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Lucien’s words have shaken me to my core. Sure, we knew Stella was here, but I never expected to have such a blatant encounter with her. My hands rub absently over the welted skin of my neck.
“Raven? Hey, I’m sorry for being so frustrated,” Eli calls out before letting himself in. I blink over at him and his apologetic expression morphs to panic. “What the fuck happened?”
“Stella,” I admit. His cool touch feathers over the irritated skin of my neck and he glances around uneasily.
“How do you know?” he asks. “Did you see her?”
Before I can even answer Stella pops back in, her face morphed in such an angry expression, she looks demonic. Her long, auburn hair is blowing in a nonexistent breeze. Her pale-blue eyes are almost white as they glare at us like we’re to blame for her suffering. Eli is yanked back and thrown backward. The moment they make contact, he freezes, and I know a vision is washing over him.
“Leave them alone! You won’t hurt anyone else,” Lucien growls as he lunges forward again and both of them blink out of existence. In fact, I can’t feel him anymore. It’s strange that I never realized the air around me changes when he’s close, but it has a hint of embers and spice. Now it’s filled with the smell of smoke and a heaviness that makes my chest ache.
“Jayce!” I call out as I collapse on the ground next to Eli who is still staring off unseeing. Once a vision starts, it seems it goes until it’s done, even if the ghost is yanked away.
“What’s wrong?” His voice echoes through the house but I don’t answer since he’s already running. “Oh shit.”
“Help me get him on the bed.” Jayce ignores my offer of help and scoops up his friend and deposits him on my bed. Somehow, I didn’t lose the towel in all that insanity so I get dressed quickly before rushing over.
“So, what happened? Lucien? Stella?”
“Both,” I answer with a sigh. “Lucien was here and I asked him to watch over me while I showered.” Jayce’s eyes narrow and I snort at his jealousy. “No worries, he’s a gentleman and turned away.”
“Okay,” he sighs. “Holy fuck, what’s wrong with your neck?”
I launch into the rest of the story, watching his face drain of color as I continue on until he looks like a ghost himself.
“This is way worse than that witch made it sound,” he said. “You stick with Eli and I’ll get our protective charms put out. Guess we shouldn’t have hesitated.”
He rushes out and I keep watch on poor Eli. I don’t know how that awful woman died, but it was apparently long, drawn out, and likely not pleasant. My heart aches for poor Lucien who has not only suffered from her awful ways in life, but also in death. Now I have no doubts that she was responsible for every bit of pain that man endured and likely all the shit we’ve gone through as well.
“Raven?” I got so lost in my own thoughts I didn’t notice that he’d woken up. He blinks up at me but his eyes hold shadows now. “She’s never going to give up.”
My hand strokes over his hair as I wait for Jayce to come back. I don’t want Eli to relive it twice so I hold off on asking more questions.
“We’re protected,” Jayce says as he walks in, hanging something over the door in my room and turning to us. He rushes over at the sight of Eli awake. “Jesus, are you okay?”
Eli nods and closes his eyes. He flinches as he relives whatever he saw. His voice is cold and detached when he finally starts speaking.
“She was at what I assume is the asylum we found she lived in. They’d let their guards down over the years. As she was washing dishes in the kitchens she started talking to herself. Admitted to starting that fire and a whole lot of others. They didn’t even listen so, apparently, that wasn’t a new thing. Then the cook went out for a smoke break and when she came back in, Stella pickpocketed his lighter and tucked it into her bra.”
“Oh god,” I breathed out, afraid of where this was going.
“She stashed it in the bathroom after her shift and when the cook discovered it they searched her and her room. She was smart, knew the system. After a bit she went and got it and that night when everyone was asleep, she torched her room. Stella burned to death that night. I can still feel the smoke burning my throat and lungs. But you know the crazy thing?” He opened his eyes to look at both of us.
“What?” Jayce breathes out, looking like he wants nothing to do with the end of this story. Same, dude.
“She wasn’t even scared. That crazy bitch welcomed the flames. Lucien was her last thought and how she’d find him again. Guess she was right,” he ended with a groan. “And now we’re all involved. I did this to us. Never should have suggested that damned tour.”
“This isn’t on you, Eli. It’s on Stella and it trickled down to involve us,” Jayce reassures him quickly. “We just need to find a way to send her to Hell where she belongs.”
Eli nods. “On that, we agree.”
Stella
I almost had that bitch, but my love was there to stop me from doing anything rash. He was always the more level-headed of us two. Opposites really do attract. And even better, I was in his arms once more. Even in this limbo, it felt like it had all those years ago. It took me back to the day we met.
“Stella, it’s time to head to the college.” Daddy’s voice floated into my room from downstairs.
“Coming, Daddy,” I called back as I finished braiding my hair.
