I’m disturbed by the sensation of being drawn to it, while my sisters clearly said it repels them.
But then… I was also drawn to the White Wand, even though it was incredibly dangerous. Drawn, it seemed, by fate.
I shake myself, forcing my feet to carry me back another step. And then another.
I’m certain that, just like the wand, this object can only bring destruction. My sisters aren’t wrong about that.
And, just as I’m certain of the intensity of this object’s dark power, my Fury nature also gives me the ability to sense another aspect of this object:Yearning.
It’s seeking its true owner. It’s waiting for them, whoever they might be…
You’re right, I say to my sisters within my mind, my outstretched hand retracting as I take control once more.Whatever it is, it isn’t meant for me.
With that, I check my surroundings and stay within the cover of the trees as I rise into the air, my mind turning to the danger of the bones and the serpent shifter I need to hunt.
By the time I reach the cabin in the woods of Mount Greylock, my sisters have gathered on the front porch.
I’m surprised to see that they’re dressed for battle, wearing the assassin’s suits that Hunter brought for them. It speaks to the level of their alarm and fear for me.
I’m even more surprised when Sable launches herself down the stairs from the porch to hug me the moment my feet touch the ground.
Her face is pale with fright, and her black hair is disheveled. Gilder and Rose are close behind her, each of them wrapping their arms around me until we’re all tangled up in a hug together.
Their relief hits me hard.
Until this moment, I believed my sisters feared nothing.
Now, I sense how devastating it would be for them if something were to happen to me—or to one of them, for that matter.
We don’t feel physical pain like others do. We don’t fear for our physical safety like others do.
But…damn… I should have realized how deep the bond of our hive mind runs.
Deep enough that they’re clinging to me hard, choking back sobs, taking long breaths to steady themselves.
So deep that the mere threat of losing me seems to have put cracks in their emotional armor.
Their voices sound in unison within my mind:To lose you is to lose ourselves. There is no greater agony for a Fury than to lose a sister. It is like being broken all over again.
Within my mind, I whisper,I’m so sorry I frightened you.
“We are the ones in the wrong,” Gilder says, drawing back from our hug. “There are dangers in New York City that we should have spoken about before now.”
It’s startling to me, not that she apologized for something that I consider is not her fault anyway, but that she spoke the words aloud instead of within our hive mind.
Clearly, these dangers must pose a real threat to us, significant enough that my sisters were concerned for my life.
“Will you tell me now?” I ask, also speaking aloud, needing to respect Gilder’s choice to allow the words to sound between us.
“We will tell you everything we know,” Rose replies, also speaking aloud. “And answer any questions you may have.”
“Although,” Sable adds, “there are some mysteries for which we still do not have answers.”
They draw me inside to the fireplace, where we all sit down. My sisters sit cross-legged while I pull my knees to my chest.
I take note of the fact that they remain in their battle suits, as well as the level of alertness about them, the way that one of them is, at all times, focused on our surroundings.
“You fear I’ve been followed,” I say, more regretful at the idea that I would bring danger to my sister’s place of refuge than afraid of what could come after me.
