“I think you’re finally ready to be okay without it.” He looks like he’s tearing up again. “It’s time for you to just be Kayla.” He gives a small smile. “Or Juniper if you prefer.” I try not to flinch at the name as it painfully reminds me of what happened back at the tower with Tristan.

“This will be the last one.” Then he pushes the needle into my arm, without any forewarning.

“What is this stuff?” I point to the needle sticking out of my arm.

“This is what will save you.”

“Save me from what?”

“Yourself.” He pulls the needle out and tosses it aside. He removes his gold pocket watch from his jacket. “I want you to have this.”

There’s something about the way he says, like it’s a finality. “I don’t want it.”

“Kayla,” he urges the pocket watch at me. “Take it. It’s important.”

Holding back the water in my eyes, I take the pocket watch from his hand. “Why does it feel like you’re saying good-bye?”

“We should always say good-bye, Kayla, whenever we part,” he says, like the wise old man that he is. “Just in case something does happen. No matter what people believe, death is a part of us and we’ll have to endure it one day. Even the Highers.”

I open my mouth, then clamp it shut. I’m not sure what to say to his forbidden words.

“You should go.” He directs his attention back to Maci. “I have things I need to get done.”

I slid off the bed. “I’ll see you again, though? Right?”

“Of course,” he says.

Even though I’m an expert liar, I can’t tell whether he’s telling the truth.

I clasp my hand around the pocket watch, grab my jacket and head out, but pause at the door. “Bye Monarch.”

“Oh and Kayla, one more thing.”

I turn to face him and whispers of words surround me. I try to grasp on to each and every one, but I am fading away.

I wake up, later that day, in my bed. My head hurts and instantly I want to go visit Monarch. But I have Lessons this morning, so my visit will have to wait until afterwards.

The Gathering is in one day and there’s nervous energy buzzing in the air. I can smell it, feel it, taste it, yet just glancing around, everything seems normal. People walk the halls, smiling, chatting, happy. Being a Bellator, I’m always in for the running to be chosen for The Gathering.