I don’t think I’ve ever been so shocked in my entire life. Not the day, back in seventh grade, when Jake admitted he had feelings for me. Not the day when Daphne and I accidentally discovered that magic was real. And certainly not the day when we encountered a whole clan of powerful sorcerers.
My face must have turned into the visual representation of “astonished beyond belief” because Jude immediately burst out laughing.
“Just kidding,” he snickered, “I couldn’t help myself. Your reaction was adorable, by the way.”
“What the hell kind of joke was that?” The more I spoke with Jude, the more I wanted to commit first-degree murder. Was this how killers felt when they exterminated the person they loathed the most in the world?
Was this what hatred, deep, deep hatred, honestly felt like?
If that was the case, then I was scared of it. Scared because I did not know if my disturbingly negative feelings towards Jude would end up killing me before I lay a finger on him, or if I would become a criminal.
I stood up and walked towards the door.
“Hey, wait!” I heard him call from behind, “Wait!”
Um, nope.
“Damian, come back! Please! I really missed you. I'm sorry. I-I just want to talk.”
To hell with Jude. I was done. I couldn’t deal with him. This was too much for me to bear.
Sorry, Rhea, I thought, your brother is too complicated. I’ll try and help you once I calm my nerves because I definitely do not want to wound up in juvie. Or dead. Dead or imprisoned.
My hands reached towards the doorknob, and I was about to let myself out of the room until -
“Anthony Jr. Jackson. Fourteen years old. Haitian. Fifth son of Anthony and Marie-Yvette Jackson. Address: 317 Lurney Avenue.”
I stopped in my tracks.
“Nicolas Williams. Fifteen years old. Caucasian. Only child of Bryce and Elizabeth Williams. 5437 St. Petersburg Street.”
I pivoted back to stare at him.
“Isabella Martinez De la Rosa. Seventy-one years old. Mexican. Widow. Second daughter of Pablo Sanchez De la Rosa and Angelina Berra Martinez. Your grandmother.”
No. This couldn’t be!
“665 Stanley Street, apartment 5.”
Holy crap. Oh, my god. What in the flying shit?
“Did that get your attention, sweetheart?” Jude said merrily, “Great! Now, back to business.”
There is only so much a person can bear. Everyone has their line. Everyone is aware there are certain boundaries, certain things that one does not do or say, in order to ensure the people of their surroundings stay sane.
Act civilized and remain polite. That's what any normal person should do. That's how society functions.
Nevertheless, Jude was anything but normal. And he had definitely crossed my limits. I ran towards him and connected a solid punch on his face. A string of blood exploded from his nose. I prepared to hit him again, but he rapidly caught my arm and twisted it back. I winced in pain and he twisted it even further.
CRACK!
I screamed. Jude let go of my broken arm and threw me against the wall. I fell in a crumpled heap on the floor, my entire body throbbing in pain.
He was much stronger than I remembered. Yet again, Jude had never displayed his full physical strength on me. Until now.
His eyes were glowing, like red orbits burning through my soul. His white hair was flowing upwards, a purple aura outlining him. Magic. Power.
“Ah,” he sighed, the aura around him slowly beginning to diminish, his eyes returning to normal. “I hate hurting you, Damian. I seriously do. Why did you have to come and attack me like that? Were you not aware that I have a natural self-defense system? That all sorcerers do? Good thing I only gave you a clean break or your entire arm would've stayed paralyzed for life.”
I glared at him, forcing myself not to cry.
He looked so innocent and small, standing near a coffee table with his hands behind his back, a sad smile displayed on his countenance. I knew better than to be fooled by his image. Behind his sweet, innocent looks, lied Satan’s illegitimate child.
“H-how?” The words slipped out of my mouth. “How the hell do you know all this? You’ve been stalking my friends and family?”
Jude grinned, his ego inflated. “Of course! I’ve known about them for a long time. I know everything about the people around you, Damian. Everything.”
I cursed myself for having been such an idiot. How could I have not predicted this? Jude was absolutely lunatic. Demented. A psychopath. It was literally the main reason why our relationship had lasted less than three weeks. Because he’d accidentally slipped off his innocent carapace.
Accidentally shown me what kind of monster he actually was.
Now he was boasting. Showing off. Acting as if he had won.
And in a sense, he had.
I was trapped, just like a rat. Rhea was gone and Jude knew everything about my life and the ones of my friends. In an instant, he could destroy them. With the snap of a finger, he could hurt everyone I cared about.
“Now that we got that out of the way, let me tell you how things are going to be like, from now on.” Jude approached me. “You are going to live here with me, for the rest of your life. Everything you need will be given to you here. I will take care of you. I will make you mine.”
He placed the tip of his index finger under my chin, tilting my head back slightly. “You, my beloved, my cute, little Damian, shall become my pet. If you behave, I will stay away from your friends and family. I swear I won’t do anything harmful to them. After all, they do not interest me. Only you do.”
Was he still talking? Was he not done yet? I couldn’t tell. I couldn’t think. All I could process in my head was I had walked straight into a trap. His trap. I was doomed.
Doomed.
“Don’t worry, Damian. Like I mentioned on the phone, I will help you solve Daphne’s murder. Together, the two of us will bring justice to her name.”
I said nothing. After all, what was there to say when my arm was practically killing me? What can a mouse do when it's held under a cat's paws, except for squeaking out in mercy or silently accepting their miserable fate?
“If it makes you feel better, Rhea is not dead. Yet. She’s far away. Very far away. My parents are also with her. They’re all clinging to dear life. That’s all I can say though. Choose to obey me and everyone will live happily ever after. Turn against me, leave me again, and I will personally dispose of everyone who's dear to you.”
Tears began to form at the corner of my eyes. I couldn't help it. The pain in my arm, the reality of the mess I had gotten myself into, was overbearingly agonizing.
Jude leaned forward and delicately kissed my tears. “Shhh...Don't cry, my love. I'll make you happy. You’ll be allowed to continue going to school, but under my watchful eyes. You can even visit your grandmother and go to work, but I won't be too far away. Everything will be alright, okay? It will be just the two of us. Like before.”
I whirled my head away, repulsed by his touch. “Rot in hell, Jude.”
“No, you’re the one who's rotting in my hell, Damian.” He cupped my tear-stained cheeks and gazed fondly into my eyes. “And you always will be.”
Jude brushed his lips against my forehead and for the third time in a month, I blacked out.
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