Haunt (Regenerate #5)

Chapter 16

"False alarm!" I yell as I walk into the living room. Vanessa and Mikayla are at the top of the stairs blinking sleep from her eyes. Lorna is in her pajamas and somehow still looking completely prepared to take on anyone.

"You can go back to bed," I say.

Vanessa and Mikayala don't need any more encouragement. Lorna pulls out her phone so that she can turn the alarm off.

As the noise dies down, she says, "I'm willing to bet my brother set up the system so it would notify him if there were any breaches, so there's a ninety-nine percent chance he's already on his way over here."

"Yeah," I say. "That sounds like something he would do."

"Which means you should call him and let him know that it was a false alarm."

I groan. "Why can't you call him."

"Because you're the one who set off the alarm and I don't need to get sucked into your drama any more than I already have." Lorna pockets her phone, just to make a point of the fact that she won't be the one to call him.

"I could just let him show up," I mutter.

"That doesn't seem like it would lead to less interacting with him," Lorna says.

I pull my phone out of my pocket. "Point taken."

I dial Mark and tell him that it was a false alarm. Lorna laughs at me through most of the conversation. I can only imagine hearing just my half of the conversation sounds pretty funny.

"Yes, I'm sure you don't need to come over. We're all fine."

"Why would I lie to you about needing back up?"

"Yes I remember when Derek broke into my apartment."

"No, I'm not under any mind control."

"Lorna's not either."

"Nobody's under any mind control, Mark."

"I think you're just looking for an excuse to come over."

"No, I don't want to see you again tonight. Don't flatter yourself."

"No, I didn't trip the alarm just so you'd come over."

"Why would I do that when I could just call you and ask you to come over?"

"I'm not being coy. I didn't even trip the alarm."

"Cole showed up for a little chat."

Lorna stops laughing and starts mouthing something to me, but I can't keep up with her and Mark babbling at me at the same time.

"Yes the same Cole that I was trying to track down."

"No he didn't hurt me."

Before I have a chance to explain further, Mark lands on Lorna's back porch, retracts his suit, and knocks lightly.

Lorna unlocks the door for him. And then they're both bombarding me with questions. Eventually I give up and say "I'll tell you what happened if you give me two seconds to talk."

We take our seats around Lorna's table and I start explaining. I sort of understand now how Cole had a hard time figuring out where to start the story. I find I'm not really sure where to start myself.

Eventually, though, I get it all out. Lorna and Mark don't try to interrupt me as I speak. They just let me stumble over my words until I say, "And then he jumped out my window and triggered the alarm."

Lorna and Mark glance at each other and then Lorna says, "Well he did strike me as a bit of an odd duck."

I blink. "You two are very nonchalant about the whole probable alien thing."

Lorna shrugs. "I don't see as it really matters. Why would it?"

I stare at my feet. "I don't know. I just thought it would." Suddenly I realize that Mark might not want to date an alien. I'm surprised by how much that thought disappoints me, though I guess I always felt that if he stopped being an idiot for long enough I'd still be interested in dating him.

"You're still one of us," Lorna says.

"I need to work out a security system that's more shifter proof," Mark says. "Maybe a new weapon, in case Cole proves unfriendly."

Of course that's what he managed to take away from this whole thing.

"I don't think he means you any harm," I say.

"We don't know that," Mark says. "Apparently he did throw a shoe at me."

"I think you just want an excuse to design a new weapon," Lorna says.

Mark shrugs. "So?"

"Whatever makes you happy," I say.

He looks at me, "I can think of one thing that makes me happier than weapons."

Lorna rolls her eyes. "I'm going back to bed."

Mark hugs her goodnight, then turns back to me and says, "All I'm saying is I'd have less time to design weapons if you went out with me."

"So what weapon are you designing next?" I ask.

"What's going to impress you?"

I lean back in my chair. "A mace."

He blinks. "A mace? As in the spiked metal ball?"

"Yeah," I say. "That's the one."

"You want me to make a weapon that hasn't been used since the middle ages?"

"You asked what would impress me," I say. "And if you can make a mace that's actually cool, I might be just the tiniest bit impressed. I don't think you can pull it off."

He leans forward, resting his arms on the table. "And what do I get if I can pull it off?"

"A cool mace," I say.

He smiles at that. A moment later, he says, "Are you really okay? With this whole Cole business, that is."

"I think I'm still processing," I say. I pause. "You don't think it's weird? That I apparently am an alien?"

"I grew up in a laboratory, have an evil clone, and talk to computers," Mark says. "I tend to be open minded."

With a grin, he adds, "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

I smile despite myself.

"Careful," he says. "Keep that up, and I might start thinking you're done being mad at me."

I stick my tongue out at him.

Mark stands. "I'll let you go and get some rest. Unless of course you need me to come make sure there are no more intruders in your room."

"Keep looking for an excuse to come in my bedroom," I say standing. "I'll be fine without you."

"Maybe someday I won't need an excuse," he says. "In the meantime, sleep well, Thalia."