Chapter 7
Brigid
Standing in my cottage, I cross my arms and narrow my eyes at the two men who have just claimed to have been sent by something called Grimstone Academy.
The one called Lochan says nothing, just stands there scowling at me as his friend explains that they’ve come to escort me to said academy. He explains that it’s a place where people who have ‘powers’ go to get help learning how to use them. I think he’s a few fruit loops short of a full bowl.
But I can’t deny what I felt. What I still feel.
He tells me that the dean of the school sent them to collect me and bring me back.
I lean back slightly, giving him a once-over before speaking. Dear Lord, I didn’t know a man could be that attractive. He puts every movie star I’ve ever seen to shame. Lochan would probably be just as good to look at if he wasn’t glaring at me like a dog about to tear me apart.
"Really. You think I’m stupid? Why exactly would I go anywhere with you? I don’t know who you are." I shouldn’t have even let them in my house, not that I had much choice.
"Aside from saving your life?" Callen arches an eyebrow. He sees me about to argue and cuts me off. "Grimstone Academy is a safe place for those with supernatural abilities—like yourself."
I shake my head. Despite what I just witnessed and felt, it’s all too unbelievable. My mind tries to rationalize it—and fails.
“Why now? Why tonight?” I’ve felt different my whole life. Did other people, like this dean, know about me all along?
Callen continues, unfazed by my disbelief. "When your magic was awakened, it set off a ripple that was immediately detected by the magical wards and alert system at the academy. You can't hide from us, or from your newfound abilities."
I take an involuntary step back, crossing my arms as if to shield against the impossible claim hanging in the air.
The word "ludicrous" barely forms in my mind before a familiar chill runs down my spine—a reminder of my visions, the skies that are blackened by the vortex of beating wings, the blood red land below. The ravens that are always waiting for me.
Callen leans toward me, so close I can feel the heat of his body. He smells fresh like the night air in winter. His light eyes, glinting and sharp, brazenly rove over my body. I feel like I’m wearing I’m wearing crotchless panties and a see-through bra, not my very unsexy work uniform.
'Trust us, Brigid, you're not alone in this world. There are others like you at Grimstone, and we can help you understand what’s happening to you." He reaches out and touches the cuff of my sleeve, running his fingers over it.
I feel light-headed. I swallow, unable to look away from his strong fingers barely touching me. Not even me, my clothes.
Then the taunts from earlier come back. I was called a lot of things over the course of my life, but after that night with Stacy, ‘slut’ was their favorite.
Callen scans my face, then narrows his eyes at what he sees.
I yank my arm away from his touch.
The logical part of me screams that this is insane, that magic isn't real. But the visions I've had my entire life...they've always felt so real. My heart races as I struggle to process everything.
"This is...impossible," I mutter, more to myself than to them.
Lochan's jaw tightens as he finally speaks. "It's not impossible. It's reality. Your reality."
He steps closer, his presence overwhelming. I can't help but notice how his broad shoulders fill the small space of my cottage, how his eyes seem to burn with an unnatural intensity. He towers over me, and I lower my eyes.
"We don't have time for this," Lochan growls, and I feel him move past me.
As he moves, his fingers accidentally brush against my arm. A buzz of electricity shoots through me, and I gasp, my eyes darting up to meet his. For a split second, I see a look of shock on his face.
But just as quickly, his expression hardens again.
He glares at me with such venom that I instinctively take another step back. My heart beats hard in my chest, a mix of fear and... something else. Something I don't want to name.
"Why do you look at me like that?" I demand, my voice barely above a whisper. "Like you hate me?"
Lochan's eyes narrow. "I don't know you enough to hate you," he spits out. "And I don't need to."
Callen steps between us, his voice smooth. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." His eyes glint with dark amusement. "Brigid, darling, you must understand the precarious position you're in."
I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly cold. "What do you mean?"
He leans in, close enough that I can smell him, and he smells incredible. "The world you've known is but a veil. There are real dangers that lurk in the shadows. Dangers that are now acutely aware of your... awakening."
My mind flashes to the forest, to the mass that attacked me. I shiver. And forget about supernatural forces—I know Donal’s friends aren’t going to take what happened lying down. They’ll come back for me at some point. I wince as I remember that I gave Donal a spare key.
Callen's fingers brush my cheek, feather-light. "Grimstone can protect you, teach you. You'll be safe there. With us."
I want to pull away, but something in his touch, his words, holds me transfixed. My resolve wavers.
“I—" I start, then falter. The truth I've hidden for so long bubbles up, threatening to spill over. “The people here call me crazy, avoid me. I’m an easy target, like tonight, before you found me."
My confession hangs in the air, heavy with unspoken pain.
“Explain.” Callen’s playful tone is gone and his eyes are like like ice.
“Two men attacked me. I cut one of them,” I say, seeing the scene playing out again in my mind. I close my eyes, but before I do I see Lochan shift from his position, his fist clenched.
Callen’s breath ghosts my ear. “Don’t you worry about those cretins, darling. They’ll be dealt with soon enough. But, there are far worse things lurking in the night."
"What...kind of things?" I ask, trying to keep my face a mask, giving away no emotion despite being scared shitless right now.
Callen trails a finger down my arm. He smiles like he’s savoring the goosebumps it elicits. "Creatures beyond your wildest nightmares. Beings that would tear you apart to claim what you possess."
My eyes involuntarily go to the window. I don’t know what I’m expecting to see—monsters pressed up against the glass?
"But at Grimstone," Callen continues, his voice low and seductive, "you'd be protected. Trained. You could learn to harness your magic, to defend yourself."
My shoulders slump. “I—I don't know."
Callen's words linger in my mind, pulling me between temptation and fear. I breathe deeply.
"There's... there's something that happens to me," I whisper, the words clawing their way out of my throat. My fingers twist in the hem of my sweater, seeking comfort in the familiar wool.
Callen's eyes lock onto mine, a predatory glint in their pale blue depths. "Go on, darling. We're all ears."
I swallow hard, fighting the urge to run. "I've seen things. Impossible things. All my life, visions have haunted me, driving me to..." I trail off, remembering the countless nights spent hunched over my canvases, frantically painting the horrors that dance behind my eyelids.
"To what?" Lochan's gruff voice startles me. I'd almost forgotten he was there.
"To draw the birds," I finish lamely, feeling heat creep up my neck. "The people here, they... they think I'm cursed. A freak."
Callen's laugh is low and rich. "Oh, darling. You're not cursed. You're blessed."
I blink, confusion warring with a desperate hope I didn't know I harbored. "What do you mean?"
"Those visions," Callen purrs, leaning in close enough that I can feel the warmth of his breath on my cheek. "They mean you have a gift. And at Grimstone, we can teach you to use it. The reason you’ve never belonged here is because you don’t.” He rolls his eyes. “And thank the gods for that. I don’t know how you spent more than an hour in this depressing town.”
Lochan's jaw clenches, his hazel eyes flashing with impatience. "Enough," he growls, cutting through Callen's honeyed words. "We're wasting time."
I flinch at the harshness in his tone, my posture stiffening.
"You don't have a choice," Lochan states, his voice flat and unyielding. "We've been sent to deliver you to Grimstone. That's what's going to happen, whether you like it or not."
My heart hammers against my ribs. "But...I can't just disappear! I have a job, responsibilities. Fiona will worry—"
"Fiona?" Callen interjects, eyebrow raised.
"My friend," I explain, wrapping my arms around myself. "She'll notice."
A humorless chuckle escapes Lochan's lips. "That's not your concern anymore."
Panic claws at my throat. "How far is this Grimstone place anyway?"
Callen's laughter rings out. "Grimstone isn't a place you can reach by conventional means. It's magic."
I blink, my mind reeling. “But that's—"
"Impossible?" Callen finishes, his grin widening. "I thought we'd established that impossible things are rather our specialty."
I close my eyes, inhaling deeply. "Fine," I say, my voice steadier than I feel. "I'll go with you."
Lochan's eyes narrow, suspicion etched in the hard lines of his face. Our gazes lock, and for a moment, the air between us is thick.
"Don't try anything stupid," he snaps, his tone dripping with disdain. "You won't survive five minutes out there on your own now."
I bite back a retort, my fingers instinctively brushing against the pocket knife hidden in my cardigan. As Callen begins to weave his spell, the world around us shimmering like a mirage, I feel like I'm jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
But if it means finally uncovering the truth about myself, about these visions that have haunted me for so long...I'll just have to survive whatever is thrown at me next.