That was not a dream, right?
I hop out of bed and rush to flick on the overhead lights. My heart shudders when I find parchment pinned to one of the posts of the bed. The note is scribbled harshly in black ink.
Holy. Shit.
One day soon, you will be mine.
So, obviously, it’s not just in my head.
But what does it mean? Could it have been Jarron? Why would he leave me such a cryptic note if so?
I rip the page from the bedpost quickly and read the words three times before I settle back into a sitting position on the bed.
If it was Jarron, then why? He’s been forced to stay away from me for weeks because of the conflict in his world, but would he come in the middle of the night to deliver a cryptic note and then leave?
My stomach twists.
I read the note a fourth time and try to console myself.
I miss him, and I really wish he was here.
Or maybe I wish I could be there with him, fighting or helping in some way.
As much as I want this message to have been from him, it doesn’t make enough sense.
One day soon, you will be mine.
God, I’d love for those words to mean Jarron wishes to claim me. As much as the thought makes me nervous, it also excites me.
The meaning is entirely the opposite if it came from Vincent Vandozer. I really, really don’t want it to be a threat from an evil monster, but the more I read through the words, the more I can’t help but admit the dread in my bones is there for a reason.
12
I am so close I can taste it. So close to achieving everything I’ve worked for.
My victory is at hand.
Do you taste it, like I do? Do you quake because you know I am near?
I am watching. I am waiting.
One day soon, you will be mine.
13
Perfect Punishment
The fact that Vincent Vandozer is still living is a thorn stabbing me in the gut, and it’s so much worse that he has active control over my sister.
He can make her do anything he wants.
Nothing about that is okay. And I cannot allow it to happen.
I am watching. I am waiting.
So, it’s his face I imagine as I brew my death potion. I remember his scream of rage when I used the nullifier on him and how powerless I was against a demon, even after my potion sucked the magic from him temporarily.
If only it could have been permanent.
