Once in my room, I close the door and turn on the sound machine that came in all our rooms. Cat scoops up Waffles, who rubs his head against her chin. I fill in Zara on everything about Galen, from the touching to the memories we shared to the details that I know of my past life. I give her fewer details than I gave Cat, but I do catch them both up about last night and the latest memory. I omit the part where Galen broke the counter and tried to block my exit. Cat is already skeptical of Galen, and that will only solidify her against him.
“Did you have any dreams of Essos?” Cat asks Zara, biting her lip
“No—well, yes. I had plenty of dreams where Essos and I are at a Zeta Tau Beta party, and we’re in the hot tub, right? And he just whispers in my ear that no one is going to know as he impales me on his dick and—”
I bring my hand to my mouth as if I’m thinking, but I’m biting down on my finger to fight the stoked flames of anger that grow in my belly at the thought of Essos and Zara together. Cat squeezes my knee, and I realize my entire body tensed up as Zara spoke.
“My dreams of Essos—or who I assume was Essos—weren’t like that. When I told Galen about them, he warned me that Essos could be planting memories in my head, but they seem so close to the memories I’ve seen with Galen.”
Cat rolls her eyes and pinches her lips, but says nothing, giving Zara a chance to impart her opinion.
“That makes so much more sense!” Zara exclaims, and Cat and I give her confused looks. “Well, I went to get a midnight snack, and I saw Essos talking to someone who was standing in the shadows, and he was all ‘she’s in my grasp now.’ I’m paraphrasing here, but it was to that effect. Ugh! I was going to say now this is great, I can have Essos and you can have Galen, but it doesn’t sound like Essos was going to pick me anyway.” Zara pauses, letting that really sink in. “But, if he murdered you...I don’t think I want to be involved with someone who would do that. Then again, he murdered you, not me…”
I let her finish rambling. Her eavesdropping abilities proved useful once before, and I wonder if she knows anything else.
“First of all, you make your own choices—if you don’t want to be with him, don’t. It’s your life. Second of all, you sneak, what else have you heard?” I push.
“But that’s just it, isn’t it? I don’t have a life, just an afterlife and being dead. This is my only shot at living—choosing to be with him. That said, I’m glad you asked what else I know, because I did also hear him say something about locking Galen away. I thought he just meant lock him out of the ball, but maybe he meant likeaway, away—for good.
“So that’s it?” Cat stands up abruptly and crosses her arms. “You’re going to choose Galen? I just don’t feel like any of this fits what we know about Essos.”
“What sort of proof do you need?” I ask her.“I’m serious. What can I get you that will prove it?”
“I think Galen should show you when you died,” she states. “That should show that it was in fact Essos who killed you. Or can he only show you memories that he’s part of?”
“Wow, talk about traumatic.” Eyes wide, Zara places her hand on my arm. “I think this goes without saying, but you donotneed to relive that.”
I’m anxious about the idea, but maybe Cat is right—maybe it would help banish my uncertainties about Essos. Seeing him plunge a knife in my chest will suck, but at least I’ll have no qualms about my decision and this agonizing need to be near him.
“No, she’s right, I do. You two can hide in my closet. I’m sure I can get Galen to come here. I just need to ask him.” I tell them to sit tight while I find him. Thankfully, he’s right where he usually is, sitting in the dining room, eating. Essos is nowhere to be seen.
Galen seems confused by my request but follows me to my room. The wariness that was in his eyes after what happened last night is still visible. Regardless of how tonight goes, he can’t behave that way and blame fear. He’s a god and should be in better control of his temper.
I assume Cat and Zara are sitting silently in the closet when I open the door to Galen.Wisely, they let Waffles roam free, so he won’t paw at the closet door to be free. He’s settled back in his usual spot on my pillow, eyes closed, tail flicking.
“What’s this about?” Galen asks, sounding guarded.
“I need you to show me one last memory.” I don’t meet his eye for a moment, then finally, I do. “I need you to show me when Essos killed me.”
He looks crestfallen and moves away from me toward the door. “I really don’t think I should.” He scratches the back of his neck as he shakes his head.
I get his hesitation, but it’s not his decision to make.
“I need you to show me. I need to know what kind of monster I’m dealing with.”
Galen answers me by slipping his hands into my outstretched ones.
Essos is in my house, and I’m frustrated, fury pounding through my veins. He looks just as flustered and angry.There is smoke clearing from a small device that Essos is standing in front of. He’s unaffected as I cough. A chill runs down my spine, and when I try to dematerialize to the safety of our apartment in Solarem, I can’t.
When I look at my surroundings, it all feelswrongsomehow. The flooring is half carpet, half marble. When I look at Essos, his coloring flickers from full color to black and white and back again. Maybe I was wrong to try to push for this memory, the trauma of trying to relive it is too much for my mind to handle.
“I need you to leave,” I tell him this firmly through my coughing fit and point at the front door. “I need you to GET OUT,” I scream, the sound scraping my throat. “You’re not welcome here, and you know it.”
“Why won’t you see, Daphne, that you’re not meant for my brother? You are meant for me, and I will stop at nothing until you realize that.” Essos sounds hysterical as he pleads with me. Galen isn’t home, and Essos is moving closer and closer to me. I draw vines up from the ground, shattering the floor so he’s held in place. I don’t have a deep well of abilities to pull on, but I will draw on that well until I can’t anymore.
“I am not meant for you. I belong with Galen, and if you won’t leave, then you’ll stay there until he can make you go.” I don’t waste any time. I start to run toward my bedroom to lock him out, but the vines I drew up have already withered and died. I cast a glance over my shoulder and see Essos is free again, the angry glint in his eyes telling me he’s going to make me pay for the crime of using my powers against him. I can hear the heavy tread of feet as he takes the stairs two at a time, calmly rushing toward me. That he’s not even bothering to rush sends a spike of terror through me. His height is his advantage as he chases me down the hall to my bedroom.
“I promise you, there will come a day when you realize it. I will have to bide my time, but I have been waiting for you since the first moment I saw you, and I will wait until you come back into this world. You alone can bring balance to my world. You will help me be a better god. I saw you first, and I am here to take what belongs to me.”