Page 107 of A Drop of Anguish
If I believe that, does that mean I have to believe the rest of the note? If it was just a means to mess with me, then following its directions wouldn’t make sense. “It’s not a full mark, it doesn’t have a hold on me, but it does give me a connection to them. We can use it to find the games. To find Corrine and Mr. Vandozer.”
“You will not be finding anyone,” the demon hisses.
I put my hands on my hips. “If Corrine is gone, it’s because she was called in to the Akrasia Games. She is our only link to those games, and therefore Mr. Vandozer. If we lose her, we’ll never find them, and my sister’s killer will remain free. Tell me, do you have a way to track her?”
He squints. “The interdimensional authorities are tracking her.”
“You know the game runners have covered her tracks as well as they possibly can. They’ll have prepared for them to follow her.”
His nostrils flare, chest heaving, but he does not give a rebuttal.
“After we find her, you can break the magic. But we need to find her first.” I didn’t realize this was something Jarron was capable of, but that doesn’t matter at this point.
He stares down at the tiny magic on my wrist like it’s a breathing parasite that might leap onto him at any moment. When he doesn’t answer, I take this opportunity to escape and begin marching from the library.
“No,” Jarron finally growls and prowls after me. “You are not going. I don’t care if it’s our last chance to find him. I don’t care if that girl dies. I am not putting you at risk to save her or get to him. It’s not worth it.”
I walk quickly, not bothering to acknowledge Jarron’s objection. He doesn’t stop me, but he follows right on my heel, huffing with every step.
Stassi stares wide-eyed over my shoulder at the full demon stalking me when I enter the sunroom.
“Candice?” Stassi whispers. “I don’t think—”
“He’s fine,” I say, waving off the demon from behind me. I might be terrified of this form, but I’m damn good at compartmentalizing, and this is important. I turn to face Jarron.
Even though I just faced him in this monster form moments ago, it’s still a shock when I turn toward him once more. His leathery wings fidget behind him, his teeth are bared. His legs have an oddly curved shape.
“You,” I point at him, ignoring the patter of my own heart, “sit.”
He blinks several times and tilts his head curiously.
Both Stassi and Manuela take that opportunity to scramble away, and I note that it’s the first time I’ve seen Manuela ever show any fear of Jarron.
“Take a deep breath,” I tell demon-Jarron. “Calm down. Shift back if you need to.” I’m not sure how comfortable it would be for him to sit in a human armchair in that form. “Then, sit down.”
“What is your plan?” he asks, voice rumbling in that alien way.
“We’re going to have a conversation.” My mind is made up, and I’m done running scared. My heart is aching and confused and—I don’t know, but if Corrine is gone, I’m going after her.
Finally, his body shimmers slightly as he shifts back into his human form. His face is anything but calm, though. His eyes are sunken, his cheeks sallow. He’s angry and ready to explode at any moment, but reluctantly, he obeys me and sits in the chair.
Without missing a beat, I slide into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.
After a beat of surprise, Jarron’s face softens. He curls an arm around my waist, and another settles on my thigh. He pulls me in tight and nuzzles into my neck.
Jarron breathes in deeply, like he’s trying to savor this.
He’s not yours.
His arms feel so good around my body, and I try not to wonder if it’ll be the last time I have him like this.
What piece are you missing, Candice?
“Last time,” I begin softly, remembering several weeks ago when he tried to stop me from entering Minor Hall, where I knew the Akrasia Games would begin. “We were not on the same page. You did everything you could to stop me, and I did everything I could to do it anyway. We can play that game again if you want.”
His nostrils flare again, but he doesn’t respond.
“But I think, instead, we could be a team.”
