“I know what you mean.” She looked meaningfully at me. “Adam’s a good guy. I wish that I could have stuck around longer to see where things went.”
“I think he wishes that too,” I assured her.
“It won’t be the same now, Dawn,” she said quietly, with a sad expression on her face.
“You don’t know that,” I said slowly.
“Oh, but I do,” she replied, keeping her voice low. “You can come back in now, Adam,” she called rather loudly.
Adam reappeared, looking uncertain and a bit dazed as he tried to fathom what was going on.
“I’m not going to ask,” he said as he took a seat at the table with us.
“Probably for the best,” Helen responded, resting her hand on his.
Something struck me as not quite right about this display of affection. I didn’t understand what it was, but some reason I didn’t like it.
“So, what brought you back so quick?” Adam asked her. “Your last message said it would be a few weeks before you would be here.” He looked at me.
“I was able to get away quicker than I expected.” She smiled at him, then glanced at me. Her hand was still resting on his, and it still didn’t feel right somehow.
“I told Dawn,” Adam suddenly blurted out.
“You told Dawn what?” Helen asked.
“I told her about you. About what you are.” He said it apologetically as if he was pleading for forgiveness.
“That’s fine, Adam,” she said, still smiling, after a small hesitation.
“How can it be fine?” Adam went on, looking even more confused. “You told me not to tell anyone.”
“I just have a feeling that Dawn here is a trustworthy person who won’t give away my secrets.” She certainly hid her true emotions well.
I wondered if she knew that I hadn’t told Adam about my own powers. I also wondered what this unsettled feeling I felt was about.
Adam looked at me. “I’d trust her with my life,” he said.
“Then it’s settled. Dawn is part of our inner circle.” She winked at me.
All I could do was give her a forced smile.
****
We spent an hour talking about nothing, really. It was mostly just Adam and Helen catching up on old times. She told him about all the places she had been to, and the things that she had seen. There were several stories about the churches and the missions that she had visited and all the people she had saved.
Adam listened intently, never taking his eyes off her as she spoke. I felt a bit like a third wheel, but when I offered to let them have some time to catch up properly, she insisted that I stick around. She even told me, for Adam’s benefit I supposed, that because I knew her secret, I needed to understand what she was on this Earth to do. The thing is, I already understood what she was there for. Everything that Nick had told me was starting to sink in the longer I sat there and listened to her talking.
At seven the conversation started to wane, so I decided it was time for me to head home. It was a school night, and if I were out too late, my mother would have it in for me when I got home. Halfway home my phone rang, and I answered it with a tired “Hello.”
“Dawn, it’s Helen.”
“What’s up?” I asked, wondering why she was calling me so soon.
“I’m leaving Adam’s now. Do you mind if I come by your place? I heard that Nick was there.”
“Yeah, I suppose. How did you know he was there?” I asked.
“I called him when I got into town. He said that he was staying with you and your mother,” she answered.
Of course, that was how she knew. If she had talked to Nick, he would have told her exactly where to come. He was the one who was supposed to get the four of us together after all. Now that two of us were in the same vicinity he was going to make sure that we became inseparable.
“You know where it is?” I asked.
“Yeah, I have it plugged into my GPS.” She let out a laugh. “An angel with GPS. Why do I find that hilarious?”
“I guess I’ll see you when you get there,” I said in a flat monotone.
“I guess so.” There was an edge to her voice. I didn't mean to sound like a bitch, but that odd feeling about her kept resurfacing.
“Hey, Dawn?”
“Yeah?” I was ready to be off the phone.
“Have you seen her?” Her voice was almost a whisper.
“Seen who?”
“Krista.” She said like it was supposed to be intoned with some secret Warden code.
“Only in my dreams,” I responded.
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.” It almost sounded like she was brushing me off.
I hung up the phone, feeling uneasy. I didn’t like the way Helen had touched Adam. I didn’t like the way she had looked at him, and I didn’t like the way she smiled at him. I wasn’t sure if I really liked her at all. She had made me feel seriously weird. I was going to have to talk to Nick as soon as I got home. I needed to know if we were supposed to house all four Wardens in our three-bedroom house for one thing.
The day had gone from interesting to downright scary. I still couldn’t believe Helen Price was here. It made all the things that Nick had told me a reality.
****
“Nick! Where are you?” I called as soon as I entered the house through the back door.
“In here!” he called from the living room.
I walked in and found him sitting on the couch watching a historical documentary and polishing his shoes. He looked up and gave me a warm smile.
“I have a surprise for you,” I said dryly.
“Oh, I do love a good surprise.” He perked up and put the shoe he was polishing on the coffee table.
I looked at it and frowned. Mom wasn’t going to like him putting
