Page 80 of Catastrophe

I cut in before they had time to get into a real argument and faced Jack. “If you love your friend, you’ll listen to me. He isn’t getting promoted. He’s going to be killed. His power is supernatural and Fafnir is going to use that to prove that the dragon, i.e. himself, can tell who is supernatural, even when hunters can’t. If you let Michael go to that meeting, he is going to die.”

“What?” Jack and Micheal shouted simultaneously.

Hands grasped my forearms and swung me around to the furious green eyes of Michael. “What?” He growled again.

“You heard me,” I muttered.

He let out a frustrated huff, releasing me and throwing his hands up. “You didn’t think to tell me this earlier? You were going to rescue your titan and let me be murdered?”

“Hold on a second.” Jack interrupted again. “You believe her? You’re listening to this shit? Dude, she’s telling you what you want to hear. Something that makes this new leader a bad guy and you’re falling for it.”

“I’m not lying. I wouldn’t make this up.” I laced my fingers together as anxiety attacked my empty stomach and I pleaded with the hunters. “You were planted in the organization. You’ve grown up with hunters, but you are a descendent of supernaturals and you have powers. It’s why you feel a connection with us. You’ve even suspected it yourself sometimes.” I finished in a whisper and gently touched his hand.

I had no proof of what I was saying but I could feel it, the rightness of the words, the truth in them, similarly that I could see the truth in visions.

“How do you know any of this?” Michael whispered. The pain in his eyes made me want to give him a hug. Losing your identity like this, hearing you were going to be betrayed by your people, couldn’t have been easy.

“I saw it. I know what he said when he set this whole plan in motion years ago. I know you have the power. And I know my soul pair heard him say he was planning a meeting to introduce the dragon to the hunters. They said you were born for it. Please believe me, it’s not a promotion.”

Michael nodded and sat on the bed, his face blank as he thought. Doubt creeped into Jack’s eyes as he watched his friend. He just needed a little push more to believe me.

“He’s been making Michael more segregated, stirring suspicion about the gift he has. Others have been cutting him out, no longer speaking to him. You’ve seen this, you’ve noticed it. The witches have been walking around smirking at him. Even Mary just came in like she has the right and she knows. She knows. She’s not concerned that you didn’t let her look at me. If she can’t find anything on the cameras, she’ll be back while you get eaten. He’s in danger here. You need to get him out of this meeting. Maybe out of the hunter organization altogether.”

They both gasped like that would be a fate worse than death, and Michael immediately protested, “No. I can’t do that. I can’t …”

I softened my voice, but my patience was wearing thin and my words weren't as sympathetic as they could have been. “I’m sorry. I know it’s hard to believe. I know I’m completely throwing your reality into question, but I promise you if you go to that meeting, you will be killed in front of all your colleagues.”

“Why is he going to use me? Why not the witches?”

“The witches are his descendants,” I explained. “I’m not sure he is particularly attached to them, but they are on his side and he needs allies for this to work. Even if he doesn’t kill you today, you won’t be safe for long.”

“It’s a compulsory meeting. What am I going to do to get out of it? Especially if I’m the guest of honor.” He scrubbed his face with his hands. “And if I don’t turn up, what then? How else would he prove the dragon can find supernaturals? Are you going to be okay if he uses someone he’s captured as an example?”

No. I would feel guilty about that. But only later. The person in front of me was the one I knew and had a connection to. A nameless witch who stared at me on the island because they believed I was unnatural and my relationship with my witch was immoral, would be an easier loss for me.

“You should hide,” I told him. “Get really ill, really fast, so you can’t be blamed and whatever you do, don’t tell anyone that you know about this. If Fafnir suspects you know something, he will kill you regardless of any plan he had.”

“According to you, he’s going to kill me anyway.”

“I don’t think he’ll kill you without revealing your powers, otherwise that plan goes to waste. He’ll wait for another opportunity. He’ll wait until his control over the dragon is questioned again. If not, he’ll try to recruit you to his side, especially if you make it known that you’re having trouble with your power. If he thinks you won’t know his secret, he will approach you.”

“I’m not sure that’s a better option,” Micheal muttered defeatedly.

“It’s not.” I agreed and squatted to place a hand on his knee and meet his eyes. “With you close to him, he could just as easily kill you for his hunger for power, and no one deserves to feel that.”

His eyes widened. “It’s happened to you? You survived?”

“We have a long history,” I replied vaguely, with a rueful smile.

Jack made cutting motions with his hands, his face red with frustration as he hissed, “No. I’m sorry, but no. You’re usually the skeptical one, but clearly she’s hypnotized you.” He pointed at me and his eyes seemed to blaze with the mania he felt. Ouch. “I want proof of the plot. I need evidence. If you can find me evidence before the meeting, I’ll believe you and I’ll make sure we all escape. You and your titan included.”

I shook my head. “We don’t have time. Mary’s probably checking the cameras as we speak and then she’s going to know it’s me and I’m as good as dead. Please, just believe me.”

“Make time,” he growled.

I looked back at the alarm clock, and panic rose in my chest. I’m running out of time to find Zaide. Rescuing him while all the guards were at a meeting would be ideal. But from the crazed look on Jack’s face, he would not let me go until he had the proof he needed.

The next thing I knew I was a cat, bundled up in his arms, under a pile of sweaty clothes and being hurried down the maze-like corridors. I couldn’t see any of that, of course. I was holding my breath and cursing my feline sense of smell, bouncing and swinging as we went.

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