Watching the boat disappear across the lake was painful. I’d promised Casey I’d always be there for her, and yet somehow here I was sending her away to face who knew what all alone. It took every ounce of strength I had to let her go. Casey needed help, and unfortunately I wasn’t the one who could give it to her.
“Depressing, huh?”
I spun around coming face to face with Hailey. “Very, but what are you doing here?”
“Georgina suggested I head this way.” She stuffed her hands in the back pockets of her jean shorts. “How is she?”
“She’s freaked out, overwhelmed, but unbelievably brave.”
“Sounds about right.”
“How did Georgina know where we were?”
“What doesn’t Georgina know? She’s already pacing the floors waiting for you guys.”
“I bet. We probably should have told her everything—”
“She already knows.”
“Really?” I’d assumed she did, but if she was openly telling Hailey… well, then she really knew.
“Uh huh. She figured it out.”
“Is she pissed?”
“That you guys didn’t tell her?” She sat down on a rock.
I sat down beside her. I wasn’t tired, but standing was getting old. “Yeah.”
“No. She thinks it’s a sign of your protective instinct.”
“That I know I have.”
“So what now? What are your plans while you wait?”
“Plans? You mean other than staring at the water?”
“Yes.” She tossed a small stone into the lake. “I mean you can’t stay here for days.”
“You think this is going to take days?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
“You want me to do something.” I turned to look at her. “Just spit it out.”
“I’m worried.”
“About?”
“Allie.”
“Why? I’m sure she’s having a good time with Levi.” I really was happy for them. I had Casey. I was completely over Allie.
“A good time?” Hailey raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, you’d think, but I have a bad feeling.”
“A bad feeling how?” My stomach turned. Hailey didn’t strike me as the type to make something out of nothing. She also wouldn’t have come to me unless she really felt she needed help. We barely knew each other, and I represented a rival family to the one she’d spend her whole life loyal to.
“I don’t know. She’s my best friend, and something feels off.”
“But you don’t know how to find them, do you?” From what I understood only Jared knew.
“No. But I wish I did.” She buried her face in her hands. “Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m usually right about these things.”
“Do you think Levi told anyone else? Wouldn’t he have told Owen?” Her brother was Levi’s chief advisor. One would think he’d have been in the know.
“Owen’s claiming he didn’t.”
“Did you tell your brother your concerns?” Maybe Owen was just keeping quiet out of loyalty to Levi. I’m sure if he did know he’d been sworn to secrecy. Just as Jared was.
“Yes, and he told me Jared would be back soon. Why he has so much faith in Jared I don’t know.”
“If Jared’s not back soon, it might also mean Vera won’t be. That’s going to be a problem too.”
“Casey’s real close to her, huh?”
“Yes, and the two have a lot to talk about.”
“What’s really going on with Casey? Georgina only said ‘something was off’ and she’s looking for her mom’s family.”
“That’s pretty much it.” Hmm. I wondered how much Georgina had told her.
“But what does off mean?”
“Weird dreams, sleeping a lot.”
“Do you know what they did to her?” Hailey never beat around the bush. “Georgina said something about a weird kind of magic that works on Pterons. Do you know anything else?”
“We have no clue, but something happened. I certainly wouldn’t have sent her over there if I wasn’t sure of that.” I gestured toward the water. The boat had completely disappeared, and with my eyesight, that meant it was really far off.
“Where exactly is the cave where they held her?”
“Oh no.” I shook my head. “You’re not going there.”
“Why not? We need to find Jared and Vera. I get that you have to stay here for Casey, but I don’t.”
“I can’t let you do that alone.”
“Why? Because I’m a girl?” She stood up, looking down on me.
“We all know how strong you are. That’s not it.”
“Then what is it?”
“Jared’s strong too. Arguably one of the strongest.” It took a lot to admit that, but it was true. “If he’s in trouble, do you really think you can handle it?”
“How great would it be if I saved him?” She grinned. “It would be legendary.”
I had to smile at her excitement. I understood what it was like when people didn’t take you seriously. When they doubted your abilities. But that didn’t mean you could be stupid about proving yourself. “And ridiculously hard. You realize that.”
“Yes. I do.”
I looked back out at the water. “I can’t let you go alone.”
“Why don’t you leave someone here then? Someone you trust.”
I’d promised Casey I’d stay close. I couldn’t leave. She’d understand that I wanted to help find Vera, but what if she needed me? What If she got in trouble? “Let me make a call.”
“To who?” Hailey started pacing. She was so excitable.
“Just give me a sec.”
I dialed the new number Eric had given me. The one that was supposedly not tapped.
“Toby?” Eric answered on the first ring. “Is she okay?”
“I think so.”
“What do you mean by that?” He yelled loud enough that I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “She isn’t with you?”
“They wouldn’t let me go with her.”
“So? You’re a Pteron. Since when do you listen to what anyone tells you to do?”
“Casey needed this. I couldn’t mess up her chance.” I appreciated Eric’s concern, but he needed to calm down. I was already plenty worried about Casey without him making it worse.
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Where are you?” I might as well cut right to the chase. “Did you find them?”
“I got detained, but it’s all okay.”
“Detained?”
“Ran into some old friends.”
Old friends that weren’t really friends was never a good thing. “Okay… are things cool now?”
“Yes. It just slowed me down. Why? You’re not leaving her to come.”
“No. Of course not.”
“Then what do you want?” His voice relaxed slightly. Had he really worried about me ditching her?
I stamped down my growing annoyance. I needed to get to the point and get off the phone. “Do you want some help?”
“What kind of help?” he asked suspiciously.
“A kick ass Pteron.”
Hailey grinned. Everyone needed their ego stroked once in a while.
“Depends. Who is it?” The suspicion was still there.
“She’s the head advisor to the queen.”
“Hailey? I haven’t met her, but I’ve heard she’s hot.”
Hailey could hear every word and grinned even bigger. I grinned back. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t tell her that’s her reputation. She’s pretty tough.”
“Sure. But that’s fine. Give her this number and we’ll meet up.”
“Nice.” I hung up and turned to Hailey. “Ok working with a bear?”
“One that’s heard of me? Sure.” She pulled my phone from me and typed his number into her phone. “Call me as soon as you hear from Casey.”
“Same to you on Vera and Jared.”
“This is all insane, isn’t it?”
“Says the one who grew up in The Society world.”
She laughed. “It isn’t as much of an advantage as you’d think.”
“I never said it was an advantage, just that none of this should be as surprising to you.”
She shrugged. “Try to relax a little. She’ll be okay. Casey is insanely strong.”
“I know.” Casey never ceased to impress me with her strength.
Hailey shook her head. “I don’t want any details.”
“I wasn’t talking in that way, but you need to go anyway.”
She turned to leave.
“Hailey?”
She turned back. “Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
“Getting sentimental?”
“Just learning that nothing is as easy as it sounds.” And you never knew when you’d seen someone again.
“And this sounds easy?”
“Not at all, which just makes it that much worse.”
She laughed. “You be careful too.”
“I will. I mean sitting on a rock is difficult work.” I laughed. “I just hope she gets back soon.”
“She will.”
“Do you really think so?”
“No, but that seemed like the more socially acceptable answer.”
I laughed again even though the reality of her words were anything but funny. “See you around.”
“Around? Sure.” Hailey took off; disappearing into the sky like Casey’s boat had disappeared across the water.