I smiled. “I’ll leave you alone now. Thanks for the pictures.”
Then I backed away and stared at it, waiting for the hallucination to fade away. When it didn’t, I squatted down and lifted my camera up, then pointed it at the bush. Over the top, I spotted my own reflection in the window of the building – and froze.
Riah’s face shined in the reflection right above mine, like he was standing right behind me. My pulse quickened. I licked my lips and slowly peeked over the top of the camera and gasped. His reflection was gone. It was only mine and the flowery bush. No, no. That can’t be. I saw him. I looked through the camera again….and there he was. A cold chill that had nothing to do with the temperature slid down my spine.
I don’t understand.
What is happening?
I dropped the camera and let it hang from the strap around my neck, then spun around – nothing. No one. It was just me. I bit my lip and stepped forward into the spot he should have been if he’d actually been standing there…and of course, I found only air. It wasn’t like he was invisible. I spun back around and looked through the camera at the glass window – but his reflection was gone now too.
I am losing my mind.
The birds. The tree. The bush…Riah. Why am I seeing things that aren’t there?
What is happening to me?
“You take any cool pics?”
I jumped at Savannah’s voice behind me, then I cleared my throat. “I followed a bunny.” And saw Riah even though he wasn’t there at all. But I kept that last part to myself.
Gigi frowned and looked at her phone. “Maybe we should head back? We don’t have much time left.”
Savannah sighed and hung her head. “Okay. Let’s go.”
She led us around a corner then down a snow-covered brick pathway past wooden houses on both sides of the street. Above our heads, thick black ropes stretched from beam to beam. Little white fences lined a few houses. This road looked a lot like the one we’d just been on with the trees hanging over and tangling together. Savannah and Gigi were lost in some discussion about movies to binge later but none of them meant anything to me, so I let my mind wander.
As we walked, we passed an opening between the buildings that was square-shaped, with bushes lining the perimeter that were still clinging to their green color. Trees surrounded it, but most of them had no leaves left. It was a cute little park tucked away between houses. I slowed my pace. At the far end of the park was a wooden bench sitting between two towering trees. Curious, I held my camera up — and choked on a scream.
RIAH.
I froze with my finger on the button and my jaw dropped. Through the lens of my camera I saw Riah sitting in the middle of that wooden bench. I saw it clear as day. I took a deep breath then lowered my camera. He was gone. NO. What? My body turned cold. With only my eyes he was nowhere in sight. It didn’t make any sense at all. How could I see him through the camera but only there?
My pulse skipped. I watched him through the camera lens, unsure of what to do. He was fidgeting with his amethyst ring that was now on his pointer finger – not that I’d been paying that close of attention to which finger he wore it on. Because I wasn’t. I hadn’t. A million questions ran through my mind but they all sounded like screaming in my ears. A strangled kind of cry slipped out of my mouth. so I clenched my teeth tight.
I shivered and it racked my whole body.
“Saffie!” Savannah skipped over then tugged my hand. “Come on, we’re gonna be late for class.”
As she dragged me away from the park, I glanced over my shoulder to where Riah sat on the bench…but it was empty.
Chapter Twelve
Riah
Well this is new.
Saraphina should not have been able to see me, not even through a camera lens, yet as I followed them down the street towards the school I was fairly certain she had. I knew she sensed my presence, there was no amount of magic I could use to eliminate that – she was too powerful.
But she’d never seen through my cloaking ring before, or any of the glamours I’d used over the centuries. Why now?
Something glistened from the red brick pathway before me, I sensed Saraphina’s magic coiled around it. When I picked it up, I found it was a chunk of raw rose quartz crystal. I glanced up and found a trail of crystals in her wake. What is this?
I hung back, crouched low to the ground to not risk spooking her again, and watched her. If she saw me now, she made no notion of it. Her two new friends were oblivious to my presence as they bounced down the street. I narrowed mine eyes on Saraphina and my pulse skipped. The ground under her feet glittered bright gold. Heat filled my chest and I could not fight the smile spreading across mine face. This was the Saraphina I remembered.
She held her hand out and dragged her fingers over the row of hedges that had suffered winter’s bitter fate – and they turned green under her touch. I gasped and jumped to my feet. Pink flowered vines shot out from her palm then slithered between the broken branches until the entire plant had bloomed like this was spring, all while she remained blissfully unaware.
This…this is definitely new for her.
Prince Thorne would want to hear of it.
Chapter Thirteen
Saffie
“This is her office?” Savannah scowled and looked around. “Where?”
I smirked and pointed to my right. “It’s back there, in the blue house.”
“Oh, okay.” She nodded then craned her neck to stare down the driveway that led to Dr. Troy’s house and office. “Are you sure? It’s pretty dark back there…”
“She was here last night, Savannah.” Gigi bumped her shoulder into Savannah, then turned to me with a warm smile. “Do you need us to walk you to the door or is here okay?”
“No, I’m okay. But thank you, and thanks for walking me here.”
“You’re welcome.” Savannah held her hand up in between us. When I slapped my palm against hers she grinned. “Ma’am, yes. All right, text us later, okay?”
Gigi gave me a high-five, too. “Yeah, let us know if you wanna hang out.”
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.” I smiled and waved, then headed up the driveway.
Dr. Troy’s house and office were set in the back behind a two-story wooden green house, so it was off the main street. As I walked up the paved road toward her front door, I noticed my nerves settled with each step I took. This was only my second appointment with Dr. Troy but something about her put me at ease.
She was never hysterical or worried too much. She didn’t question me like she didn’t believe me. She didn’t coddle me either. She just let me be…me. And for everything I was scared or concerned about, she had a scientific explanation for it. Which was exactly what I was hoping she could tell me about what happened today with Riah – and what happened two nights ago on the wharf.
My stomach tightened into knots just thinking about it. I closed my eyes and saw his face in the darkness. Why? Why him? Is it a coincidence? Am I going crazy?
I stepped up on the porch and my phone sang from my pocket. I paused and pulled it out – Landreia’s name was big across the screen. I smiled and answered. “Hi, Landreia!”