Blend

FOUL | oh, shi-

I'M NOT sure what Peewee expects me to do but I halt my path to Ace and exaggerate a sigh, holding up another finger for him to wait there. His brows tighten with disbelief. I just hope he listens and stays put this time.

As quickly as I can, I follow Peewee with a growing inner reluctance. Ace is no doubt running out of patience with me. In my head I count to ten, an effort to curb my own irritation. I spot Peewee stalking Anakin like he's jungle prey. Her dull blue eyes flare with anger, almost giving her a lively glow.

The moment I get close enough, Anakin drops the square box in his hands, startled by my reappearance. If only he knew who stood right next to him.

"This mothafucka did it. Look at him, Dev. He has guilt written all over him!"

"Hi again," I say with a too-sweet smile. "I realize how stupid this request is but could you please let me try on your mittens? Good ones are so hard to find, especially when you have small hands like I do."

He makes a face, picking the box back up. "Are you insulting me now by saying I have small hands?"

"Uh—oh, no! No, that's not what I'm saying. Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"Sorry?!" Peewee practically yelps. "YOU'RE BEING TOO NICE TO HIM, DEV."

I wince at her ballooning passion in my ear.

Shrugging, Anakin rotates the box to his hip. "It's whatever. Now please leave me alone. I have a job to do."

"But—"

"If you don't stop harassing me, I'm calling security."

"Harrassing you?" I ask incredulously, recalling how he continuously harassed Peewee during class time and in his private office. This boy has some damn nerve.

Regardless, a renewed sense of fear and panic overcome me at the thought of him contacting the police.

"Oh, he's so infuriating!" Peewee yells, trying her damndest to pull off his mittens herself. Her porcelain fingers slip right through him.

Terrified of this situation escalating anymore than it has, I nod with enthusiasm and step away. "Sorry to bother you."

"What?! No, Devyn! Don't let him scare you away!"

Easy for you to say, white girl.

I turn away from both Peewee and Anakin. I try to convince myself I've done all I can, that pestering a white male all alone in a parking lot is not what I had on my agenda tonight. Peewee is nuts if she thinks I can force this guy to take off his mittens without him causing a scene.

As I start heading back toward the central gathering, I notice Ace looming by the Engineering Building to my left. I start heading in his direction.

"Dev, come back," Peewee whines. "Please."

I'm about halfway to Ace when Peewee materializes right in front of me, forcing me to come to a halt out of sheer surprise.

I gasp. "I told you not to do that!"

"Are you seriously giving up right now? Dev, he's right there. This could all be over for Ace tonight!"

"Look, I don't want to end up in jail. There's nothing more I can do, P. Ace is scared, I'm scared. Coming out here was a huge mistake. We need a better plan."

She scoffs, folding her arms.

I sigh, trying to put myself in her shoes. I know she wants to catch her killer tonight, but we have to play this smart. We can't just go around harassing every suspect or we'll draw attention faster than we can say "whoops".

"We'll find him tomorrow," I assure her. "He's gotta take those damn mittens off eventually. It's Phoenix."

When Peewee glares back angrily, I realize she needs a minute to accept that there is nothing more we can do. I sidestep her and resume my path to Ace. But just as he steps out of the shadow of the building, I notice he isn't alone.

My heart plummets straight into my stomach.

The demon. It's back.

Right next to him.

That dark feeling returns—the one that suspends me in holy terror. The demon's beady black eyes study me with curiosity. He understands now that I can see and interact with Peewee. And it fascinates him. He stands there watching me with his head at an unnatural tilt, turning my blood cold.

How long has he been stalking me? This whole time I thought he was gone, but if he's been observing me from a distance, he must already know too much.

And that revelation is paralyzing.

What does he want with me?

"I can't wait for tomorrow, Devyn," Peewee murmurs from behind.

My eyes keep on the demon who slinks back into the shadowed building as Ace draws nearer. I swear I see his charcoaled lip curl with delight until he disappears entirely.

Fear crawls up my throat, stinging my eyes. All my life I've worked so hard to keep invisible, but now a demon knows I can see the dead. And I have no clue what to do about that.

Peewee continues, "I'm so sorry for this."

"Huh?" I slowly turn around, still caught in a frightful daze.

Peewee takes a deep breath, backing up. She then stares me down with a determined look and it isn't until she crashes into my body that I understand what she's trying to do—who she's trying to possess.

Me.

"Oh, shi—"

The coldest chill hits my bones like I've just submerged in ice. And worse, everything goes night-dark as I spin out of consciousness. Not because of the creeping demon in the shadows, but because of Penelope fucking Adams.