I sit across from him, the book spread out between us, its pages heavy with ancient symbols. The room is dim, the only light coming from a single candle flickering in the corner. The man's gaze never leaves me as he flips the pages, his fingers brushing over the faded ink as if he knows exactly what he's looking for. I try to steady my breathing, but the weight of this new world is settling in, suffocating me.
"Focus, Sarah," he says, his voice calm but firm. "You need to learn how to control it. Your power, your connection to the Fae—it's not something you can ignore. Not anymore."
I nod, though I don't feel ready. How could I be? Everything I've learned, everything I thought I knew, is being flipped upside down. My mind races with a thousand questions, but I try to push them aside. For now, I have no choice but to follow his lead.
He taps a symbol in the book, his finger tracing the arcane lines. "This is the first step," he says. "You need to understand the symbols. They're not just markings—they represent control. You'll use them to channel your power."
I stare at the page, trying to make sense of the shapes before me. They twist and shift in ways that make my head spin. It's overwhelming, and I feel the familiar rush of panic rising in my chest. How am I supposed to understand this? How am I supposed to control it?
"Take a deep breath," the man says, as though sensing my hesitation. "Relax. It's not about force. It's about focus. If you can't control the power, it will control you."
I exhale slowly, trying to clear my mind. The more I focus on the symbols, the more they seem to pulse, as if they're alive, reaching out to me. It's a strange sensation, and my hand trembles as I reach toward the page.
Nothing happens.
I try again, focusing harder this time, willing the symbols to respond. My heart races, and I feel a surge of something deep inside me—something powerful, but wild and uncontrolled. It's like the magic is clawing its way to the surface, desperate to be unleashed. But I can't grasp it. Not yet.
"Again," the man urges, his voice low but insistent.
I close my eyes for a moment, grounding myself. When I open them again, I focus on the symbols once more. This time, I feel the pull—stronger, more tangible. The energy surges through me, and before I can stop it, a small burst of light flares from my fingers, illuminating the room for a brief moment.
It's over as quickly as it came. I blink, disoriented, my heart pounding in my chest. I did it. For a second, I actually controlled it.
"Good," the man says, his voice gruff with approval. "But that's only the beginning. You're still holding back. The more you try to control it with fear, the harder it will be."
I swallow hard, my throat dry. "How do I stop being afraid?"
He doesn't answer right away, instead watching me with an unreadable expression. "You need to let go of the fear, Sarah. It's not about mastering it overnight. It's about trust—trusting yourself and trusting the power within you. When you do that, you'll start to see the magic for what it really is."
I nod, though his words feel like a weight settling over me. I still don't feel ready. I'm not sure I ever will be.
The man picks up a small glass vial from the desk, its contents swirling with a faint glow. "You've made progress," he says, offering it to me. "But now we need to talk about what's really at stake."
I take the vial, my fingers brushing against the cool glass. "What do you mean?"
He doesn't answer immediately, running his fingers through his hair, his expression unreadable. "You're not ready for what's coming," he says finally. "But I'll make sure you are. You have no choice but to face it. If you're going to survive, you need to understand your power—and how to wield it."
Before I can speak again, a faint hum fills the room, almost imperceptible, but it makes my skin prickle. The man stiffens, his eyes snapping to the door.
I feel it too. The unmistakable presence of danger. It's as if the air itself is thickening, charged with anticipation.
"Someone's coming," he mutters, standing quickly. "Stay quiet. Stay out of sight."
He pulls me into a dark alcove near the back of the room. My heart thunders in my chest, the pulse of magic inside me responding to the threat. I clutch the pendant tightly, its power thrumming, almost alive in my hand. The footsteps outside the door grow louder. My breath hitches in my throat.
The footsteps stop, just outside the door. For a moment, everything is still. I can feel my heart beat in my ears, but the silence is deafening. Then, without a sound, they move on. The tension in the room eases, though my pulse remains rapid.
The man turns to me, his voice low. "Keep moving. It's time to leave."
I nod, my thoughts swirling. Who were they? The Courts? Ryan's brother? My mind races as I follow him into the shadows.
The urgency is palpable. With each step we take, the weight of everything I've learned presses heavier on my chest. This isn't just about me anymore. It's about the world I'm now part of—and the choices that await me.
"We need to move fast," the man says as we hurry down the darkened streets, his pace quickening. "They're getting closer. And so is your truth."
My stomach tightens. His words settle like stones in my gut. I'm not just fighting to survive anymore—I'm racing to uncover the truth. The truth about my parents, my power, and whatever this war is that's been brewing in the shadows.
"You said there's more at play here," I murmur, still trying to make sense of the cryptic things he's said. "What does that mean?"
He glances at me, his face unreadable. "Your parents weren't just trying to protect you from the Fae Courts. There's something else buried here, something in this town, something I know about."
I stop walking, the air thick with uncertainty. "What is it? Where?"
He looks at me with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine. "It's hidden, Sarah. In plain sight. Your parents left the final piece in a place you already know."
The words hit me like a jolt of electricity. The final piece. Hidden in plain sight. Could it really be at my house? Could it be that simple?
My mind races, trying to piece together the cryptic message. "Where? How could it be in my house?"
The man waits for me to process, then adds, "It's time to make a choice, Sarah. Leave now, or trust me and go back to where it all started—to the place where the truth is waiting."
His words hang in the air between us, a heavy decision pressing down on me. I take a steadying breath, my mind made up.
"I'm going back," I say, my voice firm despite the churn of uncertainty inside me. "I need to face this. I need to know the truth."
He nods, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "Then let's go."
And with that, I take the first step back toward the beginning, to the place where everything started. The storm is coming, but for the first time, I feel ready to face it. I don't know what the truth will bring—but I'm done running from it.
*******
The walk back to my house feels like a blur, the weight of everything pressing down on me. My thoughts keep returning to the final piece, hidden somewhere in the town. Could it really be here, in the house I grew up in with Cassie? The place that's meant to be my safe haven? I'm almost afraid to hope.
We reach the familiar house, and I stop at the doorstep for a moment, the air thick with the tension of everything that's led me here. The door is still as it was, unremarkable, yet my heart races. This place once felt like home. Now it feels like a trap, a place that holds more questions than answers.
The man doesn't hesitate. He moves past me and into the house, disappearing inside without a second glance. I follow, my every step feeling heavier than the last. The house is dark, silent, and empty. I can't help but think of Cassie—what could have happened to her? Was she taken because of me?
I move through the house, checking each room with the sense that something is wrong. Every shadow seems to loom larger, every creak of the floorboards louder than it should be. My heart pounds as I make my way to the study, where I've already spent hours searching through Cassie's things. But I can't stop now. I need to find something—anything—that might give me the answers I'm looking for.
As I sift through the papers on the desk, my thoughts are interrupted by a soft creak at the door. I freeze. Footsteps, too light to be the man's, too deliberate to be my own. My pulse quickens.
The door creaks again, and this time, I don't turn. I don't need to. I can feel his presence in the room, the unmistakable aura of someone I know too well.
"Sarah," a familiar voice calls from the doorway. "I knew I'd find you here."
I turn slowly, my heart dropping into my stomach. Justin. The last person I want to see right now.
His figure fills the doorway, his tall frame shadowed in the dim light from the hall. His eyes catch mine, filled with something I can't quite place—concern, curiosity, maybe even regret?
I open my mouth to speak, but the words don't come. The last time I saw him, I didn't know what I was walking into. Now, with everything I've learned, I can feel the weight of the danger we're both in. But that doesn't mean I'm ready to trust him. Not yet.
Before I can say anything, the man I've been with walks into the room, his presence commanding and silent. He gives Justin a cold, assessing look before turning to me. His eyes flash with something unreadable, then he speaks in a low, deliberate tone.
"Be careful who you keep close, Sarah. Not everyone is who they seem." His gaze shifts to Justin, then back to me. "Trust the right people. Your choices will determine everything."
The words feel like a warning, sharp and deliberate. Justin doesn't respond, his expression unreadable as he watches the man. But I can't shake the feeling that I'm caught in the middle of something far bigger than I'm ready for.
The man doesn't wait for any response from either of us. He turns sharply and walks out of the room, his footsteps fading down the hall. The door creaks shut behind him, leaving a thick silence in his wake.
I'm left with Justin—standing there, alone in the quiet, wondering what exactly he knows and what he's hiding. I can't afford to trust him blindly. Not when the stakes are so high.
I finally speak, my voice quiet but steady. "What do you want, Justin?"
He steps into the room, his eyes searching mine, as if trying to read me. "To make sure you're safe. You've been gone for two weeks. What's going on? How can I help?"
I shake my head, the weight of his words pulling me in different directions. "I don't need your help, Justin. I'm trying to figure things out for myself."
His expression tightens, but he doesn't argue. Instead, he glances toward the door, where the man just left. "Who was that? Another one of your secrets?"
I don't answer, but the question lingers in the air. There's a distance between us now that wasn't there before. A space I can't cross, not yet.
"That's none of your business," I mutter, turning back to the desk, searching for something—anything—useful.
Justin's eyes narrow. "If you don't trust me, then who do you trust, Sarah? Who's going to help you when it all comes crashing down?"
I don't answer. I can't.
I push away from the desk and turn to face him fully, the weight of the pendant in my pocket reminding me of everything at stake. "I don't know who I can trust anymore. Everything I thought I knew..."
For a moment, Justin just watches me, his eyes searching, but he says nothing. The silence between us grows thick and heavy.
"Everything you knew, what?" he says, with a darkness in his eyes.
"Nothing. Like I said, I don't know who I can trust. And I don't need your help…." I turn and look away. The silence proving how far apart we've drifted.
Finally, he speaks again, his voice quiet, almost too quiet. "Be careful. There are bigger forces at play, and you'll need all the help you can get."
I don't respond. I can feel the weight of his words, but I refuse to let them control me. The truth is mine to uncover, and I'll face it, no matter who stands beside me or against me.
He turns and walks away, my mind already on the next step. I need to find the answers about my parents, Ryan, Ryan's brother, about the second pendant, and about the power I hold. And nothing, not even Justin, is going to stop me now.