The weight of a thousand thoughts came crashing onto my chest, pushing the air from my lungs. Every breath I tried to draw was short and shallow as I struggled to refill my lungs with much-needed oxygen.
The room dimmed, and I grabbed my head, hoping to keep the world from spinning. An elephant seemed to be sitting on my chest. My fight-or-flight response kicked in. I needed to get out of the banquet hall immediately.
I stood, but the dizziness knocked me back into the chair. I slumped forward, trying to catch my breath and trying to make sense of my life.
“Hey. Calm down, Liza. It’s all right.” Sabrina stood and fanned me with her hand, which didn’t help at all and probably looked as ridiculous as it felt, but I didn’t have enough oxygen or energy to tell her to stop.
I was in the middle of a full-blown panic attack. All I could think about was my powers and the people around me finding out exactly what I was.
My thoughts were so loud, so all-consuming, I didn’t even notice Sabrina rushing away and grabbing her phone.
I couldn’t keep all of this inside for much longer. I dropped my head between my legs, not sure if it would actually help. I’d seen someone else do this on a lawyer TV show once. It had something to do with getting enough blood to your head.
Why did I have to be like this?
“Why couldn’t I have been born normal?” I didn’t recognize my own voice. It was so high-pitched and shrill.
“There’s no point in being normal when you were born to be so special.” A voice I didn’t recognize broke through my anxiety-ridden mind.
I looked up to find Stone leaning against wall next to the swinging kitchen door.
“What are you doing here?” Wiping my face, I tried to regain my composure. I didn’t know him very well, but I also didn’t want him to see me like this: weak, sinking into my own tragedy.
Unfortunately, trying to act as if he hadn’t already seen me with my head between my legs and crying like a baby probably wouldn’t do much to convince him of my mental stability.
“I’m accompanying a friend to the banquet tonight. Her parents are on the advisory board for the bank.” He paused and glanced across the room at Cecily, who stared at me with contempt.
I should’ve known.
Stone turned his attention back to me. “I was on my way to the restroom and saw you having a moment. Or should I say, a meltdown?”
“Not very gentlemanly to point it out,” I said. I shook my head, then cleared my throat and smoothed my hair back from my face. “I’m fine, thanks for your concern. You can go away now.”
Instead of leaving, he sat down next to me. “What happened?”
I turned away, clamping my lips together. Who did this guy think he was?
He sighed loudly, but when I turned to look at him, his gaze smoldered as if he was trying to entice me. “Someday soon you’re going to seek me out on your own, and I’ll be waiting with open arms.”
I held his gaze, unaffected, and proud of it. “I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Stone smiled and stood. “Your scent is getting stronger.”
His words made me stiffen. It was weird when someone randomly came up to me and mentioned my scent. It made me wonder if I needed stronger deodorant or different medicine. This time, I knew the answer.
He scoffed almost happily. “You’ll be fully aware of everything soon. I’m sure of it.”
Stone turned to walk away.
“Wait.” I got to my feet. I couldn’t let him walk away without trying to get to the bottom of his cryptic words. “What are you talking about? What exactly do you know that I don’t?”
His gaze held mine, and my breath caught in my throat, the hairs on my arms standing at attention. As I looked at him, I saw something familiar in his eyes. I couldn’t place it, but I had the distinct impression I’d seen them before. A long time ago.
He held me in place with that piercing gaze. “I know everything. So does lover boy.” He turned and stared out the window. “Wait for the full moon, Liza. The full moon should finally do it.”
I followed his gaze and noticed the moon shining brightly. What did the full moon have to do with anything? He spoke in riddles. So many fucking riddles, and because of that, nothing this man said made sense to me. Maybe that was his game. He wanted to confuse me in hopes of me giving him insider information about the Keller family businesses.
Stone interrupted my thoughts. “Liza, are you still taking your medication?”
