Page 67 of Cursed Lifeline

“She throws these parties for herself, petit,” Alfred sighs, coming a step closer. “Trust me, she won’t even know you’re gone.”

“But.. why would I...”

“Have you been having dreams, Esme,” Alfred asks. I turn quickly in shock. He studies me, brow furrowed, and says, “Nightmares, maybe?”

A match sparks to life behind me. I turn quickly. My eyes lift and catch the stranger across the patio as he lights the end of a cigarette. When he does, his head cocks to the side, and for a brief moment, I catch a glimpse of a pair of violet eyes. My breath catches as I quickly turn back to Alfred and Caelum.

“What do you want?” I nervously blurt out, taking a step back in alarm.

“We’re not here to hurt you,” Alfred states calmly, catching onto my fear.

“Quite the opposite actually,” Caelum laughs. His chuckle is full of irony as my gaze turns and focuses on the stranger once again. “We’re here to help you.”

The stranger throws his match to the ground and takes a quick, large inhale of his smoke. I’m held in place by dread and panic, but focusing on his violet eyes in the shadows gives me the sense that my cousins are being honest. I can trust them. As the stranger earnestly holds my stare, grief, heartache, and pain flood me.

Alfred and Caelum take a step forward as I refuse to look away from the man with the violet eyes.

“You’ve been chosen, Esme,” Alfred says, “To bring down the evil that lurks in the shadows. The immoral beings that hunt in the darkness. The vile, corrupt visions you fight in your dreams. But ultimately, the choice is yours. Meet us tomorrow morning, six o’clock sharp, on the platform for the transatlantic, and we’ll explain everything.”

“And if I refuse,” I ask nervously, still holding the stranger's stare.

His violet eyes grow sad as he steps back into the shadows. Another figure appears at his side. The pain in my head grows stronger, and I pinch the bridge of my nose as I say, “Why should I trust either of you?”

“Because,” Alfred whispers harshly, “your life was decided for you long before you were born.”

The sharp, piercing ache in my head begins to lessen. I look back up just in time to see the stranger hastily stride off with his companion. His shoulders slump; defeat, anger, and agony fill his countenance as he briefly glances back my way.

“A blessing and a curse,” Alfred states bitterly, repeating Caelum’s words from earlier. This time, when they’re said, rage simmers deep in my veins.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I bite back. “Doesn’t one cancel out the other?”

“Depends,” Alfred cheekily replies.

“On what?” I hiss.

“On you, Esme,” he warns. “On what choice you make in this life.”

“As opposed to...”

“Your last,” Caelum says confidently.

Alfred gives him a threatening glare, but Caelum shrugs and explains, “We were getting to that point eventually. It’s like ripping off a band-aid. Best to just get it over with quickly.”

Alfred releases an angry sigh and shakes his head.

“Past life?” I chuckle. “And you expect me to believe that and follow you to...”

“Long Island,” Caelum grins, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Long Island,” I echo, shaking my bewildered head. “What’s in Long Island?”

“The answers you seek,” Caelum says confidently. “Your wildest dreams. Your worst nightmare.”

Rolling his eyes, Alfred adds, “We also got a tip Long Island is close to someone who can give us an answer we’veallbeen searching for. Who that someone is is yet to be discovered. That’s what we need to go there to find out.”

Glancing back at the party taking place behind us, I debate running back inside and forgetting that I ever met Alfred and Caelum.

“Are you sure you’re my cousins?” I whisper as I catch sight of my aunt laughing with her guests.

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