I shift uncomfortably. I don’t like where this is going. “I can only see him when the watch is in my pocket.”
“Okay.Good.” Her lips purse, and she straightens her back. “Alvin, I want you to listen to me very carefully. I have heard of this spirit, and most of the stories are little more than legends, but one thing is consistent in all of them: the entity in the watch is both dangerous and manipulative. Despite how it might choose to appear, it doesn’t think like a human, and before it was captured, it used its abilities to hurt a lot of people. It’s not an Avatar of Knowledge, it’s aDemonof Knowledge, and it can be very convincing.”
Oh.
She continues, not a shred of doubt in her eyes. “You’re a sweet young man with a big heart. I don’t doubt that it was able to gain your sympathy, but it could be having effects on your judgment you aren’t even aware of.” She extends her palm. The skin there is just as luminous. Not a single callus. “Something this powerful, this treacherous, it’s not safe for you to have. I think you should let me hold onto it for now.”
I feel myself viscerally recoil at the thought and grip the watch tighter. Ms. Stryker knows so much more about these things than I do, but it’s hard to believe that the gentle boy who’s been so kind and nice to me for the last twenty-four hours could be some type of vicious demon. I mean, that’s crazy!
But, of course, if she’s right, that’s exactly what I would think, no? And it’s not like I haven’t had questions of my own about him, questions there never seemed to be time to answer. How much of that could be becauseCollin was distracting me? Because he was encouraging me to be some kind of hero, or pushing me to get close to Rafa, or coaxing me to give in to the monster inside me… And that’s not even counting the romantic stuff he started between us! I mean, I’m pretty desperate—could there have been a more effective way to manipulate me than that?
And now I’ve found the exact book he needs to get free, that he can only use with my help. TheRúna Diamra inna nDée Sen, a grimoire of spells to form pacts with the most evil of the Old Gods.
I don’t have to look too deep to see some big red flags.
Still, every feeling part inside me revolts against the idea that Collin could somehow be bad. Even my monster seems to want to weigh in. An angry, primal snarl erupts inside—not words but pure malevolent intent—urging me not to give her the watch, to not give her anything. I feel my hunger surface. It sets its sights on her.
That’s reason enough that I should listen to what my boss is telling me.
Instead, I try to stall.
“Look, I get what you’re saying…” I suck in my lower lip. “I do. But I swear to you, he’s not like that. At all. Would it be okay if I at least said goodbye to him first? Maybe he could explain better than I can…”
I glance over at Rafa, whose frown has deepened—probably because I’m being cringe. Can he tell that I developed feelings for Collin? That I’ve fallen for an ancient spirit trapped in an artifact, all because it looked cute and was nice to me?
“I’m sorry, Alvin,” Stryker says. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
It’s the answer I expected—and even I have to recognize it’s the right answer. Ms. Stryker is always right, while the track record for my own judgment has been consistently pretty awful.
I nod, reluctantly consenting, and the monster inside me really starts going to town. My whole life, I was able to keep it locked down and quiet, but now it’s ferociously rattling its cage with both fists. Dark thoughts thrust themselves unbidden into my head: that I shouldn’t trust her, that the watch is mine and mine alone, that if she tries to take it, I should hurt her! Devour her!
It’s terrifying—and it’s exactly what I was afraid would happen if I ever let myself act on my feelings for another person. That I’d become violent, possessive, selfish—just like every other paranormal predator. Collin opened the door by making me feel like it could somehow be okay, and not only did I do a bunch of stuff with him and now Rafa, I’ve fed! At least two times at this point, maybe even three. This is the result.
It makes sense that the monster inside me wouldn’t want me to give up any power. All it cares about is self-preservation. But if I want to have any chance of being something better, I need to be strong. I need to resist its influence with all my might.
So even though it feels deeplywrong, I extend my palm toward Ms. Stryker. I force my fingers to loosen their grip on the watch.
Infuriated, the monster directs its rage at me. Those dark thoughts now tell me that I’m a moron. Weak. Thatshe’sthe dangerous one. That I need to open my stupid eyes and see this woman for what she is—a monster much worse than I could ever be. Something vile and sinister I need to put down, not give in to!
I try to block it out, but my sexual antics have apparently opened Pandora’s box, and the venomous thoughts are deafening. The struggle fills my eyes with tears.
And all the while, Ms. Stryker kneels calmly in front of me, utterly kind and patient. Motherly, even. Through my blurred vision, her beautiful, understanding face appears more luminous than ever.
Too luminous, in fact, for the dim light in the room.
And that’s when I realize where the glow is really coming from. It’s magic—that’swhat I’ve been seeing all this time—which is weird, because I’ve never been able to see that on her before. Or even taste it. I mean, I’ve sensed it on her stuff, sure, but not coming from her directly. Not even on her tattooed runes, unless she activates them. The truth is, I really only notice it on casters when they are using it.
And now that I think about it, that’s not the only strange thing. She’s not acting like herself. The Stryker I know is gruff and, frankly, kinda abrasive. But since I started my story, she’s been giving me compliments. Called me “sweet” with a “big heart.” I mean, I took on a case when she told me not to, put children in danger—she should be furious with me!
But the only thing she seems to care about is the watch.
And the wards on her house were disabled…
I decide to listen to my monster and look closer. Ms. Stryker is already reaching for the powerful artifact in my hand. She’s grinning, and there’s something in that smile. No,behindthe smile. Behind the magic. It’s like a double image.
A face underneath her face.
One with long, shiny, silver hair. And pointed ears.
