Shifted

Chapter 22: The Past Isn't Behind Us

After Dillon's abrupt departure, I fought the urge to follow after him. He didn't have the keys or anything else with him, except his phone. There was no way for me to follow him on foot, and even if I did follow him in the car, the entire trip to Kit would be for naught.

I excused myself from the kitchen and ran up to the guest room to find my phone. I quickly called him, but of course, there was no answer. Then I texted him, asking for him to call so I knew he was okay. Several minutes turned into nearly an hour waiting with no answer.

Margo appeared in the doorway and convinced me to take a shower to calm my nerves. Once I'd finished, I slipped on the most comfortable pajamas that I had with me, once again cursing Addie because they still showed way more of my body than I preferred. She couldn't have packed at least one pair of sweats?

Nightfall crept up on me quickly and I found myself laying in silence on the guest bed, agonizing over where he was. There was radio silence on his end still, he wouldn't answer my calls or texts. My stomach began to growl at me angrily and my throat was dry as cotton. I realized I hadn't eaten since we stopped for breakfast early in the morning.

I wrapped myself up in my blanket and walked slowly downstairs to find the light already on in the kitchen. Kit had several books splayed open on top of the small breakfast table, a hot tea steaming on the windowsill beside him. His previously manicured salt and pepper hair was disheveled and there were faint circles under his eyes. There was 1940's music humming quietly on an old phonograph in the living room. The jaunty music made me feel like Gene Kelly might pop around the corner at any moment.

"Hiya, there. I thought you might finally be asleep. You feeling peckish?" he said, not looking up from his piles of notes.

"Just a bit," I answered.

"Make yourself at home. You can take what you like while you're here, no need to ask," Kit scrambled, pointing me to the pantry. I decided to go simple and microwave some oatmeal. It was bland, but I wouldn't taste it anyway, my mind was elsewhere. I settled down with my bowl at the table opposite Kit. He poured me a cup of tea with milk and two sugars.

"You know how I take my tea?" I asked, surprised. I didn't really like tea, but it was such a staple in the UK that I drank it anyway. I disliked the taste but enjoyed the warm feeling and the hospitality behind it. Anytime I did have a cup, I made sure it was at least sweet.

"Just a guess," he winked, looking back at his book.

Or a simple mind read. Oh and for the record, this music makes me think of Gene Kelly too, he thought, grinning to himself.

"Oh, I see," I said flatly. If Dillon hadn't run off, I may have laughed, but I was numb at this point. "So, what are you doing?"

"Just research, really. I need to get a better idea of Declan's capabilities at this point in time. If there's a negative thing about my leaving The Cliffs those years ago, it's that I no longer have a good idea of what he can do," he pondered, tracing his finger along the pages as he read.

"Dillon told me some of what Declan could do a few weeks ago when we were in Moher. Something like he's able to take Shifters' powers but at no cost to himself. What else is he capable of that you know of?" I asked. Kit finally looked up from his book, the corners of his eyes curved downward in grief. I looked at him in confusion. Why would this question make him so upset?

"Practice," Kit said simply. "Mind Shift to see my memories and get your answer. They're right in the forefront of my mind, so you won't have to do any searching. Just close your eyes and allow the room to slip away. Find the sound of my breathing and fall into the same rhythm. A connection to the person you're Shifting helps with fluidity and ease when it comes to seeing and hearing their thoughts."