it cool, even though I’m a nervous wreck on the inside over what’s going on with my body. I push up on my elbows and rest against the headboard. “How can you even breathe if you’re dead? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“How can you see me if I’m dead?” he quips. “That doesn’t really make any sense, either.”
“It kind of does, though. I mean, I am kind of a freak of nature.” I lie back down and turn to the side, resting my head on the pillow. My thoughts drift to my stomach, to what might be inside it. I wonder if it'll be normal. Or strange like me. Or what if it isn’t anything at all? Never was. Or worse, what if the witch’s spell hurt it? I quickly shake the thought from my head. No. I’m not ready to go there just yet.
“Would you please go away?” I ask Nicholas. “I’m trying to sleep, and your heavy breathing is making that really hard.”
“Oh, my hell. You are so dramatic sometimes. Now, would you please stop feeling sorry for yourself? The witch didn’t take your life or your little bun growing in your oven.”
I crinkle my nose at his word choice then realize something else, snapping my eyes open. “Wait, how’d you know about the witch thing?”
“Because I was listening,” he answers. “God, what did you think? That just because you couldn’t see me, I’m not there?”
I sit up, scanning my room as a cold chill slithers up my spine. “How often do you do that? Just hang around listening like a creeper?”
A low chuckle reverberates through the room. “Maybe you should start leaving the ring on; otherwise, you’ll never know when I am or when I’m not. Or what I see.” Another chuckle fills the room, making me shiver. “Nice place for a Keeper’s mark by the way.”
I touch my shoulder blade, cringing as I think of all the times he had the chance to see the mark. “You’re such an asshole.”
The idea of him watching me without me knowing is too much, though. I scoop up the ring from my nightstand and slip it on.
The blonde faerie appears before me with a huge-ass smile on his face, which means I’ve done exactly what he wanted.
“I knew that would get to you,” he says, winking at me.
Shaking him off, I climb out of bed. “You said the witch didn’t take my life. How do you know that?”
He rolls his eyes, his head bobbing back as he groans with irritation. “You know what? I’m kind of getting sick and tired of answering your questions. I’m still really upset with you for taking the ring off and leaving me in the dark by myself.” He juts out his lip, faking a pout. “I get lonely.”
“Sorry,” I mutter a half-ass apology. “Now, can you please just answer my question without complicating things even more?”
His frowns, looking dejected. “Okay, I will, but no more taking the ring off.”
The sadness and loneliness in his voice makes me feel a tad bit sorry for him, which makes me feel guilty when I lie to him, but not enough to stop myself
“All right,” I say. “I’ll keep the ring on. Now fess up. What do you know?"
“The witch can’t take your life,” he says, moving in front of me. “Because your life isn’t yours to take.”
A pucker forms at my brow. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”
When he sits down on the bed and pats the mattress, I hesitantly take a seat next to him.
“No one can just take your life,” he explains, “not without taking someone else’s along with it.”
“You mean Alex’s?” Saying his name aloud causes a deep longing to form in the pit of my stomach. I miss him so much. His touch. The sound of his voice. The way he makes me feel safe. His kisses. The way he makes me feel . . .
“You two both have to die together,” he says then grins. “Which, if I’m remembering correctly, you eventually will.”
I remember all the times either Alex or I have almost died, but death never completely happened, either because we woke up or one of us did something crazy like changed a vision to bring the other back. So many times, we should’ve been dead, yet as far as I know, we’re both still breathing.
“Is it because of the star?” I ask. “Is that why we have to die together?”
“That, and the Blood Promise you two made,” he says