Page 202 of Claimed By Fangs and Darkness
Aster blinked.
Conrad’s eyes narrowed.
With a short, surprised laugh, Aster pet my head like I was a small animal and stepped toward Conrad. “See? I told you she was quite witty.” He paused. “I’ll send food up for you, dear. You rest—that’s an order. And don’t worry about the city. Your family will be safe so long as they stay out of trouble, and this will all be over soon.”
I let my shoulders relax, as if convinced. What comforting words.
The moment they left, I released a shaky breath and found the quietest, darkest corner of the room to sit. It was exactly what I used to do in my childhood bedroom.
I pulled my knees to my chest, rocking slightly, and I prayed. Not to Lillian.
To Hekate, Selena, and Helia. To anyone who would listen and offer their aid.
Please keep him safe.
As the hours passed,the sinking feeling grew heavier. I was suffocating with worry and helplessness.
I’d torn up the room searching for the key. I’d tried jamming objects into the lock and jiggling, but nothing worked.
How was I this powerful and this thwarted by a piece of cursed metal?
I moved through every emotion in the book, but I preferred to stay in the comfortable currents of rage.
Because as soon as I moved to grief, a horrible feeling came over me. Visions of Kylo slain before he could fulfill any of his grand dreams.
Visions of him slain in the streets because ofme.
I don’t know what possessed me to stop pacing in front of a mirror after my last eerie interaction with my reflection.
But maybe she knew something. Maybe this time the vision would become clearer, evenhelpful, gods forbid.
I stared at myself and waited.
Minutes passed, and nothing happened.
“Hello?” I asked my reflection like a crazy person.
My marks were fading—the evidence of Juliette’s mutilation of my body and soul. I hoped she was off somewhere sobbing about how Aster had used her for her magick and then abandoned her.
At the sight of my own cruel smirk, I frowned. I stood, but before I could turn away, I saw the shift I’d been waiting for.
The version of me in the lilac dress was back. Her eyes widened, looking me up and down. I glanced down at the revealing slip over my body, the night gown that ironically—tragically—appeared like it belonged to Juliette.
My gaze snapped back to my reflection the moment another figure entered the mirror.
“Baby, what are you smiling about?”
Kylo.
A strangled sound left my lips as I approached the mirror. I missed him so much it broke me.
“I’m just so happy to be yours,” my reflection said, wearing one of Kylo’s oversized shirts. “To be here with you and notthere.”
She looked directly at me. When Kylo bent to kiss her neck, she winked at me.
Wait.
“No.”
