CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Visitor

Waves of sickening unease spread through my gut as Valex cut the cake. I forced a smile as Len handed me a plate with a huge piece of cake and a spork. They were trying so hard to make me feel included. I couldn’t let them know how much their gift upset me. They hadn’t meant to scare me, only to show me our connection through time.

Pell nestled up close to me on the couch, her little knee pushing into my thigh, and Rainy sat on my other side, pulling out her mouthpiece to bite into a piece of cake. I couldn’t ruin Pell’s birthday party over something that happened hundreds of years ago.

“Try some cake, Jennifer.” Pell had already smudged pink frosting all over her cheeks, and there was a giant glob on her nose.

My stomach flipped as I brought a small sporkful up to my mouth. No matter what I did today, I couldn’t fix whatever had happened. That didn’t stop me from itching to run to my miniscreen in my room and scour the archives to dig up information. I’d told myself I wouldn’t watch the rest of the discs.

The too-sweet, artificial taste of strawberries sickened my stomach. Had my parents been murdered, or even assassinated? I shoved down the thought as I swallowed.

The worst part was I blamed myself. Somehow, I thought, if I had been awake, I could have prevented their untimely deaths by altering the course of time. The thought was so ridiculous, yet I hung onto it, imagining myself traveling back in time to push them away from a crazed gunman’s rifle or a terrorist’s bomb.

After I managed to shove down most of the soycake, someone buzzed the door.

Rainy jumped up and shook her head. Pell shouted. “Awww, not yet. We’ve just started.”

Len put a gentle hand on Pell’s shoulder. “You know Rainy can’t stay out long. The oxygen tank needs to be refilled every few hours.”

The doors parted and Maxim stood in my living room, staring at me wearing my polka-dotted party hat, with a sporkful of pink cake hanging in front of my mouth. If I wasn’t so freaked out about my parents, I would have been mortified.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Streetwater, Rainy, Pell…” His voice changed on my name, growing deeper. “Jenny.”

“Fifteen more minutes.” Pell tugged on Len’s silver tunic. “Just one more round of Pixie Swap.”

Len gave Maxim a questioning look and he nodded. “I’m in no rush. Go ahead.”

“Yay!” Pell jumped up and down and cake crumbs flew all over the floor. C-7 had his work cut out for him tomorrow.

Maxim rounded the couch and sat next to me. Len handed him a piece of cake. “Thanks for staying awhile.”

“No problem. Thanks for the cake.” Maxim dove right in as if he hadn’t eaten all day. He watched his sister and smiled. Unconditional love filled his eyes, and I wanted both of them to be safe in their high-rise forever.

Len and Valex retreated to the kitchen to help C-7 clean up, leaving me alone with Maxim as Pell and Rainy played Pixie Swap on the floor in front of the wallscreen.

Maxim gave me a tentative smile. “I didn’t know it was your birthday, too.”

I shrugged, my emotions spiking and falling like tidal waves. “Knowing how old I really am, I tried to keep it under wraps.” I’d give the Crypt Keeper a run for his money.

“If I’d known, I would’ve brought you something.”

“You can’t give me what I really want.” My breath caught as I choked on a piece of cake. Did I really just say that out loud?

Maxim’s eyebrows shot up. I’d stunned him into silence. He turned away, his shoulders slumping and his dark hair falling in his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me today. Everything was going well. Valex and Len gave me this family album, which is more than sweet.”

He swallowed hard and put his plate down on the arm of the couch. In front of us, Pell and Rainy cried out in triumph. His eyes met mine. “So what’s wrong, Jenny?”

I felt I could tell him anything, and I needed someone to talk to. Valex and Len would only feel bad that their present had stirred up the past. Maxim had been my confidant all along. I could trust him.

I flicked my gaze over to the kitchen. How long did we have? Our conversations always seemed stolen, rushed into the cracks of life. Dishes clanged as C-7 loaded the tray and Valex and Len talked loudly about how successful the party was. Pell sang the winning-pixie tune, so they couldn’t hear me even if I shouted. I had a few minutes, at most.

Leaning in close to Maxim, I whispered, “I found my parent’s dates in the book. When they were born…and when…” I squeezed my eyes shut as if I could block it out. “When they died.”

“That’s awful.” Maxim put his hand on my arm and shook his head. “You shouldn’t have to see that.” He cast a glance over his shoulder. “What were they thinking?”

“They only wanted to help, to show me we were connected in some way. It’s not their fault.”

“I’m sorry.” He squeezed my arm with his rough, callused hands. “I wish you hadn’t seen that on your birthday.”

“It gets worse.” I breathed in deeply. “My parents died in the same year, only five years after I was frozen.”

“What happened?”

I shook my head. “The album doesn’t say.”

Maxim pursed his lips. He studied me with a solemn hesitation in his eyes. “Do you really want to know?”

Biting my lip, I nodded. “It’s the only way I can find closure. I need to know what happened.”

“Then we’ll scour the archives, look for anything—”

I caught Maxim’s hand, interrupting him. “I have a better way.”