Destiny's Fire (Kythan Guardians 1)

Waiting for my change to begin the next day was maddening. My mom prepared a birthday breakfast of my favorites—pancakes and hash browns—and we celebrated early, as I’d be shifting soon. We were quiet while we ate, both of us knowing that the change might start at any moment.

I’d told her about my power making an appearance, conveniently leaving out the part where I’d shocked Reese. She was worried enough over the Narcos being in Haven, and I didn’t want her upset over me talking or dancing with one. Although, soon enough she’d find out they were attending the Academy. One fight at a time, I told myself.

By that afternoon, I was going stir crazy. I’d cleaned my room twice, reorganized my closet, and started packing for the Academy. When I couldn’t take the claustrophobia anymore, I decided I had to get out of the house. She was reluctant, but I’d assured her I wouldn’t be long and I’d stick close to home. I still technically had a whole day before the change.

I rode the autowalk, glancing into store windows, my mind unfocused. Reese’s violet eyes clouded my thoughts. As I neared a coffee shop, a sharp spasm panged my side. I crumpled and grabbed my stomach, falling onto the moving sidewalk. The searing pain spread through my stomach, coursing the length of my body, and I rolled onto the walkway.

I crawled to the edge of the building and attempted to claw my way to my feet. But I couldn’t grasp the stone wall. Reaching for my communicator, I found my back pocket empty. Crap.

Giving up, ready to die right there on the side of the roadway, I felt a hand clasp my arm.

“Dez?” Reese’s voice echoed in my ears. “Hold on. I’ll get you out of here.”

He knelt next to me and scooped me into his arms. Everything around me darkened. I couldn’t focus, but I felt the motion of him carrying me. My voice croaked out, trying to make words. “Am…what…”

“The change is starting,” he said in a soft, faraway voice. “Don’t panic.”

He placed me in front of him on what I assumed was a hover-bike. Wrapping one arm securely around me, he cradled me to his chest, and the vehicle lurched into motion. Waves of sound bounced off my eardrums, muffled, like the inside of a sea shell as I faded in and out of consciousness.

When the motion stopped, Reese shook me. “Hey, I’m going to lay you down here.” He set me on something cold and hard. Cement. “Dez…” He shook me again. “Dez…”

I pried my eyes open. He stared down at me, his hair falling loosely around his red eyes. “Yeah,” I moaned.

“This is your house, right?”

I forced my eyes to look at the door and read the number. I nodded. How did he know where I lived?

“Okay,” he said. “Listen. I have something important to tell you. When you’re better, contact me.” He slipped something into my back pocket, and his smooth, warm lips pressed to my forehead. He kept them there a moment before he stood and rang the bell, then disappeared out of sight.

The door opened, and I saw my mom’s panicked face right before I blacked out.

The next time my eyes opened, my bedroom ceiling swirled above me. My body felt like a limp, dissolving Jell-O mold. I stretched my fingers and toes. Every muscle in my body ached.

Mom sat down beside me on the edge of my bed. “How are you feeling?” she asked, placing a wet cloth across my forehead.

“Better…I guess.” I blinked hard, clearing my vision. “How long was I out?”

She pressed the back of her hand against my cheek. “Today’s Sunday.”

I strained my eyes, opening them as wide as I could. “Sunday? I’ve been out for two days?”

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“A day and a half, actually.” She brushed my hair away from my face. “I was worried. Normally there’s pain, screaming, fever…but I’ve never heard of someone sleeping through the whole thing.”

I tried to sit up, and she helped me prop myself against the wrought iron headboard. “You mean it’s over? It’s done?” I shook my head, but regretted it when a violent throbbing assaulted me. “Ow.”

“Just take it easy.”

“Wait. So did you see me shift? Am I Shythe?” Her face was a mask. “Mom? What happened?”

She nodded her head lightly. “Yes, Destiny. You shifted. But I think you should wait till you’re feeling better before you try it on your own.”

Screw that. My whole life I’d anticipated and feared this moment. I had to know what color my eyes were—what power I had. Hell, I had to watch myself shift into my Kythan form.

And, oh!

“My ink—my Kythan mark? Is it there?” I blurted, running my fingers over my neck. It still felt the same. I expected to feel raised skin, like on humans, after they’d gotten a tattoo. But it was smooth.