Kate Evangelista - Til Death

“Call it luck.” Kyle shrugged. “I was driving here to apologize to Selena for being a monumental ass and spotted Bowen standing over a mutilated dog. It was easy to connect the dots after that.”

His steely stares started losing their power. He hadn’t seen battle the way Dillan had. He was still a kid, at the end of the day. Not a real Illumenari. Untested. He proved that when Bowen practically left him for dead. He stopped and faced him. “Look, I get you’re mad that Selena is pissed at you.”

“Why do you care what I’m feeling?”

“What were you going to say?” He did his best imitation of Kyle’s deadpan voice. ‘“Hey, Selena, I want you to know that I’m an Illumenari son and I’m here because you need to be protected. I can’t tell you how. I can’t tell you why. But you have to trust me.’” He glanced at him over his shoulder. A pathetic expression crossed over Kyle’s face. He rolled his eyes then faced forward again, scanning the prairies for a hint of Sebastian and Selena. The darkness consumed everything. A great place to hide a Maestro. He made up his mind to give them an hour. If they weren’t back by then, he’d go after them no matter how Selena felt about the matter. To keep himself occupied until then, he went back to his conversation with Kyle. “I don’t think she’d believe you.”

“And you think that because?”

“Hilliard, you’re her best friend. She’d think you were messing with her. But if someone she barely knew told her, she’d take it better. At least, based on experience, that’s what happened.”

“But she still feels betrayed.”

“As much as I hate to admit this, you were just trying to protect her. But holding back information doesn’t do anyone any good.” He shrugged. “I get why you won’t tell me what’s really going on here. With my connection with my grandfather, I wouldn’t trust me either.”

“And you hate that.”

“More than you know.”

“Look, I’m sorry that I told her about your demotion and Katarina.”

The familiar ache that came from hearing her name settled in his chest. He shook his head. “Believe me, if it wouldn’t hurt Selena to lose another friend tonight, I’d strangle you for being a rat.”

That made Kyle laugh.

“Ha, ha. Yeah, it’s so funny.”

When Kyle finished his little laughing jag, he patted Dillan on the shoulder. “You’ll have your hands full with her, you know that right?”

A half grin formed on his lips. “Take it easy on her will you. She misses you. It’s a prick move not to answer her text messages.”

“I messed up, didn’t I?”

“Like a royal pain in the ass.”

Selena

Mental Conversations While Walking the Dog

About ten minutes east of the house grew a solitary Ponderosa pine—an oasis in the miles and miles of grass. Its cool fragrance seeped into my pores. I found it years ago while taking a walk before dinner. When I needed to think, I sat under its branches. Tonight I was glad Sebastian was with me.

You sure you are all right? he asked for the fifth time since I convinced myself he wasn’t going to eat me.

I flinched at the mental contact he made. His deep voice wasn’t the one I kept hearing in my head since the attack at Valley View. Someone else helped me that night and kept warning me even if I refused to listen. I set aside that enigma and focused on the humungous dog lying on his belly while I used his side as a pillow, my fingers linked as if in prayer just below my chest. The warmth of his fur gave me endless comfort. And the soft undulation of his breathing calmed my nerves. Of course, I’d only just met him, but I went with my gut. Plus, Dillan would never allow me near him if he didn’t completely trust the huge creature.

I pretended he was just any other dog. No matter how big he looked, he seemed so gentle. I didn’t even remember what scared me about him anymore. But at the back of my mind I had a feeling that—like all dogs—he could be really dangerous if he wanted to. He reminded me of Dillan that way. Another reason why he didn’t freak me out too much. I already had too many things to freak out over.

“I’m fine,” I said sheepishly. “A little confused and hurt, but overall coping the best I can.”

Then—

“Wait. Not yet.” My hand landed on his side on its own.

Sebastian snorted then rested his massive head on his front paws.

A breeze swirled around us. I had no sense of time here in the clearing. I stared up at the stars through the gaps between the pine needles, wishing my life hadn’t changed. Even if I didn’t feel any different, I knew nothing would ever be the same. Okay, I had to admit, my life never felt normal because of my visions, but I did go through the motions of living it normally. I went to school. I made friends. I got a job. Normal, teenage stuff. Now, because of all the information swirling in my head, I had decisions to make. Hard ones.

I gathered my thoughts and organized them in my head according to priority.

First, no more secrets, and Sebastian could be practice.

“I have visions of the future,” I said without warning.

I know, he replied.

I sat up to glare at him. “What do you mean ‘you know’?”

He opened one red eye and watched me with a cool stare. His ear twitched. Realization bloomed like a flower in my chest. Right. I lay down on him again.

“You can read my mind.” I still couldn’t believe I said the words. I should have been uncomfortable at having my mind read, but I wasn’t. I spoke to a telepathic mythical creature for crying out loud. I’d pretty much maxed out on the bizarre.

Yes.

“And during the festival, that was you, too, but you looked smaller. Plus, you scared the shit out of me.”

I can shift as needed to seem normal. And you needed a nudge to get out of there.

“Thanks,” I said sarcastically. “Why were you there?”

Bowen.

My throat closed. I should have put the two together. How could I? Even after seeing him transform, I still couldn’t a hundred percent think of him as a Manticore. So, I pushed forward. I searched the almost full moon for the courage to ask my next question. No point in stalling anymore.

“Am I really going to die?”

Yes.

No emotion. Just the facts. Could anyone really be ready for death? I let a shiver run its course. No tears for the inevitable I’d feared long enough.

I sighed and changed the topic. “What happened to Bowen’s…” Still couldn’t complete sentences involving him. We had our differences, and he did mess up when he cheated on me, but he wasn’t always an idiot.

Rainer has informed his parents.

I said a silent prayer for Mr. and Mrs. Gage. The devastation of losing someone…

“I’m sick and tired of all the secrets.”

Sebastian huffed.

A stab of uncertainty went through my heart. If my parents hadn’t instructed Grams and Gramps to keep their world a secret from me… I breathed and let the thought and the anger that came with it slide. No point in getting riled up over something already done. I was thinking unusually clear right now. I reserved the right to be irrational another day.

“Why do you think my parents wanted me hidden away?” I asked without thinking. It felt less complicated that way.

Seers in the wrong hands can become powerful weapons.

“Is that why the Maestro wants me?”

It seems so.

I took the time to process that information. “My grandparents said my parents died putting up a shield that would protect me. How could they have known what I was when they died before I had my first vision?”