The Reverence of One: Book Three of the Shadow Series (19 page)

Lauren froze. She’d never heard those words spoken to her
—ever
.
A
mixture of pride and confusion came over her.
“Why?”
she asked
, frozen with the handle in her hand.

“In just the short time you’ve been away, I can see a change in you. Something—softer,” replied Maggie.

Lauren didn’t know how to respond. Her mind was locked. The only thing that she knew was that Maggie was right. She turned the handle and entered the home as quietly as she could, and she found herself cringing at yet another indicator that something in her had changed. Less than a week ago she wouldn’t have cared if she’d awakened her guests.

She closed the door behind her, carefully twisting the handle so it would shut without catching
. Silently allowing the handle to return to its locked position, she turned, feeling another spirit approaching. K
nowing it was Alyssa,
she
intensified the pulses of energy from within. As Alyssa materialized, Lauren spoke.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine
, but those must have been some monster errands you had to run though. Did you have to go to
Mexico
for some vanilla or something?
”
asked Alyssa, grinning widely and pleased with the rare appearance of her wit.

“Yeah,” began Lauren, stopping to yawn
.
. “
Something like that
.”

“
So where’d you go?”
asked Alyssa
,
stepping to Lauren’s side to look out the tall window next to the front door.
“Did you get anything good?”

“
Let’s let Lauren get some rest
,” replied Maggie. “
I’ll tell you all about her trip here in a bit
.”

Alyssa could sense something in Maggie’s voice.
Looking to Lauren suspiciously, she asked,
“What aren’t you
guys
telling me?”

Lauren shoved her hands in her pockets and walked past the two spirits. “I’m going to let Maggie fill you in. I need some sleep.” As she reached the stairs, she turned back to them and could see that her distance from them had caused them to fade. “Will one of you be able to wake me if something happens?”

“We’ll find a way,” replied Maggie softly and in a very motherly way. “You get your rest.”

Lauren let go of an exhausted smile
,
her heart warmed by Maggie’s presence. “Good night,” she replied.

“Good night, hon,” answered Maggie as she released her use of Lauren’s energy.

Lauren watched as the two faded from view and the room fell empty. Continuing up the stairs, each step felt as though she were climbing a mounta
in. She opened her bedroom door,
quickly pulled the covers back on her bed
, and
climbed
inside fully dressed
, her eyes and mind closing the
instant
her head touched the pillow
.

***
*

She awoke to the smell of ridiculously strong coffee and bacon frying in hot grease. For a moment, it was comforting, until the moment she realized that she hadn’t had bacon in the house for months.

Seemingly without taking a single breath, she threw off her covers, flung open her bedroom door, and flew down the stairs. As she reached the base, she could hear laughter coming from the kitchen.

S
he entered the doorway
and
could see Test sitting at the table, moderate strength pulses of red light running the length of his arms, sitting next to Alyssa while Maggie stood at the stove preparing breakfast.

“Where’d that come from?” she asked slightly winded.
Everyone’s head turned towards her, each having a slightly different reaction to
her
presence.

“Good morning, hon,” replied Maggie cheerfully. “Where’d what come from?”

Lauren took a step into the room and pointed at the frying pan. “That—the bacon.”

“What, are you vegan or something?” replied Test
in jest
.

Lauren turned to him and puckered her face. “Ha. You’re funny,” she answered as she walked to Maggie’s side. “No, I’m not, but I do know that I haven’t had any in the house for a while. Where did it come from?”

“
From Forks,” replied Test. “Alyssa and I made a trip into town last night.” He watched as Lauren’s eyes widened. “What? There was hardly anything to eat in this place and I was getting cabin fever.”

“Really?” quipped Lauren as she placed her hands on her hips. “First of all, I’m sorry that I didn’t stock the place for a breakfast
buffet
.” She walked to the table and stood behind the chair at the opposite end of where Test sat, staring at him coldly and speaking in a deliberately level tone. “Second, did it ever occur to you that going into town could be dangerous?”

Taken aback by Lauren’s reaction, Test glanced to both Maggie and Alyssa for help. Quick to jump to Test’s defense was Alyssa.

“Why are you getting so worked up over
bacon
?” she asked.

Lauren looked to her and rolled her eyes. “Don’t be stupid. It has nothing to do with bacon.” She pulled out the chair in front of her and took a seat. “So, you two went to town,” she began. “Now, was she…
.
” She stopped hoping that she didn’t have to elaborate.

Test laid his hands flat on the table, splaying his fingers out, and tried to stay calm during what he perceived as an interrogation.
“She was not able to be seen,” he replied.

Lauren cocked her head. “Good. Now, how about you? It’s quite a ways into Forks. How did you get there?”

Test glanced to Alyssa’s face. He found no solace within as she appeared to be a
s
flustered as he was becoming. Unsure of what the correct answer should be, he remained honest.

“We traveled together on the other side,” he replied, his voice becoming unsteady.

Lauren stared at him intently. “No flying?” she asked with a pointed finger.

Becoming slightly irritated, Test was quick with his reply. “What did I say? Did I say I flew?”

Lauren grinned. “Settle down lover boy. Just one more
question
and I’ll drop it.”

Test watched her carefully as she pushed away from the table and placed her elbows on her knees, lacing her fingers together in front of her.

“Did you meet anyone in town?” she asked, glancing back and for
th between both Test and Alyssa.
B
oth of them shook their heads. “Were you paying attention?”

Test wrinkled his nose. “To what?” he asked.

Lauren flared her nostrils and inhaled deeply. “What did I teach you before I left?”

Suddenly Test realized where all of this was heading. He knew that he was not as careful as he
should have been—as
he needed to be. Dropping his head, his shoulders slouched as he replied.

“No, I didn’t,” he said somberly. “I’m sorry, Lauren, I didn’t…
.
”

“Think?” she answered, cutting him off. “Look,” she began as she stood from the table, “I left here thinking that you could take care of yourself, but it’s questionable as to whether or not that is true. If you can’t get it through your head that hell is on its way, then I may as well leave you here to die.”

“La
uren,” said Maggie, shocked at her
words.

Without looking at her, Lauren held a hand up to silence Maggie.

“For all we know, there is a Reaper on his way here right now.” She stepped away from her chair and, slamming it under the table, walked to the far window in the kitchen which looked out onto the back of the property. “The old man’s grandson saw him, you know,” she said to Test as she looked over her shoulder with a raised brow.

Test could barely swallow, the lump in his throat choking the words that he tried to speak.
“What…Cliff’s gr
and…what…who did?
”

Lauren began to
laugh
. “Mom hasn’t told you yet, huh?” she asked as she peered out the window. She turned
her back to the
light that bathed her face
and
then
leaned against it.
“They’re on their way; Cliff, Thad, and Nicole.” She watched Test jaw drop open.

“Nicole? What the…,” began Test.

Raising a finger, Lauren interrupted him. “Patience. I’ll get to it. Now, it turns out that Thad has the same gift that Cliff had when he was alive. That’s how all of this started. Cliff found his grandson and then did a little eavesdropping. He found out that the Reapers were planning on using your ex for bait.”

Test heart sank. “Holy shit, are you kidding me? How did they know that she…
.
”

“You really have to stop interrupting. I’m getting to it.” She paused for a moment, wiping the corners of her mouth with the tip of her index finger. “We stopped in
Lincoln
on the way home and paid a visit to another one of your old friends
—Marcy.
The old man was worried for her safety as well. It was there that we figured out how the Reapers got their information about those closest to you.

“Cliff wrote his
memoirs while on his death bed
,
and
a
pparently he gave them to Marcy before he died
.
He
want
ed
her to find his son and ma
ke sure that he read them. Well, and I don’t know if this was clever or lazy,” she turned to Maggie and shrugged her shoulders, “but Marcy published them
as
an e-book in hopes, I guess, that Cliff’s son was a reader.” She huffed loudly. “Anyway, somehow, or so the old man thinks, one of the Reapers is apparently a reader in his spare time, and now they have plans to lure you out of hiding.”

Test stared at her blankly, overwhelmed by what he’d been told. He swallowed hard and asked softly, “So is Nicole okay?”

Lauren opened her mouth to reply, but was quickly cut off by Maggie.

“She’s with Thad and Cliff. She’s safe,” said Maggie, shooting a scolding look to Lauren.

“What?” asked Lauren in annoyance, pushing herself away from the window. “He’s going to find out in a little bit anyway.”

Test looked to his mother. “What’s she talking about, Mom?”

Maggie scowled once more at Lauren who shrugged it off. She walked to her son’s side and rested a hand on his shoulder.
“Nicole’s had a rough go of it, Test. She’s not the same girl that you knew.”

Test squinted his eyes and, with a furrowed brow, glowered at Maggie. “Who in this room hasn’t?” he replied brashly.

“Test
Davis
!” shouted Maggie as she smacked
the back of his head
.

Test recoiled from her. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that.” He stared at his mother’s stern face. “All I meant was is that none of us have had the best year.
” He watched as her nostrils flared
and her eyes developed a wild glare
. This was the first he’d seen his mother angry since they had been reunited. “I’m sorry, Mom. Please tell me what’s happened to her.”

Maggie walked around behind him and took a seat opposite of h
im. Since the mention of Nicole, Alyssa had sat quietly in her seat next to Test, attentively listening to every word spoken.

“Well,” Maggie said with a pause, “there’s just no kind way to say it. She’s become an addict.”

Test wasn’t sure what he expected to hear, but that wasn’t it. His head snapped back in shock.

“What do you mean an addict?” he asked as he scratched the back of his head. “I just can’t see her like that.”

“Oh, I’ve seen her,” quipped Lauren from behind them, “and trust me, there’s no doubt.”

Maggie slapped her hand on the table. “Lauren, honestly! If you don’t have anything of benefit to add to the conversation, then would you please be quiet?”

Lauren’s smart aleck demeanor took a sudden change. Though she thought highly of Maggie, she didn’t take well to be
ing
told what to do in her own home.

“You know what,” said Lauren in a tense voice, “I will not keep quiet. In fact, I’m the one that started this conversation, so if
you
don’t like it, you can…
.
”

Test quickly stood from his seat, turning his torso to her. “Careful with what’s about to come out of your mouth next, Lauren.”

She took a step towards him. “Careful?” she huffed. “
That’s rich!
You’re talking to
me
about being careful? That’s how this whole conversation started.” She took two more steps and stood face to face with him, both
splaying their arms
with muscles
tense
d
. “Tell me something, did you do anything else last night? Something other than keeping princess here,” she motioned her head to Alyssa, “
solid enough to get to third base with?”