Think, Tessa, think. Whoever lurked had to know I’d sense their presence. If they meant me harm, they could have accomplished that any number of ways. Earlier tonight at the party, for instance, I’d been a perfect target with the liquor fogging up my brain.
As if my feet were fixed to the floor, I stared at the door to my room. The adrenalin kicked up another notch and my hands quivered. I took a step back and the door creaked open. I stifled a scream.
A guy not much older than me, nineteen maybe, stood with his palms out, showing me he was unarmed. “I just want to talk to you.”
Right. That’s why he broke into my room — because he was on the up-and-up. My throat closed over from panic.
“I can stand here while we talk, just like this.” He spoke slowly, barely above a whisper. “No sudden moves, I promise.”
All the ways he could hurt me whirled through my head.
“Nothing so dastardly,” he said. “If I’d planned to hurt you, we wouldn’t be standing here right now. You sensed me before today, right?”
Remembering that I’d sensed someone outside the auditorium, I nodded.
“Frank and Lila are lying to you.”
I widened my stance and bent at the knees, ready to bolt if I needed to. “Frank and Lila?”
“Or whatever name they’re going by.” He telepathically sent me pictures of their faces.
Ah, Mr. Linton and Fawn.
“Yes, those two. They’re not who they say they are. They’re conning you.”
“They told me you’d say that.” My parents were out, as usual. I never knew when they’d return. For all intents and purposes, I was alone with this stranger. “Your people want to use me so you can take over and rule.”
“No. That’s them — Frank and Lila’s people.” He ran his fingers through his dark brown hair that fell lazily around his perfectly chiseled face. “Their goal, not ours.”
Okay, that was the last thing I expected. Mr. Linton and Ms. Phillips were totally nice. I didn’t think they’d ever hurt me. They even taught me how to use my powers. And like this guy, if they intended harm, they’d have already taken the opportunities. Whatever the bunch of them were up to, I seemed to be more useful alive or they would’ve snuffed me already.
“Of course they’ll try to convince you they’re the good guys. They want you on their side. They found you first but that doesn’t automatically make them better.”
That made sense in a strange way. Damn. How would I know who to trust? My mind reeled in confusion.
“You think we could talk about this? Give me a chance to show you the other side.”
“Now?” It was midnight and my big cushy bed beckoned me. And more than anything, I wanted to avoid being a pawn in whatever game those two groups were playing.
He shook his head. “It’s late. We could figure out a way to meet again without them knowing.”
“Without them knowing? Then they wouldn’t be there to back me up if it turned out you’re the one who’s lying.”
“Then I’ll meet you in your room every night.” He smiled devilishly.
My gaze fixed on his blue eyes. “Apparently, I can’t keep you out.” I’d locked the house up thoroughly when I’d left earlier with Nadia and Corinne — who’d faint if they ever saw him. Hayden would be long forgotten. But not by me. It didn’t matter how flawless this guy was, he could never be more compelling than Hayden’s perfect imperfections.
“Don’t fall in love with a non-sorcerer, Tessa. It never works out.”
Damn. I’d forgotten to put up my shield. I ignored his invasion and unwanted opinions and guarded my thoughts. If my hunch was right about Hayden, and I’d find out tomorrow, getting involved with him wouldn’t be an issue. Not that I intended to take up with him. Ever. “How did you get in here without them knowing?”
“I had help. I know a Blocker.”
“Blocker?”
“Yeah, a Blocker.” His face changed, as if something dawned on him. “I guess they’re not telling you everything. Allow me. Blockers can create blind spots, so the enemy doesn’t see someone like me. Are you ever going to come inside or are you going to stand in the hallway all night?”
I didn’t really want to be trapped in a small space with him, even if it was my room. “You could come out here.” As the words left my mouth, my adrenal spiked. I didn’t want to be in the hallway with him either, but at least I could run if I wanted to.
“The rest of your house isn’t secure. I’ve already adjusted the curtains in here and made sure I won’t be spotted.”
“But Fawn and Mr… uh… your Lila or Frank would still sense you, whether they saw you or not. Unless you’re Blocker friend is still here.”
“She’s right outside.”
“Then why did I know you were here if she blocked you?”
He smiled. “Because I wanted you to know. We can be selective in who we block, who we don’t want to see into our thoughts.”
Okay, he seemed like a nice enough guy. And he wasn’t making any threatening moves toward me. I took a deep breath and let the tension leave with my exhale. Maybe this guy would be a little more forthcoming with information. “What else is there, other than Blockers, Movers, Readers and Detectors?”
“Healers, Seers… Anything you can imagine, I guess. You want to watch out for Allayers.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Allay means to calm or give relief. They wrap you up in warm and fuzzy feelings. It’s dangerous because they make you feel safe when you’re really not.”
So that was Fawn’s special ability. She’d worked me and Hayden over that first day. For all I knew, this stranger was doing it too. With an unknown and uninvited person in my house, I should have been afraid. But I wasn’t…
No, this time was different. I was calm now simply because something about this guy wasn’t threatening. When Fawn had used her mojo on me there had been an energy of sorts, like an external force molding my emotions and forcing me to feel content while shutting out the negative.
I’d have to watch out for Fawn in the future. In the meantime, I had a prime opportunity to squeeze information from the newcomer. The more I learned, the easier to figure out who was telling the truth. “Your Detector didn’t detect me? Or your side would’ve gotten to me first, right?”
“Detectors are like gold. They find people like you, people for their team. Without a Detector, we’re crippled. We can’t expand. Since our last Detector met a mysterious death, we now rely on Frank to find them.”
If Frank missed detecting Hayden, no one else would detect him either. If Hayden was like me, as I suspected, he and I could team up, possibly figure out who were the real bad guys. With Hayden’s help — if he stayed under their radar — we’d get the advantage. The only problem though would be Hayden staying away from the principal once his powers opened up. He couldn’t afford to call attention to himself because then he’d have the two sides after him. Like I did.
“Frank’s the only Detector in the whole world?”
He chuckled. “No. We have others but they’re working elsewhere.”
“Why should I believe anything you say? What makes you one of the good guys?”
“Anything I say would be well thought out and very convincing. Same with Frank and Lila. It doesn’t matter what we tell you. Watch and listen. Pay attention to the little things.” He leaned against the doorframe, which gave me a better view of him. He was about an inch or two shorter than Hayden, with lean but cut muscles. Whatever he lacked in bulk, his face made up for it.
I liked that answer and felt comfortable enough to venture into my room. He backed up and kept a safe distance. “Do you have any idea what my special ability is?”
“If you don’t know, no one else does either. It could take months to figure it out, but probably only a few weeks. Be patient. “
“So now what?”
“We’d like to meet with you, like you have with Frank and Lila. Eventually you’ll have enough information to decide whose side you’re on.”
“What if I don’t choose sides?” I folded my arms over my chest.
“They might kill you, so you can’t choose us. The bigger our army, the smaller theirs is in comparison.”
“Army?”
He shrugged. “We’re in a battle, good against evil. It’s not fun and games, Tessa, though I wish it were.”
The more I learned, the more complicated it became. I wouldn’t be able to stand by and allow Mr. Linton and Fawn to guide me. “When do you propose these meetings take place?”
“I could text you, so you know when to expect me. I might bring someone, if that’s okay.”
If he’d meant harm, he would’ve brought the extra person without asking. Or he would have already hurt me. I handed him my phone. “I guess so. Put your number in there. I’m working tomorrow night, but we can meet after. Around ten-thirty?”
“See you then.” He returned my phone. “They’re watching the front door. I’ll go out the window where I can hide in the shadows.”
* * * *
I checked the address on the mailbox. Yep, that was it. A sprawling Spanish style house complete with security gate, giant trees and green lawns as far as I could see. Thankfully, Hayden had remembered to put me on the list so when I drove up to the gate and gave the guard my name, he let me right through. I parked and walked the driveway, as Hayden had directed, past the giant swan fountain and blooming flowers.
The ‘guest’ house came into view. It was about the same size as my own home, maybe bigger. Except ours had four occupants — his had only one.
Coming to Hayden’s house was a bad idea after last night. If he had a girl in his bed, would I be able to keep myself in check? Unlikely. But it didn’t matter. I’d have to tough it out with him regardless.
My encounter with the guy last night complicated the situation, made me less sure of anything. I needed to learn to protect myself now more than ever. I needed Hayden too much to walk away. It’s not as if he were any kind of a temptation to me — not after what he’d done last night.
I tapped on the door and waited but no one answered. Hopefully, Hayden wasn’t too wrecked, thus wasting my time. I turned the knob and the door gave way, unveiling light green walls and white trim, wide plank hardwood floors and an arched doorway to a spacious kitchen. The place was simple yet elegant, with very little clutter. It was hard to imagine any teenage boy keeping a home so clean. Clearly, his parents provided a maid.
Hayden had quite the life.
I had no idea how many rooms the house had or which one Hayden would be sleeping in. So I closed my eyes and looked for him, letting my instinct lead. His bedroom door stood ajar and I crept in, praying he wouldn’t be with some girl.