Existence

Chapter 21

"S-Sarah!" Thomas stood up rather quickly, stumbling over Alex's pack as he stepped away from it. His hand went to the satchel hanging from his shoulder. "I— I, uh... I can explain."

He looked rather guilty, his eyes unable to look directly into hers. She frowned at him in confusion. Had he followed them?

Sara zeroed in on the tunnel map he had dropped to the ground. Had he simply been admiring it or had he planned on taking it? Anger welled in Sarah's chest and bubbled up her throat. She could taste the angry, demanding words she wanted to yell at Thomas at the tip of her tongue.

"What is it, Sar?" Alex suddenly called from nearby.

Right. She'd called out for him.

Sarah glanced at the barrier blocking her cousin from view, then at Thomas's pleading face. She was mad at him sure, but was she mad enough to just throw him into the boys' suspicion radars? Should she give him a chance? The debate she had in her head felt longer than the short seconds it actually took. She turned back to the willow leaves.

"Uh, never mind! I found it."

Alex chuckled. "All right, then. I'm close by if you need me."

"Okay," Sarah called back before glaring at Thomas, who had relaxed at her lie. He tensed again at the look on her face. "You have one minute, mister. Then I scream and Alex comes running."

Thomas's shoulders drooped in relief. "Look, Sarah, I'm sorry. I was just... just following Phoebus's orders."

"What, he asked you to spy on us?"

"No! Yes. On Alex, not you. You remember his investigation. Adventia not seeming right and all that. The evidence he needs—"

"Thirty seconds." She could see he was beginning to ramble.

"Wha— that wasn't even fifteen yet!"

"Twenty." Sarah's lips twitched at the stressed look on his face. He really didn't want the guys to find him. What was going on?

Thomas ran a hand over his face. "Alex has the proof we need. Look at this." He reached into his satchel and took out a familiar black notebook.

Sarah dropped her stern expression and frowned in confusion. "Is that...? That's Casey's notebook. I thought I left it in my backpack... which I left back home." She took it from Thomas and opened it to the first page.

'This is the property of Skywalker. Shifters beware.'

Now she knew what Shifters were. But why Skywalker?

She looked up at Thomas, who was gazing at her in puzzlement. "This is your brother's notebook."

"What?"

"This belonged to Jared Walkman. He'd... he'd record adventures in Adventia here from what I've read."

"Jed is 'Skywalker'?" Even as she said it, her mind made the connection. His last name, Walkman and her nickname for him. If Jed had been looking for a quick alias to use, this was it.

Sarah stared at the notebook in a new light. This was Jed's? Casey had lied to her? Well, he'd lied about a lot back home when Adventia had been involved.

"Phoebus asked me to retrieve that too. He suggested asking you for help but... but I couldn't bring it up back in Solquis. So I—"

"Went behind my back and lied to me?"

Hurt flashed in Thomas's eyes. "Sarah, I'm sor—"

"I trusted you, Thomas." She pointed at him with the notebook. "You said you were going to help out in Solquis. You said you were going to Talica."