I’m struggling to remain hopeful I can stop my transition. Hope is hard work. Too hard. Giving in to defeat seems the more logical course. Despite setting my personal expectations so low I couldn’t not meet them, I’m no longer meeting them. My tiny spark is growing without my permission, and it’s stronger daily. Try as I might, things are getting more than I can handle. I need help.

That help could’ve come from Declan or Tally if I’d apologized for my poor assumptions regarding their nature. Did I do that? No, I took the coward’s way out and maintained the communication embargo. I sulked in my bedroom all weekend, spending last night dreading going to school later this morning. I don’t want to face them, particularly Tally.

It wasn’t a completely wasted weekend, however. There are notable changes around the Tierney house. Dad and I reached a crossroads at the hospital when he shocked me with his blame-laying. Instead of raising the paper to avoid eye contact, he lowers it now, giving me a chin lift in greeting. Though we haven’t said anything to each other yet, I’m counting the progress as a win.

It’s still dark when I leave the house for a run, stopping for my midway stretches in the clearing. I always stop here in the morning, waiting to see whether the light will caress the tops of the red pines. That encouraging emergence creates an unnatural fiery glow, the trees appearing to burn. Understanding how much I need the support today, the sun fights through the clouds in a bright and positive display.

Glorious, Superego approves.

I don’t want to watch it alone. I’m tired of being alone. My stalker’s been monitoring my runs all week. His Acacia and Ash Tree scent gave him away. I didn’t call him out because acknowledging his presence was the same as inviting him to join me. I wasn’t in the mood for company, especially the magical variety. It’s well past time to extend an olive branch. “Come over here and share the sunrise with me, Brody,” I holler.

He hops over the top wall and jogs over. We don’t talk, just stand together, taking in the view. I frown when the clouds display endurance more powerful than the sun’s initial strength. “I used to prefer this.”

“The dark days?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“You can like both.”

“I guess.” I kick at the ground. “Thanks for giving me space.”

“Thanks for sharing your sunrise.” He smiles. “Want some company back?”

“If you can keep up.” I plant my feet and spring off to the exit path. We make a game of the trip down, the shorter walls easier to navigate. Some are jumped over, while some are barreled right through by Brody. He has me laughing so violently I can’t breathe by the time we reach the bottom. I slow down my pace when we hit the roadway. Weak, Superego chides.

“Must have been fairly boring doing a week of watchful waiting,” I clip.

“Yep.”

“You could’ve told me you were there.”

“Well, that would’ve ruined the whole watchful waiting thing, right? Besides, you knew I was there. If you’d wanted to talk to me, you would have.”

“I thought you were trying to be all stealthy and failing miserably.”

He grunts. “Trust me, if I didn’t want you to know I was around, you’d have no clue.”

“That’s a creepy-stalkerish thing to say.”

“Hey, I’m not creepy,” he objects, leaving the stalker portion uncontested.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

“Have you been staying at the Keanes?”

“No way.” He shudders. “We’re staying in an empty cabin not far off. Ryan bought up all the property in hearing range. There are plenty of vacancies.”

“Sounds like something he’d do.”

“Being inside that place is like walking into a black and white television. I’m not into the classics. I’ve noticed hints of red here and there. Leaving your mark?”

“My way of amusing myself.” I shrug. “Not a black and white man, huh?”

“Nope, more of a wood man.”

“I recommended wood to Tally. She balked. Something about matching stain colors.”

“Amateur!” He shakes his head. “Her attention to detail isn’t lacking, but she doesn’t have the patience for dealing with wood. You have to consider every grain.”

“You should show her how a pro does it.”

He scoffs.

“Not a fan?”

“Let’s just say I find my restraint around her lacking.”

“Oh, you think she’s tasty?” I waggle my brow. “Scared you’ll take a bite?”

He looks repulsed. “Not at all. More like her attitude makes me want to snap her pretty little head off her pretty little body.”

“I get what you mean.”

“Honestly, it hasn’t been so bad this week. She spends a lot of time in her room when I’m there, and I’ve been there a lot since Ryan wants daily updates on you.”

“Sorry for that.”

“They get it.”

I lift a brow. “So what, is Ryan your boss now?”

“No, we share the same objective. Similar goals facilitate collaboration. Plus, he’s a super cool guy. Calm waters.”

“The calmest.”

The embankment rustles beside us. I stop in my tracks to sniff the air. Brody’s thoroughly amused. “To think, people call me an animal,” he tuts.

I’m too busy trying to distinguish the scents to let his goading get the best of me. One’s Pine and Ginger, while the other’s Maple and Marjoram. They must be land-walkers like Brody, hence the similar tree and spice combination.

“Your entourage,” I tease.

“My backup.”

“You have to protect me. At the same time, they want to make sure you’re protected from me. This is an interesting circle we find ourselves in.”

He runs a large hand through his shaggy hair. “Yeah, sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. You’re smarter than I thought.”

“How smart should I be?”

“Hey, I’m not judging, but it doesn’t help your intelligence case that you’re protecting something that could blow up Mainland USA. Maybe even all of North America.”

“I do what I’m told,” he defends himself.

“Lemming idealism,” says a low, female voice belonging to the Ginger and Pine scent.

My heart stutters when she leaps over the embankment, landing a few feet from me on the roadway. Her dark hair is pulled into a practical ponytail. Several strands of raven have fallen free to frame her face. Her sharp-lined features are fierce. A split second later, a boy is at her side, smaller and with more rounded features. He beams at me while her lips maintain a thin line. If she’s the embodiment of primitive animosity, he’s gentle youth. His kind expression makes me instantly appreciate him. She, on the other hand, absolutely intimidates me.

Brody cracks his knuckles. “Molly and Connor, other land-walkers in our scouting party.”

I wave timidly. The girl takes a step forward, and I take a long step back. When she growls, the boy beside her punches her playfully on the arm.

“Nice to meet you,” Connor says enthusiastically. “Don’t pay any attention to my sister. We don’t.”

Molly growls again.

“Knock it off, Molly,” Brody warns her, sliding his arm possessively over my shoulder. The act is both comforting and disconcerting. He’s taking the protective role seriously. Perhaps even a tad too seriously. She clearly doesn’t like me, but they’re on the same team. Has he forgotten that?

Her obvious distaste gives me an idea. If I can get her alone, she could be the one to do what no one else has the good sense to do. Judging by the persistent stink-eye she’s giving me, I probably won’t even have to work very hard to convince her. She wants to take a life-ending bite, and I’ll gladly let her.

A long, low roar puts an end to the awkward silence. Brody releases me just as Molly and Connor disappear over the embankment. He’s shaking. “Have to go. Won’t be far, okay?”

“I’m solid. I have to get ready for school, anyway.”

He smiles wryly. “Gonna face the music?”

“Something like that.”

“Hey, Connor was right.” He pats me on the back. “We don’t pay any attention to Molly. Mostly, she’s just in the way.”

“Hmm.” I crinkle my nose. “She seems capable of holding her own.”

“She’s the consolation prize for us needing her brother. He’s a good kid, but this isn’t the life for him. We needed a way to keep him on task.”

“He seems happy with it to me. You may not be giving either of them enough credit.”

As if someone agrees, another long roar echoes through the woods, followed by two softer ones.

“Thankfully, it isn’t my job to give them credit.” He winks and makes pistols of his hands, shooting them with a dramatic tongue click. “It’s my job to protect you.”

“Your job sucks,” I call after his disappearing form.

Speaking of, I’ve got my own sucky job ahead of me. Solathair sorries. They’re like regular sorries, except sorrier. And suckier. I just want everything back to normal. Well, respectively normal.