Page 22 of Lust

“And Brad?” Seth asks. “What have you been doing to him?”

“Trust me, if I could stop it, I would.” Now I’m lying. I never experienced anything like what we shared in the woods. Life’s too short and too full of pain. Like hell I’d ever let anyone tear from me something that felt so fucking good.

“The thing with Cody was the first time I realized I’d done something,” I clarify.

“So I guess we can just cut through the Q and A about all the dabbling into magic you’ve done in the past?” Seth asks.

“Outside of books, movies, and TV shows…no.”

Seth’s narrowed gaze suggests he’s not buying it.

“Your turn again,” I tell them. “Brad said you were trying to scare me off. That something terrible would happen if I stayed here.”

“That’s right,” Seth says.

“Tell me what it is.”

“I don’t know that this is a good idea,” Brad says.

“Oh, but I thought we were telling him shit. Why not this too? People will die.” Seth looks me in the eyes. “Good people. Because of you.”

In an instant, all the thoughts racing through my brain cease, and there’s an unsettling quiet in my mind. When I look at Brad,he has his eyes closed, taking a deep breath. A question finally springs to mind. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Cody had a vision,” Seth says. “You are connected to something wicked. Something evil that’s about to be unleashed on Lawrenceville.”

“Unleashed? What? From where?”

They exchange another look, tension thick in the air as neither chimes in to answer my question.

“Thatwe’re not willing to share,” Seth says.

“Luke.” As Brad says my name, a warm sensation stirs in my chest. “Cody has seen things in the past that have happened.”

“Well, he didn’t know I was gonna resist him the other day, did he? So he doesn’t know everything. I’ve watched enough hack TV shows about psychics to know that he could be misunderstanding whatever he thinks he’s seeing. You guys thought I had some kind of powers, so it’s obvious you barely understand whatever you’re messing around with. I can’t throw away my future because of something you guys thinkmighthappen.”

Seth says, “Now you see why we didn’t just approach you, explain the situation, and ask you to please leave St. Lawrence.”

“Luke, if you don’t go,” Brad says, “people will die. And you might too.”

Unlike Seth, Brad is calm, measured, but I can hear the concern in his voice, and it’s clear he believes that’s what’s gonna happen.

As I’m struggling to take it all in, Brad approaches me and rests his hand on my shoulder. I’ve worked up a shit ton of adrenaline since I got here, but his hand pressed against my jacket makes me relax.

“I think you’ve learned enough for now,” he says. “Let’s head back to the dorms. You don’t have to figure everything out tonight.”

I nod. Despite what a prick he’s been to me since I arrived, he’s right. I need time to process everything.

*

Brad and Iwalk along the path through the woods, back to the dorms, once again with my phone as a flashlight. Seth said he had some things to finish up at the church, but I have a feeling he just doesn’t want to be around the bastard who hurt his friend.

I’m still trying to make sense of our conversation.

Powers? Visions?

What will be unleashed if I stay at St. Lawrence?

Despite everything I’ve experienced, it’s hard for any of it to sink in.

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