Ambrosia Shore (17 page)

I stared at the gun, voice trembling. “You really think that killing me is going to make you feel better? That it’s going to fix things somehow?”

For a moment, his expression went numb. Then he moved in on me, his sick breath hot against my face. “I wish Hamlin were here to see you grovel,” he said. “But I’m still going to enjoy this.”

I wondered if I should start begging for my life, but I couldn’t hold back the anger. “It won’t change anything,” I hissed. “You could kill all of us and you’d still be the same miserable, pathetic person you are now.”

“
Hamlin
is the pathetic one,” Voss scowled back. “He wanted what was rightfully mine, and when he couldn’t have it, he turned everyone against me, turned my wife and my own son against me from the moment he was born.”

“Why do you even care?” I said. “I’ve seen you with Ash. You treat him like he’s nothing but a huge disappointment, or an inconvenience.”

A fire ignited Voss’s eyes. “
Hamlin
…Hamlin drove the wedge between us! Now my son hates me.” Voss thrust the hard tip of the gun to my forehead. My lip quivered, eyes frozen open, begging for release.

Not a shred of mercy existed in his voice. “Hamlin took my son from me. Now I’m taking you from him.” Before I could make one last plea, take one last breath, Voss’s finger pulled back the trigger, and the rooftop disappeared.

Life gasped through me. My eyes burst open and I gulped in the air. He shot me. Voss shot me in the head. My hands fumbled around my face and hair, finding something wet. I yanked down my hand. Blood was smeared across my fingers. My hand flew back to my head and searched again for the injury, but I felt nothing, no holes or gashes in my skin, no signs of any damage at all. There wasn’t even pain.

Somehow, after all that, the Water Briolette was still in my pocket, and when I pulled it out, it was glowing again. The stone was like a miracle-maker, my own personal Keeper while Rayne was locked away. It saved my mom first, and now it saved me. I was starting to feel like a cat with nine lives—dying and surviving over and over again. I was so overcome that I felt myself both tear up and release a laugh at the same time. Voss didn’t win.

I braced myself against the wall as I scrambled to my feet, limbs weak and jittery. The hum from the helicopter was gone. I hoped that meant Voss was gone too. I stumbled to the edge of the rooftop, throwing glances back over my shoulder. Lights flickered up from the city below. There were other tall buildings nearby, office buildings. They almost looked familiar. Then I saw it; the unmistakable, stair-like feature of the roof on the Island Hotel. I knew exactly where I was, and it was only a fifteen minute drive from my house.

I spun back around and headed for a gray door at the corner of the wall. I made it halfway there when the door burst open and a swarm of agents spilled out with guns in the air. My feet froze in place.

“Secure the area,” Agent Duke commanded.

As the men spread out, my father rushed in behind them. “Sadie!” he called when he saw my face. “Are you hurt? I thought I heard a gunshot through your tracker.”

I closed my eyes. I hadn’t decided if I was going to tell him, or anyone else, about the Water Briolette. “No, I’m fine,” I finally said. “He took a shot, but he must have missed. I’ll probably just have a few bruises tomorrow.”

Out of nowhere, my father reached out and wrapped his arms around me. “I’m so sorry. I heard everything. I’m sorry we couldn’t get here sooner.”

For a second, I let the embrace wrap around me, feeling the warmth of my father’s safety, but the awkwardness of his unfamiliar touch returned, and I pulled away. “I’m okay,” I said. “But I think Voss has gone completely off the deep end. You should have seen his face.”

My father stepped back rigidly. “I’m personally going to make sure he never comes near you or your mother ever again.”

“Where is Mom?” I asked in alarm. “You didn’t leave her by herself, did you?”

“No, of course not. I had her come with us in case this was all some kind of decoy to leave her vulnerable. I made her stay in the car with Orion.”

Agent Duke reappeared from around the corner. “Voss isn’t here,” he said to my father. “He must have taken off with the helicopter.”

“That’s what I figured,” my father said. “Get on the radio and make sure our team in L.A. is ready to take over.”

Before Agent Duke turned away, I said, “Hey, didn’t I just see you get shot in my bedroom a few minutes ago?”

Agent Duke’s face hinted at a smile. “We brought Healing Water.”

My father placed his palm on my shoulder, ushering me toward the door. “Come on,” he said. “We’re going to the house to grab your things, and then I’m moving you and your mother somewhere safe.”

The agents filed through the door, sticking within a few feet of us all the way down to the parking lot. As soon as my mother caught a glimpse of us across the way, she sprang out from the car and ran toward us.

“Sadie-bear,” she cried as she pulled me protectively to her chest. She held me tight and stroked my hair. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” I nodded and allowed her to cradle me in her arm as she walked me toward the car.

My father moved to place a hand on my mom’s shoulder and whispered in her ear. “If it’s okay, I’d like a few minutes alone with her while we drive home.” Mom smiled thoughtfully as she nodded in response, then turned and gave me a kiss on the cheek to say goodbye.

My father sat in the back seat with me while one of the agents drove us home. It was still uncomfortable to be near him, but there were questions in my head that I couldn’t hold back. My mind started spinning a hundred miles an hour. Could Voss really make sure that Rayne rotted away in some torturous place for the rest of his life? And what did my father do to make Voss hate us all so much in the first place?

“Why is all of this happening?” I began. “Why has Voss made it his life’s purpose to torture us? I mean, when he kidnapped me last November he said he was trying to use me as leverage to get his old life back, and I’m still not completely sure what he meant by that. Then after we thought Rayne killed him by kicking him over that cliff, I figured all the bad things happening were because of Ash wanting to get revenge on Rayne, but then there was the Healing Water thing in the news with Dr. Jensen, and after everything happened with Voss the night when I got shot, and now this…I’m even more confused. It seems like Voss just wants to kill me and my mom because he hates
you
.”

I could see the anger simmering in my father’s eyes. “This is
all
because of me, Sadie. I would do anything to go back and fix it. Voss and I have a long history together, and he blames me for the death of his wife, along with many other accusations over the years. I think his motive is simply to make me and everyone I care about suffer. He’s taken things too far. I won’t let down my guard again. I won’t let him hurt either of you.”

My fingers fidgeted with the zipper on my sweater. “What did you do to Voss’s wife to make him hate you so much? Why does he blame you for her death?” My voice went quiet. “You didn’t kill her, did you?”

“No,” my father protested, like he was trying to convince himself just as much as me. He dropped his forehead, covering his face with his hand.

The tension in the car caused a lump to catch in my throat. I had to focus to swallow it down.

“It’s a long story,” he finally said. “But I knew her well, and I would never purposely hurt her. Basically, she died working as a Scout on a mission that I approved.”

“How is that your fault? If she was a Scout, wasn’t that risk part of the job description?”

“Well,” my father hesitated, “she wasn’t supposed to go on that mission; she wasn’t certified for field duty at the time. But it was Ash’s first mission and she begged me to let her go so she could protect him. She was worried for him, as any good mother would be. Voss didn’t want her to go, but I didn’t listen. And then, she didn’t return.”

“Oh,” I said quietly. Despite my father’s effort to hide it, it was obvious that he blamed himself for the woman’s death just as much as Voss blamed him.

After a long pause, I broke the silence. “So, Ash’s mother died on his very first mission? Why couldn’t he save her with Healing Water?”

My father stared at his hands. “She was in a terrible explosion. Even on Ambrosia that would be difficult to survive. She was loved by many. Her death was a tragedy that affected the entire city, especially those who were…close…to her.” By the look on my father’s face, I thought he would break into a million pieces. He closed his eyes and forced out a smile. “But that was years ago. Most of us have learned how to move on.”

After that, the air felt heavy. I tried to stare out the window, but I couldn’t help but glance from the corner of my eye at my father’s face. His jaw was so tight it looked like he was trying to crack his own teeth. For the last few minutes of the drive, nobody spoke again.

When we made it home, my mother met me at the car door and walked me inside the house. My father didn’t come inside right away. Instead, he stayed with Orion in the driveway to talk. I didn’t think he realized that my mother had one of the front windows open where we sat on the couch, so we could pretty much hear everything they were saying through the screen.

“I want to move Leena and Sadie to a secure location immediately, and I’m going with them,” my father said. “This event was unacceptable. They’re vulnerable here.”

“I understand your concern,” Orion replied, “but I don’t think it’s necessary. You know this would have never happened if we were on our guard today. You told us to back off, so we let down our defenses. Now that we understand the severity of the threat, it won’t happen again.”

“No, I won’t take any more chances,” my father argued. I’m fully aware of Voss’s capabilities, and I won’t discount his threats.”

“Of course, and no one is asking you to. But don’t you think that this is exactly what Voss wants, to disrupt your lives and force you to cower in some corner? Do not give him that satisfaction. I assure you that the safety of your family is our number one priority, and you have nothing to fear. You told me yourself that you wanted Sadie and Leena to get back to life as usual, did you not? You felt it would be better for them to feel normal again, at least as much as possible.”

“Yes,” my father agreed, “but that was before the incident.”

“The team from Los Angeles is hot on Voss’s trail as we speak,” Orion went on, “and now that Voss made an appearance today, it will be even easier for them to catch up with him. We’ll even have Sadie’s broken window repaired first thing in the morning. Lin, you know you can trust me and my team to protect your family.”

My father hesitated, but finally agreed. “Okay, we’ll keep them at the house. But they’re not going back to work or to school, and I’m not going to return to Banya tomorrow like we discussed.”

“But the Council is expecting you. Hamlin, you can’t forget that as Ambassador you have responsibilities. Not to mention that Rayne Stevens, one of your most loyal Water Keepers, and dare I say friend, is sitting in a holding cell at the Court of Ambassadors waiting for your aid.”

My father paused. His voice faltered. “I will find a way to help Rayne’s situation, but at this very moment, Leena and Sadie are my priority. We are all staying here at the house under constant protection until Voss Hastings is either in custody or confirmed dead.” My father turned away abruptly and crossed the yard to the front of the house. When he opened the front door, my mother and I shifted forward on the couch without saying a word.

“You’re both going to sleep in Leena’s room tonight,” he instructed rigidly. In an afterthought, his expression softened and he came to sit on the coffee table in front of us. “Everything’s going to be okay. I’m not going to leave your sides until this mess is taken care of.”

A moment later, a knock came at the front door. My father tensed, but when my mom peeked through the blinds, it was only our neighbor from next door. Apparently, he had just arrived home and noticed the broken window. My mom did an amazing job of plastering on a gracious smile and explaining that some of the guys at our barbeque had simply gotten a little too rough with a game of football. There was nothing to be concerned about.

After the neighbor left, we all turned off the fake friendly faces and went back to feeling edgy and insecure.

It wasn’t that late yet, but after such a terrible evening, my mother and I decided to get ready for bed. By the time I went back to my room, a couple of the agents had already cleared out the broken glass and secured a tarp across the open window as a temporary covering until they could fix it in the morning.

Privacy was completely gone now. No matter where I went in the house, Agent Duke was always one step behind.

In an attempt to ease the tension, my mom popped a bag of popcorn and put in a feel-good movie for us to watch together in her bed. “We’ll make this fun,” she assured me. “It’ll be like a slumber party.”

Sure
, I thought, because every slumber party wouldn’t be complete without a swarm of men with guns patrolling the house. But, that was Mom…always looking for the bright side to make everyone else feel better.

I felt the urge to do the same for her. “Yeah,” I smiled. “It’ll be just like girls’ night.”

But I had to admit to myself…lately it was getting harder to put on a happy face amid so many hardships. I spent most of the movie thinking about Rayne, and wishing I could trust my father when he said he would figure out a way to help him go free. There was also the fear of Voss still lingering in the depths of my mind. The image of his snarl right before he shot me in the head would probably haunt my dreams forever.

But somehow, it wasn’t taking me over. The strength I garnered from knowing I had survived was stronger. A new sense of confidence spread inside me. I had escaped death on more than one occasion, but it had always been at the mercy of someone else’s help. This time, thanks to the Water Briolette, I had the power to heal, right within my grasp. With the miraculous crystal in my possession, my Watermark continued to shine bright. I would never have to feel like a malfunction again.

I kept the stone close at all times, constantly worrying that it might fall out of my pocket or get lost. When I dressed for bed I thought about hiding it down inside my sock, but if felt too far away from sight. Instead I slipped it into my bra. Normally, I didn’t even wear one to bed, but it would be worth the small discomfort in order to keep the stone right within arm’s reach—and close to my heart.

***