Destiny Gift (The Everlast Trilogy) - By Juliana Haygert Page 0,11

her fingers in front of my eyes. “Everything all right?”

“Yes,” I mumbled, looking around to make sure Ceris had been just a vision.

“I hate it when you do that,” Olivia said, kneeling before me. She must have approached when I was out. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

I detested having visions while in the girls’ company, but it was inevitable. I couldn’t pick when and where they took over.

Though, at that moment, hating that I had no control over the visions was the last thing on my mind. I had seen the goddess, Ceris, and she’d specifically told me to go to the party. That had never happened before—a vision telling me what to do. What did that mean? That I was truly becoming insane?

But curiosity about what could happen at the party won out, even over the nervousness. I had to know what the goddess wanted.

Now, for the first time in months, I couldn’t wait to go to a party. “I’m going,” I said, not quite believing my own words.

“What?” Raisa squealed, surprised but pleased. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. I’m going with you two.”

Giggling, she threw herself over me, hugging me tight. “Yeah! I can’t believe it!”

Olivia smiled. “Me neither.”

“This is going to be great.” Raisa sat beside me again, but she jumped up and down on the cushion almost bursting with excitement. “I can’t wait!”

Olivia and I started playing a song and singing, and Raisa settled down, joining in—her voice sounding more like a flapping chicken than anything else—while my mind swirled around Ceris’s image and the possibilities of what could happen at the party. Sleeping the weekend away was a dim memory.

***

“Nad, are you ready?” Raisa knocked on my bedroom door again.

I had been ready for almost fifteen minutes. I was hiding in the dim light of my table lamps, afraid to look in the mirror. It had been a long time since I’d last gone to a party. And tonight, a Saturday night, I was going out.

My hands shook, but I wasn’t about to give up. I had a purpose behind the simple I’m-going-out excuse. I had to find out why a goddess, vision or not, wanted me to go to this particular party. What did she want me to see?

I’d tried on multiple outfits, the result of which lined the floor of my room. My hand itched to pick up, to organize, but I forced myself to step over the mess and join Olivia and Raisa in the living room.

“I am,” I said.

“Ooh, la la,” Olivia exclaimed, approaching me and pushing at my shoulders, causing me to spin around in place. “Nad, you should dress up more often.”

“She should, shouldn’t she?” Raisa sounded proud. Of course, it had been her hard work that put me together for the occasion.

“Isn’t it too much?” I asked, looking down at my outfit. Skin-tight, low-rise black jeans with a few rhinestones running down the sides, an olive backless top, and black peep-toe pumps—the last two items provided by Raisa, the fashion diva—completed my outfit. She also supplied the makeup.

“No, not at all.” Olivia smiled at me.

“You should wear green more often, Nad,” Raisa said, coming over to us. “It emphasizes your eyes.”

“It does,” Olivia agreed.

I glanced at the mirror near the entrance. Yes, I could see the green in my eyes from across the room.

The intercom rang and Raisa went into the kitchen to answer it. Seconds later, she was back.

“Our cab is here!” She clapped her hands, excited. “Let’s go.” As we dashed to the door, she added, “You guys are bringing your student cards, right? Without them, we won’t be able to get in.”

“Yes.” I was thankful for the heavy security anywhere we went, but sometimes it was a true pain in the ass.

“Can we go now?” Olivia pushed so we exited the apartment more quickly.

The phone rang, and I returned to pick it up.

“Don’t answer that,” Raisa snapped from the corridor. “Whoever it is can figure out we aren’t home and call our cells.” She reached in and dragged me out of the apartment.

I looked at the phone on the side table. “What if it is important?” I’d been waiting for that call from Langone and didn’t want to miss it.

“The important thing right now is us getting to that party,” she objected, trying to close the door.

True, but work was also important. I had a responsibility to myself, to my family. I drew away from Raisa and marched to the phone. The number on the caller