I banged on the door of the apartment above Lloyd’s House of Music.
“Edon!” I called. “Edon, please answer the door. I really need to talk to you!”
Mid-bang, the door swung open. My smile quickly fell in disappointment.
“Mr. Vanderbilt.”
He didn’t smile and I knew he knew what I was here for. Edon must have told him, I thought.
“Penny, it’s good to see you again,” he said on a sigh.
“Mr. Vanderbilt, I’m sure you know what’s going on, and I apologize for everything that has happened, but I really need to talk to him.” I took a breath. “I’m afraid he might be in danger,” I said.
Lloyd Vanderbilt studied me for a while with impassive pale, blue eyes. He opened the door wider.
“Penny, why don’t you come in and sit down.”
My eyebrows furrowed. I didn’t have time for this. “No, you don’t understand−”
“No, Penny, you’re the one who doesn’t understand. Please, come and sit.”
I hesitated, and then slowly walked inside. I made my way into the den and perched on the end of the couch.
“Can I offer you something?” Lloyd asked from the kitchen.
“No, thanks.”
He poked his head around the corner. “No soda, or tea?” he offered.
“Please, Mr. Vanderbilt, could you tell me what you wanted to say?”
I heard a sigh from the kitchen before he came in and sat across from me. Lloyd didn’t look at me right away, rubbing his sweaty palms against his washed out jeans.
His faded eyes met mine. “Edon’s gone.”
“Gone,” I panicked. “What do you mean gone?”
Lloyd held up his hands to soothe me. “Whoa, calm down, darling, he ain’t dead or anything like that. He just left.”
“Why? Where is he?” my voice rose with indignation and I stood.
“Now, I can’t tell you that. Edon made me promise not to tell you. But what I can tell you is that he did this for you.”
“But why?” I whispered as I fell back into the deep cushions of the couch.
Lloyd sighed. “As you know, Edon’s special. That evil angel will try to get his hands onto anything with power to bend to his will. Now, he’s come after you. He can’t stand to see you hurt again and is just trying to keep you safe. He really loves you, Penny. He needs to do this for himself.”
Part of me wanted to be angry at Edon for being so selfish. But I knew that this was probably the most selfless thing he could have done.
Dammit, Edon.
“When did he leave?” I asked.
“’Bout a day ago.”
I placed a hand over my mouth to try to hold back a sob, but it was futile. Lloyd leaned forward and squeezed my knee. “Now, don’t cry,” he said awkwardly.
He sighed heavily and leaned back. “Damn,” he said under his breath.
“To be honest, I think he’s being damned stupid.”
YOU ARE READING
Birthmarked
FantasyPenny Cross was marked at birth. Left on her own in a hospital nursery, she knows nothing of her origin and where she belongs. Labeled as an outsider in her own world, she turns to a strange new group of students who seem to know more about her past...
