Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2) (10 page)

     We finished dinner and headed back to the car with our merchandise. I shuddered at the thought of the drive we had ahead of us. I just wanted to be home, although with Joey’s driving we would get there much faster; whether we would be in one piece or not, was yet to be determined.

     To comfort myself, I reached under my jacket and found the smooth stones of my bracelet. I rolled them between my fingers and stared out the window. Somehow, even with the snow falling and the dark trees whipping by, I was able to fall back into memories. I could hear the waves crashing on the shores of the island, taste the salt, and smell the sea spray, but most of all I could see
him
. He was smiling and walking toward me, his eyes just as happy as they always were when he smiled.

     My heart thundered in my chest. It was the first time I had been able to conjure up a real memory of him, I was used to picturing him all sickly and scarred. The memory of the real Patrick was beautiful and though the car jerked back and forth over the road, I was lost in the sight of those warm eyes and that perfect smile.       

The days flew by quickly and I was getting restless. It was late March and I had heard nothing from the Lathmorians or Zale. I was going crazy not knowing what was going on in my world, the world I should be living in. Day after day, I thrust myself into work at the restaurant and strived to envelope my mind with the trivial gossip Laura fed me as we cleaned each night. Most mornings, I went for a run around town and even welcomed the idle chatter of Justin and his friends whenever I spotted them on the streets. Even Joey’s constant urging to get me to attend prom with the rest of the group were a welcome distraction.

     Everything I did was in an attempt to distract me from what was going on in the ocean. As the days passed, a sense of something beginning to build loomed all around me, but I didn’t know the cause. I could feel it in the atmosphere, and it lurked in my shadow, drifting into the back of my mind where memories of Hyvar continued to crop into existence.  

     As another shift came to a close at the restaurant, I was stacking menus back under the hostess stand, when out of the corner of my eye I saw Joey making his way over to where I stood.

     “So you still haven’t changed your mind?”

     “Nope,” I said shortly, hoping he would take the hint.

     “Shame, I’ve got a friend who would love to go with you, if you know what I mean?” He raised his eyebrows suggestively and my face got red with anger. “If you’re worried about looks, ask Laura, she thinks he’s hot and you know she has good taste.”

     “Good for him, give him my congratulations would you?” I rolled my eyes and headed to the kitchen.

     “Maybe I’ll just have him stop by your house. He could give you a taste of what’s to come.” He spoke loud enough for me to hear and laughed again, but I ignored him.

     I went into the kitchen with a huff and saw my cousins busy rinsing the dishes. For once I thanked my lucky stars, I could leave early. 

     “All right, I’m out of here.” I said to no one in particular and put on my coat and scarf. Farewells were tossed over my cousins’ shoulders and I left the kitchen through the back door.

     It was dark outside, and the dim glow from the lamp painted the snow with a yellow tinge. I looked up and saw the stars in the clear night sky; there would be no more snow, at least for tonight. I trudged forward, my boots crunching in the fluffy powder that lay all over the ground. I was just underneath the shadows of the trees when I reached under my layers to pull out my dagger. The bottom part of my stomach tickled when the air reached it and then I heard the sound of feet following me.

     I whipped around hoping to see Zale. I had been thinking about him ever since he had left. He was a mystery to me, and for some reason I wanted to speak to him again. I told myself it was just the want for Hyven information, but I knew it was more than that. It was because, just for a moment, I wanted to see
his
eyes, even if they didn’t hold the same warmth, they were still his.

     The person who followed me stepped into the light; it was Joey.
What was this guy’s problem?
 

     “What?” I said coldly.

     “Why do you have your hand up your shirt?” He gave me that annoying look as if I was from a foreign planet.

     I pulled my hand out quickly, “None of your business.” All my patience with him was gone.

     “Oh, you’re going to get snappy, with me is that it?” he mocked.

     “What do you want Joey?”

     “I want you to go to prom,” he took a few steps closer to me. “You would have fun and my friend would enjoy you.” He slid his eyes down my body again and I resisted the urge to punch him in the face. I hated the way he talked about me, like a piece of meat.

     “As wonderful as that sounds I think I’ve already given you an answer.” I smiled rudely and turned around to walk toward my house. I heard him follow and I began to walk faster.

     “Would you hold up a minute?” He said as he walked easily behind me. “Lissie,” he grabbed my wrist and jerked me toward him. I put my arms out and pushed away from his chest.

     “What is your problem?” I asked, annoyed. “Get away from me.” I turned to walk back up to my house when he grabbed my wrist again.

     My eyes were furious when they met his, while he looked amused. “You touch me one more time—”

     “And what? You’ll have your oh so big twin brothers come beat me up? They don’t scare me.” He was so sure of himself.

     “No I was going to say I would take care of you myself.” He looked incredulous. “You don’t know me, and I know how to protect myself.” There was an anger inside of me that was burning through my veins. A smile curled on his lips as though enjoying my frustration. “You think you’re more powerful than me? Well, I have seen more of the world than you ever will. You think you’re so tough, but I know people who could cut you down in mere seconds. You were wondering what I was reaching for under my shirt, now you know.” I whipped the dagger out from under my layers and pointed it at him.

     Joey’s eyes widened and I had the pleasure of seeing fear creep across his face for a second. “You’re a freak.” He said along with some other unflattering names.

     I didn’t answer, but turned around to walk toward my house glad to hear his feet move in the other direction. Carefully, I slipped my hand under my shirt and put the dagger back in place. I was quite pleased with myself and replayed his expression in my head. I hoped he wouldn’t tell anyone, but who cared? I was a freak and everyone already knew that. My cousins wouldn’t be too surprised.

     “You handled that well.”

     I gave a small squeal of fright and jumped backward from the voice. Tripping on my feet, I fell over into the snow and looked up in time to see Zale come out of the dark shadows behind a large tree. His golden hair seemed brighter in the dark night and he was dressed in all black, a bulky jacket covering his shoulders and broad chest.

     “Why do you keep doing that? You’re going to kill me one of these days.” I pulled myself up and brushed the snow off my clothes. He seemed entertained by my outburst, but didn’t say anything. “Well?” I prodded.

     “Maybe you need to get your hearing checked. I was walking under the cover of the trees the whole time.” He was mocking me too; apparently I was an easy target tonight.

     “What are you doing here?” I asked suddenly realizing he might just be here to take me to Hyvar. I knew his loyalties to Morven, and his master’s wish was his command. My hand inched closer to the hem of my jacket in case I needed the dagger.

     “Trying to keep you safe. Although it looks like you’ve got things under control.” One side of his mouth curved upward for half a second and then he was the warrior again.

     “Keeping me safe from what, exactly?” I asked nervously, and thought of the soldiers he sent away last time.

     “Let’s get you home,” he turned and walked up the hill to my house.

     I stood still, stunned at his abrupt appearance and answer. All month I had been waiting for him to show up again, if only to see him one more time, but now that he was here I was left stunned and uncertain of what to do. Without saying another word, I followed him up the hill.

     He walked with his hands out of his pockets. His gait was strong and powerful; I took two steps to his one and was huffing as we reached the top of the hill. We stepped onto the driveway and passed by one of the twin’s trucks on our way to the door. I smiled to myself knowing they were both inside and I would be able to eat dinner with them. I always got off earlier on Thursday nights and it gave me enough time to eat a late dinner with Derek, Sean, Jillian, and Dad. Zale stopped still in the shadows and spoke, his voice low in the night air.

     “I can’t tell you why, but I will be here for a bit.” His voice was more serious than I had ever heard it as we stood in the darkness that enshrouded us. 

     “Okay,” I said slowly, slightly confused.

     “I need to be near you at all times, something might be coming and I don’t want you to be—” he broke off as though realizing he had said too much. “Lead the way.”

     At first I didn’t know what he meant and then comprehension dawned on me. He wanted to stay in my house. Was he crazy? How could he think that?

     I shook my head quickly, “I can’t do that.”

     “You’re going to have to,” there was no hint of a compromise in his tone.

     “Why?” I asked and he didn’t answer me. With a heavy sigh I moved forward into the dim light of the outside lamp and swallowed hard.

     “Let me do the talking, okay?” I said and turned to him when we reached the side door. He didn’t even acknowledge I had spoken, so I turned back to the door and twisted the handle.

     Nerves gripped my stomach as I stepped into the house and began to take off my coat, but I paused when I glanced back and saw him stepping inside right behind me. He closed the door and when I turned to look at my family they were all frozen, staring at Zale.

     “Umm,” my voice was shaky and nerves gripped my stomach. “This is Zale.” Nobody moved or said anything; I glanced at Zale and saw he still projected his warrior intensity.
Always a good first impression.

     “That’s my Dad, my twin brother’s Derek and Sean, and that’s my step-mom Jillian.” I pointed to each of them as I spoke and saw their faces were still frozen in surprise. I knew I owed them an explanation and tried to think of what to say. 

     “He’s a friend of mine,” I tried to explain and I noticed Zale snapped out of his glare to look at me.

     “Well hi,” Jillian said, flustered. “We were just sitting down for dinner, would you like some stew?” Zale looked at her but didn’t say anything. I asked him softly and he shook his head slightly, it was barely noticeable.

     “No, he already ate.” I said, improvising. Jillian raised her eyebrows; obviously wondering why a friend would come over to someone’s house this late at night, if not to eat. “He’ll just sit with us.”

     Acting normal, I went over to the coat hanger and finished shrugging out of my coat. I hung my sweatshirt next to it and kicked off my boots. Zale had followed me like a silent shadow and I almost bumped into him when I turned around. His eyes were roving over the entire interior of the house. He was uncomfortable, I could see it in his gaze, and his jaw was fixed sharper than ever.

     “You can hang up your jacket if you want, and your boots can go over there next to mine.” I pointed, but he made no move to do either task. “You can leave the jacket on but take the boots off. Jillian will have to clean up the melted snow later.”

     He made no sign of agreeing with me, but bent over to untie the worn brown boots. He unzipped his jacket and my eyes widened in disbelief. Around his waist he had a thick belt that held at least eight different size daggers. In an instant I realized what sort of person I had just agreed to bring into the house.

     He unclipped the belt and placed it on a hook; he then pulled off his jacket. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt that left his biceps bare and I stared at them while he placed his jacket on the hook over his belt. His arms were huge, much bigger than Morven’s and even Tunder’s.
How had they gotten so big?
For a moment, the image of his weak, bloodied arm in the Hyvar dungeon flashed in my mind.

     I was still staring when he slipped out of his boots and placed them beneath his jacket. He straightened and looked at me. I couldn’t believe his body was that big. Patrick had always been muscular and athletic, but the size of Zale’s arms doubled Patrick’s. He gazed back at me trying to figure out why I was staring. I yanked my eyes away and headed to the kitchen table, where more eyes followed my every move.  Zale paced behind me in his bare feet.

     I motioned for him to sit beside me and he pulled the chair back and sat looking entirely out of place. Without a word, everyone started to eat their dinner and the clinks of spoons in bowls and the slurping of stew filled the room.

     “How was work?” Dad asked, trying to keep his voice level.

     “The usual,” I said and realized I couldn’t have said anything less ironic.

     “That’s good.” Dad said and bobbed his head.

     I glanced up at Sean and saw him staring at Zale as though he was scared of him. I tilted my head to look at Zale, he was gazing intently at Jillian, as though trying to figure something out. I nudged him with my foot, but he didn’t seem to notice.

     We ate in silence and every now and then I flicked my eyes over to the warrior. He was obviously taking his time with making conclusions about my family. After he had made Jillian so uncomfortable, she couldn’t eat, he had started to stare at Derek. Then he moved to Sean and he was now staring at Dad.

     I looked back down at my still full bowl of stew and heaved a sigh, “That’s it.” My voice broke the deep silence; and I put my spoon down. “Zale’s going to be staying with us for a bit, and I don’t know him very well but he needs somewhere to be.”

     Everyone looked at me and waited,  Jillian was frozen with a spoonful of stew halfway to her mouth.

     “Why is he staying with us?” Dad asked while ignoring the man who was still looking him over.