Bound by Forever (True Immortality #3) - S. Young Page 0,66
me too.
“But now you’re getting visions of her again.”
Yes. She’s alive. And she’s on track to take me, Rose, and the last fae-borne, Elijah, to Scotland to open a gate that no one knows about. Everyone thinks the only gate is in Ireland … but there’s another near Edinburgh.
“Is that what the stones were from the vision?”
Niamh nodded. Standing stones. They mark the gate to Faerie. They were put there thousands of years ago to warn people not to go near. That within the circle, the fabric between worlds was broken and they’d slip into Faerie.
Kiyo frowned. “Why am I in this vision?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
He considered this a moment. “Okay. I believe you.”
His words caused her to melt into the bed with relief. Good. Because we need to be on the same team. I said Astra and I were different sides of the same coin, but I feel like her powers have grown exponentially. She may be more powerful than any of us now. She’s capable of things … she can hide from us. My vision told me that’s how she’ll get Rose and Elijah. We’ll sense something but not danger, and not enough to protect ourselves. And if our guard is down with her, she’ll be able to manipulate us like we can manipulate humans. I know now, so my guard will be up with her, but I should warn Rose and try to get to Elijah too. It’s just … I feel like Tokyo is the priority and I don’t know why.
Kiyo suddenly sat up, his whole being alert.
“What is it?”
“You can’t sense danger from her and she can manipulate you?”
“If my guard was down.”
His eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. “Niamh, your guard is down. You’ve been grieving for months for Ronan. Burying yourself in guilt.”
“So?”
“Is it possible Astra could make you think you were seeing visions?”
“What are you saying?”
“You haven’t been able to make sense of the visions you’ve been receiving. Visions that are coming too often. Visions that are pushing you toward vengeance … toward darkness.”
You think she’s planting these visions in my head to steer me off my path?
“Didn’t you say you sensed someone following you when you went after Meghan?”
Niamh nodded, disbelief making her dizzy.
“And that these visions felt different?”
Yes. Aggressive and insistent and like they want me to feel something rather than relay information like the others. Oh my God. Realization caused a wave of nausea. Kiyo was right.
“She’s been pushing you for months, and then I arrived and tried to talk you out of it—”
“So she pulled out the big guns: Meghan O’Connor.”
“And it didn’t work. So she sent you another vision at the airport.”
“Where I could feel her following me.” Niamh nodded as it all began to make sense, the kind of sense that sat right with her, finally. Despite the awful realization that she’d been manipulated, relief also filled her. Now that she knew, she could take back control. She was at the airport, trying to push me to kill the child abuser.
“It’s possible, right?”
No, Kiyo. It’s not possible. It’s what’s been happening. These visions never really felt like my true visions. I couldn’t put my finger on why, and I was too distracted by my pain to stop and think. She grabbed his arm. It’s Astra. She’s been using my grief against me. Her grip on him tightened. “Thank you. Thank you, Kiyo.”
He looked somewhat uncomfortable with her gratitude, but he nodded. “So, what’s next?”
“I think she knew,” Niamh said. “Perhaps she saw that you would help me. My guard is up now because of you.” Concern slammed through her fast and hard. “You’re a threat, Kiyo. You’re a threat to her plans. That’s why you’re in my real visions. What the hell is in Tokyo that can hurt you?”
Kiyo pulled away from her, his elbows resting on his knees. “Why can’t you see what she’s after? Why were you blind to the fact that I might be able to help you? Why didn’t you see me coming?”
I don’t know. Maybe because you never intended me danger. I don’t get visions about things that directly affect me personally, unless I’m in danger and I can’t see my own future.
He looked away, seeming to process this.
Kiyo?
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I’m not aware of anything that can harm me. I was cursed with immortality by someone who knew that eternity would be a form of hell for me.”
At this confession, Niamh ached for him. She hated that he