Page 36

I walk to the desk, old tattered texts piled on it haphazardly, and sift through the stack. The smell of old parchment fills my nose. I select three journals. One of them, I recognize.

It’s the same one that was thrown at my head weeks ago in the library, when I was talking to Calli. My fingers flick through the pages, my eyes skimming the faded ink. I stop, landing on an entry that piques my interest.

March 12, 1855

My prayers have been answered! After all these years, all I had to do was simply ask. It needn’t be so complex. I drew the symbol in my own blood on the ground as I called the name. Alabaster. The monster that showed up was nothing less than glorious. Large horns and hair white as his namesake. His golden eyes bored into me, and I was unafraid. I beseeched him for knowledge on my ailment, the answer was clear: Blood must be spilled.

A sacrifice must take place, so that I may transcend this human form and meet eternity. This is not such an easy task, as it must be of my own blood. I have thought it over and over and weighed what is at stake. My little girl, my only child. Can her life be measured against my own?

I must confess that I fear I have gone too far.

–J.H.

I lower the journal, processing the new information as Karma jumps up onto the desk, chirping and looking at me with her big eyes—begging for pets. I scratch her chin.

“Have you been here the whole time?” I ask her as I caress the soft fur on her ears. “The grimoire has a way of twisting people, they were all idiots.” I smile down at Karma as the realization dawns on me.

He summoned it from the grimoire. It wasn’t a coincidence.

Calli summoned him from the grimoire…

He’d been watching her for all that time. I feel every drop of blood drain from my face as everything falls into place.

Fuck. Fuck. Alabaster.

The God.

She brought the devil to our doorstep.

The door opens and Gen walks in.

“Hey, did you want to do that training to—”

I drop the journals, heart pounding, and bolt from the room, leaving Karma and Gen in the library.

CHAPTER 12 CADE

I take the stairs two at a time, not stopping until I hit the hallway. I don’t knock. I swing Calli’s door open—and freeze.

She hasn’t noticed me. They’re standing on the balcony, side by side, smiling and laughing like the world isn’t fucking burning around us. And her face—I’ve never seen that look on her before. She looks… happy.

Every muscle in my body tenses, my face twisted in disgust. My instincts are screaming at me to do something—grab her, get her away from him, kill him if I have to. Protect her. It has to be him. Alabaster. It has to be.

But—I can’t move, as if a physical force is stopping me. I want to lunge at him, but I just stand there, as if someone is screaming at me to stop.

Is it you? Why? Isn’t she in danger?

A warmth rolls over me like a wave, and the word lands heavy in my mind: Love.

My mind refuses to accept it, I don’t want to.

He is the very reason she is in danger.

As if a hand touches my shoulder, the thought comes to mind: He won’t hurt her.

I stare at them a moment longer, studying their body language like it will tell me everything I need to know.

“Maybe one day you can tell me more about your world,” Calli says, gazing up at him.