“Well, you should be,” she says, taking my hands. “We need you to be on alert. Sakesh wasn’t just poking around—he was watching you.”
“What?” I choke out, my voice very soft.
“Gretchen is in deep meditation right now,” Kyra says. “And she is passing information directly to me. Sakesh left the mountains to follow you, specifically.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, a plaintive note in my voice. “And if you are, do I really have to stay here? Please say I can come back with you.”
“No, Grace, I’m sorry,” Kyra says firmly. “You have to stay here.”
“So, you’re using me as bait?”
“No,” Kyra says. “That would mean there’s a trap. We don’t have that kind of plan—at least, not yet.”
“But what could this possibly have to do with Dan?” I ask desperately. “Even if I have to stay here, why do I have to be with him?”
Kyra stares at me for a moment, biting her lip as thoughts race through her mind.
“Wait,” I murmur. “You know, don’t you? You know what this has to do with Dan!”
“I know something,” she admits. “And I don’t think it will do you any good to hear it right now.”
“What do you mean?” I almost shriek. “This is my life you’re messing with!”
“I know that,” Kyra says, hugging me. “And I’m sorry, but things just need to unfold. Go home and stay on alert. Sakesh is around, and we need you to keep an eye on him, but we want you to stay safe, too.”
“And stay with Dan,” I reply sadly. “Right?”
“Right,” Kyra says gently. “I’m so sorry, Grace, but all of this is exactly what is supposed to happen.”
I shake my head, stepping away from her. “I can’t hear any more of this,” I whisper, the pounding of my heart strangling my words. “I’ll keep watch and be careful. But I don’t understand this, Kyra, and I hate it.”
“I know,” she says as I walk away. “But you’re strong, Grace. Stronger than you know.”
I turn my back on her, hurrying through the woods with quick strides. My breath starts to heave in and out of my lungs, and I know it’s not just from exertion; it’s loss as well.
I’m mourning a future that was never even mine,I realize bitterly.I thought I’d go to the coven eventually and live out my days there. It kept me going when I had nothing else. Now I know it was never my destiny… and this hurts more than anything else.
By the time I get home, I’ve managed to calm down a little, but the weight of my situation rests heavily on my heart. As I walk across the back garden, I mentally prepare myself to see Dan, not even knowing what I’ll say to him.
I’m almost at the back door when I look up and see him standing in front of it, his arms crossed across his chest and his eyes fixed on me. His glare shocks me so much that I actually skitter backwards a little.
“Dan,” I say, my voice a little squeak.
“Grace,” he growls, and I can hear the heat in his voice.
I’ve never seen him so angry before… and it looks like he’s angry with me!
I stand in front of him, trying to swallow the lump in my throat while I think desperately about what to say to him.
How can I pretend to be innocent when I really am hiding things from him—and even I don’t know all the details.
Chapter 11 - Dan
At first, I’m just relieved to have Grace out of the way for a while. The slow burn of tension in the air has been slowly fraying my nerves, winding me up and twisting my thoughts.
I take my time doing the dishes, enjoying the silence and the room to breathe.
I went into this as optimistically as possible. I didn’t expect us to fall in love, but I hoped we could make a good partnership at least.
