Free Gaia's Secret by Barbara Kloss Page B

beneath was tenderness. But he quickly looked away and
lowered me into the space below until my feet touched the floor.
The hatch closed as a loud banging sounded on the door.
     

Chapter 7
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

     
    T he front door
creaked opened. The storm outside wailed as Thad restrained a
snarling Egan. The visitors walked inside, the wooden planks in the
floor creaked against the heavy callunk — callunk of
their footsteps. The front door shut behind them, muting the storm
outside.
    “Good morning, gentlemen, may I help
you?”
    I was shocked by Alex’s perfect control. His
voice was calm and authoritative. Not at all like he had three
fugitives hiding in his basement.
    “I hope you can,“ one of the men said, his
voice throttled like an old car engine. He meandered farther into
the room. There was a metallic clang when he walked, and his boots
scraped across the floorboards like they were carving into them.
“We think someone’s passed through the boundary. From the other
side.”
    He halted right above us. I could see his
shadow through the narrow cracks in the floorboards. Sweat beaded
on my forehead as I held my breath. I didn’t know who these men
were, but they were no friends. Their anger and hostility were so
strong that it seeped inside of me, leaving a bitter taste in my
mouth.
    “Are you sure?” Alex asked. “I haven’t been
notified.”
    Even I believed Alex.
    “No doubt you haven’t. We believe their
passage was aided by someone of power.”
    “Then King Darius is aware?”
    A king?
    “No.” A board creaked as the man shifted his
weight. “We’d like to take care of the problem without worrying His
Majesty and causing a public disturbance. You know how the people
can be when it comes to the boundary.”
    Alex was slow in his response. “I see. So
then, if I may, what is your purpose here?”
    “To find out if you’ve seen anyone out of the
ordinary.”
    “Other than Thaddeus here, no.”
    I heard sharp movement, someone grunted, and
then Thad cried out, “Spirits! He’s joking. I live here.”
    “Yes.” There was a smile in Alex’s voice.
“Unfortunately, Thad is correct.”
    I had to hand it to Alex. He was a talented
liar.
    There was a soft thump and one of the men
chuckled. The sound grated against my ears.
    “Perhaps…you’ve seen Aegis Cicero?”
    Sonya squeezed my sweaty palm. Alex had been
right to hide all of us. Those men already knew Cicero crossed the
boundary, and Alex didn’t miss it.
    “I haven’t seen my father in a few weeks, and
I can assure you if there was anything to worry about, he would
have handled it already.”
    I felt the men’s surprise along with their
dawning comprehension. “You’re…Alexander Del Conte?”
    “Yes.”
    “Spirits take me.” This voice belonged to the
other man. It sounded squeaky and muddied like his nasal passages
were being pinched.
    “My apologies,” said the other. “I wasn’t
implying that—“
    “Will that be all, gentlemen?” Alex’s voice
was polite, but had an edge that didn’t invite further
conversation.
    “Yes,” said the man with the grumbling voice.
“And if you don’t mind, we’d like to keep this from His Majesty for
now.”
    Alex didn’t answer.
    Their footsteps stomped and clunked across
the floor and the front door opened. The sound of howling wind
filled the air and the clunking halted.
    “Glad we weren’t forced to cross blades, boy.
Good day to you.”
    The door closed and the room returned to
silence.
    Footsteps crossed the room and light flooded
in from above. Alex held open the hatch. “All’s clear.” His arms
reached in to help us up.
    “Who were they?” I asked Alex as he pulled me
through.
    “Hold on.” He helped his mom and dad out of
the opening.
    Egan returned to my side as if our momentary
interruption never happened, and he resumed licking my hand, as if
that also never happened.
    “Were they wearing Valdon’s armor?” Cicero
asked.
    Armor. So that