Page 18 of Buried Secret 295

Tomorrow, Constantine and I have to deal with paperwork that Black Rose can not process. We get to meet with the Dean of Black Rose to straighten this out, or at least attempt to straighten it out. I know that this somehow has to do with Marcus. Why the man cannot leave me alone? I don’t understand. I don’t want to be linked to the name Tempest. All the paperwork for changing my name to Blackthorne gets sent back unopened. Once again, this is another way to control me and this situation.

I square my shoulders, ready to face what I have been putting off. I stood outside Constantine’s study for several minutes, trying to work up the courage. When I finally open the doors, I see Constantine standing in front of a full-length mirror, and Peter, one of Constantine’s nightmares, is standing in front of him, measuring his arms and adjusting the fabric on his deep black suit. Constantine smiles at me and locks eyes with me in the mirror. “Look at you! What’s the occasion for a new suit?” I ask as Peter looks up from his task and waves at me, and I try not to flinch. No matter how often I see him, I can’t seem to get used to his face. His face looks like it’s melted like a candle, while his mouth looks like a Venus flytrap. He is utterly haunting.

“It’s my battle armor for our meeting tomorrow. Don’t worry, I got something for you too. Well, Monica did, and she is working on it as we speak.” I close my eyes and internally groan. Monica loves a good makeover project. She loves clothes and newoutfits, and they keep finding their way into my closet. I know it’s her doing. Maybe I secretly love it because I haven’t told her to stop.

I bite my lower lip, nervous about what I am about to say. “So, I have been putting something off and need your help with it.”

Constantine smiles and gives me a knowing smile. “Is it that we need to go out of this realm to shift into your beast?”

I glare at him slightly, and he chuckles. “Did they seriously narc on me?” I can feel my shadow’s guilt coming to the surface.We will talk about this later.

His face softens. “Thank you, Peter.” Peter nods and turns to leave, carrying his sewing kit and leaving the room. Constantine turns around. “Don’t pout. They are worried about you and don’t want your beast to emerge with the mental faculties’ test. They and I don’t want Marcus to have any ground to send you to Fae’s Edge.”

We don’t want to be without you again, and we don’t know if we can survive being cut off from you again.I haven’t thought about that. I knew what I went through, but I never thought about what the extensions of myself went through. Now, I almost feel bad about ignoring my beast.To be fair, it might have killed you.

“All good points. I will feed from the library before we go.” He nods as I connect to the library, and he waits.

“By the way, when we return, Monica wants to practice your makeup for tomorrow.” He gives me a stern look. “Be nice and let her have her fun.”

A growl escapes my mouth, and I roll my eyes. “Fine. Let’s go before I lose my nerve.”

He holds up his finger to wait, and as he snaps his fingers, a bag falls into his waiting hands. “Care package courtesy of Monica for this day.”

I shoot him a look and make a tsking sound. “Been planning this out, have you?”

He holds his hands up in surrender. “Someone had to. It wasn’t like you were exactly jumping for joy for this outing.”

I point my finger at him. “Hey! When my brain melts from this, and I can’t say it at that moment, I’ll say it now. I told you so! Brains!...” I motion all around in front of me. “...Everywhere.”

He jerks away and winces. “That shit got dark fast. What the hell? I’ll nab you before your brain melts.” He points to the couch in the corner. “I’ll throw you onto there, so tuck and roll while holding onto your brain. Then we will try again.” Once more, he snaps his fingers and turns. His suit is now replaced with a different one. Constantine motions to himself. “In case of brain explosions.”

“There are no words.” I shake my head and laugh off the nervousness. “Is Simon going to meet us there?”

He nods his head, hesitating, and makes a slight wince. “You know I’m kidding about the suit, right? Like, you have a fucked up sense of humor, so I can never tell.”

I stand and cock my eyebrow at him and smile. I seem to grow fond of him as well as Monica. “Yet, you still changed your suit.”

“You can never be too careful.”

“Through the void?” I inquired, but I’m not exactly sure how else to get there from here.

“Yes, but hold my hands so I can lead. We can’t be associated with Simon, so we can’t be seen with him. We are meeting him in the shifter forest.” I only nod. He has been planning this for a bit.

We are at the edge of a forest when I open my eyes. I feel my shadows come out of my body to scan the area. Simon doesn’t appear to be here; it’s just us. “So, shifter forest?”

“We are maintaining a low profile. Some teachers are moving back in, so we aren’t right next to the Academy if somethingweird happens. They give the shifters a bit of space, considering the nakedness.” He shrugs. “Most are very comfortable being naked, having shifted since 13. Don’t want rumors to start.” He moves forward, watching me intently. “Do you feel anything?”

I shake my head. “This is probably a lot of worry over nothing.” Despite being an odd place to be, I find it rather beautiful. The birds are singing, and a laugh escapes my lips. “You know, I promised 203 when we got out, I would stand in the grass barefoot. I haven’t had a chance to do so before now.” My heart hurts just saying his name out loud. It’s been almost three weeks since I left, and I feel far from him. I take my shoes off and let my feet touch the ground. It hurt before, but now it feels like a giant weight on my chest.

Your emotions are heavier here.I can feel my shadow’s nervousness. Yet, I ignore it. My hands shake, and everything feels so heavy right now. When my legs start shaking too, I try to ignore it as long as I can until my legs revolt, refusing to support me for a moment longer. I fall onto my knees, barely noticing how they sink into the wet, soft ground. My vision distorts, yet I keep staring forward as the world spins and has a hazy edge. Everything around me seems brighter, louder, and more intense. All the things that weren’t heavy in The Realm Of Dreams reveal their actual weight. I close my eyes, feeling overwhelmed and missing the emptiness I felt in the Realm Of Dreams.

There is a slow pressure that is building inside of me. I can feel my skin and muscles tout. A scream escapes my lips. As the scream begins, it’s one of grief and sadness. All the grief from walking into my bedroom in The Realm Of Dreams, seeing it become my cell. Once more, I felt like I was walking into a trap before tapping on the wall, trying to get 203 to answer my call. Feeling helpless, like he might be dead or being hurt at this very moment, and I am standing on the other side, not being ableto help him. When the scream ends, it’s one of pain as the first bone in my arm snaps before breaking. I suck in a breath as my torso feels like it’s being split in two. Each vertebrae along my spine pops as it breaks, causing my back to arch unnaturally as everything from my lungs to muscles spasms. My body changes from my own to something that doesn’t feel right. I am changing into a beast, into an animal.

The change spreads throughout my body until it stops. When it stops, I am standing in front of Constantine. My creature blinks and when it feels like I come into focus again. It feels like someone else is looking through my eyes. It’s a reminder that I am no longer in charge. They are. My beast is in control, and I am in the backseat of my mind. She sniffs in Constantine’s direction, letting out a small growl from her chest. Constantine raises his hands at me in surrender. I feel my beast’s intentions and nod with approval as her voice rumbles through our mind.He is safe.She wants to fuck with him and it will do him good. My beast growls once more before giving him a smile. Constantine mutters under his breath before rolling his eyes as I take off running and completely give up control of my body to her.

No other shifter had been running here since the previous year. My beast wants anyone who enters here to know that she is here. As she runs, my beast makes sure she scent marks different trees, bushes or anything she thinks is now hers. Anyone who passes or enters these woods, she wants them to know she has been here. We run to the edge of the woods and follow it back until we pause at a stone fence marker at the edge of the property. After a moment, we continue to run, circling around before stopping back where we started.

Constantine stands there with Simon, causing my creature to growl. She doesn’t trust him. Constantine, yes, but Simon is a different story. With my teeth bared, my creature continues togrowl. Constantine motions to Simon with his hand to get back. He approaches me with an outstretched hand, as if to pet me. I snort at him. “I need you to let Salem come back.”

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