House of Leights (Secret Keepers #3)(17)

As we went to leave, Dad stopped and spoke to a few of the suits. Brad wrapped an arm around me, offering comfort. When we started moving, he half-carried me all the way to the elevator. Once we were back on the street level, a black SUV – waiting out the front – took us to a nearby airfield. A helicopter was already powered up and ready to go, blades rotating and sending strong air currents across the tarmac.

My father helped us in, handing us all noise-canceling headphones. The pilot, who I didn’t recognize, took off as soon as we were buckled in. The chopper moved so fast that for a second I was afraid we were being chased, but there didn’t look to be anyone on the ground below.

I’d never flown in a helicopter; it was far louder and rougher than I had expected. Eventually I got used to it, and watched with fascination as the city passed below. It was early morning, the sun rising in the sky, washing the world in low, golden light. I couldn’t talk to my family without everyone hearing through the headsets we wore, but as familiar landmarks disappeared, I really wanted to ask if we’d ever see our home again. I literally had nothing except the clothes on my back and my bag that had two credit cards and my school ID in it.

That was it, like the rest of my identity had been wiped clean. Gone.

A hand wrapped around mine, and I lifted my chin to meet Brad’s gaze. Seeing his familiar face, the boy I grew up with, who had been with me through so many of life’s obstacles … it made me feel a little better. Not everything was gone. I still had him. And my family.

I must have fallen asleep, my head against Brad’s shoulder, only waking as we landed. Blinking to clear my vision, I tried to figure out where we were. The only things I could see were trees, and I was really hoping that this “safe house” wasn’t like a tent or something. Nature and I, we were not exactly simpatico.

We had landed in an open area no bigger than a quarter of a football field, the only break in the endless trees. We filed out quickly, and then before I could ask what we were doing out here, the metal beast lifted again and was gone over the trees in less than a minute, leaving the four of us standing there like morons.

“Please,” I fake begged, hands in the prayer position, “please tell me this is not the safe house. You know how I feel about camping.”

My mom tsked at me. “Maya, come now, you need to focus on right now and stop worrying about what you cannot control.”

Her favorite mantra: do not waste energy on what you cannot control.

My father took a second to look around; he was clearly as confused as me. “I imagine they needed to land off the grid to leave no record of where we were dropped. No doubt someone else will be by soon to pick us up.”

Bet right about now he was regretting leaving the finer details up to Peter.

After a few minutes of waiting, the four of us grew restless and started to walk. I didn’t like being out in the open like this. Dad led us toward the closest trees. We stuck close together, stepping into the forest. It was very green, and it felt even colder than Washington, D.C. I had an open sweater on, which was barely keeping me warm.

The forest floor was quite dense in places, filled with messy undergrowth, and no doubt a ton of bugs. I was not a fan of bugs, one of my major reasons for declining every school trip that included camping. Hell, no. Not for me.

My mind flashed to my house and pool, to my soft mattress and organic cotton sheets. Gods, I missed my room. I was a total spoiled brat, but I’d really grown accustomed to the luxury of my life. It felt decidedly unfair that it had all been torn away from me now.

“How are they going to come for us?” I asked, following my father as he pushed further into the trees. “Can you see a path anywhere?”

He shook his head. “No path yet. I don’t want to get too far from the drop-off point. Just trying to see if there is a main road somewhere close.”

Great. I’d probably get bitten by something that would give me a rash and cause my arm to fall off. “Do you think those men who tried to take me were Daelighters?” I asked my father, gingerly following in his footsteps, trying not to cringe as I brushed against leaves and spiky plants. “Is there a way to easily identify a Daelighter?”

“They would have been Daelighters or humans recruited to Laous’ cause,” he replied. “And … they look like human, but in general they’re taller, more athletic, and quite intimidating. There’s an ‘other’ feeling about them. Special.”

Definitely humans chasing me, then. None of them had seemed particularly “special.” My father circled us around the drop-off point, getting a little wider each time. I started to worry that we’d been dropped into the middle of nowhere because the government was cutting their losses. I’d seen enough movies to assume there was some truth to their actions when they needed to tie up loose ends.

Just as I finished that thought, my stomach flip-flopped and my chest got tight and tingly.

It was the feeling…

The feeling from the party and the alley where my attackers had been snatched away. Back in the government lair, I’d tried to explain to my parents what had happened. It was clear they didn’t quite believe me, but I knew the truth – we’d been saved by my mystery guy.

I turned to stare out into the trees, spinning around to take it all in. It took me longer than it should have, but I finally found … them? Three men stood in the shadow of a huge tree, still and calm.