Page 13 of Professor and the Seer
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re stronger than you think,” he declared.
The praise almost made me blush again, and I didn’t miss the look my sisters shot each other. I knew what they were thinking. Or planning. Trying to get me laid because the fact I’d been with a grand total of two men my entire life wasn’t acceptable. I knew they did it from a place of love, worried I missed out, but they didn’t understand that my curse meant I’d lived and cared for dozens of men and been hurt each time. The fact it never came to pass because I chose to avoid it didn’t count to them. But me? Each one remained a vivid reminder that I was meant to be alone. Such an irony that my gift, which only rarely showed me my own fate, made sure I understood how fucked I was when it came to love.
“You got that car?” Dina asked John as we headed for the hotel’s main doors.
“Van, actually, since I wanted to be sure we’d all fit.” John pointed to the navy-blue vehicle under the portico. “I declined the driver, though, so we’ll have to navigate there ourselves.”
“You have an address?” Enyo asked, taking the driver’s seat.
John relayed it, and I had a flash of a sprawling ranch-style house up on a mountain, the greenery around it lush and beautiful. The guards at its front gates were armed with automatic weapons.
“There is security,” I announced.
“How many?” Enyo asked as she pulled away from the curb.
“I don’t know. At least two at the main gate with big guns.”
“Meaning we should look into entering elsewhere.” Enyo glanced at Bane. “Is kitty in the mood to scout?”
“Fuck yeah, I am.” Bane, a leopard shifter, appeared eager to help. A man who, for so long, had been cursed and required the aid of others. No surprise he looked forward to finally giving back.
The navigation system in the van took us some back-ass way to the address, not seeming to realize some roads were for pedestrian traffic only. When we started the climb up the mountain, I didn’t realize I’d grabbed John’s hand until he squeezed mine back.
He glanced at me and mouthed, You okay?
Yes. While he’d let the shield around me lapse upon entering the van, having him near helped ground me, as if fate were determined to push me in his direction.
“That’s the driveway for the address,” Enyo noted as she drove past. “We’ll park farther up and double back.”
The road didn’t have any traffic at all and few houses. When she did finally pull over, there was no good way of hiding the van. Bane exited with Enyo, and I glanced away to give him privacy while he stripped.
Not so Dina. She whistled. “Man’s got a nice set of glutes. I can see why Enyo couldn’t resist.”
“Don’t you dare tell her that,” I muttered. “She will kick your ass.”
“Did you see that happening?” Dina replied.
“Are you trying to make her snap with jealousy?” I retorted.
“Can’t believe of the three of us she fell in love first.” Dina pouted.
“You’re still the only one who ever got engaged,” I reminded.
“But never married,” she said with her lips turned down. It never came to pass because her fiancé died. I’d not seen the cancer in him until too late.
After that, she made a point of bringing her potential suitors by earlier so I could give her warning. I didn’t bother telling her none of them would work out. I hoped to be wrong.
Enyo slid back into the van with Bane’s shed clothing. “He’s going to sniff around and let us know what to expect.”
“What’s the plan?” Dina inquired from the back row.
“Depends on what we’re facing.”
“Until we know what’s going on, maybe don’t kill anyone?” I suggested.
“They tried to kidnap you.” Enyo’s flat reply.
“How about I agree to not attack first?” Dina’s only concession.