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“There are dark fae, who work with the demons and vampires, but we don’t associate with them. I guess it’s the same as with anything else—we all have choices. We all get to choose if we want to be good or bad.”
“Except demons and vampires,” I said.
Uma shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain that part. Dark magic has always been a bit of a question mark, and I try to stay as far away from that as I can. I’m all about good magic.” She grinned at me.
I liked Uma. The more she told me, the more the world around me made sense, and I didn’t feel so lost and alone.
She asked me about my life before all of this had happened, and I told her about my small rental house, my job, and how tough things could be. It was better than nothing, though.
“I heard you attacked a panther,” Uma said carefully when we’d spent hours talking.
I shut down when she mentioned that.
“It was hunting me.”
“I can imagine that,” Uma said, nodding. “Panthers can be a real pain in the ass, and although shifters are part-human, they’re still animals, and their primal instincts take over.”
“They were talking about killing me,” I said grimly. “I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t mean to do it.” I started trembling. My rabbit was freaking out, and my magic bounced all over the room, laced with fear. Just thinking back to that night made me feel sick. I could still hear the crunch the branch had made on the back of that man’s head, and his limp body on the ground, naked and pale in the moonlight. It haunted me every time I closed my eyes.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Uma said. Could she feel my distress? “You’re safe here.”
“What if they come after me for that?” I asked.
“They won’t,” Uma said.
I covered my face with my hands. I couldn’t believe that. Nothing made sense anymore. It felt like the moment that man had appeared in front of me, all hell had broken loose, and I was living a nightmare now.
“Kinley,” Uma said, and she touched my arm, carefully peeling away my hands.
When she looked into my eyes, her eyes were bright and filled with hope. Magic pulsed into me, and I wanted to pull away, but it was soothing. It felt like a salve, rubbed onto a wound, and the burning and pain inside of me slowly faded until it was enough to calm my magic from freaking out. My rabbit relaxed a little, and I was able to draw my power back in.
“It’s going to be okay,” Uma said.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s true.”
I didn’t know if she was right. I didn’t know anything anymore.
“I think the first thing we need is to get you out of here. You need fresh air and to stretch your legs. Come with me.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Outside.”
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
“It’s just you and me, and I want to show you something. Trust me.”
I hesitated, but Uma left the room. When I didn’t follow her, she popped her head around the corner.
“Coming?”
I followed her out of the room.
She walked down the hallway and toward the kitchen.
“I’m starving.” She opened the fridge and took out a platter of ready-made food: sandwiches, chicken wings, meatballs. My stomach rumbled. I ate all my meals in my room, and I hadn’t had lunch yet.
