Page 7 of Lucifer's Mirror

What the freaking fuck?

My mouth falls open, my stomach churns, but finally my brain starts functioning again, and I manage to croak out the question, “You know me?”

Could he really be someone from my past? I almost feel dizzy at the possibility. Or is he lying to get me to… What? I have no clue.

“Not exactly,” he replies.

What does that mean? My excitement seeps away, leaving me confused. I shake my head. “My name is Amber.” And I wait for him to contradict me, to give me a new name. The name I was known by before my life was erased from my memory. But he doesn’t say anything. “What do I call you?”

For a full minute, I don’t think he’s going to answer. Then he gives a shrug. “Khaosti.”

I search my mind for some small shred of recognition, but nothing. My heart rate is returning to normal, the adrenaline seeping from my system, and I know, at some deep-down level, that I owe my life to this man. Serves me right for running through the night all alone. “Well, thank you, Khaosti. It was lucky you were there to help me.”

“There was no luck involved.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“I told you—I was hunting you. I expected you to come forward three years ago, but nothing. I presumed you were dead, and yet you’ve been hiding here all this time. Why?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer. “I had to wait until the shadowguard found you and led me to you.”

I’m scrambling to make sense of his words. And failing totally. He’s been waiting for me? For three years. He must know who I am. Where I come from. Are we related? The questions whirl through my brain, but what comes out of my mouth is, “Who are the shadowguard?”

His eyes narrow. “Are you kidding me?”

“No. I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“The shadowguard.” He enunciates the words clearly, as though I’m some sort of half-wit. Obviously, I still look blank, and he frowns. “Your friends who were following you.”

“With the red eyes.” He nods. “They were going to kill me?”

“Unlikely, but you might have preferred death after a little time in their company.”

Well, that doesn’t sound good. “But why?”

“Again—later. We need to get out of here before they come back with reinforcements.”

I shudder at the thought. But nope, still not going anywhere with this cold-eyed stranger, who claims to know me—and who would apparently kill someone for hurting me—but looks at me with scorn. I open my mouth to ask another question when, above our heads, the sky is ripped open by a flash of crimson lightning.

Whoa! I’ve never seen that before.

He glances at the sky, then back at me. “Come on, we have to go.”

I shift my gaze from him to the sky and back again.

“Now,” he adds when I don’t move, my feet rooted to the spot. “Or would you rather wait for those reinforcements? They’re close.” He points a finger upwards. Is he suggesting that the really freaky lightning is a sign these shadowguards are near? But the fact is, this night passed the surreal stage long ago. My brain is accepting anything right now.

Another shudder. I don’t have a freaking clue what’s going on, but I do know that once a night is quite enough for my red-eyed friends, whoever, or whatever, they are.

It occurs to me to wonder why those creatures didn’t follow through. There were more of them than of us. But they clearly backed off from a confrontation with Khaosti, which is another big reason to go with him.

While I don’t exactly trust him, Khaosti has already saved me once, for whatever reason—he certainly doesn’t seem to like me very much. But the biggest thing that convinces me to go with him is the fact that he obviously knows something about my past. And since I’ve spent three years dreaming of someone appearing who actually knows anything about me, I’m not about to turn my back. I give a quick nod. “Lead the way.”

He shoots me one last look—as though he’s also not entirely sure he’s doing the right thing—then turns around and heads into the trees.

I accept the inevitable and follow.

Am I making a mistake?

I can’t help thinking—probably.