And no one spoke.
With a huff, she stood up, lifted Liz’s bike off the sidewalk and swung her leg over it. She breathed in and pulled her phone out of her pocket before clicking it on. She scrolled through the contact list, scrolling past Home, Jon, Lisabeth, and stopping on Sarika, her mind running on autopilot. Sarika was always the first person she messaged, but this time . . .
She scrolled back.
Landon.
The boy with the bird.
He wasn’t really a boy. He had to be what, nineteen? Maybe twenty? He had all that stubble on his face. And the uniform made it hard to figure out. It was hard to tell, they hadn’t really spoken all that much save for that run-in at the Raptor Trust, with his quiet confession about his owl, and his flirty, dark-brown eyes. He’d said he was at the Community College of Philadelphia in his first year, and he certainly had that younger look about him, despite the scruffy beard that Leila had to admit she really liked.
The voices said he had answers.
“Forest. Mansion. Boy. Bird,” she muttered to herself.
And if he thought she was out of her mind, at least she never had to see him again.
She exhaled, clicked on his name, and held the phone up to her ear.
ECO-ACTIVISTS MESSAGE BOARD: PERSONAL MESSAGES [USER: WITHOUTTHEY]
FROM
SUBJECT
DATE
TOOTHLESS
FREE TONIGHT?
Maybe grab that coffee? How’d you explain that board message to your pal Paprika? I mean, if you guys are really besties IRL, I don’t want to like, come between all that. I’m just some guy on the Internet that thinks you’re really interesting and likely super cute.
8/20
WITHOUTTHEY
RE: FREE TONIGHT?
Ah, I wish. I’m busy with some personal things. Another day? And she took it well. Just lots of busting chops.
Also I am blushing.
8/20
TOOTHLESS
RE: FREE TONIGHT?
Busting chops, surprise surprise. Alright, I’ll pester you another day.
;-)
8/20
XI
“Voices,” Landon said, deadpan.
“Yes,” Leila said.
“On the wind,” Landon continued. Milford sat perched on his shoulder, his head moving just a little, a nudge to the left, a nudge to the right, his bold, yellow eyes fixed on something in the trees. He wasn’t wearing one of Landon’s faux-wings, but with his other wing pressed against his body it was kind of hard to tell he was missing one in the first place.
“That’s what I said.”
“Were they singing?” He grinned, and Leila glared at him. “Sorry, it sounds so very . . . Disney movie princess-ish?” Landon ventured, his tone rising.
“You know what,” Leila muttered, resisting the urge to tell him off. “Just take me to this house or whatever, and I’ll never tell a soul about Milly there, otherwise—”
“Wow, you will call him Milford or nothing at all,” Landon said, looking at the owl and giving it a scratch under the chin. “Give the old man some dignity.” Milford nibbled at Landon’s finger.
“Look, are you going to help me or not?”
Landon turned his attention back to Leila, this time scratching his own chin with a curious expression. His fingers made an audible scritch-scritch-scritch against his rough, short beard. He looked down at the ground and then back up at her, nodding his head.
“I’ll be honest,” Landon said seriously. “If you’d come in here babbling about these voices of yours saying anything else, I would have probably left, or better yet, called someone. ’Cause no offense, but if someone came after me about Milford and the wing because you said something, which by the way I don’t think you would, you don’t seem the type.” He paused for just enough time to let Leila roll her eyes.
He was right. She wouldn’t have turned in that owl.
Landon turned to the small, shed-like building behind him and opened the door, the old wood letting out a loud squeak as it swung. Milford swayed about as he moved.
“I’d just deny it up and down. But there’s something in what you said.”
He grew quiet and sighed.
“I actually think I know what you’re talking about, oddly enough.” Something clattered inside the shed. “But you should still probably talk to someone. I mean, hearing voices? That’s not really, you know, a normal thing.”
“Yeah, um,” Leila started. “I’ve ignored it all for a long time. The voices. I have a system. I don’t want to get into it. It’s complicated.”
“I’m sure it is,” he said after a beat. “I won’t pry. Not my business.”
Landon stepped out of the shed with a small map and two park ranger jackets. He placed Milford on the ground, and the owl looked up at him in confusion as Landon swung one of the jackets on. It was the same coat Leila had seen him wearing the day before, bits of dirt here, a soft tear in the leather there. He tossed the other jacket to her. It was thick and heavy.
“It’s a little cold today,” he said, shrugging as he picked up Milford, placing the owl back on his shoulder. The owl dug its talons into the leather, kneading the fabric like a cat getting comfortable on a blanket. “And if we’re going deeper into the park, you’ll need that. Shade is nice, but not when it’s chilly. Besides, fewer people will ask questions if they spot two park rangers digging around back there. People aren’t really supposed to trespass in that section.”
He took a step forward and Leila pushed her hand against his chest. He stopped and took a step back, looking at her, and she felt herself blush. She’d brushed against what were no doubt pecs under his open jacket and thin t-shirt.
“I, um,” Leila started. “You haven’t said where we’re going.”
“Oh,” Landon said. “You mentioned these, er, voices saying something about an old mansion that I’ve supposedly been trying to keep safe?”
“Yes, with your brothers or something.”
“Yeah, whatever that’s all about,” Landon said dismissively. “The day my brothers actually come outside and experience the fresh air is the day I set this whole forest on fire.” He sighed, and Leila took in the new information. So he had brothers, a family. “Look, there’s this mansion deep in the park. The Thomas Mansion. I think I brought it up when I met your group. It’s a bit of a hike, but you’re up to it, right?”
“Sure.” Leila shrugged as Landon started walking, clearly keeping his pace slow as he stepped alongside her.
“Are you sure, though? Your head.”
“I’ll be fine,” Leila scowled.
“Okay, okay. I mean, it isn’t that far, but still,” Landon said, his hands going into his pockets. “Whenever anyone in my family, or any of my hometown friends, decide to visit and I take them on a walk like this, I have to be very clear about distance. They aren’t walkers. For me, around the corner means like, a mile away. For them, it actually means around the corner. Whatever corner is nearest. Even if it’s the corner of like, a table.”
“I actually think my . . .” Leila searched for a word that would work but came up short. “Parents,” she winced and kept going, “my parents said something about the mansion.”
“Oh yeah?” Landon asked as they walked forward, heading down a small trail surrounded by brush.
“Yeah my, my da—” Leila struggled again. “Ah, hell. So, look, I’m adopted, okay?”
“Okay,” Landon said, his tone indifferent.
“It’s just, it’s new, and talking about the two of them, my parents, it’s hard without using those kind of words. Like the D word and M word, without going into all that backstory nonsense.”
“D and M?” Landon questioned.
“Rhymes with ‘rad’ and ‘bomb.’”
“Ah.” Landon nodded. “I understand. I think. I won’t ask, unless you want me to.”