Starbound (26 page)

Actually, I think they gagged on it.

I was so angry at this curse for hurting people I loved. My parents tried to be strong for me, but they fooled no one.

Later, when I lay tucked as cozily as possible in my bed, I thought of Seth. Alone, my tired mind went straight to him, and I pictured him a hundred different times. When we were just kids on the playground. Finding the clearing the first time and the thrill that quivered in our blood. Forming the circle under Seth’s guidance. Our first kiss just a few months ago. The severe feelings that filled me when he said the vow. So many memories…

The needed to hear his voice spread through me like wildfire, joining the poison coiling inside me. What a concoction. I knew, though, that if he heard my voice, he would be unable to stop from rushing to my side. And anyone who stood in his way be damned. The last thing I wanted was Seth to see me sick—to watch me die.

I wanted his last recollections of me to be happy ones, not of me frail and lifeless. I wanted him to remember me as I had looked when we had been together that night, with love shining in my eyes. I couldn’t bear to see pity, sadness, or regret in that face I cherished so much.

A quick glance at my wrist revealed that I had lost another star. Three to go. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Seth

When Kat didn’t show for class today, I knew something was wrong—horribly wrong. Honestly, I knew this morning when I had opened my tired, bloodshot eyes and saw another star was missing. She was fading from me. It sat at the pit of my gut, weighing me down.

I couldn’t swallow, filled with fear, but it did not stop my eyes from constantly seeking her out. Of course it did not help my paranoia that she wasn’t answering her damn phone. I cursed at her under my breath for scaring the ever-loving crap out of me. More than anything, I wanted to believe that she was okay, just taking a mental health day. I did not want to admit that the curse might already be working its venom on her.

I made it through three periods before I lost it. Mrs. Carson was going on and on about some kind of macroeconomics mumbo jumbo. Who really needs this crap? Certainly not me. My mind was crammed with thoughts of Kat, and I had to see her. Grabbing my books, I stood up in the middle of Mrs. Carson’s lecture and walked out. Yeah, even Zeke’s questionable scrutiny couldn’t stop me. I was a man on a mission.

“Mr. Nightingale,” she called. “Where are you going?”

I ignored her, barreling through the door. It wasn’t the first time I’d walked out on a class. The halls were empty as I all but ran from the school, my shoes echoing off the walls. I squealed out of the parking lot in a mad dash to Kat’s house, leaving behind a scorch of black marks.

She could hide under the covers if she wanted, but Kat wasn’t going to escape me forever. We were technically tied beyond the boundaries of this world. As soon as I pulled up to her house, I knew that my gut feeling had been right. Kat wasn’t okay.

The ground went topsy-turvy. My hand shot out, stabilizing myself on the hood of my car. A third star had dissolved. Knowing that the end of Kat’s life was evitable didn’t make it any less earthshattering. I had loved this one girl since I took my first breath. I was born loving her, and now she was slipping through my fingertips.

Pushing off the truck, I made it to her front door. If her parents even thought about standing in my way… Yeah, not going to happen. They were lucky I didn’t just bust in. There was nothing rational about how I was feeling right now. Patience? I didn’t have any. Sanity? Not today. Rational? Yeah bloody right.

Her mom answered the door, and it only took one glimpse to see that Kat had told her parents. Her mom’s reddish hair was disheveled, and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days. I knew the feeling all too well and imagined I looked similar. “Seth.” She sighed, dropping a shoulder against the doorframe. There was almost a relieved quality to the raw texture of her tone.

Dark shadows lined under her eyes, and seeing them made me feel small. It wasn’t that she condemned me on the spot, just the opposite, but in my head, she should have. I ran a hand through my messy hair. “I need to see her.” Pressure clamped down on my chest. If she refused…

She nodded, forcing a small smile. “Of course you do. She is in her room.”

I half expected her dad to pop out around the corner and break my nose. If it had been my daughter, I would have done a hell of a lot more to the boy who stole my little girl’s life. With a hand gripping the banister, I turned around. “I-I’m sorry that I failed. More than I could ever say.”

Kat’s mom laid a soft hand on my shoulder. “Seth, you have protected my daughter at all costs, even at the expense of your happiness. You have nothing to apologize for. I know how much you love her. Kat has always been stubborn and reckless. She told me to not let you in.”

No surprise.

“And I assume by your lack of surprise that you figured as much. I think she is afraid to let you see her. Modesty has never been one of her strong suits,” Kat’s mom finished.

“When she didn’t show up for school today, I thought…” I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

Her mom inhaled. “She is really tired. Her body is shutting down. I won’t sugarcoat it, Seth. It’s not going to be pretty, but whether she is willing to admit it or not, she needs you.”

Let’s just hope Kat came to realize that revelation. It would be easier on both of us if she did.

I stood in her doorway soaking up the sight of her. A mountain of blankets dwarfed her. Rainbows were splattered over her floor, climbing up her bed. Kat always had a thing for pretty colors and her room was a testament with its glass wind chimes and bottles. Her usual sun-kissed skin was pale and her light blue eyes were sunken. Icy fear drenched my veins.

The frame creaked under my weight, and her eyes fluttered in my direction. “Hey.” Yeah, that was all I got. Lame. There were a gazillion words flying through my head, but I couldn’t figure out how to form them without losing my shit.

She rubbed her eyes. “Seth? What are you doing here?” Her voice sounded faint and sleepy. It was sort of cute.

My lips twitched. “You didn’t show for school today, and you’ve been not so subtly ignoring my calls.”

“It was that obvious, huh?”

I crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Really, Kats? Did you honestly think that I would stay away from you?”

She combed her fingers through her hair, looking shy and self-conscious, so unlike the confident Kat I was accustomed to. “I didn’t want you to see me like this. Is that so wrong? To want you to remember me the way I was before?”

I couldn’t stop myself from touching her. My hand caressed her cheek. “You can’t believe that I am that shallow. It doesn’t matter to me. You of all people should know that what I feel for you is so much deeper than physically appearance. Don’t push me away, not now. I need you, Kats.” My voice was gruff with feelings I couldn’t control.

Her eyes glistened. “Being with you, Seth, was the greatest, happiest time of my life. I don’t regret any of it. Not for a split second. You made me feel…loved. Whole. Like I mattered. I haven’t felt like that in a very long time. And I know why now. I was missing you.”

A giant ball of emotion clogged my throat.

Each hour, every minute and second that ticked by drove me frickin’ insane. Not knowing which might be her last breath was killing me. I didn’t want her to suffer, but on the other hand, I couldn’t let her go. I couldn’t lose Kat.

Taking her small hand in mine, I stared at our joined fingers.

“Only two left,” she said with a sad smile.

Ugh. I couldn’t think about
that
without growing claws and wanting to lash out. There was a good chance I would never come to terms with this. I knew that when I left Kat today, I was going to hit something or someone. It had been a long time since I had gone looking for a fight—too long. Tonight my knuckles would get a workout. My hands flexed as if they were anticipating the need to bloody some poor sap’s lip.

At the tension escalating in my hands, Kat’s eyes narrowed. “Seth.” My name came out more like a warning.

“What?” I replied, trying to keep the gruffness from my voice. I got the don’t-play-dumb-with-me look. Man, I was going to miss her looks.

“Whatever you are thinking about doing—don’t.” Her voice was soft, even as she tried to sound stern.

I smirked. It was nice to hear that she still had spunk. “How do you know what I am thinking?”

She rolled her eyes. “I might be bedridden, but I can still sense your turmoil. Your anger is like a heat wave inside me.”

I played with her fingers. “Sorry. I’m still not used to this.” And nor would I have. She would be gone before I had the chance to really explore our link. My chest ached at the desolation.

“It makes me angry too. Sometimes when I’m by myself, I just want to throw something or hit someone.”

Knots formed in my stomach. “Hit me.”

She snorted. “Tempting.”

“Come on, Kats. I can handle it.” Yes, I was baiting her, but at least it brought a little color to her cheeks.

Her little nose twitched. “Next time I get the urge, you’ll be the first person I call.”

I rubbed her palm along my jaw. “I love you.”

She hissed, and her eyes darkened. “Ditto.”

***

Katia

I didn’t have to open my eyes to know that she had arrived. Wherever she went, she carried a warm glow, the scent of apples, and unconditional love.

It appears that when you are on your deathbed, everyone comes to say their goodbyes, but this one person I welcomed.

A genuine smile touched my lips. “Grandma,” I whispered. The sound of my scratchy voice shocked me. It had been hours since I’d spoken.

Handing me a glass of water, she gave me a tender smile with deep dimples on either side. Long gray hair was pulled back into a twisted bun at the nape of her slender neck. Crinkles appeared at the corners of her soft blue eyes.

After I took a sip of water, cooling my scorched throat, she took the glass and set it aside. “Now, tell Granny how the hell you ended up activating the curse.” Her willowy hand captured my cold one.

I laughed, then gripped my side, wincing. Laughing was out of the question for my sore muscles. Leave it to my quirky grandma to get right to the juicy points. No pleasantries about the weather or how school was going. It was what I loved most about her. She gave it to you straight, no BS. “Where to start?” I mumbled.

She angled her head, a twinkle glinting in her eyes. “Where it always starts…with a boy.”

Wasn’t that the truth?

“He’s not just any boy, Grams. He is
the
boy.”

“Seth Nightingale, I presume?”

“Mom told you.”

With a secret curl to her lips, she patted my hand. “She didn’t have to, honey. I’ve always known. It was clear from the day you two were born that you were infatuated with each other. Of course your mom and dad panicked.”

I rolled my eyes. I might be bone-tired, but I could still give some good eye action. “Why am I always the last one to know?”

“Love is blind dear.”

I snorted. “They also say love can kill.”

Nothing fazed my grandma. “And you think you are going to die?”

I lifted my brows.
Duh
. “It’s doesn’t really matter now what I think. The curse already has its claws in me.” I flipped my wrist over. The second star was barely visible. By the end of the day it would be gone.

She ran her fingers over the stars. “Ah, the family curse. She might have pierced the flesh and injected the poison breaking down your body, but your fate is still in your hands.”

I blinked. “You’re losing me. My fate was sealed the second Seth and I said the words that bound us.”

A secret glint shone in her eyes. “That is what everyone else believes, but not me.”

She had piqued my interest. My grandma might be on the peculiar side, but she was the most intuitive nixie I knew. Her instincts were always on point. If she thought there was a way to change my predestined outcome or, dare I hope, stop the curse, I owed it to her, to me, and to Seth to listen. “What do mean?” I asked. A rush of possibility warmed my core. Where the heck had the woman been a month ago? It would have save me a lot of heartache.

“Just like your parents, I had prayed this curse would never see the light of day. I made a promise to your mother about your gift, because she was afraid. The uncertainty and the unknown are scary. However much I disagreed with her decision, I kept my promise. Until today. You have a right to know, Katia. Our family has been waiting for a power like yours.”

My eyes narrowed. What she was saying was crazy. My powers were a dud. They didn’t kickass like Seth’s. They weren’t lifesaving like Elena’s. I sure as heck couldn’t manipulate people’s minds. “I don’t understand.”

She brushed the hair from my face. “You are special. The gift you were given isn’t something to snub your nose at. You have it inside you to rid our family of this curse for good.”

I held the blanket close, confused. “How is that possible?”

“You are an unweaver.”

I wracked my brain, trying to recall if I had ever read of such a thing in all those mystical books Seth had made me pore over. “Um, what does that mean?”
Please don’t let that be some kind of magickal disease.
That was the last thing I needed.

“It means that I believe you have the power to undo this curse. What the others didn’t know, or failed to realize, is that Arachne was a great weaver. It is in your bloodline, Katia. You have the cure inside you. A twist that eluded Isa when she unleashed the curse. You can undo this spell.”

Granny was off her rocker.

Yep, that was my initial reaction, and she saw it in my scrunched face. It was her raspy laugh that had me reconsidering. “Don’t dismiss the idea so quickly, love.”

My grandma wasn’t known for being a liar. Honestly, she was probably the only person who was truthful with me. So why was I having such a hard time believing this?

I contemplated what she was implying. Could I undo spells? A string of different memories came back to me. Little things I had never really second-guessed. A love spell gone awry. Faulty test taking charms. Both times I had been able to break through Zeke’s memory erasing. Every spell that had gone
oops
made me wonder if I had a hand in its failure.