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The doorbell rang. Cara frowned. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and after a moment, she dropped her hand just inches from her phone. Nick’s name was filling the screen, and she assumed he was calling to ask her if she was free tonight. She’d call him back.
The doorbell rang a second time, and Cara hurried to answer it. She checked the peephole first, and then opened the door.
“Jackson?”
He was staring at her with a blank expression and a thick, paper-wrapped package in his hands. He walked straight towards her, and she barely had time to get out of the way before he shuffled inside.
“You could have just walked in,” Cara told him, closing the door behind him. “You know you don’t need to use the doorbell.”
He didn’t reply, and she hesitated before she could ask him anything else. Her gut feeling was warning her about something. It was intangible, just out of reach, but something was wrong.
“Jackson?”
He stopped in the living room and turned to face her. “I have to give you something.”
She stayed in the doorway, keeping a few feet away from him. “What is it?”
He held out the package to her. “Take this.”
Cara glanced down at it, but she didn’t move closer. “Put it down on the table.”
“I have to hand it to you directly.”
She tilted her head, examining him, and her stomach was tied up in knots. “You have to? Why?”
“I have to hand it to you directly.”
“Jackson, you’re acting weird. Did someone give you orders? Do you feel like you have to obey them?”
He didn’t reply.
“Jackson, did someone mess with your head? Do you understand what I’m asking you?”
She didn’t want to use the word vampire in case he was playing a joke on her, but it didn’t matter. He clearly wasn’t listening to her.
“I have to hand-”
“I know,” she said. “Okay, fine, but I have a question. Is it dangerous?”
“Not to you.”
She frowned. “What does that mean?”
He didn’t say anything else, and she took a leap of faith. Her senses were telling her something was wrong with him, but she didn’t feel anything bad when she moved closer and reached for the package. Surely, if there was something dangerous inside, her intuition would warn her.
Cara took the package from his hands, and a paper note slipped out of it. The package was heavier than she expected, and when she turned it over, the paper fell open, revealing a glint of silver inside.
“Is this a... dagger?”
Cara unfolded the package, revealing a polished silver dagger. She started to reach for it to pick it up, but she didn’t need to touch the blade to see that it had been sharpened to a deadly edge.
After a moment, she pulled her hand away. For all she knew, it could be a trap. Poisoned or enchanted to harm anyone who touches it. So she carefully placed it on the coffee table and reached for the note that had fallen onto the floor.
My Dear Cara,
I hope this finds you in good health. Despite not knowing one another personally, I believe we could be great allies. You come from a powerful line of witches, and I have no doubt that you want to honour their legacy.
Voids and witches have always been enemies. This is the reality of our world, and it always will be. Your friendship with Nick must end, sooner or later.
