Destiny's Revenge (Destiny Series - Book 2) by Straight, Nancy (management books to read .TXT) 📕

see Seth sitting on the edge of the bed. Seth was silent, waiting for my return, and I could only assume Rewsna had explained to him what I was doing and her rudimentary understanding of how it worked.

Seth saw that I was coherent again and asked, “That was quick. Where is he?” There was not an ounce of doubt in Seth. He took this strange gift at face value and didn’t question its authenticity like I had expected. Up until this evening, Seth had discounted anything not scientifically proven. I guess watching a man turn into a wolf in your living room gives you a whole new perspective on possibilities.

I shook my head, “I don’t know, I didn’t exactly see him this time. I need to talk to Rewsna. Excuse me for a minute.” I rolled to the side, Seth reaching out to grasp my arm in mid roll.

“Lauren, I wish you could have told me.” It looked like he was at a loss for words, as if he were struggling with a burning question, or a sincere apology, I couldn’t tell which. I didn’t feel like playing twenty questions, and he didn’t have anything to be sorry for. It had been my choice from the very beginning not to include Seth on any of my new found skills, the dreams I had about Max years before I met him, or anything else. That choice kept Seth, I would like to think, sheltered from all of the rest of the chaos going on. I didn’t regret not sharing all this with him, and I could only hope he understood it was more than any best friend should be expected to handle.

“Seth, there was never a reason to tell you. You’ve always been there when I needed you most. I’m just glad nothing bad happened to you tonight. I need to speak with Rewsna.” I tried to get up off of the bed, but his hand still anchored my arm.

I looked at his hand, trying to make it obvious that he needed to let go, when he said, “Tell me what I can do.”

I gave him a half grin, “You have to let go of me so I can talk to Rewsna about what I saw.” I should have remembered how possessive and dense he could be at the same time.

Rewsna stepped through the door, her clairvoyance always coupled with remarkable timing. “Show me what you saw, Lauren.” I did as she asked and after the last image of touching the floor replayed, her eyes opened and she looked at me strangely. “You don’t have any idea where he is?”

I shrugged my shoulders and could only say, “I know he was there. I couldn’t see, hear, feel or touch him, but I know he was right there. But there is as non-descript as a cold, dark room.”

She leaned against the wall. Tonight was the first time I had ever seen her look exhausted. I could see Melissa looking at us through the crack in the door. I hadn’t talked to her since before my bear attack. I didn’t have a clue what to say to her. We had been relatively close while I was in college, but it had been nearly three years since I had a real conversation with her. She caught my eye and held it longer than was comfortable, and I knew she had something to say. Rewsna looked as though she would pass out at any moment, and Seth was exhilarated with his new found appreciation of the unknown. Now would be the best time to excuse myself.

I stepped through the door and made my way to Melissa. She had a welcoming smile as I approached, and some of my apprehension began to evaporate. She had been standing right next to Wanda, and I noticed as I approached, Wanda fanned out away from Melissa. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have been hurt, or at a minimum offended, but given everything that had transpired tonight, I couldn’t blame her.

“Hi, Melissa, how’ve you been?”

“Really? You’re going to walk up and start talking to me like nothing completely bizarre is going on?”

“Okay, would it have been better for me to open with, ‘Gosh I sure am glad you weren’t attacked by a man that can turn into an animal, that happens to hang out with demons.’ I forgot how you like the direct approach.”

She laughed with me; whatever tension might have been between us melted away. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, looking at whatever message had just arrived. Pangs of fear showed on her face as she read it. She went to her knees and put a hand on the floor to steady herself. I watched closely, wondering what message could have elicited this kind of a reaction.

Melissa began to hyperventilate. She held the phone out for me to read the message. “Your family is dead. You can thank Lauren for allowing it to happen. Your friend, Samael.”

Gasps echoed throughout the room as everyone received similar messages. I tried to calm everyone down, but hysteria broke out as my close knit group divided and nearly trampled each other to get to their cars. There was nothing that I could do to stop them. I asked the Council members to divide up and go with each person, Rewsna herself went with my parents to check on my brother Steve and his family.

Mike and Peanut stayed with me. The house that had only minutes ago felt as if it would bust at the seams was now nearly empty. Mike and I sat down on the couch, neither wanting to believe what had just happened. How could Samael have gotten to everyone’s family so quickly? Hadn’t he been wounded just hours before?

We sat in silence as if not wanting to talk about the myriad text messages, fearing a discussion would somehow make them real. There were too many. He couldn’t have possibly killed everyone’s families. It couldn’t