calm him down before the flight.
“Yeah, thanks.” He stared at the floor, felt himself blushing. He was grateful for her concern—and that she didn’t stare at him like he just came off the crazy train. “I’m okay, but I don’t remember anything before the day Mom and Simon found me. He’s a priest friend of my mom’s, who used to be a cop. That’s how they found me, she said.”
“And you believe her.”
“She’s my mom.” Anger and panic flared, like it did every time he thought about that night. “I have to—”
“Zach.” Penn closed her hand over his wrist. “There’s no need to defend her.” This time he recognized the warmth spreading up his arm, soothing his temper, his fear. She was a healer. “Your mom loves you very much. I saw that right away.” She let him go, tilted her head as she studied him. “Do you know what the tattoo stands for?”
“Mom said it’s the symbol for a guardian angel. Like my own bat signal. I think I saw it in a book and thought it was cool. It feels like I’ve always had it.” He stared down at the tattoo, and an image flashed over it, of gold and flame. One he’d seen before, more than once, and if he were being honest, it scared the hell out of him. Jerking himself free of the image, the fear that came with it, he plastered on a smile. “Anyway, thank you. And thank Michelle for me.”
“You can thank her yourself.” Michelle appeared from behind the same display. “What am I being thanked for?”
“Helping Annie,” Penn said. “Like we needed to be—”
“It was our pleasure, Zach.” Michelle laid one hand on Penn’s shoulder when she opened her mouth. Zach blinked; it was like watching his mom and Annie. “Feel free to look around. Penn will help you if you have any questions. I need to—damn. Sorry.”
She covered her mouth and turned away. But not before Zach felt the tingle, moving quickly up to slick pain. Then the emotion-blurred image popped into his head. She lost something.
“Michelle?” Penn rubbed her back. “Talk to me.”
“I can’t find the locket,” Michelle whispered. “Mom’s locket.” Zach dropped his cap, clutched the shelf next to him as the pain became a slow, twisting knife in his gut. “Zach?”
Her voice sounded distant, and the hands that guided him through the shop only intensified the pain, since they belonged to the person who lost. He needed to find . . .
“Find what, honey?”
Blinking past the film of tears, he found Michelle in front of him. Kneeling in front of him. Awareness of the chair that held him filtered in through the pain. Taking in a shaky breath, he whispered.
“Your locket. Need to—find it.”
“No—he can’t be.” Penn’s disbelief slammed into him like a tidal wave, and he doubled. “Zach—breathe now, that’s it.” He felt her power, a cool wave washing over the heat of his pain. “Sweet God in Heaven—he’s a seeker, Chelle.”
“That’s not possible. They’re a myth, Penn.”
“Apparently not. Zach,” her voice was gentle when she said his name. For some reason it twisted the pain in his gut tighter. “Does it hurt you if you can’t look for something you know is lost?”
“Duh,” he whispered. Annie would have been proud.
Penn laughed. “Sense of humor intact. That’s good. Michelle, tell him you want him to find the locket.”
“This is absurd.”
“Tell him.”
“Zach.” Her quiet voice touched him like a soft, soothing breeze. “Can you find my locket for me?”
“No.” Penn sounded impatient. “Don’t ask. Tell.”
“Right. I want you to find my locket, Zach.”
“Okay.” The pain eased, like it did before, as soon as she said the words. Two sets of hands helped him sit upright. “I’m okay.”
“You look like death. Michelle, bring him in back. I know I have some of my roast beef sandwich left from lunch.”
“Roast beef?” His stomach clenched. As much as he wanted that sandwich, it would have to wait.
“Yeah, thanks.” He stared at the floor, felt himself blushing. He was grateful for her concern—and that she didn’t stare at him like he just came off the crazy train. “I’m okay, but I don’t remember anything before the day Mom and Simon found me. He’s a priest friend of my mom’s, who used to be a cop. That’s how they found me, she said.”
“And you believe her.”
“She’s my mom.” Anger and panic flared, like it did every time he thought about that night. “I have to—”
“Zach.” Penn closed her hand over his wrist. “There’s no need to defend her.” This time he recognized the warmth spreading up his arm, soothing his temper, his fear. She was a healer. “Your mom loves you very much. I saw that right away.” She let him go, tilted her head as she studied him. “Do you know what the tattoo stands for?”
“Mom said it’s the symbol for a guardian angel. Like my own bat signal. I think I saw it in a book and thought it was cool. It feels like I’ve always had it.” He stared down at the tattoo, and an image flashed over it, of gold and flame. One he’d seen before, more than once, and if he were being honest, it scared the hell out of him. Jerking himself free of the image, the fear that came with it, he plastered on a smile. “Anyway, thank you. And thank Michelle for me.”
“You can thank her yourself.” Michelle appeared from behind the same display. “What am I being thanked for?”
“Helping Annie,” Penn said. “Like we needed to be—”
“It was our pleasure, Zach.” Michelle laid one hand on Penn’s shoulder when she opened her mouth. Zach blinked; it was like watching his mom and Annie. “Feel free to look around. Penn will help you if you have any questions. I need to—damn. Sorry.”
She covered her mouth and turned away. But not before Zach felt the tingle, moving quickly up to slick pain. Then the emotion-blurred image popped into his head. She lost something.
“Michelle?” Penn rubbed her back. “Talk to me.”
“I can’t find the locket,” Michelle whispered. “Mom’s locket.” Zach dropped his cap, clutched the shelf next to him as the pain became a slow, twisting knife in his gut. “Zach?”
Her voice sounded distant, and the hands that guided him through the shop only intensified the pain, since they belonged to the person who lost. He needed to find . . .
“Find what, honey?”
Blinking past the film of tears, he found Michelle in front of him. Kneeling in front of him. Awareness of the chair that held him filtered in through the pain. Taking in a shaky breath, he whispered.
“Your locket. Need to—find it.”
“No—he can’t be.” Penn’s disbelief slammed into him like a tidal wave, and he doubled. “Zach—breathe now, that’s it.” He felt her power, a cool wave washing over the heat of his pain. “Sweet God in Heaven—he’s a seeker, Chelle.”
“That’s not possible. They’re a myth, Penn.”
“Apparently not. Zach,” her voice was gentle when she said his name. For some reason it twisted the pain in his gut tighter. “Does it hurt you if you can’t look for something you know is lost?”
“Duh,” he whispered. Annie would have been proud.
Penn laughed. “Sense of humor intact. That’s good. Michelle, tell him you want him to find the locket.”
“This is absurd.”
“Tell him.”
“Zach.” Her quiet voice touched him like a soft, soothing breeze. “Can you find my locket for me?”
“No.” Penn sounded impatient. “Don’t ask. Tell.”
“Right. I want you to find my locket, Zach.”
“Okay.” The pain eased, like it did before, as soon as she said the words. Two sets of hands helped him sit upright. “I’m okay.”
“You look like death. Michelle, bring him in back. I know I have some of my roast beef sandwich left from lunch.”
“Roast beef?” His stomach clenched. As much as he wanted that sandwich, it would have to wait.
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