Page 32 of The Darkest Night

Truth be told, she’d felt an ache in her chest after he’d left with Violet and Miles last night. That ache faded as the bond between them tightened, warming their hearts. The pendant trembled against her chest in resonance.

“What am I going to do with—?”

The door opened and hit Mae on the ass. She tumbled face down on the floor, taking Brimstone with her.

“Here, I thought you might need a fresh—” Ryu froze, one hand on the doorknob and a pair of pajamas hanging limply in the other. Her eyes rounded. “Is that afox?!” Her gaze shifted from Brimstone to Trixie and Millie. She paled. “Shit! Why the hell is there a snake in your room?!”

Mae sat up, her heart pounding in her chest.

Violet had told her familiars could only be seen by people who possessed magic in their souls or if the animals chose to make themselves seen. That was why their presence at the hospital had not been reported by any of the survivors. And since Mae’s magic had been sealed inside her, she’d lived her whole life oblivious to the existence of the hundreds of familiars in the city until the night her powers awakened.

It seemed that wasn’t the case for her sister.

Mae gawped at Ryu. “You can see them?!”

Chapter 16

Violet studiedthe two sisters where they sat on the bed.

Ryu was shorter than Mae by a few inches and sported a round face and wide-spaced, almond-shaped eyes. Despite the differences in their physical appearance, she carried herself with the same gritty determination as her older sister.

Ryu cut her eyes to the familiars in the room. “How long have I been able to see people with strange pets? Since middle school.”

Violet chewed her lip.

So, the right age for someone’s magic to start to awaken.

“Oh.” Mae grimaced. “I remember you saying something about that. We all thought you were making it up.”

Ryu shrugged. “Yeah, well, I decided to ignore it after that time. New York is full of weirdos anyway.” She licked her lips nervously. “What’s going on, Mae? Who are these people?”

She indicated Violet and Miles.

Mae clenched her jaw. She seemed to come to a decision.

“Don’t,” Violet warned.

Mae met her cool stare.

“The less your sister knows about our world, the better. It will only put her and your family in danger.”

“I agree,” Miles said in a strained voice.

Mae hesitated.

“What world?” Ryu’s brow wrinkled. “Wait. Does this have anything to do with that crazy red light I saw that night?”

Mae paled. Violet clenched her jaw.

“Damn,” Miles mumbled, his expression reflecting her disquiet as they exchanged a glance.

It seemed Ryu had seen too much already.

“You saw that?!” Mae blurted out.

“Yeah.” Ryu clutched Mae’s hand, her eyes darkening. “I don’t know why, but I thought of you when it happened. I called your cell but I couldn’t get through.”

“The magic storm took out all the telecommunication masts in the city,” Violet said grimly.

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