But I understood why Kallie wanted to give up, because watching someone you love fall apart without being able to do anything about it was basically hell.
I wasn’t sure what to say, but I forced myself to find the words. “He’s going through a hard time. The Institute left scars on all of us. He’s just… not sure of how to heal them.”
"I’m so tired of him putting me on a pedestal one moment and despising me the next!" Kallie yelled. "I'm either his savior or his devil, and I can't keep going in circles on this merry-go-round, because it’s making me sick!”
“I understand that has to be terribly frustrating,” I said. “But maybe if you just talk to him?—”
“There’s no talking! The guy’s crazy! He’s either sitting here proclaiming that he wants to have this big future with me, or he’s screaming that I’m going to leave him and never talk to him again! There’s no middle ground.” She huffed.
“He’s put you in the worst position ever, I agree. But I think there’s something else going on here,” I said. “He acts like he doesn’t need you, but I promise you he does.”
“I need myself.Ineed to be happy, more than I need to keep him in my life if he’s going to act like this,” Kallie said shortly. “I’ve dealt with this for over two years, and there’s still no progress when it comes to us being together. If anything, we’ve backtracked, and my patience is running out. I don’t want to be with someone who keeps accusing me that I don’t love him.”
“Kallie…” My voice got weak.
"I'm sorry." She staggered away, holding up her hands before she turned tail. “I can’t handle him tonight.”
She walked away. I didn’t have anything else to offer that might comfort her, so I watched her go.
“I’ll talk to her,” Charlie said. “Maybe she needs someone to listen.”
Charlie rushed after Kallie. I rolled my chair down the hall to return to Marcus. Oberi let out a coo as she settled on the back of my chair.
I found Marcus sitting on the ground, surrounded by his damaged paintings with his head in his hands. I rolled up behind him.
“She doesn’t mean it,” I whispered softly. Rishi gave a soft meow.
Marcus sighed. “I'm just… I'm having one of those really hard days where I'm trying not to hate myself.”
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and laid my chin on his head. “I know.”
We sat like that for a while, before Marcus sniffed and wiped his face with his sleeve. “I think I need to talk to my Mom and Dad,” he mumbled. “Catch you later, Ava?”
“Okay.” I really hoped that’s where he was actually going. His parents might be able to do more than I could.
I’ll make sure he gets there,Oberi said, and she flew off after Marcus as he dragged himself out of the room.
All I could do was observe the mess Marcus had made, wondering if we’d ever find a way to fix it… fix him.
I couldn’t lose another friend. But it seemed like Marcus was determined to push all of us away. He was sick. All my healing magic wouldn’t do anything to cure him.
For as much as I loved Marcus, Kallie, and all my friends, I couldn’t save them. I couldn’t saveanybody.No matter howmuch I wanted to take their pain away, I was helpless to stop their suffering.
That absolutely wrecked me. I couldn’t live with it. Theworldcouldn’t go on when there were people who suffered so terribly in this way.
So I dared to think that one day, maybe it wouldn’t have to. I was a demigod. I had the power to change things.
I swore to myself right then and there, whatever it took to make the world a better place, I’d do it. That way, people like Marcus didn’t have to suffer…
And if there were consequences, I’d go through with them. No matter what they might be.
Chapter Five
CHARLIE
Ididn’t know what kind of magic Professor Amber had performed, but it had far exceeded my expectations. I didn’t expect the magic to be so powerful, or for the visions to be so vivid. Finally, we had information on the vampire key.
While my team worked on gathering intel, Ava and I paid a visit to Maddie that week. Avasaidshe wanted to visit her aunt, but I could feel her unease through our bond. It felt more like an obligation than anything, but at the same time, I could tell that Ava really missed her.
