Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re trying to cast spells in the physical way you did when you were alive, but you’re a ghost now. Maybe you need to use the power of your mind. Meditate things into being.” The suggestion was mainly borne out of my desire for her to keep quiet for a while, but there was also a chance it could work.
“Huh,” she replied, her voice thoughtful.
Belinda fell silent, and I tried some meditation of my own, focusing on my injuries and willing them to heal faster. A long while later, I heard a small gasp of awe.
“It worked,” Belinda whispered. “I can’t believe it.”
I opened my eyes and found her before me, her blood-stained uniform gone. Instead, she wore a beautiful silk dress in a striking orange and pink pattern. Her dark hair was straight and glossy, hanging just over her shoulders. On her feet were a pair of dainty sandals. She looked ready for a glamourous day out.
“Wow, you look amazing,” I told her honestly.
Belinda gave a little squeal. “I’m so relieved. I can’t tell you how depressing it was to be stuck in that murder outfit.”
“I’ll bet. Now, if only you could magic up a few blood vessels so that I could feed from you and gain my strength back,” I went on.
“Eww, I’d never let you feed from me. I’ve always hated the idea of being bitten. Why don’t you just take Vasilios up on his offer?”
I sighed, regretting having filled her in on that particular part of my conversation with him.
“It’s not like you have any better options,” she went on. “And maybe it’ll speed up this whole process of getting him to trust you. Doesn’t the way you feed create a bond?”
“Yes, and that’s exactly why I won’t feed from him.”
I felt her studying me, her voice contemplative when she said, “Interesting.”
“What?” I replied crankily, not liking her observant demeanour.
“Nothing.”
“Quit being evasive and just say it.”
“Well,” Belinda began, folding her arms as she walked to the other side of my cell, her brightly coloured dress swishing silently, “it just seems like you’re scared there might be a part of you that’s attracted to him, and if you feed from him, that part will grow.”
She shot me a meaningful look, and I stared at her, stunned. So stunned it took me quite some time to find my voice. “I am not attracted to him.” I paused, lowering my volume before I continued, “He framed me for murder. I couldn’t be less attracted to him if I tried.”
“Okay, but you’re obviously attracted to weirdos who your parents wouldn’t approve of. Why else would you be going out with Peter Girard?”
“Peter isn’t a weirdo.”
“He’s a loner.”
“No, he isn’t.”
“He’s a little bit of a loner, Darya. And your families have always been at odds. That’s why you chose him. You subconsciously wanted to make daddy mad. But now that your family has accepted Peter, he’s not as exciting anymore, so you have to up the ante. And what better way than to go after the guy who planned to kill your parents.” Belinda shook her head. “Some girls have such fucked up psychologies.”
“I’ll repeat. He framed me for murder. He tried to destroy my entire life. I hate him.” I was mad at her for insinuating I had daddy issues. My father and I had a great relationship, so she was way off on that front.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, but what if it wasn’t him who framed you? Did you ever think of that?”
I frowned at her. “Of course, it was him. Who else would it be?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, but you said he seemed angry at you when he spotted you. What if he wasn’t angry at you but angry at the fact that you’ve been sent here?”
Her question gave me pause as I remembered how he’d been earlier when he examined my injuries. He’d seemed pissed on my behalf, but then again, it could’ve been part of some ploy to throw me off the scent. Vasilios was an excellent actor. He’d pretended to be my friend Nic for months, created a whole shy boy persona, and nobody suspected a thing. His anger at my being there could very well be an act, too. But then, he’d looked shocked to hear Belinda was dead. If he’d orchestrated it all, then why would he be shocked?
“He’s acting,” I replied, even though doubts were creeping in.
“Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is you should keep an open mind. You’re stuck in this place, and things might not be as they seem. I don’t want you to spend your time looking at the wrong suspect. Someone killed me, Darya, and I want you to find the real person who did it far, far more than you do.”
I heard the truth in her words. Belinda might be a sarcastic, mean girl at the best of times, but her life had been cut short, and she deserved justice. She deserved to know why. And if the why of it wasn’t as simple as Vasilios enacting his revenge, then what the hell was really going on?