Page 190 of The Midnight Order
It’s like a phantom, moving through the wind as it embodies it, becomes it.
“I’m nothing you’d understand. But I come with a warning.”
“Valentina,” I breathe.
“I am many things. I go by many names,” the voice sings, like it’s in surround sound as it moves in circles.
I’m becoming dizzy as I try to track her movement through the trees, wishing Asher would hurry and capture her so I could still.
“What is your warning?” I ask breathlessly, stopping and bending over. My stomach churns with nausea as I try to catch my balance.
I feel a cool rush of air that has me snapping back to attention, dizziness forgotten, and the voice is now so close to my ear.
I can’t turn to look at her, however. I’m frozen in fear, my body seeming to know we’re in the presence of something dangerous.
“Everything they think they know is wrong. I’m wrong. It’s all wrong.”
I swallow, my brain running in a million directions. The sun chooses this moment to peek through the canopy overhead, but even with its warmth on my skin, I’m quaking with fear.
“What’s wrong?”
“All of it!” She screams, and it’s so loud that it leaves a ringing in my ears. “The closer they get to breaking the curse, the closer he gets. They need to be ready.”
“You loved them,” I breathe.
“I love no one. For I am nothing.”
My mind reels. “What?!”
“Tell them. You must tell them.”
“I will. I’ll tell them,” I promise her.
The forest goes still again, and a bird chirps overhead, landing as he, too, feels the presence dissipate.
When Asher returns, I’m sobbing, curled into myself on the ground.
“Hey! What happened?” He drops beside me, pulling me into his lap.
“I don’t know. I don’t even know how to…”
“Shh,” he coos, pulling me into his hug. His chin presses into my hair. “You don’t have to. It’s alright.”
“Shh.”
When everything was making a bit more sense, I felt like I was tangled in webs of murk all over again. I have to wonder if I’ll ever get free.
Chapter 49
Asher
Silver isn’t calmuntil I have her in the bedroom, sitting on my lap on the bed. She told me what had happened, which had upset her all over again. I can tell that the confusion of the encounter bothers her most of all, but she’s now concerned her breaking our curse will damn us somehow, and that has me worried.
The one thing I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember is for this fucking mask off of my face, and she’s the only one who can do it.
As soon as everything clicks into place and each of us gets our heads out of our asses, I know it’ll happen.
But at what cost?
