Midnight Runes (The Bestowed Ones) (27 page)

I had fought so hard to deny what I felt for him. The delusion of denial only lasted so long. An event sooner or later would have tipped the scales. I didn’t know where this left us, but I liked what it promised.

T
he next morning I waited at his locker.

“It didn’t work,” I told him as he spun the combination. I heard the disappointment in my voice. I had no idea what I was signing on to, but I had checked every inch of my skin this morning to be sure. Having an emotional connection wasn’t an issue on my end. Maybe the lack was on his.

“We can always try again,” he teased, a glint in his eye. “I’d like that challenge.”

I smiled and linked my arm with his as we headed to class.

“Such a public display,” he faked shock. “You must want more gossip to go around.”

“Elyse will straighten them out.”

“Plus you don’t date anyone in the same grade.”

I laughed. “There is that.”

“Does that rule extend beyond high school?”

“No, it ends with it.”

“Another thing to look forward to.”

• • •

Maybe it was a different emotion we had to feel at the same time. Like polar opposite emotions. I suggested this to him after school. He seemed frustrated with the prospect of trying out an endless array of combinations.

“Consequences?” I asked, mimicking my question from last night.

“Getting frustrated with experiments that don’t work. Ultimately, not enough time.”

It didn’t matter how long it took or what he’d have to put me through. I’d made up my mind. We’d just have to try different methods until we found the right one.

Then he reminded me of something I should have never forgotten. “Trevor isn’t on the same side.”

Yeah, there was that. I didn’t know how to handle that.

“I’m heading back to New Mexico to look into it further. I may not be back for school tomorrow,” he said. I could tell he was uncomfortable revealing this.

“Thanks for telling me,” I offered. He relaxed.

• • •

I drove straight to Trevor’s after school, hoping he was home. I had to see him, talk to him.

“Hey,” I said when he opened the door.

“Brynn. Everything okay?”

“I never got around to asking you if our parents knew about this. Or how much they did.” I had laid awake last night pondering this question. I had to know if they knew, and if they did, how long they’d kept it from me. The thought they’d kept it from me, as Landon and Trevor had, made me question if everyone in my life knew more about it than I did.

He stepped out of the doorframe as an invitation to enter the house. I crossed the threshold, and he closed the door. His hand lingered on the handle, and I felt a fleeting moment of panic that he’d change his mind and usher me out.

“They know all about it,” he said quietly. I was convinced he only gave me the bare minimum to drive me nuts. “I know you want more details. Would you like a coffee? I was going to make myself one,” he said, casually walking toward the kitchen like this was a normal conversation, not the monumental one it was.

I followed him and perched on the chair by the island. I watched him pull two mugs out of the cabinet, something I would have done if we were still together or not experiencing the level of shock I felt. Seeing him move around the familiar space brought back too many memories of family gatherings and dinners and myself moving around his kitchen like it was my own. We only knew each other because our ancestors were in a secret group together; it wasn’t anything I could change. Everyone had a story of how they met. Our story turned out to be more complicated than “our dads had known each other.” Maybe it was our great-great-grandparents, or maybe earlier than that. My stomach flipped. How could I choose to end up on an opposing side? Or was it Trevor who chose the wrong side? Conflict was me.

“After I was approached about joining the group, I learned as much as I could about it before jumping in. I wanted to know who they were, why I was on their radar, and if you were too. I came across old records that connected my family to this…gang. There were other random notes in the pile with a few names. The people I met, some had always been members, some were new recruits like me. I was angry. I was resentful. And I saw no other option. The life I thought I’d live—the one where I was in charge and responsible for my own decisions? That one disappeared. Someone else calls the shots now. You would despise every second of it. I pretty much do.”

“How can you not have a say-so in your life? You’re still in school, aren’t you?”

“I don’t go to class that often, and there’s little time for studying. My grades suck. I’ll probably drop out after this semester. I told my parents what happened because my behavior was erratic. I wasn’t supposed to talk to anyone about it, but they started thinking I was on drugs or something. They told your parents soon after.”

“Landon said joining was optional.”

“Did he?” he said a bit too sarcastically. He added sugar to the cups and placed one under the Keurig. He pushed a button, and the coffee brewed. “You don’t have to worry about anything. They won’t approach you about joining.”

I stared at the back of his head. I really hoped he had decided not to go through with it. “What did you do?”

“I committed to a more involved term.”

“What else did you do to get further in besides the moving tattoo?”

“Landon tells you too much.”

“You know that’s not true.”

“What else do you know about the tattoo?”

“It connects you to the person who gives it to you.”

“And?”

“And…” I looked away, deciding how much to tell him. I had come here looking for information, but ended up being the one grilled. Why did I always get myself into this situation? “There are different ways to transfer it.”

He turned his back to me and gripped the counter. “Partial truths. They connect you to everyone who has the same one. There’s only one way to transfer it. I don’t know what he’s trying to accomplish by lying to you.”

“I came over here to talk about my parents, not Landon.”

He turned. “You brought him into this conversation.”

“My parents knew how worried I was about you, and they didn’t tell me anything.”

“My parents only told them to end their suspicion. I made it very clear how dangerous it was to me if anyone knew about it.”

“Why would they risk telling mine?”

“Our families have history. The group is the reason. And it was before I figured out how to prevent you from being drawn in. It was natural that we all worried about you and what it would mean for you.”

“Is there any danger of them being pulled in too?”

“Probably not, but who knows? It appears he only wants young blood.”

“He as in…who?” I asked.

“The leader of this area. The mastermind behind it all. Didn’t Landon tell you?”

“He said that the leader was reactivating families that had chosen to leave, and that it was against the rules.”

He nodded. “There are a lot of us, Brynn.”

“What’s the purpose?”

“I don’t know, but he’s very impressed with his new recruits. Our abilities develop fast.”

Later, I sat in his driveway with the car running. I couldn’t put it in reverse. I flipped through my preset stations, trying to wrap my head around what to do.

I couldn’t
not
say anything to my parents about this. I knew they knew the secret. I couldn’t pretended they didn’t. A secret that not only affected Trevor, but also included me. They saw what Trevor’s distance had done to me. They worried with me. They worried
for
me. Why didn’t they put me at ease?

Eventually, I headed home, taking the long way. I anticipated our dinner conversation the entire time.

I was really tired of everyone keeping so much from me.

• • •

My parents chatted about the opening of a new restaurant and plans for the weekend while I pushed what was left of my chicken enchilada around my plate. I couldn’t figure out how to say what I wanted to. I sighed.

“Brynn, you seem preoccupied. Is everything alright?” my mom asked.

The opportune moment arrived. It was like standing on that ledge with Landon. I could choose to jump or not; I could deny anything was wrong, or I could face it head-on. I knew what was at the bottom of that cliff. Getting there was the scary part. I also knew that not jumping meant denying the truth.

I hesitated long enough to get my dad’s attention. I jumped. “I’m aware of our family involvement in the Bestowed Ones. I know that’s what’s been going on with Trevor.”

They shared a look that spoke volumes; unfortunately, I didn’t know the language. I had another truth-seeking technique at my disposal and turned it on. My mom said, “Oh, honey, we didn’t want you to worry about something so out of your control.”

“But why wouldn’t you tell me so I would be aware of what was going on, or that it was a possibility someone would approach me about joining?”

“Who approached you?” my dad’s voice thundered.

My mom reached for my dad’s hand. “We knew this was something we couldn’t totally protect her from. Our runes failed.”

I gasped. “The runes were from you?”

She nodded, and my dad said, “We gave permission for Trevor to put them on you, although I don’t know how you know about them. They were the best course of action…out of the few options we had. Trevor told us they’d been replaced, and he suspects Landon.” I stopped breathing. “We feel like you should keep a distance from him—especially after what Trevor did for you. We don’t know Landon’s motivations for coming here.”

“I thought you liked him.”

“That was when we thought he was a normal guy,” my mom said.

“Trevor’s not normal, and neither am I! What does that have to do with anything?”

“Trevor we know and trust. Landon we don’t,” my dad said.

“And I didn’t ask Trevor to do anything for me. Everyone needs to stop making decisions for me.”

“What’s done is done. He made a sacrifice for you,” my dad responded.

“I didn’t want him to! Doesn’t that mean anything?”

“You can’t honestly say you want a part of this organization. You’re not even supposed to be aware of it. Your great-grandmother opted out. She was the end of the involvement,” my dad stated.

“Exactly. We’re not supposed to be involved, or even be aware such a thing exists, yet here we are. They got Trevor because the leader is defying the laws…he’s not respecting the established rules, but you think he’ll honor Trevor’s sacrifice and not go back on his word about this? Why would he do that? He’s shown no signs of having a conscious.”

I sensed their denial and worry. They didn’t want to think it was a possibility. As with reasoning with Elyse, I tried to build a case.

“I think it’s best to have as many contacts as possible. Landon’s not going to harm me. He would have let me drown if that was his intent.”

They didn’t say anything right away.

“What if he was the reason you had the problem in the first place? Put you in danger to save you and gain your trust?” my mom suggested.

I flashed back to the complete terror on his face and the fear in his voice. “There’s no way he could have acted so panicked if that was the case.”

He’s an undercover agent. He has to be a good actor,
I thought.

I excused myself from the table and closed myself in my room. My parents and Trevor were trying to shake my faith in Landon. I stared at my cell, wondering if it would be a good idea to text him. I sent him one.

Any luck?

I waited eleven minutes for a response, then forced myself to concentrate on my homework.

L
andon was at school the next morning. I spotted him in a seat in first hour. I had to wait all through class to learn if he had any news.

He strolled over after the bell. “I stopped by late last night to talk, but you were already asleep.”

“What did you find? And I’m really glad I keep my room decently clean.”

He laughed. “I have a lead to follow up on after school today that I hope is worth the effort.”

I pulled my bag over my shoulder. We walked into the hall. I hoped he would have found something concrete. “These sorts of things aren’t well documented?”

“The records are hard to get a hold of and even more complicated to decipher. It’s not like there’s a master library somewhere.”

“There should be.”

“There was at one point. The records were scattered probably seventy years ago. Each section holds on to what they have. Who knows if they’d be honest and turn them all in if they were ever asked to. They’d effectively put all their cards on the table and not leave any up their sleeves.”

“And why would anyone do that?” I said, a little too sarcastically.

He looked at me like I was suddenly more intriguing. “Have you put everything on the table?”

“Don’t start that everyone-keeps-their-own-secrets stuff with me.” Confronting my parents last night had empowered me. Or maybe it was the doubt creeping in. “I don’t like the idea of being connected to everyone that has the same…mark,” I said to be discreet.

“Where did you get that notion?” he asked and searched my eyes, as if he looked deep enough he’d find the answer. I didn’t squirm under his intense gaze. “Ah,” he said as if it were perfectly clear. “Trevor’s clever.”

We walked further in silence, and he broke it. “I’m not connected to everyone else. Trevor’s new to it, so he doesn’t know any better, although I know his purpose behind telling you this. Don’t forget: my family’s been in since the beginning, and we pass our knowledge to each generation. Not much is lost.”

I glanced at him and ducked into my next class. I felt guilty for second-guessing him, but at the same time it was nice to hear his confirmation.

At lunch, Elyse announced she had lost her phone privileges and asked us to email her instead of text her over the next two days.

“What happened?” I asked, anticipating an entertaining story.

“My little brother is what happened. He’s been messing with my stuff. He snuck into my room and moved around my drawers. I pulled out all my dresser drawers this morning searching for my dress socks because they weren’t where they were supposed to be. Before that, he organized all my stuff into weird patterns on the floor. He’s a freak.”