Chapter 15

Gray was amazed at the information before him. Wynn had been busy over the last week he'd been MIA. He wasn't sure how he got it, but it was black and white before him. He couldn't deny it.

When Nathan had asked for a meeting, he hadn't been sure what he was talking about. The other teen hadn't said anything more than there was something he needed to see. Not who it was from or what it was about. Despite it all, he agreed.

So he was surprised when Wynn showed up with Nathan. They hadn't spoken since Wynn had broken up with him. He'd all but disappeared for a week, making himself invisible even in broad daylight. No one had been able to find or talk to him. Even Jarrod hadn't seen him after that first time when he'd been sick.

Nathan had done all the talking. He and Wynn had discussed everything beforehand. Gray had assumed it was because WYnn didn't want to talk to him. As Nathan spoke, he realized the reason Nathan was telling him. He knew more about their Scale and way of life than Wynn.

He looked at Wynn. He sat in the corner of the library in the Sylvan House, trying to be as small as possible. His knees were drawn up as he held his cup in both hands. He didn't want to be there, but he'd promised to give any new information to them when he found it. But he never said he would be the one to say it.

Gray couldn't figure out why Wynn had broken up with him. He'd thought they were okay. They hadn't gone on any dates, but Gray hadn't thought anything of it. Wynn had said he didn't date. After he'd kissed him that one night, they hadn't discussed it. He thought Wynn was just shy.

But he'd pulled him aside a week ago and had asked him to talk. Gray had known what it had meant, and he had tried to put it off. Wynn had been adamant so he'd followed him to the soccer field where they'd first spoken to each other.

Wyn had been distraught. His hands had shook and his shoulders were drooped. He hadn't wanted to say anything, but Gray could tell it had been eating him up inside. He wasn't happy, and the other boy could see it. He'd stood so still Gray had thought he'd passed out if not for the shaking of his hands.

He'd finally said the words no one wanted to hear. He didn't want to be with Gray anymore. He said he couldn't explain it, but he didn't feel a spark at all. He didn't say it, but Gray had known what he'd been getting at. It had been the same feeling Gray had had with Callins. Nothing could be explained when emotions and the brain were on the same page.

He hadn't argued with him. He'd already known Jarrod had been a frequent visitor at Wynn's house. Nathan had spent several nights a week staking out the Esposito house to make sure no one tried anything. He'd seen Jarrod go in and out several times, but he hadn't seen anything other than that.

Gray had known how conflicted Wynn had been between him and Jarrod, but what the other teen hadn't known was his pull to Jarrod was real. There was nothing magical between Gray and Wynn. There may have been at first when Wynn had first shown up and the magic of the Key was unblocked, but it had been eclipsed by his blossoming feelings for Jarrod.

And the other teen wasn't the type to hide his true feelings for someone. For a person who had had a hard upbringing, Jarrod loved fully. His father may be a cunning bastard, but the son didn't want that life.

He hadn't argued when Wynn had walked away from him. He'd understood. Keeping Wynn safe had been his goal from the beginning because he'd needed him. He'd be his friend if he wanted it, but he'd needed space more than he'd needed a friend. They'd put him through a lot recently, and somehow he hadn't let it get to him. He was amazed he still came around honestly.

"So the Lock and Key are generational?" Artie asked. He was staring at a page in the leather bound book. "Why did we never know this?"

"I'm not sure the Elders even know," Nathan said. "My mom has never mentioned it, and she can't keep her mouth shut."

Anita Wayne was a walking encyclopedia, but she was also the biggest gossip in town. She couldn't help but tell what she knew. When Nathan had been accepted to UCLA, she'd thrown a party for the whole town only to be told he was going to a tech school to be a mechanic. She'd slapped him for embarrassing her though she'd been the one to jump the gun.

If they'd known this aspect, she would have told everyone. Then a mass manhunt would have been going on. The whol state would have been torn up.

"Wynn," Gray said. He saw the other boy flunch at his name. "Do you know who the generation above us was?"

"As far as I know, they don't keep that record. I'm not sure with over seven billion people they could or would even try. Maybe the people aren't close to a Scale. I'm not sure. My dad didn't know either. But it skipped a generation in my family." He spoke quickly with barely a breath between the words.

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked. Wynn had his full attention. "Did you say your family?"

"Mmmhmm. Dad said he saw Nonna and Nonno Esposito glowing gold one night before my nonno passed away." He dropped his feet and crossed over. He pulled it out of a second book, a folded picture. "I memorized their faces long ago. This is what Dad described."

The two elderly people were in love. The way they held each other as they slept showed the trust and contentment between them. It was evident the man was in the late stages of life but he was still vibrant. Love this deep was hard to come by anymore.

The golden halo was gentle. It covered both of them like a shear blanket. Gray watched the picture pass around those assembled. He had seen a similar glow around Wynn and the other person.

"Can we reach out to other Scales?" Artie asked. "How many do we know of right now?"

"I don't want any of this to get out," Gray said. They all stared at him. His mouth worked. "With everything right now, no one will listen to this. We have to find out who killed Christian. This comes second."

Wynn didn't stay. He gathered his things and left the house quickly. Gray didn't blame him. He'd run away too. With so much going on, escape was the best thing for him, especially with his screwed up mental state right now.

He caught Nathan's look and nodded. His closest friend understood. He always had. Now maybe they would be able to get to the bottom of this.

~~~~~~~~

"Why did you call me out? It's usually the other way around."

Wynn accepted the warm cup as he stared across the lake. The cool wind of the late California fall was easy to fend off, but slightly nippier next to the water. Rain was coming. The temperature had dropped several degrees, something not uncommon with new weather systems coming in.

Jarrod dropped a blanket around his shoulders then joined him on the bench. He pressed his side against Wynn's to help stave off the chill. He sipped his coffee slowly.

Wynn had never called him out. He was usually withdrawn from everyone, even those that thought he was their friend. Jarrod knew he would disappear if he could, but because the way things were going, he had to stay here.

Jarrod could feel the despair wafting off him. Something had happened that was sudden but impactful enough it shook the other boy's entire body. He wasn't just shaking from the chill.

The cup fell from his hands, the hot liquid steaming up as it spilled on the cold dirt. The heels of Wynn's hands covered his eyes as a heartwrenching sob tore from his chest. He leaned forward to keep Jarrod from seeing his face. But it was enough. His emotions were very raw.

Jarrod had never seen Wynn cry. This was a new emotion for him to see on someone. Not even when he had outed him or thrown him across the room did Wynn cry voluntarily. But now, he was torn up for some unspecified reason.

He knew it wasn't because of Gray. Though he knew Wynn had gone to Gray's house, he never thought it was for a tryst. Gray included the boy in Scale meetings. Even after their break up, he was still cordial to him.

He still talked to the others when they cornered him, but since that day, he'd kept to himself. His heart had been torn to shreds and he had tried to heal it without dragging other people down with him. They had all commended him, but it had said something when Gray had looked for Jarrod to see if he had spoken to Wynn. Like the others, Jarrod had given him the space to think for himself and sort out his emotions. He'd left him alone, but some part of him had secretly wished he would call him.

After several moments, Wynn sat up and wiped his face. He stared across the lake with blood shot eyes for so long Jarrod thought he had passed out. Only when he looked at him did he understand how deep his emotions were running. They were very, very deep.

"Christian was killed half a mile away. And because of you, I've been implicated in it," he said. Jarrod didn't say anything since there was no need to defend himself. He also sensed Wynn wasn't finished.

"Because of you, I can't have a normal senior year. Because of you, I've had more shit happen to me than I ever did when I first told my family I was gay. Because of you, I've had to face things I had only heard in horror stories."

Wynn finally looked at him. Jarrod could see something in his eyes he'd never seen before. The normally light brown gaze was very light, almost golden. He realized who Wynn was and why he was so valuable. He should have known so much sooner, but he'd been so engulfed with his own emotions he'd missed it.

He also missed the movement. Wynn turned his entire body until he was facing him. Slowly, he reached up and his fingertips ran across Jarrod's face gently. The other boy watched the gold swirl in his eyes. Somehow he was fully immersed in dragon magic.

Again, Wynn shocked him. He gripped the back of his neck and pulled him forward. Jarrod shook as their lips met. But Wynn followed him, pressing his mouth almost urgently. He swiped his tongue across Jarrod's lower lip, silently seeking entrance. Jarrod granted it, and Wynn's tongue swept inside his mouth. A low groan escaped both of them.

Electricity shot through him, igniting his blood on fire. He grabbed the smaller man and held him as close as he could. Wynn's hands tightened around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Their tongues warred with each other, neither one obtaining dominance as the magic danced around and through them.

Jarrod tried to pull Wynn onto his lap, trying to get as much friction as he could. He was starting to feel things he hadn't felt in a long time, and the need was becoming almost unbearable. But it felt right, like when Christmas came and he bought peppermint mocha once.

The blanket fell away as Jarrod wrapped his arms around Wynn, pressing his chest tightly to the other boy's. His mouth trailed along his jaw and to his neck, his tongue flicking out to tease Wynn's earlobe. The other boy pulled away, sealing their mouths together again. Wynn had never gone that far before and he wasn't too comfortable with it. Jarrod understood, and he attacked his mouth again. This time sucking on the tip of his tongue.

When his mouth was sore and tingling with magic, Wynn pulled away slightly. He looked into Jarrod's face, and the other boy noted his red nose and swollen mouth. He leaned forward and kissed him again, letting him pull away when he pushed gently.

"Because of you, I now know what it feels like to have someone who truly cares for me. Even if we started off on the wrong foot, you've shown me people can change," he whispered.

Jarrod leaned forward and kissed Wynn's chilled forehead. He hadn't said he liked him, but his emotions said otherwise. There was a reason he'd felt a pull to the new kid as soon as he'd met him.

Wynn liked him, but he couldn't say it. He wasn't sure if it was because of Gray or because he was leaving, but he liked him. Jarrod would never ask him to date. He had his own demons to deal with and he would never subject anyone to that. It was why he'd been single since Callins had left.

"Wynn, I don't know how to help you. But I shouldn't, should I? You have much of this figured out. If anyone can figure it all out, it's you," he said.

"I never wanted to be involved in all of this," Wynn muttered. "I just came here because my dad said I had to."

Jarrod ran his hand along the side of his head. "I know. It's why I'm not going to pressure you. But if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call me."

The other boy nodded. Jarrod wrapped the blanket around him again then handed him his still warm coffee. They sat there until the street lights came on. Then Jarrod drove Wynn home, waiting patiently until he disappeared inside. Once he was safely inside, the wealthy boy drove home.