know it."
If only. Nevaeh wished that were true because then Augustus would know if this Elysia was trying to pull a fast one on her. Or would he? What do I really know about him? What if he is trying to pull me into something bad?
Nevaeh wanted to scream. She just wanted to talk with Ellie. She needed someone impartial to advise her.
"So what do you think I should do?"
Elysia smiled at her. "I think you should test him."
"Test him? How?"
For a brief moment, Elysia's smile turned sinister and Nevaeh inwardly blanched. What the hell was she getting herself into?
Having reached Nevaeh's duplex, Elysia stopped the car and turned in her seat toward Nevaeh.
"That will be simple. You will contact Augustus and tell him it's imperative that he and Eldric come to Florida, to Eldric's sisters. You say that when you were abducted you overheard your captors talking about going there and capturing the doorway. They believe that if they take Ellie, her powers, combined with theirs will be enough to open the door."
"Oh yeah, that will fly like a lead balloon."
"Pardon?"
"Well think about it. I got abducted and overheard all that and got away … how?"
Elysia laughed. "Why you froze time, of course. That's how you escaped. How you got back here – pretty much the same. Invent something. You stopped time when you got to the airport, stole someone's ticket, and got on a plane."
Nevaeh hated to admit it but it might work. It would be believable to Augustus, anyway. "And just what do I get for all this help? You promised you'd heal my dad."
"And I will."
Nevaeh nodded and looked away. She needed to speak with Ellie before she did anything, which meant she needed to stall Elysia.
"Look, it's late and I'm tired and I don't want to make a decision until I'm rested and have had a chance to think about it. Why don't I call you tomorrow?"
"Why don't I call you?"
"Whatever. I just want to go to bed."
"Then I'll call you in the morning."
"I probably won't be up early."
"Fine."
"Okay." Nevaeh got out of the car. "Thanks for the ride."
"It's what friends are for." Elysia gave a wave and roared off.
Nevaeh made her way around back and let herself in. She was tired. Exhausted. But she had little confidence that she'd sleep tonight.
*****
Gabriel floated to a soft landing and kissed the laughing baby on his forehead. Ellie reached for her child and Gabriel obliged. She cuddled the baby to her then looked up at him. "I can't believe I let you do that."
"Are you kidding? The kid loved it."
"Yes, he sure did. You have a way with children."
"Maybe because I still am one – well in some ways."
Ellie smiled and turned towards the house. "Yeah, I can see that. Probably what made you so appealing to N—"
"To who?"
Ellie cut a look at him over her shoulder as she opened the door. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"What did she tell you?" He followed her inside and waited as she put the baby into his playpen in the family room.
"Not a lot. We only spoke briefly while she was in New York. She just told me about how she met you and how surprised she was at how … how nice you were to her. Please, have a seat."
Gabriel took a seat on the couch. "It was a little more than that."
Ellie straightened from adjusting Carson in the playpen. "Oh? On your part or hers?"
"Both. I think. I thought. Maybe I was wrong."
"Or maybe not. Look, I don't know what Nev feels. All I know is something is obviously bothering her and she wants to talk about it. And she should be here any minute."
"And you'd prefer that I not be here."
"Actually yes. No offense. I like you, Gabriel and Layla swears that you're the best person she's ever met and I trust her judgement. But Nev's my friend and I don't want her to think I've gone behind her back."
"I understand. I'll go."
"Hey, I do want to thank you for telling me your perceptions of what happened that night. Eldric told me about it but you and Nev – well you had some unique insight didn't
If only. Nevaeh wished that were true because then Augustus would know if this Elysia was trying to pull a fast one on her. Or would he? What do I really know about him? What if he is trying to pull me into something bad?
Nevaeh wanted to scream. She just wanted to talk with Ellie. She needed someone impartial to advise her.
"So what do you think I should do?"
Elysia smiled at her. "I think you should test him."
"Test him? How?"
For a brief moment, Elysia's smile turned sinister and Nevaeh inwardly blanched. What the hell was she getting herself into?
Having reached Nevaeh's duplex, Elysia stopped the car and turned in her seat toward Nevaeh.
"That will be simple. You will contact Augustus and tell him it's imperative that he and Eldric come to Florida, to Eldric's sisters. You say that when you were abducted you overheard your captors talking about going there and capturing the doorway. They believe that if they take Ellie, her powers, combined with theirs will be enough to open the door."
"Oh yeah, that will fly like a lead balloon."
"Pardon?"
"Well think about it. I got abducted and overheard all that and got away … how?"
Elysia laughed. "Why you froze time, of course. That's how you escaped. How you got back here – pretty much the same. Invent something. You stopped time when you got to the airport, stole someone's ticket, and got on a plane."
Nevaeh hated to admit it but it might work. It would be believable to Augustus, anyway. "And just what do I get for all this help? You promised you'd heal my dad."
"And I will."
Nevaeh nodded and looked away. She needed to speak with Ellie before she did anything, which meant she needed to stall Elysia.
"Look, it's late and I'm tired and I don't want to make a decision until I'm rested and have had a chance to think about it. Why don't I call you tomorrow?"
"Why don't I call you?"
"Whatever. I just want to go to bed."
"Then I'll call you in the morning."
"I probably won't be up early."
"Fine."
"Okay." Nevaeh got out of the car. "Thanks for the ride."
"It's what friends are for." Elysia gave a wave and roared off.
Nevaeh made her way around back and let herself in. She was tired. Exhausted. But she had little confidence that she'd sleep tonight.
*****
Gabriel floated to a soft landing and kissed the laughing baby on his forehead. Ellie reached for her child and Gabriel obliged. She cuddled the baby to her then looked up at him. "I can't believe I let you do that."
"Are you kidding? The kid loved it."
"Yes, he sure did. You have a way with children."
"Maybe because I still am one – well in some ways."
Ellie smiled and turned towards the house. "Yeah, I can see that. Probably what made you so appealing to N—"
"To who?"
Ellie cut a look at him over her shoulder as she opened the door. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"What did she tell you?" He followed her inside and waited as she put the baby into his playpen in the family room.
"Not a lot. We only spoke briefly while she was in New York. She just told me about how she met you and how surprised she was at how … how nice you were to her. Please, have a seat."
Gabriel took a seat on the couch. "It was a little more than that."
Ellie straightened from adjusting Carson in the playpen. "Oh? On your part or hers?"
"Both. I think. I thought. Maybe I was wrong."
"Or maybe not. Look, I don't know what Nev feels. All I know is something is obviously bothering her and she wants to talk about it. And she should be here any minute."
"And you'd prefer that I not be here."
"Actually yes. No offense. I like you, Gabriel and Layla swears that you're the best person she's ever met and I trust her judgement. But Nev's my friend and I don't want her to think I've gone behind her back."
"I understand. I'll go."
"Hey, I do want to thank you for telling me your perceptions of what happened that night. Eldric told me about it but you and Nev – well you had some unique insight didn't
Similar Books
