Twenty-Three
Harley
“Have you ever gotten a visit from two people with the last name Ryder? Or any… I don’t know, wonky social workers, maybe?” I asked Jacob, mentally crossing my fingers for a no.
“No. Just the usual social workers I’ve known for years. They come around once a month to check up on me, but they’re good people,” Jacob replied.
I nodded slowly, breathing a sigh of relief at the same time. At least he was safe, for the time being, still undetected. Maybe that’s why the Ryders hadn’t found him. Yet. Besides, since Jacob was a part of my foster family, they would’ve definitely left a clue or something behind, just to mess with me and the coven, based on their behavioral pattern.
“So, you knew what I was from the moment we met,” I said to Jacob as we played another round of cards in the garden. The sun had already set, and we’d been at it for a few hours. Dinner was going to be served soon. I could already smell the lasagna that Mrs. Smith was cooking in the oven.
“Yeah… I just… I don’t want anyone to know I can do this kind of stuff,” he replied. “The Smiths are so nice. I don’t want to lose them.”
“You know what you are, then. You know about Chaos, the coven, all of us.”
We’d kept the conversation away from him for a while, as I told him my life story, from the very beginning that I could remember—foster care, and up to the present, describing my trials and tribulations, as well as my own experiences with the coven, Finch, and Katherine Shipton.
He nodded again. “I learned from the witches and warlocks I came across. Most of them rogues in small California towns. This is my first stable home in San Diego.”
“What happened to your previous foster family?” I asked. “I heard there was a death involved.”
He sighed, lowering his head. “I wasn’t in full control of my abilities. My foster mom came in at the wrong time and… she died.”
His grief and guilt tore me apart. I gave him a gentle shoulder squeeze, in an attempt to comfort him. I wanted more details, but he didn’t seem ready to give them.
“And you’ve got a grip on your magic now?” I asked.
“It’s better than before, I guess.”
“And you never thought of coming to the coven? Dude, they could give you a safe home. They could teach you stuff.”
Jacob shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t heard great things about the San Diego Coven. It’s why there are a lot of rogues in this city.”
Given his ability to sense them, Jacob could spot the ones that the coven had been unable to identify yet. Maybe he was better off with the coven, after all. He could help us reach out to unidentified magicals, so other hostiles wouldn’t reel them in first. The one thing I knew for sure was that having too many rogue magicals on the loose didn’t bode well for us, not even if they were on their best behavior.
We had to keep track of who came, who left, and who stayed, especially with the likes of Katherine Shipton and the Ryder twins in town.
“You should think about it,” I said.
“Don’t tell on me, please!” he replied, slightly alarmed. He was afraid, but I still wasn’t sure of what, exactly. The kind of crippling urgency bursting through him couldn’t possibly all be related to the coven. There had to be something else… something deeper inside him. “I don’t want the coven to know about my ability to sense magicals. I haven’t told anyone about it. I’ve kept it to myself even with other rogues, I promise! I know what my power can do in the wrong hands. It’s why I’m okay with just staying here, in the Smiths’ care.”
“So, you keep your abilities under control, huh?” I asked, my voice low.
He nodded. “I got some tips from several rogues,” he said. “I keep my head down, I don’t hurt anyone, I don’t look for trouble, and I go to school. I swear.”
“Okay, I believe you,” I replied, smiling softly. “The secret about controlling your powers is to focus on what you want from them. Determination, Jake. You tell them what to do, not the other way around. They’re a part of you. You’re not a part of them. If you set your mind on that, you’ll always have a better grip.”
“Thanks,” he murmured, returning a faint smile.
I breathed out, partially relieved for having had this conversation, but something still weighed on me.
I knew I had unfinished business back at the coven. Today’s events were coming back to haunt me. Not just the guilt over what had happened to the Cranstons, but also the heartache stemming from Wade’s anger. He had every reason to be mad at me. After all, I’d been the one to push for Micah to stay with his human foster parents. Those alarms and traps we’d set hadn’t prevented the Ryders from killing them. Neither had Santana’s Orisha. I had my own demons to wrestle now.
I rose to my feet and let out a long sigh. It was time to go back and face the music. “Listen, Jake, I have to go, but I’ll be in touch. Here’s my number,” I said, giving him one of my cards. “Call me if you need anything, if you get into any kind of trouble… whatever. Just call me, okay?”
“Yeah, thanks,” he mumbled.
“I won’t tell the coven about you, but I need you to watch yourself and take care of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, too, okay? They’re human. They don’t know any better. And stay away from the Ryder twins, if, by any rotten chance, they come around.”
“The Ryder twins,” he repeated after me, his voice faded.
My stomach hurt. It wasn’t hunger. It was stress, along with the dread of losing another life today. “They’re bad people, Jake. I think they’re working with Katherine Shipton.”
“Oh, your aunt.”
I groaned, rolling my eyes. “Yeah, crappy family. Not my fault,” I replied. “Either way, if they come around… If anyone magical comes around, claiming to be from the coven or the Mage Council or whatever, you call me immediately. No matter what. Your life depends on it. And so do the Smiths’.”
He nodded again.
“Thank you, Harley,” he said. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m not sure that’s such a good thing, given what’s been happening lately,” I murmured, sighing. “Be good, Jake. Keep your nose clean.”
He smiled, and I gave him a forced one back, as he resumed work on his pet feeder. I then went back inside, a weight still keeping my shoulders down. Mrs. Smith was just about to pull the lasagna out of the oven.
“I have to skip dinner, I’m afraid,” I said to her. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, sweetie, that’s a shame!” she replied. “It’s going to be delicious. I added fresh parsley from the garden.”
“I have to meet some friends tonight, and I completely forgot. Next time, I promise!”
She moved around the counter island and pulled me in for a hug. “That’s okay, Harley. I’m glad you’re coming by more often, and thank you for spending time with Jacob.”
“It’s my pleasure,” I breathed, tears stinging my eyes as I reveled in her warmth. “For what it’s worth, Jacob’s a good kid. He keeps his head down. But if there’s ever anything wrong or if you’re worried about him, please call me immediately. Okay?”
She smiled and nodded, then kissed my temple.
“I’ll see you soon, honey,” she said.
Once I left the Smiths’ house, my heart sank further. As soon as I detached myself from their loving and jovial presence, reality came crashing down on me completely. My phone beeped. I checked the message. It was from Astrid, and it made me want to die right then and there. Two other magicals were missing, and another couple of foster parents had been murdered, just like the Cranstons.
Whatever the Ryder twins were up to, it was escalating, and I was afraid we couldn’t keep up.
I headed to the nearest bus stop, a couple of blocks away. It was on a street corner, dimly lit and empty. There were barely any souls outside after dark. This was mostly a residential area. Anything that wasn’t directly connected to the main boulevard looked practically abandoned after nine p.m. I loved this place at night, and I’d often gone on walks throughout the neighborhood before I moved out.
I reached the bus stop and checked the schedule. The next ride was coming in fifteen minutes. I had time to kill, so I decided to text Wade, just to see if his mood had improved.
On my way back. Need anything? HM. I always signed my texts like he did, just to mess with him.
But his reply was swift and sharp, and it hurt me deeply.
No. I briefed Alton. We’ll talk in the morning. WC
Even his signature wasn’t enough to lift my spirits.
I sensed a foreign feeling creep into my consciousness, and I lowered my phone, wondering where it was coming from. Concern… mixed with affection. Intriguing and confusing, to say the least. I stepped away from the bus stop shelter and moved toward the street corner, glancing around. There wasn’t anyone out here. Streetlights flickered on along the sides of the street as nightfall finally settled.
Then I caught movement to my right. I turned my head and spotted two figures slowly moving toward me, from the other end of the alley leading to the main bus route. But there weren’t any emotions coming from them.
That set off my alarms instantly.
Male and female.
They were dressed in black, wearing hoodies beneath their leather jackets. Something glistened in their right hands. I noticed the Esprits before I could see their faces. The alley was dimly lit.
My instincts kicked in.
I had a feeling I knew who they were. And it spelled massive trouble for me.
The moment I could see their cold grins, however, I knew for sure. These were the Ryder twins—wearing two of their known faces, with deep blue eyes and pale blond hair. The vicious glow in their eyes was what truly gave them away. They knew who I was. The fact that I couldn’t sense their emotions was further cause for alarm. It was also setting up a strange pattern, but I didn’t have time to think about that anymore.