Page 64 of Crossing Between
"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 beenteetering 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 onlydarkness.
