The next three days were a blur. Addy hardly spoke to anyone. Kim helped her get ready for the funeral, and like a robot, she just complied with whatever was asked of her. A service was held at a small old church. From there, her grandfather was being sent to the Sanders family crypt that also contained her parents and grandmother.
It was almost noon and she was expected in the library shortly to see if she could claim the Overseer’s Stone. Realistically she knew it wasn’t possible, but she still hoped she could.
There was a box with a note pinned to it on her porch when she got to her villa to change. She pulled the lid off and found the sandals she’d left on the beach the first night she’d walked with Tanner.
The crazy pulling is gone, so I’m rolling out.
-T
Her heart sank as she read his note. Tanner was gone. She was glad whatever was keeping him anchored had cleared up, but Addy wished she could’ve at least said good-bye to him. With a sigh, she dropped his note on the table by her door with the others and went in her room to change.
Moose was stretched out on her bed. He’d been the only one she could talk to over the last couple of days. She gave him a quick scratch behind the ears, and then looked for something to wear.
Addy tossed the black pantsuit she wore to the funeral into the heap of clothes on her floor and went into her closet. She didn’t care for her clothing options and really needed to go shopping, or at least find time to do some laundry.
The only summer item she found was a white strapless sundress that fell a few inches above her knees. She changed into it and grabbed her pink strappy sandals. She pulled her hair down from the tight twist she wore for the service and ran her fingers through it. She touched up her make-up and swapped her diamond stud earrings for silver hoops.
Grabbing her purse, she closed her door and headed for the main house. The garden was set up with chairs and tables to host the luncheon after she claimed the stone. The flowers and decorations looked lovely—you would‘ve never guessed someone had just died.
Up ahead, she spotted Gage sitting on a bench not far from the front doors of the main house. He stood when he saw her. He was still wearing his suit from the funeral, but his jacket was off and the sleeves of his light blue shirt were rolled up. She shook her head, thinking it was so unfair that even when he put no effort into what he wore, he still looked fantastic.
They hadn’t talked since Fate died. She had no time or energy to be worrying about Gage anyway, and he’d been busy with all of the Akori who’d come to the estate for the funeral.
Once she was close, Addy spoke first in an effort to avoid awkwardness. “What are you doing sitting out here?”
Gage shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. “Taking a break from all the commotion I guess. I’m not used to having so many people around here. The ones who came in for the funeral are a lot different than the Akori I know.”
“I noticed that too,” she said. “They’re probably just nervous about what’ll happen after I claim the stone.”
She was worried about it too, and she was so glad Gage was out there. She’d been dreading going into the library and having him there took the edge off her anxiety.
Addy reached up and straightened a few pieces of Gage’s hair that were blown out of place by the wind. He looked at her as if he wanted to say something but she stopped him.
“Oh god Gage, please don’t say any kind words about my loss. That’s all I’ve heard for three days.”
His bright blue eyes met hers. “That’s not what I was gonna say, Addy.”
Her cheeks blushed. “Oh.”
“Can I walk you in?” he asked, holding his arm out.
She nodded, feeling bad for semi-snapping at him as she slipped her arm through his. They started walking toward the main house.
“Are you coming into the library to watch me try to claim the Overseer’s Stone?”
“Do you want me to?”
It didn’t take long for her to come up with an answer. “If you don’t mind…” She glanced up at him and bit her lip.
“I don’t mind,” he said, tugging the arm she had looped through his so she was forced to walk closer to him. “All of the Akori were invited to watch you claim the stone,” he said, opening the door to the estate, “but since Bernard and Kim are humans, they won’t be allowed in the library with us.”
She dropped her shoulders. “Wonderful.”
Addy and Gage arrived outside the doors to the library and she could hear a lot of loud discussion inside. Kim was standing off to the side with Bernard and Doris. Winkie and Brutis were sitting on their bed, looking around curiously at all the people.
“Don’t look so worried, you’ll do great.” Kim told her confidently.
Addy forced a smile. “Thanks. Will you wait for me?”
Kim nodded. “I’ll be right here.”
Bernard motioned the group to come closer together, and then focused on Addy. “No matter what happens, don’t let them think you’re weak. You must be strong in front of them, just as Fate taught you to be. Overseer’s power or not—you are the head of Tremain.”
Addy felt sick—like she was in way over her head.
Bernard reached out and patted her shoulder to get her full attention. “I heard rumors over the past few days about some of the Akori banking on you not getting Fate’s power. They’ll be ready to start a revolution of sorts should you be unsuccessful. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes.” Actually, she didn’t really understand any of it, but there was no time for explanations.
Bernard turned to Gage. “Keep watch for anything strange and pull her out of there if you feel like something isn’t right.”
Gage nodded, shifting his gaze from Bernard to Addy. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Addy didn’t even realize she was still clinging to Gage’s arm until then. She quickly let go, feeling her face flush.
Bernard gave them a nod and pointed toward the library. “Let’s get on with it then. We’ll be right here waiting.”
That wasn’t the pep talk she'd been expecting. She took a deep breath as Gage opened the door and she walked in.
All eyes turned to her. Stubbs was standing at the head of the table where Fate usually sat, motioning for her to walk to him. When she pictured claiming the Overseer’s Stone, the audience only included Bernard and Stubbs, not all the gawking strangers. A few more minutes of conversation continued as Stubbs introduced her to the Akori people she didn’t know.
Addy recognized his last name when she was introduced to Mitchell West. She’d heard Fate talk about the West family several times over the years, but she’d never met any of them. She also knew Fate went to visit them recently—the day he let her out of library duty early.
Mitchell looked like he was maybe in his late fifties, but being an Akori, there was no real way to tell his actual age. The only word Addy could think of to describe him was distinguished. When she thought of what the head of a family should look like, Mitchell fit the bill perfectly. The dark suit he wore complimented his mix of silver and black hair and dark green eyes. She noticed his tie was held in place by a silver tie clip with MJW engraved on it next to an Akori symbol.
“Well, let’s begin,” Stubbs said, getting everyone’s attention.
There weren’t nearly enough seats for everyone and most of the Akori were standing. The Overseer’s Stone was lying on the table. It was usually kept locked in the case above the fireplace. Next to her hands, it looked bigger than when it was used by Fate’s thick fingers.
Addy stepped closer, scanning it for the symbol Fate showed her to touch. She glanced up at Stubbs, who gave her a reassuring smile. Slowly, she placed her fingers on the symbols, one after another, just as Fate instructed. A blue flash sparked from under her fingers, causing everyone to gasp.
“Damn,” she said under her breath.
Addy immediately felt a burning sensation on the
back of her neck and thought maybe it had electrocuted her. She was feeling sick, but not a normal stomachache kind of sick. It felt like her insides were being pulled out and it was a real struggle not to double over.
After purposely catching Gage’s eye, it was obvious he could tell something was wrong. She glanced around, hoping no one else noticed. He started moving to walk over to her, but she slightly shook her head to halt him.
The packed room of Akori whispered things to each other about how they couldn’t believe there was a female Overseer, that she was too young, and how ridiculous they thought the entire situation was.
It dawned on her that they really did want her to fail. The group surrounding her was nothing like the Akori she‘d grown up with. They stared at her and she caught the tail end of one of them saying something about being relieved that Fate was gone. Addy was instantly furious. She wanted to scream at them about the sacrifices her family had been making for generations.
Glancing around the room, she was hardly able to believe what was going on. Her eyes stopped moving when they got to Gage. He was standing next to Matt and Renee. Their Uncle Josh and Gage’s mother Molly were next to them. Addy forced herself to stay focused on them—they were her friends and the other Akori didn’t matter.
Bernard’s words repeated in her head and she understood what he was talking about in the hall. If she didn’t do something they’d decide she was weak. Addy took a deep breath and resisted the urge to run to her car and escape. She needed to hold herself together—she just had to get through the next few minutes.
Addy opened her mouth, but before she could begin speaking, a male voice spoke over her.
“Well, it appears we have a new female Overseer after all.” A man stood up from his seat to her left. His tone came across as condescending and she instantly decided she didn’t like him. “Addison Sanders—the new Overseer of the Akori. How wonderful.”
He had well groomed, jet-black hair which was slicked back from his face and eyes that were even blacker than his hair. He was dressed in a well-tailored gray suit that gave his tall, thin body shape.
The teenage girl in Addy took over and she started speaking in an equally as condescending voice—basically skirting the line of mocking him. “Thank you sir, but you must forgive me—I don’t believe I know who you are.”
His face flushed. “We met once when you were just a small child. I’m Preston Worthington.” He spoke his name as if she should know him. “As head of the Worthi—”
“Let's give the young lady some time to familiarize herself with the tasks at hand before we involve her in the politics, shall we Preston?” The man who had been introduced to her as Mitchell West stepped up to the table.
Preston looked irritated, but quickly recovered. He nodded his head to Mitchell and sat down.
“My grandfather will be—” She was forced to stop because the room filled with whispers again. She knew she had to do something to take control of the situation. The sooner she did, the sooner she could get out of there. Addy picked up the Overseer’s Stone and dropped it on the table, making a thunderous crashing sound. That may not have been something her grandfather would approve of, but it got their attention and she spoke before things could get out of hand again. “Let me start by saying that my Grandfather will be missed terribly. He was a good man and a strong leader. He taught me well and I fully intend on running Tremain exactly as he did.”
A few whispers broke out and she took a deep breath, feeling frustrated. She wished Stubbs would step in and help, but he just stood silently looking on. Mitchell West finally caught her attention and motioned with his eyes to her left.
Addy turned to the group doing the most talking. She pictured the way Fate would handle the situation and began addressing the offenders. “I’ll be glad to discuss any concerns you may have when we’re done here, but I expect your silence until I’m finished speaking.”
The men’s faces turned red as she turned back to the group. She spotted Matt doing his best to hold back his laughter at the way she was talking.
Her heart was pounding in her chest and it felt like she couldn’t get enough air as she began again. “It’s a privilege for my family to be a part of the Akori people’s lives and I look forward to getting to know all of you,” she nodded toward Preston Worthington, who seemed pleased at the acknowledgment. “I’d like to ask that you move to the garden for lunch. I’d like a few minutes to meet with my council.” Someone began to protest, but Addy put up her hand to silence them. “Thank you for your cooperation,” she said, gesturing toward the door.
Her speech after claiming the Overseer’s Stone was much briefer than she’d planned—she simply couldn’t focus on putting words together with her neck burning and her stomach in knots.
“You did well,” Stubbs whispered, and started to usher the Akori from the room.
Gage approached her quickly with Matt trailing behind him. “Is everything ok?”
Matt stepped up and leaned over close. “When did you get a council?”
Addy poked him in the arm and he backed up, grinning at her. Her neck was burning hot, and she was dying to leave. “I’m just excited my family’s duties have been passed to me and I’m anxious to get started.” She spoke loudly so everyone within earshot would hear.
They gave her strange looks, and then congratulated her with the same enthusiasm. Gage told her he and Matt had to drive several of the Akori to the airport for flights. They started to leave, but Gage turned back, motioning for Matt to go ahead.
He leaned down and spoke quietly so no one else would hear. “So, I know it isn’t the best time—it’s probably the worst time, but I’d really like to see you when I get back tonight.” He tipped his head closer and lowered his voice even more. “Maybe we could get out of here for awhile.”
Addy was blindsided by his words, she didn’t know how to answer. Feeling pressured that he was waiting for a response—she lied. “Sure, when you get back.”
Gage brushed his fingers along the top of her hand and headed off with Matt.
Addy’s chest ached watching him walk away, but she had no choice other than to push Gage out of her mind. She reminded herself about the bigger issue at hand, and impatiently waited for the last of the Akori to leave the library.
When the room was finally clear, Addy bolted for the door. Kim and Bernard were waiting outside for her.
“I need to see both of you privately.” She told them in a hushed voice with a smile plastered on her face. “Let's go to your office, Bernard.”
Walking fast, she waved and smiled to the Akori they passed on their way down the hall. After what seemed like the longest walk ever, they entered his office and Bernard closed the door behind them.
“What the hell is wrong with the back of my neck?” Addy lifted her hair to show them.
“It's a small symbol like the ones on the Akori’s hands, about the size of a half-dollar,” Kim said. “But—it’s glowing.”
“Where’d that come from, Addy?” Bernard stepped closer to examine it. “I’ve never seen one like it before.”
Bernard wasn’t an Akori, but he studied alongside Fate and had a lot of knowledge about the Akori and could read their language.
“As soon as I touched the Overseer’s Stone, there was a blue flash and some kind of current shot through me. I feel sick and my neck hurts like I got burned.”
“Fate didn’t have that mark, did he?” Kim asked.
Addy dropped her hair and turned to look at them. “No, but Fate was the Overseer, I’m not.”
Kim looked confused. “But they said—”
“I’m not—it didn’t work. They assumed because the stone reacted to me that I got the power, but I didn’t. I just let them think it worked because of what you said, Bernard.”
“How do you know it didn’t work?” he asked her calmly.
“I just know—I feel something different. I can’t explain it. The stone did something to me.”
She reached up and touched the symbol. “Fate told me after I claimed the stone, if it worked, I’d go into some kind of trance that would last for days.
Bernard thought for a moment. “That must not be common knowledge, or the Akori who realized you were unsuccessful kept quiet.”
They decided they would just keep what happened between them, and that it was best not to let any of the Akori, even their friends, know that there was no Overseer. They would all find out soon enough.
“We’d better get back before we’re missed.” Bernard started for the door. “We’ll begin researching the symbol and its meaning as soon as the estate settles down.”
“Bernard, hang on a minute,” Addy said, trying to sound casual. “I need to get out for a little while, and—I need some money. I think I’m gonna do some shopping.”
He looked shocked by the sudden direction change. “Addison, it isn’t really the time to…” He stopped when he caught her eye and his expression softened. “There’s cash in the top drawer.” He pointed to the cabinet behind his desk. “Take what you need.”
“Thanks,” she said, softly.
Bernard patted her on the arm and made his way out of the office. As soon as he was gone, Addy opened the drawer and grabbed the entire stack of cash.
“What are you doing?” Kim stared wide eyed at the wad of money in her hand.
Addy turned to her. “Go pack a bag and meet me at the garage. We’re getting out of here.”
Chapter 13