Revenge by Gabrielle Lord Page B

chasms between her eyebrows. She turned the envelope over and gasped. ‘What?’ I asked.
    She held the back of it up to me, her big, dark eyes searching mine.
    A red wax seal.
    Pressed with a falling angel.
    Another one.
    â€˜How the hell did that get there?’ I demanded.
    â€˜Give me that,’ snapped Cal. He flung his blanket off, hoisted himself out of his chair and snatched the envelope back from Winter. He went pale in seconds, making the bruises on his arms and legs stand out. The ones he’dbeen so careful to hide from his mum and sister. He shook his head as he stuffed the paper into his pocket.
    â€˜Cal,’ said Winter, taking his hand firmly.
    â€˜What?’ He pulled his hand away. ‘ Everyone’s waiting for us. Come on, let’s get the movie started already. It’s after midnight. We’ve waited long enough.’
    â€˜We know that’s not the first one,’ said Winter, sneaking a glance at me. She grabbed her bag from the floor and began rifling through it. ‘When you disappeared I found this.’ From a plastic pocket in her wallet she pulled out a matching red wax seal. ‘Cal, what’s in there? What’s going on? Please show us.’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Cal? You have to!’
    â€˜No,’ he insisted, ‘I don’t have to do anything. It’s nothing. Don’t turn this into a big deal, please. We’ve all been through enough already.’
    â€˜But—’
    â€˜Winter, you’re always saying, it’s not over, it’s not over … you need to let it go!’
    Fire burned in Winter’s eyes. ‘And I’ve been right every time so far, haven’t I?’ She snatched the note from his pocket and tore it open.
    I ran behind her to see what was inside.

    Cal stood frozen on the spot.
    â€˜You OK?’ I asked him. ‘Cal?’
    He just glared at me, then at Winter, then Ryan. And then he turned and ran, bolting for the front door.
    â€˜Cal?’ I called. We ran after him, into the cold night air.
    â€˜What does this mean, Cal?’ Winter demanded. ‘What did the other note say?’
    Cal stopped at the end of the driveway. His hands were clenched in frustration as he looked up and down the street.
    â€˜Talk to us,’ said Winter. ‘Please.’
    â€˜Dude, what’s going on?’ I said, trying to sound calm.
    Cal sat down on the pavers and took a deep breath. I sat beside him and threw my arm around his shoulder. Winter and Ryan stood together nearby, their tall shadows falling across our faces.
    â€˜Whatever it is we can handle it,’ I said. ‘But you need to tell us what the other note said.’
    Cal exhaled loudly before speaking.
    â€˜It said “30 days”. I found it just before midnight when I was waiting for you guys. Twenty-nine days ago … on the night I disappeared.’
    He pulled at a blade of grass and began tearing it perfectly down the middle. ‘At first I thought it was a hoax—a media stunt, but then when I was shot with the tranquilliser dart and poisoned, I figured Sligo was behind it. But now … now I don’t know what to think. I don’t know why I have this countdown or who’s behind it.’
    â€˜But Sligo’s in a coma,’ said Ryan, stating the obvious.
    Cal had hardly spoken of his time with Sligo. He said he barely remembered anything after he was shot in the thigh out in the front yard.
    Winter was shaking her head.
    â€˜What?’ said Cal, reaching up and taking Winter’s hand.
    â€˜I just knew this wasn’t over,’ she murmured.
    â€˜Sligo is in a coma. In a secure hospital ward,’ Cal said, now pulling himself together and trying to calm the situation.
    â€˜I know,’ said Winter defiantly. ‘He’s out of action. But it’s something else, guys. I mean it. I know you can feel it, too, Cal. This is serious, this note. Sligo said he