The Reckoning

Thirty-two

I RETREATED TO MY room at nine. Tori was there, engrossed in The Count of Monte Cristo. She didn’t do more than wave until she finished her chapter. We talked for a while. Nothing important. Just talk, struggling to stay calm as we prayed for time to speed up. We were almost there, though. Just a few more hours…

Derek said Andrew never went to bed before midnight. If we wanted to get him after he was sound asleep, that meant waiting until two.

To my surprise, I fell asleep, so soundly that I didn’t hear the alarm on the watch Derek had given me earlier. I woke to Tori shaking me with one hand, while trying to shut off the alarm with the other.

I yawned and blinked hard.

“Running away after you’ve barely slept in a week isn’t a great idea,” she said. “Luckily, I anticipated this.”

She popped open a can of Coke and handed it to me.

“Not as good as coffee,” she said. “But I bet you don’t drink coffee, do you?”

I shook my head as I gulped it.

“Kids,” she said, rolling her eyes.

The door flew open, Simon rushing in.

“Excuse me?” Tori said.

“It’s Derek,” he said to me. “I can’t wake him up.”

We ran from the room. Derek was still in his bed, sprawled, the sheets draped onto the floor. He lay on his stomach wearing only his boxers.

I shook his shoulder. My fingers were cool from the soda can, but he still didn’t move.

“He’s breathing,” Simon whispered. “He just won’t wake up.”

Tori walked toward the bed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her give Derek a once-over.

“You know, from this angle, he doesn’t look too bad,” she said.

I glared at her.

“I’m just saying…”

I leaned over Derek, calling him as loudly as I dared.

“Personally, I’m more a running back girl myself,” Tori said. “But if you like the linebacker type, he’s-”

My glower shut her up.

“You’re in my light,” I said, waving her aside.

“Do you know first aid, Chloe?”

I shook my head.

“Then you’re in my light. Scoot.”

I let her through. She checked Derek’s pulse and his breathing, saying both seemed okay, then leaned down to his face.

“Nothing weird on his breath. Smells…like toothpaste.”

Derek’s eyes opened, and the first thing he saw was Tori’s face inches from his. He jumped and let out an oath. Simon cracked up. I madly motioned for him to be quiet.

“Are you okay?” I asked Derek.

“He is now,” Simon said. “After Tori jump-started his heart.”

“We couldn’t wake you up,” I said. “Tori was making sure you were okay.”

He kept blinking, disoriented.

“I have a Coke in my-” I began.

“I’ll grab it,” Tori said.

I turned back to Derek. He was still blinking.

“Derek?”

“Yeah.” He mumbled, like he was talking through marbles, then made a face and cleared his throat.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

“Tired. Must have been sleeping hard.”

“Like a rock,” Simon said.

“Do you feel groggy?” I asked.

“Yeah.” He made a face again. “What’d I eat last night?”

A chill ran through me. “Does your mouth feel fuzzy?”

“Yeah.” He swore and pushed himself up.

I grabbed the Coke from Tori as she came back. “He’s been drugged.”

“Drugged?” Simon paused only a second, then said, “Andrew.”

“I’ll grab our bags,” Tori said. We’d taken them to our rooms last night, worrying they’d be found in the closet downstairs.

I got Derek’s as he chugged the rest of the Coke.

“Andrew brought us sodas last night, before bed,” Simon said as he took his bag.

“And he said which one was Derek’s?”

“He didn’t need to. Mine’s always diet.”

I looked at Derek as he wiped his hand over his mouth. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah. Just let me get dressed.”

Why would Andrew drug Derek? Were they coming for him tonight? Or had our paranoia been well placed and the group knew exactly what we were up to? Either way, our best fighter was out of commission.

“I’ll stay with Derek,” I said. “Simon, can you cover Tori and get to Andrew’s room?”

He glanced at Derek for confirmation. Derek blinked hard, focusing, then managed a slurred, “Yeah. Do that.”

“But be careful,” I said. “There’s a good chance Andrew’s not in his bed.”

They came back ten minutes later.

“He’s not here,” Simon whispered.

“What?”

“There’s no sign of him anywhere,” Tori said. “The truck’s outside, but there aren’t any lights on in the house.”

“And his shoes are gone,” Simon said.

“Meeting someone,” I whispered. “Someone must be here to take Derek, and Andrew’s outside with him, trying to figure out how to do this.”

“Or he’s been taken,” Tori said.

Derek rubbed his face, then gave his head a sharp shake. “Forget Andrew. Let’s just go and be careful.”

Simon threw Derek’s arm over his shoulders, despite his brother’s protests. I carried Derek’s bag as well as my own; Tori had Simon’s.

We peered down the dark hall. Derek sniffed. The last trace of Andrew was old, meaning he hadn’t come upstairs since delivering the sodas. Derek stood at the top of the main staircase and listened, then shook his head. No sounds from below.

We headed for the stairs at the back of the house, the narrow ones we’d found earlier, probably for servants once upon a time. It was one area Tori hadn’t cleaned-nor had anyone in years, apparently, and I had to cover my nose and mouth so dust didn’t set me sneezing.

When we reached the bottom, I was in the lead, Tori right behind me, and Simon helping Derek at the rear. The stairs ended at a door. I turned the knob slowly, trying to be quiet. It twisted partway, then stopped. I pushed. The door didn’t budge.

Tori shouldered past me and tried. “Locked,” she whispered. “I thought you guys-”

“Checked all the doors last night,” Simon said. “We did. It was open.”

“Move,” Derek mumbled, his voice still thick.

We squeezed aside. He wrenched the knob and the lock snapped, making me wince at the noise.

The stairs opened into a dark, low ceilinged room. An old pantry or something. Tori flicked on her flashlight. The room was filthy and empty-another reason no one used these stairs. This time, she was first to the door. I knew what she’d find even before she announced it.

“Locked.”

“Seriously?” Simon whispered.

Derek strode past, awake now. He twisted the knob and, again, the lock snapped. He yanked the door. It didn’t budge. He pulled harder, making the hinges groan.

“It’s spell-locked,” said a voice behind us.

We turned as Andrew stepped through the stairwell doorway. Simon’s fingers flew up for a knock-back spell. Derek wheeled to charge. Andrew swung his hand toward me. Sparks flew from his fingers. Simon and Derek both stopped.

Andrew gave a wry smile. “I thought that might work. Simon, you know how this goes. I’ve got a spell all set to launch. It only takes a word to finish it.”

“Wh-what kind of spell?” I whispered, hypnotized by those sparks jumping at me.

“Lethal,” Andrew said.

Derek growled. A real growl, so wolflike it made the hair stand up on my neck.

Off to the side, Tori mouthed something at me. I couldn’t make it out, but guessed she was warning me she was going to cast.

“No,” Derek said, the word still almost a growl. His gaze was fixed on Andrew, and I thought he was talking to him, but then his eyes slid Tori’s way. “No.”

“Listen to Derek,” Andrew said. “If he thought there was any way of getting to me before I launched this spell, he’d do it himself. Tori, move in front of me, please, so I can see your lips. Simon, sit on your hands. Derek?”

I glanced over at Derek. His gaze was riveted on Andrew, eyes blazing, the muscles in his jaw taut. Andrew said his name again, but he didn’t seem to hear, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

“Derek,” Andrew said, sharper.

“What?” Another growl passing as a word.

Andrew flinched, then caught himself and squared his shoulders. “Turn around.”

“No.”

“Derek.”

Derek only glowered. Then he tilted his head and I couldn’t see his expression, but something in it made Andrew draw back, just a little. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He tried to straighten again, tried to meet Derek’s gaze, but couldn’t quite manage it. His fingers flexed, sparks jumping as they faced off.

“Derek?” I whispered. “Please. Don’t do this.”

He started at the sound of my voice, breaking eye contact with Andrew, and the second he did, his expression changed, the wolf drawing back, Derek returning.

“Do as he says,” I said. “Please.”

He nodded and slowly turned to face the wall.

“Thank you,” Andrew said. “I’d hoped to avoid this, but I guess I underestimated the dose. I don’t want to hurt you, Derek. That’s why I knocked you out. I don’t want to hurt any of you. I’m here to protect you. I always have been.”

Simon snorted. “Yeah, sure you don’t want to hurt Derek. You asked those werewolves to kill him painlessly, right?”

“I didn’t try to kill Derek.”

“No, you hired someone to do it. You’re too big a coward to look him in the face and pull the trigger. Or maybe it was the mess you were worried about. I know how much you like your clothes. Bloodstains are such a bitch to get out.”

“I didn’t-”

“We found the emails!” Simon jumped to his feet, then at a look from Derek, stopped and lowered himself to the floor again. “We know you were in on it.”

“Yes, I was in on the plan to hand Derek over to the Pack. That’s what you found, isn’t it? Nothing about me giving them permission to kill him. That was entirely Russell’s doing. Our plan was to turn him over to the Pack. Tomas and I learned everything we could about them until we were satisfied they wouldn’t kill a sixteen-year-old werewolf. They’re like any other organized group of supernaturals-a place for their race to learn how to control their powers and live in the human world. A place where they can be with their own kind.”

I looked over at Derek, bracing myself to see a glimmer that said that’s what he wanted. But he only stared at the wall, his gaze empty, emotionless.

“That’s what I think is best for you, Derek,” Andrew said. “Werewolves belong with werewolves.”

“And sons belong with fathers,” I said quietly.

Andrew stiffened. His gaze shot to mine, wary.

“We found those emails, too,” I said. “You kept their dad away from them.”

A pause. Then, “Yes, I did. And there’s a reason.”

“Sure there is,” Simon said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Let me guess. Our dad is really an evil Cabal sorcerer. Or an Edison Group double agent. Take your pick. He’s a bad, bad guy who’d kill us if he got the chance.”

“No, Simon,” Andrew said, his voice softening. “Your dad is the best father I know. He gave up everything-his career, his friends, his life-to go on the run to protect you. He refused to join our group because it could endanger you. His priority is you two, not taking down the Edison Group. He would never let me take you back to that lab to help stop them. If I called, he’d take you-all four of you-and run. He’ll tell me to stop the Edison Group without you.”

“Not a bad idea,” Tori said.

Andrew shook his head. “If Kit takes you kids, then you’re safe. If you’re safe, then my people have no motivation to disband the Edison Group. I’ve been trying to convince them to do this for years, and now they’re ready to act, but only if there’s an immediate threat. If you’re gone, they’ll return to monitoring. And that’s if they decide to let you go with him.”

“Why wouldn’t they?” Simon said. “Takes us off their hands.”

“For many of them, that’s the least of their worries, falling far behind their concern over the threat you pose to the supernatural world at large. If your dad comes…” He shifted, hand flexing, the spell wavering for a split second before surging again. “I hope that Russell acted alone when he told those werewolves to kill Derek and Chloe, but honestly…I don’t know.”

“Nice friends you’ve got there.”

“Yes, some of them are my friends, Simon, but most are like other members of a club. We share one interest, nothing more. That interest is protecting our world. For me, that means shutting down the Edison Group. For some of them-”

“It means shutting down us,” I murmured.

“Don’t listen to him, Chloe,” Simon said. “He’s a liar and a traitor. If these people are so worried about us, why are they leaving us alone with just you to watch us?”

“They aren’t. That’s why I had to stop you before you set foot out that door.”

Simon laughed. It wasn’t a nice laugh. “Right, because they’re lurking in the dark, waiting to slam us with energy-bolt spells. No, wait, that’s you, isn’t it?”

Andrew lowered his fingers just a fraction, like he wanted to retract the threat. “Yes, they’re there, Simon. Not right outside the door, but close enough, guarding the escape routes. Because that’s exactly what they fear most. That you’ll escape. That you’ll run to humans and expose us. Or you’ll lose control and expose us. You ran from Lyle House and you ran from the Edison Group. What’s the first thing you’ll do if you get a whiff of trouble? You’ll run and-”

Derek lunged. He hit me in the shoulder and knocked me to the floor, landing on top of me. His body jerked, like he’d been hit with the spell, and I let out a yelp, struggling to get up, but he held me down, whispering, “I’m okay. It’s okay,” until the words finally penetrated.

I lifted my head to see Andrew caught in a binding spell as Simon hurtled to his feet. Simon tackled him and wrenched his hands behind his back. Derek got up to help. He pinned Andrew.

“Y-you’re okay? He didn’t hit you with a spell?” I said, walking over, knees wobbly.

“Yeah, he did.”

Andrew lifted his head. “And, as you can see, it was the nonlethal energy bolt. I said I don’t want to hurt you, Derek. I wouldn’t have hurt Chloe, either. I only needed you to listen to me.”

“We listened,” Derek said. “Simon? I think I saw rope in the workshop. Chloe? Stay here. Tori? Cover Simon, in case there’s anyone else in the house.”