Clara extends her hand to me and explains, "If you want it, just hold my hand for a minute. That will be enough to transfer a bit more of my power to you."
I refuse, shaking my head. "No, thank you so much. If there's one thing I don't want, it's to see spirits. I don't want to know the future, and I definitely don't want to find the ghosts of my biological parents standing by my bedside. Though… I would like to see…"
She finishes the sentence for me. "Carol? I won't lie to you—you're not going to see her. She's standing right behind you this very second. She says she'll never appear again if you take my powers. She's furious with me for even offering. She keeps calling me 'Higanbana,' though I don't know what it means."
A genuine laugh escapes me, mixed with a rush of emotion. "Higanbana is an Asian flower associated with bad omens. Yeah, there's no doubt that's her talking to you. Tell her I'll love her always."
Clara pulls her glove back on and, with a sigh, commands, "Alright, I get it. You don't want any more of my power. Now tell me why you were looking for me. I think I sense that you've chosen one of the two… and I warned you!"
I rush to clarify, "Wait, I haven't told anyone yet. It's Killian. I feel like he's the love of my life, and as long as he's on board, I want to start a relationship with him and only him. I have one of those absolute-certainty vibes with Killian—I know he'll be my husband someday."
Clara looks annoyed and says, "The future isn't set in stone, but I warned you: if I tell you not to board a plane, the smartest thing you can do is stay off it. By that same token, I made myself clear: the moment you choose one, the other dies. Yet here we are. You've already made your choice, even though I grew tired of telling you the other would die. I never said it would happen when you broke the news to them. The fact that you have chosen has already opened that door… Lucius is going to die. Make sure he wears that bulletproof vest and the watch; at least he'll stand a chance."
While my mouth is still hanging open, she stands up to leave. In my desperation to stop Lucius from dying, I think that maybe a little bit of her power could help after all. So, I change my mind and grab her arm for a few seconds.
The moment I touch her, a vision flashes in my mind like a trance: I see him get shot in the chest and plummet from a great height. Then, we are all crying around him, and Evangelina is telling me, "There's nothing you can do for him—he's dead!"
When I snap my eyes open, I catch a faint, blurry glimpse of Carol out of the corner of my eye. She vanishes just as she orders, "Let her go!"
I obey, letting go of her arm, instantly regretting what I have done.
Clara says, "Don't worry, it was only a few seconds. Now I must go. Remember… the future isn't set in stone."
"Does that mean you're wrong sometimes?" I ask. "Tell me the truth."
Before stepping through the gate, she says, "No. I'm sorry, but I'm never wrong."
My phone buzzes with a text from Killian: "I'm arriving at Mary Garden in 40 minutes. I have something to tell you."
I rush to take a shower. I want to look pretty and wash all this madness out of my mind. I am going to tell Killian everything.
When he arrives, he wraps me in his arms and kisses me. I shower him with affection, thanking him a thousand times for the bookstore and the beautiful garden bench. Holding his hand, I lead him into the dining room, promising to tell him something important, but I let him speak first.
Killian tells me, "Lucius and Sarah's wedding will be in two months, in Longfield. I think that will finally close a chapter on all of this. He's going to be more exposed than ever because he's announcing the launch of his political career. He texted me this morning saying he was stepping back from you and that, unless I'm a complete idiot, I should ask you to be my girlfriend right away. And, well, you know I'm no idiot. So… will you be my girlfriend? What do you say? I think you and I should see how we do in a normal relationship…"
I cut him off with a kiss and tell him yes. Of course I accept. I cry tears of pure emotion as I breathe in his cologne, but deep down, alongside the absolute certainty that he is my one true love, I also feel terror…
I confess everything to him: the ghost of Margot Robbins in the castle, my flashes of certainty, and what Clara had told me. I beg him to cancel all that madness surrounding "The Vertex" because I cannot bear to see Lucius die.
Killian calms me down. He promises to intervene with his brother to try and steer him away from danger, though he warns me it will not be easy. Lucius does not believe in Clara the psychic. We agree it would be best not to tell him anything directly—just protect him without bringing up the paranormal, or he will end up doing the exact opposite just to prove to us that "weird stuff like that doesn't exist."
My boyfriend Killian—and believe me, girl, I know how weird that sounds coming out of my mouth—proposes announcing our relationship at a dinner in Longfield tomorrow night. I ask him:
"Will your father be okay with this?"
He replies confidently, "Most likely not, but I don't care. With Lucius entering politics, my father knows full well that I'm the only one left to run the empire when he steps down, so he can't afford to exile me. Don't worry."
I agree. Once the mansion confirms availability, we send out the invitations. Lucius replies instantly: "I'm happy for you both." And I think, Is that all you're going to say? But I know it is better this way. I just have to get used to everything that comes with being in a relationship.
After dinner, we go to bed, just the two of us. It feels like a real family. We eat some dessert while watching an episode of a show. We laugh, we kiss, and he falls asleep looking like an angel before the credits even roll. I do not want to wake him, so I just snuggle up close to feel the warmth of his body and the security of his protective muscles.
Evangelina replies to the invitation: "You're made for each other. I'm so jealous of Killian—you're the most beautiful thing in the universe. I won't be able to make it tomorrow; we still haven't found Big George, and every day we discover a new secret tunnel or passage in my mansion. The lunatic could be right here."
I text her back, telling her to be very careful, but a few minutes later she writes: "You know what? I'll go anyway. After all, I'm thinking of moving into the Longfield mansion. All this constant traveling puts me in a bad mood, and since our empires are joined, it's my mansion too."
Bruce also replies to the invitation announcing our relationship: "I won't be able to attend. I'd love to say I'm thrilled for you guys, but I don't think he's the right one for you. Still, if you're happy, I respect your decision."
I reply: "Yes, I am happy, so I hope to keep you as a friend and that this absurd rivalry with Killian becomes a thing of the past very soon."
He just sends: "Ok."
Ursula replies a few seconds later. Her message reads: "I've already made sure the mansion is looking splendid for your arrival. Mr. Longfield will want to speak with you alone after dinner is over."
Anxious, I ask, "Is he happy, indifferent, or angry?"
She replies: "Serious. That's the word. He turned serious and shut himself in the residence. But he'll be there with you tomorrow—he promised me."
Moetia, the mermaid author, sends me a sweet message, but at the same time, it leaves me spinning. She says: "Hey, gorgeous Carmilla. Of course I'm coming—I'll arrive right on the dot. While I'm there, I'm going to see my editor with the pages for my new novel. I'll stay a couple of days in the city. I'd like to talk to you. There's something about Lucius I haven't told you yet."
I beg her: "Please tell me now. Curiosity isn't something you can soothe by asking for patience."
She writes: "Ok. Once, while he and I were playing at being a couple, we got into a fight, and I screamed something like, 'You've never loved anyone in your life—you always put yourself first!' And he shot back that it wasn't true—that ever since his brother Killian was born, he was the most important person in his life and he always put him above himself. Over time, I found out he wasn't lying. They've competed for business control and even for their mother's affection. Lucius always ended up backing down after a while, letting Killian win. A few days ago, Lucius and I talked on the phone. I had sent him an excerpt of what I'm writing about you guys, and he told me he had decided to step aside in the battle he was fighting with his brother for your love. He told me he was doing it to protect you from everything his marriage to Sarah entailed. I asked him if he wasn't just doing what he always does: letting Killian win. There was a heavy silence on the line; he didn't answer, but I felt that was exactly it. I just asked him how he was holding up with that decision, and he said, 'I'm more devastated than I've ever been before.'"
Moetia leaves me deep in thought, and I have to ask her:
"And why are you telling me this? You should be happy. I know you love him."
She types:
"Precisely because I love him. I think you need to talk to him tomorrow, just the two of you alone. Find a moment after dinner. I don't want his heart left hanging in limbo, waiting for you forever in silence. You know what I mean. I intend to win him back when the thing with Sarah falls through, but it's never going to work if deep down inside he can't let you go."
She is right. I will talk to Mr. Longfield, and then to Lucius. I will clear the air and, step by step, handle one problem at a time.
Of course, girl, destiny has a surprise waiting for me. How do I know?
As I lie here in bed, wrapped in my boyfriend's arms… an image flashes through my mind: Lucius, at the dinner party in front of everyone, pulls me by the waist and brings his lips close to mine.
Uh-oh… Clara's powers are growing stronger inside me… that is definitely going to happen, and… I'm in trouble.