Authors: Karice Bolton
Released Souls (3 page)
“Exactly, my dear.”
The driver hopped out of the driver’s side and opened the door for them. We watched them climb in the backseat and the driver shut the door. Before returning to the driver’s door, he glanced to where Logan and I sat. My breathing stilled and I grasped the limb a little tighter waiting for his next move. He nodded at us both before spinning on his heels and opening the driver’s door. Unclear about what just happened, I looked up at Logan who had a look of terror behind his blue eyes that he couldn’t hide.
Logan and I ran over to where Trevor was stationed. He had no idea that everyone had already come and gone while he was hiding in the shed.
“Trevor. They’re gone and things are more complicated than before,” I said as I opened up the shed door.
“Trevor?” I asked again
, looking into the empty shed. “He’s not in here.”
“What do you mean?” Logan craned his nec
k inside and saw the same thing as me. Nothing.
“Hey, Trevor,” Logan yelled.
“What’s going on?” I asked. I couldn’t hide my irritation.
“
I have no idea, and we really don’t have time for this.”
“Guess we should always trust our gut with him.” I sighed.
My phone buzzed, and I grabbed it out of my pocket. It was a text from Trevor.
“
Speak of the devil… literally,” I said. “Check this out.” I turned the phone to Logan.
Logan let out a deep sigh as he read the message.
“I don’t buy it,” he replied gravely.
“But how could he constantly be going back and forth all the time?” I shook my head. “Is he a good guy or a bad guy?”
I was so annoyed I couldn’t even begin to formulate a full thought.
“It’s not always that black and white,” Logan replied. I caught the darkness in his eyes and looked away.
“Do you think we should go to the warehouse?” I asked.
“No
pe.”
“Think it’s a trap?”
“Yep.” Logan scanned the parking lot.
“Hey.
” Trevor’s voice stunned me.
We turned around
and he put his hands up in the air.
“What’s gotten into you two?” he asked.
Logan took two steps toward Trevor and towered over him.
I watched Logan’s shoulders
move up and down with every breath he took.
“You texted us,” Logan
shouted, reaching his hand up to grab Trevor’s shoulder.
“Uh…No
, I didn’t,” Trevor replied, reaching into his pocket. “I saw you guys watching something out front, and I got a bad feeling so I took off to the woods.”
I wal
ked up and stood next to Logan and stared at Trevor.
“You know it’s pretty hard to trust you.” I glared at him and watched his facial expression turn to horror. I didn’t think my statement was that powerful.
“My phone’s not in my pocket,” he muttered, dipping his eyes to the pavement.
I glanced at Lo
gan who let go of Trevor’s shoulders and backed up.
“What did the text say?” he asked.
“Gave us a warehouse address to go to. Supposedly you would be waiting there for us,” I replied.
“Well, that’s not good.” Trevor shook his head.
“You think?” I replied sarcastically.
“Let’s
just get out of here,” I suggested, giving Logan a nervous look.
I grabbed my phone back from Logan and
began texting a message of my own. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to light the fuse.
“Tell Eben I miss him already, and I hope we can spend the holidays together!
He probably can’t work texting on the phone that you guys stole, so I’m guessing you’ll have to relay the message for me. That’s one of the many signs he’s getting too old for this game.
xoxo h
is loving granddaughter, Triss”
I hit send and
slid the phone back in my pocket. It seemed like things were starting off with a bang.
“So who did you actually see come to the front?” Trevor asked.
That’s right! He didn’t see anything, except the car pull up.
“Eben
,” Logan said, but he didn’t elaborate. Something was bothering him so I followed along.
Trevor glanced over at me, and without thinking, I re
ached over and gave him a hug — anything to distract him.
“I’ll call you tonight.
I need to see if my aunt will know what was in that box that’s now missing or who even knows what else she might be able to help with.” I sighed.
“
Sure. I understand. I still need to go see my parents. They don’t even know I’m back in town,” Trevor replied, not looking at either of us. “So much for starting college in the fall.”
I smiled at him, and fel
t Logan lock his hand into mine as we all walked to our cars down the street.
I crawled into the car and felt my phone buzz as Logan climbed in and shut his door.
“My dear granddaughter, never underestimate your elders. It was wonderful seeing you again today. I will most definitely take you up on your holiday offer. It’s about time our entire family got together for a festive celebration. But please do tell your boyfriend, Logan, that we haven’t forgotten his end of the deal. We’ll be sure to collect if he doesn’t come willingly. Tell your mom hello for me.”
“What’s up?” he asked.
I showed him the text message, and he pressed the screen off.
“He knew we were here.
” I looked up at him. “They’re coming for you.”
The room my mother was staying in at my aunt’s house was decorated with a white pine bed and dresser. It was a very cute, woodsy room and an environment that would allow my mom to recover. My mom was sitting next to the bedroom window on a
rocking chair, knitting something that looked wonderfully soft. The wooden blinds were pulled up only halfway, but she was able to see outside. She had a green blanket wrapped around her, but she still looked cold and weak.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, still trying to push the earlier events out of my mind.
“Better every day,” she replied, smiling. But her brown eyes were telling a different story. She gestured for me to come closer.
I pulled the trunk from the end of the bed next to her and sat down. Logan was downstairs discussing
events with my aunt, partially to give me some time alone with my mom. My mom sighed and didn’t speak for a few moments. Instead, she turned toward the glass and stared outside.
“The
weather is beautiful,” I whispered, grabbing her hand. Her skin was cold.
“I’m so sorry for putting you through everything,” she began. “It started with only wanting to protect you. I’ve known you’ve had powers that were only going to get stronger as you aged, and I guess I foolishly thought that —”
“Mom, don’t start taking blame for the actions of my father. He’s a bad man, and none of this is your fault.” I shook my head in disbelief. “None of it.”
“He knew my weaknesses. All of them.”
“That’s what he does best. Or I should say
did
best.” I tried to keep the smile off my lips for my mom’s sake.
“Eben is even better at it.” Her eyes narrowed and dropped to my hand that was covering hers.
“You know about Eben?”
She nodded. “I’m sure he’s the one
who has been directing your father.”
“That doesn’t make my father’s actions any better.”
“No. It doesn’t.” Her lips stretched into a thin line. “Nor does it make mine any better. I’m so sorry for putting you through all of this.”
“You were the victim in all of this, mom. You can’t keep torturing yourself. We all made it out okay. I’m just so thankful I had Logan by my side.” My insides warmed merely thinking about him.
“You’re blushing,” my mom whispered.
“No,
I’m not,” I insisted.
“Triss?”
“Yeah?” I asked, hoping the conversation would go in a different direction.
“You’re young. Don’t rush things,” her voice
softened.
An unannounced anger began erupting deep inside of me. I removed my hand from hers.
“Don’t rush things? I don’t understand where that’s coming from.”
“I want things to be normal for you. I want you to experience what other kids get to experience. Go to college, meet new people, experiment with different types of boys—”
“I think I skipped over the luxury of that experience the first time something or someone tried to kill me. By the third time, I think it was pretty much solidified that my course would be different than an average eighteen year old’s life,” I kept my voice steady, not wanting to expose how angry I was. “I don’t want to experiment, experience, whatever it is you’re trying to suggest I do. I’ve found the person who I’m meant to be with for the rest of my life.”
“How do you know that?” my mother laughed, tossing her hand into the air. “You haven’t experienced life. I know he’s attractive, and I know he’s always had a thing for you, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle.”
Settle? Who was this woman?
“We…
He
risked his own life to save yours,” I said seething. I could no longer keep my anger in check.
My mother would never have said something like this
before. She loved Logan. In fact, I think her secret wish was that we would end up together.
“There are
always more fish in the sea,” she whispered, avoiding my stare.
“Are you kidding me?” I challenged. “How many times does that work out for people? Deciding to wait or hold out only to realize the biggest love of their life got away? And how is this conversation getting turned to who I choose to love?”
“I’m only looking out for you.”
It felt like fire was spreading through my veins.
“He has done so much for you —
for me
— and you are talking about him as if he’s something to discard. I love him and you better get used to it.”
Heat was whipping through my body. I wasn’t feeling right, and it wasn’t only from this conversation.
“You’re so young. You don’t know what love is.” She looked over at me.
I couldn’t take it any longer. My body felt as if it had ignited from the inside out.
“We’re linked for life, mother. You’d better accept it.” I shot back.
My flesh was stinging, my palms burning. I didn’t understand what was going on, but I knew something beyond my anger was beginning to form.
“Oh, Triss. Please tell me you didn’t…” her voice broke off.
I looked directly into her eyes as they filled with sadness.
There was something else she wanted to say but avoided. She’d always get this scattered look in her eyes when she was trying to concoct a story, and that’s exactly what she was doing now.
“I’m asking you to accept my choice, but I’m not asking for permission. This man saved your life. The least you could do is be grateful. The mother I knew would’ve been.” The last words hit her hard, but it was the truth.
My mother had been through so much and she wasn’t herself. I kept reminding myself of this, but the anger wasn’t subsiding. It was only growing. I shot up from the trunk and headed to the door.
“Your
dad and I are linked like that as well, Triss. I share the
nectunt
with him. There’s no escaping the decisions that Logan might make one day. There was no running from the decisions your father made. Look what happened to me.”
I spun around to face her. My hair was getting moist from sweat. It felt as if I was in a sauna and I had no idea why.
“Just because you chose poorly doesn’t mean I did. Logan left the dark arts for me,” I yelled. I could hear footsteps running up the stairs.
“So did your father,” she
whimpered. “But he went back and Logan might be lured as well.”
“Don’t be so sure it would be Logan who’s lured back,” I snapped before I realized what words
had left my lips. The anger exploded through my system. The pounding in my ears was unrelenting. Things weren’t right.
“Are you okay?” my mom asked, her eyes widening.
I shook my head, looking for something to hold onto.
Logan ran into the bedroom with Aunt Vieta right behind him.
I watched Aunt Vieta put her hands up in horror as Logan directed her to help. I had no idea what was going on, but Logan reached for me as I collapsed into his arms.
“Take care of Susan,” he instructed my aunt.
“You’re burning up,” he whispered, cradling me in his arms.
He carried me down the hall and into my aunt’s master bathroom, balancing me on his knee as he ran the cold bathwater.
“You’re going to be okay. But we’ve got to get you cooled down.”