The Curse Of Spring (Book Two of The Seasons Trilogy)

Chapter 13

Harley

"That's Junior!" Cole practically shouted as he grabbed the file and studied it more intently. "I spent most of the day with him… but he said his father was dead. He said he joined the Rebels in memory of his dead dad."

I'd seen the guy Cole had been hanging out with but I guess I hadn't been paying that close attention to him - my focus being on Cole instead.

"Are you sure, kid?" Hank asked, scratching through his scraggly beard.

Cole nodded, his eyes fixed on Jay. "I promise, if I'd known the full story I would have said something to him. I will see what I can do to break the news to him gently… try to get him to leave that group of criminals."

Let's just forget for a moment the fact that four of the men sitting at the table had been in prison at one point or another - Cole's declaration was actually rather sweet.

Jay went behind Cole and patted him on the shoulder, sighing loudly. "I know, kid. I had a feeling about you from the moment I saw you."

There was a bit more discussion around the table but my eyes fixed on Cole as he stared down at the photo. I could almost see the cogs in his brain turning. All of a sudden he stood up, the chair he sat on almost flying backward as he stalked out of the house. We all stared after him for a while in silence.

"Wonder what's got into that kid," Hank muttered with a shake of his head.

Cole didn't return to the house, but it wasn't as if he had anywhere else to go. His bike was still broken, and his backpack was still sitting on the couch where he'd stored it, along with the few items of clothing he possessed. Unless he had decided to make a clean break… he'd implied he'd done so before so what would stop him from doing so again?

As the sun started to set, I knew I needed to find him. Jay and the guys had gone to Jacky's so no one saw me as I grabbed my running shoes and jogged up the path to the lake - the only place he could possibly have gone that made sense to me. Pushing through the trees at the edge of the lake, I saw him and a strange sense of relief rushed through me.

"I was worried you'd left," I said softly as I came up behind him.

"Where would I go?"

He looked so defeated, his head resting on his bent knees and his eyes closed. The choice I'd made to keep my secret from him now seemed so badly made.

"I'm sorry," I sat down beside him, staring out over the lake.

He looked at me and I could see his pale blue eyes shimmer, almost as if there was a weird glow radiating from them.

"You let me believe that I didn't know you. You lied to me! Do you have any clue how long I've searched for you? How many times I have blamed myself for your disappearance?"

His voice trailed off and he turned back to the lake as a lump formed in my throat, almost choking me with emotion. I didn't know - I couldn't have known. I didn't know who I was, but I guess he didn't know that. I'd never told anyone outside of Jay and Tanner…

"I recognized myself from the picture you showed me of your best friend from childhood, but I don't remember those days. I don't remember anything from before I woke up in Jay's house with a bullet wound in my leg. He saved me from drowning and brought me here, thinking I was being hunted by some gang or something. He looked for missing persons reports, but when he found none he arranged for a new identity for me and I became his daughter - just Harley Jones."

It sounded so simple, so easy to neatly wrap up in a few brief sentences.

Cole shook his head, a humourless laugh escaping his lips. "If only you knew who you really are, who you were born to be."

My eyebrow rose in question, eyes fixed on his. It was clear I grew up in an orphanage, so what more could I be than a poor little orphan girl called "April"?

He saw my facial expression and it was his turn to raise his eyebrow at me.

"Are you saying that nothing weird has ever happened to you? You've done nothing strange?" Cole's voice was a bit incredulous.

"Strange? Well my thumb is double jointed…"

He cut me off with a shake of his head, his eyes burning holes into mine.

"You've never experienced long sleeping periods? You've never accidentally done something with water that you couldn't explain?" Cole frowned.

"No…"

He stood up and pulled me to my feet beside him, a strange look on his face as we moved toward the edge of the lake.

"I'm going to tell you a story - it might sound weird, but it's true. Once upon a time, four children were born with the sole purpose of becoming super soldiers. Their DNA was altered and they developed strange and wonderful abilities that the military celebrated over. But things went wrong - the military had messed with their DNA too much and mother nature was not impressed. Together, the children caused total destruction and mother nature decided the best way to end the chaos would be to trap the children in sleep, only allowing them to be awake during a specific season. This would only be broken if the child met the person destined for them - the person who would be able to help them control their powers."

He bent down and scooped a handful of water into his hands and took a deep breath.

"Harley, you are that person for me."

With that, Cole threw the water into the air and it immediately froze into ice.