Chapter Twenty-Eight
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
Heart hammering, Alex had watched Sarah's cheeks flush. Her mouth opened and closed a dozen times, the explanation, the answer just on the tip of her tongue. Moments passed but still Alex hadn't taken her blue-eyed gaze from her friend. Finally, Sarah closed her eyes as if in defeat or surrender, call it what you will, either way, the truth was coming…until the sound of a ringing phone caused both of them to jump.
"Saved by the bell," Sarah laughed breathlessly, glancing over her shoulder before grabbing her phone and raising the phone to her ear. "Caleb?"
Caleb's voice came through the line muffled and urgent. By the way Sarah grabbed her purse from the desk and her jacket from the hook by the door, whatever Caleb needed, he needed now.
"Yeah, I'll be right there," she said.
With the line disconnected and the phone in her purse, Sarah turned back to Alex and squared her shoulders.
"I don't have time to explain everything," she started with a tremble in her voice. "But I need to leave."
"Then you can explain what you can on the way," Alex stood and crossed the room, snatching Sarah's car keys from her as she strode to the door. "I'll drive."
Sarah was by her side quickly, the two now making their way down the dorm hallway. The sun shined brightly through the high windows, causing the poorly circulating halls to become stuffy. The slight breeze as they stepped outside made it easier for Alex to breathe. Her heart still hammered, anxious to get the answers she wasn't sure she was ready for. Magic. Could it be real?
"This isn't a good idea." Sarah reached for her keys but missed as Alex tossed them from her left hand to her right. "Caleb won't like this."
Alex let out a huff of a laugh. "Well then Caleb can fuck right off."
Sarah stepped in front of Alex suddenly, the two nearly colliding. "Stop it! Jesus, I don't have time for this! Things are…difficult with the guys right now," she continued as she took back her car keys. "And I will find a way to explain. Later."
The finality in her words had Alex unable to reply. The usually timid Sarah eyebrows were furrowed, her body tense with impatience as she jogged the rest of her way to her car.
Sarah had driven off and was around the corner before Alex realized that Sarah had been her ride home. Angry at herself, confused, in disbelief and now alone, Alex pulled her phone from her back pocket. Her aunt Blair answered before the second ring finished crossing the line.
"Alex? Is everything okay?"
A humorless laugh threatened to escape her as she glanced around the near empty lot, then to the horizon where dark, heavy clouds drifted.
"I seem to have lost my ride home," she replied. "I'm at Spenser. Can you come pick me up?"
She felt like a child asking, even more so as Blair told her to hang tight, that she'd be right there.
With nothing to do but wait, Alex sat down on the curb and rested her chin on her knees. Exhaustion weighed her limbs, and her mind was fuzzy with uncertainty. Last night seemed so far away, yet the memory was fresh, having played over and over. Tyler had disappeared, vanished before her eyes, she was almost sure of it. And Sarah's reaction to her admission only made her suspicions more valid. Her friend had been flustered to say the least, guarded. A pang of unease settled into Alex's chest at the sudden mistrust in their friendship. Sure, they hadn't known each other long but she always felt Sarah had been completely open with her, but now she knew that wasn't true.
"I will find a way to explain. Later." Sarah had said.
Alex let out a growl of frustration as she watched the fast-moving clouds headed in her direction. She hated waiting. Hated being left to guessing and speculating. She wanted answers and if she had her way, she'd get them. Soon.
Caleb's carefully contained fury was worse than if he had screamed and yelled. Hell, Tyler would have even taken a fist to the jaw. Anything but this silent rage.
His oldest friend stood before him; arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed. The fire that seemed to be forever burning in the hearth reflected in Caleb's dark gaze.
He hates you. You hurt Sarah. He hates you; they all do.
Tyler rolled his neck and shoulders, silently willing the voice in his head to go away.
Pogue and Reid were on their way. Terror and relief washed over him, along with the ever present need to Use. The pull of power called to him even now, in broad daylight but he focused on the conversation ahead.
The front door opened just outside the living room, light footsteps sounding across tile floor before Sarah emerged around the corner. She looked to Caleb first, giving him a smile. But the warmth in it faded as she turned her gaze to Tyler.
"Ty." Her voice was hesitant, and as she moved quickly by him and to Caleb's side.
Anguish tore at him. She was afraid of him. She had every right to be.
That voice in his head began to laugh.
Tyler shook his head. "Sarah, I'm so-"
"Don't." Caleb stepped forward, placing himself between his girlfriend and friend.
"Caleb," Sarah said gently, putting a hand on his arm. "It's okay. Let him ta-"
"No, it's not okay. He attacked you! He hurt you!" The dark-haired Son of Ipswich turned from Sarah to Tyler. "How could you? What the hell has gotten into you?"
As he took a deep breath to gather his thoughts, he noticed Pogue and Reid outside walking up the front steps. Moments later the two stepped into the room. Both looked to Tyler with caution in their eyes and neither greeted him with any warmth.
Tyler met each of their gazes steadily.
Here it goes, he thought. It was time to tell them everything. His struggles, not only since his Ascension but back to the night Chase disappeared at the old Putnum barn. He wondered where to start and realized no matter where that was or how he explained what was going on, he would sound crazy. Will they believe me?
There was only one way to find out. He opened his mouth but as ready as he was a moment ago, now he hesitated. Agitation tugged at his limbs causing the Power to surge in his veins. The need to Use heightened alarming and Tyler found in difficult to focus. He squeezed his eyelids shut, waiting for the temptation to pass.
A voice in his head goaded him to give in to the seduction, the raw euphoria of release. Let go, it urged. Relish in the Power.
"Help me."
The words came out feeble, his voice shaky. His eyes filled with unshed tears, and he knew as they opened, they were solid black. The fire in the hearth flickered from the sudden energy coursing through the room. The curtains lifted and trinkets rattled as Tyler fought against the urge to fully release. He was losing control, and the shock of the unexpected show of Power had Caleb grabbing Sarah protectively while Reid and Pogue stood tense, unsure of what to do.
Terror filled him as Power rippled into the others, knocking them off balance.
"Help me!" Tyler screamed.
Suddenly, fire flashed across Reid's eyes. Tyler felt a rush of relief and gratitude, as the control of Power was snapped, before he fell into unconsciousness.
The ride home had been quiet.
Blair had arrived just before the sky opened and the rain poured. By the time they got home, puddles of water spotted the ground and the gutters gushed, the torrent too much for the downspouts.
Now, Alex was perched in chair in her room which she had moved to the window to watch the storm. Lightening cracked across the sky and thunder rolled low and long. In her lap, curled up tightly, Connor slept. His purred lost in the sound. Absently petting his furry orange head, Alex watched the raindrops spatter and then roll down the glass. It was so mesmerizing that Alex hadn't noticed Blair enter the room. It wasn't until her aunt cleared her throat that she was pulled from her reverie.
Blair smiled as she held out one of the two cups she was holding. The aroma of her favorite coffee wafted to her then, pulling her lips into a grateful smile.
"I know it's nearly dinner time but this kind of weather watching calls for something warm to sip," her aunt said. "And you seem like you need a pick-me-up."
Alex lifted her gaze to Blair's as she accepted the coffee. She welcomed the warmth seeping from the cup, not realizing how cold her hands were. "How did you guess?"
"Well, your silence seemed a little more quiet than usual." Blair's eyebrows pulled together slightly as she surveyed her niece. "Is everything okay?"
Alex's immediate reaction was to say 'yes', that she was fine. That nothing ever affected her enough to confuse her thoughts. After all, Alex was a girl who knew what she wanted and never allowed her interactions with others pull her into subdued silence. At least that's how she was before she moved to Ipswich. Before she met and friended Sarah and the Sons and was thrown into a life of drama, friendship and love. Love.
She pictured Tyler's blue eyes and breathtaking smile; imagined his lips on hers, his hands on her skin. She recalled the fight that ended their relationship, the back-and-forth games, the begging. The heartbreak. The hope. Anger. Fear. Confusion. So many contradicting emotions, she suddenly wondered how she hadn't succumbed to the overwhelming amount of them. And last night…
"Do you believe in magic?" Alex asked.
Blair blinked in confusion but took a moment to consider the question. "I believe there is more in this world than just ordinary people. Especially in Ipswich. I believe the hunting during the Salem Witch Trials wasn't completely unfounded, though the prosecutors were cruel and driven by fear."
Alex thoughts drifted to the library down the hall, to her late uncle's books and the history of the town. She couldn't help herself from asking, "Do you think it's real?"
"I do," she replied without hesitation. "Sometimes things happen with no logical explanation, and I like to call that magic."
She had never thought of it that way. How many times had something unexplainable happened to her and she only chalked it up to coincidence or luck or even brushed it aside? Never in her wildest dreams would she have considered it magic.
A boom of thunder pulled their attention to the window just as a bolt of lightning cracked across the sky. The landscape was illuminated in a blinding white and for a spilt second, everything appeared peaceful. They lapped into content silence, neither feeling the need to speak as they watched the storm thrash outside.
Eventually Blair went to finish dinner, leaving Alex to her thoughts. She grudgingly checked her phone for what felt like the hundredth time in the past several hours, but no messages crossed the screen and no 'ping' from a notification sounded. She fought the urge to throw her phone out of frustration. She hated waiting, being kept in the dark. Something big was clearly going on, something unexplainable. However, Sarah said she could explain. The anticipation was almost as bad as the waiting itself.
The temptation to drive to Caleb's and demand answers nearly had Alex out of her chair. Instead, she focused on the warmth of the cup in her hands and the tranquility of the rain outside and willed herself to be patient. As the seconds ticked by, she realized it was going to be a long night.
"Okay," Pogue started as he led Reid and Caleb into the hallway. "What the hell was that?"
Caleb rubbed at his face before clasping them behind his neck where a tension headache had formed. "I have no idea. We know he's been Using more."
Reid glanced at the door to Caleb's room where Tyler lay unconscious on the bed. "He's lost control…but how?" He gestured to Caleb, who's eyebrows were pulled down with worry. "You ascended, and your dad willed you his power all on that night at Putnum Barn. And not to sound like an ass but you're a hell of a lot more powerful than Ty."
Nodding in agreement, Pogue ran a hand roughly through his hair. "He's been so off lately. Moody, volatile…I just narrowed it down to what happened with you two and Alex."
Guilt settled in Reid's stomach, causing a wave of nausea to wash over him. How could he—his best friend, his brother—not realize what was going on was clearly so much more than heartbreak. He knew Tyler was struggling and Using, they could all feel it when he did, but none knew just how bad it had gotten.
"I should have known something was wrong."
"You should have known that he was struggling this bad?" Caleb asked. "Don't be so hard on yourself. None of us did, he wouldn't talk to us."
"I'm his best friend."
"You've been distracted."
Reid appreciated Pogue's attempt to ease his guilt, but he knew he fucked up. In more ways than one. He had admitted his selfish intent when it came to Alex many times and had confessed it to Alex and Tyler themselves. Yet the once always forgiving Tyler shoved Reid's confession and apology aside… that should have been the first sign he noticed. He had thought it was Tyler finally hitting a breaking point with Reid's shit, it had never occurred to him that the youngest Son of Ipswich had fallen so deep into the Powers lure.
"How do we help him?" he asked.
All three gazes went to the door, to where Tyler lay beyond.
A rush of air passed through Caleb lips, not knowing the answer. "Let's wait for him to wake and go from there."
Tyler's chest rose steadily on a deep inhale as he slowly came to consciousness. Blinking, his blurry vision was drawn to the window where the storm still raged. The rain hitting the glass nearly drowned out Caleb's voice carrying through the crack in the door. A sharp pain laced across his temple as he turned toward the sound, causing a wave of dizziness to roll over him. Several moments passed before the pain subsided enough that he was able to sit. As the grogginess cleared, he realized he was in Caleb's room—the once neatly made bed under him now wrinkled from his weight.
A slow, rising panic blossomed in his chest as the memory of losing control surfaced. If Reid hadn't reacted so quickly, who knows how badly things would have gotten. The amount of Power Reid had used to knock him out had to have been excessive. An odd feeling of guilt and shame mixed with a strong sense of relief. They knew. Maybe not the exact extent he struggled, but the loss of control they had witnessed in the living room had definitely clued them in. Heart hammering, Tyler stood and opened his mouth to call for his brothers, ready for the second time that day to ask for help, to beg for it, when a soft voice drifted to him.
"He's been out for hours. Do you think he's okay?" Worry edged Sarah's voice, sparking hope. Maybe she doesn't hate me, Tyler thought as he rose to his feet.
"I'm not sure." Caleb's voice was thick with emotion Tyler couldn't place. "I've never seen anything like that, that Power."
Tyler's steps faltered as something brushed against his thoughts, nagging. His stomach dropped as the sensation caused the Power in his veins stir.
Well, that was fun. The voice was practically a purr. Wasn't it?
He wanted to say no. To fully believe the quick release of Power didn't leave the feeling of ecstasy in its wake…but he couldn't.
"I could have hurt them," he answered instead, his voice barely a whisper. He latched onto that thought, curling his hands into fists to resist the sudden urge to Use.
A growl of frustration pulled him from his thoughts, drawing his attention back to the door and the conversation on the other side.
"Please, Sarah." It was Caleb. "Go to Kate's or see Alex and stay there until I call you."
"No," came her reply. Tyler could picture her crossing her arms and lifting her chin in defiance. He almost smiled.
"I don't want you anywhere near here when Tyler wakes up."
Tyler's hands slackened at his sides, momentarily distracted from the pull of Power as Caleb continued. "He lost control earlier, really lost control. Who knows how deep he is? I don't want him to hurt you again."
They fear you.
Any hope of their quick forgiveness and understanding shattered with those three words. It was in the silence following Caleb's words. How Sarah didn't argue, sure that Tyler wouldn't harm her. It had been an accident, a slip in control. Hurting Sarah—any of them was the last thing he would want.
A slight tremor rocked him as back away from the door until his legs hit the mattress, buckling his suddenly unsteady knees. Dread formed like a weight on his chest, his breathing shallow and rapid as he realized that accident or not, it had happened. He had let the Power slowly take over. His emotions tied to it, ruled him, his will. Self-control had long since been stolen from him… until he became lost.
His blue-eyed gaze lifted to the door, a tear slipping from the well in his eyes. His heart cracked as the conversation beyond the room turned to muffled, the rush of blood in his ears drowning out their words. His original intention of asking for help, begging for it had shifted. All he could think of was how to keep them safe…from himself.
Tyler stood quickly with the strong desire to flee, to put as much distance between himself and his brothers as he could when he caught sight of a small oak box on the nightstand. The lid opened in one smooth motion and Tyler's breath caught. The clear stone, flat and smooth, sat cushioned in a bed of black velvet. Looking at it, one would think the trinket harmless and beautiful. However, Tyler knew, felt the threat and danger radiating from the stone.
The stone.
Heartbeat kicking into a quick pace, the answer came to him. A mix of relief and dread filled him as his reached toward the object with a trembling hand.
Reid watched Sarah's eyes narrowed into thin slits, her hard gaze on her boyfriend, and he felt the urge to take a step back. Sarah Wenham may be small and kind-faced, but her temper made him even hesitate in crossing her. The silence only continued as her building anger turned her features to that of near violence.
"Caleb William Danvers," she spat, nearly seething anger. "Tyler is struggling, and he needs help. Our help. You guys may be the Sons of Ipswich, brothers beyond blood, but he is my friend. My brother, too so don't you dare send me away to twiddle my thumbs and wait for you to figure out what's going on."
Caleb opened his mouth, to argue or apologize, Reid wasn't sure, but Sarah held up a hand silencing him. If the circumstances of the gathering had been for any different reason, he may have laughed.
"Now," Sarah started, stepping around Caleb and passed Pogue made no move to stop her as she placed a hand on the doorknob and turned. "I'm going to check—" she cut off, inhaling sharply as a static energy filled the air, lifting the hair off her shoulders.
Reid moved, Caleb and Pouge close behind him, brushing by Sarah who stood with wide eyes.
As the door opened on smooth hinges, he held his breath though he already knew what he would find.
The room was empty. Tyler was gone.
Behind him, Caleb let out a low curse, drawing everyone's attention. The eldest Son strode forward and grabbed something from the nightstand.
"What?" Reid asked. "What is it?"
When Caleb turned Reid's gaze dropped to the opened wooden box he held. Lightening cracked across the sky, highlighting the black velvet coating the inside of the box. Where the stone should have been.
"Oh my God," Sarah said breathlessly. "Tyler took the stone."
The storm showed no sign of letting up. The wind howled, lightening cracked, and thunder boomed, seeming to match Alex's mixed emotions as she paced the length of her bedroom. She had barely been able to stomach dinner, as the anxiety had built within her, leaving little room for appetite. Her patience was wearing thin and nothing she did could easily pass the time until she heard from Sarah. She needed answers. Needed to know she hadn't imagined it all—fire flashing across Tyler's eyes, bleeding them black. Tyler disappearing from where he stood, as if he hadn't even been there at all.
Alex stopped short, deciding in that moment, she was done waiting. She grabbed her phone from where it sat on her bed, having tossed it in frustration only minutes ago, to call Sarah. A shrill beep came across the line, causing Alex to pull the phone from her ear. The loss of a signal flashed across the screen. The storm must have knocked out a cell tower. The sound of deep, rolling thunder followed closely by the crack of lightening caused the electricity to flicker, only confirming it. Shit, she thought, dropping her arms to her sides at the minor setback. Barely a moment passed before she was out of her bedroom and down the stairs. Grabbing her leather jacket from the hall closet, wishing she hadn't returned her aunt's car keys, swearing that spring was just around the corner and her bike would suffice from then on. But with the change of the season came the rain, making her rides to and from school and work, a little wet some days. The keys to her bike jangled in her pocket as she slide the jacket on then snatched her helmet from the bench by the door. With just a glance over her shoulder she opened the front door and stifled a yell as she ran smack into Reid Garwin.
Reid reached for Alex as she righted herself. His hand stopped short as her surprise faded and her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing-"
"Have you seen Tyler?"
"What?" she snapped. "Why would-"
Her words faded as she took in the sight of him—His jacket was soaked, the white under shirt he wore was nearly translucent and clung to his chest. But it wasn't his sodden appearance that concerned her. It was his wide blue eyes and the tension around his mouth. He seemed unaware of small shivers raking his body as he stepped closer to her and under the porch covering.
"Have you seen him?"
There was a desperation in his voice that had her heart leap in worry. "No."
Reid's ran a hand over his face, wiping away raindrops as he turned suddenly and hurried down the steps.
"Wait!" she called. She let out a growl of frustration when he ignored her. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, never mind," he said, his voice nearly lost to the sound of thunder.
"Nothing, my ass, Reid Garwin." She leapt off the steps, landing at the bottom into a puddle. Water splashed up the front of her jeans pulling a gasp from her as she went after the blonde Son of Ipswich. "What's wrong?"
"Just forget about it," Reid said, shrugging off Alex's hand as she grabbed his forearm, the action only infuriating her further.
Alex was sick and tired of everyone brushing her aside telling her to wait, to forget. She was over waiting for an explanation of now multiple things, and Reid was here. She reached for him again, her grip claw-like on the sleeve of his jacket so when he attempted to pull away a second time, he would have a hard time breaking her hold. She dug her heels into the grass, having followed him into the yard, wondering briefly where he was heading. Her feet sunk into the ground as she stopped and tugged hard on Reid's arm.
"Stop! Tell me what's going on."
He didn't fight her like she thought he would. Instead, he turned slowly, his head angled so his gaze met hers instantly.
Rain continued to fall in a heavy downpour, soaking through her clothes, chilling her skin. A shivered rolled over her as she let go of him. "Why did you come here? Where is Tyler?"
The anger that had built in her chest fizzled at his words, causing her heart to stutter and her stomach to hollow.
"Tyler's missing."