Chapter Twenty
Lia
Glasses clink and a chorus of cheers bursts from the dining hall. Laughter bounces off the walls, tangled with the zip of darts finding their mark. I round the corner and spot Leo, Carter, and Zayne crowded around the dartboard, each of them holding half-empty beer bottles.
“Party going on tonight, or what?” I call out, grinning as Leo nearly misses his throw. He stumbles sideways, clutching Zayne’s shoulder for balance, eyes glassy and bloodshot.
“Thought we could use a little celebrating around here, given we have two birthdays and all,” Carter says, handing me a beer.
I accept it with a smile. “Thank you.” I take a sip, trying not to grimace.
Beer has never been my drink of choice. I’d consumed plenty of it during our first year of college—back when the music drowned out our thoughts and the parties kept us away from home. Back then, we said yes to anything that helped us escape Joaquin.
Kylo steps into the room, his hair damp and tousled like he’s been running his hands through it. He’s dressed in a black fitted shirt, dark jeans, and boots.
Forcing down another sip, I resist the urge to gag.
“Don’t like beer?”
My nose wrinkles. “It’s disgusting.”
He lets out a sudden, genuine chuckle that rings out across the hall. It draws every head in the room toward him like a magnet.
“Lia doesn’t like beer,” he declares, shooting me a conspiratorial wink. He snatches the bottle from my hand and takes a sip.
Carter raises his right brow at the exchange, eyes darting between Kylo’s relaxed stance and my flushed face. I shrug. “I couldn’t say no to a birthday beer, Carter. But I appreciate the gesture.”
“More for us!” Leo shouts. He sways against Zayne, who doesn’t seem to mind, keeping a steadying arm tucked firmly around Leo’s shoulders.
Music blares through the speakers as I lean against the counter, watching Carter, Leo, and Zayne take turns at the dartboard.
None of them are doing well, which isn’t surprising given how drunk they are.
A metal song I love starts playing. My whole body reacts instantly—a swarm of butterflies taking flight in my stomach.
It’s a song I’ve played a thousand times in the dark.
There’s something about the rawness in the singer’s voice, the way he pours emotion into every lyric, that makes me feel less alone. I lose myself in it, swaying to the riffs and singing the words under my breath.
Kylo takes one last swig of my beer and tosses the empty bottle into the trash. “You like this music?”
“I love it.”
“I didn’t expect that.”
“Expect what?”
“You don’t look like the headbanging type.”
I laugh and bump him with my elbow. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, Kylo. I love all music, but metal is my favorite. It’s the only thing loud enough to match the noise in here.” I tap my temple.
The thought reminds me that it’s been ages since I sat down and listened. I miss my phone. It had all my favorite songs downloaded.
I didn’t realize how quiet life could feel without it.
“Aye!” the guys roar.
Laughter erupts as Zayne nearly takes Leo out with a celebratory clap on the back. “You fucking did it! Dead center, you lucky bastard!”
Kylo watches the disaster unfold, laughing and shaking his head. I laugh with him as the others make absolute idiots of themselves, cackling like drunken hyenas.
“Lia, come here!” Leo calls, wobbling toward me and pressing a dart into my hand. “Try this with me!”
Following Leo, I adjust my grip on the dart, ready to aim. His body sways, and I catch his arm to steady him, the dart slipping from my hand.
The room dissolves.
Wind whips past my skin, cold enough to sting.
I exhale, and a ghostly cloud escapes my lips.
Everything is muted except for the howling wind and the erratic thump of my heart.
A tall figure stands in the distance, shrouded in shadows.
I can’t see his face, but the outline of his body is unmistakable.
A chill, deeper than the wind, wraps around me and won’t let go. I place one foot in front of the other, inching toward the silhouette. He turns slightly, revealing the ragged scar across his cheek.
He spins and takes off into the night.
Where is he going? I chase after him, my feet sinking into the wet sand.
Up ahead, two figures are locked in combat. I can’t see their faces, only flashes of movement. Everything smears together like a watercolor left in the rain. An icy dread creeps up my spine, seizing my limbs.
I can’t move.
Why can’t I move?
“Leo!” I call out, panic scraping at the back of my throat.
Bricks bear down on my sternum.
What is happening to me?
“Leo!”
Everything around me collapses.
My back is pressed into a corner, knees drawn tight to my chest. Leo sits across from me, pale and drenched, sweat dripping from his brow. His eyes are still faintly clouded, gray swirls fading.
“What was that?” I demand.
Leo’s gaze is distant, haunted. “You triggered another premonition.”
“That was your vision?”
“One of them.”
Vague as always.
We’re back in this loop again.
“Why do I only see visions when I touch you?”
“I don’t know.”
The slur in his voice is gone now. He rubs his temples with his knuckles, eyes narrowing like he’s trying to piece something together.
“Maybe your siphoning is triggered by touch,” Carter offers.
“I don’t have to touch Kylo to use them.”
Carter scratches his chin, his expression puzzled. “Maybe it has something to do with your empathy?”
I don’t care about the how or why anymore. It feels like someone’s reached inside me, punched through my stomach, and twisted every internal organ into a knot.
“Visions are awful.” I swallow down the sudden bile.
A gurgle rolls through my abdomen. If I don’t leave now, I won’t make it.
My room feels miles away.
I fling the door open, stumble to the bathroom, and drop to my knees. The lid flies up as the first cramp hits. My body folds over the toilet as everything in my stomach surges up.
Another cramp wracks through me, and I close my eyes, willing it to end. I stay slumped, too scared to move, wishing the floor would swallow me whole.
Combat boots approach behind me.
“Leo needed some air. I told him I’d check on you.” He lowers himself onto the tile beside me. His knee brushes mine. Flecks of silver thread through his eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“Like shit,” I mutter, leaning my head back against the wall and resting my arms on my knees.
“Carter said crackers might help.” He hands me a slightly crinkled plastic sleeve.
“Does this happen every time?”
How can Leo stand it?
“When Carter’s visions first started, he went through the same thing.”
My mind drifts to the emptiness I felt in Leo’s premonition. I hug my arms tighter around my knees, uncertainty burrowing deeper. I want to understand his vision, but more than that, I want him to be okay.
“Lia, look at me.”
I lift my eyes to meet his, struck by the intensity there.
“Carter and Leo have visions daily. They don’t let what they see control every move they make. They know what they’re doing.”
I don’t want to feel that kind of darkness ever again.
His eyes rake up and down my body. “You need a distraction.”
“I need to find Leo and get answers.”
Pushing to my feet, I quickly brush my teeth.
He leans casually against the sink, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Comfortable around me now, huh?”
I roll my eyes and turn for the door. His tall frame steps in front of me, blocking the way. My hands press against his chest, but he remains still.
“What are you doing?” I huff, attempting to shove his muscular ass aside.
“Leo and Carter can’t share the details of their visions. You know this.”
He wasn’t there. He didn’t see what I saw. He has no idea what it felt like to be dragged into that vision.
“I know you’re worried. But chasing answers you can’t get right now won’t help. Come with me. I want to show you something.”
Maybe a distraction is what I need.
“Follow me.”
Kylo takes the lead toward the door, and I brace myself for the wind. It’s close to midnight, and the Oregon coast is unforgiving this time of year. The icy air hits, and I wrap my arms around myself, drawing in a hissing breath.
“I hate the cold,” I stammer, teeth chattering.
He glances over, eyes glinting with mischief. “We’re almost there.”
We jog down a small hill, our footsteps crunching in the gravel, until we reach a section of the compound I haven’t seen before. He pulls a key from his pocket and unlocks the door, then ushers me inside. He flips on the lights.
A long, pristine lap pool stretches across the room, the turquoise water shimmering as lanes painted along the bottom guide the eye toward the far wall. Off to the side, tucked into a stone-tiled alcove, is a built-in jacuzzi.
This has been here the whole time?
“You train in the pool?” I ask, brow furrowing as I try to picture how telekinesis or combat drills work in the water. “How is this supposed to help?”
“Swimming improves endurance, breathwork, and stamina. We also test our abilities underwater.”
“Do they work?”
His mouth curves slightly. “Want to find out?”
“I’m not exactly dressed for swimming, and it’s freezing in here.”
“Pool’s heated. You’ll survive.”
He moves toward the control panel, flicking a few switches. The lights inside the pool turn on, casting a soft magenta glow that dances along the tile and walls. Mist billows up from the surface.
He pulls his shirt over his head, muscles flexing, and discards it to the ground. Every line of his torso is chiseled, lean strength beneath tanned skin. My eyes catch on the ink spread across his chest—black crows in flight, surrounding two initials: K.R. and A.R.
He’s stunning. There’s no other word for it.
A low chuckle rumbles from Kylo as he flashes me a teasing grin. “You planning to stare all night, or are you getting in? The water’s not bad.”
He splashes me.
My feet skip back in an attempt to shield myself, but it’s too late. I’m already wet. “I don’t have a swimsuit,” I say, heat creeping up my neck.
“Are you wearing a bra?”
His gaze lingers, daring me.
“Yes,” I mutter, crossing my arms.