Page 16 of The Mist of Stars

“He stole the book for you.” Apparently, Alex is stuck on that.

I pick at a loose thread on my pants. “It’s not a big deal. I’ll return it after I’ve finished reading it.”

“That’s not what I’m … I just …” Strands of Alex’s hair fall into his eyes as he shakes his head. “Nothing. Never mind.” But the crease etched between his brows is a sign he hasn’t moved on from whatever is bothering him.

When my attention drifts back to my father, he’s smiling as he looks from Alex to me.

“What’re you smiling about?” I wonder as I lower my feet to the floor.

“Nothing.” He continues to smile.

“Anyway …” Alex clears his throat. “Do you know why any of this has happened? I mean, I’ve never heard of anyone being able to use foreseer power without having the mark. Unless Gemma has it and doesn’t know it.”

“Hey, I’m not dumb.” I blast him with a dirty look. “I know what’s on my body.”

For some reason, Alex smashes his lips together, and I swear his cheeks turn red, but it could be my imagination.

My father has his thinking face on, and he’s holding the mug in his hand but hasn’t taken a sip. His attention is elsewhere as he gazes into empty space. But then his violet gaze meets mine, and worry is flowing from his pupils. “Have you checked since you got out of the vision?”

“No, but I haven’t really had a chance.” I shift forward on the sofa. “Should I go check?” Could I have foreseer power? Do I want to be able to see the future? Considering what I saw when Alex and I entered the vision, I think probably not.

“I think you should. Because, from everything I know, only people with a foreseer mark can enter a vision. And logically, it would be you, Gemma, because it’s in your bloodline. Although, it’s a rare gift. But with what just happened, I’m guessing the power of that simulator caused the mark to surface.” My father shifts forward and rolls up his sleeves. “What did you see in the vision? Was it something bad?”

My gaze skates to Alex, who’s already looking at me. We trade a look that I don’t even grasp, and then I jump to my feet.

“I’m going to go check for this mark. I’ll be right back.” I dash out of the room so swiftly I end up banging my elbow on the doorway. “Ow.” I rub the aching spot as I rush into my room.

When I close the door, I release a loud exhale. I can’t believe what’s happening. This morning, I woke up thinking about how my life was so dull, and now I’m trying to remember why I thought that was so awful. Because being boring is way better than seeing a vision where Alex proposes to me.

And I seemed happy about it, like I was going to say yes.

“Ugh.” I grimace while banging my head against the door in frustration. Then I instantly regret it as my head pounds.

Pushing away from the door, I shove my worries deep down inside me and focus on finding a foreseer’s mark. After searching for a few minutes, I come up empty-handed. I exit the room and return back to the living room, only to find that Alex and my dadare no longer sitting on the sofas. I check the kitchen, but they’re not in there, either.

“What the heck?” Scratching my head, I backtrack to the living room. That’s when I hear their voices flowing in from the outside. I start toward the front door, but something my father says causes me to stop.

“I just need you to promise me that, no matter what, you’ll take care of her,” my father says worriedly.

“I’m still not sure what has you so worried, Mr. Lucas,” Alex replies. “But I promise I will. Gemma means a lot to me.”

“What?” I mumble to myself. What the hell is Alex talking about? And better yet, why is my dad asking him to take care of me?

“I know that.” My father doesn’t even miss a beat, making me question how much he knows about my life. Not much if he thinks Alex cares about me.

The air grows still for a second.

“It’s starting to get colder earlier, like the seasons are changing soon,” my father says. “And I have this feeling that a massive ice storm is brewing. One that might not be created by nature.”

“You think it’s the death walkers?” Alex asks. “Because no one has seen any of those creatures in decades.”

“So everyone says.”

“What do you know, Mr. Lucas?”

“I know a lot of things, but you also know that I can’t speak of such things. The past and the future can’t be spoken about, no matter how much I wish it could. All I can do is hope my subtle warnings will help.”

“That’s very … ominous.” Alex sounds like he’s worried my father is losing his mind.

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