Chapter 4

I shot to my feet and stumbled back several steps.

"Ms. Larkin!"

The person outside shouted through the glass, her voice carrying through the sheets of rain.

I stared at her for several seconds before it suddenly came to me: I'd seen her at the front desk when we checked in.

She was the resort's owner. Round face, a little plump, very friendly.

Relief flooded through me, and I practically threw myself at the door to open it.

The owner stood under the awning, wet strands of hair plastered to her face, looking apologetic.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Larkin. This storm came out of nowhere, and lightning knocked out the cell tower on the mountain. I've already called for repairs, and the repairman's on his way. Please don't panic. Just wait here and try to relax."

I let out a huge breath, close to tears.

Finally, finally, someone was here.

"It's okay, it's okay. Thank you so much..."

I forced a smile, but before I could finish, I saw the owner's gaze drift past my shoulder and land squarely on the pool.

The color drained from her face.

A dry, strangled sound came from her throat, and her finger trembled as she pointed.

"Wh-what is that?"

I followed her gaze, and my racing heart slowly settled back into place.

I took a deep breath and told her everything that had happened tonight, from start to finish.

As she listened, the owner's expression shifted again and again. At last, she let out a long sigh and shook her head.

"The world is such a dangerous place. He seemed like such a decent young man, and he turned out to be a psycho."

She pulled herself together and patted the back of my hand.

"Don't be afraid, Ms. Larkin. I'll stay right here with you until the repairman comes, and then we'll call the police."

Warmth spread through my chest, and the nerves I'd kept wound tight all night finally loosened a little.

"Thank you." My voice came out a little hoarse. "If it weren't for you, I really don't know what I'd do tonight."

"No need to thank me." The owner waved it off. "By the way—how did you figure out he was a bad guy?"

I hesitated for a moment, then decided to come clean about everything, the prophecy included.

When I finished, her brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

"And I saw a knife in his bag. Something felt off, so I wanted to keep my distance, but then he came after me with it."

"Oh, so that's what happened. You're pretty sharp."

She nodded vaguely and lowered her eyes.

"Then again, what normal person carries something like that around?"

Outside, the rain pelted the windows, rattling against the glass.

"That fortune-teller is a strange one, though," the owner said, her voice oddly distant. "How would he come up with a name like Jamie Bloom?"

I shrugged. "Who knows? Whoever he tells me to avoid, I avoid."

"You really trust him that much?" She gave me a faint, unreadable smile. "What if he was just making it all up?"

"Better safe than sorry," I said with a weak smile. "After all, I only get one life."

The owner nodded. "Still, Jamie Bloom... Doesn't that sound more like a woman's name?"

I paused, then gave a bitter laugh.

After that, the two of us just sat there in silence. Neither of us said another word.

A bolt of lightning split the sky, its harsh white light illuminating the entire lobby.

I glanced up without thinking, and my eyes landed right on the name badge pinned to her chest.

She'd been caught in the rain, and her jacket hung slightly open, revealing the badge pinned to the uniform underneath.

White letters on a blue background, perfectly clear.

I could make out every letter.

In that instant, the blood in my veins nearly froze.

I jerked my head up and met her eyes.

At some point, she'd dropped that friendly smile and was staring at me without moving.

Maybe it was just the atmosphere getting to me, but the look in her eyes made my skin crawl.

Slowly, the corners of her mouth curved up, her voice as gentle as ever. "Ms. Larkin, why are you staring at me like that?"