Maddie
We sat at one of the picnic tables outside the canteen. Darren held his coffee in his hand, twirling it so the ice rattled. He looked contrite as he should, but I wasn't sure if it was because I was frustrated or because Nathan treated him so nonchalantly.
Bianca had found me after I'd left Simon and Drew. I'm still not certain what she had read in my face, but she'd asked me to join her for a run. I couldn't talk to Max since I was so pissed off so I followed her after going to the senior dorms.
With the new school year, Beca and I had moved to the fourth floor of the senior dorms. Bianca was still in her old room despite having graduated. Much like Bruce, Darren and Drew, she had opted to stay and help make sure things went well. While we'd been gone, she had kept the peace with Bruce. I still wasn't sure what had happened completely. It was probably for the best that I didn't know everything.
The run had been good. Two laps around the track was enough for me. I'd prefer to ride my horse, but the stables had burned along the tack. I wasn't sure how Kaia and the other horses were doing since their home had been destroyed. It was probably for their best interests to let them get used to their new home.
When we were done, Bruce had called. Bianca had left since it was her time to man the security cameras. Since Casey and her horde had burned the stables, more cameras had been installed. Simon had scheduled two hour shifts among the adults to keep an eye on things. So far, nothing has happened. Thankfully.
As we'd been leaving the track, Nathan and his cronies had been coming out of the boys' locker room. His two idiots had left with snide comments which Bianca had heard. She'd ripped them new ones as they'd walked away. Since they were seniors, she couldn't touch them. Not that she ever would. She was classier than that.
It had left me alone with Nathan. His conversation had been easy at first, but then he'd started asking questions I couldn't answer. That was fine. I wouldn't have answered anyway. I wouldn't give him any information that would have hurt people.
His main questions had been about the new adults. He'd seen Tyler, Dylan, and Petey talking to Simon. I wasn't sure if he'd seen Chase, but if he hadn't that would benefit us. I hadn't been dumb enough to think he didn't know about the other students who'd come forward.
When Darren had shown up, we'd been arguing about how many more Knights there should be. I'd told him I hadn't been sure, but he hadn't listened. He'd kept pressing until Darren started the fight with him. I hadn't said anything, but it still felt like I'd failed in a way.
I looked at Darren as he looked at me. I was looking at his features closely. I could see the same cheekbones and high ridge nose that Casey wore under heavy makeup. There was no doubt they were related. Only a DNA test would prove it though. Casey would never go for it, not on our terms.
I couldn't very well ask him if he was adopted. Well, I could, but we were already estranged. I didn't want to make it worse. Plus, without a DNA test, I had no grounds to stand on. We only had my suspicions and Drew's visions. I couldn't be certain if Drew and Darren were even talking to each other. It could be very disastrous.
Darren tapped his fingers on the table, drawing my attention. He squinted at me then shook his head.
"You're not very good at hiding your emotions," he groused.
"I don't try to," I objected.
He lifted his cup to his lips, taking a sip without breaking eye contact. "What is it?"
It was my turn to take a sip. "What do you mean?"
A light smile lifted his mouth into a half moon. "When you and Beca have something you want to ask but don't want to, you get lines between your brows." His eyes turned sympathetic. "Just say it. It won't hurt my feelings any. Knowing you, it has something to do with what's going on with Drew."
I set the cup on the table and rocket it on its edge. "You and Beca don't look alike, nor do you look like your parents."
He hummed an affirmative. "That's right. I'm adopted, so is Beca although she doesn't know it. The only reason I do is because I have a different blood type than my family. My parents and sister are O positive. I'm type B."
"No wonder you're weird." I couldn't help the little quip that came out.
Darren snorted out a laugh against the lid. His face brightened, and the deep lines by his mouth smoothed out. His eyes twinkled happily. This was the Darren Starland I knew and cared for deeply. I loved him as a friend, but that was about it.
He sobered up though his face was very open. "What does that have to do with anything?" he asked.
Now we came to the hard part. I'd gotten him to tell me he was adopted, but getting him to understand what he thought was a whole different matter. I could easily ruin our friendship, what little we had left anyway. I was sure I needed his help, but this could break that.
So I did the only thing I knew to do. I asked him to tell me as much of the Arthurian legend he could. His frown returned but he did it anyway.
I listened as his voice fell into an easy cadence. He started from Uther Pendragon and continued with Merlin raising the child along with Sir Kay. Ector provided them housing, but it was Merlin who trained the boys.
As he talked, I could picture all of our friends as their respective counterparts. Bianca had helped Darren much like Sir Kay did Arthur. I hadn't learned much about Sir Bedivere, but I was sure Bruce had all his qualities. Simon was much like Galahad, a strong and confident leader. Parker and Lancelot were one and the same. Both were strong and adventurous but very loyal. I could go on, but Darren would be done by that point.
When I zone back in, he was at the part of the story of Lancelot and Guinevere. As he continued, his voice slowed down until he barely said anything. He was beginning to understand why I asked him to tell me as much as he could.
There were several legends on Mordred's birth, but I was certain the one we were dealing with was the one where he was the son of Arthur and Morgan la Fay. That meant they were siblings. Darren realized what was going on at that moment, his eyes said it all.
"Maddie?" His voice was thick with emotion. He had to swallow a few times to be able to speak again. "Do you think Casey and I are related?"
"I don't know." I shrugged gently then looked out over the quad. I couldn't stand to look at him, not with the way he looked now. "I asked Drew, and he seems pretty sure. The only thing I can think of is you were either separated at birth or were given up at a young age."
I stretched the truth a little bit. I didn't want to hurt him anymore. His world was slowly crumbling around him. The odds of meeting a long lost sister at a random boarding school were slim to none, but meeting a twin… That was the parent trap type of things only seen in the movies. It was unheard of. But we were talking about magic and reincarnation. Anything could happen.
"That doesn't explain Nathna though," he mused.
I looked back at him. "Isn't he your cousin?"
He nodded. "Only by adoption thought." I raised an eyebrow at him. "I guess it doesn't matter how we're related as long as we fulfill the past."
I wanted to kick him. So I settled for flicking him in the forehead. He grabbed his face then flared at me. I poked him in the nose.
"Stop living in the past. This isn't that time and it will never be. That's why Bruce refuses to let you help. You are not the original Arthur. You are Darren Starland who just happens to be the last chance to save what could have been. But not like this. Like this, you're basically useless. I'd rather have the fun Darren than the moody one."
He stared at me for a long time, so long that I got the feeling that something finally clicked in his brian. He drained his cup then tossed it. He stood then rounded the table. I had to look up at him. He gave me a lopsided grin before he kissed my forehead then turned on his heel to stride away. I was confused for a moment. Then he pulled out his phone.
"Hey, Mom," I heard him say. He looked over his shoulder then winked at me. "Yeah, I know. Listen, we…" His voice faded as he walked away.
Finally the thorn in my side was gone. I hoped he would start making some decent choices. We needed everyone we could get to make sure Casey and her goons didn't wreak havoc anymore.
With that bit taken care of, I could finally find Max and hopefully get some training set up. I only hoped he was in a decent mood.
I got up and headed for the charred remnants of the stable. I wanted to see the damage before we planned anything. If all the weapons survived, we'd be set. If they didn't, I was afraid we would be fighting with hockey and lacrosse sticks. I could only hope things weren't as bad as they sounded.