Page 18 of Basilisk

He swung by his apartment, but just spent an hour pacing because he kept seeing the expression on Clive’s face when he’d seen Bain’s eyes. The instant fear had ripped through Bain like glass shards, and now he couldn’t shake his alarm.

So instead of taking the day off to catch up on things he needed to do at home as he’d planned, he drove in to Protective Solutions. It was time to get some answers.

He stormed into Xavier’s office to find the man at his desk over an open book, as usual. Xavier had pulled his hair back for a change, leaving his dark, almost harsh features clear. He looked up at Bain, lifting his eyebrows.

“You need to tell me exactly why you insisted on the tinted glasses around Clive, and you need to tell me now.” Bain didn’t bother to sit, just stood towering over the desk and glaring at his friend.

“I take it you took them off?”

Bain shook his head. “Clive did. He saw right through the glamour, Xavier. I used contacts as an excuse, but he didn’t believe me. And I’ve seen him looking at other preternaturals when we’ve been out. Why can he see them? Why can he seeme?”

Xavier didn’t answer right away. He closed the book on his desk and folded his hands on top of it as he studied Bain. His office held the metallic scent of magic today, the wards protecting the building leaving a quiet hum in Bain’s ears. Normally, he’d ask what spells Xavier had been doing, but all he could think about was Clive’s fear. Fear of him. That expression was still stabbing into him.

“Xavier?”

“You should sit down.”

“I’m too hyped up to sit and honestly, too worried. There’s something about that human that—” he broke off and swiped his hand over his face.

“That what? What about the human?”

Bain threw up his hands. “He’s crawled under my skin somehow. I can’t explain it. He makes me think of things I never thought I could have.” Bain let out a heavy sigh and forced himself to sit. “Why can he see through the glamour?”

Xavier stood, walked around his desk and leaned back against it. It took him so long to answer Bain considered strangling his friend.

“There are humans in this world who have a preternatural somewhere in their ancestry. These humans don’t have powers of their own, but they can see past—or rather, through magic. Clive is one of them. I suspect that’s why he stays in his house so much. He probably sees things he can’t explain, things that scare him to death.”

“Yeah, I saw his reaction to a demon when we were out. It was obvious he saw what he was. Why didn’t you tell me about this before? This is something I should have known.”

When Xavier was silent again, Bain gritted his teeth so hard it sent pain shooting into his jaw.

“There’s something else that’s special about them,” Xavier said at last. “Years ago, I saw a vision that foretold the future.” He paused. “A vision about you.”

“Me?” Stunned, he could only glare at his friend. “And you didn’t share? I thought we were better friends than this.”

“I couldn’t tell you because it wasn’t time for you to know. And you’re not the only one I’ve had visions about.”

That should have surprised him, but it didn’t. “Any of the others who work with us?”

“All of them.”

Bain’s mouth dropped open, wrenched by annoyed bewilderment. “Are you telling me that you hired us because of these visions?”

“Yes. But you can’t tell them because each one has a particular destiny, and they can’t know about it ahead of time.”

“Can’t know about what? This cryptic shit is really pissing me off.”

“Bain.” Xavier’s tone was sharp. “Listen to me. I’m only telling you about this because your time has come.”

“My time for what? And what does this have to do with Clive?”

Xavier studied him silently for so long Bain really did want to punch him. So much his hands curled into fists.

“They can be mates to our kind. Soulmates.”

This news slammed into Bain’s brain with the force of a two by four, making him surge to his feet. “How could I not know about this? In all my years, I’ve never heard of the possibility of soulmates for us. True soulmates?”

“True. Deep.” Xavier paused. “And eternal.”

---