Page 114 of A Duet of Darkness and Dreams

My heart skips three beats, then tries to catch up by stuttering in my chest. He called me Izzy. But he’s already moving away to the next door and disappearing inside, while I stand here in the cold with my mouth open.

“What the hell . . .” I mutter. Finally, I push inside my room and fall against the wall with shallow panting breaths.

He called me Izzy. But what does that mean? It could mean absolutely nothing. Or it could mean everything.

I flick on the light and look around the room, taking inthe plaid bedspread, the paneled walls, the brown everything. Even the phone is brown. The phone. Right. I should call my mom. The phone rings twice and a familiar voice answers.

“Mamá?”

There’s a deep inhale. “Isa!Mija,how are you? Where are you?”

“I’m good. I’m in Montana, can you believe it? There’s real snow here and everything.”

“Snow?”

“Yes, snow. It’s everywhere and it’s so beautiful and cold and—”

“Isa, listen . . .”

The smile drops from my face. “What?”

“Someone called for you the other day. They said it was urgent that you call him back.”

My mouth goes dry. “Him? Who was it?”

“Uhh . . . someone named . . . hold on, where’s the—ah, here it is. Simon Cranmer?”

That cruel bastard won’t ever leave me alone, will he? What the hell does he want now? How did he even find my parents’ number?

“Did he . . .” I swallow against the anxious lump in my throat. “Did he say what he wanted or . . . ?”

“He just left a phone number.”

“Can I have it, please?”

She recites the number for me and I write it down on a pad next to the phone. “What’s going on?” she asks.

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing,” I lie. “Mamá, I have to go,” I say quickly.

“Wait! Don’t—”

I hang up the phone and attempt to take a deep breath. Before I can stop myself, I’m dialing this dreaded number. Itrings and rings and rings. Ugh, where the hell is he? Just before I go to hang up, the line connects.

“Hello?”

“Simon,” I spit.

“Ah, little Bella,” he says jovially. “You finally got my message, did you?”

I pull my legs under me. “You called my mother?” I shout.

“Should I have called someone else?” he asks.

“You shouldn’t have called anyone!” I scream.

“Now, now. I had to get a hold of you, and you are a difficult woman to get in touch with.”

I try to take a deep breath, but it nearly makes me choke. “What the hell do you want?”

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