Catalyst (Forevermore, Book Two) (21 page)

“
I guess? Does that mean something?”

“
It’s a symbol for a lot of things ... it can represent the stages of life — birth, youth, adulthood, old age, and finally, death. It also represents the elements,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t ever remember seeing Artemis wearing this.”

“
Maybe it was a gift?” I suggested. “It doesn’t really matter ... let’s just get this through with.”

At that, he nodded and laid out his palm. I placed the talisman in his hand, then
pressed mine over it.

Artemis
—
older than in the vision of his acceptance as a Clan leader
—
was walking hurriedly alongside a vacant street late at night. There was a flush of red in his cheeks and sweat beaded on his forehead, and the Celtic talisman was visible around his throat. He was heavily breathing as if he’d been at this pace for a long time, trying to get away from or to something or somewhere. Somehow, his thoughts filled my mind.

“
What am I doing?” he thought frantically, “I can’t do this. No. I
have
to. I can’t let him have him. I can’t return him to the hospital. His mother is dead ... his father cannot, by any means, have him. Oh, God. I cannot keep him to myself or else he will find out. What can I do ...?”

His feet continued pushing him speedily along the length of the cracked cement, and it was only then that it occurred to me
that he was holding something
in his arms.

Up ahead was a
large building, standing out among the unlit buildings surrounding the edges of the street, a tall tower with a cross on it reaching high into the night sky.

“
This … this is a sign. It must be. Why else would I stumble upon such a place as this, in a time like this?”

He stood at the front of the building, his eyes lowered and gazing at the bundle in his arms.
I saw then that it was a baby, sleeping cozily and oblivious to what was happening. He appeared hesitant, struggling to decide whether to leave the child or not.

“
I cannot possibly ... but I must. For his sake, this must be done,” he thought and finally approached the door. He laid the blanketed child upon the mat and knelt down beside it. With the tenderness of a father, he planted a kiss upon the child’s head and said, aloud, “This is not a farewell, my nephew. I will see you again ... someday. I promise you that.”

Standing and reaching upward, he grasped a bronze knocker and slammed it against the door, startling the child awake
. The baby’s cries filled my ears and two brilliant green eyes looked up through the infant’s now-open lids.

My eyes met Alan’s as we both exited the vision; his eyes were as wide as mine felt.

“
Artemis ...” he said almost inaudibly. “Artemis is Mathias’s uncle ...?”

Alan and I rushed to make sure that everything was back in its rightful place before we
rushed out of Artemis’s chambers, ran down the hall, and went into my room. Breathing heavily, I flung myself at my bed and stared up at the ceiling. So many things had gone through my mind after witnessing that vision, but I had yet to speak a word. I wanted to wait until we were out of there, away from the possibility of Artemis bursting in and catching us. Alan sat cautiously at the edge of my bed, turned toward me.

“
That’s what you thought, too, right?” he asked. “That the baby ... that was Mathias. I mean, I know eyes can change but … that was him …”

“
It’s exactly what I thought,” I murmured and put an arm over my eyes, blocking out any and all light. “How ... why would he choose to abandon him at that place? He just left him there on the doorstep … a baby!”

“
He was obviously afraid of someone ...”

“
But who? And why?”

“
Sadly, the visions don’t answer all of our questions. But now we have the answer to one of them.”

“
Not the one I originally had …” I moved my arm to look at him.

“
What I wonder, though, is why their last names are not the same?”

“
Not all uncles are from the father’s side …”

“
True. It seems sort of odd, however.”

I sat up and gasped.
“You know, I don’t think Mathias knows that he is related to him. He never mentioned it at all. Artemis has been hiding it all these years for some reason …”

Alan nodded thoughtfully and laid back against the mattress, parallel to me. I
didn’t say anything or stop him; instead I returned to my resting position and let out a long sigh. What reason could Artemis have had to leave poor helpless baby Mathias at that place? None of it added up.

“
He left him there ... only to pick him back up years later?” I said aloud, although I had mostly been talking to myself, trying to sort through my thoughts.

“
He was protecting him. That’s the only thing I can gather. Maybe he hoped that after time, whoever he was protecting him from would no longer be searching? They’d give up and when he did finally bring Mathias back, it would seem like he was just another random witch child placed under his watch … not a relative.”

“
That makes sense, sort of … I guess …” I turned onto my side to face him. “It’s all just so weird. And we still didn’t find anything out about his condition.”

“
Maybe we don’t need to, Madison. If I wasn’t sure of it before, I am now. Artemis is doing everything he can to help Mathias ... for goodness’ sake, the boy’s his
nephew
. Artemis might as well be Mathias’s dad, and underneath his cool, calm exterior, he’s probably panicking more than you are.”

“
You’re probably right,” I said and exhaled. I didn’t want him to be right. I just wanted answers and for Mathias to be free from confinement. “Thanks for helping me.”

“
You say that as if you had given me a choice. You’re stubborn,” he said and laughed, “but persistent. I admire that.”

My cheeks warmed and I looked away.
“It’s what you do when you care for someone.”

“
When you care for someone the way that you care for Mathias.”

A sigh escaped my lips and I turned my eyes toward him again.
“I feel ... worried, concerned, afraid, and unprotected. That’s how I feel. Yes, I care for him — more than I do most people ... but that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t do this for any other member.”

“
Would you for, let’s say ... Castus Palmer?” he suggested with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

I laughed and thought of Noah and his perverse jokes.
“Sure. He’s a Clan member, too.”

“
Would you have sacrificed all of that time, dedicated all of that effort, and risked being possibly Exiled … for me?”

The amusement left his eyes. All that was left was hope and curiosity.

“I … of course I would. You think I would for someone like Noah but not you?” I stated firmly.

“
You hesitated.” A pained look crossed his face and he frowned deeply. “Do you view me the same as you do Castus Palmer?”

“
No ... no. Absolutely not.”

“
Then how do you view me?”

I was speechless and unsure. How was I suppo
sed to answer that? I couldn’t just open my mouth and declare that I found him handsome and admirable and intriguing in every way. That I loved the way his dark hair curled ever so slightly at the base of his neck. That I admired his dedication to tidiness and dressing well. That I was fascinated by his unique ability that I had taken advantage of …

“
Oh, Alan,” I groaned and ran my hand over my face in dread. “I used you. Your gift, I mean ... all that time in Artemis’s room, all of that energy.”

Alan gazed at me tenderly, his eyes once more holding that twinkle.
“It was not time wasted, I assure you. You may have deliberately used me for my gift, but I was happy to help. Perhaps not at first, as I was reluctant and afraid for what might happen if Artemis had walked in on us ... but in the end, I am grateful to have been with you.”

“
You have a way with words,” I said quietly, admiring his face and how near to me he was in that moment.

“
I was raised by nannies and tutors who were particular about everything in my life. Vocabulary, manners, appearance — these were all things that were drilled into me my entire life. My mom would have had it no other way.”

I carefully took his hand in mine and gripped it tightly.
“I’m sorry, that you lost her, and your dad.”

“
It is nothing to apologize for. There will be a day where I finally find the item that holds the key to unveiling the truth behind their deaths, and when I do … nothing will stop me from righting it.”

“
I hope that you do find it … and that I am there to help.”

He smiled at me,
and I was once more aware of just how close we were. Mathias’s face flashed before my eyes even as Alan’s lips crushed against mine with heated desire. I laced my fingers through his hair and pulled away slightly, breathing in the scent of him. I smiled as he closed his eyes and kissed me again, then they fluttered open. He frowned and pushed himself off.

“
I’m sorry, Madison,” he said quietly and sat up, but I tugged him back down.

“
Quit apologizing for kissing me.” I laughed. “Do you realize how silly it sounds?”

“
I do ... and yet, it seems like the appropriate thing to do. You ... there is more to this Mathias thing than you let on. I do not wish to intervene when there are feelings involved between you and him. And yet, at the same time ... I do.”

I sighed and ran my fingers through his hair again, almost unaware of the gesture even as I did it.
“Alan, let’s not talk about this right now. Please. I’m tired and ... just let’s not talk about it. Okay?”

His eyes searched mine, then he reached for my hand and placed it in his again.
“We will talk about this. Perhaps not now. Maybe not even tomorrow ... but we will talk about it. Before either of us gets hurt.”

I nodded slowly in agreement. I
gnoring the pangs of hunger in my stomach, I turned over and let myself begin to drift off into sleep, barely aware of the light kiss on the back of my head and the way his arm encircled gently around my waist.

Tossing and turning, I struggled to remain asleep. A relentless banging that I couldn’t determine where was coming from sounded throughout the room. My eyes fluttered open with a start and I noticed the slumbering presence beside me. Alan looked at peace, his eyes moving rapidly beneath their thin lids; he must have been dreaming. The loud sound alerted me once more, reminding me why I’d woken up. The alarm clock on my nightstand showed that it was only 6:57 in the morning — far earlier than I’d planned on waking up. I turned on my side, my back facing Alan, and attempted to ignore the noise and fall back asleep, but it was persistent.

I jumped up in frustration, shoving my pillow off of th
e bed and causing Alan to stir, but he remained asleep. To my surprise and relief, Mom was asleep in her bed. I wondered anxiously if she’d been aware that there was a boy in my bed ... I hoped not. The source of the noise was now evident — someone was knocking on my bedroom door. How was it that no one else had been woken up by it? I groaned then snuck across the room, my heart racing as I neared the door. My mind was hopeful that I would discover Artemis standing on the other side, bearing good news.

To my dismay, it was only Serena. Her hair color had changed since I
’d last seen her; the long strawberry locks were now a rainbow of colors. Strands of bright green, blue, purple, red, and orange streamed down from her scalp and fell in wispy swoops at her shoulders. I blinked the sleep away from my eyes and looked her over again, just to make sure I hadn’t imagined things. She was dressed in a tight-fitting long-sleeved black top with faux fur ruffling at the sleeves and hem, a black skirt and tights. Her face was made up in shades of cotton candy and bubblegum.

“
Why aren’t you ready?” she asked me.

“
Huh? What’re you talking about?”

“
Um, it’s the day we’re supposed to go back to school? So we don’t miss out on important stuff for exams. Did you forget? I’m so ready to go back, as weird as that sounds.”

“
Oh, crap … I completely forgot about going back.”

And I honestly could have done without the reminder
, I thought glumly.

“
Well, you’d better or you’ll be stuck in the same grade again. Exams are next week ... and they’re like half our grade or something. At least Thanksgiving’s right after that.”

Thanks to being so occupied with the myriad of things happening in my life, I had somehow forgotten how closely
the holidays were approaching, though it did feel like forever since Halloween. In that moment, I wondered what Thanksgiving would be like now that Eila and Jason were separating. My former-adoptive mom always made huge dinners for the holiday, even if only a small amount of people showed up, and Uncle Mitchell always came to help. There was nothing I looked forward to more in November than Uncle Mitch’s
famous, as
he called it, sweet potato casserole.

Serena distracted me from my thoughts by asking,
“Well, are you going dressed like that, or what?”

“
I-I don’t know if I can go,” I managed to say.

“
Oh, you’re going. Whether you think you can or not. I’m not stepping back in there alone.”

With a shake of my head, I begrudgingly agreed and went into the bathroom to change. My outfit wasn
’t nearly as extravagant or overdone as my best friend’s — jeans, a dark gray wool coat that tied in the front, and a pair of leather boots. I took one final glance at Alan who was still asleep on my bed, one leg now dangling over the edge, his dark hair fallen across his eyes, and that same peaceful look about his face. My body yearned to crawl back beside him and sleep the rest of the day away, but Serena was right — I needed to go back to school if I wanted to pass. I summoned a piece of paper and a pen and quickly jotted down a note to Alan saying where I went and laid it beside him; hopefully he’d find it.

When Serena and I got outside, I noticed that the parking lot was dusted with a layer of snow. There were heaps of the white powder covering the surrounding foliage, the mountains in the distance, and what had once been grass and flowers. The parking lot, however, had practically been wiped clean, save for the fine layer
that was quickly melting against the salt. The sound of the doors to Serena’s car unlocking filled my ears and I grimaced; I’d much rather have walked, but it was incredibly cold out ... then again, that was a whole other reason
not
to ride in the car. Snow was slick, and Serena wasn’t the most seasoned driver.

“
Come on, Madison. I’m not going to kill us,” Serena teased as she climbed into the driver side seat.

I stood, shivering, on the sidewalk and stared hesitantly at the running vehicle. Her experience coupled with the icy conditions was like an accident waiting to happen. Regardless, I gathered my courage and got into the car.

Serena pulled out of the parking lot, switched on the radio which streamed out loud pop music, and began singing along happily. There was definitely something off about her behavior — being excited for school? That was the complete opposite of my best friend. She had been in pretty much a near-constant depressive state since the incident with her parents, and she had never liked school … aside from the boys and all the attention they gave her.

I reached over and turned the volume down all the way and looked at her.