told you about us?" she asked.
"Not much," I admitted.
"I'm sure you've got questions," she said, and I nodded.
"You can ask me anything, so ask away," she offered.
I have so many. Where should I start?
"Why is Jared in charge, instead of an adult?" I asked curiously. That was the most burning question at the moment.
"Jared is a descendant."
I remembered he'd already told me that. And that meant he was more powerful.
"But if he is a descendant, then so are you?" I asked, still confused.
"The most powerful descendant leads. We are both descendants, but men are more powerful than woman."
I could see she wanted to tell me more but stopped herself. I got the distinct feeling she was keeping something back.
"Where's Jared's dad?"
Her relaxed face and friendly smile slipped from her features, and I got a brief glimpse of sadness before she composed herself.
"I'm sorry, Ava, but that's something I can't talk about," she told me. I'd overstepped some line by broaching the subject of Jared's father.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," I mumbled quickly, reaching out and touched her arm.
She gave me a sad smile. "I know."
She covered my hand with hers. Jared walked back into the living room, and he looked between us.
"Everything okay?" he asked, his eyes narrowing on the tight expression on his mother's face.
"Yes, everything is fine," she assured him, fixing a smile back on her face. He continued to study the two of us. It was obvious that he didn't believe his mom.
"I need to give you something," he said after a few moments and he motioned for me to follow him. He led the way upstairs to his bedroom.
"Do you have your phone on you?" he asked while he started looking for something in his desk drawer. He took out a little black box.
"Yes." I pulled my phone from the back pocket of my jeans and gave it to him.
He put my phone on his desk and opened it. He took something out of the box and put it into my phone, and then put my phone back together.
"It's a tracker," he explained. Why did he need to keep track of me? He sat down at the desk and proceeded to open up his laptop and start up some programs.
"I'll be able to find you if I need to," was all he said on the matter, as if the answer were obvious.
A map of streets in our town popped up on the screen. I could see a little flashing light on our street. He put his finger to the screen of his laptop, where the light was flashing. "This is you."
"I would've thought you guys had some type of power to find each other."
"No. Only Archaic couples have that type of a power."
"Oh," I said. When he didn't elaborate, I took it as a sign that he didn't want explain further.
"Is this all necessary?" I asked. He was really starting to scare me.
"It's just a precaution. We all have them." He swung his chair around and stood up. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and handed me my phone back.
"Don't worry, Ava, we'll be keeping an eye on you," he said. My breath stalled in my lungs when I experienced the full effect of the devastating smile he shot me.
Stupid girl! I hated my immediate reaction to him, which I had no control over. Trying to pull myself together, I moved my gaze away from him and tried to remind myself to breathe.
His smile turned into a knowing smile, as if he knew what effect he had on me, and I felt the warm embarrassment creep into my cheeks at the fact that I wasn't good at keeping my true feelings hidden. It had been a long day and the meeting had been nerve-wracking. I stilled a yawn. I was tired.
"Are we done here?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes.
"Yes."
He walked me to his front door. He was about to open it for me when his mom walked out of the kitchen. Whatever she was making smelled mouth-watering.
"You're not leaving already, are you?" she asked, sounding disappointed.
"Yes."
"Don't you want to stay for supper?" she invited. I shot a look to Jared, but his face was unreadable.
"Thank you, but I ate before I came over," I
"Not much," I admitted.
"I'm sure you've got questions," she said, and I nodded.
"You can ask me anything, so ask away," she offered.
I have so many. Where should I start?
"Why is Jared in charge, instead of an adult?" I asked curiously. That was the most burning question at the moment.
"Jared is a descendant."
I remembered he'd already told me that. And that meant he was more powerful.
"But if he is a descendant, then so are you?" I asked, still confused.
"The most powerful descendant leads. We are both descendants, but men are more powerful than woman."
I could see she wanted to tell me more but stopped herself. I got the distinct feeling she was keeping something back.
"Where's Jared's dad?"
Her relaxed face and friendly smile slipped from her features, and I got a brief glimpse of sadness before she composed herself.
"I'm sorry, Ava, but that's something I can't talk about," she told me. I'd overstepped some line by broaching the subject of Jared's father.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," I mumbled quickly, reaching out and touched her arm.
She gave me a sad smile. "I know."
She covered my hand with hers. Jared walked back into the living room, and he looked between us.
"Everything okay?" he asked, his eyes narrowing on the tight expression on his mother's face.
"Yes, everything is fine," she assured him, fixing a smile back on her face. He continued to study the two of us. It was obvious that he didn't believe his mom.
"I need to give you something," he said after a few moments and he motioned for me to follow him. He led the way upstairs to his bedroom.
"Do you have your phone on you?" he asked while he started looking for something in his desk drawer. He took out a little black box.
"Yes." I pulled my phone from the back pocket of my jeans and gave it to him.
He put my phone on his desk and opened it. He took something out of the box and put it into my phone, and then put my phone back together.
"It's a tracker," he explained. Why did he need to keep track of me? He sat down at the desk and proceeded to open up his laptop and start up some programs.
"I'll be able to find you if I need to," was all he said on the matter, as if the answer were obvious.
A map of streets in our town popped up on the screen. I could see a little flashing light on our street. He put his finger to the screen of his laptop, where the light was flashing. "This is you."
"I would've thought you guys had some type of power to find each other."
"No. Only Archaic couples have that type of a power."
"Oh," I said. When he didn't elaborate, I took it as a sign that he didn't want explain further.
"Is this all necessary?" I asked. He was really starting to scare me.
"It's just a precaution. We all have them." He swung his chair around and stood up. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and handed me my phone back.
"Don't worry, Ava, we'll be keeping an eye on you," he said. My breath stalled in my lungs when I experienced the full effect of the devastating smile he shot me.
Stupid girl! I hated my immediate reaction to him, which I had no control over. Trying to pull myself together, I moved my gaze away from him and tried to remind myself to breathe.
His smile turned into a knowing smile, as if he knew what effect he had on me, and I felt the warm embarrassment creep into my cheeks at the fact that I wasn't good at keeping my true feelings hidden. It had been a long day and the meeting had been nerve-wracking. I stilled a yawn. I was tired.
"Are we done here?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes.
"Yes."
He walked me to his front door. He was about to open it for me when his mom walked out of the kitchen. Whatever she was making smelled mouth-watering.
"You're not leaving already, are you?" she asked, sounding disappointed.
"Yes."
"Don't you want to stay for supper?" she invited. I shot a look to Jared, but his face was unreadable.
"Thank you, but I ate before I came over," I
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