mask. “My aunt will wonder what happened to me.”
“Are you sure?” I don’t want her to leave, not when she’s so close to remembering everything. “Come over. Just for a little while.”
“No. She’ll kill me if I’m late again. I’ve been in enough trouble after Friday. I can’t risk messing up again.”
Reluctantly, I take her home. The drive feels silent and cold as we wind up the road to her house. The clouds continue to darken around us.
“Call me later,” I say, my voice tense with worry.
She nods and climbs off of my bike.
I grab her hand and pull her to me. “Don’t be afraid of who you are.”
She trembles and looks down. “I’m not that girl. A fighter. Trust me, I know I’m not.”
I slide my hand behind her neck, threading my fingers through her hair. “It doesn’t matter,” I say as I taste her lips in a brief kiss.
“And I know it does.” She kisses me again, her lips trembling.
Part of me wants to grab her and take more than just a kiss—a part of me that’s supposed to be dead. A part I refuse to acknowledge now.
A part that grows stronger every day.
Nessa pulls away and walks to the door. “I’ll call you later,” she says as she walks into the house.
I leave, fighting back the urgings of the monster threatening to consume me.
Chapter 10 – Visions
Zane
It’s been two days since Caim’s orders; two days and nothing. Not one word. I knew I couldn’t trust him.
I leave my chamber, unable to stand the confines of the room any longer. The sun streams through the buildings of the city, casting shimmers of light across the streets. I walk past the towers and toward the practice fields. A cool breeze ruffles my wings as I walk. My mind races, unfocused.
I stop at the edge of the city. I can’t sense Caimael anywhere. Closing my eyes, I draw a stilted breath. I still miss the vanilla that used to linger in the air whenever Nesy was home. Miss the flutter that scent used to cause.
Now all I feel is anguish.
“Looking for me, Zanethios?” Caim’s voice filters through my thoughts.
I open my eyes. Caim leans on a tree just outside the gates, a sardonic grin plastered on his face.
“Why haven’t you checked in?” I have no time for his games this morning. I need to know about Nesy.
“What makes you think I’ve started that assignment yet?”
My back stiffens and my wings tuck behind me.
Caim laughs, his voice without joy. “Don’t worry, I’m leaving this morning. You really should trust me; I know what I’m doing. Sariel trained me himself.”
“Did you know what you were doing with Lorelei?” I square my shoulders, my jaw set.
“I owe you no explanations about the Seer.”
“Oh, I think you do, actually.”
“Alright then, out with it. What’s your problem with me?”
Anxiety tightens every cell. There are so many things I want to yell, so many accusations I could make. Anger wells up from the depths of my soul.
I release a deep breath. And another, desperate to refocus my thoughts before my emotions get away from me.
“What? Nothing to say now?”
I surround myself with silence as I force myself to focus. “Just guard Nesy,” I finally say.
“My mission is to investigate Vanessa and determine who, what, she is. Nothing more.”
An awkward pause grows in the space between us. My emotions swirl back into a tempest. Too many words weave through me.
Traitor.
Can’t trust you.
Won’t leave this, her, to you.
I choke on the foreign feelings too strong to deny and push the words past my mouth. “I’m going with you.”
“The heck you are!” Caim rises to his full height and steps to within inches of me. “I won’t endanger the lives I’m charged to protect because I’m stuck babysitting you.”
His words steal the air from my lungs.
“Oh,” Caim says. “You didn’t realize I knew about your injury , did you?”
I have nothing to say.
“Cass filled me in, since we are a team and all. You remember
“Are you sure?” I don’t want her to leave, not when she’s so close to remembering everything. “Come over. Just for a little while.”
“No. She’ll kill me if I’m late again. I’ve been in enough trouble after Friday. I can’t risk messing up again.”
Reluctantly, I take her home. The drive feels silent and cold as we wind up the road to her house. The clouds continue to darken around us.
“Call me later,” I say, my voice tense with worry.
She nods and climbs off of my bike.
I grab her hand and pull her to me. “Don’t be afraid of who you are.”
She trembles and looks down. “I’m not that girl. A fighter. Trust me, I know I’m not.”
I slide my hand behind her neck, threading my fingers through her hair. “It doesn’t matter,” I say as I taste her lips in a brief kiss.
“And I know it does.” She kisses me again, her lips trembling.
Part of me wants to grab her and take more than just a kiss—a part of me that’s supposed to be dead. A part I refuse to acknowledge now.
A part that grows stronger every day.
Nessa pulls away and walks to the door. “I’ll call you later,” she says as she walks into the house.
I leave, fighting back the urgings of the monster threatening to consume me.
Chapter 10 – Visions
Zane
It’s been two days since Caim’s orders; two days and nothing. Not one word. I knew I couldn’t trust him.
I leave my chamber, unable to stand the confines of the room any longer. The sun streams through the buildings of the city, casting shimmers of light across the streets. I walk past the towers and toward the practice fields. A cool breeze ruffles my wings as I walk. My mind races, unfocused.
I stop at the edge of the city. I can’t sense Caimael anywhere. Closing my eyes, I draw a stilted breath. I still miss the vanilla that used to linger in the air whenever Nesy was home. Miss the flutter that scent used to cause.
Now all I feel is anguish.
“Looking for me, Zanethios?” Caim’s voice filters through my thoughts.
I open my eyes. Caim leans on a tree just outside the gates, a sardonic grin plastered on his face.
“Why haven’t you checked in?” I have no time for his games this morning. I need to know about Nesy.
“What makes you think I’ve started that assignment yet?”
My back stiffens and my wings tuck behind me.
Caim laughs, his voice without joy. “Don’t worry, I’m leaving this morning. You really should trust me; I know what I’m doing. Sariel trained me himself.”
“Did you know what you were doing with Lorelei?” I square my shoulders, my jaw set.
“I owe you no explanations about the Seer.”
“Oh, I think you do, actually.”
“Alright then, out with it. What’s your problem with me?”
Anxiety tightens every cell. There are so many things I want to yell, so many accusations I could make. Anger wells up from the depths of my soul.
I release a deep breath. And another, desperate to refocus my thoughts before my emotions get away from me.
“What? Nothing to say now?”
I surround myself with silence as I force myself to focus. “Just guard Nesy,” I finally say.
“My mission is to investigate Vanessa and determine who, what, she is. Nothing more.”
An awkward pause grows in the space between us. My emotions swirl back into a tempest. Too many words weave through me.
Traitor.
Can’t trust you.
Won’t leave this, her, to you.
I choke on the foreign feelings too strong to deny and push the words past my mouth. “I’m going with you.”
“The heck you are!” Caim rises to his full height and steps to within inches of me. “I won’t endanger the lives I’m charged to protect because I’m stuck babysitting you.”
His words steal the air from my lungs.
“Oh,” Caim says. “You didn’t realize I knew about your injury , did you?”
I have nothing to say.
“Cass filled me in, since we are a team and all. You remember
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