SECRETS OF EVERCREST (BOOK 2)

Chapter 33: Shadows of Loyalty

December 26, 2024 - 8:30 pm

The front door creaked open as Clarissa Nightshade, Logan’s mother, walked into the dimly lit house. She froze, her eyes narrowing at the shattered glass and spilled wine across the floor. Stepping carefully, she found Elias pacing furiously, his face flushed with anger.

“Elias,” Clarissa’s voice was stern yet cautious. “What happened here?”

Elias shot her a scowl. “Your son happened. He’s been sneaking off with that fool Gregory James and his granddaughter. He doesn’t care about his own family.”

Clarissa tried to keep her voice calm, but the tension was obvious. “Maybe he just wants…a little independence. He’s growing up, Elias.”

But Elias’s face twisted with rage. “Independence? Independence isn’t running off with people who undermine everything we stand for. He doesn’t understand the danger he’s putting us in.”

Logan, listening from his room, felt his heart tighten. The cold anger in his father’s words stung, but he felt a strange pity for his mother, trapped and unable to stand up to his father. He turned away from the door, frustration building inside him.

“I’m done,” Logan whispered to himself. He tossed a few belongings into his bag—his phone, a handful of cash, and a few other essentials. He opened the window, glancing down at the small trampoline he’d set up in the backyard years ago as an escape route. With one last look around, he tossed his bag down, then climbed through the window and leapt onto the trampoline, landing silently.

Meanwhile, back inside…

Clarissa opened Logan’s door, intending to talk to him, but found only an empty room. Her eyes darted around in panic as she checked the bathroom and closets, but Logan was nowhere to be found. She rushed back to Elias.

“He’s gone, Elias. I can’t find him anywhere,” she said, her voice laced with worry.

Elias crossed his arms, sighing in frustration. “Let him go for now. He’ll come back once he’s out of money. I’ll send someone to track him down when he does.” His words were cold, detached.

Clarissa hesitated, then nodded, a mixture of worry and helplessness in her eyes.

Later, at a small roadside diner…

Logan sat at a corner booth, wolfing down his meal. He’d managed to sneak a decent amount of cash from his father’s vault, enough to keep him going for a while. He thought back to the look of disbelief he imagined on his father’s face once he’d realized some money was missing.

The memory made him smirk for a moment, but the smirk quickly faded. Logan pushed his plate away, leaning back in the booth with a sigh. He opened his phone, scrolling through his contacts. His finger hovered over Sol’s name, debating whether he should reach out.

He muttered to himself, “She’s already done enough for me. I can’t just…drag her into more of my mess.” But he couldn’t stop his mind from drifting back to her. Something about her courage and kindness had struck him deeply, in a way he couldn’t quite explain. Loyalty, maybe something even stronger.

Finishing his meal, Logan paid the bill and walked down the quiet street, heading toward a nearby motel he’d found on his phone. The neon sign flickered against the darkening sky as he entered, approaching the front desk.

“How much for three nights?” he asked.

The clerk quoted a price, and Logan breathed a small sigh of relief. Though he had some money, he knew he had to be careful. After paying, he was handed a key and shown to a small room down a narrow hallway.

Once inside, he dropped his bag, flopping onto the bed in exhaustion. His mind was still racing with everything that had happened. He pulled out his phone again, staring at Sol’s contact.

Meanwhile, back in the safe zone…

In her room, Sol sat cross-legged on her bed, her eyes closed in deep concentration. She took a deep, steadying breath, her spirit slipping away from her physical form as she entered a state of astral projection. Her vision drifted, crossing the distance between her and Logan like a wisp of smoke. In an instant, she could see him—tired, lying on a motel bed, his eyes sad and lonely.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she watched him, her heart heavy with the knowledge of what he was going through. She had sensed his struggle, the way he felt trapped and lost, and had been keeping an eye on him from afar, unable to let him face it alone, even if he didn’t know.

Logan’s image began to blur as her focus wavered, the strain of the connection taking its toll on her. Yet she couldn’t pull away. She wanted to reach out, to let him know he wasn’t alone, even if he couldn’t hear her.

“Logan,” she whispered softly, her voice a mere breath in the astral plane. “I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

Back in the motel room…

Logan sat up suddenly, a strange sensation pricking at the back of his mind, as though someone were near, watching over him. He glanced around the small room, but it was empty. Yet, in the silence, he felt a faint warmth, a reassuring presence that filled him with an unexpected calm.

He smiled softly to himself, almost feeling as though he’d heard her voice. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he didn’t care.