“Leave me here.” I glanced at the barred up window, wondering where here was, but all I could see were mountains and trees and the snow that covered them.
“Oh, yes.” He walked over to the window, dragging his fingers along the bars. “See there is something about the cold that preserves your energy—it’s why I sent you to Wyoming. And keeping your energy preserved is the most important thing right now.”
“And what about Alex’s energy,” I asked, trying to keep my balance as a rush of wooziness whipped through me. “How are you planning on preserving his energy?”
This surprised him. “I see you’ve been busy. “ He walked toward me again. “My son will preserve the energy himself. It was what I raised him to do. And as long as he’s away from you, the stars energy will be fine.” He stopped right in front of me. “All I have to do is keep you from him.”
“Alex will find me,” I told him, but I wasn’t so sure of this myself.
Stephan considered this for a very long time, and then I got the feeling that I was about to experience, firsthand, a vill ain-confessing-his-evil-plan moment.
“See, here’s the thing, Gemma,” he said, his already dark eyes shifting darker. “Even if he does find you, it’ll never work out. You two were just not meant to be with each other.
I touched the scar on the palm of my hand. Forem.
“Yes, we are.”
He let out a laugh that rang though the cabin and echoed out against the snowy mountains. “The ideas you kids have—always wanting to be with the wrong person.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant by this. “The wrong person?”
He stood in front of me, the two Death Walkers still hovering in the doorway, blocking my only way out.
“You think you’re supposed to be with someone because you having feelings for them but trust me Gemma, feelings are way overrated.
Wow. So that’s where Alex had gotten the quote from.
The mention of feelings sent rage surging through me and without even thinking I kicked Stephan in the shin with my bare foot.
He winced, and then hit me across the face. My ears rang like an out of control bell, and I collapsed to the hardwood floor. He leaned over me, his eyes full of anger.
“You think it’s so bad what I’ve done to you. Well, let me let you in on a little secret. Life is way overrated—
emotions are way overrated. Even Malefiscus—which I’m sure you know who he is by now—was at one point weakened by his jealousy for his brother.
Although, he did turn it into something good” He dragged his finger along the scar on his cheek.
I hated this man more than I have ever hated anyone before. I could feel the hate burning inside me
—I could feel the hate poking at the back of my neck.
“You’re the one who’s weak.”
“Oh, am I?” He considered this. “Well, that’s one I’ve never heard before.” He let out an evil laugh.
“Well, I think after awhile, you’ll change your mind.
Nicholas has already taken your Foreseer power away from you and when it eventually returns, the praesidiumwill take over.”
Praesidium?I glanced around the room and noticed that there were lavender marble-sized crystal balls dotting the edge of the hardwood floor.
“I’d take your power away from you completely if I could,” Stephan added. “But I need it too much.”
“Need it for what?” I asked, my stomach winding into a billion knots.
He ignored me. “The only way for you to get away from here is on foot.” He glanced at the window. “And even I wouldn’t try and make that walk. By the time I return to get you, you’ll be nothing more than an emotionless soul. Being alone will do that to someone.”
I remembered myself in my vision; the emptiness my eyes had held. That’s how I would turn out if I stayed here.
No. I would not go back to that.
I started to get to my feet, not sure what I would do when I made it up, but I needed to do something. “This plan won’t work,” I said struggling to keep my legs under me. “Just like your last plan didn’t.” He’d started toward the door, but stopped and turned around. “Even if Alex did find you, eventually you’d both be dead. Every time you two are close to each other, it ignites the power. If you stay close to each other for too long the star’s power will fade out.
And so will you and Alex.”
My jaw just about hit the floor, and I stood there shocked. Alex and I would eventually kill each other?
How was this possible? I thought about the electric bond we shared and the Blood Promise we’d made to be together forever. But if what Stephan had just said was true, then did it mean that if we did stay together forever, our forever wouldn’t be that long?
I felt sick; physically and emotions drained, my heart sinking in my chest.
“Like I said, Gemma, feelings are overrated.” And with that he walked outside and shut the door behind him.
I immediately closed my eyes and tried to summon my Foreseer ability, but apparently Stephan had been telling the truth about my ability being gone because I felt nothing.
This couldn’t be happening.
I limped to the door, and opened it up, hoping I wouldn’t come face-to -face with a Death Walker. But there was nothing but miles and miles of snow. And scattered across the miles and miles of snow—at least as far as my eyes could see—were dots and dots of tiny lavender crystal balls.
I let out a scream for help, but the only thing that returned to me was my own echo.
Jessica Sorensen lives with her husband and three kids in the snowy mountains of Wyoming, where she spends most of her time reading, writing, and hanging out with her family.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43 Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43