Finding Insight

by Katherine Kim

  Cassie took over the story at that point, telling Gabe about the shooting at the club Marcus had worked at, then her mother’s murder and how she and Marcus went on the run after that, eventually ending up here. And how she’d been tricked and kidnapped by Kai’s step-brother Eric who had joined forces with both the warlock and the hunters.

  “Holy crap,” Gabe said after the story was over. His eyes were huge and a little wild. Sebastian couldn’t blame him. It was a lot to process even for them, and they’d had the benefit of understanding the world it all happened in. Gabe was effectively being dropped into the deep end.

  “So, wait,” Gabe said. He shook his head hard, like he was erasing the extraneous thoughts from his mental Etch-a-Sketch. “Okay, so let’s see if I can sort that all out. Sarah is a witch? And Doc, too, I’m guessing? And you’re totally normal human except for your step-dad who is a vampire.” He looked at Cassie, who nodded.

  “Specifically a lidérc, but yeah,” she answered.

  “And you,” he pointed at Sebastian, “are not fully human.”

  “Nope. I’m one quarter kitsune and three quarters human,” Sebastian answered. Gabe turned to Kai.

  “And you are… all, what? Not human?” Gabe’s forehead wrinkled.

  “No, I’m a quarter human. Sebastian and I have the same mother and she’s half kitsune. My father is all spirit and Seb’s dad is all human. But we grew up together, so the details don’t much matter to us.”

  “Okay.” Gabe nodded and fell silent again.

  “So, that’s it? All your questions?” Sebastian couldn’t believe that. Gabe shook his head slowly.

  “Not even close. I just don’t know where to start.”

  “I can see that. Take your time, we’ll answer any question you have when you’re ready to ask,” Kai said. “Just one thing, though. We just want to live our lives in peace. We’ve pretty much all had some kind of experience that has reinforced the fact that we keep our inhuman sides secret. We’re trusting you to keep our secret, as well. There aren’t a lot of us left in the world, though it’s hard to tell that from everyone around here.” Kai took a deep breath before continuing. Sebastian watched Gabe, who had a very serious expression on his face.

  “Where there is a community like ours, there are also those who would come in and try to destroy it. We’ve been lucky in that we were fairly well ignored here in Los Gatos for a long time, but now we’ve been discovered by people who would object to us merely existing.”

  “I get that. I won’t say anything, I swear,” Gabe said. Then he stopped and slumped over. “Well, I won’t say anything if I can help it. I can’t control what I say in a trance. Stuff just comes out of my mouth and half the time I don’t even remember what I said, let alone know a way to stop it.”

  “That’s all we can ask,” Sebastian cut in. “We’ll try to find a way to help you get more control, though. We have resources that you haven’t had access to before. Like an entire community of magic users.” He grinned.

  “Hey, why don’t you ever tell your own future? I mean, I get that you can’t control it, but it does seem to happen when you touch someone.” Cassie tipped her head to peer up at Gabe.

  “I dunno. I’ve never had a vision with myself in it. Just other people. I get feelings, though. Like when I decided to come up here.” Gabe chewed on his lip, thinking about it. “I was looking at the map of California next to the bus routes, and just felt sort of pulled towards San Francisco. I only had enough money to get a ticket to San Jose though, and then when I got off the bus I just wandered around a bit. I ended up at that cave about a month after I got here.”

  “Huh. Crazy,” Cassie said. “Well I’m starving and I’ve been smelling burgers for a while. You coming?”

  “In a minute,” Gabe smiled again, bigger this time. Cassie hopped off the bed and left the room.

  “One last question, Gabe. What happened back there in the kitchen? You started to panic for some reason, but there was no vision,” Kai asked. “I want to make sure that whatever I did, I don’t do it again.”

  Gabe frowned again, his eyes looking back at the memory instead of at the room.

  “It was weird,” he said slowly. “And, I got a little bit like that from Sebastian once, too.”

  “Like what, Gabe?” Sebastian frowned.

  “It was like…” He groped for the words. “It was like something inside me relaxed. Like… I dunno, like I was going to explode, but then when he touched my shoulder all the pressure went away and there wouldn’t be any explosion.”

  “You’re right. That is strange,” Kai said. “I wonder if my father is still kicking around here. I bet he’s known a few seers in his time and could explain a few things for us. If I can get a straight answer out of him, that is. Or Mr. Young when he comes back. Well, I’m sorry anyway, and I know not to touch you now.”

  “No!” Gabe shook his head wildly, then stilled with his eyes wide. “I mean, no, it’s okay. It’s… I get so tired, all the time, but right now I feel good. Like, normal almost. I think— I think I don’t mind you guys.”

  “Okay, Gabe. I’ll still be careful though,” Kai said. “But I won’t be paranoid about it. Come on, let’s get you fed. Those burgers smell amazing and I haven’t eaten since this morning!” Gabe shrugged the blanket off and folded it sloppily back onto the bed.

  “So, um. Thanks,” Gabe said as they all moved to head out to the barbecue they were currently ignoring.

  “For what?” Sebastian asked, confused.

  “For listening. And being nice to me. And not freaking out,” Gabe said. He was chewing his lip and not looking at either of them.

  “No problem. It’s what friends do, right?” Sebastian grinned when Gabe’s eyes slowly grew wide.

  “I guess… I guess I’m just really out of practice having a friend. Or trusting anyone, really. It’s easy to get taken advantage of when you’re a kid and on the streets. I was really lucky, and I know it. I just had this really good sense of where not to be and who was less sketchy than the others. Some of the kids I met weren’t so lucky and got hurt or worse.” Gabe shuddered. “I guess it was my weird ability helping out a bit.”

  “Sounds like,” Kai said. “I’m glad you made it through mostly unscathed. I really hate that you’re sleeping in the woods, though. Anything could happen.”

  Gabe’s smile now was a bit sly but genuine. Actual happiness shone though it and it warmed Sebastian’s heart to see.

  “I’m not always alone. I’ve made friends with a fox that comes to visit me sometimes. He’s not very chatty, but you know. He’s a pretty good listener,” Gabe said, grinning at Sebastian now. Gabe disappeared through the door out to the backyard and Sebastian faintly heard Sarah asking if he wanted a burger or a hot dog, or did he want to wait for them to start the chicken?

  15

  Sebastian sank back into the sofa and let his muscles melt into the cushion. There was not much in the world more relaxing than being full of good food and satisfying conversation with friends. Kai took the empty beer bottle from Sebastian’s hand as he walked behind the sofa and it clinked as it settled into the recycling bin. A soft snore from the armchair near the fireplace made him grin.

  “Kid’s out cold,” Kai said with a chuckle of his own. Sebastian nodded and glanced at the side of Gabe’s face where it was just visible around the side of the chair.

  “I’m glad he feels comfortable enough around us to doze off,” Sebastian said. “I guess he hasn’t had a lot of friends he trusts to lean on.”

  “Yeah. Seems like.” Kai flopped down on the sofa next to Sebastian and passed over a soda. “Got to be clear enough for patrol later.”

  “You going to take first rounds?”

  “Sure. I guess Gabe’s staying here tonight? He had a good time I think. I’m glad he got to have some fun. Act his age a bit,” Kai said. “Took a real liking to Cassie.”

  “Well who doesn’t? That girl is good at knowing who needs some extra love
and figuring out how to give it to them.” Sebastian smiled at the memory of Gabe really relaxing for the first time since they’d seen him sleeping outside the cave. It had been something Cassie said and Gabe cracked up, laughing so hard he had to put his soda can down or risk dropping it into Sarah’s kitchen herb garden. It was good to see him look happy, and even though he still avoided touching most of the people there, he allowed Cassie and Kai both to brush against him without flinching, and he didn’t have the wary prey animal look in his eyes as constantly around the rest of the guests.

  He’d especially gotten along with Judah and Asher, the teenage griffon boys being patient with him until he relaxed enough to talk to them about what it was like to go to high school.

  “We’ve got to figure out how to get him his education. He deserves better than he’s gotten so far out of life.” Kai was gazing thoughtfully at Gabe.

  “You in my head now?” Sebastian shoved his brother’s shoulder.

  “No, but apparently we’re thinking along the same lines. That’s rough that he can’t see his own future, but has to see everyone else’s,” Kai grimaced.

  “And he gets sick after his visions, remember? I think how sick he gets depends on how clear and detailed the vision is. I told you he threw up after that dream he had. I bet that was some kind of vision, not just a nightmare.”

  Kai nodded and sighed.

  “Did you ask him about it?” he asked.

  “No,” Sebastian said. “I mean, he only saw a fox at the time. And honestly I didn’t think about asking him what the dream was now that he knows that fox was me. He was having such a good time tonight, I was just glad for that.”

  “Man, did you see him eat? I’m surprised we have any food left!” Kai laughed.

  “I’m glad he ate. He could use more fuel for that growing teenage boy body of his.” Doc’s voice cut into their conversation. “And I can’t imagine how much his talents take out of him. Poor guy. He’s a good kid, and a hard worker, and my customers like him.” Doc gathered up her plastic food boxes and started stacking them neatly in a shopping bag.

  “Remember the other day when he got woozy at work? That lady he’d been talking to?” Sarah joined the conversation. Sebastian nodded and she continued. “Well she stopped by today after you had all left, and she wanted to thank Gabe for whatever it was he said. Apparently she’d been ready to dump her boyfriend over whatever it was, but instead she waited to hear him out and the big secret he’d been hiding from her? He was proposing, but wanted all their family to be in town for a surprise party and it had taken a ton of organizing. Instead of being single and bitter, she was happier than she’d ever been she said, and it was all thanks to Gabe. Her words, not mine.” Sarah grinned and glanced over at the sleeping seer.

  “Nice,” Sebastian said. Gabe looked even younger when he slept. It was like the stress of his unpredictable visions aged him, but when he was asleep he felt safe from them even though he wasn’t, apparently.

  “I’m going to see what I can do for him to better handle the physical reaction to his visions,” Doc said as she pulled on her jacket. “It might help him be less uncomfortable if he had a remedy to lean on if he needs one. And since he knows my real job now, I can maybe talk to him about it in detail to come up with a good formulation for him.”

  Something about that made Sebastian’s brain perk up.

  “He’s not broken, Doc. He doesn’t need fixing.” It almost came out as a growl.

  “Don’t take that tone with me, Sebastian Russell,” Doc shot back. “I know he’s not broken. He’s as whole as I am, but he’s also got a condition that causes him physical discomfort. If someone had recurring heartburn you’d tell them to keep antacids on hand, wouldn’t you? What kind of witch would I be if I let a friend or employee suffer the aftereffects of an accidental vision without providing some sort of relief for him to use at his discretion?” She clicked her tongue at him and shook her head. Sarah stepped over and put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder and he could see the worry in her glance.

  “I’m sorry, Doc. I know you’d never—” Sebastian took a slow breath and frowned as he let it out. “There was something that Olivia chick said when she came and harassed him at the shop today. She and that David guy who was yanking Gabe around seem to have some… something she called medicine for Gabe. That’s what they were arguing about today. Olivia wanted Gabe to come back with her to take some kind of medicine and Gabe didn’t want to.”

  The group fell silent and Gabe’s soft snores kept time for their thoughts.

  “Who are these people? Olivia and David?” Kai asked. The only person with an answer was asleep in an armchair, and nobody suggested waking him.

  “Well, I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow. I won’t do anything without his agreeing to it, but I don’t like it that he gets so sick. It worries me.” Doc picked up her bag and headed for the front door. Sarah followed and hugged her friend as she left. Sebastian waved and watched Sarah close the door and lock it behind Doc. Gabe was likely to sleep through the night, though Sebastian hoped to help their guest move to the sofa in a few minutes.

  “I don’t like the sound of those two,” Kai said, keeping his voice quiet. “If they’re after Gabe, and giving him some kind of drug, who knows what they’re after. And it doesn’t sound like Gabe wants to give it to them, whatever it is.”

  “Agreed. He was pretty reluctant to keep talking to Olivia, and I think he’d have fought back against David if he hadn’t been out weighed by probably a hundred pounds of muscle,” Sebastian said. “Olivia was inside the shop, though, so she wasn’t armed and she didn’t have violent intentions at least.”

  Kai nodded and was about to say something when Sarah called out.

  “Guys? What does that David guy look like?”

  She was standing by one of the windows looking out to the street, and casually folding a blanket.

  “He was taller than me, and more muscular. Dark hair, broad shoulders in a leather jacket, kinda rough all over. Looked like a biker, but less bearded.” Sebastian rattled it off quickly while watching Sarah carefully not look out the window.

  “I think he’s out in the street. The guy has casually walked by twice now that I’ve seen.” She put the blanket down on the bench near the door and reached over to draw the curtains closed like she was simply shutting up the house fo the evening. When the view out was cut off she turned back to her guests and glanced over at Gabe.

  “I’m going to go out and check,” Sebastian said. He strode over to the back door and pulled it open.

  Slipping out into the cool darkness of Sarah’s backyard he took a deep breath of the nighttime. The air smelled like the nearly dead coals of the barbecue, and the grease of cooked meat, and the soft soil and green things in Sarah’s garden. He pulled on his magic and the world shifted until he was looking up at the doorknob of her backdoor. A ripple of movement showed Sarah peering out the window in the door and watching him. He flicked his tail at her and ducked under the railing of her small deck to jump off into the narrow side yard.

  He’d used this strip of grass for years as a passage from the Los Gatos Creek Trail into the street. Sarah’s grandmother had been a good friend to them, and a good witch, and had always allowed them the use of her yard as they needed, and now his familiarity with it came in handy.

  He crept along the side of the house until he could duck under a bush near the sidewalk. The resinous scent of rosemary filled his nose, overpowering any traces he might have picked up, but it didn’t seem to matter since after only a few minutes he heard the soft thudding of boots on asphalt. David was trying to be quiet, certainly, but to Sebastian’s ears it was clear as if the man wore tap shoes on a tile floor.

  He strolled down the street like he was just out for a walk, casual stride and hands shoved in his pockets. He didn’t seem to look around, staring vaguely ahead and pretending to be lost in thought, but Sebastian watched as his steps slowed when he approached Sarah’s hous
e. David’s head turned slightly and his gaze flickered over the now blocked off windows. A trickle of light spilled from a narrow crack at the top of where the curtains came together, but there was no way to peer into the house.

  David grimaced and his eyes narrowed, giving away his interest, and he slowed to a stop. He pulled his phone out and it lit up his face when he touched the screen. Whether he was actually scrolling through it or using it as a ruse, Sebastian didn’t know, but it didn’t much matter. He ducked back under the rosemary hedge and kept to the shadows of the fence until he reached the side yard again.

  He listened carefully before shifting back and stepping inside the warm glow of Sarah’s kitchen.

  “That’s definitely David. The question is why is he here, who did he follow, and what are we going to do about it?” Sebastian glanced at Sarah, then at Kai.

  “I’ll tell you one thing. We keep Gabe close. Whoever these guys are, if they want to hurt our friend, they’ll go through us first,” Kai said.

  16

  “Hey, good morning.” Sebastian yawned with as much enthusiasm as he could muster before coffee as he shuffled into the living room. He waved in Gabe’s general direction and made his way over to the coffeepot. Sarah had taken to leaving it set up and ready to go first thing in the morning on those days that Sebastian stayed over in case he got up first. Especially on days where she could sleep in.