Fractured Lies

My cheek was wet and smashed up against the moist fabric of my too-hard pillow. I reached up to wipe the drool from my face, licking my dry lips and choking on my own morning breath. My neck ached, my back was sore, and—

I gasped as everything from the night before came crashing back into my memory. I didn’t want to open my eyes because it would only confirm what I feared was true.

My pillow moved, and Tate’s chuckle warmed me as he pushed a strand of hair off of my forehead. I lifted one lid and saw his golden eyes glistening with amusement as he stared back down at me. “It’s about time you woke up. It would be a shame to survive the storm only to drown in your drool.”

I punched him in the wet spot on his arm and sat up to find that everyone was right as I’d left them the night before, huddled together in the stone hallway that adjoined Driskell’s cliffside shelter and the lighthouse at the top of the hill. It had seemed the safest place to hide and try to catch some sleep—between the fire damage above ground and the towering waves that crashed into the windows of Driskell’s shelter in the side of the cliff. 

After a quick headcount to ensure each of my friends was still with us, I stood and stretched my aching muscles. The hall was still dark, but a faint gray light shone through from the shelter windows overlooking the ocean below. It was morning here in Scotland. How late did that make it back in New York?

“Devon.” I extended a hand to the boy beside Tate. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better this morning.”

“Strong enough to get us all back home?”

He cast a quick glance at Sean, who returned a subtle nod. “Uh, yeah. Probably. But maybe I should start with just one person to make sure. I’d hate to get us all stranded in New Jersey or something because I can’t make it back with a group. You wanna go first?”

I nodded. “Sure. Do you need to eat or anything before we go?” I fished around for the granola bar buried in the bottom of my bag, and my fingers tingled as they made contact with the piece of stone tablet tucked away inside.

“No, I’m good.” 

“Alright. See you all in a minute,” I said to my weary-looking group of friends.

Devon held out a hand, and I grabbed onto it, bracing myself for the cold I would feel as he transported me through reality and back into our apartment in New York. But there was nothing that could prepare me for the intensity of it. It was even colder than I remembered—so chilling I thought my bones might freeze and crack if I were there any longer than the millisecond it took to teleport. 

My eyes squinted in the darkness of our new location, and still shivering, I turned to Devon. “Thanks.”

“Yep, you got it. Bye.” The words fell quickly out of his mouth.

“Wait—” He was gone, already through the fabric of reality. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light, I realized I was not in my apartment, but in a different familiar room. That scoundrel!

“Everly?” My aunt Millie sat up in her king-sized bed, pushing an eye mask up onto her forehead. I could barely see her over the mountain of pillows surrounding her small frame, but she definitely saw me. “You’re glowing! What time is it? Is everything okay?”

A couple of pillows tumbled to the plush area rug under her bed as she swung her legs around to get a glimpse at the clock on her nightstand. It was two in the morning.  

“What is going on?”

“Uhh…” I looked around, expecting Devon and some of the others to zap back in here and help me out, but they didn’t come. It was just me and my very sleepy, very concerned aunt. Had he teleported here by accident? The thought that he might know my aunt Millie’s bedroom so well made me shudder—soulmates or not. Or had he dropped me off here on purpose? 

I suspected the latter, seeing as how he bolted the second my feet touched the ground.

“Everly.” Millie’s voice had turned stern, drawing my attention back to her. 

How was I going to get out of this? “Maybe we should go downstairs and brew some tea,” I suggested. This could take a while.

She nodded, sliding her feet into some fluffy slippers and pulling on a silky robe. “Was that Devon who dropped you off?”

“Yes.”

She padded toward the stairs behind me. A million thoughts raced through my mind. I hadn’t intended to tell Millie about my powers just yet, and I definitely hadn’t planned to mention the prophecy until I understood more about it. But now that I was here, I wasn’t sure how I would get out without spilling everything.

“How long have you had your powers?” Her eyes brushed over me, examining the white aura that emanated from my skin.

“A few days.” Ugh! Devon could have at least warned me he was throwing me into this!

“Care to elaborate?”

I paused on the stairs, turning to face her. “I think you should be sitting for this. Let’s get that tea going, and I will explain everything.”

Thirty minutes later, Millie looked even more exhausted than before. She rested with her elbows on the countertop, forehead in the palms of her hands. I half wondered if she’d heard a word I’d said, because she hadn’t made a sound the entire time I spoke. I’d explained how my powers emerged while Osborne chased me, Tate’s suspicions about the prophecy, our trip to Scotland, the storm’s reaction to my powers, and Driskell. She didn’t say a word. The only thing I didn’t mention was Rasputin. Not that I could have, even if I’d wanted to with that curse he placed on me. 

Finally, she lifted her weary eyes and sighed. “Oh, Tilly.”

I set my cup down hard on the counter. “What does any of this have to do with my mom?”

Millie just shook her head. “I knew her secrets were going to get the best of her. But I never would have guessed about any of this.”

“Do you have any idea where she might be?”

Millie pursed her lips. “No. Well, probably not.”

“Probably?”

A noise in the kitchen doorway stopped the conversation from moving any further. Devon’s nervously grinning face peeked around the corner. “Hi.”

I scowled, but Millie smiled widely. “I was hoping you’d be back,” she said. Waving him into the kitchen, she chuckled. “You may as well bring the others in, too. I know you’ve got them with you.”

With a sheepish shrug, Devon entered the room, followed by Sean, Dom, Gayla, and Tate.

“How long have you guys been here?” I demanded. “And why didn’t you tell me you were abandoning me to explain everything to my aunt alone?”

“I did tell you I would have to inform her about all of this eventually. I just thought it would be better coming from you.” Devon looked sincerely apologetic. “Besides, this is getting too big for us to handle on our own. I thought we could use her help.”

He was right of course, but I didn’t want to admit it.

Driskell came around the corner next, eyes wide with astonishment. He probably hadn’t been off the island in a century. Part of me was surprised to see that he’d survived the trip with Devon. The curse should have killed him. But then, another part of me knew it was all somehow related to my new aura and the tablet. Just because I didn’t yet know how to wield the power it provided me didn’t negate the fact that it was some seriously strong stuff. Having more power than the Keeper curse that had kept Driskell imprisoned for so long was both exhilarating and terrifying. I just hoped I’d be able to use it for good.

“Hallo,” Driskell said in his rough German accent.

Millie let out a startled squeak. “I’ll boil some more tea,” she mumbled. “We’ve got some figuring out to do.”