Page 133

Me

Are you still feeling okay?

No answer.

I text her again after work.

Me

I’m off work. Do you need more soup? Another potion? Let me know.

She doesn’t let me know.

Gods, I feel so clingy. I can’t keep texting.

For the first time in a while, I spend an entire evening without her. No goodnight text. No goodnight kiss.

Alone.

Chapter 42

Aurora

I’m not a ghost yet.

But I may as well be.

Wendy is the only one I speak to. For days.

At least it’s stopped raining inside.

Chapter 43

Sterling

Aurora calls out sick for the next two days, and she answers my texts once a day, with none of her usual energy. None of her cute emojis, no weird memes, no all-capital letters. Sometimes, she even hits me with a one-word reply.

When I call her, she answers and makes polite small talk, but something is wrong, even if she insists she’s fine. Just tired. Still recovering. Doesn’t want to do a video call.

She’s sick because of me.

It’s happening again.

I piece it together on the second day. It’s far too much like what happened with Wendy—a sudden sickness that should be mild but isn’t. It will only get worse. Death follows me even when I try to control my magic.

On the third day, I stop texting her, and history repeats itself.

But I can’t let her wither away. Not this time.

So, when I meet up with Farrah for coffee, I don’t waste any time before asking what’s been plaguing me for days. “Have you spoken to Aurora lately?”

“Um, yeah. Literally just yesterday.” She shrugs and sips her coffee before setting the mug down with a clink. “I called her about my outfit for a date, and she helped.”

“Did she seem… ill?”

“I don’t know.” Her eyes widen. “Is she sick? I can bring her some soup⁠—”

“She already has soup,” I mutter, staring into the black coffee in my mug. My stomach is too sour for me to stomach the drink. “She’s hardly been answering my texts, and she hasn’t been to work…”