When the moment passed and he finally looked away, she felt like she was able to breathe again. It was irritating the way he made her feel, even after what he had done, and the way he limited her abilities each time he was around her. She sighed. They had better things to talk about.
“My father was attacked.”
Levi didn’t react to the news. It was like he was hearing something he had heard a thousand times. “These…creatures attacked him while he was working on his car. I’ve been really scared since then.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because anyone would be. Because it’s strange—he’s an Alpha, and anyone bold enough to attack him ought to be strong enough to face the whole pack. Whoever or whatever it was knew the stakes and went ahead. Doesn’t that scare you?” She wasn’t saying the thing that scared her the most, but Levi knew there was something else. He always knew.
He took one look into her eyes and dug deep into them. “That’s not all, is it? What aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s Adam. He hasn’t told you, has he?”
“Told me what?”
She heaved a breath. “That thing that attacked my father, Adam had an…encounter with it. At school the other day, we can’t be sure yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s the same thing. It’s not the dragons, so I mean, what else could it be? And the other night too. He thinks it’s coming for us. There’s evil coming, a war coming.”
“And you don’t think you’re getting too ahead of yourselves now?”
Lyra looked him dead in the eyes, the kind of look that would kill if looks were capable of such things. “Did you hear anything I just said? Adam is troubled by whatever this thing is. And he’s seven years old, there’s no reason for him to make up stuff like this.”
“Yeah, then again, he’s seven. There’s a chance he’s being dramatic or just had a casual nightmare.”
“IknowAdam. Unlike you, I raised him.”
Levi rolled his eyes. “I thought we decided we were done with this banter.”
“We are. Wearedone, Levi.”
“Are we still talking about Adam?”
Lyra pushed her hands through her hair, then fell onto the chair beside the door. The room smelled so musty, and like it was a billion years old. It was like a vampire had lived in it, died of old age, and passed it on to his successor. After moving, she’d wanted to renovate the place, but Orson was a sentimental, nostalgic man. Each time he visited, he wanted everything exactly the way he remembered it. Adam never seemed to mind, and since it was just the two of them, there were rooms that she didn’t bother entering at all.
“The important thing now is that Adam gets his training. I don’t want him fighting should anything happen, but he should at least be aware of his abilities and how to control them.”
“He’s a very special kid.”
“Yeah, he is.” Lyra smiled. And it wasn’t just because he came from different bloodlines.
“You think he’s telling the truth? Like he isn’t exaggerating and thereissomething evil, demons most likely, around?”
“You don’t have to believe him.”
“Do you?”
“That’s like asking if the sun goes up. The answer is always going to be yes.”
Levi nodded slowly, thinking about it. “Then I believe you.”
“Like I said, you don’t have to. Your job is only to trai—”
“Lyra, please. It doesn’t have to be this hard. Not always.”
Levi had the most expressive eyes. One minute they were calm. The next they were raging. Next, they looked like they didn’t give a damn in the world. Now, they looked happy, somewhat.
“It’s funny,” she thought aloud, “the first time Adam saw you, I could’ve sworn he wanted you dead.”
Levi laughed so loud that Adam could probably hear him from his own room. “I know, right?”