The Reckoning Read online

  Sol surveyed her daughter's pale face, the anxiety she mentioned evident; Trinity was sealed, as usual, but there was tension in every bit of her frame.

  “Come sit,” Sol gestured to the chair beside her, and Trinity sat, looking grateful.

  “Is it school, getting to you?” Sol asked.

  “It's… A lot of things,” Trinity replied in a careful voice. “I'll be OK, I think, I just sometimes can't get a handle on my worrying.”

  “You know if you ever need to talk, I'm here? Without judgment.”

  Trinity's face momentarily flooded with emotion, and Sol’s heart ached for her daughter. She did not miss navigating being a teenager.

  “Thanks Mom.”

  Sol nodded, then took Trinity's hand.

  “OK. Close your eyes and try to relax.”

  Tristan did as she was told, and Sol closed her eyes as well. Within minutes, a sense of peace Tristan had been desperate for settled over her. She relaxed for the first time in what felt like weeks, and the crushing mental load she was under lifted substantially. She opened her eyes and so did Sol, nodding and releasing her hand.

  “Thank you,” Tristan said gratefully. “I feel so much better now.”

  “You're welcome, Trinity. Go get some sleep now; the gathering will be here before we know it.”

  “I will. I love you.”

  “I love you too.” Sol watched Trinity go, sadness filling her heart. Her daughter was in constant emotional upheaval, and if what Sol suspected was true, it would only get worse for her before it got better. She really needed to find the right time to talk to Trinity about rejecting the community, before it was too late.

  Tristan slept better that night than she had in ages. She slept so well, in fact, that when she awoke on Saturday, she was shocked to find that it was after ten A.M. Getting out of bed, she went downstairs and made a bowl of cereal, flipping on the TV and watching reruns of Criminal Minds while she ate. Everyone else was sleeping, and Tristan would be going back to bed when she was finished breakfast, but for the time being she enjoyed the stillness of the house. It gave her time to think out from under the strain of anxiety, and with new resolve she decided she wasn't going to care that much about Beckett and Eva after all. Senior year was not the time to get caught up in emotion, she had to keep that mantra in the forefront of her mind; graduation was in six months, and with luck she'd be leaving Lavelle for good only a few months later. No sense in putting down any roots to this town now.

  Chapter 13

  The December gathering was at the same place it had been last month, the area bringing back unpleasant memories of being held hostage by the guards when Tristan and Celes had wandered too far. Despite Sol’s help, Tristan's nerves jangled as she and her siblings once again stepped out of the car by the water, into the pitch black night. What if Entros had revealed her secret and the Elders were going to ambush her after worship?

  Dune and Thera came to greet them once again, this time joined by Sanguin who, as usual, said nothing more than hello. Tall and thin, extremely pale and preferring to wear her black hair long and usually partially obscuring her face, Sanguin creeped Tristan out, if Tristan was honest. It wasn't just her appearance, of course, though the faint scowl she always wore didn't help, it was that she was always so silent that she was pretty much a human shadow, which was quite unnerving. Tristan could tell Olivia and Evander felt similarly by the way they gave her a wide berth, which made Tristan feel slightly less guilty about her unfavorable thoughts.

  The group boarded the same rickety old boat they'd taken last month, and Olivia looked at Tristan apprehensively. Tristan squeezed her hand, and Olivia held onto it. The ride was quiet, which was unusual, but Tristan understood. Sol and Umbris had exchanged anxious looks during the drive, communicating silently and privately, Olivia and Evander blocked from listening in. They didn't need to, however -- Hydran had given them enough information that they could surmise why Sol was on edge.

  Several times, Tristan tried and failed to imagine how she'd ever look at her father if he had one of her siblings executed. It was so absurd, so horrific, that she just couldn't quite get her head around what Orion had done.

  Celes greeted them at the opposite bank, helping Tristan off of the boat even though she didn't really need help. She pulled her hand away quickly, giving him a tight smile, and Celes, unruffled, walked beside her.

  “How have you been, Trinity?”

  “Hanging in there,” Tristan replied. “And you?”

  “I've been fine. Have you been safe?”

  “Yes.” Tristan looked at him curiously. “You seem to think that I’m in some kind of danger, though, or will be. You want to tell me about that?”

  Celes shook his head. “Not right this second. We'll walk later.”

  “But not too far,” Tristan said, and Celes nodded, smiling wryly.

  “Not too far.”

  ***

  The Jamestown Wolves won the football game, and Beckett grinned up at Eva, jumping up and down and clapping in the bleachers. He chuckled to himself when he saw Emmeline shoot an oblivious Eva a dirty look -- a leopard never did change its spots.

  After he'd showered and dressed, he met up with his friends back down at the field.

  “What did you think?” Beckett asked Eva, holding open his hands.

  “It was exciting! I didn't think I'd have a good time, but I'll admit it, I was wrong!”

  “You need a ride to Mack's?”

  Eva nodded, her eyes sparkling in the field lighting. She bit her lip and grinned, and Beckett led the way to his car. She was obviously into him, and Beckett wasn't mad about it, but still Tristan lingered in his mind. Would she ever come to a football game? To the diner afterwards? Would she ever look at him the way Eva was looking at him? No. Beckett knew the answer was no, so the sooner he got her out of his head, the better.

  “OK, I'm just going to get this out of the way,” Eva said, once they reached Beckett's car.

  Before Beckett could ask what, Eva grasped the open front of his hoodie and pulled him to her, kissing him. Beckett wasn't sure in what order things happened next, or even how, but thunder suddenly boomed overhead, and the sky absolutely opened up. At the same time, he had what he could only describe as a vision of Tristan. She was in the woods, like she'd been in the dream he'd had about her, but there was a large, shadowy figure standing behind her. The look on her face was not one of fear, also like it had been in his dream, rather she, oddly, looked like someone had just hurt her feelings.

  Eva pulled away from Beckett, shrieking about the rain, and as quickly as Beckett had seen Tristan, she was gone. He hurriedly unlocked the car doors and he and Eva scrambled inside, soaked and laughing. He drove them to Mack's, the need to concentrate on seeing the road through the buckets of rain cascading down the windshield driving all thought of Tristan from his mind.

  ***

  “Trinity? Trinity.” Celes touched Tristan's shoulder, and she nearly jumped a mile.

  “Sorry!” Tristan said, shaking her head, squinting against the suddenly pouring rain. What had just happened?

  “We need to go back,” Celes said, shaking his hair out of his eyes. “They'll have protected the clearing from the rain.”

  "But you didn't tell me why you think I'm not safe!” Tristan called, hurrying after Celes.

  “It's Orion,” Celes said over his shoulder. “He is paying special attention to your family.”

  “Wait, what?” Tristan grabbed Celes’s arm, stopping him. “What do you mean?”

  “Trinity,” Celes said, exasperated. “Can we not do this here in the rain?”

  “It's just water!” Tristan snapped, and Celes sighed. She suppressed the shivers that were threatening -- yes, it was just water, but it also happened to be ice cold.

  “Orion is paying special attention to your family. It's probably because Sol is his daughter and he's never met you and the twins, but there are… concerns… that he's angry with Sol, and that'
s what's behind it. That's all I know.”

  “Who has concerns? What concerns?” Tristan asked.

  “Trinity, all I know is what I told you. Can we please keep going?”

  Tristan nodded reluctantly, and they kept moving. Thunder boomed again, and Tristan finally had time to think about what had happened back there. She and Celes had been walking, and Tristan had thought she'd heard something. She'd stopped, looking around, and at the exact moment the storm began, Tristan had seen Beckett and Eva embracing, lips locked, in front of his car. It was as though all three had materialized right in front of her, and she'd felt like she'd been punched square in the gut. As quickly as they'd appeared, however, they'd disappeared, Celes’s voice rising over the next clap of thunder, and Tristan had been left breathless and confused. Why had she seen them? Had she really been seeing them? Were Beckett and Eva going to be official now? But most importantly, why had Tristan seen them?

  Tristan and Celes reached the clearing, and, as they passed through the entrance, four people in black hooded jackets swept their hands over them. Tristan and Celes thanked them as their clothes and skin dried, nice and warm.

  “Trinity, there you are!” Olivia called, rushing over to Tristan and Celes.

  “We got caught in the rain,” Tristan said. “Listen, I need to--”

  “No,” Celes said sharply, and Tristan and Olivia looked at him. “Not here.”

  “But--”

  “Trinity, I said not here.” Celes’s voice was authoritative, and Tristan and Olivia raised their eyebrows in unison.

  “You don't tell me what to do,” Tristan said, stepping up to Celes until they were toe to toe, and, damn it, there it went again -- a flash of attraction, lightning fast between them. Celes stared down at her and, though he was clearly irritated, he also looked like he might grab her and kiss her.

  “Trinity,” Olivia said, sounding alarmed. She grabbed Tristan's arm. “Come on, Mom and Dad were looking for you.”

  Olivia pulled Tristan away, muttering things Tristan couldn't hear.

  “What?” Tristan said finally, getting her wits about her. What was going on tonight? Was it the extra charged atmosphere, a result of the gathering and the thunderstorm combined?

  Olivia ignored her, practically thrusting her towards Evander and her parents.

  “There you are!” Sol said, her relief palpable. “Trinity, I thought I told you this last month, but no going off alone or with just Celes or anyone, OK? For the time being, I need you to stay close.”

  “OK, I’m sorry,” Tristan said, nodding.

  Olivia pulled her arm again, dragging her a few feet from their family, and Tristan shot her an annoyed look as she rubbed her bicep.

  “What is wrong with you?” Olivia hissed. “You looked like you were about to jump on Celes back there!”

  “I don’t know!” Tristan said, her eyes wide. “Maybe I’m ovulating!”

  “Ew!” Olivia recoiled, scrunching her face in mild disbelief.

  “Sorry!”

  “Get it together,” Olivia said, giving her a small shake. “You know you can’t do this if you’re going to you know what, you know when.”

  “Shut up, Oceana!” Tristan whisper-yelled, looking around frantically. “Are you crazy?!”

  “You’re making me crazy!” Olivia whisper-yelled back, jabbing Tristan’s chest with her finger.

  Tristan glared at Olivia, who glared back at her, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

  “Look, I need to talk to you about something. Not what Celes told me not to, but something else. Something happened back there.”

  Olivia groaned.

  “I do not want to hear about whatever the something was, especially if you’re going to say the word ovulating again.”

  “Grow up.” Tristan gave Olivia a dirty look, then leaned in closer to her. “Listen…”

  Tristan told Olivia what had happened, when Beckett and Eva had appeared in front of her just to disappear in a flash, Olivia listening intently. She thought for a few silent moments, and Tristan could practically see the wheels turning in her mind, trying to puzzle together what was going on.

  “Has that ever happened before?”

  “Them kissing? How would I know?”

  “Gods give me strength, I thought you were the smart one.” Olivia cast her eyes skyward, before looking at Tristan like she was a toddler. “No, Trinity, I mean have you ever seen Beckett before, like you did tonight?”

  “Not like that, no.”

  “But somehow?”

  Tristan hesitated, and Olivia raised her eyebrows, waiting. On a sigh, Tristan told Olivia about the night of Matteo’s party, and the episode during the last gathering when both she and Entros had seen Beckett shirtless in his bedroom.

  “OK, that second part is really alarming and we need to talk about that separately, but has Beckett ever mentioned to you that he’s seen you? Or that anything weird has happened to him involving you?”

  Tristan shook her head.

  “No, he hasn't. Why? What are you thinking?”

  “I don't know yet. I’ve been getting this vibe, though, when I’m around you two, and if either of you would stay in the same place long enough in front of me, I might be able to find out more.”

  “But you look and sound like you have a suspicion as to what’s going on.”

  “I do now, but I’m not ready to tell you about it.”

  “Why not?” Tristan demanded.

  “Because it’s… because. Just trust me, OK? And maybe the next time you’re with Beckett and you see me, don’t run off or let him run off in the opposite direction? You’ll get an answer much sooner that way.”

  “You’re infuriating.”

  “So are you.” Olivia stuck her tongue out at Tristan, who rolled her eyes.

  “Dad is giving us the hairy eyeball,” Tristan said, glancing over at Umbris. “We’d better get back over there.”

  Tristan and Olivia walked back over to their parents and Evander, and Sol turned to them, her face, as usual anymore, stressed.

  “Girls, listen. As soon as they begin the closing tonight, we are leaving, so be prepared, OK? Don’t make eye contact with any of the Elders, don’t answer any questions anyone may ask as to why we’re not staying until the end, just follow your father and Ember and I. Got it?”

  Olivia and Tristan nodded nervously. Leaving early was not a violation, but it was uncommon and would garner attention. The community had been restless enough last month over Orion’s reappearance that the Wallaces early departure hadn’t raised eyebrows, but this month it almost certainly would.

  “Mom?” Tristan said, trying to think ahead. “Isn’t there a chance that Orion will call you out specifically if he sees us trying to leave early?”

  Sol’s head snapped around, her gaze sharp.

  “Why do you say that?”

  Tristan swallowed, twisting her fingers together. Celes would have had a good reason for not wanting Tristan to discuss what he’d told her here, and despite how she felt about him trying to boss her around, she generally deferred to his warnings when it came to the community. He kept his finger on the pulse of the goings on, not in the hope of climbing ranks, but just so he could be prepared for all possibilities. He’d told her that years ago, and Tristan had no reason to believe he’d been lying.

  “I… I just… I mean he’s your father and he just came back after how many years away? I… I just could see him calling out to you because he might feel like he has the right to do that.”

  “She’s right,” Umbris said, and Sol moved her tempestuous gaze to him instead. He shook his head apologetically. “Sol, you know I understand why you want to spend as little time as you can out in the open, but moving as part of a crowd will make you a lot harder to single out than us trying to leave while everyone is still seated.”

  “Couldn’t he just come find us right now, while everyone is standing around waiting for worship to begin?” Evander asked, looking arou
nd at the crowd.

  Umbris shook his head.

  “He’s still very weak. He will rest until it’s time for him to make an appearance at the end, and he’ll need to rest again after that. When he regains his strength is when he’ll seek a reunion, I’m sure.”

  The announcement for everyone to move to the perimeter of the clearing was given, and Tristan ended up standing shoulder to shoulder with Celes.

  “I’m sorry,” Celes said, leaning over just slightly.

  “It’s OK,” Tristan replied, glancing up at him. Their eyes locked briefly, but then Olivia coughed, bumping Tristan, and she looked away.

  Tristan knew what was happening. She’d never admit it out loud, but she’d figured it out when she’d had a moment away from Celes. Her feelings were hurt over Beckett and Eva, and she was reacting. Beckett would have no idea, which made the reaction ineffective, of course, and it unequivocally was not fair to Celes for Tristan to suddenly seem interested in him… but her irrational hurt was like a festering little being of its own, and it drove her to play Beckett’s own game, even at Celes’s expense. She glanced at Celes again.

  “Trinity, I swear to the gods,” Olivia said, through clenched teeth, and Tristan shot an irritated look her way.

  “Why are you so invested in this?” Tristan leaned over, hissing into Olivia’s ear.

  “How many reasons do you want?” Olivia shot back. “Grow up.”

  When the worshipping pillows had settled into the clearing, Tristan followed her family and sat, unsure how she’d get through the hours ahead. If she’d thought she was unsettled before, it was nothing compared to how she was feeling now.

  ***

  Beckett dropped Eva off at her house after the diner, but not before she’d practically jumped into his lap in the car. It took him his entire drive home to get his racing heart under control, which was also when he fully realized he’d agreed to take her to the Winter Dance the following Saturday night. He hadn’t planned on going at all, not being much of a dance guy, but that had been hard to remember while Eva’s body had been pressing against his, her hands wandering way south, her lips grazing his own as she’d told him how much she was looking forward to it.