“Come, my dear.” Gramps pointed at the chair Kyle occupied before. “Let’s have a talk.”
My stomach twisted in nervous knots. When I thought I could move without falling over, I took a deep breath and crossed the room.
Kyle’s chair still felt warm when I settled on it. I spread my hands on the table and waited. My heart beat a wild tempo in my chest. I was a little girl again, listening to my grandparents explain why my parents would never come back. My life crumbled in this kitchen many years ago. Now, maybe, it wouldn’t be as bad. Maybe that day prepared me to hear whatever they had to say.
Or, maybe not.
For long minutes, we did nothing but stare at each other. No one wanted to break the tense stillness in the room. Annoyance crept up on me like an unexpected visitor. What were they waiting for?
“Are you going to tell me what you were all talking about or what?” I finally asked.
Grams sighed. “Rainer told us Dillan shared information about the Illumenari with you.” At my nod, she continued, “Your parents were both Legacy.”
My stomach flipped. “And you?”
I didn’t hesitate to ask. If my parents were part of the Illumenari, and if the Sullivan family tree meant anything, my grandparents were, too. Gramps confirmed it without flinching.
“We were Council,” he said.
“Were?”
“We left a long time ago.”
The million dollar question: “Why am I getting the feeling they didn’t die in a hurricane?”
The first stab of betrayal went through my chest like a rusty knife. I curled my hands into fists to keep them from shaking. I promised myself I’d listen, so I would.
“No, my dear, I’m sorry.” Gramps shook his head.
The second stab of betrayal rattled my insides. “What part of my life isn’t a lie?”
Grams let out a startled breath.
“Now, Selena, that’s not fair.” Gramps wrapped an arm around Grams. “We were only doing what your parents wanted. They didn’t—”
“Want this life for me. I heard.”
“Then you should understand that we thought keeping you in the dark about all this was for the best.” Gramps slapped the table with his free hand.
I winced. I was more confused now than when this conversation started. Forget turning my life upside down. They placed everything I thought was true into a food processor and pressed the puree button. Mr. Sloan has been right.
“David, please.” Grams lay her wrinkled hand over his scarred one. “This is too much for her to take in all at once.”
“Why?” I asked through my teeth, moving my now trembling fists to my lap. “Why didn’t they want me to know?”
“They risked everything so you could have a normal life,” Gramps said.
“As if. I have visions of the future, and creatures I didn’t know existed until now are after me. Well, one. Bowen’s…” I choked on the word. “Did you know about him?”
Grams nodded sadly. “He was a good boy. We didn’t expect him to—”
“Well, if you told me about him then maybe he wouldn’t have had to…” I still couldn’t say it. “I feel like Dillan’s the only one on my side in all this.”
Gramps scratched an eyebrow with his thumb. “That’s not fair, Selena.”
“Everything we’ve done, we did it because we love you.”
My grandfather spoke again before I could speak the insult at the tip of my tongue. “Caroline, we’ve become complacent. We didn’t even realize what Bowen was doing until it was too late.” Gramps checked his rising tone. “And we still have the Maestro to deal with.”
“Never mind that for now.” I surprised myself at how calm the sentence came out. I wanted to move away from the topic of Bowen. So I asked, “What really happened the day my parents left me with you?”
Gramps’s face turned grim again. “You have to know, Selena, they loved you very much. They put everything they had into keeping you safe.”
The cold recounting from Gramps became the third stab of betrayal. “I don’t understand. What are you really trying to say? What am I?”
“You’re a very special girl, Selena. What we call a Seer.” Grams smiled through the sheen of tears in her eyes.
The word pinged in my mind. It sounded familiar, yet not, at the same time. “A Seer,” I repeated.
My grandfather nodded. “Your powers go beyond just having visions of the future. In the wrong hands—”
“We thought if we didn’t train you that your powers wouldn’t get strong enough to attract attention,” Grams interrupted.
“Why do you think we chose one of the remotest towns within one of the widest states?”
“I think what your grandfather is trying to say is we specifically chose this town to protect you. Keep you safe. Your parents died putting up the shield that’s kept us under the radar all these years.”
The knot on my brow tightened. “Then why don’t I feel safe? So much for their protection.”
“Selena! I won’t tolerate your rudeness,” Gramps barked.
That did it. I stood up so fast that my chair crashed to the floor. “Well, I’ve had enough of the secrets and lies.”
I ran out of the kitchen to the front door. I couldn’t take it anymore. After yanking it open, I stumbled out until grass pricked the underside of my feet. The cold night air shocked my system. I panted for no reason other than to try and ease the pain and frustration gripping my insides. Strong arms wrapped around me, sending a sobering electric charge through my body.
“Step away from her, Sloan.”
The command in Kyle’s voice startled me.
“Just let me make sure she’s okay, Hilliard,” he said without any heat.
“If you don’t move, I’ll be forced to make you move.”
“Kyle!” I looked over Dillan’s shoulder at my best friend. He held a long staff in his left hand. “Put that thing away.”
He didn’t move. “Selena, we need to talk.”
“Oh, yeah?” I stepped away from Dillan. “Now you want to talk? After all the lies?”
His gaze faltered. “I had to lie. Unlike some people, I know how to follow orders.”
“Screw you, Hilliard!” He had his sword out in a flash of blue sparks.
“Dillan!” Panic punched my gut. I couldn’t take a brawl right now. “Please, don’t do this.” I positioned myself between him and Kyle, staring up at him until those eyes, sapphires in the night, looked at me. “Please.”
He inhaled, and on the exhale reverted his sword back to a charm.
“Thank you,” I mouthed before facing Kyle. “So, you’re Illumenari too,” I said to him. It sounded more like an accusation.
“Only by birth.” He lowered his staff.
“And your parents?”
“Legacy.”
“Riona and Garret?”
“Mercenaries.”
I didn’t care that Kyle wouldn’t look at me when he answered all my questions. If he was feeling guilty, he should be. I was too pissed at him to care. This cold commanding person was a stranger to me.
“All the years you wanted us to be in the same group?” I forced myself to ask.
“To stay close to you,” he said in a deadpan voice. “My mission was to keep an eye on you. Protect you.”
His vulnerability softened me a little. “What about Mr. Sloan? You knew about him?”
“Yes.”
“And Dillan?”
“Only by reputation.” He looked up then, anger in his storm cloud eyes. “Why don’t you ask him the real reason why he’s here in Newcastle?”
I turned around to face Dillan just as he paled. Fear covered my chest like ivy. “What’s he talking about?”