Enduring Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #3)(5)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Calvin took my hand, giving me a sympathetic smile. “You ready?”

He’d been away from his family for months; I wondered if it was hard on him, too. At least I wasn’t saying goodbye to Calvin. I didn’t think I could handle that again.

“Yes.” I waved goodbye to everyone and let Calvin lead me to the horses. There were only three. “I’m guessing that means we’re riding together?”

“I would prefer to have you close.”

“Sounds good.” I definitely didn’t mind. I never felt safer or happier than when I was with him.

Liam and Henry were already waiting for us.

“Ready for another adventure, Char?” Liam asked.

“Another? We’ve had one before?”

Henry laughed. “This is going to be interesting.”

Calvin helped me into the saddle, and we were off.

Chapter Three

Kevin

Saying goodbye to Charlotte was becoming second nature. I knew that adult siblings weren’t supposed to see each other all the time, but it was getting a little ridiculous. I understood why we had to do our own parts, but I just wished that for once we could have been in the same world together. While Charlotte was looking for the scroll, I had to find some sort of stone called the Onyx. No one knew much about it, but supposedly some ancestor of mine hid it in the lost world around the same time the scroll was written.

I guessed that world had been lost a long time. I had no clue what the thing looked like. A stone could be a lot of different shapes and sizes, but Monty seemed confident we’d know it if we saw it. Plus, my dad was supposed to be an expert on it. In theory, the stone was supposed to hold some incredible power, and if used correctly, it could destroy Blake. Without the knowledge, it was useless, which was why Charlotte was looking for the scroll. Just as Charlotte was the only one who could get the scroll, a Winthrop Guardian had to retrieve the Onyx. For better or worse, I was the only one who fit the bill.

“You ready?” Samantha asked impatiently as I finished packing my backpack.

Taking the few things I had from the cave was kind of dumb since I could get anything I needed at my house in Charleston, but I didn’t like leaving things behind. “Yeah, let’s do this.”

Monty and Talen had already gone ahead to make sure the gate was unguarded. I didn’t mind. I liked having the time alone with Samantha.

“How long is the trip to Alaska going to be?” she asked.

“Both flights, combined with the layover, add up to about ten hours or so.”

“Flights. I still can’t picture it.”

“It’s pretty cool. I think you’ll like it.” I was excited to show her my world. In Energo, and even in Alak, she had the upper hand. I was the novice who had no idea what he was doing. It would be nice to be the one with a clue.

She got that cold, steely expression. “It does not matter whether I like it. If it gets us to the Onyx, it is worth it.”

I smiled. “You really are single-minded.”

“So are you.” Her half-smile let me know exactly what she was referring to.

“I think of plenty more than that.” True, I thought about Samantha a lot, but I didn’t let it get in the way of other things.

She crossed her arms. “Remember what I said in Alak. If it interferes with our mission, it is over.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I mock-saluted.

She shook her head. “I do not know what I see in you.”

“Sure you do. It’s my charm and good looks.”

“Maybe the good looks part.” She blushed—a very rare occurrence.

“I’ll take it for now. You ready?”

“I have been waiting on you for ten minutes already.” She slung her pack on her back and headed toward the exit.

“Yeah, yeah.”

The sun was high in the sky when we walked out of the cave. If things went well, we’d be back in Charleston by the time the sun set in Energo, which would be sunrise back home.

Samantha walked next to me as we hiked through the fern grotto. “Did you have any idea your father was looking for the Onyx?”

We’d have to cross plains next before hitting a more temperate forest. I’d only made the journey to this gate once, but I remembered it well. “No. Honestly, I was pissed at him for closing us out.” Pissed was putting it mildly. My relationship with my father had gone from bad to worse our last year in Alaska.

“You were lucky to have your father.”

“I’m sorry.” I probably sounded like a whiny idiot. At least I had parents.

“It is okay, but sometimes you have to appreciate what you have.”

“I know. I just felt like Charlotte needed him.” I needed him too, but not the same way my sister did. I was older when Mom disappeared, and basketball kept me busy enough that I got through it.

Samantha stepped around a twisted set of tree roots, brushing against me in the process. “Have you always been so protective of Charlotte?”

“Yes. I’m not sure how much of it comes from being a Guardian and how much comes from being her brother.”

She smiled. “Probably a little of both.”

“How old were you when your parents died?” I usually steered clear of the subject, but it also seemed like something I should know.

“Young enough that I do not remember them.” She sped up, letting me know the conversation was over.

“Hey, wait up.”

“Sorry. It is not something I want to discuss.”

“Got it.” I searched for a safe conversation topic. “Are you excited to see where I come from?”

She finally slowed. “I want to find the Onyx. If in the process I get to learn more about you, that is fine too.”

“Why is it so hard for you to admit you like me?”

“I have made my feelings crystal clear.” She ran a finger over her bottom lip as if she was remembering one of our kisses.

“You can make them clear again anytime.”

“And you say you do not have a one-track mind?”

I shrugged. “Watching you touch your lips did it. It’s not my fault.”

“A real man takes responsibility for his thoughts and actions.”

I laughed. “A real man? How many real men have you kissed?”

She hurried ahead again.

Damn it. “I was joking, Samantha.”

“I do not care. I want to get there.”

I hustled to catch up with her. I had no idea what made me say such stupid things around her.