Cursed to the Bone

44. The Eyes Have It

In a hurry, and trying to get out of the way, I made for the exit in something of a jog. Jordan was already talking, but I didn't hear any of her words. I was too focused on escaping. Pulling the door open, I froze where I was. Lucien stood against the wall, his crimson eyes meeting mine with a hint of relief.

Normal, I reminded myself. Act normal. As I stepped out, I caught Kalino on the approach. She was fast, and thank the Goddess for that. Looking at her up close, it was more obvious that her eyes had something going on with them. There was a pale light at the center, as if she were going blind.

"You must be Vera." Kalino reached out to touch my neck. I resisted the urge to flinch away. "It's no surprise you have a feral curse. Your mind is wide-open."

"You can see it?"

"It's one of my gifts."

Interesting. I chanced a look at Lucien to find his eyes set in a squint. Goddess, he knew I was acting weird. Damn him and his perception.

"Ah." Tedric's confident steps echoed off the walls until he approached. He stopped beside Kalino with a feral smile. "You've met. Good. Head over to the library. You have maybe five minutes to chat before our guest speakers are through speaking, and then we'll begin."

Before anyone could respond, he vanished in a twirl of magic.

Five minutes to cover my curiosity felt a little short. I wanted to protest, but it seemed I'd have to take what I could get. Kalino led the way, walking on my left and looking down at me with a smile that made me feel like she could see the entirety of my soul.

Lucien stalked behind us, which only made the situation more awkward.

"You do have questions for me, don't you?"

I ran my tongue over my dry lips and slid my hands in my coat pockets. "I felt a tug on my mind when a man broke out of a Remnant."

"There's no need to be alarmed. This man who tore his way out, he was just a disturbance in the plane. It's a common thing among us."

"It's not . . . dangerous?"

"Not at all. It's like a ward trigger, you could say. You're alerted to spiritual disturbances around you. You see the Remnants, and now you feel when they're being disturbed. I feel them, myself, but I don't see what you do. I have to open a gate. Your abilities are not guaranteed to be like anyone else's."

"Then, I might never have intuition?"

Kalino laughed. "Everyone has intuition. You just don't trust yours."

Oh. I glanced behind us, keenly aware of Lucien's gaze on my back. "How do I fix that?"

"Nānā i ke Kumu." Kalino stopped us outside of the library and ruffled my hair before placing a hand over her heart. "Look to the source to find your truth. Cast aside your doubts and what-ifs, and allow your spirit to guide you."

Easier said than done, right? I reached up to fix my hair as she continued into the library. There was a tone of finality there that indicated she was done answering questions.

Lucien came to my side. "Do you intend to share why you are acting strange?"

Peering up at him, I pushed aside all of my worries and doubts. This was a man, from the beginning, I trusted, who asked for nothing and gave everything. How did I let a few what-ifs confuse everything?

"Goddess, smite me off the earth," I muttered, the realization a stab in the gut. "I trust you."

Lucien's lips curled upward and he fixed a strand of my hair. "I should hope so."