AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“There were some technical difficulties,” I said, walking in, happy to be back.
“What’s wrong?” Kaden asked.
“Nothing is wrong. It’s right.” Dice waved everyone into the dining room. “Come get some breakfast. It’s still hot, and we’ll fill you in.”
Kaden followed him into the dining room.
“I already know the trip was a flop. Your hair looks too amazing,” Cookie whispered as we walked into the dining room.
“So what happened?” Kaden said as he grabbed a cup of coffee.
“You’re not even going to believe it, but Kalix is here,” Dice said, and then appeared to be waiting for some sort of reaction from Kaden.
Whoever Kalix was, Dice, Connor, and Cookie were all smiling.
“Kalix?” Kaden set down his coffee, scowling. “Kalixis here?”
“Yes. We put him in one of the cottages. Isn’t that good news?” Cookie asked.
Kaden nodded toward the dining room doors, and Connor shut them.
“What’s wrong?” Dice asked.
Kaden walked over and peered out the window, scanning the grounds. “Billie and I are leaving again. If Kalix saw us returning, tell him it was to get a few things and that we’ll be back. Tell him you didn’t have time to tell me he was here.”
“What’s going on?” Cookie asked. “Isn’t Kalix showing up a good thing?”
“Whoever is here, he’s not Kalix. That’s a plant from Herrick. Kalix is dead. Finn just told me, and his information has always proven correct.”
Herrick? He was moving on us, and what had I done with the time I’d had? Been too afraid to even try my newfound powers. Why had I acted like I’d had all the time in the world? Yes, maybe I’d futzed around here and there, but I hadn’t stepped up like I knew I should.
“So what do we do with him?” Cookie asked.
The three of them were all nearly speechless. I guess I wasn’t the only one shocked at how fast Herrick moved.
“Herrick won’t want anyone to make a move against you three.” Kaden looked at me before he said, “Herrick wants Billie and me, but we aren’t ready. You three go back to the city and keep going about your day-to-day like nothing is happening. If you feel like he’s catching on, you get out of Nowhere. If you’re confronted, roll over and act like you don’t know anything. Whatever you do, you don’t engage. He’s laying the groundwork for a trap of some sort, but he won’t waste it unless he thinks he can get to us.”
“What about you two?” Dice asked, his voice softer than usual.
“We’re going underground until we’re ready to handle this situation once and for all. Dice, tell Hank to meet us on the balcony and that it’s code blue. We need ten burner doors, stacked so that they aren’t traceable.”
I was still taking in Dice’s grimace at the order when Kaden turned to me. “You’ve got two minutes to pack a small bag, and then we’re leaving.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’ll explain on the road. We need to leave now.”
I didn’t waste another minute, not doubting I had exactly two minutes with the way he was acting. Cookie was hot on my heels as I rushed into my room. I threw a couple things in a bag, barely paying attention to what I was grabbing.
“Don’t worry. I’ll send word to you about what’s going on,” Cookie said, grabbing a couple more things from my drawers and trying to stuff them into the bag for me.
“Don’t worry about me. You need to watch out for yourself.”
I dropped the stuff in my hands and hugged her before she could stop me.
“Oh no, I knew this was coming,” Cookie said. “Don’t worry about me. I know how to stay alive.” After another second I felt an awkward pat on my back, as if she was trying to figure out what she had to do to get the hug to stop.
I let go of her, but only because I was almost out of time.
