Free Seeker (Shadows) by Jolene Perry

me , and I take a half-step closer to him, wondering what it would be like if our bodies touched. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, letting the feeling of closeness pulse between us.
    Just as my chest brushes against his, Ocean jumps back dropping my hand and cutting off whatever pull just flowed through our bodies.
    “I don’t think we can afford to lose focus right now.” But he’s breathing hard like he just ran a mile, and I guess I sort of am, too.
    Our eyes remain locked for a few more moments before I look away, embarrassed at my total lack of self-control.
    I sit on the corner of the bed in our small room and stare at my lap. “I don’t get this.” I gesture between us. The energy is too much. It pushes and pulls, and I can’t ignore the feeling that we’re perfectly aligned. But I’m determined to not let that dictate how I feel. The problem is I have no idea how to separate how I really feel with how my body and energy reacts. ”
    “It’s a new one for me, too. If that helps any.” He shoves his hands into his shorts’ pockets. And even with his blond hair and blue eyes, he looks like the kind of guy who could fit in just about anywhere. He looks like he belongs in Nassau. Linen shorts, simple T-shirt, flip-flops. Nice, but not too nice, sort of non-descript. And I don’t know what I am.
    In a dress like almost always—a T-shirty one. Something simple, but with pockets. Spandex underneath so I can keep my scar from the shadows covered and don’t have to worry about giving anyone a show. Guys always underestimate a girl wearing a dress, and it’s helped me out more than once.
    “Tonight, we’re going out. We’re going to wander the town, see if we can get a feel for why they stopped in such a busy port. I just have this gut feeling that they have an agenda here, and I want to know what it is. If the shadows have already convinced them to move forward with whatever the shadows want them to do, I don’t think they would have stopped, but just kept on going.” Ocean leans back against the wall and slides his hands in his pockets.
    I let his words sink in and consider everything he’s said. He’s right, on all counts, and for someone who seems to just jump into ridiculous situations, he really does think first.
    “Agreed. I’m going to call my dad and see if he’s got anything for us.” I let out a breath and pull out my phone, turning my back to Ocean because even without the energy between us, he’d be pretty distracting. Also. Using my watch to talk to my dad is just so…dorky.
    “Yes, Kara. What can I do for you?” Dad asks.
    “I want to know the odds of us being successful,” I say. There’s really no point in beating around why I called.
    “Why do you ask?” He’s trying to keep his tone casual, but he’s my dad and I can see through just about anything he tries to put off.
    “Because as far as I can tell, catching them before they reach Long Island is fairly crucial and something that people would be pulled from other jobs for. Instead, you’ve decided to send two eighteen year olds. Not that I don’t think we can do it. It just seems—”
    “I can’t give away too much, Kara. You know how easily timelines can shift if I tell you too much. All I can say is that my decision to send the two of you ended up in our best odds.”
    Dad’s silent.
    I’m silent.
    There’s way too much silence. Best odds , doesn’t sound too great.
    I open my mouth to speak, but Dad beats me. “I’m so proud of you. I know you can do this. We have no idea the possible amount of damage done if that group of four people is somehow tricked by the shadows.”
    I’m a bit overwhelmed for a moment at how much emotion is in his voice, but if I internalize that too much, I’ll start to panic about what he’s possibly set us up for here. We all promised to put The Middle Men above ourselves and those around us, but surely my parents wouldn’t have sent me if they’d thought something