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 then 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.