Stars of Fortune (The Guardians Trilogy 1)

“Not much family anyway,” she continued. “Both my parents were only children, and I only saw my grandparents sporadically. My father left when I was about twelve. He couldn’t handle what I have. My mother made excuses for me, then made excuses for him. I resented that, which isn’t really fair. She did her best. She does her best. But given all that, I chose to live alone, so I didn’t have to deal with what I have. Where I could focus on art, and I liked it.”

She looked back to where the other four passed around Sawyer’s camera.

“I like this better. Even knowing what could happen, knowing some of what will happen, this is better. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Do you have family?”

“No. Not anymore.”

“It’s hard, without family. I didn’t realize until . . .” She looked back again. “It feels like alone’s easy until you realize.”

“It’s got its advantages. Only one person to worry about. You want to go left, you go left because nobody’s pushing you to go right.”

“I’d rather go right, at least give right a try, than be alone again. I like the way Sawyer talks about his family, his grandfather especially. And Riley and Bran theirs. They don’t know alone, not the way we do. And Annika . . .”

She couldn’t imagine Annika alone, but it occurred to her she’d never asked.

“Annika? Do you have family?”

“Family?” Tossing back her long braid, Annika smiled. “Yes. I have six sisters.”

“Six—” Sawyer began.

“Sisters?” Riley finished.

“Yes. I am the youngest. Chantalla is the oldest, then Loreli, then—”

“You’re the seventh daughter,” Bran interrupted.

“My father says he’s cursed with girls. He’s joking,” she added.

“Your mother?” Doyle shifted around. “Does she have sisters?”

“She has six, as I have six.”

“And she’s the youngest?” Bran glanced at Doyle as Annika nodded.

“Well, kick my ass.” Riley shoved the camera back at Sawyer. “We’ve got us a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. Do you have the sight, Anni?”

“Oh, not like Sasha. I know things. Just know sometimes. I knew to be on the beach for Sawyer. To be here—this time, this place. So I came. I don’t like to fight, but I knew I would. I will. Sasha sees things that help. That warn. I only see what I’m meant to do.”

“What you see might help, too,” Sawyer told her. “You should let us know.”

“I want to help. When we find the Fire Star, it will get harder. She’ll be angry we have what she wants.”

“That’s a good bet,” Riley agreed.

“I say set the course, Doyle.” Bran’s gaze gleamed hard and bright. “And let’s see if we can really piss her off.”

* * *

They found nothing, though they pushed it to three dives. Fatigue hung over the boat like a cloud on the trip back to the marina. Sasha tried to shake it, reminding herself they’d barely begun. They weren’t likely to stumble across the prize without a lot of sweat and effort.

But the sensation of adventure had faded for the day, and only a thin shadow of dread remained.

It seemed infectious.