Page 1 of Tempest Awakening
Chapter 1
Tess
I gripped the steering wheel tighter as Madison's voice chirped through the car speakers. "You should see the dress I bought for tonight, Tessie. It's to die for!"
"Uh-huh," I mumbled, barely audible over the hum of tires on asphalt. Another mind-numbing commute home, another reminder of how different our lives had become.
"Gerard managed to score us tickets to Alastriona's private show. Can you believe it?" Madison's excitement crackled through the Bluetooth. "A genuine fae singer! Pre-Unveiling, we could only dream of such things."
I forced enthusiasm into my voice. "That's great, Maddie. I'm sure it'll be magical." Literally.
"Oh, it will be! The guest list is super exclusive. Gerard says half his hospital board would kill for an invite." She paused, and I braced myself for the inevitable. "Speaking of Gerard, he was wondering if you'd like us to set you up with one of his doctor friends? It's been ages since you've dated, right?"
I clenched my jaw. "I'm good, thanks. Kind of busy at the moment."
"Right, of course." Madison's tone dripped with faux sympathy. "You're so good to take care of Mom like this. I don't know how you do it, working that little job and all. It must be... quaint."
My grip on the steering wheel tightened until my knuckles turned white. "Tres Lobos isn't exactly 'little,' Maddie. And I'm not—"
"Oh, sweetie, I didn't mean anything by it! You're just so... selfless. Not everyone could give up their whole life to move back home. Mom's lucky to have you."
I bit back a retort. She had no idea. No concept of the constant criticism, the passive-aggressive jabs, the soul-crushing disappointment that radiated from Mom every time she looked at me.
"Anyway," Madison continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil, "I should run. Got to start getting ready for tonight. You know how these supernatural events are—you never know who might show up! Dragons, vampires, who knows? It's all so thrilling since The Unveiling, isn't it?"
"Yeah, thrilling."
The Unveiling. It had been five years since that world-shaking event when supernatural beings—Supes, as they were commonly called now—had "come out" and revealed their existence to the world. Overnight, our understanding of reality had shifted dramatically as we learned that werewolves, vampires, fae, and other magical creatures had been living among us all along. Some of our neighbors, coworkers, and even friends turned out to be something more than human. It had been a time of chaos, fear, and wonder, and even now, half a decade later, the world was still adjusting to this new reality.
"Anyway, gotta go! Love you, Tessie! Give Mom a kiss for me!"
The call disconnected, leaving me alone with the drone of the engine. I sighed, reaching for the audiobook controls. If I couldn't live in a world of magic and wonder, at least I could lose myself in one for a while.
If only I possessed the courage to break free from Mom's suffocating expectations. Kendall Whittaker, the immaculately-dressed matriarch. Now a widow in her fifties, she projected every ounce of her dissatisfaction onto me, her greatest disappointment—a mere librarian with a penchant for fantasy novels and secondhand clothes.
Not that I was working as a librarian at the moment. It had been nine long months since Mom's conveniently timed health scare, one that she'd used to guilt me into coming home to help her.
I'd given up my apartment, my job, and what little independence I'd managed to scrape together. Interestingly enough, her dire condition dramatically improved as soon as I moved back into my childhood bedroom.
But by that time, it was too late.
I shouldn't resent Madison, my sister—the golden child. Her blind self-assurance and pampered life weren't her fault, after all. She breezed through life on a cloud of effortless charm, her perfect blonde hair and size two figure a constant reminder of everything I wasn't.
A blaring horn shattered my reverie.
The unmistakable crunch of metal filled the air as a silver minivan slammed into the rear of a jackknifed semi. Tires screeched. Glass shattered. The smaller vehicle crumpled like a discarded soda can.
I yanked the wheel, pulling onto the shoulder. My heart hammered against my ribs as I threw the car into park. Hands shaking, I fumbled with my seatbelt. The acrid stench of burnt rubber and spilled chemicals assaulted my nostrils as I shoved open the door.
Without thinking, I sprinted toward the wreckage. Debris littered the asphalt. Other drivers scrambled from their vehicles, faces pale with shock. The semi's trailer had swung sideways, blocking two lanes. Its driver stumbled out, dazed but seemingly unharmed.
"Call 911!" someone shouted, their panicked tone slicing through the cacophony.
A woman staggered from the crumpled minivan, clutching her head as a crimson rivulet streamed from her hairline.
I stepped back, my gaze roving over the chaotic scene. Emergency crews would arrive any minute to handle the situation properly. Maybe I should just stay out of the way and let the professionals—
That's when I spotted a disheveled figure huddled against the guardrail, their tattered clothes and grizzled beard marking them as one of the city's homeless population.
