“Sounds reasonable.” I started walking up the front steps of the first house.
Calvin continued down the small road. “Or we could just go into the one that says Winthrop.” Calvin waited in front of a house three down from where I stood.
“What?” I hurried over to him. Sure enough, a plaque beside the front door listed my mom’s maiden name. “That’s probably a good place to start.”
Henry walked up to the door and tried the knob. “It’s not locked.”
Calvin gestured for me to stay back while Henry and Liam checked inside the house. I understood the protectiveness, but it got old sometimes. They came out a few minutes later and gave the all-clear. I walked inside with Calvin. The downstairs was all one big room, reminding me of Calvin’s childhood home.
Goosebumps covered my skin as I looked at the half-eaten food on the table. “That table is still set for dinner.” Whatever happened had occurred suddenly. I prayed that the rest of the townspeople were still alive.
Calvin said, “They may have all run for it.”
I sighed. “I’m going to pretend I believe that.” Even though I hadn’t seen the girl, I could still picture her. I walked out of the living area and headed to the stairs. “I assume Ruth’s room would be upstairs.”
“Let me go first.” Calvin slipped past me on the stairs, stopping to squeeze my hand. “The house is clear, but you can never be too safe.”
I nodded and followed him up to the second floor. We saw two open doors. Through one, I saw a room that held a crib, and my chest clenched.
Calvin put an arm around me. “We are doing this to keep our people safe.” He moved to the closed door and tried to turn the knob, but it wouldn’t budge. “Stand back. I will have to break it down.
I put a hand on his arm. “Before you do that, let me try.”
“Okay.”
“You’re not going to try to stop me?”
“Opening locked doors is something I think an Essence would be good at.”
I smiled. “We’ll see.” I put a hand on the knob, closed my eyes, and concentrated. I pictured the knob turning, felt a little bit of heat, and then the wooden door opened slightly. The moderation exercises my mom had put me through were paying off. A month before, I would have used up all my energy and ended up pulling the door off its hinges.
“Nicely done.” Calvin surprisingly didn’t move to walk in first. “I have a feeling this is also a job made especially for you.”
“Will you wait for me here?”
“Of course. I will not move.”
“Good.” I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. I’d gotten much more confident about showing him affection.
He put a hand on my back, pulling me closer. I knew he wanted the kiss to go a lot further, but I had work to do. “Not now.”
He released me reluctantly. “Tonight.”
I pushed open the door.
“Umm, this can’t be right.” The room was empty—absolutely and completely empty. Not a single piece of furniture remained. The only evidence of anything having been there were slight indentations in the floor. “We’re too late. Someone must have gotten here first.”
“It is okay, my love. We will find another way.” Calvin came in, and his comforting arms moved around my waist.
“Can I have a minute alone in here?” I needed to clear my head.
“Sure… should I wait in the hall?”
“Yes, please.”
“Call me if you need me.” He disappeared through the doorway, closing the door behind him.
I closed my eyes and thought of Ruth. “Please tell me this wasn’t all for nothing. Please tell me there’s something here.”
There is something here.
My heart about stopped. The answering voice was not my own.
Chapter Seven
Kevin
I needed a cold shower, but a Coke was the only thing cold I was getting. Things with Samantha had just gotten good when Talen interrupted us. The timing was highly suspicious.
“Our flight leaves late tonight. You all need to get some sleep because we will need to be fully alert.” Monty took a bite of pizza.
I’d been right that the food supply in the house was low, but Monty still had a bunch of frozen pizzas. He was addicted to them, and I didn’t mind it. Frozen pizza was heads above what we’d been eating with the Resistance. I watched as Samantha took a tentative bite of her slice. She’d opted for the vegetable pie. Monty must have bought it for Charlotte, who wasn’t the biggest pepperoni fan.
“Has anyone actually talked to my dad yet?” I refilled my glass of soda. Yet another thing I’d missed while in Energo. “Does he even know we’re coming?”
“You’re not seriously asking that question, are you?” Monty grabbed a second slice from the baking sheet.
“I take it you’ve called.”
“Of course I’ve called. He’s picking us up at the airport.”
“Dad? He’s taking time off work to pick us up?”
Monty gave me a frustrated look. “This is his work.”
“Yeah, you keep saying that, but I’m not sure I’ll really believe it until I see him.”
Monty leaned back in his chair. “You won’t have to wait long. Eat up and go to sleep.”
Talen laughed.
I glanced at him. “What?”
“You are a grown man, yet you allow your uncle to speak to you like an infant. And you are a Guardian?”
I pushed back my chair. “Are you looking to start a fight?”
Samantha put a hand on my arm. “Let it go. He is only trying to rile you up.”
“Oh, I realize that, but I have nervous energy I wouldn’t mind—”
The doorbell rang. Monty and I looked at each other. Who the hell would be ringing our doorbell?
“Should I answer it?” I asked.
Monty shook his head. “Let’s wait and see if they go away.”
The bell rang over and over. I’d never noticed how annoying the tone of it was.
“I do not think they are going away.” Samantha looked pensive for a moment. “Maybe I should get it? I will say you are away from home.”
Monty nodded. “That might be best. We’ll be just out of sight, in case this is trouble.”
Samantha nodded. There was something so cool about a girl who never let things scare her. Monty and I squeezed in behind the door before she opened it. Talen had waited in the kitchen. Way to offer protection.