"So you don't know where they are?" Killian asks slowly.
I frown, putting down the empty cup of water. "Did you hear what I just said? I do know where they are. I just have to let my Sight guide me."
Killian pinches the bridge of his nose. "Katrina, did you hear me when I told you that you were unconscious for a week?"
"Um, yes. You said it right to me."
I hear him breathe in deeply, like he's profoundly annoyed. "I am not letting you stumble around when you've been unconscious for a week. I can hear your heartbeat, Katrina. It's slow."
"Obviously. I've been sleeping for a week." I smile, but he's right. I've never been closer to death. I could almost taste the sweet release of it. One last rescue, and then my service on this earth is done.
"Killian, please," I plead, grabbing his hand when he doesn't respond. "I know that I can find them. They've suffered enough already. Every second we spend arguing over this is another second they're being tortured."
I hear Killian's teeth grinding together for a few moments as he considers my words. "As soon as we get them, you're not leaving my bed for another week while you rest."
Wrong. If I was out for a week, then I only have five more days until I return to Iron Claw. Even better, I was positive that if the wolves were found, Killian would let me go home earlier.
But since arguing with him wouldn't help my case at all, I ignore that comment, and get out of bed, but my legs feel like Jell-O, and Killian wraps his arms around my waist to stop me from falling face-first on the ground.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Killian hisses. "You can't see, you can't stand on your own, and you expect me to believe that you're in a good enough condition to find the wolves?"
"Go get Dorian," I urge him. "In case if this ends up in a fight, which I'm sure it will, he should be there. And bring a map. I can narrow down the area enough for you to teleport us in the vicinity."
"Katrina," he says hesitantly, his deep reluctance clear, even to me.
"Go," I beg. "Hurry."
I don't have time. Time is something I will never have enough of, will never get more of. So much has already been wasted.
Knox is about to come in. "Knox?" I say, turning to the door.
"Katrina, how did you know he was coming?" Killian says in surprise. "I just mindlinked him."
My Sight is strong. So strong right now, as I get closer to my death. So strong I can See so many futures, so many possibilities. I See so much. I See everything.
Except for Killian.
"Go!" I tell him urgently.
Killian hesitates once more, and releases his grip on me, probably to see if I can stand on my own, which I can. Despite how weak I am, despite how little life left I have in me, knowing that I have to finish this before I die gives me strength.
"I'll see you soon," Killian murmurs, and presses his lips to my forehead, and I'm alone in his room.
I go to the bathroom on my own, showering quickly and putting on heavy clothes. I'm fucking cold. So cold it bites my bones, slows my blood flow. Death is so, so near.
When I leave my room, Knox is outside my door, pacing anxiously. Can See his anxiety. My Sight is so strong I can almost hear his thoughts.
Holy shit.
So much power, but so little strength.
It's no wonder I have to die. There is no balance as long as I'm alive and Seeing everything.
"Killian said you know where the wolves are," Knox breathes. "Is-"
"It's true," I say quickly. "Where are the others?"
So much urgency in my actions, my brain running a million miles, a million futures flashing in my head. It doesn't matter that I can't see because I See everything.
Knox is stunned. "Katrina-"
"Never mind, they're all downstairs," I mutter, walking past him. "Yes, yes, Jae has many weapons. Knox, too. Layla has bottles of poison to catapult at them."
So much to See. I See everything all at once.
Dorian and the others are downstairs. He brought Mila and Adan, who are both so confused and yet so anxious. So many emotions to See, and I See all of them.
I stumble downstairs, putting my sleeve to my nose before blood comes out. I can See that, too.
"Map," I say when I'm downstairs, walking right up to Gabe, who I Know has it.
"Katrina, how are you-" he asks in surprise, can feel his surprise like it's a part of myself. He doesn't understand how my Sight is so much stronger. None of them do, I can See their confusion, their disbelief. My thoughts are so scattered, flying through my head before I can even think them.
Everything is happening so fast, everything is happening so early. Can See everything happening so early. Nothing makes sense, but it all does.
For a moment, I'm stunned by the sheer beauty of life. So many people, so many creatures, all weaving intricate webs, and I can See them all. Can See how everything connects, how every little choice creates a thousand different threads.
It wouldn't make sense to anyone without Sight. Sight is such a blessing, such a curse. I wouldn't change anything about it.
"Katrina?" Killian asks, placing his hand on my cheek. "Is everything okay? You're... You..."
I'm crazy. I know it. Know my mind is starting to slip as I die. The Sight makes everything so confusing, so clear.
But when Killian touches me, the thoughts slow. The threads become taut.
"The map," I shake my head, clearing the fog. "I need a pen."
Dorian is thinking about my death, can smell the blood on my sleeve, knows that death is near for me.
A map and a marker are shoved into my hand, and I sit on the floor, spreading the map on the ground. I run my hand along the paper. "No," I mutter under my breath. "No, it's too North. Yes, like that. No, too East. It should be... Yes, right there."
"Guys?" Maryn whispers fearfully to the rest of them, which I ignore.
I draw a circle on the map. I don't need to see to know it's right.
"It's in this vicinity," I mutter, standing up with the map, holding it out, and Killian takes it. "Yes... If we teleport there... Yes, I can See where it is."
"Katrina..." Killian says, his voice strained. "What's going on with you?"
I Know that Dorian is tearing up, is overwhelmed when he reads my mind, can't make sense of everything I'm Seeing. I Know that he knows that I can read his mind, and he's even more confused on how I could have so much power.
There is so much Sight. Too much Sight.
"Portal," I say urgently. "We have to go. Wolves... Vampires... Blood..."
"Killian, open the portal," Jae urges, and she's clutching one knife of many. So many weapons, she is very dangerous, very much like Ares. No, Ares is stronger, even better with weapons than Jae despite Jae's weapons' enhancement Gift. No, Ares is very strong. Her kids—
Killian pulls me into his arms, slowing my Sight. "Katrina, you're shaking," he says in panic.
"Cold," I mutter. "Very cold right now. The birds are hiding because they know what will happen. They all left."
"Katrina," Killian chokes.
"Killian, let's go!" Jae yells. She's mad. Mad that it has taken so long to find her mate. She will try to kill someone if we do not go.
I hear people going into the in between, yes, they are out of the in between and in the woods. Killian hesitates.
"Please," I beg. The longer I stay in his arms the more my Sight is hindered. I need my Sight.
Killian growls, though I don't know why, but he pulls us into the portal regardless and we land in the woods.
"Let me down," I command, and he hesitates. He keeps hesitating, so slow, everything is happening so slowly, it needs to happen now.
"Killian, let her down," Maryn begs. Jason is a good friend of hers; she will kiss him if we find him.
I feel the ground under my feet, and immediately start walking, holding my sleeve to my nose, using the other one to wipe my eyes. Blood, so much blood. There will be more when we find them.
I let my Sight guide me, no, my Sight is controlling me. It knows what turns to make, how deep to push in one direction, it expedites the future.
I'm mumbling, Know I'm mumbling because the others are freaked out, they do not understand that this is how the Sight works, that I was always meant to do this, to die after doing this.
"We're here," I breathe, and like my Sight was pushing me the whole time for this moment, it eases up on the power, and my thoughts are once again mostly my own, instead of mostly threads.
We're about 50 yards away from some kind of... warehouse? Where the wolves are.
"Katrina, do you know what's inside?" Kage asks gently.
I cock my head, staring at the building, even though I can not see it. "Hunters," I answer, my face twisting. No, something is wrong. "There's... There's 29 of them in there but..."
"But what?" Adan asks, his tone urgent.
"Something is wrong," I whisper. "I-I don't..."
"We have to go inside," Jae says urgently. "They're in there."
"It's not..." I mumble, wishing that my strong Sight would return, when I could See so much.
"Let's go!" Mila hisses.
Killian grabs my face in his hands. "Katrina, slow down, okay? Can you do that for a moment?"
I take a deep breath, feeling more like myself the longer Killian touches me.
"I don't know what's happening," I say, mortified. "I Know that they're in there but... something is off. Killian, don't go in there."
He freezes.
"Killian, please," I beg. "There's something wrong, I can feel it."
"My wolves are in there," Killian says, his voice raw and torn. "I have to go, darling. I'll come back. I'll see you soon. I promise."
He presses his warm lips to my cool forehead, and it feels like he's scalding me.
"See me soon? Wait, Killian-"
And then he throws me into the in between.
Alone.
The rest of the book is on my Patreon along with other completed books/ bonus stories/ chapters.
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