The Guardian (Callista Ryan Series) (26 page)

             
“Come on, we can take him,” Alex said.

             
“Alright, you go ahead. I think I’ll save that option for plan B,” Adeline replied.

             
“Coward,” he said, leaning into her for a second, nudging her. She laughed loudly then, her whole face alight. Callie saw the way Alex watched her, like he was absorbed in her every nuance, her every motion. He concentrated on her like she was something entirely new to him; it wasn’t the way he looked at Callie, as though he were completely familiar with her. Callie shifted on the branch. She knew she had no right to be jealous. But watching this was more difficult than she could have anticipated. And she knew that this was exactly why Serena had wanted her to see it.

             
“Are you two done yet?” Serena called from below.

             
Both Alex and Adeline started, as though they’d forgotten she was there. Adeline peeled her legs off of him, one by one, hanging them over the side of the branch. “We should probably go,” she said.

             
Alex nodded. “Probably,” he said, though he said it slowly. Callie knew that he didn’t want to leave. But she, on the other hand, could not have been more relieved when the world slipped out from beneath her again, and the trees began to blur in a familiar loss of clarity, and she knew that she was getting the hell away from this place.

             
She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes against the dizzying sensations, waiting for the center of gravity to right itself again.

             
Soon enough, she felt the forest still. Callie opened her eyes, and saw that she was in the exact same place she’d been before she’d visited the forest floor. Adeline’s cottage was unchanged; not much time had passed. A murmur of voices drifted out to her from the back room, and she turned to watch the scene.

             
“I’m not
saying
that it’s not a good idea, I’m just saying that it could very easily go wrong,” Alex said, following Adeline out from the bedroom. Callie lifted her eyebrows. She was worried for a moment, until she saw Serena follow Alex out, looking just as bored as usual, and then she relaxed.

             
Adeline stormed into the kitchen, looking upset. “We’ve been at this for weeks, Alex. Emeric is getting ready to send the troops any day, and you want to discuss hypotheticals?” She slammed a bowl down on the counter top, and thrust the cabinet door closed before turning to retrieve something from a higher shelf.

             
Alex leaned onto his elbows against the counter, watching her as he said, “Just tell me this: who is going to be the one to do it? I mean, in theory, the idea is valid. But if prejudice or bad judgment come into play for even a
second
—“

             
“What? Then the Sirens will all die?” she asked, whipping around to face him with a clear container of oats in hand. “Newsflash,
they already will
!”

             
Alex sighed and hung his head. More calmly, he replied, “Emeric will see it as a flaw in the plan.”

             
“Oh, God, why don’t you two just sleep together already and get it over with?” Serena moaned, sinking into a chair and rolling her eyes, the picture of a tortured woman.

             
They both looked in her direction as though she were crazy. Adeline was the first to break the awkward silence.

             
She shook her head. “All we need to do is bring the idea to Emeric,” she said. “After that, I think he’ll be willing to help us solidify it. He as good as said he wouldn’t go through with the attack if there were any other way.”

             
“Why don’t you test that theory?” Serena asked, looking out the window. “Here he comes.”

             
“
What
?” Alex and Adeline shouted in unison.

             
“He isn’t supposed to be here until evening,” Adeline said, panicked. She placed the bowl and oats into the sink quickly, hiding them, and smoothed her hair.

             
Alex lifted an eyebrow. “What, do you hope to win him over with your good looks?” he asked.

             
Adeline sneered at him. But in spite of the mocking remark, Callie could see the way his eyes lingered a little too long, even though Adeline couldn’t.

             
Emeric flew into the house, landing so smoothly that he fell right into step as he walked into the living room. He nodded at Serena, and then looked to Adeline.

             
“You wanted to speak with me?” he asked.

             
“Emeric, what a surprise,” Adeline said with forced sweetness. “I wasn’t expecting you until later.” Her eyes darted to Alex, and then back to Emeric. Alex smirked, though the gesture was so small that Callie doubted anyone else noticed.

             
“You said that you had business to discuss, and so I came. Shall I come back?” he offered, though the question was less an offer than a challenge.

             
“No!” Adeline said. She cleared her throat. “No. I just…
we
just had an idea. We thought you might appreciate it, if you don’t mind listening.”

             
“Why would I mind?” Emeric asked, his face darkening in suspicion.

             
“I—“ Adeline said, clearly nervous, and frustrated with herself for being so. She frowned, and huffed, and Callie thought she would have begun to curse had Alex not intervened.

             
“We have come up with an alternate solution to the problem,” he said. “We do not believe it is necessary for you to exterminate any portion of the Siren population, after all.”

             
“You don’t?” Emeric asked, surprise in his voice. But there was also patronization there, as though he were listening to a child propose to explain quantum physics.

             
Alex hoisted himself onto the counter, sitting atop it with ease and assurance. Adeline’s eyes all but sprung from her head at the nonchalance of his gesture. She seemed to grow more livid with each passing second.

             
“You see, Adeline has come up with a plan which may prove to be more peaceable and beneficial to all of us,” Alex said.

             
Adeline cut in, holding up a finger. “Oh, no, it wasn’t just me. We all helped.”

             
Callie chuckled. It wasn’t generosity which made Adeline say that, she knew, but fear of failure. This way, the blame would be equally shared. She was surprised at how likeable this Adeline was in comparison to her future self. Callie thought that maybe, had she known this woman all of those years ago, they could have been friends. And that thought made her laugh even harder.

             
“Quiet, human,” Serena’s voice echoed. For a moment, Callie looked at the memory version of Serena. But she was sitting quietly on the couch, appearing wholly unconcerned with the entire affair. It was then that Callie realized the voice had come from the real Serena, the one who could hear her laughing in the present.

             
The rest of them couldn’t hear her, though. Callie was quiet again, listening. Alex went on, “As I was saying,
Adeline
thought that it might be a better idea if you decided to use a liaison, instead.”

             
Emeric lifted his chin. “A liaison,” he repeated.

             
Alex nodded. “You see, if we simply created a position in which a protector could communicate with the Sirens, we would have a way of reasoning with them. They would feel as though they had more of a connection to us, that they are not being suppressed. We believe it would improve relations between our peoples, and negate the need for war.”

             
Emeric’s eyes narrowed, and he walked further into the kitchen. As he passed by Alex, he made a gesture with his hand, and said, “Get off of the counter. You look ridiculous.”

             
Alex grinned, either his rebellion or Emeric’s tone causing him to find the words comical. Nevertheless, he sprung from the counter with grace, landing firmly on his feet. Emeric stood across from Adeline, leaning against the stove and studying the floor.

             
“Who else have you told of this plan?” Emeric finally asked, looking between them.

             
“No one,” Adeline said.             

             
“Well, they’ve told me,” Serena drawled. “And I’ve told a few people.”

             
“What? You have?” Adeline hissed. “But I thought—“

             
“Oh, please, Adeline,” Serena sighed. “Look at him. If no one knew that we’d hatched this plan, he wouldn’t even be considering it right now. He’d insist we’d keep it a secret, and then he’d go on about this war business as though he hadn’t a choice.” She motioned to Emeric, who returned her glance with his own icy glare. Adeline’s face contorted in embarrassment, and she shook her head violently at Serena. “
What?
” Serena asked. “You know I’m right. Emeric never wants people to change his mind for him. It makes him feel less in control.”

             
Alex laughed loudly at the statement.

             
“
Serena!
” Adeline said.

             
Emeric’s face turned ashen, though he retained his cool expression.

             
“Oh, come on, Emeric,” Alex said. “It is true. And you do have to consider that with another viable option on the table, people would be far less interested in your war plans. Even Milo would disapprove of them, had he thought of this himself.”

             
“Do not
speak
to me of that man,” Emeric seethed, holding up a hand. Callie saw that his hand was shaking with rage. She caught her breath, sensing that Emeric was about to lose control.

             
But he closed his eyes and drew a breath, and when he opened his eyes again, they had lost the insanity which had shown through just seconds before. He seemed to have a grip on his emotions.

             
“It is a reasonable plan,” he finally admitted. “I will take it under advisement.”

             
“Under advisement?” Serena asked. “You mean you’ll forget all about it.”

             
“Emeric, you have to consider what will happen if you attack now. It will divide the people. There are those who still believe that, no matter what the Sirens have done, they deserve their rights to life and freedom as much as we do. I doubt many of your soldiers will even obey you,” Adeline said.

             
Emeric’s nostrils flared. He ground down on his molars, and swallowed. Several seconds elapsed before he said anything else. “You may be right,” he relented. He choked on the next words, gripping the counter on either side of him until his knuckles turned white. “For now, the plans for attack are postponed. We will try this your way.”

             
Adeline’s jaw dropped, and she drew a breath to say something, but Alex chuckled and, stepping next to her, threw an arm around her shoulders and clamped a hand over her mouth. Serena shrugged, having expected such an outcome.

             
Emeric walked towards the door, and as soon as his back was turned, Adeline jumped into Alex’s arms and he spun her around, their arms and wings intermingling so that it looked like they were one person. “Speak to me tomorrow further of your idea,” Emeric called over his shoulder. In a quieter voice, he grumbled, “Foolish ingrates.”

             
He flew away before they could reply.

             
“Well, that’s my cue,” Serena said, standing up. “I’ll…leave you to it.” She bit her lip, though the corners of her mouth twisted up in a mocking smile. Adeline narrowed her eyes, but couldn’t hide her own grin.

             
She turned back to Alex. “We did it!” she cried, hugging him again, her arms wrapping comfortably around his neck. Callie saw his face as it rested atop her shoulder; it was jubilant at first, but then he closed his eyes, and his smile faded, and he looked serious once again. He drew back slightly, looking down at Adeline’s purple eyes.

             
For a moment, they were caught in each other’s gaze. After a little time had passed, during which Serena clumsily collected her purse and notebook and pen from the coffee table, Alex asked, “Do you want to….”

             
Adeline nodded. “Yes,” she said, taking his hand. She walked slowly, unsure, looking back over her shoulder as she led him to the back room.

             
“Oh, don’t mind me,” Serena said, tucking her things into her bag. “I’m just the one who closed the deal.”