Page 40 of The Redd Key (Bone Coven #1)
W ood creaked beneath my feet as I climbed the stairs to my apartment. Leaving my soaked boots by the door, I slunk to my bed, stripped off the damp clothes, and replaced them with a sweater and joggers before climbing in. Like a child, I pulled the covers over my head. I felt like one. Lost. Alone…Utterly alone.
Blankets tucked under me as I rolled to face the window. The street lamps were now on, and the sleet turned to the largest mound of snow I had ever seen. My eyes followed each snowflake after another as they appeared through the window frame until they fell too far below to see. Every bone in my body shook, but the shivering wasn’t from the cold.
As much as I needed to cry, no tears spilled from my eyes. Griffin didn’t say anything as I left him. Was there even anything worth saying? He was becoming such a pillar for me, and to be honest, I was grateful for it. Against everything I ever told myself, I was falling for him, even though a part of me knew I should be more cautious. Still, being hurt by someone who truly chooses me can’t be worse than by a guy who only gives just enough as Nathan had done for the past three years. And right now, I was lost in the confusion of it all. Griffin was so hot and cold, making it hard to keep up. I didn’t know what was real. All I knew was that I didn’t have the energy or the willpower to fight against a lesser evil like Griffin, compared to anyone I had ever dated.
Being plagued and haunted by tormented memories wasn’t helping either. I found myself questioning every moment, every choice I made since I first held the locket. Entire days and nights were hole-punched from my memory. Were these thoughts my own, or were they Hers? I wanted to tear the thing from my neck, but every time I tried, I lost my will to do so. My hands shook as I willed the candle on the windowsill to light. The darkness that veiled my room allowed for the ghost from the past to break through my vision, though my eyes were open. How commonplace these specters had become. My shadows.
Anguish became my constant companion and a conflicted part of me now justified its presence. It was my penance.
You didn’t grab her.
I sat up and put my shaking hands to my face.
Witch.
I slid my fingers into my hair and pulled.
Witch!
I yanked harder, trying to tear the hair from its roots. The locket warmed, and my stomach dropped.
“Not again,” I groaned, begging out loud.
As if my body was possessed, and I wasn’t entirely sure whether it still was or not, I slinked a few steps to the window. Snowflakes were now falling in a sheet, billowing in swirls as frosted, vociferous gusts blew between the houses on Peak Drive. The street below was quiet except for the occasional passing car. Then nothing.
My eyes narrowed, squinting through the glare of the streetlamp. Away from the road and toward the treeline, I noticed movement. Expecting to see Martin or Pilot, I was surprised to see a pale hand slipping into the darkness, disappearing into the low-hanging branches. I watched from my bed, my breath fogging the glass an inch away from my mouth.
Raina…
The word hung in the air like a sing-song whisper. The muscles in my jaw tensed as I clenched my teeth, trying to get rid of the voice from my head. I didn’t want to hear it anymore. I didn’t want to feel invaded anymore. Tears pricked at my eyes from frustration. This locket was a curse in itself, and I was enraptured, paralyzed from focusing on anything beyond the relentless toil from the trinket. I just wanted to rest. I wanted to be left alone, free to forget about the slew of additional curses, tales, and stories that may or may not even be real…
Bang! Bang! BANG!
“ What the fuck ?” I hissed. My head snapped toward the direction of the apartment door. The weathered wood sounded like it nearly splintered under the force of the pounding. Ferran scampered under the bed, and I didn’t move. Or breathe. Was it even real?
My fingers wrapped around the oval locket, and the touch of it revealed no confirmation. For once, the metal was cool to the touch. I thought I heard snow crunch on the landing as if someone adjusted their weight.
“Wh—who is it?” My voice quivered as I called out. Nothing. “I’m not in the mood!” My voice got steadier. “Seriously!” Ferran peered out from under the overhanging quilt.
A sharp, powerful gust blew the wintry powder through the slit under the door, carrying a deep chill with it. The burst of frost extinguished my candles, and I was in darkness. My heart stammered against my chest, and fear crept up my neck. My shoulder hit the wall hard as I backed myself into the literal corner, and the irony struck me. No , I will not be a victim . I exhaled, resigning to go down swinging. I had power— Aecor. I can do this .
My next breath stuttered in my throat, and goosebumps erupted across my skin. The low sound of the dead-bolt sliding made my heart race frantically; I couldn’t believe it hadn’t burst free. Any pretense that I was some badass witch who could kick a shadow man’s ass dissipated in an instant.
Black nothingness met my eyes as I peered, searching the room. My ears pricked at the sound of the slow turning of the knob. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I forced oxygen into my lungs, preparing to fight.
In the seconds that ticked by, I replayed scene after scene in my mind. Before Redd Hills, I’d never been in a fight, attacked by anyone, or been a victim of any crime. I had no idea what I’d even do in a situation like that. But now, there I was.
I turned my head, blindly scanning the room for a weapon, nearly giving up all hope…until the locket started to spike in temperature. As pure Aecor streamed through me, time slowed down in my mind. My nails dug into my palms as I tightened my fists. I spread my bare feet apart to hold my weight more evenly. I was as ready as I was going to be.
But it didn’t matter one bit.
Suddenly, the door slammed against the wall, rocking off its frame as it burst open.
No . I recognized those eyes immediately. My gaze widened as the locket burned against my skin. The heat intensified, and I fought the urge to scream. “You!” I gasped at the familiar scent. The air clawed its way through my throat as the locket’s flames rose within me, erupting into a silent scream.
Drowning in fire was not how I thought I would die.