Page 18

18

T HE NEXT MORNING I HAD a package.

There was no return address on the nondescript box, only my name in neat cursive across the front. I opened it, and nested inside among copious amounts of bubble wrap was a brand-new phone with an uncracked screen. I fished a card out from the bottom of the package, flipped it over, and then froze.

From the Shady Hallow Coven of Witches I was stuck. Because every time I looked at her, I could only see vision-Juana dead in a field, her light brown skin splattered with blood.

“Cam?”

Mateo’s voice startled me. He had come from another door nearby and stood in front of me. Kaci was just over his shoulder.

“Hi,” I said, my voice barely a breath.

Mateo’s brow furrowed in worry. He reached out to touch me, but I flinched violently away, my elbow knocking into the doorknob, a flare of nerve pain shooting down my arm into my fingers. Mateo’s mouth pinched. “Are you okay?”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Kaci said lightly. “I would know.”

“I…” I licked my lips. “I have to go.”

I spun on my heel, pushed the screen door open, and tumbled onto the front porch.

“Cam!”

“I’m sorry!” I scrambled to my feet and held up my hands. “Sorry.”

Mateo followed. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m sorry. I just… have to go. Sorry.”

Then I ran. I didn’t know why I ran, but my brain just screamed at me to go, to run, to get away from the girl flashing across my mind’s eye. So I turned and bolted, my shoes slapping against the pavement of the driveway and then the asphalt of the street. A collective of voices yelled something behind me, but I didn’t hear them over my pulse thudding in my ears and my own jagged breath.

My legs pumped. My heart threatened to burst from behind my ribs. My chest heaved as I tried to suck in air, but it was like trying to breathe through a straw.

Holy shit. Mateo’s favorite cousin was the girl I’d seen murdered.

My jacket flared behind me. My eyes blurred with tears, but I kept going until I’d made it a few blocks away in the quiet neighborhood.

Then I allowed my body to slow, and I stumbled to a stop at a corner with a large tree shading the area. I staggered to it, my legs giving out now that I had stopped. Falling to my knees in the grass, I felt the giant, snaking tree roots knocking hard against my kneecaps and the heels of my hands. I sank my fingers into the soil, trying to ground myself, but the images of that glimpse flashed behind my eyelids, across the canvas of my thoughts, like a grotesque painting in the blues and grays of the night and the red, red, red of her blood. My ears reverberated with her pained pleas, and the smell of the rain mixed with sulfur burned in my nose.

Without thinking, I reached into my pocket and yanked out my phone.

I hit the first saved contact of my list, the only person who I could think of while in the middle of this crisis, the only person I wanted to hear from.

“Cam?” Al’s voice came over the speaker. “I’m kind of in the middle of—”

“I found her,” I said in a tone bordering on hysterical, my words thick with tears and terror. “I found her, Al. I found the girl.”

“Cam? Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“The girl from the glimpse. I know who she is. I met her. And I can’t—” Tears spilled down my cheeks. “I can’t—” I choked on air. I couldn’t catch my breath. Every inhale was a struggle, and every exhale was a sputtered wet mess. Against my ear I could hear the notifications of texts piling up, probably from Mateo and Kaci and Gemma, but I ignored them.

“You’re scaring me, Cam. Okay? I need you to take a breath. Can you do that?”

I tried, but my lungs hitched, the air stuttering through them. “Al,” I said, my fingers clenched in the earth, the knees of my jeans torn and dirty where I’d all but fallen. “I can’t. I need…” Help , but I couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Where are you? Can you tell me where you are?”

I opened my eyes, not realizing I’d closed them, the sunlight still blinding despite the shade of the tree, the rays piercing through the canopy of red and orange leaves above me.

“I’m in a neighborhood. Mateo’s neighborhood.”

“Okay. What street?”

I swiveled my head and found a sign marking the cross street.

“Moon View Lane and Howl Road.”

Al muttered under their breath. “Okay. Got it. Stay right there. I am on my way.”

I nodded, then realized they couldn’t see me. “Okay,” I said.

“Good. Stay on the phone. You don’t need to say anything, but don’t hang up. I’m coming to you.”

“Thank you,” I wheezed.

My hand dropped to the ground, but I kept my phone gripped in my fingers. I managed to hit the speaker button so I could hear Al’s stream of conversation as they readied and left the house. The familiar sound of a chain and spokes and tires on asphalt filled my head, replacing the sounds of the glimpse that had been looping in my brain.

“Okay. I’ve left. I’m not as good at biking as you are. So ten more minutes. How are you doing, Cam?”

I swallowed. My throat was dry. My face was smeared with tears and dirt from my fingers. But at least I could take a breath, though everything was still tight. “Okay,” I rasped.

“Good. Just relax. I’ll be right there.”

I leaned my head back against the tree and closed my eyes again. My hair caught on the scratchy bark. There was a soft breeze, which cooled the sweat at my temples and the back of my neck. I shivered. The air had turned slightly colder as the calendar tumbled toward autumn. Tear tracks lined my face. I had dirt on the knees of my jeans, but I couldn’t muster the energy to care about anything beyond Juana falling, lifeless, in the field.

As my adrenaline crashed, I floated in a blank space, my body not feeling like my own, my bones too big and too small all at once, my frame unable to contain all the things tumbling inside me, too delicate to carry it all.

The rumble of an engine and the squeal of brakes broke through my haze.

“Cam!” That was Gemma.

A door opened, then slammed. Multiple pairs of shoes smacked against the sidewalk.

“Cam!” And that was Kaci.

“Don’t touch him,” Mateo said as Kaci dropped to my side.

“Cam,” Kaci said again, her voice soft and low. “Are you hurt?”

I pried my eyes open. There was an unfamiliar car stopped at the intersection, and the smell of exhaust billowed toward us, turning my stomach. Juana stood at the door on the driver’s side. The windows were rolled all the way down, and a ’90s pop song vibrated out the open doors.

“I’m fine,” I said, which was such an apparent lie that all four of them frowned at me in unison. I licked my lips and tried again. “Okay. I’m not fine, but”—I glanced at Juana—“I don’t want an audience.”

Mateo understood. Of course he did. He was as kind and perceptive as he was handsome. He turned. “Juana, can you go to the house and let them know we’re okay? We’ll be along in a bit.”

Juana hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. He’s fine.”

“Okay,” she said, hesitating.

Gemma, who had been staring wide-eyed, quickly went to the car and shut the open doors. “All set. Thanks for the ride, Juana.”

“You’re welcome,” Juana said before sliding into the car. She made a U-turn in the middle of the road and drove back down the street.

“Cam!”

I whipped my head around. Al slid to a halt and jumped off their bike. It rattled when it hit the ground, and they tripped as it caught their trouser leg, but they righted quickly. I pushed off the tree, my knees trembling as I stood.

Al didn’t stop. They rammed into me, wrapping their arms around me in a tight embrace. I squeezed back, not caring if accidentally touching their skin launched me into a glimpse right then and there; I just needed them. I buried my face in their shoulder and shook.

“It’s okay. I’m here.”

They held on as I fell to pieces.

We sank to the ground in a heap of arms and legs. And I sobbed. I couldn’t help it. In the beginning I’d clung to the hope that the glimpse had been a hallucination, and then I’d shifted to hoping it was a false future. Then, when I’d gone three for three, I’d pushed it to the recesses of my mind because I’d had other things to address. But I couldn’t run away from it anymore. Confronted with the actual person involved, knowing she was indeed real and alive and part of Mateo’s family, broke something inside me.

The floodgates opened, and all the stress from the past few weeks came gushing out. I didn’t want it. I didn’t want this power. I didn’t want this knowledge. And I had pushed toward the verification to spite my parents, to spite Al, to spite anyone who’d thought I was nothing but a fake. And it had been for the wrong reasons. But I couldn’t back down now. I couldn’t take it all back. I was stuck. Stuck with an image of a dead girl in my head. Stuck wearing gloves because I couldn’t touch anyone’s bare skin without my ability activating. Stuck with always being wary of people who might want to use my glimpses for their own gain. And I couldn’t handle it.

Al didn’t offer any placating words, because they knew there were none. They merely held on, and that was what I needed.

After what felt like a lifetime, I managed to calm down.

A delicate clearing of the throat followed.

“Um…,” Gemma said. “What was that?”

“I think what Gemma means to say,” Kaci said, with an elbow to Gemma’s arm, “is, are you okay, Cam?”

Gemma made an O with her mouth. “Yes. Are you okay? What was that?”

Kaci rolled her eyes.

But it drew a chuckle from me, and I pulled away from Al’s shoulder and swiped at my wet cheeks. “I… uh… I…”

“You don’t have to tell us.” Mateo stood off to the side, his arms crossed, concern radiating from him as his gaze flickered between me and where Al sat at my side. “If you don’t want to.”

And oh, my heart ached . I had to tell him. I had to tell all of them. But not yet. I didn’t want to ruin Juana’s day.

I stood and brushed the dirt and bracken from my clothes, then wiped my face with my sleeve. I’m sure I looked like a complete mess. “I’ll tell you. Just not right now. Let’s go enjoy the party.”

“Are you sure?” Mateo dropped his arms. “If you’re uncomfortable around my family, then—”

Wait. What? “No!” I shouted, my stomach sinking at the thought that Mateo believed I was afraid. Of his family. Of him. “No. That’s not it. At all. Sorry if I gave you that impression.”

Gemma cocked her head to the side. “You ran away and cried. What else should we think?”

“Not that !”

Al stood beside me. They had a stain on their shirt. And dirt on their pants. I winced as they attempted in vain to wipe it all off. They must not have mastered the stain removal spell yet.

“Then what?” Gemma demanded. “I don’t understand.”

Al raised an eyebrow and tossed their curly hair over their shoulder. “You don’t need to. Not right now.”

Gemma nodded. “Right. Fine. I’m glad you’re okay, Cam.”

“Thanks.”

“Well,” Al said, hands on their hips. “I’m going to go home.”

“No,” I said it so quickly, so desperately, that I hadn’t realized I had said it until Al turned toward me. I looked to Mateo. “Can Al come to the party?”

“Of course.”

Al raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? I’m a witch. Isn’t this your”—they gestured toward me—“attempt to, like, woo him to your side?”

My middle fluttered at the term “woo” despite completely knowing that was not the connotation Al meant, but I was a teenage boy with a crush who’d just had a breakdown. I could focus on the silly things if I wanted to.

Mateo shook his head. “It’s a party for my cousin. Besides, Kaci is a psychic.”

Kaci’s hand shot in the air. “I am a psychic. I’m a medium. Not all psychics are mediums, but all mediums are psychics.” She smiled. “And I’m always welcome at Mateo’s house. Even though I picked out Cam’s gift from the Psychic Guild.”

Al and I shared an amused glance.

“Okay, then,” they said with a sigh. “As long as Mateo doesn’t mind. Let’s go.”

Al picked up their bike, and the group of us walked back to the Lopez home.

I forced a smile throughout the whole affair.

Danny and Javi were, well, Danny and Javi, roughhousing, making loud jokes, and devouring everything in sight, which made Juana and Kaci laugh and their parents admonish them. They even took turns showing off their werewolf powers. Danny grew large furry ears that twitched on the top of his head, and Javi used sharp claws to open a soda can. Mateo stiffened at their teasing as they dared him to try to grow a tail, but Juana stepped in quickly to defuse the situation.

She was so sweet and kind, ensuring that I was okay amid the chaos of the community of werewolves. I white-knuckled my way through each interaction with her. Even though her makeup was perfect, and she was dressed in trendy clothes, and her smile was genuine, I couldn’t help but see her as I had in my vision—her brown skin covered in blood, her clothes ripped and dirty, and her expression contorted in pain and fear. Mateo’s parents were equally nice, though I could tell they were sizing me up along with Al and Gemma during the party. They asked a few questions about my ability, the glimpses I’d had to that point—I carefully omitted the first one—and if I’d met any of the other factions yet. Gemma took the lead for most of the conversation, speaking confidently and professionally. Thankfully, they didn’t ask me to prove it. Which was nice.

Mateo didn’t hover, per se, but he didn’t stray far from my elbow, and whenever he did, he would come back within a few minutes, asking me if I was okay.

It was endearing.

By the time the party wrapped up, I was exhausted. Gemma texted Val, and the group of us wandered to the front steps by the street.

“Thanks for inviting us,” I said to Mateo as Gemma, Al, and Kaci walked farther along the driveway to where Al had parked their bike. “Sorry about earlier. Juana is really nice. I see why she’s your favorite.”

Mateo smiled softly. “Don’t tell Javi and Danny. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“No worries.” I nudged his shoulder with my own, which was like hitting a warm brick. “Your secret is safe with me.”

The soda can Mateo held in his hand burst open as his fingernails suddenly grew into claws.

Mateo squeaked in embarrassment. The can crumpled in his hand. “Sorry!” he said as soda sprayed across my jeans.

I smiled widely and shrugged. “No worries, Mateo. The soda really just adds to the aesthetic of my already grungy look.”

He laughed in surprise, a burst of sound that was not at all like the usually reserved Mateo. I beamed in response.

“Glad to be of help, then,” he said evenly as he gently retracted his claws from the crumpled can.

“I hate to be that person,” Gemma yelled, interrupting our shared moment of levity. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “But our ride is almost here, and we need to talk before we go.”

I sighed. Mateo and I left the porch and joined the others at the edge of the pavement.

“Are you going to reveal what that was earlier?” Gemma asked.

Al and I exchanged a glance.

“Tomorrow,” I said after checking the weather app on my phone, just in case. “At Drip. At ten.”

Kaci clasped her hands. “Are you sure, Cam? You don’t have to tell us.”

“I do, actually. But tomorrow.”

Val roared to a stop just in time to cut off any further questions. Gemma and I climbed into her car, and while Gemma leaned out of the window, yelling and waving to the others as Val pulled away, I basked in the fondness of Mateo’s expression. Because I was sure he would hate me once I told him that his favorite cousin was going to die.