AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, do whatever. I understand.”
I don’t think I’m convincing because he narrows his eyes in suspicion. “Are you just saying that to get out of this conversation?”
“No, I mean it,” I say in a flat tone.
“Okay. But remember, I know you, and I know in a moment you’ll be itching to do something rash. When you do, think about how that never ends well and everything is so much better when we do dangerous stuff together.”
“I will stay in the club,” I lie. “You have nothing to worry about. All you wanted was my blessing to get Jenya, right? Well, you have it.”
Damien sighs and I have no idea if he trusts me.
The bottom line is, this intervention worked. I’m not going to wallow in indecision anymore. But I meant what I said; my darkness kills those I care about.
I can’t let Ben get hurt. I don’t want Jenya to be under Koschei’s thumb forever. And I can’t let Damien and Sophie expose themselves to the danger of my wretched cult.
I will end this once and for all.
Chapter 32
Joshua is almost done with filling in the outlines of the flames, but the usual feeling of closure escapes me. Yes, I did my job and destroyed the Red Rad Ron orphanage and its surrounding buildings. I made sure it wouldn’t be traced back to the Arcana.
And yet, I know that Koschei and Jenya are somewhere else, potentially building it back up. I don’t think it’s what Jenya wants, but I can’t be sure. Tanya sounded so certain about it last week. Her warning still rings in my ears.
If you are as smart as I think you are, you will stop here too.
I’ve sent her so many messages. It’s embarrassing—I get no reply, but I keep sending. It feels like if I stopped, it would somehow mean I have abandoned her again. Going to see her face to face doesn’t feel right, so I keep texting.
I send her today’s unsolicited update and scroll up. I sound so desperate.
Ben:Hey, I know you said you were out but I’m here if you need me
Ben:A little update. Empress agreed we should keep looking for Jenya and K
Ben:If you want me to stop messaging you, reply ‘STOP’
Ben:You didn’t reply. I’ll keep updating you. Today I had a really tasty bagel, no news on J&K front
Ben:Carbon and hydrogen went on a date. I heard they really bonded ;P
Ben: It’s a chemistry joke
Ben:I’m imagining you scoffed at my joke
Ben:Still searching for J&K, but we’ve covered a lot of ground so probably soon?
Ben:I’m getting a tattoo tonight, wanna see it?
I wish Tanya replied. Seeing the small ‘read’ underneath every message breaks my heart, but at least she’s reading them.
If she doesn’t reply by tomorrow, I will swing by Love and Err. I bet she won’t be able to ignore my face.
Chapter 33
After the intervention, I go to the private room I’ve claimed as my bedroom and prepare for sleep on autopilot.
The room’s calming decor has no effect on me. The pale green walls and the lampshades made of real coconuts fade into the background as I plan my next steps.
I need to make sure I don’t alert anyone, so I go about my nightly routine as usual. The quietest time in Love and Err is between four and six in the morning. That’s the time I will make my move.
