The warm water covered Kismet up to her neck. The lights were off except a single candle on the sink. Grunge music blasted in her ears. She reached to her CD player and turned up the volume to drown out the rising hum of voices. The effects of the alcohol and weed had begun to wear off, forcing her to face the full brunt of her abilities once again.

Kismet closed her eyes, trying not to think of the kaleidoscope of colour splattered across the room whenever she opened them. She felt the pull on her conscious mind like standing in a rip tide. Any slip up would send her out to sea.

So, she retreated to the safety of her eyelids, staring at the darkness.

I hope they can forgive me. Nyx especially. I should have told her. If she wants to kick me out, I won’t blame her. At least my card is coming soon, but It won’t be the same. They’re gonna hate me.

When the water turned cold, Kismet got out of the tub and dried off. She put on a loose t-shirt and cotton pajama pants.

Alistair had fallen asleep in the armchair while Nyx curled up in the other one, looking out the window with a cigarette in her hand.

How many has she had?

Her aura swirled in thick ribbons of red, blue and ash grey. Magenta and rose pink speckled throughout. The miasma hit Kismet like a wall, and she steeled herself as it mingled with her own regret and sadness.

The sky had opened up in thick sheets of rain. A flash of lightning cracked, followed immediately by a clasp of thunder.

“I hope he’s not out in this,” Nyx muttered.

Kismet laid on the couch, tugging the throw blanket up to her chin. She didn’t know what to say.

I’ve already said enough.

Another flash of lightening lit the room and the contours of Nyx’s face. Thunder clapped again, rattling the walls. A pop, and then the power was out.

“Shit,” Nyx grumbled, crushed her cigarette and got up. “I’m gonna get the candles.”

Kismet slid off the couch and followed her into the kitchen, twirling a ringette around her finger. She was careful to avoid bumping the furniture along the way, feeling around.

“Do you need help?” she whispered to avoid waking Alistair.

“No, thanks,” Nyx said, not bothering to look up from the junk drawer as she rummaged.

“Ok,” Kismet said and turned toward the living-room, her heart sinking.

“Wait,” Nyx called, keeping her voice low. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be short with you. I get you were in a hard spot, but it still stings, ya know? I wish you had trusted me enough to say something.”

“I wanted to,” said Kismet, “but Daisy said no. I didn’t want to risk upsetting the council and getting sent away. That was incredibly selfish of me, especially after you’ve been nothing but kind.”

Nyx retrieved a long white candle with a metal holder and took it to the table. They both sat down. She stuck the candle in the stand and lit it, sliding it to the center. The soft orange glow reflected fire in her eyes as the flame flickered between them.

“Why didn’t you say something as soon as you read my mom’s mind?”

“I didn’t want to be the one to destroy Angel like this, or say something to get me kicked off the island. I was scared. I’ve shared sensitive information before and it ended horribly. I didn’t know what to do.”

“I would have helped you.”

“I know,” Kismet sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“No more secrets, ok?” Nyx said. “I really need you Kizzy. You’re my best friend and I can’t do this without you.”

No one had ever called her their best friend before and she blinked in surprise. She figured surely there must be some other person who occupied this role in Nyx’s life, but now that she considered it, she’d only seen Nyx with Angel or her siblings. It occurred to Kismet for the first time that perhaps Nyx had been just as lonely when they met.

“Ok,” Kismet said, relief flooded her body.

Despite the turmoil of the past few hours, it felt like a thousand pounds had finally lifted off her shoulders. There was no more hiding who she was or what she was capable of.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Was it bad?” Nyx asked quietly. “What happened before?”

Kismet nodded.

“Someone died because of me. I didn’t want to take that chance.”

Nyx put a hand on hers.

“It’s so much pressure trying to determine what I should share and what I shouldn’t,” Kismet continued, “especially when it comes to information I shouldn’t even have. I can’t predict how people will react. I made a huge mistake here and it’s impacted you all, especially Angel. I can’t seem to get it right.”

“I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you, and Angel too,” said Nyx. “My powers don’t impact anyone else in the same way yours do, so it’s not something I ever have to think about. It’s too bad you hadn’t come to the island sooner, or even The Academy. Someone could have helped guide you through these tough decisions.”

“I’m glad I’m here now.” Kismet tugged on the loose threads of her hoodie, twisting them around her finger. “I’m sorry I messed everything up.”

Nyx scrounged in her pocket for another cigarette. “Everything was fucked before you got here. If anything, you were the only one with the decency enough to be honest. I didn’t see this keeping anyone else up at night.”

“Still -”

Another flash of lightening and an explosive crack of thunder interrupted their conversation. Rain poured even harder, coming down now in torrential sheets. The wind whistled through the cracks in the shingles, shoving the small cabin, making it creak and groan in protest.

Nyx leaned forward and lit her cigarette, taking a long, exhausted drag.

“We need a plan for when the Watchers come,” she said, blowing out a plume of smoke.

“What can we do?” Kismet asked.

We’re like sitting ducks, especially if ivy herself shows up. Would anyone other than us try to defend Angel if it came down to it and risk inciting another war?

Nyx bounced her thigh, sucking on her cigarette. Her eyes were hard and determined, glimmering in the candle’s singular flame.

“I need to ask something of you,” said Nyx, “but I’m scared you’ll feel obligated to agree if I do.”

Magenta waves of anxiety rippled through Nyx’s body, tangling with burgundy threads of fear. Kismet nibbled the ends of her sleeves, clenching her jaw in anticipation for the question, already knowing what she was going to say.

“Anything,” said Kismet.

“Wait ‘til you hear it, ok?” said Nyx. “Please feel free to say no. Nothing between us will change if you do. I’ll think of some other way. Since we can’t fight them, our only hope is to gather information so we can act accordingly. If we can determine Ivy’s intentions, we can tell Angel. There’s a chance she’ll want to take him to The Academy, which wouldn’t be ideal, but it’s better than dead.”

“Nyx…” Kismet began gently. “He’s not going to go with her.”

“Co-operating is the only way to avoid a confrontation,” said Nyx. “He has her powers, and it’s not hard to put the pieces together here. Whatever they did in that lab, he has her DNA. Maybe that will matter to her and she’ll take it easy on him if he comes quietly. This could be for the best. She’s the best one to tell him about himself and help with his powers. Maybe we’re not giving her enough credit and she’ll guide him rather than try to control him.”

“I dunno…”

That certainly didn’t fit the image of Ivy that Kismet had kicking around in her mind. No matter what, Angel would pose a threat to her and everything she’d established.

Would Ivy ever be able to trust him enough to let him live freely?

If Kismet were being honest, Angel would have a long way to go to prove himself and that was if he was willing to put in the effort or saw any value in the endevour in the first place. A confrontation seemed inevitable.

A hard pit settled into the depths of her gut.

“The only way we can know for sure is if you read Ivy’s mind,” said Nyx. “At least then we can give Angel the options and he can make a choice.”

Kismet nibbled her lip, peeling at the loose dry skin.

“If I do this, you have to be prepared to get answers you might not like,” she said.

“I’ll accept whatever it is,” Nyx said.

“What if I get caught?” Kismet asked. “Reading their minds might be some kind of illegal since I’m sure they’d have loads of confidential information in there.”

“You don’t have to do this,” said Nyx, “but I suppose that would be a risk. For the record, I couldn’t feel you in my head at all. We still have the advantage of everyone else but Daisy thinking you’re an empath. They shouldn’t suspect a thing.”

Kismet twisted her sleeves in her hands, wringing them like a dish cloth as she clenched her jaw, thinking a mile-a-minute.

“I’m sorry,” Nyx sighed. “I shouldn’t be asking this of you. It’s so selfish and reckless and -”

“I’ll do it,” said Kismet.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I want to help anyway I can. All my life, I’ve kept my powers hidden. Others have used them against me or forced me to use them in ways they wanted me to in order to serve their own purposes. I think it’s high time I put them to use in the way I see fit. Even if I do get in trouble, at least it was because I was doing what I thought was right. So, fuck ‘em. If they want to hang me for that, go ahead.”

“Thank you,” said Nyx, sagging with relief. “I can’t say enough how much this means to me. At least we tried.”

A comfortable silence settled between them, each holding the other’s hand on top of the table. The thin wisp of smoke trailing from the end of Nyx’s cigarette twisted toward the ceiling, casting ghostly shapes in the candlelight. The rain continued to lash against the cottage. For the first time in her life, Kismet sat with someone who knew absolutely everything. Though the circumstances were far from ideal, and the pressure of the unknown still sat heavy over her, a sense of peace had settled inside.

Eventually, Kismet returned to the living-room where she curled up on the couch. Alistair was fast asleep in the armchair, his long body twisted and contorted to try and fit in a comfortable sleeping position. Nyx sat on the opposite chair, her feet tucked up underneath as she stared out at the storm.