Page 41 of Legend of Scorpio
“And if they don’t?”
“A person can only stand so many bugs served for meals and other discomforts before they realize they’re better off elsewhere.”
“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with Aries. Surely you don’t blame yourself for Cetus spying.”
“I’m supposed to be the Zodiac’s prewarning to big events. Something like the tower having its first documented intruder should have triggered my power, but it didn’t. I woke to the alarm like everyone else.” Her lips turned down. “Maybe the pregnancy is affecting my gift.”
“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. After all, you did predict Scorpio would find that artifact.”
“True, but I can’t help but wonder what I haven’t seen. There was a time in my youth where I wished I didn’t have this power, and now I’m whining because it might be failing.”
To change the topic, Rebecca revealed her nightmare. “This is a bit off topic, but I had a weird dream last night,which Scorpio said I should tell you about.” She related what happened, and Sage’s face became pensive.
“A voice in a nothing place,” Sage mused aloud. “That’s interesting because I’ve had visions of a prison, although prison might be a misnomer. There is a sense of something trapped, wanting to escape. I’ve also seen some futures where the world is aflame, but I never connected the two.”
“Could it be related to the orb we found?”
“Possibly.” Sage’s expression turned dreamy as their lift stopped at the dining level. “The alignment of the stars will be in one not seen for thousands of years. It will bring change. Some good. Some not. The warriors will be tested. To prevail, they must right a wrong.”
“What wrong?” Rebecca asked as Sage shook her head.
“I don’t know. But I’ve been getting variations of that prophecy for the last little while. It just doesn’t give me enough imagery to understand what it means. Although…” Sage looked right at Rebecca as she said, “Your face did appear, and I know for a fact you are involved in what will come.”
Ominous, but not as chilling as Sage’s next words: “If you fail your part, you won’t be the only one to burn alive.”
CHAPTER 13
Scorpio thankedthe stars Rebecca left, as the accelerated healing had him sweating and squirming. Stardust could accomplish miracles, but did it have to hurt so fucking much?
Leo stomped in wearing his usual dark, brooding mien. “You good, bro?”
“I will be. Didn’t expect that hunk of junk to try and take my hand. Who the fuck puts explosives on a drone?” To think he’d been more worried about falling in the moat.
“You’re surprised? These are the same people who tried to kidnap you, duh.” Leo rolled his eyes.
“You heard?”
“We all did. Aries just briefed us about the run-in you had with that company. Sounds like they need to be dismantled.”
“Agreed.” First and foremost, because anyone who could bypass their security and reach the tower posed a danger.
“Let me know when you’re going. I could use some distraction.”
“Will you be sober enough?” Scorpio didn’t coddle the man. Leo needed the tough love.
Leo’s head dipped. “Gonna do my best to not let the demons control me.” He rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw. “Aries’ been bugging me to see a shrink.”
“Might do you good to talk to someone.”
Leo snorted. “Ah yes, let me explain to a human doctor about the monster I failed to stop in time and the babies it killed because I couldn’t do my job.” What Leo left out? Not just any babies. The monster that had eluded them for weeks killed Leo’s wife and infant daughter.
Sage had cried for days because she’d not predicted it and blamed herself. Conversely, Leo thought himself at fault. He remained convinced if only he’d done more, they’d still be alive. Scorpio couldn’t blame him for the guilt he carried around. However, when it came to missions, he needed to know he could rely on Leo to be in fighting condition.
“It’s not like you didn’t try. We all did. But some evils are just harder to vanquish.”
Leo’s lips turned down. “I wish Kylie would have agreed to relocate to the tower. I don’t understand why she refused.”
No one did. It would have been temporary. But Kylie had been adamant about not leaving their home in the outside world. What hurt Leo even more was they never found the remains of his wife and daughter, just bloody clothes in the monster’s lair.