Chaos (Lanie Bross) - Lanie Bross Page 0,80

know what you’re planning to do. Why should I trust you?”

A spike of fear drove through Jas. Ford had killed an Executor, he’d have no trouble at all with a human.

“Luc!” she burst out. Both boys turned to face her. “I need to talk to Ford. Alone. Just for a minute.” She tried to pretend the idea didn’t terrify her.

“Luc,” she said, laying her hand on his arm, “can I talk to Ford for a minute? Alone?”

“No way,” Luc said. “I told you. He can’t be trusted. I’ve seen what he can do, I’ve seen it—”

Ford was staring straight at Jasmine as if Luc weren’t even in the room. The way he was looking at her made her whole body feel warm. “I promised to keep you safe and I will,” he said.

She crossed her arms. It was like he could see straight into her—like he could read everything she was thinking. “What about … what about what the Executor said?” she croaked. “She said the Unseen Ones would pardon you in exchange for my life.”

Ford laughed. “Do you think I care about their pardons?” He shook his head. His eyes blazed. “After everything they’ve done to me—after everything they’ve done to the people I love—you think that I’d play nice with the Unseen Ones?”

The intensity in his eyes drove straight into her heart. Her instincts hadn’t been wrong, she saw that now. Ford had more reason than anyone to hate the Unseen Ones.

“Don’t you trust me?” he asked softly.

Emotion clogged her throat and all she could do was nod. Tears blurred her vision, but she could see enough to walk to him. Jas wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight. She felt his lips brush her ear.

“I don’t like it,” Luc said. Jas had almost forgotten he was in the room. He was still standing rigid, tight as a wire.

“Let me guess,” Ford said, pulling away from Jasmine. “Tess told you I was bad news, right?” He raised an eyebrow. “Was that before or after she tried to kill you?”

“Before,” Luc said grudgingly.

“I want to keep Jasmine safe, just like you do,” Ford said.

“He saved my life,” Jasmine put in. Now she saw how ridiculous it had been to distrust him. She’d be dead if it weren’t for Ford. “He fought off the Executors.”

Luc worked his jaw back and forth. He said nothing.

“How the hell did you find the tunnels, anyway?” Ford asked. His tone was admiring.

“Luck,” Luc said gruffly. Then he sighed. “I had no idea how they worked. I didn’t know what was happening to Jas, either. But I’m going to fix it. Jasmine won’t be in danger anymore, and Corinthe …” Luc trailed off, but Jasmine heard the thick emotion in his voice.

“Corinthe,” Ford repeated thoughtfully. “An Executor?” He pronounced the word carefully, as if testing it for the first time. Luc nodded, and Jasmine remained silent. Luc had too much to worry about without knowing that their grandfather was an Executor and that Jasmine herself had the ability to read the marbles.

“Do you think it’s wise to mess with fate?” Ford said softly. “Don’t you think you might end up right back where you are now?”

“I have to try,” Luc said. His eyes were like hollows. “I love her, and I made her a promise right before she died. What would you do?”

Ford looked right at Jasmine. “I’d tear down the universe, if I had to.”

For just a second, Jasmine saw a look of gratitude pass across Luc’s face. There was a moment of silence; then Ford roused himself.

“I’ll go with you,” he said. “I might be able to help. And if the Unseen Ones happen to fall apart, so much the better.”

“No,” Luc said forcibly. “I won’t put anyone else at risk. Besides, I need you to stay here with Jasmine. Keep her safe until I can make this all right again. If I fail, I’ll need someone to make sure the Executors don’t get to her.”

Jasmine didn’t miss the look that passed between Luc and Ford. An unspoken agreement, or maybe a warning. Whatever it was, she didn’t like it.

Icy panic slid down her back. She took Luc’s arm. “Please don’t go,” she blurted out. “Please. I can take care of myself. We can leave San Francisco, go somewhere else. LA or Vegas or New York or … or … Maine, for all I care.”

Luc shook his head sadly. “I have to save Corinthe, Jas.”

Then Jasmine knew there was no