Current Impressions (31 page)

“I can’t explain it. As I told you, I only
spoke with her briefly afterwards, and it was to break up with
her.”

“You’re through with the girl then? No
lingering emotions?”

“None,” Evan lied. “I planned to break up
with her anyway. Her actions simply sped the decision.”

“And you plan to return to Halifax with
Ted?” Ken focused on cutting the steak placed before him, but Evan
was no fool. Although he acted nonchalant, Ken desperately wanted
to know his answer.

“I do,” Evan said. “I have two years of
college left, sir. It’s important that I finish.”

“Of course, of course.” Ken finished his
wine and motioned to Stonewall, who stood discreetly in the corner,
for a refill. “I hadn’t meant to imply otherwise. I could use an
apprentice, however, and you do seem to have the ideal skill
set.”

“What exactly is it that you do, Ken?” Evan
asked before he lost his nerve. He wondered about that since he
arrived here, but it seemed impolite to ask. It didn’t seem rude
now, or maybe, with so little time left here, he didn’t care
anymore.

“I’m an investor, Evan, and a collector. As
you can see, I prefer to surround myself with beauty, quality, and
knowledge. Priceless items are my specialty.”

Evan considered the various collections of
artwork displayed throughout the house. “You collect classic
paintings?”

“Yes, among other things.”

Ken was being purposefully vague.
Why?
Evan wondered. It didn’t add up. “Why are you
interested in the mantle plume?”

“It intrigues me. You intrigue me, Evan.”
Cobalt blue flickered through Ken’s eyes before they dulled to
their usual gray. He smiled widely. “Am I making you uncomfortable?
It’s not my intent.”

Evan tried to laugh, but it sounded forced.
“Uh… no. I’m fine.” He turned his attention to his meal, hoping
that Ken would change subjects. A chill settled in him, and it
wasn’t the room temperature. There was something off about the man
before him. On the other hand, Professor Nolan knew Ken for years
and worked with him on other projects. He wouldn’t have brought
Evan here if he thought Ken was dangerous, would he?

“I won’t hurt you,” Ken said softly. “You’ve
become like a son to me, Evan. I’d like the opportunity to groom
you in the family business.”

“Collecting and investing?” Evan asked,
having no idea what that actually meant.

“Exactly.” Ken nodded with satisfaction.
“You’re a quick study. Please at least consider it.”

“Okay,” Evan agreed. Why would an investor
want a marine biology student for an intern? Evan wasn’t interested
in art, but he would agree to almost anything to end this dinner.
Luckily, Ken seemed content to finish the rest of the meal in
silence.

Placing his napkin next to his empty plate,
Evan stood. “Have a good evening.”

“You, too, my boy, you too. I’ll see you in
the morning.”

Evan stepped into the hall and practically
ran into Ted. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ted silenced him
with a quick shake of his head. He motioned for Evan to follow him.
Ted led him through the kitchen and out of the house through a
servant’s door.

“Where are we going?” Evan asked. Ted didn’t
answer as they walked around the house. “Why didn’t we just go out
the front door?”

“Too obvious.” Ted finally spoke, barely
above a whisper. “I didn’t want to be seen leaving together.”

“Why?”

The hairs rose on the back of Evan’s neck.
Why was everyone acting so strange? A week ago, he thought he was
losing his mind. Now, he thought they all might be. The weirdness
factor had increased since the dinner party. Strange was becoming
the norm.

“Let’s go for a drive.” Ted opened the
driver’s side door and waited for Evan. “Coming?”

“Okay.” Evan got in and hoped he was making
the right decision. Was Ted the safer of the two? Who was less
crazy?

Ted buckled his seatbelt and backed out of
the driveway. He flicked on the headlights once they were a safe
distance from the house.

“What’s going on, Professor?”

Ted’s gaze flickered to Evan before turning
back to the road. He pushed his glasses up on his nose, a nervous
habit Evan noticed months ago.

“Why the spy-like maneuvers?” Evan asked.
“Are we in trouble?”

“How are you feeling, Evan? How are the
headaches?”

“Fine,” Evan said cautiously. Ted never
asked or cared about his health before. “Never felt better.”

“Really? Any side effects? Strange thoughts?
Voices?”

A lump formed in Evan’s throat. He tried to
control the tremor in his voice. “How’d you know?”

“Guessed, really. I wondered about that. Can
you tell me more?”

The professor looked at him with
fascination, the way he studied his specimens under a microscope.
What was this about?

“Have you been experimenting on me?” A chill
ran down Evan’s spine when Ted’s eyes widened. He guessed
correctly. “What did you do?”

“I did nothing. Dr. Tenuis did the work, of
course. He treated you. You’re feeling better, so no harm done.”
Ted smiled at him in a reassuring way. Evan wasn’t reassured.

“How did you know about the voices?”

“I hear them, too, Evan.” Ted’s voice
changed to a deeper, gravely baritone. He guided the car to the
side of the road and stopped, turning to face Evan. Popping and
stretching noises filled the car. The sound made Evan’s hair stand
on end. Headlights from a passing car lit up the interior. Evan
gasped. Ted’s fingers lengthened on the steering wheel. Glancing
from Ted’s fingers to his face, Evan jerked back. The man sitting
next to him wore the professor’s clothes, but that was the only
resemblance. His skin was the deep blue of berries, and his eyes
lit from within—a bright turquoise blue.

“Don’t be afraid.” The professor spoke again
in that strange, scratchy voice. Evan noticed how pointy his teeth
were as he spoke. He remembered seeing a similar set on the doctor.
At the time, he blamed it on the drugs. He couldn’t do that now. He
was completely sober.

“What are you?” Evan whispered. He slowly
moved his hand toward the car door. Could he open it and get out
before the professor noticed?

“The same thing you are,” Ted said.

“No.” Evan shook his head and pressed
against the door. “No. I don’t believe you.”

Before Evan could flee, the professor
grabbed his wrist. “There’s nowhere for you to go, Evan.” With his
free hand, he reached up and lowered the car visor, opening the
vanity mirror. “Look.”

Evan stared in the mirror. His body tingled
with a million pins and needles. His muscles tightened and pulled,
rearranging his features. He screamed in pain and disbelief at the
monster staring back at him. His fingers rose to touch his face,
and he screamed again. His skin was blue and his fingers elongated,
the nails pointy and sharp.

“You are one of us, Evan, whether you like
it or not.”

“Why did you bring me here to tell me this?
What have you done to me?”

“Get a grip on yourself,” Ted snapped,
flipping the visor closed. “I brought you here because I thought it
was time you knew. Ken didn’t want to tell you yet.”

“Ken is like this?” Evan’s voice quavered
while he tried to control it. What kind of monster had they turned
him into?

“Yes. There are more of us, too.”

“Dr. Tenuis?”

“Yes.”

“He made me a monster!” Evan yelled.

Ted shook him. “He didn’t, Evan. None of us
did. We saved you. Your body was fighting the change. If we hadn’t
stepped in, you would’ve died.”

“I don’t understand. I’m human. Why would I
change?”

“Your fa—”

A blue light exploded in front of the car,
hitting them with a shock of paralyzing cold. The last thing Evan
heard was Ken shouting, “I told you not to tell him!”

My aunt stalked in circles around me.
Dressed in head-to-toe leather, she looked like an assassin. “I’m
impressed, niece. Your skills have grown.”

“Thank you, Aunt Brigid.” I bent and tried
to catch my breath. We’d been training for hours. Sweat rolled off
my body, and she didn’t even look winded. What was it like to have
that kind of power?

You’ll have it too one day
, she spoke
in my head before I raised my shield and blocked her. She laughed.
“Haven’t been shielding much, have you?”

“Not really,” I admitted.

“You and Kieran have grown close. He’s a
powerful ally.”

“He’s a good friend,” I retorted without
thinking.

“Friend.” Her lips twisted as if the words
left a bad taste in her mouth. “Emotions make you soft.”

“Really?” I went to a nearby rock and sat. I
was tired, and it seemed, at least temporarily, she was giving me a
break. “Don’t you care for the people of Ronac? Your family?”

“I would die for them,” she spat. “Yet, I
never let emotions get in my way.”

“Never? There was never anyone special for
you, Aunt Brigid?” It was bold to ask. Curiosity won. I knew so
little about her.

“Hmpf.” She turned and started picking up
her gear, but not before I noticed the sadness that passed through
her eyes. There had been someone in her life. Someone she
loved.

“Can you tell me?” I coaxed. “Please?”

Though her back was to me, I saw her
shoulders sag. “Why do you want to know?”

“I’d like to know you better,” I said. “In
many ways, you’re a stranger to me.”

“I prefer to keep my distance.” She
straightened. I thought she was going to walk away. She surprised
me by joining me on the rock. “I was young.” Her eyes flicked to
me, assessing. “Not as young as you are, but young by Selkie
standards. My father let me accompany my mother to her former clan.
She liked to visit on occasion. We were to stay for one moon
cycle.”

“Like Uncle Ren’s family?”

“Exactly. It’s the way of Selkies. We travel
by moon. Anyway…” Her eyebrows rose while she waited to see if I’d
interrupt. I smiled sweetly at her, and her lips twitched. “We
weren’t the only visitors. My uncle Fiero came from the Aleutian
Islands. He ruled there after he married my aunt Catherine. They
brought several of their guard with them. Amongst them was Talus.”
Her eyes grew soft as she remembered. Her lips turned up slightly,
and she looked… she looked pretty. “He was the head of my uncle’s
guard, fierce and strong. He ignored me at first, but I’m not
easily ignored.” She smirked at me. “Once I got him talking, it
didn’t take long for us to fall in love. He was amazing. Handsome.
Strong.”

I tried to imagine my aunt, who was always
poised and distant, as young and flirty. No image came to mind. To
me, she was the Brigid before me, beautiful, but cold. “Did you
break up at the end of the moon cycle when you had to go back
home?”

“What? No, of course not.” Some of her cool
exterior returned. She sat taller and tugged her leather jacket
straight. “By the end of that moon cycle, we were promised. My
parents approved of the union. I was to join him at the end of the
next moon cycle on his island.” She stood and crossed to her gear.
Picking up her bag, she stared at me. Her eyes filled with tears,
which she brushed away impatiently. “It was not meant to be. Their
clan was attacked. Only a handful survived. Talus was not among
them.”

I gasped. “Who attacked them?”

“Water demons. We could tell by the stench.”
She blinked, and her expression hardened. “I learned a tough
lesson. Love is a weakness I cannot afford.” Hiding once again
behind a cool mask of indifference, she gave me a curt nod. “Good
day to you, niece.”

After she vanished, the sadness lingered. My
aunt lost much more than her love. She lost her hope, her soul. My
father said we were under attack. There would be casualties. I
would lose friends, people I loved. Would I lose myself like my
aunt or was I stronger than that?

No, I would be stronger. Without love,
without hope, what was there worth living for? I would be strong
enough to protect those I loved. I had to be stronger. I conjured
my dagger. The cold metal grew warm in my hand and comforted me. It
was time for my next training session.

****

Angus lunged forward. I anticipated his
move, spun, and locked his sword arm. He cursed and raised his
other arm in surrender, so I released him.

“You’re better with that thing than my
mother ever was.” He collapsed in his chair and pointed his sword
at my dagger. “I’m not sure there is much else I can teach
you.”

“That’s it?” I sank into the couch. The
dagger was an extension of my arm now, and I parried with it
easily. Yet, if our enemies were plotting to attack, it didn’t feel
like enough. “Is anyone else good with weapons?”

“Your father.” Angus considered. “And Ren.
Your uncle Ren’s a master with a club.”

I wasn’t sure that my uncle’s club handling
would help me much with a dagger. “What does Dad have?”