Page 89 of Of Flame and Fate
“Do you think they’ll respect me? If the time comes and they absorb me into their covens or whatever, do you think it will be okay?”
“I think you have the potential to become the rock star of your kind, just as you were in the world you created for yourself.”
He doesn’t smile. Probably because I’m not smiling either. “Is that such a bad thing?” he asks.
“Johnny, your life may have been glamour and glitz on the surface, but it came with a lot of shit few saw. Your manager, your fans, someone always wanted something from you. That won’t change if you take Destiny’s place.”
“You think the witches will use me?”
I shake my head. “No. I know they will.”
He releases a long, defeated breath.
“Genevieve isn’t so bad,” I say, trying to add a little light to all the gloom I painted. “We’re not friends, but she’s tried to rule her best according to witch law and ultimately sides with the greater good.”
“Can I trust her?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “She and Ines lead the strongest covens. But their loyalty isn’t to their Lessers or any of their kind. It’s to their ways.” I sigh. “And their ways may not necessarily be in your best interest.”
“Am I getting another Drake?”
“No, you’re getting another two,” I answer him truthfully.
I lick my lips, they’re dry and taste salty. Having not slept and barely eating is taking its toll. That doesn’t stop me from telling Johnny what he needs to hear. “Gemini told mewereshave always warred with those who threaten the earth. Yet despite the light they cast, evil continues to lurk in the shadows, growing fiercer and more formidable.” He watches me, paying close attention. “The witches and vamps sense it, too, and all agree matters have worsened over these past two decades.”
“Because of me being born?” He huffs. “That’s not my fault. I didn’t choose to come into the world, and I sure as hell didn’t cause all this darkness.”
“I know.”
It’s all I say. Although it wasn’t his intent, his presence caused a shift in the mystical world, and ultimately in the world itself. I almost had a heart-attack when I learned Johnny’s birthday. It was the exact day my sister was inflicted with a magical illness, and mere days from the first time she assumed her tigress form. Now look at her, pregnant with the first child destined to change the world. I can’t dismiss it as a coincidence. Not with all the subsequent turmoil surrounding Johnny’s presence.
“Things are bad,” I say, trying to spare him to some extent. “But it’s because they are that we need all the help we can get.” I motion behind me. “You may not be awere, but you are a witch. When . . . if Destiny dies, you’ll take her place and inherit her stardom.”
“But you don’t want me to,” he concludes.
“That’s not true. What I want is for you to keep your eyes open and realize there’s always a price for fame and glory.”
He slumps forward, weighed down with all the stress he feels. “What happens to me now?”
“If you’d like, we can summon the witches and let them know you wish to join them. But after the attack against Ines, it might be some time before they can come for you and ensure your safety.”
“Then where will I go in the meantime?” he asks. “I don’t want to go back to the cave.”
“Den,” I correct, the reference lifting my mood only slightly.
“Whatever. They hate me, Taran, and I’m not exactly crazy about them.”
A thought occurs to me. It’s not perfect but . . . “I know where you can go,” I say, reaching for my phone.
A small avalanche of rocks rolls a few feet away. I glance up to find Gemini and Bren looking none-too-pleased as I send my final text to confirm our arrival.
“I spoke with our Elders,” Gemini says. “Our Pack has acquired a suite for you at the Falcon Lodge. For your safety, you’ll be watched at all times.”
Johnny beams, but it’s not because of Gemini’s offer.
He flings his arm around me. It’s then I know we’re both in trouble. “Thanks, but no thanks,” he says. “Taran just hooked me up with the vampires . . .”
Chapter Nineteen