Chapter 41 #2
Everly shrugs as she tucks the file beneath her arm. “I’m not special—I thought that was obvious enough. I’m sorry you wasted resources to have that confirmed.”
I’m not special … I let the disparaging remark hang between us for a moment.
It would be easy to tell her she’s wrong.
That The Universe chose her to be Its vessel because there is something incredible about her.
But even if The Universe hadn’t, her actions to save Vick have spoken louder than any words could about her integrity and spirit. Everly is beyond spectacular.
“I’m only disappointed because my snooping couldn’t tell me much, which I think is odd.
You’re a Woodrow. There should be a thousand articles about you—so why aren’t there?
” I look at her. “The other night you said you were trying to erase yourself, is this evidence of your work? Or was there not alot to begin with? You can have anything you want in life, and yet you don’t wield the Woodrow name like anyone else would in your shoes.
Even your brother had a huge presence?—”
“Stop it,” she hisses vehemently as she comes to an abrupt halt.
Startled, I stop too, then turn to face her. Everly’s large eyes glitter with fury as she stares up at me.
“Don’t talk about Peter,” she warns. “He deserves to be left in the past.”
Around her, the dark multi-colored flecks turn a deep red then different shades of purple as they pulse in and out of existence. Ah. She’s not mad I’ve brought him up. It just hurts her to talk about him. This I can understand.
Raising my hands in surrender, I promise, “I won’t.”
Everly searches my face before the tension leaks out of her. I start walking again, and Everly falls into step with me.
“I know this is going to sound crazy, but my family is evil, Braum,” she explains softly. “Being a Woodrow isn’t a blessing. If you knew what it was like growing up under that roof, you might get it. Then again, I didn’t know the extent of how evil they were until recently.”
I have a good understanding after overhearing her father speak to Vick, and after that, when Vick and I spoke.
Vick told me about the women he found in that shipping container.
He told me how James Woodrow tried to cover his tracks by sending him here.
It all sounds downright wicked. Not wanting to sidetrack Everly by bringing up Vick, I remain silent.
“Anyway, I didn’t want to be like the rest of my family.
I wanted to be my own person and pave my own way, you know?
” She glances over at me to see if I get it.
At my nod, she pushes on. “Other people didn’t understand my decision to work for everything I wanted rather than just coast on by.
Those same people only wanted to be my friend because they thought if they got close to me they could name drop to get whatever it is they were looking for in life.
Peers, colleagues, teachers, the occasional date… they were all the same.”
Slowly, the pieces come together. I can see it now: Everly avoiding all those around her that would use her at the first moment they could, all while she tried to make it on her own. A quiet woman with a drive to do something worthwhile being used over and over again… that would be draining.
“That doesn’t explain why there’s so little of you on the internet, though,” I point out. “Even your failed wedding is already in the process of being buried.”
At this, Everly smiles. “I hired someone to start removing all traces of me from the internet around the time Father announced my engagement. I wasn’t going to be trapped in a life he set up for me.
The plan was to disappear and start over as someone else, some where else. I needed my face unrecognizable so?—”
“—you took steps to make sure you wouldn’t be found via an online search,” I conclude in awe.
She nods. “There wasn’t a lot since I don’t use social media and purposely stayed out of any spotlight Father stood under, so it was easy enough.
I paid the guy up until the end of this coming year so anything new, like the wedding, will be gone soon enough.
The stuff you have in this file is old and useless. ”
I scoff in amazement as more of the bigger picture falls into place. “You’re incredibly clever, aren’t you, Everly?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know, maybe? Or foolish, I guess. I know erasing myself is only a small part of the whole plan. The running will be hardest because I’ll always have to look over my shoulder to see if he’s found me.”
My stomach knots as I realize this is the segue I’ve been banking on for the conversation we have to have.
I look over at her, watching as her mouth presses together into a tight line and her eyes go distant—clearly getting lost in her own thoughts.
How will she take what I’m about to tell her?
Will I be able to convince her the offer I’m about to present will be worth her while?
“It’s not just your father you’ll have to worry about,” I hedge carefully.
Everly blinks a few times, coming out of whatever thoughts she’s lost herself in. Tilting her head, she regards me curiously. “What do you mean?”
“Members of the Children of the White Stag will be looking for you as well,” I admit, lowering my voice.
Everly’s brows rise as her mouth pops open with surprise.
“Wait, what? What are you talking about? No, wait, hold on a second.” She raises a hand to stop me as I open my mouth to speak. “I thought you said we couldn’t talk about them.”
“That was before, this is now,” I tell her, lowering my voice even further so it’s no more than a whisper.
“Before I didn’t know your father worked for them, Everly, but now that I do, I understand his motivation to find you.
They’re pushing for the union, not him. The Children of the White Stag want you, Everly, and they always get what they want.
He’s searching for you on their behalf.”
She frowns. “How do you know this?”
“Because The Universe told me.”
Her surprised expression melts away to a perfected facade of polite interest as she looks ahead of us instead of at me.
Stopping, I turn to grab hold of her chin. With a rough jerk, I force her to look up at me. Her eyes widen in alarm as I lean down to get into her face. “ Don’t dismiss me , Everly.”
“Braum—”
“I know you think I’m crazy, but I’m not,” I snarl. “The same way my father isn’t and his father wasn’t, even though they, too, could commune with The Universe. Our gift is the reason the Milligan bloodline is so influential and powerful.”
At this, Everly’s surprise returns. “What? How’s that?”
My heart begins to race as I try to brace myself.
What I’m about to say will tear me away from the life I’ve always known.
Explaining this to Vick wasn’t easy, but I didn’t give a fuck if he believed me.
I only needed to know if he was willing to help me save Everly—and he is.
But with Everly, it’s life changing. It’s dangerous.
The enormity of what I have to disclose will alter the course of fate for both of us.
“Because we work closely with the Children of the White Stag, as the High Priest,” I admit quietly and grimly. My hand drops away from her face. “It’s been this way since the foundation of the Children of the White Stag, well over a hundred years ago.”
Her entire body flinches. Suddenly, she steps away from me, her back stiffening.
“Y-you… you work for the Children of the White Stag?”
“Yeah, I do. Unlike everyone else who has to be recruited and pledge their loyalty, Milligans are born into servitude,” I confess.
“It’s because of our connection to The Universe, Everly.
We’re able to see and understand things in ways no one else can.
That knowledge is beneficial to the seven leaders who make up the White Stag.
We help them, and in return, they reward us with prosperity. ”
“ Help them do what , Braum?”
“To better society. To save humanity by guiding it in the right direction.”
Her face twists with horror. I don’t understand why until she asks incredulously, “Braum, is this a cult ?”
“No!” I assure her. “We’re a secret society, full of the brightest minds, highest powers, and those with the furthest reach. The Children of the White Stag was created to bring humanity up from the dredges by using the most useful members of society. We’re the good guys.”
“Didn’t you say they erased people who aren’t supposed to know about them?” she counters. “That doesn’t sound like something the good guys would do. And my father, if he works for them, they can’t be all that great.”
I’ll admit, I don’t know everything about the organization.
I wouldn’t be privy to insider information until my father prepares to step down from his position.
But I know Everly is wrong. The Children of the White Stag were created with the best of intentions and continue to abide by its original goals.
“We’re the good guys…” I hedge slowly, “that sometimes have to do bad things for the benefit of humanity.”
“Oh my god…” Everly’s eyes scan my face as she takes another step back. “You’re serious, aren’t you? Y-you’re exactly who Peter warned me away from.”
Colors flash like strobe lights over her skin, and the flecks hum with agitation.
Everly takes three more steps away from me.
I mirror her steps with long strides, closing the distance between us.
When I reach for her, she recoils—her eyes flashing in warning.
I don’t heed it. I won’t let her slip away.
I grab her wrist and yank her toward me, my eyes blazing as they peer into hers.