Page 61 of Hidden

“She said she would change the nature of their contract. That it would save his life.”

Miles’s grip tightened over my own, and his next words were wary. “She wanted to change his contract?”

I nodded. “She called me Mu. I didn’t know what it meant. She said it would work.” Why did I feel so guilty telling them this?

Bryce and Brayden were still beside me, but it was Miles who broke the heavy silence. His voice sounded like a dream. Or maybe that was the ringing in my ears. “Let me guess. She asked you to become her energy source, and you said yes.” There wasn’t even a question in his tone.

“I didn’t want him to die,” I whispered. “He was my first friend.”

The deafening atmosphere lasted a moment longer, then Brayden’s panicked tones broke through the air. My eyes shot to him—he was pale, and his hands were shaking. And he was looking at Miles. “What should we do?”

“What happened after that?” Bryce hooked his finger under my chin and turned my focus to him. “This is important.”

“I passed out and woke up in the hospital…” I glanced between him and Miles, who seemed to be deep in thought. “That’s when I met Dr. Reed.”

“That’s when youmether?” Miles interjected this time, his tone incredulous. The blank expression was slowly giving way to anger. “You never met her before that?”

“No. There was another lady there, too, but I don’t know who she was.” I frowned, pulling my hand away from his. I touched my fingers together in my lap. I didn’t understand, everything had turned out fine. “I didn’t remember what happened. They told me I had a heart attack. Dr. Reed was angry at my parents for not bringing me in earlier, but I’m not sure…”

Miles expression grew darker, and I could no longer ignore it.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Did I break some kind of rule?”

“The bond between a shikigami and an onmyoji is meant to be between the two of themonly,” Miles said. There was something ancient about the way he held himself suddenly. “It was one of Huo’s first laws and is the most strictly enforced. Technically, a shikigami can remain on Earth by surviving on anyone’s energy. But that would expand the bond into a three, or more, way connection. It is dangerous and unethical to practice, and in every case has always caused the energy source to die. It is practiced when power-hungry onmyoji contract with a shikigami they cannot control. The relationship between a shikigami and onmyoji must be balanced. In most cases, the onmyoji can sustain the connection with his own life-force. There is no need for another energy source.”

My pulse pounded in my ears. It was true. I had done something terrible.

“Anyone who breaks that law is punished, then put to death,” Miles continued, his eyes holding mine. “Huo would eventually destroy the shikigami, but only after decades of torture and isolation. Shui acts on behalf of the victim and punishes the onmyoji. It’s his responsibility to control Fire elementals.”

“Julian and Damen would?” It was hard to breathe. “But that’s not fair. Finn didn’t know what was happening. I did it on my own!”

Miles raised his eyebrow. “I got that impression. Where was he?”

“I stayed behind for my speech lessons. Finn went home.” My hands were shaking again, and I clasped them in my lap. “When she talked to me, she said he’d be unhappy.” I glanced at him. “Why would the newly bonded person die?”

Miles’s lips thinned. “Shikigami exist in another realm. It is different there, and only those of the Fire element are compatible with that kind of connection. To anyone else, the energy required to forge the bond would feel like fire. Depending on how strong that person was, it could last minutes to hours while their energy is being used. But it always ends in death.”

“I’m not dead,” I pointed out, trying to think optimistically. “And I’ve felt it before… Maybe that’s not what happened this time?”

“No, it makes sense.” Damen’s voice suddenly cut through the space, causing the three men around me to jump. His voice was colder than anything I’d heard from him before, and I spun in my seat toward him. “We’ve never had someone survive long enough to know what long-term effect there might be. But now that we know the cause, it’s fairly obvious.”

My throat closed. Julian and Damen stood across the room next to an entrance I hadn’t even noticed. Their expressions were murderous, and focused entirely on me.

Chapter Thirteen

Bianca

Questions

Brayden broke the silence. “What long-term effects? It won’t stop with the initial bond?”

Neither boy looked away from me, even as Damen responded. “The connection between the three of them won’t just go away.” Damen pulled out his phone. “One moment…”

Bryce shot Damen a started look, and his expression morphed into wariness. “Are you calling Finn herenow? Should we contact Maria and Jin? If you’re doing something, the whole group should be present—”

“No.” My heart raced with panic. Their faces filled me with dread, and before I realized it, I stood in front of them. I’d raised my hands, my gaze remained locked on their surprised expressions.

“Don’t be mad at Finn,” I pleaded. This one hadn’t been his fault. “It really wasn’t—”