She was quiet for a second and then sighed. “Very sneaky. I approve.” She recited the number and then hung up.
I dialed Blake, heart in my throat.
“Hello?” he said in his valley-boy voice. I could hear lots of voices in the background.
“Hey. It’s Anna. Is this a bad time?”
“Anna!” His voice lit up. “It’s a fine time. Just chillin’ with some friends.”
“Okay . . .” I totally clammed up. What was I supposed to say now? Give me the lowdown on Kaidan? Is he working? Is he okay?
“Let me guess,” Blake said. “You’re drinking and dialing.”
A loud laugh slipped out and I covered my mouth.
“That’s some dangerously cray-cray business right there,” he said.
“Yeah,” I admitted. The room spun a little as I lay back.
Blake was quiet a few seconds before saying, “He’s not here, by the way.”
“I know.” He was probably just arriving in L.A. I chewed my lip and curled up on my side, reluctant to say too much. Talking to Blake made me feel closer to Kai—that one degree of separation thing. “I just feel . . .”
“I know how you feel, girl. It’s all good. Everything’s fine.”
The thing about Blake was that he always sounded breezy and light, but I could sense seriousness in his words.
Loud, girly laughter erupted from his end of the phone and Blake laughed, too, covering the phone and saying something to the girls who were trying to talk to him.
“I’ll let you go, Blake,” I said. “I know you’re busy.”
“Never too busy for you. Will I see you soon?”
There was real hope in his voice and it made me smile.
“I hope so. Watch out for him, ’kay.”
“I always do.”
We hung up and some of the chill I’d been carrying all day melted away.
Spring
Senior Year
CHAPTER TWELVE
SPRING BREAK
It was finally warm outside again. I took things day by day, always on edge, always awaiting news of my next mission. The dairy bar opened during spring break, so I went back to work. I was halfway through my shift on Wednesday when the door to the ice cream stand burst open and my boss and coworker screamed. The giant man standing there looked scary as hell with his shaved head and all-black biker ensemble.
“Dad!”
He nodded at me and looked at my boss, a middle-aged woman who leaned back against the soft-serve machine with a hand on her heart, staring at him.
“Sorry, miss, but we have a family emergency. Anna’s gotta leave for a few days.”
Without taking her eyes off him she nodded, and her scared gray aura simmered into red.
Aw, c’mon. That’s just . . . ew.
Dad grabbed my hand.
“Sorry,” I called to my boss over my shoulder.
We headed to the compact rental car across the street. He cracked me up with those cars that didn’t match his gruff personality whatsoever.
“You need a Harley,” I told him.
“It’s not so easy to rent those when you’re in a hurry,” he replied, opening my door. “Get in.”
I did as I was told, but when he got in he didn’t start the car. He just turned his big body to me in the cramped space, and ran a hand down his goatee, frowning.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Remember last year before New Year’s when we had that regional meeting at Pharzuph’s?” My pulse quickened.
“Well, it’s time for another one. Tomorrow night in Atlanta. Just the U.S. Dukes.”
My insides rolled. “Do I have to go?”
“Hell, no. I can’t have you anywhere near Pharzuph. I need to get you out of town. Right now.” He tapped the steering wheel with thick fingers. “I’m telling them I’ve sent you on college trips.”
“Where am I really going?”
“All over the damn place.” He pulled a folded paper from his back pocket. I scanned the itinerary and realized he wasn’t kidding. I would be traveling the world, one airport to the next, for three straight days.
“It’ll be safer for you in the skies. The Legionnaires don’t venture up there—they stay low to earth.”
“Will you get in trouble if I’m not there?” I asked.
“Nah. Don’t worry ’bout that. Your flight leaves in five hours. Go pack a bag and get Patti to take you.”
“Will Kaidan and Blake be there?”
“I’m sure they will,” he said. Then he tapped my temple. “Head in the game, gal.”
I hugged him across the small console and he kissed my forehead.
I called Marna during my France layover. I’d be landing in London shortly and would have more than two hours before my next flight. As I dialed her, my eyes surveyed the airport lobby, just as I’d done at every stop, looking for spirits. I hadn’t seen any.
“Hallo?” she answered.
“Hey,” I said.
“It’s clear here,” she told me. “He’s away at some gala.”
“Are you working tonight?” I asked.
“We’re on our way out. What’s up with you?”