“You were right about that, I suppose. It was different—just not in the way you expected.”
“True.”
“Look, Diana—we’re friends and we’ll always be friends. But I just can’t get involved in that side of things anymore. I don’t have the energy. Whatever magic I had—or whatever you wanna call it—it was obliterated in that ritual. I can’t even summon spirits anymore, let alone locator spells. I don’t know what my clientele is going to do when they figure out I’m totally BSing it all.”
“I’m so sorry, Demetri. I didn’t mean for any—”
“For fucksake, I know,” he snaps. “I’m not looking for a pity party here.”
“Is there anything I can do to—”
“What? Make it better? Bring it back?”
“Any of it—all of it. What can I do?” I say, tears threatening at the brim of my eyes.
“Live a good life, Diana. God knows it’s a long one—but for the love—make the most of it, would you? You have power and magic and something incredibly special about you. But you waste it all pretending you’re—I don’t know… ordinary, I suppose. I won’t try to wager why you do it. I have my guesses. Hell, maybe I’d do it too, if I was as old as you and seen everything you’ve seen.”
“You’ve been a good friend, Demetri. I want you to know that,” I whisper.
“Oh, don’t go getting all emotional on me now.”
I lick my bottom lip, trying to keep it from trembling.
“Something—something big is happening and I don’t quite know what it is. Maybe it’s the full moon energy—maybe it’s nothing. I don’t know. But I wanted you to know I’m sorry before I go,” I say.
“Go? Where are you going? Are you leaving Helena for good?” he says, his voice suddenly airing on concern.
“No—nothing like that. At least, not yet. I’m helping a—private investigator,” I say, gingerly. “We’re going overseas to track down a pedophile ring.”
“How in the hell did you get roped into that kinda mess?” he snorts.
Of all the things we’ve been through, this is certainly one of the stranger ones.
“It’s a long story.”
“Sounds it. Christ, I’m outta your life for a fortnight and you’re working pedophile cases. What’s the world coming to?”
I chuckle. Now that’s more like the Demetri I know and love.
“I know, right? I don’t understand it either. I just know it’s something I gotta do.”
I should tell him about Blake—about the weird feeling I’m having. But I don’t want to bring him down or make him feel useless. Or worse yet, feel as though he should be helping, even though he can’t. Besides, the last thing he’ll want to hear about is how I’m waging my abilities and trying to get Blake to admit I’m psychic.
“Well, take care of yourself, okay. Be careful and all that touchy feely shit.”
“Yeah, I know. I will. I’ve got—” I stop myself, knowing where it could lead.
“This PI…” Demetri starts.
I take a deep breath. It’s going there anyway.
“Yeah?” I say.
“It a he?”
“Yeah.”
“Does he know what he’s getting into with you?”
I suck in a breath.
There’s so much I wish I could share with Blake, even though I’m not sure why. It’s a strange sensation and one I’m not used to. Not even Demetri was able to lure it out of me so quickly. It was a decade or more before I let him in.
“Doubt it,” I reply.
“Good. Keep it that way.”
A pang of regret slices through my abdomen. Most people, especially completely normal people, simply can’t fathom my life in the least. I was lucky to find Demetri. At least he shared some of my abilities and understood what it was like to really be gifted.
And I stripped all of that from him.
God, I suck so much.
“I’ll try. Anyway—I suppose I better go. Gotta pack and all that.”
“Okay,” Demetri says, holding on to a few second’s pause before he finally utters, “be safe.”
“You, too. I really am—”
“If you say sorry one more time, woman, I’m gonna off myself and come back so I can prove to you there’s an afterlife.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Demetri lets out a deep, heavy sigh.
“If I can find a way to—help or bring it back—I will,” I mutter.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Diana. Ain’t anyone taught you that in all these years?”
“For what it’s worth, I’d gladly trade places with you.”
“Helluva lot a good that does me now,” he chuckles.
“I know, but it’s true.”
“Well, for what it’s worth—thanks.”
“What about you? The lady who answered—is she treating you okay?”
“She’s a friend, but yes. It’s been nice having her around.”
“Good—that’s … good.”
“It is,” he says.
“Good,” I repeat. “Well, bye, Demetri.”
“Bye, Diana.”
The click of the receiver echoes in my ear. The sound is all too much like a final ending of sorts and it does nothing to alleviate the tension building inside me.
Big changes are coming—and they’re just getting started.
13
THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR tells me it’s time to get a move on. Luckily, I have all the stuff I need—passport, cash, cards, clothes. You know, the essentials. The rest I can figure out while we’re on the go. Besides, the last thing I need is to get held up by the TSA for having too much makeup or shampoo, for Godsake. Added bonus, at least there’s less to lose, should my suitcase go missing.
Trust me, stranger things have happened.
I smooth out the creases in my trousers one more time and stop briefly by the full-length mirror in the hall. Everything’s in place—hair could use a good trim, but whatever. I don’t have time for that kind of nonsense now.
On the way to answer the front door, I grab my purse from the kitchen counter, along with my keys. I glance at the green phone hanging on the wall, acknowledging the pang of guilt over Demetri—but at least feeling better that we spoke.
I flip my eyes to the stovetop and all the knobs—you know, just to be sure.
When I reach the entryway, I smooth out my top one more time, and adjust
