Page 33 of Against All Odds

“Wait, so that was you?” I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. “You saved me from those creeps? Twice?”

“Yes.” Seren clenched her teeth, clearly not happy about the fact. “But you need to understand you have some seriously dangerous misconceptions about the spiritual world.” She slightly leaned in to bring her eyes to the same height as mine. I felt like a kid being scolded for doing something wrong – and embarrassingly, my pulse quickened. “You listen very carefully. I’m not your lucky fucking charm, okay? I’m just your unfortunate guardian. I have no magical powers other than that I can slightly tilt the odds when it’s needed, and you, under no circumstances, can provoke fate – nor me. You don’t roll the dice on your life. You don’t put yourself in danger and assume I will save you, just because you brought a fucking die to the club along with enough pills to kill an elephant. You don’t decide when to use my probmanu – I do.” Her critical gaze slowly moved over my body, leaving me feeling uncomfortably exposed. She might as well undress me with her eyes. “Are we clear?”

I should’ve been offended. Called her out on her tone and told her to show me some respect. But instead, my body responded with arousal, as if it suddenly liked being told what to do by a hot, grumpy stranger in all black.

“Yes, ma’am,” was all I could say.

Seren’s misty blue eyes scanned the room again, with the precision of someone who’s always on high alert. “I don’t remember ever dreaming in such detail when I was alive.”

“I have a vivid imagination.” I forced a small smile, though my lips trembled. “It’s a blessing and a curse.”

I had so many questions for her. Of course, this could be just a figment of my imagination, but something told me this was real. But as I opened my mouth, ready to start firing, she was faster, cutting me off.

“Now, can you tell me why the fuck you’re still dreaming about Rebekah after all this time?” She put her hands on her hips, disdain dripping from her voice.

I blinked a few times, too taken aback to come up with an answer. “It’s not like I choose my dreams,” was the best I came up with.

Seren snorted – the sound of it so sharp, I flinched. “Are you fucking kidding me? This girl has never shown you one ounce of respect.” She put up her finger. “Not even the slightest hint she cares about you at all. What’s the hype about her? She doesn’t even seem special.”

I started to laugh at the absurdity of it all. “Do you really need to ask me that?” I shook my head. “She’s just very misunderstood. People think she’s a shallow person, but there’s so much depth to her. She’s just selective with who she shows it to.”

“And despite everything, you’re still defending her.” Seren closed her eyes in annoyance, then shook her head. “Anyways, I’m not here to waste words on her. I’m here to talk about you. Well, us, because in an annoying twist of fate, ours are tied together.” She straightened her posture, once again confronting me with how unfairly tall she was. “So here’s what we’ll do. You’ll quit the alcohol and drugs – yes, the Ritalin too. Nothing good comes from that shit.”

I grimaced. “But Ritalin isn’t drugs,” I protested. “I’m only using it to improve my concentration, but I’ll quit as soon as my exams are over next week.”

Her lips pressed together again, unamused. “If I recall correctly, your roommate wasn’t happy with you stealing from him. How will you pay him back?”

I lowered my gaze. Thank fate – or Seren? – Pascal had not been home when I got back from the club, but I knew I couldn’t put it off forever… nor was it reasonable to ask my guardian angel to kill every man who made my life difficult.

Even though the idea of her killing for me was strangely exciting and comforting at the same time.

I pushed the conflicting feelings away. “So, what do I do?” I hated how small my voice sounded.

Seren tilted her head, thinking it through for a moment. “How much cash do you need?”

A flicker of hope in my chest. “Well, I have a part-time job in customer service – but I don’t make much, and I won’t get paid for another week. I’ve already paid my rent, so I just need to buy food this week… and pay Pascal back,” I begrudgingly admitted.

“So you need a few hundred.” Seren nodded slowly. “I cannot guarantee anything,” she said pointedly, eyes locking with mine – so earnest, a shiver ran down my spine. “But keep your eyes on the ground tomorrow in case someone happens to lose a few banknotes.” She paused. “But only this time, okay? Just so you can survive this month.”

My heart fluttered. I nodded so hard, the world spun for a moment. “Thank you,” I whispered, tears popping up in my eyes.

Seren nodded once and averted her gaze.

“Wait, so do you…” I cringed at what I was about to ask. “Do you, ehm, always watch me? Even when I’m showering?”

“Of course not.” She scowled, looking genuinely offended. “Did you think I’m a creep? I have no interest in watching you shower – and even if I did, I couldn’t. This whole thing apparently has built-in guardrails for your privacy.”

I quickly lowered my head, letting my curls fall in front of my burning cheeks. I should be relieved, but she didn’t have to say it with such contempt, did she?

The world flickered, becoming unstable. “Fuck. The dream is ending.” I firmly bit my lip, fighting the urge to open my eyes. “When will I see you again?” I cringed at the hopeful hitch in my voice.

“We have to be careful. This…” She gestured around the flickering world, “…should be a private communication channel, but apparently, the higher-ups are watching me. Watching us. In fact, I’m surprised this even worked,” she muttered, seemingly more to herself than me. “I suppose we’re lucky you dream so… vividly.”

I swallowed hard. I wasn’t following completely, but this didn’t sound good. “Who are the higher-ups?”

She shook her head. “Take care of yourself, Raya.” As the world started to fade, she added: “And that unrequited love you’re pouring into Rebekah? Try saving that for yourself instead. You need it more than she does.”

Before I could answer, the dream morphed into my bedroom, leaving me to stare at the ceiling with my eyes wide open.