bodies, we find him.”
“Or at least a trail that might lead to him,” I added.
“Yep. I just need to get somewhere that has more bars than…” he checked his phone display, “than zero.”
We laughed.
“The Brotherhood has been waiting on word from Stanley, but they won’t wait for long. When they don’t get it they’ll know something’s up, maybe even by now, and start moving.”
“Hey, I agree. You made your point, okay?” I looked around as we walked, up through the trees and into the troubled sky. It looked like it had a stomachache; it was all churny. “Well…we should get going…I’m a little weirded out by this place anyway. With Kreios not here it seems kind of out of sync and wild…or is that just me?”
Michael looked at me. “I know what you mean. It does seem off somehow, as if time is different here.”
“Yeah, and have you even once seen a plane fly overhead?”
“Those are called contrails. Those little white trails they leave.”
“Nerd alert,” I said, pointing to his pocket where he stashed the phone.
He sighed at me. “Are you done?”
“Why? Want me to be?”
“Desperately.”
“Then no,” I said playfully.
“Okay. If I’m a nerd, then you’re a dork.” He nudged me with his arm.
It sent tingles through me. Just like always. I felt relieved by that, but all my words were stolen as a result.
He went on. “The seasons change by the hour…the weather has moods.”
Thank God he’s kept things going. “I feel like it’s based on my mood. When I get emotional it gets stormy. If I’m, like, normal, it’s all sunny. I don’t mean to sound self-important, but I’ve been watching it for a while now.”
Michael looked at me. “You need to cheer up. Dork.” He smiled at me, just a little too broadly, and I laughed at him and shook my head.
We finally arrived at the house, panting and grinning, still soaked to the bone but at least not dripping wet.
“Kim!” I called out as we walked in.
“She’s probably upstairs,” Michael said.
“Or in the kitchen,” I said.
“Try the kitchen!” Came a voice. It was Kim. We walked toward it and her. We turned the corner to find her standing at the counter by a plate of sandwiches. A duffel bag was at her feet. She turned to us. “’Bout time you two lovebirds showed up,” she said. “Kiss yet?”
I blushed.
“Ooooo,” she cooed, coming closer to me, “do tell!”
“Stuff it,” I said.
“How ‘bout you stuff it,” she said, motioning to the sandwiches. “I made us some lunch. And I’m packed. I’ve just gotta go powder my nose. You guys try to keep up, okay?” She scampered out, headed upstairs.
Michael watched Kim as she hurried off. “She’s an odd duck,” he said. The scar under his shirt burned, and he felt something call to him, back in a hidden place in his mind. It sat there, waiting: “ Come to me—find me and be whole.”
He blinked and looked at Airel, his mind flitting over her Book, over the other books on that shelf. Anxiety filled him.
The Bloodstone.
He wanted Stanley’s stone. But, no, he didn’t. Why should he? He didn’t know what he would do with it. But he had to have it back. No, he didn’t. Where is it? Does Kreios have it? He might have kept it as a sort of talisman.
The Bloodstone that had owned Stanley Alexander was more powerful than anything Michael had ever known, and it was calling to him. He clenched his jaw. He picked up a sandwich.
“She is an odd duck,” I said, “But I love her.” I had to confess though, Kim wasn’t who was on my mind. It was She, and She was not helping—it was hard enough without her input, especially when it was so negative. “He almost died, sure…almost killed you too. Did you ever think he might have planned it all? Made sure he didn’t die, made it look like he was saving you, that he cared?”
I blinked. Why? Just so he can kill me again?
“Believe what you want, Airel. Maybe he wants you
“Or at least a trail that might lead to him,” I added.
“Yep. I just need to get somewhere that has more bars than…” he checked his phone display, “than zero.”
We laughed.
“The Brotherhood has been waiting on word from Stanley, but they won’t wait for long. When they don’t get it they’ll know something’s up, maybe even by now, and start moving.”
“Hey, I agree. You made your point, okay?” I looked around as we walked, up through the trees and into the troubled sky. It looked like it had a stomachache; it was all churny. “Well…we should get going…I’m a little weirded out by this place anyway. With Kreios not here it seems kind of out of sync and wild…or is that just me?”
Michael looked at me. “I know what you mean. It does seem off somehow, as if time is different here.”
“Yeah, and have you even once seen a plane fly overhead?”
“Those are called contrails. Those little white trails they leave.”
“Nerd alert,” I said, pointing to his pocket where he stashed the phone.
He sighed at me. “Are you done?”
“Why? Want me to be?”
“Desperately.”
“Then no,” I said playfully.
“Okay. If I’m a nerd, then you’re a dork.” He nudged me with his arm.
It sent tingles through me. Just like always. I felt relieved by that, but all my words were stolen as a result.
He went on. “The seasons change by the hour…the weather has moods.”
Thank God he’s kept things going. “I feel like it’s based on my mood. When I get emotional it gets stormy. If I’m, like, normal, it’s all sunny. I don’t mean to sound self-important, but I’ve been watching it for a while now.”
Michael looked at me. “You need to cheer up. Dork.” He smiled at me, just a little too broadly, and I laughed at him and shook my head.
We finally arrived at the house, panting and grinning, still soaked to the bone but at least not dripping wet.
“Kim!” I called out as we walked in.
“She’s probably upstairs,” Michael said.
“Or in the kitchen,” I said.
“Try the kitchen!” Came a voice. It was Kim. We walked toward it and her. We turned the corner to find her standing at the counter by a plate of sandwiches. A duffel bag was at her feet. She turned to us. “’Bout time you two lovebirds showed up,” she said. “Kiss yet?”
I blushed.
“Ooooo,” she cooed, coming closer to me, “do tell!”
“Stuff it,” I said.
“How ‘bout you stuff it,” she said, motioning to the sandwiches. “I made us some lunch. And I’m packed. I’ve just gotta go powder my nose. You guys try to keep up, okay?” She scampered out, headed upstairs.
Michael watched Kim as she hurried off. “She’s an odd duck,” he said. The scar under his shirt burned, and he felt something call to him, back in a hidden place in his mind. It sat there, waiting: “ Come to me—find me and be whole.”
He blinked and looked at Airel, his mind flitting over her Book, over the other books on that shelf. Anxiety filled him.
The Bloodstone.
He wanted Stanley’s stone. But, no, he didn’t. Why should he? He didn’t know what he would do with it. But he had to have it back. No, he didn’t. Where is it? Does Kreios have it? He might have kept it as a sort of talisman.
The Bloodstone that had owned Stanley Alexander was more powerful than anything Michael had ever known, and it was calling to him. He clenched his jaw. He picked up a sandwich.
“She is an odd duck,” I said, “But I love her.” I had to confess though, Kim wasn’t who was on my mind. It was She, and She was not helping—it was hard enough without her input, especially when it was so negative. “He almost died, sure…almost killed you too. Did you ever think he might have planned it all? Made sure he didn’t die, made it look like he was saving you, that he cared?”
I blinked. Why? Just so he can kill me again?
“Believe what you want, Airel. Maybe he wants you
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