Chapter 3

Ivory suddenly giggled and said, "Come on, why are you so tense? I just want you to keep me company for a late-night snack."

I let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness she wasn't asking me to dig out my heart for her.

I nodded and, as calmly as I could, answered, "Okay. I'm all done with the lotion. Go dry your hair so you don't catch a cold."

She smiled and got up to head back into the bathroom.

The moment she disappeared from sight, I hurriedly pulled out my phone and messaged Will privately.

"Will, I think there's really something off about Ivory! But I don't get it. I've been with her for so long. If she wanted to hurt me, she would've already done it."

Everything was just too bizarre. I honestly couldn't bring myself to believe that the girlfriend I'd spent so many days and nights with was actually a drowned wraith.

Will replied, "That's because she's waiting for the right moment. To complete a substitution ritual, she has to stay by the target's side for over a year. She has to know everything about that person—how they act, how they talk, and every little habit."

Thinking back, it really had been about a year since I started dating Ivory.

"Did you two meet near water?" Will asked.

My heart lurched. "Yeah, we did!"

A year ago, I'd met Ivory and fallen in love with her when I was out for a late-night run by a lake. It turned out our meeting hadn't been some beautiful coincidence.

I'd been marked.

What was I supposed to do? Call the cops? But I didn't have any real evidence that she wanted to hurt me. The police would probably think I was crazy.

"Then I'll just get out of here and hide for a while, at least until the Embercoil Solstice is over," I typed.

If I couldn't afford to mess with ivory, I could at least run.

But Will's next messages only made my panic worse.

"It's too late! The ritual has already started. Even if you keep hiding, once the clock hits 4:44 am, you're dead anyway."

All color drained from my face as terror washed over me. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

Will's reply came quickly. "Right now, go crush some garlic and keep it with you. Go to the place where you first met and look for an old weeping willow. Dig around the roots, pour the garlic in, and then drip a drop of blood from your fingertip on it."

I couldn't help asking, "Will that get rid of the drowned wraith?"

"Yeah. Willow trees are nether-aligned. Drowned wraiths usually cling to the roots of century-old willows along the bank. It's known as a nether hollow. If you destroy the roots, you're basically cutting off its foundation."

He sent a string of reminders.

"You need to remember this—do not let her realize you know what she really is. Otherwise, she'll lose control, and the consequences will be unimaginable. Also, don't go near the water. Whatever you do, don't step into it."

I committed every word to memory.

Will had one last reminder. "And make sure you finish all of this before 4:44 am. Once that time hits, you're beyond saving!"

I checked my phone. It was already 3:00 am. That left me just over an hour. The lakeside park where Ivory and I had first met was about a half-hour drive from here.

I had to move. Now.

I threw on my clothes and hurried to the kitchen. I grabbed some garlic, crushed it, and stored it in a plastic bag. After I stuffed it into my pocket and turned around, a violent shiver ran through me. My heart pounded wildly.

Ivory stood right behind me, staring straight at me. "What are you doing? Where are you going in the middle of the night?"

Her voice was cold and filled with suspicion.

I couldn't let her notice anything was off. I scratched my head and said, "Will and the guys just found a new fishing spot. They asked to go do some night fishing. I figured I'd bring some garlic to bait the fish."

In the next second, her face changed drastically. She shrieked, "You're not going!"

Her reaction startled me.

"You're going out so late at night to fool around, aren't you? You just promised you'd stay and have supper with me!"

I had never heard Ivory's voice so shrill. She wanted to keep me here, locked at her side. Then, when the appointed hour came, she would complete the ritual.