I don’t jump out of the car. I want to. Fuck, do I want to. But as the storm picks up, probably because of the worry seeping out between Foster and me, I decide against it.

No one says much of anything for the rest of the drive home. Although, I do notice everyone gives edgy glances at the forest lining the road, as if they expect a bunch of hunters to jump out at any minute. Fortunately, that never happens and we make it home safely.

Before we head inside, Foster digs a small vial filled with a clear, glittery liquid from out of the glove box. The eye changing drops, I’m assuming.

“Put a couple of drops of this in each of your eyes while thinking about your eyes being less bloodshot, and it should clear the red out of it,” he says, handing me the vial.

“Okay.” But I make no effort to do so.

“It won’t hurt,” Foster promises. “It just feels sort of sparkly.”

“It’s not pain I’m worried about.” I scratch my eye. “I just don’t like putting things in my eyes.”

Foster rubs his lips together. “You want me to help you?”

I nod eagerly. “Yes, please.” I give him back the vial.

He pats the console. “Rest your head on this and try to keep your eyes open, okay?”

I obey, resting my head on the console. But as soon as he positions the vial over my eye, I start blinking like crazy.

“Try not to blink, okay?” He waits for me to nod then moves the vial over my eye again.

I blink.

He sighs, but a trace of an amused smile tugs at his lips. “Okay, I’m going to have East hold your eye open.”

I pull a face but don’t argue.

Easton grins as he leans over me, reaching for my eye.

“I have a feeling you’re enjoying this way too much,” I remark as Easton holds my eye open.

His grin broadens. “Now, why would you think that?” Then he moves his fingers closer together, making my eye close then open again. “Look, she’s winking at me.”

“Good gods, East, you can be so annoying sometimes.” Max nudges him out of the way and offers me an apologetic look before holding my eye open.

Foster hurries and applies the drops in one eye then the other before sitting back and putting the cap back on the vial.

I sit up, blinking, my eyeballs feeling weirdly sparkly. “This feels so weird.”

Foster scans my face over, his gaze lingering on my eyes. “Your eyes aren’t red anymore, though.”

I pull the visor down and look at my reflection in the mirror. Sure enough, my eyes are completely bloodshot free. “Man, if Gage knew this shit existed, he’d be all over it.”

A muscle in Foster’s jaw ticks. “Gage, your friend, right?”

I nod, giving him a perplexed look. “Yeah, the guy you met just barely.” Not that I believe he’s forgotten who Gage is. I just don’t understand why he’s double-checking.

Nodding, Foster climbs out of the car, while Easton snickers and Max sighs.

Sighing myself, I hop out of the car and follow Foster out the garage and up the path to the front door of the house.

“So, how much trouble am I going to be in?” I ask Foster as we enter the foyer.

“Well, since it’s your first offense, not too much.” He aims for a teasing tone but misses the mark. “Honestly, after we tell my parents that a hunter has contacted you, I think they’re probably going to forget about you taking off tonight.”

“Good. Well, I don’t mean that it’s good a hunter contacted me, but I’m glad I’m probably not going to get in too much trouble tonight,” I nervously ramble.

A ghost of a smile touches his lips, but then it fades as he frowns. “They’re still going to have to do something about the hunter being in contact with you. They need to make sure our family’s secrets stay secret.”

Nervousness creeps through me, but before I can ask what his parents are going to do to me, Emaline appears at the top of the stairs.

“Oh, thank gods you’re back.” She hurries down the stairs and rushes up to me, wrapping her arms around me.

So not the reaction I was expecting, but I awkwardly hug her back anyway.

“I’m so sorry we freaked you out, but you can never run off like that again, okay?” She pulls back and waits for me to answer, but Foster speaks first.

“Actually, she had a good reason to take off.” He massages the back of his neck tensely, staring at the floor. “She overheard us talking about what it means to be an elemental enchanter, particularly about how I—we can’t be with anyone else…” He trails off, scratching his cheek and looking away

“Oh.” Her expression plummets as she stares at me with concern. “I’m so sorry you had to find out that way. We were going to tell you, but …”

“It’s a lot to take in.” Foster briefly meets my gaze, his pupils sparking. Then he blinks and looks at Emaline. “Mom, you don’t have to worry. I explained a lot of it to her.”

Emaline’s brows rise in surprise, but then a knowing smile pulls at her lips. That smile dissipates, though, when Easton and Max enter the house and Max announces, “A hunter has been in contact with her.”

More fear than I’ve ever seen in anyone’s face consumes Emaline’s expression, and suddenly, I find myself wishing I’d chosen to dive out of the car when I had the chance.