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On the walls are all of Lucien’s diplomas and teaching certificates but no photos. That I find odd, but the voice is closer this time, so I don’t have time to inspect.
“Iris, I will find you.”
My feet are lead and it is agony to raise them. What the hell is going on?
“Raven?” Lucien’s voice questions. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m sleeping or at least I thought I was.”
“Stella,” he says in a grim tone. “I thought she was just making me replay the fire again but you were never here before. We need to wake you before she can harm you.”
“In my sleep? She can do that?”
“Nothing has stopped her yet. I wouldn’t put it past her to do all she can to kill you, too.”
As the words leave his lips, smoke billows under the locked office door.
“Shit, she’s set a fire again. We have to get you out of here, now.”
“What about you? Can she harm you, too? We both need to get out of here and find a way to stop her for good.”
“Note to self. Research how to kill a ghost. Though, I can’t exactly touch books, so I don’t know how to manage that.”
Lucien gives me an odd look at my laughter.
“Oh, we have easy ways to search for things like that. It’s called the internet. But at the moment, I need to wake up. I’ve never had an interactive dream before so I don’t know what to do.”
“This is a first for me as well,” he admits with a frown.
“Is there another way out of your office? Maybe putting distance between us will buy us time.”
“That door is the only way out,” he says. The fact he looks so damn sorry has my heart clenching. Lucien deserved so much better than he got, and yet, Stella is still torturing him even after death.
I take a step toward the door just as the handle starts to jiggle.
“Iris, are you in here?” The way Stella sings out Iris’s name sends a shiver down my spine. She’s cold and detached, yet sings it out with laughter. If I wasn’t sure about her mental status before, this definitely clears it up. She’s batshit crazy and hellbent on killing anyone who stands between her and Lucien. Yet, I can’t bring myself to let her have him. It’s strange, but I already feel so deeply connected to him. I know I’d stop at nothing to free him. He deserves to finally rest in peace.
Lucien and I look at each other and nod, a silent agreement. We both turn swiftly to hide; unfortunately, the only place is under his desk. Being the gentleman he is, Lucien lets me slide in first. I’m hyper aware of our proximity as he squeezes in after me, but we do everything we can to keep quiet. One wrong move or sound and it could be over for me.
The door creaks open with an ominous groan of wood, smoke billowing in. Her footsteps echo in the silence and I put a hand gently over my mouth to keep the smoke out and the screams inside.
Lucien and I try so hard to be quiet, but the smoke is already starting to filter into my lungs, the urge to cough impossible to ignore. I try to keep it at bay but eventually, one escapes. Thankfully, it’s the same point that she slams into the desk, her fists hitting it like a child having a tantrum.
“Do you really think you can hide from me?” Her voice is no longer calm, but hysterical.
I cough again as she comes into view, auburn hair cascading around her as she crouches down. I’ve never witnessed such a startling smile. Despite Lucien putting himself even further in front of me I start to shake at the glint of her knife. Apparently, she’s moved past fires and is going straight for stabbing this time.
Jayce and Eli’s voices filter through the chaos, quiet at first and eventually shouting over Stella’s hysterical rantings. The office dissolves as they finally cut through the dream and I’m back in my room. I’m still shaking, but it’s because Jayce’s hand is on my shoulder, moving me, trying to get me to wake. Once he realizes that my eyes are open, he ceases and pulls me into his arms.
“Oh God, Raven. You were scaring us. You were coughing and screaming. Eli and I did our best to wake you if shaking didn’t work next was water. I’d throw you in the damn shower if I had to!”
“It was Stella, she was trying to kill Lucien and I,” I tell them as the tears stream down my face. “I was so scared. It wasn’t just a dream. Lucien and I held a conversation and it was all so real. She’s getting stronger somehow.”
“We’ve now reached the point that she has to be put to rest. This can’t continue,” Eli says, shooting Jayce a panicked look they try and fail to hide from me.
“Lucien and I said the same thing,” I admit. “I’ve only seen shows that have handled it, we can’t exactly go dig up bones at a cemetery and salt them ‘Sam and Dean’ style.”
“Why not?” Eli and I blink up at Jayce who is completely serious. “If that’s how we end this, then we risk it. I’ll research where she’s buried and check into their security. We can go pay our ‘respects’ during the day to plot it out.”
