Page 106 of A Drop of Anguish
Follow the tattoo, not the card. It will lead you to me.
I will do everything I can to protect you both.
With all of my love,
Liz
41
Another Part of the Games…?
Islam the book closed. My face is burning hot, head pulsing.
What. The. Fuck.
It’s another joke, right? Another tactic to mess with us. All of it has been. This is part of the game. Another puzzle piece that’s supposed to throw me off and distract me from the real answer.
Jarron stops pacing and turns slowly to face me. He examines me closely, and I try my best not to show my panic.
“What is it?” he says with a voice so low I’m not sure if it’s him or his demon talking.
I tap my knee anxiously. “Nothing. Just… everything.”
He narrows his eyes.
I stand, unable to hold in my own tension now.
I pretend I’m going to browse more books, but Jarron follows right on my heels.
Follow the tattoo, not the card.
Without thinking, I run my fingers over the faded mark on my forearm. It’s not generally noticeable, even when I’m in short sleeves, since it’s nearly translucent and really only stands out when light reflects off of it. Particularly because I wear makeup to cover it.
Jarron moves so fast it’s near a blur as he grabs my wrist and twists, just on the verge of hurting.
“Hey!” I complain.
He bares his teeth and pushes me up against the endcap shelf. “What did you do, Candice?”
“I didn’t do anything,” I say through gritted teeth. “Let me go.”
His whole body is shaking now. He looks again at the tattoo. “When did it happen? What is it?” The expression on his face is a mix of terror and rage, making me think he already has an idea.
“It just showed up—after the last time I spoke with Mr. Vandozer.”
The sound that rips from Jarron’s chest sends terror cascading through my body.
Swirling black clouds twists out and around my wrist.
“What are you doing?” I squeak, squirming in his grip.
“Breaking this magic. No one can have a claim on you.”
Anger wells up and replaces the fear. I rip my hand from Jarron’s firm grip. I’m sure he could have kept his hold, but not without hurting me. “No.”
“No?” His skin loses all of the golden pigment until it’s just grey. Wings shimmer into existence behind him.
“No, you cannot break the magic. We—we need it.” I wince as the words leave my lips.Follow the tattoo.
