Page 18 of Haunted Prey

How long?

How long before he relapsed? How long before he slipped? He had still refused to take his medicine, and I realized now I had no way of knowing that he ever would once we made it out of the country. He would have still been fighting and who knows what the smiling woman would have convinced him of, what lies she would have told him. I might have been fighting all our lives to convince him I loved and only wanted him.

Wasn’t that the sad story for so many women? Convincing themselves and their partners that everything was okay. Even after their partners hurt them the first time.

I refused to believe Emery would have been one of those men. But refusing to believe it didn’t mean it wasn’t possible.

I said he never hurt me like that. And yet he had hunted me down. He had hurt me then.

I wanted to run, to shut myself away and not think about it.

“I’m sorry, Eve,” Leo said. “I’m just trying to challenge you. To think about your situation.”

I rose from my seat. “Well, you certainly succeeded,” I spat. “But the funny thing is, it doesn’t matter anyway, does it? He’s gone, so why the fuck does it matter? He can’t hurt me anymore, right?”

“Eve…”

I turned and started to leave.

“It doesn’t mean your feelings aren't real.”

I looked back. He was standing now, his hands in his pockets. “It doesn’t mean they aren’t true.”

“I know.”

Lena had made a good point about Severfalls. During the day, it felt normal—if not a little old-world—with its blue carpets patterned in art deco designs, arched windows, and dark wood-panelled walls. It carried a beautiful, otherworldly charm, like stepping back into the past.

But at night, something about it felt distinctly off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it was the darkened halls with their dim lighting, the hushed voices of attendants echoing faintly through the passageways, or the creaks and groans all old buildings seem to make, especially after sunset. But it was more than that—it was the unsettling feeling of being watched.

Despite the unease, I continued wandering the halls. Once, I found a corridor almost completely black, with a single chair sitting ominously at one end. I turned away—it creeped me out too much to continue. Another time, I discovered a staircase leading down into pitch darkness, where every creaking step felt deafening, like a gunshot breaking the silence.

I decided I felt the safest in the garden so that’s where I was headed as a clock somewhere struck midnight. As I got to the main landing, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I slowed down, then halted and listened.

Someone was crying.

Not just crying, but rambling as if begging someone to stop.

Curious, I headed toward the voice. I crept past the garden and turned down a hallway, only to see Jonsei standing some feet away with her back turned, swaying softly, her head lolling to one side.

Carefully, I made my way toward her. When I got close enough, I called to her softly.

“Jonsei?”

She didn’t turn.

“Please stop…let me go,” she pleaded. “Don’t hurt me.”

I reached out a hand for her. I touched her shoulder, and she turned.

I gasped, jerking my hand away to cover my mouth. Her eye was swollen and a little drop of blood was falling down her cheek. Her eyes were half-lidded, her head tilted to one side.

“Don’t…” she slurred. “Don’t, you're hurting her. She’s screaming…screaming.”

It took me a second to finally realize she was sleepwalking. Her voice grew louder, more frantic as she stared at me.

I went to reach for her again, uncertain if I should shake her awake, when someone grabbed me from behind.

“It’s okay, it’s just me,” Nurse Jackie whispered. I looked around and there were two attendants with her. She nodded to them and they gently guided Jonsei back to her room. “Poor thing,” Jackie said as she led me the opposite way. “Bad night terrors. Can I get you anything? Something to drink or eat?”

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