Hyacinth (Book #2 in the Svatura Series)

by Abigail Owen

  She didn’t tell Ellie that she was the only one of the pack under Gideon’s control who’d actually been aware of his manipulations. Everyone else accepted Gideon’s thoughts and directives as being of their own volition. But not Selene. She knew she was being forced. And the pain of living with that awareness, of knowing the evil they were doing and her part in it, however unwillingly… that was something Selene wouldn’t make anyone else live with. Not if she could help it.

  She looked directly into Ellie’s eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

  “She’s telling the truth,” Lila’s voice sounded from the back of the room.

  Selene glanced over to see a tall girl with honey blonde hair standing by the kitchen.

  “Sorry about eavesdropping,” Lila added.

  “You’re not really sorry, are you?” Ellie asked, a small smile playing at her lips. She patted the space between her and Selene on the couch.

  “Not really.” Lila grinned, unrepentant, and moved to join them. She turned to Ellie and took her hand, letting Ellie take over her power. “Watch. The truth in her words is obvious, but it’s also in her emotions.” She turned to Selene. “Say it again. The end of it.”

  Selene repeated her story and her apology, willing to do or say anything if it helped. When she stopped, tears were silently slipping down all three of the girls’ cheeks.

  Ellie hopped up, moved around the coffee table, and wrapped her arms around Selene in a tight embrace. “I forgive you,” she whispered.

  “What is she doing here?!”

  The bitter rage in Griffin’s voice startled them. Selene’s heart sank into her stomach even as it was trying to jump out of her throat.

  Ellie left one comforting hand on Selene’s arm as she turned to her brother. “She’s not dangerous, Griffin.”

  Composed, and with all her walls back up, Selene met his gaze. No one watching her— especially Griffin—would ever guess her true feelings at that moment.

  “You don’t know that.” He glared at Selene and moved to stand directly in front of the three.

  “I do,” Ellie replied stubbornly, her chin tilting up. “Look…” She reached for his hand, but Griffin jerked out of her grasp.

  “Anything you’re seeing about her could easily be a lie,” he insisted. “Her family killed ours. And she was part of that.” Griffin shifted his intense glare from Selene to his sister. Selene could tell they were using their powers to speak to each other telepathically.

  After a few minutes of tense silence, Ellie sighed and shook her head. She turned to Selene and opened her mouth to speak, but Selene stopped her by placing a gentle hand on her arm.

  “I think I can see how things are, Ellie,” she said softly, taking care not to look at Griffin. With her free hand, she patted the hand Ellie still had on her arm. “I don’t want to cause any trouble in your family. I’ll go now.” Selene dropped her shield just for Ellie, saying into her mind, “Griffin can’t hear me. I’ll let you tell him about where I’m attending college. He needs some time to cool down first. And you don’t have to worry… If I see any of you on campus, I’ll walk the other way.”

  Ellie shook her head vehemently, but Selene couldn’t hear her thoughts since she’d already put her guards back up.

  With a small nod at Lila, Selene picked up her purse and walked out the door.

  Chapter 5

  “Griffin.”

  Through a grey swirling mist, Griffin heard Selene’s cultured voice calling his name. He realized he was dreaming.

  “Go away!” he called out to the emptiness surrounding him, as his head swiveled around looking for her.

  “Griffin, please,” she pleaded.

  He clenched his jaw. “You’re the one who controls dreams, Selene. You clear this up.”

  “I don’t control dreams, really. I just visit. Let me in, and you’ll clear it up yourself.”

  The wisps of cloud and fog drifted away. Rays of sunlight broke through. Suddenly, Griffin was standing in a field of wheat with a brilliant blue sky above him. He felt no heat or cold or breeze and saw no movement and no end to the vast golden landscape. He glanced down and realized he was clothed in casual jeans and a t-shirt—similar to what he’d worn earlier that day.

  “Well?” he prodded. “Come on. Show yourself.”

  “I’m right here.”

  Griffin spun around at the sound of Selene’s voice directly behind him. She stood placidly, adorned in a flowing, pale purple sundress that perfectly highlighted her delicate bone structure.

  Selene smiled. “Thanks for the pretty dress.” But her face froze when she caught Griffin’s hostile expression. She sighed. “Won’t you talk to me? We could always talk here… in our dreams.”

  Griffin crossed his muscular arms over his chest and scowled, attempting to disguise the fact that his silence was due in part to Selene’s unexpected beauty. “But these aren’t our dreams, are they?” he muttered. “This is you invading my dream.”

  “Mmmm…” Her grey eyes never wavered from his handsome face. “I’ve missed our conversations, Griffin. I hadn’t realized how much we used to talk until I couldn’t visit you anymore.”

  “You could’ve talked to me.”

  Selene tipped her head to the side, taking in his closed-off body language and unwelcoming expression. “Would you have even let me in? I had to yell pretty loudly to get past all your mental barriers tonight.”

  Griffin shrugged. “Probably not.”

  With a heavy sigh, he dropped his arms to his sides and made his way over to a nearby bench swing. He could’ve sworn that it hadn’t been there only seconds before, and if he had really thought about it, a swing in the middle of a field of wheat was odd. And yet, somehow, its existence seemed completely natural now.

  After a brief hesitation, Selene joined him.

  “So what do you want to talk about?” Griffin asked.

  Selene shivered and then twirled the tassel on the end of the shawl she was suddenly wrapped in.

  When’d she get that? Griffin wondered. Huh. I forgot how stuff just appears when I talk to Selene in dreams.

  “It’s probably ridiculous to ask, but would it be possible to talk like we used to? Kind of… make this neutral ground?” Selene asked in a quiet voice.

  Griffin was reluctant to admit how much that idea appealed to him. Here, where they’d been meeting for so many years, the real world didn’t exist. And he really had missed his conversations with his dream girl. Maybe they could suspend reality just for a while.

  He racked his mind for something to talk about. Something safe. “So…” Griffin lightly tapped his fingers on the silvery rock. “Ellie mentioned you’re starting college. Have you decided on a major yet?”

  “History,” she responded promptly.

  “Yeah? What do you plan to do with that?”

  “Learn something?” She grinned.

  Griffin leaned over to bump his shoulder into her. “No… really.”

  Selene shrugged. “I’m actually a little serious about that. I didn’t get a chance to experience much of the world while my brother was alive. And maybe by studying history I can learn and save myself from some mistakes others have made.”

  “So when you’re done, you’ll go back to the Vyusher?” Griffin tried really hard to keep that suspended reality mentality and not let his suspicion creep back in.

  Selene twiddled the fringe of her shawl some more. “I don’t know yet. It’s… complicated.”

  “Huh. I guess it would be.”

  “You don’t know the half of it.” Selene’s lips twisted in a bitter grimace. “I remember that you always enjoyed movies. Seen any good ones lately?”

  Griffin noticed the abrupt change in subject and decided to let it slide. “A couple. How about you? Seen any you liked?”

  “Well, I’ve been limited on time. But I’ve squeezed in one or two.” She gave him a lopsided grin.

  “Okay, here’s one for you… now that I know who and what you are
. Who in the Vyusher do you think has the coolest power?”

  Selene couldn’t conceal her shock. She hadn’t expected Griffin to want to even say their name, let alone talk about them.

  “You’re surprised?” Griffin asked.

  Selene’s eyebrows shot up. Normally people couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

  “Um… well, we don’t have anything as cool as a dragon,” she said, referring to the unique power Ellie had used to kill Gideon last year. “But we do have someone who controls the earth. He can cause earthquakes and rip giant chasms in the ground. It’s pretty terrifying, actually.”

  “Griffin,” Ellie’s voice echoed through the fields as though they were in a hollow room.

  Griffin looked around, thinking he’d see his sister standing there.

  Selene’s hand on his arm pulled his attention back to her. “She’s calling for you. I guess you should wake up now.”

  His mouth fell into a slight frown. He didn’t want to leave this place… or her. “Okay.”

  The grey mist started to intrude on their golden field. As the images started to blur and disappear, he heard a soft voice whisper, “Thanks for letting me in, Griffin.”

  Jerking awake, he sat up and found himself back in his own room with Ellie calling from the other side of his bedroom door. As the feel of the dream receded and reality came crashing back, so did Griffin’s earlier bitterness. He flopped back on the bed with a huff and flung his arm over his eyes.

  “What the hell was I thinking!?”

  Chapter 6

  Griffin stood beside a tree and gritted his teeth. Across the campus quad, Selene was headed toward a bench, clearly planning on taking advantage of the lovely weather. It’d been over a month since she’d visited him in the dream. He hadn’t let her in again, even though she’d tried twice more. Other than that, she’d stayed true to her word and hadn’t contacted any of them.

  Griffin hadn’t left it at that. His hostility toward Selene refused to go away. She’d managed to block his mind reading, so he had to use other methods to keep tabs on her. He’d hacked into the school computer system and pulled her class schedule. He’d then made sure to align his classes so that he could stay close by and keep an eye on her without being too obvious.

  After the first day of school, he’d shifted into the falcon form he sometimes borrowed from Ellie. The twins had a link that allowed them to access each other’s powers. One of Ellie’s was the ability to morph into several different animals. The only one he’d ever been able to master was the falcon.

  He’d followed Selene to see where she lived and found she’d rented a small apartment in Estes Park. That alone worried him. Why hadn’t she just rented a place in Fort Collins, closer to the school? But no, she’d decided to remain close to his family. Too close.

  A small part of him felt guilty for stalking her, invading her privacy like this. But a bigger part felt that Selene was not to be trusted, despite what his overly-optimistic twin insisted.

  Griffin had perched himself in a tree outside her apartment. Selene had quite thoughtfully left the blinds open, so he had a perfect view of the apparition of the man who’d appeared in her living room. Life-sized and ghost-like in a weirdly transparent way… but definitely there. And Selene had talked to him.

  He couldn’t hear her telepathically. Ellie had told him that Selene had the ability to actually block others’ powers that were being used directly against her—not just turn them off. He could hear other people’s thoughts in the area, so he knew she was blocking him specifically. She was using her power against him, and that was just another cause for concern.

  Despite the advantage of his falcon’s hearing, with the door closed to her balcony, he hadn’t been able to listen to the conversation. But what was evident, at least to Griffin, was that Selene wasn’t as alone as she’d led Ellie to believe. She continued to hide things from them. Deceit remained at the heart of who she was. Griffin was sure of it.

  *****

  Selene settled herself on the bench and pulled her history book and a highlighter out of her backpack. She tipped her head back, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the sensation of the warm sun on her face and the light breeze ruffling her hair. She’d lived much further north most of her life, and beautiful weather like this was a rare treat for her. She intended to make the most of it, studying outside as much as possible when she wasn’t in class.

  She opened her eyes and blankly stared at her book, not seeing the pages, her mind miles away. Oren had visited her last night, using his astral-projection to appear in his specter-like form. Selene ran through their brief conversation for what must’ve been the hundredth time that day.

  She’d been in her bedroom studying when she heard the familiar “My Lady” coming from the living room. She finished washing her face and then went to find him. Selene hadn’t been too surprised to see Oren standing there. Of all the Vyusher, she was closest to him. He’d guided her through her childhood the best he could, despite Gideon’s constant manipulations.

  “Hi, Oren.”

  He gave her a small, respectful bow. “I just wanted to check on you. Make sure you’re happily settled in.”

  Selene smiled. Happy was a subjective term. “I’m fine. All set in my apartment. Thank you for arranging it so quickly for me, by the way. It’s perfect.” She waved a general hand at the charming space.

  “How are your classes progressing?” he asked.

  “Very interesting so far. I decided to major in history.”

  “You always did enjoy a good story,” Oren recalled fondly. “When you were a little girl, you would beg me to tell you the story of Sleeping Beauty over and over again.”

  Selene chuckled at the memory. “How is everything there?” she asked after a moment’s hesitation.

  Oren paused, an earnest look on his time-wizened face. “There is unrest and confusion among the Vyusher. I know you feel leaving was the right thing to do—”

  “I know it was the right thing, Oren,” she insisted. I may be more a danger to them than a help.

  Oren had looked as if he’d wanted to say more but had merely nodded, accepting that Selene knew what was best. “There are rumors that you left because you are ashamed of the Vyusher. And there is infighting among the Council about who should lead in your place.”

  Selene looked down and tucked a strand of pale hair behind her ear. “You know my views on that. As long as Xavier isn’t selected, the Vyusher should be fine.”

  “How about Dez?”

  Selene pursed her lips. “Desmond’s smart. He knows how to handle political situations. He’s highly ranked, so the Vyusher would accept him.”

  “Yes, but is he committed enough?”

  Selene shrugged. “I know it seems as if he takes nothing seriously.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Oren muttered.

  “But I think that’s not who he is. I think he would make an excellent king, actually.”

  “And his father?”

  “Gives weight to his claim. But Desmond won’t give in to anyone, if that’s what you’re thinking. He can stand on his own two feet,” Selene said, her chin tipping up.

  “I know you two have become… well… friendly. Especially over the last year or so. But are you sure?” Oren asked, his skepticism clear.

  Selene nodded. “Positive. But if you’re unconvinced, ask Monica what she thinks.” Monica was a Vyusher with the ability to determine if someone possessed a good innate character or not, similar to the powers of the Jenner females, especially Adelaide’s.

  Oren shook his head. “No, My Lady, I am confident in your assessment. I still intend to try to hold off an official replacement for you until after you’ve completed college. Four years is a relatively short period of time. But if I can’t, I will back Desmond with your permission.”

  Selene’s eyes warmed. “You have it. Thank you, my friend.”

  The conversation had ended shortly after, as Oren’s form wavered and t
hen disappeared. But Selene couldn’t get the exchange out of her mind. Although she’d endorsed Desmond to Oren, a part of her didn’t want to give up her right to rule. She absolutely despised politics, but she didn’t want to abandon her people, either. She knew she needed to do something…. She just wasn’t sure what exactly.

  Chapter 7

  Selene pushed aside the memory of her visit with Oren and tried to focus on her history book. Only a few paragraphs into her reading, her cell phone rang.

  Speak of the devil, she thought as she noticed the caller ID. “Hello, Desmond,” she greeted.

  “So, you have my phone number programmed in already,” he teased.

  Selene chuckled. “I believe all of the higher-ranked Vyusher are programmed in this phone,” she said. “Oren gave it to me.”

  “And here I thought I was special.” He pretended to be hurt, and she could just picture his hand over his heart. Selene rolled her eyes.

  “Can I help you with something, Desmond?”

  “Dez,” he automatically corrected. “So have you decided to come home yet?”

  “I only just started classes a few weeks ago,” she reminded him.

  “Hmmm. Have you spoken with Oren lately?”

  Selene wasn’t fooled by his attempted nonchalance. “Quite recently. Why?”

  “So you know about the bids to replace you?”

  Selene sat up straighter, her eyes narrowed. “He mentioned it.”

  “And you still refuse to come home?” For the first time, genuine concern and something like disapproval sounded in Desmond’s voice.

  “I have many reasons for being where I am, Desmond.”

  “I understand that, Selene, but—”

  “No, you don’t,” she cut him off. “And I don’t intend to explain myself to you.”

  “Of course not…Princess.”

  Selene regretted her harsh tone, but it’d been necessary. “I told Oren that if it came down to it, he should endorse you as king.”

  Shocked silence.