Page 112 of Catastrophe

“She said they are going to become more frequent and complex because she is passing her power to me.” I waved a hand. “Not on purpose, but because she and her mates are dying.”

“The gods are dying and you and your bonds are replacing them?”

“I don’t think we are replacing them, at least I hope we aren’t, but Nisha said I’ll need the sight to help us with our challenge of saving the titans.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Daithi asked.

I paused for a moment. Why am I telling him this? He’s not my friend. He doesn’t care about me. But I thought he would have some words of wisdom, maybe sympathy, as someone who also suffers from visions. He knows how difficult it is to know when to speak and when to hide information. He knows the emotional drain of knowing things that no being should. To feel the threads of fate slip through your fingers.

But from his expressionless face, it was clear that if I were hoping for comfort, I was barking up the wrong tree.

“I’m sorry,” I said and shook my head and tears welled in my eyes. “I just saw you and -”

“You think I might help you?” Daithi asked softly.

“I don’t know what I thought.” I blinked away the tears, disappointment making my shoulders haunch, and I leaned against the wall.

“I cannot offer you any advice. I hate my power. It’s a curse and the reason my whole life has been ruined. If I could cut it out of me, I would.”

I sniffled. “Didn’t you find Savida through using your power? And Zaide?”

“A silver lining to a very dark and tempestuous cloud.”

“How did it ruin your life?” I didn’t want to ask, but felt that I must.

For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. He bent his head and clenched his fingers together. But eventually, he said quietly, “I had a vision of my sister. She was in danger and struggling against something, but I couldn’t see exactly what attacked her. When I came out of my vision, I tried to portal to her, but something prevented me. She never returned and when my parents learned of the vision, they punished me for not being able to save her. My mother and father were not kind people. I couldn’t tolerate their abuse any longer. I had a vision of another island. I portaled there and set up our home.”

I pursed my lips as pity for him trickled through me. “I’m so sorry. It’s terrible that you lost your sister, but I’m glad you were brave enough to leave your parents. No child deserves that.”

My mind flickered to the child version of Fafnir, who suffered neglect from his father and abuse from his village. But I shook it away before sympathy could creep into my heart.

“No. They don’t.” He looked up and the anguish in his eyes, so unusual for him to be so expressive, made me gasp. “It will get worse for you. Your mind will be constantly bombarded with visions at the most inopportune times. You will struggle to understand them. You will blame yourself when you cannot change outcomes in the way you hoped. And when you realize no one will understand you, or your visions, you will feel the immense loneliness I feel.”

“I’m sorry you feel like that.” I whispered. “Maybe we can make each other feel less lonely. Maybe we can workshop ideas on how to make this easier for us both and we can share our visions with each other.”

It was a long shot.

“You are very trusting and good natured, Clawdia. Don’t let anyone take that away from you. Becoming old and jaded is not a path I want for you. I welcome your idea for us to be partners in our curse. If we should suffer visions, it might not be so terrible if we suffer together.”

I gave him a watery, wry smile. “What a positive outlook, Daithi. Who are you? Are you feeling well?”

He glared. “You are not funny, human.”

“Can I even still be called that?” I wondered.

“I suppose not. You are a strange hybrid.”

“I am.”

Like a lightning strike, visions blasted my mind, and I fell against the wall, gasping for breath as I saw a future that scared me to death.

Daithi stroked my arms and called my name, but when I returned to the room, I couldn’t see him because of the tears pouring down my face. “I need to go,” I think I slurred.

He didn’t stop me but said, “If you don’t wish them to know, you’ll have to compose yourself first.”

And my heart chipped knowing that for the rest of our lives together, I would keep things from them, lie and redirect, just as I promised I wouldn’t do. But if it saved their lives, I would do anything.

CHAPTER 28

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