ARC: The Seers (12 page)

“Sounds like a pretty great guy,” Alex smiled, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair and leaning back casually.

“He has his moments,” I shrugged, pressing my lips together.

“‘His moments’?” he asked. “I don’t know… Might be hard to rope this guy in to your schemes if that’s all the praise he’s going to get.”

“Don’t worry, he’s very modest. And if all else fails, I can always charm him with my wiles.”

“Then I guess you’re all set,” he laughed quietly.

We sat silently for a moment or two until I suddenly remembered something Cormac had said the night before. “Hey,” I said, shifting in my seat to face him, “I’ve been meaning to ask you – last night when we were talking about Steven, Cormac called Bastian a Porter. What’s a Porter?”

Alex pursed his lips slightly as he thought, like he was trying to find the right words. “Porting is the ability to travel instantaneously. Like teleporting in a sci-fi movie.”

“Seriously? Damn it… that’s pretty cool. To be honest, I was kind of hoping it was something lame.” I knew it was petty, but I was a firm believer that jerks shouldn’t get cool stuff.

“Sorry. Though it may not be quite as cool as you think. I don’t know a lot about it, but from what I understand, Porters can’t simply go wherever they want anytime they want; it’s more complicated than that. Their Sciaths also work differently; they aren’t tied to them like the rest of us. They still work even when they are removed.”

“That’d be nice…”

“Tell me about it,” he agreed. “Jocelyn would know more about it, you should ask him.”

Suddenly, the loud creak of a door hinge echoed up the corridor, and I turned to see a man dressed entirely in white walking out of Bastian’s room. It was him – but what the hell was he wearing? It wasn’t until he turned to shut his door behind him that I saw the silver-mesh helmet hanging from the gym bag over his shoulder. It was a fencing helmet.

Ugh… Of course he was a fencer, what was I thinking? Fencing, polo, maybe some croquet. Why on earth would I have expected him to be a break dancer, or a juggler, or anything else even remotely out of the box?

A moment later, the door across the hall opened and this time Alva stepped out dressed in an ensemble looking as though it came straight out of a catalog. It was the kind of outfit that she probably considered casual, but had it been in the closet of a normal person it would have been one of the nicest things they owned.

“Oh, Bastian,” she said upon seeing him, “off to practice, dear? I’d have thought you would be there by now.”

“Had a late start this morning,” he told her as they walked together down the hall. I held my breath as they passed by us, but thanks to Alex they had no idea we were only a few feet away.

“Just make sure you’re back in time for the luncheon in the library this afternoon.”

“I won’t be more than an hour,” he assured her.

“All right,” she smiled, leaning over and pecking his cheek as they reached the main hall.

They were about to part ways when Bastian looked down into his bag. “Damn…” he mumbled rummaging through his things, “I’ve got to run back to my room, I’ve forgotten my gloves. I’ll see you at lunch.”

“Of course dear, enjoy your practice,” Alva called to him before turning the corner and disappearing down the hall.

As Bastian jogged back toward his room, a cast message coalesced in the air in front of me. “
A lunch date and missing gloves. I’m not sure we really have the hang of this “gathering intel” thing.
”

I frowned in agreement, but before I could let discouragement get the best of me, I noticed something odd. Bastian had reached his room… and stopped. He didn’t go in or even pull out his key, but instead made a show of adjusting the strap of his bag, trying to hide the fact that he was checking the hallway to make sure no one else was around. After a second quick survey of the hall – and of course oblivious to Alex and I – he lowered his head and walked quickly past his door and up the hall, all the way to the small flight of stairs at the far end. Alex and I both jumped up and followed after him, while I concentrated on the distinct feel of his ability in my mind, singling it out from the dozens of others in the manor and locking onto it, determined not to lose him.

We slipped up to the second floor and continued to follow Bastian through a maze of hallways, moving both as quickly and silently as we could. Finally, Bastian stopped in front of an average looking door in the middle of a long stretch of hall, glancing around once more before opening it and ducking inside.

I was about to make a dive for the door when Alex stopped me. “
No!
” he cast, grabbing my arm and pulling me back just in time for the door to shut in my face.

“I could have made it!”

“But I wouldn’t have, and without me, you have no cover, remember? I can’t hide you if I can’t see you.”

“Right,” I sighed, carefully stepping back over to the door. Praying that the ancient wood wouldn’t creak or groan, I leaned in to listen, propping myself up against the door frame.

The room was silent for a second, then I heard his gym bag unzip and something pulled from it and set down with a soft thud. Then there was more silence… a click… silence…a beep… more silence… then finally a steady stream of tick-tick-ticking that became the distinct sound of fingers on a keyboard.

“What do you hear?” Alex breathed, clearly anxious.

“I’m not sure,” I whispered, “but whatever it is… it’s definitely not fencing.”

CHAPTER 12

“How can you not be convinced?” I said, as loud as a whisper would allow, as Alex and I navigated our way around the second level of the far wing, trying to find a staircase it was safe to be seen coming down. “We caught him in the act!”

“We caught him in the act of lying to his mother. That might not do much for his character, but it doesn’t prove he’s doing anything wrong.”

“What about that one?” I nodded toward the staircase we approached, momentarily ignoring his hole-poking with an irritated sigh.

“I’ll check.”

He jogged down the stairs while I crossed my arms and leaned against the rail, waiting for the all clear. Alex and I had to part ways as soon as we got back downstairs so he could go and check in with Cormack for an update. That meant that when we got back down to the guestroom level, he wouldn’t be able to keep me hidden, and since we were fairly certain that we weren’t allowed to be on this floor, he’d been invisibly checking each stairwell we came across, looking for one I could use without being caught.

“I think we’re good,” Alex said, walking back up. “No one down there, plus I think we are near your room. You should be fine.”

I walked down to the first landing to meet him, my arms still crossed, pouting. “This sucks.”

“Come on, Leannán, don’t be mad,” he hooked an arm around my waist and pulled me into his side. “It was a good start. I mean, did you really expect to get all the proof you needed in one shot?”

I scowled at the floor as we stepped off the last stair and into an empty hallway. “I don’t know, maybe…”

“What did you want him to do? Sneak off to some secret lair with a sign on the door: ‘Bad Guys Only, Mwa-ha-ha’?”

He looked down at me with a smile. “I really hate it when you do that,” I said, grinning against my will.

“I know,” he said, leaning forward and kissing my cheek, “it’s great.”

He jumped back with a laugh as I took a swing at his arm. “Get out of here,” I said with a playful growl, “you’re late.”

“I know,” he agreed, checking his watch. “Promise you won’t do any more spying without me?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I’m serious, Becca. I can tell you’re thinking about it, and it’s too dangerous.”

“I know that. I won’t try anything, I promise,” I said, though I was mildly annoyed he could read me so well. “Now go.”

A kiss and a wink later, Alex left to meet with Cormac while I headed off in the opposite direction toward my room, trying to piece together a new plan. However, apparently I was thinking a little too hard, as I rounded the upcoming bend without looking and ran right into a startled young man carrying a stack of books.

“Steven!” I said, reaching out to catch him as he stumbled backward. “Sorry about that, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” –
because I was too busy plotting against your brother
– “but I’m so glad to see you.”

“M-miss Cl-lavish,” he nodded, looking down.

“It’s Becca,” I corrected, smiling when he brought his eyes back up. “Look, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for last night. I hope I didn’t get you into any trouble,” –
ridiculous as that still was
– “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t realize that it was… even a possibility.”

He didn’t respond at first, though I was shocked and relieved to see that for the first time since we’d met, he didn’t look as though he was about to bolt away from me like a jumpy rabbit. “Do-on’t worry,” he said with a timid smile, “it w-was nothing.”

“Honestly, I just wanted to hang out with you. This,” I gestured around us, “isn’t exactly the sort of thing I’m used to. Everyone here is so,” I paused, deciding I should be nice as several of them were still his family, “different. You were the first normal person I’d met, and I guess I just got a little excited.”

He laughed, though his face was sad. “P-people don’t us-sually describe me as n-normal.”

“Yeah, well they’re idiots.”
Damn!
That one slipped out before I could catch it, but luckily, he smiled.

Turning to face the way I was originally headed, he motioned for me to continue and the two of us began to walk slowly down the hall. “And don’t w-worry about all th-this,” he glanced around. “It takes s-some getting u-used to.”

“Not sure I have the patience for that. Things are a little more… low key where I’m from. I didn’t fully realize it before this, but turns out I like it better that way.”

“How l-long are y-you staying?”

“We were supposed to be here through tomorrow, but now it looks like it may be a bit longer. Actually,” I said, deciding to take a leap, “there might be something you can help me with. Is there any chance you knew a man named Ciaran Shea?” As soon as I’d finished the question a small knot formed in my stomach. Jocelyn had made it clear that he wanted to keep our digging into Ciaran under wraps, but if no one asked any questions, how were we going to learn anything? Asking a guy who’d lived around these people his whole like seemed like a much better way to get information than leafing through a bunch of old books any day, and besides, who was he going to tell? Everyone around here avoided him like a spilled drink on the floor, no way were they going to listen to him attempt to spread rumors.

“The S-Seer?” he asked. “Yes I kn-new him, but not w-well. Why?”

See, maybe there was something he could tell us. At least it was worth a try. “OK,” I said, lowering my voice, “I’m going to level with you. The main reason we came out here was so that we could talk to him. It’s kind of a long story, but basically, we found out that someone we trusted was betraying us, and that he was in some way connected to Ciaran, but we don’t know how. We were going to confront Ciaran about it, but then last night we find out that he’s dead, so at the moment we’re kind of at a loss. Is there anything you could tell me about him that might be of interest to someone? Something that maybe could have gotten him into trouble, or would have given someone cause to seek him out?”

He thought for a moment then shook his head. “No, no-othing that c-comes to mind. But I o-only met him o-once a l-long time ago. S-sorry.”

“It’s OK,” I said, a little deflated, “it was a long shot anyway.”

Then something lit in his eyes. “It wouldn’t b-be his j-journal, would it? Ha-ave you lo-oked into that?”

“What journal?”

“He k-kept a journal with a-all his pr-rophecies in it. M-most Seers do. I r-remember because he di-idn’t have any f-family when he died, so my p-parents had t-to oversee his will. In it he a-asked for the jou-urnal to be destroyed, but n-no one could ever f-find it. They as-ssumed he’d des-stroyed himself when he g-got sick.”

“A book with all his predictions in it?” Any number of people could have wanted that, including Taron or Darragh. “And no one knows what happened to it?”

“N-not that I know of.”

“Steven,” I beamed, overjoyed to have actually found out something useful. “You are amazing, thank you so much!”

“H-happy to help,” he smiled shyly.

“You’ve done more than help, you may have just saved our trip! Though,” I paused as a twinge of guilt hit me, “there is one more thing, if you don’t mind… could you not let anyone know that I asked you about Ciaran?” I hated to ask him as he didn’t seem like someone who would be OK with lying – or any good at it for that matter – but I knew I had to at least ask.

I was relieved to see he appeared to only be confused and not upset. “Why?”

“We think there might be people who don’t want anyone looking into him, so we are trying to keep it all on the down low for now.”

He nodded without hesitation. “I w-won’t tell. Just pr-romise to tell me if you f-find anything,” he said, with a spark of excitement in his eyes, obviously enjoying the intrigue.

“Absolutely.”

As we continued down the hall, I wondered if I could ask him about Bastian and the whole Brian Connor thing, but decided that was going too far. Jerk or no, Bastian was still his brother after all, and I didn’t want to do anything that would upset him when we’d finally become friends. “Hey,” I said, as we neared the end of the hall, “my room is just down the way, do you want to come back with me? We could hang out for a while and then order lunch to the room.”

“I d-don’t know,” he said, tension beginning to tighten his frame, “I should g-go back and g-get my b-books.”

I nodded with a smile, noting how much more pronounced his stutter was when he was nervous. “Yeah, that’s fine,” said casually, hoping to help him relax, “I just–”

“Steven!” came a sudden bellow down the hall. “What are you doing out here?”

Both our heads snapped to the right where Bastian was storming our way like a charging bull, hands fisted and eyes blazing. He was still wearing his white fencing outfit, though had lost his gym bag and helmet, and was clearly not at all pleased with finding Steven and I together.

“You were told not to leave your room,” he scolded, his voice growing softer as he approached while his tone remained just as fierce. “Get back to your suite,” he ordered, completely ignoring me, “and stay there until Mother comes for you this afternoon.”

“Hey!” I snapped, stepping in between them. “Don’t you talk to him like that! He is walking with me because I asked him to, and what we do is none of your damn business!”

Bastian glared down at me like a bear would an unarmed hunter, but I met him toe to toe, unwilling to so much as flinch under his eyes. After a long moment he looked over my shoulder to Steven, jerking his head to the right in a silent command. Obeying, Steven took off quickly back up the hall before I even had a chance to say goodbye.

“What the hell is your problem?” I growled at him the moment Steven was out of sight.

“Trust me,” he huffed haughtily, though the fire didn’t quite leave his eyes. “I’ve done you a favor. He’s not the sort of person you want to be seen with.”

I lost it. “Don’t tell me who I want to be seen with, I’ll talk to whomever I want! And don’t you ever treat him like that in front of me again, or you’ll spend the next few days as the one who doesn’t want to be seen as you nurse a black eye!”

“Clearly you don’t understand the way things work around here.”

“I understand perfectly well, thank you, I just don’t care! I don’t care what you all think about him, and I don’t care what you think about me. The only thing I care about is the fact that he is the only person I’ve met at this pretentious festival of bullshit that can put two words together without spewing either a load of pompous drivel or,” I gave him an exaggerated onceover, “blatant lies!”

“Yes, well I suppose lies would abound when you spend your days inventing plots and making wild accusations.”

“I’m sorry, what accusations were those? The ones where you’re a liar, or the ones where you spent six months spying on my family?”

“I,” he looked down his nose at me, “am not now nor have I ever been a liar. And as to the rest, I won’t even justify the notion with a response.” With a lift of his chin, he turned to go, but unfortunately, I wasn’t about to let him have the last word. I had ammo and it was time to use it.

I crossed my arms, cocked, and fired. “Did you have a nice workout?”

“Excuse me?” His tone was almost bored, but something flashed in his eyes.

“Your workout,” I gestured to his outfit. “Fencing, yes?”

“Very good.”

“Looks like you worked up quite a sweat,” I said, eyeing his dry and perfectly coifed hair. “But then I guess sitting at a computer can do that to a guy.”

Any traces of aloof detachment remaining in his expression were gone in a blink, and before I’d even realized he’d moved, he was an inch from my face with a flare of malice in his eyes like I’d never seen before. Not going to lie, for a minute… I was scared.

“You followed me?” he breathed, his locked jaw quivering under the strain of his clenched teeth.

“I happened to see you,” I shrugged, managing to call back some of my bravado.

“You
happened
to be on a restricted floor?”

“I got lost.”

He ground his teeth and took a step back. “You had no right…”

“No,” I countered, “I think I had every right to follow you and snoop into your life. I think they call that comeuppance.”

“What in God’s name do you want from me?”

“I want you to admit you were in Pennsylvania two years ago. I want you to tell me who sent you and what you told them about us. I want you to stop treating me like an idiot and admit I am right! I know you think you are so sly and that no one is ever going to figure it out, but I saw you panic last night when I asked you to dance. You were able to catch it before anyone else saw, but we both know what it was. Why can’t you just admit it?”

For the first time he hesitated before answering, as something strange bubbled under the anger in his eyes. Indecision? Fear? Guilt? I wasn’t sure what to call it, but what I did know was that it was vulnerable, which was an emotion that, until that moment, I wouldn’t have believed him capable of. That is, if I’d really seen it, because a moment later it was gone, the icy glare back in its place.

“I can’t admit to being in the States, because it didn’t happen,” he said flatly, his snooty cocked brow back in place. “I didn’t tell anyone anything about you because I don’t know anything about you worth telling, nor do I find myself inclined to learn more. And the so-called ‘panic’ you saw in me last night, was not panic but irritation, and was due entirely to the fact that I have no desire to marry you.”

“What?
Marry me?
” Did he seriously just say that?

“I assure you, the idea was in no way my own.”

“Are you serious with this,” I asked, ignoring the blatant insult, “or are you just trying to distract me?”

“I am quite serious. I find it hard to believe that you haven’t seen her intent, but perhaps you don’t know what to look for. However, if my mother hasn’t yet mentioned it to you, I can guarantee you she has mentioned it to your father.”

Was he for real? I mean, sure, Jocelyn had said that as his daughter, I’d generally be considered a good catch, and that Alva would likely try to set up Bastian and I, but he hadn’t said anything about her specifically talking to him about it. Looked like he and I would need to have a chat later…

“As you may or may not know,” Bastian continued, “marriage for members of our company is quite different from what I would suppose you are accustomed to.”