The Tethering: The Complete Collection

Prologue Seven Years Ago Jacob Evans sat in the front row, looking back whenever he could at the new girl two rows behind him. He didn’t want her to catch him staring, but he couldn’t help himself. A few times her eyes met his, but Jacob didn’t care. None of the other kids in school had ever liked him anyway. What did it matter if the new girl thought he was rude? He glanced at her again. She stared back at him and smiled. A beautiful smile that made him like the new girl. Jacob never sat in the cafeteria to eat lunch. He would hide in the bathroom or find an empty classroom to eat in when the weather was bad. But today was beautiful, one of the first nice days of spring, so he found a big shady tree far away from the other students. He had half a peanut butter sandwich for lunch today. Money was running low, and he couldn’t even guess when his father would be back. Jacob huddled around his sandwich possessively, like a squirrel protecting a nut. People always stared at his meager lunch. Not to steal, but to judge, which felt much worse. The new girl walked out of the cafeteria and onto the lawn with her shoulders hunched. Jacob couldn’t tell if she was upset or just weighed down by the enormous lunch bag she carried. She looked at him and strode straight over, blowing her long black hair out of her eyes. “Can I sit?” she asked. Jacob nodded. She let her giant lunch bag fall to the ground. “I’m Emilia.” She held out her hand for Jacob to shake. “I’m in your class.” Jacob didn’t move. He stared into Emilia’s grey eyes. Why was she speaking to him? What did she want? Emilia smiled before sitting and unpacking her lunch bag. She pulled out two sandwiches, carrots, apples, cookies, juice, milk, and what looked like an entire tray of brownies. Jacob swallowed hard, willing his stomach not to growl. That was more food than he usually got to eat in a week. “I told Molly not to pack me so much,” Emilia said. “I think she was worried nobody would like me. Or maybe that I would starve to death my first day of school.” “Who’s Molly?” Jacob asked. “Is she your sister?” “No, she’s the housekeeper and cook. And she takes care of me sometimes, when there’s no one else around.” Jacob nodded, wishing he had a Molly to feed him when there was no one else around. “She packed more than I could ever eat.” Emilia held out a sandwich to Jacob. “She’ll be heartbroken if I bring anything home.” Jacob looked at Emilia and knew she wasn’t there to be mean or make fun. “I’m Jacob,” he said quietly. And for the first time he could remember, he ate until his stomach was full, and he sat with a friend. * * * * Six Years Ago Emilia knew Jacob hated lightning storms, though she had never asked him why. Maybe it was because no one had ever comforted him during storms when he was very small. She could picture exactly where she would find him once she managed to climb onto the roof of the porch. Sitting at the head of his bed by his pillow, crushed up in the corner of the walls. The porch lattice was slippery in the rain, so she took her time climbing up to his window. She tapped lightly before slipping her fingers into the c***k and sliding the window open. She didn’t bother to look around the room as she took off her raincoat and shoes, leaving them to drip on the stone-cold radiator without any hope they might actually dry. Finally, she peered through the darkness at the bed in the corner. There sat Jacob, smiling through his fear because she had come for him. She crept across the worn carpet, the boards beneath creaking with each step, then picked up his pillow, held it to her chest, and sat beside him. The next time lightning struck, he didn’t flinch.