Page 137 of Gift from the Nexus

“Damn it, Core,” I grumble when she whips around and gives me a scathing look.

Giving her my best apologetic smile, she rolls her eyes and stomps back into the kitchen, muttering about how I’m going to put everyone in this palace into an early grave.

“That was going to be epic. I was going to try to pull her into my shadows this time.”

“You’re going to get yourself or someone else hurt, Cas,” he says disapprovingly.

Always the stickler for rules.

“What are you doing creeping up on me? That’s my game.”

“I was looking for you. You want to go practice our gifts for a little while? Outside. Not in here where you torment everyone,” he adds when my smirk grows.

“Sorry, big bro, I got plans in a little while.”

“With her?”

My eyes narrow at the disdain in his tone. I don’t give a shit if he doesn’t believe me about her being our chosen Primary. She said the families have decided and that’s that. He and Tillman can get on board or leave me the hell alone.

Stomping away from him now that he’s killed the mood, I hear his feet following behind me and roll my eyes, calling forth my shadows.

“Don’t, Cas. I’m just trying to spend time with you. You’ve been avoiding us for weeks.”

“Well, can you blame me? You and Tillman are pissy our Primary isn’t ready to meet you yet, so instead of accepting that, the two of you have been shitty about it.”

“Because we don’t believe it, Cas. Our parents would never have arranged this without speaking to me. To us.”

“Whatever, Core. I gotta go.”

“No, wait. Just hang out with me for a little while. We’ll play that stupid hide and seek game you like in the woods,” he says, and I slow my hasty retreat.

I do like scaring him and I’m getting fast moving through the shadows.

“I have an hour until I’m meeting Silvia. I’ll hang out until then,” I agree.

His smile is small, but he doesn’t argue with me, so we hurry our asses out of the palace and take off to the back lawn. Naturally racing our way there because he knows if I beat him to the tree line, I’ll be hiding. He’ll be finding.

My mocking laugh rings loud when I hit the tree line and become one with the shade. I hear him sucking his teeth and groaning, so I laugh louder, moving farther into the forest.

The shadows carry me on my command and my smile stretches across my face when I concoct the plan to climb the tree and jump behind him when he approaches.

He’s going to light up like a diamond or shit his pants.

This is gonna be hilarious.

Low murmuring voices to my right stop my climb and the streak of yellow hair against the brown and green of the forest catches my eye. I smirk, slowly jumping down from the trunk because my role has reversed to hunter.

She came early to see me.

Creeping through the darkness preparing to scare Silvia, the chuckle wanting to escape me gets lodged in my throat when I see her surrounded by three rebels. Fear for her spreads throughout my chest and that’s the only hesitation I give myself. I shadow in front of her and throw my hands out to protect her as I materialize.

“Silvia, run!”

Time seems to slow as a Star gem necklace is slipped over my neck and my limbs grow heavy as stone traps my hands. My body freezes as my gift slithers its way in to my chest so fast, it knocks the breath out of me. I try my hardest to run, but I don’t get a step when one of the men in robes lands a solid punch across my cheek that has me colliding with the ground.

Utterly confused and dizzy, I shake my head, trying to push myself up, but my arms are pulled behind me as they start dragging me through the forest.

No. No. No.

---