Luminary {Book 2 ✔️}

Chapter 16

Since it was Friday, everyone was buzzing about the fall festival that was happening this weekend in the center of West Acres. Apparently, according to Ben and Tilly, the event was huge and filled with all kinds of booths, food, and a Ferris wheel. At the mention of big crowds, I immediately saw my plans for the weekend turn into a successful movie binge session.

Gray, of all people, had other ideas.

"Lou, I have something dire I need to discuss with you," he began as soon as I'd answered my phone on my way to the parking lot.

My stomach dropped as I stopped in the middle of the school hallway, the phone pressed tightly against my ear.

"What?"

"I need you to go with me to the festival tomorrow."

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. He chuckled on the other end of the line and I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see me.

"Yeah," I drawled, "that's not happening. I'm not going."

He was silent on the other end of the phone for a moment. "I'll pay for all the food you want."

And that was how I ended up agreeing to go to the fall festival with Gray Denvers.

I hung up with him, assuring him that he needed to bring a lot of money to the festival. I followed the rest of the students who were being freed from torture- I mean released from school, and found a familiar figure waiting by my bike in the parking lot.

My heart caught in my throat at the sight of him.

Damn him for wearing a leather jacket.

"Afternoon, Sunshine. How was school?"

Tucker sent me a small, polite smile, and I tried to return it but the swirl of power in my stomach and the racing of my heart created more of a strained grimace. He, in all his leather jacket-clad glory, had one hand rested on the handlebars of my bike. The wind brushed the curls of his hair back and he used the other hand to run his fingers through the top of it. He only did that when he was nervous.

"School is terrible. And hands off the bike."

He chuckled a little and removed his hand from the machinery. "Such a sunny personality to go with the nickname."

I shot him a look. He was here for something. He couldn't have known about the upcoming meeting I had with my father, he would not have greeted me so cheerfully if he had. For all Tucker knew, Johnathan was a man who had kidnapped me, put me in danger, and worked for Owein. He didn't know that my father was the only one who could help me.

"You know me. A regular Positive Penny."

His eyebrow raised fractionally as the words left my mouth. I mentally face palmed myself. I always said the dumbest shit whenever he was around. My brain was tired from the countless sleepless nights, sue me.

"Anyways," he cleared his throat, "I was wondering if you could come to the warehouse with me? Aisha, the one who was patrolling with Isaac, seems to have blacked out when she came into contact with the hunters."

I crossed my arms. "And what am I supposed to do?"

He was a little taken aback at my follow-up question. I think he must have assumed that I'd agree and follow him without so much as another word, and normally I would've. Not today.

"We," he thought for a moment, "well actually, I want you to get her memories back or look for something important that she might have forgotten."

"Sure. I can do that," I told him then added, "on Sunday."

He blinked in surprise. "Sunday?"

"Yes. Sunday."