Текст книги "Something Witchy This Way Comes "

Автор книги: Veronica Blade

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

Chapter Twenty-two

Hayden

Maybe I’d been going about it all wrong. I assumed that like with any other girl, once I got a taste, it would be enough. But each time I kissed Tessa, I wanted her more. I only had peace when we studied in the library and all my focus went into whatever she was teaching me.

When did I become so anxious to be smarter?

Damn Tessa. I’d been fine before her. I had plenty of girls, more friends than I needed and endless parties where I could lose myself. Life had been perfect.

No, it hadn’t been. I’d been coasting through each day, getting away with whatever I could and had stood by while others got hurt. Not a very nice person. No wonder Tessa kept shrinking from me. Amazing she didn’t bolt.

I didn’t care for Ms. Phillips or Mr. Linton, but they had been right about one thing. It was up to me to create my future. Tessa was right too. My life wasn’t anyone’s responsibility except mine. And if Tessa didn’t want to be with me, it was my own fault. These truths were almost too much to swallow, but I forced them down.

From now on, I’d leave Tessa alone. Well, not totally alone. We still needed to work together. But I’d do my best not to put her in a position that forced her to kiss me or reject me. She deserved better.

Someone like Chait.

My gut knotted, thinking about them together. But as ill as the thought made me, I knew he was the better man. If they ever got together, I’d get through it. If I could overcome the years of beatings, I could get through anything life threw at me. Eventually.

After dinner at Tessa’s house and she bathed Bree, we packed up Bree’s favorite blanket and a bag of other stuff then headed to my place. While Bree watched a cartoon, Tessa helped me practice reading mental pictures.

“Uhm…” Tessa fiddled with a sports magazine on my coffee table. “You’re learning quickly. You might want to do yourself a favor and avoid your step-dad.”

I groaned. If I had to see what went on inside his twisted mind, I might have to kill him.

“Or you need to get very good at blocking.” She sighed. “It’s not easy. I mean, it’s easy to block other sorcerers from seeing into your head, but it’s harder to stop the normal people’s visuals from coming in.”

But if I got the right information from Sam that way, could I use it to make him behave? “Hey, what happened with Brad?”

She laughed, the lilt in her voice musical. “I said something to make him think of the thing he found most humiliating. When I saw the image, I dropped some of the details and told him that if he ever picked on anyone again, he could depend on everything going public.”

“Clever.” I grinned.

Chait arrived and I opened the door, glancing at Tessa.

She smiled. “Hey, Chait.”

“Hi.” Chait grinned back.

Yep, I didn’t like the way he looked at her. Not at all.

Chait froze and stared at me.

He knew.

Tessa was right. Once you worked your magic, you opened up and everyone sensed it.

“This is a surprise.” He turned to Tessa, brows drawn together. “Is that why you asked me over?”

“Yeah. We’d like to keep it quiet as long as possible.” Tessa flipped her hair as she glanced at Bree and returned her attention to Chait. “We’re hoping you’ll help us.”

“Both of you? Or just you.” He grinned at Tessa again.

“Both,” she replied.

“What do you need from me?” he asked.

“Sorcerers have certain physical abilities. We want you to coach us. That and share anything else we need to know.” She nodded toward the dining room. “Would you like to sit?”

Chait nodded, then made himself comfortable at the dining room table.

Nope, still didn’t like him. But we needed him and I should be a good host. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Whatever soda you have. Wait. Got any beer?”

 “As a matter of fact…” I chuckled and plucked a bottle out of the fridge, popped the cap and passed it to Chait.

He took a swig and set it down. “Nothing like underage drinking. So what’s the plan?”

Tessa sat across from him. “Can we practice with you in our free time?”

“Sure.”

“So you’ll help us and not tell anyone?” she asked.

“Yeah, but it won’t be long before everyone knows.” He chugged about a quarter of the bottle. “Are we starting tonight?”

“We’d like to.” She gave a sheepish smile. “Can you hang around until I get Bree to bed? It’ll be quick.”

Popping the lid on my own beer, I took the chair between Tessa and Chait. I should have offered to read Bree a bedtime story rather than stay with Chait. But if I wasn’t alone with him, Tessa would be. I opted for silence and hanging out with my nemesis.

“You guys are different tonight,” Chait commented once Tessa had gone into the guest bedroom with Bree.

“Different how?”

“She seems calmer, happier. And you’re less douche-baggy.” He casually took another sip of the beer.

“I could change that,” I said.

“Oh, I know you could.” Chait suppressed a smile.

“Maybe she’s happier, because she got all that sexual tension released.” I didn’t hold back my smile.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” He studied my face. “But you two aren’t together.”

“No.” I could have lied but it would be too easy to get caught.

“You still want her though.” It wasn’t a question.

If I said I didn’t want Tessa, I’d be giving up my claim and clearing a path for him. If I admitted it, I looked like a loser who couldn’t get the girl.

Game over.

I needed a distraction, so I took another swig of my beer. “How much do you trust Rena?”

“Lately, not so much. She used to be extremely reliable. Got the job done. Rena doesn’t look like it but she’s a fierce warrior. We usually pair up to train the newbies, so they’re not completely defenseless. If you join us, your fighting skills would come in handy for that.” Chait easily switched from competitor to instructor in a blink of an eye, as if we’d never been at odds. It made me wonder if he had any real animosity at all. Maybe he liked toying with me. Maybe if I didn’t always start it…

Who was I kidding? If I had a chance to get in a barb, I’d take it.

“Besides handling newbies, what do you guys do? You couldn’t be sitting around waiting all day while Tessa’s at school. Where do you get your money to live on?”

“Been saving up the questions, huh?” He chuckled, lifted the bottle to his lips again and swallowed. “The less ethical ones run cons. It’s easy to do since we know what’s going on in people’s heads. Makes playing poker more profitable. Our group doesn’t scam people. Some of us work jobs or run companies in the normal world. Some are old enough to have invested wisely and live off the interest. The organization as a whole owns various corporations. People like me who have specific jobs get paid. I’m a trainer.”

My trust fund would last a while and one day I’d get a sizable inheritance. But if I lived as long as other sorcerers, I’d eventually need more. I’d have to learn to invest wisely. “Where do you live?”

“We move around a lot. A few weeks or months in one place isn’t long enough to buy a house and settle in. Living separately, it’s difficult to keep tabs on everyone and stay safe. So we rent a bigger house, set up security and it’s less stressful. Everyone watches each other’s backs. We usually get along pretty good. If someone’s getting on our nerves, we move into a room further away so we don’t run into them as often.”

“Tessa told me you guys had a Blocker. Who is it?”

“Rena.”

“Look at you two playing nice," Tessa said, taking a seat between Chait and me.

“We weren’t. He won. Game over.” I grinned.

“He won? What did he win?”

“Chait got in the last dig. I moved on.”

One side of her mouth curled up. “How grown up of you, Hayden. I’m impressed.”

“Me too.” Chait chuckled and stood. “If you guys want to dazzle everyone with your powers, you don’t have much time. Hayden, if you go to Tessa’s work and one of us shows up, the secret’s out, just like that.”

“My next shift is Thursday, so we only have tonight and tomorrow.”

“Let’s get on with it then,” Chait said. “The first thing you need to know is what we’re capable of. Tessa, have you practiced moving things?”

“No, only jumping mental hurdles so far.”

“Okay, let’s start with something small and easy.” He placed his empty beer bottle in the center of the table. “Whatever you want the bottle to do, see it in your head.” The bottle slowly rose, then stopped about six inches into the air then floated to the table. “Hayden, try it.”

I focused on it, willing it to move, but it stayed put.

“It’s not hard. It’s all in here.” He pointed to his temple. “Look at the bottle. In your head, visualize it floating in the air. The important part is knowing that as soon as you make the decision, it’s done. Try it again.”

Tessa laughed when the bottle ascended for me exactly the way it had for Chait.

I made sure the bottle didn’t fall and break, seeing it in my mind floating back to the table. “You try it,” I told her.

She nodded and the bottle immediately made its way toward the ceiling.

“Why was it so much easier for her?” I asked Chait.

“More experience, I guess. She hasn’t necessarily moved objects, but she’s been getting used to being a sorcerer for over a week. You’ve only had, what, a few hours?”

Chait had missed a perfectly good opportunity to put me down. If he kept it up, I’d have no reason to beat his ass. That would be disappointing.

“Okay, next.” He scanned the room. “The fireplace. You’re going to move the fibers in that log so fast, a fire starts.”

“Seriously?” I asked.

“Yes. But if you’re afraid, Tessa can go first.”

I groaned at his childish comment.

“I’ll give it a try,” Tessa said, moving to the fireplace. She focused on a log and seconds passed. Nothing.

“It’s the same principle as with anything else. See the fire.” Still nothing happened. Chait moved behind Tessa. “Try it again.”

Sparks flew and a tiny wisp of flame appeared on the log. “Beautiful,” Chait said. “Your turn, Hayden.”

I stood next to Tessa and fixed a stare at a different log in the fireplace. In my head, I could see a giant flame raging. But in reality, the log remained free of flames. “Hold on. I’ll try again.” I concentrated on one end, seeing the molecules moving in my mind, then the sparks and flame. Seconds later, it materialized before my eyes. “That’s how it’s done.”

Chait laughed and slapped me on the back.

For the next hour, we moved small furniture, boiled water, cooled water, removed lids and finally put out the original fire we’d started.

Tessa collapsed onto the couch. I wanted to join her there. Every organ and limb in my body screamed for sleep.

“At first, it wears you out, because it takes so much out of you,” Chait said. “After a while, it’s second nature – almost too easy. Tonight, you guys are going to sleep great. In fact, as much as it pains me to say this, I’d suggest you don’t drive and both of you sleep here.”

I was so wiped, I couldn’t imagine going anywhere. But it stunned me into silence that Chait would orchestrate us sleeping in the same house together. Of course, he probably already knew I’d been sleeping over at Tessa’s.

“Actually, Tessa, I can drive you home,” he offered.

Bastard.

“To be honest, I’m too tired to deal with carrying Bree inside and getting her back to sleep. I just want to fall into bed.” She turned to me. “Is that okay with you, Hayden, if I stay here? I’ll sleep with Bree. But we have to allow time in the morning to go home and get ready.”

Great. She’d basically announced to Chait that she wouldn’t be in my bed with me. Whatever. He already knew we weren’t together. At least we’d still be under the same roof. “Sure.”

“I’ll be seeing you guys tomorrow then.” Chait made his way to the front door.

“Hey, Chait. Thanks so much for doing this.” Tessa opened the door to let him through.

“No problem. Same thing tomorrow?”

She smiled. “I’ll text you when my IQ returns to normal and I can think clearly again.”

“Goodnight,” he told her, then nodded at me.

I nodded back. Tessa closed the door and headed toward the hallway. “I’m going to bed. Will you set the alarm?”

“Sure.”

She stopped and looked over her shoulder. “Goodnight, Hayden.” I’d swear there was something more in her eyes, like she wanted to stay in my room with me. Sadly, I was too catatonic to pursue it.

* * * *

By the end of Wednesday, Tessa and I had practiced until we could easily do everything Chait asked. I would’ve been more impressed though if Chait had asked for something more complex – like levitating my own body. But at least we managed the easy stuff. And we weren’t as exhausted when he left.

I wanted to keep an eye on Tessa at all times, but I needed to delay being discovered as long as possible. Luckily, David or Rena didn’t return to Delia’s. So each night, I hung out while Tessa worked, then followed her home after her shift and parked my car around the corner. She’d sleep with Bree and I’d hide in her room until the next morning when we’d confirm her parents weren’t around.

I would’ve preferred Tessa stay in her room with me, but I let her have her space. It went against my impulses and I hated it. But pressing her to be with me would alienate her and I’d have to sleep at my own house. Without her. I’d be even more miserable. Worse, I’d worry about her.

Even if she lay next to me, it’s not like she would’ve let me do anything. And that would drive me nuts. As if her scent all over the bedding didn’t already drive me half mad.

I intended to see what she was doing Friday night when she informed me she had to work. I began to hate Delia’s, because I had to share her with all her customers.

Yep, I needed to go to that party Saturday night to lose myself with some willing girls. Would Tessa be okay while I was gone? Maybe I’d leave for only a couple hours, just to prove I could be away from her.

I knew there’d come a time when we’d be in danger, but that time wasn’t now. She was still a newbie and no one expected her to make any decisions. Yet.

Friday night at Delia’s was uneventful. Chait showed up but he was alone and didn’t stay long. We went to her house after her shift then said good night and slept in our usual spots.

“We have to find a way to run every day,” I said as we stretched against the chain link fence early Saturday morning.

“You could but I don’t think I can. Hard to do when you’re raising a child. They have needs, like eating and getting to school.” Tessa snorted. I usually hated it when girls did that. So unfeminine. But with Tessa, it was cute and endearing.

“Where is Bree now?” I asked.

“My mom’s watching her. Correction. My mom was in her room with the door closed while Bree sat alone in front of the TV.”

I wasn’t touching that. But I figured it was less about watching TV and more about the mom shutting out her child. “What time does Bree usually get up? Around seven, right?”

“Usually earlier, why?”

“We could do our run every morning before she wakes up, while your parents are still there. We’d have to get up pretty early but it’d be worth it.”

Tessa stopped stretching to stare. “I hate you. I really, really hate you.”

I laughed.

“Thank God that won’t work. These days, my parents are never home, not even early morning.”

At least we could run on the weekends. “That’s enough warm up. C’mon. Let’s run.”

Chapter Twenty-three

Tessa

“Could we do a drive-by and check on Bree before we train?” I asked Hayden. We’d planned to go straight to his place after our run. I hoped he wouldn’t be irritated at the detour.

“You think something’s wrong?” Hayden asked. “You seem more worried about her lately.”

“I always thought that deep down, my mom loved us. Now that I know better, it feels wrong to leave Bree with her so much. Not that I think she’s in danger or anything but…”

“You don’t want her around the black hole of emptiness. It’s not really out of our way and it’s not like we’re in a hurry.” He signaled to turn and doubled back. “She can come with us. I bet she’d have a blast watching us spar. Maybe I could teach her a couple defense moves.”

“Really?”

“Sure, why not? She’s a good kid. If she gets in our way or needs some attention, you’d probably appreciate the break from me whipping your ass anyway.” He snickered.

I wondered how it could feel so right with Hayden and yet be so wrong. It was a constant struggle, every hour, every minute to keep my feelings in check.

Not that I was winning that battle.

I hoped he suffered as much as I did. But as smoothly as he’d handled things all week, I figured he’d gotten past the stage of wanting to sleep with me. He probably realized that he could never provide for my needs or Bree’s and decided not to hit on me anymore. We’d settled into a routine and got along well. That was it. I knew he liked me and, if I threw myself at him, Hayden being Hayden, he probably wouldn’t refuse.

I told myself it was good that he wasn’t coming on to me anymore.

“Here we are.” Hayden exited the car with me tagging behind.

Mom was in the kitchen cooking, but I didn’t see Bree. A television blared from somewhere, but since the one in the living room was off, the noise probably came from the one in Bree’s room.

“Hi, sweetie,” Mom called out. She had been more absent than ever these past few days. In fact, I hadn’t seen her since our confrontation over Zoe. She’d been staying out later, if she came home at all, and slept in until after I’d gone to school. By the way she greeted me, our fight the other day had been swept under the rug. Back to business as usual.

“Hi.” I set my purse on the counter.

“Oh, hi, Hayden.” She returned to stirring something in a pot that smelled like beef stew. No gushing over him this time. She probably realized that trying to impress someone who’d witnessed our earlier conversation would be impossible. Good. “I wasn’t sure what you were doing tonight and the babysitter has plans, so I arranged a sleepover for Bree at Jackie’s house.”

“Okay, thanks.” Why was I thanking her for being responsible for her own child? “I was going to take her to Hayden’s house with me now. What time is the sleepover?”

“Five. Can you drop her off?”

“Sure.”

“We could bring her pajamas and stuff with us now,” Hayden said. “Hang out at my place for a bit, then maybe go to the park or go swimming. Later on, we’ll drop her off at Jackie’s straight from my house.”

Wow. I wanted to kiss him. “That sounds perfect. I’ll get our stuff.” I turned to go then stopped abruptly. “Uhm, Mom? I haven’t seen Dad in over a week. Does he still live here?”

My mom laughed, a nervous high-pitched noise. “Of course. Why would you ask that?” She hadn’t even glanced over her shoulder to make eye contact with me or Hayden.

I didn’t bother answering. Motioning for Hayden to come, I went to Bree’s room. Something told me he’d rather follow me than be alone with my mother.

Bree squeaked in delight when she saw Hayden. Apparently, whatever made him irresistible to women didn’t discriminate against age. She eagerly gathered her things and we left.

At Hayden’s mansion, he led us down the endless corridor to the gym. He swung the door open and switched on the light. My mouth fell open. The humungous room could fit my entire house inside it. Mirrors covered the majority of the wall space. In the far corner were weights and near that, a punching bag. Along the next wall were hung dumbbells, ropes, nunchucks and some long bands – I couldn’t fathom their use. In another corner sat exercise machines in pairs, from treadmills to ellipticals. In the center were yards and yards of space to spar, with a large, thick mat right in the middle.

“Why did you bother taking me to the karate studio when you have all this?” I asked. “We could’ve avoided the whole kidnapping fiasco.”

“I think they would’ve gotten you eventually. And anyway, I figured you’d be uncomfortable here in my house since you didn’t seem to like me much.”

Bree didn’t need us to entertain her. She didn’t need us at all. From the moment we stepped foot in the gym, she’d dashed off to explore, but not before I rattled off a warning to be careful.

Hayden and I got in a good amount of practice before Bree decided she wanted in. He taught her a blocking move he’d taught me, then we wrapped it up and strolled to the pool. Hayden found some floaties for Bree. Since I didn’t have a bathing suit, I stayed out and watched.

* * * *

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to Skyler’s party?” Hayden asked outside the bathroom while Bree changed into her clothes.

Now I kind of wanted to go, especially since I only had a few more minutes with him.

“Positive. And thanks, by the way,” I said in a tone that meant I didn’t really mean it, “for telling Nadia and Corinne about it. They’ve been bugging me to go with them. They’re relentless.”

“Maybe you should listen to them,” Hayden said as the bathroom door opened.

“Are you coming with us?” Bree asked Hayden.

“No, midget. You’re doing a sleepover at Jackie’s. Maybe next time.” He patted the top of her head.

“Let’s go,” I urged Bree. It had been so long since I’d driven my own car, I’d almost forgotten it existed – and that it was parked at Hayden’s.

He followed down the driveway. “Hey. You should go tonight. You might have fun.”

I smiled. God, I was going to miss Hayden. I’d spent practically every minute with him for days. He’d become a habit. I hoped after a night away, I’d miraculously see there wasn’t anything compelling about him after all.

“No. I’m not going. But we can run in the morning. Eight-thirty?” I got behind the wheel. I had no plans to go anywhere, though it was Saturday night. I had a book I wanted to get back into. Maybe I’d read it in another tub full of bubbles. A much better choice than subjecting myself to the temptation of Hayden.

“See ya.” He closed my door and backed up toward his house.

* * * *

My key slid into the lock of my front door. Someone was inside and it wasn’t my mom or dad. Not David, not Chait or Rena and it wasn’t Phillips or Linton. Someone else. Someone familiar and yet not familiar.

A sorcerer. The energy was unmistakable – a pulsing, vibrating swell of power that permeated my being. I stopped to text Hayden, then changed my mind and put my phone away. Whoever it was knew I’d sense them. They didn’t bother with a Blocker or anything fancy. They weren’t trying to hide.

I opened the door, but stayed on the porch in case my instinct turned out to be off. Something tickled my nose. Orange blossoms? Reminded me of… my grandmother.

Just then, images rushed me. The time Grandma took me shopping for my birthday. Instead of asking her to buy me the same gadgets my friends talked about and coveted, I insisted on getting every color of pen I could find, along with tons of paper so nothing would ever come between me and writing the stories in my head.

Grandma was supposed to be dead. Who else could project the images? I’d practiced reading pictures with Frank and Lila so I knew the difference between a first-hand memory and one a sorcerer had seen from someone else. The shopping memory arrived to me crystal clear, not faded or distorted like a copy. It had to be Grandma’s way of letting me know it was her.

 What if it was a trick? I cautiously made my way over the threshold and to my room. The wood floors creaked under my feet with each step. “Who’s there?”

My bedroom door seemed to open a few inches on its own. “Tessa, come in.”

No, it couldn’t be. I held my breath and opened the door the rest of the way. A woman stood in the shadows and ran a shaky hand through her short blond hair. She was exactly how I remembered. Except younger. My eyes blurred. “Grandma.”

I launched myself at her, my purse falling to the floor with a thump.

“Oh, Tessa.” She wrapped her arms around me and stroked my hair. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I thought you were dead. Does this mean Zoe’s alive too?”

“No sweetheart. You know she can’t be. You saw her. Remember? She can’t come back.”

“But you came back.” I nuzzled into her neck.

“Only because I never really died in the first place.”

I hugged her tighter. Grandma was supposed to be dead. If she was hiding in my room with the curtains drawn, she wanted everyone to keep thinking that. How long could she stay without risking too much? However long, it wouldn’t be enough.

I relaxed my hold and withdrew to look into her eyes. “What’s going on? Are you on the run?”

She gave me a sad smile. “Yes. I only have a few minutes.”

Grandma probably wouldn’t be able to return to me any time soon either. I’d need to memorize everything about her. “You look younger than Mom. Hard to believe Mom and Dad never noticed. Or me, for that matter.”

“Of course they did. But you were much younger and had other concerns. I told them I had a very talented plastic surgeon.”

“I don’t care how good he is.” I shook my head doubtfully. “No way can he make a sixty-something woman look this good. No way.”

“There are ways to make yourself look older. I worked in a movie studio for a while and learned how to do makeup.”

Ah, that explained it. “So we age at a different rate than normal people. Which means I’m going to look like I’m seventeen for, like, another twenty or thirty years?”

 “No, dear. You’ll reach maturity like anyone else. Then everything slows down.” She chuckled softly. “Sometimes, I don’t know whether it’s good or bad. If I date a non-sorcerer, I look ridiculous dating someone my own age. I’m forced to date younger men.”

“Grandma!” I giggled. I needed to get as much info from her as I could before she had to leave, but it felt good to be able to joke with her again.

“I’m teasing.” She laughed and hugged me again, tighter. “I’ve missed these moments. You have no idea how much.”

“Well, if you weren’t so busy being a cougar.” I snorted.

“I wish.” Grandma sighed heavily. “But I don’t stay in one place long enough to date.”

“Why did you fake your death?” I asked when she’d loosened her grasp and I could breathe again. “And why are you hiding?”

“I can’t even begin to cover everything. But I’ll try.” She sat on the bed, taking me with her and slinging an arm around my shoulder. “I’d made my choice. I was naïve and believed anything they told me. As the years passed, I rose in the ranks. The more I discovered about our leader and his operation, the more I realized I had to disappear. With my knowledge of their organization, the only way out was in a body bag.”

“Which side did you choose? Fawn texted me earlier to set up a time to meet Boris’s people at Headquarters, but I haven’t answered. I need to answer her soon.”

She rose and wandered about my room. “You know about the rival groups, Jane’s people and Boris’s?”

“Hayden filled me in a bit,” I said.

“Is he your boyfriend?”

I snorted. “Very definitely not.”

She glanced at me over her shoulder, a smile playing at her lips. “But you want him to be.”

My gaze fell to the floor. “He’s not boyfriend material. But I don’t want to talk about him. I need to know which side you chose.” And if trusting Chait was a huge mistake.

“Boris.”

My instinct had steered me well. “I had a feeling choosing them would be wrong.”

“That depends on how you look at it.” Grandma turned and leaned against the dresser in front of me. “Boris is extremely powerful and skilled at manipulation, which makes him dangerous. But Jane’s side has some undesirables too – usually spying for Boris. Even if they aren’t on Boris’s side, sometimes people have their own agenda. If Jane were the greatest leader in history, she’s still only as good as those backing her up.”

“You make both sides seem scary. If you had it to do all over again, who would you choose?”

“I’d hold off as long as I could. I don’t know… maybe I’d run. But I wouldn’t choose Boris.” Grandma roamed the room.

“So you’re working with Jane now?” I asked.

She stopped to lift a framed photo of her and me in happier times. “Yes. But as much as I’d love to say that you can rely on all her followers, I can’t.”

“Which means I can’t trust either side.” My shoulders slumped.

“While Boris is in control of that faction, none of us are safe. Take your meeting with his people but do it in a public place, somewhere you feel comfortable.” She slowly returned the photo to its spot, her gaze fixed to it as is if reluctant to let the memory go.

“I will.” I nodded. “What happened to Zoe?”

Grandma pursed her lips a moment then returned to my side and sat. “Since I wasn’t there, I can only tell you what I heard.”

“She didn’t choose Boris’s side.” I held my breath and paused a beat before my next words. “You think… you think he killed her?”

“We’re not so easy to take out, but not impossible. Because of the perpetual war between factions, we generally don’t go out alone, opting to stay in groups of three or four. Zoe—”

“Chait was over at Hayden’s the other night, by himself.”

“I guarantee he wasn’t alone. Just because you didn’t see anyone…”

What Grandma said made sense. Very likely, Chait hadn’t told us everything. The thought filled me with angst. Should I continue to trust him? “Go on. Tell me what else you know about Zoe.”

“She still lived with your parents, which left her unprotected. Ideally, you don’t choose until you’re over eighteen when you can leave your parents. You go straight to your people where there’s safety in numbers. Zoe knew that and kept her loyalties to herself. But they watched and figured it out.” Grandma searched my face, resting a hand on my cheek. “You have to do better than Zoe did. You can’t show any favoritism. Make both sides think they’re ahead of the game. You only have a month before you turn eighteen. They’ll wait, so long as they believe you might choose them.”

I laid my hand over hers. “I’ll be careful.”

“Good.” She smiled and dropped her hand, but kept mine in it.

“If we’re hard to kill, how could they take out Zoe, especially without her sensing them? I suppose someone could setup on the rooftop with a sniper rifle, right?”

“A bullet wouldn’t kill us.”

“Really?”

“Multiple shots might do it but one or two? No. We don’t heal instantly but we heal quickly, which is why we live so long. Our bodies are continually regenerating.”

My phone beeped, alerting me that a text came in and my eyes shot to my purse still on the floor by the door. I would check that later, after Grandma left. I returned my attention to her. “You could go to the roof with a machine gun.”