a Seer.”

“What, you’re kidding?” Toni shook his head in disbelief.

“Wow, what a small world. It’s like it runs in the family or something.”

“If I may,” Grandpa broke in loudly, overriding the next needless comment Toni might utter. “I think I have a right to know 276 K • • •

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what you two have dragged my granddaughter into. What are you all doing here?”

My Guardians looked to me, and I tried to think of a gentle way to explain the situation. In the end, I just said the awful words. “Josie and Jenna are gone. A Demon has them. They want me, but I don’t know why.”

Grandpa stared at me. I watched his face and his aura, and they reacted the same. Shock. Disbelief. Fear. Anger. Determination. “Where are they?” He asked, suddenly sounding a lot younger than his almost seventy years. “Do we know?”

“We have a number,” Patrick explained, when I didn’t answer right away. “We called, but the Demon didn’t tell us much. She’ll be calling back in the next ten minutes or so, to give more instructions. We’re supposed to be in the car.”

“Jack said he could meet us anywhere,” Toni offered.

Grandpa grunted. “Huh. One of those Demons, eh? The ones that like to play games. I prefer the more direct ones.”

“You’re not coming,” I said, too shocked by the thought of my Grandpa accompanying us on a dangerous mission to think about my words. “You could get hurt.”

“These Demons made this personal, Kate. They messed with the wrong family.” Grandpa turned back to Patrick. “You got an extra knife on you?”

“Are you sure you’re up to this, sir?” Patrick asked.

“What you trying to say?” Grandpa grunted. “Out with it. I don’t like people who can’t be frank.”

“I think he thinks you’re old,” Toni supplied.

Grandpa regarded Toni firmly. “I may appreciate frankness, young man, but tactfulness has its place, too.” Patrick and I gave Toni weird looks, and he got defensive.

“What? We were all thinking it!”

Grandpa wasn’t through. “Look, I did this for years. I know how it works. Besides, I have a right to protect my family. And you need all the help you can get. How many Demons are we talking

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about, anyway?”

“That’s uncertain,” Patrick admitted. “We know the leader—

Quin Romero—and we know he has plenty of help.”

“Romero, you say?” Grandpa frowned. “That name’s awful familiar.”

I glanced back at the clock on the stove—it was nearing eleven.

Almost time for Selena’s call. “She wants us in the car,” I reminded them. “Should we take yours or mine?” Grandpa spoke to Patrick, the obvious leader. “These Demons aren’t expecting me. I’ll go in Kate’s car, following at a discrete distance. Call me when you learn more. We can make up a plan as we go along.”

“I love those kinds,” Toni enthused, obviously trying to get on my Grandpa’s good side. “They’re always somehow the most memorable, compared to plans that are, well, planned.” Patrick nodded to my Grandfather. “It sounds like a plan, Mr.

Bennett.” He stuck out his hand. “Welcome to the team.” I almost thought I saw my Grandpa smile despite the circumstances, and I could see from his very chaotic aura that he was more than a little happy to be back in the action. “Call me Henry,” he told Patrick, taking his hand and shaking it once.

Patrick nodded, and then looked to Toni. “Get him a knife—

I’ll meet you in the car.”

“Yessir,” Toni mock saluted, and then pulled out one of his hidden blades. Grandpa gave me a quick hug, whispering that everything was going to be all right. And then he took the dagger Toni offered, and then the two walked out of the house; Toni filling Grandpa in on everything we knew about Quin Romero.

I moved to follow them, but Patrick’s soft voice made me turn back. “Kate—you need to drink something.”

“I’m fine,” I protested, but he wasn’t interested in what I had to say. He tried opening a few cupboards, and soon found the cups. He took one out, filled it in the sink, then carefully brought it over to me.

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I took it, but didn’t drink right away.

“Go on,” he prompted. “It will help steady you. Trust me.” I sighed, and then took a few experimental sips. Then I realized how thirsty I was, and soon enough I’d drained the whole glass. Without a word he took the empty cup, refilled it, and handed it back to me. “Thank you,” I whispered. I took a swallow, and then waved toward the cupboard right behind him. “There’s some Tylenol in there. Could you get me a couple?” He did; and after I’d swallowed the medication, I realized that he was watching me very closely. “Are you going to be okay?” He asked, noticing my stare.

I rubbed my fingers over the outside of the glass, unsure of how to respond. “Once my sisters are back.” I finally said.

He seemed to understand that. “I’m sorry,” he repeated again—so softly I barely heard him.

I walked to the sink, dumping the remaining water down the drain. Then I set my cup down, and at last I turned to face him. I looked into his eyes, my own feeling tight, and burning slightly. “I’m sorry,” I breathed. “I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”

“You were upset. It was understandable.”

“But it wasn’t right. I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done. Everything you’re doing.”

He didn’t know how to react—what to say.

I embraced him gently, and his arms slowly wrapped around me. “Everything’s going to be all right,” he whispered. “I won’t let it be any other way.”

I swallowed hard, but didn’t reply. I didn’t have too. He knew I trusted him.

It was really the only thing I could do at this point.

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Thirty-two

Patrick was driving and Toni was in the backseat, holding a phone against each ear. With his own he was connected to Jack, and with mine he was able to communicate with my Grandpa, who was following us in my car.

I held Patrick’s phone with anxious fingers, awaiting Selena’s call. I’d switched off the stereo the moment we started driving, and so aside from the sounds of the engine and Toni’s occasional words, the car was silent.

We’d just pulled out of the subdivision when Patrick’s phone went off. I answered on the first ring, which made Selena laugh.

“Eager much?” She chuckled lowly.

“We’re in the car,” I told her. “Where are we going?”

“Katie dear, some patience, please. Are your Guardians with you?”

“Yes.”

“Are they unhappy with me?” She couldn’t help but ask, sounding very pleased with herself.

“Not as much as I am.”

She laughed again, and then her voice grew slowly serious. “I want you to get on the highway—head East.”

“Where are we going?”

“Buh-buh-buh,” she reprimanded me gently. “I can’t give you an address, dear—it would ruin the fun. Now, I’ll call you in about thirty minutes. Don’t speed, though, or you won’t be in the

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proper place. And you wouldn’t want to miss a turn—your sisters are waiting for you.”

She hung up.

I kept the phone at my ear longer than necessary before finally letting it fall to my lap. I snapped it closed, and then addressed the tense immortals in the car. “She wants us to get on the highway, and head east. She’ll call us back in thirty minutes to give us more directions.” As I spoke I glanced at the blue digital clock on the dash, making a note of when to expect her.

Toni repeated my words into the phones, and then he leaned forward to address Patrick. “Jack’s headed toward us right now—If we can make a quick pit stop, he and Grandpa can travel together.” Patrick nodded, eyes on the road. “Just pick a place.”

“There’s a store up three blocks from here,” I offered. “It’s on the way, and we could leave a car unnoticed.” Toni relayed my words into both phones, and in minutes we were pulling into a crowded parking lot.

Jack was already there, slouching against the hood of a sleek black car. Jason—the short Seer with dark brown hair and glasses—was standing next to him, playing some sort of hand-held video game. I don’t know why that annoyed me so much, but it did.

We pulled up next to them, and Grandpa pulled next to us.

Jack straightened, and walked over to our car—moving for my window, which Patrick rolled down with the push of a button.

Jason followed his Guardian slowly, eyes glued to the screen of his electronic device.

“G’Day, mates,” Jack drawled, leisurely stooping down to look in at us. “Sounds like you’ve got yourselves one corker of a party—

thanks for thinking of us.”

Patrick nodded once. “Thank you for responding so quickly.”

“We were in the area—spent last night in a bodgy motel just south of here actually. Wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy.”

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Before I could get frustrated with him, he was nodding toward Jason, still concentrating on his game. “Jason here’s been ace. He’s taken the skimpy bit of information that Demon’s given us, and started to look for some possible destinations.” Jason glanced up at us, nodding.

I felt incredibly guilty for judging him, but guilt was something I was getting used to.

“By what I’ve found,” Jason told us, running his thumb quickly across the touch screen. “Given the thirty minute drive down the highway, I’m betting we’re headed for an industrial area. It looks like it’s abandoned, so it would be a good place for a bunch of Demons to hide a couple kidnapped girls.” I heard Grandpa’s car door open, and then close, and he started to wander over. Patrick rolled down his window, but before he could repeat what little we’d guessed, Grandpa was whistling loudly.

“Jack! Didn’t realize they’d been talking about you!”

“Henry!?” The Australian Guardian straightened, so he could look over the top of the car. He had a huge grin on his face, but confusion in his eyes. “You crazy loon—how’d you get roped into all this?”

Grandpa pointed toward me. “That’s my granddaughter. And don’t be calling me a goof, you lousy oaf. Why didn’t you tell me you were here helping my granddaughter?”

“I wasn’t, originally. I’ve been tracking Far Darrig, just like I told you yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” I wished I could see their faces. “You two know each other?”

“Know each other?” Grandpa chuckled. “We were unstop-pable once. He was my Guardian, a long time ago.”

“Yeah,” Jack laughed. “He wasn’t the best Seer I’ve ever had, but by-diggity he knew how to party.”

“Well, I had better Guardians, so there.” Jack pushed his tongue out, and they laughed.

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I was still feeling like my whole world made no sense, but I realized my Grandpa had lied to me. “You weren’t playing poker with friends yesterday—you were catching up with Jack.” Grandpa nodded. “Who knew the fool was in the area?”

“Who knew you were still alive and had your marbles intact,” Jack laughed. “How old are you now? Ninety?” Patrick cleared his throat loudly, and everyone glanced in his direction. “We really need to get going,” he hinted.

Jack slapped the top of the car and leaned away. “He’s right, enough earbashing for now. Who’s driving? I vote not the senior citizen.”

Grandpa frowned in his direction. “Just for that, I’m going to drive. But we’ll take your car—I don’t want anything happening to Kate’s.”

Jason looked up from his device, peering back into the car toward Toni. “I’ll try to pinpoint our destination as we get more information. Hopefully we’ll know where we’re going before we get there, so we can make some sort of plan.” Toni nodded, but surprisingly didn’t make a smart comment.

Jason walked back toward the black car, heading for the back seat. Grandpa and Jack followed, arguing lightly as they walked.

“There’s no time to waste, Jack—these are my granddaughters we’re talking about. Give me those keys.”

“No way.”

“What happened to ‘no worries’?”

“It doesn’t apply now.”

“You said it applies everywhere.”

“That was before we lived this moment.” Jack got in the driver’s seat, and Grandpa reluctantly—but still quickly—moved for the other side.

I shook my head in disbelief, and Toni piped up from the back. “That wasn’t weird or anything.” Patrick shifted out of park, and we were back on our way—

Jack following close behind.

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s

Selena called twice more, at shorter intervals each time. We were off the highway, and in the outskirts of a dirty city. By now, Jason was quite certain that we were heading for the industrial district on his maps, and some tentative plans were beginning to be set when my phone rang.

It was lying next to Toni on the back seat, discarded after my Grandfather and Jack began to carpool. He scooped it up, and glanced at the caller ID.

“It’s your boyfriend,” he told me, before passing it forward.

I took the phone, but didn’t answer it right away. I looked at the dash—almost exactly 12:00 o’clock. I’d completely forgotten about our date.

I answered the phone at probably the last possible second, still unsure about what I would say.

“Kate, where are you?” He asked, sounding upset. “I’m at your house and no one’s here. We’re going to be late.” My hand steadied my forehead. “Aaron, I’m sorry—I won’t be able to do this today.”

There was a brief silence, and then he spoke—his voice hard.

“What do you mean you can’t do this? It’s been planned for a week.

You can’t just bail at the last second.”

“I’m sorry—something came up.”

“What? What could have possibly come up? Are you with Lee?”

“No. I’m with my Grandpa.”

I heard him take a deep, steadying breath—I knew him well enough to know that he was trying really hard to keep from getting any angrier. “Is something wrong? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Please, you just have to trust me.”

“Well, you’ve made that kind of hard lately. I mean, what’s going on with you? You’re not even yourself anymore. You notice that, right? You can see that?”