Gray (Awakening Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

What had happened to me? What was I?
    “You’re not ready for this. Come on. Let’s get you home, Shayla.” Kassia wrapped her arm around my shoulders like she thought I was going to pass out.
    I pulled away from her. I had to be free. I had to. “I am ready. Stop nagging me,” I said, my voice a little sharp. Guilt washed over me the second I saw the look on her face, so pushed away every thought but cheering her up. “Come on. You said you’d buy me clothes that actually fit. You can’t go back on that now or London will use my lack of fashion sense as a club to beat me to social death. You wouldn’t want that on your conscience, would you?”
    She didn’t speak, but slowly turned to walk with me into the store.
    I looked around, unsure where to turn first. I had no clothes at all, so that shopping trip would not be too short. “Kassia, you don’t have to hang around.”
    “I am not leaving you alone.”
    “It’s a clothing store. Do you really think—”
    “I said I’m not leaving you alone, Shayla,” she said with a bite in her voice.
    I stopped, then beamed at her. “Look at you. You know how to get annoyed with your baby sister like a real girl! I’m so proud.”
    She made a half huff, half laugh kind of noise and settled in quickly. She pointed out things she liked and reminded me of other things which would be necessary. It took us a couple of hours to get everything, but it turned out to be far more fun than I had thought.
    “Shayla Vincent?”
    I turned as we walked out of the store a while later, both of us loaded down with bags. It startled me to see a well-dressed woman with a microphone, a man behind her holding a video camera. Both of them looked straight at me.
    “How does it feel to be home, Shayla? Can you tell us where you were held, or what was done to you?”
    No. I would not be made a spectacle of. They would not do this to me. I wouldn’t allow it.
    I shook my head, my eyes fixed directly on the woman’s. “I’m not Shayla Vincent. You will forget that you saw me,” I said, sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that the woman would indeed forget.
    Her eyes dilated. A look of confusion came to her face. She turned back to the doors and stared as though she waited for me to walk out.
    The camera man appeared baffled, his eyes and camera both still fixed on me. I said nothing to him, but turned my mind to his camera.
    The air pulsed, like it wanted to help me in some way. I didn’t need it though. Not in the moment.
    “You never saw me,” I stated, not at all surprised when he turned in the same direction the reporter had.
    Good. I could ask the air to . . . no. That wasn’t possible. It was all in my head.
    Be careful, Gray One. Humans cannot understand your magic. You must forget. I will tell you when it is time.
    I didn’t know what was going on. It seemed pretty likely I had lost my mind. What else could make me think I had made water come out of some girl’s nose, or made people forget me or whatever. I had to be unbalanced. That was all there was to it.
    I hadn’t felt crazy though. I had felt in control for the first time in a long time. No. It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t. I didn’t believe in magic.
    My hands shook so hard I found it difficult to open the door of Kassia’s car. I also found it hard to think clearly because of the ferocious hunger which suddenly roared through me. It was like I hadn’t eaten in years.
    “Let’s stop and get you that burger,” Kassia said, her hands clenched tight on the wheel as my stomach let out a roar like there was a wild animal inside me which fought to be free.
    I had to turn my mind away from my own insanity, so shook my head and patted my noisy stomach. “Oh, I’m not hungry. I just need to find a place to give birth to the Cerberus.”
    Kassia snorted, then her lips turned up in a smile and she laughed, she really, truly laughed.
    I smiled, relieved to have that distraction from all of the strangeness around me.