The Dream Thief by Kari Kilgore (books for 10th graders txt) 📕

Bill grunted. "So how would my blasted brother know an old addressing pattern here? I don't even know the new one, and he's never lived in town either."

"I'd guess that was someone's way to work in code," Karl said. "Whoever Rullin was snooping around for probably taught it to him."

"Asking your mother may not be the best idea in this case, Karl," Loretta said in a strange, tight voice. "Do you remember well enough to tell us where this is? If we have to send it through the post, we'll never figure it out."

"I can give it a try," Karl said. He focused on the puzzle rather than Loretta's odd response. "I asked Mother what all the fuss was one afternoon. I hadn't even started school yet. She explained it all to me while she was rewriting her dozens of cards. Our address was...Number Seven on Twenty-First Street. Now the house is Number Three Lilac Row."

He walked over to the map.

"Here's the house," he said. "See how it was seventh if you count from this end, but third here? What was the address, Loretta?"

"It's Number Five on Third Street. What would my address have been then?"

"Yours wasn't here then," Karl said. "Nothing else was a few blocks in either. That was part of the problem, why they redid all of it. So many new houses went up about twenty-five years ago." Karl traced one finger along the map, avoiding the pins and string along with thinking about what they meant, counting the old streets down in his mind. "This one was, I mean it is, on Daylily Way now. It's Number Four."

Loretta was beside him, just short of pushing him out of the way.

"Four? Are you sure?"

"I'm as sure as I can be from so long ago," Karl said. "That's what it should be now. Why?"

Loretta looked up at him, her violet eyes flashing.

"The owner of that house would have absolutely no problem with the addresses, old or new. He's the Director of Posts for all of bloody Alterra. A client of mine called Olsen Norwood."

Chapter 37

Loretta struggled to keep calm during dinner, a meal that seemed painfully crowded even with only four people. The food itself was perfectly acceptable, with Gemma, Bill, and even Karl helping with everything. Her house wasn't even as full as she'd feared. She had more room than she wanted to admit.

The problem wasn't even knowing none of them planned to leave until at least the next day. The problem was Bill and Karl being with her that night when she headed out to finally deal with Rullin.

She didn't mind the backup or the muscle, not at all, certainly not with who they had to visit. Olsen Norwood made her jump inside her own flesh like no one else ever had, not outside of the family she grew up with.

Loretta was glad Mr. Norwood would see she was hardly alone and defenseless. If she got the chance she'd show him just how capable she was of taking care of herself. Her supply of ritterns and other kinds of wealth was healthy and not likely to dwindle anytime soon, even while she waited for Gemma to complete the new compass.

Loretta was simply starting to miss Building. The little bit she'd done out at Joffrey Columns hadn't been enough, and that had been several days ago.

She wasn't comfortable admitting to herself how much she needed the sensations, the energy moving though her, the release that was often more satisfying than sex.

Just after sundown, Loretta tried to excuse herself to wait for Bess. Karl knowing about her guard was bad enough, and she hadn't been able to avoid that. Putting her grandmother at risk by knowing the same was a chance she wasn't willing to take.

Karl watched her trying to get away for a couple of minutes, dodging Gemma's and even Bill's questions, then came to her rescue.

"Loretta, I've been meaning to ask you about something," he said. "Step outside with me?"

The other two glanced at each other, looking for all the world like they'd just discovered the most amusing secret together with matching grins and eye rolls. Loretta kept smiling and kept walking.

"I don't much like needing a minder," she said when she closed the front door. "But I appreciate the assistance."

Loretta watched him, her eyes following the long line of his body, the way he sprawled confidently in the swing instead of pretending to like he had waiting for Rhysto. So many things had changed in just a few days' time.

He shrugged. "They'd be surprised to know they've stumbled upon the most non-romantic romance in the history of Alterra. I figured you needed to talk to someone out here. I'll go back inside and give you some privacy."

Non-romantic romance or not, she was enjoying having him around. She sat beside him, pleased when he moved his arm from the back of the swing to her shoulders.

"You don't have to go back inside," she said. "I'm meeting Bess. You two already know about each other. I wanted to make sure she knows all the adjustments going on around here."

"That's a rather long list," he said. "I won't be underfoot. I need to head back out to the Columns tomorrow evening. If we both feel like seeing each other after that, I'd be glad to head back next weekend. That would be a record number of visits for me in one month."

"Good to know I'm worth such a change of habit," Loretta said. She hoped the setting sun hid the flush in her cheeks at least a little bit. "I'd very much like to see you, Karl. Gemma will have a start on your Dragon by then."

"And your gyro-compass."

"Yes," she said. "And my compass."

Loretta had never been so relieved to see another person coming down her street as she was to see Bess just then. Discussions about her gyro-compass and how she intended to use it were