He wasted no time as he grasped my wrist and teleported us out. The void took over, and the battle began between my insides and outsides, until we abruptly landed on the porch of a blue house with white trim. The large white posts holding up the cover over the porch flanked a short set of stairs behind us.
Bryan approached the red door and knocked before turning the knob and walking inside. “Mom?”
“Bryan? Is that you?” Rose Gunderson, beautiful brunette, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail, walked out of a room, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She had on a pastel sundress that hung loose on her slender frame, and white tennis shoes. The pearls around her dainty neck classed up the outfit. As soon as she spotted her son, her smile warmed her hazel eyes and lit up her expression. She crossed the room to hug him. She then pulled me into her arms.
Bryan’s mom was a hugger.
I’d first met Rose at the infirmary last year when the battle against Alec earned me a stay. She’d hugged me then and every time we’d seen each other ever since. Not once had she ever passed judgment over the fact I shared the status of girlfriend with three other guys in addition to her son. She simply accepted me, and I loved it. “What are you two doing here?”
“Is Syd here?” Bryan removed his blazer and folded it before draping it across the back of a chair by the front door.
“No, he had to go out on a call. The Council needs to get that poor guy some help. He’s on call 24/7. They’ve been so busy lately.”
He ground out a sigh. “I want him to look at something.”
“Are you hurt?” Panic laced her tone.
“No, not me. Katy.”
She darted her attention to me. “Are you hurt?” Her tone wasn’t any less laced with panic than when she thought it was her son. The simple action flattered me.
“I have a little cut on my hand.” I overemphasized the word little, but didn’t show her the wound. “Bryan’s worried it might be infected.”
“Let me take a look. I’m no healer, but I am a mom. That gives me certain powers, like being able to detect a fever with my hand, how to heal wounds with a kiss, and how to get a stubborn little boy to eat all his veggies before leaving the dinner table.”
I so loved Bryan’s mom.
“Sure.” I offered her my hand. She examined it, turning it this way and that, before nodding and letting me have it back. “Well? What’s the diagnosis?”
“It’s nothing a little antibacterial ointment and a bandage can’t fix. I’ll be right back.” After she left the room, she called back, “Bryan? Can you come grab the ointment for me? It’s on the top shelf, and I can’t reach it.”
“Coming, Mom.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
I took the opportunity to text Clay. When he didn’t respond, I called. He didn’t answer. I texted Leo and asked him to check on Clay before shoving my phone back into my pocket. I didn’t even have it all the way in when it buzzed, so I pulled it back out and checked the screen. My heart spasmed when I saw the number.
Why would Professor Layden be calling me? Did something happen at the latest battle? Was I about to receive news I’d never recover from? What if it wasn’t her calling at all, but someone from the Council using her phone to tell me a dark elemental got the jump on her and she was gone? For one painful moment, I was positive I’d just lost the person in my life that’d stepped in as a surrogate mom after Ms. Wilkerson.
“Hello?” I answered cautiously.
“Hi, Katy.”
Oh, thank God. I released the breath I’d been holding. “Professor Layden? Are you okay? Why are you calling me? What’s going on? Are you okay?” I babbled and didn’t care. I’d never been so relieved to hear the sound of a professor’s voice in my life.
“Slow down. I’m fine. I’ve told you before, you can call me by my first name when we’re not at school.”
I’d never felt comfortable calling a teacher by their first name, which was why Ms. Wilkerson remained Ms. Wilkerson even after graduation. “Why are you calling?”
“I didn’t like the way we ended things on the training field.”
That made two of us. “Why would you recommend they give the prophecy to Spencer?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I don’t think you understand why I’m doing this. You and Spencer don’t seem to get along, and, to be honest, I don’t approve of his methods. I’d rather see him train on his own than teach those methods to you.”
I rubbed my temple with my free hand as I tried to comprehend everything she said. “You’re doing this to protect me?”
“By decreeing him the prophecy, he’ll be too busy training to be your handler.”
I never thought about that. At least something good would come if I lost my title to that arrogant asshat. I drew in a deep breath, working myself up to tell her that I planned to fight it. “Professor, listen, I—”
“Call me Stace.”
Fine. It was easier to say anyway. “Stace.” I stopped when arguing in another room caught my attention.
“That’s why we need Syd to take a look at it.” Bryan’s voice was forceful, hard, and intense. “It’s not going to go away by slapping a bandage on it, Mom. I know you felt it too.”
“Bryan, keep your voice down. She’ll hear you.”
“Katy?” Stace spoke over Rose. “Are you still there?”
“Just a sec.” I crossed the room and stopped at the entrance to the hall. The bathroom door was slightly open, and their voices carried through the
