Gray stood in the auditorium, heart in his throat. He heard the murmurs floating around as the people walked around looking at all of the paintings.
The art showing was the biggest event of the fall semester. The seniors in the advanced art classes set up their best works for the public to see. Most of them were the best ones for their portfolios that would be sent for their college applications.
He had gotten a text from Wynn late in the night asking permission to use the portraits he'd painted from his dreams. He hadn't said why, but Wynn knew how emotional these pictures were to Gray. If he was asking for permission, he knew something he hadn't told them. Gray wanted to ask, but sometimes Wynn knew when not to say something.
So he'd given him permission to use them. Now the worst night of his life was on full display for the town to see. He couldn't help the waves of emotions that roiled through him as he looked at his mother's bloody face.
A white cup filled his vision. He followed the hand that led to the arm. Finally he settled on a gentle face. Wynn stared up at him with a soft look. Gray let out a shaky breath then smiled. He took the cup and sipped it.
"Trust me," Wynn said. Gray looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I would never use your pain for my benefit. I've already sent in my portfolio."
"Then what is this?" he asked.
"I have a hunch as to who killed Christian, but your parents and Callins were the first victims. To find the killers, we need to start at the beginning. The night of the crash is the beginning. That's when it all started."
Gray looked around again. Now it was starting to make sense. Wynn looked at things differently. He wasn't a native of this town. He didn't have the deep roots the rest of them did so he didn't have the mindset to hold back. If he wanted to know something, he was going to look into it. He was quiet, but his sharp eyes saw things others didn't.
He pulled him aside, away from prying eyes. Wynn looked at him as if he knew this was coming. He waited patiently as Gray fought through all of his violent emotions.
"The brakes were cut," he whispered. "Someone sabotaged your parents' vehicle. They knew the route you were taking and tried to make sure no one came home. You weren't supposed to survive."
Gray swallowed hard. "How do you know?"
"I asked Wayne Sweetin what the difference between this case and Christian's case was. He let it slip. He said someone knew the oves of the people who were killed and acted accordingly. So I had to ask you for permission to display these."
"You think the person who did this will be here?" Wynn nodded. "How will we know who it was?"
"I'm not sure, but things won't be pretty. They want to keep it quiet for whatever reason."
Wynn smiled tightly then slipped back into the crowd. Gray wasn't sure what he'd said was a lie or night, but sometimes he was very persuasive. He could do things they would never get away with. If anyone could figure out a deep, dark secret, it would be Wynn Esposito.
Gray lost him in the crowd. He mingled so well with people despite being a recluse. He didn't like being around people he didn't know, but if it dealt with his friends, he stepped out of his comfort zone. Like now, he promised not to show anyone else these pieces, but since he thought something could come of it, he'd asked permission.
He mingled with everyone, smiling as if nothing was wrong. He saw his friends huddled together on the other side. They were equally shocked about the turnout. A few of them already knew about them, but the younger ones hadn't really been exposed to it.
"Is this what our life will be like?" he heard one ask as he walked by.
They weren't wrong. He hoped they'd never go through anything like this. So many other Scales he'd read about had had plenty of cases of sabotage and murder. He'd heard of plenty of poeple being killed for their positions. He'd hoped to run a straight laced Scale with trust and honesty.
Now he was starting to rethink things. Who would want his parents dead? Who would wnat Callins gones? Who could benefit from their deaths, from isolating Gray? There was a whole list that would, but he couldn't think of any of them.
He walked across the room and looked at the picture of his worst nightmare, the one that stil haunted him. He saw what Wynn did; a broken boy whose life had just been ripped away from him in a split second. How he had seen all of this in a dream he still couldn't understand. Especially since he had no magic.
He stared at the young boy with blood dripping down his face. He looked at the kid who had his whole life ahead of him. He had been a happy kid with someone he cherished. Now all of that was gone.
Nathan wlaked up to him. "I didn't tell you this, but Jarrod stayed with Wynn last night."
Gray nodded, anger slithering up his skin. "So?"
"So why isn't he here? I picked both of them up and gave him a spare uniform. Where is he?"
They looked around the room, trying to find the tall dark headed boy. He was nowhere to be seen. Wynn moved about everyone, talking coyly about the pieces. He was trying to get information without asking about them.
"No one leaves him alone," Gray ordered. "I don't know if he's involved, but no one lets Wynn out of their sight."
He left Nathan to give his order and found his foster parents. They were talking to the headmaster about the success of this showing. When they saw him, they said their farewells and followed him out into the hallway.
"What is it?" Thomas asked.
"I need you to get the files from that night," he said. "Wynn is the Key. he's been dreaming of everything, and I think he knows who killed everyone."
Stella cast him a sympathetic look. "I don't know what looking into it would prove, but we will. Are you okay?"
Gray looked around again, letting out a deep sigh. "I will be, but I need to know everything. It will prove whatever has been going on in that boy's head, and will also prove our innocence."
Though they didn't believe him, Gray didn't care. Something was oing on and Wynn was at the center. He went back into the showing and kept a close eye on many people. He was looking for something to give him a clue as to what was going on.
"He's gone," Autumn said. She whispered roughly to him. "He was talking to the mayor, but now he's gone."
"How? Who was with him?" he demanded. They moved towards the doors.
"Jacie and Spenser were talking to him. They said they were shoved out of the way and Wynn was taken. Guess who it was."
Gray's blood started to boil. He could feel his skin starting to change and his teeth become sharp in his mouth. If he looked in a mirror, he would see his eyes were a vivid gold. Under his sleeves, his skin would undoubtedly look like scales.
He knew somewhere deep inside they were involved. Now he could prove it. Hopefully he could prove other things, but he had to find Wynn to make it all plausible. Without the Key, they had no proof.
"Bring as many as you can," he said. "Meet by the cars in five. I know where they'd go."
~~~~~~~
Wynn recognized the smell of wood and muscadine. He knew exactly where he was, but the building was different. He figured they'd taken him to one where he'd never been before. It was smart, but Wynn knew how many buildings were on the property. If he could get loose, he could find his way back.
Somehow he wasn't surprised. He'd wondered how long it would take them to pull this stunt. His last set of dreams had given him a good idea of who had done everything. He'd just had to wait for them to make their move.
When he'd asked Gray to use those portraits, he'd meant no harm. The only way he knew how to rile those behind it all was to show what he knew. To do that he had to show the pictures, but he'd needed Gray's permission. It had been last minute, but he'd gotten it.
Nathan had picked him up and he'd been a ball of nerves. Jarrod had wondered what he was doing when he'd cleaned his room as he'd packed the black portfolio bags. He hadn't told Jarrod what he'd planned. He didn't want to hurt him either, but he had to help them both.
His hands had shaken as he'd set everything up. His teacher had been shocked but had allowed it. His whole mood had been quiet yet hopeful.
When the murmurs had started, he'd found Gray. The other boy was quiet but he had held up. Wynn had explained everything, why he'd done it and the reasoning behind it. The other boy had understood everything, but he'd been a bit reserved. Wynn had completely felt that reasoning. If it had been his life on display, he would have been worse than that. Gray was as solid as a rock.
Wynn sat up and leaned against the wall. Something was different about this place. It was much darker for lunch time, almost like an eclipse was taking place. As far as he knew, there wasn't one supposed to happen.
His skin prickled. For some reason, he'd been able to sense magic since the night he'd met with Gray and the others about his family. As far as he knew, he had never sensed nor used magic. He could be wrong, but unless he asked his parents, he would act as if it were true.
He tested his legs. Finding them in their right places, he stood. He inched his way to the door. It was unlocked so he opened it, wincing as it screamed on the hinges. The smell of wood and grapes grew stronger. This building must be where they made muscadine wine, one of the best wines they produced.
His eyes hadn't been deceiving him. It was darker in this building. It was coming from the large open room at the end of the hallway. He poked his head out then slipped out, plastering his back to the wall.
Soft silver light illuminated the room. Wynn looked up but only sat the massive fan above his head. The industrial size bulb was fluorescent, but that wasn't what was emitting from it now. This light looked almost like moonlight.
Standing beneath it were Ryssa and Callum Wainscott. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but his suspicions had been confirmed. These two were behind everything. Why else would they kidnap him from his own art showing?
Wynn sat down, partially hidden by a wooden wine barrel. He took a deep breath and opened all senses. He wanted to hear them, but he wasn't sure if he could.
"You took him without a plan?" Ryssa asked. "No wonder no one chose you to be president of the Wyvern Council. You're too impatient and predictable."
"You saw those pictures! That kid knows!" Callum yelled.
"No! All they showed was the accident. All they showed were two people who lost their lives, but you panicked. If you kll him, then everything we've worked for goes down in an international murder case!"
Callum scoffed, his handsome face looking incredulous. "No one will be able to prove murder if we use dragon fire."
"If I use dragon fire again, I will deplete all my magic. We don't need that."
"I'm willing to risk everything if it means I get that Scale."
Wynn's suspicions were confirmed. This was all about the Scale. What Callum wanted was power, and he didn't care how he got it. He would step on anyone to get it, even destroy his family."
They were right about one thing. If they did anything to Wynn, Giulio Esposito would open an international investigation into what had happened. Since they weren't citizens of the United States, they could be protected by the Italian Embassy. If the case were high profile enough, they would insist on an official investigation.
Giulio Esposito was Marco Esposito's older brother. Marco Esposito was the Italian ambassador to North America. It would be a high profile case.
Wynn sat for a while listening to their plans and bickering. Just as he was getting ready to make a break for it, the door behind the adults exploded inward. He saw Jacie and Kevin come through first followed by Winter and Autumn. The entire Scale emerged through all the smoke, Gray bringing up the rear.
The teen didn't move. He watched everything, watched as they stood toe to toe with the adults. He could feel the rage and hatred rolling off one side, and the anger and shock off the other. Nobody had wanted to be right, but once faced with the truth, there was only one thing for them to do.
"Where is he?" Gray demanded. He'd already started to change appearance. His skin was glowing under the light. "Tell me where he is!"
"Why?" Ryssa goaded. "So the same thing could happen to him that happened to Callins Donovan? Admit it, Gray. Everyone you love leaves you."
"Shut up, bitch." A blinding light filled the room. It emanated from Autumn, and she controlled it right at the Wainscott's.
It didn't matter. The adults were much stronger than the teens since they'd been prcticing dragon magic longer. Wynn could only sit back and watch as his friends tried to fight. Unfortunately there wasn't anything he could do. He had to bide his time before he could let everyone know what he'd heard.
Callum expelled a lot of magic with a loud roar. The same silver light that clouded the room hit everyone in the chests. The teens went flying, dirt kicking up all over in a massive cloud.
"You're not very smart are you?" the adult asked. "You know you're no match for us, and yet you still come after us. Your father didn't teach you much."
Gray pushed himself up. His face was elongated and his teeth were sharp. His hands were covered in iridescent scales that caught the moonlight and sparkled blue. "Clearly no one taught you to respect what you have and not to covet what your neighbors have."
Callum snarled. "What do you know?"
"You killed my parents."
Gray let it hang there. Wynn stood and made his way along the wall closer to the action. He had no magic and he wasn't very strong, but maybe he could be a distraction for someone. Maybe someone would be able to get a hit in.
He met Nathan first, tapping him on the shoulder. Nathan's eyes widened marginally before he understood. He smashed the window and let the sunlight disrupt the moonlight. Then he blinded Ryssa again as she worked some of the girls over. It gave them time to attempt to tackle the woman.
But Callum's magic was too strong. He hit the girls with a blast each before attacking Gray. The Keeper held his own for a while, but not using his magic for a while depleted him. Gray was tossed into a barrel, his head cracking it nastily. He crumpled to the dirt floor, wine dripping steadily on his face.
"You think you know so much, boy? What do you know? You were in that wreck. How do we know you didn't do it?" Callum asked. Smart. Cause reasonable doubt to an already distraugh boy who had survivor's guilt.
"Why would he kill his own parents?" Autumn asked. She was slowly lifting herself up.
"People will do anything for power." His head snapped forward as Wynn slammed a plank into the back of it. "Bastard!"
Wynn held the plank out to keep him at bay. Slowly he turned until he was between his friends. Callum's shock faded, replaced by anger that mottled his face.
"Do you really want to play coy with us, boy? When we already know the truth?" he asked. He licked his lips. "You wouldn't have reacted this way if you were innocent."
Callum grabbed the plank and jerked Wynn forward. They were face to face, angry blue eyes meeting brown. They stared at each other until Callum's widened slowly. Wynn's eyes were starting to glow.
"No wonder they're protecting you," he laughed. "You're the Key!"
Wynn's lungs seized as Callum threw the plank away. There wasn't enough time to dodge the punch followed by the second hand.