Dissever (Unbinding Fate Book One) (16 page)

Stubbs shook his head quickly. “The only logical way
she can safely have that symbol is because she’s a Sanders.”

Addy remembered the stories she’d read about humans
being marked with Akori symbols. None of them ended well for the humans.

Bernard glanced between Addy and Tanner, and then
turned his attention to Jax. “The humans that tried to attack you today—how’d
they find you? Even if the humans got an Akori to guide them, you haven’t
claimed the stone yet, they can’t sense you.”

 Jax shook his head. “We don’t know, but you can count
on one thing—they’ll be back.”

“True, they probably already know where Tremain is,”
Stubbs said.

“You should probably claim the Overseer’s Stone, my
boy.” Bernard walked up and patted Jax on the back. “Just look at you, you’re
the image of your father.”

Jax nodded. “He must’ve been an exceptionally handsome
man.”

“That’s your brother?” Tanner leaned over to Addy. “I
think you should request a DNA test.”

She put her hand over her mouth as she smiled at him.

“Jackson, considering you just arrived, I think you
should get a few things in order before claiming the stone,” Stubbs said, “such
as introducing yourself to the Akori people.”

Jax walked over to Addy, standing in front of her. “Let's
take a break,” he said as he squeezed her hand. “I know it’s a lot to deal with.”
He turned and faced Bernard. “I’d like to meet with you if you have a few
minutes.”

Addy watched Jackson as he spoke to the others. She couldn’t
believe she actually had a brother—a
twin
brother. She’d never felt like
she had a sibling—much less a twin. The thought never ever crossed her mind.

They decided they’d gather everyone in the garden in
an hour to tell them what was going on, and then return to the library so Jax
could claim the Overseer’s Stone.

Addy grabbed Tanner’s arm, stopping him at the door.
“Are you ok?”

He nodded as he leaned toward her slightly. “Are you?”

“It’s a lot, you know.”

“It sure is, girlie.”

Tanner headed back to the resort next door, but said
he’d be back shortly. Stubbs went off to arrange to get everyone together in
the garden.

She wanted to talk to Kim, but when she asked Bernard
about her he said she had only gotten back a few minutes before Addy, and went
straight to Matt, refusing to answer any questions.

Addy just decided to go back to her villa. She made
her way through the garden, carefully avoiding everyone. Her door was open when
she walked up the sidewalk. She opened the screen and stepped inside. “Hello?”

Moose came running from the kitchen, followed by Gage.
The sight of him made her heart jump.

“I was bringing the cat back for my mom.” He kept his
eyes glued to the floor as he spoke.

She picked Moose up, who was purring loudly. “Thanks.
I really missed him.”

“No problem.” He started for the door, but stopped
when he realized she was still standing in front of it.

Addy put the cat down and took a step away from the
door. She couldn’t believe Gage wouldn’t even look at her. She wanted to
explain to him what happened so he didn’t have to hear it in front of everyone
else.

“You don’t have to go. I’d like to talk to you.” She
reached for his hand, but he pulled it away, making her chest tighten. “Don’t
be like that, Gage.”

 He shook his head looking just as angry as
earlier—maybe more. “You took off to chase after some guy—what am I supposed to
be like?” He still didn’t look at her. “Then you just roll up with him and his
buddy today like it’s no big deal.”

She hadn't seen that one coming and her jaw just about
hit the floor. “Why do you think that?”

Gage gestured toward the table by the door. “We saw
the notes when we came to get your cat. The one that said he was leaving.”

That was exactly what she didn’t need to deal with,
and she could feel anger beginning to build at him.

“Wow, you’re absolutely right,” Addy said, tossing her
hands up. “Since you’ve got it all figured out, I guess there’s nothing to talk
about.”

He finally circled his light blue eyes to meet hers.
“Am I
wrong
?”

Taking a deep breath, trying to force her frustration
back, she stepped toward Gage. Her finger tips brushed against his as a noise
from the door made her spin around.

“Hey, girlie.” Tanner was standing on her porch with both
hands full of shopping bags. “Open the door.”

She glanced back at Gage and then quickly went over to
let Tanner in.

“These are the clothes you left in my suite.” He
dropped the bags on her sofa. “Someone needs a shopping intervention.”

Gage shook his head at her and pushed past Tanner, out
the door.

Chapter 15

Chairs were hastily set up in the garden and everyone
was gathered. Addy stood at the front of the group next to her brother.

There were still quite a few more Akori there than usual.
Tanner was seated with Bernard and Stubbs behind her with Winkie and Brutis at
Stubbs’ feet. Kim and Matt were sitting on a bench together looking happy to be
reunited.

Standing at the back of the group was Gage with his
mother Molly. They both looked confused at what was happening. She figured they’d
already heard rumors about what she was going to say.

“Thanks for coming together so quickly everyone,” Addy
said. “In the last few days a lot’s changed. I hope you’ll understand after my
brother and I are done explaining.” There was a roar from the group.

Jax took her hand in his, which made her slightly
uncomfortable.

“My name is Jackson Sanders. Some of you may already
know me as Jackson West.” He went on to explain a condensed version of what
happened. When he was done, no one said anything out loud, but a lot of
whispering was going on.

Addy glanced at Gage, who didn’t appear angry for the
first time since she’d been back. He met her eyes briefly, and then turned to
talk to Molly.

“Well then, let’s move to the library and get the
Overseer’s Stone claimed,” Bernard said as he stood up.

Kim ran up and gave Addy a hug. “When you left this
morning the last thing I expected you to bring home was a brother, especially
that
one.”

“You’re not the only one,” Addy said. “I’m glad you
made it back safely—sorry I abandoned you.”

Kim shrugged and looked at Matt out of the corner of
her eye. “It was no big deal.”

“Sure, she only made me stay on the phone with her the
entire
drive back,” Matt said, clearly pretending to be annoyed.

Matt called Gage over to walk with them. He didn’t say
anything to her and she kept Matt and Kim in between them. Jax left out a lot
of details about what happened.  On the way to the library, Addy quietly filled
them in on what he excluded.

“Your brother seems alright,” Matt said, shrugging his
shoulders. “I just can’t believe you have a brother.”

“Tanner says I should request a DNA test,” she said,
smiling.

“What’s with the Tanner guy?” Matt asked and Kim immediately
elbowed him. “Hey, it's a
fair
question.”

“He’s my friend.” She looked over at Tanner who was
talking to Bernard as they walked. “I can’t wait for you guys to get to know
him.”

Approaching the library, they heard a commotion. Addy
rushed in to see what was going on. She hurried to Jax and realized what they
all saw.

The Overseer’s Stone was gone.

“Close up the gates!” Bernard shouted. Several Akori
ran from the room.

“Jax!” A female voice shouted. “You just got here and
you’ve already sent the place into chaos?”

It was Juliette West, the redhead from Jax’s house.

“I’m innocent this time,” he said, holding his hands
up.

Juliette looked around at the crowded library. “Got
any ideas about who’d take it?”

“A few. We need to clear the place out a bit and talk.”
Jax directed his attention to Addy, as Juliette started herding the people out.
“Who do you trust?”

“I trust Bernard, Kim, Matt, Gage, Renee, Josh, and
Molly.”

He cut his eyes to look at Stubbs. “Interesting you
didn’t mention the barber.”

“Oh I didn’t—I guess I just forgot him.”

 “Listen,” Jax said, “someone here may have sold us
out. Grandfather thought so, that’s why he sent me away and never told you or
anyone else here about me.” Jax looked around. “Now that everyone knows about
me, it’s all gonna come unglued.”

 He grabbed her hand and led her down a row of books
to an alcove at the end.

“There’s a lot you don’t know,” Jax said when they
were alone. “Have a seat.”

Addy sat on a stone bench, pulling her feet up she was
sitting cross-legged. “Great,
more
I don’t know.”

“Akori politics are very—
complicated
. They all have
varying allegiances—whether they admit it or not. Some of them even believe
that the Akori can gain additional power by eliminating the Overseer.” He sat
down next to her and tipped his head to the side. “The humans aren’t the ones
we have to watch out for, it’s other Akori. The ones that call themselves
Mesen.”

Jax told her that the day their parents were killed,
they left the estate and headed to a hospital for a carefully planned secret cesarean
section. When they didn’t show up for the appointment, their grandfather was
contacted.

Unable to locate them, he had no choice but to call in
an Akori Shepherd who led him to their bodies. Their mother was dead, the
babies were still inside her womb, and their father was with her dying. Fate
summoned an Akori to shift the event but she was unable to. That meant Akori
were involved in the attack.

“You’re telling me it was
Akori
that killed our
parents—not humans?”

“Talk quietly.” He looked around and lowered his voice.
“Our parents were murdered by Akori—well, they don’t call themselves Akori.
They’re a group who split off from the Akori. They call themselves Mesen.”

Addy shook her head. “Fate told me that
Mesen
was what Akori who didn’t come to the estate were called.”

“It’s partially true, they don’t come here.” Jax continued
on, telling her that Fate had the babies cut from his daughter-in-law’s dead
body, as their father died. They were alive, but needed medical attention. Fate
knew an Akori who had healing powers and he was able to save them.

Addy tapped her fingers on the stone bench. “Do a lot
of Akori have healing powers?”

  ”No, he’s the only one we’ve ever known of.” Jax
gave her an odd look. “It's funny that’s the only question you have after what
I’ve just dumped on you.”

She ignored his comment. “So Fate brought me here and
the Mesen thought only a girl was born? Is that why they’ve stayed away? They
were just waiting for Fate to die?”

Jax nodded.

“How’d he hide you so well? None of us here had any
idea you existed.” She still couldn’t believe it herself.

“Our grandfather handed me over to the West family
because he knew he could trust them. They prepared me for taking over Tremain—
and
dealing with the backlash once the Mesen found out I existed.”

Addy thought for a minute. She’d never heard exactly
how
her parents had been murdered, just that it was on the day she was born and the
ones who did it were human, not Akori.

“You know so much more than I do about everything,”
she said, leaning forward on her elbows.

“I had to know everything because I was going to be
the Overseer one day. Grandfather didn’t want you to live in suspicion of
everyone. He also needed you, and anyone around you, to really believe that you
were his only heir.” Jax put his arm around her shoulders. “It’s easier for me
because I’ve always known about all of it—
you didn’t.”

She shifted uncomfortably under the pressure of his
arm. “Maybe.”

Jax tightened his arm around her. “I’ve been waiting a
long time to meet you.”

Addy smiled at him slightly and immediately started feeling
creepy for checking out her own brother earlier.

“It just feels like everything I knew about my life
was wrong.” She stood up and looked around at the library where she’d spent
countless hours with her Grandfather. “Fate once told me he’d read every book
in here.”

Jax ran his slender fingers along a book spine the way
she always did. “If he said it, then it was true.”

 “Do you know how the Mesen found your house earlier?”

“They shouldn’t have known about me yet. We think maybe
they followed you, but we’re not sure. We’d been watching for Tanner for a few
days. That’s why I had Angelica and a few others posted around the area. We’d
have been screwed if she hadn’t spotted the Mesen coming.”

Addy crossed her arms and leaned against the book
shelf. “What do you know about Tanner? He’s never talked about his family until
today. Judging by the places he stays and the bike he drives, I think he’s got
a ton of money.”

Jax turned his palms up. “I only knew Grandfather was
sending him. I was a little surprised his parents never told him what he was,
but maybe even they didn’t know. I’m thinking we shouldn’t press him to talk about
it—at least not
yet.”

He must have noticed the same vibe she did when Tanner
mentioned his family; it was like he didn’t want to talk about them.

Jax stood up next to her. “Think Bernard’s right about
grandfather having his friend adopt Tanner?”

“After finding
you—
I think anything’s possible.
We should ask Bernard to talk to him.”

Jax raised his eyebrows. “He actually
offered
to talk to him. After we met earlier I talked to Bernard about a few things,
including Tanner.”

“Oh,” she said, tugging at a loose string on the seam
of her shirt. Addy turned to face Jax. “Why didn’t you just come to Tremain as
soon as Fate died? He could’ve just told you where it was instead of summoning Tanner
to bring you.”