Page 67 of Called By Fate

“Futures are finicky things, you know?”

I shake my head because no, I don’t know. I’m not a seer.

“Well, they are. Yours especially. Almost every little detail in your life matters. Things change here and there and it’s exhausting to keep up with.” She winces and tries to take a deep breath. “The thing is, the more you know about your future, the more it changes.” She looks at me, imploring me to read between the lines. I know what she means from my mom telling me in the In-Between.

“Is this why you’ve been avoiding us?”

She nods. “It hasn’t been for naught, though. I've been spying on them.” The blood running out of her doesn’t seem to be slowing, but she draws my attention back to her face with her next ragged breath. Her freckles are prominent today and her eyes are wild. “I got too close today. I didn't sense the asshole sneaking up behind me until it was too late. He was already on me by the time I turned around and caught one in the side.”

Kaos' jaw clenches and his face falls, but I ignore him for now, sending some magic through the bond to help charge him up, thinking that’s what he needs after healing Adam.

"What did you find out, Seer?" Elian asks, watching our exchange with a calculated eye. His mask is firmly in place right now. Which is okay. This is a serious situation, and I know he needs it.

Bedi draws in another long gasping breath. "First… there’s something I need to tell you, Sadie. I need you to understand."

Why isn't Kaos' magic working already?

He healed Adam's shoulder wound so easily.

I nod. "Sure, what is it, Bedi?"

“I've been lying to you almost your whole life.” She pauses and grimaces against the pain again when she pushes up to her elbows. I don't stop or interrupt her, but my intuition is seriously tingling. "Your mother and I were friends.” She smiles like she’s remembering something, and then her face falls. “When she saw that she was going to die... she asked me to watch over you, and I did. I've been there at almost every step of your life, even if you don't remember most of it. I have a unique ability to morph my appearance, which you already know, but it's been more than that. I’ve watched you blossom into such a strong, young woman and protected you when I could. I even helped you get that job at the diner. I know you hated it, but it was money.” I laugh, thinking back to that wretched place. I guess it wasn’t all bad though. “I couldn’t interfere too much without changing your future.”

A thought occurs to me, and my mouth is moving before my brain fully processes it. “Were you there when I was with Mickey? What about Skylar?”

She nods.

“What the hell, Bedi?” I snap. “Why didn't you stop him?” The questions pop out of my mouth rapid-fire and then I feel guilty at the look of anguish on her face.

She coughs and blood comes out with it. My brain refuses to register what that means. “I'm afraid I couldn't take him on alone. I never thought the magic on Skylar’s power would snap… By the time I realized it, it was too late. I'm sorry, Sadie. But unfortunately, that’s not what I need to tell you.” She looks at Kaos, they share a look, and he shakes his head.

Kaos lifts his hands away from Bedi with sadness etched into his features.

“No, please!” I cry out, my voice breaking with the panic building in my chest. My heart feels like it’s a butterfly trying to escape its cage. Said heart knows the reason, but my brain refuses to accept it all the same.

“I’m sorry, Little Flame. There’s nothing I can do for her. The wound is mortal. The blade must’ve been imbued with magic.” He begs me with his eyes, and I see a thousand emotions mirroring my own flash in them. They can probably all feel my turmoil broadcasted over the bond. He reaches out a hand to me, but I flinch away and place my own hands over her side.

“No,” I whisper and push all my power into trying to heal her wound. Nothing happens. “No, no, no.” My magic tries to enter her, but it won’t sink into her like usual. This can’t be happening. My magic should fix this. It should fix her. I'm the solution to everything, aren't I?

I'm the reason she got hurt, so I should be able to fix her, right?

I can’t lose anyone else to those bastards.

“Sadie, look at me,” Bedi demands, garnering my attention. From the look on her face, it’s not the first time she’s called my name. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not!” I shout, trying again and again to force healing magic into her. Still, it does nothing and I feel fucking useless. Despair creeps up my spine as tears leak down my cheeks, and I don’t stop them. She’s been there, protecting me from the beginning, looking over me. And now she’s going to die. Because of me.

Mickey was right. I can’t save everyone.

Bedi pulls in a ragged, gasping breath. “Listen to me, child. I’ve been spying on your uncle’s nefarious plans. He has gone off the deep end completely, seeking power in every way possible. He’s unhinged. He’s gathering people to slaughter.”

She grabs my hand and pulls me closer to her and visions fill my mind. At first, it’s Mickey joining forces with the Elders, then it’s of them ranting something about taking over the world and how Night Weavers will reign supreme. Then it’s him killing a shifter and absorbing his life force. The sight makes my stomach churn and anger spreads from my chest to my limbs.

The visions she’s showing me shifts again, but this time it’s much lighter. She shows me all the times she protected me or watched over me from afar. Hell, she even impersonated a few teachers of mine to get closer to me when I was having a rough time in school. She shows how she found Hemsworth and kept him safe for me.

And then there was her persona as our neighbor. I can tell from her thoughts she loved being so close to us and viewed me like her own daughter, but she couldn’t tell me any of this without risking the future.

Bedi has always been there. In so many ways. She's family, and I didn't even know it. And now I'm going to lose her.

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