“None,” she whispered just as we entered the garden.
I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut, for a change. Thankfully, she was ahead of me and didn’t see the grin on my face.
Chapter Four
Liam
Watching Calvin with his arms around Charlotte on that damn horse nearly killed me, though it wasn’t the first time I’d seen him touch her—not by a long shot. Calvin used every chance he had to touch her. Charlotte hated the public affection. I couldn’t believe he didn’t realize it—or if he did, he didn’t care.
I tried not to let it bother me, but it was a losing battle. I didn’t care what bond connected them, Charlotte didn’t belong with Calvin. He barely knew her. He couldn’t possibly care about her the way I did.
I replayed all of the chances I’d wasted over and over in my head. She hadn’t given me much time when she came back to Charleston, but what she did give me, I threw away. What would have happened if I’d manned up earlier and told her how I felt? Would she have felt the need to explore if she’d known my feelings?
I fell back a little after we cleared the fern grotto. Riding alongside them was torture. I didn’t need to see the way she leaned back against his chest, or the way he rested his hand on her leg. I think I preferred the long shapeless dresses. Those pants were worse—they had the same effect as her tight jeans.
At least riding a horse came naturally to me. I guessed it was a side effect of being a Guardian. I still found it hard to believe that Charlotte kissing me at thirteen had caused me to become one, but that also explained a lot. I’d never been horrible at sports, but that year, I was the star forward on the basketball team. My mom couldn’t believe how tall I grew over one summer. No one in my family had ever reached six feet. I wondered if the whole Guardian thing was part of why I liked Charlotte so much, but it couldn’t be. I’d fallen for her before that night—I just hadn’t realized it. Also, not every Guardian wanted her. James liked to pretend he did, but it was just a game, and Henry saw her as a sister.
We rode across the open plains. I cleared my head by looking up at the cloudless blue sky. I knew we had a lot to tackle before we could relax, but I wasn’t a glass-half-empty kind of guy. That was why I wasn’t willing to give up on Charlotte. If we were meant to be together, and I knew we were, it would happen.
Calvin slowed to match my horse’s speed. “We are getting close to the river. We will stop there.”
I nodded, watching the way the gold highlights in Charlotte’s hair glistened in the sun. I’d never had it so bad for a girl. A year before, I thought Kevin was my biggest obstacle—little did I know. “Sounds good.”
When we reached the bank, I dismounted, leaving my horse to graze with the others while we ate. Charlotte’s mom had packed sandwiches. She’d done a good job, considering how limited our supplies were.
“Is this peanut butter?” Charlotte asked.
Henry took a large swig of water from his canteen. “Close. It is from a different nut, though.”
“Oh.” Charlotte studied her sandwich, pulling the bread apart a little. “This is jelly, right?”
Calvin laughed. “Yes. It is jelly.”
She pouted. “Hey, it doesn’t hurt to know what you’re eating.”
Calvin ran a hand through some of the hair that had come loose from her makeshift bun. He had barely touched his lunch. He was too busy fawning over her. “Would your mother ever give you something dangerous?”
“No. But she grew up on Energo food. We probably have different ideas of what tastes good.”
I took a large bite. “It’s good, Char.”
“Good.” She smiled at me before taking a small bite. At least she trusted my judgment.
“Oh, it is good because Liam says so, huh?” Henry laughed.
Charlotte grinned. “You’re from here, too. I needed an unbiased opinion.”
“Henry, is the food where she is from any better?” Calvin asked.
Henry stuffed the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. “They have different things, but it is pretty much the same, except they will fry anything in oil.”
Calvin nodded. “I will remember that.”
Charlotte played with some grass. “Do you think you’ll ever come back to my home?”
“I would come visit your former home.”
She leaned back on her elbows. “Former home?”
“You cannot mean to return there after all of this. You know you belong in Energo.”
She looked pensive, staring up at the sky. “It’s still home.”
Calvin stiffened but didn’t say anything. Smart man.
“So what’s the plan? Do you really think the scroll is just sitting there at Ruth’s house?” I asked. Nothing was ever simple when it came to Energo.
“Probably not. I’m guessing she hid it somewhere.” Charlotte sounded nonchalant, but I knew she wasn’t that calm.
Calvin figured it out too. “We will find it. She left it knowing someone would need it one day. I am sure you will know where to look.”
She closed her eyes, soaking up the sun. “You make it sound like magic.”
“Not magic—just you.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. I fought the urge to look away.
She opened her eyes and glanced at me as if checking to make sure I wasn’t upset. She’d obviously picked up on my feelings. The question was what she would do with that knowledge.
Calvin stood up. “We should probably go. It is going to be nightfall soon.”
“Do you think we’ll make it to Smidtle tonight?” I remembered the name of Ruth’s village from the maps of Energo I’d spent hours poring over. I had been at a disadvantage last time when I had no idea where I was, so I’d wanted to be prepared. Smidtle was supposed to be pretty small and mostly agricultural. That described most towns in Energo.
Calvin held out a hand to help Charlotte to her feet. “If we move. I would rather not camp out on the prairie tonight unless we absolutely have to.”
“Then let’s do this.” I walked over to my horse and mounted.
Chapter Five
Samantha
My heart nearly beat out of my chest as I waited for Kevin to push open the gate. It was an old gate—wrought iron with ivy growing all over it, but I could tell that whoever made it had used great care.
Kevin glanced behind him. “You all right?”
I nodded. “Fine.”