Page 24 of Unhinged Kallie

“Don’t be mad at him, please, Dad?” I begged.

“If you want to clean his room like a maid, that’s your choice, but you don’t need to. Never let anyone make you feel like you do. Understood?”

I nodded. “I like doing it, especially when I can’t sleep. It gives me something to do.”

Dad slowly stood from the chair. Everyone was scared of my dad. Even Uncle Abel seemed nervous around him sometimes, but he was just my dad, and he was the coolest.

“It’s also time,” he said.

Clearing my throat, I asked, “Time for what?”

“Time for your training to begin.”

I didn’t know what that was supposed to mean. “I don’t understand.”

Dad slowly walked around the table, and I noticed he stayed in the shadows. I wanted to be like that. To move with the shadows like I was a part of them. To be so calm and yet commanding.

Dad stopped walking as he stepped into the moonlight. I could see him clearly now. It felt like he was staring through me, but his expression remained blank.

“Your mother made me promise not to teach you until you were ready.”

“Teach me? You already teach me. My grades are really far ahead.” I smiled.

He smirked. “Not normal schoolwork, Angel. Teach you what it means to be a Buchanan. I’ve seen the look in your eyes. I know you dream of blood and already have a victim picked out.” I looked down. My thoughts were evil. I knew they were. I tried to hide them from everyone, but my dad knew.

“Nooo, I…I don’t do that.”

“Do not lie to me, or I will punish you, Kallie.” I swallowed hard. Dad didn’t call me by my name unless he was really upset, and he rarely punished me. But when he did, I never forgot.

“Yes, Dad.”

“I’ve seen your sketches, the science experiments you try to hide, and let’s not forget Becca’s unfortunate accident. You crave to know the feel of someone dying under your touch in those final moments of their life.”

My dad gripped my chin and forced me to look up at him. “Do not be ashamed of who you are, Angel. Tomorrow morning, your real training begins.”

Dad turned and walked away.

“Training for what?” I called after him.

“You’ll see. I’ve waited long enough, but no daughter of mine is going out into the world unprepared.” He looked over his shoulder as he reached the door. “Now go to bed. You have a big day tomorrow.”

I didn’t know what he meant, but excitement bloomed in my stomach. My dad was my hero, and he’d seemed so sad ever since Mom died that I didn’t think he even saw me anymore. But he did. He’d been watching me the entire time. He wasn’t angry and didn’t hate me for my dark thoughts. I couldn’t help wondering what he would show me. He was the best dad in the whole world.

I ran up the stairs and jumped into bed. Everything was going to change. I could feel it.

Chapter Ten

CARTER

Bang. I jumped up, my heart pounding hard as I gripped the blankets to my chest.

“Come on, Carter. We have training,” Kallie yelled as she barged into the room.

I glanced at the time, “There is still an hour before we need to get up. What are you doing?” She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, her dark hair flapping like a pair of wings.

“Dad says he’s going to be teaching us something new today. Come on, hurry up and get ready.”

I was going to say again that Cain was not my dad, but it didn’t matter how many times I told her. She never listened or didn’t care. Kallie raced forward and grabbed the blanket, but I held on tight. I swallowed hard as we ended up in a stupid tug-o-war over it.