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“Your eyes…” she says. “I’ve never seen anything like them. Now I understand why Tommy and Remy won’t talk about you.”
“They’re just eyes,” I tell her. “I was born this way. I’m not a witch or color blind. When in focus, I can see the world just as clearly as you can.”
She kisses me on the cheek. “You are like starlight, and I think they are beautiful.”
I stand in utter shock, and my hand cups my cheek where she kissed me. Everything is so sensitive…tingling.
“I’m glad you came tonight,” she says. “This is a place where you can be free and safe. Never let anyone dim your light, Diana.”
Music blares from outside, and more people trickle into the house. A cool breeze sends shivers down my spine. I turn my head, eager to see if it’s Remy. He hasn’t talked to me since I arrived an hour ago, and I want to steal a glimpse of him.
As Talia stares, I can sense her watching me. Finally, she asks, “Do you know who I am?”
My pulse upticks. “Yes, you’re Tommy’s girlfriend.”
She tilts her head back and laughs, the darkness exuding from her. “Anything else?”
I release a slow breath. “I understand there is something happening here greater than all of you, though I don’t understand exactly what that is. You burn buildings down and scare people.” I pause before I say, “You sacrifice people. You killed your boyfriend.”
Her eyes flash as she beholds me, and she neither admits nor denies. She pulls out a joint and lights it. When she passes it to me, I almost want to say no. But Talia isn’t the type of girl to take no for an answer.
“Take it, Didi. It will help you through it.”
Didi.
I take a much bigger inhale than I did before, and my world instantly fuzzes.
Wait…what do I have to get through?
She snaps her fingers. “Lucy. Come here, please.”
A young woman appears out of nowhere, and unlike her old grandmother, this housekeeper is stunning. Young, dark, and beautiful, just like Talia. I’ve seen her around town, always near Remy.
“Please get Diana a glass of water; she’ll need to stay hydrated.”
Lucy’s eyes flash and are anything but welcoming. She gives me a once-over, then bows her head. “Of course. Be right back.” She walks through a set of double doors to what I’m assuming is the kitchen and lets the door slam behind her.
Talia merely smiles. “Sorry about her. She’s Maribel’s daughter and gets paid very well from the family estate, so don’t have sympathy for her. Although, I will be having a conversation with her about her manners.”
Lucy arrives with the water and hands it to me. “Will there be anything else?” She smiles sweetly at Talia.
“No, Lucy. You may go.”
Lucy’s eyes linger on the doorway just as Remy walks in—dark and brooding as always. His eyes swirl with emotion, and I can barely breathe.
Talia steps aside, waving her hand. “I’ll leave the two of you to get reacquainted.”
REMINGTON
The instant Talia exits the house, I pull Diana toward the dark corridor, away from Lucy and Maribel’s watchful eyes.
She retreats to the wall, her small frame shaking as I slam my hand near her face, and she flinches.
I let out a low growl. “You didn’t leave.”
She lifts her head, confusion clouding her face. I keep close to her, invading her personal space. Then, as my words sink in, her pupils darken, realization dawning on her.
A sob slips out. “You knew I was alive?”
