12 Chapter 11

The red-haired girl came up behind Byron. «Hi!» she said smiling.

«Oh it's you, hi.», he pretended to be happy to see her. «I was afraid I wouldn't see you again.»

«I'm good at hiding. You know, if you want to keep yourself out of trouble, that's the best thing. The boys of the football team are really wicked.»

«Yeah, I know what you mean. I experienced it on my first day here.»

«Try to avoid them, that's the secret.»

Really?! Byron couldn't say it out loud. She was clearly just looking for a way to justify her sudden appearance out of nowhere, and he wasn't falling for it.

Does she think I'm such a fool?, Byron thought but pretended to believe her stupid excuse. «That's why I've never seen you around… »

«Yep»

Byron stopped. «This is my class. See you around.»

«Yeah.», she waved at him and kept walking.

During his lunch break he sat next to her. While Haylee was at the table with Percy, and his friends. Mark. Selene wasn't with them, she was eating on her own. Amy and Josh were at the table with Percy and the others but in their own world. They really liked each other, that wasn't a play. Keepers can also fall in love.

Percy's presence at the table seemed to make everyone uncomfortable.

They couldn't talk about anything. They were afraid that opening their mouth he would find out about their evening meetings in the woods.

But it was hard not to notice them exchanging stares. In fact, Percy had become quite suspicious.

When he drove Haylee back home he faced her.

He was so straightforward that she was left speechless. «Are you all hiding something from me, am I right?» he asked her as soon as he stopped the car outside the driveway.

Shit…

«You can tell me everything, you should know.»

«I'm not hiding anything.» she hastened to reply.

«Yes you are. I saw how you stare at each other. You have something in mind.»

Haylee didn't answer. She couldn't put everyone in danger.

«You found out everything, right?»

Haylee tried to keep a cool head. «I don't know what are you talking about… »

«Stop pretending. You know about the Keepers. Amy and Josh blurt out everything, right?»

Time to speak. He already knew it.

Haylee took off her naive expression and looked at him threatening. «I didn't need them to find out. I've always known that. I can finally get rid of this weight, I was tired of all this play. I was tired of you.»

Percy looked at her with a puzzled and surprised expression.

«What are you going to do now? Are you going to tell upstairs, or will you help us?»

Percy hesitated to answer. «Are you trying to make a deal?»

«Oh no, no ... I'm threatening you.»

«You can't do anything to me. Your powers are ineffective here in Blackbones.»

«So you don't know everything… your friend Samuel didn't tell you the whole story? Ah right, he doesn't know it. I was good at hiding it.»

«You have your powers?»

«Never lost them.»

«Even if you have them, they have no effect on us Keepers.»

«Wrong. I am… we can say… special.»

«What do you mean?»

«I'll tell you everything, but you'll have to help me get rid of a little snag.»

«What do I get in return?»

«Um... life, isn't it enough for you?»

«But you have no guarantee that I won't speak.»

«I know you Keepers are spirits of your word. When you make a promise, you are bound.»

Percy sighed and gave up. «You want to stop Samuel, once and for all, right? You'll need the book to do it. I don't know where Michael hid it, I'm sorry, I can't help you. But I can help you get out of here. If you cross the barrier you will be safe.»

«No, it's not enough. He will bring us back here again.»

«But the Magicals whose time is running out, you can at least free them. I can get them out, that's all the help I can give you.»

Haylee looked at him suspiciously. Why does he suddenly want to help her? They haven't made any agreements yet. Was she really that convincing with her threats?

«But we must hurry. Samuel will notice as soon as the barrier opens.»

«Would you really help us?»

«I'm not like Amy and Josh, I'm one of the closest Keepers to the High Keeper. I only get involved in cases of extreme necessity, and separating you is absolutely necessary for the quiet life of this place.»

So they got suspicious after that beam of light... , she thought. It wasn't good and if things got worse she would have to use the memory machine again.

«But you… can you really stop all this?»

Haylee looked at him. «You… want this to end?»

«You may not believe it, but yes. I'm sick of being his slave. I'm sick of plotting and pretending all the time, year after year. And if we don't do our job correctly, the penalty is death, no second chances. I will help you and you will help me. Let's get rid of him.», he held out his hand.

Haylee shook it. «Alright. But first we have to get rid of another threat.»

«Get it. Cassandra… »

«Yeah. She's an old acquaintance of mine. Thirteen years ago she stood between me and Byron, just like now. The Keepers wanted the two of us to unleash our powers, and, once we became dangerous, for each other, they would have brought us here.»

«You said… thirteen years?»

«Yes. You heard right. And, long time ago, I met you too. You had more or less the same task as Cassandra. Push me into Byron's arms to break the rules and be brought here.»

«Why can't I remember?»

«I played a little with the memory machine, every four years you forget me, and Byron of course. Forget about our past, about how you brought us here, but not that we're a couple.»

Clearly there always had to be a partner in the other city, to justify their presence in Blackbones, or it would have been quite suspicious.

«Wait a minute... But he's not… immune like you, right? How can he still be alive?»

«You haven't done your homework, mister Keeper. I'm a banshee. The person we bond with will have the same lifespan as we do. Basically, I'm the one who keeps him alive here.»

«But he doesn't know this, or he wouldn't go around with Cassandra.»

«Oh no, he knows. I told him. A few mornings ago he… caught me. He recognized my handwriting on the note I left him with his mother's diary. So I had to tell him everything.»

«So you're the one who told him to keep meeting Cassandra.»

«Yeah. But if you were kind enough to get rid of her, it would all be easier.»

«I can't do that. She is too close to Samuel. He would certainly notice her absence.»

«Then we can use her to our advantage.»

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