When I get home, I head up to my room to lay down on my bed. And I stare up at the ceiling, daydreaming about the way things used to be when I lived with Deborah. Feeling euphoric, I pick up the phone and call Deborah.
I just want to hear her voice.
Normally I'd hang up as soon as she answers, but I can't this time.
"Angelique is that you?" Deborah's voice calls through the phone. And an instant peace washed over me. Only to disappear the moment she spoke again. "I know it's you because I traced the number the last time you called. I hope you're doing well, but please don't call me anymore."
"Deb-"
She hangs up the phone and I wish I never called her. Because knowing she wants nothing to do with me hurts. And the more I think about it, the more tears fall from my eyes.
The next morning, I'm not feeling any better. So, I tell Aunt Sarah I'm not feeling well, and she lets me stay home from school. I'm not ready to go back and deal with the drama known as Sebastian and Samuel. But by the third day, I must go back to school.
Surprisingly, people were worried about me. And when everything freezes in place, I look around for Sebastian. Only, I can't find him. But I do find Samuel.
I open my mouth to ask if he's seen Sebastian when he literally drops from the sky in front of me. Only, more gracefully this time. His eyes search the parking lot like he's looking for something, and I wonder if he's looking for me. I get my answer a moment later when he spots me and quickly heads in my direction.
"Come with me," he grabs me by the wrist so hard my circulation is cut off.
I don't have time to respond.
Sebastian whispers something underneath his breath, kisses me on the forehead, and unable to keep my eyes open, I pass out right there in his arms.
I come to in what looks like a log cabin, and sluggishly scramble to my feet. Then I snoop around for a moment before realizing I'm alone.
A loud thudding noise from outside startles me and I hurry over to the window. There's a large crater in the ground, but there's no sign of Sebastian.
As my eyes adjust, I notice something dark falling from the sky that looks like soot. And remembering I was with Sebastian last, I panic. Hurrying outside to look for him. Only, before I can get too far, Sebastian and his friends walk up to me, looking like they'd just finished a thirty-mile marathon at high speed. They're covered in soot and Sebastian looks angry.
"What happened?" I asked. "Why am I here?"
Sebastian whispers something to his friends, who disperse, then he takes me back into the cabin.
"What's wrong?" I ask again. Worried.
"You were in danger," he explains.
"What? When?"
"When you got to school."
"But I didn't see anything," I frown.
"Of course, you didn't," he chuckles. "I put you to sleep for a reason."
"What about my family? Will they go after my family?"
"They're fine," he answers. "Isaac is watching them."
"I don't understand. Why would someone want to hurt me? Is it the same people who killed my dad?"
"Yes," he nods. "And now that we've found you, others will come. And their sole mission will be to stop us."
"I guess it's too late to go back into hiding then, isn't it?" I sulk.
"Yes, it is."
We both fall silent. Allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in. And I can no longer hide from the truth I knew was coming.
"If I go home, I'll be putting my family's life in danger, won't I?" I ask.
"Yes." He nods.
"Which means I can't go home."
Shaking his head, he confirms my worst fears. "Nope."
Again, I fall silent. Allowing that blow to land and making my piece with it.
"If I can't go home, where am I supposed to go?"
"The Covington home for girls," he tells me.
"You want me to willingly put myself in a girls group home?" I frown.
"To protect your family, yes." He nods.
"Wouldn't that put the girls in the girl's home at risk?" I ask.
Hoping to find a way out.
"They know how to protect themselves," he answers. "But most of all, they know how to protect you."
"My aunt and uncle worked hard to get me. They're not going to agree with this," I argue.
"That's where you come in. You need to convince her to put you in the girls home."
"Me? Why me?" I gawked.
"Because you're the only one who can," he sighs.
He's making me choose...
I can either convince her to let me go, or risk what's left of my family getting caught up in whatever is going on around here. Which isn't really a choice. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if someone else died because of me.
"Okay," I sulk. "I'll do it. Just promise me none of this will be in vain."
"Only you can do that, Angelique." Sebastian replies.
Great.
Once again, the world rests solely on my shoulders. And leaning against the wall while I stare out the window at the little black particles falling from the sky, I know without a doubt my life will never be the same.
"What happened here?" I ask. "What's with the ash and soot? Did you guys burn something?"
"Something like that," Liz chuckles. "You and Sebastian should meet up with Becky and go through your father's office."
"Alone?"
"Yes. Why? Are you afraid of me now?" Sebastian teases.
"No," I blush. "When are we going?"
"Well, the coast looks clear. So, I'm thinking we should go now," he answers.
"Okay."
"There's just one thing I need you to let me do."
"What's that?" I turn to face him.
He kissed me on the forehead before I can protest, and everything goes black. My eyes flutter open, what seems like moments later, and Sebastian's at the wheel of his car. Watching me.
"What is it that you keep doing to me?" I ask. Rubbing my head. A mild headache causing my head to throb.
"I put you to sleep."
"Then why does my head hurt so badly?"
"Well, technically I'm not supposed to use that gift on you. When I subdue you, it's the contrast between your power and mine that gives you a headache," he explains.
"Then don't subdue me anymore," I complain.
I feel like I want to throw up. And as soon as the sensation comes, I'm leaning out of his car window spewing my guts onto the road. He pulls his car over to rub my back, which makes me feel better, but I really wish he wasn't touching me right now.
"Place your head in between your legs. It'll pass in a few minutes," Sebastian instructs.
After doing as he suggests, I feel better almost immediately. It's the first time I've ever felt the urge to throw up. Because I never got sick as a kid.
"Is that better?" He asks. Still rubbing my back.
"Yes, I feel better." I nod.
"Good, because we're here."
Sebastian goes around to my side of the car and opens the door for me. He tries to grab my hand, but I turn away. My palms are sweaty and being near him does embarrassing things to me. Not to mention the feelings it provokes.
Taking a deep breath, I walk to the front door with Sebastian in tow, bracing myself for what I might find. The front door opens, and we're let in by the housekeeper. Becky greets us at the bottom of the stairs, and she welcomes us inside.
"Take all the time you need. Magdalene is gone today through Sunday," she offers.
"Thank you so much," I smile. Wondering why she's being so nice.
"No problem."
Becky takes us to a guesthouse on the back of the property, and hands us a key. But she stops several yards away from the front door. Becoming a bit uneasy about being here.
"This is where I get off the train. You two kids enjoy yourselves and take anything you need."
Sebastian opens the door to the guesthouse, and all he furniture inside is covered with white sheets. It smells like dust and mildew inside, but surprisingly, the place has been kept up very well.
Removing sheets from the furniture, we set them aside. And while Sebastian starts going through books and drawers, I'm not sure where to start, or what we were supposed to be looking for.
"Look around for a journal or a diary," Sebastian instructs.
I look through drawers, bookshelves, his desk, and even his closets. But I don't find anything. And I'm worried this will be a wasted trip.
Standing in the middle of the room, my eyes keep wandering over to the picture hanging on the wall behind my father's desk. Because it's a picture of a small baby, and it doesn't fit. For starters, he doesn't have any other children. And to me, it meant he was sending me a message.
Like the painting was meant to get my attention.
Walking over to it, I feel around behind it for a journal. But there's nothing here. So, then I think maybe the clue is in the picture itself. And I take it off the wall revealing a hidden safe.
"Becky didn't mention anything about a safe," Sebastian walks up beside me.
"I don't think she knew about it. I think I was meant to find it," I tell him.
"Is the combination on the painting?"
"No, but I think I know what it is."
"What?" He asks.
Smiling, I tell him, "Try my birthday."
He reaches up to the code box and enters my birth date. I'm going off a hunch, and the hunch pays off. The safe opens, and inside we find some books amongst several other items with my name on it.
"Hm," Becky startles us. "I never even knew that was there. It turns out there's a lot of things my husband didn't tell me. Like the fact that he was making a mockery of our marriage behind my back with your mother."
Becky has a glass of what I'm guessing is alcohol in one hand, and a wine bottle in the other.
She's definitely been drinking.
"How did you know to look there, and what the combination was?" She asks me.
"I didn't. It was just a hunch," I shrug. "The picture of the baby doesn't fit. I mean, why would he have a picture of a baby if he knew he couldn't have any? To me, that meant that the combination was related to me in some way too. So, I tried my birthday."
"You know, your father and I had his sperm frozen so I could have his child in-vitro. I even had my eggs frozen hoping to have a surrogate one day. Hell, I thought about asking your mother to be our surrogate. But I guess your father had other plans," Becky scoffs.
"This curse, or whatever it is, it haunts every offspring born to the Savant name. Be glad you couldn't get pregnant. It saved you more heartache than just your husband dying," Sebastian tells her.
"I'm remarried now, but my husband and I are separated. We're hoping to get back together, only, he wants children. And I can't give him one," tears fall from her eyes.
"He left you stocks, bonds, a trust fund, property, and this," Sebastian holds up a book with a leather cover.
It has my name on it.
I take the book from him, and a letter slips out. Before I can pick it up to read it, Becky has it in her hands. And after unfolding it, she reads it out loud.
'My dearest Angelique. If you are reading
this then I am probably already dead. I
want you to forgive your mother and I for
sending you away the way we did. We had
no choice. There is an evil after me, and I
didn't want it to find you. Everything
you need to know is in the journal I have
provided for you. Please know that
we love you dearly, and we're sorry we couldn't
be there for you. Love Charles.'
"It was nice of him to leave you such a beautiful note," Becky cries.
I nod, but I can only imagine what she's going through right now. And after wiping her tears away, she heads back to the house where I'm pretty sure she's planning to drink herself unconscious.
"Are you okay?" Sebastian asks.
"Yeah," I lie. "I just feel bad for her. Until I came knocking on her door, she was living a happy normal life. She had no idea about my father's infidelity. Now I've screwed up her life."
"You didn't screw Becky's life up. Your father did when he cheated on her with your mother and keep it from her."
"Yes, but she never would've known that if I wouldn't have shown up here."
"Everything happens for a reason, Angel." He sighs. "Let's gather this stuff so we can put it in my car."
I help him gather everything together in one box and grab the painting that was hanging on the wall over the safe. I have a feeling it was meant for me, anyway. But first I need to check on Becky.
Sebastian puts the stuff in his car while I give Becky back the keys to my father's office. And I find her passed out on her bed with her drink tipped over in her hand. Taking the drink from her, I place it on the nightstand beside her.
For all the pain I've caused, I want to do something good for her. So, while she sleeps, I heal her womb. I don't need the credit for it, I just want to see her happy.
When I'm done, I leave the key on the nightstand beside her, and join Sebastian in the car. He's sitting there with a smirk on his face, and something tells me he already knows what I've done.
"Don't say a word," I tell him. Gazing out my window. "I felt bad for her."
"I know. But the more you use your abilities, the easier it is for the wrong people to find you," he cautions. "That being said, I would've done the same thing."
He smiles at me, and I blush. Turning away to hide my smile.
"If I can't use my abilities, how can I protect myself?"
"We'll teach you how to use your abilities. But you must wait for Elijah. He can shield you from the bad ones."
"What do you mean?" I frown.
"I mean he has the ability to mask your abilities. Or contain their projections," he explains.
"How bad are the people that are after me?"
"Think of your worst fears and even that wouldn't come close to who's after you," Sebastian holds my gaze.
"What about you?"
"I think we both know I'm not human," he omits.
"Are you saying I am?" I ask.
"Yes," he nods.
"How can we be the same if I'm human and you're not?" I frown.
"You'll understand soon enough. No more questions," he shut the conversation down.
Which usually means my line of questioning will lead to answers he's not ready to give me.