Dissever (Unbinding Fate Book One)

  “Dang, those are some nice cars in the driveway,” Kim said as they sat parked down the block from the mystery house.

  Addy knew immediately that Akori lived there. She’d discovered living with them her entire life that Akori had a big addiction to fast and flashy cars and motorcycles.

  The garage doors were open and a black Alfa Romeo Spyder and a red Lamborghini Gallardo were parked in the driveway. Between them was a yellow Can-Am Roadster. Gage was big into cars and motorcycles when they were kids and to pass the time in the car, he’d quiz her about what vehicles they were passing on the road. Thanks to that, Addy always had an eye for cars and bikes.

  Addy checked the mirror and fixed a smudge in her eyeliner. “Ready?”

  As she stepped out of the car, she heard a motorcycle. Looking back, she saw the guy from earlier pulling up behind her. It was around dusk and the light was dingy. She strained to get a good look at him as he stepped off his bike.

  When he got closer her hand went over her mouth. He walked up quickly and pulled her over to the side so she was out of view of the mystery house.

  “I thought that was you this morning,” Tanner said, letting go of her arm. “And you tell me I’m a terrible spy?”

  Shaking off her shocked expression, she tried to keep her voice down. “What are you doing here?”

  “What are you doing here?” He shot back.

  “Who are you?” Kim asked, walking briskly toward them.

  Addy almost forgot she was there. “Kim, this is Tanner, we met a couple of weeks ago. Tanner, this is my friend Kim.”

  He nodded at her. “I remember you from the beach, nice to meet you.”

  Kim ignored Tanner completely and focused on Addy. “From the beach—the one you talked to that night by the fire?”

  “Yes, he was the one you thought was looking at us on the first day with the boots and long hair on the beach.” Addy had no choice but to explain every painful detail to her quickly as they stood outside of the mystery house. Kim didn’t look happy that Addy went ahead and met with him behind her back.

  Kim crossed her arms and frowned. “Well, so much for not keeping secrets from each other.”

  Something strange caught Addy’s eye and she moved to look at the back of Tanner’s neck. She just about fell over at what she saw. “Where did you get that symbol?”

  Tanner glanced from Addy to the mystery house. “We’ve gotta go somewhere else to talk,” he said. “Where’re you staying?”

  Addy shrugged her shoulders. “Nowhere yet, we haven’t had a chance to find a place.”

  Tanner started walking back to his motorcycle. “Follow me to my hotel—we can talk there,” he said over his shoulder.

  Kim wasn’t happy about it, but Addy trailed behind him and they got back in the car to follow him to his place.

  “Ok, that doesn’t look like the same guy,” Kim said with a smirk the minute they were alone in the car. “I guess that explains why you’ve been blowing off Gage.”

  “Oh my god, it does not,” Addy said, glaring at her. “Tanner has nothing to do with Gage.”

  Kim laughed a little bit too much at her reaction. “I was joking, but now I’m not so sure.”

  Addy was really stressed about seeing him there sporting his new glowing symbol. She couldn’t wait to get to his hotel to talk—thankfully it was only about a mile away. He was staying at another incredibly gorgeous resort with a terrace overlooking the ocean.

  Tanner told them his suite had three bedrooms and they could stay there while they were in town if they wanted to. They quickly agreed and he had the hotel staff retrieve their things from her car.

  Addy plopped down on his huge leather sofa when they were alone. “So what gives?”

  “A few days ago—right after I saw you last, whatever was tying me to your house just went away suddenly,” he said, collapsing on the sofa next to her. “I stayed a couple of extra days to be sure I was ok and yesterday morning I decided to head out.”

  “When did you get the symbol?” Addy asked, biting her lip.

  “Yesterday afternoon it felt like someone was burning my neck with a hot iron. When I looked at the back of my neck I had this thing.” He turned to show her the symbol. “I’ve got the gut pulling feeling that brought me to your house again—it’s not nearly as bad though.”

  Addy felt sick. The feeling Tanner had disappeared when Fate died—she was sure of it. Then when she touched the Overseer’s Stone, he got the same pulling and burning symbol as she did.

  “I got this yesterday, too.” She lifted her hair and turned around to show him the back of her neck. “I’ve got the same pulling you do—that’s how I found the mystery house.”

  His face paled as he reached up and touched it. “Maybe I was too quick to blow off the alien thing.”

  “Ok, I’m about to tell you some things you might not believe, but trust me, they’re all true.” Addy dropped her hands in her lap and turned to face him. “This is gonna take awhile—keep an open mind.”

  It took a really long time. In fact, it took so long that they ordered room service. Addy told him everything, except about Gage healing her, even Kim didn’t know about that. She tried not to leave out a single detail about the Akori, the estate, the Overseer, and the Overseer’s Stone.

  Tanner asked her a lot of questions, but oddly, he didn’t seem shocked by what she was saying.

  “So do you think that Overseer’s Stone has something to do with why we’re here?” he asked.

  “Yeah I think—” Addy stopped and followed Tanner’s eyes as he motioned for her to look at Kim.

  “Hey,” Addy said to her. “You okay?”

  Kim appeared to be zoning out, but she snapped out of it at the sound of Addy’s voice. “Can both of you stand up and let me see the marks next to each other?”

  Addy and Tanner exchanged looks as they stood up side-by-side. Kim moved behind them and studied the symbols.

  “They’re not exactly the same,” she said. “Let me see your phone so I can take a picture, Addy. My battery’s dead.”

  Addy fished her phone out of her purse. She’d kept it off to avoid talking to anyone, but once she turned it on the notification for new texts popped up.

  “Just ignore the messages.” She told Kim and handed her the phone.

  Kim took a picture of the symbols. “Now turn around and smile.” She snapped a few pictures of Tanner and Addy, who just made strange faces at her.

  Kim made Tanner take a few pictures of her and Addy. She then excused herself to her room with the pictures, saying she wanted to look through the books of Akori symbols again.

  When Kim was gone Addy turned to Tanner. “Ok, so why aren’t you totally freaked out by what I told you?”

  Tanner shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure. It just seems right—maybe like I finally have the answers I’ve needed.”

  “So you buy this, but not the alien story?”

  “Oh, I bought the alien story. You just confessed way too easily so I knew it was only a cover.”

  “You saw right through me.”

  Tanner pointed at her. “Exactly.”

  Addy glanced over at him. “You didn’t say good-bye.”

  “I tried, girlie.” Tanner tipped his head toward her. “Your house was like a zoo—it was all I could do just to leave your shoes.”

  “Yeah it was pretty hectic.” She could easily see how getting to her could have been an issue. As soon as word spread that Fate had passed away Akori showed up at the estate in droves.

  “It doesn’t matter now anyway—fate brought us back together,” he said slightly smiling at her, “if you believe in that sort of thing.”

  Addy and Tanner continued talking—trying to sort out what was happening to them. He told her when she saw him earlier he’d just arrived in town too. He said he watched the mystery house for most of the day and saw two people dressed in gold robes leaving. One was wearing a crimson red hooded cloak over the robe
s.

  “Gold robes? Are you sure?”

  “Positive. They were two older looking dudes.” Tanner grabbed a can of soda out of the refrigerator and handed it to her.

  “Thanks,” Addy said, taking it from him. “The traditional Akori clothing for special events is gold colored robes—I mean, they don’t wear them anymore, but they did.”

  She opened the can and took a sip. She was thirsty, but she didn’t remember saying she wanted a drink.

  “Well, these two guys were rocking them today.” Tanner walked toward the terrace and motioned her to follow him. “You look really great. Did you get run over by an extreme makeover show?”

  “You’re a funny guy,” Addy said, poking him in the arm.

  The view of the ocean and passing ships was spectacular from the terrace.

  “It’s cool you’re here,” he said, leaning on the railing. “I mean, we can get this sorted out faster together.”

  She rolled her eyes at him and grinned. “You’re just glad you’re not the only one who’s broken anymore.”

  “Misery loves company,” he said, bumping her in the shoulder.

  Addy lowered her chin so it was resting on her hands along the railing. “Have you slept recently?”

  “From the time I came to your beach I never slept once until the afternoon you said your grandfather passed away. And I haven’t slept since the mark appeared yesterday.”

  She frowned and let her shoulders sag. They really were broken.

  He raised his eyebrows at her. “I take it you haven’t either then.”

  She shook her head. “Misery loves company.”

  “It sure does, girlie.”

  She watched as the lights of a ship passing by get dimmer. “Who else did you see at the house—besides the people in the gold robes?”

  “There was a guy about our age and two young women—maybe a few years older than him.”

  Addy thought for a minute and then turned to face him. “Let's go talk to them tomorrow.”

  “Sure—I’m down,” Tanner said, taking a step back from the rail. “What’s your cell number?”

  She quickly rattled it off. He didn’t even bother to write it down or save it in his phone.

  “Did you actually want it, or were you just seeing if I knew it?”

  “I want it,” he said with a smile. “I’ve gotta go out for awhile—I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Not being able to sleep made the night seem painfully long. At least if she was at home she could play a video game or read a book. She flipped through every channel and came to the conclusion that everything on TV sucked. Finally, desperate from extreme boredom, Addy decided to grab her phone from Kim and see who sent the text messages. After flopping back down on her bed, she read three—all from Gage.

  I’m back from the airport. Find me when you get home.

  Addy please call us.

  My mom found your note. Call me.

  She looked at the clock and discovered it was 2 in the morning—Gage was probably sleeping. If she called she might be able to just leave a voicemail, but she decided a text message would be safer. She thought about what to say and decided to just keep it simple.

  We’re fine.

  She hit send, and within seconds, her phone was ringing. Gage was calling back—so much for texting being safer, she thought. She looked at the phone screen for a few seconds, debating on whether or not to talk to him. She didn’t make up her mind quickly enough, and it went to voicemail. It was only a few seconds before she got a text from him.

  What’s going on?

  She thought about it for a few minutes and decided she’d better reply. He was well aware that she was looking at her phone.

  I’ll be back soon. I need some space.

  Gage didn’t respond.

  Chapter 15