Promises (36 page)

“
Whatever these two,” I pointed at Callon and Maes, “conniving men decide.”

Daniel chuckled, “It doesn’t look too good for you. I’d borrow my powers again and leave before they get to you.”

I attempted to lean forward, but Colt held me back. “Sorry, love. I’ve won the prize, and it’s not going anywhere without me.”

As I glanced around, I realized just how underhanded they looked today. I’d be in for something big. “Just so you realize,” I said calmly, “I won’t be responsible for what happens to any of you. You’ve made your bed, and now you’ll have to lie in it.”

“
Big words for one so small,” Maes shot back. “Arrogance is not becoming of you, Cheyenne.”

Callon stepped forward, attempting to take my hand. He had just about lost his patience with me sitting with Colt. I let him pull me up…before I scrambled past him and touched Daniel’s arm. I paused just to see the shock cross Callon’s face, before I grabbed Colt’s hand and jumped us to the shore below.

“
I’d say I was sorry,” I called out. “But I’m not. Colt offered to buy me coffee this morning. We’ll see you at the café.”

Colt and I jumped to the dock. I turned back to see Callon, Maes and Daniel running, only to stand on the shoreline, stuck. I let go of Colt, feeling a little guilty. “Wait here a second. I’ll be right back.”

He smiled knowingly. In the next moment, I jumped next to Daniel and brought him back to the dock with us.

“
Thanks,” Daniel said. “You’re really getting much better at visualizing your jumps.”

“
I may be getting better, but it’s only because I had a great teacher.” I squeezed his arm. “We’ll see you later.”

I grabbed Colt’s hand, and we disappeared to the main road. I knew I still had time left and could make it to the café, but I wanted to walk. It’d been too long since I’d been able to just hold Colt’s hand and enjoy his company without being fearful of Callon’s reaction.

“
I didn’t know I was taking you to coffee this morning,” Colt said.

“
Yeah, well, I read your mind and could see that’s what you really wanted,” I said.

“
What else did you read while you were in there?”

“
Oh, lots of stuff.” I kicked a rock off the pavement and watched it fly into the grass.

“
Like?”

“
Like how you wished I’d come home with you.” I kept my eyes forward, waiting for his reply. I knew what he truly wanted to hear, but I just couldn’t say it to one brother without the other.

“
Really?” he said in surprise.

“
Yeah.”

He stopped and looked straight at me.

“
Would you?”

“
Well,
hell
did freeze over recently, and I said that had to happen first.” I smiled. “You didn’t see the reports on the news?”

He nodded slightly. “I heard a brief statement, but not the official report.”

“
Maybe you weren’t tuned to the right frequency?”

“
No, I think I am, but perhaps I should check first.” He pulled me forward and kissed me lightly. My eyes half closed, saddened when he withdrew. “Yes, I think I have the right frequency. Your lips are freezing!”

“
Maybe you should warm them up,” I replied softly.

“
Maybe I should.” He leaned forward again, but then paused. Disappointment flashed through his eyes. “I think it’ll have to wait until later. I can hear them nearby. We’re not going to make it to the café.”

As if on cue, Daniel appeared. “Sorry, but I think you’re going to be in a heap of trouble for stealing my powers twice in one day.” He looked behind and frowned. “Here they come!”

I didn’t have to look to hear their thudding footfalls. I cringed; Callon was going to be furious. In seconds they had caught up to us, and bent double, catching their breath. Water dribbled from Callon’s hair, making it wavier than it already was. I clasped my hands behind my back sheepishly. “Um…have a nice swim, boys?”

“
Ha, ha, Cheyenne,” Maes said flatly. “We’ve decided your reign of terror ends, now.”

“
You’re coming with us,” Callon decreed.

“
Don’t I get my coffee first?”

Colt sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“
Sorry, Cheyenne. Prize winner or not, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

I exhaled loudly and turned. Daniel was within arm’s reach. Callon immediately stepped between us. “Don’t even think about it.” His lips thinned. “You’ve caused enough trouble for one day.”

“
Caused
you
enough trouble, you mean,” I said playfully. “You’re such a sore loser.”

A slight grin emerged on his face. “Come on.”

We began our trek back to the house. Callon on one side, Maes on the other. Callon led me straight to the deck.

“
Sit.” He pointed with his finger.

I sneered but fell into the seat without complaint. All four went into the house. They were planning something. I watched them through the window. Callon disappeared for a few moments and then returned in dry clothes. Colt caught my eye and winked. I blushed and felt the goosebumps rise on my skin.

I was growing impatient and began to twist my rings. The blue stone for the Kvech ring glittered in the morning light—it truly was beautiful. I ran my fingers over the Servak band. These rings tied me to Callon and Marcus. The Servak ring was mysterious, the way the symbols flowed over each other, enchanting. The two combined were striking. How I longed for Colt to have the same ring—for us to be linked together eternally. Why did I have to be the only surviving Kvech?

The door opened, and I lifted my head. Callon and Colt approached.

“
How do you feel about hiking today?” Callon asked.

“
Whatever you want,” I said. “Although tomorrow I’d like to have a say in things.”

“
Fair enough.”

Colt pushed forward. “You need to change.”

I narrowed my eyes. “This isn’t good enough?”

“
If I’ve won the prize then I get to choose what it wears.” He gave me a handsome grin and reached for my hand. I was expecting a gentle tug, but instead he all but flipped me out of the chair and lifted me to his shoulder.

“
Hey! I am capable of walking, you know.” My cry fell on deaf ears as he went inside and climbed the stairs. He set me on the bed and entered my bathroom, soon returning with my swimsuit and hiking boots.

“
My swimsuit?” I asked. “You could have just told me!”

“
Just trying to be helpful.” He winked as he tossed me the clothes.

I rolled my eyes and headed for the bathroom.

After changing, I found Colt leaning against the far wall, daydreaming. I hesitated in the doorway. He hadn’t seen me yet. What was he thinking about? Were his thoughts the same as mine? Did he want things to go back to the way they were before I found out I was Timeless? Was he worried about what Callon would say or do…or was our time running short?

Callon admitted he had authority over Colt, and I’d witnessed it firsthand. The tension was still there…who’d give up first?

I sighed.

Colt’s eyes brightened when he saw me.

“
Ready?” he asked.

I nodded and followed him to the door. Callon’s arms were crossed, and his irritation was clear when we returned to the great room.

“
Cheyenne is quite capable of dressing and walking on her own, Colt,” Callon snapped.

Colt stopped in his tracks, causing me to run into his back.

“
I don’t take orders from you, Callon,” Colt growled.

Daniel flashed between them.

“
Let’s go,” Daniel said, his eyes meeting mine. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover before dark if we’re going to work with Chey on her powers.”

Maes stood near the doorway, assessing the situation.

I slipped by the trio and headed for the door. I knew it was only a matter of time before something was said, before tempers flared. Nothing had changed.

We stopped at the café. Callon and Maes went in to order while Daniel, Colt and I sat outside. It was going to be a gorgeous day. Not a cloud filled the sky, and the air was pleasantly warm. It was more than just the sunshine; it was the warmth of having my family reunited. As difficult as this past year had been, even with the tension of the morning, I’d come a long way. We’d all come a long way.

“
Cheyenne,” Callon called. Broken from my reverie, I glanced up. He handed me my drink. I smiled. He’d known exactly what I’d wanted.

“
Thank you.” I squeezed his hand and saw his satisfaction as he sat beside me. He rested his arm on the seat back. Colt shifted uncomfortably.

“
So, have you done much hiking out here, Cheyenne?” Daniel asked, flashing a frown to his brothers.

“
A bit, but I’ve been careful not to wander too far.” I eyed Maes. “I didn’t want to get into trouble.”

Maes scoffed and leaned back in his chair.

“
So where are we hiking to?” I took a sip of my vanilla frappe with caramel sauce.

“
Maes knows a secluded area where we can work on your new powers without getting unwanted attention,” Callon replied.

I cocked my head. “There was no news report. Nobody around here’s been looking into it.”

“
Maybe, but it’s not humans looking into it that I’m worried about.”

I shivered, remembering the Tresez attack. I couldn’t forget that Marcus and his army were watching for me too. I needed to keep a low profile.

Once we were finished, we traveled down the main road. Callon made sure he walked beside me, and we came to the trailhead. We followed it until Maes directed us north, and we broke off onto our own path.

Callon had me borrow Daniel’s powers and work on my jumping techniques. I took turns having one of them with me. Even Maes allowed me to jump with him.

“
You need to move faster,” Maes said.

I rolled my eyes. Would it kill him to give me a compliment?

“
How far can you jump?”

“
As far as I can see, sorta.”

We stopped, and he looked down. “What do you mean, sorta?”

“
Well, it’s really just a range of a few miles.”

“
Hmm.”

“
You didn’t know?”

He didn’t reply, but instead pointed and had me move on with the training.

We continued until we heard rushing water nearby. We broke through a small opening, and a waterfall poured into a small pool, which ran into a narrow river. I hesitated, remembering what happened the last time we were near a waterfall. Daniel smiled as he passed, and I knew it wasn’t a good sign. Colt gently urged me along. I waited at a large boulder as they talked things out.

Callon approached, and I put my hands up in protest. “I’m not jumping off a waterfall again, Callon.”

He looked back at the waterfall and shook his head. “We’re not here to play games in the water, Cheyenne. We’re here to train. I want you to work on moving objects.”

“
Okay.” I moved towards the center of the meadow.

Callon had me move small rocks to begin with. It was easy enough, and I didn’t feel as fatigued as I had in the past. It was a bit of a thrill to begin to realize I could control the power that ran through me, but I knew that beneath the surface something dark lurked.

“
I want you to move this one,” Callon pointed to a large boulder.

My eyes grew wide.

“
It’s huge…” I’d moved a boulder on the island, but nothing like the size of the one here.

“
You can do this.”

He took a few steps back, and I raised a brow. He wouldn’t stand beside me while I lifted it?

I mumbled to myself and turned to the task at hand.

I spread my hands out and focused on the enormous boulder. Somehow I had to lift it up. I pressed my palms out and felt a slight breeze, but nothing more.

“
Concentrate,” Maes growled.

Just once I wished he could encourage me, instead of snapping orders.

I inhaled and focused again.
Lift, damn it, lift!

The boulder shook, but remained settled in the meadow.

“
You’re worthless!” Maes snapped next to my ear, and I jumped. “You’re not focusing. This isn’t some stupid game, Cheyenne!”

“
I am focusing!” I spat.

“
If you were focusing, you’d have already lifted the boulder, parrot.”

“
Quit calling me parrot!” My shoulders tensed.

“
I’ll call you parrot if I choose to.” His dark eyes narrowed.

I’d show him…

I faced the boulder again, and closed my eyes as the irritation and anger spilled out. I began to tremble as it rose, and I reveled in it. I twisted my hands above my head, and the wind blocked out their voices as I released that unknown force from the pit of my stomach.

It crawled up from the depths, dark and murky. It was as if a cloak of doom was wrapping itself around me and would soon strangle out the light.