though his heart beat in his throat.
And then he saw Bridget, standing there with her hand on herhip and her head tilted so the end of her ponytail touched her bare shoulder.
He’d been nervous about talking to Kingston. This was worse.
“West? What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for my sister.”
Her smile faded. “You think your sister is here?”
“No, I don’t think she’s here.” And then he peered past Bridget into the entrance of the house. An oil lamp on the table behind her gave everything a sort of warm glow and reminded West it was nearly dusk. “She isn’t, is she?”
“Why would she be here?”
“Bridget?” a male voice called from somewhere in the house. “Who’s at the door at this hour?”
Bridget lifted her pale eyebrows, as though she were wondering the same thing.
“My sister was at orientation today.” He hesitated, then decided to go with the truth. He wasn’t positive he’d be able to lie to her anyway. His words stuck in his throat as it was. “She never came home.”
“It isn’t dark yet. Clover probably got home while you were out looking for her.”
“You don’t understand. Clover—”
“Bridget?” Adam Kingston appeared behind his daughter, and West straightened again. “West Donovan. You shouldn’t be here.”
“My sister—”
Kingston held a hand up to stop him. “I’m sorry, but as I explained to Miss Donovan earlier today, we do not allow animals at the Academy.”
Although he had no idea what he expected Kingston to say, this was so far from it that it took West a minute to form a response. “Mango’s a service dog.”
It wasn’t like she’d hidden him. He went to her exams with her.He’d been at primary school with her since their father gave him to her.
“It doesn’t matter,” Kingston said. “A rule is a rule.”
Bridget’s mouth opened, but when Kingston darted a look at her, she didn’t speak.
“You don’t understand—” West started to say, pulling himself back to the real problem, his missing sister, but Kingston cut him off again.
“She will be fine. I wouldn’t have sent her if I didn’t believe that. Miss Donovan is an extraordinary young woman, and the Company is better equipped to handle her special needs than the Academy is.”
The silence between them drew on long enough to become awkward before West broke it. “You sent my sister to the Company?”
Kingston pulled a cloth from his pocket and mopped his face. His pasty complexion went even paler. “She’s been accepted into the Mariner training track. That’s more than what most of our graduates can say, Mr. Donovan. Now, we wish you a good evening.”
“You sent my sister to be a Mariner?” That couldn’t be right. Even saying it out loud sounded ridiculous.
Bridget started to speak again and actually managed a squeak before her father pushed her farther into the house and slammed the door shut.
West stood rooted to their porch, feeling more than a little queasy. Clover was sent to the Company to join the Mariner track?
Clover
went
to the Company without telling him?
They couldn’t make her a Mariner. Could they? She was just a kid, barely out of primary school.
He backed away from the door and then walked toward the gate.
What the hell just happened?
The house door opened again and when West turned, he sawBridget flying down the steps. He caught her to keep her from plowing right into him.
He looked at the house, expecting her father next, but didn’t see him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just…just tell your sister to be careful, okay?”
He held her away from him by the shoulders. “Be careful of what?”
Bridget bit her bottom lip. Her eyes were Company blue. She had the kind of soft, fair skin that pinked up easily. “She’s different, right? I mean, she’s got the dog and the—”
Bridget flapped her hands, almost delicately, two or three times at her waist. West took her hands to stop her, then let them go
And then he saw Bridget, standing there with her hand on herhip and her head tilted so the end of her ponytail touched her bare shoulder.
He’d been nervous about talking to Kingston. This was worse.
“West? What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for my sister.”
Her smile faded. “You think your sister is here?”
“No, I don’t think she’s here.” And then he peered past Bridget into the entrance of the house. An oil lamp on the table behind her gave everything a sort of warm glow and reminded West it was nearly dusk. “She isn’t, is she?”
“Why would she be here?”
“Bridget?” a male voice called from somewhere in the house. “Who’s at the door at this hour?”
Bridget lifted her pale eyebrows, as though she were wondering the same thing.
“My sister was at orientation today.” He hesitated, then decided to go with the truth. He wasn’t positive he’d be able to lie to her anyway. His words stuck in his throat as it was. “She never came home.”
“It isn’t dark yet. Clover probably got home while you were out looking for her.”
“You don’t understand. Clover—”
“Bridget?” Adam Kingston appeared behind his daughter, and West straightened again. “West Donovan. You shouldn’t be here.”
“My sister—”
Kingston held a hand up to stop him. “I’m sorry, but as I explained to Miss Donovan earlier today, we do not allow animals at the Academy.”
Although he had no idea what he expected Kingston to say, this was so far from it that it took West a minute to form a response. “Mango’s a service dog.”
It wasn’t like she’d hidden him. He went to her exams with her.He’d been at primary school with her since their father gave him to her.
“It doesn’t matter,” Kingston said. “A rule is a rule.”
Bridget’s mouth opened, but when Kingston darted a look at her, she didn’t speak.
“You don’t understand—” West started to say, pulling himself back to the real problem, his missing sister, but Kingston cut him off again.
“She will be fine. I wouldn’t have sent her if I didn’t believe that. Miss Donovan is an extraordinary young woman, and the Company is better equipped to handle her special needs than the Academy is.”
The silence between them drew on long enough to become awkward before West broke it. “You sent my sister to the Company?”
Kingston pulled a cloth from his pocket and mopped his face. His pasty complexion went even paler. “She’s been accepted into the Mariner training track. That’s more than what most of our graduates can say, Mr. Donovan. Now, we wish you a good evening.”
“You sent my sister to be a Mariner?” That couldn’t be right. Even saying it out loud sounded ridiculous.
Bridget started to speak again and actually managed a squeak before her father pushed her farther into the house and slammed the door shut.
West stood rooted to their porch, feeling more than a little queasy. Clover was sent to the Company to join the Mariner track?
Clover
went
to the Company without telling him?
They couldn’t make her a Mariner. Could they? She was just a kid, barely out of primary school.
He backed away from the door and then walked toward the gate.
What the hell just happened?
The house door opened again and when West turned, he sawBridget flying down the steps. He caught her to keep her from plowing right into him.
He looked at the house, expecting her father next, but didn’t see him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just…just tell your sister to be careful, okay?”
He held her away from him by the shoulders. “Be careful of what?”
Bridget bit her bottom lip. Her eyes were Company blue. She had the kind of soft, fair skin that pinked up easily. “She’s different, right? I mean, she’s got the dog and the—”
Bridget flapped her hands, almost delicately, two or three times at her waist. West took her hands to stop her, then let them go
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