A tale of fragile fate, p.25
A Tale of Fragile Fate, page 25
I can’t do this to her. She doesn’t deserve it. Knowing what it’s like to be lied to repeatedly, I can’t do it to someone else. Especially not someone as nice and innocent as Piper. It's the equivalent of telling a child that Santa isn't real. It's cruel.
“You didn’t do anything, Piper,” I say softly. “It’s just complicated.”
“I once spent two hours teaching Quinn how to tie a tie. I can deal with complicated.” Piper laughs, hoisting herself on top of the desk beside me. She reaches across the aisle that separates us, taking my hand and squeezing it reassuringly. “Try me.”
“Reid asked me not to say anything,” I state.
“Well, he obviously doesn’t understand the universal girl code, so he can deal with me if he has something to say about it.”
A smile springs to both of our faces, and I nod. “When he took me back to the lake…he told me about his family, the accident, his mother…and him.” I can tell by her wide eyes that she wants me to continue. “We just…talked for a while on the dock. It was nice. And….” I trail off, not to purposely leave out the mentioning of our kiss, but more so trying to decide how much information about our strange past encounter I should disclose. I’d like to tell her everything. Maybe she could help. But I don’t feel right doing so. Not now. Not yet.
“And?”
I smile, which apparently warrants no further explanation because Piper is already launching off the desk, spinning around in a whimsical twirl, and pointing at me.
“I knew it,” she beams.
“Knew what?” I ask, half-joking because I already know the charade is over.
“You kissed. You absolutely did. Don’t try to deny it—it’s written all over your face.”
I purse my lips, observing my now-smitten roommate dance around the room. It feels nice to share even an ounce of joy with her, considering everything else in my life has been a complete garbage fire.
“Yes, but you can’t tell anyone. Not Sadie, not Quinn, not anybody. He doesn’t want his father finding out while he’s here,” I warn. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I wanted to.”
Piper stops beside the windows that overlook the back end of campus towards the courtyard. Her usually infectious smile fades. “I won’t tell anyone,” she says, her tone suddenly much more grim.
Suspicious of her change in attitude, I meet her at the window. “What’s wrong?” I ask.
She points to the grassy area right outside the main hall. Connor, Mallory, and my brother are staring at one of many trees, Daniel holding his hand high above his head as the leaves shake violently.
“It looks like they’re teaching Daniel magic,” Piper says.
“Mom says I’m special!” My brother’s voice echoes in my head, a pit forming in my stomach. I blink a few times, hoping not to be taken away completely by a memory I’ve already had to live through twice. Not now, please.
“Why would they teach Daniel how to do that?” Piper continues, puzzled.
The trunk of the large oak tree vibrates, and Connor’s arrogant grin doubles in size.
“Someday, it will only be the two of you...and I beg you get along when it happens because all you’re going to have is each other.”
I shake my head, turning from the window and beelining for the door. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
“Is that a good idea?” Piper questions as I unlock the classroom and step through the threshold.
I look over my shoulder at her. “Probably not.”
It most certainly is not.
I promised to stay out of trouble, but my brother has quite clearly got himself into a mess. I can’t just sit by and watch. He could hurt himself.
I hurry down the hall and straight outside. My eyes lock onto Daniel, who’s now violently shaking a tree with magic, branches falling to the ground below. Connor and Mallory, standing a few feet behind my brother, watch in delight.
“Keep going! See if you can uproot it completely!” Mallory urges.
Daniel nods, furrowing his brow as he raises his hand higher. The ground shakes, and the roots of the massive oak tree snap one by one. This is the worst condition I’ve ever seen my brother. He’s white as a sheet with dark circles sitting in harsh contrast under his eyes and sweat pouring from his forehead. He’s only one of three students to wear a student uniform today. He doesn't look like my brother, no, he looks like he could be theirs.
The tree levitates several feet in the air, swaying back and forth, threatening to topple over. Daniel grits his teeth, a small yelp slipping out as the tree starts to lean, toward him.
“Could you be normal for like five minutes?” I can hear myself yelling at my brother the night before Mom died.
“Mom says I’m special!”
“Daniel, stop!” I yell, ignoring the persistent voices in my mind.
His eyes dart in my direction. He gasps, immediately dropping his hand.
The tree crashes down to the ground, the earth beneath us shaking in response. The twins don't seem surprised to see me, more annoyed that I’ve interrupted. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Daniel stares at the ground without a word, and I take several strides toward him.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demand.
“Nothing,” he mumbles.
I grab his chin, tilting his face back to look me in the eyes. His usually full-of-life gaze is bloodshot and empty. Almost dead.
“Lifting a tree is not nothing, Daniel. You could get hurt—”
“He’s fine, Lake. We’re here to make sure nothing happens,” Connor says, cutting me off.
I grab Daniel’s arm, yanking him into my side. “Stay away from my brother,” I demand.
Mallory snorts. “Or what? Are you gonna tell your bodyguard? I think he has his hands full already.”
I ignore her jab at me. Daniel looks up at me with terrified eyes, the most Daniel-like emotion I’ve seen from him all week. I run a hand through his hair, brushing the bangs out of his face.
“I’m taking him with me,” I state firmly.
“Can’t let you do that, Lake,” Connor interjects, adjusting his tie.
I roll my eyes. “I’d like to see you try and keep me from him. I will not let the two of you intimidate me. Whatever ploy you have is over.”
Connor laughs, shaking his head. “Nobody has a ploy, Lake. I think you’re overreacting. We’re simply teaching Daniel the fundamentals of magic. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
No.
“That isn’t your job, Connor.”
“It is when my father is busy cleaning up your mess,” he sneers, filling the gap between us. He places a hand on my shoulder, staring down at me with an insincere smile. “Now, why don’t you be a good girl and get out of our way? Allow him to become what he was brought here to be?”
“What are you talking about?” I demand, pushing him off me. He stumbles back and angrily fixes his jacket, gaze wandering past me and stopping abruptly.
I feel eyes on the back of my head, and I freeze, the tiny hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. Someone clears their throat, and I turn, Daniel still in my grasp. Standing at the bottom of the staircase, staring at the events that have unfolded for who knows how long, is Headmaster Dixon, Janice, Mr. Beckett, Evelyn, and Reid.
Great.
The headmaster steps toward us, shooting us all a stern look. “What seems to be the problem over here?”
thirty-nine
I’ve studied Reid’s body language enough to know how utterly annoyed he is, even with his sunglasses shielding the gateway to his eyes. His hands stuffed into the pockets of his jean jacket, head tilted ever so slightly with a very obvious what-have-you-done-now silent stare. I swallow hard, hugging Daniel to my front as I try to look anywhere but at him, knowing what I’ve done. The opposite of what he wanted.
“Someone needs to answer me,” Headmaster Dixon states, obviously aimed at me.
“N-nothing, sir—” I begin to say, but Mallory cuts me off, appearing beside me.
“Everything is fine, Daddy.” She slips an arm around my shoulders with a grin. Her touch is cold. “Just a small miscommunication. No need to worry.” The insincerity in her tone is revolting. She's a liar, but for once, I need anything but the truth. Admitting what just occurred is opening a can of worms that I don't have the time nor the patience for.
Dixon looks at me, arching an eyebrow. “Is this true?”
I nod quickly, patting the top of Daniel’s head. “Yes, sir. We’re fine over here.”
He nods, turning to grin at Reid’s father. Mr. Beckett is smiling, which I’m not sure should be comforting or worrisome. An arm snaked around his fiancée’s waist, Mr. Beckett’s sky-blue eyes glance at me for a split second before returning to Dixon, and I already know that’s one second too long. I take a few steps back out of the way, towing Daniel right along with me as the Dixon twins take my spot beside the headmaster.
“Zach, I don’t believe you've met my children yet. This is Connor and Mallory. Some of Astryn Penn’s finest, and I’m not just being biased,” Dixon exclaims with a boisterous chuckle that makes me internally groan.
Reid mumbles something under his breath that I can’t quite make out, pushing his glasses onto the top of his head. He won’t look at me, and I’m not sure I’d want him to if he did.
“Beautiful kids, Oz,” Mr. Beckett replies, punching Dixon lightly on the arm. “I can see where they didn’t get it from.”
I know I’m supposed to dislike this man on Reid’s behalf, but the joke was funny. A small smile forms on my lips that Dixon notices, shooting me a dark glare. Connor and Mallory each shake his hand, greeting him politely. It shouldn’t annoy me, but it does, considering how rude they’ve just been to me. More importantly, how awful they've been to Reid.
Mr. Beckett must also notice my amusement, the corner of his lip curling into a slanted smile when he looks in my direction. My heart skips an uncomfortable beat as he extends his hand to me.
“And who do we have here?” he asks politely, hand sliding into mine and shaking it firmly a few times.
“I, uh—” I swallow hard, trying not to show how nervous I suddenly feel. Dixon is intimidating, but I think it’s because he tries so hard to be that way. Reid’s father does it seemingly without effort. “Lake Watson, sir. And my brother, Daniel.”
He arches an eyebrow that reminds me too much of his son. “The Watson children. We met long ago, though you may have been too young to remember. Zach Beckett, a pleasure to see you again.” He glances behind him at Reid, who looks like he’d rather die than be standing here. “Have you gotten to know my son well?”
You could say that.
“Not really. We have a few classes together, that's all.” I hope my terrible excuse for lying is enough for Reid’s father to drop the conversation, but an obnoxious voice jumps in that makes me want to be sucked into a wormhole.
“Not really?” Mallory interjects herself back into the conversation. “I’d say they know each other quite well. She’s the reason your son got into that fight, Mr. Beckett.”
“Thank you, Mallory,” Reid deadpans, staring at her with a look that could easily kill.
Mr. Beckett stares at me, amusement on his face that I don’t quite understand. “It was you. You’re the girl my son claims he was protecting from a feral vampire. Is this true?”
I flip my hand over to show him the scar on my palm. “I cut my hand and was attacked.” I glare at the Dixon duo, the only chance I know I’ll get. “Reid saved my life, sir.”
“Sir sounds so formal,” he says with a chuckle, slipping a finger under my chin and tilting my head back. I swallow hard, suddenly feeling small when he smirks, looking me over as though I’m under inspection. He glances over his shoulder at Reid again. “She’s human, you know.” There’s humor in his delivery, but Reid seems far from amused.
“Are we done here?” he asks, folding his arms over his chest.
Yeah, he’s pissed.
“What’s the rush, Reid? I heard tonight’s the carnival. I’m sure Evelyn would love a funnel cake.”
Evelyn grins, playing with a strand of her hair. Her resemblance to Reid’s mother is uncanny. It begs the question, why did Mr. Beckett choose a clone of his deceased wife? How does that make Reid feel?
“I’d be happy to show you around the fairgrounds, Zach. We’ve prepared a wonderful afternoon of activities for the students and staff,” Dixon jumps in.
Mr. Beckett grins, slipping his arm around Evelyn’s torso. “Well, that just sounds delightful. Doesn’t it sound nice, Son?” It's less of a question and more of a taunt.
Reid drops his glasses over his eyes. “No."
“Don’t be rude, Reid,” Mr. Beckett replies curtly. “Let’s meet at the fairgrounds around five, yeah?”
Headmaster Dixon grins. “Five is great. I’ll make sure everyone is on their best behavior.” He glances at his children first, followed by Daniel and me, something sinister in his dark gray eyes. “Connor, Mallory, follow me back to my office, please.”
Mallory smiles, waving a small goodbye to my brother. Connor follows behind her as they scurry behind Dixon like little minions.
I’m truly starting to despise them.
Reid’s father exhales as soon as the group disappears inside, turning to face his son and dropping his arm from Evelyn’s waist. “We’ll discuss this later, but just know you’re on thin ice,” he states.
“As opposed to any other day?” Reid asks.
Mr. Beckett shakes his head, taking Evelyn’s hand. She’s a quiet woman and far younger than him. Do vampires age? They must, right? Actually, is she even a vampire?
“I won't continue to pay for your enrollment if all you’re going to do is mess around. That’s not why I sent you here.”
Reid laughs, and my stomach turns, suddenly feeling awkward for still standing here.
The sarcasm is heavy in his rebuttal. “Remind me why you sent me here again?”
“I sent you here to grow up, Reid. And by the looks of it, you still have a lot to do.” He checks the time on his watch. It matches Reid's. “Ev and I are going to inspect the damage on your car. I’ll need your keys.”
Reid nods emptily, detaching his car keys from the rest of the lanyard and tossing them. Tucking them into his suit pocket, Mr. Beckett steps toward Daniel and me, Evelyn in tow. He extends his hand again.
“A pleasure to see you both again, Watsons. I’m sorry to hear about your mother. Please send my regards to your father. It’s been some time since we’ve last spoken,” he states. He looks at his son, shooting him a stern look. “I’ll meet you in your room in an hour.”
Leaving no time for Reid to respond, his father and Evelyn head toward the student parking lot. I’m now left with two clearly irritated boys and no idea where to start. Considering this may be my only opportunity today, I start with Daniel.
I turn my brother around, bending down so we’re at the same eye level. I rub his flushed cheeks, scanning his face for any injury or signs of distress. From the corner of my eye, I can see Reid begin to walk away, but I point a single finger at him, not even turning my head to look.
“Do not move,” I warn him, my free hand pushing Daniel’s hair back out of his eyes. He squirms under my touch, a childish whine leaving his mouth. Reid pauses, not choosing to argue. I’m sure he’s rolling his eyes. I don’t bother confirming. I don’t care if he is.
“Lake, I’m fine,” Daniel mumbles.
“I’ll determine that myself, thank you.” I look him over, twirling him around a few times to make sure he is, in fact, okay. “You and I need to talk about how things will happen from now on. I’m not dealing with the sneaking around, Daniel. I know about the—” My brother places a hand over my mouth, shushing me. I swat it away.
“I know. I’m sorry. Can we please talk about this later?” he asks nervously.
“Why? What are they doing to you, Daniel?”
“The headmaster knows something about Mom and Dad.” His tone is hushed, so low I can barely hear him, but the words hit me like bricks.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know yet. Please…I just need more time. This is what I’m meant to do.”
My brother’s words are sincere, and he sounds like himself for the first time in over a week. Less robotic…less….like them. Still, his statement is worrisome. Meant to do…what does that even mean?
“You’re okay?” I ask quietly.
Daniel nods, determination in his eyes. “I promise. I need you to trust me.”
My father told me I needed to trust my brother, and I didn’t understand why until now. Daniel knows what he's doing. I just wish I knew what that entailed.
I pull him in for a hug. I kiss the top of his head, rubbing his back with my hand. My heart hurts for him. He’s too young to be doing this…whatever this is. I’m terrified for him. I’m terrified for us.
“Please don’t lift any more trees. You’re going to give your sister a heart attack,” I say with a small laugh.
“I’ll try not to.” His words are muffled, his face pressed against my middle.
I wish more than anything to keep him here with me, to shelter him from whatever it is that’s forced us into this discourse. But I can’t. I have to let him go.
“I’m still in charge of you. Go to your room and rest. I’ll see you at the carnival tonight.”
My brother deserves a night of fun. A night of being a normal child.
He pulls out of the hug with a grin that eases some of my anxiety. With a nod, he waves at Reid before running off. Reid nods at him as he passes.
“You were supposed to stay out of trouble,” he says when my brother is gone, clearly unamused.
Hi to you, too.
“My brother had a tree in the air; what did you want me to do? Ignore it?” I argue. “I didn’t plan on all of you coming out here. I didn’t want the audience.”
