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“You have five minutes. Then I’m leaving. And I don’t want to see any of you again.”
I take over. “I understand that you’re angry, and why. But there’s so much more at play than you know. Malia, I think you have magic too and you’ve been leaking it since you came into contact with us.”
“W-What?” She shakes her head. “That’s crazy.”
“More crazy than anything else you’ve heard or told us tonight?”
She falls silent so I continue. “Malia, you’ve always been different. I don’t need to read your medical files to know that you’ve always felt like you don’t fit in. You’ve been an outcast, ostracised by your own family, and punished severely for things outside of your control. I think it’s because at the very least, you’re some sort of supernatural being. Like us. And for whatever reason, since coming to Santa Catalina – which is something of a beacon for our sort by the way – your magic has been slowly activating. Because up until now, you were raised believing you were a deeply troubled human, when that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“We think being around other supernatural beings has awakened your magic,” Reef adds.
I can tell she’s on the fence. Disbelieving because to a human our tale sounds ludicrous, but also desperately wanting to believe if only to confirm that she’s not crazy.
My heart goes out to her. I wish I could somehow make this easier for her. If she’d just drink the water!
“Look, Malia. You know we’re not real teachers, doctors or students. I told you we were on a protection mission, I just didn’t tell you that we’re from another realm, and that we’re trying to prevent our entire species from being eradicated.”
She frowns at my change of tack. “What does that have to do with me?”
“We don’t entirely know. We have theories, but nothing concrete. I’d like to wait until we know a little more before sharing our ideas with you. All I’m asking for is a little trust and a few more days. Can you give me that?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You need to stay here Malia. We can protect you best if you’re with us.”
“I don’t understand why I need protection though! If you could just explain that to me, all of this—” she waves her hands “—would be easier to digest.”
“Okay. Cards on the table? There are some bad guys hunting for someone. Hence all the murders and disappearances. There are too many coincidences surrounding you for it to be a coincidence.”
“What do you mean? What aren’t you saying?”
“Either someone is going to a lot of trouble to make it look like you’re the one committing these crimes…”
“Or?”
“Or you’re the one they’re hunting.”
Or you’re the one they’re hunting.
I swallow past the lump in my throat and will my heart to keep beating. “Who?”
“A group of rogue supernaturals called Shikari.”
Shikari.I’ve heard that word before. When they were talking at the breakfast table and I was listening on the stairs. So theyweretalking about me then.
I sit there trying to digest it all but I can’t get past the anger swirling in my gut. After all the lies… After fucking with my memories and playing with my emotions… After knowing I was vulnerable and thinking I was insane… It’s no wonder I’m raging.
Am I just going to blindly accept the tale they’re spinning me? Why Couldn’t they have just told me all of this sooner? My father, dick that he is, always said don’t trust anything you can’t see with your own eyes.
But Ididsee it with my own eyes, didn't I?
I desperately want to ask what these Shikari are like, what they do, why they’re hunting someone…possibly me. I can’t force the questions past my lips. It’s like my brain is trying to protect me from information overload. They’re all staring at me, watching me carefully for my reaction, on tenterhooks to see how this’ll go:Will she shout? Scream? Throw things? Maybe she’ll cry or slip into denial.
Fuck that. I’m not giving them the satisfaction of seeinganyreaction from me.
The silence stretches on so long it becomes awkward but I don’t care.
“You all lied to me,” I eventually say.
