had hoped this moment wouldn’t come so soon. I had hoped I could protect you from it, but now that we’re here…I’m so proud of you, sweetie,” she said.
“Does this mean I can go?”
“I, of all people, know that when a person feels compelled to do something they have to do it.
I’m just proud that you’re leaving for the right reason instead of a selfish one,” she said. Like I did.
“Maybe there is a little selfishness in there,” I said thoughtfully. “But I think my reasons are good.”
She reached out and put her hand on mine, gripping it forcefully. “You’re going to be careful, and come back as soon as you have answers, you hear me?”
I laughed, while a swoop of regret tried to make me stay. “Yes, Mom”
“And you’ll call every single day?” Her thoughts were suddenly a scrambled mess, and I didn’t know if she was doing it on purpose or more worked up than she was letting on.
“That might be a little tricky,” Daniel said. “Calls are easily traced, and the people who are tracking us definitely have the resources for those kinds of traces. We’ll have to be careful.”
He tapped impatiently on the table despite his appearance of calm. I think a part of him had been hoping Ellen would forbid me to go, would make me feel guilty enough to stay. He didn’t
understand how understanding Ellen could be. Or else he had underestimated Ellen’s ability to know when a person had to do something for reasons that didn’t always make sense.
Ellen let out a long sigh then her honey brown eyes narrowed with fierce emotion. She pointed a finger at Daniel. “You take care of her,” she demanded of him.
“Forever,” he replied.
Ellen gave my hand an extra squeeze and stood. She took a moment to compose her thoughts.
“When are you leaving?” she asked.
“Tomorrow. We’re going to drive,” Daniel said for me.
“You’re going to drive to New Orleans?” Alex asked.
“It’s the best way to stay off the radar. It would look a bit funny if I showed up with a bunch of Watchers in tow to get myself recruited by Marcus’s new pet down there. They will do their homework on me, and I have to look the part…desperate and alone.”
“You make it sound like they’re everywhere, and that they can hack into anything,” I scoffed.
“Yes,” he agreed.
“Oh.”
“We have a lot to do before tomorrow,” Ellen said as casually as she could manage. “Stories to tell the school, and packing, and whatever, so, I think we should get started.”
I knew she really just wanted to spend time with me before I left. I didn’t have to tell her that I didn’t have a clue how long this mission would take; that we could be gone for months, maybe longer. She knew. She always knew the things I didn’t say.
I changed into my clothes in one of the many rooms on the second floor. I heard Margaret and Jackson talking in low voices from the room Beatrice and Han gave them whenever they stayed.
Most of their conversation was out of my range of hearing, but the words which escaped the confines of the room were words of preparation and determination. At least, they weren’t
worried I would die a horrible death the moment I stepped out of King’s Cross. They were
focused on the mission, not the likely outcomes. I appreciated they were coming for that fact alone. Worry wouldn’t make this any easier.
I finished changing and went back downstairs. Ellen and Daniel were in deep conversation again, while Alex chatted with Beatrice. Alex avoided my gaze, her normally bubbly smile gone.
Beatrice was somber as well, her radiant face heavy with the weight of what we were all
preparing to do. I knew she was used to Daniel going on missions, but she never liked them; she could never stop the worry that accompanied each of his trips out of town.
As soon as she saw me, Ellen popped off the sofa, scrambling her thoughts. “Ready?” she asked me.
“Yep,” I said.
Daniel took my hand to talk
“Does this mean I can go?”
“I, of all people, know that when a person feels compelled to do something they have to do it.
I’m just proud that you’re leaving for the right reason instead of a selfish one,” she said. Like I did.
“Maybe there is a little selfishness in there,” I said thoughtfully. “But I think my reasons are good.”
She reached out and put her hand on mine, gripping it forcefully. “You’re going to be careful, and come back as soon as you have answers, you hear me?”
I laughed, while a swoop of regret tried to make me stay. “Yes, Mom”
“And you’ll call every single day?” Her thoughts were suddenly a scrambled mess, and I didn’t know if she was doing it on purpose or more worked up than she was letting on.
“That might be a little tricky,” Daniel said. “Calls are easily traced, and the people who are tracking us definitely have the resources for those kinds of traces. We’ll have to be careful.”
He tapped impatiently on the table despite his appearance of calm. I think a part of him had been hoping Ellen would forbid me to go, would make me feel guilty enough to stay. He didn’t
understand how understanding Ellen could be. Or else he had underestimated Ellen’s ability to know when a person had to do something for reasons that didn’t always make sense.
Ellen let out a long sigh then her honey brown eyes narrowed with fierce emotion. She pointed a finger at Daniel. “You take care of her,” she demanded of him.
“Forever,” he replied.
Ellen gave my hand an extra squeeze and stood. She took a moment to compose her thoughts.
“When are you leaving?” she asked.
“Tomorrow. We’re going to drive,” Daniel said for me.
“You’re going to drive to New Orleans?” Alex asked.
“It’s the best way to stay off the radar. It would look a bit funny if I showed up with a bunch of Watchers in tow to get myself recruited by Marcus’s new pet down there. They will do their homework on me, and I have to look the part…desperate and alone.”
“You make it sound like they’re everywhere, and that they can hack into anything,” I scoffed.
“Yes,” he agreed.
“Oh.”
“We have a lot to do before tomorrow,” Ellen said as casually as she could manage. “Stories to tell the school, and packing, and whatever, so, I think we should get started.”
I knew she really just wanted to spend time with me before I left. I didn’t have to tell her that I didn’t have a clue how long this mission would take; that we could be gone for months, maybe longer. She knew. She always knew the things I didn’t say.
I changed into my clothes in one of the many rooms on the second floor. I heard Margaret and Jackson talking in low voices from the room Beatrice and Han gave them whenever they stayed.
Most of their conversation was out of my range of hearing, but the words which escaped the confines of the room were words of preparation and determination. At least, they weren’t
worried I would die a horrible death the moment I stepped out of King’s Cross. They were
focused on the mission, not the likely outcomes. I appreciated they were coming for that fact alone. Worry wouldn’t make this any easier.
I finished changing and went back downstairs. Ellen and Daniel were in deep conversation again, while Alex chatted with Beatrice. Alex avoided my gaze, her normally bubbly smile gone.
Beatrice was somber as well, her radiant face heavy with the weight of what we were all
preparing to do. I knew she was used to Daniel going on missions, but she never liked them; she could never stop the worry that accompanied each of his trips out of town.
As soon as she saw me, Ellen popped off the sofa, scrambling her thoughts. “Ready?” she asked me.
“Yep,” I said.
Daniel took my hand to talk
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