Fly: A PORTAL Chronicles Novel (The PORTAL Chronicles) (33 page)

“What are you doing?”

“Hagen is out of knives,” Everett said. “I need to find a weapon before he does.”

No sooner were the words out of his mouth when the assault resumed, this time by serving trays launched Frisbee-style, shattering what little remained of the bar’s mirrored wall and shelving. Following Everett’s lead, I too began searching, discovering a cabinet full of glasses.

“Here!” I shouted, holding a glass out to Everett.

I fed him an assortment of glasses as he threw them, then using alcohol bottles when the glasses were gone. The process worked fine until a tray careened into Everett’s head, knocking him to the floor.

“Are you alright?” I gasped.

“Yeah.” Everett shook the stars from his eyes. “Enough of this,” he growled, grabbing two trays and jumping over the bar.

Hearing a series of loud cracks, I peered over after him. Everett and Hagen fought with a serving tray in each hand, succinctly swinging and kicking like skilled dancers. This went on for a time until Everett got a good hit over Hagen’s head. Hagen stumbled backwards, apparently stunned, before abandoning his trays and lunging, taking Everett to the ground.

The two rolled over the glass-laden floor, red blotches appearing on their shirts. Everett seemed to be winning until Hagen flipped, securing him in a chokehold. Hagen gritted his teeth in pain, maintaining the hold despite the smoke rising off his arm from direct contact with Everett’s skin. Spying a nearby tray, I grabbed it and ran, bringing it down on Hagen’s head again and again until he turned and launched me backwards. I landed on my back, slamming my head into the ground — pain well worth it for Everett to break free.

Hagen writhed on the floor, blood flowing down his face from a gash on his forehead. Everett stood and jerked him up before freezing with a gasp. His face grew pained and his eyes bulged before he quickly withdrew his hand, staring at it in disbelief. Sensing defeat, Hagen took advantage of the moment, turning and running.

Everett whipped out his phone and dialed. “Don’t let Hagen out of the building. He’s escaped,” he quickly ordered, already rushing towards me. “Are you okay?” he asked, helping me up.

“Yeah,” I answered. Hugging him, he groaned. “Sorry!” I winced, remembering the cuts covering his chest and back.

“It’s nothing,” Everett said, though it was obvious he was in pain. He turned. “I need to go.” I followed after him and he stopped. “Alone.”

“Oh,” I said. “Okay.”

He sighed. “Don’t look so defeated. I just… I can’t do this.”

“Do what?” I asked.

“This! Whatever this is!” He sighed, putting his hand to my cheek. “It’s for your own good. I want to be with you, Sophie — I do — but tonight only reiterates that my fixation with you prevents me from protecting you. I can’t put you at risk anymore. It’s too dangerous.”

“What?” I backed away, not understanding what he was saying. “You’re telling me you want to be with me and that you’re leaving me in the same breath?”

Everett’s face went cold. “I gotta’ go.”

He turned, his dress shoes harshly clicking across the empty dance floor. Until now, I hadn’t noticed the DJ had cut the music, and the silence only amplified the echo of Everett’s receding footsteps — the sound of him abandoning me.

I couldn’t process all that had just happened. Too many emotions cluttered the same space within me, making me feel like I’d explode: Peace about my decision to serve Dio. Fear of Hagen. Elation at Everett admitting feelings for me. Anger at him for escaping as soon as he’d done it.

I was sick of being pushed around and told what to do — tired of watching loved ones leave me. What about what I wanted? Wasn’t that what Everett had taught me? To consider what was best for me? Then I realized what I wanted was good for Everett too.

I set off in the direction Everett had gone just as the DJ began playing again. The crowd broke into pandemonium, everyone charging the dance floor as I glimpsed Everett heading up the stairs. I followed after him, but for every step forward, was pushed back two.

“Let me through. Excuse me. I need to leave, please,” I hollered. Realizing my polite approach wasn’t working, I covered my mouth and yelled, “I think I’m going to be sick!” I watched in amazement as the waters frantically parted. True to form, I ran the rest of the way with my hand over my mouth and my cheeks puffed out, making gagging noises for effect.

Reaching the stairs, I took off my shoes and sprinted to the front entrance, throwing the doors open and… wham! A painful, tingly sensation spread through my face as I dislodged it from Evan’s muscular back. It was like running headlong into a brick wall.

“What the—!” Evan turned and looked down. “Sophie!” He steadied me. Seeing the panic on my face, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Have you seen a guy with dark hair, about this tall, muscular with green eyes?” I asked, motioning frantically.

“Honey, I’ve seen a lot of people tonight,” he said, gesturing to the long line of people waiting to get into the club.

Then I remembered. “Everett Sinclair! He works at PORTAL so you should know him, right?” It was my last shred of hope.

“Rett?” Evan asked. I nodded, heart fluttering. “I’m sorry. He just left. You should go back inside. It’s cold out here.” He opened the door.

I was turning when I heard something. “Here you are, Mr. Sinclair.” I looked up. Everett was just handing the valet attendant a tip in exchange for his car keys. He got in his car.

“No!”

I ran, the frigid Minnesota wind stinging my skin through my thin dress as I part-slid-part-sprinted across the snow-covered pavement. Using the weather to my advantage, I pushed off, surfing the ground’s icy surface in front of Everett’s car. He hit the brakes, nearly careening into my legs. I could see the stunned expression on his face through the front window. I stood there, frozen, not sure what to do.

“What are you doing?” Everett hollered incredulously. “Get. Back. Inside!”

“No!” I defiantly yelled back.

“It’s freezing out here.” He looked confused. “Go find Mia.”

“Take me with you.”

A glint of amusement pooled in his eyes, feeding my hope. It was all I needed.

“It’s not wise,” Everett started, but it was too late. I had already slid into the passenger seat beside him. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going with you,” I answered.

“Sophie, it’s not safe.”

“I don’t care.”

“I’m not going back to Brightman.”

“I don’t care. I just want to be with you.” I put it out there, like a badge to see and shine.

He narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Drive!” I ordered.

He smiled and hit the gas.

Chapter 39

Zapped

Everett drove so fast it took my breath away. Trees, fields, and houses whizzed by in an endless blur of black and gray.

“S… s… slow duh… duh… duh… down,” I stuttered through chattering teeth.

The heater was on full blast and Everett’s coat was draped around me. I nestled into it, breathing in his smell as I shivered.

“Sorry, but I can’t. We’re being followed,” Everett calmly replied, like he’d said a normal, everyday thing.

His eyes glowed from the reflection of headlights in the rearview mirror. My response was slightly delayed from temporarily drowning in the illuminated jade pools of his eyes.

“By whom?”

“I don’t know. Probably some of Divaldo’s men,” he shrugged.

“Why aren’t you worried right now?”

“I’ve been trained to drive in just about any weather condition, including snow, and it’s coming down pretty heavily now. Chances are the person driving behind me hasn’t.”

I turned in my seat to look behind us. “Why are we being followed?”

“I’m carrying precious cargo,” he smiled. “But don’t worry, I’m taking it someplace very safe. Since you’ve officially chosen to serve Dio, I’m sure Divaldo wants you dead now more than ever.”

“And here I thought everything would be sugar plums and gum drops after I chose Dio.”

“No, but it certainly beats the alternative.”

I sighed, reminded of the past month. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“I’m sorry,” Everett said. “That came off sounding insensitive. I know what you went through this past month wasn’t pretty. I got a taste of something similar after Benson disappeared.”

“Mia and Maddy mentioned that. They said it was hard to watch.”

“Yeah, I think I have a little more empathy for them after experiencing their side this time around, but it’s not fun from either perspective.”

“I’m just glad it’s over now.”

Everett’s eyes grew sad. “I was so worried about you,” he whispered.

I felt like I could cry. Over the past month, I’d been so convinced that no one cared when people like Everett, Mia, Victory and Maddy had been rooting for me all along. “I’m sorry I put you through it.”

Everett shook his head. “I wasn’t fishing for an apology.”

“No, but you deserve one. You tried to warn me and—” I didn’t know how to tell him how bad it had been, how I had almost died tonight… twice.

His past experience obviously gave him sensitivity for such situations that I lacked with him, for he said, “You don’t have to explain a thing.”

“I know. It’s just that… you’ve always been right, and I’ve been the stubborn fool who has to repeatedly figure things out for herself. I finally trust you and know that I should listen to what you say. I’m just sorry I didn’t learn my lesson sooner. I could have saved myself — and others — a lot of time and heartache.”

Everett was silent, giving me the space to reflect on the past few months. I remained in deep thought until I realized something with a laugh.

“What?” Everett asked.

“I had already grasped that choosing Dio was the right thing for me to do, but what really sealed the deal was Hagen’s song and dance tonight about ruling the world and razing anyone who got in our way.”

“He said that?”

“Yeah. It’s funny that Divaldo’s tactic to drive me away from Dio is what drove me to Dio.”

“Now that’s what I call an epic fail,” Everett chuckled, then growing serious. “I’m sorry you had to go through that alone. I wanted to help you so badly, but I couldn’t until you’d decided.”

“I bet that was hard.”

“It was torture,” he quietly admitted.

“Well, I have decided, so now what?”

“For tonight, we lay low. As the saying goes, don’t worry about tomorrow, for today has enough worries of its own. Rest in knowing you’ll be okay. Dio will help you and so will I.”

“So you’re not quitting on me?” I asked.

“Well, I should disclose our relationship to Dio and Sal. I don’t know how they will react, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Our relationship, huh?” Everett looked at me and smiled. “Good. I only want you,” I said, aware of the double meaning.

“I know,” he said, grabbing my hand and entwining his fingers through mine.

Unfamiliar with how to move within the heat radiating between us, I blurted the first thing that came to my mind. “I like your car. It’s really nice.” I mentally kicked myself. I could tell Everett’s car was very expensive, but still.

“Thanks. Tonight’s the first night I’ve taken her out for a spin.”

“Great night to test drive the new car!” I teased. “Do you not see it blizzarding out there?”

Everett chuckled. “You know, I thought I was patient, but judging from a few things that have happened tonight, patience is not a virtue I seem to posses.”

“So the car’s new?” I asked, ignoring his meaningful glance.

“Sort of. It was a present from my dad. He gave it to me right before school started. Said it was as an early Christmas present.”

I searched my memory, trying to place where I’d heard that before. “Your mom. She got a new car from your dad, too, didn’t she?”

“Yeah! She drove you to Brightman in it,” he said, remembering. “Dad got her the Lexus she’d been eyeing. I guess it’s supposed to make up for him not being around much lately. After Benson disappeared, he sort of dropped off the face of the earth.” He made no attempt to hide the tension and hurt in his voice.

I proceeded with caution. “Why hasn’t he been around?”

“He’s embarrassed Benson went missing.”

“Embarrassed?” I didn’t understand.

“Benson went… missing… after doing something he shouldn’t have. Dad took it pretty hard, claiming it hurt our family’s reputation.”

Sensing Everett’s apprehension, I decided to return the favor and exercise some newfound sensitivity, changing the subject. “Why haven’t you driven your car until now?”

He laughed to himself. “Being deemed a murderer by the Brightman student body is enough of a low-profile-killer, wouldn’t you say?”

“I see. What kind of car is this?”

“An Audi R8. I saw it in an action movie a while back and raved about it to my dad. When I returned from Portland, I was stunned to find it parked in the driveway when I got home.”

“Nice homecoming present.”

“I’d rather have my dad back,” Everett said sourly.

“You miss him a lot?” It was more of a statement than a question. Pain tainted his features, but it quickly dissipated, like it had never been there at all. “I saw that.”

“Saw what?”

“The pain in your eyes just now. You do it all the time: a brief emotion permeates your entire face, then you immediately suppress it,” I explained. “You don’t have to hide your emotions when you’re with me. Of course, if you don’t want to talk about it, I respect that.”

“No, you’re right. I promise to be more open and honest if you do the same.”

“Deal.” I held his gaze, but the moment was short-lived as I realized we were going into the oncoming lane. “Look at the road!”

“Sorry,” he said, fishtailing. “So I’m impatient and easily distracted. You truly bring out the best in me.” He grinned.

“Keep your cheekiness to a minimum. We’re still being followed and I, unlike you, am not so calm about it. In fact, you should have your hand back,” I said, placing it on the steering wheel.

Everett watched the rearview mirror. “They’re having trouble staying on the road. The temperature’s dropping and it’s getting slick. Got your seatbelt on?”