“What an idiot.”

Kellan grinned, but then sobered. “He suspects that I knew what he was doing. I didn’t want you to drink the coffee, and normally I wouldn’t care. Vespar’s not stupid. He’s now more worried than before since I went against his plan, either by accident or on purpose. If it’s the latter, then he knows I chose my allegiance.”

“And it’s not with him.”

“Exactly.” Kellan took my hand as he pulled up outside of our school. “I want you to stay in here.”

“Why?”

His eyes shifted past my shoulders, and he nodded in that direction. “Because you have a visitor.”

I looked over and saw the painter. He stood in the shadows of some trees on the edge of our school’s lawn. As Kellan got out and headed inside, I followed suit but went the opposite direction. When I drew closer, I saw the painter was in a hooded sweatshirt with it pulled over his head. His eyes were so bright, trying to look inside of me, but he remained where he stood. His hands, like Vespar’s, were also stuffed in his front pockets. He looked casual, but the tension was thick around him, clinging to his form.

I stopped just before him, unsure what to say.

“She got out,” he spoke first.

I nodded and gestured to my arm. “The tattoo changed, too.”

“Your messenger side is powerful now, almost more powerful than your human side, but she’s quiet. Why is she quiet?”

“I have no idea. I’m still adjusting to being a hybrid and all these new changes with having a messenger inside of me.”

“She’s a part of you; she’s just been separated because that’s what you wanted. You didn’t want to be intertwined with a messenger so you separated yourself from her. You’ve given her an altogether separate personality because of it. It’s not right, to have something inside of you that you can’t control. And you don’t control her. You know that, right?”

I gulped. Control her? I didn’t even know she had a different personality. “How do I do that?”

“Stop denying who you are, for one. As you become more familiar with your messenger side, you’ll become more whole and her personality will become meshed with you. It’s the only way you can control her, if you take control of yourself.”

It made perfect sense when he said it, but doing it was a whole different story. “I’ll get to working on that then.”

He frowned and jerked forward, but stopped and slammed back against the tree. “I’m sorry. I reacted, and I shouldn’t have.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” He looked away and hunched his shoulders forward. “Does Kellan know what you are going to do when your father comes to town?”

I swallowed tightly. My throat felt like bark had grown inside suddenly. “I haven’t told him that information yet.”

“You should. You have to. He needs to know. Otherwise, everything might be ruined. You might be ruined.”

Riddles. Everything was riddles. “Yeah, okay. I’ll tell him.”

“I mean it, Shay. Kellan has to know. He’s bonded to your human side. He’s been able to control his demon side because of it when he’s around you, but if your father arrives, and he’s not prepared, his demon might react too strongly. Someone will die, someone you’ll need for your survival.”

“So, you’re helping me now? You’re helping him?”

The painter drew back, straightening against the tree, and gave me a rueful grin. “I guess so. Yeah.”

I was tempted to roll my eyes. I was beyond really trusting anyone anymore, even Kellan. I knew he was still keeping secrets from me, but I was slowly starting to believe he had my best interest at heart.

I watched him carefully when I asked, “What’s your place in all this? You said before that you were a part of me, too, the messenger part? Are our messengers bonded together?” Then I did roll my eyes. “And can you at least tell me your name?”

He chuckled softly. “My name is Damien.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Damien.”

“And my messenger side is bonded to yours in a family way.”

Oh—that was…different. “So not the soulmate way?”

“No, not at all. Let’s leave it at that.” Then he straightened and nodded past me. “Your soulmate is back there, waiting for you. He knows I don’t mean you trouble, or him for that matter.” Then his eyes gleamed brightly, and he whispered, “As long as he’s truthful to you, then he won’t need to worry about me.”

Tingles went through me at his words, and I knew he had sent them to Kellan. He wanted his message heard and glancing over my shoulder, I felt the anger start to grow with my soulmate. Kellan got the message, loud and clear, and didn’t enjoy the threat, but he remained by the car, waiting.

Damien told me, “When your father comes to town, he’s going to seek me out. He’ll want to know where you are and what demons you are living with. Your mother has been hidden to him since she gave birth to you. He holds a grudge against her for that, but he’s coming for you. The Braden twins gave him the excuse to come here. And he won’t be happy about Kellan. I know he doesn’t know of the demon or how you are bonded to him. Your father will be enraged and will try to break the bond.”

Okay, now I was worried. “What are you saying?” Could that even happen? Could the bond be destroyed? And if so, then what would happen after that?