Jax shook his head, not believing it. He’d never seen her show any magical talent. She’d attacked him with pepper spray. With the safety lock on.
But Riley continued. “Your dad knew it was dangerous to cross Wylit. I think he planned to move across the country, maybe change your family name like I did. Asking me to look out for you was a backup plan. I wouldn’t have refused him in any case, but he did me a big favor.”
“What did he do?”
“Wylit’s a slippery one, Jax. My father failed to catch him, and so did the Morgans, the Dulacs, and every other clan that tried. But your dad hooked up with them somehow—worked for Wylit’s vassals and then helped me plant a spy among them. That’s what I got out of the deal, and I swear, I’ve been trying to do right by you ever since.”
“Then tell me where you went this week,” Jax said.
Riley sighed. “To convince a pair of Kin men to move from the place where they’ve been hiding for the past forty years. I had warning their location had been discovered and Wylit’s vassals were coming for them. But you read that on my phone, didn’t you?”
“The weapons were in case the other guys got there first?”
“Mostly. But these Kin of the Taliesin clan are the ones who hid Evangeline and probably know where the rest of her family is. They’ve sort of been allies with our side all along, but they’ve never been what you’d call friendly. If they weren’t willing to cooperate, or if they were able to resist my commands, things could’ve gotten . . . rough.”
“You didn’t—”
“No, we didn’t,” Riley said. “Deidre suggested moving them to her college campus, where she could guarantee there were no Kin and no Transitioners other than herself present. They agreed.”
Jax frowned. “Is Evangeline safe now?”
Riley ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not satisfied. I want to look for another hiding place. Then I’ll have to convince her to move. And you realize, Jax—I’ll move, too. I go where she goes.”
“What about me?”
“Nothing’s changed. I want to put you back with your relatives.”
Jax hurled his dagger into his textbook again. Riley jumped off the desk, startled. “You’re wrong,” Jax said. “I’ve changed.”
On Saturday morning, Jax took a long bike ride. He used his own bike. He’d left the stolen one at the local police station on Grunsday evening with the address of the owner attached. Sorry, he’d written on the note.
Riley had no idea Jax had been kidnapped. Jax had made it to his lesson with Melinda on time, and no one except Evangeline knew he’d been gone at all. And she clearly wouldn’t be telling anyone.
Pedaling aimlessly through town, Jax tried to figure out what he wanted to do now. Mostly, he kept thinking of the things he didn’t want to do.
He no longer wanted to live with Naomi. Living among Normals no longer seemed as safe as it used to. When Terrance had abducted Jax, it had been Riley and the Crandalls he’d hoped would save him, and the Donovans who actually had.
He didn’t want to swear loyalty to Riley, either. Jax had grown to like him better and admitted there might even be things to admire in him. However, Jax didn’t want to be part of Riley’s “chain of command.”
Finally, he didn’t want to give up on Evangeline. He’d never met anyone who needed a friend more than she did, whether it hurt or not. If Riley was going to move her, Jax wanted to go too. If she had to be imprisoned for her own safety, then darn it, Jax wanted to make sure she had at least one other person to talk to. The question was whether Riley would let him come, if Jax wasn’t one of his vassals. He apparently confided in Deidre, and she wasn’t a vassal. But she had other talents Riley valued.
Jax grinned, leaned back on his seat, and let the bike coast.
Jax had a talent too.
That afternoon, he made a list of the requirements for a “safe house” for Evangeline and had a very good idea. What if they hid her in a boarding school? She liked books. Well, she could have a whole library for herself. And if she hated her eighties clothing, she could “borrow” more modern ones from other girls. Missing food would be blamed on the students, and what school wouldn’t love to have a resident ghost? From the little Jax knew about Evangeline, he couldn’t think of any circumstances for hiding her she’d find more tolerable.
Well, besides coming out of hiding altogether, of course.
He sat down in front of the computer, laid his dagger beside the keyboard, and whispered one of Melinda’s meditation chants to harness his talent. By the time Riley came home from work, Jax hoped to have a list of schools and a well-thought-out argument to counter any objections.
He was only beginning his search when the front door opened and Michael Donovan walked in.
27
JAX STOOD UP so fast, he knocked the chair over. “What’re you doing here?”
“Is that any way to greet a friend?” Donovan asked cheerfully, setting a pet carrier on the coffee table.
“How’d you find me?”
“Smelled you out, boy!” Donovan grinned. “I knew you didn’t live where we left you. We just sniffed around the neighboring towns till we found you. How else was I going to deliver your eighth-day cat?”
Sniffed? Like dogs? Jax stared at the man, aghast, then bent down and peered inside the cat carrier.
It was empty.
“Well, it’s not there now,” said Donovan. “Won’t be back till the eighth day.”
Just as Jax opened his mouth to ask how dumb Donovan thought he was, his phone rang. Oh, no! Jax knew who it was before he picked up the phone. “Yeah?”
“Melinda called,” said Riley. “We’ve got Transitioners in town. I’m on my way, and so is A.J.’s mom.” Jax stared across the room at Donovan, and Riley demanded, “Jax, do you hear me?”
“Yeah” was all Jax could say.
“It’s probably nothing—people passing through who don’t know we’re here. But if you see anybody, you run. You hear me?” The sound of the motorcycle drowned out Riley’s voice.
Jax thumbed the phone off. “You have to get out of here.”
Donovan’s grin never wavered. “But we haven’t discussed a price for the cat.”
Jax picked up the carrier and tossed it at him. “I mean it! People are coming, and they won’t be happy to see you.” If Riley found this man in the house, he might make his first kill after all. And it would probably be Jax.
“Smells like somebody important lives here, Dad. No relation of his, though.”
Jax gasped to see Thomas walk down the stairs from the second floor. “How’d you get in here? What were you doing upstairs?” Then, with greater alarm: “Where’s Tegan?”
“Takin’ a look outside.” Thomas sauntered into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. “Got anything to eat?”
Jax chased after him and, spotting the kitty jar on the kitchen counter, had an inspiration. “Here’s cash.” He pulled out a wad of crumpled bills and shoved it at Thomas. “Take your ‘cat’ and get out of this house! Get out of this town!”
“Not a nice welcome for people who saved your life,” Donovan commented.
“I’m trying to save your lives now!” Jax sprinted through the house and out the front door to see what Tegan was up to.
He found her standing in the yard, sniffing the air. “Tegan!” He grabbed her by the arm. “You guys set off a security shield, and people are coming. You have to leave quickly!”