Page 43 of Crossing Between

The message carved into the dead girl's abdomen burned into my mind as Varon drove us back to his mansion. My fingers trembled slightly in my lap and I couldn't stop seeing those precise, deliberate cuts.

You taste divine. I wonder if they'll survive you.

"It was meant for me," I broke the heavy silence that had fallen between us since leaving the crime scene. "That message. He's taunting me specifically."

Varon's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. "We don't know that for certain."

"Don't we?" I turned to look at him, my voice sharper than I intended. "This is all because of me. Because I'm a Soulbinder. Because I'm supposedly some threat to him."

"Zoey..."

"All those people at the station. That poor girl. My brother..." My voice cracked on the last word. "How many more have to die before we stop this thing?"

Varon reached across the console, taking my hand in his. The simple contact grounded me, pulled me back from the edge of panic I'd been teetering on.

"We will stop it," his voice carried a certainty I wished I could feel. "Together."

I wanted to believe him. God, how I wanted to believe him. But the weight of everything, the bodies, the blood, the message, pressed down on me like a physical burden.

When we arrived at Varon's mansion, I was too numb to protest his decision to bring me here rather than back to my apartment. Part of me was relieved, if I was honest with myself. After what we'd seen, I didn't want to be alone.

"I grabbed some of your things before we left your house," Varon nodded toward a duffel bag in the backseat that I hadn't noticed before. "I thought you might need them."

I blinked at him, touched by the thoughtfulness of the gesture despite my dark mood. "When did you? I didn't see you."

"Vampire speed has its advantages," he offered, a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Inside, the mansion was quiet and still. I followed Varon to the kitchen, where he gestured for me to sit at the island while he moved around gathering ingredients.

"You cook?" I couldn't keep the surprise from my voice.

"I've been alive for centuries, Zoey. I've picked up a few skills." His tone was dry, but there was a warmth underneath that made something in my chest ache. "Most of my guests have to have food."

I watched as he efficiently prepared a simple casserole, his movements precise and practiced. There was something oddly comforting about watching this ancient, powerful vampire doing something so mundane as cooking dinner.

"Kenji and Elias should be here soon," he slid the dish into the oven.

I nodded, grateful that we'd all be together again. After what I'd seen today, I needed their presence, their strength.

"Why don't you go take a nap while this cooks?" Varon suggested, his eyes taking in the exhaustion I could feel etched on my face. "You look like you could use it."

Normally, I might have protested, but the emotional and physical toll of the day had left me drained. "That actually sounds amazing."

Varon guided me to the same room I'd stayed in before, the one with the colorful canopy bed that had felt like a dream come true. "I'll watch the oven. Get some rest, little one."

The endearment sent a pleasant shiver down my spine despite my fatigue. I found myself leaning into him slightly, drawn to his solid presence.

"Thank you," I murmured. "Not just for the room or the food, but for everything. For being there, for understanding, for not pushing when I needed space to process."

His hand came up to cup my cheek, thumb brushing lightly across my skin. "Rest, Zoey. I'll be here when you wake up."

The moment his hand left my face, I felt its absence like a physical loss. But exhaustion was pulling at me, making my limbs heavy and my thoughts sluggish. I barely managed to kick off my shoes before collapsing onto the bed, sinking into its cloud-like softness.

Sleep claimed me almost instantly, pulling me down into darkness.

But it wasn't the peaceful oblivion I'd hoped for.

I stood in a vast space, darkness stretching in all directions. The air felt thick, oppressive, like trying to breathe underwater. A sense of wrongness permeated everything, making my skin crawl.

"Hello, little Soulbinder."

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once, sliding into my mind like oil on water. I spun around, searching for its source, but saw only darkness.

"Show yourself!" I demanded, but my voice sounded small and fragile in the endless void.

A chuckle, low and menacing, rippled through the air. "So brave. So foolish."

Something moved in the darkness. A shadow among shadows, circling me like a predator stalking its prey. I tried to call upon my magic, but it felt distant, muted in this strange dreamscape.

"Your blood is wasted on them." The voice was closer now, a whisper against my ear that made me flinch away. "You could be so much more."

I tried to move, to run, but my body wouldn't respond. I was frozen in place, helpless as the shadow circled closer.

"What do you want from me?" My voice trembled despite my efforts to sound strong.

"What do I want?" The shadow paused, and I felt its attention focus on me like a physical weight. "I want what was denied to me. I want what is rightfully mine."

The darkness behind me shifted, and I felt something move closer. A presence that radiated malice and hunger so intense it made my stomach churn.

"You and I, we're not so different," the Essencefeaster continued, its voice almost conversational now. "We both hold power over souls. We both understand what it means to be feared, to be hunted."

"I'm nothing like you," I spat, finding my voice again.

"No?" I could hear the smile in its voice. "You haven't even begun to understand what you are, what you could become."

Cold fingers brushed my hair, making me shudder. I couldn't see the Essencefeaster, but I could feel it circling behind me, its presence a chill against my skin.

"They're holding you back, you know," it whispered. "Your vampire, your oni, your kraken. They fear your potential. They know what you could become if you embraced your true nature."

"You're lying."

"Am I?" The voice was silky, persuasive.

Despite myself, doubt crept in.

"They care about me," but the words sounded hollow even to my own ears.

The Essencefeaster laughed, a sound like glass breaking. "They want to use you, just as I do. The difference is, I'm honest about it."

It moved around to face me, and for the first time, I caught a glimpse of glowing orange eyes in the darkness, burning with an ancient, hungry fire.

"I'm going to take everything you love," it promised, its voice dropping to a menacing growl. "One by one, I'll strip away your protections. And when you're alone, when you have nothing left, you'll come to me willingly."

The eyes moved closer, and I could almost make out a face beyond the glow—features that seemed almost human, yet twisted into something monstrous.

"And then, little Soulbinder, you will be mine."

It leaned forward as if to kiss me, those burning eyes filling my vision. I tried to scream, to move, to wake up. Anything to escape those eyes and the promise of ownership they held.

Just as its lips were about to touch mine, I jolted awake with a scream tearing from my throat. My heart hammered against my ribs, and cold sweat soaked my clothes. The remnants of the dream clung to me like cobwebs, the Essencefeaster's words echoing in my mind.

You will be mine.

The door burst open, and Varon rushed in, his eyes wild with concern. "Zoey? What happened?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came out. Instead, a sob broke free, followed by another, and then I was crying uncontrollably, my body shaking with the force of it.

Varon was beside me in an instant, gathering me into his arms. I clung to him, burying my face against his chest as the terror of the dream washed over me in waves.

"He was in my dream," I managed between sobs. "The Essencefeaster. He... he said he's going to take everything I love. That when I'm alone, I'll go to him willingly."

Varon's arms tightened around me, his body going rigid. "It was just a dream, Zoey. He can't hurt you here."

But we both knew that wasn't true. The Essencefeaster had reached me before, had pulled me into that dark place when I was trying to unlock my magic. This felt different, more intimate, more invasive, but no less real.

"He tried to sweet-talk me," the words were muffled against Varon's shirt. "Said my blood was wasted on you all. That I could be so much more."

A low growl rumbled in Varon's chest, so primal it made the hair on my arms stand up. "He won't touch you. I won't allow it."

I pulled back slightly to look at him, wiping tears from my cheeks. "He tried to trick me."

Something flickered in Varon's eyes, concern, maybe, before his expression smoothed. "Quilith is still learning about your abilities, Zoey. None of us has all the answers yet."

Before I could reply, the sound of voices downstairs announced Kenji and Elias's arrival.

"The others are here," Varon gently helped me to my feet. "Are you up to seeing them? I can tell them to come back later if you need more time."

I shook my head. "No, I want to see them." After that dream, I needed all of them close, needed the reassurance of their presence to drive away the lingering chill of the Essencefeaster's words.

Varon nodded, his hand resting at the small of my back as we made our way downstairs. The simple contact was grounding, a reminder that I wasn't alone, despite the Essencefeaster's threats.

Kenji and Elias were in the kitchen, Kenji already helping himself to the casserole that was cooling on the counter. They both looked up as we entered, their expressions shifting from casual to concerned as they took in my tear-stained face.

"What happened?" Elias was immediately at my side, his hand hovering near my arm as if afraid to touch me.

"The Essencefeaster visited her dreams," Varon answered for me, his voice tight with barely controlled anger.

Kenji's usual playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a cold fury that transformed his features. "What did it say to you?"

I relayed the dream as best I could, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear that still thrummed through my veins. When I finished, a heavy silence fell over the kitchen.

"He's trying to isolate you," Elias' gray eyes meeting mine. "To make you doubt us, doubt yourself."

"Well, it's working," I admitted, wrapping my arms around myself. "I can't stop thinking about what he said about you all. About what I really am."

The three men exchanged glances, a silent communication passing between them that only reinforced my suspicions.

"There is something you're not telling me, isn't there?" I looked from one to the other, noting the guilt that flashed across their faces. "What is it? What do you know about my powers that I don't?"

Varon sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's not that simple, Zoey. There are things about Soulbinders that even we don't fully understand. Legends, myths..."

"Then tell me what you do know!" My voice rose with frustration. "I'm tired of being kept in the dark about my own abilities. I deserve the truth."

"You're right," Elias stepped forward, his expression solemn. "You do deserve the truth. But some of this should come from Quilith. They have more knowledge about Soulbinders than any of us."

"And they'll be back tomorrow," Kenji added, his tone gentler than usual. "Can you wait until then? Let them explain properly?"

I wanted to argue, to demand answers now, but the pleading look in their eyes gave me pause. Whatever they were keeping from me, they seemed to believe it was for my own good.

"Fine," I conceded reluctantly. "One more day. But after that, no more secrets. I need to know everything if I'm going to face this thing."

Relief visibly washed over them, and Varon squeezed my shoulder gratefully. "Thank you, little one."

The endearment sent a warm flutter through my chest despite my lingering frustration. It was hard to stay angry when they looked at me like that, with a mixture of concern and something deeper that made my heart race.

"Now," Kenji broke the tension, sliding a plate of casserole toward me. "Eat something. Food always helps after a nightmare."

Despite everything, a small smile tugged at my lips.

Trust Kenji to bring it back to food. But as I took the plate, I had to admit he was right.

The simple act of eating, of sharing a meal with these three men who had somehow become essential to my life, did help ground me in the present, pushing the nightmare's chill a little further away.

As we ate, the conversation shifted to lighter topics.

Kenji told outrageous stories again, making me laugh despite myself.

Elias and Varon added their own tales, each trying to outdo the others.

It was clear they were trying to distract me, to keep my mind off the Essencefeaster's threats, and I loved them for it.

But even as I laughed and listened, a part of me remained alert, watchful. The Essencefeaster's words echoed in the back of my mind, a dark promise I couldn't quite shake.

I'm going to take everything you love.

I looked at the three men around me, each one of them precious to me in different ways, and felt a chill of premonition race down my spine. Whatever the Essencefeaster was planning, whatever secrets were still being kept from me, one thing was clear: this was only the beginning.

And I had to be ready for what came next.