Page 67 of Deck of Scarlets
Running his hands through his hair in a frustrated manner, he paused at the door. “Oh, you will.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
She stepped up to the altar as the eyes of her peers watched, proud and mesmerized by her graceful beauty and strength. She never expected to be chosen, never in her wildest dreams to have the Lord himself call on her to lead the line of warriors. But she stood, sure and ready, as Father Alpheus draped a new scarlet cape over her shoulders with the proudest smile on his face. Applause erupted in the cathedral as the stained glass glistened from the sun upon her stature, marking a new beginning. The warmth radiated throughout her body, glowing from the inside out, feeling the Lord’s invisible hand touch her shoulder, reminding her of her purpose in life.
“For she is the Lord’s descendant; she shall save us all from the evil that walks among us. Juniper, our Scarlet warrior, the first blessed and the first to lead!” praised Father Alpheus.
Juniper smiled and beamed like a lighthouse on a cliff as her fellow sisters returned the same feeling. The whole room exploded with pure light, leaving nothing but happiness radiating through the convent.
As time seemed to slow down, Juniper descended from the dais, moving through a sea of her sisters. The others were unaware, but Juniper could sense his presence, watching, waiting, biding his time until nothing stood between them. Until the stars aligned, when the veil was at its thinnest, he would return, only for ultimate destruction to follow.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jolting awake, I untangled myself immediately from my bedsheets, only to hurl my guts up in the wastebasket, on my knees again. Dry heaving until there was nothing left, I pushed the basket aside, sweat dripping down my forehead and back. Every inch of my body shook, my teeth chattering like I stepped out of a walk-in freezer. Anxiety coursed through my nervous system, making it difficult to calm myself down now that my flask was confiscated.
Fucking Josh.
I managed to crawl back into bed, my stomach empty. The idea of consuming food gave me a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
No breakfast today.
Bits and pieces of my dream came back, but not enough to decipher whatever message was hidden beneath. A scarlet cape, a brilliant white light, cheers of excitement from whoever stood before them, all were masked in shadow. I had no problems before remembering my dreams. Now, it had become a struggle, and that didn’t sit well with me.
Rolling over to face the windows, the early morning sky, a cloudless blue, reminded me of summers in the Hamptons. Grams would bring her tote of yarn and tried every year to teach me to knit some type of article of clothing, and every time it would come out like a big blob, but she never stopped encouraging me to keep going.
But how could I keep going now, when Heather’s life hung in the balance? When monsters were…
To even say the word inside my head and acknowledge its existence… I reached for the wastebasket again, wanting to die.
Somehow, I must’ve fallen asleep after that second round of vomiting, only to awake to my phone blaring in my ear. Swiping it from the little bedside table, I checked the caller ID. Josh’s name flashed on the screen.
Groaning in annoyance, I pressed reject and tossed my phone at the end of the bed, throwing the covers over my head. My feet started to vibrate from it going off again, but I ignored it. Because the plan was to hide forever, hoping he give up and leave me the fuck alone. Maybe my body would camouflage against the comforter so I…
Barely able to finish the thought, the covers were ripped away, Josh standing over the bed. “Hiding will do you no good.”
“But pretending none of this exists sounds like paradise,” I sneered.
Josh scowled. “Do yourself a favor? Keep your comments to yourself for the next hour. We have a meeting with Toke in five minutes.”
I rolled my eyes and ignored his suggestion. “A meeting for what?”
“You have two minutes to change. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Asshole.
Once he left, I had half a mind to roll back over, but Professor Toke called the meeting, and the last time I saw him was during my signing. Of course, he had to know about Heather’s condition, but that didn’t mean he had the power to change her outcome.
Cursing under my breath while gathering a fresh set of clothes, I dressed hastily, remembering I only had two minutes.
Locking the door behind me, I bolted down the hall, only to run into Colleen and Meghan. Staring at one another, an awkward silence stretched with each passing second.
I was going to get yelled at if I didn’t hurry up, but I couldn’t help myself, I had to ask them. “Have you gone to see Heather?”
They gave each other a look before Meghan took the initiative to speak first. “We’re not allowed to. In fact, we’re not allowed to speak with you anymore.”
“Once our path has been decided, we cannot converse with anyone from …” Colleen paused, looking around before continuing, “The Order. It is considered a sin.”
Dumbfounded, I took a step closer. “I don’t understand. You participated.”