Awakened (Unbound, Book 3)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Calin acted like nothing had changed but all the while he was telling me to find my calm, I was thinking about not kissing him. It made for a very less-than-tranquil afternoon. If not for his stupid 'let's see who caves first' jibe, it wouldn't have been an issue. Now, after an afternoon class with Mrs. Hendrey, I was short on nerves.

For the first time since telling Devland a what-for, I made it back in time for supper, though I opted to skip it in order to go to bed.

In my room, securely behind the barrier, I pulled out the journal from Devland, having decided to write something honest for a change. Well, in theory, anyway. No way was I admitting anything concrete, like how I knew Mrs. Hendrey was wrong because of my mother's lessons. Instead, I wrote that in the moment, while I was arguing in class, I knew the answers and that I was right; however, after thinking about it later, I couldn't understand how I knew it was correct.

My fingers tingled as I wrote. At first, I thought it was a subconscious reaction to being less-than-honest—I sucked with deceit. Then I looked down. Squinting, I leaned over, bringing my nose to hover an inch above the page, but the sensation stopped. With a heavy sigh, I began to finish the entry.

The sensation picked back up.

I paused and then continued, writing nonsense just for the sake of seeing the pen flow across paper. The ink shimmered a light blue as it ebbed from its well, and then settled to a darker hue without any sparkle. I leaned back, lifting my hand, and squinted.

Normal.

No more sparkle.

Placing the pen inside the pages, I slammed the journal shut and stared at its cover. So familiar... It looked just like one I'd seen Devland putting into his briefcase!

No. Way!

He wouldn't!

But it was Devland. Of course, he would.

I picked up the journal and threw it against the wall beside the door across the room. It thudded, sending blue-white sparks into the air. Onyx lifted her head from her paws, huffing in what sounded like halfway between a yip and a growl. Slowly, I pulled my legs out from under the covers and slid them over the side of the bed to stand, never taking my eyes off the journal.

Any other book would have torn or at least broken its spine.

The journal remained pristine, with the pen still tucked inside its pages. I hunched down, my hand hovering above its pages as I sucked in a breath. For nearly a full minute, I sat there, staring. Finally, I exhaled and reached out, grabbing the journal. I flipped the pages as I stood. The edges of the pages rippled gold and the words blurred, confirming what I dreaded.

Devland's book wasn't just a likeness to mine.

It is a partner.

If only Dr. Stanzo had known how dead-on her suggestion had been. Keep a fake. Right. I had been stupid enough to use what Devland provided. At least I hadn't given myself away.

Now, all I needed to be sure what I wrote in this journal was spelled to show up in his, was find it. Until then? Well, Devland didn't know I knew of his deceit. I would continue to write on a nightly basis and keep him thinking I was blind to his actions while I found the other book, outed Duvessa, and figured out how to contact Zachariah to figure out what happened to start this crazy chain of events I found myself living in.

*****

After a night without sleep, thinking about how my list of things to do would never stop growing, Mrs. Renaldi's cheer was annoying the next morning. My stomach rolled with the thought of food, not just because I was tired but somehow, it felt like eating meant I was content. Like going about daily tasks meant it was okay to not be working on what happened to my mother when it was anything but. Of course, I knew it was lack of sleep rationale but, nevertheless. That's how I woke up feeling, and Mrs. Renaldi, who was then joined by Calin, had me clenching my teeth to keep my temper in check to the point where even coffee churned my stomach.