Page 44 of Haunted Hearts

He gives me a confused look as I rush past him. I hurry into my room, going to the side of my bed. I drop to my knees, pulling up my blanket to expose the place where I keep my safe. I toss the journals and the grimoire in and lock it. Karma saunters in and rubs against my leg before looking at the safe and hissing.

“Smart kitty,” I say, picking her up and setting her on my bed as I pet the spot under her chin.

Now that I know that Kai is the false God, it raises the question of who the fuck is asking questions of the Covenant. I lie back onto my bed, letting Karma rest her body on my chest as I consider the question.

Clearly, I can assume he’s not human based on his description of his glowing eyes. It would be ignorant for me to assume that if the Covenant were able to obtain a witch they couldn’t find other supernatural creatures. Anything can be killed with the right weapon.

You wouldn’t by chance be able to show me what’s going on at the Covenant headquarters, would you?

Silence and dead air. I feel nothing.

I guessed not, figured I would try. I suppose everyone has limitations. I wish I’d had you sooner, you would have saved me from myself.

You may still.

Despite that comfort, I cannot escape this uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. I hate being left in a position where I’m cornered. I need a plan. If they have brought something like Kai into their ranks, this could throw everything off. I’ve been a step ahead for years, or that’s what I thought.

I glance at my wounds on my wrists and shoulders from my time in captivity; they’ve healed well. The breaks in my tattoos filled with scar tissue are all too apparent.

I don’t care if they have powerful allies, Rosa is still only human. I won’t fix my tattoos—I want to remember what they did to me. The cruel irony, knowing that in the end, not only did I get away, but that I will be the last thing they see before I snuff them out of existence.

An indescribable feeling of satisfaction rolls through me; my intentions may not be pure… but I never cared about being pure. I will break every single person who gets in my way. And now that I know their precious God isn’t even on their side…

I laugh aloud.

They are going to pay for every indiscretion that they have ever committed. The blood is on Rosa’s hands, and now she will drown in it. That was her choice. She made it.

I’m just her karma.

I reach down, petting the cat as she pushes her head into me, until I hear a knock at the door. I sigh.

“What the fuck is it now…” I whisper under my breath. I slowly get up and drag my feet, opening the door to see Gen.

“Hey… can I come in for a minute?”

I rub my face and open the door, gesturing for her to come in as I flip the switch on. My eyes land on her hair, her messy red curls pulled up in a bun on the top of her head. She reminds me of a chicken.

I close the door and sit on my bed. “I haven’t heard from Ben if that’s what you’re here for.”

Gen leans against my dresser, a strand of her red hair falling onto her nose. “No, honestly I’m struggling to sleep.” She holds her arms together, biting her bottom lip.

Why the hell would she bother me for something so damn trivial?

“You’re serious…” I’m about to tell her to leave.

“The other day.” She pauses. “What happened with Calli, it scared me, and I realized I’m in a house full of people I don’t know, or—haven’t known in a long time. I feel stuck, like there isn’t anything I can do.”

“You’re preaching to the wrong choir,” I say. “I know that’s how Calli feels, too, and she probably feels like shit that she scared you. I imagine she doesn’t know she’s different.”

“That may be true, but it makes her unpredictable. Power like that is wrong.”

I stand and move to her. “Wrong?” I cross my arms as Gen drops hers. “How wrong was it when you used your magic to torture me?” I raise a brow, frustration building.

She’s a hypocrite. How can she sit there and act afraid of something she doesn’t understand. She should know that feeling all too well, at least I assume.

“That was different; I had no choice and I was trying to hel—”

“You were trying to save your own ass. Don’t fucking lie. You sit here, complaining about your situation and how scared you are while you alienated the only person in this house who actually gives a fuck about you.” My words come out calmly; Gen’s lips pull together, her eyes wide as if I had slapped her.