How did you cope with being kidnapped? Was it brutal?
“Uh… yeah,” I say, wondering how direct I can be with her. “How did you come to be here? I know you told us a bit about your life before, but I’m not sure I understand how you actually moved here.”
Especially now that you’ve told me it was literally a kidnapping.
“Rhys wrapped me in Dead Silk and threw me into the car,” Sadie giggles. “I know, it’s not funny, but I understand now that it was my destiny.”
“How can you be so sure?” I ask, envying her confidence.
“Because I can do this,” Sadie says, reaching out her hand. She makes a little gesture with her fingers, and a teaspoon lifts off the table and starts to spin.
“Holy fucking wow,” I gasp, utterly floored. “I didn’t know you could do that!”
“Well, that’s kind of the point,” Sadie says, catching the spoon in her hand. “I can’t tell anyone outside the pack.”
“Will I be able to do that?”
“I don’t know,” Sadie shrugs. “So far as I can tell, you’re human, and nothing more. You might have other powers I can’t guess at, but time will tell.”
“How much time?” I ask in a small voice.
Sadie reaches out and gives my hand a squeeze. “I don’t know. I promise you, you are safe. I know you might not feel that way, but you are. I’ll be with you every step of the way. I won’t leave you alone with this.”
My desire to be free of this insane situation rises inside me like a prickly snake running up my spine. I have the sudden urge to bolt from the room, but something else Sadie said this morning snags in my mind and won’t let go.
“When you said people were sick… what exactly did you mean by that?”
“It’s very serious,” Sadie replies. “People are dying. Silver Valley pack is alright now, but the effects didn’t flow through to the other packs. Owen really does have sick people to care for, and some of them are just kids.”
“Kids?” I repeat.
Sadie nods. “It’s awful, what the curse does.”
“Curse?”
“Yes,” Sadie says, very seriously. “It is a curse, and I can feel it in my blood. There must be a reason why you’re connected, Trina.”
I shake my head, wanting to reject her words, but I can feel something deep inside me resonating with the idea.
That scares me more than anything else right now.
“I know it’s hard,” Sadie says, squeezing my hand again. “But I don’t think Owen had much choice about what he did.”
“Excuse me?” I choke out, my voice harsh. “What did you just say?”
“I’m sorry, Trina, but there are other forces at work here, and a greater good to consider—”
“No way,” I say firmly. “Owen was wrong to do what he did, and I’m not convinced, even slightly, that I’m the answer to his problems.”
“Okay,” Sadie says, nodding. “You have every right to feel that way—”
“To feel what way?” Lacey’s voice cuts through Sadie’s, and she bounces over to the table.
“Nothing,” I answer, brushing it off. “What are you so excited about?”
“Fern said we should take off early—it’s nearly lunchtime now, anyway—so did you want to come out to the park?”
“Sure,” I say, getting up to rinse my cup. “Let’s go for a walk.”
