Midnight Runes (The Bestowed Ones) (19 page)

“Do you think the two of you are an item?” she asked. I felt anger radiating from her.

“Huh?” I managed to ask, confused. “I’m not dating anyone.”

“Oh,
come on
! I seen the way you danced with him and the way you two looked at each other.”

“I danced with a lot of guys, so I’m not following you.” I smiled at the memory of being led around the dance floor with not one or two, but five different partners.

She slowly leaned in. My smile faded. Her voice was barely controlled. “Don’t think for a second that I buy your attempt at innocence. How many guys falling over you does it take for you to be happy?”

I shook my head, searching for an answer that would pacify her.

“Pick someone else,” she demanded. “Actually, just avoid guys who are off-limits to you, and it’ll work out better for everyone.” She composed herself, backed away, and strolled off.

It took a minute to collect myself, but I managed to. I quickly scanned the hall to see if she had made spectacles of us. The only person staring at me was Landon. He must have slipped by while Emilee confronted me, both of us too preoccupied to notice. I looked away and headed to class.

He kept his distance that week. Part of me wondered if her comments bothered him as much as they bothered me. I waited for him to return to his usual self, but he didn’t. I kept my distance too, but I had enough distractions between trying to pull together my Halloween costume, planning the right things to say to Trevor, and figuring out how to best acquire Landon’s trust to get the information I wanted.

Elyse and I planned our strategy for Halloween night. She and Jared would pick me up, we’d head over to Adrienne’s house for a few hours, then head to Trevor’s for the rest of the night. I’d either leave with them or with my parents, depending on how the night went.

Adrienne had transformed her entire basement into a creepy graveyard scene. Small spotlights on the floor highlighted the stark cardboard trees, rickety gates, and weathered tombstones. The ceiling lights were covered with a purple film to dim their harshness, and the smoke machine created an eerie atmosphere.

I mingled with nearly everyone, making a point to avoid Landon and Emilee. I paused at the appetizer table and ate a few peanut butter–filled pretzels, then helped Adrienne refill empty trays. I glanced at my watch, which felt heavy on my wrist, and tried to calculate how much longer to stay. I wanted just the right amount of time with Trevor. Too little and I’d miss out on rare time with him; too much and I’d seem desperate.

After another half-hour, I nodded at Elyse, and we started our round of good-byes. I noticed Landon standing by the stairs as I made my way closer. He looked preoccupied on his phone. I followed Elyse and Jared as they made their way to the stairs. I had to pass Landon on the way out.

“I know what you’re trying to do,” he murmured when I was within earshot.

I stopped in my tracks. This was the first direct thing he’d said to me since he’d overheard Emilee’s confrontation. Since his comment was of the challenging nature, I wondered if my going to Trevor’s trumped what Emilee said during her hallway standoff on his irritation meter.

I notched my chin higher. “And?”

“People don’t always like what they find when they seek it.”

I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to talk in riddles. And I’ll take my chances.”

“I could stop you from going.”

I huffed through a smile. “Are you going to restrain me?” I asked incredulously.

“You should know me better than that by now. I have more creative options at my disposal. And I said that I
could
, not that I
would
.”

I searched his eyes until I understood. He could supernaturally block all contact with Trevor. I assumed he’d do it with a rune, but at this point, who knew? Or maybe he could diminish my wanting to contact Trevor. Maybe he could erase Trevor entirely from my memory. I didn’t know and didn’t need the specifics because I knew he was serious. “What’s your point? And don’t you dare.” The anger conflicted with the incredulity I felt, and my threat lacked conviction.

“My point is that I’m much more proficient than you think, and you shouldn’t be running off to newbies who just put you in danger.”

“What choice do I have? You haven’t divulged anything since I did, and I don’t have any other information to share, so I’m SOL with you and your barter system.”

“I never said I’d divulge anything. Ever. And I’m not required to,” he said with controlled calm.

“I guess my telling you didn’t mean anything then,” I accused. I waited a beat, hoping he would correct me. He stared at me, eyes bright with emotion. Unspoken words begged to be voiced in the silence, but the moment passed without him speaking any of them. I don’t know why I said it. It hurt to say. The act of trusting him felt significant to me. I hadn’t expected anything in return when I confided in him about the nature of the meeting with Cassandra, but he had shared a secret of his own.

What we were arguing about wasn’t the real issue anyway.

He reached for my hand and held it in his warm one. My skin tingled from his contact. “That conclusion is very illogical.”

I sighed, knowing what he meant and also that he couldn’t say it in a direct way. I should’ve accepted it and moved on. I
should’ve
. “
You
should know by now that I don’t like being told what to do. And if this bothers you so much, perhaps you should give me the answers I seek,” I whispered. His eyes measured me a moment before his hand fell away, effectively ending the conversation.

I brushed past him, went up the stairs, and left with Elyse and Jared.

I took advantage of the car ride to clear my head. I couldn’t carry the frustration with Landon to Trevor. I had plenty of time to deal with Landon.

I felt comfortable walking up to Trevor’s house. I resigned to let him set the tone for the evening.

The three of us entered the house, which burst with activity. Voices from conversations drifted to us from all corners. A CD played spooky Halloween music in one of the rooms, and the lights were low.

Cotton spider webs stretched across the stair banister, and the light bulbs in the foyer chandelier had been replaced with black ones to cast a shadowy, purple glow. Skulls and large spiders hung from the ceiling, and motion-detector skeletons and ghosts danced when anyone walked too close. They hadn’t overlooked one detail. I knew from past experience that the entire house had been decorated, even the bathrooms.

I found my parents first, so I stopped to let them know we were here and that I’d most likely drive home with them after all. I scanned the kitchen and found Trevor talking with a group of friends. He excused himself, rushing toward me.

“I’m so glad you came!” he said and wrapped me in one of his classic hugs.

“Me too!” I agreed and hugged him back. “Your parents have outdone themselves again. Another successful party.”

“Well, they’re pros at this by now.”

“Where are they, anyway? I want to see them.”

“I think they’re in the lower level. Come on, I’ll help you find them and get you something to drink while you say hi.”

I followed him down the stairs with Elyse and Jared following. They found a space on the couch and claimed it. I greeted his parents and exchanged small talk. It was good to see them again.

The two of us joined Elyse and Jared on the couch. We settled into our old routine, teasing each other and retelling stories of our adventures together. It felt like old times.

The hours passed quickly and the party dwindled. My parents came looking for me to say they were ready to go. I reluctantly called it a night.

He pulled me in for another hug. “Hanging out with you just reinforced that I want to see you more. I’m sorry I pushed you away. I’ll figure out a way to make it work.”

“I miss you too.” I hugged him back.

He released me and held my hand. “It won’t be the same as before.”

“It doesn’t matter. Everything will work out. I just want to be able to talk to you without tension in the air.”

“That’s kind of up to you,” he said pointedly.

I couldn’t push him for answers. And that was fine with me. That route hadn’t worked in the past, so I was going about it in a new way. My cleverness made me smile. “I understand.”

“So I’ll call you this week. Maybe we can meet for coffee?”

“Sure. That sounds good.”

My parents didn’t push me for details on the ride home, which threw me off a bit. Maybe they had watched all of us together and realized that it was just like it was before the summer, that we were getting along as if nothing happened.

We slept in late Sunday. I told my mom that I’d do some running around with her and helped clean the house before I secluded myself in my room to finish studying for an exam Monday.

In between memorizing notes and skimming my book for facts, I traded texts with Elyse about the party. She was surprised that it went so smoothly, even though she knew my purpose behind it. Once committed, I would do whatever it took—short of hurting others—to get what I wanted. She was more surprised at Trevor’s sudden turnaround than I was. She believed it was due to seeing all the guys around me at homecoming and realizing that he could lose me. I didn’t care what his reason was. All I cared about was that he’d no longer push me so far away.

After a good amount of time studying, my focus turned to cleaning. I washed three loads of clothes—I couldn’t believe I let them pile up so much—and vacuumed and dusted my room. I rearranged my desk and dresser and put all the items in their proper place. By the time I finished, it looked like a whole new space.

My parents ordered in for dinner. I took Roxie for a walk, studied some more, then went to bed.

Not long after falling asleep, I realized Landon had invaded my dream.

I looked around. “Why’d you bring me to a library?” I asked, happy he wanted to talk.

“So you’d have to keep your voice down,” he teased.

I settled into a chair, waiting for him to share whatever he chose to. He sat in a chair across from me. The silence stretched.

“I liked it better when he didn’t talk to you,” he finally admitted.

“And why’s that?” I asked innocently.

He didn’t answer, so I moved on. “Did Emilee’s comments upset you? Is that why you kept your distance all week?”

He looked at me, and I could tell he was debating how to answer.

“Why did you pull me into a dream if you didn’t want to talk?”

“I do want to talk,” he shot back. “You’re monopolizing the conversation.” I pretended to lock my lips, then crossed my arms. He didn’t want me to talk? Fine. It wasn’t like he’d answer my questions, anyway. “I’m sure you had a nice time with Trevor last night.” I nodded and fleetingly wondered how long I could go without asking a question or injecting an opinion. He chose his words with caution. “If Trevor tells you details about what we’re involved in, and those in charge find out, he’ll suffer penalties that range from unpleasant to brutal. I wonder, is that knowledge enough to keep you from putting him at risk?” He measured me for a moment. “He’s not skilled enough yet to outsmart them. But I’m not at liberty to share information either. It’s frustrating on several levels.”

He wasn’t the only one who was frustrated. There were many things I wanted clarification on.

“Emilee’s comments made me realize…” He paused as if searching for the right words, “How far it’s gone. I wasn’t expecting to get attached.”

Maybe he spoke ambiguously on purpose. How could he be so good at saying something without really saying it?

I looked at him contently when I felt anything but.

“So where does this leave us?” he mused.

I shrugged.

“I guess I wanted to tell you the reason I’m like this. I already crossed lines. I keep readjusting them like they’re moving targets, but I’m running out of room.”

We evaluated each other.

“It helps me understand you,” I offered. I gave him a small smile.

“Fair enough. Sweet dreams, Brynn.”

“Good night, Landon.”

The next morning I found myself wasting time at my locker, waiting for him. He strolled in a few minutes later and I walked over to him.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Good morning. I take it that my behavior is forgiven?”

“I’ve decided to suspend my frustration with you,” I said.

“Ah, yes, to be returned at any moment. Let’s get to class,” he said, and we headed to first hour. We passed Emilee on the way. I didn’t miss her glare that followed us until we were out of sight.

N
ow that homecoming and Halloween were behind us, those of us who had signed up for the annual school rafting trip had another something fun to look forward to. There was a mandatory meeting after school to review the details.

A group of us sat together at one large cafeteria table. Elyse and I had gone with Jared and Trevor the three previous years, but we finally convinced Zach to go. Landon was also up for the adventure, and I was glad things between us had settled back into a comfortable routine. This was also the year that Emilee and her band of friends decided to go. To say I was shocked was an understatement. Participating in this type of thing wasn’t her style. It stunned me that she was willing to risk falling into the river and damaging her perfect everything.

I had turned in the money and permission slip that were due by the end of the week, so I checked out for most of the meeting. Mr. Dorian passed out a checklist of items to bring. He emphasized what to wear on the river and said that the bus was leaving at 5:00
A.M.
sharp, with or without everyone. The meeting concluded, and we turned our chairs around.

“Don’t skimp on the socks,” Elyse warned Landon and Zach. “Make sure you wear a few layers and especially wear the wool ones.”

“Yeah, and old running shoes. There’s no use wearing your good ones. They’re just going to get soaked and dirty,” I added.

“So we’re going to get wet even if we don’t capsize,” Zach concluded.

“Right, and hope we don’t. The water is unbelievably cold,” I laughed.