House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)

“I don’t even know which Imperial it was,” she continued, “but before anything could really happen we were separated by Daniel Imperial. He’s the leader of his little family group.”

She looked wistfully out the bus window. “Ever since then … I just can’t break my obsession with them. With all of the elites. I hate them, Emma, I really do. And yet I crave to be closer to them.”

Before we could speak further, the bus came to a halt in the main square of Astoria and I had to change buses. “See you tomorrow,” I yelled to Cara as I dashed down the stairs. She was going right to her job at the local diner, so she had no rush to get off. I was running, making the town bus just in time.

I sat right at the front. On the last leg of my journey home I didn’t see the stunning scenery of the beautiful town, a town I was already half in love with. I was lost in thought of everything that had happened today. School. Cara’s weird vibes about the elite. There was so much mystery surrounding everything here, and I was starting to get a Michael and Sara feeling – Astoria had something extraordinarily strange going on.

I was practically bouncing in my seat as I waited for the bus to reach Daelight Crescent. The Finnegans were at the forefront of my mind. I needed to know they were safe. When the bus finally approached my stop, I yanked on the cord and was already waiting at the front when it pulled up.

“Thank you,” I shouted over my shoulder as I hurried down the stairs.

I dashed across the road. By the time I was approaching the gates the sky had darkened and fat drops were landing on my cheek.

“Looks like you’ll make it just in time, Miss Emma.” Ace’s grinning face brought a similar grin to my own. “How was your first day of school?”

I quickly swiped my card, waiting for the gates to open. “It was good. Starslight is amazing and a little intimidating, but I’m enjoying it so far.”

Ace’s grin turned into a chuckle. “Yeah, they treat you right there. Alright now, hurry inside. It’s about to get bad again.”

Sure enough, as he spoke, a crack of lightning rocked the sky above us and the rain got heavier.

“See you tomorrow,” I yelled as I ran.

“Bye, Emma. Stay on your side of the street, you hear.”

The last part he added sounded playful, but it still sent a small flicker of unease through my chest. Reminded me that not all was right in this world. That the elite, who most likely all lived on this street, had far too many secrets for my liking.

My keys were in my hands as I dashed along the rundown side of the street. As my shack came into view I bit back a curse, my heart sinking low. No car in the driveway; the Finnegans weren’t back yet. The worry could not be pushed aside any longer; my hands were shaking as I unlocked the front door. Stepping inside, I still checked every room, just in case Michael had dropped Sara off. Nope. The house had not been touched since I left this morning.

I’d promised myself that I’d give it until nightfall, so I’d have to wait a few more hours before making a decision about what to do. The Finnegans did not like or trust the police, they made that perfectly clear. But I couldn’t think of what else to do. I didn’t have money for a private investigator, and I was terrible at computers. No way could I hack in Michael’s to try to see if there was any record of their plans here in Astoria.

Please just come home.

I was starting to shiver in my damp clothes, so I hurried to my room and switched out my uniform for the same clothes I’d worn to school this morning. I also unpacked my spare uniform, hanging both in the tiny closet. After this, I dragged the blanket off my bed and snuggled it around me on the couch. Dropping my head back to the barely comfortable cushion, I stared out the front window into the rain-drenched street. The quiet settled around me and I thought briefly of switching the TV on. It was ancient and had five channels, but it would be distracting.

I didn’t move. I kept vigilant watch through those windows, hoping the familiar clunker of a car would pull into the driveway. We should have had this discussion as a family, what to do if they didn’t show up from one of their trips away. In my old life I would have just gone to the police, filed a missing person’s report, and let the professionals do their job. But Michael would never forgive me if I did that. He told me all the time we couldn’t trust anyone in council or government, law enforcement as well. They were in the pockets of these supernaturals.

Please just come home.

My eyes got heavy and I decided a little nap might kill some of the afternoon. Stretching out across the couch and wrapping the blanket around me, I drifted off to the pitter-patter of rain. It was one of my favorite sounds, although something told me I could soon become very sick of it living here, and crave the occasional day of sunshine. Quite the opposite from when we lived in Roswell.

A roar of an engine woke me sometime later. I was disoriented for a few moments, finally remembering I was still on the couch waiting for the Finnegans to return. I bolted upright and jumped to my feet, stumbling a few times as the blood rushed around my body. Shaking off the disorientation, I threw a quick glance at the oven to see it was 5:48 P.M. No wonder it was almost dark. The outside was only lit by the pretty streetlights that lined Daelight Crescent.

I scanned our driveway. There was no car, but I was sure an engine had woken me. Grabbing my shoes and coat from the stand near the door, I quickly pulled them all on, lifting my umbrella and opening the front door. Stepping out onto our tiny porch, the icy breezes cut through me. What the hell, Astoria? It felt like it was the middle of winter. I quickly opened the old black umbrella, hoping it would manage to keep me somewhat dry. Then I hurried down the steps and out onto the street. I made sure to stay on the shack side, but it was getting very muddy on the grass, so I walked on the edge of the road.

As I got closer to the front gate, I realized I’d forgotten my ID card, which gave me a moment of worry. What if someone new was on the gate and they kicked me out? I’d be stuck out in the rain. Just when I was trying to decide if I should turn around, Ace’s smiling face popped into view. He was on this side of the fence, looking like he was about to clock off work. He had a jacket and umbrella too.

“Ace!” I shouted into the wind, dashing toward him.

He turned, eyebrows raised as though I had startled him. “Hey there. Is everything okay?”

I huffed a few times as I stopped in front of him, my breath wheezing in and out. Ace chuckled this time. “I’m going to guess you’re not a runner.”

I shook my head, still breathing deeply, managing to huff out, “God no, I prefer leisure activities that include reading, shopping, knitting, lying on the beach, and exploring museums. I’m an indoor activity sort of girl.”

“Good to know.” His dark eyes glittered in the dying light. “With that in mind, I’m guessing you have an important reason for running in this storm, then?”

I nodded, my breath finally back. “Yes … have my guardians come through the gates at all today? They were supposed to be back by now, and … I’m a little worried.”

Understatement of the year. My lowlying panic was starting to really make itself known. I was about an hour off losing my mind completely.

All of the mirth dried up on Ace’s face, his blank expression suddenly unreadable. “I haven’t seen Michael or Sara for a few days … did you want me to report this? I mean, there’s nowhere in Astoria to really get into trouble. But they did say they were just off exploring the backcountry. Maybe their car broke down and they are trying to get home.”