See by Jamie Magee Read Free Book Online

anything or anyone that could have touched me. My heart started to race, and adrenaline rushed through every part of me.
    “ – ours, Charlie,” the whispers hissed.
    I tried to step forward, but something blocked me. I couldn’t step back or to either side. Panic completely consumed me. I fell to my knees, squinting my eyes closed and humming as loud as I could. I swear, I could feel the shadows brush against me. I was horrified. Then all at once, they were silent, and whatever was blocking me had vanished.
    I stood slowly and pulled my hood up as I took a deep breath. Every part of me was numb – they were getting stronger, and I didn’t know why.
    “ Charlie,” I heard Britain say.
    I let my breath out, now knowing why the shadows and whispers had vanished.
    I turned to see him just a few feet away. You’d think that I’d be grateful – that the fact that he could somehow shield all of my fears would make me want to be with him, but it didn’t. It made me mad. I wanted to be the one that caused them to be silent .I didn’t want to need him.
    “ Are you OK?” he asked in a concerned tone as he slowly walked to me.
    “ I didn’t know you were coming,” I said, trying to change the subject – to avoid the question of why I looked so terrified.
    He reached my side and let his hands rest on my hips, pulling me closer to him. He then tilted his head, still holding a concerned expression. “Where else would I be?” he asked, trying to hold my stare.
    I looked down. “I have to go.”
    He gently reached his fingertips to my chin and encouraged me to look him in the eye. I held my breath and stared into him fearlessly. His grin widened. “Where are we going?”
    “ I can’t take you with me…but I need you tell me you’ll be fine…that I don’t have to worry about you.”
    His tender expression changed to anger. “What are you saying? I don’t want you going anywhere alone,” he said, looking down the dark hallway. “It’s not safe for you to be alone.”
    “ I don’t think it’s safe to be with you either – obviously, helping you managed to leave me worse off than I was to begin with.”
    “ How do you know that? What’s worse?”
    “ My memory, for one thing – I can’t even remember half the things we’ve said to each other…why I wanted to see something in you…save you.”
    “ See?” he repeated, tilting his head.
    I let out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know what I mean – if you remember what I wanted to help you with – listen to me. I had to have told you.”
    He stepped slightly back, and I saw his dominant jaw lock. I could tell he was angry - not at me, but at someone – maybe even Bianca.
    “ You thought I was in danger…but you’re wrong…standing at your side, it’s impossible for me to be in danger – you stop it.”
    “ Stop what?” I said in a vacant tone, wanting someone to acknowledge the fact that I could hear darkness – that somehow next to him, it was silent.
    He looked down at me and let his eyes dance across my face before he answered. “There’s a balance in the universe.” He reached his hands for my waist and pulled me close to him. “And when you disturb that balance, you bring hardship that’s undeserved to you.”
    “ I’m causing this?” I said, looking down the hall at the shadows that I knew were waiting for a chance to toy with me.
    “ I don’t think you mean to…you were born this way – into your family…but I can take your fear away…you just have to trust me to do that.”
    My stomach started to turn, and I felt dizzy. I had never told him anything about my family. I don’t even think he knew I had a sister. Why would he say my family had a curse? I felt a yearning to argue with him, to tell him he was wrong, that his family…his world was dangerous and he had to save himself. That he was strong enough, but I couldn’t find the words to back my emotions.
    “ How can you take it away – how do you?” I asked