Page 21 of Corrupt Shadows

She locks up for the night and stands under the awning, pulling a single cigarette and lighter out of her hoodie pocket. A moment later, a small flame illuminates her flawless face. I enjoy the quote on the hoodie. Just a Gothic Witch at Heart. She wears it like a badge as a joke to humans, who don’t believe in magic and witches, but she teeters on the edge of dangerous for those who know the truth. Despite thinking the Order is here, it’s interesting that she wears such an obvious clothing item.

It’s as if she likes being afraid.

She walks toward the car with her hood up, and I smirk. Finally, it’s time. Thankfully, the blond boy isn’t with her, despite him driving her car to work. I glance behind her, spotting him through the long windows, still clearing tables.

My heart thrums faster as she walks toward her vehicle, leisurely taking drags of nicotine deep into her lungs. Watching her evokes my craving for one too. I seamlessly travel through the shadows toward her, sliding into the back seat of Evie’s car.

I grab a cigarette from my pocket and light it. The inside fills with smoke as I take a long inhale, the cherry glowing purple. All flames in the Shadow Realm is hellfire, which emits an eerie, purple glow.

The gravel of the parking lot crunches under her sneakers with every step. She throws open the door to her car, which is not even locked, and plops onto the driver’s seat. She tosses her purse into the back seat and the Shadow Realm version of it lands in my lap. A bemused smile turns up the corners of my lips. If she only knew how close I was. The only thing separating us is a thin veil. She jams her key in the ignition and turns over the engine.

Her usual drive home from the diner doesn’t take long, so I put my plan into action once she is on an empty, narrow street. The storm follows us, and black clouds form overhead. If she refuses to use her shadows, then I’ll scare them from her.

I squeeze my chest between the two front seats and use the rearview mirror to whisper where her ear is in the Human Realm. ”You really should lock your car.”

A scream tears from her throat when my voice reaches her ears. Her shoulders tense as she glances up to the mirror, and I reveal my masked face.

The car swerves side to side across the yellow line before she slams on her brakes and pulls onto the wide shoulder. Rain patters down in thick, heavy drops against the windows. She grips the wheel tightly in both of her hands, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. Her breath is coming out in gasps, and her pulse beats deliciously against her neck.

A shadow dances from her body, but she quickly suppresses her magic. I grip the back of her headrest and growl.

She turns her head, looking over her shoulder with wide eyes shining with fear, but finds her back seat empty except for her purse and crumpled cigarette cartons. Her breaths come in shorts bursts, her chest heaving.

“Oh my God,” she whispers between desperate gasps for air.

She leans forward, gripping the wheel, and looks at the mirror. I remove her ability to see me as she looks around.

A cruel smile causes the bottom of my mask to push against my cheek bones. The lower half of my face transforms with the intensity of my evil glee, my white teeth bared and my barely longer canines on display.

She doesn’t say another word on the drive home, but her thoughts are chaos, drowning every rationale in her mind.

Images of me in the mirror cross her mind. So does Aiden and the upside-down cross. Then there’s her magic calling to me, desperate to be let loose. I can almost feel it buzzing under her skin. Every few seconds, her eyes dart toward the mirror, as if she might catch a glimpse of me again.

But she’s not sure what she saw. The moment she parks, she darts from the car and runs to her apartment. She didn’t even grab her purse. I chuckle darkly and head inside. Aiden should have left by now.

NINE

Evie

The hairs on the back of my neck stand erect when I enter my apartment. Someone’s been in here.

I glare into the living room, and the dim glow from the lamp flickers. An ashy scent mixed with nutmeg and sage lingers in the air as I take small, slow steps toward the crackling fireplace. Flames lick the freshly cut logs, hissing embers through the metal guard.

I didn’t light this. In fact, I hadn’t lit it for several days.

Fear crawls through my veins, as if spiders are climbing all over my skin. Any sane person would call the police, but I know no one can save me from the Order—or the demon in the mirror.

This is witch business, and no human can save me.

Thunder cracks outside the window, rumbling through my top-floor apartment. Lightning strikes outside the large, bay windows, illuminating the room in a rich blue hue.

Gomez. Rosa brought him back already, instead of me picking him up.

Against my better judgment, I hurry to the bedroom, flicking on every damn light switch as I go. I spot Gomez asleep on the bed, snuggled against the pillows. I watch his little body rise and fall and relax a little. I glance at the large, silver-framed mirror hanging above my black dresser, and I immediately step out of its reflection. I might be losing my mind, but I still can’t stand to be near mirrors. Not after what just happened.

Lightning strikes again, illuminating the drapes hanging over the windows. The crystals on my nightstand glisten in the light. I leave Gomez, knowing for sure that he wouldn’t be so calm if someone had broken in. Although, this wouldn’t be the first time. My thoughts drift to the mirror in the office. Thankfully, I don’t work from home, or I’d be fucked. I may call it my office, but it’s just a library with a laptop. I haven’t set foot in that room since I found the antique sitting in there, despite my enormous collection of dusty books begging me to return.

I walk back to the living room and freeze. Wisps of smoke swirl in the air from the extinguished fireplace. My fingers tremble, and my heart pounds so hard, I fear it may leap from my chest.

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