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“I don’t know, Steph,” I murmur. “It seems farfetched, but it wasn’t that long ago that vampires and witches seemed just as outlandish. Maybe ghosts are real, too. And maybe the spirits of my parents are watching over me. Mom said I needed to stop, but before she could finish, Jesse woke me up. I can only assume––if it was really her––she was talking about my inquiries about the prophecy.”
Before she can respond, my phone vibrates. Digging the device from my pocket, I frown when I see a text alert and, once again, there’s no phone number attached to it. My gaze flicks to Steph, who’s cutting off a bite of pancake with the edge of her fork. Confirming that she’s not sneaking a peek at my screen, I open the message.
Meet me at the Santa Monica Pier at noon.
“Who was that?” Steph asks, obviously noticing the frown drawing my lips downward.
Shaking my head, I clear my expression. “It’s just Jesse. He said he needs to see me, but I’m not sure what for. I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”
“Okay. Yeah,” she says, and I can hear the doubt in her voice.
She knows me too well. She realizes there’s a reason I didn’t meet her eyes when I answered the question.
But she’s a good enough friend not to ask. She knows I’ll tell her the truth when I’m ready.
I can’t tell her about this. Not yet. I know Steph, and if I tell her about the message, she’ll insist on going with me. And as much as I’d love to have her by my side, I’ve put her in enough danger, already.
I need to talk to Jesse about this. To see what he thinks.
Hopping up, I stride from the room without looking back at her. My steps are hurried as I make my way through the manor. My best guess is that Jesse is in his office, since he said he’d be dealing with vampire business all morning.
The office door is open as I approach, but that doesn’t deter me. He rarely closes it. Why would he, when a closed door does nothing to give privacy in a house filled with other vampires? Sure enough, I’m right, and he’s seated behind his desk when I stop in the doorway.
His eyes flick up, and a smile starts to form on his face before dropping when he gets a good look at my expression. He tells the two vampires seated in chairs before him that he needs to adjourn, and they’ll pick up whatever they were talking about later. Before they can stand, he’s up and headed for me with a concerned expression.
Not pausing or uttering a word, he takes my hand and pulls me up to our room. We head straight for the bathroom, and once the soundproof door is closed firmly behind us, he pulls me into his arms for a tight hug.
“What’s happened?”
“I got another text message,” I say, pulling out of his embrace so I can show him my phone.
He frowns as he reads the words, his eyes flicking back to read them a second time. Then he looks at me, his eyebrows drawn down in concern.
“It’s probably a trap.”
“A trap set by whom?” I counter.
“The coven you saw in your vision?” he offers, and I drop my gaze to the floor so I can think.
He could be right. It could be a trap meant to draw me out into the open so they can nab me, or something.
We must eliminate Eden Grundelier and end this atrocity. You all know the prophecy, and we cannot allow it to come to be.
The words from my vision reverberate through my mind, sending a ribbon of fear down my spine. If I go to the pier at noon, I could be walking right into their hands.
But if I don’t go, I could be missing out on something else. Some information that could help me solve all these mysteries and move on with my existence.
“The risk is worth the reward,” I say, finally meeting his eyes once more. “I need to know what’s going on, and if there’s any chance the person who texted me can really help, then I have to take it.”
“I’m going with you,” he says, his tone brooking no argument.
I only nod, relief pouring through me. Even if he wasn’t insisting on going, I’d ask him to come. I’m not stupid. I don’t want to do this alone.
But…
“I don’t want to tell the others,” I say quickly. “I’ve put Steph’s life at risk too much already. I’d rather leave her out of it.”
“I agree,” he says, sending a bolt of relief through me. “The pier won’t be empty at noon. The public setting is an advantage for us. If it is that coven, they’d be less likely to try something with a bunch of witnesses around.”
