Page 47 of Oracles Always Win

“Isthat what you think they are?Hallucinations?”Gagerubbed his chin. “Thatexplains a lot.”

“Ithink you should leave.”Ipointed at the door.Sweatslipped down the back of my neck.HadIimagined this whole interaction?Fuck.AfterwatchingGagein the pub yesterday,I’dbeen so sure he was real, but that didn’t explain those horns.Didthat mean it wasallan illusion?Hadeverythingyesterday and today been one gigantic dream?Becausewhen my hallucinations started justifying themselves, that was a problem, right?

Shit.

“Irealize this must be frightening, but you aren’t seeing imaginary things,”Gagesaid gently.

Heshifted like he was going to move toward me or reach for me or something.Itook a step back and shook my head.

“Whatyou are seeing is real,” he continued. “Thetwo horns on my head.Thoseare real.Thecalico cat who speaksEnglish.He’sreal.Thetentacles sticking out of that building today?Isuspect those were real too.”

Ididn’t say anything, andIcould barely see through the spots dancing in front of my eyes.Atleastthoseweren’t a sign from my broken brain.No, those spots were becauseIwas hyperventilating.

AtleastIwasn’t puking.

“Hush, now,”Gagemurmured.ThistimeIdidn’t retreat when he approached. “CanItouch you?”

WhenIdidn’t say no, he rubbed my arm but didn’t pull me into a hug.Iwasn’t sure ifIshould be disappointed or not, butIkind of was.Evenif he was the one who was freaking me out,Iwanted to be comforted by him.

“I’vegot you,” he soothed. “You’regoing to be fine.”

Isnorted.Iwassonot fine.

“Youshould have been able to see those things all your life, but the reason you couldn’t is because your senses were blocked.”

“Right,”Iscoffed. “Becauseeveryone has a talking cat and knows people with horns.”

“Mosthumans can’t see magic unless they are exposed to it, but you aren’t like most humans.”

“Thenwhat amI?Analien?”

“Mostof the people in your pub last night are supernatural.Andthose ladies you were painting with today?Theyare too.Andso are you.”

Iblinked.Gagesounded so sincere.

“Idon’t believe you.”Myblood rushed so hard and fast through my veinsIfelt my pulse in my throat and heard the blood thundering in my ears.

Gageslowly dipped his head down, tilting those horns toward me. “Touchmy head,Jake.Myhorns are real.Theyaren’t a figment of your imagination.”

“Unlessyour entire body is,”Imuttered, butIstill couldn’t resist reaching forGage’shead.Myfingers collided with a very solid, very real horn.Thesatin-like texture over the hard length of it surprised me as my fingers danced over the surface.

“I’mreal,Jake.”Helooked me straight in the eyes.Standingso close, touching his head, suddenly felt too intimate.Evenmore intimate than waking up to findGagein my room.

Iswallowed and jerked my hand away. “Idon’t understand.”

“Supernaturalbeings have always existed alongside humans.TheEternalMagic, or what some callMotherMagic, hides us with a natural glamour to protect us.Whenevertoo many mundanes realize we exist, they tend to come after us with weapons.Wemust be careful about who we share our secrets with, or it could hurt us all.”

“You’resayingIshouldn’t be able to see you.Sowhy canI?”

“Whensomeone—a human—sees under the glamour, then they can see everything.”

Ihugged my stomach. “Whatdoes that mean?”

“Likeif you saw a werewolf shift from their human form to their wolf one.”

“SoIcan see all you magical people because someone made a mistake.”

Gagegrimaced. “Notexactly.”