Subversion, Sales, and a Surprise
“Loe, are you sure you’re all right in there?” Jaelyn rubbed her hand in nervous circles across her swollen middle as she leaned forward a bit in the rocking chair to study the place where her brother’s legs disappeared into the odd, illuminated wall.
A distracted hum was Loegan’s only response, and Jaelyn sat back with a sigh, casting a worried glance toward the closed office door. This technology was so different from the cogs and steam that Loegan understood so well—who knew what kind of unsuspected dangers lurked within the depths of the odd tracings of wire and tiny pegs. She ought to have considered more carefully before she suggested the course of action, but Loegan had held her so hard when they’d met in the hallway, had closed his lips so hard on the subject of what had happened to him since she’d seen him last.
The spark in his eye when she’d mentioned the notes she’d seen the last time she’d been here had become almost dangerous when he’d seen the possibilities—and surely the author wouldn’t allow him to be hurt here, whatever she allowed in his story. Jaelyn’s jaw hardened, and she lifted her chin, turning pointedly away from the closed door and bending close to watch Loegan again.
“There!” Her brother slid free of the hole and replaced the missing panel, then fiddled with the odd board full of letters he’d found tucked into the mass of cords somewhere. Something flashed on the wall, and a new picture appeared, parallel with the softly falling leaves on most of the surface. “Done. We ought to be able to snoop on her machine as much as we like now.”
“Try what she’s been searching. It was quite illuminating last time.”
Loegan tapped a few keys, and a list began to scroll on the screen.
“What’s that grouping?” Jaelyn pointed to a hidden section, and Loegan squinted at the note.
“It says ‘research for my contest story; not to be shared because Katja reads this newsletter.’ Should I try to open it anyway?”
“It would serve her right.” Jaelyn scowled but shook her head. “No. She has your life in her hands as it is. Don’t tempt her any further.”
Loegan shuddered and moved on to the next item.
“Something about—eye injuries and blindness in history?”
“Oh, I hope that’s not about us!” Jaelyn’s face washed suddenly white, and she fell back in her chair with a look of horror.
“Ignore it, Jae—there’s nothing else here to show that she’s thinking of us. Dozens of references to her thesaurus—I’m beginning to wonder if she actually knows any words. More injuries, and something about medieval remedies? That can’t be about us. How to stop boots from squeaking, and lists of types of criminals? What on earth is she writing now?”
“I’m not sure I want to know.” Jaelyn shook her head as she cast a wary look toward the author’s closed door.
“There are a few things here tagged with ‘share.’ Should we leave those untouched, just to spite her?”
“No. Though I am starting to wonder if she knew we’d be seeing this. But go ahead and say them. Or else she’ll come out and lecture us, and I don’t think I can take that from her today.”
“Well, one of them is just a sale. The note says some people have probably seen it around multiple times already, but for the rest, it’s got hundreds of indie books—whatever those are—all for $0.99 or free through Cyber Monday—whatever that is. She recommends that you check it out—but I’ll leave it to whoever’s listening how much they trust her judgment.”
“And there’s a different link if you want to see her books only.”
“Is that all?” Jaelyn glanced back toward the hallway, but their door remained closed, and Loegan shook his head.
“No, she says to watch this space to for something special coming in early December. There’s some sort of Christmas story collaboration in the works, and if any other Christian authors want in, they can get the details somewhere around here.”
Christmas Story Advent Calendar
“Anything else?”
“Just one more. It’s not a link—it looks like it might be—a picture of some kind? Oh.”
The sudden change in Loegan’s tone had his sister turning to look at him, and her breath caught as she took in the sight.
“I—I suppose whatever’s happened—you can’t say she’s entirely forgotten us. You and Eben anyway, whatever she’s planned for me.”
Jaelyn shook her head and blinked hard against the sudden moisture in her eyes. The door clicked open behind her, but she lingered where she was a long moment, taking the picture in with wistful, hungry eyes before wrapping her arms around her brother and hugging him hard as the room faded to black.
Character art by Leraynne S. on Fiverr
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