Chapter 46 You’re Kidding Right? #3
“Why would he have you do that?”
I hesitate, shifting on my feet. The lingering chill from being wet is nothing compared to the sudden chill crawling down my spine from the way he’s looking at me.
“When I was younger,” I say carefully, testing the words as they leave my mouth, “I'd swim laps in this freezing-ass lake. He said it was part of training, but…” I shrug, forcing a lightness I don’t feel. “Never got my gold medal for swimming.”
He doesn’t say anything, but I see a flash of something dangerous across his face before he drags a hand through his hair.
“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath, shaking his head. “They knew.”
“Umm hello?” I wave a hand in front of his face, trying to snap him out of whatever spiral he’s just plummeted into. “They knew what? Care to share with the class?”
I can feel the irritation creeping right back in. I am so fucking done being kept in the dark and I'm not letting him leave until he gives me some answers. His eyes snap to mine, like he’s piecing together something I can’t see.
“I’m assuming you were your usual charming self, back then, too.”
His lips twitch, like he wants to laugh but wisely chooses not to.
Fucker.
“If your grandfather had you swimming in a freezing lake with no clear reason or pattern, then he must have known.”
My stomach drops.
“Known what?” The words come out a question, but deep down I know exactly what he means. There’s no way.
I’m soaked, I’m freezing, and I’m not in the mood for more cryptic bullshit.
“What are you saying, Cam?”
Please tell me he’s not about to say what I think he’s going to say.
“Your grandparents must have known about your magic, Rae.”
No.
He watches me carefully. “Think about it, the cold water, it wasn’t some random endurance test or training exercise. It was to help you manage your emotions. To keep your power in check. I’m sure of it.”
The world narrows and my vision starts to go blurry.
“You mean… he was training me… to control my magic?”
The words feel foreign, like they don’t belong to me.
He nods slowly, “It makes sense. They might not have told you outright, but they were preparing you in their own way. They knew, even if you didn't.”
They knew. The realization crashes into me, knocking the breath from my lungs.
They knew. They knew this whole fucking time.
A storm rages in my chest.
Anger, frustration, grief, relief. They knew.
For the first time since all of this started, something actually makes sense. I don't know if I want to laugh or cry.
“They should’ve told me.” I whisper, the words raw and bitter. “They should have trusted me.”
My voice cracks, and I hate how small it sounds.
“They did trust you.”
Cam’s voice is soft, pulling me back before I unravel completely.
“Enough to prepare you.” His voice lowers, and I hear something serious settle in his tone. “Enough to believe that when the time came, you’d figure it out. Or at least train you enough for you to watch your back.”
The words hit something deep, something I’m not ready to look at.
And then he turns sharply, and everything about his usual easy going demeanor is replaced with intense focus. “Come on. This changes everything.”
And just like that, he’s walking away, already lost in thought.
I stare after him, while my pulse continues to spike, and my mind is spinning with a dozen questions, all fighting to be first.
“What do you mean this changes everything?” I practically jog to keep up, my breath coming faster.
He glances over his shoulder, and his expression softens just enough to temper the storm building in my chest.
“I'll meet you for dinner.”
I stop dead in my tracks.
“Dinner?” Disbelief cuts through my frustration. “That’s all you’re giving me?”
Cam finally pauses, turns to face me. His eyes lock onto mine and I know I'm not going to be happy about his answer.
“Rae, I need some time to sort this out.” His voice is careful. “Hopefully, by dinner, I’ll have answers for you.”
He doesn’t wait for my response. He doesn’t explain anything, he doesn’t even glance back. Just turns and walks away.
And for the hundredth time since stepping into this place, I’m left standing here, utterly pissed off, with more questions than answers. Only this time I’m soaking wet and freezing. Living the dream.
Unbelievable.
My clothes cling to me like a second skin, and I can feel the cold settling into my bones by the second, now that the adrenaline is fading. My frustration is tangled with the lingering shock of Cam’s sudden revelation.
My grandparents knew.
“Cam!” My voice rips through the clearing, but he doesn’t stop.
He’s already gone.
I shake my head, muttering a stream of curses under my breath as I pace the clearing.
A twig snaps in the distance that's faint at first, but then I hear it again.
I freeze, scanning the trees, and there's nothing.
I hear whispering, and they're growing louder, slithering against my skin like a breath at the back of my neck.
Movement catches in the corner of my eye, and I see a shadow slipping between the trees.
“Hello?” My voice wavers, and I curse myself. I clear my throat, trying again.
“Helllooo…”
Snap.
My heart hammers so hard it almost drowns out the wind when I spin around.
Tyler.
Motherfucker.
“Hey beautiful.” He flashes me that grin, like he didn’t just almost send me into cardiac arrest.
I try to breathe, pressing a hand to my chest like that’ll stop my heart from trying to escape. “Tyler!” I snap. “Are you trying to get struck by lightning, too?”
His brows shoot up and amusement flashes across his face. “You didn’t!” He looks over my shoulder, and laughs. “Is he… alive?”
I punch his arm as hard as I can, and holy shit that hurt. “Not funny.”
“I mean… it’s kinda funny.”
“He’s fine by the way. Completely fine, actually. Annoyingly fine.”
He shrugs, ignoring the fact that I just hit him. “Calm down, you’re fine.” His tone is so casual I could scream. Like I’m the one being dramatic. “Besides, I figured I'd come find you before you wandered too far. Don’t want anything… weird happening out here, do we?”
His grin falters slightly and I see him look behind me.
I sigh, dragging it out. “Fine. You scared the shit out of me back there!”
He laughs, stepping closer, and leans in just enough that my pulse jumps again.
“Noted.” His voice drops into that teasing tone of his. “I’ll try not to be so charming next time.”
“Charming?” I snort, shaking my head. “Not exactly the word I would’ve used. Idiot? Sure.”
He smiles, putting his arm around my shoulder. “Come on, Bird. You never know what might be waiting in the shadows.”
I roll my eyes because the only scary thing I've seen is him. “Great bedtime story, Frank. But I’m not scared of the shadows.”
Tyler stops mid-laugh. Looking at me like I just offended him. “Frank? The fuck for?”
I shrug, entirely unbothered. “Because you needed a nickname, too.”
“And you landed on… Frank?”
The disgusted look on his face weirdly makes me feel a lot better. Figures. He's the only one who can pull that off.
“I didn’t know what else to call you,” I say, waving a hand like it’s no big deal, even though I can tell he's two seconds away from throwing up. “So Frank seemed like a solid filler name. When I come up with something better, I'll let you know.”
He just stares at me, bewildered.
I grin, brushing past him, and head inside, laughing under my breath.
Raven -1. Tyler- Lost count.