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Darren’s truck was flashy, but it was nothing compared to the shiny silver convertible moving down the driveway. I’d come home to take a shower and to get some clothes and was now standing next to the thin driveway that wound back to the side of the house near the ballroom. While I was up in my room, I found myself constantly checking the balcony for Tristan’s arrival. I’d stalled an extra ten minutes while getting dressed to see if he’d show up. No luck. As I watched London skid to a stop in front of me, I couldn’t help but hope that she was facilitating tonight’s meeting.
She hopped out, her light brown hair tied back into a ponytail. She wore a pair of fitted khakis, though not nearly as tight as the ones she wore on the first day of school, and a white short sleeved button-up. “Sorry,” she said in a sweet voice. “Sometimes I get a little excited.”
My grandmother eyed her curiously. “I take it I do not have to tell a girl with your reputation about behavior, so I’ll just say that she needs to be back by no later than ten—eleven o’clock.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Adams. I’ll have her back in plenty of time.”
My grandmother smiled, seemingly satisfied with that response, and turned for the house.
I followed London to her car and the interior floored me. It looked like the inside of a space ship. So many knobs and buttons, and the seats hugged me like a giant teddy bear. Without warning, the car jerked forward, tires screeching from the sudden acceleration. I turned just in time to see my grandmother’s head whip around.
London was beaming by the time we’d turned onto the highway. “Wednesday nights—the only time I get some freedom!” She threw up both her hands. “WOOOO!” The car nearly veered into oncoming traffic but she corrected herself and thought the whole thing a hoot.
“Oh come on, loosen up!” she said turning to me. “You’ve got a lifetime to be stuck in this awful town, live a little while you can!”
Despite fearing for my life, I tried to give her a big smile to show I was having a good time.
She laughed. “You forget I can read your thoughts.”
I did forget, but thankfully, she did drive more carefully.
I did my best to resist the impulse to ask her if she was taking me to meet Tristan. I was pretty sure she could hear my wanting to ask her, but she didn’t say anything. Then again, once her favorite song came on, she’d turned up the radio so loud that I could barely hear my own thoughts.
When the car slowed and we turned into the parking lot of a Big Buy department store, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was here somewhere. I felt my heart race when we pulled into a parking space as far from the store as was possible. We were definitely not going inside.
London hopped out and pulled the tie from around her ponytail, letting her hair fall down her back. Next, she opened the trunk and pulled out two large shopping bags. She threw one to me. Inside was a stretch t-shirt and the smallest shorts I’d ever seen; they could easily pass as underwear. By the time I’d turned to see what she’d bought for herself, she’d already removed her top in broad daylight and in full view of anyone passing by. I could hear car horns honking from the highway, and I was sure that I heard someone yell, “Got milk?”
I was in shock. “London, what are you doing?!”
She tilted her head and sighed. “Honestly, you are way too young to be so uptight. It’s not like I don’t have a bra on.”
“But—“
“But nothing. They’re just breasts. Every girl has ‘em. We keep them covered up as if it’s some kind of secret. Girls have breasts, big deal. Why is it that a guy can go topless and it’s nothing, but the minute a girl pulls off her shirt, everybody acts like it’s the end of the friggin’ world?”
I didn’t answer. I just took another look inside the bag. I didn’t have anywhere near the kind of gall necessary to wear something this revealing. Or the curves for that matter.
London got back into the driver’s seat, visibly disappointed that I hadn’t agreed to be her twin as far being overly sexy goes. Feeling as if I’d let her down, I didn’t bother asking about Tristan. There was, however, one thing I did know about our destination as we passed the city limits sign a minute later. It was not in Brighton.
“So what’s up with you and Darren?” she asked.
“Oh, uh, we’re just friends,” I said.
“But you wanna be friends with benefits?” she asked next.
I felt my face flush. “Um, no not like that…”
“So let me get this straight, you have feelings for him, but you don’t want to nail him? You know, he already has a sister.”
I couldn’t believe how casually she talked about sex. “Have you done it before?”
“Uh yeah,” she said, “with Darren.”
That hurt to hear. I knew he had a past with her, but it still hurt to hear the specifics.
“Don’t fall for that “I’m so into you…you’re the one…” act he’s trying to put over on you. It’s seriously not anything I, or the girl before me hasn’t already heard. Besides, he’s more interested in your title than anything else.”
Even though, I knew she was putting down Darren, it was my feelings that were getting trampled. Surely sensing this, she’d back off a little. Nope.
“Listen, I’m not trying to be mean, but it’s all part of the game here, and your coming back has shaken everything up. Take my mom for instance—she’s been kissing your grandmother’s butt for years to become her choice for Chief Advisor/Head of the Council of Elders. You think she meant what she said about hoping your grandmother keeps her health? Yeah right, she would like nothing better than for her to drop dead today. I’ve heard the thoughts in her mind. Before you came back, it would have meant she could run Brighton like an heir. But seeing as you have come back, she’s decided to use me to get in good with you. Because, who knows? When your mother fully recovers, you might decide she’s best suited to be your Chief Advisor. And Darren, well he’s always cherished the Chief Guardian command. Of course, it’s little Nathan’s inheritance, and the only way he could obtain it is if he had your backing. It’s all a game here Ana, with everyone fighting and backstabbing one another to get to the top. My mother could write a book on the subject. The only one with nothing to worry about is you—unless you let it slip that you’re a conjurer.”
It took a moment for all of that to sink in. Despite what she’d said about her mom and Darren, it was her remark about being a conjurer that I wanted to discuss further. “But you’re one too, right? It’s how we can both read minds?”
“Yeah, but that’s the most that I can do. You’re an heir, it’s your affinity. Soon there will be nothing you can’t do. You can cheat death for goodness sakes—bringing people back from the other side… bringing yourself back. That’s insane.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” It was quiet for a while after that.
“I wouldn’t worry,” she added. “Whatever he has to tell you, it can’t be that bad.”
Seriously? I was starting to find her ability more than a little annoying and didn’t care if she knew. I didn’t appreciate having my mind raided whenever she saw fit. With her, there was no such thing as privacy. You didn’t even have to be thinking about something for her to know it, I’d just discovered. I had been doing my very best not to think about what it was he was going to tell me tonight, and yet she’d plucked it out of my head like it was a piece of fruit or something. For all I knew, she could have my whole life story locked away in her brain somewhere. Confirming that she was in fact aware of my irritation with her, she turned up the radio and didn’t say anything else. At least until we pulled up in front of a building. Club Redd blinked on the exterior in neon lighting.
“Where are we?” I asked, feeling tremendously out of my element. There was a couple sitting in
the jeep next to us that looked like they were glued to one another. It wasn’t hard to guess what they were doing.
“Boston, Mass,” she replied. “Now get out, so you can shake your …”