After enjoying some Chinese take-out and watching several rounds of the guys challenging each other to see who could take apart their guns and put them back together the fastest, I excused myself from the room to head upstairs.
Of course I made it sound like I was tired and ready for bed, but as soon as I was alone I pulled out my phone to text Heather. I figured I should at least find out if she was free to come meet me before I took the risk in sneaking out.
A sudden tap on the door caused me to jump and shove my phone in my pocket just as I hit send.
Rayne’s face appeared through the doorway. “Hey,” he said. “Are you planning to look for Voss again?”
I glanced to the side. “Um, yeah.”
He closed the door quietly behind him. “I figured that’s why you snuck off to be alone. Mind if I watch? Maybe I could help you figure out where he is.”
I forced a smile. “Sure,” I said. “I would love your help. Um... I just need to use the bathroom real quick.”
I hurried across the room. “I’ll just be a second,” I told him, and then I shut the bathroom door.
When I pulled out my phone I saw that there was already a text response from Heather.
“Are you seriously here??!!!!” the text said. “Where are you? I have to come see you!”
“I can’t meet right this second,” I wrote back. “I’m kind of in the middle of something. But hopefully I can get away some time tonight. I’ll let you know.”
“I’m so excited!” Heather wrote. “Let me know as soon as you can.”
“I will,” I replied. “Talk to you soon!”
I made sure my phone was on silent and hid it back in my pocket.
“Okay, sorry,” I said as I came back into the bedroom.
Rayne was waiting patiently in the chair next to the bed. “No worries,” he said.
Even though I was excited to try to see Heather, I knew that finding Voss was a top priority. I took my place on the bed, trying to get myself focused again.
Rayne reached over and squeezed my hand. “Take your time,” he said. “There’s no rush.”
I nodded and took in a few deep breaths. Then, I closed my eyes and concentrated on Voss.
“He’s sitting in a room,” I said when I got my first glimpse. “I think he’s watching the news. Hold on, I’ll see if I can figure out where he’s at.”
I pushed the vision in my mind outward, moving past the room to the hall. “I think it’s some kind of hotel or apartment,” I explained. “Maybe I can find a name on the building, or a street sign.”
I forced my mind further. Each time I branched out, the effort to hold the vision grew more difficult to hold. I couldn’t quit, though. I had to find Voss. We had to take him down.
The vision became more strained, but I continued to push forward, moving my concentration around through an elegant lobby area lined with glass displays, showcasing jewelry and expensive shoes and Louis Vuitton handbags.
Finally, a silver and gold plaque caught my eye on the wall. The breath caught in my throat. Could it really be that easy? Right there on the plaque was the name Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, A Four Seasons Hotel.
I let the vision disappear as my eyes burst open. “I know where he is,” I exclaimed. “I know where he’s staying.”
I gasped in delight, hardly able to believe it. “He’s at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel... in Beverly Hills... That can’t be more than a thirty minute drive from here.”
I sat up excitedly and scooted off the bed. “We have to do something.”
Rayne stood from his chair. “Are you sure that’s where he is?”
“I’m positive,” I said. I hurried past Rayne out the door, intent on finding Ash.
When I reached the end of the hall I found Ash already coming up the stairs.
“Hey, I need to talk to you,” I whispered. “Come up to my room.”
When Rayne, Ash, and I were all gathered in my room, I wasted no time in explaining what I had learned.
“I know where Voss is,” I said to Ash. “He’s at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.”
Ash didn’t even question the information. “My father loves that hotel,” Ash said in agreement. “Do you know what room he’s staying in?”
I couldn’t believe I had forgotten such an important detail.
“Um, not yet,” I said. “But I should be able to find out pretty easily.”
“Okay, perfect,” Ash replied. “How soon can we head out?”
I glanced at Rayne in hesitation.
“Maybe we should wait until tomorrow,” Rayne said to Ash. “We should go in there with a well-thought-out plan.”
Ash grew tense. I could feel it from his essence. He wanted nothing more than to barge in on his father like a raging bull and tear him to pieces.
“Ash, listen,” I said, “Orion will want an explanation as to where we got this information, and if you remember, I was sort of hoping to avoid giving that to him.”
“Right,” Rayne added. “You should go to your meet tomorrow as planned. Then we can tell Orion that we got the intel from your contact instead of from Sadie.”
Ash peered back at us, not looking convinced.
“I doubt your father will move locations overnight,” Rayne went on. “This way we can go in more prepared. Plus, we’re not just here to find your father, but to make sure he isn’t planning anything detrimental to Banya. Your contact might have the information we need.”
Ash let out an impatient sigh. I looked back at him with pleading eyes.
“Yeah, okay,” Ash finally relented. “I won’t say anything until tomorrow.”
Once Ash left the room I immediately closed my eyes and focused on Voss. I didn’t even bother to lie down. Just as I suspected, he was still lounging in his room—room 1208.
“Okay, I have the room number,” I said to Rayne.
“Already?” he asked in surprise.
I grinned. “Yep. That part was easy.”
Rayne chuckled. “You know you’re amazing, right?” He kissed me and then gave me a warm smile. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay? You should really get some rest.”
I quickly looked away. “Um, yeah. I will.”
I hated keeping things from Rayne, but if I told him I was planning to go see Heather, I knew he would try to stop me.
I gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Have a good night.”
After Rayne left, I didn’t waste any time. I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Heather, telling her I was leaving now but it would take at least an hour to drive from Santa Monica down to Newport Beach.
“Actually, you’re super close,” Heather wrote back. “I’m at my new condo near UCLA! It’s only like, fifteen minutes from Santa Monica.”
I couldn’t believe how perfect it had worked out. I thought I was going to spend half the night just driving back and forth to see her, but Heather was only a short drive away.
I moved quietly to the balcony doors and shut them gently behind me. My nerves started to shake. I had never once needed to sneak out before, and sneaking away from a top-secret mission seemed much more intense than anything I would have ever done back in Newport Beach.
I swallowed and stepped up to the bars at the edge of the balcony. Now that I was actually thinking about jumping off, it looked much higher than I remembered.
I took a deep breath. I was training to be an agent now. That meant I needed to toughen up, to laugh at the possibility of pain. If Violette could climb out the window of our top-floor apartment without a second thought then I could certainly handle a second-story balcony.
I reminded myself that even if I broke my leg I would heal almost instantly, so there was nothing to be afraid of, and then I climbed over the railing and dropped myself to the ground.
My ankle snapped to the side as I hit the pavement. I winced and threw my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound. It would heal in a few seconds. I could handle the pain.
I sat there on the back patio, rubbing my ankle until I could feel the pain lift away. It probably only took thirty seconds for the discomfort to fade, but it felt like forever as my eyes jumped from side to side, searching for any signs of getting caught. If Orion knew what I was up to, he’d probably ship me back to Banya without a second thought.
When I was ready to stand, I brushed myself off quickly and tip-toed to the gate at the side of the yard. I didn’t want to risk trying to get the keys to one of the team’s cars, so I figured I would walk down to the edge of the neighborhood and call for a taxi to come get me.
I only made it half-way down the street when I stopped with a gasp. Right in front of me a figure stepped out from behind a tree, blocking my path. My heart almost jumped out of my throat.
Relief poured through me when I realized it was Rayne.
“Rayne,” I said with a gulp. “What are you doing?”
He folded his arms and peered back at me. “What are you doing?”
My throat went dry. “Uh... I...” was all I could manage to get out.
“You’re going to see Heather, aren’t you,” he accused.
I swallowed. “Maybe...” I looked away and sighed. “How did you know?”
“I know you, Sadie. I could see it in your eyes all night.”
I stared back at him and shook my head, not sure how to respond.
“What were you thinking?” Rayne questioned. “If Orion catches you—”
“I know,” I said, cutting him off. “He could kick me off the mission and send me back to Banya.”
Rayne shook his head. “How were you even planning to get back in your room?”
I threw up my hands. “I don’t know. I would find something to climb or something. I mean, I’m training to be an agent, right? I need to start learning how to do these kind of things.”
“A good agent has a plan,” Rayne said. “And they have a back-up plan for when the first one fails.”
“Well, I’ll figure something out,” I replied in frustration.
Rayne’s essence was tense, but he acted as calm as always. “You should have told me what you were doing. I would have helped you.”
I folded my arms. “You mean you would have tried to talk me out of it.”
“Probably,” he said plainly, “but you can be pretty stubborn. At least if I come with you, you have a chance of making it back in one piece.”
I scoffed. “I’m not a child, Rayne. I don’t need a babysitter. Now if you’ll excuse me, Heather is waiting.” I pushed passed him, ready to get on my way.
“I’m coming with you,” Rayne said to my back. I could feel him following behind. A second later, his hand was on my arm. He pulled me around to face him. “Don’t you trust me?” he said.
I pulled my arm away. “This has nothing to do with trust.”
Rayne’s voice shook. “Jax told me what happened.”
My brow pinched. “What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about,” Rayne accused.
A flash of darkness stabbed through my mind, remembering the man who I blatantly let die.
I pushed past Rayne again. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”
Rayne’s coarse voice followed after me. “But you’ll talk to Jax about it, right? Maybe you should invite him to come with you. I’m sure he would be more than happy to help.”
I stopped and turned. “Seriously? That’s what this is about? You’re jealous of Jax?” I turned in a huff and started to walk faster. “That’s ridiculous,” I called back. “Just go back to the house.”
Rayne jogged up to my side. “Are you sure this is worth the risk?”
“I’ve made up my mind,” I said. “Heather’s waiting for me.”
“Then, how are you planning on getting there?”
I continued to walk. “I’ll just call a cab.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Rayne said. “All these houses have cars in the garages with the keys inside. All you need is the code to get in the door.”
I paused. That plan did sound better, as much as I hated to admit it. I wasn’t even sure I had enough money to pay the taxi driver. I had never actually called a cab before.
“Let me guess,” I said, “you’re not planning to give me the code unless I agree to let you come with me.”
“Just let me help you,” Rayne insisted. “Is that such a terrible thing to ask?”
I rubbed my hand across my forehead. “Fine,” I replied. “Let’s just go.”
I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. I loved Rayne to death, but just once, I wanted to do something on my own.
We walked a little further down the street and went inside one of the houses, using Rayne’s code.
Once we were in the car ready to go, Rayne paused just before turning the key to the ignition. He looked at me directly. “You can’t tell Heather anything, okay? I mean, nothing.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know. I won’t. Come on, let’s just go already.”
Without another word, Rayne turned on the car and drove out to the street. I pulled out my phone to pull up Heather’s new address to get directions. Then, I texted her again and told her we would be there soon, also mentioning that Rayne was coming with me.
The drive was short but it dragged on forever. Neither of us had anything more to say.
When we pulled up to Heather’s off-campus condo, I jumped out of the car, relieved. I couldn’t take the awkward silence any longer. Without waiting to see if Rayne followed, I hurried up to the door to knock.
Within seconds, the door flew open and Heather burst through the doorway to throw her arms around me.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she exclaimed.
“I know,” I said, hugging her back. “It’s so amazing to see you.”
I felt Rayne’s presence walk up beside us. Heather immediately reached over and gave him a hug.
“You guys have to come in and see my place,” she said.
We followed her as she waved her hand inside.
Tracy Wang sat on the couch in the front room next to a really cute guy with his arm wrapped around her.
“Sadie! Oh my gosh,” Tracy said. She jumped up from the couch to give me a hug. “Wow, what have you been up to?”
“Um, just working for my dad,” I replied.
The guy that was with her stood from the couch.
“This is my boyfriend, Tye,” Tracy said.
Once we exchanged pleasantries, Heather gave us a tour of her condo. It wasn’t super big, but it was definitely nice.
Tracy and her boyfriend continued watching TV on the couch.
“Why don’t we go somewhere,” Heather suggested. “It might be easier to talk.”
A moment later, the three of us were driving in Heather’s car. She said she had a favorite little coffee shop where we could go that was right across from campus.
“So, what’s new with you?” I asked her with interest. “How has your summer been?”
“It started out really great,” Heather said. “My family went on this big trip all over Europe.”
As Heather told me about her visit to Rome, Paris, and Amsterdam, I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.
“Wow, that sounds amazing,” I said. “I hope I get to go some day.”
Heather grinned. “You totally have to go. It was so awesome.”
“So, what have you been up to since you got home?”
Heather shrugged. “I don’t know. Not a whole lot. I mean, I was super excited to move into my new condo last month. But since then things have kind of slowed down. I feel like I’m just hanging out waiting for school to start.” Heather took a heavy breath. “But what about you?” she asked. “What’s it like working for your dad?”
I glanced over my shoulder at Rayne, who was sitting in the back seat. He gave me a look that said, remember... don’t tell her a thing...
I glanced back at Heather and shrugged. “Oh, you know... it’s fine. Nothing too exciting.”
“So what do you do, though?” Heather went on. “Aren’t you supposed to be traveling to exotic places all over the world and stuff? I want details.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Oh, you know, I’m still just in training right now. The exciting stuff hasn’t really started yet.”
“Well, where have you guys been living? Are your mom and dad here, too?”
“No, they’re pretty busy with their own stuff, so they couldn’t come. It’s just me.” I hoped Heather didn’t realize that I only answered one of her questions. The best thing to do was change the subject before she could ask me anything else. “So, what classes are you taking when school starts in the fall?” I asked.
Heather pulled the car over to park in front of a row of shops and cafes. “Just generals,” she said. “I still haven’t decided on a major yet.”
When we got out of the car, Rayne and I followed as Heather led the way.
“Wait, so you never answered my question,” Heather said as we walked down the sidewalk. “Where are you guys living while you’re in training for your job?”
My eyes shifted, trying to decide what to say. I knew Heather. I couldn’t just tell her some general half-explanation. She would see right through me. All I could do was just straight-up tell her the truth.
We stopped in front of the door to the coffee shop as she waited for my response. “Actually...” I began, “The truth is... I’m not really allowed to tell you. I’m not allowed to tell you anything at all about the... about the program.”
Heather stared back at me, confused. “Wait, so, you can’t even tell me what city you live in?”
I squinted apologetically. “No... sorry. If I told you, I could get in major trouble. I’m not even supposed to be here right now. I had to sneak out to come see you.”
“Seriously?” Heather said. “You had to sneak out just to talk to me?”
“Pretty much,” I said.
Heather opened the door to the coffee shop. “That stinks. I have so many questions I want to ask.”
As soon as we were in line Heather turned to Rayne. “You work for her dad’s company too, right? So I’m guessing you know everything?”
Rayne hesitated, but still answered. “Um, yeah, I do. Sadie and I live right by each other. We see each other all the time.”
Heather shook her head. “This whole thing just doesn’t make sense. Why would a job be such a big secret?”
Neither Rayne or I answered her. There wasn’t much else we could say.
“Can I at least ask if you like it there?” Heather said. “Do you see your parents a lot?”
“I like it,” I said carefully. I could feel Rayne’s eyes watching me, waiting to intervene if I somehow crossed the line. “The training has been pretty tough,” I continued, “but I’m doing okay. As for my parents... I saw them a lot in the beginning, but now we don’t really get to talk much.”
“Really? That’s too bad,” Heather replied. “I know how much you were looking forward to getting to know your dad better.”
We came to the front of the line and stopped to order drinks. The tables inside were pretty crowded so we made our way outside and sat at a table on the front patio. Despite the late hour, the air was warm with just a hint of a breeze. The street was busy with cars and the campus across the way had a regular passing of college students.
“Looks like there’s a lot going on here,” I said to Heather.
She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.” Then, she looked at me with sad eyes. “It would be so much better if you were here with me. I mean, I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything. I totally get the whole working for your father thing. I just... I just really miss you. It’s not the same here without you.”
I looked down. “Believe me, I miss you too. I can’t tell you how much I wish I could talk to you out there. And now that you’re right here in front of me, I still can’t tell you anything. It’s totally frustrating.”
As we spoke, a group of guys riding skateboards passed by the coffee shop and stopped in front of a stairwell at the building right next to us. They were laughing loudly and joking around, making it more difficult to hear as Heather and I tried to continue our conversation.
“Is Tracy at least a good roommate?” I asked her.
“She’s fine,” Heather said. “We hung out a lot when we first moved in together, which was fun, but now that she has a boyfriend they kind of do their own thing a lot.”
“What about everyone from home?” I said. “Do you ever talk to Nicole or Lindsey or any of those guys?”
Before Heather could answer, a loud series of amused groans came from the guys messing around next door. One of them had just attempted to ride their skateboard down the stair rail and toppled to the ground.
Heather spoke over the noise. “We get together every once in a while, but that’s about it. Everyone’s kind of moving on and doing their own thing.”
“What about Nick?” I asked. “I don’t even know what happened with you two.”
Another round of groans came from the guys next door as a second guy thudded to the ground after attempting to slide down the stair rail.
“Nick and I broke up,” Heather explained. “Just like I always knew we were going to. But the whole thing was way harder than I thought it was going to be.”
I felt a sudden pit in my stomach, like negative energy spreading through the air all around me.
I leaned in closer to Heather. “I’m so sorry. Have you guys talked at all since then?”
I tried to give her my full attention, but the guy who had fallen started yelling and cursing. It was hard to ignore. Rayne, Heather, and I stared over at the group of guys as they all joined in with his shouting.
The negative energy grew stronger. I realized it wasn’t just from Heather and her break-up, I could sense that the guy who had fallen was badly injured. Then I saw his arm. He held it up and cried out in shock. It was so badly twisted and broken that it didn’t even look like an arm anymore.
Instinct set in. I stood from the table. “I have to do something,” I said aloud.
“I’ll call an ambulance,” Heather said in agreement. She dug through her purse to get out her phone.
Rayne grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to my chair. Without even saying it, he knew that I wanted to use my healing powers.
“You can’t,” Rayne said. “Not in public like this.”
“I can be discreet,” I argued. “I can do it right here from my chair. No one will even know.”
“It’s just a broken arm,” Rayne said in a hushed tone. “It’s not like it’s life or death here.”
Heather was busy providing information over the phone.
I shook my head at Rayne. “But I can feel his pain. What’s the point of being able to do what I can do, if I never get a chance to actually do it?”
Rayne came in closer to whisper. “I really don’t think this is the time or place to discuss this. What if you pass out right here in front of her?” He glanced at Heather and back at me.
“I won’t,” I insisted. “No one will even know it was me. I didn’t pass out when I healed that big cut on your leg. It just happens with the bigger stuff.”
Rayne glanced nervously at Heather again. “Shhh,” he said to me.
I glanced over at the group of skateboarders. They were no longer yelling but were gathered around their hurt friend on the ground, who seemed to suddenly have trouble breathing.
“I don’t think it’s just a broken arm,” I said to Rayne. “Even if I do pass out, I don’t care. I have to help him.”
I immediately shut my eyes to concentrate. I could hear Rayne’s imploring words in the background, still trying to talk me out of it, but I ignored him and pushed them to the back of my mind.
My thoughts centered on the guy with the broken arm. I concentrated all my energy his way until I could feel the bond form between us. I searched through the guy’s body until I found the most damaging source of his pain. He had two cracked ribs and a punctured lung, making it hard to even breathe.
I pulled at the tainted particles in his body, taking it into me, leaving only light and healing behind. I could feel it draining more from me than just a simple cut on the leg, but I couldn’t let go. Something in me longed to remove every molecule of injured energy from his weakened body until he was left completely whole and free.
Once the guy was healed, I pulled what was left of my energy away, breaking the bond that held me to him. I knew I was about to pass out, but I didn’t care. I had healed someone all on my own, without the doctors or Orion telling me what to do. A wave of peace and satisfaction moved through me, and then I let my mind and essence go dark.