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“Reese is not weak,” I spit.
He glared at me with huge dark eyes – definitely not human – without a single speck of light behind them.
“Oh, but he is, Claire. His weakness is how I was able to find you. Jealousy, you see, is the ultimate weakness. He was so hurt Brent was the only one that was allowed to be near you. He could feel that Brent developed feelings for you. It was so easy to get him to tell me a way to find you,” he continued, speaking in a haunted tone, causing the hairs on my arms to stand.
I returned his glare, challenging him. “It’s you that is weak, using people to do your dirty work.”
If it was anymore possible, his stare grew darker – his voice more haunting. “Maybe, but Mandy was a jealous soul also, Claire.”
“She’s just another innocent person you used to get to me,” I snapped, refusing to believe his words.
He laughed and the sound was deeper and darker that the menacing stare he had bestowed on me. “Yes, but the Adherent I sent manipulated her so easily. She had so much hate in her heart towards you, but so much love for Brent. Stupid girl. Once the Adherent was done with her, the poor thing actually believed Brent had slept with her,” he admitted cockily, knowing he had manipulated me.
I shook my head frantically, hoping I had misunderstood. But there it was – the truth – Brent hadn’t lied to me at all. I suddenly felt no hope. Stubbornness had controlled me and I acted foolishly again. We really were just chess pieces in Kace’s never ending game. He manipulated all of us square by square, playing on our emotions and our fears until only two pieces remained – Kace’s and mine.
Kace circled, assessing me, head to toe. “You were just as easy to guide, Claire. You’re longing and need to have Brent solely for your own, led you straight to me,” he gloated with pride.
His words made my insides crumble, wet sand through fingers, like the castles I used to build at the beach. He was right. I selfishly disregarded listening to Brent – only focusing on the fact there may have been a point in his life where I was not the center of his world. I wanted to sink to the floor and drown in a puddle of my own tears. However, I remembered I was the one who was designed to end this game for good. He was playing on my emotions to weaken me. I had to stand tall. Standing tall is what I did, shelving my feelings so I stood a chance at defeating him.
“I think you are the weak one, Kace,” I said, struggling to sound confident. “You spend your time haunting humans for your own amusement.”
“Is that what you think?” he asked surprisingly.
My confidence was growing and I stood a little taller. “That’s exactly what I think. You are no different than a playground bully, choosing the weakest and instilling your will,” I surmised, watching him as he continued to circle me.
“Humans are weak. They need to be reminded of that,” Kace stated. He stopped pacing and took an authoritative step toward me, sending my new found courage to the floor.
I balled my hands into fist until my nails dug into my palms – clinging to faith.
“Humans don’t need anything from you, except peace. They have a purpose and The Realm exists to ensure they complete that purpose,” I said, keeping my head down, avoiding his black inky stare, refusing to let it intimidate me further.
“But people don’t even try anymore. They gave up years ago. Haven’t you paid attention to the hate in the world today, the way humans behave?” he questioned cynically.
I intended to keep my voice calm but the words came out brash. “It’s not up to you to judge them, Kace. You are not God.”
“Enough,” Kace shouted thunderously, freezing me in place.
Fear rolled through me. Because of my insecurities and my inability to trust, I was going to face him alone – no Aegis or Paramour by my side – the way it was supposed to be. I had a choice when I left Layken’s house and I chose wrong. I could’ve chosen to trust Brent and listen to him but I didn’t. I didn’t know how to trust anyone. I would rather run. I knew how to run. I did run, right to Kace, and he was going to hurt me. I felt it, seeing it in his black, penetrating stare. He tasted victory. Approaching me, he rubbed his index finger across his top lip contemplating his next move and I flinched. He analyzed me, the final piece on the chess board. One final move and the game would be over, the ultimate checkmate. Would that be enough for him, just to win the game? I wasn’t sure if it would be. He was a man that needed more than an easy ending.
Kace stood back, smiling, and I knew by the look on his face he had decided. He was going to end this, killing me and continue his life haunting the human race. Fear took hold, and I decided to run, even though I knew it was useless. In my weakened state, holding up my own body weight was difficult, but panic propelled me to move. Launching myself towards the door, I felt a surge of energy from behind, like a ray of light through glass. My body rose from the floor and shattered back to the ground, shooting pain down my legs. My head smashed into the wall behind me, hitting a splintered piece of wood, and I felt the wet droplets run down the back of my head. I saw blood spatter on the floor below me. The shock overpowered my body so much, it no longer allowed me to feel the pain. I was stunned, unable to fully control my limbs.
Kace walked toward me slowly.
“That was foolish, Claire. You are much too weak to outrun me,” he said, examining me like a bird with a broken wing. “I’ve decided this was too easy. Our story has to end with a bigger challenge. Don’t you think? I thought I had given you enough time since our last encounter so you might at least make things interesting.”
I ignored Kace, staggering backwards, and leaned up against the wall. He had confirmed that our last encounter was real. I was never certain he was really standing in the road on the first day of school or if it was the beginning of my visions. He was real and he could have easily killed me that morning. It wasn’t enough for him though. I felt his fingers curl around my arm, digging his nails in so deep I thought he had broken the skin.
“Excuse me,” he snarled. “It’s not polite to ignore someone.”
I shrieked.
“Did you want to answer me now, Claire?” Kace cupped the back of my head and I heard my piercing scream as the pain in my head finally registered with his touch. The wetness was warm and began pooling in the cup between my shoulder and collar bone. What was his question? My mind was too clouded with pain and hate to remember.
“Answer me, Claire,” he snapped, through gritted teeth.
“What do want?” I asked timidly. The smell of my own blood was making me want to vomit and I heaved a little in my mouth.
Kace snarled once again. “A challenge. That is what I want. You need to bring him to me. Call your Paramour, Claire.”
