Whisper to a Scream (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6.5)

Downing a tequila shot, Christina wiped the corner of her mouth and gave a short, mirthless laugh. “My life can’t just stop every time you disappear on me. In case you hadn’t noticed, falling in love doesn’t come with a winning lottery ticket. You leave me so fast that I start to question whether you’re even real. Maybe I’m in a mental hospital somewhere, right now, hallucinating a different reality. This is all pretty hard to process, Willow.”


“I don’t want you to be with them,” I said. “I’m sorry. I know I have no right to expect you to change everything because of me. That’s inappropriate. Your choices should always be your own. Jealousy is plaguing me, and I can’t make it stop.”

I sounded helpless and lost, which was exactly how I felt. The warmth of the tequila created a numb sensation on the surface, so I could almost tune out the constant replay of what I’d seen tonight.

She stood up to leave, and my heart squeezed painfully. Hitching her purse over her shoulder, she studied me with sad eyes. One single tear escaped.

“You have no idea how badly I wish we could save each other.” A deep, shaky breath racked her. Taking my hand, she pressed it to her chest so I could feel the steady beat of her heart. “This isn’t a fairytale. I can never be what you want, and you will never be what I need. It’s my turn to disappear. If you really care, you’ll let me go.”

“Christina, don’t-,”

She placed a finger over my lips, silencing me. With a soft sigh, she shook her head. Her lower lip trembled, and I took it as an invitation to kiss her.

I tried to hold tight to her as she pulled away. “Please,” she begged. “Just let me go. Before we cause anymore misery.”

“No.” I had no other words. I reached for her, but she was already gone, heading for the door. “Christina, wait!”

I went after her, unwilling to let it end this way. I had given up everything for love, her love, and she wanted to throw it away without even giving it a chance. Unacceptable.

“You can’t do this,” I babbled. “You can’t walk away now.”

“I can. And, I am.” Her hand on the door, Christina looked back at me with sorrow and something else, regret perhaps. “Goodbye, Willow. I will never forget you.”

Without a backwards glance, Christina strode out the door and out of my world. I could have gone after her; I wanted to, but chasing her down the street like an abandoned dog was not how I envisioned the culmination of our love. I let her go.

Chapter Seven

I lost track of the days and nights as they passed. It was all I could do to keep up with Alexa. Ensuring her safety was all I had left to keep me going. My reason for existence had died, yet here I was.

For the most part, both the angels and the demons ignored me until Shya visited my apartment. I felt his presence though he hadn’t manifested, and I was grateful for the forewarning.

“What do you want?” I demanded, in no mood to play the demon’s game. My voice rang out in the dark as I moved through the apartment, turning on lights. “Are you so pathetic that all you can do is creep about unseen? You must be trying to piss me off.”

His disembodied laughter echoed around me. “Does it make you feel better to blame the darkness for your mistakes?” The voice that answered was smooth as silk.

Shya stood in the middle of the small living room. Dressed all in black, his deep ruby eyes shone especially bright.

“Yes,” I said. “It does.”

My mistakes were my own. However, he came here to gloat, and I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of witnessing my self-loathing.

“We both know that isn’t true, but I’m not here to argue. If I want to argue, I’ll drop in on the Pope.” A wicked chuckle made Shya uglier than usual.

“That isn’t funny.”

“No? Anyhow, I think you know why I’m here.”

“Do I?” I stared at the intruder in my house, ready to give him the confrontation he was seeking.

“Of course.” The demon never once took his eyes off me, but he did glide over to the bookcase where my holy books were housed.

My gaze intensified, daring Shya to lay hands on my things. His hand hovered in the air inches from my Bible, but he didn’t touch it.

“And, what reason is that?” Anger laced my words, and an alien sense of hate filled me.

“You are afraid. I don’t blame you.”

“Get to the point.” Fear wasn’t my problem; the hate was getting the better of me.

“I have power over this world. And now, you are part of it.”

“You better not be implying what I think you are, Shya. I didn’t fall so that I could serve you. It was self-serving. Wrong. Stupid. But, it had nothing to do with you.” My voice rose an octave or two, and I stared at the hand that wavered so close to my things.

“If you are serving yourself, you surely cannot be serving God. Therefore, you are serving the darkness.”

“Get out of here. You are not welcome.”

“Some might think I’m not welcome in the Vatican either, yet I can walk its halls any time I like.” A smile crossed his lips, but it was neutral, not quite as mocking as his words.

Shya’s spindly fingers closed around the binding of the Bible and lifted it from its place. He held it in his hand easily, feeling its weight. I stood frozen in anticipation.