Gypsy Rising

Caroline’s body seizes as her eyes freeze open, and Idun casually speaks in a foreign language with her father, gesturing to Caroline’s heart and brain so coldly, as Caroline suffers in raw, tormenting agony.

Then it hits me like a hammer—all that unbridled, sickening pain.

I’m on the ground and heaving for air in the next instant, praying for a breath that doesn’t smell like that, and hear distant sawing echoing through my ears, as I choke back tears.

Rocking forward on my hands, I hear someone scurrying away from the wall, as I try to stop the spinning in the room by staring at my hands on the ground.

“That must have been one nasty death window,” Anna concludes, as her head slides between my arms, because now she’s lying under me and staring up into my eyes.

“Deep breaths, Violet. Big girl panties right now, remember?” Shera says as she pats my back on her way by.

I just stare at Anna, waiting for a second, before I turn my gaze toward the wall, my heart crumbling like the pieces are already broken and just holding on by thin threads.

“Do you know how a death window forms for someone who can’t die?” I ask Anna very quietly. Before she can even muster an answer, I give her my theory. “They pray for death so sincerely in that moment, that they know they’ve been damned when they wake up still alive for all eternity.”

With that, I clumsily push back up to my feet, my legs still trembling, and I push into my office.

The hotel is just one thing I’m working on. My family tree is just one thing I’m researching. I made a really crazy plan, and every time I see a new death window, my determination grows and my plan gets even crazier.

My eyes move back to thethick stack of research on my family, and I take a seat. I need to know everything before I finalize my plans. I only have two months left.

***

Month four…

“It’s getting time to start being a boss. You’d better not get me killed,” Shera says in a flippant tone as she wheels in the cart full of the blue-leather-bound books.

“Good job to you too,” I tell her as we leave the padded room after barely getting the monstar quad to pause Idun TV for long enough to half-ass sign some major legal documents.

I kick the door shut when Arion tries calling for me to come back in, and I keep walking. Shera doesn’t bat an eye as she pushes the books into my bedroom next door.

“Jerome said he had to take an early flight, but he’ll be back next month to see how it all turned out and wants to know if you can get coffee. I’d say he was an idiot, but I said that four months ago, and they never killed him,” she deadpans. “What should I tell him?”

“Coffee’s fine,” I say distractedly as I peer inside the wall for Ingrid, spotting her giving me her daily wave from the end, smiling as she starts chasing after someone else.

I shut the hidden entrance panel and carry on, smiling a little to myself, as I look around at all the progress.

“I mean it, Violet Carmine. You’d better be the badass I’ve taught you to pretend to be, or all this was for nothing,” Shera tells me again as she glances over the edge.

“Avery’s warned me of everything that could come at me, and he’ll continue to walk me through what’s happening next. I’m good, Shera. I can take what’s coming next.”

“They’re going to lose their minds when they realize what they signed,” she dutifully points out.

“I told them to read it. You heard me.”

“I did hear you,” she agrees. “And I filmed it too.”

“Maybe they can watch it when Idun sleeps if they need a reminder,” I state, sounding just a little petty.

“I don’t even know which way I want to judge you right now, so I’ll save my insults for a more decisive moment,” Shera says as she walks off.

The bells start ringing, scaring the living shit out of me, but surprisingly, none of my fellow omegas shriek. I glare straight up at the bell tower I’m under, through the glass floor, and see Luis swinging on the rope.

“Sanctuary!” he shouts. “Sanctuary!”

“That’s just too real,” Anna says from beside me.

I shake my head and turn to walk away, because I still have miles to go before I sleep. So many miles to go before I sleep.

And I’m already a little crazy with the constant death windows every time Caroline stalks me through the walls.

I almost think she’s trying to warn me.

I pause, my eyes scanning a line on a mislabeled document, and I slowly lower myself to my chair. My heartbeat kicks against my chest, and my eyes slowly lift to meet Anna’s, as the wheels of my mind turn.

“Who are you, Anna?” I ask, my eyes meeting hers.

She grins at me. “I’m Casper the friendly fucking ghost,” she assures me, her smile spreading larger. “Who do you think I am, Violet?”

“You’re someone who left table salt behind, along with a good-bye letter, even though ghosts leave behind a silvery tint with their salt. It’s their soul stains, I’ve learned.”

“Maybe my soul wasn’t stained,” she argues, leaning forward as her grin stays fixed.

My mouth opens and closes, and I narrow my eyes on her.

“Stop playing games.”

She crosses her legs, sitting taller, still fucking smiling. “But I love games. Play with me, Violet. Let’s play with Idun together. It’ll be fun.”