eyes. Her blonde hair was messed up and her makeup was smudged on her face.
‘Why? The boys only just brought you back.’
I stopped what I was doing and looked at her. ‘Father’s back so we’re in danger. It’s time that Mother stopped controlling us, too. We need to be free. I need to experience more of life. We all do.’
Cancer watched me pack every single piece of clothing I owned. It wasn’t a lot. We paid our own bills and most of us had jobs. I was an accounts administrator but dreamt of more exciting things to do with my time.
‘I’m coming with you.’ She flipped her covers off.
‘I need to do this alone,’ I replied.
‘You really think we would leave you behind?’ Aries said from the open doorway.
He grinned at me. My teeth clenched together. I was tempted to smack his smug chiselled face. His tanned skin set off his white teeth and I wondered if I could punch high enough to cause them any damage.
‘No, I really thought you’d let me live my life. You just said we wold be living separately,’ I replied as I zipped up my suitcase.
He laughed and came to sit on my bed. ‘Come and see the house.’ He put his hand on the bag. I was about to lift it but his strength stopped me.
‘Why won’t you just let me go? I managed okay before.’ I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.
‘Because you’re our sister. We stick together. You’re…Pisces…’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I said, glaring at Cancer as she started to move her things around.
‘It means that you can’t handle… You need us. You revealed your power to Kat, for goodness sake…’ His sentence trailed off as he gestured with his big meaty hand.
‘Really…?’ The heat that danced over my skin could’ve been dangerous but his fire would far outweigh mine. His was real fire for a start. Mine was just normal emotion. I took a deep breath but stayed still. ‘You don’t know what I can handle. Don’t talk to me anymore.’
Pushing his hand away from my suitcase, I pulled it off the bed. I walked from the room, dragging my possessions with me.
‘Don’t shut down. We need to show you the new place regardless of where you go,’ Leo said.
He was waiting in the hallway outside. I could tell he had been strategically placed there. I wanted to lash out at them all, though I wasn’t a violent person. In fact I hated violence but when I was pushed to the limit, I could lose it.
‘Here…’ Leo handed me a business card.
I frowned as I looked down at it. The address was in South London.
‘You’re going to live in Clapham?’
I had heard of it before but had never been there.
He smiled and shrugged. ‘A good place to keep a low profile.’
I shook my head. The boys could never be discreet. They always got into trouble.
‘We’ve set up a pretty amazing place. You’d have your freedom there.’
I stilled as I looked at the card. I wanted my freedom but if I was honest, I was scared. Each one of us had an ability that we had to keep hidden. We always looked out for each other. If anyone outside our family discovered that I could breathe underwater, I would be turned into a science project.
‘Just come with us. Everyone’s packing. If we go there now, we can be the first in. If you don’t like it, you can leave.’ Leo tried to take my hand. My scowl stopped him.
My personal space was mine. I didn’t like being invaded. People meant well but why did they always have to touch me?
‘Let’s go,’ Cancer said, coming out of our room with Aries.
I nodded, defeated.
They stared at me. They were probably trying to predict whether I was going to melt down in tears, or just get on with it. They wouldn’t get any tears from me. I was ready for this, although I still felt trapped.
‘Let’s go!’ Scorpio called from the end of the hallway.
We were leaving the safety of the nest. This time I wasn’t attempting to make it on my own. Leaving with the others made it more real somehow. Although