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I watched as one of the bastards who’d been the main culprit fell as he scrambled out of the now muddy bank, as the water swelled in the center. He tried to get up and yelled, this time in pain, before he crawled the rest of the way until I lost sight of him.

I closed my eyes, breathing in and out, over and over again, hoping to settle down the surge of power. The sizzling within me began to calm, and I felt a tug on my hand, as the girl pulled loose. When I opened my eyes, the water was calm and the girl was running away from me as fast as the other kids had. I didn’t need a fortune teller to warn me this didn’t bode well for my future.

Kaden wasn’t here, and I didn’t know if that was good or bad. He might’ve been angrier than anyone. It wasn’t as if we were on good terms. Maybe by the time he got back, this would have blown over.

Or not.

I headed back to the house, my idea of a quick dip now soured, even if I did have the lake all to myself. I’d have rather dipped myself in battery acid at the moment.

Chapter Sixteen

“Are you all right? You look off,” Luisca said as I worked beside her in the garden.

“I’m okay,” I said, taking another glance around for a horde with pitchforks headed in my direction.

Maybe the slip-up at the lake yesterday hadn’t been as bad as I’d feared? Those kids might not have told their parents what happened at all, considering what they’d been up to. I’d lost sleep last night over nothing. That kid was probably fine, or lied to his parents about what happened.

The last thing I wanted to do was drag Luisca into a mess if I could avoid it. Make her a co-conspirator, especially over nothing.

I’d settled back into planting, breathing in the clean air, when I felt a tingle of power surge in the air beside me, coming right from where Luisca was sitting. I sat back on my heels, trying to figure out if I’d imagined it.

Then she gave me a little smile, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. “You felt it?”

“Yes. What was that?”

“I don’t know. It was like a pulse of something waking up in me. It’s only the third time it’s happened.”

I grabbed her hand, trying to feel it again, but it was gone already.

“Does Tiber know?”

“Both other times it happened, I was alone. I don’t want to mention it in case I’m wrong.” She wiped her hands on her work pants, waiting for me.

She thought she might be starting to transition? Even partially? What did this mean? Was there some sort of shift happening? “I won’t say a word. It’s not my story to tell.”

She went back to digging another hole for the next plant. “It’s just…” She put the plant down and looked at me again. “It would mean so much to Tiber, and I don’t want to get his hopes up.” She smiled, looking as if she were also afraid to be too optimistic.

“I understand.” Although it was the exact opposite of what I had with Kaden, I could feel how much this would mean to Tiber. Right now, as things stood, she’d probably die much sooner than him. He’d have to go on living several lifetimes more without her.

“You!”

The shout came from fifty feet away. I knew that voice.Please, don’t let that be for me.

I kept my head down, afraid to draw attention to myself if by some miracle it wasn’t for me.

Luisca reached out, grabbing my arm. “Oh no, what happened? Why are they walking over here? Billie, what did you do?”

I looked up and saw Mason, the first bully I’d knocked out, heading toward me. He was coming in hot with company. The only positive note was that I didn’t see any pitchforks—yet.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“Billie, what happened?” Luisca said, squeezing my arm as the horde approached.

“These kids were bullying a little girl, and I chased them away from the lake in maybe a sort of unintentionally theatrical way by accident.” I looked over at Mason. “I’ve got a bad feeling the ringleader might’ve been his kid.” If the blunt nose and the bullying demeanor meant anything, there was definitely a resemblance.

I got to my feet, Luisca right at my side.

Mason walked over, waving his beefy fist in my face. “Who do you think you are to tell my kid he can’t go in the lake?”