Page 77 of Grave Consequences

I silently cursed, realizing he was instantly blaming himself. Ivan was some sort of seer. His shifter variant was only a piece of what he could do, which was why he needed a mentor. He blamed himself for my death, claimed he’d witnessed our entire team die. But I’d rewritten that snippet of fate. Maybe everything wasn’t set in stone. Would it have been kinder to spare him knowing the fates of those close to him? Or a curse since he couldn’t see a way to change things?

“We’re also digging into the facility in Florida,” Ezra added, plowing ahead with the investigation as if half of us weren’t reeling from finding out a family member was dead. “Looking for the connection between the changelings, Erlik, all the murders, and Ivan’s possible admission.”

Ivan’s head snapped up. “What?”

“A facility in Florida?” Grandpa asked. “Northgate Military Academy?”

Wade scrolled through his phone. “Yes?” He glanced up at my grandfather, then back at me. “It’s listed as a variant-only school.”

“School my ass,” Remi grumbled. “Those places are nothing but military poaching grounds for the next weapon in human form.”

Ivan’s gaze flipped to me, eyes huge.

“I’m not letting you go anywhere,” I promised him.

“We’re not,” Angel added.

Grandpa got up and hobbled over, leaning heavily on his cane, hands clenched. “Adrian tried to convince your grandmother and me to send you to Northgate,” he said, voice tight, looking at me. “When we were fighting for custody.”

I blinked. “What? Why? I wasn’t variant.” But I was. They knew I saw things. The changeling maybe. Or ghosts? I’d spent most of my life convincing myself it had all been in my head, until suddenly a zombie obeyed my command and sent my life topsy-turvy.

“Your father said it would give you direction.” Grandpa’s voice was bitter. “We didn’t know it was a variant facility. But you were doing fine. Grades okay. Not causing trouble. It was easy to prove to a judge that you were safe.” His focus shifted to Ivan. “Not a danger to yourself or others.”

“Which is the excuse Adrian Holt is using to try to commit Ivan,” Wade said.

Ivan pressed himself back into my legs like he was trying to disappear. I leaned down and pressed my face into his hair, hugging him. “You’re safe, Ivy. I promise.” I’d take him to Xavier if necessary. Even if I wanted to rearrange the guy’s face for insisting he ignore their future bond, while at the same time being enraged at fate for pairing my kid brother with some asshole demigod. Xavier would make sure no one hurt Ivan, ever. Except maybe breaking his heart.

The universe has a sick sense of humor fating him to the very man who could both make or break him.

Angel scooted over to give Grandpa room to sit down.

I didn’t remember a court battle or any mention of a military academy. I’d been sixteen, cast out for being gay. But maybe that hadn’t been it at all? The fact that I didn’t remember made me instantly wonder if that had been another memory stolen by the changeling.

How bad could it have been that it had taken it to use as fuel?

The thought curdled in my stomach. Being thrown out for my sexuality was bad enough. But what if the truth was worse? What if they’d offered me up to be some snack for a monster? Because I wasn’t normal enough for them? Because I saw things I shouldn’t?

I’d been running my entire life. Trying to find a home. A place to belong. A point to my existence. Only to discover I’d never been able to escape fate at all.