Page 101 of Light As A Feather
“All of this for me?” Ivan shakes his head. “You really shouldn’t have.”
“It’s the least we could do. It’s your goodbye party after all.” Thorne steps closer to the entity as if he doesn’t have a fear in the world.
“This again? Have you learned nothing?” Ivan laughs in disbelief.
“It’s funny you ask, because I actually have learned some interesting facts about you recently.”
Ivan smiles and motions for Hawthorne to continue. He almost seems bored. Meanwhile, I’m tapping my fingers a million miles a minute and ready to combust from the inside. This wasnotpart of the plan.What the hell is he thinking?
“Apparently, you had a little hobby—a passion, if you will—when you were alive, that unfortunately for you came to an abrupt end. What if I were willing to make you a deal that would give you the freedom to pick it back up again?”
“And what would that be?”
Hawthorne motions toward the restrained man, helplessly watching this all unfold. “This is your ticket back to a life of your own.”
“Meaning?”
“You take control of his body, and you get to walk out of here with a new lease on life.”
“Why would I leave when I finally have what I’ve spent years waiting for?” The way Ivan speaks of me as an object, a prize to be won, is infuriating, but I bite my tongue, hoping that Hawthorne can spin this into an offer he can’t refuse.
“As long as I’m alive, you will neverhaveher. No matter what you do, I will always have more of a hold over her,” Hawthorne states matter-of-factly. “But with this opportunity, you could change your circumstances. Why settle for one—because let’s face it, it’s not like you had many options—when you could take as many lives as you want?”
“You think you’ve got a pretty good read on me, don’t you? But you know what they say about assumptions.” He turns toward me. “Sol isn’t like anyone else I’ve ever met before. She’s special, something coveted. I can’t simply replace her with others.” His words slither over my skin, tongues flicking obscenely as I try to push them away.
“What’s the point of chasing something coveted if it’ll never truly be yours?” Hawthorne picks at his shortcomings.
“I could ask you the same thing? But who says I’m chasing?” Ivan challenges, giving Thorne a taste of his own medicine. “What was it that the last medium said?” His smile turns my stomach as he steps closer to the line of salt that contains him. “That you entered into this relationshipwillingly, right? So, wouldn’t it be a logical conclusion that you also play an active role in this? If you truly wanted me gone, wouldn’t I be? After everything you’ve done?”
“You’re twisting her words,” I grit out.
“Am I? Or are you still in denial?”
For a moment, I question myself, allowing that heavy burden of blame to climb back onto my shoulders. But I’m not willing toaccept that anymore. Like Hawthorne said, I’m the victim. He’s just a desperate predator who’s failing to keep his claws in me.
“No. You don’t get to do that anymore.” I step closer to the circle, wanting him to see clearly that he’s completely lost control of me.
“Does it scare you that I understand you better than anyone, Little Dove? Whether you want to admit it to yourself or not,Igive you purpose.” He turns back to Hawthorne. “You should be thanking me, really. Do you think this would have worked for as long as it has if you didn’t have something bringing you together? If it weren’t for me, you’d probably be like all those other high-school hopefuls who have big plans but fizzle out.”
“Why are we wasting our time with this conversation when we both know how much you crave the kill?” Hawthorne asks with exasperation. “You walk out of here in this body, and the possibilities are endless. You’d never have to worry about the consequences; just move from one body to the next. You could practically be immortal.”
Ivan isn’t listening to Hawthorne anymore; his gaze is fixed on mine, searching, prying for the answers he seeks. I don’t dare move, trying to clear my mind so there’s nothing there for him to read.
“No,” he utters it quietly, just for me at first. “No, I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean, no?” Hawthorne’s hatred overrides his control for a split second before he wrangles it in. “How about this, you get free use ofmybody?—”
“Thorne, no.”
“You get free use of my body in exchange for leaving and never coming back.” He holds out his hand. Ivan stares at it like it’s a foreign object.
For someone who loves the sound of his own voice, it seems he’s been stunned into silence.
“You love her that much? After everything?” he finally says.
“I would do anything for her.”
“Anything?”
