Fusion (10 page)

Although Olivia was tempted to follow them to the study, she remained behind to make sure David was okay. An eerie silence pervaded the room with no one daring to lighten the mood. Olivia walked over to David and sat down beside him. “Hey, it’s going to be okay,” she whispered, and he nodded gratefully.

Trina snorted and exploded in a fit of laughter.

“Stop!” Alexa snarled at her.

“Pffft! Here we are in the middle of a global emergency having to deal with teen hormones. Gimme a break!”

“What are you talking about?” Constance demanded.

Trina smirked at David, whose pallor had been injected with a shot of blood-red fury. He sprang to his feet and glared at Trina.

“Yep, I can read you like a baby’s picture book,” she laughed.

“Don’t,” he growled.

“Watch the attitude, young whippersnapper.” She snickered. “My lips are sealed.” She formed them into a duck-like bill and pretended to zip them shut.

“Trina, what are you talking about? What have you seen in David?” Constance asked firmly.

“I have nothing to tell,” Trina snipped. “I work only for His Highness.”

Olivia noticed Constance’s struggle to keep her temper under control. She sympathized. However, much as she also wanted to know what Trina had seen, no one had the right to invade David like that, and to share would be completely unacceptable. She was glad when the uncomfortable silence in the room was broken as Rupert and Inez returned.

Inez sat down without looking directly at anyone in the room while Rupert faced the group again. He addressed David first. “David, you will be relieved of your assignment as soon as I can find a suitable replacement. I ask that you give me time to do so.”

Grateful relief poured from David’s eyes as he nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Darley… I mean, Your Highness.”

Constance was on her feet again, clearly ready to protest, but Rupert waved her to sit down.

“Constance, I know that this is technically your territory. However, I ask as a personal favor that you let me handle this.”

Olivia smiled. Rupert certainly was born to lead. His style was respectful and uncompromising at the same time.

Constance took a moment and looked to her Elders—all except Inez. One by one, they nodded, Morgana first, followed by Javier, and Lars. She finally nodded at Rupert.

He smiled. “Good, that’s settled. Now that I know my family will be safe, it is time for me to go.” He walked over to Olivia and held out his hand. She grabbed it, stood, and relaxed into his embrace.

“I know you have to go, but this is so hard,” she whispered.

“I know. I hate going.” He closed the distance between their lips, moving his against hers.

“Cut it out, King!” Trina cackled. “You’re getting me all hot and sweaty!”

Olivia laughed, thankful that, although Rupert was heading off to serious business, he’d have this funny woman to keep him company.

“Sorry, hon. I’ve got to go.”

He let go of her and nodded at Trina. They stood beside each other and faded away.

T
he visit with Ariele left me even more overwhelmed than before. One thing had led to another, and before we knew it, we’d decided that we needed to find a way to travel back to Ariele’s old life. It made sense that we’d probably find answers about my other life there as well, especially since Ariele claimed that we’d hung out there together just before she moved here, just over a year ago.

I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling, my head swirling with questions. Our conversation with Ariele had come to an abrupt end when her parents walked through the door. Kellan and I excused ourselves, and he’d brought me back home. I wished he had stayed around so we could talk, but he’d been firm that he needed to get on with his project. He had plunked himself back down in front of the computer in the study, leaving me to ponder on my own.

The easy option would be to just ask David about his girlfriend. If she was, as we suspected, the other Arizona, my doppelganger, then he must have a way—wandering, no doubt—to get to her. He could take us. The alternative, which I really didn’t like, would be to try to use the Portal.

It was October, so the Portal was active, but we’d have to find a way to access it as soon as possible. I had spent many evenings at Mom’s work with her, especially during October, which was her busy month. I was no stranger to Ames or to how difficult it would be for us to simply walk in there and use a piece of equipment. It would be impossible, in fact. And, of course, Kellan, Ariele, and I didn’t have the first clue as to how the Portal worked. However, we each had parents who worked at Ames. Ariele said that her mother would be of no use as she wasn’t directly involved with running the Portal, which left Mom and Kellan’s dad. I couldn’t see either of them just letting us use it to vacation into another dimension. We’d actually have to tell them what we were planning to do. No, my first port of call would have to be David.

“Hey!” Kellan stepped into my room and flopped down beside me. “What are you thinking about?”

“I am thinking that Ariele is right. But how are we going to do it? Sheesh, we’re being so closely watched that I don’t think we can get away with even taking off to San Fran on our own, never mind another dimension.”

He nodded.

“I really don’t think there is a way for all of us to go, but maybe I can go on my own?”

“Eh?” he muttered.

“Well, I could maybe get David to take me. He could wander me…”

Kellan turned onto his side and propped his head on his hand. “He won’t do that.”

“I think I can talk him into it.”

“It’s not a matter of that. Wanderers have very strict policies. David would have to get permission from Constance and the Elders to do it. Can’t see that happening.” He lay back down.

“What if he didn’t and took me over anyway, without their permission?”

“He’d probably be in deep shit. Anyway, he wouldn’t do it.”

I pursed my lips. I’d hoped that my charms might have gotten him to break a rule or two.

“Don’t take it personally.” Kellan laughed. “That whole Wanderer thing comes with a lot of conditions and rules. That’s precisely why I won’t be joining them, even though the whole time-travelling thing is really tempting.”

“That would be so cool! You could wander me to Paris for lunch whenever we wanted!”

“If that was the case, I’d jump to do it, but it’s not. Every wander has to be approved, and I’d be at their beck and call. Just look what’s happened to your parents’ lives. I don’t want that for us, not yet anyway. I’d like to enjoy a normal life. Well, as normal as it can be when dating the daughter of the Wanderer sovereign.”

We heard the roar of a bike pulling into the driveway.

“I guess that’s David,” Kellan said.

We got up and went to the front door as David knocked on it. I opened it. He wasn’t alone.

I smiled widely at the beautiful, goth-looking girl I had met a couple of weeks ago. “Alexa!” I hugged her and then ushered her inside, with David following. “Ella is going to be so excited to see you!” She looked exactly as she had the last time I had seen her, down to her heavily blue-lined eyes.

“I can’t wait to see her! Is she home?”

“No she’s over at a playdate, but she’ll be back soon. Come on in. Can I get you something to drink?”

“I’m fine, but thanks,” she said. “Your dad sent me to watch Ella, so if you give me the address of the playdate, I’ll head over.”

“Sure, hang on. I’ll get a piece of paper.”

“Just tell me. I’ll remember.”

She wandered off as soon as I told her Jonas’s address.

“I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to people fading in and out like that,” I remarked to Kellan and David. “It’s just bizarre.”

David smiled. “Yeah, I guess we just assume that you’re okay with it and don’t even think of hiding it from you anymore. I’ll be more careful.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Just strange. Don’t mind me. I mean it.”

David took off his leather jacket and hung it in the hall closet. “Kell, you can leave if you want. Arizona, I am going to be with you all the time starting now. Your dad wants you to have twenty-four/seven Wanderer cover until he gets back.”

“Sheesh, that’s a PITA for you!”

“It’s fine.” He shrugged.

Boy, he couldn’t even pretend to be happy. He must miss his girlfriend a lot. Well, I guessed there was only one way for David to see her and that was for him to take me with him. I knew that Kell thought there was no way David would break the rules, but I had to give it a try anyway. I was desperate to find out if I really had a doppelganger and if she was dating David. Giving it a try would be easier without Kellan here. “Kell, I’m good. I know you have that project to finish. I’ll hang with David and see you tomorrow.”

Kellan threw me a look like he knew what I was thinking, but I ignored it, stepping closer and kissing him.

“Okay, Shrimp. It’s getting late, so I’ll see you in the morning.”

Once Kellan left, I walked into the family room where David had made himself comfortable and was busy plucking on Dad’s guitar. He stopped when he saw me.

“Don’t mind me. I love hearing you play.” I sat back on the couch and listened until we were interrupted by Ella and Alexa giggling as they walked in the front door.

“Arizona, Alexa is here, and she’s staying over for a while!” Ella shouted. Then she noticed David and rushed over to hug him.

“Mom’s not home yet, but I can make up a spare room for you,” I said to Alexa. I was sure Mom wouldn’t mind.

“Your mom said I could use Ella’s pull-out, so I’m fine.”

“Oh, you’ve seen Mom?”

“Yes, she was at Constance’s house when your dad dropped me off.”

I was gobsmacked. Dad was home, and no one had bothered to tell me. “Is he still there?”

“No, he had to go back.”

“He left without even visiting us?” That was seriously messed up.

“He’s in the middle of something.” Alexa shrugged. “He just stopped by to make sure you guys were safe.”

“Without even checking to make sure that we were?”

“Actually, he did, but he was unable to take the time to reveal himself. He’d meant to, but things took longer than he’d expected at Constance’s house. You’re fine though, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I guess,” I admitted. I’d have liked to have seen my dad, though. “So you’re here for Ella, Bruno for Mom, and David for me?”

She nodded.

“Ready to do a makeover?” Ella tugged at Alexa.

She smiled. “Nope. Tomorrow. But I’ll comb out your hair once you are in your pajamas.” She turned to me. “Good night, Arizona.” With a wave at David, they both disappeared up the stairs.

This was my chance for a chat with David before Mom came home from wherever she was. He’d put the guitar down and stood in front of the bookcase, flipping through the pages of a book.

“David, can I talk to you?”

He turned around. “Sure. What’s up?”

I considered being totally in-your-face direct with him but decided that might piss him off, which would totally work against me if I needed to convince him to wander me. So, I took the other route. “You seem a bit unhappy to be stuck here.” Which wasn’t the least bit true, but I assumed he was and decided to go with that line.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to come across like that at all. I am always happy to spend time with you.”

“But you’d rather be somewhere else?”

He shook his head. “It’s not like that.”

“David, stop pretending. We’re friends. I know you’d rather spend time with your girlfriend and not be stuck watching me.”

He didn’t say anything but sat down on the couch opposite me.

That’s when I decided that it wasn’t going to go anywhere if I couldn’t be straight with him. I came right out with it. “Are you dating my doppelganger?”

His mouth fell open as he leaned toward me, but he remained silent.

“Are you? Are you dating another
me
?”

He just sat and stared at me, not saying a word.

“David!”

“I don’t know what to say. Why would you think that?”

“Because it’s the only thing that makes sense even though that sounds like total cloud cuckoo.”

He nodded slowly.

“Can I meet her?”

The nod changed to a vehement shake.

“Why not?” I felt pretty irritated.

“She doesn’t know anything about other dimensions, time travel, or Wanderers, and I want to keep it that way.”

“Is she the one who lived in this house last year?”

David frowned.

“You know, the girl you all hung out with last year. Is that her?”

“No! That was you.
A
—that’s what she’s called—has never been to this dimension.”

“So that was me all along? Just somehow adopting her characteristics?” I felt a sense of relief.

“Yes,” he said. “Gertrude is
A
’s dog. That’s in fact where Gertrude is at the moment, home in New Jersey with
A
.”

“And Ariele knew
A
?”

“Yes, they were really good friends, like you are with Ali and Maria.”

“Does
A
not wonder what happened to Ariele?”

“She does, but she doesn’t know that I know Ariele.”