Crossing Nexis Read online

  Chapter 2

  The cloying scent of garlic tinged with onions wafted in into the room. “Mmmm, heavenly,” I murmured.

  Slipping my toes into my favorite canvas shoes, I followed my nose down the hall to the kitchen. Immaculate granite countertops lined a peninsular island that led to the chef’s corner, a giant gas stove. Cindy hovered over a stainless pot and wiped her hands on her apron.

  “Hi, Lucy. Would you like to help?” She handed me a ladle and motioned toward the heaping plate of pasta on the counter.

  “Sure.” I rolled up my sleeves and dunked the ladle in the sweet-smelling spaghetti sauce, pouring it all over the noodles.

  “Perfect.” She gave me a warm smile as she sprinkled parsley on top and set the family-style dish on the rough-hewn kitchen table. “Come and get it.”

  If she’d rang a dinner bell, it couldn’t have been more perfect. Footsteps pounded toward the kitchen as Mark, Abby, Brooke, and Bryan all rushed in and sat down at the table.

  Bryan pulled out a chair. “For our guest.”

  I didn’t even try to hide my smile as he tucked himself in next to me.

  “Shall we say grace?” Mark extended his hand to Abby and me, and everyone followed suit. “Lord, please bless this food, the hands that prepared it, and our guest of honor. May your guidance be ever-present as we seek you for our next steps. Amen.”

  When I glanced at my plate, someone had piled it high with Parmesan-crusted spaghetti. “Thanks, Bryan.”

  “You got it.” He mumbled through a mouthful of pasta.

  My tummy grumbled as I spun the pasta around, shoving it in my mouth. The tomatoey-goodness hit my tongue as I reached for a flaky piece of French bread. I let my gaze wander across the table to Abby and Brooke, who looked so much like Cindy with their blonde hair and round cheeks. Abby must’ve gotten her blue eyes from Mark, just like Bryan. On my left, Mark’s tall, broad-shouldered build mirrored Bryan’s stature.

  My fork plopped on my plate. The whole picture made me choke up a little. The Coopers’ alike-but-different camaraderie reminded me of my family of three kids. Except Mom’s betrayal had shattered that picture. Truth be told, James didn’t really look like my dad. He never had. But still, it had taken a trip to Montrose Academy and a conversation with the reigning Nexis president himself for me to see the truth. Of course, the truth didn’t change the way I felt about James. I’m sure Dad would agree. But the happy family portrait was tainted. I hated it.

  Abby downed a gulp of water. “It’s so good to have you here, Lucy. Brooke’s told me so much about you. Bryan, too, of course.”

  I shoveled more noodles in my mouth and could only manage a nod.

  Abby leaned in, her tone quieting. “So, are you guys like boyfriend/girlfriend now? You make such a cute couple.”

  “Excuse me?” I coughed as a huge lump of spaghetti lodged in my throat. “Ask your brother. He hasn’t asked me yet.”

  “What?” Abby’s face turned red. At least she had the decency to look outraged for me. She turned to her brother. “You’ve been going on and on about this girl for months. Why haven’t you asked her to be your girlfriend yet?”

  Cluunck. My fork plunked onto my plate about the same time my jaw fell open. I turned to Bryan. “Yes. I’d like to know, too.”

  “It’s complicated.” Bryan stopped eating, averting his gaze to Abby. “I haven’t got the Guardians’ approval yet,” he mumbled more to Abby than to me.

  She jutted her chin out. “Have you even asked them?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet.”

  Now he wouldn’t even look at me. He just stared at his plate and jammed food down his throat.

  “Abby, you of all people should know there’s a protocol to these things.” Cindy shot her sideways glance from the other end of the table.

  “Mom,” Abby practically growled through clenched teeth, eyes darting toward me for a split second.

  Bryan heaved out a sigh, shaking his head. “Thanks, Abby.” Reaching under the table, he took my hand and finally turned those blue eyes my way. “I’m sorry, Lucy, but my mom is right. There’s a lot of red tape that comes with dating someone outside the Guardians, let alone the Seer.”

  “Oh.” I slumped down in my chair, the spaghetti churning in my stomach.

  Brooke gnawed on her lip, looking more unsure than ever. All of the Coopers were staring at me now, pity plastered all over their faces.

  I couldn’t look at them anymore. I stared down at my lap, wrapping my fingers around the sides of my chair till my knuckles went white. The churning in my gut slowly simmered as a freight train of fury chugged through my head.

  “Excuse me.” I scraped back my chair. “I need to get some air.”

  ***

  Standing all alone in the middle of nowhere, I stared up at the sky and inhaled the frigid air. It soothed my flaming cheeks. Stars twinkled down at me, icy dots of hope waiting to reveal their secrets. Yet they didn’t say a word—just like Bryan.

  “I’ll never understand that boy. Why does he keep secrets from me?” Of course, the stars didn’t answer. They just blinked their benign little twinkles as if it wasn’t news to them.

  Whoosh. The sliding door opened behind me on the snowy deck. A familiar bomber jacket slid around my shoulders.

  “Peace offering.” Bryan held out a steaming mug of hot cocoa, as if it could make up for his omission. “Lucy, I’m sorry about the Guardians. I really am. If I could change things, you know I would.”

  I took the mug without looking at him, giving him a dose of his own medicine. Then I blurted out the question I couldn’t hold in any longer. “Are you going to let them have the final say in our relationship?”

  “No, I’m not planning to.” He puffed out a warm breath near me. Too near. “Even if we have to keep it a secret.”

  My face caught fire again, molten lava sizzling through my veins. I did not want to be anyone’s secret girlfriend. Period.

  Snow crunched as he turned to face me, his paws landing on my shoulders. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “Sometimes I just don’t want to do this. I never asked for this gift. And I certainly didn’t ask for the Guardians to have a say in who I date.” Sipping at my hot chocolate, I raised my eyes to meet his.

  His hands slid down my arms, then dropped to his sides. “I forget that you haven’t grown up with all of this. In my world it’s normal for the Guardians to get involved in something this big. After all, you are the Seer.”

  His words shivered down my spine, making me feel cold for the first time since I’d stepped onto the deck.

  “You’re right. I am the Seer,” I whispered the last word into my cocoa, disturbing the floating marshmallows. “Shouldn’t I have a say in what my life looks like?”

  “Like I said, it’s just so complicated . . .” he trailed off, his eyes turning from me up to the stars. “If you could just join the Guardians without a war being declared, everything would be fine.”

  “Right. War.” All the fight in me died at that word. Like my allegiance could start a war. It was crazy. Darkness curled around my vision. “I understand,” I mumbled.

  “I feel like I’m not doing this right.” Bryan drug one hand through his dark hair. “I don’t know how to juggle you and the Guardians. My feelings complicate things. They cloud my judgment.”

  “I see.” My insides melted a little as the darkness dissipated. “I’d argue that your feelings make you a better protector.”

  “Hey, I like that. Maybe we can use that and make our case together.” Moonlight illuminated the curve of his lips. “So you’re not mad?”

  I gulped down the chocolate dregs as the last remnants of anger melted away. “I didn’t say that. I just understand this is complicated. Our relationship is complicated. Whatever that means.”

  “That’s fair.” He moved in front of me again, studying my face. “You know, I’m crazy about you. Have been since I bumped into you at orientation.”
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br />   “Is that so?” My heart shuddered as my mouth curved to match his.

  “I know I just told you this morning,” he inched close enough to smell his aftershave and took the mug from my hands, “but I’ve loved you for a long time.” His nose brushed mine, warming my face.

  Icy tendrils burst into a shower of sparks in every nerve ending. Did I dare tell him the truth? With all the resolve I had left, I rose on my tiptoes to take in that frozen sea of blue.

  “It’s been about a month for me,” I whispered.

  “Really?” His eyes lit up with stars of their own as he cupped my face with his hands. “I love you, Lucy.”

  “I love you, too,” I murmured against his lips as they brushed mine. Warmth curled down my neck as his mouth drank me in and his arms wrapped around me, drawing me close.

  When he pulled back, his cheeks were red. “If only all our fights could end like this.”

  “Don’t even go there.” I punched his shoulder. “I hate drama.”

  “Even if it leads to this?” His lips mingled with mine again, and I huddled into his arms.

  “That’s so not the point.” I couldn’t help but smile up at him, even as I pushed the Guardian drama out of my mind. For now. I guess love really could make a fool out of you.

  ***

  Shadows unfurled in the night sky, blotting out the moon. Charcoal curls, midnight tendrils of mist. Their fingers crawling toward me, ready to engulf me. Forever.

  Jake’s face emerged from the black mist. Tendrils of darkness unfurled from his back like strings, attached to every limb. He stared at me, the look in his eyes pure torture. He shook his head vehemently, like he was just as scared of the shadows as I was.

  Snap. A fireball crackled through the air, glowing orange above his head, red-hot in the center. Jake froze in an instant. Shadow-strings lowered from the red orb in the center of the fireball, attaching to Jake’s limbs like tentacles.

  Tick, tick, tick. With clock-like rhythm, he walked toward me. His motions were stilted and robotic as the fiery shadows moved in tandem with him. It was Jake, but it wasn’t Jake. As if the shadows made a puppet out of him.

  Yeoow. With an ear-piercing shriek, Jake’s right hand landed on my neck. Then the left. Squeezing. Choking.

  I clawed at his iron grip. And screamed into the blackness.

  “Lucy, wake up.” Strong hands gripped my shoulders. Shaking me. “It’s okay, babe. You’re safe.”

  Panic hissed in my ears as my heart banged around in my chest. Remnants of the puppet-like shadows lingered in my hazy mind. Wait. It was just a dream.

  “What’s going on?” I asked Bryan, taking a deep breath and rubbing the shadows out of my sight. “What time is it?”

  “I don’t know, two a.m. I think?” His voice was groggy. “I woke up. Heard you screaming. You must’ve had a nightmare or something.”

  I scanned every nook and cranny of the dark room. The shadows were gone. Just bits of silvery moonlight streaming through the blinds. Outlining the contours of Bryan’s face as he yawned.

  He perched on the edge of my bed in striped pajama pants and a faded Yale shirt. Ready to fight off all my bad dreams. I wanted to reach for him. But I couldn’t. Something held me back.

  “Was it about him?” he asked.

  I nodded, the pressure building behind my eyes. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Jake’s tortured face. Surrounded by shadows.

  This time I couldn’t help it. I reached for Bryan, my hands landing on his chest. In a nano-second, he curled his arms around me. Nuzzled his scratchy chin into my forehead.

  “I’m here, sweetie. It’s going to be okay now.”

  I shut my eyes tight, but hot tears slipped out anyway. Dying a damp death on his warm t-shirt.

  “Do you want to tell me about it?”

  I arched back to look at him and my insides went pitter-patter. The wings of a hummingbird sprang to life. Quivering a tumult of hormones.

  No boy had ever been in my room in the middle of the night. Especially not a guy I was dating.

  Suddenly I was all-too-aware of his proximity. The warmth seeping from every pore of his body begged me to come closer.

  “You don’t have to tell me.” His gaze traveled down past my chin.

  “I want to, but I don’t know where to start.” Just like that, all the hummingbird hormones screeched to a halt. I couldn’t do this. Not now. I wasn’t ready for this kind of intimacy. It was too much. Too soon after Jake.

  Bryan’s breath hitched in his throat. One. Two. Three seconds and he stood to his feet, leaving a cold space beside me.

  “What’s wrong?” My heart thumped like crazy.

  “It’s just. You’re so …” His eyes flicked to a spot lower than my eyes.

  Fire sizzled up my neck, gathering in my cheeks. I yanked the covers up to my neck. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize for being gorgeous.” He raked one hand through his dark hair, mussing it as his gaze darted between me and the ceiling.

  My heart skipped a beat. A smile toyed with my mouth. “I guess I shouldn’t ask you to stay then.”

  “I shouldn’t.” His lips twitched. “But I’ll go ask Brooke or Abby, if you’d like.”

  “That’s sweet.” I yawned, slumping back under the covers. “I don’t want to wake them.”

  “If you’re sure. I just want you to be okay.” Moonlight cast slatted shadows on his face as he stared at me. “Do you think you can sleep?”

  I shrugged. I couldn’t answer that. Not with the shadows threatening every time I closed my eyes. “Couldn’t you just stay until I went to sleep?”

  “I would, if I thought I could.” His eyes made their way back to me, but he didn’t move to come any closer. “You know, I’ll have to tell the Guardians about your nightmare.”

  “What?” I sat up straighter, covers slipping. “Why do they need to know?”

  “So we can protect you.” His face hardened to marble, his gaze fixed. “It’s my job. You know that.”

  “I know,” I mumbled to the blankets. “I guess I just thought that since you’re my Guardian now, you might be able to keep some things between us.”

  “Some things, yes. But not everything. Not this.” All of a sudden his voice turned gravelly. “I’m sorry.”

  “I understand.” My heart sank a little. “I’m glad you came and woke me up, at least.”

  “Me too. Get some sleep. You need to get some rest. Your first training session is tomorrow.” With that, he vanished. His footsteps thudded down the hall.

  Why did I think he’d suddenly change? He’d always put the Guardians before me. The struggle, the emotions at war in him were obvious. I just wanted to win a battle, for once. Why couldn’t I ever find a guy who would put me first? He couldn’t even sit across the room until I fell asleep.

  The hope he’d stirred up in me dissipated into the night. At least I could punch my frustrations out in training tomorrow. It’d better be worth it.

  Chapter 3

  A whiff of bacon wafted to my nose, rousing me from my fitful slumber. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up in bed. I hadn’t slept much last night after the shadow puppet nightmares.

  Bzzzt. My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Five missed calls and a bazillion unread texts greeted me when I picked up the phone. All from Will. My heartbeat ticked upward, as if he might show up and I’d have to run away from him. Again. Couldn’t this guy take a hint?

  Wide awake now, I twisted my hair into a messy bun and wriggled into my slippers. I slowly shuffled down the hall until I reached the foyer.

  Suddenly, a blast of cold air whipped me in the face.

  “You look cute in fuzzy slippers.” Bryan burst through his own front door and raced down the hallway, leaving slush footprints on the carpet.

  “Where’s he going in such a hurry?” My cheeks caught fire as I padded to the kitchen to help Cindy with brunch. At least the lady had enough sense to start breakfast at ten a.m. instead of eight. This place
already felt like home.

  “It snowed a little last night.” Cindy’s smile warmed the kitchen as she handed me a steaming mug of coffee. “He’s just rushing to get his chores done and get things ready for after brunch.”

  “Why, what’s happening after brunch?” I poured creamer in my mug and cocked my head at her.

  Her eyes lit up, then the rest of her face. “It’s time to start your training.”

  “I can’t wait to—” I bit my lip before the truth oozed out. After last night, and everything that happened in the past month, I relished the chance to punch something. An overwhelming urge to fight back beat against my ribcage. I was more than ready to release some aggression.

  The rest of the family trickled in, and we ate our brunch in relative silence, with Brooke and Abby making small talk amongst themselves. I munched my bacon and let the sweet coffee warm my insides.

  When I finished the last bite, I rose to help Cindy clear the dishes, but she just patted my hand. “Don’t worry about it, hon. You need to go get ready for training.”

  “Get ready?” I gulped, glancing at her then toward Brooke. “I didn’t bring any workout clothes.”

  “We got you covered.” Brooke tugged me out of the kitchen, past the living room, then down the hall. “Anything can happen in Seer Training.”

  “Really?” I followed her down the basement stairs, blinking at the vast room I’d never seen before.

  Personal gym didn’t quite describe it. The entire room was laid out with black rubber tiles and sectioned off into four quadrants complete with blue mats, punching bags, and weights and machines on the left. One quadrant housed an odd assortment of weapons on the right. In the back sat a collection of objects that could only be described as an obstacle course. Indoors.

  “What is this place?” I whispered, my jaw dangling on a string

  “Oh, you know, just your average secret society training facility. No big deal.” Brooke had a scowl on her face as she stared me down.

  “I’ll say.” I couldn’t stop gaping at the training facility made just to train me. “I can’t believe underneath this peaceful lodge is a secret boot camp.”