Chapter 53

Chapter 53
Leighton’s expression darkened instantly. His hand shot out, catching the boy by the collar.
“Say that again,” he said quietly.
The boy’s face went pale. “I-I didn’t mean-”
“Leighton!” I grabbed his arm. “Stop. Please.”

For a moment, he didn’t move. Then he let go, his chest rising and falling hard. The boy ran off, stumbling.

Leighton turned to me, his jaw tight. “They don’t get to talk about you like that.”
I swallowed. “It’s not worth it.”
“It is to me.”

Something in his voice made my breath catch.
We stood too close. His hand brushed mine. His eyes were softer now, but sad too.
“Leighton”

He stepped back suddenly. “We should go. Ashton’s waiting.”
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I barely remembered any of my classes.
All I could think about was the way Ashton had looked at me earlier, and the way Leighton’s voice had sounded  like I mattered more than I should.

By the time we got home, the sun was setting.
The house glowed gold for a moment before the shadows took over.

Mom was out back again, humming while she watered the flowers.
She looked up as we arrived. “You’re home early.”

Ashton nodded. “Traffic was clear.”
Leighton didn’t say anything. He walked straight toward the house. I followed slowly.

When I reached the door, I heard voices from inside.
Low. Urgent.
I froze. Ashton stopped beside me, listening.

“it’s spreading,” one of the guards was saying. “They’re moving closer to town.”

“Any word from Kael?” another voice asked my stepfather.
“Nothing yet. But the rogues,  they’re not like before. They move in silence now.”

I turned to Ashton. His face was unreadable.
“Let’s go,” he said quietly.

We walked upstairs without a word. My room felt colder than usual.

Ashton lingered by the door. “Stay inside tonight. Lock your windows.”
“I always do.”
“Good.”

He turned to leave but paused. “And Omari, if anyone says anything again, tell me.”
“Why?” I asked.

His eyes met mine,  steady, serious. “Because I’ll make them stop.”
My heart fluttered, heavy and fast.
“Ashton”
“Sleep,” he said softly, and closed the door behind him.

I stood there for a long time, staring at the door. My hands shook a little, though I didn’t know why.
Then I turned toward the window. The sun was gone. The sky outside was deep blue.

And just as I reached to close the curtains, I saw it.  Faint, but real.
A flicker of red.
Not in the woods this time.
Closer.
In the garden.
Right where my mother was standing.

Ashton didn’t say anything for a long time. The air between us grew tight. I could almost hear the sound of his heartbeat from where I stood. His eyes stayed on me, searching, sharp, but there was something else under all that anger, something like fear.

“Tell me the truth,” I said quietly. “Is it true?
He looked away first. “It’s not that simple, Omari.”
“That’s not an answer.”

Leighton stepped forward before Ashton could speak again. “She doesn’t need to know everything,” he said, voice low but firm.

“She deserves to,” Ashton snapped. “She’s in this now whether we like it or not.”

“In what exactly?” I asked, my voice trembling even though I tried to keep it steady. “You keep talking like there’s something I don’t know. What aren’t you telling me?”

Neither of them spoke. The silence pressed down on me until it felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Finally, Leighton sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s not something you can understand right now.”
“Try me,” I said.

His eyes flicked to Ashton, then back to me. “If Violet thinks you’re marked, it’s because she saw something. Maybe she saw what we’ve been trying to hide.”
“Hide from who?” I asked.

“Everyone,” Ashton said. His tone was softer now, but there was a warning in it. “People don’t react well to what they don’t understand.”
“I’m not people,” I said quickly. “You know that.”

For a second, neither of them moved. Then Ashton took a slow step closer. The air seemed to hum around him, something faint but strong. I could feel the warmth from his body, smell the faint scent of pine and smoke again.

“You shouldn’t be this close to me,” he muttered.
“Why?” I asked, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it.

“Because,” he said, his eyes lowering to mine, “if what Violet said is true,  you’re already too close.”
Something inside me twisted. “What do you mean?”

Before he could answer, a loud voice called from behind us.
“Omari!”

It was Mom again, standing by the porch, waving her hands. “Dinner’s ready! Come inside!”
I turned quickly, almost too quickly, grateful for the break in the tension. “Coming!”

When I looked back, Ashton had already stepped away, his face unreadable again. Leighton was watching him, jaw tight, like he was holding something back.
I walked toward the house, my legs shaky. The air felt heavy, full of things unspoken.

As we stepped inside, the warmth from the kitchen wrapped around us. Mom was setting the table, humming softly. She smiled when she saw them. “You boys must be hungry. Sit, sit.”

They obeyed, though neither of them looked relaxed. Ashton kept his eyes on his plate. Leighton pushed his food around more than he ate it.

I tried to eat too, but my appetite was gone. The tension in the room was too thick. Every time I looked up, one of them was watching me like they were waiting for something.

Halfway through dinner, Mom smiled and said, “You know, Omari, when you were little, the roses used to bloom only when you were around. I used to say you had magic.”

Ashton’s fork froze midair. Leighton’s eyes flicked to me.
Mom laughed softly, not noticing. “You’ve always had that kind of light around you.”

“Mom,” I said, forcing a smile. “It’s just flowers.”
“Maybe,” she said, still smiling. “Or maybe not.”

When she turned away to get more soup, I felt Ashton’s gaze again. It burned through me.
“What?” I whispered.

He didn’t answer right away. He just leaned forward, his voice barely audible. “You should be careful with what kind of light you carry, Omari. Sometimes light attracts the wrong kind of things.”

Before I could reply, he stood and thanked my mom politely. Leighton followed, quieter, but his eyes lingered on me before he left.

I stood by the window after they were gone, staring at the empty driveway. The night air pressed against the glass. Somewhere out there, I thought I saw movement, a faint shadow slipping between the trees.

A chill ran through me.
Maybe Violet’s rumor wasn’t just gossip anymore.