She’s being suspiciously nice. I swallow. What if this event isn’t what I think it is?
What if it is?
“Tonight might just change both our fates.”
And with that ominous comment, she slips from the room, leaving me alone.
Anger is my only companion able to keep the anxiety at bay. I’m terrified that I know exactly what’s happening, and it’s all following Bea’s plan.
She had a purpose for all of it.
She built me up. Tore me down in all the right ways, all in the right moment.
All for this.
I have a really good feeling I’ll be coming face to face with the supernaturals responsible for my sister’s death in only a few hours.
44
I Have A Monster To Face
I pacein Bea’s room, trying to keep my mind calm while I work through it all. Bea was building me up, grooming me for this. Is that what they all do? Select a weak being to manipulate into the games?
Did Bea do this to Liz too? It wouldn’t matter who she was dating—even if it were Jarron, as much as that thought causes nausea to roil through me—if she used Liz’s insecurities against her.
I shake my head. No, her journal made it clear thathetold her he could ascend her. He knew a way to make her incredibly powerful. If she was in the Akrasia Games, it was his fault.
I just don’t know whohewas.
My teeth are chattering as I think through it all. It’s too much. Too much without enough information. Which is the only reason I’m going along with this right now.
I need to know if this is what I suspect. I need to know who’s behind it. I need the chance to figure out who else was involved. We’ve gotten next to nowhere in this investigation, and now that I’ve lost Jarron—well, I’m ready to take some risks to get answers.
Maybe I’ll get the chance to enact my revenge tonight.
If it’s truly a jinn behind the Akrasia Games and winning grants me one wish, I could simply ask for the death of the person responsible for my sister’s death. Of course, that would require competing and winning, which I realize is a long shot, but it is a pretty picture if I could pull it off.
No, I don’t intend to compete in this messed up game. I’m just going to play along long enough to get what I need. Let my villains remove their masks so I’ll have a target to strike.
Less than an hour later, a fae delivers a tray of pasta.
It takes me a few minutes to convince myself to calm down enough to actually eat. But the event is still a few hours away, so it is in my best interest to not freak out for eight hours straight. Even if I don’t intend to compete, I still need to be ready.
If I’m hoping to come face to face with my sister’s murderer, I need energy. Plus, I don’t know if I’ll have the option of backing out of the games. That’s a risk I’m willing to take, and so I’ll do what I must to make sure I’m prepared.
I pile a large portion of chicken parmesan with broccoli onto my plate. It smells incredible, and I moan when the first bite hits my tongue. Dammit, I’m going to miss the food here.
My stomach twists. The taste of the food is suddenly dull. Not supposed to be thinking about that.
Or him.
Nope, I have a monster to face tonight.
I force myself to take another bite of the frustratingly delicious food.
* * *
An hour later,there’s another gentle knock on the door, followed by the whoosh and trickle of magic. I jerk my attention to the door. But when I answer it, there’s no one there.
