Hazy memories flooded her mind as the shower water poured over Addy’s throbbing head. When she tried to sort them out, one in particular kept resurfacing—Jax saying he’d been trying to keep her and Tanner apart.
It made absolutely no sense and really pissed her off. Tanner was a great person and he’d helped them in so many ways. It wasn’t as if Jax had ever shown any distrust in Tanner, it was the opposite actually. He was a big part of all of the planning and discussions they had.
The only explanation she could come up with for his behavior was that Jax was trying to protect her from getting in a relationship with an Akori. If that was the case, then he was way out of line. Their relationship wasn’t like that, Tanner was just her friend.
Once she was dressed, Addy headed over to Tanner’s place for the raisin toast she’d requested. Patrick stopped her in the garden just as she was about to hit the path to the beach and handed her an envelope—he said it was from Kim.
Addy opened it as she walked. The only thing in the envelope was a picture. It was the one Kim took by the fire of her and Gage on their first night at the beach—it was also the night she met Tanner. They were both smiling and his head was leaning close to her shoulder. It was hard to look at and made her ache for the simpler days at the estate.
After taking a deep breath, she turned the picture over and read the back.
[email protected]—same place as last time.
Addy thought about the words and decided Kim must’ve meant the warehouse. Her heart was beating rapidly as it sank in that she was really going to meet up with Mattie. He’d been one of her best friends for most of her life. Now she could only think of him as the person responsible for taking Gage away and destroying her relationship with Kim.
Addy tried to calm herself as she walked to Tanner’s place. What she needed was a plan. There was absolutely no way she could just walk into the warehouse unprepared after she’d witnessed what the Mesen were capable of doing.
Addy pressed the button to the penthouse suite and fiddled with the ends of her hair nervously as she waited at the door.
Oliver answered and looked surprised to see her there.
Addy smiled and waved to him. “Isn’t he up?” She walked in without being invited and watched as Oliver closed the door. “We were supposed to have breakfast.”
He shook his head. “It was a late night.”
Addy looked around at the doors along the hallway, she wasn’t sure which one was Tanner’s room. She raised her eyebrows at Oliver and he pointed to the one on the left.
“I should probably—” That was all he managed to say before she was in Tanner’s room, closing the door behind her.
Once she was in there, she wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do. His room was dark and the bed was a mess with him sprawled out in the middle. She decided to open the door to the balcony to let some light and fresh air in.
Addy said his name a few times, but he didn’t budge. She walked over to his bed, which was the biggest one she’d ever seen, and shook it. “Tanner, wake up.”
He lifted up and looked at her and then pulled the blankets over his head. “Oliver’s fired. I hope you can live with that on your conscience.”
Addy climbed over him and plopped down on the other side of his bed with her feet on the wall. “We had breakfast plans—remember?”
He peeked at her from under the blanket. “Jax was a dick last night. I figured you were grounded.”
“That’s one of the reasons you gotta get up.” She started shaking him with her feet. “Please, Tanner—c’mon, I have so much to tell you.”
He made a growling sound and she watched as he tried to hide his smile. “You’re a mean and awful girl.” He motioned for her to get out so he could get dressed.
Oliver had breakfast set up on the balcony and she was pouring coffee when Tanner came outside. She had so much to catch him up on that she didn’t even know where to begin.
Over raisin toast and coffee, she told him about the scroll Jax had in the library the week before and about the phone call in the car where he was telling someone he wanted to keep them apart.
“That makes no goddamn sense,” he said, tossing his toast down on his plate. “Hell girlie, I’ve known you longer than he has—he doesn’t decide if and when we spend time together.”
It was the first time she’d ever seen Tanner completely pissed off. Instinctively, she reached over and smoothed her hand down his arm. He looked at her and his angry expression faded.
Addy pulled her hand away. “You’re right, he has absolutely no say in our friendship—but dealing with my brother, the self-appointed warden, is gonna have to wait. I have even bigger news.”
Addy explained to him what happened when she met with Kim. She pulled out the picture with the message about when and where to meet Matt written on the back and handed it to him. “Will you come with me—I mean, if you’re not busy?”
Tanner gave the picture back to her and sighed. “You’re gonna go even if I ask you not to, right?”
“I have to—it’s Gage we’re talking about. If Matt’s telling the truth and I can get him back…” Addy didn’t want to get her hopes up, but it was tough not to.
He leaned back in his chair and turned his eyes to meet hers. “You know I’m in—you can’t go alone.”
They made their plans as they finished eating and decided they’d meet early so they could get to the warehouse before Matt.
Her phone started ringing. She quickly sent it to voicemail when she saw it was Jax. She had nothing to say to him. A few seconds later Tanner’s phone began buzzing.
Addy watched as he checked to see who it was. “Jax?”
He nodded.
“I’m telling you, something’s up with him.”
“One thing at a time, girlie.” He smiled, finishing his toast. “Let’s just handle Matt today and deal with your brother tomorrow.”
Addy kept her promise to Will and made sure Molly didn’t leave Tremain. After leaving Tanner’s suite, Addy headed back to the estate to check in with her. She found Molly in the music room sorting through a basket of clothes. Addy took a seat at the piano and flipped through the sheet music. She selected one of Fate’s favorites and began playing. Molly stopped what she was doing and came to sit next to her.
“Will told me you talked,” Molly said when she was finished. “He was glad our son has someone like you.”
Addy turned sideways on the bench. “I’d do anything if it meant getting him back.”
“So would his father.” Molly took her hand. “The two of you are a lot alike in that way.”
Addy pulled out the picture Kim sent her and showed Molly. “This was our first night back here.”
Molly studied the photo. “When I look at your heads leaning together like that, it reminds me of when you two got your hair stuck together with gum.”
“That was totally his fault.”
Jax strolled in and looked between them, stopping his eyes on Addy. “So this is where you are. I’ve been looking for you.”
Addy quickly tucked the picture away. “You found me—what do you want?” She refused to look at him directly. She was still too mad about learning he was trying to keep her away from Tanner.
He walked up and leaned on the piano. “Feeling better this morning?”
“I had a wonderful breakfast with Tanner and I’m feeling great—thanks for asking.”
“Well, that’s just swell.” He cleared his throat and wiped the irritated look off his face. “We’ve got our meeting with the Mesen leaders set up. I need both of you to come to the library.”
Jax leaned over Addy and played a few notes of the same song she’d been playing. He smiled at her and then left the room.
When Addy and Molly entered the library, Bernard was the only one there. She quickly told them about Ashford Worthington trying to get her to leave the club with him.
“He’s not someone you want to associate with
,” Molly said. “I’ve heard from more than one person that he and his father are ruthless. Ash supposedly has the ability to make people do things.”
“How the hell are all of these powers we’ve never heard about suddenly surfacing?” Bernard asked, shuffling his stack of papers.
“They’ve found a way to harness each other’s powers and pool them together—they’re unlocking abilities once lost to us,” Will said, walking in and heading toward Molly.
Addy’s heart skipped when she saw him—for a split second it was like looking at Gage. Will leaned down and kissed Molly, making her cheeks flush.
“Will, how wonderful to see you.” Bernard stood up and shook his hand. “I didn’t know you were back.”
Addy was surprised they knew each other. Bernard never mentioned knowing Gage’s dad before.
Jax came in, walking fast with Juliette trailing behind him. “I hope you have good news for us.”
Will scooped Juliette up, hugging her. “It’s great to see you, Jules.”
“My father was absolutely thrilled when he heard you were back.” Juliette told Will, putting her hands up and looking at the group. “Brace yourselves—the troublemakers have been reunited.”
“No. I’ll take it easy on the old guy.” Will smiled and winked at Juliette. “If he doesn’t start using his powers to stop aging soon, people are going to be mistaking him for my father, too.”
Addy’s head was spinning from trying to keep score of who knew who from where. She had absolutely no idea Mitchell West and Will Elsegood were friends—apparently best friends. That meant Gage may have been around Mitchell and Juliette before he moved to Tremain with Molly.
Jax broke up the reunions and gestured toward Addy. “Preston Worthington sent Ash to see Addison last night.”
Will’s eyes flashed with concern. “What happened?”
Dread washed over her as she found herself stuck telling her almost boyfriend’s parents about being drunk in a dance club with a creepy guy.
“We’re lucky Tanner was there,” Molly said when Addy finished.
Addy watched Jax tense as she said it. “It wasn’t the first time Ash tried to get me alone,” she said. “The night before Gage Scattered we were at a club and—well I saw Ash there. He was like in my head or something and—”
“You should’ve told me about that before.” Jax smacked his hand on the table. “I never would’ve—.”
“I didn’t think anything of it the first time. It didn’t come together until I thought about it this morning,” she said, glaring at him. She took a few steps toward Jax and pointed at him. “And just so we’re clear, you don’t get to decide—”
Tanner and Stubbs walked in and she stopped talking. Tanner’s eyes locked on Addy and he walked straight to her side.
“Well they’ve sure learned to argue like brother and sister quickly,” Molly said, shaking her head at Bernard, who turned his palms up.
“Let’s get started,” Will said, clearly trying to change the direction the conversation was headed in. He told them he and Mitchell West visited with the Mesen leaders to set up a meeting that would take place Thursday. While there, he learned the Mesen had found a way to take power from each other. It allowed them to access other powers they couldn’t use before. “The situation is becoming more and more urgent. If we don’t proceed carefully, they may start extracting power from unwilling Akori when they run out of volunteers.”
“What do you think we should do?” Juliette asked.
Will placed his hands on the table, leaning on them and looked up. “We need to summon Eva.”
Stubbs leaned forward in his chair, appearing shocked at Will’s words. “We don’t even know when the last time she Scattered was.”
“If I’m back, then she is too,” Will said, turning his attention to Stubbs. “I saw her the day I Scattered.”
“That’s impossible!” Stubbs’ face was red and he sat back. “I would’ve known—she would have come here.”
“She did come here. It was in the middle of everything that was going on with my parents being killed,” Jax said. “She’s the one who tried to shift the event for grandfather.”
Addy had never seen Stubbs look so angry. He was literally ready to explode.
“Eva Scattered the same day I did. She couldn’t shift what happened because there were Akori involved.” Will took a deep breath and glanced between Jax and Addy. “That’s why Fate summoned me to heal them.”
Addy whipped her head around to look at Will. “You’re the one?” She suddenly felt sick and overcome with guilt. “It’s because of us that you Scattered?”
She felt like she was being sucked into a tunnel and lost her balance. Tanner pulled her over so she was sitting on the chaise and put his arm around her, earning him an irritated glare from Jax.
“It was my own decision. Fate asked for my help and I helped.” Will looked at Molly, and then back to Addy. “I knew I’d Scatter, and Fate agreed to bring Molly and Gage here to live until I got back. My son was supposed to be kept away from the Mesen. Gage was never supposed to be a part of this mess.”
“The Mesen brought it to our doorstep, Will.” Jax turned to him. “The estate was sheltered from it. That’s why Addy’s just finding out so many things she should’ve grown up knowing. It’s only since Gage Scattered that we’ve talked about what’s really going on openly.”
Addy shot Jax a sharp look for talking about Gage Scattering like it was no big deal. Her animosity toward him was growing rapidly.
Tanner looked at Will and put his hands up. “So let’s just make sure I’ve got this straight—you healed them—in exchange, Fate brought Gage here to keep him away from the fighting between the Akori and Mesen?”
Will nodded.
Tanner leaned forward with his elbows on his knees looking up at Will. “And you didn’t see any holes in that plan, huh?”
Addy elbowed him and shifted her eyes to Molly. “I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Molly waved her off and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ve told you before, we were very happy here with you.”
“You kids have nothing to be sorry for,” Will said, looking between Jax and Tanner. “So that’s the end of it.”
“So back to summoning Eva—how’s it done?” Tanner asked.
Leaning back in his chair, Jax put his foot up on the edge of the table and rested his arm on his knee. “As long as Eva’s back from Scattering, I can use the Overseer’s Stone to summon her to me—like grandfather did to you.”
“What if she doesn’t come?” Addy asked. “If she’s back, then she’s choosing not to come here. She must know what’s going on.”
Stubbs stood up and they all watched him walk over to one of the bookshelves. “We won’t ask her to come.” He returned to the table with a large book. “We’ll make her.”
Will and Jax came to stand beside him as he opened the book. He turned the pages until he found what he wanted. “This is the one.” He slid his finger down the page and pointed.
Juliette leaned over to take a look. “Oh, she’s gonna be pissed.”
Will, Jax, and Stubbs talked quietly between themselves. Addy couldn’t really get a clear picture of what they were planning, but it sounded complicated.
“Can the rest of us who don’t speak vague references get an update on what we’re talking about doing?” Tanner walked over to look at the book. “Yeah, I’ll definitely need a translation on that one.”
Will shifted so he was leaning on the table. “It’s an Akori Symbol that works like a trap. We draw the symbol on the floor, and then Jax powers it with the Stone to summon her. Eva is ripped from wherever she is and stuck in the circle until he lets her out.”
“And she also won’t be able to use any of her power while she’s trapped.” Juliette took a step back and raised her eyebrows. “Like I said—she’s gonna be pissed.”
Jax took a long look at the book, running his finge
r down the page. “We’ll summon Eva tomorrow.”
Chapter 31