Hunted

Chapter 44: All A Lie

Kora's POV:

"Cass isn't answering her phone," Addie sighed, setting her phone down next to her plate. We finished dinner but hadn't heard from anyone yet. "Neither is Renzo."

"I can go check on them," Xavier offered.

"I don't know," Addie said, chewing on her lip and staring at her phone screen. "I'm probably worried over nothing. Cassie's witch council meetings take a long time sometimes."

"Let's give them one more hour," Xander suggested. "If we don't hear from them in an hour, we'll send people out."

"What about Rykan?" I asked. "Did you try him?"

"He answered when I texted him. He said it was fine Cassie came by," he shrugged.

"Yeah and Addie's right. Cassie's witch meetings take for fucking ever," Tess said.

"That and knowing Cassie and Renzo, they're not answering their phones because they're hooking up," Kaden added.

"This is true," Xander agreed. "Those two go at it like they're trying to break a world record."

It wasn't about me but I couldn't stop the blush.

"We should take you to Anna for another brew to help the withdrawals," Addie said, giving me a sympathetic smile as my hands wouldn't stop shaking. I hated how obvious my withdrawals were but I couldn't make the side-effects stop. It would just take time. I more hated that part of me really wanted to take the pills again just to stop feeling so on edge. I guess I was addicted to them, I just had no idea. Another factor in my increasing anger towards my mother.

I nodded and started to stand, feeling a little off. Adjusting to being able to feel this new part of me was not easy. It was like a million different threads were attached to every living thing around me and I'd accidentally sent stuff flying all day. It was like any small movement pulled on things I didn't mean to pull on. I felt like an awkward baby trying to learn how to walk without hurting myself or breaking everything.

"Francesca is here," Xander announced. "I just got a link that she's at the border."

"I thought she wasn't getting here until tomorrow," I said, frowning in confusion.

"I guess one of her cross-over flights arrived early and she was able to get on an earlier flight over here," Xander explained. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I said, sinking back in my chair.

"It's going to be okay," Xavier said, setting his hand on my shoulder. "Hopefully she'll even be able to help you learn how to control it, right?"

"I guess," I said, blowing out a puff of air.

To say I was nervous to meet her would be a massive understatement. I guess we had already met but this was different. I decided I'd rather talk to her alone and so everyone else left the dining room after picking up the paper plates and I repeatedly ran my fingers through my hair in nervousness while I waited for her to come in.

She stepped inside and offered me a small smile. She looked exhausted but she was still stunningly gorgeous. "Hello," she greeted, walking over and setting her bag down on the table before taking the seat across from me.

"Hi," I said. 'Hi' seemed like a silly way to start but I didn't even know where to start.

"Are you doing okay?" Francesca asked, her eyebrows knitting together. "You're going through a detox," she noted, her eyes darting to my hands I couldn't get to stop shaking.

"Yeah, because apparently my mother has been drugging me my whole life," I muttered.

"I have something that might help," Francesca said, unzipping her bag and digging through it. "It'll help ease the symptoms while you get used to not taking the pill anymore," she said, pulling out a bottle and sliding it across the table. "It might make the shaking stop."