* * * * *
We lie together on the bed of pine needles, molded for what feels like hours, with Riley's hand resting on my tummy. He traces shapes on my back for some time as we relax in the afterglow.
“We should have done that sooner,” Riley says.
“Yes. Sooner. But you were right. I wasn't ready back then, either,” I say, thinking of the horrific urges that could have torn us apart.
We're going to get through this. Together as equals.
“Well, we are now. I'm glad we had this first moment away from everyone else,” he says, resting his chin on my bare shoulder.
“We can't stay away too long,” I say. Riley provides zero body heat, and though lying with my back molded to him keeps my warmth against me, the day isn't exactly tropical. “As much as I'd love to.” I turn my head and we manage an awkward kiss.
We rest for a bit longer, watching the gentle waves of the now-distant beach. We've gone some distance into the woods, and only the single wake of a whale forms on the water, way in the distance.
And then other movement catches my attention.
There's a dark figure walking along the beach, hugging the water, and due to walk past our position.
“Someone's coming,” I hiss.
Riley pushes himself off the pine needles behind me. “Shit. You're right.”
The figure is dark and several hundred feet away, walking around a wooded curve. Provided they don't notice us up here tucked away in our natural shelter, they'll walk only a hundred feet away from us. Shit, shit, shit. I reach for my clothes and frantically pull them on while Riley does the same beside me.
Once dressed, I push myself into a standing position, almost hitting my head on a low hanging pine branch. Riley does the same, throwing his hoodie back on.
We stand there and wait for the figure to walk past.
We have to suspect everything that moves.
And then, as my eyes adjust to the light outside, I see something that makes my heart stop.
A familiar green coat, military green, and a unique one that I've only seen on one person. I recognize the button-up pockets even from this distance.
“It's Dad,” I breathe. “He's going somewhere. Text Lily. Sexy time is over.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Dad is not heading towards us. He's oblivious. His gait is quick, like he's rushing somewhere even farther down the beach than we've gone. Dad looks straight ahead, like he's definitely got a mission.
I hold my breath, wanting nothing more than to run out to him, but something feels odd. What if he's still being controlled by this Originator and being used to track down the Beaumonts? Of course, the Originator will want to eliminate them first.
So I wait.
If we have to, we can follow Dad.
“I've texted Lily. She'll follow us down this way,” Riley says. “Just in case the Beaumonts show up and try to ambush him, or us. It could be a trap.”
I blink, making sure there's none of that woozy feeling that comes when a Nightside is messing with your perception. All feels clear, and Dad walks as if he's sure he's alone. At last, he passes our shelter. Dad must not be using his enhanced senses right now, or he might have seen us, and I know he can't smell us.
I look down at my clothes, adjust them, and focus on sending out the idea that I'm the homeless girl. What's my name again? I'll worry about it later, on the fly, like I did with Addie.
Dad continues on, keeping his fast pace. He thinks he's alone, or he wouldn't be walking at a supernatural speed, defying human limits.
You're alone, I think, determined to see where he's going before I announce my presence to him. The pressure, now controlled, forms in my chest and spreads around my eyes as I watch Dad and focus on his back. Alone. No one's behind you. The beach is empty. I've altered perceptions before, sending Truebloods after fake, vague intruders in the woods, but can I also convince Dad, a Nightside, that no one's following him across the open beach and gravel?
We've got to try.
Besides, Dad won't hurt me. But he might fight Riley, and that's the major reason I can't just run out there and yell at him for The Leaving, Part Two.
I nod to Riley.
He nods back.
Riley and I emerge from the trees and follow. Lily doesn't text back, so Riley's phone stays silent in his pocket. He must have turned it off.
He nods back.
Riley and I emerge from the trees and follow. Lily doesn't text back, so Riley's phone stays silent in his pocket.
Dad continues on his way, upping his pace to a jog.
I take a breath, maintaining my homeless look just in case, and we follow. You're alone. I project the image of an empty beach at him, praying he doesn't notice us if he—
Dad looks over his shoulder.
I freeze, and so does Riley, and just as Riley lifts his hand to wave, Dad stares at the long, endless beach ahead and starts his jog again.
“He didn't see us,” I hiss. “I'm controlling it, Riley. Now that I'm away from Moon's Peak, I can control myself.” Or maybe just realizing where my anger is coming from has helped.
“Amazing.” Riley takes my hand and leads me over two large boulders and the pool of water resting between them.
We continue along the beach like this for some time, and it takes a lot of my focus to do two mental tricks at once, but at last, Dad veers off into the trees. But this time, he's not trying to lead me anywhere, unless he's doing a good job of making it look like he’s unaware.
Riley and I follow, and I let him do the sensing. Two are better than one. He waves me over to a trail that leads uphill and into the woods, and then I spot the pointed shape of a hidden cabin well
