by Grace White
“There you are.” Poppy’s voice cut through the tension between us, and I glanced over at her bounding toward me. “Oh, it’s you,” she said, noticing Kai.
“Poppy.” My eyes widened, hoping to convey that we were in the middle of something, but it was too late. Kai was already walking away.
“What was that about?” she asked, but I couldn’t take my eyes off his disappearing form.
“I have no idea,” I whispered.
“Finally,” I murmured to myself as I entered the house. School had been exhausting; a reminder of why I’d always preferred the quiet life.
“Oh, look, it’s prophecy girl.” Devlin sneered as I entered the kitchen.
“Devlin.” I sighed, dropping my bag to the floor. I didn’t want to do this, not with her. Not after the day I’d had.
“Geez, lighten up.” She jumped off the counter and bounded toward me. “Everyone’s so serious these days.” She leaned around me and helped herself to an apple, taking a bite.
I glared at her, my jaw clenching. She wanted to engage me. To what end, I didn’t know, but I didn’t have the energy for it. “Drop it, Devlin. I’ve had a rough day.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Perfect Daiya with her perfect life and perfect boyfriend.”
My gaze fell away, and I regretted it immediately.
“Oh my god, he dumped you, didn’t he?”
Tears burned the back of my eyes as I pushed past her and made my way to my room while her voice chased me through the house. “You’re just another girl suffering at the hands of another jerk who can’t keep his dick in his pants. They’re all the same, little sister. All the same.”
Pausing at the staircase, I swung around and glared at her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Kai’s not like th—”
Devlin threw her hands up. “Oh, for the love of. You are so naïve. Guys are all the same, Daiya. They want one thing, sex. It is always about sex.” She held my unwavering stare. “Did you give it up to him? Did he tell you he loved you, and you opened your legs like a good little—”
The crack of my hand against her cheek echoed through the hallway, and we stood there with our eyes locked on one another’s. An apology rushed to the tip of my tongue, but Devlin beat me to it. “Well, well, I didn’t think you had it in you. Or maybe it was your demon.” Devlin tilted her head, observing me. “Either way, you’re going to need a hell of a lot more where that came from if you really are who they say you are.”
I blinked, and then she was gone. And I was alone.
“Where are you?” I whisper into the cool air, swirling my fingers in the lake lazily.
“I’m right here, Daiya. I’m always here.”
My body jolts with surprise as I glance over my shoulder to find Kai standing there.
My Kai.
“You’re here? It’s you?”
“Who else would it be?” He smiles, offering me his hand, and I take it, every part, every little piece of me savoring the small touch. I’ve missed this—more than I want to admit.
Kai sweeps me into his arms and stares down at me, and I feel his love—or at least, I want to believe it’s his love—wrap around me, anchoring us together. “I’ve missed you.”
I blanch, ducking my head into the crook of his neck. He knows he misses me, but he doesn’t remember why. He doesn’t remember that I’m the reason, and it hurts my heart.
“Hey, hey, look at me.” His fingers graze my chin, forcing me to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
My eyes shutter as I inhale a sharp breath.
“Daiya, talk to me.”
“I- I’m glad you’re here.”
His eyebrows bunch together, and I see the doubt in his eyes, but then he smiles again. “You’re so cute sometimes.” Kai leans in, brushing his lips over mine, but something’s wrong. I didn’t notice it before, surprised to find him here, but I can feel it in his kiss. His hands slide up my arms and disappear into my hair, his grip tighter than usual. Harsher.
“Kai?” There’s no hiding the quiver in my voice.
But he doesn’t answer, kissing me again; this time deeper with need radiating from him. The demon responds, forcing my arms around him until I’m clinging to him, never wanting to let go. A war rages inside me. I want this—the demon wants this—but it can’t be like this. Not here, not now, in the garden of our dreams. Out there, in the real world, Kai needs space. And as much as it kills me, I need to give it to him.
But it’s impossible to let go. The demon won’t let me. Some part of me won’t let me. I kiss him back until we’re pressed so close together I don’t know where Kai ends and I begin. Heat radiates through us, the flames licking my skin. It’s never been like this before, not in here. Kai’s body begins to vibrate; I can feel it through my chest, and then he rips himself away from me, staring at me with horror shining in his eyes. “What’s wrong with me, Daiya? What’s happening to me?” His whole body is trembling, and I reach out to him, but my hand disappears through him as his form begins to flicker.
“Daiya, help me,” he calls as I stand there unable to do anything.
And then he’s gone.
KAI
“Kai? Can I come in?” Mom’s voice filtered through the door.
“I’m sick.” I coughed for effect. I wasn’t sick, but I didn’t feel like myself. I’d barely slept as my head pounded like I’d been drinking all night.
“Kai.” The door opened, and her head peeked inside. “Laker called me. Should I be worried?” Mom slipped inside, closing the door behind her. I groaned ‘traitor’ and pulled the pillow from behind my head to cover my face.
“Kai, we need to talk.”
“I’m sick.” My voice was muffled, but then she was there, gently tugging the pillow away.
“He said you and Daiya broke up? Is that what this is all about?”
I shrugged, focusing on the ceiling.
“Kai, come on, this is me. We talk about everything. What’s going on in that head of yours? You haven’t been yourself for days.” She backed away, taking a seat on my desk chair.
“How did Dad know we were in Decker County?” I asked, changing the subject. She wanted to talk, fine, but Daiya was not an option. Not right now.
“You want to talk about your father?” Her eyebrows furrowed, and I nodded. “Okay. I told him.”
“What did you say?” I already knew—Isaac had told me—but hearing her say it was different. I guess a part of me had hoped he was just trying to rattle my cage. I sat up, kicking my legs over the side of the bed.
Mom held out her hands. “There’s a lot you don’t understand.”
“So it would seem.” My head pulsated, and I clutched the back of my neck.
“Kai.” She sighed. “When your father left, I was devastated, but it wasn’t for me. It was for the little boy who just wanted his dad around to watch him play hockey. Our marriage was over long before he left, but watching you try to understand why he left broke my heart.”
“Mom …” I didn’t need to hear this. I’d lived it. I could remember every game he missed. Every hour I spent waiting at the window, hoping he would show.
“No sweetie, you need to hear this. It’s time. Your father didn’t just up and disappear.”
He didn’t? I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. This was new.
“There are some things that only he can explain. But know this, he left because he thought it was the best thing”—she hesitated—“for you. But he always kept in touch.”
My head was spinning. None of this made sense. None of it. It felt like waking up from a dream and only being able to piece together murky images.
“But you were so upset when he turned up?” I’d consoled her. I’d been there watching her break down.
“Because I want to protect you, Kai. I have watched you grow into a kind, determined young man, but you will always be my baby. And I just wanted to protect you. I will always try to protect you.”
�
�I don’t understand, Mom,” I said. “You’re not making any sense.”
She smiled sadly. “Talk to him. Isaac isn’t going anywhere until you talk with him. Please just remember that I only ever wanted to protect you.” Mom stood and came over to me, placing a hand on my cheek. “I love you, Kai. I will always love you, no matter what.”
And then she was gone.
I dropped back onto my mattress as her revelations swam around my head. All this time, she’d been in contact with Dad. And she only thought to tell me that now. Why? I closed my eyes, unable to concentrate as the weight of her words pressed down on me. The questions came thick and fast, flooding my mind like a tsunami. Only one stood out of the torrent.
Was it all connected?
“What the hell, man?”
I held the cell phone away from my ear, the frustration in Laker’s voice rubbing against the constant pounding in my head.
“You’re blowing off practice. Coach will shit a brick.”
“I’m sick, and it’s Saturday. Cut me some slack.”
“You’re a pussy. So the thing with Tamara got out of hand; you know how quickly rumors go around school. People eat that shit up.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sick of it. This is my life, Laker, my life. And Daiya—”
“Daiya what? It’s over, right? Because if it’s not over, grow a pair and talk to her. Seriously, you need to man up and make up your mind.”
“Like you have with Myers.”
“Not the same. I’m not in love with Po- Myers. She’s no one to me, but Daiya is someone to you. I can see that now. So work it out because your whole future is on the line, and it’s killing me to watch you throw it all away because of—”
“You don’t understand.”
“You’re right; I don’t. What was that at the house the other night, Kai? Going all hulk on Joel and then blacking out. Don’t try to deny it either because I saw it. One minute, you were all psycho, and the next, you crashed. If I didn’t know better, which I do, I’d say you were using.”
“I’m choosing to ignore that.” Laker knew I would never use, ever. “I’m fine,” I insisted. I had no other explanation.
“Fine?” He let out a sardonic laugh. “Well, you’d better get your fine ass back to school Monday. We have games to win, and you have scouts to impress.”
Laker hung up, and I clutched the cell phone in my hand. It happened so fast; I didn’t even know I’d thrown it until the pieces crashed to the floor.
“Kai? Sweetie? Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I yelled, my eyes locked on the dead cell phone. “I’m going to take a shower then hit the sack.”
Her inaudible reply filtered through the room. She was right. They all were. My future was slipping between my fingers. But I couldn’t douse the flames that burned from discovering the truth—that Daiya knew my father.
I yanked the t-shirt over my head and kicked out of my track pants, stepping into the shower. The cold spray of the water did little to ease the molten lava that had replaced my blood. My head pressed against the cool tiles, and I inhaled deeply, fighting the rage and pushing it back to wherever it had come from.
I sat up with a start, my heart thumping in my chest, but oddly, I felt a sense of comfort.
What was that?
My eyes squinted against the darkness as I tried to recall the dream. Daiya was there, dressed in a long white gown with her hair braided off her face. And there was water, the constant trickle of water, as we walked through the garden. I could picture it; luscious green grass and brightly colored flowers in full bloom. Daiya had picked a peony and delicately threaded it into her braid. I’d smelled it before looping my arms around her and kissing her. I brought a finger to my lip, still able to taste her. Impossible. It was just a …
“If only you could remember,” she’d whispered right before it all faded away.
Did she mean …
No!
It wasn’t possible.
Yet slowly, another piece of the puzzle began to slot into place. Like a floodgate opening, the memories came thick and fast after that. Every dream. Every moment spent in the garden with Daiya.
The garden in our dreams.
Daiya laughing as we dipped our toes in the crystal-clear water. Her head rested on my shoulder as we sat at the water’s edge. Hours upon hours of touching her, kissing her.
And until now, I had been unable to remember.
Why?
Another bolt of realization hit me, and I leaped out of bed, scrambling around my room to get dressed. It was the middle of the night, but I needed to see Daiya. I needed answers.
I needed to know if she remembered too.
“Hold on, hold on.” The lock rattled, and the door swung open, revealing a sleepy-eyed Daiya. My eyes swept down her boy shorts and tank top, and I swallowed hard, bottling away the bolt of lust. I hadn’t come here for that.
“We need to talk.”
“Kai? It’s three in the morning. What is it? What’s happened?” She slipped onto the porch, pulling the door closed behind her, and I moved back to put space between us. “Kai?”
“Do you remember them?” The door clicked shut behind her, and Daiya flinched. “Do you remember the dreams? I mean, they are dreams, right? They can’t be real. It’s impossible.”
The sleepy expression on her face slipped away and was replaced with shock. “You remember?” she whispered.
“So it’s true? It’s real?”
“Kai, I—”
I closed the distance between us. “I need the truth, Daiya. For once, I need you to tell me the truth.”
Her eyes fluttered shut as she turned away from me, but I reached out, sliding my fingers to her jaw and holding her face in place. “Daiya, look at me.”
“You shouldn’t be here, Kai.” She sucked in a quiet breath before opening her eyes. “You need to go.”
“I’m not going until you tell me the truth. What are we to each other?” I smoothed my hand over her face and into her hair. “What am I to you?”
“Everything. You’re everything to me, but I can’t do this. I can’t tell—”
The sliver of space between us disappeared. I hadn’t planned to kiss her, but seeing her, being near her, the pull was too much. We crashed into the wall beside the door, my body pressing up against hers. At first, Daiya resisted the kiss—I felt it in the way her hands pushed against my chest—but as our lips touched and my tongue swept into her mouth, her resistance slipped away. She pulled me closer, her slim fingers curling into my hoodie.
“Kai,” she murmured. “I’m sorry.”
I stopped, pulling back. “What did you say?”
“I’m sorry.”
“You hurt me.”
“I know. But there are things going on that you don’t understand.” Her hands slid up my chest to my neck, and Daiya pulled the drawstring of my hoodie, anchoring us together.
“Tell me. Why can’t you just tell me?”
“Because it’s not her place,” a voice said from the darkness surrounding us. Daiya pressed her face into my neck and whispered something I couldn’t make out.
“Dad?” My whole body tensed, and I drew my arms around Daiya.
“We should talk. Miss Cattiva is right; you shouldn’t be here.”
Daiya flinched, and a burst of anger shot through me. She must have felt it because she shirked out of my hold and stepped between us. “You should talk to him. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
“Shall we?”
“Daiya?” I ignored my father, trying to search her face for a sign—for anything—that would help me understand what was going on.
“It’s okay. Go. He has answers, Kai.”
“But—”
Daiya reached for my hand. She didn’t speak, but it felt like she was trying to tell me something.
“Miss Cattiva.”
At my father’s command, she backed away from me, moving to the door while he came into view. “Kai.”
I glanced back at Daiya, torn between my head and heart. I wanted to stay—to make Daiya tell me the truth—but he had answers. Mom had said it, and so had Daiya. And for as much as I hated it, I felt it. He started walking away, disappearing into the night. My eyes met Daiya’s again, pleading for her to ask me to stay, but she didn’t. She didn’t say a word. Maybe if she had, I wouldn’t have gone after him. Because I knew whatever Isaac Stanton had to say was going to change everything.
DAIYA
“Bad night?” Demi held out a mug of coffee, and I accepted, taking a seat at the table.
“You could say that.” I hadn’t heard anything since Kai and Isaac walked away from my house in the middle of the night. I didn’t like it; in fact, I hated it, but I couldn’t do much about it. Isaac had requested his son’s compliance, and despite all his disdain for his father, Kai had complied.
“Want to talk about it?” She smiled before taking a sip.
I shrugged, my body weak from no sleep. Exhausted from being away from Kai, the demon was restless, and I felt it.
I felt it all the way down to my soul.
“Everything’s so messed up, Demi.” A tear slipped down my face and then another until a steady stream flowed down my cheeks. My sister shuffled her chair beside mine, wrapping her arm around me. I leaned my head on her shoulder and let her comfort me. It had been so long since we were like this—so much had happened.
“Remember my ninth birthday?” I said, sniffling back the tears. “Mom took me to the salon. She let me get my nails painted and my ears pierced. I was so excited.”
“Devlin was jealous.”
“Yeah, she told me I looked like a clown with all the makeup. I locked myself in my room and cried for an hour.”
“She’s always had a chip on her shoulder.”
“Because of me.” I sighed, wiping the tears away with my sleeve.
“Maybe. Mom was always very protective of you. Now, we know why. She knew, Daiya. Mom knew this would happen, and she wanted to protect you.”