Ungifted (39 page)

Russ threw me a shocked look, startled by how much I meant what I said. I just shrugged helplessly. He might have liked Ethan, but I couldn’t.

“You think you know me, Ethan, but you don’t.” I took a deep breath and tried to make my voice a little less harsh. “Being able to feel my feelings doesn’t mean you understand them. I haven’t done anything to deserve the opinion you have of me. I have never complained about my father or the way the kids at school treat me, and I certainly don’t wallow in self-pity over it. I made the best of my life and was mostly happy despite everything. I never felt bad about myself until I was forced to spend time with you.”

It got really quiet for a really long time. I had more to say, but I let Ethan stew in his own thoughts. It looked as if he needed it. Eventually I broke the silence with a sigh. “Don’t worry. I’m not actually suicidal the way you think, and I promise I’m not going to try to take myself out of the equation again.”

Ethan glanced up at me, and I shrugged. “Andrew probably released the pictures of my dad first thing after Russ kept him from taking me tonight.” When Russ gasped I quickly added, “I’m not blaming you, Russ. I’m selfish enough to be grateful you stopped him. I just meant that killing myself isn’t going to help my dad anymore, so there’s no point in doing it.”

“Maybe he hasn’t released them yet,” Russ said hopefully. “If he had, you’d have heard about it already, right? Your dad would have called you. Maybe Ethan and I can still find Andrew and stop him.”

“He won’t release them,” Ethan mumbled.

“What?” Russ asked while I said, “You can’t know that.”

“I do know that,” Ethan promised. “Andrew may have a fixation, but he’s not stupid. He broke like a dozen council laws using your father like that. Big laws. If he released those pictures, especially since your dad won the election, his crimes would earn him a death sentence. He only did it because he knew you wouldn’t know any better to call his bluff. Your father is perfectly safe.” Ethan looked at his lap and dropped his voice to a whisper. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

I couldn’t take it. I wanted to be so mad at him. I hated him, I truly did, but he looked so pitiful right then I had to do something. “Tell me what I have to do,” I said, sighing. “Whatever you need me to do, Ethan, just tell me. I’ll stop being difficult. I don’t like you, but I’ll work with you from now on.”

Ethan looked up at me in utter shock, which again I found insulting, but at the same time I found myself taking pity on him. “If you really do want to protect me, then I’ll let you do your job,” I promised.

It took Ethan a minute to get over his surprise enough so that he could respond. When he did, his thank-you sounded so genuine I got angry again. “Don’t thank me,” I grumbled. “I don’t want your gratitude. I’m not doing this for you. If it were possible, I’d still want to break our bond.”

I tried to ignore the hurt in Ethan’s eyes. I didn’t like making him feel bad, but I suspected nothing else was going to get through his thick head. If we were going to be stuck together forever like this, then I needed him to know how I felt.

“Unfortunately, Russ is right. Sacrifices have been made in order to give me a warrior, which means there’s a reason I’m supposed to be alive. I owe
you
nothing, but your parents deserve more from me so I’ll do my part.”

After a moment more of thought, I demanded, “But I want to know why. If my life is so important that you have to devote yours to protecting it, then I need answers. My dad gave me the day off tomorrow. I want you to take me to the consulate. I think I should meet Dani.”

Ethan wasn’t really listening to me—he was still too overwhelmed by his own thoughts—but Russ was on my case instantly. “No, Grace. Not a good idea.”

“I need answers, Russ.”

“Dani doesn’t have them. She doesn’t even know you exist. The council doesn’t know anything about this, and that’s the problem. They won’t have answers, but they’ll be desperate to find them out. They won’t care that you’re the president’s daughter. They’ll do whatever they have to—no matter what the cost.”

I suppressed a shudder and tried again. “But Duncan said he could arrange for me to meet her privately.”

“No,” Russ said again. “Maybe, if it were just Dani. But it wouldn’t be. She’d bring Gabe with her and I don’t trust him. I don’t even really trust Duncan.”

“But—”

“Please, Grace,” he begged. “Don’t do it. Forget Dani. Don’t go anywhere near the consulate.”

The depth of his desperation startled me, and it wasn’t until I saw the pain in his eyes that I realized I was just as desperate as he was. “But she’s the only clue I have, Russ.”

“No, she isn’t,” he insisted. “You have him.”

I followed Russ’s finger and gasped. “Ethan? You think Ethan knows more about this than we do?”

“No, but his father does.”

Ethan startled at this and finally joined the conversation. “My
father
?”

Russ’s face darkened. He became determined in a way I’d never seen anyone look. “If my dad can raise a demon,” he said, his voice hard, “then I can summon an angel.”

“Summon…” Ethan’s voice drifted off as he tried to wrap his head around what Russ was suggesting. From the look on his face, he either believed it couldn’t be done or he didn’t like the thought of meeting his dad.

I was excited, though. Russ was right. If we could talk to Ethan’s dad, he could tell me everything, and it wouldn’t have to involve the council in any way, shape, or form. “Do you really think you could?”

Russ shrugged. “Why not? If I’m really as powerful a warlock as they say I am? All I have to do is figure out how to do it.”

“How are you going to do that?” I asked. “I can’t imagine you’d get anything helpful from a Google search.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of the library,” Russ said, dashing my hopes.

“The library?”

Russ laughed at my skepticism. “Not the one you’re thinking of.”

“What other kind of library is there?”

Russ smirked. “The kind where fantasy books are kept in the non-fiction section.”

“A
supernatural
library?” I asked, finally understanding. “You have your own library?” This was absolutely fascinating to me. “Can humans use it?”

“No!” Ethan said, speaking up again. “You can’t use the library.”

“Okay,” I said, trying not to blush. “Sorry.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean you, Grace. I meant Russ.”

“I’m not talking about the consulate library. I’m not stupid enough to stroll in there. But they have a branch here in D.C., don’t they?”

Ethan shook his head. “They do, but the resistance basically runs it, and I’m sure they’re keeping very close tabs on you while you’re in town.”

Russ sighed. “And here I used to think I’d like being famous.”

I smiled at that. He’d be perfect for the movies. He had the body, the smile, and the personality. He’d be the kind of celebrity to stand next to his own movie poster, pretending not to know his face was on it. “If it were the right kind of fame, I’m sure you’d love it.”

Russ tried not to smile. “Actually, it’s kind of cool being an infamous rebel. It’s just very inconvenient at the moment.”

“Maybe we could ask Clara if she knows anything,” Ethan suggested. “I know her mom is—”

“Right.” Russ snorted, not letting Ethan finish his thought. “If you asked, not only would she cast a spell on you to get all of your plans from you and take them straight to Mommy Dearest, you’d need a dose of penicillin afterwards for your efforts. Clara is definitely not an option.”

Ethan sighed. “Well, I can’t go to my clan. I doubt there’s a witch or warlock in town who isn’t involved with the resistance, and asking my mom is out of the question. There’s no one else.”

Ethan and I noticed Russ’s grim face at the same time. “What it is?” I asked.

“There is one other person. I was just hoping I’d never have to speak to him again.”

Ethan got it before I did. “Your dad?” he asked, making me gasp. “Can you trust him?”

“Not if my life depended on it,” Russ admitted. “But he wouldn’t have any clue why I wanted to know, and he’d never breathe a word to the council or the resistance.”

“Would he tell you if you asked?”

Russ looked surprised by my question. He thought about it for a minute and then decided yes. “He would. He’d be too curious not to. Plus, I know my dad. He’d tell me anything I wanted to know if he thought he had a chance of regaining my trust.”

Russ and Ethan both thought about it for a long time. Eventually a look passed between them, and Russ pulled his phone out of his pocket.

I don’t know if I’d ever been more curious in my life than I was waiting for Russ’s dad to answer his call. I held my breath and felt my heart stall when Russ finally spoke. “Yeah, it’s me.” His voice was colder than I’d ever heard it, and it wasn’t just for show. Russ was having a hard time with this call. His face was pale and his free hand was balled into a tight fist. “Tell me how to summon an angel.”

His dad laughed so loudly I heard him through the receiver.

“Right,” Russ said. “I knew it was stupid to think I could still count on you.”

Russ hung up and let out a long, heavy sigh. I wanted to take his hand, but before I could work up the courage his phone rang. He stiffened, looked at the caller ID, and then dropped the phone on the couch between us.

“Russ…”

“Not worth it,” he said.

I looked down at the phone. It was about to go to voicemail. He saw my face and sighed. “Fine.”

I took that to mean it was okay to answer. I hit the speakerphone button and waited.

“I’m sorry,” said a calm, deep voice. “I didn’t mean to laugh. You just surprised me. That was the last thing I expected to hear.”

Mr. Devereaux’s voice was alluring, almost soothing even. He sounded regal and handsome, and not at all sinister the way I’d expected. It made me desperate to know more about him.

“What’d you think I was going to say?” Russ asked bitterly. “Miss you? Wish you were here? How’s the weather?”

“I don’t know what I expected from you. A lot more profanity, maybe.”

Russ didn’t miss a beat. “You’re a bastard.”

“That’s my boy,” Mr. Devereaux teased.

“Not laughing.”

Russ’s dad finally quit playing. “I’m sorry, Russ.”

In those three words I heard something that almost made me gasp. Mr. Devereaux meant a lot more with that apology than just being sorry for playing around. It was sincere and full of love and regret. Russ’s father sounded like he was in agony.

“Russ?” Mr. Devereaux’s voice shook, and though I couldn’t imagine what he looked like, I pictured his face full of as much emotion as Russ always showed. “I don’t know what else to say. I messed up. I should have told you about your mother. I should have told you about Dani. If I’d known—”

“Save it!” Russ snapped. “I don’t want your apologies. I just need to know how to summon an angel.”

“Come home, Russ. Come home and I’ll teach you. I’ll train you in all kinds of magic.”

“You should have already been doing that!” Russ exploded so violently that he actually jumped up off the couch and began pacing the room. “You held me back on purpose! Did you think I wouldn’t realize that?”

“I had to, Russ,” Mr. Devereaux said quietly. “Otherwise you and Dani would have—”

“Just tell me what I want to know or I’m hanging up!”

There was silence for a second or two, and then Mr. Devereaux relented. “Okay,” he said, as if talking to someone he feared was about to break. It made me wonder how close Russ actually was to unraveling. He seemed to be hanging in there to me, but his father had to know him better.

Mr. Devereaux took on a scholarly voice as he said, “Summoning an angel is surprisingly easy. Basically, you say a prayer.”

“You’re kidding!” Ethan blurted.

There was a pause over the phone and then, “Is there someone else with you?”

Russ ignored the question. “You pray for one?”

“Russ, where are you? Who are you with?”

“You pray?” Russ demanded angrily. “That’s it?”

“Yes.” Mr. Devereaux sounded defeated. “You simply have to pray. It’s the angels’ calling to watch over the people of Earth. If someone needs their help and asks for it, it’s their duty to respond. They don’t always make themselves known, but they always answer. All you have to do is call out to them, and if your desire is righteous, they’ll be there.”

“Any angel? What if I need a specific one?”

Mr. Devereaux hesitated. “Which one do you need? Russ, what kind of trouble are you in that you’d resort to calling on angels?”

“No questions!” Russ barked. “Only answers.”

Another sigh. “I’m sorry you don’t trust me anymore, but whatever it is, I can help you.”

“So help me. Tell me what I need to know. You
owe
me.”

For a second I didn’t think Russ’s dad was going to give in, but Russ was right. It sounded as if he couldn’t make himself hold back. He would give Russ whatever he wanted.