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After taking a few bites she tossed the potato in the trash and went to her room to try on her new dress. Schuyler was right. She shouldn't have bought it. It was too tight in the chest and too short in the hem. And the color wasn't right; the deep purple shade made her look paler than usual, and clashed with her red hair. She'd had sale goggles. She took off the dress and crumpled it into a bag so that she could take it to a consignment shop. Hopefully she would get some of her money back. Ever since the bankruptcy, Forsyth had been stingy with her allowance.
Allegra was her mother.... The truth of it hurt, like when you overhear what your friends really think about you. She called Schuyler again, but there was no answer.
Bliss closed her eyes and went to the top of the Cloisters, looking for her friend. She had to tell somebody. But instead of seeing Dylan, she saw someone else.
The man in the white suit. The Visitor. Lucifer. Her father.
"Hello, daughter."
"Where have you been? I went up to the hospital, but she wasn't there anymore."
"Oh, I know," he said. 'she was too fast for us. She always was. But no matter. We shall catch up to her soon enough. It's nice up here. What do you call this place?"
"The Cloisters," Bliss said.
"Ah, so this is where you and your young man meet. But don't worry; he won't be bothering us anymore."
Bliss felt her stomach clench. "What do you mean?"
"I know what you have been doing. I know everything you know. You cannot hide from me, Bliss. I hear your every thought. I hear your every word. I know that you have seen what is in my mind, and I am glad. For you must be ready."
"Ready? For what?"
"Hearing about Allegra reminded me we have unfinished business to attend to. Her half-blood mongrel daughter'schuyler Van Alen. A very good friend of yours, from what I can tell."
"What about Schuyler?" Bliss asked nervously.
"Forsyth has been unable to bring her to me. Leviathan has failed as well. It is amazing how blind I have been to the advantage that is just within my reach. Because you shall not fail me, my daughter. No. You will bring her to me."
Bliss shook her head and stepped away, almost to the edge of the rooftop. "No way! You're crazy if you think I'd ever do such a thing."
Lucifer's face was calm. "Why? Is it because you mistakenly believe Schuyler Van Alen is a friend? What kind of friend leaves you behind? She never called, not even once, did she? Never wanted to know how you were. What kind of friend is that? How could she leave you alone, knowing how much you were suffering?"
Bliss continued to shake her head so vigorously that she thought she would make herself dizzy. "She had no choice... she was running... Forsyth made her a fugitive!"
"Still, each of us has a choice. Each of us has the freedom to choose how we act, and she chose to leave you alone. Alone with me." Lucifer smiled again, and this time Bliss could see his fangs.
"No. I won't. You'll have to do it yourself if you want it done."
"I have tried, my dear," Lucifer sighed. "do not forget: we have, as you young people say, 'been there, done that.' "
Bliss realized Lucifer meant he had already tried to harm Schuyler during the times he had been in charge, when Bliss was having all those blackouts.
"And so far I have not been able to truly harm the girl. Gabrielle's protection is rooted in her blood and must have deflected my presence. But you, my dear, you have your mother's blood in you as well. Same as Schuyler. You will be able to push through where I was unable."
"I'll never do it." Bliss pushed her fists into the pockets of her coat. Her father was insane if he thought she would ever harm her friend.
"Well, now you have a choice: you can do as I ask, or you shall never see your young man again."
"What do I care? He's not real," Bliss insisted.
"He's as real as I am. You think yours is the only world that is true? There are an infinite number of worlds in the universe. The world in your mind is as real as the world outside of it."
Bliss looked down from the roof of the museum. If she jumped, if she fell into the glom, in her mind, could she hurt herself?
"What are you going to do? What do you want me to do... with Schuyler?" she whispered.
"My dear? Isn't it obvious? You're going to kill her."
