Page 54 of Ruled By Fate

The knowledge turned in her mind over and over again.

The only weapon in her entire arsenal was what? Invisibility? How would that help her when the forces tracking her down found out who she was in waking life? How would that help her when they knew her address? When they knew the names of her friends and family?

She didn’t think that giant anthropomorphic spiders and an evil black goat would be above using her loved ones against her. Let alone an evil blonde man who could apparently bend time.

The people she loved weren’t safe because of her. No. Not because of her. Because of it.

She looked down at the pendant with pure, seething resentment, feeling the familiar weight of it against her chest. A second later, she plucked up the teardrop between her fingers, twisting it this way and that, looking at the strange reflections within the gold casing.

I never asked for this.

Cameron placed another steaming mug of boiled roots and leaves in front of her, but this time, she pushed it away.

“It’s for your—”

“I can’t, Cameron.”

He nodded and moved to take the cup away.

“No,” she grabbed his arm and looked desperately into his eyes. “I mean, I can’t.”

He regarded her for a moment, then sat back down.

“I can’t do this. I’m not this person.” She shook her head slowly, building up steam. “I’m not cut out for adventure, and danger, and magical freaking necklaces. I can’t do it. Whatever these people want from me, if I just let them have it, maybe they’ll leave me alone.”

Cameron was silent.

“If I just take off the pendant and let them find me—”

“You can’t do that, Brianna.”

“But what if I—”

“They will kill you immediately and take it for themselves,” he interrupted shortly, leaving no room for interpretation. “The darkness is merciless, Brianna. It does not know any light. It knows no grace, no love, no joy, no hope. It knows only fear and despair.”

“But maybe if—”

“They will kill you exactly like they killed your mother.”

She stared at him, shocked. The image of a shadowy beast with its claws inside her mother’s chest flooded her mind for a moment, and she lost all ability to respond.

“I’m sorry to put it so bluntly,” he murmured, bowing his head. “Cruelly, even. But you need to know what you’re up against.” He sighed and brought a hand to his forehead, rubbing the faint crease between his eyes. “This is my fault. Unpacking boxes and going out to dinner… I should have immediately gone to ask our wise ones about your predicament. But I’m afraid to leave you alone.”

She slammed her hands on the table, startling him. “How am I supposed to live like that? Babysat by a divine bodyguard my entire life? Hunted by monsters? Me and all my loved ones under the gun? Why? For what? What did I ever do to deserve this? What did my mother ever do to deserve this? Am I cursed? What did I do?”

Unable to hold it in anymore, she leaped from the table and started pacing. It was probably when a normal person would burst into tears. Her body wanted to, was dying to, but she couldn’t.

She never could.

“What did you mean, you were already there?”

Cameron pushed slowly to his feet. “I’m sorry?”

She stopped her manic pacing, staring from the middle of the floor.

“In the woods,” she said sharply. “I’d be dead if you hadn’t shown up, and this would have already been decided. You said the demons couldn’t track me.”

“They can’t—”

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