Page 18 of Haunted Hearts

“We were training, her nose started bleeding after she turned a boulder into ash,” she says quietly.

Jack’s brows pull together and he looks at me as if to study me.

Cade sits back down, appearing relieved. “You were practicing?”

“Trying to, I guess…” My words trail off as I look back over to Gen who won’t make eye contact with me.

Cade looks between us, clearly reading the room. Jack continues looking at me puzzled.

“Did anything else happen?” Cade asks, calling out the look of discomfort on my face.

“I destroyed a boulder, that’s it. Like I told you, it’s just a nosebleed, I’m fine. I’m gonna go clean myself up.” I don’t wait for a response before going upstairs. I hurry to the bathroom and crank the faucet without waiting for the water to warm. The cold splashes against my skin as I stare into the mirror. My reflection stares back at me, a thin line of blood dried beneath one nostril. I watch as the water drips down my face in slow, uneven rivulets. I reach for the towel hanging from the hook and dry myself off mechanically and head for the sanctuary of my room.

Kai’s stretched out on my bed, flipping through one of my books as he looks up at me.

“You okay? You’re bleeding?” His voice is sweet like honey and full of concern, but I stay silent as I walk past him, tossing my coat to the floor, and grab a sweater draped over the chair near my bookshelf.

The sliding glass door groans as I slide it open. Cold air rushes into my lungs as I breathe it in.

What the hell happened? Gen seemed so scared of me. Am I some kind of fucking mutant? I don’t get it.

What am I? I don’t fucking know, I’ve never known; it’s not like I was given any opportunity to find out, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I don’t want to be scared of myself anymore; I want to be useful, to understand my place. But right now, all I feel is wrong.

Like everything is building up to something I don’t understand.

I look to the sky for answers and suddenly feel a comforting presence.

I can tell you’re here. What am I supposed to do? I feel so fucking confused, like I’m meant to do something with this. But how am I supposed to do anything if I don’t understand it?

Dammit…

A moment later, warmth presses against my back. Kai wraps his arms around my shoulders and pulls me into a quiet hug. He doesn’t say anything to me. We just stay like that for a few minutes, his presence grounding me, until I finally feel strong enough to speak.

“Does it ever feel like you’re waiting to become something you never agreed to be?”

His voice is low and steady. “You don’t owe anyone anything.”

I exhale a shaky breath. “Maybe. But I don’t feel like I have a choice.”

He releases me and leans against the railing beside me. “There’s always a choice. It just depends on what’s right.”

I glance over at him. “And how do you know what’s right?”

He looks ahead and I see the corner of his mouth turn up.

“You don’t.”

CHAPTER 7 CADE

The air in the library is thick with awkward tension. I look to Gen, but she’s avoiding eye contact. My eyes then meet Jack’s, who is standing there shifting his weight back and forth like he’s waiting for something.

I need to get as much information from Gen as I can; she is the only one who might have any information about our stranger.

“You’re excused, Jack.”

I see his jaw clench. He stands there for a moment, until I gesture with my hand for him to shoo, before he nods and walks away. I’m still not convinced I can trust him, especially with whatever may come up talking to Gen. The door clicks shut behind him and the tension in the room eases. I shift my gaze to Gen, perched on the edge of her seat like the air’s about to cave in.

“By chance,” I ask casually, “do you know what Alabaster looks like?”