The Sunshine Chronicles: Forgotten Flare, page 19
He gave me a close-lipped smile and swallowed before answering. “You can call me Theo.” He took another bite of food.
I nodded, waiting for him to continue. When he didn’t, I clarified, “And why am I here?” I knew remaining calm and clear-headed was the only way I would get answers. I had to stay focused on the questions and prepare for the most ridiculous answers to avoid being caught off guard.
“This is the safest place for you.” He took another bite.
“Why did you rescue me from those men?”
“Because you were in danger.” Another bite.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a pointed, deep breath, letting it out heavily. “Why did those men kidnap me?”
He swallowed and pushed his now empty plate away. He crossed one leg over the other and placed his clasped hands on his knee. “Because they believe you to be one of the most powerful fae in all the realms.”
There it was— the most ridiculous answer. I blinked at him. “Sorry. What?” I couldn’t voice all the questions that came to mind. They were coming too fast. Like Mitch’s rapid-fire Nerf gun: What is a fae? Most powerful fae? In all the realms? How many realms were there? How did they exist? Were they fae, too? How was I fae? Was my family fae? Were they even telling me the truth?
He smiled fully again. “Ah, yes. You don’t know anything about your history, do you?”
What is he talking about? I was born in Wisteria Falls. I grew up there. With my family. My friends. I went to Wisteria Heights. I visited the hospital too many times to count. I developed a love for cooking. I remembered every teacher I ever had. Every trip I’d ever been on. Boating trips. Summer camp. Trips to the meadow with Arabella and my dad. Both of which I’d lost within the last two years. Arabella lying on a gurney in a hospital. Dad screaming as his life ended. Mitch. Mitch. Hooked up to machines. Comatose.
My heart rate picked up as the questions zoomed through my head.
Not again…
I stared at Theo. He stared back. Mari walked in, freezing in the doorway. Kyler was sitting on the counter but had stopped eating and was watching me with an intense curiosity.
My vision started fading.
Breaths became ragged.
Mari took one look at me and pulled her phone out to start dialing.
Kyler jumped off the counter and ripped the phone from her hand. “Don’t.” He turned his attention back to me. When his eyes found mine, he said, “Focus.” He wasn’t moving toward me. He stayed across the room, arms crossed, as he instructed me, “Calm yourself.” The oxygen didn’t exist in the room. My lungs were fighting for air. The hammer in my head was obnoxiously loud. “Take in your surroundings. What can you feel?” His voice was firm. Strong. I hated that he knew what was happening to me. Hated that he was doing this. “Come on, Sunshine. What do you feel?” He gritted out.
I closed my eyes against my better judgment and did as he said. I felt the chair beneath my legs, soft but supporting. The table under my hands, smooth but textured. The floor at my feet, solid but cold. A hand grabbed mine, warm but callused.
“What do you see?”
His figure stood across the room, his attention entirely on me. Mari kneeled in front of me at the table, my hand in hers, her eyebrows knitted together. The pile of food on the island was more like scraps compared to when I arrived.
My chest expanded with air, and my eyes rolled back into my head as I let it out. When I focused again, Kyler was browsing the island for something else to eat as if nothing had happened. He had just walked me through a panic attack like he’d done it a thousand times.
I’d never been talked out of one like that. Kaleb had been there for most of mine, his physical touch and gentle words pulling me from the panic. I wasn’t sure what to make of what just happened, but I knew I would eventually have to thank him for what he did.
Mari was still kneeling before me, gripping my hand. I slowly pulled free from her grasp and looked at Theo, who hadn’t moved from his relaxed position. Mari stood and slid into the chair next to me. None of this made sense. Fae? Other realms? Magic powers? It wasn’t possible…was it?
I addressed Theo, “Tell me what I need to know.” Not everything, not right now. I just needed to know the essential things for now. Finding out the impossible existed would take a lot more time and convincing. “Only what I need to know.”
Theo blinked. “Alrighty.” He gave a tiny bow with his head in understanding and began. “You are a valuable asset. We,” he gestured to himself and the other two, “have been assigned to protect you. Others are trying to capture you. We do not intend for them to be successful.”
I nodded, matching his story with what I overheard while held captive. And everything else that happened lately. A different thought occurred to me. “Were those people involved in my brother’s accident?”
Theo nodded.
My heart dropped to my stomach. Mitch was almost killed because of these creatures. Were they after my entire family? Were they involved in Arabella’s accident? Dad’s? They both died. What if—
“Will they—” I swallowed thickly. “Will they try to finish the job?” I knew he knew what I meant.
“They already think he’s dead.” My head twisted to Kyler. He was back to shooting daggers at me with his eyes.
“What? How? Why?” The high-pitched whine of my voice was unpreventable.
Theo answered, “What he means to say is—well. Yes. I suppose he meant what he said. The reason, though,” he pressed on, even though Kyler’s dagger stare met his momentarily, “there are things you don’t know about us. Our kind.” Again, gesturing to the three of them, he said, “Things you don’t need to know right now, as you kindly requested. Just know that Mitchell is safe and healing.”
I nodded, appreciating Theo’s ability to understand me at that moment. “What happens now?” Because I had a feeling that things wouldn’t go back to how they were. They couldn’t. It wasn’t possible to forget any of this. Any of what happened the last few days.
“The others will not give up their mission. We will have to make a plan. But for now, you will stay here—”
“No!” I slapped both hands over my mouth too late. My hands moved to my temples, and my eyes widened as I looked at Theo, whispering, “Please. Can’t I stay with Kaleb?” I didn’t want to be stuck in this house, with these people, with Kyler, whose glare was still burning into my skull.
Theo’s gaze fell to the ground with a sigh. He didn’t have to say the words for me to know his answer, but he did anyway. “I’m sorry.” When he looked up, his eyes said enough, “This is the safest place for you.”
My fingers tangled in my hair and curled into fists. I couldn’t be locked in this house. I would go crazy not being able to see Mitch. The twins. Kaleb. Something he said clicked, and my gaze flew to Theo’s piercing stare. “What about school?”
“You can still attend your classes. Niko and Mari are enrolled there for that very reason.” Theo stood and walked to the door leading to the library. He faced me before stepping through and said, “Until we can figure out a plan to stop the others, you will always be escorted by one of us outside this house.” The idea of spending any time alone with Kyler made my blood boil. “Understood?” Theo looked between the three of us, waiting.
Both Kyler and Mari nodded.
All of them looked at me. I could leave, just not alone. I wasn’t trapped, just… closely watched. I met Theo’s gaze. “Okay.”
At my confirmation, he left the room. There were so many thoughts running through my head. I needed to write down the questions I had. I didn’t want to forget anything.
Mari started to say something, but I cut her off. “I’d like to be alone.”
Her shoulders dropped. “I’ll take you to your room.”
She led me out of the kitchen, but I felt Kyler’s gaze follow me until we disappeared around the corner. No, he wouldn’t forget what I did to him in that kitchen. Good.
Mari walked me to my room without a word, keeping her head hung and her hands folded in front of her. I wondered if the warm, gentle person I’d just begun to know would become someone I’d learn to trust. I didn’t know if she chose to be here or if this was just a job for her, but she seemed too genuine not to care. Her laugh when I bested Kyler was sincere, as was her being impressed by me. She acted like it was the best part of her day. It was almost as if— “Are you and Kyler siblings?”
Mari’s body straightened at the sound of my question. She grinned over her shoulder and said, “No, but we might as well be. We grew up together. We trained together and have been on several missions, too. He’s an ass most of the time, but you learn to love it.” At the look of disgust on my face, she giggled. “Or continue to hate it.”
I tucked away that information, hoping we could bond over Kyler being an ass sometime. I brought the conversation back to where my mind had wandered. “So, at school… Do you go by Amariel?”
“Yes, but I prefer Mari.”
“Okay,” I paused, thinking of the encounter I just had. “Why does Theo call Kyler Niko?”
“They’ve known each other a long time. He’s always been Niko to Theo.” When I gave her a quizzical look, she went on. “Kyler’s full name is Nikylo.”
“Oh.” What an interesting name. “How long have you been going to Wisteria Heights?”
“I started a couple of weeks ago. We weren’t supposed to interact with you for fear of bringing too much attention your way. But I suppose that doesn’t matter anymore.” She gave me a small smile. Before I could voice my next question, she answered it. “Braxton asked me to Prom of his own accord. He and I were fast friends. He wanted to make sure I had someone to go with. He’s charming.” She looked down at the ground, “He introduced me to your other friend, Leighton. We all have French together.” Of course, I already knew this information, but some color made its way into Mari’s cheeks. I smiled to myself, pieces coming together in my head, but I stopped myself from going too far. I didn’t know Mari that well, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to bring Mari into our group until I knew her better.
“So, I can still go to prom?” That was the last thing I should be worried about right now, but I was looking forward to it.
Mari scrunched up her eyebrows, “Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t you be able to go?”
“Besides the obvious?” I held up my hands, “I don’t know. Just with everything going on, I wasn’t sure.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll still have a fun night dancing.” She smiled shyly, and I returned it. When we returned to my room, she lingered in the doorway as I walked in. “Do you need anything else for the night?”
Looking around the room, I saw a new silk nightgown lying on the bed, a pitcher of water by the bed with an empty glass again, and my medicine. I saw the toiletries I needed in the bathroom. None of it was mine, but it would suffice. Except for the medicine. Which I only wondered about for a second before remembering that Kaleb was with Kyler earlier that day. That also explained why he complained about Mari’s partner on the phone. I imagined they wouldn’t get along too well, no matter what he said about it in the courtyard the other day.
“Could you bring me a notebook and pen?” I needed to write down my questions. I didn’t want to forget anything when I was finally able to ask. I was still doubting that any of this was even real, but if it was, I was going to need answers.
She nodded and disappeared out the door, letting it close most of the way behind her. After staring at the door momentarily, contemplating an escape, I decided to change into the nightgown. Exhaustion was closing in, and I didn’t feel the need to run right now, no matter how much Kyler annoyed me. You’d think after being unconscious for three days, my body would be well rested, but apparently not. I felt like I hadn’t slept in a week.
The bedroom door creaked open behind me when I stepped out of the bathroom. A male cleared his voice, and I whipped around to find Kyler standing in the doorway, notebook in hand. I froze. Heat rose up my neck, spreading to my cheeks and ears. He had another stupid lollipop in his mouth, switching it from one side to the other with his tongue. His eyes traveled down to my feet and back up again, not missing one curve that the nightgown revealed. I tried using my hands to cover myself, but it didn’t do anything for me. Kyler, however, lifted one side of his mouth at my attempt and threw the notebook on the bed, turning and leaving without a single word.
I stomped over to the door and slammed it shut. I leaned against it in an attempt to calm myself down. A dark chuckle echoed from the hall.
Ugh! It was bad enough that I had to stay in the same house as him. Now he’d seen me in this silly nightgown. I thought of calling and complaining to Ken and Leigh but realized I didn’t know where my phone was. That should have been something I asked Mari for when she left, but instead, I’d asked for a stupid notebook.
I walked over to the bed and snatched it up. I sat at the desk with a huff and started writing down the questions from the list in my head. The first attempt at writing a question tore the page with how strongly I wrote the words:
I ripped the page out, crumpled it, and chucked it at the wall. It fell between the desk and the wall, so I told myself I’d pick it up later. The second attempt to write a question was calmer, and I managed not to rip the paper this time. It stemmed from one of Theo’s two insane statements.
They were telling me I wasn’t even a human, but I looked exactly like a human. If the people in that portrait were what fae looked like, why didn’t I have the same features they did? Where were my pointed ears and enhanced beauty? I felt like an average human, not the “most powerful fae in all the realms,” which led to my following questions as I added those.
The last question held me up for a moment because if my whole family was from another realm, why didn’t my parents tell us? What could have kept them from telling me I’m not human? As I added those to the list, I wondered if there were any clues or hints that we weren’t human. But I guess since I didn’t know the difference between a fae and a human, I wouldn’t be able to spot it anyway. I added that question, too. Then:
Theo said I didn’t need to know anything about “their kind” but seemed to be referring to only himself, Mari, and Kyler. I wondered if it had anything to do with what Aaidan and the Kool-Aid man said when I was kidnapped. That thought stumbled into a hundred more questions, and I wrote them all down.
When I finished scribbling as many questions as I could remember, I decided that sleep might help me think of more. I set the pen on top of the notebook and slid to the floor to find the paper I’d thrown, thinking it probably fell under the desk. But when I crouched down to look, it wasn’t there. Huh. I stood and walked to the side of the desk to see if it got stuck between it and the wall. Nothing. I checked under the desk again before deciding I didn’t care that much— no use losing sleep over a stupid piece of paper.
I took one of the pills from the bottle on my nightstand, crawled under the fluffy white comforter, and fell into a deep sleep.
XVII
Paradise
I jolted awake. The room was dark, but I sat up and looked around for whatever woke me. Nothing seemed strange or out of place.
The pale moonlight illuminated the room. I swung my feet to the floor and padded to the balcony doors. They were locked from the inside. Why hadn’t I checked earlier? I unlocked them and stepped out into the cool night air. I wrapped my arms around myself and took in the railed balcony I stood on. The spring breeze brought the smell of wet soil and sweet grass. I inhaled the scent and sighed. It reminded me of the meadow this time of year.
Despite its size, the tiny sliver of moon was bright. It shone on the surrounding forest, making it clear that I was either facing away from the main road or we were in the middle of the forest.
The sound of rushing water hit my ears. The rivers near Wisteria Falls all ran down the gentle slopes of the mountainside it rested on, convening in one spot to create a beautiful waterfall in the middle of the forest somewhere. By the volume of the rushing water, it seemed we were in the middle of that forest. I mentally added it to a new list of things to ask in the morning.
I peered over the edge of the balcony and saw I was on the second floor of the house—or whatever Theo called it. The Dengalow? It took up a massive plot of land within the trees. The structure of the house was made up of large stones and glass. It was strange but oddly beautiful. Some of the pieces looked like genuine crystals, but I couldn’t tell from where I stood.
The balcony was at one end of the house, and if I leaned over the railing, I could see the other side, but it was a long way away. How big was this place? And how had I never known this place was here? Granted, we were in the middle of the forest near the falls, and I couldn’t see any roads, so no one likely knew about this place. But everything inside seemed so—
A shadow passed over the moon. My gaze shot to the glowing crescent, expecting to see clouds, but there were none in sight. It must have been an owl or a bat because I couldn’t see anything else in the sky.
Another cool breeze passed through the bars of the railing, causing goosebumps to pop up all over my bare arms and legs. A shiver ran through me, sending me back through the glass doors to seek the warmth of the blankets on my bed. I closed the glass doors behind me and locked them again.
When I turned back to the bed, something on the desk caught my eye. Or rather, the lack thereof. The pen was there, but that was it.
The notebook was gone.
I whipped my head to take in the rest of the room. Thanks to the moonlight, there weren’t any dark shadows, and I could see every inch of the empty space. There was no one there, but the notebook disappeared somehow.
I hurried over to the door and touched it to ensure it was shut. I grabbed the door handle and hesitated momentarily before opening it to peek outside. The halls were empty and quiet, a single light illuminated from the end of the hallway—no sign of anyone. I opened the door a little farther, and the thought of making a run for it crossed my mind again. If everyone were asleep, perhaps I would make it… but I quickly changed my mind and shut the door, locking it. I wouldn’t know which way to go if I tried to run. So what was the point?
